Education in Hampshire

School behaviour policy

Discouraging anti-social behaviour

Pupils achieve success in learning social behaviour at different rates. The school community not only needs to specify how good behaviour is noticed and acknowledged, but also how anti-social behaviour is tackled.

There will be times when staff have to make it absolutely clear that a pupil's behaviour is unacceptable. However, the challenge is to find ways of communicating this clearly to show respect for the whilst completely rejecting the behaviour. In other words reject the behaviour not the child. Pupil self esteem can be maintained if punishment is seen to be fair.

Review questions: discouraging anti-social behaviour

How does the behaviour policy discourage inappropriate, anti-social behaviour?

Is the behaviour policy specific about:

Yes

No

Not sure

1 the range of sanctions which can be used by staff?

2 the hierarchy of sanctions based upon the seriousness
of the anti-social behaviour?

3 how pupils are informed about the relationship
between severity of misbehaviour and the likely
consequences of this behaviour?

4 how sanctions will be fair and commensurate with the
seriousness of the misbehaviour?

5 how sanctions will be used consistently, but also
take into account individual and mitigating circumstances?

6 not using sanctions to humiliate pupils?

7 how parents are to be informed and involved when
there is serious misbehaviour?

8 not applying sanctions indiscriminately to
whole groups of pupils?

There are two aspects of anti-social behaviour about which the school needs to have clearly formulated policies. They may be part of the behaviour policy document itself or be separate policies to which reference is made in the behaviour policy.

1 When pupil behaviour presents a serious danger of causing significant harm to themselves, to others, or to property, or there is a major threat to good order, approved staff may need to take physical control until such time as the pupil is able to take back control for themselves. Reference in the behaviour policy should be made to Guidance published in July 1998 by the DfEE (Circular 10/98) and to Guidelines published by Hampshire County Council.

2 Where the behaviour of a pupil seriously violates the school rules, or where the continued presence of the pupil is a serious threat to the safety of others, it may be considered necessary to exclude that pupil, either permanently or for a fixed term. Each school is required to have an Exclusions Policy, which will reflect the requirements of the law and the LEA Exclusions Protocol.

Review questions: Physical restraint and exclusions

Does the policy make reference to:

Yes

No

Not sure

1 policies and procedures re physical restraint?

2 policies and procedures re exclusion?

Is the behaviour policy specific about:	Yes	No	Not sure
1 the range of sanctions which can be used by staff?
2 the hierarchy of sanctions based upon the seriousness of the anti-social behaviour?
3 how pupils are informed about the relationship between severity of misbehaviour and the likely consequences of this behaviour?
4 how sanctions will be fair and commensurate with the seriousness of the misbehaviour?
5 how sanctions will be used consistently, but also take into account individual and mitigating circumstances?
6 not using sanctions to humiliate pupils?
7 how parents are to be informed and involved when there is serious misbehaviour?
8 not applying sanctions indiscriminately to whole groups of pupils?

	Yes	No	Not sure
1 policies and procedures re physical restraint?
2 policies and procedures re exclusion?