Behaviour and Discipline Policy

At Common Road Infant and Nursery School we put our children at the centre of everything we do.

A consistent approach to behaviour management

Good behaviour is an integral part of the school’s values, ethos and expectations. Adults and pupils within the school community act as good role models and set high standards by promoting sociable behaviour at all times. We understand that pupil behaviour makes a strong contribution to successful learning and enables a positive and welcoming school ethos. These principles and philosophies are embedded throughout our daily school practice. We aim to promote a positive ethos where all our pupils feel valued, listened to, supported, respected, motivated, successful and safe.

The purpose of this policy is to provide clear guidelines for all staff within which we can maintain high standards of behaviour and give active support to those pupils whose behaviour is inappropriate. The school does not tolerate bullying of any kind. If we discover that an act of bullying or intimidation has taken place, we will act immediately to prevent any further occurrences. We will do everything we can to ensure that all pupils attend school free from fear. We expect a consistent commitment from all staff in implementing this policy. Consistency is key to the behaviour strategies being successful and this will be monitored on a regular basis by the Senior Leadership Team (SLT). This policy will be reviewed annually by staff and governors and as appropriate to new legislation or to the needs of the school.

At Common Road Infant and Nursery School all staff aim to:

• Act as positive role models and work collaboratively to reflect our values and ethos.
• Create a positive and purposeful atmosphere which gives opportunities for all pupils to succeed.
• Set high expectations of all our learners.
• Foster caring attitudes towards others and the environment.
• Provide a school curriculum which is stimulating and challenging and promotes self-esteem and self-motivation.
• Help children to make informed choices about their behaviour by enhancing self-awareness and developing empathy.
• Develop an awareness of right and wrong.
• Make clear boundaries of what is acceptable and appropriate behaviour.
• Develop a keen awareness that our behaviour affects others.
• Maintain a consistent approach in dealing with behaviour.
• Follow legal and procedural guidelines.

Rights and responsibilities

We strongly believe that pupils and adults have:

1. The right to learn

2. The right to keep safe

3. The right to be treated with respect

We all have a responsibility to keep these rights both when we are attending school and out in the local area. It is important that pupils have a clear understanding of their rights and responsibilities and we regularly reinforce this message in weekly assemblies and daily routines. We encourage pupils to become responsible for their own actions and have various reward systems in place which praise and celebrate this. They need to know how to conduct themselves appropriately in order to maintain these rights. This is a consistent approach which is in place across school.

1. We all have a responsibility to learn and allow others to learn.

Learning is at the heart of everything we do. We will:

Work hard and achieve.

Persevere until work is completed to the best of our ability.

2. We all have a responsibility to feel safe and help others to be safe.

We will:

Feel safe, secure and happy.

Take responsibility for our own actions and understand what is right and wrong. Be kind and careful in what we do and say.

3. We all have a responsibility to be respectful.

We will:

Be proud of our school and its achievements.

Show respect for ourselves, other people, property and the environment.

Show caring and understanding towards others.

Take care in our words and behaviour towards others.

Strong school leadership

It is the responsibility of the Headteacher to implement the school behaviour policy consistently throughout the school and to report to governors, if requested, on the effectiveness of the policy. It is also the responsibility of the Headteacher to ensure the health, safety and welfare of all pupils in the school. The SLT supports staff in the implementation of this policy and seeks opportunities for staff to improve practice if felt necessary. The SLT will take the responsibility to record high level behaviour incidents in the behaviour log and will inform parents and carers of the incident. The Headteacher will ensure that the member of staff who dealt with the high level incident completes the online CPOMS record. The SLT will ensure that an Individual Behaviour Plan and Pupil Risk Assessment and positive handling plan are in place if needed and will consult with the SENDCO.

The Role of the Governing Body

The Governing Body has a duty to make arrangements to ensure that their functions are carried out to safeguard and promote the welfare of pupils, ensuring this policy is working in practice. It is the responsibility of the Governing Body to support the Headteacher and staff in the implementation of this policy. The Governing Body will also ensure the policy is reviewed annually and will discuss and approve any changes made.

Staff are expected to manage behaviour effectively to ensure a good and safe learning environment.

They are expected to:

• set high expectations which inspire, motivate and challenge pupils
• create a safe environment, physically and emotionally
• have high expectations of behaviour and ensure that all pupils complete work to the best of their ability
• be good role models for promoting positive attitudes and behaviour
• work together and support colleagues in developing and implementing strategies to promote behaviour
• use rules and sanctions clearly and consistently
• deliver a stimulating, appropriate and challenging curriculum to engage all pupils
• treat all individuals fairly and with respect, valuing all levels of achievement
• form good relationships with parents so pupils can see key adults in their lives are sharing common aims
• respond to parental concerns
• promote equal opportunities for all pupils irrespective of ability, age, race and gender and ensure they are
• praised, recognised and rewarded.

Pupils are expected to:

• work to the best of their abilities and allow others to do the same
• treat other pupils and adults and belongings with respect
• follow instructions and cooperate with children and pupils throughout the school day
• behave in a way which keeps them and others safe
• take care of property and the school environment
• be tolerant of others, irrespective of race, gender, religion and age
• attend school regularly and on time, ready to learn and take part in school activities.

Parents are expected to:

• be aware of school rules and expectations
• develop good relationships with the school
• support the school in implementing this behaviour policy
• support their child’s learning
• ensure their child attends school regularly, on time and ready to learn.

Liaison with parents and other agencies

We endeavour to foster good relationships with parents/carers and appreciate that their support is essential in maintaining a happy, safe and secure school environment. We promote partnership with parents through a range of opportunities throughout the year including pupil progress meetings, half termly OPP meetings, year group induction meetings and various curriculum events. We also offer an open door policy where parents/carers can arrange to discuss concerns with the class teacher at the end of the school day. We encourage parents to volunteer in school, supporting in the classroom and on educational visits. The headteacher or member of the SLT will record high level behaviour incidents and parents will be contacted when their child’s behaviour is causing concern. Parents will be involved in the implementation of individual behaviour plans. Support will be sought from the SENCO and referral to Educational Psychology Service, SEMHs team or CAMHS may be necessary.

Safeguarding

The school understands the importance of identifying triggers for negative behaviours. As part of safeguarding training staff are made aware that behaviour can be a sign/signal that a child is needing support and this is their way of communicating this in school. The safeguarding poster that includes photographs of the Designated Safeguarding Leads (DSLs) is displayed throughout school. Children are encouraged to talk to any member of staff in school about any worries they may have, children are taught that the DSLs have special training to help keep them safe. The school is committed to safeguarding all its pupils and will explore thoroughly the root cause of any negative behaviours and will refer concerns to appropriate agencies if necessary. This is in line with the school’s safeguarding policy and the statutory Keeping Children Safe in Education.

Staff development and support

All staff have read and agreed this policy to ensure that behaviour management is consistent throughout the school. Staff having difficulties with an individual, class or group should consult with the SENCO or/and designated persons for behaviour management. Planned INSET and TA training is held to discuss behaviour management strategies and school systems to support individual pupils and staff. Staff dealing with physical restraint will have carried out the relevant team teach training and will work under these guidelines and practices. Staff, who have not carried out team teach training, must use the red card system if physical restraint is needed. Physical intervention is always a last resort and parents will be informed if a pupil has had to be restrained.

School systems and rewards that promote good behaviour

All members of staff are expected to promote good behaviour at all times. We encourage and reinforce good behaviour by praise and obvious signs of approval. Consistency in behaviour expectations, school techniques and systems, is crucial. Vocabulary chosen by all staff must reflect the high standards of care and consideration that is placed on all pupils.

Behaviour management system

• Each class operates a Traffic Light system to encourage the pupils to aim for ‘Gold’ and show positive and good behaviour at all times.
• Pupils are encouraged to make the right choices and have the opportunity to redeem themselves when they have made the wrong choice.
• Each teaching session starts on a positive ‘Green’ or ‘Gold’ and staff encourage the pupils to aim high!
• The staff model ‘what good behaviour looks like’ and work on the theory of ‘catching the pupils being good’.
• They use and model positive praise as part of quality first teaching and daily routine.

Class families

Time at the start of the school year is spent developing a successful class family ethos. Each class will choose and name their class mascot and they will for example become a member of the ‘helpful hippos’ class family. Each class in school will have the rights and responsibilities poster displayed and this will be followed as part of the whole school approach to behaviour management.

School Council

Two members from each class family will be chosen, by their peers, to become a representative on the school committee. Their role is to become excellent school ambassadors. Half termly school committee meetings are held. The School Committee play a crucial role in helping to make school decisions and lead events such as parliament week, the Christmas market stall, write the school newspaper and also record the school news each week.

Celebration assembly

All pupils are encouraged to appreciate the achievements of others. Golden Book certificates are presented at our weekly celebration assembly. We reward children for their good behaviour with the behaviour award postcards. Each week a child will be chosen from EY and KS1 for the Headteachers award, pupils will receive a certificate, trophy for the weekend and hot chocolate and a game with Mrs Edwards (Hot Choc with the Head)

We understand the impact attendance and punctuality can have upon pupil learning and behaviour. Our ‘Ace Attenders’ system celebrates those classes who have reached their attendance target of 97% or above. At the end of each term certificates are presented to pupils with 97% or above attendance. The class with the highest attendance each week receive the attendance trophy and also receive a prize. The 100% attendees and the overall highest class attendance at the end of the year are also treated with a special educational visit.

Class dojos

Children receive a dojo for following our school rules, following the classroom rules which includes being kind and helpful, working hard. The more dojos children collect the more class rewards and individual medals they can earn.

Discouragement and sanctions

Inappropriate behaviour must be discouraged at all times. It is imperative that any sanction is applied fairly and the consequences fully explained. The aim of sanctions is to discourage future misbehaviour. Giving sanctions should be done in a firm, no-nonsense way but should be consistent with the school expectation that all people will be treated with respect. In all cases it is important not to divert from the actual problem by engaging in other discussions with the pupil. Staff should remain calm and firm however challenging the behaviour. Staff will make every effort to ensure that the pupil is aware that it is the behaviour, which is unacceptable, not the child. When dealing with incidents of unacceptable behaviour staff will assess the severity and decide whether the behaviour is low, medium or high level behaviours. Staff responses need to be appropriate to the level of seriousness of the behaviour. After deciding on the severity the member of staff will then follow the following procedures:

Low – Staff will involve the pupil in dealing with minor breaches of good manners and behaviour immediately within the classroom or setting. On some occasions a quiet word will be all that is required. On other occasions, a more obvious sign of disapproval will be needed. In some cases, staff may ask a pupil to explain why his/her behaviour is unacceptable. In other cases, staff will tell the pupil which rule he/she has broken. If a pupil does not complete his/her work due to inappropriate behaviour the pupil will be expected to complete this at another time. She/he must not be left in the classroom without supervision. In low-level behaviour incidents the traffic light system will be used.

Medium – Staff will deal with the incident involving the pupil and informing the parents of all parties. Behaviour will be monitored and a member of the SLT may need to be informed. In medium level behaviour incidents the traffic light system will be used before informing the SLT. The child may miss their playtime and/or lunchtime as a consequence.

High – During high-level incidents staff will use the red card behaviour incident system to make the designated persons aware. A member of the SLT may need to be called into the classroom/setting to deal with the incident and the pupil may need to be removed from the situation. The headteacher will record high levels of behaviour and will also inform the parents/carers by written letter and/or telephone. In cases of repeated behaviour the parents/carers will be invited into school to discuss behaviour with the headteacher. In some cases, reports of behaviour will be presented to the Governing Body.

Personal, social and health education

We place great emphasis on the PSHE/RHE philosophies through our everyday practices. We aim to teach pupils the strategies for calming down, dealing with conflicts and overcoming fears or worries. We embed the teaching of essential life skills, such as keeping safe, making choices, developing friendships and peacefully resolving conflicts, throughout the curriculum including weekly assemblies. All classes have at least one PSHE (Jigsaw) lesson a week. Jigsaw is a mindful approach to PSHE/HWB it brings together Personal, Social, Health Education, emotional literacy, social skills and spiritual development in a comprehensive scheme of learning. Whole school themed weeks, such as national anti-bullying week, provide an excellent opportunity to approach difficult issues.

Teachers and support staff are trained in emotion coaching techniques where they support and coach children through big unmanageable feelings. The system of empathy and guidance is a four-step process; recognising and empathising with the child’s feelings, labelling and validating their feelings, setting limits on behaviour(if needed), problem-solving with the child. This supports their ability to self-regulate and adopt alternative behaviours, and prevent future transgressions. Our learning mentor works closely alongside families and provides in and out of school support. Sensitive issues within school are tackled through intervention groups.

Mental health and behaviour

The school will use the DFE guidance Mental health and behaviour in schools to best support its pupils. School has a central role to play in enabling pupils to be resilient and promote good mental health and well-being. The schools approach to mental health and behaviour is part of a whole-school approach. Strategies such as Calm Me in Jigsaw sessions, Cosmic Yoga and breathing techniques support pupils with mindfulness. There are also themed weeks and days such as Mental Health Week and wear yellow for Mental Health Day. The school will seek advice and guidance from external services, such as Future in Minds, CAMHS, SEMHS, CIAT, CFIT to help provide additional support. This will be discussed with the SENDCO and also parents. All staff in school have had training on Mental health and well-being.

Pupil support systems

For pupils who are having persistent behaviour difficulties the school will provide targeted pastoral support or mentoring by adults or peers. Our school learning mentor will work closely with targeted pupils and their families. IBPs will set small and achievable targets and possible resources and strategies will be identified. Half termly meetings to discuss progress towards individual targets will take place alongside staff and parents. All pupils regardless of gender, race, age, ability or disability have the right to feel safe and secure at school. We will encourage equal access to praise, incentives and rewards. Staff will be alert to signs of bullying or racial harassment and will follow school procedures for dealing with such incidents (see anti-bullying policy).

Exclusions

The Headteacher has the responsibility for giving fixed-term exclusions to individual pupils and this must be done on disciplinary grounds (for serious acts of misbehaviour). A pupil may be excluded for one or more fixed periods (up to a maximum of 45 school days in a single academic year). For repeated or very serious acts of anti-social behaviour, the Headteacher may permanently exclude a child. A fixed-period exclusion can also be for parts of the school day. For example, if a pupil’s behaviour at lunchtime is disruptive, they may be excluded from the school premises for the duration of the lunchtime period. The Headteacher will inform the chair of governors and notify the LA of all exclusions. Parents will be also immediately informed about any exclusion. During the exclusion work will be sent home by the school for the pupil to complete at home. On return from an exclusion, a reintegration meeting will be held with the parents. The Headteacher keeps a record of any pupil who is excluded for a fixed-term, or who is permanently excluded. It is the responsibility of the governing body to monitor the rate of exclusions and to ensure the policy is administered fairly and consistently. This will be done in line with the DFE Statutory guidance.

Managing pupil transition

Prior to moving year groups, staff meet to discuss individual pupils and effective strategies used to de-escalate behaviours and re-engage pupils. IBPs and transition assessment grids are shared and discussed in detail to inform teaching and planning. Additional transition meetings will be arranged for pupils who may find the transition difficult.

Behaviour and attachment/trauma

The school has a proactive approach to working with children/families that have experienced attachment and/or trauma. The whole school team have received training on how attachment and trauma can impact on a child’s behaviour and continue to work together and with external agencies to ensure a consistent approach where pupils and their families are well supported.

Pupil’s conduct out of school

The school does not tolerate bullying of any kind. If we discover that an act of bullying or intimidation has taken place, we will act immediately. We will investigate incidents of bullying, including cyberbullying, reported or witnessed outside of school involving our pupils along with behaviour which could adversely affect the school’s reputation. In such cases the Headteacher will assess the situation and will make an informed decision as to the most appropriate school behaviour systems that may need to be put in place. Members of staff are not expected to deal with incidents outside of school that might put themselves in danger. Staff will be expected to use their judgement about whether or not to involve themselves in incidents outside of school. It may be more appropriate to call outside agencies such as the police.

Dealing with allegations against people who work with pupils

The school will follow the statutory guidance from the Department for Education and will adhere to the school policy.

Confiscation and searching both with and without consent

The headteacher and the SLT can search a pupil with their consent. The SLT can search a pupil and/or their possessions without consent where they have reason to suspect the pupil has an item listed on the prohibited list however it may be more appropriate to call outside agencies such as the police. Prohibited items are listed in the DFE document ‘Searching, screening and confiscation’.

Using reasonable force or other physical contact

Staff only intervene physically to restrain pupils or to prevent injury to a pupil, or if a pupil is in danger of hurting him/herself. The actions that we take are in line with government guidelines on the restraint of pupils and follow the team teach guidelines and DFE guidance on the ‘Use of reasonable force’

Notes

This policy should be referenced alongside the following school or LA policies

• Anti-bullying
• E-safety
• Attendance and Punctuality
• Use of reasonable force
• Equal opportunities
• Health & Safety
• Safeguarding
• Special Educational Needs
• PSHE.

The school behaviour policy acknowledges the school’s legal duties under the Equality Act 2010 and in respect of pupils with SEN. Punishment must be reasonable and account must be taken of the pupil’s age, any special educational needs or disability they may have. (Section 91 of the Education and Inspectors Act 2006).