“Our Mission is to foster the Gospel values of Jesus Christ and to provide a high standard of education with equality of opportunity for all.”

With this in mind and always considering our position as a Catholic school within a multiracial and multicultural society, we have endeavoured to involve all facets of our community in the formulation of this policy. The views and opinions of our staff, parents and most importantly our children are embedded in this policy.

A well-planned policy which is kept under regular review will provide an effective tool for supporting the learning of all pupils in Our lady and St. Joseph’s School. This policy was reviewed/amended in 2004.

What Is The Purpose Of Our Policy?
• To provide a safe, calm and caring atmosphere for learning to take place

• To ensure consistency, fairness and clear expectations

• To support caring and co-operative behaviour and to discourage anti-social behaviour

• To enable pupils to develop social skills and moral values in the context of the school as a community

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What Should We Aim For?
• We aim to encourage high standards of behaviour, work, respect, speech and dress

• We aim for everyone to respect themselves, every other person, their own possessions and those of others

• We aim to demand a respect for property of the school from the daily materials to the school buildings and grounds

• We aim to address incidents of bullying immediately. Verbal or physical bullying will not be tolerated in Our Lady and St. Joseph’s School. We will deal with this problem through 'No Blame Approach to Bullying'. This seven-step approach is explained more fully in the Appendix attached to this Policy

• We aim to be fully committed to the positive value of praise and motivation and to make good use of reward as recognition of high standards

• We aim to recognise pupil's achievements and respond with appropriate praise and reward

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The Four Main Strands Of The Policy:

• To establish clearly stated expectations about children's behaviour

• To look at ways in which appropriate social behaviour can be encouraged and rewarded

• To look at ways of discouraging inappropriate behaviour

• To examine the various elements of school organisation and classroom management to ensure that they support the policy

1 Establishing clearly stated expectations about children's behaviour

This section was primarily suggested by the children of ‘Our Lady and St. Joseph’. The children were asked to consider what were the most important things we should do to make our school a happy place to be. Below are listed the 4 Take Cares that the children felt most important:

• Take care of yourself
• Take care of others
• Take care of your school
• Take care of your work and equipment

Posters designed and displayed by the children encouraging and reminding their peers of the school’s Take Cares are displayed throughout the school as an eye-catching effective tool for reinforcing this Code of Conduct.

Help take care of our School and everything in it.
Always try to do your best and enjoy whatever you do.
Please be kind and helpful to everyone.
Put others first.
You can make our school a happy place!

This is a positive message which tells the children how they should behave rather than how they shouldn't.

The children will design new posters after every review of this policy.

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2. Encouraging and rewarding appropriate effort and social behaviour

We recognise that good behaviour and effort are related to positive attitudes. These are based on mutual knowledge, respect, shared values and the setting of known standards. Good behaviour and effort are only consistently achieved if staff works as a harmonious team.

It is imperative that good, appropriate behaviour and effort receive recognition, praise and encouragement from all staff. Examples should be shared with other children, other adults in school and parents. Through encouragement and praise we aim to make children responsible for their own behaviour and achievements.

• In order to support on-going verbal and non-verbal praise, Our Lady and St Joseph operates a system of more tangible awards

• Hard work and Effort are recognised by the award of a congratulatory stamp or sticker at any time from teachers, support staff or Deputy and Head Teacher. This can be placed on children’s books or on their person. All staff and children are encouraged to comment and praise the children on their achievement

• Praise Pad notes are awarded and sent home for effort and adherence to the Code of Conduct. These are collected throughout the term and when children collect 15 they are awarded a Bronze certificate, 30 and a silver certificate will be awarded and when a child has collected 45 they are awarded with a Smiley Face Badge! All Staff and children are encouraged to comment and congratulate children who receive these badges

• Teachers and Playground staff award certificates at Friday assembly for Stars of the Week. Congratulatory stamps and stickers will be taken into account when awarding the weekly stars for effort and behaviour
  
  • At the end of each term a Golden Award will be presented to 2 children from each class whose behaviour and effort have been consistently high throughout the term. The Head Teacher will also award one child from Year 2 and Year 6 with a Head Teacher’s prize. The names of these children are recorded and kept in the Gold Book.

A prize is also given to one child in the infants and one in the juniors whose behaviour in the playground has been consistently high or has shown excellent improvement!

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3. Discouraging inappropriate behaviour – sanctions

We accept that problems are natural where children are both learning and testing the boundaries of acceptable behaviour. At Our lady and Joseph we address the unacceptable behaviour and not the child so that self-esteem is neither lowered nor raised by the attention that that behaviour demands.

Encouragement and praise will prevent most unacceptable behaviour but if this fails, less serious behaviour can be dealt with by non-verbal signs - eye contact, frowning, raised eyebrows, shaking head. It can also be dealt with by 'proximity control', e.g. teacher moves nearer to the pupil or the pupil is moved nearer to the teacher. The pupil might also be temporarily isolated from peers. This ‘Time out period’ must never be longer that one minute for each year of the child’s age. Egg timers or Stop watches are used to remind the child when to return. Children must at all times be disciplined in an appropriate way, i.e. not humiliated in front of their peers.

• When a verbal reprimand is needed it should be given:
  
  • calmly but assertively - 'I mean it'
  • with confidence
  • delivered briefly, succinctly and clearly
  • referring to the behaviour and not the child
  • sometimes delivered with humour - not sarcasm
  • referring to the consequences of the behaviour but not contain idle threats
  
  Examples of inappropriate behaviour are - swearing, spitting, physical violence, damage to property/trees, plants etc, rudeness to any member of staff or helpers, going out-of-bounds without permission and running or talking after break-time bells have been rung.

When a child’s behaviour is deemed more serious then they are asked to complete a ‘Thinking About My Behaviour Form’ this is useful to first give the child a cool down period before they speak to an adult about their behaviour and secondly it encourages them to reflect on their behaviour.

These forms are completed and kept in the Deputy Head’s office in case there should be a need to refer to them later.

The adult dealing with the incident will then need to discuss with the child the behaviour and to decide on the next step. These could include:

• Time out in another classroom
• Missed playtime/ lunchtimes
• Time spent in another playground
• Going to the deputy heads office or
• Speaking to the Head teacher about their behaviour
• Time Out of the playground outside the Head Teachers Office
• Letters home
• Requests to see parents

(For further sanctions please see discipline policy)

Playground Procedures:

There are always two adults on duty at break time and lunchtimes. The adult on duty needs to make a decision about the next course of action if a child’s behaviour is deemed unsafe.

When the incident is less serious e.g. climbing on the fences, arguing with peers, playing inappropriate games.

• Adults should remind children involved of the correct way to behave
• Remind children of safety risks to themselves and others
• Suggest children have time out to think about their actions (Time Out Bench), see time out recommendations above

If the incident has been more serious (see above)

Follow the guidelines set out above for more serious incidents.

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4. School, curriculum and classroom management

'It is clear that the key to effective management is prevention. Effective managers prevent problems from arising in the first place rather than have special skills in dealing with problems once they occur.' Brophy (1983)

School Organisation

Wherever possible, situations should be avoided which present opportunities for bad behaviour, eg lack of supervision, unnecessary queuing, inappropriate tasks.
Clear expectations, alongside absorbed and motivated children, will eliminate many behavioural problems.

Behaviour problems are also less likely to occur if children are aware that adults can see them.

We aim to encourage the children to take pride in Our Lady and St. Joseph’s School and its environment by:

• having high quality wall displays created by pupils and staff
• developing routines and rotas which encourage personal responsibility

encouraging children to take a pride in their own, each others and the school's property.

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Curriculum Organisation

There is little doubt that if behavioural problems are not handled satisfactorily then the curriculum will be less effective. However, a stimulating curriculum can lead to fewer behaviour problems.

The broad aims of our school curriculum encompass:
• ensuring that children learn basic academic skills
• teaching personal and social skills and values
• teaching the ability to work and play independently
• teaching the skills of enquiry and information gathering
• teaching problem-solving and decision-making skills and encouraging creative thinking

Where pupils are actively and successfully involved in meaningful activities which meet these aims, the opportunity for behaviour problems to develop will be minimised.

We also need to bear in mind the relevance of curriculum activities and teaching methods. Unless activities and methods appear relevant to pupils their motivation will suffer with subsequent consequences for behaviour.

In our curriculum planning we need to give thought to:
• the need for exciting and entertaining activities
• the need for a match between the child's ability and the activity
• the need for a match between the length of the activity and the pupils ability to concentrate
• the need for a balance between individual work, group and whole class work, and for a balance between teacher talk to the whole class, groups and individuals
• the need for a balance between work involving talking, listening, reading, writing and other practical activities

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Classroom Management

The three key areas of Preventative Classroom Management are:

Classroom Layout
• Effective use of wall space and floor space
• Arrangement of children's tables and other classroom furniture
• Location of resources and equipment
• Organisation of provision for children's personal belongings

Getting the year off to a good start
• Advance organisation, eg layout, materials, apparatus, equipment
• Spend time teaching children where things are kept
• Spend time teaching and establishing rules and routines
• All children should have fun and success on day one
• Provide back-up activities for fast workers, which are fun and offer practice
• Provide extension activities for pupils who grasp a concept quickly
• Focus on the whole class at the beginning and end of each day. Offer regular feedback and praise
• Show an interest in and respect for each individual child

Developing Routines
• Entering the classroom
• Getting out materials
• Getting work marked
• Getting the attention of the class
• Changing activities
• Making up non-completed work
• Going to the toilet
• Getting started and winding down/finishing off

In conclusion, good discipline is fundamental to the ethos of the school. We all need to work together to sustain it and to ensure that children feel happy and secure.

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APPENDICES:

FOR THE CHILDREN

Code of Conduct

The main code of conduct consists of our 'Take Cares':

Take care of yourself
Take care of others
Take care of your school
Take care of books, equipment and materials

If you remember these four, you will not go far wrong. Here are a few more specific items:

BEFORE SCHOOL
• Arrive between 8.50 am and 9.00 am (unless by prior arrangement). When the bell sounds you should stand still and stop talking until directed to walk quickly to your classroom for registration.
• No equipment may be used in the playground before school.

IN SCHOOL
When you move around the school, always walk sensibly, quietly and carefully. This is particularly important when moving through corridors, as you may disturb other classes at work if you are noisy.

BREAK-TIMES
Go out to play unless it is raining or you have permission to stay in with adult supervision. Ask the teacher on duty or lunchtime supervisor on duty if you need to go into school or fetch a ball from over the fence. Always walk back carrying the ball into the playground. Footballs can only be used in the KS2 playground.

The front of the infant playground is a quiet area and for Rec/KS 1. Always play sensible games. Football is played only at the back!
You should not play in the toilets. Go to the toilet and get a drink during break-times, not when the bell goes for the end of break.

Children using the infant playground must wear a tag to go to the toilet.

All children must wear a coat to school from October to March.

Remember to wear your coat into the playground every play time.

GETTING ON WITH OTHERS
If you have difficulty getting on with someone, try to sort it out peacefully or walk away. If you can't, talk to the teacher or lunchtime supervisor about it. Make sure that you do not hurt anyone.

WHAT NOT TO BRING TO SCHOOL
Do not bring toys or sports equipment to school. On no account should sweets or jewellery be brought to school.

LUNCH
Eat your lunch with good manners and talk only quietly. Help the lunchtime supervisors to do their job by being co-operative and respectful.

ASSEMBLY
Assemblies are times to be thoughtful. Come in and sit down quietly. Leave the hall calmly and return to your classrooms ready for work. Listen to the monitors!

Dear Parent/Carer please read the above policy through with your child, help them to understand why we have certain rules and encourage them to follow them.

Thank You.

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FOR THE STAFF, PARENTS & CHILDREN

The Nature of Bullying

There are many definitions of bullying, but it is generally accepted to be:
• deliberately hurtful (including aggression)
• repeated often over a period of time
• difficult for victims to defend themselves against

Bullying can take many forms, but three main types are:
• physical - hitting, kicking, taking belongings
• verbal - name calling, insulting, making offensive remarks
• indirect - spreading nasty stories about someone, exclusion from social group, being made the subject of malicious rumours

Research shows that name calling is the most common direct form. This may be because of individual characteristics, but pupils can be called nasty names because of their ethnic origin, nationality or colour, or some form of disability.

When bullying has been observed or reported then the following steps can be taken:

Step 1 - Interview with the victim
When the teacher finds out that bullying has happened, she/he starts by talking to the victim about the child's feelings. The teacher does not question the victim about the incidents but does need to know who was involved.

Step 2 - Convene a meeting with the people involved
The teacher arranges to meet with the group of pupils who have been involved. This will include some bystanders or colluders who joined in but did not initiate any bullying. We find that a group of six or eight young people works well.

Step 3 - Explain the problem
The teacher tells them about the way the victim is feeling and might use a poem, piece of writing or drawing to emphasise the child's distress. At no time does the teacher discuss the details of the incidents or allocate blame to the group.

Step 4 - Share responsibility
The teacher does not attribute blame but states that she knows that the group are responsible and can do something about it.

Step 5 - Ask the group for their ideas
Each member of the group is encouraged to suggest a way in which the victim could be helped to feel happier. The teacher gives some positive responses but does not go on to extract a promise of improved behaviour.

Step 6 - Leave it up to them
The teacher ends the meeting by passing over the responsibility to the group to solve the problem. He/she arranges to meet with them again to see how things are going.

Step 7 - Meet them again
About a week later the teacher discusses with each student, including the victim, how things have been going. This allows the teacher to monitor the bullying and keeps the young people involved in the process.

We try to deal with bullying in a sensitive way and because some issues are not always obvious, parents and children are encouraged to confide in staff, so appropriate interventions can be made as unobtrusively as possible.

At all times we try work with the best interests of all the children in mind. Parents will be informed at any stage during the process if the teacher feels it is appropriate to do so.

For more detailed information refer to the school Bullying and Race Equality policies which are always available to read in the school office.

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Here are the questions we ask our children in the event of inappropriate behaviour:

Name Date

Adult involved

What I did against our class or school rules

Why did you do this? (What is your explanation?)

What I think I should do to fix things up or work things out

What should I try to do next time this happens instead?

Signed Pupil’s Name:

Outcome:

Signed ( Adult):

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