SCHOOL BEHAVIOUR POLICY

Aim

To promote; a happy and caring school with a positive learning environment, where children develop self-respect, respect for others and independence. Our children’s morals and character are of paramount importance. Discipline within the school is something we take very seriously. The smooth running of our school is dependent on the disciplinary structure in place.

Principles

  • Reinforcement of good behaviour is central to our approach
  • We help children to develop self-discipline, self-control and respect for others
  • We have high expectations of good behaviour
  • We aim for consistency of approach by all staff and collective responsibility for all children
  • We, the adults, provide role models for the behaviour of the children
  • We recognise that the provision of appropriately differentiated and challenging work is essential to good behaviour in the classroom
  • We aim to prevent bullying and racial harassment but will deal with it promptly when it occurs

Teaching and reinforcing positive behaviour

  • The teachers are role models for all aspects of behaviour and discipline, and follow the procedures involved in rewards and sanctions and codes of conduct.
  • Our teachers ensure that all children work to the best of their ability and behavior levels are in check at all times. If the child misbehaves the teacher will deal with the situation at hand but if the behavioral problem continues the teacher will use the Classroom/Individual behaviour Log to make notes of inappropriate behaviour.

Adults as role models:

  • In order to support our aim of maintaining a caring, orderly and happy environment, the adults in the school will provide positive role models in their use of language and in their courteous behaviour to other adults and to children.
  • Islamic conventions of courtesy and good manners are taught and it is important that the children learn these conventions at school. The children will copy us, hence it is acknowledged that we must be careful in our use of language, and try to use the sort of language that we are happy for the children to use to each other.
  • We recognise that it is best to label the behaviour, not the child, e.g “that was a naughty thing to do”, rather than “you are a naughty girl”. We need to be aware of our voice level, and should speak calmly and softly all of the time. If the situation demands that we raise our voice, we must return to a calm and soft tone.

Consistency:

  • All staff in school, teaching and non-teaching, will be involved in the formulation of the policy and help to promote it.
  • All staff will endeavour to support all children (not just those for whom we have direct responsibility) in following the school rules and in developing a sense of the rights of others and of their own responsibilities.
  • This consistency helps the children understand that we are all working towards a shared goal, with the school rules guiding our behaviour.
  • Should particular children need additional support, we will share concerns about them with all staff directly involved with them, in order to ensure a consistent approach, with emphasis being on positive feedback for good behaviour.
  • Certain incidents must always be reported to the Head/Deputy: see guidance below.

Consequences of Behaviour

It is an important part of children’s social education that they learn about the effect of their behaviour on others.

  • Discussion of the behaviour and its consequences will be revised throughout the year especially during our morning talk, Islamic Studies and PSHE.
  • Sometimes, it is necessary to talk through the consequences of actions with a child. In order to help the child understand the consequences of his or her bad behaviour, discussion should take place based around the following structure:

What did I do wrong?

Which rule did I break?

Why did I do it?

Who did it affect?

What can I do to put it right?

“Why did it happen?”  Is a useful addition, to enable the child to give its own viewpoint.

In order to help the children develop self-discipline, self-control, and an awareness of the rights of others, they are taught to understand that behaviour is related to outcome. The child needs to learn that desirable or undesirable consequences are the result of their own choice of action, i.e. good behaviour leads to positive reinforcement, poor behaviour does not.

Sanctions

Most instances of poor behaviour are relatively minor and can be adequately dealt with through agreed minor sanctions such as missing playtime/lunchtime or lines etc.

However, where necessary more serious sanctions such as After School Detention or even Suspension/Exclusion (see Exclusion Policy) will be considered when minor sanctions are not having the desired effect and the negative impact of challenging behaviour is immediately felt on the pupils and school as a whole. In such instances the individual behaviour log is a tool to address disruptive behaviour and help tackle problematic behaviour. A child’s parents will be informed and expected to support and work in partnership with the school to address and improve any unacceptable behaviour being displayed.

After school detention

Persistent Low level disruption and other challenging behaviours will be logged on the Classroom behaviour log sheet. Should a pupil be marked on the sheet 3 times within a week, he/she will be placed on the Individual Behaviour Monitoring Log. The teachers also have the discretion of placing a child directly on the Individual Behaviour Monitoring Log where misbehavior is persistent or as a consequence of serious misbehaviour/misconduct.

Once on the individual behaviour log, if the pupil has 5 behavioural indiscretions, after school detention will be triggered.

If a particular misbehaviour is deemed serious/severe the head teacher will discuss the behaviour with the relevant staff and may decide to place the pupil on after school detention regardless of the above process. The underlying principle in such a case will be that the punishment must fit the crime and must not be seen as unfair or unreasonable.

After school detentions will:

  • Be no longer than 15 minutes
  • Will be held only on Wednesday
  • Attempt to be notified in writing to parents a week in advance
  • Be supervised by a member of staff appointed by the Head teacher
  • The staff pupil ratio will be 1:8
  • All detentions must be authorised by the Head teacher

Exclusions

The decision to exclude a pupil will be taken in the following circumstances:

  • In response to a serious breach of the School’s Behaviour Policy.
  • If allowing the student to remain in school would seriously harm the education or welfare of the pupil or others in the school.
  • Should a pupil have 3 detentions in one academic year, following the third detention and after going through the school behavior log procedure, rather than triggering a fourth detention, the pupil will be excluded for 2 days.
  • If after the above exclusion the pupil’s behaviour continues to show no signs of improvement, again only after completing the school behavior log procedure, the pupil will be excluded for 5 days.
  • Finally, if after the above exclusion the pupil’s behaviour does not improve, after completing the school behaviour log procedure, the pupil will be permanently excluded.

Exclusion is an extreme sanction and is only administered by the Head Teacher. For full details see the Exclusion policy

Playtime

If a child misbehaves at playtime, the duty teacher must speak to the child. Behaviour of individuals or groups giving cause for concern (e.g. persistent aggression or ganging) must be discussed with the head teacher.

Activities barred list

The activities barred list was first introduced in 2018. At the beginning of February/March the children are warned verbally that misbehaviour could lead to a child not being allowed to participate in single/multiple end of year activities (Games and Bouncy castle day, Sports Day, Food event etc.) for misbehaviour or misconduct.

At the beginning of March the list is published and put up in each classroom from Years 2 to 6 in order that it can be seen as a visual deterrent for misbehaviour.

Children are given repeated warnings that an “X” will be marked against the activity that they will be barred from should they misbehave. Children cannot be punished twice by being logged on the behaviour log system and being barred from an activity. Only one can be applied.

Misbehaviour

Please find below examples of misbehaviour which may lead to a pupil being marked with an “X” on the barred list.

  • Constant disruption in lesson (not working and distracting others)
  • Poor concentration on tasks
  • Poor productivity (work not completed in allotted lesson time)
  • Moving from their place without permission and running around the classroom
  • Not letting other children play games at break and lunchtime
  • Answering back to the teacher
  • Poking other children
  • Making fun of other children
  • Dishonesty

MAIN FOCUS OF SANCTION IS NOT PARTICIPATING IN ACTIVITY NOT EXCLUSION

The main idea for the sanction is taking away a privilege from the children as a consequence of not behaving. The thinking is not as an exclusion per se, even though it amounts to an exclusion because the child may not attend school, but the taking away of a privilege by not taking part in the Activity the child was to be barred from as a consequence of an extreme incident of misbehaviour or repeated misbehaviour (persistent low level disruption).

CONSULTATION WITH STAFF IN MAKING DECISION

Prior to making the final decision, the pupil’s teachers will be consulted and the decision will be made collectively.

Reinforcement

Strategies for the reinforcement of good behaviour can range from a smile, private or public verbal praise, ClassDojo points and treats. Children are also given responsibilities for classroom jobs, or ‘monitoring’ roles around school.

When a child is exhibiting both good and bad behaviour we try to reinforce the good behaviour.

Rewards

ClassDojo points

Any member of staff may award ClassDojo points to reward, promote and reinforce positive behaviour.

End of Year Awards

Children who have consistently worked hard and behaved well all year can be awarded a certificate at the end of year.

Developing Independence

We encourage children to develop independence by:

  • Entering and leaving the class giving greetings (Assalamu Alaikum); registration; what to do if work is finished; tidying up. We reward children for following routines especially when they do so without prompting.
  • Within a structured environment, we allow plenty of opportunities for children to make choices and decisions. 
  • We provide a secure environment to boost self-confidence so that children are prepared to try and learn from their mistakes.
  • Giving them opportunities to take some responsibility. Prefects/Monitors etc.

Persistent low – level disruption

Children, who persistently disrupt lessons by distracting or annoying others, must be tackled. It is important to break the habit of this sort of bad behaviour. Deal with this in the following way:

  • Follow the Teacher guide for response to low level disruptive behaviour
  • If the steps and measures from the teacher guide do not lead to an improvement, inform the Head/Deputy. Further action will be taken, such as detention/exclusion.

Extremely challenging, disruptive or aggressive behaviour

Chidren who display such actions must be dealt with instantly and according to the challenging/disruptive behaviour shown.

  • Follow the Teacher guide for response to challenging disruptive behaviour.
  • If you need help in managing a situation; removing a child; or supervising the class while you deal with a situation, ring the office on the internal phone and ask for the Head teacher or ask a nearby teacher to call the office for you.

Support for behaviour management

Pastoral and behaviour management is the responsibility of the class teacher. A positive ethos in the classroom, developed through the use of praise, ClassDojo points, house points and other rewards such as prizes or treats.

The Role of the Head teacher

  • The Head teacher is happy to provide support in whole class management. If a pupil is noted in the Classroom Behaviour Log on 3 occasions in one week, the teacher should show the behaviour log to the Head teacher. Discussion will take place as to whether to telephone the pupil’s parent/carer and the possibility of the pupil being moved onto the individual behaviour log.
  • Refer children to the Head teacher if you would like support in managing their behaviour. Remember to refer individuals subsequently if they have managed to improve.
  • Always inform the Head teacher if you wish to involve parents as the head teacher keeps a record of all the serious incidents of misbehavior.
  • Pupils who are to be placed on detention must be authorised by the Head teacher.
  • Always report the following to the Head teacher:
  • bullying
  • incidents of racial prejudice
  • aggression when a child is deliberately hurt
  • stealing
  • deliberate damage to  others/school property
  • speaking disrespectfully to an adult/refusal to cooperate
  • Referrals to the Head teacher are recorded and action is taken in negotiation with the staff involved.
  • The Head teacher may want to speak to classes of children together in response to issues that arise. Ensure that you know what has been said to the children that you teach so that you can reinforce the message yourself.

Swearing

This is an issue that is of particular concern to parents. It can be difficult to identify if it takes place in a language unfamiliar to you. Children often report someone as “swearing” when they are actually “name-calling”. Some children use “taboo” English words without realising their significance. It is important to tell them if they are using inappropriate words.

  • Ensure that they understand the difference between “swearing” and “name-calling” (which they sometimes call “nick-names”).
  • Always respond if a child says something to deliberately upset someone.
  • Teach children in Morning talks/PSHE/Islamic Studies about the effects of name-calling and how to deal with it
  • Always report to the Head teacher if a child speaks disrespectfully to an adult.

Repeat offenders will be dealt with severely and placed on detention or excluded.

Bullying

What is bullying?

Bullying can be defined as a physical, psychological or verbal attack against an individual or group of individuals by a person or group of persons, causing physical or psychological harm to the victim.  It is usually conscious and wilful and commonly consists of repeated acts of aggression and/or manipulation.  It can take a number of forms – both physical and non-physical, either in combination or in isolation. Any bullying, whether physical or non-physical, may result in lasting psychological damage to the individual.

Bullying generally falls into one or a combination of the following categories:

  • Physical Bullying – Unprovoked assault on a person or group which can range from a ‘prod’ to grievous bodily harm.
  • Psychological – Reduction of a person’s self-esteem or confidence through threatening behaviour, taunting or teasing about race, gender, religion, sexual orientation, disability, family circumstances, appearance, or any other feature of their lives which can be used to wound or humiliate them. 
  • Social- Ostracism/rejection by peer group.
  • Verbal – The use of language in a derogatory or offensive manner, such as swearing, racist or sexist abuse, sexual innuendo, spreading rumours, etc.
  • Cyber bullying – Using mobile phones or the internet to deliberately upset someone. This includes peer-on-peer abuse (see below). Being subjected to harmful online interaction with other users especially during remote learning.
  • Homophobic/transphobic/biphobic – Any hostile or offensive action against lesbians, gay males, bisexuals or trans-gender people, or those perceived to be lesbian, gay, bisexual or trans-gender.
  • Child- on -Child abuse –  any abusive behaviour that involves sexual harassment/violence, cyberbullying, physical abuse, ‘upskirting’, ‘sexting’, coercion or initiation/hazing (see Safeguarding and Child Protection, Online Safety policies).

Signs and symptoms of bullying

A child may indicate by signs or behaviour that he or she is being bullied. Adults should be aware of these possible signs and that they should investigate if a child:

  • is frightened of walking to or from school
  • is unwilling to go to school (school-phobic) or regularly feels ill in the morning
  • becomes withdrawn anxious, or lacking in confidence
  • starts stammering
  • attempts or threatens to self-harm or runs away
  • stops eating
  • cries themselves to sleep at night or has nightmares
  • begins to do poorly in school work
  • comes home with clothes torn or books damaged
  • has possessions which are damaged or ” go missing”
  • asks for money or starts stealing money (to pay bully)
  • has unexplained cuts or bruises
  • becomes aggressive, disruptive or unreasonable
  • is bullying other children or siblings
  • is frightened to say what’s wrong
  • gives improbable excuses for any of the above
  • is afraid to use the internet or mobile phone
  • is nervous & jumpy when a cyber-message is received

These signs and behaviours could indicate other problems, but bullying should be considered a possibility and should be investigated.

Prevention of bullying

 In order to prevent bullying, we must teach children:

  • what bullying is, and how it is different from a one-off act of aggression
  • the effect of bullying on the victim
  • how to deal with bullying as a victim or by-stander
  • why people bully

Do this in an age-appropriate way. Teach it through story, discussion of literature and morning talk. Classroom ethos which aims to develop self-esteem and assertiveness will help both bullies and victims. Teach children how to deal with bullying without resorting to adult intervention or aggression. Teach them always to “tell” in order to get help from their teacher if they cannot deal with it themselves. This can be hard as it runs contrary to the child’s desire to be loyal or their fear of retribution.

Responding to bullying

The appropriate response will depend on the age of the children, the individual’s needs and the class and family context. You might do one of the following:

  • Always report incidents to the Head teacher.
  • Deal with it in whole-class Morning talk sessions. This can be done at the child’s request or dealt with in a general way, without naming people. Issues then raised by children may then subsequently be discussed with individuals involved.
  • Work through the effects of their behaviour with the bully/ies without blaming them; get them to suggest and enact appropriate future action to help the victim.
  • Work with the victim on developing assertiveness and appropriate ways of dealing with attempted bullying.
  • Inform parents of victims but avoid naming the bullies.
  • Find out as much as you can about the background to the events, including possible links out of school. Talk to the previous class teacher and staff with links in the community.
  • Discuss approaches with the parents of persistent bullies.
  • Use sanctions to modify the behaviour of the bully.

Racist Incidents

In this school we understand incidents of racism/racial prejudice to be behaviour which excludes, upsets, hurts or “labels” a child on the basis of their linguistic/ethnic group.

“Ganging” of any sort is not allowed as it often forms the basis for aggression.

We aim therefore, first of all to prevent incidents of racism/racial prejudice, and secondly always to take action when it occurs.

Prevention of racial prejudice

In order to prevent racial prejudice, we must teach children:

  • about the value of difference
  • what racism is
  • the effect of racism
  • how to deal with racism as a victim or by-stander
  • why people are racist
  • that the school does not tolerate racism
  • what is racist language

Do this in an age-appropriate way. Teach it through, story and the discussion of literature. All curriculum subjects can be vehicles for multi-ethnic and anti-racist education.

Ethnic conflict can arise in the local community and is particularly evident in teenage boys. These children are often regarded as role models by younger boys. Explore this issue through morning talk with junior age children.

Responding to racism and incidents of racial prejudice

Incidents of racial prejudice may appear less serious than bullying because aggression is less likely to occur. Nevertheless:

  • Always report incidents to the Head teacher – including name-calling.
  • The appropriate response will depend on the age of the children, the individual’s needs and the class and family context. You might do one of the following:
  • Read a text that deals with the issue of racism to promote discussion. Deal with it in whole-class Morning talk sessions; This can be done at the child’s request or dealt with in a general way without naming people. Issues then raised by children may then subsequently be discussed with individuals involved.
  • Work through the effects of their behaviour with the perpetrator/s without blaming them; get them to suggest and enact appropriate future action.
  • Work with the victim on developing assertiveness and appropriate ways of dealing with attempted racism.
  • Find out as much as you can about the background to the events, including possible links out of school. Talk to the previous class teacher and staff with links in the community.

The purpose of our school Classroom and Individual Behaviour Log

We try to guide behaviour mainly through positive reinforcement of good behaviour. In the event that positive reinforcement fails to sufficiently modify behaviour, the child needs to understand that there are logical consequences for inappropriate behaviour, particularly where others’ rights are infringed. For example; children who repeatedly interrupt other’s learning should be made to see that they have a choice: either to allow others to work, or be placed on individual behaviour monitoring.

Individual Behaviour Log

The Individual Behaviour Log is dependent on the needs of the individual child; and the relationship with the teacher. Ultimately, Individual Behaviour Logs are aimed at:

  1. Helping the child improve behaviour
  2. Diminishing the effect on others of the child’s inappropriate behaviour
  3. Keeping records of challenging/disruptive behaviour.
  4. Allowing the child to see his own progress/behavior and reflect on them. 
  5. Keeping other teachers informed of behavior patterns.