St. Mary's N.S., Glaslough
Code of Discipline
(Córas Smachta) 2017
Introductory Statement.
This policy was formulated between the months of April - September 2011 by the Board of Management, the teaching staff and the parents of our school. It was up dated again by teaching staff, parents and Board of Management in Sep/Oct 2017.
Rationale
It is necessary to review a Code of Behaviour at this particular time as:
· Positive Behaviour is a central facet in our school community
· To ensure an orderly climate for learning in the school
· It is a requirement under the Education Welfare Act, 2000, Section 23 (1) which refers to the obligation on schools to prepare a code of behaviour in respect of the students registered at the school.
It details in Section 23(2), that the code of behaviour shall specify:
A. The standards of behaviour that shall be observed by each student attending the school;
B. The measures that shall be taken when a student fails or refuses to observe those standards;
C. The procedures to be followed before a student may be suspended or expelled from the school concerned;
D. The grounds for removing a suspension imposed in relation to a student; and
E. The procedures to be followed in relation to a child’s absence from school.
Best Practice in formulating a Code of Discipline.
1. The existing policy should aim to be in compliance with legal requirements and good practice as set out in Developing a Code of Behaviour: Guidelines for Schools, NEWB, 2008.
2. Communication between the school and parents is of great importance. Therefore, it is hoped that this Code of Behaviour will help parents to understand the way in which St Mary’s N.S. Glaslough operates on a daily basis as well as communicating our overall aims re behaviour.
3. Section 23 (4) of the Act further states that, prior to registering a pupil, the principal teacher shall provide the parents of the child with a copy of the school’s code of behaviour and that the principal ‘may, as a condition of so registering such child, require his or her parents to confirm in writing that the code of behaviour so provided is acceptable to them and that they shall make all reasonable efforts to ensure compliance with such code by the child’.
Relationship to characteristic spirit of the school
St. Mary’s, Glaslough is a primary school under the patronage of Bishop Liam Mc Daid. Our school is committed to the following aims:
· To enable each child to live a full life and to realise his or her full potential as a unique individual
· To enable each child to develop socially through living and cooperating with others
· To prepare each child for further education, work and lifelong learning
· To create an atmosphere conducive to the development of the child
· To foster, develop and maintain a good home/school relationship.
· To create an ordered and orderly environment in which pupils can, through developing self-discipline, feel secure and make progress in all aspects of their development.
· To adopt a positive approach to the question of behaviour in the school.
1. Principles:
(a) The school recognises the variety of differences that exist between children and the need to understand these differences.
However, no one child’s need supersedes the needs of other children.
(b) It is agreed that a high standard of behaviour requires a strong sense of community within the school and a high level of co-operation among staff and between staff, parents and pupils.
(c) Every effort will be made to ensure that the code of discipline is implemented in a reasonable, fair and consistent manner.
Rules of St. Mary’s N.S. Glaslough.
We have devised a summary of our school rules for the children to remember.
In our daily life at school we need to concentrate on 3 areas :
A. Be nice to our fellow pupils and treat them the way we would wish to be treated.
B. Show respect for all adults we come into contact with at school.
C. Do our best at our school work.
Basic Principles underpinning an effective Code of Behaviour.
One of the basic principles underpinning an effective code is to provide clarity. To that end we have listed below the expectations of all members of the school community and how they should treat each other.
In St. Mary’s N.S. Glaslough, we expect Parents to :
First –Sixth Classes : 9.20 am – 3.00 pm.
In St. Mary’s N.S. we expect Teaching Staff to :
In St. Mary’s N.S. we expect Children to :
The children in our school are taught the school rules in the following age appropriate way:
School Rules.
1. Stand aside in corridors and at doors to let adults pass.
2. Fighting, bullying, name-calling, kicking, biting, hitting, ignoring others, making faces or any unkind behaviour will not be tolerated.
3. Always tell the truth.
4. Do not write on school furniture.
5. Never take another child’s belongings.
6. Do not run inside the school building. Do not run around corners outside. This is for your own safety and the safety of others.
7. Taking God’s name in vain, swearing and the use of bad language is forbidden.
8. Do not interrupt your teacher during class instruction as you
will not learn.
9. Do not interrupt other children as they speak. We learn from others not just our teacher.
10. Always do as you are told, by a teacher or staff member. Saying ‘no’ is not an option.
11. Striking a teacher will never be tolerated and will lead to immediate suspension from class and school.
12. Never speak in a cheeky manner towards your teacher. Your parents would not accept this at home either.
Playground Rules.
1. Stay in your own yard during playtime.
2. Do not swing on red handrails or goalposts as you might injure yourself.
3. No fighting or rough play on yard.
4. Fighting, bullying, name-calling, kicking, biting, hitting, ignoring others, making faces or any unkind behaviour will not be tolerated on the school yard.
5. Cycling within the school yard is not permitted.
6. No blasting of footballs at others or at the goals. You are only playing a friendly game at lunch time.
7. If you have a problem at break time, tell the teacher on yard duty.
8. Do not re-enter the school building at lunch time without the permission of yard duty teacher. Once you go out, stay out.
9. Playing with sticks in the yard is forbidden, as is the throwing of stones.
10. Mock fighting is forbidden.
11. If you take balls or equipment out of the games room it is your responsibility to bring it back in.
12. When the bell goes, play must stop and children line up quietly at the door. Repeatedly ignoring the school bell will be regarded as a serious breach of discipline.
13. If a ball goes onto the road, only children from sixth class, with permission from yard duty teacher may retrieve it.
Classroom rules.
1. Listen to your teacher and you will learn.
2. Don’t fiddle with objects. Concentrate on what is being taught in class.
3. Don’t write on school furniture. This would not be tolerated in your homes.
4. Speak after raising your hand and on hearing your teacher call your name.
5. Enter and leave the classroom quietly.
6. Try to go to the toilet at break- time and not during class time.
7. Always have your homework done, both written and learning.
8. Show respect for the caretaker by leaving your classroom clean and tidy.
9. Children must have all requisites as specified by class teacher on the book list. This is your responsibility, not teachers.
10. Do not leave your seat without permission from your teacher.
11. No talking to your friends during class time.
12. Remain in your seat and continue with your work if teacher is called away from the classroom.
13. At times during the day children will be expected to work in silence.
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The Role of the Board of Management in reviewing/drafting the code of behaviour.
· BOM will review the Code of Discipline
· Having reviewed the current Code of Behaviour, Principal brings BOM through important points of note having consulted the Guidelines on Developing a Code of Behaviour for Schools issued by the NEWB, DES circulars and other relevant material produced by professional bodies such as the CPSMA, PPDS, IPPN, INTO, etc
· Key points are identified, and sited for inclusion in the draft policy
· Draft policy is presented to the BOM, amendments noted and relayed to other relevant partners
· Points of note from other relevant parties (e.g. Parental Representatives) are presented to board and a final draft is put before the board to be ratified.
Ways in which the Board of Management supports the code of behaviour in the school
· The BOM will be familiar with the Code of Behaviour in the school and engage in its review and redrafting
· The BOM will be supportive of the principal teacher in the application of a fair Code of Behaviour and Discipline in the School
· The BOM has a role to play in fostering understanding and cooperation between teachers, parents and pupils
· The BOM will be supportive of the teaching staff with regard to the implementation of the Code of Behaviour
· The BOM will encourage participation of staff in in-service programmes/days relevant to the Code of Behaviour
· The ways in which the Board of Management supports the staff in implementing the code of behaviour e.g. provision of opportunities for staff development.
· The Board of Management will familiarise themselves with the procedures that are in place in the Code of Discipline to deal with serious breaches of behaviour.
· The BOM may be consulted on occasion of a serious breach of the Code of Behaviour
· The BOM can exercise its right to suspend a student but also the BOM of St. Mary’s N.S., Glaslough has delegated this authority to the Principal in cases where immediate suspension may be required and time does not facilitate a gathering of the BOM to discuss the issue prior to the suspension.
REWARDS AND SANCTIONS OF OUR SCHOOL.
Our school endeavours to create an environment where positive behaviour is reinforced through praise and reward. The school staff will aim to use encouraging language and gestures, both in class and around the school, so that positive behaviour is instantly recognised and positively rewarded.
Positive attention will be paid to pupils who have been previously been associated with poor behaviour so that not only good behaviour but also improvement in behaviour is acknowledged.
Emphasis is placed on reward rather than punishment in the belief that this will, in the long term, give the best results.
REWARDS :
A reward scheme for promoting positive behaviour will be used.
The rewards available can be categorised as falling into areas of:
1. Immediate praise in front of class group or individually
2. Public praise - mentioned at public assembly, demonstration and display of good work.
3. Not having to do some part of / or all homework.
4. Child given some job/responsibility which she/he finds attractive.
5. A visit to another member of Staff or to the Principal for commendation.
6. Delegating some special responsibility or privilege.
7. A mention to parent, written or verbal communication.
Sanctions :
There are times when sanctions must be applied in our school to bring changes to inappropriate behaviour of pupils.
In order to establish a common understanding and consistent response our Code of Behaviour classifies misbehaviour into three levels based on the degree of disruption caused by the misconduct.
1. Examples of minor misdemeanours which affect the education & safety of pupils/staff in our school:Interrupting class work / Arriving late for school / Running in school building / Talking in class line / Leaving seat without permission at lunch time / Placing unfinished food/drink cartons in class bin / Leaving litter around school / Not wearing correct uniform / Being discourteous/unmannerly to staff & pupils / Not completing homework without good reason / Not having homework signed by a parent / Refusing to obey member of staff / Name Calling.
Repeated instances of the above behaviour will lead them to be regarded as serious or gross misdemeanours.
2. Examples of serious misdemeanours which affect the education & safety of pupils /staff in our school.Constantly disruptive in class / Telling lies / Stealing / Damaging other pupil’s property / Bullying / back answering a teacher / Leaving school premises during school day without appropriate permission.
Not working to full potential / Using unacceptable language.
Climbing of school wall and refusing to get down when asked by school staff/ Refusing to attend Learning Support or Resource Classes/ Running outside but within school grounds and refusing to attend class/Making rude faces, sticking out of tongue or making rude gestures with body to staff or other pupils/ derogatory reference to another person’s race, gender, religion, physical condition, disability or ethnic origin / Throwing objects with intent to hurt / Repeated Name Calling.
Repeated instances of the above behaviour will lead them to be regarded as gross misdemeanours.
3. Examples of Gross Misdemeanours which affect the education & safety of pupils/staff in our school.
Bringing weapons to school / Deliberately injuring a fellow pupil.
Setting fire to school property / Deliberately leaving taps/fire hose turned on / Aggressive, threatening or violent behaviour towards a teacher/pupil/
Leaving school building and going out onto public road without permission of school staff and deliberately refusing request to come back in.
It should be noted that these lists consist of examples only: It is not meant to be a totally comprehensive list of misdemeanours and procedural steps.
The Principal or Board of Management are permitted to add to this list at any time during the school year. Their decision as to where the misdemeanour slots in i.e. minor/serious/gross is final.
Approved Sanctions to be applied:The following steps will be taken when the children behave inappropriately. They are listed in order of severity with one being for a minor misbehaviour and eleven being for serious or gross misbehaviour. The list is by no means exhaustive. Teachers may put in place alternative measures bearing in mind the features by which sanctions should be characterised. The aim of any sanction is to prevent the behaviour occurring again and if necessary to help the pupils devise strategies for this :-
1. Reasoning with pupils.
2. Verbal Reprimand including advice on how to improve.
3. Temporary separation from peers within class and/or temporary removal to another class.
4. Prescribing extra work / writing out story of what happened.
5. Loss of privileges.
6. Detention during break.
7. Incident recorded in ‘notebook of serious incidents’.
8. Communication with parents.
9. Referral to Principal.
10. Principal communicating with parents.
11. Removal of the pupil for the remainder of school day.
12. Formal Report to the Board of Management
13. Exclusion (Suspension or Expulsion) from school (in accordance with Rule 130 of the Rules for National Schools as amended by circular and Education Welfare Act 2000).
Application and Communication of Sanctions ~ Staged Approached
Stage
Parties Involved
Stage 1
Class Teacher with pupils
Stage 2
Referral to Principal. Principal speaks to pupil
Stage 3
Class teacher contacts Parent, may need a meeting with teacher, parent and pupil.
Stage 4
Principal contacts Parents.
Stage 5
Principal reports to Board of Management, although BOM has delegated power to Exclude to Principal in cases of emergency.
It is hoped that when inappropriate behaviour is addressed in its early stages and with parental support and positive self-application on the part of the pupil, progression through the latter stages will not be necessary. However, it is also important to note that should an incident of inappropriate behaviour occur that is deemed to be wholly unacceptable under St Mary’s Code of Behaviour then progression to Step 4 may be immediate.
It is important for parents to know that where a pupil’s, “behaviour disrupts the teaching and learning of other students, school authorities have to weigh the needs of that student with the needs of the other students and staff……. It is the responsibility of school authorities to maintain a classroom and school environment which is supportive of the learning of every student in the school and which ensures continuity of instruction for them.”
[Developing a Code of Behaviour: Guidelines for Schools, NEWB, 2008, pg. 46]
Managing aggressive or violent misbehaviour
Strategies used for dealing with serious emotional and behavioural problems:
Ø Priority must be given to establishing and maintaining open communication with parent[s] at all times.
Ø Children who are experiencing difficulties may be referred for psychological assessment.
Ø Through the Special Educational Needs Organiser (SENO), appropriate support is sought from services available e.g. Health Service Executive, NEPS, etc
:
Ø Where needed and appropriate the school will make available its facilities as a meeting place for multidisciplinary teams or care teams.
Ø Where appropriate Special Educational Assistances (SNA) will contribute to meetings.
Ø Staff will be encouraged and facilitated where necessary to participate in relevant professional development courses.
Ø Managing Challenging Behaviour - Guidelines for Teachers, INTO 2004: 11 is available to all teaching staff.
Procedures to be followed in the event of seriously violent or threatening behaviour causing a risk to the safety of the pupil himself/herself or the safety of other pupils or staff:
Ø Principal is contacted immediately.
Ø Every reasonable effort is made to ‘make safe’ the immediate scene for the pupil himself/herself and all others, where possible the pupil will be removed from the immediate vicinity of his/her peers or vice versa, but will remain under the supervision of a minimum of two adults.
Ø Relevant external authorities e.g. Parents contacted immediately, Gardaí, Fire brigade, social worker, doctor etc. Should the school be unable to contact parents the emergency contact number, which they are required to give the school upon enrolment, will be used.
Ø Failure to contact those mentioned above will result in the Principal acting in Loco Parentis.
Ø Child is removed from school grounds in as safe and as sensitive a manner as is possible
The Purpose of Sanctions:
The purpose of a sanction is to bring about a positive change in behaviour by:
· Helping pupils to realise why their behaviour is unacceptable
· Helping them to recognise the effect of their actions and behaviours on others
· Helping pupils to understand that they have choices about their own behaviour and that all choices have consequences
· Helping them to learn to take responsibility for their behaviour.
Sanctions may also
· Reinforce the boundaries set out in this code
· Show disapproval of inappropriate actions/behaviours
· Signal to other pupils and staff that their wellbeing is being protected.
In instances of more serious breaches of the code of behaviour, sanctions may be needed to
· Prevent serious disruption of teaching and learning
· Keep the pupil, other pupils and/or staff safe.
Suspension / Expulsion
“Access to education shapes the life chances of children and young people in a fundamental way. For this reason, a proposal to exclude a child, through suspension or expulsion, is a serious step, warranted only by very serious misbehaviour.”
[Developing a Code of Behaviour: Guidelines for Schools, B, 2008]
.
Schools are required, under section 23(2) of the Education (Welfare) Act 2000, to include their procedures for suspension and expulsion in their code of behaviour.
Before serious sanctions such as suspension or expulsion are used, the normal channels of communication between school and parents will be utilised. Communication with parents may be verbal or by letter depending on the circumstances.
Suspension
· Who has the authority to suspend pupils?
The Board of Management of St. Mary’s N.S. Glaslough has the authority to suspend a pupil[s]
The Principal has also been delegated the authority to suspend in instances where circumstances demand immediate action must be taken [see details below]
· What are the Grounds for Suspension ?
· Pupil’s behaviour has had a seriously detrimental effect on the education of other pupils
· The pupils continued presence in the school at this time constitutes a threat to his/her/other pupils/staff safety.
· The pupil is responsible for serious damage to property.
· One single incident of serious misbehaviour may be grounds for suspension.
· Pupil has refused to amend his/her behaviour despite enjoying rewards and experiencing sanctions.
· Forms of Suspension
1.Immediate Suspension
In exceptional circumstances, the Principal may consider an immediate suspension to be necessary where the continued presence of the pupil in the school at the time would represent a serious threat to the safety of other pupils or staff of the school or any other person.
2.‘Automatic’ Suspension
Where, following appropriate investigations, ‘Grounds for Suspension’ are present.
3.Rolling Suspension
When having returned to school from a suspended period pupils engage in serious misbehaviour which again after appropriate investigation gives rise to ‘Grounds for Suspension.’
4. Informal or unacknowledged Suspension
Exclusion of a pupil for part of the day, as a sanction, or asking parents to keep a child from school as a sanction is a suspension.
Procedures in respect of Suspension
At all times fair procedures will be followed when proposing to suspend a pupil.
For gross misbehaviour or repeated instances of serious misbehaviour suspension will be considered.
Procedure to be followed :
1. Parents/guardians of pupil concerned will be invited in writing to meet the Chairperson of the Board of Management and Principal at the school.
2. The minutes of this meeting will be recorded.
3. The concerns of the school staff & Board will be stated.
4. The parents /guardians of pupil concerned will be given the opportunity to reply.
5. Parents will be informed that the full discipline policy will now be applied to their child i.e. if the pupil fails to behave in accordance with the Code of Discipline from this date forward, he/she will face suspension or expulsion from our school.
Prior to suspension, where possible, the Principal may review the case in consultation with teachers and other members of the school community involved, with due regard to records of previous misbehaviours, their patterns and context, sanctions and other interventions used and their outcomes and any relevant medical information.
Length of Suspension Period.
Following investigation should BOM decide suspension is to be implemented a pupil will not be suspended for more than 3 days, except in exceptional circumstances where the Principal / B.O.M considers that a period of suspension longer than three days is needed in order to achieve a particular objective. The B.O.M should normally place a ceiling of ten days on any one period of suspension imposed by it.
Written Notification will be given outlining
Ø The period of the suspension and the dates on which the suspension will begin
Ø The reasons for the suspension
Ø Any study programme to be followed
Ø The arrangements for returning to school and any conditions that may be involved
Suspension will be in accordance with the Rules of National Schools and the Education Welfare Act 2000 and will follow the guidelines under circular 20/90 ( Department of Education and Science Primary Branch )
Procedures in relation to ‘Immediate Suspension’
Where an immediate suspension is considered by the Principal to be warranted for reasons of the safety of the pupil, other pupils, staff or others, a preliminary investigation will be conducted to establish the case for the imposition of the suspension. The formal investigation should immediately follow the imposition of the suspension. The principal may impose a suspension of up to 5 days in circumstances where a meeting of the Board cannot be convened in a timely fashion.
Parents will be notified immediately and arrangements made with them for the pupil to be collected. Should the school be unable to contact parents the emergency contact number which they are required to give the school upon enrolment will be used.
Removal of Suspension (Reinstatement).
Following or during a period of suspension, the parent/s may apply to the Board of Management to have the pupil reinstated to the school.
The parent/s must give a satisfactory undertaking that a suspended pupil will behave in accordance with the school code and the Principal must be satisfied that the pupil’s reinstatement will not contribute a risk to the pupil’s own safety or that of the other pupils or staff.
The Principal will facilitate the preparation or a behaviour plan for the pupil if required.
The Chairperson of the Board of Management or Principal will re-admit the pupil formally to the class.
Clean Slate
Although a record is kept of the behaviour and any sanction imposed, once the sanction has been completed the school will expect the same behaviour of this pupil as all other pupils.
Records and Reports
Written records will be kept of:
· The investigation
· Decision-making process
· Decision and rationale for decision
· Duration of the suspension and conditions attaching
· Where Principal has imposed suspension, a report will be given to the BOM
· Report to NEWB if suspension is for 6 school days or more in any school year.
Expulsion
Under the Education Welfare Act, 2000, ‘A student shall not be expelled from a school before the passing of twenty school days following the receipt of a notification under this section by an educational welfare officer’ (Section 24(4)) It is the right of a Board of Management to take ‘…such other reasonable measures as it considers appropriate to ensure that good order and discipline are maintained in the school concerned and that the safety of students is secured.’ (Section 24(5))
Authority to Expel
The Board of Management of St. Mary’s Glaslough has the authority to expel a pupil[s].
Expulsion should be a proportionate response to the pupil’s behaviour. Expulsion of a pupil is a very serious step, and one that will only be taken by the Board of Management in extreme cases of unacceptable behaviour. The school will take have taken significant steps to address the misbehaviour and to avoid expulsion including:
· meeting with parents and the pupil to try to find ways of helping the pupil to change their behaviour
· making sure that the pupil understands the possible consequences of their behaviour, should it persist
· ensuring that all other possible options have been tried
· seeking the assistance of support services.
Grounds for Expulsion
· Pupil’s behaviour is a persistent cause of significant disruption to the learning of others or to the teaching process
· The pupils continued presence in the school constitutes a real a significant threat to safety of self or other pupils or staff.
· The pupil is responsible for serious damage to property
The grounds for expulsion may be similar to the grounds for suspension. In addition to factors such as the degree of seriousness and the persistence of the behaviour, a key difference is that, where exclusion is considered, the school (or other outside agencies) will have tried a series of other interventions(if any still exist), and believe that we have exhausted all possibilities for changing the pupil’s behaviour.
Expulsion for a First Offence
There may be exceptional circumstances where the Board of Management forms the opinion that a pupil should be expelled for a first offence. The kind of behaviour that might result in a proposal to expel on the basis of a single breach of the code could include:
· a serious threat of violence against another pupil or member of staff
· actual violence or physical assault
· supplying illegal drugs to other students in the school
· sexual assault
· setting Fire to the school
Procedures in respect of expulsion
At all times fair procedures will be followed when proposing to expel a pupil.
Where a preliminary assessment of the facts confirms serious misbehaviour that could warrant expulsion, the procedural steps will include:
1. A detailed investigation carried out under the direction of the Principal/Deputy Principal.
2. Parents/Guardians will be informed in writing of the alleged misbehaviour and the proposed investigation.
3. A report of the findings of the investigation will be made to the BOM by the principal/deputy principal.
4. A hearing will be convened of the following parties-: Principal/Deputy Principal, parents/guardians, BOM representative present
5. BOM will deliberate on findings and decide on appropriate actions to be taken.
6. Educational Welfare Officer will be notified.
7. Confirmation of the decision to expel by letter to parents/guardians.
Appeals
Under Section 29 of the Education Act, 1998, parents (or pupils who have reached the age of 18) are entitled to appeal to the Secretary General of the Department of Education and Science against some decisions of the Board of Management, including (1) permanent exclusion from a school and (2) suspension for a period which would bring the cumulative period of suspension to 20 school days or longer in any one school year.
Appeals must generally be made within 42 calendar days from the date the decision of the school was notified to the parent or student. (See Circular 22/02)
Methods of Communicating with Parents
Communicating with parents is central to maintaining a positive approach to dealing with children. Parents and teachers should develop a joint strategy to address specific difficulties, in addition to sharing a broader philosophy which, can be implemented at home and in school.
A high level of co-operation and open communication is seen as an important factor encouraging positive behaviour in the school. Structures and channels designed to maintain a high level of communication among staff and between staff, pupils and parents have been established and are being reviewed regularly.
Parents should be encouraged to talk in confidence to teachers about any significant developments in a child’s life, in the past or present, which may affect the child’s behaviour.
Teachers shall keep a written record of all instances of serious Misbehaviour as well as a record of improvements in the behaviour of disruptive pupils. Each member of staff will have a copy in their classroom for this purpose. There will also be a notebook (kept in the office) for noting any incidents of serious / continuous misbehaviour in the yard or outside the classroom situation. The teacher on yard duty will also inform the class teacher of this.
Reference Section
· Developing a Code of Behaviour: Guidelines for Schools, NEWB, 2008
· Education (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act, 2007 - provides for certain changes in the hearing of Appeals under S29 of the Education Act, 1998
· Education (Welfare) Act, 2000
· Education Act, 1998
· Circular 22/02 Appeals Procedures under Section 29 of the Education Act, 1998. (DES website). Deals with appeals under the following headings:
(1) Permanent exclusion from a school
(2) Suspension
(3) Refusal to enrol
· Report to the Minister of Education Niamh Breathnach, T.D. on Discipline in Schools. Maeve Martin, 1997. Ch. 4 p.56-61 Recommendations for Schools
· Stay Safe and Walk Tall Programmes
· Management Board Members’ Handbook. Revised 2007. CPSMA: A suggested Code of Behaviour & Discipline for National Schools
· INTO (2004) Managing Challenging Behaviour: Guidelines for Teachers
· INTO (2006) Towards Positive Behaviour in Primary Schools
· INTO (1995) Enhancing Self Esteem
· The Education Act 1998. The Education Welfare Act 2000. Questions and Answers, INTO
· The Principal’s Legal Handbook Oliver Mahon B.L. IVEA 2002 Ch. 2 School Discipline
· Working Together – to promote positive behaviour in classrooms, CEDR, Mary Immaculate College of Education
· Achieving Positive Behaviour. A Practical Guide. Patricia Dwyer. Marino
7. Procedures for notification of pupil absences from school
The Education Welfare Act, 2000, Section 23 (2)(e) states that the code of behaviour must specify, “the procedures to be followed in relation to a child’s absence from school.” Section 18 stipulates that parents must notify the school of a student’s absence and the reason for this absence.
· St Mary’s Glaslough encourages school attendance by:
Ø Creating a stimulating and attractive school environment
Ø Monthly prizes at assembly to acknowledge/reward good attendance
Ø Adapting curriculum content and methodologies to maximise relevance to pupils
Ø Adapting the class and school timetables to make it more attractive to attend and to be on time
Ø Making parents aware of the terms of the Education Welfare Act and its implications.
Attendance and Absences
· The doors of school open at 09.10am and school finishes at 03.00pm. For Junior and Senior Infants school finishes at 2.00pm and it is the parents’ responsibility to collect their child on time. Should a person other than the parent be collecting the child we would ask that the class teacher be notified of this.
· Formal school work begins at 9.20am and children are expected to be in their classroom by this time. Every encouragement should be given to pupils to attend regularly and punctually. The Board of management is not responsible for children arriving before 09.10am or staying after 03.05pm.
· When a pupil has to leave school early or be absent from school for part of the day a written note must be forwarded to the school. A written letter is also needed if a child is walking or cycling home, simply acknowledging that this is with parental permission. This is to ensure as far as possible the safety of the pupils during school hours. Please try and keep absences to a minimum.
· A child’s absence from school must be explained in a note to the class teacher on the child’s return
· Reports on a child’s absences will be made to the National Education Welfare Board (NEWB) according to their guidelines. A letter will also be issued to parents informing them that their child has been reported and will outline the dates of their absences.
8. Reference to other Policies
List and check other school policies that have a bearing on the code of behaviour e.g.
Ø SPHE plan
Ø Anti-bullying
Ø Enrolment
Ø General School Information Policy
Ø Health & Safety
Ø Equality
Ø Special Educational Needs
This policy was reviewed by the BOM on :17.10.2017
Signed :
Code of Discipline
(Córas Smachta) 2017
Introductory Statement.
This policy was formulated between the months of April - September 2011 by the Board of Management, the teaching staff and the parents of our school. It was up dated again by teaching staff, parents and Board of Management in Sep/Oct 2017.
Rationale
It is necessary to review a Code of Behaviour at this particular time as:
· Positive Behaviour is a central facet in our school community
· To ensure an orderly climate for learning in the school
· It is a requirement under the Education Welfare Act, 2000, Section 23 (1) which refers to the obligation on schools to prepare a code of behaviour in respect of the students registered at the school.
It details in Section 23(2), that the code of behaviour shall specify:
A. The standards of behaviour that shall be observed by each student attending the school;
B. The measures that shall be taken when a student fails or refuses to observe those standards;
C. The procedures to be followed before a student may be suspended or expelled from the school concerned;
D. The grounds for removing a suspension imposed in relation to a student; and
E. The procedures to be followed in relation to a child’s absence from school.
Best Practice in formulating a Code of Discipline.
1. The existing policy should aim to be in compliance with legal requirements and good practice as set out in Developing a Code of Behaviour: Guidelines for Schools, NEWB, 2008.
2. Communication between the school and parents is of great importance. Therefore, it is hoped that this Code of Behaviour will help parents to understand the way in which St Mary’s N.S. Glaslough operates on a daily basis as well as communicating our overall aims re behaviour.
3. Section 23 (4) of the Act further states that, prior to registering a pupil, the principal teacher shall provide the parents of the child with a copy of the school’s code of behaviour and that the principal ‘may, as a condition of so registering such child, require his or her parents to confirm in writing that the code of behaviour so provided is acceptable to them and that they shall make all reasonable efforts to ensure compliance with such code by the child’.
Relationship to characteristic spirit of the school
St. Mary’s, Glaslough is a primary school under the patronage of Bishop Liam Mc Daid. Our school is committed to the following aims:
· To enable each child to live a full life and to realise his or her full potential as a unique individual
· To enable each child to develop socially through living and cooperating with others
· To prepare each child for further education, work and lifelong learning
· To create an atmosphere conducive to the development of the child
· To foster, develop and maintain a good home/school relationship.
· To create an ordered and orderly environment in which pupils can, through developing self-discipline, feel secure and make progress in all aspects of their development.
· To adopt a positive approach to the question of behaviour in the school.
1. Principles:
(a) The school recognises the variety of differences that exist between children and the need to understand these differences.
However, no one child’s need supersedes the needs of other children.
(b) It is agreed that a high standard of behaviour requires a strong sense of community within the school and a high level of co-operation among staff and between staff, parents and pupils.
(c) Every effort will be made to ensure that the code of discipline is implemented in a reasonable, fair and consistent manner.
Rules of St. Mary’s N.S. Glaslough.
We have devised a summary of our school rules for the children to remember.
In our daily life at school we need to concentrate on 3 areas :
A. Be nice to our fellow pupils and treat them the way we would wish to be treated.
B. Show respect for all adults we come into contact with at school.
C. Do our best at our school work.
Basic Principles underpinning an effective Code of Behaviour.
One of the basic principles underpinning an effective code is to provide clarity. To that end we have listed below the expectations of all members of the school community and how they should treat each other.
In St. Mary’s N.S. Glaslough, we expect Parents to :
- Read the Code of Behaviour.
- Treat all school staff and other children with respect, courtesy and use polite language.
- Ensure your children come to school each day on time.
First –Sixth Classes : 9.20 am – 3.00 pm.
- Send a written explanation if a child is absent from school for any reason.
- Inform the class teacher if they wish to collect their child early from school for any reason and children must be collected from the Office.
- Ensure children wear full uniform each day and the correct P.E. uniform.
- Label all property and clothing clearly.
- Ensure that children keep jewellery at home except for watches and stud earrings. Boys are not allowed to wear earrings.
- Ensure that children do not wear make up to school.
- Ensure that children wear their hair tied back to prevent the spread of head lice.
- Ensure that children wear hair in its natural colour.
- Provide a healthy lunch daily for their children. (No crisps, chewing gum, fizzy drinks or bars).
- Ensure that children keep mobile phones and all types of electronic games at home. Phones or electronic games brought to school will be confiscated and given to parents after school.
- Supervise children with their homework and send in a note of explanation if work was not completed.
- Co-operate with school staff and attend Parent/Teacher Meeting.
- Make an appointment, through the school secretary, if they wish to meet with a teacher to discuss any concerns or problems they may have.
- Ensure your child comes to school with the correct books, completed homework and requisites.
- Co-operate with teachers in instances where their child’s behaviour is causing difficulty for others.
In St. Mary’s N.S. we expect Teaching Staff to :
- Treat children, parents and other staff members with respect, courtesy and use polite language.
- Be punctual to school.
- Be prepared for class.
- Be cognitive of the various needs and ability levels of the children in their class and adapt their teaching accordingly.
- Set and correct homework and communicate with parents if homework is not up to the required standard.
- Co-operate with each other and work as part of a team.
- Be fair and consistent.
- Be aware of their duty of care to all children, at all times.
- Supervise children at break times.
- Attend Parent/Teacher Meeting.
- Communicate to parents if children have problems.
- Supply a written report to parents on their child’s progress at end of school year commenting on their behaviour.
- Teach a broad and balanced curriculum.
- Arrange Sporting events and matches.
- Prepare for Religious events.
- Prepare for fun activities ( School Tours, Sport’s Day, Action Day, etc) which add to the enjoyment of school life.
In St. Mary’s N.S. we expect Children to :
- Be mannerly and show respect for school staff, visitors, visiting schools and each other at all times.
- Be kind and thoughtful to your school peers.
- Be honest with yourself and others.
- Treat school property and property of others with care and respect.
- Walk at all times within the school building and around corners outside, for your own safety and safety of others.
- Use respectful language at all times in your dealings with staff and peers.
- Respect the right of all pupils and teachers to work in a disruption free environment. The bad behaviour of a few cannot and will not be allowed to affect the learning environment of the majority.
- Remain within the school grounds during the school day.
- Obey their teachers.
- Listen carefully in class and do their best work.
- Maintain a high standard of behaviour while on the school premises and while engaging in any school related activity.
- Go quietly to the toilets and use the facilities provided with respect.
- Be aware of the fact that whilst in school uniform the image of the school is often on show before and after school hours. This occurs as pupils make their way home, travel on buses, attend football matches and school related functions. Bad language, poor conduct, unacceptable behaviour on these occasions, reflect badly on the home and work of the school in general.
The children in our school are taught the school rules in the following age appropriate way:
School Rules.
1. Stand aside in corridors and at doors to let adults pass.
2. Fighting, bullying, name-calling, kicking, biting, hitting, ignoring others, making faces or any unkind behaviour will not be tolerated.
3. Always tell the truth.
4. Do not write on school furniture.
5. Never take another child’s belongings.
6. Do not run inside the school building. Do not run around corners outside. This is for your own safety and the safety of others.
7. Taking God’s name in vain, swearing and the use of bad language is forbidden.
8. Do not interrupt your teacher during class instruction as you
will not learn.
9. Do not interrupt other children as they speak. We learn from others not just our teacher.
10. Always do as you are told, by a teacher or staff member. Saying ‘no’ is not an option.
11. Striking a teacher will never be tolerated and will lead to immediate suspension from class and school.
12. Never speak in a cheeky manner towards your teacher. Your parents would not accept this at home either.
Playground Rules.
1. Stay in your own yard during playtime.
2. Do not swing on red handrails or goalposts as you might injure yourself.
3. No fighting or rough play on yard.
4. Fighting, bullying, name-calling, kicking, biting, hitting, ignoring others, making faces or any unkind behaviour will not be tolerated on the school yard.
5. Cycling within the school yard is not permitted.
6. No blasting of footballs at others or at the goals. You are only playing a friendly game at lunch time.
7. If you have a problem at break time, tell the teacher on yard duty.
8. Do not re-enter the school building at lunch time without the permission of yard duty teacher. Once you go out, stay out.
9. Playing with sticks in the yard is forbidden, as is the throwing of stones.
10. Mock fighting is forbidden.
11. If you take balls or equipment out of the games room it is your responsibility to bring it back in.
12. When the bell goes, play must stop and children line up quietly at the door. Repeatedly ignoring the school bell will be regarded as a serious breach of discipline.
13. If a ball goes onto the road, only children from sixth class, with permission from yard duty teacher may retrieve it.
Classroom rules.
1. Listen to your teacher and you will learn.
2. Don’t fiddle with objects. Concentrate on what is being taught in class.
3. Don’t write on school furniture. This would not be tolerated in your homes.
4. Speak after raising your hand and on hearing your teacher call your name.
5. Enter and leave the classroom quietly.
6. Try to go to the toilet at break- time and not during class time.
7. Always have your homework done, both written and learning.
8. Show respect for the caretaker by leaving your classroom clean and tidy.
9. Children must have all requisites as specified by class teacher on the book list. This is your responsibility, not teachers.
10. Do not leave your seat without permission from your teacher.
11. No talking to your friends during class time.
12. Remain in your seat and continue with your work if teacher is called away from the classroom.
13. At times during the day children will be expected to work in silence.
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The Role of the Board of Management in reviewing/drafting the code of behaviour.
· BOM will review the Code of Discipline
· Having reviewed the current Code of Behaviour, Principal brings BOM through important points of note having consulted the Guidelines on Developing a Code of Behaviour for Schools issued by the NEWB, DES circulars and other relevant material produced by professional bodies such as the CPSMA, PPDS, IPPN, INTO, etc
· Key points are identified, and sited for inclusion in the draft policy
· Draft policy is presented to the BOM, amendments noted and relayed to other relevant partners
· Points of note from other relevant parties (e.g. Parental Representatives) are presented to board and a final draft is put before the board to be ratified.
Ways in which the Board of Management supports the code of behaviour in the school
· The BOM will be familiar with the Code of Behaviour in the school and engage in its review and redrafting
· The BOM will be supportive of the principal teacher in the application of a fair Code of Behaviour and Discipline in the School
· The BOM has a role to play in fostering understanding and cooperation between teachers, parents and pupils
· The BOM will be supportive of the teaching staff with regard to the implementation of the Code of Behaviour
· The BOM will encourage participation of staff in in-service programmes/days relevant to the Code of Behaviour
· The ways in which the Board of Management supports the staff in implementing the code of behaviour e.g. provision of opportunities for staff development.
· The Board of Management will familiarise themselves with the procedures that are in place in the Code of Discipline to deal with serious breaches of behaviour.
· The BOM may be consulted on occasion of a serious breach of the Code of Behaviour
· The BOM can exercise its right to suspend a student but also the BOM of St. Mary’s N.S., Glaslough has delegated this authority to the Principal in cases where immediate suspension may be required and time does not facilitate a gathering of the BOM to discuss the issue prior to the suspension.
REWARDS AND SANCTIONS OF OUR SCHOOL.
Our school endeavours to create an environment where positive behaviour is reinforced through praise and reward. The school staff will aim to use encouraging language and gestures, both in class and around the school, so that positive behaviour is instantly recognised and positively rewarded.
Positive attention will be paid to pupils who have been previously been associated with poor behaviour so that not only good behaviour but also improvement in behaviour is acknowledged.
Emphasis is placed on reward rather than punishment in the belief that this will, in the long term, give the best results.
REWARDS :
A reward scheme for promoting positive behaviour will be used.
The rewards available can be categorised as falling into areas of:
1. Immediate praise in front of class group or individually
2. Public praise - mentioned at public assembly, demonstration and display of good work.
3. Not having to do some part of / or all homework.
4. Child given some job/responsibility which she/he finds attractive.
5. A visit to another member of Staff or to the Principal for commendation.
6. Delegating some special responsibility or privilege.
7. A mention to parent, written or verbal communication.
Sanctions :
There are times when sanctions must be applied in our school to bring changes to inappropriate behaviour of pupils.
In order to establish a common understanding and consistent response our Code of Behaviour classifies misbehaviour into three levels based on the degree of disruption caused by the misconduct.
1. Examples of minor misdemeanours which affect the education & safety of pupils/staff in our school:Interrupting class work / Arriving late for school / Running in school building / Talking in class line / Leaving seat without permission at lunch time / Placing unfinished food/drink cartons in class bin / Leaving litter around school / Not wearing correct uniform / Being discourteous/unmannerly to staff & pupils / Not completing homework without good reason / Not having homework signed by a parent / Refusing to obey member of staff / Name Calling.
Repeated instances of the above behaviour will lead them to be regarded as serious or gross misdemeanours.
2. Examples of serious misdemeanours which affect the education & safety of pupils /staff in our school.Constantly disruptive in class / Telling lies / Stealing / Damaging other pupil’s property / Bullying / back answering a teacher / Leaving school premises during school day without appropriate permission.
Not working to full potential / Using unacceptable language.
Climbing of school wall and refusing to get down when asked by school staff/ Refusing to attend Learning Support or Resource Classes/ Running outside but within school grounds and refusing to attend class/Making rude faces, sticking out of tongue or making rude gestures with body to staff or other pupils/ derogatory reference to another person’s race, gender, religion, physical condition, disability or ethnic origin / Throwing objects with intent to hurt / Repeated Name Calling.
Repeated instances of the above behaviour will lead them to be regarded as gross misdemeanours.
3. Examples of Gross Misdemeanours which affect the education & safety of pupils/staff in our school.
Bringing weapons to school / Deliberately injuring a fellow pupil.
Setting fire to school property / Deliberately leaving taps/fire hose turned on / Aggressive, threatening or violent behaviour towards a teacher/pupil/
Leaving school building and going out onto public road without permission of school staff and deliberately refusing request to come back in.
It should be noted that these lists consist of examples only: It is not meant to be a totally comprehensive list of misdemeanours and procedural steps.
The Principal or Board of Management are permitted to add to this list at any time during the school year. Their decision as to where the misdemeanour slots in i.e. minor/serious/gross is final.
Approved Sanctions to be applied:The following steps will be taken when the children behave inappropriately. They are listed in order of severity with one being for a minor misbehaviour and eleven being for serious or gross misbehaviour. The list is by no means exhaustive. Teachers may put in place alternative measures bearing in mind the features by which sanctions should be characterised. The aim of any sanction is to prevent the behaviour occurring again and if necessary to help the pupils devise strategies for this :-
1. Reasoning with pupils.
2. Verbal Reprimand including advice on how to improve.
3. Temporary separation from peers within class and/or temporary removal to another class.
4. Prescribing extra work / writing out story of what happened.
5. Loss of privileges.
6. Detention during break.
7. Incident recorded in ‘notebook of serious incidents’.
8. Communication with parents.
9. Referral to Principal.
10. Principal communicating with parents.
11. Removal of the pupil for the remainder of school day.
12. Formal Report to the Board of Management
13. Exclusion (Suspension or Expulsion) from school (in accordance with Rule 130 of the Rules for National Schools as amended by circular and Education Welfare Act 2000).
Application and Communication of Sanctions ~ Staged Approached
Stage
Parties Involved
Stage 1
Class Teacher with pupils
Stage 2
Referral to Principal. Principal speaks to pupil
Stage 3
Class teacher contacts Parent, may need a meeting with teacher, parent and pupil.
Stage 4
Principal contacts Parents.
Stage 5
Principal reports to Board of Management, although BOM has delegated power to Exclude to Principal in cases of emergency.
It is hoped that when inappropriate behaviour is addressed in its early stages and with parental support and positive self-application on the part of the pupil, progression through the latter stages will not be necessary. However, it is also important to note that should an incident of inappropriate behaviour occur that is deemed to be wholly unacceptable under St Mary’s Code of Behaviour then progression to Step 4 may be immediate.
It is important for parents to know that where a pupil’s, “behaviour disrupts the teaching and learning of other students, school authorities have to weigh the needs of that student with the needs of the other students and staff……. It is the responsibility of school authorities to maintain a classroom and school environment which is supportive of the learning of every student in the school and which ensures continuity of instruction for them.”
[Developing a Code of Behaviour: Guidelines for Schools, NEWB, 2008, pg. 46]
Managing aggressive or violent misbehaviour
Strategies used for dealing with serious emotional and behavioural problems:
Ø Priority must be given to establishing and maintaining open communication with parent[s] at all times.
Ø Children who are experiencing difficulties may be referred for psychological assessment.
Ø Through the Special Educational Needs Organiser (SENO), appropriate support is sought from services available e.g. Health Service Executive, NEPS, etc
:
Ø Where needed and appropriate the school will make available its facilities as a meeting place for multidisciplinary teams or care teams.
Ø Where appropriate Special Educational Assistances (SNA) will contribute to meetings.
Ø Staff will be encouraged and facilitated where necessary to participate in relevant professional development courses.
Ø Managing Challenging Behaviour - Guidelines for Teachers, INTO 2004: 11 is available to all teaching staff.
Procedures to be followed in the event of seriously violent or threatening behaviour causing a risk to the safety of the pupil himself/herself or the safety of other pupils or staff:
Ø Principal is contacted immediately.
Ø Every reasonable effort is made to ‘make safe’ the immediate scene for the pupil himself/herself and all others, where possible the pupil will be removed from the immediate vicinity of his/her peers or vice versa, but will remain under the supervision of a minimum of two adults.
Ø Relevant external authorities e.g. Parents contacted immediately, Gardaí, Fire brigade, social worker, doctor etc. Should the school be unable to contact parents the emergency contact number, which they are required to give the school upon enrolment, will be used.
Ø Failure to contact those mentioned above will result in the Principal acting in Loco Parentis.
Ø Child is removed from school grounds in as safe and as sensitive a manner as is possible
The Purpose of Sanctions:
The purpose of a sanction is to bring about a positive change in behaviour by:
· Helping pupils to realise why their behaviour is unacceptable
· Helping them to recognise the effect of their actions and behaviours on others
· Helping pupils to understand that they have choices about their own behaviour and that all choices have consequences
· Helping them to learn to take responsibility for their behaviour.
Sanctions may also
· Reinforce the boundaries set out in this code
· Show disapproval of inappropriate actions/behaviours
· Signal to other pupils and staff that their wellbeing is being protected.
In instances of more serious breaches of the code of behaviour, sanctions may be needed to
· Prevent serious disruption of teaching and learning
· Keep the pupil, other pupils and/or staff safe.
Suspension / Expulsion
“Access to education shapes the life chances of children and young people in a fundamental way. For this reason, a proposal to exclude a child, through suspension or expulsion, is a serious step, warranted only by very serious misbehaviour.”
[Developing a Code of Behaviour: Guidelines for Schools, B, 2008]
.
Schools are required, under section 23(2) of the Education (Welfare) Act 2000, to include their procedures for suspension and expulsion in their code of behaviour.
Before serious sanctions such as suspension or expulsion are used, the normal channels of communication between school and parents will be utilised. Communication with parents may be verbal or by letter depending on the circumstances.
Suspension
· Who has the authority to suspend pupils?
The Board of Management of St. Mary’s N.S. Glaslough has the authority to suspend a pupil[s]
The Principal has also been delegated the authority to suspend in instances where circumstances demand immediate action must be taken [see details below]
· What are the Grounds for Suspension ?
· Pupil’s behaviour has had a seriously detrimental effect on the education of other pupils
· The pupils continued presence in the school at this time constitutes a threat to his/her/other pupils/staff safety.
· The pupil is responsible for serious damage to property.
· One single incident of serious misbehaviour may be grounds for suspension.
· Pupil has refused to amend his/her behaviour despite enjoying rewards and experiencing sanctions.
· Forms of Suspension
1.Immediate Suspension
In exceptional circumstances, the Principal may consider an immediate suspension to be necessary where the continued presence of the pupil in the school at the time would represent a serious threat to the safety of other pupils or staff of the school or any other person.
2.‘Automatic’ Suspension
Where, following appropriate investigations, ‘Grounds for Suspension’ are present.
3.Rolling Suspension
When having returned to school from a suspended period pupils engage in serious misbehaviour which again after appropriate investigation gives rise to ‘Grounds for Suspension.’
4. Informal or unacknowledged Suspension
Exclusion of a pupil for part of the day, as a sanction, or asking parents to keep a child from school as a sanction is a suspension.
Procedures in respect of Suspension
At all times fair procedures will be followed when proposing to suspend a pupil.
For gross misbehaviour or repeated instances of serious misbehaviour suspension will be considered.
Procedure to be followed :
1. Parents/guardians of pupil concerned will be invited in writing to meet the Chairperson of the Board of Management and Principal at the school.
2. The minutes of this meeting will be recorded.
3. The concerns of the school staff & Board will be stated.
4. The parents /guardians of pupil concerned will be given the opportunity to reply.
5. Parents will be informed that the full discipline policy will now be applied to their child i.e. if the pupil fails to behave in accordance with the Code of Discipline from this date forward, he/she will face suspension or expulsion from our school.
Prior to suspension, where possible, the Principal may review the case in consultation with teachers and other members of the school community involved, with due regard to records of previous misbehaviours, their patterns and context, sanctions and other interventions used and their outcomes and any relevant medical information.
Length of Suspension Period.
Following investigation should BOM decide suspension is to be implemented a pupil will not be suspended for more than 3 days, except in exceptional circumstances where the Principal / B.O.M considers that a period of suspension longer than three days is needed in order to achieve a particular objective. The B.O.M should normally place a ceiling of ten days on any one period of suspension imposed by it.
Written Notification will be given outlining
Ø The period of the suspension and the dates on which the suspension will begin
Ø The reasons for the suspension
Ø Any study programme to be followed
Ø The arrangements for returning to school and any conditions that may be involved
Suspension will be in accordance with the Rules of National Schools and the Education Welfare Act 2000 and will follow the guidelines under circular 20/90 ( Department of Education and Science Primary Branch )
Procedures in relation to ‘Immediate Suspension’
Where an immediate suspension is considered by the Principal to be warranted for reasons of the safety of the pupil, other pupils, staff or others, a preliminary investigation will be conducted to establish the case for the imposition of the suspension. The formal investigation should immediately follow the imposition of the suspension. The principal may impose a suspension of up to 5 days in circumstances where a meeting of the Board cannot be convened in a timely fashion.
Parents will be notified immediately and arrangements made with them for the pupil to be collected. Should the school be unable to contact parents the emergency contact number which they are required to give the school upon enrolment will be used.
Removal of Suspension (Reinstatement).
Following or during a period of suspension, the parent/s may apply to the Board of Management to have the pupil reinstated to the school.
The parent/s must give a satisfactory undertaking that a suspended pupil will behave in accordance with the school code and the Principal must be satisfied that the pupil’s reinstatement will not contribute a risk to the pupil’s own safety or that of the other pupils or staff.
The Principal will facilitate the preparation or a behaviour plan for the pupil if required.
The Chairperson of the Board of Management or Principal will re-admit the pupil formally to the class.
Clean Slate
Although a record is kept of the behaviour and any sanction imposed, once the sanction has been completed the school will expect the same behaviour of this pupil as all other pupils.
Records and Reports
Written records will be kept of:
· The investigation
· Decision-making process
· Decision and rationale for decision
· Duration of the suspension and conditions attaching
· Where Principal has imposed suspension, a report will be given to the BOM
· Report to NEWB if suspension is for 6 school days or more in any school year.
Expulsion
Under the Education Welfare Act, 2000, ‘A student shall not be expelled from a school before the passing of twenty school days following the receipt of a notification under this section by an educational welfare officer’ (Section 24(4)) It is the right of a Board of Management to take ‘…such other reasonable measures as it considers appropriate to ensure that good order and discipline are maintained in the school concerned and that the safety of students is secured.’ (Section 24(5))
Authority to Expel
The Board of Management of St. Mary’s Glaslough has the authority to expel a pupil[s].
Expulsion should be a proportionate response to the pupil’s behaviour. Expulsion of a pupil is a very serious step, and one that will only be taken by the Board of Management in extreme cases of unacceptable behaviour. The school will take have taken significant steps to address the misbehaviour and to avoid expulsion including:
· meeting with parents and the pupil to try to find ways of helping the pupil to change their behaviour
· making sure that the pupil understands the possible consequences of their behaviour, should it persist
· ensuring that all other possible options have been tried
· seeking the assistance of support services.
Grounds for Expulsion
· Pupil’s behaviour is a persistent cause of significant disruption to the learning of others or to the teaching process
· The pupils continued presence in the school constitutes a real a significant threat to safety of self or other pupils or staff.
· The pupil is responsible for serious damage to property
The grounds for expulsion may be similar to the grounds for suspension. In addition to factors such as the degree of seriousness and the persistence of the behaviour, a key difference is that, where exclusion is considered, the school (or other outside agencies) will have tried a series of other interventions(if any still exist), and believe that we have exhausted all possibilities for changing the pupil’s behaviour.
Expulsion for a First Offence
There may be exceptional circumstances where the Board of Management forms the opinion that a pupil should be expelled for a first offence. The kind of behaviour that might result in a proposal to expel on the basis of a single breach of the code could include:
· a serious threat of violence against another pupil or member of staff
· actual violence or physical assault
· supplying illegal drugs to other students in the school
· sexual assault
· setting Fire to the school
Procedures in respect of expulsion
At all times fair procedures will be followed when proposing to expel a pupil.
Where a preliminary assessment of the facts confirms serious misbehaviour that could warrant expulsion, the procedural steps will include:
1. A detailed investigation carried out under the direction of the Principal/Deputy Principal.
2. Parents/Guardians will be informed in writing of the alleged misbehaviour and the proposed investigation.
3. A report of the findings of the investigation will be made to the BOM by the principal/deputy principal.
4. A hearing will be convened of the following parties-: Principal/Deputy Principal, parents/guardians, BOM representative present
5. BOM will deliberate on findings and decide on appropriate actions to be taken.
6. Educational Welfare Officer will be notified.
7. Confirmation of the decision to expel by letter to parents/guardians.
Appeals
Under Section 29 of the Education Act, 1998, parents (or pupils who have reached the age of 18) are entitled to appeal to the Secretary General of the Department of Education and Science against some decisions of the Board of Management, including (1) permanent exclusion from a school and (2) suspension for a period which would bring the cumulative period of suspension to 20 school days or longer in any one school year.
Appeals must generally be made within 42 calendar days from the date the decision of the school was notified to the parent or student. (See Circular 22/02)
- All relevant information in relation to suspension and expulsions will be available to all parents on request from the school office.
- The Principal and the Chairperson will prepare a response if and when an appeal is being investigated by the Dept. of Education and Science. The Deputy Principal / Patron’s nominee may be called upon here if issues of fairness are in question.
Methods of Communicating with Parents
Communicating with parents is central to maintaining a positive approach to dealing with children. Parents and teachers should develop a joint strategy to address specific difficulties, in addition to sharing a broader philosophy which, can be implemented at home and in school.
A high level of co-operation and open communication is seen as an important factor encouraging positive behaviour in the school. Structures and channels designed to maintain a high level of communication among staff and between staff, pupils and parents have been established and are being reviewed regularly.
Parents should be encouraged to talk in confidence to teachers about any significant developments in a child’s life, in the past or present, which may affect the child’s behaviour.
Teachers shall keep a written record of all instances of serious Misbehaviour as well as a record of improvements in the behaviour of disruptive pupils. Each member of staff will have a copy in their classroom for this purpose. There will also be a notebook (kept in the office) for noting any incidents of serious / continuous misbehaviour in the yard or outside the classroom situation. The teacher on yard duty will also inform the class teacher of this.
Reference Section
· Developing a Code of Behaviour: Guidelines for Schools, NEWB, 2008
· Education (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act, 2007 - provides for certain changes in the hearing of Appeals under S29 of the Education Act, 1998
· Education (Welfare) Act, 2000
· Education Act, 1998
· Circular 22/02 Appeals Procedures under Section 29 of the Education Act, 1998. (DES website). Deals with appeals under the following headings:
(1) Permanent exclusion from a school
(2) Suspension
(3) Refusal to enrol
· Report to the Minister of Education Niamh Breathnach, T.D. on Discipline in Schools. Maeve Martin, 1997. Ch. 4 p.56-61 Recommendations for Schools
· Stay Safe and Walk Tall Programmes
· Management Board Members’ Handbook. Revised 2007. CPSMA: A suggested Code of Behaviour & Discipline for National Schools
· INTO (2004) Managing Challenging Behaviour: Guidelines for Teachers
· INTO (2006) Towards Positive Behaviour in Primary Schools
· INTO (1995) Enhancing Self Esteem
· The Education Act 1998. The Education Welfare Act 2000. Questions and Answers, INTO
· The Principal’s Legal Handbook Oliver Mahon B.L. IVEA 2002 Ch. 2 School Discipline
· Working Together – to promote positive behaviour in classrooms, CEDR, Mary Immaculate College of Education
· Achieving Positive Behaviour. A Practical Guide. Patricia Dwyer. Marino
7. Procedures for notification of pupil absences from school
The Education Welfare Act, 2000, Section 23 (2)(e) states that the code of behaviour must specify, “the procedures to be followed in relation to a child’s absence from school.” Section 18 stipulates that parents must notify the school of a student’s absence and the reason for this absence.
· St Mary’s Glaslough encourages school attendance by:
Ø Creating a stimulating and attractive school environment
Ø Monthly prizes at assembly to acknowledge/reward good attendance
Ø Adapting curriculum content and methodologies to maximise relevance to pupils
Ø Adapting the class and school timetables to make it more attractive to attend and to be on time
Ø Making parents aware of the terms of the Education Welfare Act and its implications.
Attendance and Absences
· The doors of school open at 09.10am and school finishes at 03.00pm. For Junior and Senior Infants school finishes at 2.00pm and it is the parents’ responsibility to collect their child on time. Should a person other than the parent be collecting the child we would ask that the class teacher be notified of this.
· Formal school work begins at 9.20am and children are expected to be in their classroom by this time. Every encouragement should be given to pupils to attend regularly and punctually. The Board of management is not responsible for children arriving before 09.10am or staying after 03.05pm.
· When a pupil has to leave school early or be absent from school for part of the day a written note must be forwarded to the school. A written letter is also needed if a child is walking or cycling home, simply acknowledging that this is with parental permission. This is to ensure as far as possible the safety of the pupils during school hours. Please try and keep absences to a minimum.
· A child’s absence from school must be explained in a note to the class teacher on the child’s return
· Reports on a child’s absences will be made to the National Education Welfare Board (NEWB) according to their guidelines. A letter will also be issued to parents informing them that their child has been reported and will outline the dates of their absences.
8. Reference to other Policies
List and check other school policies that have a bearing on the code of behaviour e.g.
Ø SPHE plan
Ø Anti-bullying
Ø Enrolment
Ø General School Information Policy
Ø Health & Safety
Ø Equality
Ø Special Educational Needs
This policy was reviewed by the BOM on :17.10.2017
Signed :