Learning and Behaviour Policy
Rationale
Artemis Studios Performing Arts School is committed to creating learning environments where exemplary behaviour is at the heart of productivity. Everyone is expected to maintain the highest standards of personal conduct, to accept responsibility for their behaviour and encourage others to do the same. Our behaviour policy echoes our core values with a heavy emphasis on respectful behaviour, a partnership approach to managing poor conduct and dynamic interventions that support staff and learners.
Aims
To create a culture of exceptionally good behaviour: for learning, for community for life
To ensure that all learners are treated fairly, and to promote good relationships
To refuse to give learners attention and importance for poor conduct
To help learners take control over their behaviour and be responsible for the
consequences of it
To build a community which values kindness, care, good humour, good temper, obedience and empathy for others
To promote community cohesion through improved relationships
To ensure that excellent behaviour is a minimum expectation for all
This policy applies to students at all times while they can be considered to be under the school’s care. Aside from the normal school day, this may be when the student is:
• Taking part in any school-organised or school-related activity;
• Travelling to or from school;
• Wearing school uniform;
• In some other way identifiable as a student at the school.
Purpose of the policy
To provide a simple practical guide for staff and learners that:
• Recognise behavioural norms
• Positively reinforces behavioural norms
• Promote self esteem and self discipline
• Teach appropriate behaviour through positive interventions
Links to other policies
Safeguarding /child protection policy
The Learning Environment
Our school expectations
1. Follow instructions first time
2. Engage positively in learning
3. Respect each other and our surroundings
4. Move around the site calmly
5. Be in full uniform/appropriate attire for your class at all times
6. Respect the property of others
7. Arrive prepared for the session
At the centre of positive behaviour is an appropriately structured and dynamic curriculum which engages, stretches and challenges all students. A key contributing factor to this is the quality of classroom management and teaching. Therefore, the following are essential expectations of every lesson.
Teachers will:
• Be present in the classroom at the beginning of every lesson to welcome students
into the room
• Offer genuine, positive, prosocial comments throughout the lesson
• Plan well-structured lessons which stimulate learning and engage students
• Take account of students’ varying abilities and needs and plan leaning activities which
stretch and challenge them
• Monitor students’ work, providing verbal feedback to help them make
further progress
• Behave in a manner that builds a positive climate for learning
• Report all concerns on the schools CPOMS system and work with a dedicated DSL.
Students will:
• Arrive punctually to school and to lessons
• Be equipped and ready to learn
• Make positive verbal contributions to lessons
• Comment positively on the actions of their peers
• Listen carefully to all teacher instructions
• Take pride in their appearance (by adhering to the school uniform policy), their conduct
and what they say
• Treat their peers, staff and school property with respect
• Strive to always demonstrate the school core values of Aspiration, Determination and
Integrity
Parents will:
Inform the school of any changes in circumstances that may affect their child’s behaviour, discuss any behavioural concerns
Follow the parents code of conduct and be respectful to staff, students and other parents.
Student Support Strategies
Where internal support is not enabling students to make progress and positive behaviour choices, the school, in discussion with the student and parent(s), may seek support from external agencies. These referrals are varied but may include:
MASH
Education welfare
The child’s GP (working with parents to expedite a CAMHS referral)
The police
Other third sector support such as BEATS/NSPCC
Restorative work
Restorative conversations should be employed to facilitate positive working relationships between the member of staff and the student concerned. This brief meeting should take no longer than 5 to 10 minutes and must occur prior to the following lesson.
Bullying, Sexual Harassment, Racism and Homophobia
Artemis Studios Performing Arts School have a zero-tolerance towards any Bullying, Sexual Harassment, Racism or Homophobia.
Any incidences of Bullying, Sexual Harassment, Racism or Homophobia are to be reported on by the member of staff. Potentially, bullying may also be reported on CPOMS (for safeguarding).
Bullying is defined as the repetitive, intentional harming of one person or group by another person or group, where the relationship involves an imbalance of power.
Bullying is therefore:
• Deliberately hurtful
• Repeated, often over a period of time
• Difficult to defend against
Details of the school’s approach to preventing and addressing bullying are set out in our Anti- Bullying Policy.
The following actions are not acceptable and will not be tolerated by the school:
• Taking pictures or videoing any student, staff member or visitor to the school without their permission
• Distributing/posting images of any student, staff member or visitor on social media without their permission
• Sending or posting unpleasant or abusive messages
We believe that behavioural issues that stem from the use of social media can only be effectively addressed in partnership with parents. In the event of any issues on social media (Facebook, Snapchat, Instagram and others), we expect parents to have addressed the following:
1. The source of any abusive messages should be blocked
2. The source of any abusive messages should be reported, using the platform’s own
reporting mechanisms
3. Privacy settings should be configured to trusted sources only
4. If your child is under 13, they should not be using the platforms; parents should remove
their access
5. Particularly abusive content should be reported to the police on 101
6. Any message sent during anti-social hours (e.g. 3:00am) should lead to the parent/carer
of the sender taking measures to prevent nocturnal access
7. If the above steps have been taken, then the school should be informed, with printouts
provided
8. If a child has been victimised through an abusive clip on YouTube, the police should be informed immediately, once the abuse has been reported to the platform via YouTube’s reporting mechanisms. If the person posting is a class mate at Artemis, we should also be informed.
9. The parent/carers of children sending or receiving compromising, intimate images will be informed as soon as we become aware.
5. Where a student persistently fails to make the right choices and/or displays difficult or dangerous behaviour, they may be withdrawn from lessons for a period of time. This will be decided by the relevant HOY and/or SLT (see section on isolation)
Bullying & abuse (verbal, physical, sexual, homophobic or racist), theft and bringing the school into disrepute through anti-social behaviour are always serious offences and may lead to severe sanctions.
Further strategies to support the Behaviour for Learning Policy Behaviour systems
In Class;
Verbal Warning by class teacher
Restorative conversation
Parents contacted by telephone or email by subject teacher
Possible temporary or permanent removal for one or more sessions.
Outside of Class
Verbal Warning by member of staff
Restorative conversation by member of staff.
Parents contacted by telephone or email
Written warning
Referrals to internal and/or external Student Support strategies
Possible temporary or permanent removal for one or more sessions.
Below are a number of further strategies the school may use to support behaviour for learning:
Behaviour contracts
External agency referrals
Fixed Term Exclusions
Special consideration
If a parent /carer feels that their child should be exempt from this policy due to special educational needs, a medical need or disability, they should write to the Headteacher detailing their reasons for consideration. All cases will be reviewed on an individual basis
Isolation, Suspension and Permanent exclusion
Isolation from lessons
Isolation from lessons is reserved for serious or persistent offences or where we have safeguarding concerns for the child themselves.
Mediation to take place through the appropriate member of staff and with other parties.
Notice will be given where possible, but as a private supplier/charity, we reserve the right to withdraw any child or young person who is at risk or a risk to others.
A DSL will be included in the decision making process for any planned exclusion of any length.
Permanent Exclusion.
A decision to exclude a student permanently will be taken only:
2. In response to serious and/or persistent breaches of the school’s behaviour
policy;
3. If allowing the student to remain in school would seriously harm the education or welfare of the student or others in the school.
A decision to exclude a child permanently is a serious and very rare one and will be taken when the basic facts have been established on the balance of probabilities. It is the final step in a process for dealing with disciplinary offences following other strategies which have been tried without success. It is an acknowledgement that school has exhausted all available strategies.
The reasons below are examples of the types of circumstances that may warrant a suspension or permanent exclusion. The list is not exhaustive and is intended to offer examples rather than be complete or definitive.
Physical assault against a student
Physical assault against an adult
Parents bullying, harassing or otherwise engaging in negative behaviours
Verbal abuse or threatening behaviour against a student or adult
Use, or threat of use, of an offensive weapon or prohibited item
Bullying
Racist abuse
Abuse relating to sexual orientation or gender reassignment Abuse relating disability
Child being forced to take a class by a parent and it is damaging to the child mentally or physically.
This policy will be reviewed in September 2024.