2014-15

Behaviour Policy 2014-15
Abbey College Cambridge
Senior Person Responsible for this Policy: Karen Lonsdale
Telephone: 01223 578280
Mobile: 07584 343942
Karen.Lonsdale@abbeycambridge.co.uk
Email:
This policy is reviewed on an annual basis
Annual Policy reviewed by: Karen Lonsdale
Annual Review date: September 2014
Next date of Annual Review: August 2015
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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Behaviour Policy 2014
Behaviour Policy 2014-15
Abbey College Cambridge
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 hard working 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
Defining behavioural issues
How do we define behavioural issues?
Good behaviour is the foundation of success, and in every classroom, expectations of desired behaviours should be high so that each class runs smoothly. A student who
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Behaviour Policy 2014-15
Abbey College Cambridge fulfils our expectations of behaviour is common at Abbey. Prepared for each lesson, homework completed to a high standard, ready to learn, avoiding distractions, in the classroom with a purpose of learning and progressing, attending every lesson with a desire to be there, fully equipped, inclusive of others and willing to participate.
When we define what we expect from our students it becomes easier to identify when issues arise. Rarely will we face a student with serious behavioural issues at
Abbey. Teachers can face the low level disruptions, and some matters of concern.
Explicit classroom expectations teamed with a pastoral approach supports the teacher who wishes all students to fulfil their expectations of behaviour in order to promote learning in the classroom.
Low level disruptions
Lates
Food and drink
Mobile phones
Lack of concentration
Chatting in lessons
Poor organisational skills
Speaking a language to the exclusion of others in the classroom
Matters of concern
Repeated lates
Lates of longer than 10 minutes
Important homework or coursework deadlines missed
Repeatedly missed homework
Poor attitude to learning
Homework is rushed
Classwork is incomplete
Missed curfew
Missed registration for Compulsory School Aged Students
Back chat/rudeness/bad language
No contact with the college
Refusal to co-operate
Plagiarism (general work)
Serious incidents
Plagiarism (coursework)
Cheating
Bullying/harassment/intimidation
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Abbey College Cambridge
Racism
Theft
Weapons in school
Violence
Alcohol /drugs misuse
The Principal and authorised staff (Vice Principals and HOY) 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 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.
Guidelines for Staff: 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. Sanctions are appropriate for low level disruption, rushed or incomplete work, misbehaviour, lates, persistently speaking in first language and ongoing matters of concern. Sanctions should be set immediately for significant disruption, unsafe behaviour, creating a mess in class, significantly rude behaviour and the like.
Teachers should refer to their Head of Department in the first instance for guidance on detentions for issues within their class. Tutors and Heads of Department should not set detentions on behalf of other teachers. Tutors will set detentions only if students are misbehaving during the PSHE tutor sessions, rather than setting sanctions for wider school issues.
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Abbey College Cambridge
There are three levels of detention as a sanction for low level behaviour issues and ongoing matters of concern:
Subject Teacher detention o DTs Level One: 15 minutes x 3 for repeated behaviour (per teacher, per subject) o DTs Level Two: escalated to 30 minutes x 3 with guidance from the
Head of Department o Teacher to notify tutor when Level Two is reached for contact home o 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 o Teachers will log detentions immediately on SIMS
Senior Management Detention o DTS Level Three: The HOD will set up a SMT detention to support the teacher in their enforcement of classroom expectations; or HOY will set
SMT detentions as appropriate for misbehaviour beyond the classroom o SMT detentions are on Mondays or Fridays o Saturday detention for serious incidents can be set up with authorisation from SLT
Students with significant attendance issues will be dealt with by tutor/HOY and
SMT detentions to support catch up work.
Detentions/Supervised Study
For older students it may be appropriate to refer to detentions as ‘compulsory catch ups’, ‘supervised study’ or something that does not patronise yet is clear that attendance is required.
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Abbey College Cambridge
Classroom Expectations – Template for Teachers when setting up classroom expectations
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
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
Dealing with poor behaviour in the classroom requiring immediate attention
Warning
Teacher explicitly warns the student of poor behaviour.
Sanction 1
Teacher speaks with student in the hallway and sets a teacher-detention of 15 minutes.
Further Action
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Abbey College Cambridge
Should the behaviour continue, the student should be sent to the Head of
Department. A supervised study detention is immediately set for any student sent out of a class for poor behaviour.
Should any behaviour be dangerous or serious, the student is sent to the HOF immediately.
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)
Step One – Teacher Action
The teacher is responsible for taking action to control and improve any poor behaviour in their classroom:
For homework or classwork issues, teacher advises of reset work and deadline
All lates recorded in the late book
Teacher makes a note of the problem in their personal records
Teacher sets detentions or appropriate sanctions, fairly and consistently
Teacher preservers and progresses ongoing matters of concern to step two if the matter remains unresolved following a series of appropriate sanctions being used
Record issue and sanctions on SIMS
Step Two – Support from HOD
Teacher seeks support from their Head of Department
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
Record issue and sanctions on SIMS
Step Three – Pastoral Action
Tutor Involvement
Head of Department will advise the subject teacher when to request tutor support
Tutor speaks with student in support and alerts home of the issue in the weekly update
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Behaviour Policy 2014-15
Abbey College Cambridge
The tutor persists with the parents in obtaining support while the subject teachers continues to persevere with the student directly, with support from the HOD
Record issue and sanctions on SIMS
Step Four – Head of Year
Head of Year Support for Student and Teacher
Tutor creates a Pastoral Action Plan – HOY to approve
HOY observes student in lessons and advises strategies
Detentions and additional support identified
SLT alerted and advise
Record issue and sanctions on SIMS
Step Five – SLT Involvement
SLT take action
SLT converse with student in a formal meeting
SLT to consider the formal disciplinary procedure and contact home
Formal Disciplinary Procedure Overview
Offence
Verbal Warnings
HOY, SMT, Principal or
Vice Principals
1 st Formal Written Warning
Principal or Vice Principal -
– student may require a local guardian as a requirement for inclusion
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Abbey College Cambridge
2 nd Written Warning
Principal
Final Written Warning
Principal
Temporary or permanent suspension from college
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.
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.
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Abbey College Cambridge
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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