Ridgeway High School Behaviour Policy 2016
The following policy is informed by the updated Department for Education publication Behaviour and Discipline in Schools (January 2016), The Education Act (2011), The Equality Act (2010) and advice for schools (2013). The policy should also be read in conjunction with the RHS policies on Learning and Teaching, Uniform, Anti-Bullying, Health and Safety, Safeguarding and Anti-Radicalisation.
Rationale:
A positive attitude to learning is essential for all students to grow and develop in their five years at Ridgeway High School. The promotion of discipline, not merely arbitrary punitive measures laid down in time when expectations aren’t met, but the discipline to pursue excellence, taking the time through deliberate practice to master a skill or work effectively as part of a team is crucial to developing well-rounded individuals who go on to make positive contributions in our community. We expect the Ridgeway learning experience to be positive; high-quality learning and teaching in an environment built around high aspirations and the creation of intrinsically motivated students who are praised and rewarded for being excellent all the time. This policy underpins our philosophy and highlights the ways in which behaviour for learning is embedded across the school.
Consistency:
The key to establishing a successful positive learning environment is consistency; our aim is to use the 80/20 rule to ensure that the vast majority of our interactions are positive and excellence is praised consistently. By the same token, when students fail to meet expectations all stakeholders have clear expectations over sanctions. Whether in the classroom or around the school site, use the rewards system to demonstrate the value the school places on being a positive contributor to our community. Conversely, have confidence in the behaviour system and sanctions tariff when it has to be used. The key point here is that everyone, from the Headteacher through to supply teachers and the site team, are responsible for celebrating positive behaviour and managing challenging behaviour. Our students must be clear that they will be treated consistently and fairly by everyone.
Accountability:
At Ridgeway we expect all students to take responsibility for their actions and fully understand their rights as learners (outlined below). Additionally we expect parents and carers to play a significant role in praising and rewarding their children when they demonstrate excellence; we also expect parents and carers to use appropriate discipline measures when appropriate and, most importantly, support the school unequivocally when instilling discipline in students at school.
In school, all staff have a responsibility to promote a positive learning environment with a focus on excellence. In the classroom, staff are expected to follow the rewards matrix and behaviour system consistently so that they can teach for 50 minutes uninterrupted and students can maximise learning time in every lesson. Pastoral Support Leaders are responsible for maintaining good order and discipline of the students in their year group, including maintaining the highest standards of uniform and equipment. All leadersmust support the development of excellence across the school and ensure that the rewards matrix and behaviour system is consistently applied at all times.
Monitoring of rewards and behaviour is carried out by Form Tutors on a weekly basis and this should inform constructive mentoring conversations for the following week. In addition to this PSLs will monitor rewards and behaviour weekly by analysing the SIMS behaviour log for their year group, lead at pastoral board meetings, lead discussions with staff and students through the week and feed back to the Assistant Headteacher Pastoral who will monitor the effective use of systems to ensure that students are sufficiently praised and rewarded, and also that students causing concern are flagged and the necessary interventions provided.
Guiding Principles:
Successful Ridgeway learners will utilise the 3 P’s. The system is simple in design in order to provide transparency and consistency forstaff, parents and students.
Proud learners:
Wear correct uniform
Present their work neatly with underlined titles
Keep their planners free from graffiti
Are proud of how they can work well with different people and in different contexts
Respect the environment and put litter in the bin
Prepared Learners:
Have all the correct equipment everyday
Complete and return homework on time
Are punctual to school and lessons
Bring books to every lesson and PE kit on days it is required
Have a planner with them at all times.
Arrive to school and lessons mentally and emotionally ready to learn
Polite learners:
Use polite language at all times and display manners
Are calm and responsible around school
Leave eating areas free from litter for others to use
Do as asked first time without comment
Allow everyone in a classroom to excel
Recording behaviour on SIMS:
All rewards and sanctions are recorded on SIMS. A full tutorial can be found in the staff handbook. It is essential that all praise, rewards and behaviour and sanctions are recorded on the same day for monitoring purposes.
Rewards:
We will always aim to use praise and rewards where appropriate to further motivate students and to create a culture that celebrates success, both collectively and individually. Our rewards system is:
Every student starts the term with 100 merits. All students that retain their merits at the end of term, and have at least 97% attendance, will qualify to go on a trip on the last day e.g., entry to a sporting event, trip to the theatre. Students will lose merits for the following:
-Tardiness to school and/or lessons
-Incorrect uniform
-Incomplete equipment
-Poor quality/lack of classwork
-Poor quality/lack of homework
-Receiving a behaviour for learning score of less than 2
-Receiving a behaviour detention
This system will highlight and truly celebrate the achievements of students that work hard every day and aim to make excellent progress in school.
Additionally, students will be rewarded for their academic excellence in the following ways:
-A note in their planner
-Phone call home
-Praise post card
-Acknowledgement letter from Head of Department/Head of Super-Faculty
-Acknowledgement letter from Headteacher
-Outstanding academic work placed in Headteacher’s commendation book
Students will also receive recognition of their academic efforts with the presentation of certificates at academic celebration assemblies at the end of each term. The categories for each department are:
-Mastery (of knowledge/skills/understanding)
-Outstanding academic achievement
-Outstanding progress
-Scholarly excellence (for an outstanding piece of class/homework)
There will also be an opportunity to reward and celebrate pastoral successes in the following categories:
-Ridgeway community certificate (for students who have gone above and beyond on behalf of the school)
-100% attendance and punctuality (all students in receipt of this award will be placed in a prize draw)
-Excellent uniform
Behaviour and Sanctions:
Displayed around the school site, our expectations are clear for all students. To be successful, Ridgeway learners must be proud, prepared and polite at all times. Also displayed around the site, where expectations are not met the sanctions matrix must be clearly and consistently followed.
To support high standards of behaviour and achievement staff need to:
-Be on time;
-Ensure an orderly entry to the room;
-Insist on the removal of any outdoor clothing;
-Expect and insist on silence when you are speaking;
-Check students are correctly dressed;
-Never allow chewing or eating in class;
-Do not ignore bad language or any other form of unacceptable behaviour as to do so is to accept and condone;
-Always challenge racist, sexist comments or foul language and record on SIMS;
-Leave the room tidy at the end of the lesson;
-Keep your desk tidy. Encourage tidiness and insist on a clean room;
-Keep displays fresh and attractive;
-Always ensure homework is recorded in planners;
-Always follow the behaviour system;
-Report graffiti/damage immediately;
-Expect to be treated with respect and treat the students with respect; and
-Praise good work and behaviour.
Using the patrol system:
Where the progress of a lesson has been halted, or a serious failure to meet the school’s expectations occurs, staff are expected to call for patrol. Staff on patrol will collect the student and place them in a designated buddy classroom. If a student is patrolled twice in one day they will be removed to isolation. Please refer to the sanctions matrix for guidance on what constitutes calling for patrol.
Detentions:
Same day detentions are in operation at Ridgeway. A student receives a 30 minute detention when they are patrolled from lesson. If they are patrolled from two or more lessons in a day the detention runs for one hour.
Staff that have actioned a detention through use of patrol are expected to arrive at the detention with any work that was missed and to sit with the student to go through the process of restorative justice so they return to lesson with a clean slate. This is an important part of our detention system.
All staff will receive an email with the detention list for that day by 1500 following texts sent to parents informing them of the detention. Staff are expected to inform students in their period 6 class of detentions for their students. The list will also be published at the student entrance, adjacent to the PE corridor, and main school reception. Students are expected to make their own way to detentions; If a student fails to attend a detention they will be placed in isolation for a day.
For more information about detentions please refer to the updated DfE publication Behaviour and Discipline in Schools (January 2016).
Isolation:
In instances where a student commits a serious breach of the school code of conduct they will be placed in isolation from 1-5 days. When in isolation students will complete work set by their teachers whilst also taking part in the restorative justice process and preparing to return to school equipped with a range of strategies to be even more successful learners. The isolation room will be staffed by senior leaders and assisted by teachers of core subjects who will provide small group intervention.
Fixed Term Exclusion:
On the occasion that a student commits an act of gross misconduct or an act that brings the school into disrepute, students will receive a fixed term exclusion from 1-5 days in the first instance. Work will be provided for the duration of the exclusion and will be submitted to the senior leader present at the student’s reintegration meeting.
Notice to improve:
Students who persistently fail to adhere to the school behaviour policy will be invited to attend a governor’s behaviour panel with his/her parents/carers. This is a formal meeting which may result in the student receiving a formal, written ‘notice to improve’ for behaviour. In such cases, no improvement in behaviour will result in permanent exclusion.
Permanent exclusion:
The following acts will result in permanent exclusion:
-Persistently disrupting learning and teaching
-Physical assault against a member of staff
-Possession/distribution/use of controlled substances
-Possession/distribution/use of offensive weapons
-Possession/distribution of offensive materials e.g., pornography
Parents/carers have the right to appeal the decision in accordance with local authority guidance.
Malicious accusations against a member of staff:
All allegations against staff are treated seriously. Proven cases of unprofessional conduct against staff result in serious, life-changing consequences. Where a student is found to have made malicious allegations against a member of staff they will be permanently excluded.