Chartridge Combined School

Behaviour Principles Statement

Governors’ Statement of

Behaviour Principles

2016/17 – 2018/19

Section 1: Rationale and purpose

 

  1. This Statement has been drawn up in accordance with the Education and Inspections Act, 2006, and the Equality Act 2010.

 

  1. The purpose of the Statement is to provide guidance for the Headteacher in drawing up the school’s Behaviour Policy so that it reflects the shared aspirations and beliefs of the Governing Body, staff and parents for the pupils in the school, as well as taking full account of law and guidance on behaviour matters. It is intended to help all staff to be aware of and understand the extent of their powers in respect of discipline and sanctions and how to use them. Staff should be confident that they have the Governing Body’s support when following this guidance.

 

  1. This is a statement of principles, not practice: it is the responsibility of the Headteacher to draw up the school’s behaviour policy, though she must take account of these principles when formulating this.

 

  1. The Behaviour Policy must be publicised, in writing, to staff, parents/carers and pupils at least once a year and published on the school’s website.

 

 

Section 2: Principles

 

  1. When developing the School Behaviour Policy, the Headteacher should have regard for the DfE ‘Behaviour and Displicine in Schools’ advice (Feb 2014)

 

  1. The Governing Body of Chartridge School strongly believes that high standards of behaviour lie at the heart of a successful school that enables:

-  all its pupils to make the best possible progress in all aspects of their school life and work

-  all staff to be able to teach and promote good learning without undue interruption or harassment.

-  children to prepare positively for life in modern Britain.

 

  1. All pupils and staff have the right to feel safe at all times whilst in the school. There should be mutual respect between staff and pupils and between pupils. All visitors to the school should feel safe and free from the effects of poor behaviour at all times and in all parts of the school.

 

  1. Chartridge is an inclusive school. All members of the school community should be free from discrimination of any sort (as laid down in the Equality Act, 2010). To this end the school must ensure there is a clear and comprehensive Anti-bullying Policy that is known and understood by all, consistently applied and monitored for its effectiveness. Measures to protect pupils from bullying and discrimination as a result of gender, race, ability, sexual orientation or background should be clearly set out and regularly monitored for their effective implementation.

 

  1. The Governing Body expects all school policies and procedures to ensure that the school promotes tolerance of and respect for people of all faiths (or those of no faith), cultures and lifestyles; and they will support and help, through their words, actions andinfluence within the school and more widely in the community, to prepare children and young people positively for life in modern Britain.

 

  1. The school legal duties under the Equality Act 2010 in respect of safeguarding, pupils with Special Educational Needs and all vulnerable pupils should be set out in the Behaviour Policy and made known to all staff. Parents/carers should be encouraged and helped to support their children’s education, just as the pupils should be helped to understand their responsibilities during their time within a school, in the local community and in preparation for their life after leaving the school. The responsibilities of pupils, parents/carers and school staff with respect to pupils’ behaviour must be outlined in the ‘Home School Agreement’ which pupils and parents/carers must be asked to sign when a pupil joins the  school.

 

  1. The Behaviour Policy should make clear under which circumstances other agencies will be involved to support the work of individual children.

 

  1. The school Code of Conduct and the school’s ethos should be clearly stated in the Behaviour Policy. These should set out expected standards of behaviour, be displayed in all classrooms and other, relevant parts of the school. They should be shared with and explained to all pupils. The Governing Body expects the Policy to be consistently applied by all staff and regularly monitored for its effectiveness.

 

  1. The Governing Body would like to see a wide range of rewards consistently and fairly applied in such a way as to encourage and reward good behaviour in the classroom and elsewhere. These should be made clear in the Behaviour Policy and regularly monitored for their consistent, fair application and effectiveness.

 

  1. Sanctions for unacceptable/poor behaviour should be known and understood by all staff and pupils and consistently applied. The full range of sanctions should be clearly described in the Behaviour Policy so that pupils, staff and parents can understand how and when these are applied. The Governing Body strongly feels that exclusions must be used only as a very last resort. The Headteacher must inform the police, as appropriate, if there is evidence of a criminal act or if she fears that one may take place e.g. if illegal drugs are discovered during a search; cyber-bullying; criminal harassment. Sanctions should be monitored for their proper use and effective impact.

 

  1. The Behaviour Policy should set out the disciplinary action that will be taken against pupils who are found to have made malicious accusations against school staff. The Governing Body expects the Headteacher to draw on the DfE advice: Dealing with Allegations of Abuse against Teachers and Other Staff when setting out the pastoral support that school staff should expect to receive if they are subject to such an allegation. Staff so accused should not be automatically suspended pending an investigation.

 

  1. The Governing Body expects the Headteacher to include some detail on the power to use reasonable force or make other physical contact: the situations in which reasonable force may be used (including removing disruptive pupils from classrooms, or preventing them from leaving) should be stated in the Behaviour Policy. A definition of ‘reasonable force’ should be included, which should also explain how and when pupils may be restrained. The Governing Body would expect named staff to be trained in the use of reasonable force and restraint as the need demands at any particular time.

 

  1. The Behaviour Policy should include some detail on the power to discipline outside the school gates: disciplining beyond the school gates covers the school’s response to all non-criminal bad behaviour and bullying that occurs anywhere off the school premises. The Governing Body must be satisfied, in all situations arising, that the measures proposed by the Headteacher are lawful and that staff and pupils know that sanctions can be applied in these circumstances.

 

Section 3: Review

 

This Statement of Principles will be reviewed every 3 years, or as necessary. The School Behaviour Policy will be reviewed and shared with the Governing Body annually.