Behaviour

Behaviour Policy

We believe that every child has the right to learn and that every teacher has the right to teach.

The effective education of our students requires a school environment in which students can feel safe, secure, happy and have maximum opportunity to learn. Westbrook School takes pride in creating and maintaining a school environment which contributes to academic and social growth.

 

We want Westbrook School to be a place where children, parents, and educators work together to create an atmosphere which encourages and promotes learning. Effective discipline comes from the belief that teaching students to take responsibility for their behaviour is as much the job of the school as is teaching literacy and numeracy, and is more important than simply enforcing the rules. In order to accomplish this, it is necessary for every student to know and follow the expectations and policies regarding discipline and supervision.

The Westbrook Way is a set of school-wide values which all staff and students are expected to follow. These values are reinforced by staff at every opportunity, including through units of work, in the daily notices, in the Options Room, and at assemblies and team gatherings.

Students are expected to follow the WESTBROOK WAY by: 

 

To encourage positive behaviour, and help children to be clearly aware of what is acceptable both in and out of the classroom, the school will have:

In The Classroom: Classroom expectations are clearly displayed in each class. This year we have begun our journey to become a PC4L school (positive culture for school). Dojo points are awarded to students based on our Westbrook values. 

Playground

Westbrook School is a 'Restorative Practice' school, rather than a punitive school. Children are expected to follow the WESTBROOK WAY and may be rewarded with praise or a "green slip" by the teacher on duty, or other teachers for observing playground rules, assisting others, etc. Green slips are also based on our values, go into a lucky draw.  Certificates for these are awarded at school assemblies where children have the chance to choose from the prize box if their name is drawn. If a pupil fails to follow the expectations the following progression of consequences may be applied: · Warning and verbal redirection by the duty teacher. A restorative chat may be facilitated by the duty teacher. · The child is sent to the Options Room for a specific time period to reflect on behaviour. The pupil’s name, class and a brief description of the incident is recorded on our student management system (etap).  The teacher on duty in the Options Room may facilitate a restorative chat or allow the child "time-out" to cool down. · The Deputy Principal responsible for the junior/senior school will communicate with parents/caregivers if offences are repeated or are of a serious nature.

Guidelines for Setting up Individual Behaviour Plans

Individual behaviour plans may be established when a student requires additional support to meet their individual needs or manage their behaviour. Parents will be informed and engaged in this process. Individual behaviour plans will be documented to make clear the behavioural issues that are being addressed, the desired outcomes, strategies to be used and the effectiveness of the strategies and the personnel and/or agencies involved.

Stand Downs and Suspensions

Every effort will be made to support and help pupils follow the Westbrook Way. In cases of either constant or continuous misbehaviour or of serious misbehaviour (violence , abusing a teacher or placing other students in danger), the pupil may be stood down or suspended, in accordance with the guidelines as set out by the Ministry of Education. The school cannot teach this personal responsibility alone. Parents and caregivers also have an essential role to play in assisting the school to maintain high standards of behaviour. They have a duty to take responsibility for the behaviour of their child. A shared understanding of what constitutes an acceptable standard of behaviour is essential to the success of any partnership. Good communication links are also essential and parental support in our efforts will result in the best possible learning environment for all pupils. This will show children that the home and school work cooperatively.