Behaviour

Behaviour Policy

Rationale

The Government grants schools the powers needed to provide a safe and structured environment in which teachers can teach, and children can learn.

All members of the school community have an important role to play to ensure we fulfil our core values of Believe, Respect and Determination, the core value of Respect permeates throughout this policy. We encourage all our students to become responsible young adults who work together to achieve their personal best.

Roles and responsibilities:

The Governing Body establishes, in consultation with staff, parents and students, the policy for promoting good behaviour. It ensures that expectations are clear and non-discriminatory (ethnic or national origin, culture, religion, gender, disability or sexuality).

The Headteacher will use her discretion in applying rewards and sanctions ,considering the situation and the individual student.

The Senior Leadership Team is responsible for the implementation of the policy and the day-to-day management of procedures.

Subject Leaders and Heads of Year are responsible for ensuring that procedures are followed and applied consistently within their subject area and across year groups.

Teachers have responsibility for managing behaviour in their classrooms by:

• creating a high-quality learning environment that meets the needs of all students


• developing clear routines and having high but realistic expectations of the students in their care


• challenging and supporting students, keeping them on task and responding fully to their educational needs

Other staff and adults are responsible for ensuring that the procedures are followed and consistently applied on a day-to-day basis. Mutual support amongst all staff and adult volunteers is expected to ensure consistent application of the policy.

Parents and carers share responsibility for the behaviour of their child both inside and outside of the school. They are encouraged to work in partnership with Applemore staff helping to maintain high standards of behaviour.

Students are expected to take responsibility for their own behaviour and to be aware of the Behaviour Policy and expectations. All students have a shared responsibility to ensure that incidents of disruption, violence, bullying and any form of harassment are reported promptly to a member of staff.

Expectations 

Applemore School expects students to:

• Attend school regularly and punctually


• Work hard and achieve their personal best both in classwork and home learning


• Show respect for other people, their property and opinions


• Always follow the instructions of members of staff


• Wear the correct uniform and maintain a tidy appearance throughout the school day


• Be prepared and fully equipped for their lessons each day


• Year 7 and 8 should not have a phone that is seen or heard at any point. If they do, it will need to be collected by a parent or carer.


• Years 9-11 should lock their phone away in their tutor room in the morning, (if they bring one to school), and collect it in afternoon tutor time. If it is seen or heard in the school day it will need to be collected by a parent or carer.


• Tell the truth


• Take a pride in the school site, keeping it free from litter, graffiti and damage


• Always help to maintain the school’s good reputation


• Not use social networking sites to make negative comments about other students or members of staff at the school


• Not use mobile phone devices or similar equipment to record, take photographs or video other students or staff without their permission




• Behave in a manner that helps to protect the health, safety and well-being of themselves and other students and staff e.g. by not smoking or vaping

Rewarding good behaviour

Praise and rewards will be used to model expectations and reinforce positive behaviour. The school is committed to promoting and rewarding good behaviour and staff do so by awarding Green ClassCharts Points, Certificates, Badges and rewards. Applemore will praise and reward for example through:

• Verbal praise from all staff


• Green point recording


• Celebration assemblies


• Reward weeks


• Reward trips/experiences


• Phone calls to parents


• Postcards home

Applemore believes in having a positive behaviour culture and behaviour system.

Behaviour in the classroom

Where student behaviour in the classroom is not at the level expected, staff will follow the ‘Opportunities’ system:

• Verbal and non-verbal reminders to improve behaviour


• A verbal O1 is told to the student by the teacher – students are reminded this is their first opportunity to correct any poor behaviour


• An O2 is told and recorded on ClassCharts if poor behaviour persists. Opportunity 2 is shared with tutor, HoY and Parent/carer


• An O3 is told and recorded on ClassCharts if poor behaviour continues to persist. This results in:
  
  
  
  • A displacement to another classroom
  
  
  • An After College Reflection
  
  
  • A Restorative conversation with the teacher (staff are expected to hold this during the ACR)
  
  
  
  

Staff are expected to use behaviour techniques between the opportunities given to restore good behaviour e.g. moving the student in the classroom, giving time out, mini restorative conversations etc.

Behaviour around the School

Students are expected to behave appropriately around the school following the principle of keeping feet, hands and all objects to yourself. Staff are expected to monitor the school site during unstructured times and address any poor/unkind behaviour and record on ClassCharts.

After College Reflection – (Detention)

The school has the right to detain a student after school hours following an occurrence of poor behaviour and/or poor punctuality if:

• The parent has been informed (via ClassCharts, usually but not exclusively)


• The student can return home safely after an ACR

Students are expected to be respectful in an ACR, staff are expected to use this time to hold a restorative conversation with the student.  Failure to attend an ACR will result in an escalation in the process.

Anti-bullying:

The school takes very seriously any incidents of bullying or intimidation reported by staff, students and parents. Appropriate sanctions will be put in place and restorative approaches will be applied where appropriate. Students will be offered support to ensure their well-being. See the school Anti-Bullying Policy, (needs to be linked) for further information.

Suspensions

Fixed term suspension from school is a severe sanction. Government guidelines are followed to ensure that a decision to exclude a student is only taken:

• In response to breaches of the Behaviour Policy; and


• If allowing the student to remain in school would seriously harm the education or welfare of the student or others in the school

The decision to suspend a student is never taken in isolation and is an agreed decision between the Head of Year and a member of the Senior Leadership Team.  Support and intervention are to be provided by the school through the re-admission process.

A decision to permanently exclude is extremely serious and will usually be the final step in a process for dealing with disciplinary offences following a wide range of other strategies, all of which have been tried without success. It is an acknowledgement by the school that all available strategies for dealing with the student have been exhausted and is the last resort. However, in exceptional circumstances, the Headteacher may permanently exclude a student for a first or 'one off' offence such as:

• Serious actual or threatened violence against a member of staff


• Sexual abuse or sexual assault on another student or member of staff


• Supplying an illegal drug


• Carrying an offensive weapon or bringing an offensive weapon into school

The Secretary of State would not normally expect the Governing Body or an Independent Appeal Panel to reinstate the pupil. From September 2007 laws came into effect relating to exclusion:

Parents are responsible for their children’s whereabouts during the first five days of any fixed term exclusion. It is an offence for an excluded student to be seen in a public place during the school day.

Schools must arrange full-time education for any student that has been excluded for a period longer than 5 days.

The Power to Discipline – (statutory language)

The Education and Inspections Act 2006 and the DfE ‘2012 Behaviour and Discipline in Schools A Guide for Headteachers’ states that teachers ‘may discipline a pupil for any misbehaviour when the child is

• taking part in any school-organised or school-related activity or;


• travelling to or from school or;


• wearing the school uniform or;


• in some other way identifiable as a student at the school

or misbehaviour at any time, whether or not the conditions above apply, that:

• could have repercussions for the orderly running of the school or;


• poses a threat to another student or member of the public or;


• could adversely affect the reputation of the school.

The school will ensure that any sanction used will be reasonable and proportionate to the severity of the misbehaviour. Due account will be taken of the individual student to determine the appropriate use of such sanctions. This will include the student's age, any special educational needs or disability and any religious requirements affecting the student in accordance with the Equality Act 2010.

The school has the following range of disciplinary sanctions that can be implemented as appropriate. These are not necessarily incremental e.g. a first offence could lead to any one of the actions stated below:

• Reminders and warnings as appropriate by staff


• The completion of a restorative conversation with the member of staff


• School detentions in the form of After School Reflection (ACR)


• Individual daily reports


• Confiscation of banned or misused items


• Removal/withdrawal from lessons including subject classroom changes


• School internal exclusion. (Reflection)


• Short or longer term support via the eHub or pastoral support managers


• Fixed term suspensions


• Alternative education provision including online/remote learning

Misconduct

In all cases of misconduct, including those outside of school hours, the Headteacher will consider whether the Police or the Local Authority's Anti-social Behaviour Co-ordinator should be notified of the disciplinary action taken. Police and parents will always be informed where the student's behaviour is criminal or poses a serious threat to the health and safety of a member of the public.

Where behavioural issues give cause to suggest that a child is suffering or is likely to suffer significant harm, the school’s child protection procedures will be followed.

Strategies that may be employed to avoid continued poor behaviour might include:

• Developing the students’ understanding and practice of appropriate social behaviour


• Providing opportunities for additional support and guidance e.g. mentor, emotional literacy support, social skills group, timetable modification, and the involvement of the pastoral management team


• Liaising with external organisations to provide further curriculum intervention and/or social and emotional support


• Co-ordinating Individual Education Planning meetings

Malicious allegations against staff

Where a student makes an accusation against a member of staff and the accusation is shown to have been deliberately invented or malicious, the Headteacher will consider whether to take disciplinary action in accordance with this policy.

Where such an allegation has been made, appropriate support will be provided to the member(s) of staff affected. (See Allegations of Abuse Made Against Staff Policy)

Use of reasonable force

Any use of physical force by staff will be reasonable, proportionate and lawful in line with the DfE guidance ‘Use of reasonable force: advice for head teachers, staff and governing bodies’ (DfE-00060-2011). Physical force will only be used to prevent a student from:

• committing a criminal offence


• injuring themselves or others


• causing damage to property, including their own


• engaging in any behaviour prejudicial to good order and discipline at the school or amongst any of its students, whether that behaviour occurs in a classroom or elsewhere

If, in the rare instance that reasonable force is required, this will be recorded in writing and the student's parents will be informed accordingly.

Searching students

The DfE ‘Behaviour and Discipline in Schools - A guide for head teachers and school staff 2012’ details that …. ‘staff can search a pupil for any item if the pupil agrees and that Headteachers and staff authorised by them have a statutory power to search pupils or their possessions, without consent, where they have reasonable grounds for suspecting that the pupil may have a prohibited item. Prohibited items are:

• alcohol


• knives or weapons


• illegal drugs


• stolen items


• tobacco, cigarette papers, e-cigarettes


• fireworks


• pornographic images


• any article that the member of staff reasonably suspects has been, or is likely to be used:

1. To commit an offence


2. To cause personal injury to, or damage to the property of, any person (including the pupil)

Confiscation

School staff can seize any prohibited item found because of a search. They can also seize any item, however found, which they consider harmful or detrimental to school discipline’.

Informed consent: School staff may search a student with their consent for any item which is banned by the school rules. If a member of staff suspects that a student has a banned item in his or her possession, they can instruct the student to turn out his or her pockets or bag. If the student refuses, sanctions will be applied in accordance with this policy.

Searching a student: If staff believe a student is in possession of a prohibited item then it may be appropriate to:

• search the student’s outer clothing and/or


• search school property e.g. the students' locker and/or;


• search their personal property e.g. their bag or pencil case


• inform parents as soon as possible

Searches will be conducted in such a manner as to minimise embarrassment or distress. Any search of a student or their possessions will be carried out in the presence of the student and a second member of staff. At least one member of staff will be the same gender as the student concerned.  Where the Headteacher, or staff authorised by the Headteacher find any item which they have reasonable grounds for suspecting is a prohibited item, then they may seize, retain and dispose of that item as appropriate in accordance with the DfE guidance Screening, searching and confiscation (DfE-00056-2011).

Parents and carers

Parents and carers must ensure that their child contributes positively towards the School learning environment by:

• Ensuring that their child goes to School on time and properly equipped.


• Support School policies and guidelines for behaviour and discipline.


• Letting the School know about concerns or problems that might affect their child’s work or behaviour.


• Taking an interest in the work of their child and to encourage high personal standards.


• Provide conditions at home that support and encourage homework and other opportunities for home learning.


• Attending Parent Consultation Evenings and other meetings organised by the school.

Evaluation / monitoring / performance

The school will evaluate and monitor performance annually:

• By reporting to Governors termly following liaison and dialogue with the Headteacher and Senior Leadership Team and through the Full Governing Board.


• By staff, student and parent surveys together with feedback from Student Focus Groups and School Council meetings


• Monitoring of ClassCharts.

Referral to the Police

Instances which require notification and possible involvement of the Police are at the Headteacher’s discretion and follow guidance given in the ‘When to call the police’ Child Centred Policing document and are subject to the following guidelines:

• An emergency 999 call will be made only if a police presence is required to prevent or end an incident which may put members of the school community at risk.


• It is the responsibility of the parent of an aggrieved student to report an allegation to the Police


• The school has a statutory duty to report to the any incident in which a pupil is found in possession of a weapon or an illegal substance as described in the prohibited items section above.