At Morpeth All Saints CE Aided First School we aim to provide a safe environment where everyone feels valued and respected. We promote Christian values of love and forgiveness so that everyone is supported to live and work together.

This Behaviour for Learning Policy is designed to encourage appropriate behaviour through positive relationships and a structured, engaging curriculum in a school where pupils feel happy safe and secure. It aims to promote good behaviour rather than merely deter anti-social behaviour, so that an ethos of kindness and co-operation is developed. We also aim to encourage children to take responsibility for their own actions, and consider the effect of their actions on both themselves and others around them.

Morpeth All Saints CE Aided First School acknowledge the school’s legal duties under the Equality Act 2010, in respect of safeguarding and in respect of pupils with special educational needs (SEND).

Classroom management, learning and teaching

We have an interesting and appropriate curriculum, accessible to pupils of all abilities. This, supported by high quality assessment, helps pupils to be engaged in their learning. As a school we:-

• Plan lessons well, using strategies appropriate to the ability of the pupils.
• Give pupils the opportunity to take responsibility for aspect of their learning, working in pairs, groups and as a whole class.
• Use Assessment for learning techniques, such as peer and self assessment, to increase pupils’ involvement in their learning and promote good behaviour.
• Use our knowledge of pupils to plan grouping and target support on areas where pupils have the greatest difficulty.
• Operate a classroom seating plan, so that social interactions do not inhibit learning and create behaviour problems.
• Build into lessons opportunities to receive feedback from pupils on their progress and their future learning needs.
• Give opportunities for class and school council to discuss their knowledge and their school experience, their understanding of bullying and the effectiveness of rewards and sanctions.

Teaching of good behaviour

Understanding how to behave has to be taught to our young pupils. Good behaviour is modelled by adults in their interactions with pupils and each other. We recognise that children learn respect by receiving it. As a school we:-

• Ensure that all staff understand and use consistently positive behaviour management strategies.
• Ensure that all staff joining the school (including supply teachers) are given clear guidance and use the school’s systems.
• Use SEAL materials, Circle Time, PSHE sessions and Worship times to develop pupils’ emotional literacy.
• Agree with staff how they will teach pupils to manage strong feelings, resolve conflict, work and play cooperatively and be respectful and considerate.
• Arrange additional small group support for pupils who need it.
• Monitor the effectiveness of behaviour management through observations by head teacher and School Improvement Partner and Governors.

Rewarding good behaviour

Good behaviour is an expectation for all and is rewarded in a number of ways:

• Verbal praise and congratulation to pupil often and in a way that meets the needs of the individual.
• Avatar behavioural points on School 360
• Reward stickers given out by staff to acknowledge effort, excellent work or behaviour
• Thinking skills stickers in books.
• Child sent to show other staff good work at the end of a lesson.
• Child sent to the head teacher for praise and a sticker.
• In addition to their attainment in school subjects, we also emphasise the importance of the Learning to Learn skills.
• Attendance, the class who achieve the best overall annual attendance will be rewarded with a free school trip in the summer term and each individual pupil achieving full attendance will be presented with a gift voucher.

Consequences

Although good behaviour and a cooperative attitude are expected from all pupils at all times, consequences are sometimes needed to reinforce the School Rules when behaviour is not acceptable. These include:-

• Verbal reprimand –card given as warning.
• Asked to move so that they do interfere with the learning of others. 
• Asked to apologise verbally, or in the form of a letter or picture.
• Re-do a task.
• Loss of playtime/or part of playtime.
• Parents informed if removed from class more than once daily

Sanctions can only be applied by a paid member of staff, and must be reasonable in accordance with disability or SEND.

If a child’s behaviour endangers the safety of others, the adult will stop the activity and may remove the child or the class, informing the head teacher. If poor behaviour is frequent parents will be informed by the use of Home School Diary or a Behaviour Book, as agreed with the parents.

If a child bullies another pupil, the incident will be reported to the head teacher or member of Senior Leadership Team. A record is kept of all such incidents and these are deal with in accordance with the school Anti Bullying Policy.

Roles of adults and pupils

The Governing Body has the responsibility of setting down guidelines on standards of behaviour and reviewing their effectiveness.

The head teacher has the day-to-day authority to implement the Behaviour for Learning Policy.

Teachers and Support Staff in school are expected to accept responsibility for maintaining good behaviour throughout the school. They should have high expectations of the pupils in terms of behaviour and support all children to work to the best of their ability. They should reinforce good behaviour through positive encouragement and praise treat all children fairly with respect and understanding. If a pattern of behaviour emerges the school will consult with outside agencies such as Educational Psychologists, Education Welfare Officers or the LIST team, as needed.

We work in partnership with parents/carers on all aspects of a pupil’s education including their behaviour. We know that good liaison takes time and requires resources. We are active in establishing links and forging positive relationships. We have regular parental meetings and information sessions. We advertise our policies on the website to ensure that harder to reach parents are kept informed. Parents are made aware of the school rules which are re-negotiated with pupils annually. A Home School Agreement should be signed at the beginning of each school year by the parent, pupil and Headteacher to confirm their support.

Behaviour outside the school gate

Teachers have a statutory power to discipline pupils for misbehaving outside the school premises. They may discipline a pupil for any misbehaviour when the child is taking part in any school organised or school related event; travelling to or from school, wearing school uniform or in some other way identifiable as a pupil at the school.

The use of reasonable force

School has a legal duty of care for all pupils. Where a pupil is creating a situation where they are threatening the well-being of others, reasonable force may need to be used to control or restrain them. It will only be used as the final option. Staff will always try to intervene verbally before such use. Where staff fear for their own safety and the student is not responding to a verbal request, help from the head teacher will be requested. The teacher may decide to remove the whole class from the situation rather than use force to remove the pupil, depending on their own professional judgement.

Exclusion

Only the Headteacher has the power to exclude a pupil from school. The Headteacher may exclude a pupil for one or more fixed periods, for up to 45 days in any one school year. The head teacher may also exclude a pupil permanently. If the head teacher excludes a pupil, they inform the parents immediately, giving the reasons for the exclusion. At the same time, the Headteacher makes it clear to the parents that they can, if they wish, appeal against the decision by contacting the Governing Body. The school informs the parents of how to make such an appeal. If the Governing Body’s Appeal Panel decides that a pupil should be re-instated, the head teacher must comply with this ruling. The Headteacher informs the LEA and the Governing Body about any permanent exclusion and about any fixed term exclusions beyond five days in any one term. The Governing Body itself cannot either exclude a pupil or extend the exclusion period made by the head teacher.