Hopton CEVC Primary School
Positive Behaviour Policy
Approved by:
Kate Clements
Tony Hood
Marc Careless
The Governing Body of Hopton CEVC Primary School reviewed this policy Friday 30th
September 2016
It will review it termly for the first year and then in September 2017
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Aims and objectives
1.1 It is a primary aim of our school that every member of the school community feels
valued and respected, and that each person is treated fairly and well. We are a caring
community, whose values are built on mutual trust and respect for all. The school's
behaviour policy is therefore designed to support the way in which all members of the
school can live and work together in a supportive way. It aims to promote an environment
in which everyone feels happy, safe and secure.
1.2 The school has a number of rules, but our behaviour policy is not primarily concerned
with rule enforcement. It is a means of promoting good relationships, so that people can
work together with the common purpose of helping everyone to learn. This policy supports
the school community in aiming to allow everyone to work together in an effective and
considerate way.
1.3 The school expects every member of the school community to behave in a
considerate way towards others.
1.4 We treat all children fairly through whole-school rules and individual class charters
and apply this behaviour policy in a consistent way.
1.5 This policy aims to help children grow in a safe and secure environment, and to
become positive, responsible and increasingly independent members of the school
community.
1.6 The school rewards good behaviour, as it believes that this will develop an ethos of
kindness and cooperation. This policy is designed to promote good behaviour, rather than
merely deter anti-social behaviour.
Our school rules are simple and easy to learn –
We are gentle
We are kind and helpful
We listen
We are honest
We work hard
We look after property
These are displayed in each class and around the school.
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Rewards and sanctions
2.1 We praise and reward children for good behaviour in a variety of ways:
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Teachers congratulate children.
Teachers use individual age-appropriate reward systems within classes.
Each week, the children nominate a child from each class for a certificate.
Excellent work, Value for Life and Class certificates are awarded in assembly
each week and displayed centrally.
Children are sent to the Headteacher for praise.
We have Good to be Green boards:
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A weekly raffle is held in assembly for those who have stayed on green all week
with one child from each class receiving a Good to be green pencil and sticker.
At the end of each week every child that has remained on green receives an
amount of ‘free time’ dependent on the class behaviour chart for that week.
At the end of every half term every child that has not had a red card receives an
afternoon of collective goldentime.
A termly postcard is sent home for those who have stayed green all term.
2.2 The school acknowledges all the efforts and achievements of children, both in and
out of school.
2.3 The class teacher discusses the school rules with each class. In addition to the
school rules, each class also has its own class charter. In this way, every child in the
school knows the standard of behaviour that we expect in our school. If there are incidents
of anti-social behaviour, the class teacher discusses these with the whole class during
circle time.
2.4 The school employs a number of sanctions to enforce the school rules, and to ensure
a safe and positive learning environment. We employ each sanction appropriately to each
individual situation, although instant sanctions are used wherever possible.
We expect children to try their best in all activities. If they do not do so, we may ask them
to redo a task in their break or lunchtime.
Good to be Green process –
All children start each day on ‘Good to be green’. What constitutes a yellow or red card is
clearly displayed in each classroom.
Within classroom
A verbal warning will be given by any adult for any of following –
Repeated chatting
Distracting others
Making silly noises
Not following an instruction immediately
Calling out
Fiddling with/tapping/banging things
Rocking on chair
Repeatedly off-task
A Yellow card will be given by the class teacher if any adult witnesses any of the above
after a verbal warning within the same lesson.
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An instant Yellow card will be given for any of the following –
Intentionally upsetting another child
Minor physical act towards another child (pinch, poke, push, kick) or school property
Throwing something
Being sent out of assembly
Either at the verbal warning or yellow card stage the child will be told to move to a
designated place in class. This will be to prevent the child getting in any further trouble, to
enable them to focus on their work and to avoid further distraction to others. The child will
also be spoken to about the positive behaviour that now needs to be seen.
At the yellow card stage the child can ‘earn’ their green card back by the end of the
morning or afternoon by making every effort to show exemplary behaviour and try their
hardest at their work.
A Red Card will be given by the class teacher if any adult witnesses any of the above from
a child on a yellow card within the same day.
At this stage the child will be taken by an adult to another class with their work (or preprepared work if necessary) and put in a designated place where they will stay until the
end of the lesson. The teacher and children in the other class will not interact with them.
The child will report back to the class teacher at the end of the lesson when an apology
and acknowledgement of what they have done wrong will be given.
Holly } Oak
Willow } Holly
Ash } Willow
Oak } Ash
- The next break and lunch times will both be spent in detention with a member of staff
in the back classroom where they will have to fill in a form saying what they have
done, which school rules have been broken and what they should do different from
that point.
- Their parents will be spoken to in person at hometime or telephoned to explain what
has happened.
- The class teacher will make a record of the red card and reason for future reference.
An instant Red Card will be given for any of the following –
A single act of violence towards another person.
Verbally threatening another child.
Witnessed or definite use of swearing or rude words.
Refusal to do as an adult says.
Being rude to an adult or answering back.
Intentional spitting
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An instant red will mean the following for the child
- They will be sent straight to the headteacher and stay there until the end of the
lesson.
- Every break and lunch time for a full week will be spent in detention with a member of
staff in the back classroom where they will have to fill in a form saying what they
have done, which school rules have been broken and what they should do different
from that point.
- Any privileges, responsibilities or trips will be removed for that week.
- Their parents will be immediately telephoned to explain what has happened.
- The class teacher will make a record of the red card and why it was given for future
reference.
- They will miss weekly ‘free time’ and half termly ‘goldentime’.
If a child is given three red cards within a half term or behaviour is causing a concern a
meeting involving the headteacher, class teacher and parents will take place to decide the
best way forward and a behaviour plan will be written including targets, a report book,
strategies and the possible involvement of outside agencies. This will be signed by all
involved and a review date set. The child, their parents and staff are expected to work
closely together to improve the behaviour before the review date.
A fixed –term exclusion will be considered if behaviour is serious enough to be detrimental
to the education or welfare of the other children in school. See section 7 for more detail.
If a child is the ‘victim’ of a red card offence then their parent will be informed that day of
the details and what action has been taken.
Break and lunchtime
The card system will also be applied in the same way at break and lunch time. If a child
misbehaves this will be recorded by whoever is on duty and passed on to the class
teacher to decide the appropriate sanction.
A verbal warning will be given by any adult for any of following –
Not playing fairly or not letting someone else join in.
Spoiling other children’s games.
Not keeping themselves or others safe.
Swinging on or trying to climb a tree.
Not follow an instruction immediately.
A Yellow card will be given by the class teacher if any adult witnesses any of the above
after a verbal warning within the same break.
An instant Yellow card will be given for any of the following –
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Intentionally upsetting another child.
Minor physical act towards another child (pinch, poke, push, kick).
Damaging school’s or another child’s property on purpose.
Picking up and throwing something.
A Red Card will be given by the class teacher if any adult witnesses any of the above from
a child on a yellow card within the same day.
An instant Red Card will be given for any of the following –
A single act of violence towards another person.
Verbally threatening another child.
Witnessed or definite use of swearing or rude words.
Refusal to do as an adult says.
Being rude to an adult or answering back.
Intentional spitting
Any rough play will mean that playtime is instantly over for any child involved and that they
need to sit the rest of it out on a bench.
All children must stand still when the whistle is blown at the end of play.
All children must walk to their class line and will be sent back if they run.
All children must line up in single file to walk back to class calmly.
Dining Room
A verbal warning will be given by any adult for any of following –
Not showing respect to the servers.
Talking to people on other tables.
Not eating nicely or showing bad table manners.
Banging things or messing with the table bar.
Not following an instruction immediately.
Shouting out or repeatedly being noisy.
Making silly noises.
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Not sitting properly or rocking on the chair.
Any server found doing any of the above will be replaced.
A Yellow card will be given by the class teacher if any adult witnesses any of the above
after a verbal warning within the same break.
An instant Yellow card will be given for any of the following –
Intentionally upsetting another child.
Minor physical act towards another child (pinch, poke, push, kick).
Damaging school’s or another child’s property on purpose.
Throwing, flicking or spitting some food on purpose.
An instant Red card will be given for any of the following –
A single act of violence towards another person.
Verbally threatening another child.
Witnessed or definite use of swearing or rude words.
Refusal to do as an adult says.
Being rude to an adult or answering back.
Intentional spitting
Assembly Time
Every class has an assembly order that they must quietly line up in.
All children must walk to assembly in line without talking.
They sit in that order joining in with singing if a hymn is playing or in silence if not.
The adult leading the assembly will give a child a warning/move them if they are not sitting
silently, still and listening. If there is any repeated behaviour the child will be sent back to
class for the remainder of assembly and the class teacher will issue an instant yellow card.
This policy recognises that some pupils require a more sensitive and differentiated
approach. Children with specific behavioural needs may have their own individual plans
with associated rewards but sanctions will still be applied within the whole school systems.
2.5 The school does not tolerate bullying of any kind. If we discover that an act of bullying
or intimidation has taken place, we act immediately to stop any further occurrences of such
behaviour. We have an anti-bullying policy and do everything in our power to ensure that
all children attend school free from fear. Bullying is repeated hurtful behaviour over a
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sustained period from one child towards another.
2.6 All members of staff are aware of the regulations regarding the use of force by
teachers, as set out in DfES Circular 7/13, relating to section 550A of the Education Act
1996: The Use of reasonable force. Teachers in our school do not hit, push or slap
children. Staff only intervene physically to restrain children or to prevent injury to a child, or
if a child is in danger of hurting him/herself. The actions that we take are in line with
government guidelines on the restraint of children. See the school Use of reasonable force
policy.
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The role of the staff
3.1 It is the responsibility of class teachers to ensure that the school rules are enforced in
their classes, and that their classes behave in a responsible manner during lesson time.
To promote good discipline within the classroom all staff should aim to:
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Establish defined classroom areas.
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Label resources clearly and make them easily accessible.
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Design classroom layout to facilitate ease of movement.
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Organise and adhere to consistent classroom routines e.g. lining up, sitting correctly.
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Place emphasis on independent learning.
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Avoid queues.
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Be well prepared and organised.
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Allow adequate time for tidying up.
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Make expectations clear to children and parents, when applicable.
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Share responsibilities between all children.
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Avoid shouting, use eye contact, gesture, etc.
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Maintain a quiet, calm atmosphere.
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Encourage children to raise their hands rather than interrupt.
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Send children to collect resources in small groups.
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Be prompt in meeting their class on the playground at the end of break/lunch times.
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Be positive e.g. use of 'please walk', rather than 'don't run'.
3.2 All staff in our school have high expectations of the children with regard to behaviour,
and they strive to ensure that all children work to the best of their ability.
3.3 All staff treat each child fairly. The staff treat all children in their classes with respect
and understanding.
3.4 All class teachers use the same behaviour incident recording form to record any
serious incidents including all instant red card offences. They also keep a record of all red
card incidences for each child and what it was given for. Both of these are kept on file in a
safe place by the class teacher. The class teacher informs the headteacher of any
incident recorded or red card given as soon as possible after the event.
3.5 The SENCO and class teacher liaises with external agencies, as necessary, to
support and guide the progress of each child. They may, for example, discuss the needs of
a child with the behaviour support service, school nurse team or educational psychologist..
3.6
The class teacher reports to parents and carers if their child has been involved in a
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behaviour incident either as a perpetrator or victim. This is done on the day of any incident
either in person or on the telephone with parents only; not others who may be picking up.
3.7 The class teacher reports to parents and carers about the progress of each child in
their class, in line with the whole-school policy. The class teacher may also contact a
parent if there are concerns about the behaviour or welfare of a child.
3.8 All staff will attend regular training sessions on behaviour management and how staff
can improve their practice.
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The role of the headteacher
4.1 It is the responsibility of the headteacher, under the School Standards and
Framework Act 1998, to implement the school behaviour policy consistently throughout the
school, and to report to governors, when requested, on the effectiveness of the policy. It is
also the responsibility of the headteacher to ensure the health, safety and welfare of all
children in the school.
4.2 The headteacher supports the staff by implementing the policy, by setting the
standards of behaviour, and by supporting staff in their implementation of the policy.
4.3 The headteacher monitors records of all reported serious incidents of misbehaviour
both through discussion with the class teacher and from regularly checking class files.
4.4 The headteacher has the responsibility for giving fixed-term suspensions to individual
children for serious acts of misbehaviour. For repeated or very serious acts of anti-social
behaviour, the headteacher may permanently exclude a child. These actions are taken
only after the school governors have been notified.
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The role of parents and carers
5.1 The school collaborates actively with parents and carers, so that children receive
consistent messages about how to behave at home and at school.
5.2 We expect parents and carers to support their child's learning, and to cooperate with
the school, as set out in the home–school agreement. We try to build a supportive
dialogue between the home and the school, and inform parents and carers immediately if
we have concerns about their child's welfare or behaviour; we encourage parents to do
likewise.
5.3 If the school has to use reasonable sanctions, we expect parents and carers to
support the actions of the school. If parents and carers have any concerns about the way
that their child has been treated, they should initially contact the class teacher or
headteacher. If the concern remains, they should contact the school governors. If these
discussions cannot resolve the problem, a formal grievance or appeal process can be
implemented.
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The role of governors
6.1 The governing body has the responsibility of setting down these general guidelines
on standards of discipline and behaviour, and of reviewing their effectiveness. The
governors support the headteacher in adhering to these guidelines.
6.2 The headteacher has the day-to-day authority to implement the school's policy on
behaviour and discipline, but governors may give advice to the headteacher about
particular disciplinary issues. The headteacher must take this into account when making
decisions about matters of behaviour.
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Fixed-term and permanent exclusions
7.1 We do not wish to exclude any child from school, but sometimes this may be
necessary. The school has therefore adopted the standard national list of reasons for
exclusion, and the standard guidance, ‘Exclusion from maintained schools, acadamies and
pupil referral units in England’ 2015.
7.2 Only the headteacher (or the acting headteacher) has the power to exclude a child
from school. The headteacher may exclude a child for one or more fixed periods, for up to
45 days in any one school year. In extreme and exceptional circumstances, the
headteacher may exclude a child permanently. It is also possible for the headteacher to
convert a fixed-term exclusion into a permanent exclusion, if the circumstances warrant
this.
7.3 If the headteacher excludes a child, he informs the parents or carers immediately,
giving reasons for the exclusion. At the same time, the headteacher makes it clear to the
parents or carers that they can, if they wish, appeal against the decision to the governing
body. The school informs the parents or carers how to make any such appeal.
7.4 The headteacher informs the LA and the governing body about any permanent
exclusion, and about any fixed-term exclusions beyond five days in any one term.
7.5 The governing body itself cannot either exclude a child or extend the exclusion period
made by the headteacher.
7.6 The governing body has a discipline committee which is made up of between three
and five members. This committee considers any exclusion appeals on behalf of the
governors.
7.7 When an appeals panel meets to consider an exclusion, they consider the
circumstances under which the child was excluded, consider any representation by
parents/carers and the LA, and consider whether the child should be reinstated.
7.8 If the governors' appeals panel decides that a child should be reinstated, the
headteacher must comply with this ruling.
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Confiscation of inappropriate items
There are two sets of legal provisions, which enable school staff to confiscate items from
pupils:
The general power to discipline enables a member of staff to confiscate, retain or dispose
of a pupil’s property as a punishment and protects them from liability for damage to, or loss
of, any confiscated items.
Power to search without consent for “prohibited items” including:
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knives and weapons
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alcohol
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illegal drugs
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stolen items
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tobacco and cigarette papers
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fireworks
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pornographic images
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any article that has been or is likely to be used to commit an offence, cause personal
injury or damage to property
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any item banned by the school rules which has been identified in the rules as an item
which may be searched for.
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Drug- and alcohol-related incidents
9.1 It is the policy of this school that no child should bring any drug, legal or illegal, to
school. If a child will need medication during the school day, the parent or guardian should
notify the school and ask permission for the medication to be brought. This should be
taken directly to the school office for safekeeping. Any medication needed by a child while
in school must be taken under the supervision of a teacher or other adult worker.
9.2 The school will take very seriously misuse of any substances such as glue, other
solvents, or alcohol. The parents or guardians of any child involved will always be notified.
Any child who deliberately brings substances into school for the purpose of misuse will be
punished by a fixed-term exclusion. If the offence is repeated, the child will be permanently
excluded, and the police and social services will be informed.
9.3 If any child is found to be suffering from the effects of alcohol or other substances,
arrangements will be made for that child to be taken home.
9.4 It is forbidden for anyone, adult or child, to bring onto the school premises illegal
drugs. Any child who is found to have brought to school any type of illegal substance will
be punished by a temporary exclusion. The child will not be readmitted to the school until a
parent or guardian of the child has visited the school and discussed the seriousness of the
incident with the headteacher.
9.5 If the offence is repeated, the child will be permanently excluded.
9.6 If a child is found to have deliberately brought illegal substances into school, and is
found to be distributing these to other pupils for money, the child will be permanently
excluded from the school. The police and social services will also be informed.
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Pupils’ conduct outside the school gates- teachers powers
Teachers have a statutory power to discipline pupils for misbehaving outside of the school
premises. Section 89(5) of the Education and Inspections Act 2006 gives head teachers a
specific statutory power to regulate pupils’ behaviour in these circumstances ‘to such
extent as is reasonable’.
Subject to the school’s behaviour policy, the teacher may discipline a pupil for:
o any misbehaviour when the child is:
 taking part in any school-organised or school-related activity or
 travelling to or from school or
 wearing school uniform or
 in some other way identifiable as a pupil at the school.
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o or misbehaviour at any time, whether or not the conditions above apply, that:
 could have repercussions for the orderly running of the school or
 poses a threat to another pupil or member of the public or
 could adversely affect the reputation of the school.
11. Malicious allegations
Allegations of abuse will be taken seriously, and the school will deal with allegations
quickly in a fair and consistent way that provides effective protection for the child and
supports the person who is the subject of the allegation. Every effort will be made to
maintain confidentiality and guard against unwanted publicity while an allegation is being
investigated. Suspension will not be used as an automatic response when an allegation
has been reported. See our safeguarding policy for more detail.
12 Monitoring and review
12.1 The headteacher monitors the effectiveness of this policy on a regular basis. He also
reports to the governing body on the effectiveness of the policy and, if necessary, makes
recommendations for further improvements.
12.2 The school keeps a record of any concerning incidents or misbehaviour.
12.3 The headteacher keeps a record of any child who is suspended for a fixed-term, or
who is permanently excluded.
12.4 It is the responsibility of the governing body to monitor the rate of suspensions and
exclusions, and to ensure that the school policy is administered fairly and consistently. The
governing body will pay particular attention to matters of racial equality; it will seek to
ensure that the school abides by the non-statutory guidance The Duty to Promote Race
Equality: A Guide For Schools, and that no child is treated unfairly because of race or
ethnic background.
12.5 The governing body reviews this policy every two years. The governors may,
however, review the policy earlier than this if the government introduces new regulations,
or if the governing body receives recommendations on how the policy might be improved.
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