Ysgol Gynradd

DANYGRAIG

PRIMARY

SCHOOL


Behaviour Management

Policy

Behaviour Management Policy

All schools have discipline problems. The nature and scale of these problems vary. We aim to effectively address these problems for the good of all concerned. There is no magic formula or potion available. A thoughtful, measured approach is required, drawing upon a wealth of strategies. Promoting good behaviour is the responsibility of all staff.

We recognise that we will never eliminate all discipline problems, so we aim instead to honestly appraise and effectively manage it. Through our ethos we have set the climate to encourage, motivate and inspire children to do well. Our rules set out clear and reasonable expectations and parameters for acceptable and safe behaviour. Our aim is to use a graduated procedure that will ensure that we achieve success.

The well being of the majority must always be our most important consideration. Nobody should be allowed to suffer as a result of others’ inappropriate attitudes and actions. Even though we might understand the reasons for certain individual’s unacceptable behaviour. Our discipline practices must ensure that we do our best to modify it. However, the safety and security of people is paramount and we should not hesitate to ensure that principle.

Teachers have the right to teach and pupils have the right to learn in a classroom free from disruptive behaviour – a classroom that both reflects teachers’ own behavioural expectations and creates an atmosphere in which pupil self-esteem can flourish.

To create this learning environment, remember that:

Teachers have the right and responsibility –

To establish boundaries to define the limits of acceptable and unacceptable pupil behaviour. (Boundaries that would be present in any area of society)

To teach pupils to consistently adhere to these boundaries throughout the school day and school year.

To ask for assistance from colleagues, outside agencies, parents and governors when support is needed in handling the behaviour of pupils.

We value parents as partners in their children’s education. It is very important that all our parents know what we are trying to achieve and how we are going about it. We expect parents to support us in achieving and maintaining high standards in both work and behaviour. We see our work with children, including their behaviour and discipline as a common concern, necessitating a co-operative effort. We aim to inform parents when applying both rewards and sanctions whenever it is possible and appropriate. (See graduated procedures)

In more serious cases of misbehaviour, parents are expected to be involved in discussions and participate in the agreements, contracts and behaviour plans concerning future conduct of their children. This would also include the implementation of severe sanctions including instances whereby it proves necessary to suspend / exclude children from school.

People young and old alike respond positively to reward and praise. When we see a few children behaving inappropriately, there is a tradition of custom and practice in many schools to pick up on and highlight that, which is most frustrating. A reprimand of that behaviour tends to follow as the number one response. However, if we recognise in that scenario that most of the children are probably being good, then what we should be focusing on instead is praising the good. In this way the attention falls on those who

deserve it, and the ones who aren’t good soon get the message and fall in line. Reward is the key component, which promotes the climate of good behaviour and the willingness to please. Reward in terms of both self-esteem and gain ensures that each of our pupils may be made to realise that they have a stake in the positive ethos.

It is not always easy or possible to offer tangible rewards for all situations involving good conduct and sensible attitudes, but we aim to produce a marked positive effect through the active recognition of children’s good practice by staff. Adults should always show their appreciation for children who are behaving well. However, we realise that a graduated step-by-step procedure of sanctions will often be necessary.

Positive reinforcement should be an over-riding principle. We need, therefore, to create rules as necessary. Rules are also necessary in terms of personal safety, security, the well being and welfare of others and the protection of the school and wider environment. Rules should be clearly displayed in appropriate areas around the school. Above all, children should be expected to work at their own education, and afford others the peace, without disruption, to follow education. A positive attitude to learning is essential.

Rules for the School (These are a basic set of guidelines; sometimes we have to adapt)

1.Bullying and racism are always unacceptable behavior. Fortunately, most pupils at our school show a caring, responsible attitude, particularly the Upper Juniors who now share a monitoring role with the staff.

2.Children are expected to be polite and helpful at all times.

Dangerous and irresponsible behaviour, swearing and bad language are notacceptable.

3.Children are expected to WALK around the school and make way or hold doors open for younger children and adults.

4.To keep the school as “Green “as possible. Litter is to be placed in the containers provided around the school. We recycle paper, milk cartons, printer cartridges and batteries. We switch off electricity when it is not needed. We compost, close doors and turn off taps after use.

5.Children must not bring toys or games (including balls) to school, except with special permission, e.g. as part of a class project. If you disobey, and your belongings disappear or are broken, school will not be responsible.

6.Chewing gum, sweets and lollipops are not allowed in school.

7.Children should not be in the school buildings before school starts, after school is finished or during playtimes, except with special permission.

8.Children should not come to school before 8.40am in the morning, unless they are attending Breakfast Club.

9.Children are expected to change for PE, Swimming and Games.

PE Indoors: Shorts and a T-shirt for apparatus work.

PE Games Outdoors: Change of clothing is required otherwise children will not be allowed to participate in the lesson. NB: Jewellery is not allowed to be worn during PE, Games lessons.

10.If a child is absent or expected to be absent, an explanation is required from parents, written or verbal. Children are not allowed to leave the school premises unaccompanied during the school session, unless parents request this in writing – this includes the lunch period if children usually stay for lunch.

11. Please bring unbreakable containers for your drinks. Glass bottles are not allowed.

Neither are fizzy drinks.

Classroom Expectations

Each classroom produces its own basic boundaries. They should focus on the needs for the pupils in any particular class and be drawn up by the pupils.

The rules for the class must be referred to regularly. Here is an example of classroom rules that we would expect pupils to observe:

  1. Follow all instructions given by your teacher; Show a positive attitude to learning.
  2. When given instructions do what you are asked without delay or disturbance to others.
  3. When the teacher is addressing the class, group or another person do not interrupt.
  4. Respect other people and their property.
  5. Look after new children and visitors. (When a visitor enters the room, continue to work on a task quietly.)
  6. Put up your hand if you have something to contribute or you need help.
  7. When we are working, conversation should only be about our work and the task in hand.
  8. We keep our classroom and our drawers tidy.
  9. We do not leave the classroom without permission.

Moving around the school

There should be five rules to be observed when moving around the school. These rules apply when going to or from the hall for assembly (or other organised event), at the end of playtimes and at dinner times. The same rules should be consistent throughout the school for pupils in all classes. They are:

  1. Walk at all times – no running.
  2. Walk purposefully on the left-hand side, in single file.
  3. Be polite and courteous when walking through doors – no pushing or overtaking.
  4. Do not shout
  5. Talk quietly

Assembly

The pupils are made aware that assembly is a special event, with a specific significance. There is a social and cultural expectation that a religious event requires both within school and also at any sacred place of worship outside of the school. Special events that are not necessarily religious also require a particular social etiquette, which provides the necessary social skills to prepare our pupils for life beyond the school.

There are five basic rules to be followed:

  1. Enter and exit the hall without talking.
  2. Sit down as and when instructed by your teachers.
  3. Once seated, do not disrupt the occasion by whispering, talking, laughing, turning round.
  4. Keep hands, elbows, shoulders, feet, knees, etc. to yourself.
  5. Participate in the event as instructed.

Playground

The rules for the playground apply at the beginning and the end of the school day, at playtimes and at dinner times. The five rules are expressed slightly differently as:

The following rules of bullying and disrespect are not acceptable at any time –

  1. Fighting.
  2. Verbal abuse.
  3. Disrespect or damage to property.
  4. Being somewhere where you shouldn’t be.
  5. Leaving the school without permission.

To address important learning for the social curriculum, the pupils should be regularly reminded by teachers exactly what is meant / expected by these terms. The pupils themselves helped to identify the misbehaviours as follows:

  1. FIGHTING – any physical abuse, identified collectively as

HANDS / ARMS – slapping, hitting, punching, pinching, scramming, pushing, poking, pulling-hair, elbowing, swinging others around, picking others up and dropping.

FEET/LEGS – kicking, tripping, kneeing, stamping, treading on toes.

MOUTHS – biting, spitting, kissing.

OTHER – barging, bumping, thumping.

2. VERBAL ABUSE – the disrespect of any pupil or adult, through the use of unkind

taunts. Swearing is treated as an issue for particularly strong sanction.

1 and 2 should also be disallowed in the context of play. Particular play activities such as pile onand British Bulldog are not allowed on the playground. Pupils are asked to report problems or concerns such as abuse and bullying to any authorised supervising adult.

  1. DISRESPECT FOR PROPERTY – the hiding or damage to other pupil’s property such as hiding coats, throwing coats or bags down the toilet, kicking someone else’s ball deliberately into a garden, will not be tolerated. The same applies to the school building and environment, such as the kicking of doors, tearing of work on display, stealing or interfering with food in other pupil’s lunch boxes, pencil cases e.t.c. The tampering of fire alarms and fire fighting equipment is to be treated seriously and sanctioned accordingly.
  1. TRESPASS INTO AN UNAUTHORISED AREA – the safety and security of each child in our care is of paramount importance. The return to classrooms without permission or supervision is absolutely forbidden. No pupil is to be left in a classroom without supervision. Pupils who are ill may be allowed to stay in the main entrance. Only pupils who have specific permission will be allowed to stay in this area.
  1. LEAVING THE SCHOOL PREMISES – pupils who leave school, without consent or knowledge are putting themselves at unacceptable risk. Pupils who may experience problems during playtimes or dinner times must report their difficulties to the supervising adults on duty, who must take the problems seriously. Pupils concerns will if necessary be followed up by other teachers, or if seriously enough by the Headteacher. Pupils at no time, during the day, leave the site without permission, to go home to parents, relatives, friends, neighbours etc. Pupils who leave the school without authorisation for whatever reasons will always be sanctioned accordingly.

Pupils are also reminded that they are expected to behave well when coming to or going home from school at the proper times and when out on visits. It is explained that their

behaviour in the community reflects upon the school. The school is committed to developing good relations with and demonstrating respect to our residents.

Rewards should only be given in recognition of good work, positive behaviour or attitudes. Rewards must never be given or promised as a bribe to alleviate a difficult situation. We must be impartial and consistent at all times.

We deem the recognition and acknowledgement of good work and appropriate behaviour as an essential; automatic expectation is simply not enough. Catching children doing good not only raises their self-esteem, but also focuses on those children we want to draw attention to. The children are rewarded on a good behaviour chart system for good work and deeds. Some are awarded when pupils observe our rules and contribute positively to our school ethos. The child who accumulates the most good behaviour awards receives a certificate.

Children discern that they draw attention to themselves for the right reasons. This plays a significant part in our hidden curriculum, which states in such an obvious fashion that inappropriate behaviour isn’t getting one the overwhelming status and kudos that is otherwise achieved through the notice and attention of the positive route.

Responsibility itself can be a powerful reward. We assign our pupils appropriately with tasks, which carry their own degree of responsibility in order to demonstrate our faith in them to carry out those tasks sensibly and properly. The delegation of tasks to pupils is done with great care and consideration and pupils do not readily assume responsibility, they are made to realise that such faith and trust has to be earned and deserved.

We are aiming to create a healthy and happy atmosphere, essential for the well being of both pupils and adults. In the case of pupils who behave inappropriately, we aim to raise their self-awareness and the status of their self-esteem and self image

We aim to bring about the necessary modification in an individual’s behaviour if it is at odds with their own healthy development and the school’s ethos. Counselling and support for pupils is essential in this regard.

Some pupils’ behaviour will be challenging because it will be determined by a great number of different circumstances, involving either influences / experiences / problems that may arise either at home or in the community.

The basis of our message to pupils when they misbehave is:

WE ARE DISAPPOINTED, DISTRESSED AND CONCERNED WHEN PUPILS LET THEMSELVES DOWN AND CREATE FOR THEMSELVES A POOR IMAGE.

Dealing with severe cases of misbehaviour is a stressful and unpleasant business. Teachers need consequences and sanctions that are structured, in order to ensure that pupils’ misbehaviour is drawn back in step with rules, requirements and expectations, so that the school ethos is preserved.

Pupils who refuse or choose to comply with our expectations of them must expect the school to take action against their inappropriate behaviour. We prefer to express our sanctions as consequences. In this way pupils are made to understand that consequences are about choice. A pupil can, therefore, choose or not choose a consequence. (See Graduated procedure for managing behaviour)

Consequences are chosen only if a pupil chooses to break the school rules and involve themselves in inappropriate and unacceptable actions and behaviour.

Only those pupils who misbehave choose consequences; consequences are not, for example, given to the whole class in the case where one or several individuals in a class misbehave. It is the offending individuals who are sanctioned, accordingly for the nature of the misbehaviour. We need to ensure that our consequences focus the pupil on the problem and help them to choose instead, alternative behaviour and actions that are appropriate and good. Every care should be taken to redirect pupils to appropriate behaviour, whether for a task they have been set in the classroom or elsewhere in the school. When pupils stray off the task they have been given, or become involved in inappropriate behaviour, teachers will always in the first instance redirect or refocus pupils. This usually includes, when necessary, a reminder of the task to be addressed or the rule that is being broken. (See point 1 Graduated procedure)

Involving pupils in supporting behaviour

The school operates a Buddy scheme at breaktimes to support younger pupils on the yard. In addition, our year 5 and 6 pupils undergo Peer Mediation training. Both schemes have helped reduce the number of incidents on the yard that require adult intervention.

Staff Training

All staff have received training in managing challenging behaviour. In addition, the Headteacher and a Key Stage 2 teacher have undertaken an accredited SEBD course and are therefore available to advise, support and guide colleagues, pupils, parents and governors. (See Promoting Positive Behaviour File).