Behaviour Policy

1.0 Policy Statement

1.1 The core aim of this policy and supplementary local protocols is to set out the expectations for all stakeholders in creating an environment in which behaviour is good, and pupils can learn and feel safe. Beckfoot Trust recognises that good behaviour is central to a good education. Our overarching aim is for all our schools to have a kind and consistent approach to managing behaviour that is appropriate to phase and stage. It is kind to be consistent; however, consistency must always be delivered with kindness.

1.2 As a Trust, we understand that well-managed schools create cultures where pupils and staff flourish in safety and dignity. Crafting schools with strong behaviour cultures supports our Trust mission of ‘Creating remarkable schools where no child left behind’. All members of our school community will demonstrate unconditional positive regard, valuing and respecting each other. Ultimately, our schools will be places where teachers can teach, and pupils can learn.

1.3 Our Trust values permeate through all that we do and explain how all members of the Beckfoot Trust community behave: 

• We enjoy belonging to Beckfoot Trust.
• We are all here to learn.
• We are determined to succeed.

Each school has transparent rules that fall within the parameters of what we deem to be clear and fair and phase appropriate as a trust.

1.4 All of our schools have a behaviour curriculum where children are taught how to behave well and appropriately within the context they are in, so that everyone can be successful. There is a strong focus on developing self-regulation.

1.5 This policy and each school’s complementary local behaviour protocol will explain:

• Beckfoot’s Trust commitment to good behaviour
• Why good behaviour is important
• What we class as misbehaviour and serious behaviour in our Schools
• What we expect from pupils, staff, and parents
• Who does what in our Trust and in our Schools
• What our systems for behaviour are including rules, routines, recognition, and consequences
• How we collect and use behaviour data
• How behaviour is taught in our Schools
• How we support all pupils with their behaviour including SEND which we refer to as our ‘universal offer’ and ‘universal offer plus’
• How we support staff to manage behaviour effectively
• How we deal with child-on-child abuse
• Banned items and mobile phones

2.0 Scope and Purpose

2.1 The purpose of this policy is to establish clear guidelines for securing good behaviour in our schools. It outlines what constitutes good behaviour, misbehaviour and serious behaviour and explains clear expectations for all members of our school community: staff, pupils and parents or carers.

2.2 Legislation and Guidance

This policy is based on the Department for Education (DfE’s) advice on Behaviour in Schools

The guidance is based on the following pieces of legislation, which set out the legal powers and duties that govern school behaviour, including sanctions, prohibited items, and use of reasonable force:

• The Equality Act 2010 
• Section 91(3) of the Education and Inspections Act 2006 (Lawful sanctions) 
• Section 93, Education and Inspections Act 2006 (Use of Reasonable Force) 
• Section 550ZB(5) of the Education Act 1996 (Prohibited items) 

2.3 This policy should be read in conjunction with the following Trust policies:

• Anti-Bullying
• Attendance (as self-regulation is supported by excellent attendance) 
• Care and Control 
• Child protection and safeguarding
• Code of Conduct 
• Equality and Diversity
• Exclusions and Suspensions 
• Health and Safety
• Medical Needs
• Online Safety and IT Use
• SEND

3.0 Overarching Principles

3.1 Beckfoot Trust’s commitment to good behaviour is demonstrated in this diagram:

1. Consistently applied policy and local protocol including proportionate consequences, understood by all members of the school community
2. High Expectations (positively framed) of all pupils in and around the school and high support so that all can meet the high expectations 
3. Visible school leaders who listen: Leadersmaintain calm, orderly schools by modelling expected behaviours, listening and providing support to staff, families and pupils
4. Pupil and Family Induction and Reinduction to the behaviour policy and protocol so that all members of the school community are clear on the rules, routines, rewards and consequences
5. Explicit teaching and promotion of self-regulation strategies to promote calm and inclusive classrooms
6. Respect and understanding for families to work in partnership to secure the highest standards of behaviour
7. Consistent, fair, and predictable staff so that pupils can build trust and understand the high expectations of the school and have certainty about recognition and consequence

4.0 The Importance of Good Behaviour

4.1 Establishing and maintaining good behaviour is not only vital in ensuring that teachers can deliver the curriculum but also plays a critical role in ensuring that the school is a safe environment for all pupils. Learning about self-regulation techniques is a life-long skill and supports pupils as they grow into adulthood to lead successful, happy lives.

4.2 What we class as low-level disruptions and serious behaviours in our schools

Examples of low-level disruption include (but are not limited to)

• Being off task in lessons e.g. non-completion of work, talking when the teacher is talking, not focussing on work, not trying your best, distracting others, talking to another child across the room etc
• Behaviour in corridors that is not conducive with a place of learning and can make others feel unsafe, either during lessons or and/or at break times 
• Not following health and safety protocols e.g. repeated swinging on chairs, repeatedly moving around classroom without reason etc
• Rudeness and a poor attitude to learning
• Answering back to staff when given a simple instruction 
• Persistently wearing incorrect uniform despite support to meet expectation 

More serious behaviours include (but not limited to)

• Repeated breaches of the school rules
• Refusal to follow instruction from an adult after a reasonable amount of take-up time
• Walking away from a staff member or leaving a classroom without permission
• Any form of bullying (see anti-bullying policy)
• Online abuse or bullying
• Verbal abuse such as swearing or threatening adults or pupils
• Physical abuse such as shoving, barging, hitting, kicking and punching
• Assault
• Sexual harassment, abuse or unwanted sexual behaviour that causes humiliation, pain, fear, intimidation 
• Racist, sexist, homophobic or discriminatory behaviour
• Damaging property
• Theft
• Smoking or vaping within the school grounds
• Internal truancy (see 4.3)
• Demonstrably malicious allegations against staff (see 4.4)
• Possession or use of prohibited/ banned items (see 9.0)
• Bringing the school or community into disrepute through behaviours in the community 

4.3 Internal Truancy

Internal truancy occurs when a student is inside the school grounds but not in the correct lesson or location according to their timetable. This behaviour poses a risk to good order, safeguarding and reduces staff and students’ feeling of safety. Please see each school’s local protocol for information on how families will be informed if their child is truanting in the school building.

4.4 Malicious Allegations Against Staff

We recognise that a false allegation is often made in a context and may be because of underlying child protection matters. However, demonstrably proven malicious allegations against staff will be taken very seriously.

5.0 Responsibilities and Arrangements

5.1 The Trust Board is responsible for:

• Recognising the importance of good behaviour and promoting it across each school’s ethos and policies
• Ensuring school leaders fulfil expectations and statutory duties
• Regularly reviewing behaviour data, discussing, and challenging trends, and helping school leaders focus improvement efforts on the individual pupils or cohorts who need it most
• Ensuring school staff receive adequate training on behaviour
• Sharing effective practice on behaviour management and improvement across Trust schools
• Sitting on Pupil Disciplinary Committees

Local School Committees are responsible for:

• Scrutinising all standards through challenging data and reports, including behaviour 
• Considering the local protocol through the lens of the local community
• Visiting the school when it is open 
• Challenging and supporting leaders when informed of school strategies to improve behaviour
• Gaining pupil and staff views on wellbeing
• Sitting on Pupil Disciplinary Committees as delegated by the Trust Board 

5.2 The Role of School Leaders

Please see local behaviour protocols for more detail about who does what in each of our schools. In all our schools, leaders are responsible for:

• Creating, establishing, and maintaining a positive behaviour culture
• Being highly visible to pupils, staff, and families throughout the school day
• Leading and championing good behaviour across the school 
• Establishing and maintaining effective systems for tackling low level disruption and serious behaviours
• Quality assuring the implementation of the behaviour policy, protocols, and routines
• Having a strong grasp of behaviour data (including behaviour incidents, removals, attendance, exclusion, suspension, managed moves, offsite directions etc) and oversight of behaviour data analysis
• Regularly collecting views from staff, pupils, families and other stakeholders on their perceptions of behaviour culture and acting on feedback
• Liaising with colleagues, pupils, parents/carers and external agencies where needed to support good or improved behaviour
• Building close and productive relationships with families to discuss and tackle behaviour issues through effective implementation of Partnership Plans (See Local Protocols for more information)
• Creating intervention or reintegration plans in partnership with pupils and their parents/carers
• Directing pastoral staff based on the needs of the school, pupils, and families
• Planning targeted intervention and support to pupils and families including ensuring the correct pupils are on the Behaviour and SEMH Pathway and that support is having impact

5.3 The role of the SENCo and Designated Safeguarding Lead

• Working with pupils and their families to identify and remove barriers to good behaviour
• Coordinating support in and beyond the school for pupils struggling with their behaviour
• Working with colleagues to implement the Behaviour and SEMH Pathway
• Liaising with external agencies where required

5.4 What do we expect from staff?

All staff will:

• Apply the Trust Policy and Local Protocol with kindness and consistency
• Assume the best of children, using positive framing wherever possible to prevent low level disruption
• Have high aspirations for all children and young people and work with families in removing barriers to learning
• Relentlessly strive to ensure all children and families feel that our school is somewhere they are safe, are heard, and belong
• Provide a safe environment and opportunities for children and young people to develop age-appropriate independence, high self-esteem and effective communication skills
• Provide a culture where norms of behaviour are made very clear and children and young people know that expectations of them are high
• Develop learning habits through constant practice and through dedicated time so that children and young people are equipped for learning and life success
• Focus on developing great learners and great people through communicating the value of education and of being a good person
• Listen to the voice of the child and ensure all develop strong moral principles
• Communicate effectively with families about progress and behaviour
• Celebrate and communicate the positives so that all can thrive
• Actively listen and seek to resolve any difficulties that might emerge
• Deal with matters promptly and professionally, putting the interests of the child first when differences emerge
• Work to build trusting relationships, acknowledging where things could have been done better

5.5 What do we expect from pupils?

All pupils will:

• Come to school every day, on time, ready to learn, wearing the correct uniform
• Follow the school rules
• Respect other people and follow adult instruction (first time every time) so that all can be safe belong
• Respect the school building and equipment
• Embrace challenge and be open to new learning, developing a remarkable mindset even when faced with setbacks
• Work hard to develop as a great learner and great person
• Take responsibility for their own actions
• Tell a member of staff immediately if something is not right

5.6 What do we expect from families?

All parents/carers will:

• Work with the school to advantage the child/young person, by supporting the school behaviour policy and protocol, including attending meetings about behaviour
• Support 100% attendance wherever possible and report any absence promptly in line with the school policy
• Remove barriers or seek support with aspects that may interfere with excellent attendance and behaviour; clean uniform, adequate sleep, healthy diet and exercise
• Have high aspirations for children/young people and provide opportunities to demonstrate a value for education
• Support the values of the school and work with children to develop to be great learners and great people
• Inform school immediately of any issue or change of circumstance that may affect learning or behaviour in school
• Communicate directly with school if a problem arises within school, working in partnership to resolve an issue
• Treat all members of the school community with respect, in person and online, modelling civil behaviour to all children and young people
• Use social media responsibly and positively, not as a platform to air concerns or fuel campaigns against any members of the school community

6.0 Rules, Routines and Social Norms

6.1 Each Beckfoot School will have explicit rules and learning habits to promote strong classroom and school cultures. These will be explicit, memorable, and easy to understand. Please refer to each school’s local protocol and/or school website for: 

• What the rules and/or learning habits are
• How these are introduced, taught, modelled and re-visited throughout an academic year
• What happens if rules are not followed

6.2 Positive school cultures can be formed and maintained by strong routines which helps teachers to teach and learners to learn. Routines can be particularly useful for children and adolescents because the areas of the brain responsible for attention and self-regulation are still developing.  In Beckfoot Trust Schools, routines are designed for parts of the school day that need to happen in the same way each time. For example: lining up, transitions around school, giving out equipment and walking into assembly. These form part of our schools’ ‘social norms’ which explains the way we do things in each school. Please refer to the local protocol to find out more.

7.0 Teaching Behaviour

As well as being taught about rules and routines, each school has a Behaviour Curriculum where children will learn about how to develop skills for life around behaviours. For example, we will teach children how to notice and name their emotions alongside strategies to regulate themselves. Students will also be taught how to get into good learning habits such as managing distractions, being resilient when things become difficult and how to focus on a task. In addition, students will learn how to become self -motivated individuals, how to effectively converse and cooperate with staff and other adults as well as learn how to be an effective team player.

Please refer to each school’s local protocol to find out more about the behaviour curriculum.

7.1 Recognising good behaviour

Acknowledging good behaviour encourages repetition and communicates the school community’s expectations and values to all pupils. Using positive recognition and rewards provides an opportunity for all staff to reinforce the school’s culture and ethos. Positive reinforcements and rewards should be applied clearly and fairly to reinforce the routines, expectations, and norms of the school’s behaviour culture. Examples of rewards may include: 

• verbal praise 
• communicating praise to parents via phone call or written correspondence
• certificates, prize ceremonies or special assemblies
• positions of responsibility, such as prefect status or being entrusted with a particular decision or project
• whole-class or year group rewards, such as a popular activity

Please refer to each school’s local protocol to find out how good behaviour is recognised.

7.2 Responding to Misbehaviour: Consequence Systems and Sanctions

7.2.1 Beckfoot Trust schools will use consequences to maintain the positive culture of the school, restore a calm and safe environment where all pupils can learn and thrive and prevent the recurrence of misbehaviour. De-escalation strategies will be used to prevent further behaviour issues arising and will use scripts to restore calm. Trust schools are expected to respond to misbehaviour predictably, promptly and assertively in accordance with their Local Protocol.

7.2.2 All Trust staff will respond to misbehaviour consistently, fairly, and proportionately so that pupils know with certainty that misbehaviour will always be addressed.

7.2.3 Please see the Local Protocol for detailed information about the consequence system for each school.

7.3 Pupil Support

7.3.1 Our schools will support all pupils to have good behaviour through everyday application of this policy and local protocol. For those pupils who persistently struggle with their behaviour, the Trust Behaviour/SEMH Pathway (see Appendix 1) will be triggered. This will include an assessment of whether appropriate provision is in place to support any SEND that a pupil may have. The Pathway is a menu of support and intervention for staff to use in order to improve behaviour and is bespoke to each pupil. Children in receipt of this support still have the same recognition and consequence systems in place, but with supports and scaffolds to make these successful. Please see each school’s Local Protocol for information about what triggers the Trust Behaviour/SEMH Pathway in each school.

7.3.2 Our ‘Universal Offer’ is what is in place in our schools to enable pupils to behave well. This includes visuals of our rules and routines with reminders of recognition and consequences. Staff are trained in using simple, positive and direct language (positive framing) to support children to behave well.

7.3.3 Our ‘Universal Offer Plus’ is an enhancement to the offer above. Children with SEND or those who may be struggling with their behaviour or emotional wellbeing, may need some extra support or reasonable adjustments to their day. This support is outlined in Phases 1 and 2 of our behaviour and SEMH pathway. This will be bespoke to an individual but may include: additional visuals, social stories, time out cards, support with restorative conversations, additional work on regulation, flexible start/end to lessons.

7.3.4 Where a student is not responding to our ‘Universal Offer Plus’, they will require additional support under Phase 3 of our behaviour and SEMH pathway. This could include the help of an educational psychologist, SCIL team worker from the SEN team, an assessment of additional need, a bespoke placement, a reduced timetable or alternative provision.

7.4 Pupil Transition, Induction and Re-Induction

All our schools will have a behaviour induction at the start of each academic year to clearly explain the rules, routines, rewards, and consequences regarding behaviour to staff, pupils and families. Throughout each cycle, students will be re-inducted to the behaviour systems. Schools will use data to identify when behaviour is starting to slip and implement a behaviour re-set.

Pupils (and their families where appropriate) will have additional transition events between Key Stages and other identified year groups (e.g. Year 7 into Year 8) to provide further support and clarity.

Any child who has been suspended will also have a re-induction to our behaviour systems. Please see the Suspensions and Exclusions Policy for more information.

7.5 Staff Induction, Development and Support

7.5.1 Beckfoot Trust recognises the impact that good behaviour has on improved staff wellbeing, retention, and enjoyment at work. Therefore, we will invest heavily in our staff to support colleagues with behaviour management.

7.5.2 All staff will experience a high-quality induction when they begin their role at a Beckfoot Trust School, including detail on the behaviour policy, local protocol and how to effectively implement this.

7.5.3 Throughout each academic year, training will be provided to staff including the opportunity to practice key strategies that secure good behaviour, including de-escalation techniques. Please see each school’s local protocol for further information on staff training and development.

7.5.4 Continuous Professional Development (CPD) will also be available on demand through our Trust CPD library.

7.5.5 Where a member of staff requires further or bespoke support with behaviour management, this will be provided in line with either the Early Career Framework, line management meetings, professional growth sessions, coaching or other form of training and feedback.

8.0 Child-on-Child Abuse and Bullying

8.1 Child-on-child abuse (children harming other children) is unacceptable and will be taken seriously; it will not be tolerated or passed off as ‘banter’, ‘just having a laugh’, ‘part of growing up’ or ‘boys being boys’. It is more likely that boys will be perpetrators of child-on-child abuse and girls’ victims, but allegations will be dealt with in the same manner, regardless of whether they are made by boys or girls. All children can abuse and may be abused. Please see our Trust Safeguarding and Child Protection Policy for more detailed information.

8.2 Staff in our schools will actively and quickly deal with any incidents of bullying, discrimination, harassment, sexual abuse and derogatory language

8.3 Please additionally see our Trust Anti-Bullying Policy and local protocols for detailed information about how we tackle bullying in our schools.

9.0 Searching, Screening and Confiscation

9.1The following items are prohibited (or banned) from our Trust schools and must not be brought onto site:

• Alcohol and Illegal Drugs
• Knives and Weapons
• Stolen Items
• Tobacco, Cigarette Papers and Vapes
• Pornographic Images
• Fireworks
• Any article that has been, or is likely to be, used to commit and offence, cause personal injury or damage to property
• Each school will have a list of additional banned items, please see the local protocol for more information.

9.2 Staff have the power to conduct a non-intimate search (for example, directing a child to empty their pockets) and to search items such as bags, coats, and lockers with consent from the child themselves. The age, phase and ability of the child should be considered. Parental consent is not required and there is no need to record the child’s consent. The Headteacher (or staff authorised by the Headteacher) have the power to search without consent if they have reason to believe the child has items prohibited by the school in their possession. 

9.3 Wherever possible, searches will always be conducted with two authorised members of staff present, ideally of the same gender with the child present. Where possible, searches that require physical contact will be carried out by a family member or police officer. If time is of the essence and a search involving physical intervention is necessary to maintain good order or the health and safety of individuals, then the search may have to be carries out by an authorised member of school staff. Parents/carers will always be informed if a search is required involving reasonable force.

9.4 The police will always be informed on the discovery of any illegal or dangerous item and efforts will be made to work with the police to determine where the item(s) came from.

9.5 Staff will confiscate and retain a student’s property if it is a banned item (see 9.1) or any item being used to cause harm to self or others, damage to property, or disruption to the maintaining of a purposeful learning environment. For any confiscated item that is not deemed to be dangerous or potentially / known to be illegal (see 9.4), the confiscating staff member is required to make a proportionate and fair decision about what happens next with the item, for example:

• returning the item to the student at the end of that lesson 
• returning the item to the student at the end of that day 
• escalating the issue, including handing over the item, to a year head / phase leader or member of the senior leadership team 
• discussing with the student’s family about how best to return or dispose of the item 

Retention of, damage to or disposal of a student’s personal property should not be used as a sanction and confiscation, including how the confiscation is followed up, should only be used to ensure the maintenance of a safe and purposeful learning environment.

10.0 Mobile Phones

10.1 It is recognised that extensive mobile phone use is detrimental to children’s mental health and wellbeing. However, we understand that many families want their child to have a phone for safety reasons when travelling to and from school. Beckfoot Trust schools have a policy where mobile phones should be switched off, out of sight, and wherever possible locked away. Please see each school’s local protocol for what a child should do with their mobile phone whilst at school. Mobile phone usage in lesson time is not permitted. Children caught using a mobile phone in lesson time will receive consequences in line with this policy and local protocols.

11.0 Use of Reasonable Force

11.1 Reasonable force can be used by staff to prevent students from committing a criminal offence, hurting themselves or others, from damaging property, or from causing disorder. 

11.2 More detailed information about the use of reasonable force can be found in our Trust Care and Control Policy.

12.0 Review of Policy

This policy will be reviewed annually and, as guidance from the Local Authority or DfE is updated. The policy will be approved by the Trust Board.

Please view the PDF to view policy appendices:

• Appendix 1: Possible Menus of Interventions