Behaviour & Anti-Bullying Policy
1.0 Values & principles
At The Hathershaw College we believe in providing a complete education for our students. Examination results and academic success are very important to us; so too is the behavioural, emotional and social development of our students. We believe that positive behaviour is the foundation of an effective learning environment and we aim to ensure that all students demonstrate these important skills in order to achieve their academic potential and to develop fully as individuals.
The behaviour of our students is the responsibility of every adult in our College and we work together as a team towards our goal that ‘Together we succeed’. The Hathershaw College is committed to ensuring that students remain in college throughout their education and all adults are empowered to take action when pupils do not follow the clear guidance given to them and the progress of other individuals is affected.
The guidance in this document is provided to ensure that a consistent and fair approach is taken by all adults when managing behaviour. This policy has been approved by Governors and shared with all stakeholders. This policy will be reviewed involving all stakeholders every 3 years.
1.1 Aims
This policy is designed to ensure that:
- All governors, teachers and support staff have a clear and consistent approach towards behaviour management, including anti-bullying strategies
- All governors, teachers and support staff are aware of the support and intervention in place to modify student behaviour
- All students understand our behaviour/anti-bullying expectations
- All students are clear about the consequences of poor behaviour
- All students are rewarded for positive behaviour
- All parents/carers are clear about the expectations of The Hathershaw College.
1.2 Expectations
1.2a The 3 R's
At The Hathershaw College, in line with The Pinnacle Learning Trust and our partnership with the Oldham Sixth Form College, we encourage our learners to be:
1. Responsible
2. Respectful and
3. Ready to Learn
Examples of these expectations are below:
Responsible |
Respectful |
Ready to learn |
Arrive on time to the lesson Avoid distractions or distracting others from learning Looking after and having pride in your College and its equipment |
Do not talk when the teacher is speaking Follow teacher’s instructions first time Accepting the decisions made by adults |
Have your equipment ready e.g. pen, ruler and PE kit Listening carefully and focus on learning Complete all work set to the best of your ability |
It is considered that the 3 R’s will help to create a positive ethos at The Hathershaw College.
1.2b Expectations of parents/carers
Parents/carers are expected to support staff at The Hathershaw College by:
- Attending meetings arranged for their child
- Answering phone calls/responding to messages regarding their child
- Supporting the sanctions implemented by the College
- Supporting the strategic interventions implemented by the College
1.2c Mobile phone statement
At The Hathershaw College, students are NOT permitted to use their mobile phones during the school day at any point. Students are entitled to bring mobile phones to school so that they can be used before/after school on the way to/from school to support both student’s wellbeing and safeguarding. During the day however, mobile phones are expected to be turned off or on silent throughout the whole day; lessons and break/lunchtime.
If a student is in breach of this policy, their mobile phone will be confiscated, with the pupil entitled to collect the phone at the end of the day. If their mobile phone is confiscated on 2 occasions, parents/carers will be contacted, on 3 occasions, parents/carers need to come into school to collect the phone. On 4 or more occasions, the phone will in future need to be handed in on arrival to the College.
1.3 Procedures
1.3a Managing behaviour in lessons
A. Class teacher
(i) Sanctions
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Teacher issues a warning to student (W1 - name on board). NO SIMS entry required.
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Teacher issues final warning to student (W2 - Tick next to name). NO SIMS entry required.
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Teacher exits individual student to exit partner. SIMS entry required. Teacher to log the behaviour leading to the exit.
After the first exit of a student
Teacher to ensure that they discuss behaviour issue with the student and if appropriate, issue a sanction before the next lesson with that individual (Restorative Justice Approach)
(ii) Strategies for class teachers:
- Phone calls home (recorded on SIMS)
- Parent/carer meetings (recorded on SIMS)
- Amended seating plans
- Detentions: Students may be detained for a maximum of 10 minutes at break and lunch. Longer detentions (up to 1 hour maximum) can take place after school. Schools don’t have to give parents/carers notice of after-school detentions or tell them why a detention has been given. However, it is good practice to inform parents/carers, provide 24 hours' notice where possible, and to use this as an opportunity to discuss this behaviour and to request their support.
- Positive praise: Acknowledge in class; orally and through marking and feedback | Phone calls home | Postcards/letters home (e.g. after LC data is produced to celebrate faculty successes) | Epraise points
- Referral to Curriculum Leader for further faculty intervention
B. Curriculum Leader/Lead Teacher
In response to the Curriculum Behaviour dashboard/class teacher referral form, the Curriculum Leader is to provide faculty intervention which MAY be in the form of:
- Phone calls home (recorded on SIMS)
- Letters home
- Further parent/carer meetings (recorded on SIMS)
- Faculty report
- Faculty detentions
- Restorative Justice conversations between the student/class teacher
- Placing students into alternative class groups (temporary/permanent)
- Referral to SLT faculty link where concerns are ongoing
C. Pastoral Team
In response to the Pastoral Behaviour dashboard and/or staff referrals, the Year Manager is to provide support by facilitating:
- Collection of students for after school detentions
- Restorative Justice conversations between the student/class teacher
- Parent/carer meetings
- A Year Manager report (where appropriate)
Year manager may refer a student for:
- Counselling (internal/external)
- Anger Management (internal/external)
- Careers Advice
- Specialist services such as Brook (Sexual Health), OASIS (drugs/substance misuse) and Phoenix (Child Sexual Exploitation), Youth Offending Team intervention
- A Pastoral Strategy Group discussion (where there are concerns over multiple subject areas)
Deputy DSL may refer a student for:
- Early Help intervention
- Social Services involvement
SENCO may refer a student for:
- Specialist SEN assessment
- Healthy Young Minds Intervention
Year manager is to maintain records:
- SIMS (under ‘Behaviour’ and ‘Initiatives’)
- Written statements of incidents (where applicable)
- Record of referrals made to external agencies
- Report cards issued
- Any relevant parent/carer contact
Year Manager to refer to SLT link where concerns remain about a student
D. Senior Leadership Team (SLT)/Governors
Senior Leadership Team (SLT) Link to offer support to the Curriculum Leaders/Year Managers by providing alternative intervention strategies. Strategies may include:
- SLT discussion/meeting with parent/carer
- Issuing SLT report (Appendix 2)
- Creation of a Pastoral Support Plan (Appendix 1)
- Referral to the Right Choice Centre (RCC)
- Issuing a Disciplinary Placements
- Issuing a Fixed Term Exclusion (FTE)
- Placing student on a Managed Move
- Referring student to a formal SLT Behaviour panel (one per half-term)
- Referring student to a Governors Disciplinary panel (one per half-term)
- Exploring a reduced timetable (4 week period)
- Exploring an Alternative Provision for 1 or 2 days per week (y10/11 only)
- Issuing a Permanent Exclusion (pending Governor approval)
1.3b Managing out-of-class behaviour
- Staff are deployed in key areas of the school every break/lunchtime, on lesson transition and before/after school
- Student Ambassadors in year 10 and 11 support lunchtime supervision in key areas of the school
- Lunchtime activities are provided in the main hall to encourage positive behaviour of students and to engage students in healthy competition
- Behaviour expectations displays around school promoting ‘The 3 R’s’
- Expectations assemblies
- Safeguarding displays signposting key staff
- Anti-bullying displays around school encouraging students to ‘spot the signs’ of bullying
- Students are aware of the presence of CCTV in all public areas of the school
1.4 Anti-Bullying
1.4a Bullying definition
There is no legal definition, however, according to the DfE, bullying is defined as behaviour that is:
- repeated
- intended to hurt someone either physically or emotionally
- often aimed at certain groups, for example because of race, religion, gender or sexual orientation
1.4b Types of bullying
Types of bullying include:
- Emotional – e.g. tormenting, being unfriendly, name calling, insulting, excluding
- Physical – threats of/the direct use of physical violence e.g. pushing, kicking, hitting, punching, theft
- Protected characteristics – e.g. age, sex, sexual orientation, gender, disability, race, religion,
- Verbal – e.g. name-calling, teasing, spreading rumours, sarcasm, threats
- Electronic – Any type of bullying relating to the use of digital technology e.g. Cyberbullying. This may take place on or away from school premises e.g. mobile phone texts/calls, instant messaging/social media, emails, internet chat rooms etc.
1.4c Recognising bullying
Signs and symptoms may include a young person:
- Becoming withdrawn and anxious
- Lacking in confidence
- Being frequently upset/agitated
- Claiming to feel/feeling unwell, especially first thing in the morning
- Beginning to/performing poorly in school
- Not wanting to walk to school or to leave the house on evenings/weekends
- Not wanting to attend school
- Truanting lessons
- Having broken sleep/frequent nightmares
- Becoming uncharacteristically aggressive, disruptive or unreasonable including bullying other children/siblings
- Having unexplained cuts or bruises
- Frequently asking for additional money for school
- Frequently arriving home hungry having not eaten at school
- Arriving home with torn clothes/books or missing possessions
- Not wanting to talk about school or anything else
- Refusing to eat
- Self-harming/self-injury
1.4d Implications of bullying
Many of the outward signs of bullying can be the same as other indicators of abuse. If unchecked:
- Bullying can have long-term effects on victims which may extend into their adult lives
- Victims of bullying may go on to bully younger/more vulnerable students
- Bullying behaviour is perceived by other students as an acceptable ‘part of growing up’
1.4e Raising awareness of bullying
The Hathershaw College takes a proactive stance to raising the awareness about bullying. This is done through a range of strategies including:
- A ‘student-friendly’ anti-bullying policy written with the Student Council
- Assemblies to promote equality and celebrate differences including:
- Anti-bullying
- Anti-bullying
- Hate Crime
- Equality ‘Don’t judge a book by its cover’)
- Justice in Britain
- LGBTI awareness
- Diversity – Interfaith harmony
- Prevent/Radicalisation
- World Cultural Diversity week
- ‘Malala Day’
- The ‘Great British Get Together’ (Jo Cox)
- Counselling
- Student Council elections
- ‘Hathershaw Against Hate Crime’ student group
- Citizenship lessons including topics such as;
- Bullying prevention
- Peer pressure
- Extremism
- Radicalisation
- Anti-bullying displays
- School Council involvement
- Student Ambassador training
- Restorative Justice
- Resilience-style workshops for pupils regarding spotting the signs of bullying and social networking
- Parent information, advice and guidance regarding spotting the signs of bullying and social networking
- Annual student surveys to inform practice and develop further anti-bullying strategies
- Staff CPD
1.4f Role of students
- Students are educated on what bullying is and the signs of bullying
- Students are encouraged to report bullying to staff and to Student Ambassadors (see Appendix 3)
- Student Ambassadors complete lunchtime duties acting as role models for other students and being approachable for students in distress
1.4g Staff with specific responsibility for anti-bullying
- Year Managers are to act as the initial point of contact for students experiencing or perpetrating bullying
- The Vice Principal (Wellbeing/DSL) to have an overview of all bullying incidents ensuring appropriate intervention is put in place, including serious cases of bullying that require outside agency intervention(s)
- The Safeguarding Governor to receive an overview of all bullying incidents through the Safeguarding/Behaviour ‘Position Statements’ and to provide appropriate challenge regarding these incidents and the subsequent interventions
- Principal to agree on appropriate interventions/sanctions for students experiencing or perpetrating bullying
1.4h Investigating allegations of bullying
Bullying of any type and by any persons (staff, parents/carers or students) will not be tolerated at The Hathershaw College. All allegations of bullying will be:
- Taken seriously
- Dealt with consistently
- Thoroughly investigated: Written statements from the victim, followed by the alleged perpetrator and any witnesses. CCTV footage to be examined, if available.
- Reported to a member of SLT
- Responded to in a timely manner
- Clearly communicated to all involved including parents/carers of the victim/alleged perpetrator
- Recorded accurately (see 1.4i)
1.4i Disciplinary action
After careful consideration of the evidence, appropriate disciplinary action will be taken where bullying is identified. Disciplinary action for the perpetrator may include:
- Exclusion from social time
- After-school detentions
- Placement on a school report
- A Right Choice Centre referral
- A Disciplinary placement
- A Managed Move
- Supportive Transfer
- A Fixed Term/Permanent Exclusion
1.4j Strategic intervention
- A Pastoral Strategy Group (PSG) may be held to discuss intervention for the perpetrator in order to modify the behaviour
- A Pastoral Support Plan (PSP. see section 1.3/appenix 1) may be developed to ensure all staff are aware of these strategies
- Each PSG and PSP will inform future practice ensuring that anti-bullying interventions become more strategic and effective over time.
1.4k Recording bullying
- The Year Manager will keep a record of written statements from the alleged perpetrator(s), victim(s) and any witness(es).
- Where bullying is identified the incident is to be recorded on SIMS under the ‘behaviour type’ of ‘Bullying’
- A Notification of Hate Incidents and Bullying (NOHIB) is to be made to the Local Authority by the Pastoral Admin Assistant.
1.4l Supporting the victim(s) of bullying
A range of strategies will be used to support the victim(s) of bullying in order to help them to build their resilience:
- Restorative justice between the bully and victim
- Mentoring and coaching by an appropriate member of staff
- Follow-up phone call after 2 weeks to parents/carers to monitor the wellbeing of the student
- School counselling
- External counselling
- Referral to a variety of resilience-building programmes delivered by external agencies
1.4m Staff Training
- Staff receive specific safeguarding training on an annual basis including anti-bullying awareness/strategies.
- Staff are trained to ensure that their responses to bullying are sensitive so that the situation is not made worse and so that an accurate log of interventions is maintained.
- Staff are made aware of any additional factors that may have an impact on students such as SEN or family difficulties.
Please note: This anti-bullying strategy has been written in ‘student-speak’ by the Student Council. See appendix 3.
All parents and carers will be sent an Anti-Bullying leaflet to advise them on the signs of bullying. See appendix 4.
1.5 Sexual Harassment and Abuse Statement
TBC
1.6 Rewards
The reward system at The Hathershaw College aims to promote success and achievement across the college. There are two aspects to the rewards system at The Hathershaw College:
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Epraise - All staff have the ability to reward students using our online rewards system. Rewards are issued for following The Hathershaw Way. Students have the potential to earn thousands of Epraise points each year, which can then be spent on a variety of items from our online shop, including Amazon / All4one gift cards or can be used for money off college trips/the y11 prom and can also be donated to charity.
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Rewards Assemblies - Students are rewarded every term in assemblies. Reward certificates are based on effort/behaviour and academic success, Literacy/the Accelerated Reader programme and there are prize draws for 100% attendance and punctuality. On occasion, students will also receive ‘golden tickets’ in lessons so that they can enter into special one-off prize draws.
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Faculty rewards - Students are issued post cards home to celebrate academic success.
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Pastoral rewards - Year Managers send positive praise postcards home weekly/every half-term.
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Attendance rewards - Each week, the tutor group with the highest attendance in each family group is issued a weekly reward.
Success is also celebrated in an annual rewards ceremony at the Queen Elizabeth Hall where students are nominated for prizes/commendations in all curriculum areas and in extra-curricular/community activities.
1.7 References
For further information, please also refer to the:
- Attendance policy
- Safeguarding policy
- Student Acceptable Use ICT Policy
- Equality Information Statement
- Special Educational Needs and Disability Policy
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Behaviour and Anti-Bullying Policy