Saint Michael’s CE High School
Behaviour for Learning Policy
January 2014
Behaviour for Learning Policy
In Saint Michael’s we believe that good discipline is essential to enable teaching and learning to take place:
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Development of self-respect in pupils is essential if they are to have respect for others
Each individual is unique and of eternal value as part of God’s creation.
Punishment after any breakdown of discipline should be corrective not retributive and should
encompass help and growth through a restatement of the school’s values. For example, agape,
responsibility, justice, compassion, forgiveness and truth.
The ethos of the pastoral system of Saint Michael’s is crucial to the Christian process of
repentance, forgiveness and renewal.
Sanctions should be known and graduated, consistently applied by all staff but should never be
applied mechanistically without considering circumstances and personality.
It should be the certainty that sanctions will be applied rather than the severity of the sanctions
which is important.
A system of rewards is essential, as are praise and high expectations.
Behaviour for Learning within the Classroom
Teachers are the leaders in the classroom. Decisions about our response to pupil behaviour will stem from
the following basic classroom rights.
Expectations of behaviour in classrooms are based upon the following classroom rights:
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All members of Saint Michael’s have both rights and responsibilities, these are inseparable.
Everyone has the responsibility to ensure that we can all enjoy our rights.
All teachers have a right to teach.
All pupils have a right to learn.
Everyone has a right to feel and be safe.
Everyone has a right to dignity and personal respect.
Our focus has to be upon enabling our pupils to make positive choices about their behaviour. The
language use in our classrooms is crucial to our pupils’ success.
We all have a responsibility to value learning and help others to fulfil their potential and be the best
they can be.
Pupils should choose to accept their basic classroom rights by:
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Accepting responsibility for their own behaviour;
Allowing others to make progress by behaving appropriately;
Being courteous and well mannered;
Keeping hands, feet and objects to themselves;
Being respectful to others and choosing not to swear, tease, name call or put others down;
Following the instructions of staff without question or argument;
Ensuring that they arrive at their lessons appropriately dressed, well equipped and ready to work.
Teachers will encourage positive behaviour for learning by:
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Ensuring that pupils feel safe and respected in their classroom;
Encouraging high standards of pupil behaviour in their classrooms;
Following the Behaviour for Learning policy consistently;
Ensuring that pupils feel safe and respected;
Liaising with Subject Leaders, Curriculum Leaders, Pupil Managers and tutors, as appropriate,
regarding pupil behaviour. (For example, through PARS.);
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Providing a positive role model for pupils, to encourage respect and consideration for others and
pride in their appearance;
Praising pupils appropriately and encouraging achievement through the rewards system;
Using the language of choice and any further whole school behaviour for learning classes.
Simply reminding a pupil that he/she has a choice about his/her behaviour will not guarantee that
he/she will choose appropriate behaviour. The consequences of a pupil’s actions must be
supportive, corrective and consistent.
Consequences
Pupils who choose to disrupt learning and teaching in the classroom will:
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Be given a verbal warning. (If they are on the PGU register they will not be given a second warning
but will be sent to the PGU.);
Be given a second verbal warning and time outside the classroom. At this stage the teacher may
choose to give a detention and put a note in the pupil’s Personal Organiser;
The pupil will be sent to Time Out. This means that they will have a lunch time detention and that
their parents, pupil manager and tutor will be informed.
It should be noted that the teacher is in charge in their classroom and there may be times when they feel it
would be inappropriate to follow the above steps. This is the teacher’s choice.
Behaviour for Learning - Severe Behaviours Exit Policy.
All in Saint Michael’s believe that our most basic right is to feel and be safe.
Because of this, any pupil who chooses to:
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Openly defy and/or argue with a member of staff;
Refuse to do as they are asked by a member of staff;
Use violent or threatening behaviour;
Verbally abuse pupils or staff;
Vandalise property;
Will be choosing to be immediately sent out of the classroom, have their parents or guardians informed
and be referred to a member of the Senior Leadership Team who may consider excluding them from
school.
Illegal Substances
Pupils who bring illegal substances, banned substances or dangerous objects into school will be
choosing to be excluded for a fixed period of time.
Pupils who choose to bring illegal substances into school and pass them on to others for any reason will
be excluded permanently.
Behaviour for learning – General.
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Pupils who do not follow the school uniform dress code will receive a lunch time detention.
Pupils who choose to have their mobile phones switched on whilst on the school premises (either in
the building or grounds) are choosing to have their phones confiscated. They will be returned the
following day upon receipt of a letter. Those who have them confiscated on a Friday will have them
returned on Monday.
If pupils choose to do the following they will be placed in a Senior Leadership Detention.
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Spend time with smokers;
Drop litter.
If a pupil chooses to smoke they will be placed in a Head teacher’s detention.
Pupils who choose to eat and/or drink on corridors or in classrooms will receive a lunch time detention.
Travelling to and from School.
Everyone has the right to feel safe and happy on the school buses. Pupils should behave appropriately and
failure to choose to do so will lead to sanctions being applied.
Pupils must:
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Sit down and fasten their seat belts and stay in their places until it is time to leave the bus;
Never distract the driver;
Never throw anything around on the bus;
Tell their bus monitor or tutor if there is a problem on the bus.
Whenever pupils are wearing the Saint Michael’s uniform, their behaviour should be exemplary as they are
representing the school.