Behaviour Principles Statement

South Pennine Academies take as our first priority the responsibility to safeguard and promote the welfare of all our students. As such, the Trust Board of South Pennine Academies is charged with the duty to set the framework of the behaviour policies of each academy by providing a written statement of general principles relating to behaviour and discipline, taking into account the needs of all staff and students.

The, South Pennine Academies behaviour principles, have our Key Priorities as their foundation:

Key Priorities

• Strong and Effective Leaders
• High Performing Staff
• Successful Students
• Engaged Community

Notes

1. This Statement has been drawn up in accordance with the Education and Inspections Act, 2006, and DfE: Behaviour and discipline in schools Advice for headteachers and school staff (January 2016).
2. The purpose of the Statement is to provide guidance to the Principals in drawing up their individual Behaviour Policy so that it reflects the shared aspirations and beliefs of all stakeholders in South Pennine Academies; Trustees, Local Academy Boards, staff, parents and students, as well as taking full account of law and guidance on behaviour matters. It is intended to help all staff to be aware of and understand the extent of their powers in respect of recognition and reward for good behaviour, discipline and sanctions for unacceptable behaviour and how to use them. Staff should be confident that they will always have the Trustees’ support when following this guidance.
3. This is a statement of principles, not practice: it is the responsibility of the Principal to draw up the academy’s behaviour policy, though the Principal must take account of these principles when formulating this policy. The Principal should also take account of the guidance in DfE: Behaviour and discipline in schools Advice for headteachers and school staff (January 2016). 
4. With consideration of our duty of care to the students, this written statement and the policies that are influenced by it apply to all students when in school, when travelling to and from school, when engaged in extra-curricular activities such as educational trips and visits (residential and non-residential) and when being educated as a member of the South Pennine Academies community off-site. 
5. The Behaviour Policy is to be published on the academy’s website and distributed to all members of staff.

 Principles

High standards of behaviour and attendance:

The Trust Board of South Pennine Academies, believe that high standards of behaviour and attendance lie at the heart of a successful academy which enables all of its students to make the best possible progress in all aspects of their educational life and that all staff should be able to teach and promote good learning without interruption. It should be clear that behaviour should not jeopardise the health and safety of any member of the school community.

The right to feel safe at all times:

All students, staff and visitors have the right to feel safe at all times in the academy and free from the effects of unacceptable behaviour. There should be mutual respect between all members of the academy community and the policy should help to foster this.

Inclusivity:

South Pennine Academies is an inclusive trust. All members of the Trust’s community should be able to work or study, free from any form of discrimination, harassment or bullying (as laid down in the Equality Act, 2010.) To this end each academy must have a clear and comprehensive Anti-bullying Statement (in this or other policies) that is known and understood by all, consistently applied and monitored for its effectiveness. Measures to protect pupils from bullying and discrimination as a result of gender, race, ability, sexual orientation or background should be clearly set out and regularly monitored for their effective implementation.

Engaged Community:

Parents/carers should be encouraged and helped to support their children’s education, just as the students should be helped to understand their responsibilities during their time within the academy. Parents/Carers and students will be made aware of the behaviour expectations of the academy during the admissions process, this may include a ‘Home School Agreement’. All academies are encouraged to have an open door policy and positively promote welcoming all parents/carers into the academy.

Academy Rules:

The Academy Rules should be clearly stated in the Behaviour Policy. These should set out expected standards of behaviour and shared with and explained to all students. The Trust Board expect the rules to be consistently applied by all staff.

Rewards:

The emphasis will be on encouraging positive behaviour through;

- high expectations;

- the modelling of good behaviour;

- a focus on learning;

- praise and rewards.

The Trust Board would like to see a wide range of rewards consistently and fairly applied in such a way as to encourage and reward good behaviour in the classroom and elsewhere. These should be made clear in the Behaviour Policy (or other policies).

Unacceptable/poor behaviour:

Sanctions for unacceptable/poor behaviour should be known and understood by all staff and students and consistently applied. The range of sanctions should be described in the Behaviour Policy so that students, staff and parents can understand how and when these are applied. Sanctions, when necessary, will enable the student to reflect on, and learn from, their behaviour and to make reparation wherever possible. The focus on positive behaviour, forgiveness and reconciliation will significantly reduce the need for exclusion, however, when making decisions the Principal must balance the needs of the individual with those of the wider school community and where student behaviour places others at risk, the safety of the student body as a whole is paramount. The Trust strongly feel that exclusions, particularly those that are permanent, must be used only as a very last resort.

Power to use reasonable force or make physical contact:

Given the overriding need to keep the students and staff safe, the Principal, or representative(s), will utilise their powers to search or use reasonable force in order to keep individuals from harming, or further harming, themselves or others.

Situations in which reasonable force may be used (including removing disruptive pupils from classrooms, or preventing them from leaving) will be included in the policy documentation of the academy. A definition of ‘reasonable force’ should be included, which should also explain how and when pupils may be restrained. The Trust Board expect appropriate staff to be trained in the use of reasonable force and restraint.

Policy should make clear the authority to search students for prohibited items and to confiscate where necessary. The Trust Board would expect the Principal to inform the relevant authorities, including the Local Academy Board, when items prohibited by law, weapons, non-prescription drugs etc are brought onto the academy premises.