Policies and procedures: Behaviour Policy
Behaviour Policy
Reviewed by (Headteacher/DSL):
Date: June 2017
Approved by Board of Trustees on:
Review Date: June 2018
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Bristol Steiner School Behaviour Policy
1. Rationale
Bristol Steiner School (BSS) aims to provide a safe environment in which effective teaching and learning for all teachers and pupils may take place, inspired by values of equal rights, compassion, mutual respect and understanding. All children learn and grow in their understanding of socially appropriate and desirable behaviour.Good behaviour amongst pupil enables them to develop appropriate social skills, self-discipline and an awareness of the consequences of their actions. This Behaviour Policy will be a working document which will change and grow as our expertise and knowledge does.
Our Behaviour policy is an essential part of our Safeguarding practice. BSS is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of young people and vulnerable adults.We believe the welfare of the child is paramount and that no child should suffer harm of any form, either at home or at school. Everyone who works at or visits our School has the responsibility to make sure all our children are safe.
For the purposes of this policy, ‘staff’ also includes agency staff, volunteers, and students working in our Schools, and ‘parents’ includes carers and legal guardians – unless this is clarified further within the text.
2. Aims
BSS aims to:
· provide a safe and supportive environment in which all children are enabled to have positive learning experiences;
· promote and celebrate positive behavior;
· help teachers and parents communicate and work together effectively;
· surround the children with clear consistent boundaries of good behaviour arising from loving authority;
· acknowledge each child has individual needs and requirements;
· help children become aware of their actions and the responses of others to their actions;
· have appropriate expectations of all children;
· raise self-esteem and confidence, and give encouragement and praise for achievements;
· work in partnership with other agencies, in order to meet individual needs;
· share information and good practice to inform a whole School approach;
· support staff in managing challenging behaviour.
3. Implementation
This policy is the responsibility of everyone who works at, volunteers for or visits BSS. The Headteacher, Senior Management Team (SMT) and the Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL) will ensure that arrangements will be made to bring this policy to the notice of all staff (including new, temporary, and part-time employees), agency and other contract staff, volunteers, visitors and students during Induction so that they fulfill their duties to co-operate with this policy. This policy and procedure will apply in all these contexts, including school activities taking place off site. We also expect that the services delivered by partner organisations within the School, and at other venues in partnership with us, to work in accordance with this policy. This policy should appear on the School website. Parents will be informed of the Behaviour Policy by including a summary in the prospectus.
4.Monitoring and Review
BSS will seek to continually improve all its related safeguarding policies, procedures and guidelines. BSS will review this policyon a regular basis to confirm that content and approach is still appropriate. The review will take place whenever there are significant changes and not later than 12 months from the previous review date.
5. Other related policies
This policy works with the School’s following policies:
1. Code of Conduct (staff)
2. Complaints
3. Curriculum
4. Fees and Finance
5. Equalities
6. Safeguarding and Child Protection
7. SEN Policies
8. Staffing
6. Safeguarding
The School will take effective action to prevent and tackle discriminatory and derogatory language used in the School to ensure children feel safe.Physical punishments must not be threatened or used in the School. The use of unwarranted or disproportionate physical force is likely to constitute a criminal offence. It is important that all staff, pupils and volunteers know what constitutes a physical punishment. If any staff, volunteers or pupils are aware that physical punishment or inappropriate physical restraint is being used towards children by other staff, volunteers or pupils they must:
· seek to comfort the child
· notify emergency services, if appropriate
· record the incident
· speak to the Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL) as soon as possible.
More information on allegations of abuse made to staff can be found in the Safeguarding and Child Protection policy.
7. Principles of behaviour management
Staff are expected to:
· embrace the values of the School: honesty, trust, respect, and integrity;
· model positive behavior;
· base their expectations on children’s age, experience and progress;
· assign each child a key worker/class teacher;
· provide sufficient and appropriate resources for each child that, match the children’s age and maturity, the activity, and group size;
· appreciate the value of outdoor play;
· take into consideration the needs and feelings of all the children in the class;
· encourage positive behavior;
· believe that repetitive reinforcement of rules and expected conduct guides a child's behaviour within clear, consistent boundaries and that the rhythmic use of repetition strengthens the will and builds an inner sense of security;
· help children to learn to resolve their own conflicts;
· involve parents as much as possible in discussions about their child’s behavior;
· implement appropriate intervention strategies when a child presents with consistent inappropriate behaviours
· seek further support will be sought from other professionals/outside agencies when necessary.
8. Promoting good behaviour
Guidelines for good behaviour are provided in the School Rules and Pupil Code of, Dress Code; Kindergarten rules (see Appendices). It has long been established that rewards are more effective than punishments in motivating pupils. By praising and rewarding positive behaviour, others will be encouraged to act similarly. This policy specifies what sanctions are available to staff should pupils’ behaviour require.BSS aims to strike the right balance between:
· Rewards and sanctions; and
· Rewarding consistently good behaviour and rewarding improved behaviour.
Praise begins with frequent use of encouraging language and gestures, both in lessons and around the School, so that positive behaviour is instantly recognised and positively rewarded. A more formal system of credits may be adopted by each teacher to recognise and congratulate pupils when they set a good example or show improvement in their behaviour. Praise and rewards may be for an individual pupil, whole class or for the whole School. These may include:
· frequently using encouraging language and gestures;
· recognition of positive contributions and behavior;
· positive feedback during assemblies;
· feedback to parents through the annual School Report; and
· an individual or class reward system.
Reward systems could include:
· Class Reward Systems - Some class teachers may adopt a system to recognise good lessons in which the whole class responded well. This could be a sticker chart or a jar to be filled with conkers or marbles, etc. When the jar is full, there may be a whole class reward to follow, such as a fun lesson, a class trip or other treat. Subject teachers may use the class teacher’s system in each class or have their own reward system with each class they teach.
· Individual Reward Systems - some class teachers choose to reward the good behaviour of individual children in some way from class four upwards. This may take a number of forms, such as awards for good behaviour (certificates, pedagogically appropriate gifts, etc.) or a reward ticket scheme in which children receive a ticket that reflects the quality of their behaviour over the course of a week (such as gold, silver or bronze ticket). These tickets may be traded for pedagogically appropriate rewards at half-termly or termly intervals. Care should be taken to emphasise effort, so that children who have been associated with poor behaviour are recognised for improvements made, and targets set in Individual Education Plans.
The School will pay attention to pupils who have previously been associated with poor behaviour or standards of work, so that it is not always the same ‘good’ pupils who receive praise and rewards. This will balance rewarding pupils with consistently good behaviour and those achieving substantial improvement.
9. Challenging Behaviour
Challenging behaviour is defined as:
· ‘The behaviour itself or its severity is inappropriate, given the person’s age and level of development.
· The behaviour is dangerous either to the person himself or to others.
· The behaviour constitutes a significant additional handicap for the person by interfering with learning of new skills or by excluding the person from important learning opportunities.
· The behaviour causes significant stress to the lives of those who live and work with the person, and impairs the quality of their lives to an unusual degree.
· The behaviour is contrary to social norms.’
(Zarkowska and Clements, 1988)
Where challenging behaviour is observed in a pupil, the School aims to:
· Have appropriate sanctions and disciplinary measures that may be imposed;
· Treat problems when they occur in a fair and consistent manner;
· Work closely with colleagues and parents/guardians to better understand children with ongoing difficulties and to develop individual strategies and behaviour plans to support them.
Appropriate sanctions, disciplinary measures and strategies may include:
· Visual Warnings- Each teacher will have a method of conveying expectations to the class. This may include, at the discretion of the class teacher, a display such as traffic lights or a flower on which each child’s name is marked. When a child’s behaviour exceeds the boundaries of the teacher’s expectations, his or her name will be moved to a warning position (e.g. on to the amber light) to give a clear signal that behaviour should improve; good efforts will be recognised and the child’s name will be returned to the starting position (e.g. the green light). If poor behaviour continues, the child’s name will be moved to last position (e.g. the red light) and a sanction will be incurred.
· Temporary Exclusion from the Classroom or Play Area - Where a child’s behaviour makes it unsafe for other pupils or difficult to maintain a working atmosphere, the teacher may send the child out of the class, to another classroom, or to the school office or library. Perceived risks and needs for supervision will be taken into account in this decision.
· Tasks and Apologies - Pupils should be given the opportunity to redeem poor behaviour. Where another individual or a group has been affected by a child’s behaviour, a teacher may ask the child to make a written apology or a sorry card, which may be done in a lost lunch or at home in cooperation with parents/guardians. Other restorative tasks may be set to reflect the child’s behaviour, including helping a teacher, cleaning or performing chores in the school, or engaging in calming or focusing exercises.
· Lost Lunch - Pupils in classes one to five may be kept in at lunch break by a teacher for up to half an hour and set a task appropriate to their age and behaviour. This could be sitting in silence, discussing the behaviour and how it may be improved, finishing work not done in the lesson, performing a task or making an apology.
· Consultation with Colleagues - The Teachers’ Meeting provides a forum for teachers to discuss individual children, share observations and develop individual strategies. Where further observations and insights are necessary, a child study may be initiated with cooperation from parents/carers. Discussions and child studies may lead to referral to the school doctor and then to other specialists.
· Working with Parents and Carers - Class teachers should have regular contact with parents of the children in their care. Where ongoing concerns about a child’s behaviour arise, the class teacher should contact or arrange to meet with parents. Another teacher may be invited to such meetings. Parents are encouraged to support the School in encouraging good behaviour at school and at home. Expectations, rewards and sanctions at home that reflect what is happening at school often prove highly effective.
· Behavioural Individual Education Plans. The class teacher, in cooperation with a child, parents and the SENCO, may develop a behavioural Individual Education Plan (IEP) for a child with particular needs or challenges. This should begin with meetings, assessment and self assessment of the child’s needs. The IEP should include: short term achievable goals; longer term objectives; strategies for achieving those goals; individual rewards and sanctions to support meeting them; and a risk assessment if the child’s behaviour warrants it. The IEP should specify a review period.
· Report Books - A book may be kept to record the good and less good behaviour of children when there is a need for increased awareness or record keeping. Depending on the nature of the case, the book may be for recording behaviour in the classroom and/or at break times. It may be that only teachers are aware of the book, but often it will be of benefit to a child to take responsibility for giving the book to the relevant teacher at the beginning of lessons or break times, raising awareness of the child and the teacher that improved behaviour is expected. It may or may not be appropriate for the book to be taken home at the end of each day for parents to review. Details of the report book will be decided by the class teacher in cooperation with the Teachers’ Meeting, or as part of a Behavioural IEP, when it is initiated.
· DSL -Staff should liaise with the DSL where behaviour is extreme or consistently inappropriate.
Should ongoing efforts to manage a pupil’s behaviour prove ineffective; teachers, parents and the SMT will discuss how best to meet the pupil’s needs and the exclusion policy may be implemented.
10.Physical touch
There are occasions when it is entirely appropriate and proper for staff to have physical contact with children; it is crucial however that they only do so in ways appropriate to their professional role and in relation to the child’s individual needs. Motivation is key and the reason for contact must be absolutely clear. Contact should be relevant to their age and understanding and adults should remain sensitive to any discomfort expressed verbally or non-verbally by the child. Staff should therefore use their professional judgement at all times.