Behaviour for Learning Policy

Rationale

In order for students to learn, Tavistock College will provide an environment where students can feel safe and secure and that promotes high self-esteem and high standards for all. All members of the College will help to maintain an atmosphere conducive to learning, and promote courtesy and mutual respect. This will be achieved through:

• Behaviour management tackled as a whole college issue
• Appropriate social behaviour and collaborative learning will be encouraged
• Any behaviour that undermines the College code of conduct will be discouraged
• Support systems will be well organised and clear within the College

Aims

It is the responsibility of all members of the College to:

• Teach the value of learning at the College
• Provide the courtesy of allowing everyone to enjoy their teaching and learning at the College

The College has a code of conduct that was developed by staff, students and parents/carers. All members of the College community will be encouraged to behave in such a way as to:

• Allow effective learning and teaching to take place
• Take responsibility for our own actions
• Treat each other with care, consideration and respect
• Be consistent, fair and listen to each other’s views and opinions
• Make the College a safe, clean and pleasant environment in which to work and learn

A copy of the Behaviour for Learning system is in student planners and is displayed in every classroom in the College.

The College vision and the principles for the creation of a positive learning environment are to be found on the Tavistock College website. This gives guidance for praise, rewards, sanctions and referral procedures. The College has a policy on the use of force to control or restrain students.

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Expectations of Students

Everyone has the right to learn and for the teacher to teach. This includes:

• Attending every lesson
• Arriving on time to school and to lessons
• Bringing all the equipment you need in a suitable bag
• Beginning and ending the lesson in a polite and orderly way
• Listening
• Following instructions
• Working hard by completing tasks that are set
• Asking for help when you need it
• Helping each other when it is appropriate but not distracting or annoying others
• Being sensible at all times
• Completing your homework and handing it in on time

Speak politely to each other. This includes:

• Using a low voice as shouting is always rude
• Using language which is neither abusive nor offensive
• Offering to help others
• Being polite to visitors
• Supporting and encouraging each other
• Respecting other people’s culture and beliefs.

Listen to others and expect to be listened to. This can include:

• Trying to understand other people’s point of view
• Not interrupting anyone or being interrupted by others
• Being quiet when required
• Not answering back

Keep the College environment clean and tidy so that it is always a welcoming place, which we can all be proud of. This includes:

• Taking care of displays
• Keeping the walls and furniture clean and unmarked
• Putting all litter in the bins provided
• Wearing the correct College uniform at all times
• Reporting any damage when it occurs and taking responsibility
• Using toilets and showers in an acceptable way
• Not chewing gum

Move quietly and carefully about College. This includes:

• Lining up sensibly outside classrooms
• Walking to lessons rather than running, pushing or barging past others
• Being ready to help by opening doors
• Being ready to help by offering to carry things.
• For safety, please keep to left along crowded corridors and on stairways
• Take into account that physically challenged people may need extra consideration

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Expectations of Staff

Each member of teaching staff should have a clear set of positive enforceable rules that are developed with and owned by the class. Rules should be few in number and cover;

• Noise
• Movement
• Treatment of others
• Getting teachers' attention
• Resolving conflict
• Safety
• Quality of work

To reinforce the College code of conduct, teachers will:

• Treat all children and adults with respect
• Speak politely to all
• Praise a student’s effort and achievements as often as they can
• Explain using positive language how students are expected to behave and conduct themselves
• Inform parents/carers about their child’s achievement
• Avoid using critical or sarcastic language

Rewards

The guidelines for praise and rewards can be found on the College Intranet under the title Awards Scheme. At Tavistock College it is considered that praise and rewards are an important part in recognising positive contributions to College life. Contributions include sound academic work and effort, good behaviour and adherence to the College code of conduct.

Excellent standards of behaviour will be encouraged through the consistent application of the Code of Conduct, supported by the rigorous use of praise to reprimand on a 5:1 ratio. All praises and consequences are to be recorded on SIMS in the behaviour and achievement sections.

Award points will be recorded direct onto SIMS by teaching staff and letters / certificates will go to students’ parents/carers every half term once the thresholds are met. Praise for achievements will also be publicly announced in celebration assemblies. Students will also be invited to the College’s Learning and Achievement Evenings to receive special subject awards from the Principal and / or special invited guests.

Award points may be given for:

• A good piece of work
• Expected levels of behaviour over a period of time
• Helpfulness
• Supporting other students
• Effort Motivation Enthusiasm Politeness
• Contribution to the College – Leadership
• Correct wearing of College Uniform

It is important to note that a formal ‘praise’ in the form of achievement points should be earned and deserved. It is an acknowledgement beyond positive verbal encouragement and constructive feedback, which will be happen continuously in all lessons.

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Sanctions

Students have the right to expect fair and consistently applied consequences for poor behaviour. The guidelines for consequences can be found in the 'Behaviour for Learning' flow chart.

The College discipline policy is based on clear boundaries and known outcomes. The emphasis is on cause and effect; unsatisfactory behaviour will result in a sanction. It is important that students understand that certain actions/decisions/failures to act lead to certain outcomes. So, the responsibility for avoiding these sanctions lies with the [potential] rule breaker.

Consequences will also result from misdemeanours of a racial, gender biased or homophobic nature.

There are eight possible sanctions:

1	Verbal Warning
2	Second Verbal Warning
3	Amber Board
4	Parking within the Faculty
5	Lunchtime Detention
6	After College Detention
7	Internal Exclusion (Isolation from some or all lessons, carried out in the Behaviour Intervention Room)
8a	Principal's warning leading to a fixed term exclusion (duration dependent on the situation)
8b	A permanent exclusion may result from a one off serious incident or for persistent behaviour that undermines the good order of the College. A separate exclusions document is available and as an appendix to this document which details the categories for both fixed term and permanent exclusions.

All sanctions from 3 and above will be recorded on SIMS and from 4 and above will result in a letter being sent out to parents and carers. It is intended that this policy is logically stepped and transparent. Award points will be automatically deducted from the students overall total when they receive one of the following College sanctions:

• Amber Board
• Parking
• Recorded Truancy
• ISU
• Poor Uniform

Heads of Faculty and teachers are required to intervene when issues of poor behaviour occur during lessons. This could mean a variety of intervention strategies such as:

• Support with behaviour management strategies with staff
• Flexible grouping within the faculty
• Support to remove the barriers to learning – literacy / numeracy intervention which may include offering a flexible curriculum.
• Support with effective differentiation within the lessons and across the faculty

Behaviour for Learning Overview

Download full document (407k pdf document)

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This document was adopted by the Full Governing Body on 17/12/2012

The document is subject to review on a annual basis. The next review will be Autumn Term 2013

 

Page updated Tuesday, May 14, 2013