Behaviour Policy

This news item is about our behaviour policy which you can read in full here: https://arkstalbans.org/about/policies-reports

We continue to expect high standards of behaviour from all pupils and to expect that pupils treat others with kindness and compassion. To help maintain those high standards, there are some things that staying the same about our approach to behaviour and some things that are changing.

These are summarised below and they will be explained to pupils in detail in September. Also next half-term, these changes will be reviewed with parents at our information events.

High expectations

• We still believe that every child is capable of excellent academic attainment
• We believe that, in order to achieve their potential, and allow others to achieve theirs, every child needs to behave well
• As a result, our behaviour policy focuses on pupils following precise and purposeful instructions and making the right choices

Detentions

• We will still be using the same system of lessons scores of 3, 2 and 1
• If a pupil is repeatedly disruptive in class, their lesson score will be moved down to a 2 and they will receive a detention
• If they continue to disrupt the class, their lesson score is moved down to a 1, they will receive a longer detention and may be removed from the classroom

Merits

• Pupils will receive a merit for every lesson where they attend and meet expectations
• These will be automatically applied to their merit total based on their morning and afternoon attendance marks
• Pupils can earn additional merits for demonstrating our values in their effort and conduct
• High merit earners will have their efforts recognised through rewards each term

Demerits replacing warnings

• We will no longer be referring to pupils receiving a ‘warning’
• Instead, the ‘warning’ will be replaced by the removal of a pupil’s merit – a ‘demerit’
• Demerits do not lead to a detention but are taken into account when deciding on the allocation of rewards, including end of term and end of year events and trips

Different lengths of detention for removals

• If a pupil receives a ‘1’ and needs to be removed from the lesson, they will receive a 45-minute detention, which is the same as in previous years
• However, if a pupil is disruptive or not following instructions following the issuing of a ‘1’, including leaving the classroom without waiting to be collected, the detention will be longer - 60 minutes

My Child at School App

• Parents will be able to use an App to see the merits, demerits and the detentions issued to their child and the reason for them
• This App will be introduced at the information events listed above

No whole-class consequences

• We have committed to teachers never giving out whole-class consequences
• We believe that every child’s behaviour must be addressed individually

Work in detention

• We have committed to pupils completing meaningful work in detention 
• In detention, pupils will complete the work they missed from the lesson where they received detention

Home-School Agreement

• We have increased the focus on our home-school agreement
• It is now included in the behaviour policy, and we have specified through the policy how it will be used in induction and parent meetings

If you have a question about the behaviour policy or about how it relates to your child, the best place to start if with your child’s head of year.