St Winifred’s Catholic Primary School

Behaviour Management

& Anti-Bullying Policy

Behaviour Management Anti Bullying policy 2022-23 Draft

 

A) INTRODUCTION

St. Winifred’s is a caring community, which aims to live out the Gospel values of love, justice, care and peace.  It is the policy of the school to treat all members of our community with dignity and respect.

 

It is our firm belief that good behaviour and good learning and teaching are inextricably linked.  We believe that pupils respond best to praise and encouragement rather than negative criticism.  This is reflected in the way in which rewards and sanctions are used. 

 

Our behaviour management strategy is rooted in kindness and consistency, with the understanding that children need to be taught and re-taught the expected behaviours. In the face of challenging behaviour, the ability to be warm, and kind, can have remarkable results.

 

The Governing Body has responsibility for setting down guidelines on standards of behaviour and discipline and for monitoring their effectiveness.  Staff, pupils and parents all have roles to play in creating and maintaining a safe and supportive environment in which learning can thrive.

 

Related Policies

  • Inclusion
  • Safeguarding

 

  1. B) PRINCIPLES
  1. It is important to communicate, teach, and develop appropriate behaviour skills so that all pupils are certain to understand the expected behaviour standards, and have an equal opportunity to meet them.
  2. All pupils must be treated consistently if they meet, or fail to meet, behaviour expectations.
  3. Behaviour that meets the school’s expectations is to be encouraged and celebrated, and unwanted behaviour is subject to a series of escalating sanctions where the child has several chances to make choices.
  4. Positive behaviour develops when the school is working in close partnership with the child’s parent or carer and relevant external agencies.
  5. The Health and Safety of all school stakeholders is paramount

 

C) ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

 

Head Teacher

  • Ensure that all staff members (including supply teachers) are aware of the school behaviour policy and that it is implemented consistently throughout the school.
  • Ensure that all stakeholders have easy access to the school behaviour policy and have understood it.
  • Regularly make clear to pupils their vital role within the school community in promoting the school’s values and expected behaviour.
  • Ensure that all staff are supported in providing effective and positive behaviour management.
  • Monitors behaviour incidents recorded on CPOMS (online safeguarding and pastoral recording system).
  • In the extreme circumstance that the Health and Safety of the child, other children or staff is at risk, the head teacher may exclude a child.

Staff 

  • Set high expectations of all the pupils.
  • Reiterate behaviour expectations to parents at the ‘Meet the Teacher’ meeting at the beginning of the year and when necessary.
  • Ensure that this behaviour policy is understood by every child, and applied consistently in their class, around the school, and on school trips.
  • To teach children skills and language to communicate and regulate their emotions.
  • Treat each child fairly and consistently.
  • Deal with the incidences of misbehaviour as soon as they arise in the manner specified in this policy, stressing that it is the action that is unacceptable and not the child.
  • Contact parents / carers if they have concerns about the behaviour or welfare of a child.
  • Praise and highlight good work, behaviour and actions.

 

Parents

  • Familiarise themselves with the school expectations and the guidance set out in the home school agreement.
  • Inform the school with concerns or change of circumstances that may have an impact on their child’s performance at school. Members of staff do not want to pry into private lives but if there are changes or upsets at home that might make a child unsettled at school it is better they know this so that any changes of behaviour can be seen and dealt with in context.
  • Inform the class teacher immediately if they feel that their child might be being bullied or be the perpetrator of bullying.

 

Pupils

  • Know ‘The St Winifred’s Way’
  • Promote the school’s values by being a good role model
  • Develop understanding of their emotions in order to self-regulate and seek support when needed.
  • Have high expectations of themselves and others.

 

 

  1. D) HOW APPROPRIATE BEHAVIOUR IS COMMUNICATED, DEVELOPED AND SUPPORTED

 

  • Expectations of behaviour are described in specific language that children can understand, and published/displayed prominently around the school.  These are reproduced in this policy in the section below on ‘The St Winifred’s Way’.
  • The school’s overarching SMSC (Spiritual, Moral, Social, Cultural) framework, helps children to learn and develop healthy relationship skills, peaceful conflict resolution, communication around misunderstandings, and an understanding of their own emotions.
  • Within the classroom a space is available for children to use for a ‘time-out,’ in order to regulate their own emotions.   
  • The playground has been designed in a way that provides dedicated physical space for quiet time, reflection/cooling off, calm play, as well as zones for more energetic play.  This is in part to help children self-regulate their emotions and not escalate into conflict.
  • School staff are present at playtime and lunchtime
  • Staff use a Restorative Justice approach to prevent and manage conflict, build relationships and repair harm by enabling people to communicate effectively and positively.
  • Play leaders are present at lunchtime so children have the opportunity of activity-based play 
  • Peer Mediators are present at lunchtime to help conflict resolution

 

E) THE ST WINIFRED’S WAY

 

At St Winifred’s we are:

  • Ready, Respectful, Safe

 

When referring to behaviour, these three words are what will be focussed on. At the beginning of each school year the children will explore what these words look like in action. How can the children demonstrate that they are Ready, Respectful and Safe. A ‘St Winifred’s Way’ classroom display will be created at the beginning of the year, to be used as a reminder for the children as to what ‘Ready, respectful and Safe’ look like in action.

 

F) POSITIVE REINFORCEMENTS  

 

Celebrating positive behaviour and rewarding excellence, reinforces our school values. This is achieved through:

·         Praise

·         Sharing examples of excellence (effort, outcomes, actions)

  • To peers
  • To staff
  • To parents / carers
  • To the head teacher
  • By displaying it in a special place

·         Whole class rewards

 

Playground Positive Reinforcements

On the playground the children’s actions will be celebrated through praise, stickers and reporting back to class teachers’ about exemplary behaviour seen.

 

Merits

The weekly School Merit Assembly celebrates children, who have demonstrated excellence in their work, behaviour or actions.

 

Golden Achievers

At an assembly at the end of every half term, one child from each class is nominated as a Golden Achiever, their photograph and the reason for their nomination is displayed on a special display board.  The award is given to celebrate consistent excellence in effort, outcomes or actions.

 

Head teacher’s award

When children have been asked to share their good work or behaviour with the Head Teacher, they are immediately given a special sticker. 

  1. G) RESTORATIVE JUSTICE APPROACH

 

The restorative approach is about building and maintaining relationships, not just conflict resolution. When we intervene, we are doing so from the view of repairing a broken relationship, not because a rule has been broken and a punishment needs to follow (i.e. not the name, shame, blame approach).

 

We we want to empower children (and adults) to be at the heart of a resolution, as that is how we are teaching them the skills they need to prevent relationships becoming fractured.

 

With our restorative lens, we want to understand what is driving the behaviour. Ultimately, behaviour is the communication of an unmet need, so if we can understand what that need is, we will automatically deal with the behaviour. The restorative questions allow us to help the child peel back the layers of the onion (Appendix 1)

 

With the restorative questions, each person involved is treated equally. It is really important that each person is treated non-judgementally and has an equal voice, regardless of their role. When each person hears the responses of the other to the questions, empathy will begin to grow and those involved will be able to come to a resolution without the adult having to impose their view of what should happen. By doing so, the children will begin to repair the relationship and learn important skills in the process.

 

H) SANCTIONS

This section describes the strategy for dealing with behaviour issues in both the classroom and the playground.  Our aim is to replace negative behaviour with positive behaviour, whilst maintaining the child’s personal dignity.  Sanctions should be meaningful and relative to the child. When necessary, behaviour incidents are reported to parents and recorded on CPOMs.

 

Classroom sanctions:

There are to be 5 steps used when Rules are broken.  Every child starts each day on a clean slate.

Following normal reminders for children to keep to the rules, children only move through the steps by choosing to continue breaking the rules. Remind them they have a choice at each step.

 

Step 1: Reminder: A reminder of the three simple rules (Ready, Respectful, Safe), delivered calmly. Repeat reminders if reasonable adjustments are necessary. The intention is to keep things at this stage.

 

Step 2: Caution: A clear verbal caution delivered calmly, making the pupil aware of their behaviour and clearly outlining the consequences if they continue. Using the phase “think carefully about your next step”.

 

Step 3: Last Chance: Speak privately to the student and give them a final opportunity to engage. Reiterate expectations and potential consequence and refer to previous examples of good behaviour. (Use the 30 second scripted intervention – Appendix 2). End conversation with ‘You will now have a time out in class’. A timeout in class is necessary when the child reaches this step.

 

Step 4: Time out: Time out may be a short time outside of the classroom. It is 5 minutes for the child to calm down, breathe, look at the situation from a different perspective and compose themselves. The child is to be sent to the parallel teacher with a ‘time-out slip’.

Parents will be informed if their child has had a time out. The timeout slip is to be sent to the office, where parents will receive communication, that informs them that a timeout has occurred. Parents will be asked to contact the class teacher for more information regarding the incident.

 

Step 5: Repair: After timeout, a restorative conversation to take place with the child, this may be at break or at lunchtime or a more formal meeting if needed.

 

Impositions

If a child needs to catch up or payback time lost in learning, then an imposition is given. Impositions are additional work that must be completed that evening, countersigned by the parent and returned the following morning. The work will be sent home with an ‘Catch Up Slip’, which indicates the amount of time to be spent, the amount of work that must be completed and a space for a parent signature.

 

This way, the parent can see that there are expectations, which are not being met. The child also understands that there are natural consequences for not completing work and the responsibility for making up time is left with the child.

 

Playground sanctions:

The playground needs to be a safe place for everyone; high standards of behaviour are expected in the playground. 

 

Once the Restorative Justice Approach has been used to mediate conflict resolution. The member of staff will issue a sanction using the agreed script. If a timeout is given, the child will be asked to take 5 minutes on a bench.  

 

Serious Behaviour Incidents

On occasions of serious verbal or physical negative behaviour, a child’s will be escorted to a member of the Leadership Team. A decision will be made by this person on how to proceed.

 

Discriminatory behaviour

Discriminatory behaviour against any protected characteristic will not be tolerated i.e. abuse based on race, gender, disability, religion, sexual orientation.

 

If an incident of this type occurs the following will take place:

  • Incident logged on CPOMs
  • Incident reported to governors and to parent / carers
  • A restorative justice approach will be used to support the victim and perpetrator
  • An internal one-day exclusion (a day spent in another class) will be given to the perpetrator

 

What happens when the unwanted behaviour persists?

Parents/carers will be invited to attend a meeting with the school, to discuss the child’s behaviour. The specific behaviours will be fully discussed and a strategy to move forward agreed. 

 

If warranted an Individual Behaviour Plan may be implemented to support the child, parent and school, specifying what each party will do to help the child’s behaviour improve to the expected level.  A date is set to review the progress of the Individual Behaviour Plan.

 

The school’s Safeguarding Policy is followed if the school believes the behaviour under review gives cause to suspect a child is suffering, or is likely to suffer significant harm.  The result of this will instigate a multi-agency assessment.

 

Exclusion

The ultimate sanction is exclusion, which the Head Teacher might decide is appropriate for very serious incidents.  In the first instance exclusions will be for a fixed-term, but persistent offences of a serious nature might lead to permanent exclusion.  Further details of the procedures to be followed related to exclusions are contained in DfE documentation on Exclusion

 

I) ADDITIONAL BEHAVIOUR SUPPORT OPTIONS

As part of creating the most effective Individual Behaviour Plan to support the child, the school has recourse to a range of optional additional support strategies.  The objective is to create a tailored plan that meets the specific needs of each child who is demonstrating persistent behaviour difficulties. 

 

Parents meet with the Head teacher and the Inclusion Manager to agree support strategies and targets to help the child improve their behaviour. The Inclusion Manager will be involved in any referral of the child to outside agencies.   A review date is set.

 

Additional support strategies include:

  • Drawing and Talking therapy
  • Inclusion Outreach Service
  • Speech and Language Therapist
  • Attendance Advisory Service
  • Child and Adolescent Mental Health
  • Educational Psychologist

 

  1. J) MALICIOUS ACCUSATIONS AGAINST STAFF

The definition of a malicious allegation is where ‘there is clear evidence to prove there has been a deliberate act to deceive and the allegation is entirely false’ (DfE Guidance)

 

If an allegation is made against a member of staff a quick resolution of the allegation will be a clear priority.  The allegation will be investigated as per DfE guidance ‘Dealing with allegations about teachers and other staff

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  1. K) ANTI-BULLYING

Bullying of any kind is completely unacceptable at St. Winifred’s. Ignoring bullying is wrong and everyone who witnesses or knows about a bullying incident has a duty to intervene, get help and report it. In all cases of bullying we will show a consistent response of strong disapproval.  Any incident will be seen as an opportunity to reinforce our belief that behaviour is learned and can be changed and then help the bully to change their behaviour.

 

Definition of bullying

Bullying is defined as deliberately hurtful behaviour, by an individual or more children, repeated or over a period of time, where it is difficult for those being bullied to defend themselves.

 

Bullying is the intentional (physical and/or emotional) hurting of one person by another, where the relationship involves an imbalance of power. There are two types of bullying behaviours – direct or indirect. Direct bullying takes place between the victim and the wrongdoers. Indirect bullying is often associated with social rejection by a wider peer group and is more subtle in its nature, for example spreading rumours, or deliberately ignoring the victim.

 

The staff and governors of St Winifred’s accept that bullying can manifest itself in any of the following behaviours, although this is not an exhaustive list:

  • Physical (pushing, hitting, kicking, theft)
  • Verbal (name calling, persistent teasing, threats)
  • Indirect (spreading rumours, excluding someone from social groups)
  • Cyber Via the internet, email or mobile phone (text messages, phone calls, social media, pictures/video clips, chat rooms, instant messages or posting on websites or message boards. Cyberbullying is a different form of bullying which can happen beyond the school day, into home and private space, with a potentially bigger audience, as people can forward on content.)

 

It is important for children, parents and carers to recognise that the following behaviours are not examples of bullying:

  • Occasional loss of temper
  • Hurting by accident
  • Falling in and out with friends
  • Minor disagreements
  • Not being friends with someone

 

However, bullying often involves a pattern of these behaviours.

 

Response to bullying incidents

The following steps will be taken when dealing with incidents:

  • If bullying is suspected or reported, the member of staff who has been approached will deal with the incident immediately. They will collect as much information as possible from the receiver and any possible witnesses;
  • A clear account of the incident will be recorded on CPOMs;
  • A member of the Leadership Team will interview all concerned and record action taken;
  • All relevant staff will be kept informed;
  • Appropriate measures will be used in consultation with all concerned;
  • A follow-up plan will be agreed to monitor behaviour of those concerned.

 

Pupils who have been bullied will be supported by:

  • Offering an immediate opportunity to discuss the experience with a member of staff;
  • Reassuring the pupil;
  • Restoring self-esteem and confidence;
  • Being able to approach a named adult for support.

 

Pupils who have bullied will be helped by:

  • Discussing what happened;
  • Discovering why the pupil became involved;
  • Establishing the wrongdoing and the need to change;
  • Working with parents / carers to help change the attitude of the pupil;
  • Approaching a named adult for support;
  • Circle time.

 

Detecting and monitoring bullying

Bullying often happens in secret and is accompanies by threats not to tell.   In order for us to be able to find out about undisclosed bullying we will:

  • Have a ‘worry box’ so that children or adults can anonymously report bullying;
  • Ensure a named member of staff analyses the accident report book and CPOMs each week to look for patterns and warning signs;
  • Ensure that a member of the Leadership always responds to phone calls or letters from parents concerning bullying behaviour and records actions to be taken;
  • Ensure that all playground supervisors report concerns to the class teacher, Leadership Team for investigation;
  • Head Teacher will ensure that all teaching and support staff receive specific training and are vigilant about responding to bullying;
  • Senior Leadership Team will ensure that all staff are kept informed about reported incidents and appropriate follow-up procedures.

 

  1. L) MONITORING OF BEHAVIOUR STANDARDS

The School governing body regularly receives and examines information on behaviour standards, given the close link between behaviour issues, pace of learning and academic achievement.  The following behaviour-specific measures are used in termly reporting to the governing body:

  • Record of behaviour incidences in the playground that have caused first aid
  • The number of Individual Behaviour Plans carried out during the term (categorised into bullying or behaviour).