Anchorsholme Primary School

Discipline, Behaviour & Anti-Bullying Policy

The vast majority of the pupils at Anchorsholme Primary School conduct themselves appropriately, have good manners and are well behaved. There are occasions, however, when certain children do misbehave and need to be corrected. This policy describes the expectations we have of our pupils and the methods we employ to manage behaviour effectively if children do not conform. Our aim is always to be positive, to reward good behaviour and to avoid conflict with children whenever possible.

All our pupils are expected to demonstrate a basic standard of behaviour based on politeness, obedience and civility.

Anchorsholme School Rules

 

• When I am asked to do something by an adult in school, I will listen, and do it first time.

 

• I will always walk quietly in and around school.

 

• I am kind, polite and thoughtful to everyone.

 

• I treat all equipment and belongings with care and respect.

 

• I will always try my best and take pride in what I do.

 

Behaviour of Children in School

All children should be encouraged to be well mannered and polite whilst in and out of school. They should respect each other, their teachers, other adults, visitors, personal belongings, school resources, equipment and the building. They should conform to a basic standard of good behaviour. (Children who misbehave will be sanctioned - see below). The staff will report persistent or very serious acts of misbehaviour to the Senior Management Team, who may inform parents and the Headteacher. The headteacher or member of the SMT, teacher and parents will work together to address the problem.

Promoting Positive Behaviour 

Whenever possible, emphasis will be placed on rewarding the positive rather than punishing the negative. A merit system is in place to record academic achievement and to reward good behaviour. Children who receive five merits are given a stamp on their merit card. When ten stamps are collected, a merit badge is presented to them in assembly. A House system is also in operation and these merits go towards their own House total. Weekly scores for House points are announced in KS2 assembly each week and a House shield is presented. All outstanding work or effort from a pupil will be made known to the Headteacher and a Headteacher's award will be issued.

Class teachers may wish to reward a whole class or group of pupils. This may take the form of an extra five minutes playtime, a short video treat or extra practical work such as baking and could be chosen by the class or individuals. A target number will be set and this challenge will be recorded visually as decided in each class.

In addition to other rewards, two children from each class who have behaved particularly well or tried especially hard with something during the week, will have their names written in the school Golden Book.  Names from the book will be read out in assembly each Friday and a gold medal presented. The parents of those pupils in the Golden Book will be invited to attend the assembly.

An additional afternoon playtime will be awarded to the classes gaining the most points when lining up after play each week. These will be announced in Friday assembly.

The main aim of the reward process is to encourage all our pupils to follow the school rules, work hard and to be well mannered and thoughtful whilst in school.

 

Responding To Inappropriate Behaviour

 

It is always advisable to ask children what they were supposed to have been doing and how they should behave. They will then be able to acknowledge ownership of the misbehaviour and will be able to work to put it right.

For those children who behave inappropriately, certain sanctions are available to the staff and these vary according to the severity of the misconduct. For example, pupils may be required to repeat assignments of work, undertake extra work or forfeit free time during the school day. Sanctions take the form of the removal of privileges e.g., loss of break times, free activities etc. These are at the discretion of the class teacher but children will not be kept behind after school or left alone in the classroom during break periods.

 Minor behaviour problems are dealt with within the classroom. (See below) Children will be spoken to about their behaviour by the class teacher and will be given good behaviour targets to reach within a specific time scale. It may be necessary to tactically ignore certain behaviours and use positive reinforcement frequently.

 The procedure to follow in response to children who misbehave is as follows:

 

• 1. Ask the child:

What happened? Why? Who has been affected and how? How can we put it right? What have you learnt so as to make different choices next time?

• 2. Provide the child with time out within the classroom.
• 3. If the child continues to misbehave staff may opt to send him/her to another classroom within the same year group with their own work for one lesson.
• 4. If the pupil continues to misbehave, a letter or phone call will inform the child's parents of the problems in school and they will be asked to come in to school to discuss the situation.
• 5. If the bad behaviour still persists, refer to the appropriate member of the Senior Management Team or discuss with the SENCO so strategies can be put in place. It is important to note that whilst the child should be given the opportunity to begin each new day with a clean sheet, repeated incidents of poor behaviour should be recorded so that action can be taken to investigate any problems which the child is experiencing. Outside agencies might be consulted
• 6. If the child fails to respond in a positive way, a temporary lunchtime or whole day exclusion may then be considered and a full investigation of the problem will be initiated.

 The withdrawal of children from N.C. subjects, e.g., P.E., games, swimming, etc., will never be used as a sanction for bad behaviour outside those lessons but may be used if the teacher considers that the presence of a pupil in that activity constitutes a danger to the child or to others in the group.

The parents of any child found to have caused wilful damage to school equipment or property, or to the property of another person in school, will be asked to provide compensation.

A member of the SMT will be involved and the child's parents will be informed immediately of any serious incident of misbehaviour in school.

 

 Dress & Appearance

Pupils wear their uniform with pride and dress smartly to reflect the ethos of the school. Extremes of fashion, both in terms of clothing and personal appearance are actively discouraged. By drawing attention to themselves in this way children open themselves to potential bullying and ridicule and distract other pupils from their work. In common with all other schools in the country, the headteacher reserves the right to make the final decision regarding matters of this nature.

 

Exclusions

The school has no obligation to provide supervision for children during the mid-day break and any child who repeatedly misbehaves at lunchtime, or is involved in an extremely serious incident such as bullying or injuring another person, may be required to go home for lunch for a short period of time.

 If a child continues to exhibit inappropriate behaviour, or an extremely serious incident occurs, the headteacher has the power to exclude that pupil from school for a specific period or permanently. Parents may appeal against exclusion; the matter would then be referred to the school governors. 

Anti- Bullying Policy

Our school motto is:  "Tell, Tell, Tell!"

Aims of the Policy

The aim of the anti-bullying policy is to ensure that all pupils learn in a supportive, caring and safe environment without fear of being bullied. The policy will both prevent incidents of bullying and ensure that any that do occur are dealt with effectively and consistently by all members of staff.

Definition

The staff and governors of Anchorsholme Primary School accept the definition of bullying as ..."Behaviour which is hurtful or deliberate; it is often persistent, sometimes continuing for weeks, months or even years and it is difficult for those being bullied to defend themselves. Underlying most bullying behaviour is an abuse of power and a desire to intimidate and dominate" (Tackling Bullying in Your School, S. Sharp & P. K. Smith).

Types of Bullying

It is accepted that bullying may take many forms including:

• Physical - hitting, kicking, taking or damaging belongings.
• Verbal - name calling, insulting, repeated teasing and racist remarks.
• Emotional - spreading nasty rumours, excluding someone from social groups.
• Technological - sending nasty text messages or e mails.

 Statutory Duty of Schools

"Head teachers must, by law, have a policy to prevent all forms of bullying among pupils. Challenging bullying effectively will improve the safety and happiness of pupils, show that the school cares and make clear to the bullies that the behaviour is unacceptable"

(Bullying: Don't Suffer in Silence - An advice Pack for Schools, Dfes, 2000).

"Headteachers will need to satisfy themselves that their policies comply with the Human Rights Act 1998" (Bullying: Don't Suffer in Silence - An advice Pack for Schools, Dfes, 2000).

 Effects of Bullying

Bullying can affect pupils in a number of ways. When pupils are bullied their lives are made miserable, they may suffer injury and they may be unhappy about coming to school. Over time they may lose self-confidence and self esteem, often blaming themselves for inviting bullying behaviour.

Bullying can affect the pupil's concentration and learning. Some pupils experience stress related illness; stomach aches, headaches, nightmares or anxiety attacks. All these symptoms should be carefully monitored by staff and reported to a member of the Senior Management Team if thought to be related in any way to bullying. If unchallenged, other pupils can learn that bullying is a quick and effective way of getting what they want. Bullying can pervade the relationships of children and become accepted as normal.  This will not happen at Anchorsholme Primary School.

 School response to Bullying - a staff guide for teachers, non- teaching staff and welfare staff.

Bullying

• Class teacher to counsel both bully and victim immediately after the incident, offering clear and firm guidance.
• Record the incident on a serious incident sheet held in the headteacher's office.
• Inform both pupils' parents.

 The class teacher may consider additional disciplinary action, for example removal of privileges or loss of freedom / playtimes.

 All cases of racial abuse should be reported to the headteacher who will report the matter to the L.A.

 Victims of Bullying

Pupils who are being bullied are encouraged to speak to a responsible adult within the school at the earliest opportunity. They will be offered the opportunity to discuss the experience with their class teacher or a staff member of their choice.

The pupil will be reassured and continuous support will be offered to them. The restoration of self-esteem and confidence is a priority.

Staff will monitor the situation in the classroom, during lunch and in the playground.

 Bullies

Pupils who have bullied will also be encouraged to discuss their behaviour with an adult in the school; usually a member of the SMT. This adult should try to discover why the pupil became involved and establish the wrong doing they have caused. It is of value to ask the child how they feel inside and why. Bullying often stems from a feeling of unhappiness and a sense of not belonging. The informing of parents, as mentioned above, will also help change the attitude of the pupil.

 Concerns From Parents

Parents or Carers concerned that their child may be being bullied should contact the school immediately. A meeting with the class teacher and / or member of SMT will be arranged and a full investigation initiated. If necessary, the headteacher or a member of the SMT will be informed and the situation will be closely monitored.

 Review of Policy

This policy will be reviewed annually. The school will assess its implementation and effectiveness.

 Ongoing work

Within the curriculum the school will raise awareness to the nature of bullying through citizenship, P.S.H.E, assemblies and subject areas, in a continuous attempt to prevent such behaviour. An anti-bullying week will take place annually.

 

The School's Response to Bullying

 The persistent bully will need help and firm guidance. When dealing with a child who has bullied another, staff should be clear, honest and direct in their responses, avoiding the use of humiliation, sarcasm, aggression, threat or manipulation.

In the first instance the response should, if at all possible, be immediate with possible follow up in the longer term. The incident should be recorded on a serious incident sheet held in the headteacher's office and the child's parents be informed. Each case should be considered in its own right. Disciplinary action may not always be appropriate. All cases of racial abuse should be reported to the headteacher who will report the matter to the L.A.

 

Following an incident of bullying, the policy of the school is to provide the pupils involved with some form of counselling in order to enable the pupils to discuss strategies for resolving the problem and avoiding further conflict. Outside support from specialist agencies will be utilised if necessary.

 

 Final Statement

IT IS ASSUMED THAT PARENTS WHO CHOOSE TO SEND THEIR CHILD TO THE SCHOOL, WILL SUPPORT AND CO-OPERATE FULLY WITH THE STAFF IN MAINTAINING HIGH STANDARDS OF WORK AND BEHAVIOUR, AS STATED IN THE HOME / SCHOOL AGREEMENT.

 Our school anti-bullying motto is:

"Tell, Tell, Tell!"