Behaviour Management Policy

Unless otherwise stated this college policy includes Early Years and out-of-school care and has been written with safeguarding of all pupils in mind.

Principles

Good order and discipline are essential to the provision of high standards of education because effective teaching and learning can only take place in a well-ordered environment.
Pupils are entitled to a safe and orderly learning environment to assist them in achieving their full academic potential.
Staff are entitled to work in an environment free from disruption.
Parents have an essential role to play in assisting the College in maintaining high standards of behaviour. They have a duty to take responsibility for the behaviour of their child. Consistency between College and parental expectations of behaviour is essential.
Agreed standards of behaviour should be consistently applied across the College. Inappropriate behaviour, swearing, sexist and racist attitudes and remarks, and all forms of harassment, including bullying, are unacceptable and will not be tolerated. Low level misbehaviour, like failure to concentrate, shouting out or not listening will not be accepted.
Rewards as well as sanctions are used to secure acceptable standards of behaviour.

Roles and Responsibilities

The Governing Body will establish, in consultation with the Headmaster, staff and parents, the policy for the promotion of good behaviour and keep it under review. It will ensure that the policy is communicated to staff, pupils and parents; that it sets high expectations and is non-discriminatory. Governors will support the College in maintaining high standards of behaviour.

The Headmaster and senior management team (SMT) will be responsible for the implementation and day-to-day management of the policy and procedures. Support for staff faced with challenging behaviour is also an important responsibility of the Headmaster and SMT.

All staff will be responsible for ensuring that the policy and procedures are followed and consistently and fairly applied. Mutual support amongst all staff in the implementation of the policy and procedures is essential. Staff have responsibility for creating a high quality learning environment, teaching good behaviour and implementing the agreed policy and procedures consistently.

Parents will be expected to take responsibility for the behaviour of their child both inside and outside the College. They will be encouraged to work in partnership with the College in the interests of maintaining high standards of behaviour. Parental concerns about the application of the policy will be listened to and investigated.

Pupils will be expected to take responsibility for their own behaviour and have a responsibility to ensure that incidents of disruption, violence, bullying and any form of harassment are reported.

The Governing Body will ensure that appropriate high quality training on all aspects of behaviour management is provided to support the implementation of the policy.

The College works positively with external agencies seeking appropriate support from them to ensure that the needs of pupils are met.

The Role/Responsibility of the Class Teacher

Creating a positive ethos and developing our collective expertise as classroom practitioners, should always be our principal aim. Each teacher must remember his/her essential responsibility is for ensuring good discipline for effective learning in the classroom.

Teachers are expected to prepare plans for dealing with discipline issues in the classroom. Part of preparing involves all teachers:

Being aware of the background of the children we teach
1. Their academic performance and potential (CAT, prior attainment targets).
2. Information provided by learning support.
3. Talking to assistant heads, heads of department and form tutors.
Reflecting upon and updating their own skills in managing behaviour through:
1. Mutual lesson observation.
2. Sharing good practice.
3. Familiarisation with the College’s behaviour management policy.
4. Participation in INSET.
Putting an emphasis on the positive
1. Model and emphasise positively your expectations.
2. Use positive rather than negative language, e.g “Remember to put your hand up before you speak in class” rather than “Don’t shout out”.
3. Reward more than punish (3 rewards/words of praise to every punishment/negative comment).
4. Catch pupils behaving well and tell them about it.
5. Remind everyone about the importance of learning.
Planning for managing classes in advance. Teachers should:
1. Organise seating plans and give particular consideration to the seating of potentially difficult pupils.
2. Discuss strategies with the head of subject/assistant head and previous teacher(s) of the group.
3. Make use of praise points.
4. Consider a range of rewards/sanctions appropriate for the pupils.
5. The College has set clear expectations for behaviour, consequences for failing to adhere to them and rewards for good work and behaviour. Display them in your room as appropriate. Go through them with pupils to clarify and establish common understanding. Stick to them.
6. Teachers should not leave a class unattended.
Establishing good teacher/pupil relationships
1. Punctuality to class.
2. Well prepared, stimulating lessons, which have both pace and challenge.
3. Setting of purposeful homework.
4. Diligent, constructive regular marking, recording and feedback.
5. Constructive use of form time.
6. Calm, consistent enforcement of the expectations of behaviour.
7. Punishment of transgressors, not whole classes.
8. Application of a range of classroom methodologies.
9. High disciplinary standards must be the concern of all of us, not left to someone else.
10. A smile, a joke, an encouraging word, a display of interest and commitment are likely to elicit a positive response from pupils.
11. The vast majority of young people respect most those teachers who display a sense of humour and who do not ridicule or humiliate pupils, even if they have been responsible for poor discipline.
12. Self-esteem is the single most important motivation for all our pupils and every effort must be made to enhance this and praise is an incentive to most young people, as it is to us all.
The Importance of a good start to the day/lessons
1. Effective use of tutor time is important to establishing the calm, structured, working environment we aim for during the day. Pupils should be seated and engaged in a worthwhile and constructive task or talking quietly. Tutors who check uniform, prep diaries and equipment as a matter of routine help all colleagues during the remainder of the day. Form tutor time should be planned and will be monitored and reviewed for its effectiveness.
2. Teachers should set out their standards and expectations at the start of term with all classes they teach. Prompt start to lessons, with every student actively engaged, will promote the idea that the classroom is a place of learning.
In-class strategies
1. All teachers must follow the agreed consequences, in the order in which they are laid down. Only by-pass these steps, when behaviour is so poor it warrants immediate referral to a senior member of staff, e.g if a pupil swears at you.
2. Teachers should plan to use a range of strategies to combat misbehaviour. These strategies should support the development of, and be in keeping with, the ethos of the College and be appropriate to the age of the pupils. They may typically include:
  1. keeping the pupil back during break or lunch time, re-seating in class. Pupils should not be made to stand in public areas for long periods.
  2. Note to parents in the prep diary or letter/telephone call home.
  3. Friday detention via the assistant head, particularly remembering to give 48 hours’ notice to parents.
Seeking support

Remember

Share information and take responsibility. Parents should be contacted via the prep diary, telephone or letter. Copies of letters and notes of phone calls as per staff handbook should be provided to the head of subject/department, the assistant head, Deputy Head, the Headmaster and details placed on the conduct register as appropriate.

Sanctions

Although we always try to be positive, seeking to identify and reward good behaviour, sanctions will, on occasions, be necessary. It is essential that sanctions should not be over-used and that they should be applied with a consistency evident to pupils.

Responsibility for Managing Poor Behaviour

All staff contribute to the management of behaviour in College. Initial responsibility for dealing with misbehaviour in the classroom lies with the class teacher. Misbehaviour outside the classroom should be initially dealt with by the teacher who notices it. All teachers have a duty to deal with poor discipline when they see it happen.

Reporting Poor Behaviour/Conduct

Reporting can be made via the conduct register on the College Intranet or, where appropriate, directly to a head of department, or member of senior management. Tutors, head of College, assistant heads and heads of department can all access data on the conduct register. It is the class teacher’s responsibility to make an entry on the conduct register for consequences or rewards even when a senior member of staff has been consulted.

When in a difficult situation outside the classroom, send for a senior member of staff immediately.

On rare occasions in-class disruption may be so significant (e.g. a student swearing at a teacher, a fight) that normal referral systems should be by-passed and help from a senior member of staff sought immediately.

The Detention System

For ALL Friday detentions, parents must be given 48 HOURS’ NOTICE. Any pupil detained at break or lunchtime must have time and access to enable he/she to use toilet facilities and to eat lunch. Parents who object to the reason for the imposition of a detention should initially contact the appropriate assistant head. If parents are still not satisfied, they should contact the Headmaster. It would be entirely reasonable for parents to ask for the detention to be moved to another time if they have genuine practical difficulties with the particular timing of a detention.

All teachers have the authority to impose breaktime/lunchtime detentions. These should be given for in-class misbehaviour or for failure to complete work, including homework.

All departments should operate their own detention systems. This sanction may be for pupils who have failed to attend the detention imposed by an individual teacher, or for serious or repeated classroom misbehaviour, or failure to complete work, including homework.
A Friday school detention of 60 minutes is imposed for more serious incidents or repetitive lack of effort in classwork/homework, or 5 signatures on a uniform card. These are held on Friday, supervised on each occasion by a member of staff and with a member of senior management available for assistance. This one-hour detention is for serious offences, heads of subjects should be pro-active in monitoring evictions and offering appropriate support to the class teacher. Before deciding upon support or further action, heads of subject should consult with the form tutor and assistant head.

Exclusion

The College has regard to relevant DCSF guidance when taking decisions concerning exclusion.

The College is responsible for promoting good behaviour on behalf of pupils and for securing a safe and orderly environment for pupils and staff.

The College’s response to challenging and disruptive behaviour will be made in the context of the College’s behaviour policy and will encompass a range of strategies, of which exclusion is only one.

Only a member of the senior management team can exclude a pupil from College. A decision to exclude will only be taken:

In response to serious breaches of the College rules/code of conduct.
If allowing the pupil to remain in College would seriously harm the education or welfare of the student or others in College.

The decision to exclude a pupil will take into account the likely impact of the misconduct on the life of the College. Where possible, the Headmaster will be informed in advance. This may include behaviour on or off College premises which is a breach of the standards of behaviour expected by the College. Likely causes of fixed term exclusion include:

Violence or the threat of it
Abusive language
Possession or use of an illegal substance
Repetition of high level disruption of learning

Before reaching a decision to exclude, the member of the senior management team will:

Consider all the relevant facts and such evidence as may be available concerning the allegations made, taking into account the College’s behaviour and equal opportunities policies.
Allow the pupil to give his or her version of events.
Check whether the incident may have been provoked, for example by racial or sexual harassment.
(If necessary) consult others, being careful not to involve anyone who may have a role in any statutory review of his decision.

Permanent Exclusion (“Expulsion”)

Permanent exclusions will normally be used as a last resort when a range of other strategies has been exhausted.

In exceptional circumstances, the senior management team might consider it appropriate to permanently exclude a child for a first or one-off offence. Such circumstances might include:

where there has been serious actual or threatened violence against another pupil or member of staff.
Sexual misconduct.
Supplying or using an illegal drug.
Carrying an offensive weapon.

Fixed Term Exclusion (“Suspension”)

In the case of fixed–term exclusions, the Headmaster/member of SMT may exclude a pupil for up to 45 days in any one College year. Pupils must not enter the College grounds when they have been excluded from College. Failure to comply with this may lead to permanent exclusion.

Internal Exclusion (“Internal Suspension”)

As an alternative to exclusion from the College the senior management team may “internally exclude” a pupil. This will result in the pupil being placed in the interview/board room or with a senior member of staff for a period of time. In coming to a decision on the length of internal exclusion, the member of the senior management team will consider the nature of the incident or misbehaviour. A period of internal exclusion will be the minimum possible to achieve the desired improvement in behaviour. Pupils will complete work set by the subject teacher. Pupils misbehaving during “internal” exclusion are likely to have the period of exclusion increased.

“Internal” exclusions will normally be imposed as an alternative to fixed term exclusions and therefore for similar incidents of misbehaviour.

In coming to a decision on whether to “internally exclude” a pupil, the member of the senior management team will consider all the factors relevant to fixed term exclusions but also consider whether the day spent working in College, rather than at home, would be more beneficial and still have the desired effect on good order and discipline in College.

Setting Work

Work will be provided for all excluded pupils. The College has a responsibility to set work for the first 5 days of an exclusion from College and to ensure full-time education for any pupil excluded for over 5 days. Work for permanently excluded pupils will be set until the review and appeal process is complete and the pupil’s name is removed from the College roll.

Informing Parents

The Headmaster/senior management team will inform parents by letter in all cases of exclusion. Parents will be informed of the length of the exclusion and the reasons for it. Parents will be informed of their right to make representations to the Headmaster and then Chairman of the Governing Body.

The Use of Force to Control or Restrain pupils

The College’s policy on the use of force to control or restrain pupils is based on DfES guidelines of 1998.

Planned Use of Force
1. If the College is aware that a particular child is likely to behave in a way which will necessitate the use of force the College’s response will be planned in advance. In all such cases advice is sought from outside agencies working with the child. Parents are made aware of the tactics to be used if the situation demanded.
Authorised Staff
1. All staff employed by the College are authorised to use reasonable force to control or restrain pupils. All staff will receive a copy of these guidelines and are expected to follow them at all times.
When Force Can Be Used
1. Authorised staff can “use such force as is necessary in all the circumstances to prevent a pupil from doing, or to continue to do, any of the following:
  1. Commit a criminal offence
  2. Injure themselves or others
  3. Cause damage to property (including the pupil’s own property)
  4. Engage in any behaviour prejudicial to maintaining good order and discipline at the College or amongst any of its pupils.
2. The provision to use force applies on the College premises and on occasions when staff have lawful control or charge of the pupil, e.g. on an educational visit.
3. It has always been possible to use a degree of force in self-defence if attacked, provided no “disproportionate degree” of force is used. Similarly if a pupil was at immediate risk of injury or on the point of inflicting injury on someone else, staff would be entitled to intervene.
Types of Incident When Reasonable Force May Be Appropriate
1. Where action is necessary in self-defence or because there is imminent risk of injury.
2. Where there is a developing risk of injury, or significant damage to property.
3. Examples of these two situations are:
  1. a pupil attacks a member of staff.
  2. Pupils are fighting.
  3. A pupil is deliberately damaging property.
  4. A pupil is causing or risking injury or damage through their actions, e.g with equipment.
  5. A pupil tries to leave class or College and would be at risk if they did so.
4. Where a pupil is behaving in a way that is compromising good order and discipline.
5. Examples in this category are:
  1. A pupil persistently refuses to obey an instruction to leave a classroom.
  2. A pupil is behaving in a way that is seriously disrupting a lesson.
What is Reasonable Force?
There is no legal definition of reasonable force. Two things are relevant considerations:
1. Force can only ever be reasonable if the circumstances of the situation warrant it. Force must not be used to prevent a pupil committing a trivial misdemeanour nor when a situation could be resolved without force. STAFF MUST TRY TO STOP MISBEHAVIOUR BY USING NORMAL CLASSROOM MANAGEMENT STRATEGIES FIRST. This is particularly vital when dealing with incidents in the third category described above.
2. The degree of force must be in proportion to the circumstances of the incident and the age, sex and understanding of the child involved. Any force used must be the minimum needed to achieve the desired result.
Practical Considerations
Staff should work within the following guidelines if needing to use force:
1. Wherever practicable staff must tell the pupil to stop and what will happen if he/she does not. Staff must attempt to diffuse the situation orally and prevent it from escalating.
2. Communicate with the pupil throughout the incident, making it clear that the physical restraint being used will stop as soon as it ceases to be necessary.
3. DO NOT USE FORCE when angry or frustrated or to punish the child.
4. Where possible, summon assistance prior to using force if at all possible.
5. Avoid any physical contact which can lead to injury: tripping, slapping, punching, twisting arms, pulling ears or hair, holding round the neck, holding a pupil face down to the ground would not be acceptable. Blocking a pupil’s path, holding, pushing, leading by the arm, placing a hand in the centre of the back would all be acceptable.
6. Avoid holding or touching a pupil in a way in which could be considered indecent.
7. Record in detail any incidents where physical contact has been used.
8. Report all incidents to the Headmaster in writing, keeping a copy for yourself. You are recommended to provide a copy for the representative of your professional association. Following any report of the use of force the Headmaster will fully investigate the circumstances in which force was used. The findings will be available on request.
9. All incidents in which physical force is used must be reported to parents.
Summary
1. Staff should work within the guidelines described above if the use of physical force is necessary.
2. Physical force must be considered a last resort for dealing with poor discipline.
3. Any force used must be reasonable for the circumstances and must be aimed at control and restraint not at punishment.

September 2009
To be reviewed September 2010

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