1. Introduction

This policy aims at setting the standards of behaviour we expect from all parties involved with our School  (staff, students, parents and volunteers). These are communicated via this document to both new and existing staff, students and volunteers, and are:

• Be fair, honest and treat everyone equally, and with respect
• Try your best to complete any work/task/homework/study assigned to you
• No bullying or aggressive behaviour, of any form (verbal, physical, written), is acceptable

By ensuring we all abide by the guidelines set in this policy, we can provide an environment where our students are free to learn and develop. All staff and volunteers in the school are responsible to ensure that the rules and sanctions are applied consistently, so that students and parents have the security of knowing what to expect and can build up useful habits of behaviour.

2. Responsibilities

The School’s expectations of staff, students and parents are outlined below.

2.1. Staff and Committee Members

Our Staff and Committee Members are asked to take on a number of different duties. Their responsibilities include the below, but may be limited based on the duties assigned to them.

• General
  • Be punctual,
  • Be enthusiastic, approachable and develop positive working relationships,
  • Take seriously any complaints reported to them,
• Teaching
  • Encourage all students to contribute,
  • Provide a balanced curriculum in order to meet the needs of each class/student,
  • Set homework appropriate for the age and abilities of each class/student,
  • Mark or give feedback on work as soon as possible,
  • Communicate both successes and concerns with students/parents/guardians,
  • Reward successes and use sanctions consistently.

2.2. Students

• General
  • Arrive at lessons on time,
  • Enter the classrooms quietly,
  • Use appropriate language on and off school premises,
  • Listen to other ideas, value their contributions to lessons and work cooperatively,
  • No phones, cameras or other electronic devices during lessons and breaks,
  • Report any inappropriate behaviour by others,
  • No anti-social or bullying behaviour
• Learning
  • Have necessary books, stationery etc as needed for the lesson,
  • Complete any homework and/or study tasks as allocated  by the teacher,
  • Follow classroom rules and instructions given by staff,
  • Do not disrupt the learning of other pupils.

2.3. Parents

• General
  • Discuss school rules with children,
  • Assist and support the School with following and enforcing the behaviour policy,
  • Attend parent meetings as requested by the School,
  • Report any inappropriate incidents as soon as possible,
• Teaching Support
  • Ensure that children arrive at school on time,
  • Ensure that children attend school regularly
  • Notify the School in the event of an absence or lateness,
  • Ensure homework and study is completed as per the teachers instructions,
  • Inform the school of any concerns or problems that may affect the child’s work or behaviour.

2.4. Volunteers

In order for the School to operate we frequently rely on a number of volunteers outside of our Committee Members. This is both for day to day operations and for events. These volunteers are not bound by any contractual obligations, but are expected as a minimum to:

• General
  • Be punctual,
  • Be enthusiastic, approachable and develop positive working relationships,
  • Take seriously any complaints reported to them and forward them to a staff or committee member
  • Communicate any concerns they have or are raised to them to a staff or committee member

3. Sanctions

Although this school aims to focus on positive behaviours at all times, there are unfortunately occasions when a minority of pupils let themselves, the school and others down through their unacceptable or inappropriate behaviour.

We want pupils to take responsibility for their behaviour and will encourage pupils to do this through restorative justice approaches which enable pupils to reflect on their behaviour and to make amends.

This process does not, however, replace consequences. At our school, we know that consistency is essential for pupils to understand what is expected of them and to avoid mixed messages. It is vital that children become aware that there are always consequences for poor and unacceptable behaviour.

Each case will be dealt with individually, with children being made aware that they are responsible for their own actions and that behaving in certain ways will lead to the use of sanctions.

3.1. Step 1 – Minor breaches

What are they?

Minor breaches include but are not limited to:

• Being late for class
• Not being adequately prepared for class
• General boisterous behaviour that is not harmful to others

What is the response?

Initial responses to such inappropriate behaviour may include:

• talk to the child – try to discover what has happened/if there is a problem
• a reminder of expected behaviour
• a verbal reprimand
• moving to sit alone in the classroom
• withdrawing to another class
• a warning of ‘time out’ at break-time

Who deals with it?

Minor breaches are dealt with by the class teacher in a caring, supportive and fair manner, with some flexibility regarding the age of the child.

Note: For all incidents at school, parents will be receiving a “Poor Behaviour Note” which will be briefly describing the incident. A record is kept in school of these communications with parents with regards to behaviour. Five such notes will trigger a formal letter to the student’s parent/guardian.

3.2. Step 2 – Major breaches

What are they?

Major breaches to our expected behaviour include but are not limited to:

• Receiving 5 or more “Poor Behaviour Notes”
• Intimidating or hurtful behaviour towards others
• Bullying or anti-social behaviour

What is the response?

Typical responses to major breaches of the School’s behaviour policy include:

• Meeting with the student’s parent/guardian to discuss and come up with a plan to support the student and avoid repeating of such behaviour
• Depending on the seriousness of the breach and taking into consideration the student’s individual needs, a major breach may lead to a written formal warning issued to the student. If this is the case, this will be done in writing following discussion with the student’s guardian.

Who deals with it?

Major breaches are dealt with by a committee that includes:

• The student’s teacher
• The teacher that reported the incident (if applicable)
• The Head Teacher
• 1-2 representatives of the School Committee (if applicable)

3.3. Step 3 – Multiple major breaches

What are they?

In the unfortunate occasion when a student has received 2 written formal warnings within the same academic year and is now in a situation where they are receiving the third one.

What is the response?

The third written formal warning is an expulsion notice from the School.

In case of expulsion, any fees due to the School are calculated as follows:

• For courses where the fees are calculated annually, the full fees are due. In exceptional cases, we may consider refunding a prorated portion of the annual fees for any full term the student will not be attending.
• For courses where the fees are calculated hourly, fees due are up to the last date the student was expected to attend. 

Who deals with it?

Considering the seriousness of this situation, these cases are dealt with by a committee that includes:

• The student’s teacher
• The Head Teacher
• Majority representation of the School Committee

4. Appeals

Considering that in all of the above steps both the Teacher and Headteacher were involved and agreed to the decision making and actions taken, any appeals should be sent in writing (via email) to the School Committee (in accordance to Stage 3 of our Complaints Policy).

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Last reviewed: August 2023 – Next review: August 2024