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Limpsfield Junior School Behaviour Policy 2016

At Limpsfield Junior School we understand the importance of developing positive behaviour within our pupils. ‘Good’ behaviour supports classroom management, pupil progress and provides children with the positive attributes required to be successful throughout their education and in later life. As a school we have adopted a holistic approach to behaviour management where all staff are empowered to promote and challenge behaviour. A key element of our policy is the positive relationships that staff have been able to develop with children and families. However, we also recognise the need to ensure that staff and children have clear procedures that can be followed if and when required.

Limpsfield Junior School Governing Body Statement of Principles 2016

In writing this policy reference has been made to the Department for Education’s advice and statutory documents. In particular:

Behaviour and discipline in schools. Advice for Headteachers and school staff January 2016

Keeping children safe in education. Statutory guidance for schools and colleges September 201

Use of reasonable force. Advice for Headteachers, staff and governing bodies July 2013

Section 89 of the Education and Inspections Act 2006

 

Key points

  • Teachers have power to discipline pupils for misbehaviour which occurs in school and, in some circumstances, outside of school.
  • The power to discipline also applies to all paid staff (unless the headteacher says otherwise) with responsibility for pupils, such as teaching assistants.
  • Headteachers, proprietors and governing bodies must ensure they have a strong behaviour policy to support staff in managing behaviour, including the use of rewards and sanctions.
  • Governing bodies of maintained schools have a duty under section 175 of the Education Act 2002 requiring them to make arrangements to ensure that their functions are carried out with a view to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children. The proprietors of Academies have a similar duty under paragraph 7 of Schedule 1 to the Education (Independent School Standards) (England) Regulations 2010. They must ensure that arrangements are made to safeguard and promote the welfare of pupils.

The Law

To be lawful, the punishment must satisfy the following three conditions:

1) The decision to punish a pupil must be made by a paid member of school staff or a member of staff authorised by the Headteacher;

2) The decision to punish the pupil and the punishment itself must be made on the school premises or while the pupil is under the charge of the member of staff; and

3) It must not breach any other legislation (for example in respect of disability, special educational needs, race and other equalities and human rights) and it must be reasonable in all the circumstances.

Aims

The behaviour policy aims to embed and aid the development of a positive, encouraging and inclusive school ethos which supports high quality learning, standards of attainment and achievement. We recognise that good behaviour is paramount in contributing to the orderly, purposeful management of learning within the classroom, as well as the development of positive interpersonal relationships, personal responsibility and secure community cohesion. We want the children to;

  • be highly motivated to learn
  • feel engaged with quality learning experiences
  • take pride in the presentation of their work
  • work hard and persevere with their learning
  • be enthusiastic about their activity
  • be encouraging of other children
  • be respectful to other children and adults
  • present in a calm, quiet, fair manner to others
  • be open to new experiences and ideas
  • learn how to deal appropriately with strong negative feelings
  • take pride in and care for their classroom and school environment
  • contribute to assemblies and community enrichment
  • develop a sense of personal identity and responsibility
  • enjoy their learning and relate positively to others.

This behaviour Policy will ensure that the school carries out its key responsibilities in regards to:

  • promoting good behaviour, self-discipline and respect
  • preventing bullying
  • ensuring that pupils complete assigned work
  • regulating the conduct of pupils

Positive Interaction:

We understand that much of this is communicated through the quality of interaction they have with their class teacher, the whole staff team, significant others and the values of their parents.

Teachers will present high levels of positive praise in recognition of good behaviour. Good quality work will be rewarded with enthusiastic and strong approval. Every opportunity will be taken to showcase good work and encouraging good behaviour within the classroom, in assemblies and by sending children with good work to show other classes or teachers. Positive behaviour and pleasing work and effort will be given a very high profile in this way. At this level, staff are given the freedom to reward pupils as they feel appropriate and this may involve stickers, certificates, meeting parents after school or a phone call home. Where staff are particularly pleased with a piece of work produced by a child, then they will be encouraged to copy the work and allow the child to take this home We will aim for children to gain intrinsic reward for performing positively in all their actions. Teachers will talk openly and clearly about the difference between positive and negative outcomes in their daily interaction with children as well as in P.S.H.E. lessons.  Good behaviour, effort and positive relationships will be strongly emphasised and highly valued in this way and attention to negative behaviour will be minimised.

Responding to negative behaviour:

Undue attention will not be given to negative behaviour. Necessary reprimands will be made quietly and firmly minimising its impact on other children. The relationship between staff and pupils is a key element to behaviour management with staff being empowered to discipline pupils in a way that is appropriate for their actions, for their needs and for the needs of the other children. However, negative behaviour will not be accepted by staff and where appropriate staff may impose the following sanctions:

  • Pupils may be required to miss all/part of a break time or lunchtime.
  • Pupils may be asked to leave the classroom and go to a paired classroom.
  • Pupils may be asked to leave the classroom and sent to the Headteacher or Deputy Headteacher.
  • The school may phone parents.
  • Pupils may be required to redo work that is not of an acceptable standard either in school time or during their own time (parents will be informed if work is being sent home).
  • Pupils may be put on daily/weekly Headteacher report

During lessons, staff will manage negative behaviour so that pupils are aware that their behaviour is inappropriate. This will involve verbal reminders and may also include visual reminders (traffic lights, smiley faces etc.). However, minimal attention will be given to this negative behaviour and reminders will be done in a way that does not escalate the situation. Names will not normally be written on the board. However, all these systems follow the same pattern:

  • Pupils are given three reminders about their behaviour. Each time a reminder is given the child should be clear about where they are in regards to the number of reminders and what behaviour the member of staff expects to see.
  • If after the third reminder the pupil persists with the negative behaviour then the member of staff will ask the child to leave the classroom. In the main this will involve the child being sent to the paired classroom but may involve them being sent to the Headteacher or Deputy Headteacher depending on the individual child and the circumstances.
  • A child will be expected to return to their classroom after 5 minutes.
  • To ensure that learning is not lost the child will be expected to complete any work missed during their break or lunch time. To support supervision of the child, this work can be completed outside the staff room.
  • If upon returning to the classroom the child persists with negative behaviour, then three warnings will again be given after which they will be sent to the Headteacher or Deputy Headteacher.

Following reprimands, every opportunity will be taken to give praise for changed and improved behaviour in order to reinforce a more positive attitude in the future.

Behaviour that is Persistently Negative:

One of our key roles as educators is to ensure that children are able to develop attributes that allow them to become successful learners and maximise their life chances. Some children will need more support in developing positive behaviour attributes than others. We understand the importance of identifying these children and in supporting them to achieve their full potential. To do this, the school has a system of recording behaviour and of putting in support.

Recording:

Not all negative behaviour will be recorded. Staff will manage behaviour on a daily basis and will not be expected to record every incident. However, negative behaviour will be recorded by staff when a child is asked to leave the classroom. When this occurs staff will be required to complete a simple sheet that identifies the child, briefly describes what they did and the actions taken by the teacher. These sheets will be collected by the inclusion teaching assistant on a weekly basis and transferred to a central record. This record will then be reviewed to identify trends and to put into place appropriate actions.

Where children are sent to the Headteacher or Deputy Headteacher, then a record will also be made in the incident log of the child’s name, incident and actions. An incident report form may also be completed by staff if required. The incident log is analysed regularly to identify any pupil, year group or whole school needs.

Daily and weekly Headteacher reports are also used to record pupil behaviour. However, the aim of such reports is to focus on the positive elements of a pupil’s behaviour.

Behaviour reports are submitted to governors on a termly basis.

Exclusions:

The Governing Body of Limpsfield Junior School recognise that there may be occasions when the school will need to consider excluding a pupil from school. When excluding a child the Headteacher will follow the DfE guidance “Exclusion from maintained schools, Academies and pupil referral units in England” ensuring that all statutory and legal requirements are met and that the exclusion is “lawful, reasonable and fair”.

In line with guidance, exclusion will be considered in the following circumstances;

  • in response to a serious breach, or persistent breaches, of the school’s behaviour policy; and
  • where allowing the pupil to remain in school would seriously harm the education or welfare of the pupil or others in the school.

The exclusion of a child is a serious matter and at all times would involve serious consideration and appropriate re-integration.

Pupil Support:

Disruptive behaviour can be an indication of unmet needs. We will use records of behaviour pro-actively to try to identify whether there are any causal factors and intervene early and develop positive behaviour attributes. The school Inclusion Team will monitor behaviour records but may also receive referrals directly from staff. The Team will consider the schools response to pupils needs which will be tailored to the needs of the child. However, it may include the following;

  • Daily/weekly monitoring of a child.
  • Direct intervention from the Inclusion Team
  • Meetings with parents/carers
  • Referral to the Multi Agency Support Team
  • Multi-agency assessment

Safeguarding:

When reviewing behaviour, we will also consider whether there is cause to suspect that a child is suffering, or is likely to suffer, significant harm. Where we feel that this may be the case then staff will follow the procedures set out in the school safeguarding policy and in the statutory DfE guidance Keeping Children Safe in Education 2016.

The Designated Safeguarding Lead for Limpsfield Junior School is Martin Moss (Headteacher).

The Deputy Designated Safeguarding Lead for Limpsfield Junior School is Vicki Grayson (Deputy Headteacher).

Use of Reasonable Force:

The staff at Limpsfield Junior School have the power to use reasonable force to;

  • Prevent pupils committing an offence
  • Injuring themselves or others
  • Damaging property
  • Maintain good order and discipline in the classroom

Reasonable force will only be used as a last resort. If reasonable force is required staff will refer to the schools positive handling protocols (Appendix 1).

Lunchtimes:

We recognise that lunchtimes provides a much needed release for our children and provides them with an opportunity to socially interact with each other and with adults. The schools approach to lunchtimes is to promote activities and interactions that support children in developing positive relationships. However, we also recognise that negative behaviour may be displayed at lunchtimes. To support positive lunchtimes we use teaching assistants to supervise the children outside. This means that children are with adults who they know well and who they have daily interactions with. We also employ a play leader to organise and supervise activities so that pupils are engaged in meaningful and directed interactions. These activities are further supported by the teaching assistant and older pupils who are Playground Leaders. The Headteacher and Deputy Headteacher also try to ensure that they have a high level of visibility at lunchtimes recognising that a positive lunchtime experience can support pupil progress in the afternoon.

Where negative behaviour is encountered then, where appropriate, children are given three warnings and then sent inside to sit outside the staffroom. The member of staff dealing with the incident will ensure that it is recorded and inform the class teacher. Children may also be sent directly to sit outside the staffroom if required. However, the focus for lunchtime behaviour is that it is dealt with at lunchtime and not brought back into the classroom

Involving parents:

In line with The School Information Regulations 2016 a copy of the behaviour policy will be available on the school website.

In line with section 89 of the Education and Inspections Act 2006 the school will inform children, parents and staff of the schools behaviour policy on an annual basis.

Parents will be contacted when poor behaviour is persistent and especially when anti-social behaviour is presented by the child putting other children at risk. Bullying or racist behaviour will not be tolerated. Parents will be contacted immediately and exclusion of the pupil will be considered.

Rewards and Incentives:

Staff use a variety of system in class including class points, certificates, stickers and badges to reward good effort and performance. The children respond well to these and it is recognised that they can provide powerful incentives for motivating learning and good behaviour. They are used more and less in different year groups or for shorter periods of time to support short term aims or projects, like the learning of number bonds or tables. Our longer term aim will be to use these incentives less as children progress through the school and try to help children to gain intrinsic reward as they recognise the personal satisfaction to be gained from acting and performing well. We understand that this will lead them to be more self- motivating and independent as they gain greater maturity and usefully help them to begin to reflect on their own, “sense of purpose” and direction.

Behaviour and the P.S.H.E. curriculum:

Our P.S.H.E. curriculum will support the daily good guidance and modelling presented by staff by;

  • Providing guidance about good relationships
  • Providing exemplars and strategies for  dealing with strong feelings
  • Using drama and simulations to illustrate and explore strategies for dealing with everyday interactions.
  • Using stories from history, biographies of famous people, from the world’s religions, fables from folklore which provide exemplars and paradigms of good behaviour.
  • Reflecting on local and world events as well as events within the school community which provide exemplars of positive social interaction.
  • Providing meaningful contexts to develop social responsibility and develop positive interactional  skills

We recognise the powerful platform presented for developing good social interaction provided by the school community. Further opportunities will be created by;

  • Using older children to mentor younger children
  • Using talking partners as part of classroom interaction and learning
  • Giving mixed groups of children the opportunity of sharing small jobs which help to improve the school environment as part of good citizenship activities.
  • Taking groups of children into the local community to sing dance or contribute to local community events.
  • Providing the opportunity for children to meet and learn about the work of people who provide important public services.

 

In all of our daily interactions with the children, time will be taken to show strong approval for good behaviour which contributes to the positive ethos we aim to build in the school and which firmly supports their learning.

 

This policy does not exist in isolation but should be read and applied along with other school policies. In particular;

Limpsfield Junior School Anti-Bullying Policy

Limpsfield Junior School Cyber Bullying Policy

Limpsfield Junior School Use of Reasonable force Procedure

Limpsfield Junior School Safeguarding Policy

 

Appendix 1: Limpsfield Junior School Positive Handling Protocols

This document is an addition to the Schools Behaviour Policy                  

At Limpsfield Junior School the term ‘reasonable force’ covers the broad range of actions used by staff that involves a degree of physical contact with pupils:

Force is usually used either to control or restrain e.g. guiding a pupil to safety, breaking up a fight or restraint to prevent violence or injury.

Reasonable means no more force than is necessary.

Control is either passive (e.g. standing between pupils) or active (leading a pupil by the arm out of the classroom.

Restraint means to hold back physically or to bring a pupil under control.

The use of reasonable force

All staff (including volunteers and parents/carers on school trips- if authorised by the Headteacher) have a legal power to use reasonable force.

The use of reasonable force is the professional judgement of the adult. Each situation is different and as such the school cannot say when reasonable force is appropriate. However, it is appropriate to consider using reasonable force to prevent children from:

  • Hurting themselves
  • Hurting others
  • Damaging property
  • Causing disorder

A decision to use reasonable force will not be taken lightly. We recognise that its use can be distressing to the child and to the adult/s involved. When reasonable force is used we will ensure that at all times we are open and transparent.

Since the 2015/2016 academic year the school has started a programme of training staff through ‘Team Teach’ to develop appropriate skills in how to physically restrain a child. This is an ongoing programme and is designed to support the welfare of staff and pupils. Below is a current list of staff who have received the ‘Team Teach’ training.

Name Role Date completed
Martin Moss Headteacher 24/6/2016
Anthony Larsen Play Leader 24/6/2016
Jameela Musaid Teaching Assistant 24/6/2016
Laila Kasem Teaching Assistant 24/6/2016
Mark Howarth Teaching Assistant 24/6/2016
Louise Slack Inclusion Teaching Assistant 24/6/2016

The above members of staff play a key supervisory role during lunchtimes and as such are available to support the use of reasonable force during this part of the school day. However, it is also recognised that incidents may occur in the classroom or around school when these members of staff may not be immediately available. In these cases the school procedures will focus on a ‘team teach’ trained member of staff attending the incident as soon as possible. The procedure for this is outlined at the end of this document.

To ensure that trained staff remain confident in the use of Team Teach techniques a refresher session will be held on the first Friday of every month, or the nearest Friday after.

The school will also use behaviour records to identify pupils who may possibly require restraint and put in to place appropriate procedures. If the need for restraint is identified as being required, or maybe required, then parents/carers will be informed. Further support will also be sort through the schools behaviour policy and safeguarding policy.

Following the use of reasonable force all staff involved will be required to complete a school incident report. A report will also be taken from the child who was restrained and from any other children who are deemed to be relevant. The pupil’s parents/carers will also be informed of the restraint and invited to a meeting to discuss the incident and future expectations. Further support will again be sought through the schools behaviour policy and safeguarding policy.

Any parental or carer complaints will be dealt with through the schools complaints procedure.

 

 

This document has been written in reference to the Department for Educations advice and statutory documents and advice. In particular to:

Use of Reasonable force. Advice for Headteachers, staff and governing bodies July 2013

Reviewed September 2016