UCGS Behaviour for Learning Policy
School Aim
At UCGS we believe that our role is to help young people develop themselves and their sense of personal responsibility. This includes how they embody the ethos and respect others and the physical environment of the school.
We believe that the foundations of positive behaviour are underpinned by positive relationships developed between students, staff, teachers and parents. Like any relationship this relies on mutual trust, respect, and positivity. Students and staff should all have a clear understanding of how we all contribute to creating a better, safer, fairer, more productive learning environment. Parents are supported to develop and implement strategies that support their children and the school.
In this way, any guidelines on behaviour should be focused as much on encouraging and developing positive behaviour as sanctioning transgressions. Students should feel valued and their successes celebrated.
Equally, students should be aware of and understand the school policies, their benefits, and the consequences should they choose to transgress.
Principles
Our shared aims are to:
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Ensure that students are aware of the school’s and individual teacher expectations
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Equip students to take responsibility for their own learning and behaviour.
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Show respect for others and our school environment.
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Make learning accessible, effective and enjoyable so that students value their education and want to learn throughout their lives.
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Build the confidence of all our students by helping them to develop their strengths and by celebrating individual and team achievement.
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Help students to value, support and participate in a variety of school and wider community activities.
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Promote positive links between home and school.
Code of Conduct
Courtesy should be shown at all times. Everyone should always demonstrate consideration for other people, their safety and property. Examples of conduct which will make the school a more pleasant place for all to use, are:
 Everyone should walk on the left of corridors and stairs.
 Those waiting to enter a room should wait in single file.
 All litter should be placed in the litter bins.
 Doors should be held open, for others to pass through.
 Pupils should stand and be quiet when a member of staff or a visitor enters the room.
 Pupils should observe appropriate Health and Safety regulations in and around the school.
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UCGS Behaviour for Learning Policy
Procedures for lessons which must be followed
 Pupils must wait outside the classroom in a line, if directed to do so by a member of staff
 Pupils must stand if an adult enters the room
 Pupils must all stand behind their desks at the end of the lesson, tidy and clear away any rubbish left in their area and wait to be dismissed
Form tutors will ensure that expectations are discussed on the first day of term with students.
Procedures for outside of school behaviour
Pupils’ code of conduct also applies outside of school in liaison with parents/carers/guardians, the school will aim to respond to all non-criminal bad behaviour and bullying which occurs anywhere of the school premises and which is witnessed by a staff member or reported to the school.
Reward
The reward structure will be discussed with students by the Head of Key Stage and tutors and publicised around the school, on the VLE and school website.
These are not written in any order of importance:
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Achievement points - awarded by teaching staff /LSAs/prefects/support staff to mark good work, progress behaviour or effort and recorded on PARS. 1, 3 or 5 achievement points can be awarded for one achievement.
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Prizes awarded for exceptional achievement in individual subjects to be celebrated in a formal assembly.
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Appointment as a senior prefect to mark leadership qualities (KS 4/5).
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E-cards – These can be sent directly to students in recognition for achievement.
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Attendance certificates – These will be issued by the Attendance Officer for students with 100% attendance each term and presented to students in assemblies.
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Achievement point recognition by Key Stage Leadership Team.
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Badges to be awarded for significant achievements in sport, culture (drama, music, dance) and service to the community on a termly basis. These will be awarded in Celebration Assemblies to be held by the Head of Key Stage
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Key Stage Celebration Wall (main corridor) to share house point accumulations and other student achievements.
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Communicate good work to parents by telephone, letter or e-mail.
Rewards are to be recorded on PARS.
Support
Informal support from teachers and tutors
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Refer to the Head of Department and to make contact with parents
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Referral to the Special Needs Co-ordinator
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Refer to Key Stage Coordinators
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Daily, weekly or homework reports - imposed by the Head of Key Stage to target areas for development
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Individual Support Programme - agreed between the school, parents and pupil when there is the a possibility of exclusion
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Removal of a student from the classroom by a member of SLT (during lessons) and KS teams
(during tutor period) if necessary.
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UCGS Behaviour for Learning Policy
Resolve and Reprimand
UCGS use a stepped approach to the promotion of effective behaviour for learning and management of behaviour that falls below the expected standard set in the school. The steps are designed to make students aware of the negative impact their behaviour has on learning through the setting of appropriate consequences. The steps can be used to address persistent low-level behaviour, for example, a student would be issued a step 1, then step 2 and step 3 if the behaviour was to persist. However, it is at the staff member’s discretion whether it would be appropriate to immediately set a step 2 or step 3 level consequence or call for a response from a member of the senior leadership team or key stage team.
(steps 1 to R will apply to a lesson)
* At this stage, if a student persists in choosing to misbehave and disrupt their learning or the learning of others, the student is to be removed from the lesson by the member of the senior leadership team on duty.
At the end of the lesson, the student will be returned to the teacher who will take appropriate action to ensure that the student receives an appropriate consequence for their behaviour.
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UCGS Behaviour for Learning Policy
* At this stage, if a student persists in choosing to misbehave and disrupt their learning or the learning of others, the student is to be removed from the tutor time by the member of the Key Stage team. At the end of the tutor time, the student will be returned to the teacher who will take appropriate action to ensure that the student receives an appropriate consequence for their behaviour.
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UCGS Behaviour for Learning Policy
Reprimand Procedures
Procedures for issuing Detentions
All sanctions are most effective if supported by parents . Parents should be informed wherever possible, via:
(a) a telephone call; (b) note in the diary; (c) a specific or a generic letter or (d) email, which, due to cost of postage, should be used only when the other routes have proved ineffective. Parental consent is not required for detentions but it is good practice to inform parents. Records of letters and phone calls should be kept in the pupil’s file and SIMs/PARS.
There are 3 levels of detention: Staff Detention, Head of Department/Head of Key Stage Detention and
SLT Detention.
Staff Detention
Staff Detention is the first level. A staff detention can be used by a member of staff when a student has reached step 3 on the behaviour flow chart. The detention should be recorded onto PARS and noted on a green staff detention slip, so that parents are aware. The most common reasons for this detention are:
 failure to respond to step 2 sanctions
 persistently reaching step 2 on the behaviour flow chart
 failure to complete homework
 failure to hand in homework on due day
 failure to complete homework of a satisfactory standard
 lack of respect or lack of cooperation in the classroom or the corridor
 failure to complete classwork or to complete it to a satisfactory standard
Staff Detention procedures:
1. Within school day (24 hours notice not required): a) green slip to be issued b) detention to be logged onto PARS c) students may be detained for a maximum of 10 minutes at the end of the day (note: some pupils do have to catch private buses to get home which may leave promptly at the end of the school day) d) Students may be detained during lunch-time, but must be given enough time to eat lunch (20 minutes).
2. After school day (24 hours notice must be given): a) green slip must be issued b) pupils may be detained for a maximum of 1 hour after school
Staff detentions could involve students doing meaningful work to a satisfactory standard. If it is not to the satisfaction of the member of staff concerned, students should expect to redo the detention. Alternatively, staff detentions could involve school based community service such as picking up litter.
Failure to attend a Staff Detention:
If the pupil fails to attend a staff detention, it should be passed to HOD/H of KS.
If the problem has occurred in a subject lesson, it should be passed to the HOD of the subject.
If the problem is a pastoral one (i.e. a problem in registration), it should be passed to the KS Co-ordinator.
Head of Department Detention/Head of KS
The most common reasons for this detention are:
 failure to respond to step 3 sanctions (such as failing to attend a staff detention)
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UCGS Behaviour for Learning Policy
 persistently reaching step 2 or 3 on the behaviour flow chart (accumulating 3 behaviour points within a subject or 6 behaviour points across subjects).
 Any behaviour where a HOD/H of KS detention is deemed to be more appropriate than a staff detention.
Only a HOD / H of KS may issue a HOD/H of KS Detention slip to students*, but the pupil must know from the relevant member of staff why the detention has been issued.
An amber slip must be completed to request a HOD/H of KS Detention. Once the detention has been served the slip it to be recorded onto PARS by HOD (if Curriculum) or Key Stage Coodinator (if pastoral or global issue).
HOD/Head of KS procedures (Amber Slip)
Any staff member may fill in the HOD/H of KS Detention slip: a) complete student ’s name, Tutor Group, reason for detention, signature; b) do not fill in date of detention; c) pass to HOD/H of KS; d) HOD/H of KS dates and issues slip to student and keep a record; e) slip is taken home for parent signature and brought in without fail at time of
detention.
The same detention procedures apply to a HoD/H of KS detention as they do for a staff detention such as the notice required, the maximum duration and activity to be completed during the detention.
Failure to attend a HOD/H of KS
Failure to attend a Staff detention set by HOD/H of KS means: a) an automatic referral to a SLT Detention.
SLT Detention
SLT Detentions procedures (Red Slip)
The most common reasons for this detention are:
 failure to respond to step 4 sanctions (such as failing to attend a HOD/H of KS detention)
 persistently reaching step 4 on the behaviour flow chart.
 Any behaviour where a SLT detention is deemed to be more appropriate than a staff or HOD/H of
KS detention.
Only a member of the Senior Leadership Team may issue a SLT Detention slip to pupils, but the pupil must know from the relevant member of staff why the detention has been issued.
SLT Detentions are one of our most severe penalties and should not be employed for minor behavioural issues.
Academic issues (to be countersigned by HOD)
(Penalty – written exercise or work designated by the teacher concerned):
1. Repeated failure to do Homework, after the HOD has exhausted all the standard internal procedures (i.e.
Staff Detention (First Level), HOD Detention (Second Level) and communication with parents).
2. Failure to attend HOD Detention
3. Repeated failure to meet coursework deadlines, again after the HOD has exhausted all the standard internal procedures.
Behavioural issues (to be countersigned by H of KS)
(Penalty – an activity set by Senior Staff)
1. Failure to attend an H of KS Detention.
Any staff member may fill in the Red Senior School Detention slip:
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UCGS Behaviour for Learning Policy a) complete student ’s name, Tutor Group, reason for detention, signature; b) HOD or H of KS to countersign as appropriate; c) do not fill in date of detention; d) put slip in Key Stage Coordinators’ pigeonhole who sets dates and issues slip to student via Tutor, enters details on SIMs an e-mail is sent to parents; f) slip is taken home for parent signature and brought in without fail at time of
detention.
HoDs/H of KS and SLT have the right to reject the request for detention if there is evidence that lower level sanctions have yet to be applied in an appropriate way.
Failure to attend a Senior School Detention:
Failure to attend a Senior School Detention will lead to an additional Senior School Detention and therefore two will be served by the student.
Accumulated Senior School Detentions:
The number of Senior School Detentions accumulated by an individual student will be monitored the following sanctions will be administered.
2 Senior School Detentions- A warning letter will be sent to the parents/guardians that the third detention will be administered on a Saturday morning (8.30-11.30) monitored by a member of staff.
3 Senior School Detentions – Saturday morning detention can be issued.
2 Saturday Senior School Detentions – Meeting with the Principal and Pastoral Leader to issue internal or fixed term exclusion.
Exclusions from School
Please refer to the Exclusion Policy
Home-school agreements
At the beginning of each academic year, all students will be issued with a home-school agreement which must be read and signed by both the students and their parents/guardians. This should then be returned to the form tutor. The home-school agreement will detail:
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The ethos of the school
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The importance of, and responsibility for, regular and punctual attendance
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The importance of, and responsibility for, good discipline and behaviour
Contracts
In appropriate cases students may be asked to sign additional contracts guaranteeing their future behaviour.
Such contracts will specify the School's reasonable expectations for the student and attainable targets will be set and consequences will be outlined. These documents will be countersigned by a parent/guardian and contain a review date. On the review date a decision will be made regarding relevant action in line with the school’s policies and procedures.
Searching Students
This guidance for schools is related to the Schools (Specification and disposal of articles) Regulations 2012.
The Principal and staff authorised by the Principal have the power to search students, their possessions or items stored electronically without the consent where they suspect the student has a ‘prohibited item’.
Relevant training and support will be provided for these members of staff. Prohibited items which are not age appropriate are:
Knives and weapons
Alcohol
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UCGS Behaviour for Learning Policy
Illegal drugs
Stolen items
Tobacco and cigarette papers, and related items
Fireworks
Pornographic or offensive images
Any items banned by the school which has been named.
Searches will be conducted in a suitable venue such as an office or empty classroom and be conducted by two members of staff.
The disposal will depend on the nature of the item – illegal drugs or valuable goods should always be handed into the police but a school can dispose of certain items such as alcohol, cigarette papers, fireworks and tobacco as it sees fit, as long as this is not back into the possession the student.
Please refer to separate policies on positive handling, substance misuse and anti-bullying.
Policy approved by the Full Governing Body 17 November 2015
To be reviewed November 2018
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