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GILBERT INGLEFIELD MIDDLE SCHOOL

January 2012

RELATIONSHIP/BEHAVIOUR POLICY

Within a safe, happy and creative environment we will provide the opportunity for every child to develop self-confidence, self esteem and

self respect, in order to maximise potential and

achieve personal excellence

Date of Review: January 2012

Approved by Committee:

Nex Review Date:

Staff Responsible: Director of Pupil Wellbeing

Headteacher

Resources Committee

Gilbert Inglefield Middle School Mission Statement

At Gilbert Inglefield Middle School we believe that every member of our school community should have an equal opportunity to achieve his or her full potential regardless of race, colour, gender,disability, special educational needs or socio economic background.

We believe that it is the right of all our pupils to be educated in an environment free

from disruption by others.

This policy sets out the framework for the behaviour, responsibilities, values and

attitudes expected of our community members within a Restorative Approaches philosophy.

Restorative Approaches aims to build the learning community and to repair and strengthen relationships within this community.

The school embraces Restorative Approaches as a means of empowering teachers to be successful and effective practitioners within their classroom, raising standards and achievement across the school and developing aspirational, motivated and responsible pupils

Aims of Policy

·  To create a consistently orderly environment, both inside and outside of the

classroom, which will enable everyone to work and learn.

·  To reward students for academic achievement, completing and returning homework,

being equipped for school and behaving well in lessons.

·  To use Restorative approaches to help those involved to learn how to change. It will offer an alternative to the traditional responses to challenging behaviour.

·  To ensure the Every Child Matters agenda is firmly embedded into all aspects of

school life.

Restorative Approaches Philosophy

We believe that good behaviour is an integral part of the learning process. Everyone has the right to work and develop in an atmosphere of respect, trust, security, honesty and openness – where positive relationships are valued within the school and the wider community. Positive relationships between pupils, their peers, families and adults are integral to the effectiveness of this.

The key elements in this philosophy are:-

·  Clear, shared learning goals;

·  Creation of a safe and caring environment;

·  Enabling, recognising and celebrating individual achievement;

·  Tolerance and understanding of others.

The Policy will rely on the principles of Restorative Approaches, which are:

·  They focus on harm caused by the wrongdoer and actively seek ways of

·  repairing that harm.

·  They help create dialogue and communication.

·  They are fair, open, and honest; treating all participants with respect.

·  Within a safe environment they will allow all participants to engage, learn and

·  gain a shared understanding.

·  This should lead to accepting responsibility, reparation, reintegration,

·  restoration, and behavioural (and cultural) change.

·  Participants are given the opportunity to openly state their views, listen to

·  others and acknowledge their views.

TEACHING AND LEARNING

The development of pupils’ social, emotional and behavioural skills will be encouraged

by establishing high expectations in all lessons, together with tutor time and throughout the day.

Students with more challenging behaviour are identified by the school pastoral system and

given additional support, as appropriate. ASPIRE offers additional support to students identified by their Community as needing additional support.

The way in which all members of the school community teach and learn from each other

when behaviour and attendance is unacceptable, is also influential. As pupils grow through

the school there should be regular explicit opportunities for learning about how to act in

keeping with the school’s values and beliefs. In these practical strategies for intervention,

full use should be made of support from the wider community.

ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

The promotion of positive behaviour is the responsibility of the school community as awhole.

The Governing Body, Headteacher and staff are responsible for ensuring that all aspects of the school’s Behaviour Policy and its application, promote equality for all students. The roles include:-

a) The Governing Body defining the principles underlying the school’s Behaviour

Policy.

b) The Headteacher and Senior Leadership Team in framing and establishing an

environment that encourage positive behaviour and regular attendance.

c) All staff in ensuring that the policy is consistently and fairly applied and that

students are taught how to behave well.

d) Students who are able to behave in a way that promotes the learning of all in the

community.

e) Parents and carers in taking responsibility for their child’s behaviour inside and

outside the school to maintain high standards of behaviour.

Restorative Practices framework will:

·  Improve behaviour and attitudes;

·  Provide explicit tools within a defined framework to challenge unacceptable

·  behaviour, resolve conflict and repair harm;

·  Improve relationships; establish rights, accountabilities and responsibilities to the community.

·  Provide a safe, philosophical basis for staff, pupils and parents to share ideas and discuss issues.

·  Be applicable within school, during school trips and also when pupils are representative of the school in their journey to and from school.

Wherever possible we will work with pupils and families, offering high support,

nurturing and encouragement in conjunction with consistently setting clear boundaries and expectations of behaviour. Staff should always, within their professional conduct, be positive and respectful role models to their pupils.

School Code of Conduct

Pupils have a right to learn and teachers have a right to teach in a classroom free from disruptive behaviour.

School Core Values

· Respect

· Caring

· Fairness

· Tolerance

· Responsibility

· Honesty

These core values underpin the school’s ethos and should be followed by all who are part of our learning community.

It is important that staff deal with situations to establish and develop their own

relationships. Aim to separate the deed from the doer and the act from the actor as integral to Restorative Practice philosophy.

The following information is communicated to parents via the home/school contract.

Pupils’ learning is enhanced by a positive relationship between home and school.

Parents can contribute in the following ways:

· Being interested in their child’s learning.

· Understanding and supporting school procedures and rules.

· Being willing to support activities related to school.

· Being aware of their child’s role within the community.

· Supporting the school’s use of Restorative Practice.

By ensuring their child is ready for the school day by:

· Being punctual.

· Being alert and ready to learn.

· Wearing correct school uniform.

· Having correct equipment and appropriate school bag.

· Communicating with staff.

By communicating effectively with staff by:

· Reading and responding appropriately to school letters.

· Making appointments to see staff about concerns where necessary.

· Providing up to date emergency contact numbers.

· Attending parents’ evenings and school meetings.

· Informing the school of absence by telephoning on the first day

The approach will require all staff working with our students to be aware of the principles of Restorative Approaches, and the ability to apply them to resolving situations within the school community. The principles and use of restorative Approaches will be a regular feature in the schools Continuing Professional Development programme both at the beginning of the school year and where appropriate at other times.

In addition to this the Inclusion Manager has been trained to use the model to resolve more difficult problems, in a formal and structured manner by facilitating conferences with the “Wrong doer and the Harmed”, with the aim of creating restoration and reparation between those involved.

The Restorative Questions:

What happened?

What were you feeling / thinking at the time?

What do you think / feel about it now?

Who has been affected by what has happened?

In what way?

What impact has this incident had on you and on others?

What has been the hardest thing for you?

What do you think needs to happen to make things right?

The questions are neutral and non-judgemental, they are about the wrongdoer’s behaviour and its effect upon others, and they are open questions which require an answer.

They take everyone from the past (what happened) to the future (repairing harm) and require people to reflect on who has been affected. They are likely to help the wrongdoer develop some empathy for those affected.

The Restorative Approach model can be applied in a number of ways, ranging from

informal work in corridors and classes to formal conferences with the wrong doer and the harmed including working with whole classes.

Restorative Chat – informal chat using restorative questions, this does not include formal referral, preparation, contract or debrief but should/may include a follow-up. Individual member of staff takes initiative and leads process.

Impromptu Conference – informal conference that might not include formal preparation, but should/may include a contract and a follow up. Individual member of staff takes initiative and leads process.

Circle or Classroom Conference – formal conference that requires a formal referral, preconference preparation, a contract, debrief and a follow up session. Referral for support can be made to the Inclusion Manager for the students concerned.

Formal Conference or Parenting Conference – Requires formal pre conference

preparation, possibly a home visit, formal referral, a contract and a formal setting a debrief after the conference and a follow up session. Referral for support can be made to the Aspire Team for the students concerned.

All Restorative Justice Interventions should be recorded as appropriate.

Unsuccessful conferences or refusal to take part:

Unless all have agreed to take part in the Restorative Intervention, it will not proceed; all have to be willing participants. If during a intervention any of those taking part are unable or unwilling to proceed the intervention will close and an alternative resolution will be imposed. If those involved fail to comply with expectations of the agreement alternative solutions including the schools consequences may be applied to the Wrongdoer.

REWARDS

Rewards are much more effective than punishment in encouraging and motivating students and should be used as an incentive for success. Staff should always attempt to use the principles of Restorative Approaches should not rely on the use of sanctions to resolve the effects of inappropriate behaviour. Failure to respond to Restorative Interventions may lead to sanctions being imposed. Sanctions will be an escalating nature and will be proactive in amending students’ behaviour.

Regular termly rewards will be reflected in the use of Golden Time for students with good behaviour, attendance and punctuality. There will also be rewards on cumulative positive behaviour at the end of the school year.

SANCTIONS

It is essential that staff record all incidents of bad behaviour on a Three Warning Slip (Red slip)

Staff should resort to the use of formal detentions as a consequence for inappropriate behaviour only after they have considered and applied the principles of Restorative Justice.

The range of detentions should be determined by the extent and impact of the

inappropriate behaviour. Staff may give personal detentions to students for up to 30

minutes during lunchtime.

For persistent behaviours, students will be required to attend the weekly Head Teacher’s Detention; this detention will take place on Wednesday after school for 1 hour. The use of Head Teachers detention will be determined by a pupil receiving 3 x 3 warning slips.

Staff must gives parents 24 hours notice of detentions outside school sessions. Parents/ Carers will be informed of the detention via a letter home.

Students who fail to attend a detention will be required to attend at a later date, or may receive further sanctions.

Ongoing behaviours or isolated incidents may result in internal isolation. Pupils will be relocated to work independently within another year group so that they can learn in a positive environment and observe good behaviour.

For more serious behaviours or an escalation of behaviours a Senior Leadership Team Focus Day will be introduced. Pupils will be required to attend school within the timings of 11am to 5pm and will work in isolation under the direct supervision of the Senior Leadership Team.

(Ladder of consequences is listed under appendix 1)

EXCLUSIONS

The decision to exclude will not be taken lightly. As pupils escalate up the ladder of consequence, this sanction will be used. The school will use exclusions in the event of isolated incidents that affect the health and safety of others within the school and within the wider community. In the event of an exclusion being given for over five days, school has a duty of care to offer education off site. Arrangements are currently in place with Vandyke Upper School to support pupils on longer fixed term exclusions. A member of our staff will support them at Vandyke Upper and work will be set for them as appropriate.

SUPPORT SYSTEMS FOR STUDENTS

Some students will need additional support to manage their behaviour and attendance. Theschool will support these students and proactively work to pre-empt escalating behaviour programmes, truancy and attendance problems.

Individual members of staff identify students causing concern and referral will be made to the Inclusion Manager.

SUPPORT SYSTEMS FOR STAFF

All staff should deal with incidents of misbehaviour when it occurs, respond accordingly and record the incident and the follow-up action on a 3 warning slip (Red slip).

Incidents of a more serious nature should be referred immediately to the Senior Leadership Team

INVOLVEMENT OF PARENTS

Parents of students causing concern should be contacted at the earliest possible stage to discuss strategies and support for the individual student.

Parents of students at risk of exclusion from persistent poor behaviour will be involved in the development of an individual Pastoral Support Programme (PSP). The PSP will have specific targets and identify behaviours need to be reduced and improved. PSPs should be reviewed regularly by the member of staff responsible, usually the Inclusion Manager.

To be fully effective the Behaviour and Attendance Policy needs support from the

whole school community.

Any proposed changes to the school’s policy will be discussed by the Senior Leadership Team and the Governing Body.