School Ethos & Values

All adults who work within our learning community understand the importance of demonstrating and teaching the behaviours we are striving for and recognise that children will learn from our own actions. All adults at Hunslet Moor Primary School are committed to four core principles in their own behaviour:

• Adults role-model positive and respectful behaviour at all times, both in their interactions with other adults and children; ensuring that the dignity of others is always maintained.
• Adults show a firm commitment to developing a community founded on mutual respect. This is led through the modelling of their own interactions and in their teaching and learning.
• Adults understand, embed and actively promote opportunities for children to understand their rights as outlined in the UN ‘Convention on the Rights of a Child’ (see appendices).
• Adults have a duty to act quickly and appropriately whenever they witness behaviour that does not follow our expectations as a school.

At Hunslet Moor Primary School we capture our positive relationship and behaviour ethos in our commitment to develop DREAMS:

Developing a culture where children believe in themselves and have ambition to achieve will undoubtedly result in greater engagement and a desire to learn; enabling our children to make strong progress. Our commitment to developing children’s DREAMS enables us to work together as a community to create and maintain an environment in which all of us can thrive intellectually, emotionally, spiritually, culturally and physically.

We make clear our expectations of positive behaviour and discourage unsociable behaviour by promoting mutual respect. We encourage children to take responsibility for their own actions and behaviour and importantly we praise good behaviour and effort. We encourage children to discuss, reflect and consider the consequences of their actions.

It is important that expectations for positive learning behaviour and mutual respect are clear for all pupils. This shared understanding is developed through visual reminders in the form of collaborative class charters and re-enforced through all adults sharing their expectations and reminding pupils of these where necessary. Daily ‘check-ins’ enable adults to model discussions that are explicitly linked to developing positive relationships and learning behaviour, these ‘check-ins’ ensure that every pupil voice is valued and pupils learn to express their own views whilst listening to and showing respect for each other.

As a school we recognise the essential role that exciting, inspiring and relevant learning activities play in engaging our pupils and helping to ensure that positive learning behaviour choices are made. We recognise the importance of planning and delivering learning experiences that actively engage and cater for all pupils, which have a pace and provide opportunities for all pupils to progress

All adults have a responsibility to ensure that any groups or individual pupils moving around our school do so in a safe, calm and respectful manner. We recognise the important role adults play in modelling and teaching this behaviour; using regular stopping points; the use of quiet voices; showing respect for other pupils, staff or visitors and deploying additional adults to support this.

• Instant verbal praise or written comment on work where appropriate
• Positive acknowledgements of DREAMS points for achievement, effort, attitude and all other positive aspects of DREAMS behaviour. 
• Weekly celebration assemblies and Star of the Week trophies recognise those children with outstanding behaviour and link to DREAMS.
• Termly headteacher awards are sent home to praise DREAMS behaviour.
• Conversations with parents and families to praise positive learning behaviour and relationships both in person and via the class dojo platform.
• Displaying children’s work in the classroom to acknowledge their achievements.
• Class targets & agreed rewards half termly.
• Our PSHE lessons and assemblies promote learning and discussion about tolerance and respect for different opinions and ideas and the importance of British Values.

It is an expectation that all adults within our community provide expectations that are consistent and promote inclusive and tolerant approaches to relationships with others and positive approaches to learning inside and outside the classroom.

• Each class has a responsibility to work together to develop its own class behaviour charter that embeds the principles of DREAMS and Rights Respecting.
• It is the responsibility of adults to ensure that the consequences of choosing not to follow these expectations are shared and understood.
• It is the responsibility of adults to ensure that they apply these consequences consistently and fairly, communicating clearly and calmly with children and using their judgement in situations where a different approach may be required.

Approved by the Governing Body: August 2022

Introduction:

This is a statement of principles, not practice, of our expectations about how all members of our school community treat each other.

The practical applications of these principles are the responsibility of the Headteacher.

The Governors at Hunslet Moor Primary School, believe that high standards of behaviour lie at the heart of a successful school and enable children to make the best possible progress in all aspects of their school life. Such expectations are also linked to the staff code of conduct.

At Hunslet Moor Primary School, we value everyone as an individual, capable of growth, change and development. Our relationships are underpinned by the principles of justice, equity, mutual respect, fairness and consistency. We have high expectations that support the development of our pupils as effective and responsible citizens.

The purpose of this statement is to guide the Headteacher in drawing up the Behaviour Policy by stating the principles the Governors expect to follow.  The Headteacher have a duty to publish the statement on the school website.

The Headteacher will develop the Behaviour Policy with reference to the DfE guidance document Behaviour and Discipline in Schools – Advice for Headteachers and School Staff, July 2022. https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/1089687/Behaviour_in_Schools_guidance_July_2022.pdf

Principles:

• All children, staff and visitors have the right to feel safe at all times at school and procedures should consider the requirements of the Education Act 2002 and the most recent iterations of Keeping Children Safe in Education in relation to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children.
• We aim to manage behaviour well so that we can provide a calm, safe and supportive environment, which children want to attend and where they can learn and flourish. Learning how to behave appropriately within different contexts is essential to improve the learning and personal development of all our students.
• Hunslet Moor Primary School is an inclusive school. Bullying or harassment of any description is unacceptable. All members of the school community should be free from discrimination of any sort. Measures to protect children should be set out in the school’s Behaviour and Equality policies, reflecting the duties of the Equality Act 2010.
• The Governors believe children should be at the heart of the development of school rules and these should be regularly reviewed with the involvement of the School Council and in consultation with staff and parents.
• High standards of behaviour are expected. The school rules should be clearly set out in the Behaviour Policy and displayed around school. Governors expect these rules to be consistently modelled and applied by all staff.
• Governors would like to see a wide range of rewards, consistently and fairly applied in such a way as to encourage, and reward good behaviour around the school.
• Sanctions for unacceptable/poor behaviour should be known and understood by all staff and pupils, consistently applied and regularly monitored to ensure effective impact.
• We recognise that the use of rewards and sanctions must have regard to the individual situation and the individual student and staff are expected to use discretion in their use. Sanctions should however be applied fairly, consistently, proportionally and reasonably, taking into account special educational needs, disabilities and the needs of vulnerable children. Support and assessment from external agencies should be available support as necessary for pupils who display continued disruptive behaviour.
• We believe children should be given opportunities and openly encouraged to support each other in the process of positive reinforcement and personal growth, learning and recognising good behaviour.
• We expect pupils and parents to cooperate to maintain an orderly climate for learning.
• The Governors strongly feel that exclusions, particularly those that are permanent, must only be used as the very last resort.
• The Governors wish to emphasise that violence, threatening behaviour or abuse by pupils or parents towards the school’s staff will not be tolerated. If a parent does not conduct himself/herself properly, the school may ban them from the school premises and, if the parent continues to cause disturbance, he or she may be liable to prosecution.
• The Governors expect the Headteacher to include guidance and clarification for staff on their powers to search (for banned items), to use of reasonable force (make physical contact with children), and to discipline pupils for misbehaviour outside school (including notifying the police) witnessed by a member of staff or reported to school when:

o   Taking part in school organised or related activity

o   Travelling to or from school

o   Wearing school uniform or in some other way identifiable as a pupil