Engagement
John
System – A
Cabot
Academy Behaviour for
Learning Policy
Date Adopted: November 2016 , John Cabot Academy
G
Introduction
Our aim is to establish the highest possible standards of behaviour at John Cabot Academy. This is
important so that the school is always a warm, caring, friendly and happy place where learning can
flourish and so that students can go on to meet their future ambitions. The behaviour of each student
around the school should be of a very high standard and every lesson should have a clear focus on
learning, student growth and development and be free from distractions. Every student and every
member of staff should be able to feel relaxed, happy and confident that their working environment is
one where people are kind, courteous and respectful at all times.
We have very high expectations of our students and a belief that every student is capable of meeting
them. The rules are only there because we need them to help us make sure learning can happen in the
best possible conditions. Everyone has to follow the rules so that the systems work and everyone
benefits so that students are well prepared for adult life when they leave John Cabot.
Our approach is based on the principle that once students know the expectations and the consequences,
they can make the right choices for themselves and for others. When children thrive at school and at
home, it is usually because the boundaries are very clear and there are clear consequences if they stray
beyond them. Clear boundaries and discipline are completely compatible with a caring and happy
atmosphere full of friendship, generosity, honesty and respect.
At school, as in every situation where there are rules, students either choose to follow them or they
make a choice to break them and face the consequences. The rules have to be clear and the consequence
needs to be consistently applied.
We have an ambition to work with parents/carers to ensure that the experience of each student at John
Cabot Academy is of a high quality and that students are well developed, socially skilled, intelligent,
confident, well rounded young people ready to take advantage of the many opportunities available to
them in our local, national and wider community.
Simon White, Principal
Charlie Hodge, Assistant Principal, Student Support
Ian Webber, Chair of the JCA Academy Council
1.
Aims of our policy:
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To have high expectations of our students in all regards including behaviour and to
celebrate positive behaviour.
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To work together with other schools in our Federation to support positive behaviour.
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To ensure students are supported in exhibiting positive behaviour so that they are able
to be healthy, members of society who are adaptable to it and able to exercise their
autonomy within it.
•
To teach appropriate behaviour at school and thus make a firm commitment to help all
students (including any students with ‘challenging behaviours’) towards the goals above.
•
To positively encourage families to be involved in all aspects of their child’s education,
including management of their behaviour.
•
To teach appropriate behaviour and discourage inappropriate behaviour so that all
students are safe and a productive and happy school environment is the norm.
At John Cabot Academy, each young person will be encouraged and supported to achieve. At JCA we
have the capability to ensure that our students can progress through to A Level and other valuable post
16 placements ready to take a place at a placement, at college and at the very best universities in the
country. Our students benefit from high quality teaching, a well ordered environment and a rich
curriculum, both inside and outside of the classroom. Student progress is enhanced by clear advice
and guidance which will inspire each learner and help to contextualise the efforts made by students,
day-in, day-out.
2.
Our Values
At JCA, students are valued as individuals and differences are celebrated. We will work together to
challenge discrimination and to promote the importance of respecting the beliefs and practices of
others.
Building on this firm foundation, all Academy Councillors, parents/carers, students and staff believe
the following behaviours and qualities will help us to achieve our vision. We value:
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Friendship
o Developing social skills
o Showing an interest in others
o Developing empathy and kindness
Generosity
o Giving of our time and energy
o Thinking positively of others
o Acting positively for those who need our care and assistance
Honesty
o With each other
o With ourselves
Respect
o Supporting the right of others to be themselves
o Equally, caring for and respecting ourselves
o Our community is made up of many cultures. We respect them all.
As a member of the John Cabot Academy community, we will endeavour to demonstrate these values
in everything we do.
3.
Engagement System – Be the best you can be
As a comprehensive intake academy, we want all students to be the best that they can be; however,
we know that a minority of students may find it difficult to meet our expectations with consistency.
We will always try to meet their needs, enabling them to make a positive contribution at JCA.
Additionally, no school will accept behaviour that is disruptive to learning and that has an
unacceptable impact on the physical and emotional welfare of students and staff. We aim to have a
school where all students and staff are able to learn and to teach in a safe, calm and supportive
community.
We will maintain this by:
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4.
Having a robust set of systems implemented insistently, persistently and consistently by
every member of staff.
Recognising and rewarding every student that regularly meets the school’s expectations.
Regularly communicating a clear set of expectations with students including the
identification of non-negotiable behaviours that affect the community and/or affect others’
learning.
A commitment from all staff to implement a system of sanctions that acts swiftly and with
clarity for all.
Engaging parents in the process of raising the standards of behaviour for learning.
Recognising when students get it right
The Engagement System is one of positivity, drawing together teaching, learning, rewards and
sanctions. Stages 1 and 2 of the Engagement system highlight the basic expectations of students in
lessons and the indicators for further praise.
Student Engagement
Indicators
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Outstanding learner
Outstanding effort,
progress or outcomes
Excellent leadership,
resilience
Role model to other
students
Expected learning
behaviour
Engagement in lesson
Completion of set tasks /
work
Respectful behaviour
Stage
1
School Actions
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Additional points on SIMS
Postcard home
Phone call home
Faculty recognition/whole
school awards, Community
prizes
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Teacher outlines
expectations at start of
lesson
Verbal encouragement
Lesson scores will add into
overall points scores and
prizes
2
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The ethos of the school is a positive one that looks for success and rewards students for engaging in
learning. It is important that all staff members look for the positives that students make and rewards
are timely.
During the day, we use praise and rewards to encourage students to achieve their best. We believe
that a positive behavioural approach to learning meets the students’ needs. Students are given a
lesson score 1-4 every lesson, additional Community points may also be recorded. These successes
will be made available for parents/carers to view on our parent portal. Student achievement is
recorded and recognised through this medium and it is hoped that parents will share in this positive
in the home environment.
5.
Rewards
We operate a comprehensive rewards system through awarding achievement points and positive
acknowledgements in various ways. We celebrate achievement in all its forms – including academic
success and extra-curricular engagement and service to the community. We will acknowledge and
celebrate all students who receive high numbers of Community Points and Lesson Scores throughout
the year. Outlined below are some of the different ways students can gain Community points:
Community Points
Community points can be awarded for:
• Excellent piece of work
• Excellent effort
• Significant improvement shown
• Positive contribution to lessons
• Excellent leadership
• Resilience shown
• Club / fixture attendance
• Showing Academy values
• Community Day – excellent effort / engagement
• Sports Day - excellent effort / engagement
• Inter-Community – excellent effort / engagement
• Postcard home
• Positive phone call home
• Student of the Term
• Tutee of the Term
• Attendance Superstar 100%
• Attendance Star 97-99%
• Faculty award
Faculty
• Award achievements (linked to Community points)
• Phone call home
• Postcards
• Students of the term
• Verbal praise
• Excellent work displays
• Stickers in books
Community Celebrations
• Community pens
• Celebration Assemblies
• Community Champion Trophies award at 3 points per year
• Phone calls home
• Community Champion Rewards Event
• Pizza and DVD evening – 100% 1s & 2s
Attendance
 100% Attendance Superstar rewards; certificate, newsletter, event with Principal
 97-99% Attendance Star rewards; certificate, newsletter, cake and hot chocolate morning with
Assistant Principal
 Weekly TG attendance prize
 Community Attendance Trophy - Termly
 Greatest Improvement Awards - Termly
Wider School
• Personal Thank You
• Lesson drop in rewards postcards
• Card / letter from Principal
• Celebration Discos – organised with Student Council
• End of Year Celebration event
• Student Council, Sports Council, Head Boy / Head Girl badges
• Rewards Trip to Thorpe Park
6.
Non-negotiable behaviour
Some negative behaviours are non-negotiable. These could have a significantly negative impact on our
community and/or learning and will not be tolerated.
Behaviours below are unacceptable and will not be tolerated at this Academy. This is non-negotiable:
Unacceptable
Community Behaviours
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Verbal abuse
Homophobic, racist, sexist or disablist
language
Smoking/vaping/alcohol/drugs
Defiance including walking away when
being spoken to by a member of staff.
Fighting, harassment or bullying
Threatening or anti-social behaviour
Damage to property or theft
Swearing
The sanction for committing an unacceptable
Community Behaviour will be social
detentions, SLT detention, an internal
exclusion or a fixed-term exclusion.
Unacceptable
Learning Behaviours
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Truancy (for part or whole of a lesson,
including tutor time and assembly)
Refusal, despite a warning, to adhere to
a request from a teacher.
Persistent failure to meet expectations
within the Academy
The sanction for an unacceptable Learning
Behaviour will be placement from a lesson,
after Academy detentions.
Extreme or persistent behaviour could lead
to permanent exclusion.
Any act in public that brings the school into disrepute, any crime relating to violence, drugs or
carrying weapons, is likely to result in permanent exclusion.
John Cabot Academy has the power to sanction students for their behaviour outside of the
school premises and outside of school hours (DfE: Behaviour and discipline in schools (January
2016)). This includes when students:
 Take part in any school-organised or school-related activity
 Are travelling to or from school
 Are wearing school uniform
or behaviour at any other time that poses a threat to another pupil or member of the public
or that could adversely affect the reputation of the school.
Every single member of staff must follow these systems with absolute consistency if this is to be effective in
promoting positive behaviour and reducing negative incidents which disrupt learning and enjoyment.
7.
Basic Expectations Explained
Lateness
Be on time. This means students are expected to be exactly on time for morning registration, assembly,
Tutor time, and lessons after break or after lunch. Students who are persistently late to school or lessons
will be placed on a Punctuality Card. Lateness detentions will take place at lunchtime and after school
for students who are persistently late or arrive after the register closes.
Equipment
Students at John Cabot Academy are expected to be prepared for learning; this means that they need
to arrive with the correct equipment. This simple action shows students taking responsibility for their
learning, being organised and independent rather than relying on others.
NAMED PENCIL CASE must contain the following items:
 Two black or blue pens
 Green pen
 HB pencil
 2H pencil
 Eraser
 Pencil sharpener
 Scientific calculator (£8)
 Maths set; protractor, compass, 45/60 degree set square, ruler (£1 – £4.99)
 Minimum of 6 coloured pencils
In addition to this, students must always ensure they have their PE kit; this is regardless of whether
or not they are injured / ill. Students may also be required to bring in ingredients for catering and
need to make sure they are prepared for this.
For those students who are persistently forgetting equipment, their parents / carers will be contacted
via email or text message.
Electronic devices:
Electronic devices are not permitted in school (without explicit permission from teaching staff) after
8.40am. The consequence for using phones and other devices without permission is confiscation of the
item. Refusal to cooperate with a confiscation will result in escalation. Headphones should not be on
show during the day – refusal to remove these will result in a social time detention.
Uniform
Students are expected to wear the correct uniform at all times. If a student is not in correct uniform,
their parents/carers will be contacted to bring in appropriate uniform, a letter will be sent home, and
social time may be removed. Until students have the correct uniform or hair colour they may be asked
to stay in isolation.
Coats
All coats / non uniform jumpers must be removed on entry to the building. Students who do not
comply with this will be sanctioned with a social detention.
Jewellery
Students are permitted to wear a watch and stud earrings. Any other items should be removed; refusal
to do so will result in escalation and social time removal. If a student has a stretcher/tunnel it must be
filled with a flat plug. If students have their ears pierced this should be done at the start of the holidays
to ensure earrings can be removed for PE.
Make Up
Students are permitted to wear natural make up and may have their nails painted.
Hair
Hair should be of a natural colour, e.g. brown, black, blonde, white, auburn, strawberry blonde.
Extreme shades of red or other colours that have been dyed will not be permitted. Students will be
asked to return home to change their hair colour; they will be isolated until an agreed time when the
hair will be altered. The shaving of designs into the hair is not permitted. Parents will be contacted
and asked to ensure that (where possible) the design in shaved away.
Tattoos / Body Piercings
Tattoos and body/facial piercings are not permitted in the Academy. The student will stay in
isolation until contact is made with parents/carers to agree a solution for the removal of the piercing.
The student will be given a time frame for the alteration to occur; if after this date the student arrives
at the Academy with incorrect piercings they will be isolated until it is rectified.
If a student wishes to have a piercing that is not permitted in school, they must have this done in the
holidays.
The Principal’s decision around what constitutes acceptable uniform or appearance is final.
Out of Lessons
During lesson time, students are expected to be in class at all times. All students out of lessons should
have a valid note otherwise they will be returned to lessons and may be issued an SLT detention for
truanting.
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No toilet breaks are allowed during lessons unless a student has been issued with a
note from the doctor that there is a medical condition in which case a toilet pass will
be issued.
No water breaks are allowed during lessons, except as directed in PE.
Water is freely available during break time, lunchtime and lesson change-overs.
Students are allowed to drink water in class (except in Science lessons) from a water
bottle.
Corridor Behaviour
Students will be warned about poor behaviour and social time removed if they are unable to follow
instructions as per the Social Behaviour Flow Chart.
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Walk purposefully in corridors without running.
Stay to the left on the stairs.
No inappropriate physical contact or games.
No electronic devices or headphones visible after 8.40am.
No disturbance to lessons through windows or doors.
Use indoor voices – no shouting.
Eating/Chewing/Drinking
No eating or drinking should take place in any area of the school other than the dining room, atrium
and A-B outdoor eating zone. There should be no food or drink consumed anywhere else indoors or
outdoors. Only water is allowed within lessons, except in particular subjects, e.g. science, where
drinking is not allowed for safety reasons. Chewing gum is completely banned anywhere in the school
building or in the outside areas.
Dining Rooms/Social and Recreational Space
Good behaviour is expected in these spaces and whilst on the way to and from school.
Buses
Good behaviour is expected on the School Buses; any incident that is reported will be investigated and
appropriate sanctions given. The Academy will liaise with the bus company as persistent poor
behaviour may result in the student being unable to use the service.
8.
Engagement System – Social Behaviour
During social times, students should engage positively as a member of the Academy and show respect
to themselves, others and the environment. When behaviour deteriorates, staff follow the system
outlined below to support and challenge behaviour positively.
9.
Engagement System – Classroom Management
To make the system easy for everyone to understand, we have introduced a set of consequences for
disruption of learning within the classroom. This process is to be used by all staff and all steps must
be logged on SIMS in order to track behaviour across the Academy.
10.
Basic Expectations of Classroom staff:
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avoid whole group sanctions that punish the innocent as well as the guilty;
attempt to link the concept of sanctions to the concept of choice, so that students see the connection
between their own behaviour and its impact on themselves and others, and so increasingly take
responsibility for their own behaviour;
explain the sanction as a logical consequence of the student’s inappropriate behaviour;
use sanctions to help the student and others to learn from mistakes and recognise how they can
improve their behaviour and when appropriate put right harm caused;
never issue a sanction that is humiliating or degrading;
use sanctions in a calm and controlled manner;
ensure that sanctions are seen as inevitable and consistent (students should know that a sanction,
when mentioned, will be used).
Special educational needs and disabilities
When issuing a sanction staff must bear in mind that they discriminate if:
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it treats a disabled student or prospective student less favourably than another for a reason related to
their disability and without justification; or
it fails, without justification, to take reasonable steps to avoid placing disabled students at a
substantial disadvantage. This is often known as the ‘reasonable adjustments’ duty.
The school’s actions could be challenged at, for example, an SEN and Disability Tribunal.
In order to support good behaviour, SLT colleagues and all leaders within the school commit to:
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Reinforcing positive messages by communicating with students who have performed consistently
well.
Supporting teachers for individual students’ unacceptable behaviour.
Acting on a regular review of behaviour with line managed teams.
Regularly review the use of SIMS by all teaching staff to ensure consistency of practice and to
identify training needs or other support as necessary.
To ensure that the system operates consistently, all teachers will:
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Welcome every class, on time.
Mark every register within 10 minutes of the start of the lesson.
Plan each lesson to meet the needs of the range of students present.
Adjust lesson scores to represent the learning of the student in the lesson.
Allocate additional Community achievement points.
Identify any particular classes where support is needed/requested.
Assist and support other colleagues to set and maintain high standards of behaviour.
Keep all students in the classroom for the full duration of the lesson with the exception of:
o Students with a toilet pass who need to leave to use the toilet.
o A student carrying out an essential task for the teacher that is vital for the success of
learning in that particular lesson.
Be punctual to every duty responsibility, including break, lunch and bus duty.
John Cabot Academy
11.
Engagement System – A Behaviour for Learning Policy
Tutors supporting positive behaviour
At the start of the year, each Tutor’s SIMS home page needs to be set up to show daily record of
achievement points, behaviour points and weekly attendance for Tutees.
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Every Monday, tutors must address attendance, share/celebrate achievements and discuss the
changes expected in the behaviour of those who have gained behaviour points.
Tutors will also manage Stage 3 Tutor Report Cards, and Punctuality cards for those students who
gain too many 3/4s lesson scores.
Tutors should refer to the Tutor Handbook for a detailed outline of their roles and responsibilities.
Poor Behaviour and the Connection with Special Educational Needs
Poor behaviour may be as a result of an unmet learning need. You may find the following information
useful in helping to spot the signs of SEN. If you become concerned with regard to a child’s poor behaviour,
use the information below to assist in planning for improved outcomes and to help you to consider if you
need to seek further advice from the SENCO. Sanctions for students with a Statement / EHCP will be
discussed based on the needs on the individual student.
PHYSICAL SENSORY
Physical disability, hearing
impaired, visually impaired.
Likely to have been an early
diagnosis, possibly pre-school
Adaptive routines, including risk
assessments in place.
Hearing and sight can be
contributory aspects of other SEN
Ensure: Appropriate support in
place
SPEECH, LANGUAGE,
COMMUNICATION
Language is a barrier to social
interaction and learning
Communication skills not ageappropriate
Receptive/expressive language
delay/disordered emotion,
language, behaviour may be
misread, creating social issues,
challenge or frustration
ASD
Aspects of above plus inflexibility
in thinking, reactions,
communications.
November 2016
Have you….
Differentiated for evident
need?
Personalised targets and
tracking?
Used alternative strategies?
Intervened, supported and
resourced?
Analysed outcomes,
described and sought
patterns?
Discussed with the
child/young person and
parents?
Kept a clear record of the
above?
COGNITION AND LEARNING
Attainment low despite intervention
Slow progress; substantially below
expectation
Language delay oral and/or written
Maths understanding poor
Motor skills delay
Difficulty grasping concepts
Poor memory/processing
Motivation low; poor concentration
Social/emotional immaturity
Limited social skills/low self-esteem
Possibility: dyslexia, this calculus,
dyspraxia, dysgraphia, ADD/ADHD,
processing disorder, including AST –
autism spectrum
SOCIAL, EMOTIONAL, MENTAL
HEALTH
Now discuss the
child with the
SENCO and follow
poor social and emotional skills,
relationships; e.g. distractibility,
mismatch ability, progress,
through with
relationship issues, frustration, non-
decisions made
corporation, emotional literacy,
withdrawal, non-attendants.
Manifests as behavioural challenge
Underlying issues, home, school,
peers, environment
John Cabot Academy
Engagement System – A Behaviour for Learning Policy
Appendix 1:
John Cabot Academy Engagement Stages 4 - 7:
For Students Causing Significant Behaviour Disruption to Self and Others.
It is important for a clear process to be followed for students who cause significant behaviour disruption to
themselves and others. Every reasonable effort will be made to avoid exclusions and, especially, Permanent
Exclusion. All reasonable avenues will be explored to improve outcomes for students with higher level
behaviour concerns.
Typically, we will keep in close touch with parents/carers. Use all available advice from our SEND and
Inclusion specialists, take advice from available external agencies such as education psychology, mental health
professionals and, most importantly, do everything possible to positively engage with the child themselves.
The following explanation and diagram gives a basic understanding of the Engagement stages 4 – 7 for those
students causing significant disruption.
Student Engagement
Indicators
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Lesson scores 3/4s in a
specific subject.
Referrals out of lessons 1-2
per week
Lesson scores 4 below 10%
Attendance 91 - 93%.
Social, emotional or mental
health concerns shared with
tutor / HoC that are causing
a welfare concern or are of a
Safeguarding nature
Stage
School Actions
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4
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Lesson scores 3-5 over 20%
across all lessons in a week
or cumulative
Lesson scores 4 over 10% in
a week or cumulative.
Monitoring period of 4
weeks
Behaviour leading to SLT
detention
Serious behaviour leading to
isolation
November 2016
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5
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Tutor Time Intervention
Programme
Specialist tutor mediation
Student Counsellor
Attendance Letter
Attendance Meeting
Peer Mentor
Referrals during lesson
Placement with R&B
Faculty Leader contact home /
meeting
Faculty Action Plan
Restorative conversations
Academic 30min Detention
Social 30min Lunch Detention
Head of Community Action Plan
Head of Community Target Card
Head of Community contact
home / meeting
‘Personal Safe Space’ / Time Out
JCA 1:1 Mentoring
Attendance Phases 2-3
School Attendance Meeting &
EWO involvement
Agency Involvements
College Placement
John Cabot Academy
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Engagement System – A Behaviour for Learning Policy
Bringing the Academy into
disrepute
Attendance below 91%
Bullying 2nd offence
Social, emotional or mental
health concerns shared with
HoC that are causing a
welfare concern or are of a
Safeguarding nature
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Student Counsellor
Head of Community Intervention
Workshops
Anger Management
Restorative conversations
SLT Detention
CLF Immersion – 2 weeks
EHCP
Persistent SLT detentions
Behaviour (s) leading to
isolation and / or exclusion
Failure to show an
improvement in lesson
scores / behavioural
incidents at Stage 5.
Serious behavioural incident
(s)
Persistent rudeness to staff /
students
Persistent lateness/ nonattendance to lessons.
Attendance below 90%
failure to improve.
Bullying 3rd offence
Social, emotional or mental
health concerns shared with
HoC that are causing a
welfare concern or are of a
Safeguarding nature
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SLT Check In
Behaviour agreement – HoC/SLT
Individual Risk Assessment
Engage Referral
Reduced Timetable
Educational Psychologist Referral
Student Counsellor
College Placement
Agency Involvements
Work Forward
Attendance Phase 4
Attendance Panel Review
External Mentor
Regular Parental Meetings
Assess-Plan-Do-Review
Re-admittance target plan
Pastoral Support Plan
EHCP
NT or MM 1
Isolation
Exclusion
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Impact Mentoring
NT or MM 2
Alternative Provision
Isolation
Exclusion
Risk of PEX – Checklist
Failed Engage placement OR
CLF Immersion
Failed NT or MM
Reduced timetable not
having desired impact
High risk behavioural
incident(s)
Bullying 4th offence
November 2016
6
7
John Cabot Academy
Engagement System – A Behaviour for Learning Policy
Appendix 2: The Role of Teachers and Classroom Staff
In their school lives children are impacted upon most by teachers in the classroom. The skilled delivery of a
teacher: enthusing, motivating, encouraging and praising effort can make a huge difference in the life of a
student and their overall outcomes. Understanding how to behave has to be taught. Through our work in
the classroom we must adopt procedures and practices that help students learn how to behave appropriately.
Good behaviour also needs to be modelled by adults in their interactions with students.
Whole school priorities must also be addressed by all staff when the opportunity allows. Students need to
see that whole school priorities matter to staff and that these issues are regularly raised, discussed and
reinforced as necessary.
SMSC (social, moral, spiritual and cultural) aspects of personal growth are also an essential part of our
teaching commitment. Without growth in these areas a student will not mature in the way we want and need
them to. It is through these crucial lessons that students become thoughtful and intelligent young people,
able to engage with the wider messages of the school and the wider community. Every colleague has a huge
part to play in this initiative whether it be during tutor time, Learning for Life or lesson time.
The Responsibilities of the Teacher: The teacher is the key element to ensure a positive environment for
learning. The characteristics of a successful lesson may vary from subject to subject. In the Engagement Policy
it is important to stress the following areas that will particularly contribute to good practice. When followed as
a whole the following guidance will significantly reduce the likelihood of poor behaviour:
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A well planned lesson with smooth, logical transition from one phase to the next. Progress is planned
for, questions are sharp, targeted and thoughtful.
The learning objectives for the lesson are made explicit to all students and build-in progress and
challenge for all.
A seating plan. This is the single most effective organisational action a teacher can take. Carefully
plan to seat students in the place that will maximise progress for all.
Teacher sensitivity to those with special educational needs, physical or mental health needs, migrant
and refugee students and looked-after children. Care needs to be exercised to ensure that these
students receive behaviour support according to their need. Children in all these groups can
experience particular difficulties with behaviour, for example related to medical conditions, lack of
understanding or trauma.
Appropriate differentiation to allow access by all students. This should be by task and not just
outcome.
Assessment for learning principles embedded.
Good teacher questioning targeted and differentiated in order to provoke independent thought,
engagement and clarity.
Student achievement celebrated with appropriate language.
Homework must be planned carefully and set early in a lesson to ensure that students have a clear
understanding of what is expected of them. This is particularly helpful to some students with special
educational needs whose needs might mean they can be disadvantaged by the volume of work
presented.
Students must arrive and leave in a quiet and calm, orderly way at the beginning and end of the lesson
with teacher seeing them to and from the corridor at the correct time. Students must leave the lesson
immediately after the bell has sounded.
School leaders will monitor the Engagement Policy’s impact on students and teachers – including
ensuring that it does not disproportionately impact on students from particular minority ethnic
groups, students with SEND, pupil premium students and looked after children for example. Poor
pastoral support merely focuses on ‘naughty students’. Good pastoral support is concerned with
academic attainment and developing students’ ability to become good citizens.
November 2016
John Cabot Academy
Engagement System – A Behaviour for Learning Policy
And finally….
It is normal for children to make mistakes and occasional poor judgements – they are not adults and shouldn’t
always be expected to behave like them. Adult behaviours modelled by classroom staff will always help in
setting the right culture and ethos:
Be positive
Be polite
Be emotionally aware
Be clear
Be assertive
The learning
environment is
determined by you
Be flexible
Be a learner
Be patient
Be fair
Speak quietly and calmly
Do not block students
Give choices
Set high standards
Model yourself
Seek help
Cultivate a sense of humour
Show students that you pleased to be there with them and that you
want students to learn and enjoy the experience.
Set an example in this regard. Always be the professional.
Listen, watch and think before reacting.
Students like to know exactly what is expected of them.
You are in control. You are responsible for the ethos and culture in
your classroom. Do not allow yourself to believe that poor behavior
is acceptable.
Have clear seating plans and classroom routines. By using the
policies of the school consistently you are supporting all colleagues
to do their job properly and creating an environment which is
consistent and predictable for students.
No two classes, indeed no two students, will react in the same way.
Never stop trying to improve.
Some students respond first time, but others may take longer.
Expect the same high standards from all, irrespective of ability.
Shouting at a student will rarely help.
Attempting to block a student’s exit route or doorway could cause
physical harm to you or them. Many students will find this
antagonistic and it will not help to calm them. Should a student be
attempting to attack another individual seek immediate support and
stand sideways on.
Always give students a ‘positive way out’ of a situation.
Students appreciate this and want this.
On the best examples around you. This will help to establish the right
ethos in your classroom.
From colleagues when you need it. You are never on your own.
This can be invaluable when building a rapport with individuals and
classes.
Classroom staff are role models for young people. What
we say and do (and the way we say it and do it) will have
an impact on our students.
November 2016
John Cabot Academy
Engagement System – A Behaviour for Learning Policy
Appendix 3: Power to use Reasonable Force
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Teachers may choose to physically separate students found fighting or who may, in the view of
the member of staff, cause physical harm or damage to property.
This policy acknowledges our legal duty to make reasonable adjustments for disabled children
and children with special educational needs (SEN).
John Cabot Academy does not require parental consent to use force on a student.
Staff will be supported if they feel that they can stop a student causing harm through physical
intervention but similarly, if staff feel they may put themselves at risk of harm through a physical
intervention, then a member of staff may choose not to become involved for their own safety.
Through this policy, staff, students and parents will be clear about when force may be used.
The decision on whether or not to physically intervene is down to the professional judgement of
the staff member concerned and should always depend on the individual circumstances.
November 2016
John Cabot Academy
Engagement System – A Behaviour for Learning Policy
Appendix 4: Prohibited Items
In addition to the general power to use reasonable force, the Principal and members of SLT can use such
force as is reasonable given the circumstances to conduct a search for the following “prohibited items”:
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knives and weapons
alcohol
illegal drugs
stolen items
tobacco and cigarette papers
fireworks
pornographic images
or any article that has been or is likely to be used to commit an offence, cause personal injury or damage.
November 2016