BEHAVIOUR SUPPORT

POLICY

Rationale:

The Church’s mission is to Love One Another.  As a Catholic school, St Luke’s Primary School endeavours to foster the values of integrity, respect, responsibility and empathy and resilience. In our relationships with others, we are committed to demonstrating, fairness and cooperation to enhance and support the wellbeing of all in our community.  

All members of the St Luke’s Primary School community have the right of respect from others, the right to learn or teach, and a right to feel safe and secure in their school environment.  

Aims:

We are a  Restorative School. We believe in the language of choice. Where there has been conflict causing a relationship to breakdown, the relationship needs to be restored.

The school’s Behaviour Support Plan aims to :

• Develop attitudes and behaviours that promote and reflect uniqueness, cooperation, self discipline, resilience and mutual respect.

• Instil an understanding of the rights and responsibilities that each member of the school has personally  and each other.

• Provide a safe, secure, harmonious and happy learning environment.

• Promote a positive tone and morale that recognises the students’ achievements and efforts.

Implementation:

1.  At St Luke’s we follow 5 school rules:

• Follow staff directions the first time.

• Listen to the speaker.

• Speak respectfully – use good manners, no negative comments or put downs.

• Keep hands, feet and objects to yourself.

• Move safely at all times.

2.  Management of Appropriate Behaviour:

To support behaviour at St Luke’s we use positive reinforcement,

Positive reinforcement may be demonstrated in several ways, including:

• NON – VERBAL:  E.g. smile, nod, thumbs up, high five, wink, etc.

• VERBAL:  Praising students and providing meaningful feedback.

3.  Management of Inappropriate Behaviour:

When a student behaves in an unacceptable manner, members of staff need to translate what the behaviour is telling us - gain/avoid, defiance/breakdown.  Staff may choose to use corrective actions, or consequences to remind the student of the appropriate way to behave.

Minor Behaviours

Apply redirective strategies such as using the child’s name, redirective questions, non verbal -  the Look,  planned ignoring, physical proximity or distraction.

NAME you need to ………… (explicit language e.g. stop tapping the table)

If the student argues and refuses to follow instructions, simply repeat the assertive statement

NAME you need to……… ( Broken Record)

If the student argues and refuses to follow instructions, simply repeat the assertive statement.

If behaviour continues provide the Language of Choice

NAME you need to …………OR  ………(consequence)

Your choice.

(If the student is upset or angry use empathy…. NAME, I can see that you are upset, but you need to ………..

Further Action

1. WARNING - Look at child, give a verbal reminder of appropriate behaviour.  NAME “You need to…” ( Name the behaviour)

2. Broken Record  ….NAME You need to stop….    Restate the school rule

3. NAME You need to stop or ( consequence)        

4. Implement the chosen consequence

5. REMOVAL FROM GROUP - Removal of the student from the group, to another area of the room or playground and fill in classroom feeling think sheet

6. PRINCIPAL – Student is sent to Principal/Deputy Principal. Behaviour is discussed, a behaviour reflection sheet may be filled out and/or parents are contacted.

***Severe Clause Criteria:

To be used when student wilfully hurts another student, destroys property, overtly refuses to follow directions or engages in any serious misbehaviour that stops the class from functioning. Consequence – student to be sent immediately to the Principal/Deputy Principal.

Major Behaviours

Restorative Practice and Affective Questions will be used where appropriate when there is a relationship breakdown or conflict between students, staff will use the affective questions to initiate a discussion and help students move forward.  Consequences decided by the children can be the outcome of a Restorative discussion. ( Only give consequences for defiant behaviour)  Affective questions used to repair a relationship are:

1. What happened?

2. How did it happen?

3. How did you act in this situation?

4. Who do you think was affected?

5. How were they affected?

6. How were you affected?

7. What needs to happen to make things right?

8. If the same situation happens again, how could you do things differently?

4.  Language of Choice:

When dealing with relationship breakdowns, the language of choice is used to offer students' choices regarding their behaviour. Use explicit language e.g. POOR choice.  It de-escalates inappropriate behaviour and encourages the student to make good choices. A student should always feel that they are part of the community and that their behaviour is not acceptable. If you get the language of interaction right, then you'll be less likely to escalate to a situation requiring restorative questioning.

School Community:

• New staff, parents and students are informed of the five school rules.

• New staff, parents and students will be informed of the expected behaviour management strategies, as outlined above.

• Teachers will revise and reinforce the school rules at the beginning of each year, and as needed throughout the year. These will be clearly displayed in learning areas.

• All staff members will be expected to apply consequences consistently.

• All adults are encouraged to promote and display courteous and cooperative behaviour for the students.

EVALUATION:

This policy will be reviewed as part of the school’s review cycle.