We aim to create a welcoming, caring environment where relationships are based on respect and where children are expected to develop a sense of right and wrong, tolerance, honesty and self-discipline. Good pupil behaviour is fundamental to each child’s happiness, well-being and successful learning. All members of the Queen Margaret Primary School team are committed to maintaining high expectations of good behaviour as an essential contribution to the educational experience at Queen Margaret Primary School.
It is our aim to promote a school ethos which is underpinned by core values. These values support the development of children as reflective learners within a calm, caring, happy and purposeful atmosphere. We believe that it is our role to guide our children to become self-aware, self-regulating and intrinsically motivated individuals. We therefore use a Restorative approach to conflict where we guide the children to thinks through conversations using the following as a guide:
Pupils are encouraged to consider the consequences of their actions with guidance from staff.
As a direct consequence of the Behaviour Policy:
Children will:
Teachers will:
Parents will:
This policy aims to:
This policy is based on advice from the Department for Education (DfE) on:
In addition, this policy is based on:
Everyone in our school will use the agreed reward and sanctions procedures and children will at all times be expected to follow a direct instruction given by an adult.
The 4B’s will form the basis of our behaviour management and will be written by the children and reviewed annually in the summer term. They will be displayed in strategic positions around the school and in every classroom. The children will be expected to follow them and will be rewarded when there is evidence that they are being followed.
In the playground at playtime and lunchtime, the 4B’s apply. Additionally the following apply:
The core of our behaviour policy is as follows:
We believe that all children have the right to develop their potential, be safe and happy. As a whole school we live by our values (as seen below) alongside our 4B rules. It is the responsibility of everyone to assist in the promotion of socially acceptable ways to behave.
Guidelines: Our school values:
The rewards are simple. The reward systems are separate from the sanctions. They are based on positive celebration of good behaviour/attitude/work. They relate to the 4 Bs. They are interlinked. They have individual year group interpretation but have the same consistent skeleton. Rewards cannot be removed once they have been given – Appendix 1 goes into more detail about the system.
Oak, Beech, Rowan and Maple
Every child and adult will belong to a house. Siblings will all belong to the same house. House points will be awarded for attitude to learning, effort, work produced, home learning/attendance, behaviour and good manners.
Monitors will collect House points weekly (each Friday afternoon) and the totals for each house will be announced in Celebration Assembly. A house point’s chart will be created in the Hall. Each classroom will consistently record individual house points and house totals.
Y6 children will be selected democratically to be House Captains and Vice Captains. Each term the winning team will be awarded a cup.
Celebration assembly is on a Friday.
2 certificates are awarded per class to children. 2 Values vouchers winners are also chosen to attend the Headteachers Tea Party which is held at the end of each term.
Children can be sent to the Head Teacher’s office daily to share their good work or behaviour where a Head Teacher Award Sticker will be given. When any adult sees a child wearing this sticker, please congratulate the child and ask why they got it.
In class rewards systems in line with our policy. An example of classroom rewards could be raffle tickets, stickers, moving up the reward chart.
When children’s behaviour is not acceptable
Remember – It is the behaviour that is unacceptable – not the child
Consider the deed not the perceived reputation of the child
Prior to the sanctions being imposed please ensure that you have tried the following primary preventatives See QMPS Class Behaviour System – Appendix 1 for further details and explanation.
The following provision is available for children who need to be taught positive behaviours:
All situations that include poor behaviour choices or conflict are dealt with in a restorative way with circles and discussions held to reach a resolution.
The Governing body is responsible for reviewing and approving the written statement of behaviour principles (appendix 1).
The governing body will also review this behaviour policy in conjunction with the
Headteacher and monitor the policy’s effectiveness, holding the Headteacher to account for its implementation.
The Headteacher is responsible for reviewing this behaviour policy in conjunction with governing body, giving due consideration to the school’s statement of behaviour principles (appendix 1).
The Headteacher will also approve this policy. The Headteacher will ensure that the school environment encourages positive behaviour and that staff deal effectively with poor behaviour, and will monitor how staff implement this policy to ensure rewards and sanctions are applied consistently.
Staff are responsible for:
The senior leadership team will support staff in responding to behaviour incidents.
Parents are expected to:
Pupils are expected to reflect the Values-based ethos of the school by:
The school recognises its legal duty under the Equality Act 2010 to prevent pupils with a protected characteristic from being at a disadvantage. Consequently, our approach to challenging behaviour may be differentiated to cater to the needs of the pupil. The school’s special educational needs co-ordinator will evaluate a pupil who exhibits challenging behaviour to determine whether they have any underlying needs that are not currently being met. Where necessary, support and advice will also be sought from specialist teachers, an educational psychologist, medical practitioners and/or others, to identify or support specific needs. When acute needs are identified in a pupil, we will liaise with external agencies and plan support programmes for that child. We will work with parents to create the plan and review it on a regular basis.
Frequent behaviour concerns:
For those children whose behaviour is having a significant impact on either their own or their peers learning, or who are displaying exceptional behaviours the class teacher/year group lead/inclusion team may decide to put in:
These should be completed alongside a member of the Senior leadership team who will draw upon the advice of others (eg. pastoral team, ATS) as needed. Ideally, these are implemented sequentially but it may be necessary to go immediately to any of the stages above. From the positive behaviour chart stage onwards all evidence should be saved in CPOMS and relevant staff alerted.
The School’s legal responsibility for safeguarding the welfare of children addresses child protection procedures. We have a duty to ensure that the safeguarding permeates all activities and functions. This policy complements and supports the safeguarding policy. As each child is unique and has specific needs, this policy will be differentiated to meet individual need.
Reasonable force may be used in the following circumstances:
If possible all incidents of ‘restraint’ should be witnessed by another responsible adult.
All incidents must be recorded as soon as possible on CPOMS and a printed version is placed in a physical file in the Headteachers office (Physical File named ‘Hands on’ )
The Head Teacher authorises class teachers and the SLT to use reasonable force to restrain pupils if the circumstances of the particular incident warrant it in order to keep children safe . The degree of force must be in proportion to the circumstances. Any force used should be the minimum needed to achieve the desired result (section 550a Education Act 1996). Both the headteacher and SENDCo are trained using Team Teach method and these are the people that should be called to an incident.
Other members of staff are authorised to use reasonable force to restrain pupils as a last resort when they are unable to refer to the Head Teacher or SENDCo and the same procedure applies in that the incident is recorded on CPOMS and then printed out.
Touching – Everyday acts of communication by physical means to indicate approval, affection, sympathy or to assist teaching
Holding – The use of physical contact applied with a minimal degree of force to direct or calm a child, which does not restrict liberty or restrain
Restricting liberty: Pupils should be removed to an area which is overlooked or has open access
Restraint: A positive application of sufficient force by physical means alone to ensure that a child does not injure them self, a member of staff, another pupil or property.
In some circumstances, staff may use reasonable force to restrain a pupil to prevent them:
A pupil wishing to complain should be treated courteously and without prejudice. A member of staff not involved in the incident should record the complaint, verify and read through with the pupil.
If a complaint is received from a parent or carer alleges some form of pupil abuse or injury, whether inflicted during the restraining of a pupil or not, the Head or designated person must record the complaint in writing, if the parent has not already done so. This recorded information must include where and when the incident occurred, and include as much detail of the alleged injuries or abuse as possible. At this point, it is important
that the Head confirms to the complainant that a full and detailed investigation will be conducted immediately.
If a complaint is received from a member of staff who has been verbally or physically assaulted, the head should:
QMPS Complaints procedure should be followed.
This behaviour policy will be reviewed by the Headteacher and full governing body annually. At each review, the policy will be approved by the Headteacher. The written statement of behaviour principles (appendix 1) will be reviewed and approved by the full governing body annually
Prepared by: Sara Bennion (Head teacher)
Approved by: Full Governing Body Meeting 21st September 2023
Date: September 2023
Review due: September 2024
Approved by; Sara Bennion Headteacher, Emily Bytheway, Joy Pegg, Co-Chairs of Governor
Queen Margaret Primary School endeavours to take into account considerations of race, religion, belief, gender, ethnicity and disability equality in developing and applying this document.
Our behaviour policy reflects the school’s values based ethos
This statement has been drawn up in accordance with the Education and Inspections Act, 2006 (updated 2011) and DfE guidance (Behaviour and Discipline in Schools, January 2016) and is to be taken in conjunction with the school’s behaviour policy and home school agreement which are reviewed regularly by the governing body.
The purpose of this 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 governors, staff and parents for the children at Queen Margaret Primary School as well as taking full account of law and guidance on behaviour matters.
It is intended to help all school staff to be aware of and understand the extent of their powers in respect of discipline and sanctions and how to use them.
This is a statement of principles, not practice; which is to be found in the school’s behaviour policy that has taken account of these principles.
The Governors at Queen Margaret Primary School believe that high standards of behaviour lie at the heart of a successful school and that this is achieved through positive behaviour management in line with the school’s values-based ethos.
A successful school enables:
At Queen Margaret Primary School:
All pupils have the right to feel safe at all times at school. There should be a mutual respect
between staff and pupils and between each other.
All sanctions are monitored for their proper use and effective impact.
The Governing body also emphasises that violence or threatening behaviour will not be tolerated in any circumstances.
Believe in yourself – everything is possible.
The Traffic light system and our 4Bs will form the basis of our behaviour management in the classroom and in and around school. The children will have discussed and written our core behaviour values (4Bs) at the start of each academic year and these will be displayed in each classroom and regularly referred to. These 4Bs will be what makes up our ‘green behaviours’; the children will be expected to follow them and will be rewarded if they have been followed.
Believe in yourself to……
Be the best you
The rewards we use are separate to sanctions from amber or red behaviours. They are based on positive celebrations of good behaviour/attitude, following our 4B’s and learning.
Children can move up through the behaviour system and gain house points as well a positive visit to the Headteacher if they get to the Bee Hive. What we are aiming for is for children to be positive about doing the correct thing and remaining on green behaviours.
When a child’s behaviour is not acceptable
As a school we refer back to a restorative approach to the managing of behaviour. We always make sure that adults understand why a particular behaviour might be happening within the classroom or out in the playground.
When there is an issue we use the following as a support:
We talk about:
The traffic light system is used consistently in the classroom and prior to being used for any sanction being given, in line with our school restorative approach adults will ensure they have followed the preventative strategies and steps outlined below:
If once these steps have been taken the child is still showing unacceptable behaviour then sanctions can be implemented using our class traffic light system.
Children may be issued an automatic amber or red by a member of SLT because the nature or severity of their behaviour.
We also have a Suspensions and Exclusions Policy which should be referred to in serious circumstances.
The sanctions are separate from any reward system we use in school and reflect the age of the child involved. This system is used consistently across the school and they relate directly to the 4Bs that make our ‘green’ or expected behaviours for our children to follow.
Every child starts the day on Green – a reset each day.
A clear verbal warnings should be given to a child that if their behaviour continues or is repeated then an amber will be given. If a personal correction of the same behaviour is seen by an adult then the child should be put back from a warning to the step before (either warning 1, green). Children cannot, however, come back from an Amber or Red sanction only Amber or Red warnings.
Amber
A template letter to be completed to inform the parents/carers circling the behaviour that has been shown. The child will lose 5 minutes of their break/lunchtime for KS1 and 15-minute of their break/lunchtime for KS2.
Red
A further clear verbal warnings should be given to a child who is already on amber before a red sanction is given. There are times when a child’s behaviour warrants an automatic red sanction – see above. All reds to be immediately reported to SLT and a letter circling the behaviour shown will be given to inform the parents/carers. The child will lose 15-minute of their break/lunchtime the same day for KS1 and 30 minutes for KS2.
Additional notes:
At the discretion of SLT detentions may be at the next playtime and lunchtime to avoid additional stress for the child that may trigger further behaviours.
Teachers will be expected to complete an amber and/or red letter and give this to the parents at the end of the same day. Should this not be possible then a picture should be taken of it and it should be uploaded onto Class Dojo to communicate with parents.
Teachers may also want to make a phone call home if they know the parents are not as active on Class Dojo.
Teachers are expected to log any amber or red behaviours on CPOMs. SLT will regularly monitor this and elevate any children onto a Behaviour Chart should it be needed with parents input. SLT will also update and ‘flag’ any concerns weekly in staff meetings.
