BOURNEMOUTH COLLEGIATE PREPARATORY SCHOOL

DISCIPLINE AND EXCLUSION POLICY

School Ethos

The School is a place where:

• all individuals are respected and their individuality valued within the norms of the school
• where pupils are encouraged to achieve
• where self-discipline is promoted and good behaviour is the norm
• where rewards and sanctions are applied fairly and consistently
  

The School’s Moral Code

The Headteacher requires that the school’s policies should reflect the highest moral standards. In particular, the school will not tolerate bullying or anti-social behaviour and will be pro-active in combating such behaviour. 

Responsibilities - The Head Teacher

The Head Teacher’s role is to determine the detail of the standard of behaviour acceptable to the school, to the extent that this has not been determined by the governing body. The Head has the day-to-day responsibility for maintaining discipline in the school, which will include making rules and provision for enforcing them.

The Head Teacher is expected to:

• promote self discipline and proper regard for authority among pupils
• encourage good behaviour and respect for others, and to prevent all forms of bullying among pupils
• secure and enforce that the standard of behaviour is acceptable
• otherwise regulate the conduct of pupils

The Deputy Head teacher, the teacher with special responsibility for behavioural and pastoral matters and all staff will support the Head Teacher in the above.

Responsibilities - All Staff

All staff are expected to encourage good behaviour and respect for others in pupils, and to apply all rewards and sanctions fairly and consistently. Well planned, interesting and demanding lessons make a major contribution to good discipline. Co-ordinators are charged with using their best endeavours to ensure that programmes of study and the methodology used in the Department are well thought out and of a consistently high standard.

Standards of Behaviour

The school has high standards of behaviour and endeavours to encourage good habits of work and behaviour from the moment a child enters the school.

All staff are expected to promote self-discipline amongst pupils and to deal appropriately with any unacceptable behaviour.

Punctual attendance at school and lessons is required.

It is understood that there will be variations in staff acceptance and tolerance of pupils’ behaviour in class depending on the nature of the class and content of the lesson, but behaviour which does not allow constructive teaching and learning is totally unacceptable and all staff have a duty to ensure that such behaviour is not tolerated.

The disruption of learning is unacceptable and will not be tolerated in the interest of the other pupils.

Rewards and sanctions

All rewards and sanctions must be applied fairly and consistently. None of the school’s punishments will be degrading or humiliating.

The school’s rewards and sanctions system is attached to this document. Staff may, however, use other reward systems of their own to encourage good behaviour within the classroom.

Sanctions should be applied when rewards have failed, or where it is necessary in the circumstances to show appropriate disapproval.

All staff must seek to ensure that punishments are proportionate to the offence, and should enable pupils to make reparation where possible.  As far as possible the sanction applied should be as constructive as possible.

The following sanctions may be used in the school in appropriate cases:

• completion of work at home or extra work (in school or at home)
• carrying out useful tasks to help the school
• detention in school hours (or at lunchtime or outside school hours provided that the parents have been notified at least 24 hours previously),
• removal from the group/class or particular lesson
• withdrawal of break or lunchtime privileges
• withholding participation in educational visits or sports events which are not essential to the curriculum
• fixed and permanent exclusion

Exclusions

Only the Principal or Head (or Deputy Head, in the Head’s absence) can exclude a pupil.

Pupils may be excluded for one or more fixed periods or permanently.

For serious but relatively minor breaches of the school’s behaviour/discipline policies, pupils can be excluded for one or more fixed term periods not exceeding 45 school days in any one school year.

A decision to exclude a pupil permanently will only be taken as a last resort when a wide range of strategies for dealing with disciplinary offences has been employed to no avail or if an exceptional ‘one-off’ offence has been committed, e.g.:

• violence, actual or threatened, against a pupil or member of staff
• behaviour which may threaten the safety of other pupils or staff
• sexual abuse or assault
• supplying an illegal drug
• possessing an illegal drug or alcohol on the school premises or on a school organised event or trip
• carrying an offensive weapon
• behaviour (on or off the school premises) which is likely to bring the school into disrepute.
• continued refusal to comply with the school’s policies and procedures
• any other offence which in the opinion of the Head Teacher is deemed to be of such a serious nature as to call into question the wisdom of allowing the pupil to remain in the school

The above list is illustrative, not exhaustive.

Alternatives to exclusion

Before resorting to exclusion the school will normally try alternative solutions, unless the offence is so severe or extreme that the Head Teacher judges this not to be approproate:

For example:

• a restorative justice process – whereby the harm caused to the ‘victim’ can be redressed;
• internal exclusion (removal from class, but not the site)

Inappropriate Exclusion

The school does not see exclusion as normally appropriate in the following cases (and other means of internal discipline will be applied):

• minor breaches of discipline
• poor academic performance
• truancy or lateness

Parental Co-operation

Parental co-operation forms part of the contract between the school and all parents of pupils at the school. A refusal to abide by the terms of an exclusion may be considered a breach of contract.

Appeals

Parents are entitled to appeal to the governing body against any exclusion. A letter stating the intention to appeal should be sent to the Clerk to the Governing Body at the school. A hearing will be set up as quickly as possible, but within 10 days at the latest.

The governors' decision is final.

Continuing Education

The School will continue to provide education for a pupil who remains on roll and in the case of an exclusion of more than 15 days, the school will consider:

• how the pupil’s education will continue;
• how his/her problems night be addressed in the interim;
• reintegration post-exclusion

Corporal Punishment and Restraint

In accordance with the law there is no corporal punishment allowed by the school. However, a teacher, or other member of staff, may use 'reasonable force' to prevent a pupil from:

• committing an offence
• causing personal injury or damage (including to themselves)
• engaging in any activity prejudicial to the maintenance of good order, whether during a lesson or at any other time

Involvement of Parents

Parents will be involved in discipline cases as appropriate. Individual staff should inform the Deputy Head Teacher or the teacher with special responsibility for behavioural and pastoral matters when they have contacted parents about discipline issues.  Parents are also encouraged to support good behaviour and positive habits in their children through the school’s ‘Home-School Agreement’, and at parent meetings.

Involvement of Staff

The working of the school’s policies and procedures will be discussed regularly at staff meetings. Staff will also be involved in discussions with pupils in form/tutor group time.

Staff will also be called upon from time to time to identify problems that may be behind any bad behaviour, and to suggest possible courses of action. Training in behaviour management will be provided from time to time.

Involvement of Pupils

The School Council will be involved in reviewing the school’s anti-bullying policies and procedures and in the school’s programmes to reinforce self-discipline and positive work and behaviour patterns.

Discussions in Form/tutor group time will inform the deliberations of the School Council.

The Deputy Head is responsible for ensuring the positive contribution of pupils.

In particular the Accelerated Learning Centre Co-ordinator will ensure that the needs of SEN pupils are properly taken into account, and their participation in the consultation process is assured.

Equal Opportunities

All rewards and sanctions must be applied fairly and consistently and in accordance with the school’s equal opportunities policy.

Publication

A summary of the policy will be given to all parents and prospective parents of pupils at the school. The full text of the policy will be available in the school office for parents, if the wish to avail themselves of it.

Signed              .........................................................................................

                           Chair of Governors

Date                   .........................................................................................