Positive Behaviour Management Policy

Schools Mission Statement

Saint Joseph’s RC School together with its faith community will endeavour to inspire the gospel values of faith, hope, love, peace, justice and truth by:

Ensuring that each child will develop their full potential, spiritually, intellectually, morally, emotionally, physically and socially in a caring, loving and supportive environment.

Regular monitoring and evaluation of each child’s progress.

Building strong relationships between school, children, parents and the parish community and neighbourhood to help prepare them to live harmoniously and with equality of opportunity.

Staff must be committed to supporting the Catholic ethos of the school and to helping the children towards an understanding of worship. Staff will share their gifts in the fulfilment of these aims for the benefit of the school community and share responsibility for the well being and discipline of all children. We place great importance on a high standard of pastoral care and aim to provide an environment they can work and play free from unnecessary anxiety. We promote and expect excellent standards of behaviour with children showing respect, manners and consideration to others.

See also related policies: Curriculum, Assessment, Equal Opportunities, Race Equality, SEN, Early Years Foundation Stage, Teaching and Learning

OUR EXPECTATIONS

At KS1 Golden Rules are followed. These are:

To be allowed to work (in peace)
To be allowed to play with their friends
To feel safe
To be dealt with kindly
To be listened to
To help make their classroom safety rules

In order for these rights to be met, the children agreed that teaching staff must also have basic rights. These are as follows:

To be able to teach without interruption
To have ‘quiet’ when explaining things
To stay in their places if told to
To put their hand up and ask politely
To look and listen when the teacher is talking
To use quiet working voices in the classroom

In KS2 the rules are:

Follow in God’s footsteps and be a positive role model
Have respect for other people and their property
Walk sensibly up and down the stairs
Honesty, manners, truthfulness are priceless gifts we can share with everybody
Keep your arms, feet and nasty words to yourself

All children are expected to follow the firm but kind discipline in the school, they are treated in a firm and consistent manner. When standards fall below those expected the child concerned is disciplined by the staff member concerned. This may result in a verbal warning, loss of privileges, ‘Reflection’ held at lunchtime for KS2 and ‘thinking time’ for KS1 or for more serious incidents referred to the SLT.

In other words, we ALL need to work together to meet these rights and expectations.

KEY PRINCIPLES

Secure attachments, positive behaviour management and good inter-personal relationships support community cohesion and create an environment in which individuals can flourish.

We are very conscious that difficult or challenging behaviour may be an indication that a child has worries and concerns that they are unable to express in words and that these may be preventing them from learning.

Having consulted with all stakeholders, we believe that self-directed behaviour is the goal of all behaviour management. All children need to have self-confidence and self-control in order to operate effectively in a range of situations and with a variety of people. We believe this is a desirable quality both in school and throughout their future lives.

Our approach to understanding and managing behaviour should show understanding, compassion, forgiveness and respect.

In school children need a clear set of rules and boundaries within which they can operate. They need to be praised for keeping the rules and they need to understand that sanctions will be imposed if the rules are broken. Thus we have a set of ‘Golden Rules’ and ‘Golden Books’ which we use to reward those who keep the rules.

Some families may feel they need additional support to provide the nurture and security that their children need. We are committed to working with our parents/carers to meet this need.

AIMS

We aim to help children to:

Develop emotional health

Build upon those positive social skills of sensitivity, politeness, tolerance and consideration that have been developed at home

Express their worries and concerns appropriately

Recognise and display behaviour, which is acceptable and appropriate in a variety of situations

Value and respect others regardless of differences in opinion, ability, gender, race, religion, colour, culture and need

Think about the feelings of all members of our school community

Be responsible for their actions and think about the consequences of their behaviour on others

Learn positive approaches to dealing with conflict

Feel safe, secure and happy in a calm, caring and purposeful atmosphere for learning.

Work collaboratively as part of a group

Take pride in their work; enjoy their success and that of others, thus maintaining self-esteem

Respect themselves and their environment

We aim to promote this by:

Helping children to learn to trust, make relationships and have a reduced risk of anxiety and depression by providing them with

Security, affection and unconditional regard

Consistent reliable care

Routine and predictability

Operating a system of Golden Rules, Golden Assembly and using the Golden Book to reward those who keep the rules.

Regularly appropriately praising and rewarding good behaviour.

Using proximity praise and looking for the ‘good’ to motivate others.

Good classroom management and organisation.

Good timekeeping and accessible equipment.

Providing a clean, orderly and stimulating environment.

Exploring behaviour issues so there are opportunities to:

Develop good relationships with their peers
Talk about feelings
Develop listening skills
Discuss and reflect on a range of scenarios
Be introduced to the concept of resolving conflicts

Starting each new school year with a class discussion about Golden Rules and Safety/Classroom Rules so that everyone understands what is acceptable behaviour. Rules are framed positively.

Encouraging children to work collaboratively and to make different contributions in a variety of different roles and groupings.

Using our Learning Mentors to give the children the time they need to talk over any perceived problems.

Where necessary, we will use outside agencies to access further resources e.g. art therapy, CAMHS

Continuing to develop and foster an effective partnership between home and school

Providing parenting advice for families who request this additional support.

All staff demonstrating a high standard of conduct – recognising and accepting the need to ‘lead by example’ in the way they listen to, treat and speak to children, and in the way they are seen to treat and speak to each other. We are firm believers that we criticise the act, not the child.

The problem is the problem, not the child, so we provide the skills for change.

Inclusion

Our positive approach to behaviour management is designed to support all pupils and create an environment in which they can flourish. Pupils with learning difficulties and disabilities will receive all the help they need to develop their self-confidence and manage their behaviour.

On a rolling programme staff have received training to support pupils who exhibit challenging behaviour.

The Golden Rules

Every academic year the school negotiates the Golden rules that the children agree to. These are used to reinforce good behaviour throughout the school day.

Golden Assembly

Is celebrated every Friday children’s work and efforts are recognised and celebrated through certificates and the Golden Book. The names of children entered into the Golden Book are read out in Golden Assembly.

Names are put in the Golden Book by the class teacher depending on their actions such as good work, good behaviour etc. In KS2 other members of staff can award golden or lottery tickets to any child for good behaviour relating to an agreed target, for example; safe play, friendship, kindness. These children’s names will be entered in to the Golden Book for their class and read out at assembly. Lottery tickets are picked at assembly monthly and there is a prize given.

At KS1 two children from each class may also be awarded certificates by their teacher for outstanding work or behaviour and one child (usually) will show their good work to the school. This develops at KS2 and children show their work to the Head of School and if they are entered into the Golden Book more than three times in a during a half term a special reward is organised by the Head of School.

Classes also have their own reward systems which are negotiated each year with their class teachers. Support staff are also encouraged to reward those who always keep to the rules, are polite and helpful.

Playground Behaviour

At KS1 through assemblies the children are introduced to, or reminded about the rules for positive playground behaviour. These are:

Look after each other
Playtime is fun time
No running in the quiet area

The 5 Skills for Learning:

Good listening
Good looking
Good speaking
Good thinking
Good sitting

In the classroom rather than giving attention for poor behaviour, staff reinforce the desired behaviour by using proximity praise and noticing the good, constantly using:

Show me what we need for listening skills
Show me what we need for looking skills
Show me what we need for speaking skills
Show me what we need for thinking skills
How can you show me you are concentrating?

Or they boost self esteem with:

I/We liked the way you…
You have great … skills
Thank you for your great … skills
I/We really like the way you are so …
Well done for … so well today
I noticed your great … skills today
Thank you for trying so hard to improve your …skills

Language for dealing with Problems

There are occasions when poor behaviour needs to be addressed, for example, when a child is regularly affecting the learning of others in the class, but this is always done with sensitivity.

Staff use the language of correction with pupils.

Silent signal
Assertive ‘I’
Rule reminder
Future focus
Choice direction
Active listening
Partial agreement
Tactical ignoring
Distract divert
Dramatic pause

In PSHE, Circle time and school council pupils are introduced to problem solving language and scenarios and they can use this approach both to ask for help and to resolve problems for themselves.

I need help because…
Yes that would help, thank you

At Playtime and Lunchtime

Staff will praise helpful and considerate behaviour
Children are encouraged to play games. The older children learn games to share with younger children
At lunchtime play equipment will be available. Games are led by members of staff daily
Children are encouraged to play with others who wait at the Friendship Stop or sit on the Friendship bench.
Older children are playground buddies and act as good role models

When things go wrong

Staff on duty in the playground or in the classrooms, may use the following strategies:

Begin by praising a nearby child who is behaving well.
Give a verbal reminder/spoken warning
If in the playground ask the child to walk around with them until the behaviour has calmed, changed and/or the child is ready to play
Be asked to stand against the wall (Time Out 5 minutes at KS1 and KS2) and asked to reflect upon what to do to make things better
If a child physically hurts someone they will automatically stand out
Children will not be reprimanded by several different members of staff for the same incident
The children can have ‘Reflection’/Thinking Time

When things go wrong in the classroom

Staff will use the following approaches:

Praise those who are demonstrating that they are able to use the 5 Skills for Learning, specifically identifying the good behaviour they wish to reinforce
Apply the Golden book strategies
Loss of privileged time (i.e. official break times) may be necessary to complete work or to reinforce messages about acceptable behaviour
The child is separated from distraction and behaviour documented in the class behaviour book
Disruptive behaviour in class leads the child to being sent to the parallel class for a cooling off period and the incident is documented in the class behaviour book
Reflection/Thinking Time – a child loses time at lunchtime and takes part in a conflict resolution session supervised by a teacher. Here the child apologises for his/her inappropriate behaviour, completes a ‘Let’s Solve the problem Together’ sheet and writes a sorry letter in KS2 and in KS1 a ‘Reflection/Thinking Time’ sheet is used.
If sent to the parallel group three times over half a term the child is sent to the Executive Headteacher/Head of School who will record the reasons for the incidents

If the unwanted behaviour continues parents are invited to attend a meeting with the Executive Headteacher/Head of School and class teacher where written targets will be agreed by all parties and set in the form of a progress report. An agreement to work cooperatively towards achievable targets will be signed by all present. A review date will be set during the meeting. The progress report will be signed at the end of each class session and parents are expected to discuss the report with their child if the unwanted behaviour continues.

The next steps

In the case of persistent unacceptable behaviour, or behaviour that results in harm to another person, the child will be referred to the Learning Mentor/Deputy Headteacher/Head of School/Executive Headteacher as appropriate. A member of staff may then be allocated to develop a behavioural programme addressing issues relevant to the individual child. The school may also have reason to involve outside agencies with agreement of the family, for example, the Educational Psychologist, Early Help Team, CAMHS, Summerhouse PRU.

We hope not to move to the following steps, but parents need to be aware that exclusion is an option if:

There are repeated serious breaches of the school behaviour policy
Allowing the child to stay in school would seriously harm his/her welfare or learning and that of others in the school
There are acts of vandalism

The exclusion process would be used for two main purposes:

To give a clear warning to the child and their family that the behaviour is unacceptable and must change if the child is to remain in school
To allow a cooling off period

The school would follow current diocesan guide lines.

Definitions of persistent unacceptable behaviour or behaviour that results in harm to another person(s):, biting, swearing, foul language, offensive gestures, physical violence, vandalism, blatant disobedience or defiance, bullying, incidents of racism.

School sanctions can be by-passed if incidents of this nature occur and the Executive Headteacher reserves the right to pass over the sanctions outlined above if it is deemed necessary. This will be on very rare occasion.

HOME SCHOOL PARTNERSHIP

The behaviour policy will have the greatest impact when home and school work together.

This policy is available on our web site. Paper copies can be provided on request. Parents receive an introduction to our behaviour management approach at induction meetings.

Further guidance is available on request the school. If behaviour is giving cause for concern parents will be informed, usually by the class teacher. Staff are asked to inform the Executive Headteacher/Head of School if they speak to parents so that she is fully aware of any concerns should parents wish to discuss the matter further. Incidents of a serious nature and ongoing issues will be dealt with by the Executive Headteacher/Head of School.

BULLYING

We aim to avoid bullying by careful adherence to our behaviour policy. We will not hesitate to investigate if anyone believes that bullying is taking place. Our definition of bullying is any form of aggression, physical or verbal. It is repeated behaviour with the bully, or group of bullies, intentionally setting out to cause distress to another child or group of children.

At St Joseph’s we believe bullying to be any behaviour, which denies others respect. This could include racial discrimination, general racism, sexism, abuse by adults or children, e-bullying, homophobic bullying, or any form of discrimination based on someone’s appearance, behaviour or special education needs. (See also our policies on Equal Opportunities and Racial Harassment.)

Bullying can be both physical and verbal in nature, for example, name-calling, teasing and taunting, which are emotionally bruising. Excluding targeted individuals can also be bullying.

The school actively seeks to encourage a ‘telling’ atmosphere. Bullying will not be tolerated in any form, and all incidents will be taken very seriously.

At school we will:

Investigate all incidents thoroughly
Give time and privacy to resolve a problem immediately it arises
Report the incident to the Learning Mentor/Deputy Headteacher/Executive Headteacher/Head of School who will:

Ensure that bullies and victims are interviewed separately
Obtain witness information
Keep a written record of the incidents, investigations and outcomes
Inform the staff about the incident
Ensure that appropriate action is taken to prevent further incidents

Actions taken may include:

Imposition of sanctions
Obtaining an apology
Use of ‘Let’s solve the problem together’ – see attached. (Only to be used if the victim is comfortable with this approach)
Informing parents of both bullying and bullied
Providing mentor support for both parties involved

We believe that bullying will not be eradicated if the behaviour of bullies is not modified. Efforts will be made to identify why a child has bullied: support can then be offered to the bully to prevent re-occurrence.

The monitoring process will continue as long as is thought necessary. Parents and carers will be involved in the process.

It is essential that no child is placed in a potentially humiliating situation, but bullies will be expected to take part in an honest and open appraisal of their actions and behaviour. It is the behaviour that will be criticised not the child.

The ethos of the school provides a supportive framework in which every individual is highly valued, and knows it.