Behaviour for Learning Policy (Incorporating Policies for Behaviour Management, Drugs and Anti-Bullying)
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
The Chase A school of excellence Behaviour for Learning Policy (incorporating policies for Behaviour Management, Drugs and Anti-Bullying) A. Our Vision: ‘Happy and Successful, Today and Tomorrow’ We want our students to have happy lives. To that end, we will strive to ensure: A. They develop confidence in their abilities and self-esteem through their achievements B. They develop respect for the different contribution they and others make to our community C. They are protected from harm in their youth D. They develop the ability to overcome challenges and dangers in their adult lives, be that physical, emotional, social or financial This policy supports our vision to enable young people to become confident learners within a supportive and positive learning environment. Rewards, responsibility and recognition of their achievements will help to make students happy and successful and to take pride in all they do. By challenging all harmful behaviour and by promoting an inclusive culture of belonging and respect, students will feel safe and valued in all their diverse ways. B. Procedures To realise the school’s vision the following procedures will be followed: a) Rewards: (i) Teachers will seek out opportunities to publicly praise students for behaviour that enhances learning. Praise will be genuine and public. As a guiding principle, teachers will seek to give twice as much praise as criticism. (ii) Teachers will seek to reward at least two students per class per lesson. Rewards will be in the format of a commendation known as a house point (see Appendix A: ‘Rewards’). A house point will be issued to a student who has modelled one of the school’s ‘Expectations’ (See Appendix B: ‘Our Expectations’).Commendations may also be used as a form of reward outside of the lesson, but only one can be issued per student per event. It is possible to reward many students in a class with house points if they have all worked consistently well. (iii) House points will be recorded via SIMS class register by right clicking the student name which generates an automatic email to parents. (iv) Students are encouraged to show their house point slips to their parents. (v) House point totals will be monitored by House Leaders at the end of each term. Each student who reaches 100 commendations within a year will be awarded an ‘Honour’ award flash (See Appendix A: ‘Rewards’), to be sewn onto their uniform jumper. An ‘Honour’ award will qualify students for certain privileges (e.g. first consideration for places on school trips, etc.). Students may receive more than one Honours Flash in their school career (vi) Teachers should also send ‘Praise Postcards’ (See Appendix A: ‘Rewards’) home for at least five students in each class they teach each half term. They will complete the postcard details and give them to Reception for posting. (vii) Praise postcards will be recorded via the Sims class register by right clicking the student name and an automatic email will be generated to parents. A praise postcard equates to 3 house points. (viii) In addition to house points and praise postcards, other rewards may be used (but may not be financial or material in nature) e.g. certificates for attendance (ix) Electronic copies of tallies of house points will be kept for easy reference by Form Tutors, Faculty/Subject Leaders and House Leaders. b) Student Behaviour Management A key determinant of effective behaviour for learning in lessons is the quality of teaching and the consistent application of procedures. There is distinct correlation between the quality of relationship established between teacher and class and the behaviour that students exhibit. At all times, positive supportive relationships should be nurtured in the learning environment. Teachers will follow the elements of effective teaching as presented in the ‘Masterclass’ CPD programme. These are: (i) Growth mindset about self and students (ii) Clear, modelled learning objectives presented at start of lesson and returned to throughout lesson (iii) A ‘Padeia’ teaching structure within a single lesson or across a series of lessons (iv) Majority of time in lessons used to engage students in participatory learning activities, with a mixture of individual and group thinking tasks (v) A coaching style of written or oral feedback, with opportunities provided for students to improve their learning outcome following receipt of feedback (DIRT) In addition teachers and learning support staff will: (vi) Consistently apply the school’s ‘Rewards’ and ‘Sanctions’ procedures (vii) Use a Mesh data informed seating plan to inform the management of a positive learning environment within a lesson (viii) Challenge all and any incident of behaviour that may be harmful to self or others or distract from learning (ix) Apply rewards or sanctions to individual students as warranted. Staff may not apply a sanction either to a whole class or group of students as a unit if there are individuals within the grouping who did not engage in the targeted behaviour. Teachers and learning support staff will also use the following strategies to help maintain a positive learning environment within the classroom or elsewhere: Give guidance to students on how much time will be dedicated to any learning task and on the outcome expected Use a procedure to gain students’ attention before giving instructions (e.g. ‘You will give me your attention in 5,4,3,2,1’) Teachers and learning support staff will not stop the flow of learning for a whole class if there are other strategies that could be used to address a behaviour issue. Staff will use a range of behaviour management strategies, as appropriate. These will include, but not exclusively: (i) The use of a student’s name to draw their attention (ii) Proximity to students who may be on the cusp of, or engaged in, distracting or harmful behaviour (iii) Redirection to the learning task (iv) Alteration to the volume or style of ‘teacher voice’ (v) Distance eye to eye contact (vi) Directive hand signals (e.g. pointing, ‘stop’ sign, etc.) Should a student behave in such a way that disrupts the learning of others or is harmful to others and does not respond to a teacher’s directions, then the teacher may seek the support from a more senior member of staff. Students should be directed to Faculty/Subject Leaders. Teachers may request the support of a member of the Senior Leadership Team. Members of the Senior leadership Team can be contacted by Reception (e.g. by radio) to assist as required. A student who has been removed from a lesson by the SLT will not be returned to that lesson on that day. The class teacher will log this action. If the student behaviour deteriorates after removal by SLT, then the SLT member of staff will also log subsequent actions and follow up. Form Tutors will set the tone of the day at the morning register unit. Form Tutors will: (i) Challenge any student not in correct uniform or failing to wear uniform correctly (ii) Ensure all students are sitting at chairs and tables correctly in the manner of a normal lesson (iii) Take registers in silence (iv) Regularly check students have the right equipment with them to support learning 1.5 Sanctions Teachers and learning support staff should not expect sanctions or the threat of sanctions to directly improve behaviour. Sanctions are used in this school not to directly control behaviour but to ensure that students understand that should they choose to engage in harmful behaviour or behaviour that distracts others from learning then they will have to accept the consequences of such choices. Sanctions must be proportionate and reasonable in all circumstances. Account must be taken of the student’s age, any additional needs and any religious requirements affecting them. Sanctions should never compromise the safety of the child or be demeaning. Faculties may run additional sanction systems that are appropriate to their particular area, e.g. sanctions for failure to bring P.E. uniform, but new systems must first be approved by the Assistant Headteacher (Development and Welfare) 1.6 Sanctions: Detentions Should students engage in harmful behaviour or behaviour that distracts others from learning teachers or learning support staff will use the following procedure: (i) In the first instance, staff will use ‘pass off’ behaviour management techniques to re- direct students to the required behaviour. If these strategies prove not to be effective, staff will issue a verbal official warning. This warning will inform the student of the behaviour that is causing an offence and direct them to the required behaviour. The warning will make clear the sanctions that will follow should a student choose to continue with the offensive behaviour. Such low level disruption/issues should be logged on SIMS on behaviour incidents so that F/Ts and H/Ls can monitor students at this stage. (ii) Students should then be given the opportunity to reflect on their behaviour. If the behaviour continues then the teacher or support staff will inform the student of the sanction that will follow. (iii) Sanctions may include re-routing to another room within the Faculty, staying after the lesson to discuss their behaviour, contact with parents or a detention. (iv) If the sanction is a detention the staff member will tell the student and log the detention via SIMS. Training on how to do this will be given to all staff. The method used will then show the d/t on the student timetable and register so that colleagues are aware if another detention is already set for a certain time. Students will be made aware of the place, date and time of the detention as well as the member of staff setting the detention and the reason for it.