BEHAVIOUR MANAGEMENT POLICY
Our school Mission statement places our children firmly at the centre of all that we do in the light of
the teachings of Jesus and the Catholic Church: in order to achieve this it is necessary to actively
promote high self esteem, respect for self and others and a sense of responsibility. We believe that
positive behaviour management is essential in promoting our school aims and is a key factor in
ensuring a happy, safe and effective learning environment in which all our children can work
towards achieving their full potential.
This will be most successful where we ensure that:
EXPECTATIONS ARE HIGH - All members of our school community have and share the highest
possible expectations of work and behaviour.
COMMUNICATION IS GOOD - Such expectations are clearly communicated to all pupils.
PROCEDURES ARE UNDERSTOOD BY ALL – There are clear guidelines communicated to all
members of the community
THERE IS CONSISTENCY - Our policy on behaviour management is shared, understood and
consistently applied by all members of the school community
WE ADOPT A WHOLE SCHOOL APPROACH - All members of our school community share the
responsibility for promoting good behaviour
WE ACCENTUATE THE POSITIVE - Good behaviour is noticed, encouraged, rewarded and
celebrated, so that all pupils both experience and celebrate success
WE ACTIVELY PROMOTE THE DEVELOPMENT OF SELF DISCIPLINE - all pupils are
encouraged to develop awareness of and take responsibility for the consequences of their own
actions
WE WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS - Our parents share and support our behaviour
management policy, and joint commitment is demonstrated by the shared signing of our HomeSchool Agreement.
Implementation
September 2012
We want our school to be a happy and productive place. In order to achieve this it is essential that
we adopt a whole school approach and that:
 All members of our school community are visibly valued and respect for ALL, regardless of











their perceived status, is insisted upon
A calm and positive approach is adopted by all members of our school community.
Adults set positive role models as regards behaviour, relationships, work and appearance –
children learn by example
Adults clearly communicate high expectations to children – we tell them what we expect,
and insist our standards are met
Rules are agreed, displayed and constantly reinforced. Children should understand their
purpose in helping to keep our school a happy place
There are clear consequences for both good and inappropriate behaviour, and shared
guidelines for applying these
We promote an environment in which children are encouraged to take responsibility, both
for themselves and for others
Good behaviour is always commented upon and rewarded – remember, praise costs nothing
and is one of the most effective reinforcements we can use!
All staff play a key role in both promoting good behaviour and in correcting inappropriate
behaviour where necessary
Children are encouraged to respect themselves, others and property. This includes using
good manners at all times!
In exceptional cases staff are able to use professional judgement in applying the Behaviour
Policy
Parents are kept informed and involved – this includes letting them know about good
behaviour – via sharing of the policy and the Home-School Agreement
However positive our approach, it will sometimes be necessary to deal with inappropriate
behaviour. As a Catholic School reconciliation is essential to this – children need to realise that we
can all make mistakes and that it is never too late to start again. With this in mind, every day is a
new day and a new chance --- and children will always start each day afresh, with a ‘clean sheet’.
Within school systems, staff may always employ their own professional judgement according to
their knowledge of children or contexts for behaviour – under certain situations, for example, it may
be necessary to remove a child from class. They may also take additional steps, for example helping
children to repair damage – physical or emotional – and where appropriate giving the child time to
reflect and come up with their own solutions – what can they do to make things better?
Staff may also use professional judgement in contacting parents more informally wherever they are
concerned about a child’s behaviour. In persistent cases it may be helpful to record successes in
behaviour over a set period, for example via a behaviour chart or home-school diary.
Consequences
Although a positive approach remains our priority, we recognise that at times consequences for poor
behaviour are essential – to prevent recurrence and to signal to the child and others that their
behaviour is unacceptable and will not be tolerated.
When dealing with inappropriate behaviour it is always important to be calm, consistent and to
ensure that we communicate that it is the behaviour that is unacceptable, rather than the child. This
will help to maintain the child’s self-esteem and will provide a firm foundation for moving forward.
It is also important that clear systems are established so that learning and teaching time is not
disrupted.
Consequences should be applied consistently throughout the school, and should be hierarchical,
with consequences moving down the scale where the child does not respond to earlier prompts :
1. A behavioural prompt – to remind the child and encourage good behaviour
2. A clear verbal warning – wherever possible give the child a chance to take responsibility for
correcting their own behaviour
3. Child’s name is listed on the board
4. The child’s name is highlighted – meaning a playtime detention will be imposed
5. The child will be referred to Mr Pugh (Deputy Head Teacher) or another member of the
Senior Management Team
6. The child is referred to the Head Teacher
7. Formal contact is made with parents
8. More formal steps including temporary/permanent exclusion
Normally for minor incidents the scale of consequences would be applied from the beginning.
However for more serious incidents, the first three steps may be omitted, and major incidents would
result in instant referral to Mrs Lawton.
Categorisation of such incidents is not complete or conclusive but would include :
Minor Incidents: consistent inappropriate chatter, failure to concentrate on work, persistent
disruptive fidgeting
More Serious Incidents: answering back, deliberately disrespectful behaviour (towards adults or
other children), aggressive behaviour (including ‘rough play’)
Major Incidents: Racism, Bullying (see Anti-Bullying Policy for definitions of this), intentional
violence, violence – verbal or physical – towards staff members.
Staff will use professional judgement when determining where any type of misbehaviour falls
within this scale.
Exclusion, whether fixed term or permanent, is always a last resort and would only ever be used in
the most extreme cases where all other strategies and options had been fully explored.
Please note that unless a child is posing a risk to themselves or to others, physical contact within the
bounds of these guidelines is both inappropriate and unacceptable.
Rewards
It is important that children know that their hard work and good behaviour have been recognised
and that such successes have been celebrated. All classes and staff should operate reward systems
to encourage good behaviour within the whole school policy. Such systems should mirror the
system and hierarchy of sanctions within the class:
Acknowledgement of good behaviour – a smile, nod, thumbs up
Verbal praise
Child’s name is listed on the board - positively
Child’s name is highlighted – resulting in additional reward e.g. stickers
Positive referral to Mr Pugh (Deputy Head Teacher) or another member of the Senior
Management Team
6. The child is referred to the Head Teacher
7. Formal contact is made with parents to celebrate the child’s success
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Within these systems staff may also administer their own rewards, for example
 Praise
 Stickers
 Special privileges – first in line, special places etc
 Daily/weekly awards – child of the week/day, star children etc
 Table/group points
 Class awards e.g. Marbles in the jar
 Merit certificates (presented in whole school assembly)
They may also, where appropriate, share success with parents – in person, letter or by phone
Conclusion
The success of our Mission statement and aims depend upon an atmosphere where every child is
encouraged to ‘Be the best they can be.’ A caring, positive approach to behaviour management will
help to ensure that children grow in self-belief, self-esteem and in the love of Christ, so that His
mission too is fulfilled:
“I have come that they may have life,
and have it to the full.”
Practical Guidelines for Positive Behaviour Management
Remember – look for the good, and CELEBRATE SUCCESS!
1. Always communicate your expectations clearly to children at the start of any activity – tell them
exactly what you want them to do, and how!
2. Agree a set of rules with your class at the start of each year. These should be kept to a minimum,
should use positive language wherever possible and the reasons for them should be understood by
all.
3. Display your rules clearly in your classroom. Refer to them wherever necessary, and ensure that you
remind children of them regularly, pre-empting situations wherever possible. They should be a
‘living document!’
4. Be consistent in your application of rules. They must be seen to apply to all children at all times.
5. Have a motivational system of class rewards, so that children know that good behaviour does not go
unrecognised, but rather is rewarded and celebrated.
6. Make sure that the efforts of all children are recognised and rewarded. Always be on the lookout for
the ‘little things’!
7. Develop clear routines – for moving around the school, going up/down stairs coming into class,
switching activities and so on. Insist, for example, on silence for certain activities – registration,
times when you or someone else is speaking, lining up, moving around the school.
8. Always be in the right place at the right time – children should never be left unsupervised.
9. Be prepared – so that lessons start promptly and flow smoothly, minimising the risk of restless
children!
10. Always enforce your rules and expectations...
11. ...and never make idle threats or empty promises. Children remember!
12. Always ensure that children know you have confidence in their ability to behave well and to meet
your expectations. Tell them!
13. Don’t label children. Always take time to listen to all points of view and try to be fair to all.
14. Insist upon good manners – please, thank you, pardon, excuse me, addressing adults with respect,
holding doors open and so on – and upon high standards of cleanliness and appearance.
15. Use praise generously but specifically – tell children exactly why you are pleased with them!
16. Use ‘proximal praise’. Highlighting children who are doing the ‘right thing’ can often have a ripple
effect on the whole group.
17. Actively promote a calm, positive classroom and school. Always look first for what’s going well.
Shouting, confrontation, blanket punishment and loss of temper are not acceptable here. Remember,
a calm teacher has a calm class – and vice versa!
18. Give children opportunities to reflect upon their behaviour and its effect upon themselves and
others. This helps to promote self-discipline.
19. Encourage children to take responsibility. Give them jobs within class and beyond, as class helpers,
monitors and so on. This also clearly communicates your faith in them.
20. Involve parents, and keep them informed about their child’s behaviour – remembering that they need
to hear about the successes too!
21. Ensure that you work hard to develop good relationships with all children, whilst remembering that
you are the teacher. There is a clear difference between being a friend and being a ‘mate’!
POSITIVE BEHAVIOUR MANAGEMENT – Dinner Time Guidance
Positive Strategies for encouraging good behaviour
1. Always look out for the positives – good manners, care and consideration, children
following instructions etc. Make sure children know what you’re looking for - ‘I’m looking
for children who say please’ etc. – and that they know you’ve noticed people doing the right
thing.
2. Always be ready to reward good behaviour – praise, stickers, sweets, a mention to class
teachers etc.
3. If a child is not following instructions, try proximal praise – praise children nearby who are
doing the right thing. Often other children will pick up on this and copy them.
4. Make sure that children are clear about exactly what you want them to do – give instructions
clearly and praise them for ‘getting it right’.
Positive strategies do work for most children – if they are used consistently and with commitment.
However, sometimes children do forget, and situations may arise which you need to address. Don’t
be disheartened by this – use the following strategies, but do remember to then find something
positive to pick up on as soon as you can. This will help to get the children ‘back on track’ quickly.
5. Make sure that you are vigilant and where necessary deal promptly with any situations
before they escalate. Children are then much more likely to respond to a calm, quiet word.
6. If you do need to deal directly with a situation, stay calm, quiet but firm. Raised voices and
shouting are unacceptable – they are the surest ways of escalating a situation, and leave
everybody feeling tense and upset.
7. If you are at all concerned about any issue or child, do speak to their teacher as soon as
possible. It’s important that we all work together to keep our school a happy place.
REMEMBER : Unless a child is posing a risk to themselves or others, physical contact should be
avoided.
Shouting is unnecessary and unacceptable!
STAY POSITIVE. A SMILE
CAN WORK WONDERS!!
WHOLE SCHOOL RULES
At Holy Infant & St Anthony School we always:
 Show respect for one another and to property
 Move around our school quietly and safely
 Use the best of manners
 Try our best in everything we do
This helps to make our school
a safe and happy place to be!