Download Behaviour and Anti Bullying 2016

ST ALBAN’S CE (AIDED) PRIMARY SCHOOL
"Inspired to make a difference in God's world with excellence and love"
BEHAVIOUR AND ANTI BULLYING POLICY
DOCUMENT INFORMATION
Reviewed by:
Standards committee
Last Review:
September 2015
October 2016
2 yearly
Review Cycle:
Next Review:
September 2017
Reviewed October 2016 to reflect current needs
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Introduction
St Alban's School is a school founded on Christian values. We value relationships between adults and children,
which we believe are vital to the development of self-esteem as well as self-discipline. Both school and parents
expect the highest standard of behaviour from our pupils, encouraging and rewarding good behaviour, and we
aim to work together to achieve this. We believe it is our duty to ensure that children are safe at our school and
do all that we can to prevent bullying and to deal effectively with any incidents that may occur.
Aims of this Policy
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To ensure that everyone who has dealings with our school is aware of both the expectations we have of
behaviour and the structures in place to reward good behaviour, attitudes and effort as well as dealing with
unacceptable behaviour should it occur.
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To ensure that children are aware of what constitutes acceptable behaviour through the consistent
application of this policy. This is communicated to children using school, key stage and class assemblies, circle
time and PSHE sessions to discuss important issues, which affect behaviour and relationships in school.
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To ensure that all adults have a shared, consistent approach to promoting good behaviour and dealing with
incidents of unacceptable behaviour or attitudes when they occur. Specifically all adults are expected to:
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Address children by name
Speak calmly and respectfully, seeking to defuse situations and prevent them from escalating
Give children an opportunity to explain their actions
Listen to children when they speak
Be fair, not pre-judging children based on previous incidents
Avoid negative behaviour defining terms
Be punctual for lessons and duties
Through this policy, specifically the section relating to ‘anti-bullying’, we will meet the three aims of the Equality
Act and the public sector Equality Duty which requires public bodies to have due regard to the need to:
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Eliminate unlawful discrimination, harassment, victimisation and any other conduct prohibited by the act
Advance equality of opportunity between people who share a protected characteristic and people who do not
share it
Foster good relations between people who share a protected characteristic and people who do not share it.
(Protected characteristics as defined by the Equality Act: Age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil
partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion and belief, sex, sexual orientation.)
Ethos, School rules and Class code of conduct
Through our strong focus on teaching Christian values and our promotion of British values we create an ethos of
respect and care for others that impacts positively on behaviour. High standards of conduct are expected at all
times at St Alban’s Primary School. All children are expected to:
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Have a positive attitude to their work
Have a caring attitude to others
Respect the opinions and property of other people
Be courteous to everyone they meet
Persevere and become independent learners
Be reflective, considering the consequences of their actions
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At the start of each year, all classes create their own code of conduct based on these principles. We maintain
high standards of conduct through consistently expecting children to demonstrate good basic manners and
habits, for example:
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Walk quietly around the school
Be silent in the hall before the start of Assembly and when walking out of the hall after Assembly
Listen and look when other people are speaking
Address others by name
Say please and thank you to all
Open doors, hold doors for adults as well as for each other
Take care of their own and school property, value other people’s belongings
Display good table manners
Line up at the end of break and lunch times in an orderly manner
Take pride in the tidiness of their own appearance and demeanour (e.g. through tucking their shirts in,
keeping sashes tied neatly)
All adults are expected to remind children politely of these basic expectations of conduct at all times so that these
are consistently reinforced.
How we reward good behaviour and attitudes
On a daily basis, we expect children to intrinsically behave well (rather than for a reward) and the vast majority of
children in our school demonstrate consistently good behaviour. However, it is also important to acknowledge
this in a variety of ways which may include the following:
Daily  Positive verbal praise – regularly and deliberately noticing instances of good behaviour
 Individual in-class reward systems appropriate to the age and needs of the children e.g. stickers, monitors.
These may be incremental in earning other rewards e.g. If a child has been on the ‘star’ 3 times they can
choose to have extra iPad or trailblazing time
 House points awarded through our School House system - Winchester, Durham, York and Canterbury.
Weekly
 Up to four merits for each class can be nominated by the class teacher and presented in a weekly celebration
assembly. These merits can be for good work, effort and behaviour.
 In Foundation Stage, Years 1 and 2, ‘Sparkle Time’ is offered on Friday afternoons to all children who have
maintained good behaviour throughout the week
 ‘Gold Award’ – children can be nominated by any member of the school community. These awards are to
acknowledge exceptional behaviour and attitudes in the wider world, above and beyond expectation
Half Termly
 Postcards home to celebrate good behaviour and attendance
 Invitation to sit at the ‘top table’ in the dining hall during a lunchtime - for one child from each class who has
consistently demonstrated expected standards of behaviour and displayed positive attitudes to learning
Termly
 Governor’s Award (termly), presented to a child in each class who has ‘gone the extra mile’
 Invitation to attend a ‘tea party’ with the Head teacher - for one child from each class who has consistently
demonstrated the Christian value of ‘love’ at school.
Yearly
 Ambassador Roles - Through many areas of the curriculum, children have the opportunity to apply for
leadership positions such as Librarians, Sports Leaders, Digital Leaders, School council. These opportunities
are awarded to children whose own conduct around school sets the example to others.
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Dealing with behaviour that is unacceptable
We consider behaviour to be unacceptable when:
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Teachers, teaching assistants, lunchtime staff and other adults are prevented from carrying out their duties
Children are prevented from normal working practices which is detrimental to their learning
Children are rude and use unacceptable language
Children show verbal or physical aggression
Children behave in an unsafe or non-compliant manner
Disciplinary matters are dealt with by the class teacher in the first instance. It is expected that class teachers will
contact a child’s parents early on where behaviour is a cause for concern so that school and parents can work in
partnership to support a child in improving their behaviour.
More serious incidents or frequency of incidents may also require the involvement of the Phase Leader, Deputy
Headteacher or Headteacher. At this point, a higher level sanction may be applied according to the behaviour.
Behaviour Boards
EYFS/KS1:
An ‘infant-friendly’ behaviour board consisting of a star, sunshine, a grey and black cloud is used. This provides a
strong visual representation of expected behaviour that is suitable for the youngest children in the school.
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A sunshine, with all the children’s names on, is displayed in the classroom. Every child begins on the sunshine
each day in order to promote positive expectations for the day ahead.
If behaviour falls below the expected standard, a verbal warning is given and that child’s name is moved to
the grey cloud (this can be redeemed by correcting the behaviour with the child’s name moving back to the
sunshine).
If the unacceptable behaviour continues, the name is moved to the black cloud (this can be redeemed by
correcting the behaviour with the child’s name moved back to the grey cloud and also back to the sunshine
with further improved behaviour).
Children who remain on the black cloud will receive an age appropriate sanction and this will be recorded by
the teacher in a Class Behaviour Log
Children who consistently show good behaviour are moved to the ‘star’ and rewarded appropriately.
KS2:
In Years 3, 4, 5 and 6 there is a yellow ‘Well done board’ displayed in each classroom.
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Children are expected to behave well
If behaviour falls below the expected standard, a verbal warning is given. (This can be redeemed by correcting
the behaviour.)
If the behaviour is not adjusted/continues, the child’s name is written on the red board. (This can be
redeemed by correcting the behaviour with the verbal warning remaining. If behaviour continues to improve,
the verbal warning is also redeemed.)
Children who consistently show good behaviour are moved to the ‘star’ and rewarded appropriately.
Children who remain on the red board will receive a suitable sanction (see below) and this will be recorded by
the teacher in a Class Behaviour Log.
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Sanctions
EYFS/KS1/KS2
If a behaviour continues after a verbal warning, then the following sequence of sanctions will be applied:
1st time – Name on black cloud or red board
- Appropriate sanction e.g. 5 minutes play time missed
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2 time – Name remains on black cloud/written again on red board
- Additional sanction (e.g. further 5 minutes play time missed) and work at an individual table/area of the
classroom
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3 time – Name remains on black cloud/written again on the red board
- Time out in a partner class (usually 5-15mins depending on the child and the nature of the incident)
- Return to partner class if behaviour is not corrected
- Extended Friday break will be forfeited
All incidents resulting in the black cloud or red board will be recorded in the Class Behaviour Log. Three incidents
will result in a discussion with the Phase Leader during the forfeited extended Friday break. Class teachers will
inform parents at this stage.
Continued poor behaviour will result in the following chain of sanctions:
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Half day internal isolation (or following morning according to the time)
Daily Report card/behaviour chart for a minimum period of one week
15 /30 minutes after school detention
Formal internal isolation for a defined period of time (letter sent home to parents)
In exceptional circumstances, for example non-compliance, unsafe behaviour or attempting to physically hurt
another (through words or actions), sanctions will immediately begin at the internal isolation stage.
Hampshire County Council guidelines for exclusion will also be applied in the most serious cases warranting
this.
Exceptional/Individual Circumstances It is important to note that, although the above procedures and principles will be effective for most children, in
some individual cases a personalised approach to behaviour management may need to be followed in order to
ensure the successful inclusion of individual children with specific, identified needs. The SENCO will take a lead
role in working with class teachers and parents to devise and monitor the effectiveness of any such plans.
Although personalised plans and strategies will be put in place to enable children with SEND to succeed at school,
it is important to note that the school has a duty of care to all children and, if an individual child’s behaviour is
impacting negatively on the safety and learning of others, sanctions within the behaviour policy will be applied as
necessary in order to ensure the school’s duty of care to all pupils.
Lunchtime
Children are expected to maintain consistently high standards of behaviour at lunchtime. The School Council,
Lunch time charter details the following expectations Children will
 Talk quietly and politely to each other and the lunch time supervisors
 Eat with our mouths closed
 Tidy away our own belongings
 Try to do things for ourselves
 Ask for help when needed
 Keep all playground rules
 Say please and thank you
Adults will
 Talk quietly and politely to each other and the children
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Make sure the children are safe
Make sure the eating area is well organised
Help the children open packets etc
Listen when the children have a problem
Help the children organise and play games
At lunchtime, good behaviour and conduct can be rewarded in the following ways:
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Stickers
Lunchtime Award certificates
Giving house points
Supervisors are encouraged to mediate behaviour issues themselves in a calm manner that will defuse situations.
Where support is needed, the Senior Lunchtime Supervisor will be consulted. If this cannot resolve the situation,
Senior Leaders will become involved.
A Lunch time Incident slip will be filled in and passed to class teachers at the end of the lunchtime for any cases of
unacceptable behaviour or conduct that they have dealt with. This is so that class behaviour boards can be used
to reflect lunchtime incidents. Class teachers must follow up on any incidents of poor behaviour at lunchtime,
informing parents as necessary and in line with the procedures outlined in this policy.
Children whose behaviour has been unacceptable may be removed from the playground or dining area by lunch
supervisors for a defined period of time to reflect on their behaviour. Children may be asked to stand with a
supervisor during this time or near the medical room/staff room where they can be supervised.
A lunchtime exclusion may also be applied in cases where behaviour at lunchtimes regularly or seriously falls
below acceptable levels. This would mean the child would have to be removed from school for the lunch hour.
Parents will be informed by letter if a debarment is to be imposed.
Physical Restraint of Pupils
We do all we can within our school to manage behaviour positively, however occasionally physical restraint of a
pupil may be necessary. It is anticipated that this will be used rarely and all staff will follow the Hampshire Local
Authority ‘Restrictive Physical Intervention in Schools ‘policy and guidelines document. Four members of staff are
‘Team teach’ trained.
Anti-bullying
We believe that our school response to bullying does not just start at the point at which a child has been bullied.
Through our strong focus on Christian values, British values and the content of Collective Worship, PSE and other
aspects of the curriculum, we aim to prevent bullying occurring in the first place. We prioritise maintaining an
ethos and culture of good behaviour through the systems and procedures outlined in this policy which result in
pupils treating one another and the school staff with respect because they know that this is the right way to
behave.
What is bullying?
From ‘Preventing and tackling bullying Advice for Head teachers, Staff and Governing Bodies’ Oct 2014 (DfE):
Bullying is behaviour by an individual or group, repeated over time, that intentionally hurts another individual or
group either physically or emotionally. Bullying can take many forms (for instance, cyber-bullying via text
messages or the internet), and is often motivated by prejudice against particular groups, for example on grounds
of race, religion, gender, sexual orientation, or because a child is adopted or has caring responsibilities. It might be
motivated by actual differences between children, or perceived differences. Stopping violence and ensuring
immediate physical safety is obviously a school’s first priority but emotional bullying can be more damaging than
physical; teachers and schools have to make their own judgements about each specific case.
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Many experts say that bullying involves an imbalance of power between the perpetrator and the victim. This could
involve perpetrators of bullying having control over the relationship which makes it difficult for those they bully to
defend themselves. The imbalance of power can manifest itself in several ways, it may be physical, psychological
(knowing what upsets someone), derive from an intellectual imbalance, or by having access to the support of a
group, or the capacity to socially isolate. It can result in the intimidation of a person or persons through the threat
of violence or by isolating them either physically or online.
Reporting bullying
All staff at St Alban’s School are aware of the need to be vigilant and responsive to bullying behaviour and
promote a culture in which children can easily report any concerns or allegations to any member of staff.
Specifically:
 The school employs two Emotional Literacy Support Assistants (ELSAs) who support children in improving
their ability to interact and socialise with others
 From Year 3 upwards, each classroom has a “Help Box” where a child may post a note informing their teacher
of any incident that is making them unhappy
 Children have the opportunity to complete a questionnaire every year which specifically asks about bullying
and feeling safe at school
 Circle times provide an opportunity to discuss issues of concern
 Collective worship assemblies focus during the year on issues relating to bullying (E.g. difference, how to help
a victim, the bystander effect etc) and this will help most children to become confident to talk about incidents
that may concern them.
We are aware some children may be reluctant to report concerns to school staff and encourage parents to speak
to their child’s class teacher if they feel there may be a risk their child is being bullied. In these situations we work
with individual children to help them to develop the confidence and strategies to be able to raise concerns for
themselves in school, as we know that we can assess and deal with concerns much more effectively and promptly
if we are aware of them at the time, rather than finding out several days or weeks later. In addition, school staff
are very aware of the need to be vigilant to a child’s change in personality, demeanour or attitude and will
endeavour to investigate why this may be the case in order to rule out a safeguarding concern, which may include
bullying.
Allegations of bullying
If an allegation of bullying is made, the matter will be recorded on a separate anti-bullying log (kept in the Class
behaviour Log). The incident will be investigated and the outcomes shared with the child’s parents. All reports
will be logged, regardless of whether the incident after investigation meets the criteria of bullying. This is to
ensure that reports can be evaluated and patterns identified and any single incidents that may progress to
bullying can be identified early on.
If, following investigation, the allegation is substantiated (meeting the definition of bullying) then action will be
taken to ensure that the child who has bullied another child knows that their actions were wrong and will not be
tolerated and is deterred from continuing. For example, actions that may be taken include: a discussion with
parents of the child who has bullied; a sanction that is proportionate to the incident of bullying (e.g. loss of a
privilege or class-based reward, loss of playtimes, removal to another class for a defined period, lunchtime
debarment, a period of temporary exclusion from school etc).
The specific actions taken will vary depending upon the age of the children involved and any other relevant
factors. We will however always take an action that we believe will be the most effective in ending the bullying
behaviour and will monitor the situation to ensure that the individual has ceased the behaviour. We will also
attempt to find out if there are any underlying reasons behind the bullying so that we can put in place
support/preventative measures.
In all cases we believe it is important for the child to apologise for their behaviour. We also believe it is important
to allow children to ‘redeem’ themselves through improved, acceptable behaviour. Alongside sanctions, we will
provide support to individuals who may need to learn how to modify their behaviour (e.g. a program of work with
a trained ELSA).
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We will monitor a situation closely to ensure that bullying has ceased. When it has, the child will be told formally
that the matter has been dealt with and is now closed with improved behaviour expected to continue.
As well as working with a child who has bullied, we also ensure that the child who has been bullied:
 realises that they are not to blame
 receives support from staff, including from trained ELSAs where this is appropriate
 is not made to feel threatened by the bullier
When allegations do not meet the definition of ‘bullying’
If an allegation of bullying has been investigated and found not to meet the definition of ‘bullying’, school staff
will apply the sanctions in the behaviour policy for any behaviours that fall short of our behaviour expectations.
Specific forms of bullying
We do not tolerate any form of bullying behaviour at our school, including racist, cyber, homophobic and faith
based bullying. Senior leaders will track the number and type of incidents of bullying and note if any incidents
are classified as one of the following forms of bullying in particular:
Racist Bullying (Racism)
Racism is something someone does or says that offends someone else in connection with their colour,
background, culture or religion. It is:
 When a person is teased or called names because of their culture or the colour of their skin, their religion, the
country they come from, their language and the way they talk, the food they eat, the clothes they wear or
their background
 When people are stereotyped by their colour or religion
 When people make fun of a person’s family
 When a person is rejected or excluded from a group because of their colour or religion
(Incidents will also be reported to the DCSF using the Hampshire Bullying and Racial Incident Record Form.)
Cyber-bullying
The rapid development of, and widespread access to, technology has provided a new medium for ‘virtual’
bullying, which can occur in or outside school. Cyber-bullying is a different form of bullying and can happen at all
times of the day, with a potentially bigger audience, and more accessories to the bullying as people forward on
content easily with a click.
Through our e-safety curriculum we teach children how to stay safe online and report concerns they may have.
We will follow the steps outlined above for any incident of cyber-bullying, ensuring that we work closely with
families as it is often the case that cyber-bullying has occurred outside of school hours (due to access to the
internet with possibly less controls/supervision).
Homophobic
Bullying on the basis of perceived sexual orientation or gender identity is a specific type of bullying and is defined
as homophobic bullying. Studies show that it is not only lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) youth who
experience homophobic and transphobic bullying, but also learners who are perceived as not conforming to
existing gender norms and stereotypes. Homophobic bullying also includes when homophobic words are used
during bullying.
Faith-based
Faith-based bullying includes being taunted, excluded, or abused physically, emotionally or verbally on the
grounds of a person’s religious beliefs, affiliation to a given religion, perceived religious identity by others,
including those of other religious groups or belief systems.
Allegations of abuse by children
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Any member of staff who has a concern that a child/young person might have been abused by another
child/young person should complete a ‘Safeguarding – record of concern’ form and discuss this with the
Designated Safeguarding Lead (Head teacher) or deputy DSL in the absence of the Head teacher.
Concerns may also be raised by carers or a child, and these will be recorded on the same form ‘Safeguarding –
record of concern’ by the member of staff to whom the disclosure has been made and discussed with the DSL.
Any allegations/concerns will be treated as a safeguarding matter and dealt with in accordance with the Child
Protection and Safeguarding policy.
The DSL will refer their concerns to Children’s Services in accordance with the referrals procedure. Referrals of
peer abuse will be taken as seriously as allegations of abuse perpetrated by an adult.
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