Home School

Partnership Agreement

and

Discipline Consultation

Procedure

2005 - 2006

I, as a pupil, will:

a) Come to school each day and be on time.

b) Follow the school rules:

Try not to hurt anyone by what I say or what I do.

I won’t do anything to anyone I wouldn’t like done to myself.

c) Listen and follow instructions.

d) Wear school uniform

e) Keep hands, feet and objects to myself.

f) Be polite and helpful and respect staff and fellow pupils.

g) Remember that bullying, swearing and hurtful comments are not acceptable.

h) Work and play in a way that does not disturb others.

We/I as parent(s)/guardian(s) will:

a) Make sure our child arrives at school on time - 8.55 a.m.

b) Make sure our child attends school regularly and provide a note of explanation if our child is absent.

c) Ensure that our child conforms to the school standard of uniform.

d) Ensure that our child comes to school well prepared for learning (pencils, rubber etc.) and that they have done their homework.

e) Ensure our child follows the code of behaviour in the school.

f) Attend Parent’s Information Meetings to discuss our child’s progress and keep up to date with targets and achievements.

g) Support our child’s learning at home and share information about their learning with school.

h) Treat school staff with the respect we would expect to receive ourselves.

The School will:

a) Encourage our children to do their best at all times

b) Encourage our children to conform to the school standard of dress and code of behaviour.

c) Encourage our children to take care of their surroundings.

d) Treat pupils fairly and with respect and encourage them to have respect for others.

e) Inform parents of their children’s progress at regular meetings.

f) Inform parents about what the teachers aim to teach the children each term.

g) Encourage children to do appropriate work at home to support their learning.

h) Encourage the children to share their learning and achievements at home.

Together we will:

a) Tackle any special needs.

b) Encourage our children to keep the school’s rules

c) Support our children’s learning to help them achieve their best.

Belvoir Park Discipline Policy

THE NEED FOR DISCIPLINE

Discipline is the system and ethos which aims to cultivate in pupils an acceptance and recognition of responsibility for their own decisions, their actions and their consequences. 

Good discipline practices create the conditions for effective learning and help to develop in children responsible attitudes and values for life.

It is the view of the staff that effective learning can only take place in an atmosphere where standards of good behaviour and language are prerequisites. 

AIMS OF DISCIPLINE

A system of discipline should have at its centre a concern for the safety and well-being of the pupils. Discipline should not be seen as ‘punishment’ but as being concerned with encouraging children to behave in a socially acceptable fashion while in the care of teachers and others in the education process. 

PARENTS AND DISCIPLINE

Parents have a duty to ensure that their children do not cause injury or damage to others or to any property and they, therefore, have an obligation to promote the general policy and rules of discipline as laid down by the school.

The co-operation of parents is sought in relation to maintaining high standards of pupil attendance, punctuality, personal appearance, the wearing of school uniform, caring for learning materials, particularly those which belong to the school and which may be sent home and the supervision of homework.

TEACHERS - THE POSITIVE SIDE OF DISCIPLINE

In any disciplinary system, the emphasis must always be on the positive approach of encouragement and praise, rather than on the negative one of criticism and punishment. 

Constructive criticism should always include advice on how to improve behaviour. 

It is part of the school policy to emphasise positive approaches to maintain and improve discipline.

The special educational needs’ co-ordinator will be involved whenever an individual education plan is required for behaviour.

CLASSROOM DISCIPLINE

Good teaching practice and positive teacher/pupil relationships are major contributors to good classroom discipline.  Good discipline enables effective learning to take place.

Teachers must encourage the genuine involvement of all pupils in classroom activity by recognising their different abilities and matching tasks to those abilities so that pupils regularly achieve success.

The recognition and encouragement of children’s individuality and the importance of self-esteem.

The use of positive rather than negative language to communicate expectations and feedback to pupils.

Give regular praise and encouragement to pupils, particularly to disruptive pupils as soon as acceptable behaviour is observed.

The establishment of a small number of agreed classroom rules.

SANCTIONS IN DISCIPLINE

Even with good classroom practice, it will be necessary to have sanctions.  These are necessary for two main reasons:

• to make the particular child and others aware of the school/staff disapproval of unacceptable behaviour;
• to protect the authority of staff, should that be threatened.

Sanctions should:

• be constructive;
• be applied with sensitivity, flexibility and discrimination;
• where possible, be related to the misdemeanour;
• be specific to the culprit and not applied to a whole group.

Sanctions will be as follows:

Level 1

Staff will deal with minor problems as a good parent using reprimand and praise.

Level 2

Staff will determine the sanction for a repeated incident of a minor nature.

Level 3

Where a pupil is repeatedly disturbing the learning of the class he/she will be sent to the Principal.  Free time, break time, lunchtime and after school time, will be restricted.

If a pupil is to be kept-in after school 24 hours notice will be given to the parents. The parents will be contacted by phone or letter to arrange a meeting to discuss the incident in the presence of the pupil. 

However, with some more serious incidents of misbehaviour the pupil will receive a multiple detention and then placed on a weekly report. If required, a further restriction will be placed on their return to class. The pupil will be taught in a withdrawal room for a specified period of time.

Level 4

If any pupil is causing the education of another child to be hindered, if they are endangering their peers or own personal safety through physical assault, bullying, texting or verbal abuse, either in or travelling to or from school, the parent will be invited to come into school to discuss the incident. 

Suspension will be under consideration at this stage, as specified in the SEELB procedure. Suspensions will be for a period of five days and up to a maximum of 45 days in any school year.

If a suspension is applied a second interview will be carried out with the parent on their child's return to school to explain the procedures. After a short passage of time, a further interview will be held to establish progress and to make a decision on which strategy to endorse either a full return to class or movement to level 5.

Level 5

If a child is a regular discipline problem, the case will be presented to the Board of Governors for their consideration. The ultimate sanction, for a pupil who continues to be a discipline problem, is expulsion from the school. This procedure will take place in the shortest possible period using the SEELB procedures.

We are keen to consult with parents on the disciple policy please fill in the appropriate section on the “Home-School Partnership Agreement.”