The Code of Behaviour was audited by the Staff at a School Development Planning Day on January 19th, 2009, and reviewed by a sub-committee consisting of two parents, two members of the Board of Management and two teachers in April 2009. This Policy was amended by the Board of Management on 17th October 2012, to comply with Circular 65/2011, Child Protection for Primary and Post-Primary Schools.
The Board of Management has ratified ‘Children First: National Guidance for the Protection and Welfare of Children’ (2011) and these guidelines are fully implemented in the school and underpin all policies, procedures and practices cf. Expectations of Children no. 9
Children are encouraged at all times to play co-operatively and inappropriate behaviour will be addressed under our Code of Behaviour. If an incident occurs which we consider to be of a sexualised nature, we will notify the DLP who will record it and respond to it appropriately.
Vision/Mission Statement Our school motto is the principle underpinning our code of behaviour – ‘Respect, Encourage, Enjoy, Learn’. In Knockanore School we expect standards of behaviour that reflect the following values 1respect for self and others 2kindness and willingness to help others 3courtesy and good manners 4fairness 5readiness to use respectful ways of resolving difficulties and conflict 6forgiveness
Expectations In Knockanore School we expect children to: 1Treat all staff, visitors and other children with respect, and politeness. 2Be kind to each other. 3Be honest in their dealings with others. 4Treat school property and other children’s property with respect. 5Listen carefully in class and do their best work. 6Complete homework, present it on time, and get it signed by parents. 7Maintain a high standard of behaviour while on the school premises and while engaging in any school-related activity. 8Keep the rules. 9Help to create a safe, positive environment. Note: Behaviour will be subject to the school’s code of behaviour anywhere on the school premises, on any out of school activity where the child/children are representing the school e.g. sport events, cultural events, school tours etc.
In Knockanore School we expect parents to: 1Ensure children come to school each day on time (9.20am – 2.00pm, Jnr & Snr Infants: 9.20am – 3.00pm, 1st – 6th class) 2Parents are legally required to send in a written note explaining why the child was absent on the day following the absence. Please use Homework Journal c.f. Procedures for notifying the school about reasons for absence from school. 3Inform the class teacher if they wish to collect their child early from school for any reason. (Appointments etc.) 4Inform the school if their child is being collected by somebody other than a nominated person. 5A written note is required when a pupil fails to do or complete homework. 6Ensure children wear full uniform and are clean, neat and tidy. 7Ensure children wear appropriate clothing for P.E. 8Label all property and clothing clearly. 9Help children with their homework and sign their homework journal daily. 10Treat all school staff and other children with respect, courtesy and polite language. 11Co-operate with school staff and attend meetings when requested. 12Provide a healthy lunch daily for their children. (see Healthy Lunch Policy) 13Make an appointment, through the secretary, if they wish to meet with a teacher.
In Knockanore School we expect staff to: 1Be punctual. 2Be prepared for class. 3Be cognitive of the various needs and ability levels of all children in their class and adapt their teaching accordingly. 4Treat children, parents and other staff members with respect, courtesy and polite language. 5Co-operate with each other and work as part of a team. 6Be fair and consistent. 7Be aware of their duty of care to all children, at all times. 8Monitor Homework Journals.
Promoting a positive school climate 1Staff will have a common understanding of expectations and a common approach to sanctioning. Through daily contact with the children teachers and staff will promote an atmosphere of mutual respect. 2Through the SPHE curriculum we will teach the skills the children will need to live up to the school expectations, e.g. co-operating with each other, listening to each other, showing respect, taking turns, using ‘please’ and ‘thank you’ etc. It is envisaged that each class teacher will teach or revise the Code of Behaviour as appropriate to their class at the start of each term, as deemed necessary.
Ways in which teachers can promote good behaviour: 1Teachers regularly praise good behaviour in a consistent manner. (catch them being good!) 2Involve children in forming class rules. 3Reward systems. 4Good note to parents in homework journal. 5Teachers model good behaviour. 6Giving children responsibility in the school. 7A written comment on pupils’ work. 8Use of school report to comment favourably, not only on good work and academic achievement, but on behaviour, on involvement and on general attitude.
Ways in which parents/guardians can promote good behaviour: 1Try to nurture a positive attitude towards school and all those involved in it. 2Try not to pass on any negative experiences which parents themselves may have had at school. 3Model good behaviour in your relationship with teachers. 4Support the work being done in school in teaching the Code of Behaviour. 5Parents can co-operate with the school by encouraging their children to abide by the school rules and behave in an acceptable manner.
Purpose and content of school rules: Each child coming to school has a right to expect an atmosphere where he/she can learn, play and feel safe. The following rules set out to ensure this: 1Bullying of any kind will not be tolerated. (cf. Anti-bullying Policy) 2Taking God’s name in vain, swearing and the use of bad language is forbidden. 3Children are not allowed to leave the school grounds between 9.20am and 3.00pm (2.00pm for Infants) without the teacher’s permission. 4Walk calmly and quietly inside the school building at all times, and in the line. 5Footballs must be carried while inside the school, and after the bell rings. 6Children must walk to and from their bus/car. 7If, at any time, a pupil is found to have an item that could be considered dangerous to him/herself or to others, it will be taken from them. 8Pupils are not allowed to climb or walk on walls, or climb on the peripheral fencing. Children are not allowed to play at the front of the school during break times. 9Playing with sticks in the yard is forbidden, as is the throwing of stones. 10Mock fighting and wrestling is forbidden. 11Chewing gum is strictly forbidden. 12Children are encouraged to bring drinks in re-usable plastic bottles. (NO glass bottles allowed) 13Children must ask the teacher on duty to go to the toilet. 14Children must stay in their designated areas in the yard. 15The first bell is a warning bell. On hearing the second bell, pupils “freeze”. On hearing the hand bell pupils proceed to their líne. 16Mobile phones, i-pods, MP3 players, handheld games etc. are not allowed. 17Collector cards, e.g. football cards, are not allowed. 18Tippex is not allowed. 19Helmets must be worn when hurling. 20Children should put litter in bins.
How staff, parents and students can help each other to meet the standards expected in the school: Staff will teach the code as part of their SPHE lesson. Reminders of the school/class rules will be displayed in the school. School staff will model good behaviour. Parents will accept the code, discuss it with their children, and model good behaviour at home. Students can encourage each other to adhere to the rules, in the interest of all children.
Unacceptable Behaviour and Sanctions Some examples of Minor Misbehaviour: 1Disobedience: not carrying out instructions from the teacher not getting on with work set by the teacher not following class rules 2Disrupting class: shouting out, throwing objects e.g. paper, rubbers etc. swinging on chairs, distracting others, interrupting the teacher, wandering around the classroom, fidgeting and inattention, sulking 3Damaging school or other children’s property, marking tables with pencils or pens, marking other children’s books/library books, tearing books or tampering with I.T. equipment. 4Pushing, leaving children out of play/group activities, leaving designated play areas 5Returning to classroom during break times without permission 6Not completing homework (without a note of explanation) 7Use of bad language. 8Being insolent/giving cheek. 9Telling lies. (This is NOT an exhaustive list) If Minor Misbehaviour persists parents will be notified in writing. Continuous minor misbehaviour automatically becomes a serious misbehaviour
Some examples of Serious Misbehaviour: 1Bullying (See school’s anti-bullying policy) 2Inappropriate play. 3Kicking, fighting, spitting, biting. 4Throwing objects. (that could cause harm) 5Abusive language. 6Damaging school/other children’s property e.g. defacing walls, desks, tables with permanent markers, deliberately breaking windows, destroying other children’s work/property. 7Stealing school/staff or other children’s property, books etc. 8Leaving school grounds without permission. 9Deliberate disobedience. 10Being aggressive. 11Telling harmful lies. (This is NOT an exhaustive list)
Some examples of Extreme Misbehaviour: (these may incur automatic suspension at the discretion of the Board of Management or the Principal) 1Threatening behaviour. 2Verbal or physical assault on a staff member/other pupil. 3Serious theft/vandalism. 4Total disregard for School Rules. (This is NOT an exhaustive list) Note: Any behaviour which has implications for child protection will be dealt with as laid out in our Child Protection Policy. Behaviour involving serious assault and/or illegal substances will be referred to An Garda Síochána. Sanctions: When choosing a sanction the teacher will be aware of the following: Sanctions should: 1Defuse and not escalate a situation. 2Preserve the dignity of all parties. 3Be applied in a fair and consistent way. 4Be proportionate to the nature and seriousness of the behaviour. 5Be appropriate to the age and development stage of the child and take account of the cultural background of the child. 6Take note of students with special needs. Appropriate Sanctions: For Minor misbehaviours: 1Reasoning with the child. 2Reprimand (including advice on consequence of continuing, and how to improve) 3Temporary separation from peers. (within classroom) 4Temporary loss of responsibility, class jobs etc. 5Additional work or Penalty Sheet. (signed by parent) 6Communication with parents from class teacher (note in journal, phone call, meeting) 7Detention at break times. 8Temporary separation from peers to another classroom. 9Communication with Principal.
* These sanctions may not always be applied in this order.
For serious misbehaviours: As above plus: Temporary separation from peers to another classroom. Immediate referral to Principal. Communication with parents. Detention at break times. Meeting with parents, class teacher and/or principal by appointment to discuss misbehaviour and draw up behaviour plan. Suspension. (Parents may be contacted by phone and will be asked to collect the child) Expulsion. Procedures in respect of Suspension (as per page 77 of the NEWB Guidelines) While the Board of Management has the authority to suspend, they may delegate this authority to the principal, who may suspend for periods of up to three days.
1Investigation of the facts to confirm serious misbehaviour. 2Parents will be informed by phone and later in writing about the incident. 3Parents will be given an opportunity to respond. If suspension is still decided upon 1Principal notifies parent in writing of the decision to suspend. The letter should confirm: o The period of the suspension and the dates on which the suspension will begin and end. o The reasons for the suspension. o Any study programme to be followed. o The arrangements for returning to school, including any commitments to be entered into by the student and the parents. o The provision for appeal to the Board of Management or secretary general of the D.E.S. (Only where the total number of days for which the student has been suspended in the current school year reaches 20 days) o Where the cumulative total of days reached 6, the NEWB will be notified.
Records and Reports Formal written records will be kept of: 2The investigation (including notes of all interviews held) 3The decision-making process. 4The decision and rationale for the decision. 5The duration of the suspension and any conditions attached to the suspension. Data Protection
Records
Sensitive personal data/disciplinary notes are stored under lock and key in the case of manual records and protected with firewall software and password protection in the case of electronically stored data and are retained indefinitely. Expulsion (As per page 82 of the NEWB Guidelines) Procedures in respect of expulsion 1A detailed investigation carried out under the direction of the principal. o Inform parents in writing of alleged misbehaviour, how it will be investigated and that it could result in expulsion. o Give parents and students the opportunity to respond before a decision is made. 1A recommendation to the B.O.M. by the principal (see page 84 NEWB guidelines) 2Consideration by the BOM of the principals’ recommendations and the holding of a hearing. (see page 84 NEWB guidelines) 3B.O.M. deliberations and actions following a hearing. ( page 85 NEWB Guidelines) 4If B.O.M. is of the opinion that the student should be expelled, the Board must notify the Educational Welfare Officer (EWO) in writing, of its opinion and the reasons for this opinion. The intention to expel a student does not take effect until 20 school days have elapsed after NEWB have received written notification. The NEWB should be notified using a Notice of Intention to Expel form which is available on www.schoolreturn.ie or from our helpline (1890 363666). This form should be completed and sent to School Return Section, National Educational Welfare Board, 16-22 Green St, Dublin 7. 5Consultations arranged by the EWO. 6Confirmation of the decision to expel. Appeals 1A parent may appeal a decision to expel to the Secretary General of the Department of Education and Science (Education Act 1998 section 29) Procedures for notifying the school about reasons for absence from school Parents are legally required to send in a written note explaining why the child was absent on the day following the absence. Please use Homework Journal The Education Welfare Act came into operation in July 2002. According to the Act, parents must notify the school in writing of the reason for a child’s absence (Section 18) and Principals are obliged to notify the Education Welfare Officer of absences exceeding 20 school days. (Section 21) Review of the Code 2012. Ratified by Board of Management on 17th June 2009 Amended, to comply with Child Protection Policy on 17th October 2012
Fr. Patrick Condon 17/10/12 Chairperson, Board of Management. Date Amended with reference to Data Protection Policy and ratified by the Board of Management on May 12th 2015
Signed: Fr. Patrick Condon 12/05/15 Chairperson Board of Management Date