Behaviour Policy
2015-16
Behaviour Policy 2015-16
Abbey College Cambridge
Behaviour Policy
Senior Person Responsible for this Policy: Karen Lonsdale
Telephone:
01223 578280
Mobile:
07584 343942
Email:
Karen.Lonsdale@abbeycambridge.co.uk
This policy is reviewed on an annual basis
Annual Policy reviewed by:
Karen Lonsdale
Annual Review date:
September 2015
Next date of Annual Review:
August 2016
This policy has been adopted by the governors, is addressed to all members of staff and volunteers where
appropriate, is available to parents on request and is published on the school's website. It applies wherever
staff or volunteers are working with pupils, including when this involves being away from the school.
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Sep 2015
Behaviour Policy 2015-16
Abbey College Cambridge
Behaviour Policy
Abbey College strives to uphold a relaxed, friendly and supportive environment in which
both students and staff can achieve high standards while enjoying their working day.
The Abbey ethos in terms of behaviour can be said to be,
“treat all others with respect”
This means respecting teachers, administration staff, fellow students, the fabric and grounds
of college buildings and our neighbours. The aim of Abbey College is to provide an
environment that will encourage learning, to enable students to reach their full academic
potential. We must work together to achieve this.
We treat our students as young adults and expect a friendly, courteous and hardworking
atmosphere to prevail. Any student who detracts from this will face a Disciplinary Meeting
with the Principal and a formal warning may result. Continued disruption may lead to
suspension or expulsion from the college. Behaviour or attitudes that are deemed
unacceptable include those detailed in the Student Disciplinary Policy.
Should a student come across a problem when at Abbey, they can approach their personal
tutor or any other member of staff they feel comfortable talking to.
The rules of the college can be summed up as follows:
Teacher approach:
 Speak warmly to students

Ensure classroom expectations are visible and explicit

Be consistent: if your classroom bypasses these policies then the message sent to
students is one of division

Ensure dynamic lessons with pace and consideration for EAL, and plan for good
behaviour

We are a pastoral school and college and we are responsible for educating the whole
child, therefore aim to be fair, consistent and nurturing
Classroom Expectations – displayed in every classroom
Ready, respect, respond
1. Students are ready to learn
a. Come in, sit down, diaries on desks, copy the title, date and learning
objectives onto paper
b. Equipment ready
c. Mobile phones turned off and placed into bags
d. On time every time
e. Homework completed in full
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Behaviour Policy 2015-16
Abbey College Cambridge
2. Students respect the learning environment
a. Hands raised to ask questions
b. Listen to the teacher and each other
c. Willing to work with anyone in the classroom
d. Taking notes while the teacher talks
e. Keep the classroom tidy
3. Students respond positively
a. Follow instructions immediately
b. Have a positive attitude to learning and the teacher
c. Ask interesting and intelligent questions
d. Write down key words and are active in lessons
e. Complete homework fully and on time
Defining behavioural issues
Low level disruptions
- Late to class
-
Food and drink in class, litter
-
Mobile phones
-
Lack of concentration
-
Distracting others
-
Poor organisational skills
-
Speaking a language to the exclusion of others in the classroom
Matters of concern
- Persistent lateness
-
Important homework or coursework deadlines missed
-
Repeatedly missed homework
-
Poor attitude to learning
-
Homework is rushed
-
Classwork is incomplete
-
Missed registration for Compulsory School Aged Students
-
Back chat/rudeness/bad language
-
No contact with the college
-
Refusal to co-operate
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Behaviour Policy 2015-16
Abbey College Cambridge
Serious incidents
- Plagiarism
-
Cheating
-
Bullying/harassment/intimidation
-
Racism
-
Theft
-
Weapons in school
-
Violence
-
Alcohol /drugs misuse
The Principal and authorised staff (Vice Principals and Senior Pastoral Staff) reserves the
right to search students’ possessions, without consent, where they suspect the student has a
prohibited item:
-
Knives and weapons
-
Alcohol
-
Illegal drugs
-
Stolen items
-
Tobacco and cigarette papers
-
Fireworks
-
Pornographic materials
-
An article used, or likely to be used, to commit an offence, cause personal injury or
damage to property
-
Any item banned by the school
The police will be contacted if required.
Guidelines for dealing with low level disruption
Lates
Students late to more than one lesson without valid reason should be dealt with in the
‘Guidelines for dealing with matters of concern’. All teachers are to use the Late Book for all
students who are late to lessons as our shared strategy for dealing with lates.
Mobile Phones
Mobile Phones are not allowed in lessons unless authorised by the teacher for learning
purposes. They should be switched off and placed in bags. Electrical translators or
dictionaries are the only permitted means of translation.
Food and Drink
Students are not permitted to eat or drink in classrooms. Bottled water is allowed, with
exception of faculties that do not allow it due to health and safety reasons.
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Abbey College Cambridge
Attitudes
Persistent chatting, lack of concentration and general apathy can often be dealt with through
humour, warmth and a consideration of EAL needs. Also consider pace of lesson, variation
of tasks, different styles of learning and the time of day. Sudden surprises throughout the
lessons are a wonderful way of keeping students alert. Ofsted look for the three part lesson,
however, with our doubles and triples we should consider breaking up activities much more
than this. A half-way change of seating can shake up lessons, or a two minute break every
half an hour.
Poor organisational skills
Have a model folder in your classroom of how you wish the students’ folders to appear.
Schedule time for filing, do not allow students to simply shove paper into bags. At the start
of every lesson students are to note the title, date and learning objectives, so that when they
revise they can easily spot the topic and aims. Homework to be written on the board and
ensure it is recorded appropriately.
Detentions
Teacher are to adopt strategies to create a positive learning environment, such as discussing
issues with the student after the lesson and empowering the student to recognise the need
for change and to take action themselves without the need for sanction.
Teachers are to use their professional judgement when to progress students to detention.
Tutors and Heads of Department should not set detentions on behalf of other teachers.
Teachers set detentions for students within school hours, in quiet areas away from other
students, where possible. Detentions should be set either at lunchtime after the student has
eaten, or at 4:15; log on SIMS.
Senior Management can set detentions to support the teacher in their enforcement of
classroom expectations, when teacher-action has not changed the behaviour of the student
or when serious misbehaviour has occurred. Weekend detentions are authorised by SLT.
Guidelines for dealing with poor behaviour
(Lack of HW, poor quality CW, attitude, persistent lates, use of mobile phones, low level
disruptions, food in class)
Teacher Action
The teacher is responsible for taking action to control and improve any poor behaviour in
their classroom. Log on SIMS.
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Behaviour Policy 2015-16
Abbey College Cambridge
Head of Department Action
- Appropriate strategies are discussed and implemented
- HOD speaks with student together with teacher
-
HOD observes lesson and offers practical support
-
SMT detentions set in support of correcting poor behaviour
-
Log on SIMS.
Tutor Action
- Tutor speaks with student in support and contacts home
-
A Pastoral Action Plan is created and tracked.
-
Log on SIMS.
Head of Year
- HOY observes student in lessons and advises strategies.
-
Contact home.
-
Log on SIMS.
SLT Involvement
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Behaviour Policy 2015-16
Abbey College Cambridge
Formal Disciplinary Procedure Overview
Offence
Verbal Warnings
HOY, SMT, Principal or Vice
Principals
1st Formal Written Warning
Principal or Vice Principal - –
student may require a local
guardian as a requirement for
inclusion
2nd Written Warning
Principal
Final Written Warning
Principal
Temporary or permanent
suspension from college
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Behaviour Policy 2015-16
Abbey College Cambridge
Formal Verbal Warnings
These are given to a student by Senior Management with authorisation from the Principal or
Vice Principal after what may be regarded as a minor offence. Although this is warning is
verbal, a letter will be written to the student and their parent or guardian and a copy will be
placed on the student’s file (located in CP50).
Formal Written Warning
This will be issued by the Principal or Vice Principals for repeated minor offences or for a
first significant offence. It may follow a verbal warning or may be given without a previous
warning. This written warning is given to the student and their parent or guardian and a
copy will be placed on the student’s file.
Second Formal Written Warning
This will be issued by the Principal following further offence(s) after a formal written
warning has been issued.
Targets and/or an appropriate course of remedial action (e.g. being placed on ‘report’) will
be decided upon and made clear to the student. Action may include an amendment to the
programme of study.
The details of the meeting and of the student’s responsibilities will be communicated in
writing to the student and to their parent or guardian and a copy will be placed on the
student’s file.
Final Formal Written Warning
This is the student’s last chance. The student will attend a meeting to discuss the offence(s)
with the principal, the student’s personal tutor and the student’s parent, guardian or agent
will be invited to attend.
As with the first warning, the purpose of this meeting is to discuss the situation but also
why previous action has not been deemed successful.
Remedial action will be decided upon and such action is likely to be of a serious and
substantial nature including withdrawal from examinations, withdrawal of UCAS reference,
amendment to the student’s programme of study or withdrawal of a student scholarship,
where relevant. At this stage the consequences of failing to meet these demands will be
made clear to the student and to the parent, guardian or agent. The consequences are likely
to be temporary or permanent exclusion from the college.
For serious offences a student may be given a final warning immediately.
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