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Behaviour Policy

Approved: Autumn 2020

Review date: Autumn 2023

 

Purpose

The purpose of this document is to inform all those involved in the education of children at this school with the aims and practice details of behaviour management so that there is consistency by and to all.

 

Mental Health and Wellbeing

The school has an established culture that promotes and enhances the positive mental health of the whole school community, recognising that healthy relationships underpin positive mental health and have a significant impact on learning, health and wellbeing. We champion the expectation that ‘mental health is the individual’s responsibility supported by the whole school community.’

 

Statement of Behaviour Principles

Every school has 4 key duties in relation to behaviour:

  • Promote and celebrate good behaviour, self-discipline and mutual respect
  • prevent bullying
  • promote effective learning behaviour
  • ensuring the school community stays safe

 

Audience

This document is available to all members of the school community. It can be found on the school website. Copies for staff are contained in the Staff Handbook and on the school network and for visitors in the school office. Copies are available to parents/carers on request.

 

Practice

We have one simple logo which sums up the behaviour policy: We care, we learn, we shine

Children are expected to show respect to everyone and the environment, treat others with kindness and seek support if they cannot sort out a problem alone. Together the school community creates a culture of praise where children are expected to be responsible for managing their own behaviour.

 

Sanctions

The guiding principle is that the sanction must fit the violation and the age of the child. All adults in school are expected to follow the behaviour steps, (see appendix1).

 

Use of reasonable force

The term ‘reasonable force’ covers the broad range of actions used by most teachers at some point in their career that involve a degree of physical contact with pupils. Reasonable force can be used to prevent pupils from hurting themselves or others, from damaging property, or from causing disorder. ‘Reasonable in the circumstances’ means using no more force than is needed.

 

In a school, force is used for two main purposes – to control pupils or to restrain them.

At Ash Grange staff will use reasonable force to:

  • Remove disruptive children from the classroom when they have refused to follow an instruction to do so, e.g. by taking their hand, or leading them by the shoulder
  • Prevent a pupil behaving in a way that disrupts a school event or a school trip or visit
  • Prevent a pupil leaving the classroom where allowing the pupil to leave would risk their safety or lead to behaviour that disrupts the behaviour of others
  • Prevent a pupil from damaging school property
  • Prevent a pupil from attacking a member of staff or another pupil, or to stop a fight in the playground
  • Restrain a pupil at risk of harming themselves through physical outbursts.
  • Prevent children from hurting one another by standing between pupils or blocking a pupil's path

 

During the control or restraint staff must not put themselves in danger.

 

School staff should always try to avoid acting in a way that might cause injury, but in extreme cases it may not always be possible to avoid injuring the pupil.

 

Restraint

The majority of pupils behave well and conform to the expectations of our school. In rare circumstances, however, the use of acceptable forms of restrictive physical intervention may be needed. Occasions when physical restraint is permitted include when a child is:

  • Committing a criminal offence
  • Injuring themselves or others
  • Causing damage to property (including the pupils’ own property)
  • Engaging in any behaviour prejudicial to maintaining good order and discipline at the school or among any of its pupils, whether that behaviour occurs in a classroom during a teaching session or in the course of a school visit or off-site activity.
    See Policy on Physical Contact and Restrictive Physical Intervention for further details.
    Staff do not use force as a punishment.

 

If a child has been controlled to restore their behaviour the class teacher will inform the parent at the end of the school day. If a child has been restrained, the Headteacher or member of the Senior Leadership Team will contact the parent and a behaviour log will be completed.

 

Detention

  • If a child’s behaviour causes them to miss learning time during lessons, the missed learning will be undertaken during break/lunchtimes. If it is a break time detention, at least five minutes will be allowed for the child to relax before the next lesson, use the toilet and/or have a drink. If it is a lunchtime detention up to half an hour can be used for the detention so that there is time to eat, use the toilet and relax before the next lesson.
  • If a child has had a break/lunchtime detention it is the teacher’s responsibility to inform the parent at the end of the school day.
  • Parental consent is not required for a break time/lunchtime detention.

 

Pupil support systems

  • School Councillors: Support children on a day-to-day basis and through weekly assemblies. Children have the opportunity to share any worries with the school councillor who will discuss the matter with their class teacher or member of S LT.
  • Buddy Classes: Each class has a buddy class for fortnightly reading and activities to forge strong relationships and a support person around school.
  • Short term programmes: These involve targeted children in small group activities with school staff, focused upon their specific need e.g. anger management or self-esteem
  • Circle of Friends: When a group of children support a child who is having specific behaviour issues, which can be helped from activities and the words of encouragement from the circle of friends on the playground or in the class.
  • Induction Buddy: When a child starts the school the teacher selects a class buddy to show them around the school and get them familiar with school systems.
  • Me time: Weekly 30-minute slot to explore and express own feelings and emotions through a variety of mediums with Headteacher/Deputy/Class Teacher

 

Resources

Children have equal access to all resources. They are expected to look after and use the resources with care and respect. If a child intentionally damages a resource they are expected to pay for the replacement. A letter is sent by external post to the parents/carers to advise them of the damage caused and the amount payable.

 

Environment

Children are expected to care for their environment, leave it ready for others to learn in and always tidy up after using it. If a child intentionally damages the environment they are expected to repair/tidy if able. If not costs will be sought from parents/carers.

 

Trips and Visits

Staff must have the same expectations of children in school and on trips. If a child misbehaves on a trip the staff member will deal with it promptly and according to the policy. If the child’s misbehaviour has affected the enjoyment or learning of others on return to school, the staff member must inform the Headteacher and parent.

If a child brings the name of the school into disrepute, then the child will be sanctioned in school.

 

Monitoring

Behaviour is monitored constantly through day to day informal observations and specific focused observations of locations or times of the day. Everyone is responsible for monitoring and enforcing the behaviour expectations of the school on a day-to-day basis. Specific children may be monitored as representative of a class, age, group or gender.

 

The class teacher monitors the behaviour of the class and provides a wide range of communication methods to ensure the children share any concerns that they have, these may include:

  • Circle time
  • 1 to 1 chats
  • Chats during small group time
  • Whole class behaviour management strategies
  • Me time journals

 

Any concerns regarding behaviour are raised with the child and parents and recorded in their PSHE records. These are monitored over the next term to explore the impact of improvement strategies.

 

The Senior Leadership Team and Governors explicitly monitor behaviour each half term.

 

Exclusions

The school makes every effort to manage a behaviour problem so that the child stays in school. This may involve the support of other adults or specific behavioural improvement programmes. Exclusions will take place when their behaviour cannot guarantee the safety of other children or adults in the school. If a child puts another child or adult’s life in danger this would bring about permanent exclusion.

In these cases, the child and the child’s parents will be informed of the action leading to the exclusion and the process for education during this period. Governors and the Education Welfare Officer will be informed. The Department for Education and Local Authority guidelines will be followed for any exclusion.

 

Accusations against school staff

If any staff member is accused of inappropriate behaviour towards children the guidelines: “Dealing with Allegations of Abuse against Teachers and other Staff - Guidance for Local Authorities, Headteachers, School Staff, Governing Bodies and Proprietors of Independent Schools Reference: DFE-00061-2011, Published July 2011”, will be followed, as well as the Local Authority Guidelines. These are detailed in the policy Parental Concerns and Complaints, in summary:

(i) All complaints about the use of force should be thoroughly, speedily and appropriately investigated.

(ii) Where a member of staff has acted within the law – that is, they have used reasonable force in order to prevent injury, damage to property or disorder – this will provide a defence to any criminal prosecution or other civil or public law action.

(iii) When a complaint is made the onus is on the person making the complaint to prove that his/her allegations are true – it is not for the member of staff to show that he/she has acted reasonably.

(iv) Suspension must not be an automatic response when a member of staff has been accused of using excessive force. Schools should refer to the “Dealing with Allegations of Abuse against Teachers and Other Staff” guidance where an allegation of using excessive force is made against a teacher. This guidance makes clear that a person must not be suspended automatically, or without careful thought.

(v) Schools must consider carefully whether the circumstances of the case warrant a person being suspended until the allegation is resolved or whether alternative arrangements are more appropriate.

(vi) If a decision is taken to suspend a teacher, the school should ensure that the teacher has access to a named contact who can provide support.

(vii) Governing bodies should always consider whether a teacher has acted within the law when reaching a decision on whether or not to take disciplinary action against the teacher.

(viii) As employers, schools and local authorities have a duty of care towards their employees. It is important that schools provide appropriate pastoral care to any member of staff who is subject to a formal allegation following a use of force incident.

 

If the accusation is proven to be malicious and unfounded then the child will be subject to either a fixed term or permanent exclusion, dependent on the severity of the accusation, as well as referral to the police if there are grounds for believing a criminal offence may have been committed.

 

Staff Responsibility

All members of staff share responsibility for managing the behaviour of the children and following all policy guidelines.

 

Screening

The Headteacher and all school staff are authorised to have statutory power to search pupils or their possessions, without consent, where they suspect the pupil has certain prohibited items. The items that can be searched for under this power are knives or weapons, alcohol, illegal drugs and stolen items.

 

School staff can seize any banned or prohibited item found as a result of a search or which they consider harmful or detrimental to school discipline.

 

Any member of school staff can search pupils with their consent for any item which is banned by the school, see below.

  1. Schools are not required to have formal written consent from the pupil – it is enough for the teacher to ask the pupil to turn out his or her pockets or if the teacher can look in the pupil’s bag or locker and for the pupil to agree.
  2. If a pupil refuses to be searched, the school may refuse to have the pupil on the premises. Health and safety legislation requires a school to be managed in a way which does not expose pupils or staff to risks to their health and safety and this would include making reasonable rules as a condition of admittance.
  3. If a pupil fails to comply, and the school does not let the pupil in, the school has not excluded the pupil and the pupil’s absence should be treated as unauthorised. The pupil must comply with the rules and attend.

 

Banned Items

If a child brings toys, jewellery or items from home not part of the school curriculum, staff have the right to confiscate them until home time when they are returned to an adult in the family. The exception to this is for show and tell times. All items are the child’s responsibility and the school accepts no liability for loss or damage however this may have been caused.

 

Mobile Phones

Mobile phones are not permitted on the school site. Any child who has a mobile phone must hand it in to the office for safe keeping on arrival. Phones can then be collected at the end of the school day.

 

Home/School Partnership

Parents have a vital role to play in terms of discipline and behaviour. They are welcome in school at any time. Termly progress reports inform parents of progress and behaviour. All new parents are informed of the ‘One Rule’. If a problem arises they are involved at a very early stage and work together with staff to resolve the matter.

 

We will work with our parents to empower them to promote the positive self-esteem of their children in the home. We will model the use of positive statements during our work with parents in order that they can be used in the home environment. We will work alongside parents who need support with behaviour management at home.

 

This policy is available to parents/carers so that they are informed of school practice.

There is a home school agreement that every family must sign when they start the school, which identifies expectations, systems and consequences.

 

SEN/Additional Needs

All children will adhere to the behaviour policy. If a child has specific needs these will be addressed through a written document identifying the particular measures that are in place, this would be copied to the child/parents, staff and outside agencies. This document must be produced and circulated within one month of

the child arriving with a behavioural Individual Education Plan (IPP) or for a child on school roll one month after a behaviour amendment to an IPP has been made.

 

Staff development/support

The whole school is responsible for the management of pupil behaviour.

Colleagues are urged to engage in open discussion and seek advice, and when necessary, support. Staff expertise can be utilised from internal staff and outside agencies. The school will utilise multi-professional team meetings and parent meetings to explore additional needs of children.

 

All staff receive annual training in the management of behaviour and the use of control/force. Staff who work with children who have specific needs may need additional training which will be provided.

 

Equal opportunities

No child’s behaviour difficulties will be stereotyped through race, culture, gender, ability or religion. No child will be discriminated through the implementation of the policy. Reasonable adjustments will be agreed with all parties (child/parent/staff/governors), published and circulated within one month of the child arriving with a behavioural IEP or for a child on roll one month after a behaviour amendment to an IPP has been made.

 

See also Equalities, Child Protection, and Anti-bullying, Monitoring, PSHE and Sex Education policies.

 

Reference Documents:

(i) Behaviour and Discipline in Schools - A Guide for Head Teachers and Schools Staff, Reference: DFE-00023- 2014, published Feb 2014

(ii)Use of reasonable force - Advice for head teachers, staff and governing bodies, Reference: DFE-00295 2013, Published: July 2013

(iii)Screening, Searching and Confiscation - Advice for Headteachers, Staff and Governing Bodies, Reference: DFE-00056-2011, Published: Feb 2014

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