Behaviour Policy

This policy has been written, and should be read, in conjunction with the over-arching policy from Smart Multi Academy Trust.  Smart is dedicated to promoting good behaviour through ensuring Smart schools apply consistent use of praise, reward and carefully considered sanction.  Each Smart school will have it’s own policy which recognises that the root of all good behaviour management lies in successful relationship building between pupils and adults.

1. Aims of our Behaviour Policy 

 To promote good behaviour, self-control and respect.

• To promote emotional regulation.
• To ensure that school expectations are consistent and are clear to staff, parents, visitors and pupils.
• To develop children into future empathic citizens of the world who recognise equality.
• To manage poor behaviour choices and to empower children to reflect on their actions to move forward.
• To ensure all vulnerable children are supported effectively with compassion and kindness.
• To ensure pupils are safe, happy and ready to learn.

2. Consistency

A key cornerstone of our behaviour policy is consistency.  Visible consistency makes everyone feel safe.  We agree that:

‘Visible consistency with visible kindness allows exceptional behaviour to flourish.’ Paul Dix (2017)

3. School Rules

 At North Fawdon Primary School (NFPS) we have just three school rules, this is to keep them simple and effective.  This allows all staff to be consistent with the children and to be able to use them confidently when checking in with a child about their behaviour.

Our school rules are as follows:

• We are KIND 
• We are SAFE
• We are RESPECTFUL

4. Recognition Boards

At NFPS we do not assume that children will know the behaviours we expect of them.  We believe that children need to be taught and retaught expected behaviours.  All staff and children are expected to abide by our three school rules and these are used consistently to reinforce the behaviours expected of our children.

Each class uses a Recognition Board so the teacher can highlight and teach the behaviour they do want to see from the children.  The teacher writes the behaviour onto the board and shares with the class so they are all aware of what is expected of them.  When the teacher sees a child demonstrating the behaviour well then a star is added to the ‘star jar’.  The aim is not to shower praise on the individual but is a collaborative strategy and the aim is for everyone to have filled the star jar by the end of the lesson/day.   There is no prize or reward for doing so.  Classes will have their own way of demonstrating when everyone has got onto the board and it might be a special chant or cheer that they will all participate in.

5. Attitude to Learning Dashboard

Children need to be aware of the behaviours needed to be successful learners and what they need to do to improve. Each child from Year 1 upwards has their own ‘Attitude to Learning Dashboard’.  It has seven identified areas:

• Listening
• Using my Voice
• Quality of Work
• Making sure work is finished
• Effort
• Independent Learning
• Ready for Learning

Each term, each of the areas are scored using criteria from 1 to 4, with 1 being always exceptional  and 4 needs improvement. Over the year the expectation is that children will work hard to try and improve their score. Older children will have discussions with their class teacher to give evidence and share why they think their score has improved.

When you have achieved a 1 across all areas this gives you a score of 7. Children are then rewarded with a Super 7 badge and a letter from the Headteacher is sent home to inform parents.

6. Rewards

Children in school may be rewarded for their academic achievement/effort or their behaviour.

7. Behaviour Recognition 

At NFPS we believe that it is important that parents and carers know when their children were not making positive behaviour choices but we also wanted to make sure they were aware when they were making great choices.

Staff and visitors can award positive recognition slips when they see the children going ‘above and beyond’ demonstrating the behaviours we expect to see. 

Even pupils who have received reminders, last chances or cautions can be caught demonstrating positive behaviours. One doesn’t cancel the other. It is natural for a child to behave badly and have to deal with the consequences and the next minute do something brilliant and receive the positive consequences. Pupils can take home positive recognition slips on the same day as caution slips. 

If a pupil goes ‘over and above’ and shows excellent examples of behaviour then this will be recognised with a recognition slip to take home.

8. Milkshake Morning

At NFPS we love to recognise those children who consistently follow the school rules and do not need reminders or cautions to keep them on track. 

Every month the class teacher can nominate a pupil to come and join the Headteacher for 'Milkshake Morning'. The pupil receives a golden invitation on their desk inviting them to attend Milkshake Morning which takes place in the Headteacher's office with all the other children who have been nominated. Pupils can choose a drink of their choice and celebrate their positive behaviour choices together! 

9. Five Consistent Steps for addressing behaviour choices

For pupils who are struggling, we have very simple and consistent steps that we follow.  At the heart of this is the adults themselves when they are dealing with the pupils. At all times they remain emotionless, calm and consistent in the message they are delivering.  The steps we follow are:

            1. Reminder

The pupil is reminded of the three rules delivered privately wherever possible.  The staff member will approach the pupil and say, ‘This is your reminder to be kind, safe and respectful.’ Repeat reminders can be used with reasonable adjustments if necessary.

2. Last Chance

A clear verbal caution delivered privately, wherever possible, making the pupil aware of their behaviour and clearly outlining the consequences if they continue and give them a final opportunity to engage. They offer a positive choice to do so and refer to previous examples of good behaviour.  Staff use the following consistent script:

            ‘This is your last chance to be kind/safe/respectful.

            Now think carefully about your choice.

            You were (insert behaviour) this morning/yesterday/last week

            This is who I need to see now.

            Thank you for listening.’

3. Caution

Once a pupil has received a caution slip there has to be a consequence for their behaviour. Two minutes of lost play time for the youngest children might be reasonable whereas for older children it might be longer or all of their break. It could be helping to tidy a mess that they have made or writing a letter of apology. Children should be encouraged to think about the impact of their actions on other people and how they can repair damage. A caution slip is issued at the end of the day so parents are aware of what has happened during the school day.

                      ‘You have had your last chance, you have now made the choice of

                      not being kind/safe/respectful.  You now have a caution slip.’

4. Time to Calm

‘Time to calm’ might be a short time outside the room, on the thinking spot or at the side of the playground. It is a few minutes for the child to calm down, breathe, look at the situation from a different perspective and compose themselves.

5. Repair

A restorative conversation may be used by staff for the most serious of behaviours. This may be a quick chat at break in the yard or a more formal meeting. We believe that a restorative approach teaches good behaviour in a way that is not possible through punishment. We want our pupils to understand that their behaviour does have impact on other people and for them to develop empathy. 

These five questions are used:

• What happened?
• What were you thinking at the time?
• Who else has been affected?
• What can we do to put things right?
• How can we do things differently in the future?

 For our youngest children in school we will use just two questions:

• Who else has been affected?
• What can we do to make things right?

10. Behaviour Incident

A serious incident can be defined as an unacceptable behaviour event, although not exhaustive, examples can include:

• Physical harm to another child
• Wilful damage to school property
• Incidents that are discriminatory in nature
• Inappropriate language choices

All incidents will be followed up with an appropriate consequence. This may vary depending on previous incidents.

Parents must be spoken to by the class teacher or by a member of the SLT team if necessary depending on the nature or frequency of the incident.

11. Zones Of Regulation

At North Fawdon we use Zones of Regulation is a curriculum to help pupils gain skills in consciously regulating their actions, which in turn leads to increased control and problem-solving abilities. 

It teaches children strategies that they can use to self-regulate themselves by figuring out what behaviours are expected in given circumstances and determine whether they need to manage their behaviours while in in different zones to meet the demands of the situation. This can be accomplished by teaching tools that help them to regulate and move between the zones.

It’s important to reiterate to pupils that everyone experiences all of the zones at one time or another.  The Red and Yellow zones are not ‘bad’ or ‘naughty’.

12. Tracking behaviours and support

Class teachers record all behaviour incidents on CPOMS (the electronic safeguarding record keeping system that the school uses). Parents are informed when a child receives a caution or a positive recognition slip. 

If a large number of cautions or behaviour incidents are logged over a short space of time then the pupil will be invited to a caution concern meeting with Head Teacher/ Deputy Head Teacher.  The focus of the meeting is to identify common behaviour patterns and look at support needed.

If pupils need more regular check ins to support their behaviour then they may be offered Behaviour coaching.  This focuses on the use of strategies to support behaviour and pupils will be given a timetable with 3 stars for each lesson. 

3 stars-          no behaviour incidents

2 stars-          behaviour incident but the pupil used identified strategies to

                      support their choices.

1 star-           a behaviour incident where the pupil did not use identified

                      strategies to support themselves.  They will need to see a

                      member of the SLT as soon as possible.

A behaviour contract might be offered if behaviour coaching is not working.  Parents will be expected to attend the meeting. Sanctions will be agreed upon until there is an improvement in behaviour.