Behaviour, Discipline and Bullying
Behaviour and Discipline
We believe that children develop and thrive best in schools where they:1) know what behaviour is expected of them and what behaviour is not acceptable;
2) are rewarded when they behave appropriately;
3) are corrected when they behave inappropriately;
4) know that school and home share the same standards and will contact each other whenever it is in the children's interests to do so. Back to top
Rules
Our basic requirements of pupils are embodied in the following rule:Right place, right time, right gear, right attitude
This rule is adapted to meet the needs of the different curriculum areas of the school. Common sense is applied at all times by the staff and is appreciated from the pupils. Back to top
Rewards
Every lesson during which the pupil behaves appropriately earns credit towards the following rewards in the form of stickers which are placed on a record card which is sent home to parents each term.Bronze award;
Silver award;
Gold award;
Those pupils who achieve 'All Gold' status receive additional commendations.
SINCE THEY ARE BASED ON EFFORT, COMMITMENT AND CO-OPERATION, ALL PUPILS ARE EQUALLY CAPABLE OF EARNING REWARDS AND, ONCE EARNED, REWARDS WILL NEVER BE TAKEN AWAY. Back to top
Sanctions
The following sanctions are applied progressively in each lesson of the day:First breach Name on board Lose reward
Second breach One tick See teacher at end of lesson (max 2 minutes)
Third breach Two ticks Subject specific sanction (lines, move place etc.)
Fourth breach Three ticks Short departmental detention (max 15 min)
Fifth breach Four ticks School lunchtime detention (25-30 min)
NB Serious breaches of discipline at any stage of the lesson will be dealt with by the emergency call-out procedures, which involve a senior member of staff visiting the lesson to deal with the problem. If it is clear that a pupil is making it impossible for other pupils to get on with their work, s/he is immediately removed from the lesson and placed in the school's isolation unit. In rare cases of serious disruption or potential danger to persons or property, it may become necessary for members of staff to restrain a pupil physically.
At each stage pupils have the opportunity to reflect on their behaviour and avoid getting deeper into trouble. Parents are informed in writing about all serious misbehaviour to give them the opportunity to support the school in its aims. In cases where pupils misbehave frequently, parents are asked to come to school to help us to find solutions. If necessary, such pupils are excluded from school until the meeting with their parents has taken place.
WHEREAS REWARDS APPLY FROM THE VERY FIRST LESSON OF THE YEAR, SANCTIONS DO NOT APPLY TO YEAR 7 PUPILS UNTIL THE SECOND WEEK IN ORDER TO GIVE THEM THE OPPORTUNITY TO LEARN WHAT IS REGARDED AS ACCEPTABLE BEHAVIOUR AND WHAT IS REGARDED AS UNACCEPTABLE BEHAVIOUR. Back to top
Lunchtime Passes
We strongly recommend that all pupils stay on site at lunchtime unless they are going home (or to the home of a trusted friend or relative) for lunch. Pupils who are allowed to hang about street corners or on shop fronts at lunchtime are likely to get into danger or cause nuisance to other people. Parents are given the opportunity to apply for a lunchtime pass if they wish their children to leave the site. A permanent lunchtime pass is valid for a full school year; a fixed-term lunchtime pass is valid only for the days specified.Pupils who repeatedly misbehave during lunchtime, when they are mainly under the supervision of dinner ladies, are subject to the normal school sanctions. Regular offenders will be excluded from the site and their parents will be expected to make alternative arrangements for their lunches. Under such circumstances pupils who are entitled to free meals may take packed lunches away with them. This is a severe sanction which is applied only after a series of oral warnings to the pupil and written warnings to the parents. Back to top
Bullying 1
Bullying is repeated behaviour which makes other people feel uncomfortable or threatened and puts them under stress.It may be physical, verbal or emotional and could be conducted by an individual or group.
The aim of the Willowgarth High School Anti-Bullying Code is to clarify for all pupils, parents and staff that any form of bullying is always unacceptable. We wish to create an environment where our pupils' individuality is recognised and where they are allowed to develop without fear. Every pupil has the right to be safe and happy at Willowgarth, and to be protected when he/she feels vulnerable.
We realise that bullying, or other forms of harassment, can make pupils' lives unhappy and can affect their achievement and attendance, thereby undermining the entire ethos of the school. At Willowgarth we take this very seriously and are all committed to working towards an effective whole school approach.
All pupils and parents have access to information regarding spotting signs, dealing with incidents and the procedures involved in bullying cases. We encourage everyone to be open in reporting unacceptable behaviour as we treat all incidents seriously. We want to show our disapproval of bullying to bullies and encourage responsible behaviour.
ALWAYS REPORT BULLYING TO SOMEONE
BULLIES RELY ON FEAR AND SILENCE FROM THEIR VICTIMS
NO PUPIL HAS TO PUT UP WITH BEING BULLIED. WE WILL TAKE ACTION AGAINST ALL FORMS OF BULLYING. Back to top
Bullying 2
BULLYING - POSSIBLE SIGNS THAT A CHILD IS BEING BULLIEDFor detailed information go to:-
http://www.bullying.co.uk/
http://www.bbc.co.uk/education/bully
http://www.dfee.gov.uk/bullying/pages/home.html
A pupil may indicate by signs or behaviour that he / she is being bullied. If you are concerned and become aware of any of the following, you must consider asking if someone is threatening or bullying your child. Contact the school by telephone (01226 711542) or through the Contact Us facility on the left of this page. That will go directly to Mrs. Fletcher in the school office. She will then take the initial steps to remedy the situation.
Pupils may:
■ Be frightened of walking to or from school
■ Be unwilling to come to school
■ Start to arrive late to registration or lessons to avoid the bully
■ Begin underachieving in their school work
■ Appear regularly with clothes or books and bags damaged or destroyed
■ Be hungry (because dinner money was stolen)
■ Become withdrawn, appear depressed and apathetic
■ Become easily distressed, quick to tears, overly sensitive
■ Stop eating
■ Have unexplained bruises, scratches, cuts etc
■ Have their possessions go missing
■ Ask to borrow or begin stealing money (to pay the bully)
■ Continually lose their dinner money, lunch token or bus fare
■ Refuse to say what's wrong
■ Give improbable excuses to explain any of the above
Parents and teachers must never ignore any incidents, or alleged incidents, of bullying. To do so will always undermine the confidence of pupils in feeling that bullying is taken seriously at Willowgarth High School. Back to top