Chaucer School

A member of Tapton School Academy Trust

Relationships and Behaviour

for Success Policy

2021

Date approved / Reviewed: May 2021

Date to be reviewed: May 2022

Relationships Policy

Section 1

Purpose

Section 2

Classroom rules

Section 3

Around school rules

Section 4

Rewards

Section 5

Responses to classrooms based negative behaviours.

Section 6

The use of the student planner

Section 7

The contents of the student planner

Section 8

Section 9

Section 10

Protocols

Additional information.

Specific Information in relation to: -

• Fixed Term Exclusion

• Permanent Exclusion

• Community Issues

• Joint Enterprise

Appendix: -

• Home School Agreement

• Covid 19 Refinements

SECTION 1 Purpose

The Chaucer School relationship policy embodies our culture and ethos developed through a

Trauma Informed and ACE (Adverse Childhood Experience) aware approach where relationships

are at the centre of all interactions. This approach encapsulates and supports the wider school

community and includes all young people, all staff, parent(s)/carers and any external agencies

who work collaboratively with Chaucer School.

Purpose

Chaucer school believes that all young people are entitled to access a curriculum that is relevant,

understanding, adaptive, agile, ACE aware and trauma informed that caters for all learners. We

believe in providing every child with the opportunity to engage in an outstanding education

academically, emotionally and socially. We strongly believe that by identifying and breaking

down the barriers to learning, we can provide an inspiring curriculum that considers the whole

child and provides the necessary level of support for our young people to reach their true

potential.

What are ACEs?

There is a growing body of research identifying the harmful effects of adverse childhood

experiences (ACEs) on the rest of a person’s life. ACEs are significant stressful events occurring

during childhood or adolescence and can be direct, such as the child suffering abuse or neglect,

or indirect, such as the child’s parent suffering mental illness or drug addiction. The research

suggests that ACEs have a strong link with chronic diseases, social and emotional issues, with a

higher ACE score correlating with worse outcomes on all fronts. Two thirds of people have at least

one ACE, but the 8% of people in England who have four or more ACEs are at an increased risk of

a range of negative health outcomes such as heart disease, respiratory disease, drug addiction,

or self-harm. We are committed to ensuring that our school develops a Trauma and Mental Health

Informed Approach to ensure that all our pupils develop positive mental health and resilience,

enabling them to fully engage in life and learning.

Trauma Informed practice

It is essential that, wherever possible and appropriate, adults in school have the necessary

information and understanding of the context around specific students and behavioural issues

that may be presented within school. It is the responsibility of all staff in school to be aware of any

specific plans and strategies that may need to be implemented to help support young people

who have suffered trauma and ACEs. Early intervention can help to decrease the chances that

young people will enter the crisis phase leading to a quicker recovery and therefore restoration to

a lower, more manageable level of stress or anxiety

A trauma informed approach requires emotionally regulated and always available adults who

can provide essential calming of the young people in their care, which will ultimately allow them

to re-set and restore/ rebuild / re-engage in learning once their emotional and mental state

allows them to do so. This approach looks to protect and safeguard other young people from the

destabilising effects certain behaviours may have within the learning environment.

In practical terms it means that we may temporarily (for short or longer periods of time) remove

students from situations that they are finding difficult to manage. A designated adult will work with

the student removed to support them and will only place them back into the learning

environment when it is appropriate to do so.

Behaviour management

Our ‘behaviour for success’ approach to behaviour management and relationship policies reflect

a trauma informed approach and our behaviour strategies are both developmentally and

trauma- informed. We do not operate a ‘zero tolerance’ or ‘one size fits all’ approach to

challenging behaviour. Instead we apply the theory of a case by case approach that takes into

consideration the individual circumstances and context of individual young people in our care.

Staff responsibilities –

‘Unconditional positive regard’

Unconditional positive regard is a concept developed by the humanistic psychologist Carl Rogers.

It is the basic acceptance and support of a person regardless of what the person says or does. In

practice, within an education setting this means that staff are non-judgmental and work with no

predetermined negative perceptions around individual students and/or their behaviour. All

students are given a ‘clean slate’ following negative interactions with staff and every attempt

must be made by staff to rebuild and restore damaged working relationships.

Staff conduct

All staff are responsible for adhering to positive practise that promotes a students’ ability to

engage in and access their learning. This is based on the understanding that students best

achieve, develop and reach their true potential when staff are; fair, flexible, trustworthy,

respectful, and model positive relationships.

Under no circumstances should any member of staff model negative behaviours such as (not

exhaustive)

• Being confrontational

• Being insulting or abusive

• Being Intimidating

• Condescending/ harshly sarcastic

• Causing Humiliation

• Being supercilious

• Any other behaviours that may cause further breakdown of relationships.

It is the expectation at Chaucer that all staff, regardless of their role in school act in this way. This

does not mean that undesired behaviour does not go unchallenged, we continue to have high

expectations of behaviour for all students and support is regularly and continually offered to those

having difficulty meeting those expectations.

All staff have experienced training in being ACE aware and Trauma and Mental Health Informed.

Specific staff both internal and externally sourced are identified to work with students in order to

support their individual needs. This support may be offered in a 1:1 session, in class or in small

groups. Our aim is to support children to make sense of their experience, find ways to manage

their emotions and feelings and ensure that they maintain the capacity to learn, despite difficult

events that may happen/ have already occurred in their lives.

It is expected that agreed amendments and modifications will be made as the systems develop

and mature. At all times staff, students, parents and carers will be made fully aware of such

changes

The relationship policy framework is designed to and should be successful in:

1. reducing student and staff stress levels through a significant reduction in negative or

confrontational behaviours;

2. providing much greater understanding of the behaviour for success process by students,

parents, staff and governors;

3. ensuring that all students, regardless of ability, age and gender are involved whenever

possible, in the process of praise, recognition and rewards;

4. supporting staff in developing positive relationships in the classroom, ensuring that teachers

are able to teach students who want to learn and who behave in a manner conducive to

high levels of progress being made. Furthermore, students should no longer have to suffer

low-level disruption from their peers.

5. Develop harmonious relationships, with increased communication between students and

staff, (parents/carers), where students are able to talk freely about their worries or

concerns.

Without doubt, the essential prerequisite for the scheme’s success is a constant, calm, consistent

commitment from all staff to operate within the agreed framework.

The relationship policy is neither draconian nor rigid. Consistency and flexibility should operate in a

harmonious and complementary manner. Students’ individual context and personal situation

must be taken into consideration when undesirable behaviours are being presented and

potential actions and responses are being implemented.

All teachers in all curriculum areas must look to recognise, praise and reward all students

as a matter of agreed policy. Support and administrative non-teaching staff will also be

expected to praise and rewards students appropriately and establish positive relationships

with students whenever it is possible to do so. Senior members of staff must always model

the practice of positive relationship building.

Staff must understand the importance of operating consistently within the recognised framework

in term of both rewards and sanction process.

If the system is to be successful, the following must be understood by all concerned:

• Consistency in approach to both rewards and sanctions within the classroom is essential.

• The fact that there will be a consequence is inevitable is more important than the severity

of the sanction.

• Once the sanction/response has taken place it is up to the member(s) of staff concerned

to decide upon an appropriate ‘follow up’ strategy, with each student’s case being

viewed in an individual sense.

Members of staff will receive regular support and professional development opportunities in order

to develop and implement the skills to successfully establish maintain and restore positive

relationships with all stakeholders.

At Chaucer we have a clear vision that to achieve susses for all stakeholders that we must work

with our young people we do this by using the principles of the social discipline window explained

below. We will work WITH our young people and families offering high levels of support alongside

high expectations to achieve our shared goals.

Developing a culture – Strategies:

EMR (Establish, Maintain ,Restore) method of building positive relationships.

The EEF (Education Endowment Foundation) recommended several strategies in order to develop

a change in culture to improve behaviours in school. These are summarised below and play an

essential role in the development of positive relationships between all relevant stakeholders.

Know and Understand our students and their influences.

▪ There are a multitude of contributory factors to student behaviour, some of which teachers

cannot affect directly.

▪ ACE

▪ Family bereavement/ significant incident.

▪ Trauma

▪ Understanding a students’ context will inform effective responses to misbehaviour.

▪ Why is the student behaving in this way?

▪ Specific Need .

▪ Peer social grouping issues.

▪ Mental health and emotional wellbeing/Social/Physical Health issues.

Every student should have a supportive relationship with at least one member of school staff

Emotionally available Adult (EAA)

Establish – Intentional practice to building positive relationships with students through building trust,

connection and patience and understanding.

▪ Strategies

▪ Inquire about student’s interests, use open questions to facilitate this.

▪ Communicate positively, reflective listening.

▪ Show genuine interest in the students.

Maintain – Proactive effort to prevent strong relationships deteriorating through positive ongoing

interactions.

▪ Strategies

▪ 5-1 ratio of positive to negative interactions.

▪ Positive communication home.

▪ Meet and greet students at the door

▪ Random special activities

▪ Smile!

Restore – Intentionally repairing harm to relationship after a negative interaction – reconnecting

with the student.

▪ Strategies

▪ Take the first step in reconnecting.

▪ Clearly explain the reasoning for negative interaction (school rules, effect on

others)

▪ Let go of previous incident and start fresh.

▪ Engage in 1 to 1 within lesson time (problem solving).

▪ Conflict resolution or restorative conversations

Classroom management strategies

▪ Effective classroom management can reduce challenging behaviour, student

disengagement, bullying and aggression.

▪ Teachers can provide the conditions for learning behaviours to develop by ensuring

students can access the curriculum, engage with lesson content and participate in their

learning.

▪ Teachers should encourage students to be self-reflective of their own behaviours

▪ Strategies…

▪ Seating plans need to maximize student engagement and participation whilst allowing

you to support the most vulnerable in lesson.

▪ Ask for help…it is normal for less experienced teachers to experience issues with

behaviour management but be aware that, what works for one teacher with a specific

student might not necessarily work with another member of staff.

▪ Ensure you implement the strategies in student passports and one page profiles.

▪ Use regular appropriate praise to reward desired learning behaviours, be careful that

this matches specific student needs.

▪ Plan intervention journey around the classroom carefully during student independent

work.

▪ Encourage student to be reflective of the own behaviour for learning and discuss how

their behaviour is affecting others.

The 30 second intervention

• The longer each negotiation around behaviour takes, the less time you can give to the

majority of well-behaved student in class.

• Attempt to limit your formal one-to-one interventions for poor behaviour in class to 30

seconds each time.

• Get in, deliver the message, ‘anchor’ their behaviour with an example of the student’s

previous good behaviour and get out.

• This will require carefully scripted language, consistency in approach within all classrooms

will be the key to it being effective.

• The moment you deliver a sanction is the moment that confrontation/complaint/protest will

emerge. Counter this defensive response in your 30 second intervention by immediately

reminding the student of a previous example good behaviour.

• Then use ‘Thank you for listening’ as an excuse to move away and leave the student to

their choice.

• Walk away. Don’t ‘loom’ over the student waiting for them to decide what to do.

• Don’t turn back, even if provoked, tactical ignoring will need to be used, the student will

need time to make a choice, get beck to teaching the rest of the group.

• If you rush back in to confront the secondary behaviours, you pass over control to the child.

You have lost control. A full-blown confrontation is the ultimate reward for the learner who

likes to provoke. Remain calm and insistent.

Section 2 – Classroom rules

Our classroom rules are outlined below:

1. Arrive on time, fully equipped and ready to work for each lesson.

2. Expectation that students silently prepare for work on entry.

3. Do as you are asked by all staff without question or argument.

4. Listen carefully when the teacher or another person is talking.

5. Put your hand up and wait for your turn to speak.

6. Always try your best without disturbing others.

7. Stand behind your chair quietly at the end of lessons until you are dismissed.

8. Always try your best to do your homework properly and hand it in on time. Ask for

help if you need it.

Section 3 - Around school rules

1. Be polite and show respect for other people.

2. Do as you are asked by all staff without question or argument.

3. Wear your school uniform correctly at all times.

4. This is your school, look after it. Look after property and put all litter in bins.

5. Eat and drink in the right places at the right time.

6. Walk around the school sensibly and quietly and keep to the left.

7. School opens at 8.00am – be at your room and ready for morning registration at

8.25am. School closes at 2.55pm – (2.30pm on a Wednesday) - no student should

be on site without staff permission.

Section 4 - Rewards

Central to the philosophy is the right of all staff to praise students, including contacting parents as

a matter of routine. Spontaneous day-to-day praise is a key foundation in all good schools.

Stamps

The first formal phase of the rewards system is the use of individual staff stamps.

Stamps should be awarded both within and outside the classroom. These will be rewarded for;

• classroom and homework performance

• all positives to the school community.

The stamp will lead to recognition through our system of certificates and rewards trips.

From September 2020 the certificate levels for stamps will be as follows:

• 250 – Bronze

• 500 – Silver and form tutor phone call home

• 750 – Gold

• 1000 – Platinum and Year Manager phone call home

• 1500 – Diamond and Associate Leader Student Support phone call home

• 2000 – Head teacher’s Award and Assistant Head teacher phone call home

• 2500 – Governor’s Award

• 3000 – Chair of Governor’s Award.

Positive Planner comments

Within the student’s planner spaces have been created for ‘positive planner comments’ to be

written linked to the learner attributes (5 R’s)

1. Resilience

2. Respect

3. Resourcefulness

4. Reflectiveness

5. Reciprocity

When a student receives 8 positive planner comments this will be logged into Bromcom and an

automated email will be sent to parents to let them know. Students that receive 8 positive planner

comments each week will gain access to rewards activities at the end of a term or half term.

The types of activities will be chosen and suggested through student council reps.

SECTION 5 Responses to undesired behaviours

In terms of classroom-based sanctions, five key phases are identified. It is hoped that the

vast majority of students will choose to spend their time at Chaucer operating with the

rewards framework.

It is also expected that for the students whose behaviour for learning is deemed to be

unacceptable, only a small minority will move beyond phase 3.

It is essential that all students, parents and teachers understand this framework and its

continuum of sanction/responses.

When students do disturb the academic progress of their peers or make the working life of

the teacher unacceptably stressful and unpleasant then they will be removed from that

class. For the structure to work it is essential that consistency and flexibility work in harmony

and no apologies are given for repeating this key section of the introduction: When a

particular misdemeanour takes place an identified sanction or range of sanctions must

follow. The most appropriate sanction/response is applied to specific behaviours taking

into consideration individual context, at all times being ACE aware and trauma informed.

Phase 1 Remind – Calmly remind students of the high expectations we hold in school around

behaviours for learning and ensuring students are aware that their decisions are having on the

progress of others and themselves. Anchor the conversation in a positive example of how they

have behaved positively before (30 second intervention).

Phase 2 Caution – Calmly caution the student around their continued poor choices around

conduct again explaining the importance of appropriate behaviours for learning in the classroom

– further 30 second intervention.

Phase 3 – Support for Success SFS sent through Bromcom. Support for success will have a

conversation with the young person to assess what additional support (if any) is required for them

to be successful in lesson. Explained to student by member of SUPPORT FOR SUCCESS that a

further call out will result in them being placed in the R room with a loss of the student’s next social

time, see below.

The first three phases are very much seen as classroom-based strategies. It may well be seen as

desirable to relocate the student within the classroom to prevent further escalation.

Phase 4 – Withdrawal If SFS is called back to the same classroom for specific student, they will be

removed and placed in the R room for an appropriate period of time, this may be substantial or

shorter in duration. It is at the discretion of staff to insist students remain in the R room at the end of

the day for an additional 30 minutes.

Phase 5 – Refusing or failing to follow process in the R room will result in a more serious sanction

this may include fixed term exclusion.

Serious incidents may lead to a placement in the R room pending further investigation which may

lead to fixed term exclusion.

Red Flag behaviours – This will result in students being placed in the R-Room, pending

further investigation if necessary or which may lead to a fixed term, or permanent

exclusion.

Phase 6 – Fixed Term and Permanent Exclusion

For serious cases of misbehaviour which contravene the principles set out in

the relationships policy, exclusion may result for a period of up to 15 days. Work will be provided in

the case of an exclusion and it is expected that parents accompany their child to a "re-

integration" meeting.

For a one-off serious incident such as arson, drug related incidents or weapons, serious physical

assault, sexual misconduct or, persistent disruption where the student has failed to respond to

reasonable adjustments and intervention, a permanent exclusion may be recommended by the

Head teacher, according to guidance set out by the DFE, a copy of which is available from

school

The school could also take into consideration ‘joint enterprise’, which means that if more than 1

student is involved in the same incident, irrelevant of the role they played, all students will receive

the same sanction.

Governors disciplinary process.

We have a three-stage governor disciplinary process for students who consistently disrupt

the good order and discipline/ethos at Chaucer School. The different stages are as follows.

GDP stage 1 – Written warning

GDP stage 2 – Single governor Meeting

GDP Stage 3 – Full governors panel.

This is aimed at being a preventative intervention involving student, parent, leadership and

governance. Wherever possible a student will follow the GDP process before a permanent

exclusion is considered. Where behaviours continue beyond this point, North Locality

Disciplinary Panel or Secondary Inclusion Panel (SIPP) may be called.

For a one-off serious incident such as arson, drug related incidents or weapons, serious

physical assault, sexual misconduct or, persistent disruption where the student has failed to

respond to reasonable adjustments and intervention, a permanent exclusion may be

recommended by the Head teacher, according to guidance set out by the DFE, a copy of

which is available from school. Examples of such incidents will result in a full independent

investigation that will include liaison with the Police or Community Youth Team Officer where

information will be sought around the law/process.

The school could also take into consideration ‘joint enterprise’, which means that if more

than 1 student is involved in the same incident, irrelevant of the role they played, all students

will receive the same sanction.

SECTION 7 THE USE OF THE STUDENT PLANNER

Monitoring of student planners

Student self-monitoring

Without doubt, the success of behaviour for success as an initiative depends upon the

effective monitoring of student planners. Central to this success is the need to provide

students with the opportunity to reflect upon their own school performance; in other

words, to ensure that student self-monitoring is central to the weekly operation of the

student planner. With this in mind it is essential that a reasonable amount of time is given

each week to allowing students to reflect upon their performance in school.

Parental monitoring

Parents and carers will also have a key role in monitoring their child’s planner. In the

communication to parents at the front of the student planner, the need for parental

involvement is outlined in some detail. Most importantly it is expected that parents will

inspect and sign the planner each week, encourage their child to keep the planner clean

and up to date, support the habit of completing homework in an organised and efficient

manner, and use the appropriate parents’ section to communicate with us as a school.

Form tutor monitoring

Within school student planners will be monitored each week by the form tutor and sampled by

SLT Link

When monitoring student planners, form tutors are looking to identify or confirm a number

of points:

1. the planner is free from graffiti and is being kept in a tidy manner;

2. homework details are being recorded in sufficient detail using the prescribed

system (i.e. set homework subjects written down at the beginning of the week and

the ‘ticking’ of homework upon completion)

3. positive and negative comments made in the student planner by other members of

staff are responded to in an appropriate way;

4. comments made in the student planner by parents are responded to in an

appropriate way;

5. form tutor to parent communication upon any school-based issue routinely occurs

where necessary

6. the awarding of stamps or official sanctions.

Each form tutor will keep a separate record in file form of each student in their form group.

Details should be brief and should reflect both negative and positive performance.

SECTION 8 THE CONTENTS OF THE STUDENT PLANNER

No personalising of the student planner will be allowed. Pages must not be folded over

and highlighter pens must not be used. The planner should ideally be carried in the

student’s bag. In short, the student planner must be kept as if it were a best exercise book.

Lost student planners will need to be replaced at a cost of £5.00 from the School Shop.

At the beginning of each form tutor session, students will take out their student planners.

Students who have not brought their student planner should be immediately referred to

the SFS team.

It must be emphasised that forgetting the student planner is extremely serious. Any student

who forgets their student planner on two occasions in any half term will be placed in the R

Room until the matter is resolved.

Form tutors must ensure that they inspect and sign each student’s planner every week.

SECTION 9 PROTOCOLS

1. Mobile phones/electronic devices (including headphones): Items should be

switched off and not be visible from 8.25am until 2.55pm (2.30pm on Wednesday)

unless at break time or lunchtime in a designated zone. Any mobile phone/device

that is seen during this time either being used or not will be confiscated. The first

confiscation of a mobile phone/device will be held by the office and returned at

2.55pm. Further confiscations will be returned only to a parent via a parental

meeting with Assistant Head teacher or Head teacher.

2. During registration any student who does not have their planner or does not have

the correct uniform should be referred to SFS.

SECTION 10 Additional information

Appropriate behaviour for learning is defined as being attentive and having an interest in

schoolwork, having good learning organisation, working efficiently in a group and seeking

help when necessary. It also involves behaving respectfully towards staff, showing respect

to other students, only interrupting and seeking attention appropriately and being physically

peaceable. We aim to teach, reinforce, praise and reward these behaviours at all times,

through Positive Discipline.

Chaucer is a place for learning and it is essential that the conduct of all members of the

school is supportive of the learning process. Behaviours which prevent or interrupt learning

will be challenged. Our aim is to do this by emphasising the importance of good

relationships between staff and students based on clear and consistent expectations, firm

but fair responses to inappropriate behaviour and positive reinforcement of appropriate

behaviour through the use of the behaviour for success processes.

The aim of this extended element of the Relationships Policy is to offer specific information

in relation to a particular set of behaviours that may be displayed in and around the school

and its community.

The school determine the necessary sanction in line with BFS and may include: parental

contact, parental meeting, and referral to a student support colleague (e.g. Designated

Safeguarding Manager / Restorative Practitioner). A student may also be excluded for a

fixed period of time with a parental meeting to ensure successful re-integration. The students

file will record all exclusions and incidents of serious disruption to learning along with all

reasonable adjustments provided to help secure the successful engagement of learners.

Arrangements will be made for a work pack to be provided for the student to complete at

home during the exclusion period. This work pack must be completed and returned on the

day of the re-integration meeting.

Out of class behaviour

Poor behaviour out of class has an impact upon learning. Out of class, students are

expected to behave responsibly and allow others the right to be free of disruption.

Defiance, dangerous behaviour or bullying disrupts the good order of the school and

creates an atmosphere in which learning is impaired. Every member of staff at Chaucer is

expected to challenge and address poor behaviour outside class. Serious incidents of such

poor behaviour will result in action by the year leader or member of leadership team.

Parents will be notified as appropriate.

Incidents which occur within the community, whilst a student is wearing school uniform will

be sanctioned appropriately in line with Behaviour for success processes, as this is seen as

‘bringing the school’s name into disrepute’.

Electronic devices:

Students have the right to use electronic devices when:

1. They are in outdoor spaces before, during and after school.

2. They are in allocated ‘phone zones’

3. They are in class and the teacher has advised the student that the device can be

utilised to enhance learning (e.g. calculator / as a medium to share music for

performance).

The electronic device and its safety remain the responsibility of the child.

Students do not have the right to use electronic devices when:

1. They are moving between lessons

2. They are outside of an allocated space

3. They are in class

Sanctions for electronic devices:

If an electronic device is seen on a student in school other than allocated spaces at agreed

times then the member of staff will confiscate it and hand it into the main office where it will

remain until the end of the school day. If a student refuses to handover their electronic

device then they will be isolated from lessons until the situation has been resolved. This may

include a parental support in confiscating the item and/or parental meeting. A second

confiscation will lead to the item being confiscated until parent or carer is able to collect it

and a third confiscation will lead to a parental meeting.

You may wish to also refer to Search Policy and Positive Handling Policy in conjunction with this

document.

Parents

Parents will be made aware of the expectations within school of appropriate behaviour for

learning through the website.

Media

The Head teacher or a nominated spokesperson will handle all media enquiries. The school

will not comment on individual cases but will refer to the school policy and the procedures

in place to manage any incidents of poor behaviour.

Monitoring and Review of the policy

Application of the policy will be monitored by a member of leadership and reports submitted

to the relevant Governing Body committee in the summer term. The policy will be reviewed

every two years, or in the light of changing information. The review will be led by a member

of leadership.

Dissemination of policy

New staff will be introduced to this policy as part of the induction process. The policy will be

available on the school network and other interested parties may apply for a copy.

Students will be made aware of the policy as part of the tutor time programme.

Appendix: -

HOME SCHOOL AGREEMENT

At Chaucer we are committed to a strong relationship between the school, each student and

parents/carers. The purpose of the Home School Agreement is to ensure that we each

acknowledge and commit to our part in that relationship and to the expectations that being a part

of Chaucer School brings with it in order to ensure the success of all our learners. In addition, we

each commit to act at all times in a reasonable and respectful manner to each other.

The school’s responsibilities are to:

• Provide quality first teaching to develop each student’s talents

• Provide consistent expectations and a robust rewards and sanctions process that is

transparent and understood by all stakeholders through positive discipline

• Provide support and care for each student and raise self-esteem

• Encourage and reward good attendance, progress and behaviour

• Provide a safe, secure and well-ordered environment

• Ensure the safety on line of the whole school community

• Engage in regular communication between school and home

• Check and sign Student Planners on a weekly basis

Signed……………………………………………………………………….……. …….. Form Teacher

Parent / Carer’s responsibilities are to:

• Accept and support the school aims and values

• Accept and support the school expectations of their child (Positive Discipline)

• Make sure their child attends school on time every school day

• Make sure that full uniform is worn every day

• Make sure that their child is properly equipped for learning (pen, pencil, ruler, scientific

calculator and planner)

• Show interest and involvement in the work and homework of their child and provide a

suitable, quiet place to work at home

• Support the school’s approach to online safety, the safe use of IT and IT equipment

• Check and sign the Student Planner on a weekly basis

• Attend Progress days and parents’ evenings and keep in touch with school

Signed……………………………………………………………………………………… Parent / carer

Student’s responsibilities are to work alongside the school in Positive Discipline including:

• Attend school on time every day.

• Wear full correct school uniform every day

• Come to school properly equipped to learn with school bag, pens, pencils and all necessary

equipment for the day including PE kit

• Always listen, take part and work hard in lessons and with homework

• Use the Student Planner properly

• Cooperate with and respect others, their right to learn and their property

• Follow the student code of conduct and classroom expectations

• Read, understand and adhere to the Student Acceptable IT Use Policy

• Be safe, never leave school without permission

• Follow all reasonable requests made by members of staff and seek help when needed

Signed……………………………………………………………………………………………….

Student

Relationships Policy – Appendix (iii) Covid-19 guidance and processes

Context

The Chaucer School relationship policy embodies our culture and ethos developed through a

Trauma Informed and ACE aware approach where relationships are at the centre of all

interactions. This approach encapsulates and supports the wider school community and includes

all young people, all staff, parent(s)/carers and any external agencies who work collaboratively

with Chaucer School in addition the school works proactively with organisations such as Think for

the Future and Unravel to best support the young people in our care. This ethos and approach

must continue to be the premise of how we operate as a school during the full reopening of

school following the period of lockdown.

At the time students return to school in September a significant proportion of them will not have

entered the school grounds for almost 6 months. During this time students will have experience

some key losses (partially taken from Barry Carpenter);

1. Loss of routine – the loss of daily routine, support and structure, of coping mechanisms and

even loss of sleep may have had a profound effect on our students. They may appear

quieter, troubled or easily alarmed. This may lead to panic attacks and even self-harm,

physically or digitally.

2. Loss of structure – Children can find it alarming that the infrastructure of their week has

been abandoned however logical the reason. The suddenness of it all may have

induced panic attacks or a loss of self-control.

3. Loss of friendship – The loss of friendship and social interaction could have triggered a

bereavement response in children. They may have grieved for that group of peers who

affirmed them of the person they want to be.

4. Loss of opportunity – Students may have a perception that the time lost from education will

significantly impact their future lives and think ‘what’s the point?!’ as they are ‘so far

behind’.

5. Loss of Freedom – There will be many of our students who are young carers, and this loss of

freedom will be combined with a weight of responsibility that will have made academic

learning feel inconsequential.

6. Loss of opportunities for achievement and growth.

Throughout the school day, there are infinite possibilities to access opportunities for

achievement and growth whether that be academically, socially or emotionally. The

limited access to these kinds of opportunities whether through restrictive activities or limited

environmental factors (being stuck at home) during lockdown, will have had an impact on

students’ self-esteem.

7. Loss of previously learnt information

Students may not remember information they have previously learnt. Rather than feeling

their learning has been suspended during lockdown, they are likely to feel they have gone

backwards, especially during the early weeks of readjustment. Bear this in mind and avoid

using terms like ‘Come on, we’ve done this before’.

With this at the fore front of our minds it would be naïve to expect all students to return to

academic study and ‘normal’ school routines without presenting significant challenge. Many

children will return to school disengaged. School may seem irrelevant after a long period of

isolation. How we respond to this is key to reengaging students in their education rather than

causing them further isolation and disengagement.

Our Recovery Curriculum is built on the 5 Levers, as a systematic, relationships-based approach.

Lever 1: Relationships - we can’t expect all our students to return joyfully, and many of the

relationships that were thriving, may need to be invested in and re-established. We need to

plan for this to happen, not assume that it will. Reach out to greet them, use the

relationships we build to cushion the discomfort of returning. Please see EMR method used

already in school.

Lever 2: Community - we must recognise that curriculum will have been based in the

community for a long period of time. We need to listen to what has happened in this time,

understand the needs of our community and engage them in the transitioning of learning

back into school.

Lever 3: Transparent Curriculum - all of our students will feel like they have lost time in

learning and we must show them how we are addressing these gaps, consulting and co-

constructing with our students to heal this sense of loss.

Lever 4: Metacognition - in different environments, students will have been learning in

different ways. It is vital that we make the skills for learning in a school environment explicit

to our students to reskill and rebuild their confidence as learners. Some students need to

learn how to learn again.

Lever 5: Space - to be, to rediscover self, and to find their voice on learning in this issue. It is

only natural that we all work at an incredible pace to make sure this group of learners are

not disadvantaged against their peers, providing opportunity and exploration alongside

the intensity of our expectations.

In Class Behaviour Processes

Due to the constraints created by Covid 19 guidance it will not be possible to operate the

behaviour systems in the same was as we did prior to lockdown. Teachers are currently not

permitted to come with 2 metres of children (all sat at desk facing the front of the classroom? And

interact with them as we normally would. This means that student planners cannot be used as a

tool within the ‘Behaviour for Success’ (BfS) system.

Existing classroom behaviour strategies should continue to be used such as

▪ Remaining calm and non-confrontational at all times

▪ Seating plans to maximize student engagement and participation whilst allowing you to

support the most vulnerable in lesson.

▪ Ensuring you implement the strategies in student passports and one-page profiles.

▪ Using regular appropriate praise to reward desired learning behaviours, be careful that this

matches specific student needs.

▪ Encouraging student to be reflective of the own behaviour for learning and discuss how

their behaviour is affecting others.

▪ 30 second intervention (see below)

▪ The longer each negotiation around behaviour takes, the less time you can give to

the majority of well-behaved student in class.

▪ Attempt to limit your formal one-to-one interventions for poor behaviour in class to 30

seconds each time.

▪ Get in, deliver the message, ‘anchor’ their behaviour with an example of the

student’s previous good behaviour and get out.

▪ This will require carefully scripted language, consistency in approach within all

classrooms will be the key to it being effective.

▪ The moment you deliver a sanction is the moment that

confrontation/complaint/protest will emerge. Counter this defensive response in your

30 second intervention by immediately reminding the student of a previous example

good behaviour.

▪ Then use ‘Thank you for listening’ as an excuse to move away and leave the student

to their choice.

▪ Walk away. Don’t ‘loom’ over the student waiting for them to decide what to do.

▪ Don’t turn back, even if provoked, tactical ignoring will need to be used, the student

will need time to make a choice, get beck to teaching the rest of the group.

▪ If you rush back in to confront the secondary behaviours you pass over control to

the child. You have lost control. A full-blown confrontation is the ultimate reward for

the learner who likes to provoke. Remain calm and insistent.

If the classroom strategies have not been successful in remedying student behaviour then as an

alternative to negative planner comments classroom-based staff will be required to record on the

class whiteboard when students have reached stage 1 and 2 of the process. Support for success

(Support for Success) should then be called when students reach stage 3. Support for Success will

endeavour to support the student in making better decisions around their conduct and may

decide to remove the student for a period of time to allow students to ‘Reset’ and then be

returned to the learning environment when deemed appropriate. Classroom based staff will also

be given the autonomy to request Support for Success to their teaching space at any point within

the behaviour system continuum to help students.

‘Reset, Rebuild and Reengage’.

In summary

Stage 1 – Student name placed on whiteboard

Stage 2 – further note on the board to indicate student has reached stage 2

Stage 3 – Support for Success called via email/Bromcom

Stage 4+ – SFS team will decide the most appropriate response to student behaviours.

If it is decided that students have exhausted all the support mechanisms that school has in place

and are unable to continue successfully inside school, we will be left with no alternative other than

to exclude the young person in question. In this case parents will be contacted and asked to

come and collect their child and take them home to allow them the opportunity to ‘Reset,

Rebuild and Reengage’. It will be necessary for a parental to take place before the student returns

into school.

Breaches of Covid-19 regulations.

Schools are required to strictly adhere to the guidance for safe reopening of schools provided by

central government. These guidelines include (not exhaustive)

• Creation of separate year bubbles.

• Creation of designated movement and transition routes for specific bubbles.

• Designated social spaces for bubbles.

• Social distancing guidance for teachers/students within the school setting (classrooms and

social spaces)

• Regular handwashing and sanitising of areas.

The health, safety and well-being of our community is paramount. Students who do not abide by

these guidance rules seriously compromise the health, safety and well-being of others. Refusal to

follow or intentional/deliberate violation of these rules will not be tolerated and will be dealt with

swiftly. Sanctions will include fixed term exclusion for a period of between 1 and 15 days. Serious

and/or repeated violations of these guidelines may result in a student being permanently

excluded.

As a school we work hard to keep young people in school and exclusion is not a decision we ever

take lightly however we recognise that there will be occasions when the behaviours and choices

that a young person makes leaves us with no alternative but to exclude them from school.

Escalation processes

The refinements to processes within behaviour for success, specifically the restrictions in using the

school planner, will mean that monitoring of individual behaviours at all levels will become vital. A

behaviour report is received by all staff from Bromcom at the end of the school day. It is the

responsibility of all staff to check this communication daily.

Form tutors – Checking behaviours around students within their own form groups and determining

whether any further action is required. Actions will include (in no particular order;

• Having a 1:1 conversation with students in their form groups the following day to discuss the

impact these behaviours will be having on others.

• phone calls home to share concerns around their child’s behaviour at school on that

day/over several days.

• Placing students on PAGO report where appropriate and necessary.

• Liaising with class teachers and subject leaders around behaviours of students or groups of

students from within their form group and determining the next steps.

• Arrange parental meetings as necessary.

Subjects Leaders – Checking the behaviour report for behaviour hotspots and patterns of

negative behaviours within specific subject areas or faculties and determining what action is

required. These will include (in no particular order;

• Liaising with class teachers to gain an understanding of the issues and recommending

specific actions those teachers need to implement

o Change to seating plans

o Development of pedagogy

o Placing student on subject report

o Phone calls home to parents/carers

o Arrange parental meetings as necessary.

• Liaising with form tutors around behaviours of students or groups of students from within that

form group and determining the next steps.

• Alerting Year leaders to continued instances of negative behaviours over 3 or more lessons

when all other responses have been implemented but have had no effect on behaviour.

Year Leaders – Required to check the behaviour log daily to analyse behaviour patterns and

identify students whose behaviour causes concern across three or more subject areas. Actions will

then be required to support these students in making better decisions. This will include (in no

particular order);

• Liaising with form tutors to ensure students are placed on subject report, form tutor report or

year leader report depending on where students are within the escalation process.

• Liaising with class teachers and subject leaders around behaviours of students or groups of

students determining the next steps.

• phone calls home to share concerns around their child’s behaviour at school on that

day/over several days.

• Arrange parental meetings as necessary.

• Alerting SLT to concerns around specific students when alternative actions and

• responses have been implemented but no impact has been made.