bluebell meadow primary school policy to promote positive … · 2019-01-17 · 2 introduction...

Bluebell Meadow Primary School

Policy to Promote Positive Learning and Social

Behaviours

Our Golden Rules - Be ready, respectful and safe.

Adopted:September 18 Reviewed:

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Introduction

Bluebell Meadow Primary School is committed to providing an environment where all people can feel safe, happy, accepted and integrated. It is important that an orderly framework should exist within which effective teaching and learning can take place. Our emphasis will be on recognising and celebrating effort and success, so that all pupils feel valued. We will teach pupils to take responsibility for their own actions and to accept the consequences of their choices. We will adopt a zero tolerance approach to bullying and any such incidents will be dealt with promptly and firmly. The school holds an important position in the wider community, educating the young citizens of tomorrow in a way that will ensure that they take a positive and proactive role within their community in the future.

A Whole School Approach

Our Behaviour Management Policy is characterised by particular emphasis on

- unconditional positive regard – all individuals are valued equally by the

whole school community

- the development of self-control

- the need to manage feelings in a way that enables positive choices to be made

- the consequences of actions – both positive and negative

It is based on the principles of restorative justice and has restorative approaches at

the heart of its philosophy.

A restorative school is one which takes a restorative approach to resolving conflict

and preventing harm.

Restorative approaches enable those who have been harmed to convey the impact of

the harm to those responsible, and for those responsible to acknowledge this

impact and take steps to put it right.

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Aims At Bluebell Meadow Primary School, we aim to develop a respectful ethos in which we: -

promote positive, empathic and supportive behaviour between pupils so that they

feel confident and safe when working and playing together

encourage pupils to exercise self-discipline in their interactions with peers and adults

so that the school environment is safe and harmonious

develop emotional resilience and independence in meeting academic, physical and

social challenges

encourage pupils to complete assigned work across the curriculum in the given time-

scale to the best of their ability and allow others to do so without distraction

to support the school community in aiming to allow everyone to work together in an

effective and considerate way

to help children to grow and learn in a safe and secure environment, enabling them

to become positive, responsible and increasingly independent members of the

school community

to promote good relationships, so that children can work together with the common

purpose of helping everyone to learn.

Expectations

It is an expectation of Bluebell Meadow Primary School that every member of our

school community feels valued, respected and safe.

It is an expectation that all employed adults in the school community, regardless

of their role, take responsibility for managing the children’s behaviour and

supporting their understanding of making the right choices in this context.

It is an expectation that all staff, when celebrating positive behaviour and

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addressing inappropriate behaviour, use the language of ‘choice’ with the

children. This is to help children realise that they have a choice of behaviours –

positive or negative --- when involved or reacting to different situations. This

should also include reference to the School Values and Golden Rules (Respect,

Kindness, Responsibility, Honesty, Resilience). Be Ready, Respectful and Safe

It is an expectation that challenging behaviour is managed in a positive, productive

way. Adults repeatedly shouting at children is deemed unacceptable. It is

understood that staff managing behaviour in this way will be open to their own

development and accept support in developing a wider range of behaviour

management strategies.

It is an expectation that every adult in school sees themselves as a role model in

terms of managing their own and others’ behaviour. Therefore it is understood

that adults in our school always behave in a calm, assertive way.

It is an expectation that all members of the community support the aims of this

policy by implementing it with rigour and consistency in all areas of school life.

It is understood that all adults in school must support the needs of all pupils

enabling them to be treated with respect and fairness.

Behaviour Strategies and the Teaching of Good Behaviour

Good behaviour is developed through a positive ethos with high expectations of behaviour

in all aspects of school life. The school has a range of rewards to reinforce good behaviour

and a number of opportunities for pupils to take positions of responsibility to uphold the

school’s rules and values.

In the Foundation Stage

We use a visual system of rewards and sanctions which encourages children to see that

behaviour is a choice. In response to negative behaviour, time out / thinking time and verbal

warnings are given relative to the child’s age, e.g. 2 year olds have 2 minutes’ time out. In

response to positive behaviour, children are given stickers and house points and are moved

up the visual behaviour system. Children cannot lose stickers or rewards once earned. The

visual behaviour system is a rainbow and a sunshine. Children all start on the blue sky and

can be moved through the stages due to behaviour choices. Anyone who is on the sunshine

at the end of the day, is moved to the rainbow towards the end of the day and receives a

rainbow sticker.

In nursery, children are beginning to develop their understanding of boundaries and behaviour. Positive reinforcement is used to promote good behaviour. Nursery staff use positive statements with the children, for example, ‘please walk’ instead of ‘stop running’. Nursery practitioners also use ‘when and then’ to encourage pupils to behave appropriately, for example, ‘when you have kind hands, then you can play with the train’. Nursery

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practitioners may give children choices, for example, if a child refuses to sit down at group time, the practitioner will say, ‘Are you going to sit next to James or next to Lucy?’ If a nursery child fails to comply with the boundaries, a verbal warning is given. If their behaviour continues they will be given ‘time out / thinking time’. Children are required to sit down for a minute for each year of their age. After the period of time out/thinking time, a practitioner will sit with the child and say, for example, ‘Your friend is sad because you hurt her. We have kind hands in nursery.’ The pupil will be encouraged to say or show they are sorry.

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In Classrooms The class teachers and teaching assistants in our school have high expectations of the children in terms of behaviour, and they strive to ensure that all children work to the best of their ability. Staff have a responsibility to reinforce good behaviours by: -

modelling courteous and constructive interactions

developing routines with the highest expectations of behaviour which allow sessions

to proceed smoothly with the maximum impact on learning

grouping and seating children to promote the best behaviour

expecting immediate responses to instructions

drawing attention to desirable learning behaviours modelled by pupils such as peer

to peer support, perseverance, additional research, self-editing etc.

maintaining orderly and attractive learning spaces which aid pupils to access

resources independently; organising grouping or seating arrangements

leading exciting learning which changes pace and style so that it fully engages pupils

giving pupils opportunities to take on additional responsibilities within the classroom

providing additional structure for pupils who may find it more difficult to behave

appropriately, including visual timetables, timers, supported time-out of the

classroom and access to additional support

immediately rewarding pupils who consistently follow the Golden Rules and School

Values or who show good improvement in their behaviour

immediately applying sanctions, both publically and privately as appropriate, to

pupils who fail to behave well

be vigilant for any signs of oppressive behaviour or bullying, make immediate

interventions and report these to class teachers and the senior leadership team

involving parents through regular communication

At Bluebell Meadow we expect pupils to: -

settle very quickly on arrival to their classroom, either sitting in a group ready for

instructions or taking their places at their tables for a warm-up challenge

give good eye contact during initial instruction; this may need to be stressed

explicitly from time to time

respond immediately to instructions

speak respectfully to staff and other pupils

remain on task, with easy access to resources and raise their hands for adult

assistance

be familiar with ways to proceed if adult assistance is not available

know the location of key resources and access and replace them independently

have ready access to additional challenges and investigations to extend their

learning beyond the set task

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strive to complete tasks to the best of their ability within the allotted time

contribute to discussions to the best of their ability, taking turns through raising

hands and giving good eye contact to other speakers

keep the learning spaces tidy

In the Cloakrooms, Corridors, Stairs, Toilets and Hall

All staff members have a responsibility to: -

keep the number of pupils circulating in communal areas manageable by structured

and well supervised access

remind pupils to pick up obstacles on the floor in cloakrooms

remind pupils to walk in corridors, cloakrooms and on the stairs

remind pupils to go up and down stairs on the left, holding the handrail

encourage pupils to return quickly from visits to the toilets during lesson time and

remind pupils to use the toilet during break and especially before whole school

events

class-teachers have a responsibility to follow and use the toilet pass system

prepare pupils to walk in and out of whole class or whole school events based in the

hall in silence

immediately reward or apply sanctions to pupils who are exemplary in their conduct

in public spaces or who do not follow the rules




move safely around the school building; pupils who cannot do so will have to move

under direct supervision

help to maintain a safe environment by removing obstacles

respect the property of others in the cloakrooms

use the toilet facilities sensibly and return to the playground or to lessons as quickly

as possible

to remain in class unless they have been given permission to leave

enter and leave whole class and whole school events based in the hall in silence.

At breaks and in the lunch hall


encourage pupils to queue patiently and eat politely with good table manners

interact in a positive way with pupils during these periods, praising good behaviour

and encouraging and sustaining exemplary play

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encourage inclusive play

react to pupil use of the space, moving groups or closing and opening areas as

appropriate to maintain safety and good behaviour

monitor the use of play resources and make interventions if play with these becomes

inappropriate or unsafe

oversee free play and make interventions if this becomes inappropriate

support pupils who have disagreements to reach a fair conclusion using the restorative approach and referring to the school values and rules



remind pupils to line up quietly and wait in silence to go into school


follow the routines of the dining hall and use good table manners

follow the school values and rules

respect personal space and walk away from conflict

share resources fairly

include others in their play

monitor their own safety

line up quickly and quietly and walk into school in silence

Out of school


prepare pupils for visits within the immediate and wider community by reminding

them of appropriate positive behaviours

reinforce this verbally throughout the visit

organise movement of pupils so that it is safe and orderly

complete risk assessments and provide additional supervision for pupils who

may find it more difficult to behave appropriately


continue to follow the school values and rules

be good ambassadors for the school when they are off the premises

respect other environments by moving around them in an orderly manner

interact with others in a respectful manner

manage new risks in an age appropriate way with support from adults

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Pupils with Special Educational Needs/Disabilities – making reasonable adjustments

The Equality Act 2010 requires schools to ensure children with SEND are not treated unfavourably because of a reason arising as a consequence of their special education need/disability and to make adjustments to ensure they can access all the benefits of their education. These protections apply equally to policies on behaviour, including blanket discipline policies which do not take account of disabled children’s different needs. Like all children, children with SEND display disruptive or challenging behaviour for a range of different reasons. They may not be accessing their education or making progress, they may have problems with communication, they may have mental health needs, or there may be issues outside of school. In some cases, a child’s perceived disruptive or challenging behaviour arises directly as a consequence of their special educational need/disability or as a consequence of a lack of reasonable adjustments made to accommodate them. Whatever the case, if a child with SEND is displaying disruptive or challenging behaviour, early intervention is needed to assess whether appropriate reasonable adjustments have been made for them – this duty is anticipatory. The fact that a child has a special educational need/disability does not mean they should never be disciplined, but rather the behaviour and discipline policies should reflect the need to pay extra attention to the underlying causes of their difficulties to reflect the additional barriers they face. A small percentage of our pupils need additional support to improve their behaviour. This includes pupils whose behaviour is the main presenting problem and also pupils on the autistic spectrum or with mental health problems.

We support these children by:

working in line with this Policy as far as possible.

putting in more scaffolding tailored to the specific needs of each pupil. This might include: - Changing the class group/input or varying the usual classroom management. - Making the routines/strategies more detailed. - Drawing up an Individual Behaviour Plan/Risk Assessment detailing actions to

be taken when identified behaviour occurs. This is shared with the pupil, parent and other staff (for consistency).

- Individual interventions from the Behaviour Support or Autism Team. - Education Psychology (EP) observations and targeted support with teachers,

parents & pupils. - Drawing on additional resources from beyond the school e.g. CAHMS or

alternative provision (full/part time).

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The role of the Headteacher / Senior Leadership Team It is the responsibility of the Headteacher, to implement the school behaviour policy consistently throughout the school, and to report to governors, when requested, on the effectiveness of the policy. It is also the responsibility of the Headteacher to ensure the health, safety and welfare of all children in the school. The Senior Leadership Team support the staff by implementing the policy, by setting the standards of behaviour, and by supporting staff in the implementation of the policy. The school uses CPOMS to keep records of all reported serious incidents of misbehaviour. The Headteacher has the responsibility for giving fixed-term exclusions to individual children for serious acts of misbehaviour. When there are repeated or very serious acts of anti-social behaviour, the Headteacher may exclude a child for a fixed term or permanently. The role of parents/carers The school works collaboratively with parents/carers, so children receive consistent messages about how to behave at home and at school. Good attendance is paramount in ensuring positive behaviour and safety for pupils. We expect parents and carers to be good role models for their children. There is a code of conduct for parents that will support them in doing this. Parents/carers are encouraged to work with the school to ensure that their children contribute to the maintenance of a safe and secure learning environment. Parents/carers are required to use their best endeavours to ensure that their children’s behaviour does not prevent others from learning effectively. A copy of the Behaviour Policy is available to parents/carers and made reference to in the Home-School Agreement. We expect parents to support their child’s learning and to co-operate with the school to ensure that children are able to be successful in their learning. We try to build a supportive dialogue between the home and the school, and we inform parents/carers immediately if we have concerns about their child’s welfare or behaviour. Parents/carers are entitled to an explanation of actions taken by the school, particularly the application of sanctions and the treatment of anti-social behaviour. If the school has to use reasonable sanctions, parents/carers should support the actions of the school. If parents/carers have any concern about the way that their child has been treated, they should initially contact the class teacher. If the concern remains, they should contact the Headteacher or Chair of Governors. If these discussions cannot resolve the problem, a formal complaint, or appeal, can be implemented. The role of governors

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The governing body has the responsibility of setting down these general guidelines on standards of discipline and behaviour, and of reviewing their effectiveness. The Governors support the Headteacher in carrying out these guidelines. The Headteacher has the day-to-day authority to implement the school behaviour and discipline policy, but governors may give advice to the Headteacher about particular disciplinary issues. The Headteacher must take this into account when making decisions about matters of behaviour. Fixed-term and permanent exclusions Only the Headteacher has the power to exclude a pupil from school. The Headteacher may exclude a pupil for one or more fixed periods, for up to 45 days in any one school year. If a fixed term exclusion of 5 days or more is deemed necessary it is the responsibility of the Headteacher to arrange for the child to be educated off site until the child returns to school. The Headteacher may also exclude a pupil permanently. It is also possible for the Headteacher to convert a fixed-term exclusion into a permanent exclusion, if the circumstances warrant this. If the Headteacher excludes a pupil, he/she will inform the parents/carers immediately, giving reasons for the exclusion. At the same time, the Headteacher makes it clear to the parents/carers that they can, if they wish, appeal against the decision to the governing body. The school informs the parents/carers how to make any such appeal. The Headteacher informs the LA and the governing body about any permanent exclusion, and about any fixed-term exclusions beyond five days in any one term. The governing body itself cannot either exclude a pupil or extend the exclusion period made by the Headteacher. The Governing Body has a Discipline Committee which is made up of between three and five members. This committee considers any exclusion appeals on behalf of the governors. When an appeals panel meets to consider an exclusion, they consider the circumstances in which the pupil was excluded, consider any representation by parents and the LA and consider whether the pupil should be reinstated. If the governors’ appeals panel decides that a pupil should be reinstated, the headteacher must comply with this ruling. Searching pupils School staff can search pupils with their consent for any item which is banned by the school. The Headteacher and Senior Leadership Team have the power to search pupils or their possessions, without consent, where they suspect the pupil has a prohibited item Searches will be conducted in such a manner as to minimise embarrassment or distress. Any search of a pupil or their possessions will be carried out by a staff member of the same sex in the presence of the pupil and another member of staff of the same sex where possible.

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Bullying If bullying is suspected or reported, the incident will be dealt with immediately by the member of staff who has been approached and the school’s Anti-Bullying Policy will be followed. Monitoring and Review

Opportunities for Additional Responsibilities

Play Leaders – including children in play supporting less confident children

Young Sports Leaders – modelling skills and supporting younger children to participate in

physical activities

School Council – assisting the staff team to make decisions about matters which affect

children

E Cadets - responsible for monitoring and delivering our e-safety work

Classroom Monitors – various tasks such as handing out books, tidying book corners,

feeding pets etc.

Librarians – keeping the library tidy and supporting other children to use the library

Peer Mediators - dealing with conflict on the yard

Rewards House points

Each child in school is placed into one of five different teams or ‘houses’ and siblings are also placed into the same house where possible. The children can score house points for their house through demonstrating good behaviour including: good manners, showing respect and working as part of team. Any member of the school staff can award a house point.

The school acknowledges all the efforts and achievements of children, both in and out of school.

Whole School Level

Dojo points

House Points Certificates.

Certificates for representing Bluebell Meadow Primary School at local events.

Weekly Shining Star Award Certificates, nominated by teachers for outstanding behaviour,

achievement or progress, demonstrating school values and rules

Names appear in the school newsletter.

Children cannot lose a reward once given.

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Class Level

Verbal acknowledgement of good behaviour.

Stickers and positive notes home.

Dojo points for individuals.

A longer term treat or reward to be agreed by the class – each class to set their own goal each half term.

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Sanctions Within School

Class Level

1. Verbal warning given

2. Circle 2 – Tracking mark on sheet

3. Sit away from the group 5 mins

4. Sent to the next class (Phone call home at the end of the day)

5. Senior Leadership Team

Behaviour checklist for teachers

Classroom

Know the names and roles of any adults in class.

Meet and greet pupils when they come into the classroom.

Display rules and school values in the class - and ensure that the pupils and staff know

what they are.

Have a system in place to follow through with all sanctions.

Display the rewards in class.

Have a system in place to follow through with all rewards.

Have a visual timetable on the wall.

Follow the school behaviour policy.

Pupils

Know the names of children.

Have a plan for children who are likely to misbehave.

Ensure other adults in the class know the plan.

Understand pupils’ special needs.

Teaching

Ensure that all resources are prepared in advance.

Praise the behaviour you want to see more of.

Praise children doing the right thing more than criticising those who are doing the

wrong thing (parallel praise).

Differentiate.

Stay calm.

Have clear routines for transitions and for stopping the class.

Teach children the class routines.

Follow all guidance provided by outside agencies to support behaviour and SEND

needs

Parents

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Give feedback to parents about their child’s behaviour - let them know about the good

days as well as the bad ones.

The Headteacher and Senior Leadership Team, will evaluate the impact of this Policy by collecting and analysing data by year group, gender and ethnicity on:

• sanctions including fixed-term and permanent exclusions – number of, and analysis of behaviour; • instances of bullying and action taken;

The school keeps a variety of records of incidents of misbehaviour. Class Teachers, Teaching Assistants and the Senior Leadership Team will also record incidents using CPOMs. We also keep a record of any incidents that occur at break or lunchtimes: lunchtime supervisors give written details of any incident to the class teacher and where appropriate the incidents are logged on CPOMs.

Staff Development and Support

At Bluebell Meadow we seek to keep abreast of the latest research into the promotion of

positive behaviour. The senior leadership team will:-

review the Behaviour Policy in consultation with staff both formally and informally

support all staff in its implementation

provide feedback on classroom management and pupil behaviour as part of the

programme of classroom observations

provide staff with opportunities to attend training to explore and promote positive

learning and social behaviour

support staff who are managing challenging pupils through access to other services

and specialist support

Further information on the Restorative Approach is available from the Restorative Justice Council https://restorativejustice.org.uk/restorative-practice-schools

Agreed by The Governing Body:

Amended:

To be reviewed:

bluebell meadow primary school policy to promote positive … · 2019-01-17 · 2 introduction...

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