June 2015

 Having a positive attitude to learning  Pupils respond very quickly to staff’s requests, allowing lessons to flow smoothly and without interruption  Low level disruption is rare  Pupils understand the importance of good attitudes and behaviours  There is a positive ethos  Pupils take pride in their work, appearance and their school  Pupils good conduct and behaviour reflect the schools efforts to promote high standards. Ofsted Grade Descriptors for Good

 The Policy was due for reviewing, it has to be reviewed every three years, (ours had been over that) to allow schools to consider changes in statutory requirements from the Department for Education. This also allows schools to consider changes in Ofsted criteria and align with government expectations.  Behaviour needed improvement. Low level behaviours in the classroom were present which was disturbing learning. A Local Authority review in January 2015 graded Behaviour and Safety as Requires Improvement due to the frequency of low level behaviours  New Department for Education publication was released

The Department for Education (2014) states… What the law says for Maintained schools: The Headteacher must set out measures in the behaviour policy which aim to:  Promote good behaviour, self discipline and respect  Prevent bullying  Ensure that pupils complete assigned work and which  Regulates the conduct of pupils

 Schools should have in place a range of options and rewards to reinforce and praise good behaviour, and clear sanctions for those who do not comply with the school’s behaviour policy. These will be proportionate and fair responses that may vary accordingly to the age of the pupils, and any other specials circumstance that affect the pupil  When poor behaviour is identified, sanctions should be implemented consistently and fairly in line with the behaviour policy.

 Firstly the policy was written and discussed amongst the staff.  Many schools have a consequence system but we have been transparent and placed it within the policy. This was shared first with the children, some who wanted to make it tougher, and then trialled for a week, to ensure that it worked.  The Policy was then sent to governors for discussion and approval, which was given.

 The low level behaviours are far fewer, the progress of children’s learning has improved and children can be seen on task  There is a consistent approach to managing poor behaviour  Children are clear in what the consequences will be should they not follow school rules

 The senior leadership team, including myself, constantly undertake ‘climate walks’ around the school monitoring learning and behaviour.  We have a behaviour log, children that reach Amber on the consequence chart are written in here. The number of children that appear in here has reduced – as has the frequency of other children.  We talk to the staff and the children  External visits from the Local Authority and other agencies

Are all children being punished for the misbehaviour of a few by introducing this policy? No - The focus of this policy was to reduce low level behaviours that were disrupting learning and to give a consistent approach in managing poor behaviour. Therefore every child should benefit from being in a school where they feel safe and can reach their academic potential without others hindering them. Therefore this policy is supporting every child.

Why are children receiving consequences the next day? The policy states every day is a fresh start. A child may receive a consequence in the afternoon and currently teachers have been upholding the consequence the next day if it warrants it. I will discuss further with staff alternatives to carrying on to the next day unless an extreme situation occurs.

Concern – My child is spending more time concerned about getting a warning than enjoying their learning. I believe that we need to place just as much attention on positive behaviour as consequences. The consequence chart is not meant to worry children but to reassure them that they are safer and can learn because of it. Once established within the class it should not need frequent referral that children worry. It is also unfortunate that often the children that worry will never see a single consequence! We can but continue to reassure, ensure that positive behaviours are also being acknowledged and make sure our quiet, conscientious children feel valued. I plan to re-launch team points in September with a large focus on positive behaviours and everyday good behaviours. We also have some exciting topics for September which should also increase children’s enjoyment of their learning.

- We discussed alternatives to holding over the consequence – some parents suggested additional homework such as lines, others were in favour of consequences being carried over. Another suggestion is that classes have a 5-10 minute fun activity at the end of the day that can be lost so the consequence is undertaken.

 We also discussed that although parents are informed at Amber on the consequence system there may need to be some parents that want or need to be informed at green level that a child has undertaken a consequence and it has been dealt with and they do not need to worry. This would be for children that frequently lose five minutes or for children that worry. This would be the exception and not the norm.

 We discussed one child’s perception of children that need a break from lessons due to their own needs. Some children perceive this as unfair and we discussed the need for an inclusion week where children will learn about different needs, both visible and invisible and how to understand others better. Another parent voiced that their children understood children’s need to leave and have learning breaks and did not consider this a concern.

 We discussed in depth the previous team points, many parents were unaware of these, so a re-launch is obviously much needed. We discussed how this will provide a positive approach to behaviour management to ensure that children feel valued for making the right choices. Mrs Cartwright shared her idea of having rewards for specific numbers of team points e.g. rubber, sharpener, key ring, pencil case, water bottle, etc

One parent commented: My child previously told me all about which children had misbehaved every day. That no longer happens and my child is a lot happier. Another parent indicated: Whilst their child was initially worried about the behaviour policy and consequences over time they have not mentioned it as much as they have got used to it.