CODE OF BEHAVIOUR AND DISCIPLINE

CODE OF BEHAVIOUR AND DISCIPLINE

Introduction

In Scoil Naomh Fionán we recognise that education addresses the whole person and is concerned with the complete development of the pupil aesthetically, creatively, culturally, emotionally, intellectually, morally, physically, politically, socially and spiritually. Being a Catholic school we see education here as bringing the teaching of Christ into the lives of all in our school community.

Rationale

Having carried out an audit of our current Code of Behaviour and Discipline it was agreed that a full review of the code should be undertaken to ensure compliance with the Education Act 1998, the Education (Welfare) Act 2000 and The National Educational Welfare Board’s “Developing a Code of Behaviour & Guidelines for Schools”. This review was carried out by all staff in March 2011. Copies of the revised code were circulated to the members of the Board of Management and to the parent representatives on the Parent/Teacher Association for consideration.

How the code relates to the ethos of the school

With Scoil Naomh Fionán being a Catholic school, we endeavour to reflect the ethos of the school in the Code of Behaviour and Discipline by fostering a climate of:

 Respect for self and others

 Respect for school property and property of others  Acceptance and tolerance of differences

 Responsibility for our own actions

 Acceptance of consequences of our actions  Making good choices and decisions

Aims

In having a Code of Behaviour and Discipline in Scoil Naomh Fionán our hope is that it will enable our school:

 To function in an orderly and harmonious way

 To create a learning environment where children can make progress in all aspects of their development

 To foster an atmosphere of respect, tolerance and consideration for others  To promote positive behaviour and self discipline among our pupils

 To ensure the safety and well-being of all members of the school community

 To help parents and pupils to understand the systems and procedures that form part of the Code of Behaviour and Discipline

 To seek the co-operation and support of parents and pupils in the implementation of the Code of Behaviour and Discipline

 To ensure that the system of rules, rewards and sanctions are implemented in a fair and consistent manner.

General Principles

In Scoil Naomh Fionán there is an expectation of high standards of behaviour and discipline which will reflect the ethos of the school and which will be based on:

 A strong sense of community spirit  A high level of co-operation among staff

 A high level of mutual respect and co-operation between staff, parents and pupils

 A recognition of the differences in children and the need to accommodate those differences  Meaningful, attentive and pleasant industry of the pupils

General Guidelines for Behaviour in School

 Pupils must never leave school grounds without a teacher’s permission

 Teachers are to be addressed respectfully by title and not by Christian names  Pupils to be addressed respectfully by their Christian names and not by surnames  Pupils must always obey directions regarding where to walk and where to play  Pupils must always walk in school building

 Pupils should walk to and from the buses in an orderly fashion

 Pupils should walk in single file on path to the buses and should not push past one another  Pupils must not bring chewing gum to school

 Pupils should not bring correction fluid or correction pens e.g. Tippex, to school in keeping with the school’s Substance Use Policy

 Children should not bring mobile phones to school. Any child who has a mobile phone in school will be asked to hand it over. It will be kept in the Principal’s office and a parent/guardian will be asked to come to the school to collect it.

 In the interest of safety, children should not wear jewellery to school except in the case where a pupil has his/her ears pierced. Again, for safety reasons only stud type earrings are allowed and only one earring per ear. Piercing of other body parts e.g. eyebrows, lips, nose etc is not allowed.

 Pupils are expected to treat all visitors to the school with courtesy and respect.  Lost or damaged school text books must be paid for or replaced.

 Pupils must wear correct school uniform every day.

School Uniform

The school uniform consists of: Blue blouse/shirt

Navy skirt/plain navy trousers/plain navy jog pants Navy V-neck sweatshirt with school crest

Navy tie For P.E. the uniform is:

Navy V-neck sweatshirt with school crest Plain navy jog pants

Classroom Rules

Teachers may negotiate rules for the classroom with the class at the beginning of each school year. The following are guidelines as to what might be considered in drawing up the rules which are generally kept to a minimum:

GUIDELINES FOR A SAFE, HAPPY CLASSROOM

In order that this year at school will be a happy and successful one we have agreed that we should abide by the following guidelines:

1. We should all show respect for each other at all times. We respect each other by listening when someone else is speaking; by making sure that no one is left out of games; by giving everyone a fair chance to learn and do their work without distraction and by generally caring for and being polite towards each other

2. We should respect the property of others and school property 3. We should never throw anything in the classroom

4. We should keep our classroom tidy and not throw litter on the floor

5. We should keep our schoolbags and boxes under the desks to avoid accidents 6. The chairs are for sitting on not swinging on

7. If the teacher has to leave the classroom or if someone comes into the room to speak to the teacher we should continue with our work in silence and not leave our seats

8. If a visitor comes into the classroom we should stand up and greet him or her and listen attentively to whatever he or she might wish to say to us

9. We should be courteous and good mannered at all times

10. We should not fidget with pens, pencils or any other objects as this can be a distraction to others.

11. We should put up our hand if we want to ask a question or to ask permission to leave our seat.

It is everyone’s responsibility to see that these guidelines are followed and to promote harmony in the classroom and playground.

Playground Rules:

In order that everyone can play safely and happily it is important that we all obey some simple and reasonable rules.

1. Everyone should be treated with courtesy and respect in the playground. 2. Rough or dangerous play of any kind is not allowed.

3. Only one class per day is allowed on the tarmac area. Spectators are not allowed. 4. Only one person is allowed to go for the ball when it goes out on the grass.

5. Football is not allowed on the basketball court.

6. Because it is usually wet and slippery pupils are not allowed to go on the bank. 7. You must ask permission to retrieve the ball from the bank or grass area. 8. No one should leave the playground without permission.

9. Only one boy and one girl is allowed to go for a drink or to the toilet at a time. 10. Do not drop litter in the yard

11. Do not sit on the railings

12. Play should stop as soon as the bell rings and everyone should get into the line quickly and quietly

13. Anyone who breaks the rules is to be put standing along the side on his or her own 14. We should always play by the rules of the game

15. We should make sure that no-one is excluded from games or is left isolated in the playground

Roles of Responsibility Board of Management

The support of the Board of Management is crucial for the effective running of the school. The Board can demonstrate that support by:

 Supporting the staff in maintaining high standards of behaviour  Being familiar with the Code of Behaviour

 Ensuring that the Code of Behaviour is reviewed regularly

 Being actively involved in cases of suspension or expulsion should they ever arise.

Teaching Staff

The overall responsibility for discipline within the school rests with the Principal. Each teacher has responsibility for the maintenance of discipline within her/his classroom while sharing a common responsibility for good behaviour within the school.

Lively and stimulating teaching methods, with work well matched to pupils’ abilities, are likely to receive a positive response from pupils and minimise disciplinary problems. Positive expectations by teachers can make pupils more responsive in their work and behaviour.

A pupil will be referred to the Principal for serious breaches of discipline and for repeated incidents of minor misbehaviour.

Teachers on yard duty are responsible for behaviour in the playground. Children are to be encouraged to report incidences in the yard to the teacher on duty and not to the class teacher after break times. Any serious incident in the yard is to be reported to the Principal.

Parents

The ways in which teachers and parents interact will provide students with a model of good working relationships. Parents play a crucial role in shaping the attitudes which produce good behaviour in the school by:

 Encouraging children to abide by school rules

 Visiting the school when asked to do so by the Principal or member of staff to discuss concerns they may have about their child

 Ensuring that homework is allocated due time and effort by the child  Ensuring that children wear the correct school uniform every day  Ensuring that children have all their requirements for class

 Encouraging children to follow the school’s Healthy Eating Policy  Attending Parent/Teacher Meetings

 Attending other functions in the school where possible

Pupils

 Every pupil is expected to obey school rules both in school and at school related activities  Every child is expected to be well behaved and to show respect for other children and adults  Every child is expected to show respect for his/her own belongings, other children’s

belongings and the property of the school

 Each child is expected to do his/her best both in school and for homework  Pupils should accept the consequences of their actions

Strategies for Promoting Positive Behaviour

 Regular reminders in class of school rules  Classroom rules on display in classroom

 Well established routines for classroom activities  Praise

 Draw attention to good behaviour while being mindful not to embarrass any child  Positive comments in homework diary

 Stickers for good behaviour  Group Awards

 Points system (group work)  Prizes linked to sticker chart  Star pupil of week certificate

 Use of SPHE and Religion curriculum to reinforce attitude of good behaviour  Use of “Circle Time” to promote good behaviour

 Table of the week

 Referred to Principal for good effort  Mention at Assemblies

 Homework Pass/Voucher

 Prize giving – Book Week, Green Schools, Tráth na gCeist  Yard tick system – monthly award

Enforcing Sanctions –General Guidelines

Every effort will be made by all members of staff to adopt a positive approach to the question of behaviour in the school. However, there is a need for sanctions to register disapproval of unacceptable behaviour. Punishment is not meant to undermine the dignity of the pupil but rather to be corrective in nature.

Improvements in behaviour as well as serious misbehaviour will be recorded by the teacher.

A teacher will report repeated instances of misbehaviour to the Principal and also keep a written record of all such instances. The record will also indicate the warnings and/or advice given to the child on the misbehaviour and the consequences of its repetition. Pupils will be informed when instances of serious misbehaviour on their part are being recorded.

Before resorting to serious sanctions, the normal channels of communication with parents will be utilised. Parents will be involved at an early stage rather than as a last resort. Communication with parents will be verbal or by letter. Parents will be invited to come to the school to discuss the child’s case with the class teacher. Present at this meeting will be the Principal or another teacher.

Sanctions

The following strategies may be used to show disapproval of unacceptable behaviour:  Reasoning with the pupil

 Reprimand (including advice on how to behave)  Temporary separation from peers, friends or others  Temporary removal to another classroom

 Loss of privileges

 Detention during a break  Prescribing extra work  Referral to Principal

 Communication with parents

 Formal report to the Board of Management  Suspension (temporary)

Unacceptable Behaviour

The following are some examples of what is considered unacceptable behaviour. It must be emphasised that this list is not exhaustive and other incidents may occur that will be considered unacceptable and will warrant sanctions:

 Name calling

 Answering back to teacher  Bad language

 Spitting  Stealing

 Damaging other child’s or school property

 All forms of bullying (as per school’s Anti-Bullying Policy)  Rough play

 Disobeying classroom or playground rules  Constant low-level disruption in class  Ignoring instructions from teacher  Littering in playground or classroom

Serious or Gross Misbehaviour

Incidents of serious or gross misbehaviour could, depending on circumstances, incur suspension or expulsion. The following are some examples that could be categorised as serious or gross misbehaviour. However this list is not exhaustive and other incidents could occur that would be considered gross or serious misbehaviour:

 Defying a teacher

 Aggression towards teacher or other pupil  Seriously threatening a teacher or other pupil  Physical violence towards teacher or other pupil

 Constant disruption of the classroom to the extent that it interferes with the right of other pupils to learn

 Smoking

 Alcohol or illegal substances (possession of or consumption of)  Bringing any dangerous weapon to school

Suspension and Expulsion

The school has adopted the National Educational Welfare Board’s guidelines on suspension and expulsion (see http://www.newb.ie/downloads/pdf/guidelines_school_codes_eng.pdf).

Appeals

In the eventuality of a child being suspended or expelled parents have the right to appeal under Section 29 of the Education Act 1998, as amended by the Education (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2007. At the time when parents are being formally notified of such a suspension or expulsion, they will be told about their right to appeal to the Secretary General of the Department of Education and Skills under Section 29 of the Education Act 1998 and will be given information about how to appeal.

The policy was reviewed at a Croke Park meeting on 20th March 2017. Copies were circulated to members of B.O.M. for their consideration.

Copies were also sent to parent representatives on the Parent/Teacher Association for their comments.

The policy was ratified at the B.O.M. meeting on 2nd May 2017.

Signed: ____________________________ Date: ______________________