POLICY FOR WHOLE SCHOOL BEHAVIOUR

 

TO BE REVIEWED JUNE 2021

RATIONALE

We believe that good relationships are at the heart of everything we do. If our children are to make the most of every opportunity offered to them, we need to offer an exciting, safe and secure environment in which to learn. It is our expectation that at all times the behaviour of our pupils will be good or outstanding and this is evidenced as part of our daily life in school.

 

OVERALL AIMS:

• To support the whole school community in maintaining high standards of behaviour:

• To develop a shared understanding of appropriate/desired behaviour and attitudes and the ways in which we encourage and celebrate these.

• To communicate these messages clearly to parents, children and all staff • To establish clear systems which promote positive behaviour.

 

RESPONSABILITIES

School Staff:

All school staff have an equal responsibility for the welfare and discipline of children in school. Staff have both discussed and agreed the school aims and strategies to encourage good, and discourage bad behaviour and bullying.

Children:

All children are made aware of the school code of behaviour (the Richmond Way) and the consequences of inappropriate behaviour.

Parents:

Parents are asked to read this school policy, with regard to behaviour and discipline expectations, and thereafter support school staff in meeting the school aims.

 

As a school community we share these values:

• We are all as important as each other

• We support and encourage each other

• We want everyone to feel safe and secure

• We want everyone to enjoy being at school

• We always try our best

• We respect each other and our environment

• We have high expectations

• We value and learn from many cultures and backgrounds

• We are committed to the all round development of the child.

 

Behaviour in school is affected by:

• The quality of the physical environment

• The quality of teaching

• The quality and resilience of relationships: children and their peers; children and adults; adults with adults

• High expectations and a supportive, flexible approach to learning

• The degree to which effort, results in curriculum and behaviour is acknowledged

• The degree to which independence, self-reliance and pupil accountability are expected and encouraged

• Adults maintaining an active, positive professional presence

• A consistent approach to behaviour; that considers the individual and favours the least intrusive interventions

• Pupils’ experience outside of school.

At the beginning of each school year class teachers and their children create a set of Class Rules reflecting whole school values. Class Rules and routines are re- visited/ reviewed as part of normal classroom routines.

 

These whole school values are summarised in the ‘Richmond Way’:

• We respect others and show everyone consideration

• Walk around school calmly and quietly

• We listen politely without interrupting

• We always do our best and take pride in our work

• We respect people’s property and our school.

 

Our approach is to encourage good behaviour(s) in and around school, rather than punish, to help children develop self-confidence and self-discipline.

 

GUIDELINES

Positive reinforcement A positive environment built upon excellent relationships underpins our approach.

Some examples:

• A smile • Thumbs up • A ‘thank you’ • Acknowledgement of appropriate behaviour • Genuine interest in activity • Enthusiasm for pupils’ learning • Reinforcement of learning • Listening • Positive comments specifically relating to effort or behaviour • Comment to parents verbally or in a reading diary/homework book • Sharing children’s successes with peers • Honest, specific feedback.

Rewards

Our expectation is that pupils will demonstrate exemplary behaviour and an excellent attitude to work at all times. As a result, our whole school reward scheme ‘House Points’ and ‘Weekly Awards’ focuses on promoting, encouraging and rewarding learning behaviours that will benefit children during their time in school and beyond, as life-long learners. Class teachers or other members of staff can acknowledge good behaviour by giving House Points which will then in turn contribute to the whole school earning a House Cup.

When giving house points teachers will take into account the following criteria:

I can take risks (risk takers) I can think for myself (independent enquirers) I can reflect on my learning (reflective learners) I can work in a team (team workers) I can join in with others (effective participators) I can organise myself as a learner (self-managers)I can think of creative ideas and solutions (creative thinkers)

Staff may also wish to individually reward and celebrate outstanding effort, work and behaviour.

The following bullet points give examples of rewards a member of staff may wish to use, in addition to the House Points:

• Direct verbal praise to the child and recognition of their effort • Written comments in work books and a note made in home to school diaries • The use of stickers to reward specific behaviour or success in a task which can be attached to work or worn by the child • Certificates which can be sent home to alert and communicate to parents the child’s success • Sharing of good work with the Head Teacher with appropriate rewards • Recognition in the Young Achievers Section of the weekly Newsletter sent to parents.

It is crucial that strategies used in individual classrooms are communicated by the class teacher to their coordinator, ensuring there is maximum continuity for pupils during the school week. Regular communication in Key Stage meetings will help to ensure a high degree of consistency across parallel classes.

 

Responding to low-level disruption

Low-level disruption, at any point during a lesson, can have a detrimental impact on learning for individuals or the whole class group. As a result, members of staff will move quickly to address any ‘low level disruption’ or ‘off task behaviour’. The following are examples of how staff may address and challenge ‘low level disruption’ or ‘off task behaviours’:

• A firm ‘look’ from a teacher or support assistant • Proximity praise (praising a child nearby who is behaving appropriately) • Tactical ignoring • Waiting and scanning • Pause in talk • Moving towards the child or group while talking, using non-threatening body language • Restatement of request followed by repetition of class rule • Use of individual’s name within sentence, to remind them of the behaviour you want to see • Repetition using ‘name...pause...direction’ • The use of privately understood signals • The use of a signal, familiar to the whole class or group • Reminding the child of the consequences, if they continue to show inappropriate behaviour, and the opportunity they have to make a different choice• When...then...’instructions

• The use of humour (but never sarcasm) to defuse or deflect challenges.

 

Responding to repeated disruption

Should low level disruption persist or be repeated, during the course of a lesson, the following strategies may be used by staff:

• Speaking quietly, calmly and assertively • Refocusing on the task, asking if the child needs any help • Continuing to use the language of choice - being clear with the children that they are able to make choices in managing their behaviour • Giving a face-saving choice when possible • Allowing take-up time – moving away in the expectation that the child will do as expected • Describing the behaviour, not the child as the problem • Using ‘I’ messages, not ‘you’ messages • Removing the child, where possible, from being the centre of attention • Giving the child time to calm down, before following up the incident with discussion • Staff discussing the child’s difficulties with year group colleagues.

 

Sanctions

Where appropriate, staff will impose a sanction, as consequence, to deter future poor behaviour. When imposing a sanction staff should ensure:

• Relationships are maintained – making it clear that a sanction is to support the alteration of behaviour, rather than punishment

• Behaviour expectations are reviewed and revisited with the child• The child has clarity about the specific rules that are being broken; the impact of

this and the consequence.

Wherever possible, consequences should occur immediately after the ‘incident’ and reinforce the desired behaviours. Whilst staff aim to be consistent, fair and transparent when implementing these sanctions, they also look at each incident carefully and respond to children as individuals; aware of their history within the school and the specific context in which each set of behaviours occurs.

 

The following are examples of possible sanctions:

• If a child is thoughtless, or careless with school property, or property belonging to a pupil, they may be asked to spend some of their time tidying or reorganising the aforementioned property

• If a child damages school property, or property belonging to another pupil, parents may be asked to support the school by making a contribution towards the cost of the damaged item - if damage to school property is sufficiently serious, a formal letter warning pupils about their future conduct may be sent home to parents at the Head teacher’s discretion.

• If a child hurts someone, they may be asked to write a letter of apology in their own time and give a verbal apology.

• If a child breaks playground rules they will have ‘time out’ from playtime and will attach themselves to an adult on duty or remain under supervision inside the school building.

• If a child is repeatedly wasting learning time, they may be asked to make up that time at playtime or lunchtime, under the supervision of the teacher in question.

 

Incident Logs

Should behaviour consistently fall short of those expected, over a period of time, or be deemed sufficiently serious in a single instance, staff will send the child to the Co- ordinator. These incidents will be documented in an ‘Incident Log’: date, time and a clear summary of events / behaviours. Individual ‘Incident Logs’ are compiled and monitored by the Head Teacher throughout the course of the school year, in the school’s ‘Behaviour Log’.

In addition to recording events in an ‘Incident Log’, staff may also consider:

• Discussing difficulties with a senior colleague (Team / SENCO) 

• Requesting the SENCO to carry out observations of the child in class to identify

  possible causes for inappropriate behaviour

• Set up an Individual Behaviour Plan (IBP) with the child and his/her parents

  stating clear short term targets, which will be revised daily with the child, and

  weekly with the parents

• Deciding on the time scale for implementation (approximately 1-2 weeks)

Reflecting, with named colleague, on child’s progress with IBP targets and effectiveness of additional / amended provision or support.

If the IBP has been in place for the agreed timescale and the inappropriate behaviours continue, resulting in the continued disruption of lessons or break times or inhibiting the learning or play of the other children in the class, the child may be removed from class, with the agreement of the Head Teacher for a set period. Following a child’s removal from class, parents will be informed at the end of the day, by telephone or meeting after school, and a plan will be agreed for the following day. A record of these events will once again be recorded in an ‘Incident Log’.

 

Dealing with violent or offensive behaviour

If a child is violent or offensive (homophobic, racist or discriminatory language / behaviour) towards another child or a member of staff, the Head Teacher will remove the child from the classroom or the situation. This ‘internal exclusion’ will give the child time to calm down and reflect on his/her behaviour. Furthermore, appropriate actions will be discussed and apologies made to the injured parties. A record of the events will be documented in an ‘Incident Log’. As well as recording the incident, parents will be informed, either via telephone or when the child is collected at the end of the school day. If necessary a further meeting will be arranged between parents, the class teacher and the senior member of staff. The outcome of this meeting should be a clear plan of action to support the child to improve their behaviour in school.

Richmond International School acknowledges that, in exceptional circumstances, staff may be required to physically intervene to prevent pupils from threatening the safety of others, putting themselves at risk or causing damage to property.

 

External Exclusion

If a child continues to behave inappropriately or violently or offensively towards staff or other children, over a period of months, after a number of intervention strategies have been tried and provision adjusted, the Head Teacher may consider either short-term or longer term ‘external exclusion’. Appropriate paperwork will be completed and parents informed within the required timescale. A record of significant incidents and recurrent behaviour will be kept in the Head teacher’s office. All ‘external exclusions’ will be documented and retained by Administrative staff for future reference.