Mo Mowlam Academy - Secondary
Behaviour Guidelines
(Download version <HERE> )
Our school is committed to the emotional mental health and well-being of its staff, students and parents/carers. We wish to work towards this in all aspects of school life, and to provide an ethos, environment and curriculum that supports the social, emotional and mental health of the whole school community. The aim of our Trust Behaviour Policy and the Mo Mowlam Behaviour Guidelines is to agree some basic key principles and practices that reflect our school ethos.
We operate a Thrive approach to supporting students’ emotional wellbeing. All students are assessed individually, and assessment reports are shared with all staff. Findings form part of the student's behaviour support plans (BSP’s)
Interventions are then employed and delivered according to the needs of each individual student.
We also follow the Emotion Coaching framework which uses moments of heightened emotion and resulting behaviour to guide and teach the young person about how to use effective responses to deal with challenging situations and difficult feelings.
All the students at Mo Mowlam School have diagnosed difficulties within the areas of social, emotional and mental health. All the students have an EHCP.
At times students may display behaviours which are unacceptable and at times may be dangerous. All our students require additional support to manage their emotions and behaviours and learn strategies to help them.
Students-
Students are expected to arrive at school on time and wearing school uniform.
They are expected to remove outdoor clothing in the classroom and take hoods down.
They are expected to hand to staff all belongings not permitted in school, including mobile phones, cigarettes, lighters, vapes etc.
When in school, or out on school trips, students are expected to adhere to the school rules, with appropriate support.
As staff-
We recognise that helping students to manage behaviours is the responsibility of all staff.
We meet and greet all students as they arrive at school with a warm welcome.
Students’ personal items that are not permitted in school are handed in and kept safe until they leave.
We plan learning to be stimulating, coherent and well-organised.
Work is well prepared, including specifically differentiated materials for students who need them.
Lessons start with the learning intention and success criteria and end with a summary and general overview of what has been learned.
Staff display positive norms of behaviour which model clear communication and positive interactions between each other and between adults and students.
Students earn Thrive points in each lesson. They are awarded for specific behaviours which mirror the general school rules-
Being Ready and Attend (in the right place at the right time and doing the right thing)
Safe and Respectful (to yourself, everybody else and everything)
Making Progress (engage in your learning and try hard)
These are displayed in each classroom.
Rewards and consequences-
Students earn a variety of rewards for the points earned each week and there are additional rewards offered periodically; an invitation to the Thrive café for a particular behaviour like walking in an orderly manner in the corridor etc.
Students earn tuck shop vouchers which can be exchanged for tuck shop items or saved as a form of currency to make purchases from the once a half term Thrive shop.
We praise students for their achievements. We ensure that in all our interactions with students the number of positive comments outweighs any negative comments.
We continually seek opportunities to praise a student and make our praise authentic and specific.
We avoid excessive or insincere praise as it devalues the process and confuses the student.
Positive feedback is given frequently. We remind students in difficulties, of times when they coped well or of good things they have achieved.
We use proximal praise by praising students who are doing the right thing to encourage others to do the same.
We focus on those who are behaving and working well and praise and encourage them.
To reward good behaviour or work positive post cards are awarded and calls home are made.
Students wearing school uniform receive raffle tickets and reward trips are planned accordingly.
We offer personalised incentives for students making the right choices.
There are a range of strategies we use in dealing with difficult behaviour -
Staff should always assess each negative incident and use the Emotional Coaching approach where possible-
1. Notice the behaviour and tune into the emotion beneath.
2. Connect with the child and recognise emotional times as an opportunity for relationship building and teaching.
3. Listen empathetically and validate the child’s feelings.
4. Help the child to verbally label the emotions.
5. Set limits on behaviour whilst helping the child to problem solve.
Sanctions or consequences are only used when other strategies have failed, and we give the child adequate notice that their behaviour will lead to a sanction or consequence.
If addressing the issue is likely to escalate a situation, and there are no safety concerns, it may be successful to tactically ignore the behaviour. We occasionally use ‘tactical ignoring’ of a behaviour as a specific strategy.
Occasionally in situations where it is necessary to break up a fight or intervene a dangerous behaviour, we make a dynamic risk assessment to consider how to pre-empt a potential incident and minimise risk.
We treat students with respect even when they are misbehaving.
We use eye contact or signals to express approval and disapproval initially.
We have a quiet word with the pupil who is misbehaving, telling them that the behaviour is not acceptable and should stop.
We describe the effects of the behaviour not the behaviour itself (“when you are making a noise or messing about, the others can’t hear or learn”).
We are prepared to change the adult involved to resolve an issue.
We allow students time to make amends or to follow up an instruction.
We follow up inappropriate behaviour with a student privately where possible.
We follow the guidelines if restrictive physical intervention is necessary, in accordance with the Trust Positive Handling Policy.
We send for help in good time.
In exceptional circumstances a raised voice may be used to bring about order or to interrupt dangerous behaviour.
We give opportunities for reparation and restitution.
We model reconciliation and support these processes as appropriate.
Staff use the Corridor Protocol (Appendix 1) to manage students' behaviours in the corridor.
Our job is to teach our students how to handle emotions. Not to teach them how not to have emotions.
Sanctions and Consequences-
Our system of rewards is balanced by sanctions and consequences which are accepted as fair and reasonable for the whole community, and which are consistently and sensitively applied.
Sanctions and consequences are sometimes needed to deal with serious and repeated misbehaviour. In applying them we also give the opportunity to make reparation and to set targets for desirable behaviour.
Sanctions and consequences include:
· Not earning points in our Thrive reward system.
· Not earning tuck shop vouchers.
· Removing the student from the classroom – there may be several reasons for this but in all cases the teacher needs to make it clear to the staff removing the students, the student themselves and the TA supporting the group what their expectations are. E.g., the teacher should in most cases welcome the student back to the classroom once they have had some thinking / regulation time and are prepared to follow the expectations in the classroom. However, there may be occasions when the teacher feels that the student needs to stay out of the classroom for the duration of the lesson. If this is the case work needs to be provided for the student to complete elsewhere.
· Lost learning – expecting the child to complete missed work in their own time, usually morning or lunch break.
· Reflection time after school – these can be used when other consequences have failed to promote more positive behaviours. If
after school reflection time is imposed the teacher must make all necessary arrangements; communicate with parents/carers, make necessary travel arrangements etc.
· Red risk can be used to keep students safe. If a student has displayed dangerous or reckless behaviour either in the school building or when on the field or the playground, then they will be prevented from going outside at the next break.
· Suspensions are used to address dangerous behaviours E.g. Unprovoked assaults on peers or assaults on staff and incidents of significant damage. Reintegration meetings are held with parents/carers following a suspension.
· Assaults on staff are not tolerated. All assaults on staff are recorded and reported according to Trust procedures.
It is expected that if a student’s behaviour is causing concern over a period and they are not responding to the systems we have in place then the teacher concerned should communicate with the tutor and make arrangement for the parents/carers to be included in sharing information with the intention of working together to support the student. Other services involved with a student may be invited to contribute.
In the event of a student attending school allegedly or suspected to be under the influence of drugs or alcohol, an immediate intervention will take place. A member of the SLT will be informed and the student will be isolated. If, in the opinion of the SLT member the learner is under the influence, parents/carers will be notified immediately, and arrangements made for the student to return to the care of their parent. Where deemed appropriate, and in consultation with a first aider, the student may be required to be transported to hospital for further medical attention. A safeguarding meeting will subsequently be organised, and decisions made about referral to police and/or social care.