Develop a sense of social and moral responsibility within the academy and the. wider community. We recognise that long t
Newlands Academy Behaviour Policy
January 2016 1
Context
When students come to Newlands we aim to offer them a fresh start and the opportunity to develop as young people. Our mission is to use our detailed understanding of every child’s personalised needs so that we can best equip them with the skills and values to ensure a successful transition to adult life. Our work is under-pinned by the creation and maintenance of positive relationships between all members of our community. We encourage our students to reflect and take responsibility for their actions themselves. Much of our success at achieving discipline is due to the careful maintenance of a culture of understanding and cooperation in which communication and discussion are central. This document outlines our approach that is linked to our wider core principles: o
We are a caring and accepting community where everyone's voice is valued.
o
We see potential in all our students and offer them a fresh start.
o
The student’s learning and emotional needs are at the centre of every decision we make.
o
We give students time and space to gain an understanding of their own identity; we strive to nurture, educate and empower them through to adulthood.
o
We work in the academy with humour, justice, compassion and forgiveness; we understand that all members can make mistakes and that we learn from one another.
Aims of our behaviour policy
To provide a structure that supports and enables effective teaching and learning throughout the academy community To maintain clear expectations and a code of conduct that revolves around mutual respect and that is adhered to consistently by everyone in the academy community To create a safe and caring environment in which all students are valued equally To encourage students to reflect
Ethos & Rationale
Our ethos is based on the values of compassion, humility, tolerance and trust. Acceptable standards of behaviour are those which reflect these values. Every member of staff is responsible for developing this ethos which, in turn, enables young people to engage with learning and fulfil their potential. We believe that by treating our students as individuals and providing them with effective support they will be able to acquire the skills and values to ensure a successful transition to adult life. 2
Our ethos aims to: Encourage mutual respect throughout the academy community Help each student to develop a sense of responsibility for their own behaviour Enable students to understand, express and manage their own emotions. Develop a sense of social and moral responsibility within the academy and the wider community
We recognise that long term behaviour change by definition takes time. We accept that students will, at times, fail in the short term but we will always continue to encourage and coach our students to long term success. If a student does not succeed we recognise that, as well as imposing sanctions, it is equally important to discuss the nature of the mistake with the student and how they could act differently in the future for a more successful outcome. We also work closely with parents/carers and other agencies to try to ensure that the support given to students is not confined to academy hours.
The Three Rules The values and principles mentioned above are encapsulated by three main rules. At Newlands, our students have a range of complex learning needs, so in order to keep things simple and clear we ask all members of our community to follow these rules: Be Safe Show Respect Try your best Students are able to understand and process these rules due to their simplicity. Staff help students to understand how these rules apply in different situations throughout the Academy. Staff use these rules to frame conversations and interactions with students when appropriate.
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Methodology - What we do
Developing relationships and positive reinforcement
At Newlands, everything we do is based on building mutually respectful relationships between all members of our academy community. We encourage reflective dialogue and self-regulation. Our tone can be light-hearted and playful, which can be liberating and enabling for young people who may previously have felt stifled by authority figures, and it does not in any way dilute our messages. Personalisation underpins our approach. We ensure that the curriculum is appropriate for each student and that teaching styles are varied. We believe that maximising student engagement in all areas of academy-life minimises the opportunities for uncooperative and challenging behaviour. We use praise and positive reinforcement whenever appropriate and believe it has considerable impact on students. Tutors will also contact home to praise a particular behaviour or because it is decided at the debrief meeting that a student’s overall behaviour warrants it. Teaching
At Newlands we are aware that some of our students have long histories of failing to engage with education. Their complex emotional needs, and their inability to focus on formal learning for long periods of time, mean that we need to ensure that they are given the opportunity to flourish in a wide range of learning contexts and environments. We are also aware that effective teaching depends on the relationship each member of the teaching staff has with each student, and on the member of staff’s ability to manage behaviour with measured firmness and humour, as well as authority. These techniques combine to deliver effective behaviour management throughout the day in all settings. Behaviour/Pastoral Team
Our behavior/pastoral fulfil a range of roles across the Academy to ensure that staff and students are safe and that there is a calm and orderly environment. Some of these roles include:
Check students upon entry (collect phones, food and other objects)
Patrol the Academy
Respond to requests of assistance from teaching staff
Mentor students (e.g. working with students who are need of a ‘time-out’)
Process rewards via credit system (see below) 4
Rewards
We have a clear system of rewards to ensure we notice and recognise the efforts and achievements of students. The credit system is used by key workers to inform parents/carers about their child’s performance in lessons. By the end of the day, all teaching staff complete the Learning & Monitoring Grid in which a maximum of 5 points are awarded for each pupil in each lesson taught. Credit System points: Up to 5 credits can be awarded to each student in any single lesson. Credits are awarded in the following way:
R – 1 credit for Right Place, Right time P – 1 Credit for Participating Positively L – 1 Credit for Looking, Listening and Learning A – 1 Credit for Enjoying and Achieving R – 1 Credit for Respecting yourself and others
In one week: 1 Excellent Day = 50 bonus Credits 2 Excellent Days = 100 bonus Credits 3 Excellent Days = 200 bonus Credits 4 Excellent Days = 400 bonus Credits 5 Excellent days = Excellent Week = 1000 Bonus Credits.
Students can bank points earned for good behaviour and work in lessons. With sufficient points, students can request a gift voucher for the stated amount. Gold, Silver and Bronze certificates are awarded in Friday’s Celebration assembly for the Top 3 credit winners. Data collected using this system is also used to identify areas of difficulty (e.g. physical locations, times of day, specific subjects) for students so that strategies can be developed to better support them. At the same, data is used to monitor students’ progress over time. Sanctions
No sanction is applied without careful consideration and discussion. This usually takes place during the daily de-brief meetings where all of the teaching/pastoral/therapy staff are present and can offer their views and insights. When decisions are made, students are informed (and when appropriate parents/carers are also informed) as to why they received the sanction and what they can do to avoid future sanctions. It is difficult to legislate for every situation as antecedents vary and the personal circumstances and needs of students can have a significant bearing on the decisions reached in response to behaviour. The following sanctions are used when deemed appropriate: 5
● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ●
Loss of points/credits Phone call home Discussion with staff/SLT Restorative meeting Meetings with parents/carers Home visits Detentions Working separately with staff External exclusion
Exclusion
External exclusions are only considered for actions that have put the health and safety of the academy community at risk and the SLT group feel there is no other appropriate response. It is a planned intervention initiated by the Head Teacher or a member of SLT. When a student is sent home we immediately plan how best to support them and get them back into academy. This involves the student and their parent or carer attending a reintegration meeting with a member of the Senior Management Team. If a student is excluded o Evidence will be collected, the student will be asked about the incident and the decision of the academy explained. o Parents/carers will be informed of the decision, the context and the evidence with which the decision is made; they have the opportunity to express their opinions. A letter is then sent out confirming details. o Work will be provided for the student to complete so they do not fall behind. o A meeting is arranged to discuss the incident and facilitate the reintegration of the student into the Academy at which time an adult with parental responsibility should be present. Restorative Justice
Restorative meetings take place in order to help members of the community understand the impact that their actions have had on others, so that everyone can learn and move on; so that the situation/relationship can be ‘restored’. These meetings are managed by an objective and impartial member of staff who is not directly involved in the incident. The students (and, in some cases, staff) are invited to talk about how the experience made them feel. They are asked to elaborate on their feelings and their reasons for acting in the way that they did. These meetings are attended voluntarily – students are never coerced into attending. If appropriate, we involve the injured party in the discussion and encourage the perpetrator to apologise to the victim. 6
Bullying
We actively promote a culture of awareness, tolerance and inclusion at Newlands. We encourage students to welcome difference, embrace diversity and strive to provide them with a safe and supportive environment that is free from intimidation. We regard all forms of bullying as unacceptable and always challenge them. Bullying can involve: racism, sexism, homophobia, disability, gender, gender identity, religion, ageism, and other issues relating to identity or difference. It can happen in the academy, off-site or online. Staff are vigilant and because the academy is an open community, we ensure that students feel both physically safe and comfortable to report and discuss any bullying, including cyberbullying. We work with both perpetrators and victims and use restorative practices when appropriate. When tackling bullying, the thoughts and feelings of the victim(s) must be considered at all times; it is vital that all actions taken are done so with this in mind. Every situation has its own nuances and dynamics and these must be taken into account when deciding the correct course of action. Careful consultation with relevant members of staff must always take place to ensure that the correct response is adopted. For example, there may be occasions when it is counter-productive to be explicit in identifying perpetrators as this may lead to further hostility towards the victim. On other occasions, the opposite may be the most effective response. Similarly, restorative meetings should only occur with the full consent of all of those attending and if they are deemed to be helpful after careful consideration. How do we define bullying? Threats of physical violence, assaults, verbal abuse, and any verbal attack that targets a sense of difference are all forms of bullying because they cause distress to another person or group. We discourage play-fighting and other physical games that can be a route for bullying. Bullying can include: o teasing o humiliation o swearing and shouting o horseplay and play-fighting o threats o whispering o inappropriate touching o sexist, racist or homophobic remarks, or taunts relating to appearance or family circumstances o exclusion from groups or activities o not talking to someone because of their race, colour, religion, gender or disability o damage to or theft of personal belongings 7
o cyberbullying: threats, harassment and abuse by email, text, using social networks or any other form of digital technology. Preventative strategies In order to prevent bullying we o ensure that students are supervised at all times o raise awareness of what constitutes bullying through discussion o give students opportunities to talk about bullying in all assemblies, lessons and during 1-2-1 sessions with staff o educate students on bullying during subject lessons (such as PHSE) and during wholeAcademy events (e.g. when people from external agencies are invited in to speak abot a relevant topic) o liaise with parents/carers
When bullying is witnessed by a member of staff
Students will be given warnings to stop their behaviour. If the behaviour persists a yellow card will be issued and it will be recorded as a bullying incident. If the same student receives another yellow card within a 5 day period this will automatically be converted to a red card and the student will receive a one day exclusion. Perpetrators of bullying will be spoken to by a member of the SLT to talk about what happened and explore the reasons why they acted have their parents/carers informed of their behaviour receive on-going ‘support’ from staff to help them to reflect upon and modify their behaviour Victims of bullying are given time and space to talk about their experiences and feelings. Staff will discuss possible courses of action with them. When actions are decided they will be communicated to victims so that they understand what is being done. Victims will be consulted after a period of time (will vary according to each situation) to gauge how they feel and assess the impact of actions taken. Further actions may follow. The parents/carers will be informed of developments at all stages.
Recording, monitoring and planning
To aid the accurate recording and analysis of behaviour the Academy analyses data in relation to instances of bullying, physical assaults and prejudiced language/behaviour in order to identify patterns or trends and develop more effective interventions.
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Physical Intervention
The Academy recognises that in order to maintain good order and ensure the safety of staff and students there are times when staff need to physically intervene. This should only take place as a last resort; other strategies and approaches should always be considered and used before engaging in ‘positive handling’. All staff are taught de-escalation and safe physical intervention techniques through the nationally recognised system of MAPA. This training is regularly reviewed and provides the framework for any intervention. All physical interventions must pass the test that they are proportionate, appropriate and necessary. If there is a physical intervention the academy will: o ensure that the staff and students involved are fully debriefed inform carers/parents o ensure a detailed record of the incident is recorded and signed off by SLT within 24 hours o consider whether the incident could have been avoided or prevented in the future o analyse the nature of each incident to see if there is a pattern either of intervention, student, staff or antecedents to help inform future practice
Criminal activity
In order to prepare our students for life after Newlands we help them to learn about the boundaries of acceptable and respectful behaviour both in and outside Academy in relation to the criminal justice system. The academy works closely with a Safer Academys Officer (SSO) in order to support this important aspect of students’ wider education. Their role includes the following areas:
To ensure that students are aware of the legal implications of their actions both in and outside the academy. For example, we take strong action against students who bring drugs or alcohol on site; this may lead to involving the Police where appropriate.
The SSO works closely with teaching staff in planning and delivering relevant PSHE sessions and in bringing in external agencies into the Academy.
To develop positive relationships between the Police and students.
To deal with criminal matters occurring in the academy. Often this will be dealt with via a ‘Community Resolution’ (e.g. when a student makes good on the criminal damage done) but in some cases a referral may be made to the Youth Offending Service. Incidents that are viewed as being particularly significant or dangerous may be progressed to court. Parents/carers are always informed about and involved in any relevant processes.
Patrol the local area when needed. 9
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