Blackhorse is proud of the outstanding behaviour demonstrated by the children in and around our school. We work hard to ensure that children learn how to be caring, friendly and respectful towards each other. 

Our school values of Respect, Pride, Bravery and Success provide the core of our school behaviour code and children are expected to demonstrate these values at all times.

To find out more about how we ensure good behaviour at Blackhorse, click on the 'Positive Relationships Policy' below: 

Positive Relationships Policy

At Blackhorse we believe that positive behaviour should be the outcomes of positive, consistent and defined relationships between staff and pupils.

Principles:

1. We, as the adults, always model calm, controlled and caring behaviour.
2. Our attention as adults is focused first on those children who are behaving well.
3. We don’t reward the minimum standard (beyond a simple thank you) - we look to highlight children going ‘above and beyond’ and give them the formal recognition.
4. We define as a school what we will all consistently do: recognition, expectations, and routines.
5. We make our expectations explicit through clear routines.
6. We have 3 simple rules which are referred to in every discussion about conduct.

Our three rules are that every child be:

1. Ready
2. Respectful
3. Safe

All conversations with children about conduct will refer back to these 3 rules.

Modelling positive behaviours as adults. As adults we will all:

1. Show the children that we have regard for them as individuals and we will welcome them at our classroom doors every morning with a smile and handshake.
2. Teach children what good conduct looks like by setting clear routines and expectations.  
3. Recognise good conduct publicly and correct inappropriate conduct privately.
4. Respond consistently with the same recognition, language and sanctions.
5. Remain calm and assertive when managing inappropriate behaviours.

Recognising positive behaviour:

1. A simple ‘thank you’: All staff should look to thank children for positive conduct whenever possible as this highlights to all children the positive conduct which we are looking for.
2. Recognition boards: These should be used to highlight children who are going ‘above and beyond’ in modelling a particular conduct e.g. active participation etc. children demonstrating behaviours which we expect of all children should not be recognised on the recognition board as this is the minimum expectation – a ‘thank you’ will suffice.
3. Recognition cards: When a child’s conduct has been exceptional – a role-model for all – a card with a message home celebrates this effort. Again, these should not be given out for conduct which we expect of all children.
4. Phone call or card in the post: A powerful form of recognition used to share success with parents.
5. Champions’ Café: A way to recognise ‘above and beyond’ conduct of an individual all week.
6. Champion of the week: Nominating a child who consistently goes ‘above and beyond’ to model our values, rules and expectations.

Routines:

So that every child knows exactly the expectation for common activities, staff will:

1. Teach the children a 3 step routine for all common activities e.g. lining up, getting ready to learn, walking to the hall etc.
2. Insist that this routine is followed by every child, every time, defending the high standard so that it becomes a habit.

Managing inappropriate conduct:

• All staff should consistently follow the same steps when managing inappropriate conduct.
• Adults will be calm yet assertive when managing inappropriate conduct, considering body language and the words used carefully.
• Children with specific needs (which impact on their conduct) will require separate, personalised steps which have been agreed with the SENCO.
• Conversations correcting inappropriate conduct should be done as privately as possible.

Cycle of sanctions during learning time (See Apprendix 1 for detail):

1. Reminder (one given)
   1. Praise another child following the rule first.
   2. Link conduct back to school rules.
   3. Reminds child of when they demonstrated successful conduct.
   4. Doesn’t require a long discussion.
2. Warning (one given):
   1. Name…
   2. Explain rule broken ‘by doing X you are not being Ready/ Respectful/ Safe’.
   3. ‘I will note your name and we will discuss this at the end of the lesson.’
   4. Presuppose success ‘Thank you for now doing this’.
   5. Discuss with child what happened and how it could be avoided in future for 2 minutes at the end of the lesson.
3. Time out (length flexible):
   1. Inform the child that they have chosen to keep breaking a school rule and that this has a consequence.
   2. Child sent to a partner class (with work) for the remainder of the lesson.
   3. Conversation at the next break discussing what happened and how it could be avoided next time
4. Sent to HT/ SLT Office for Time out/ behaviour discussion IF:
   1. Direct instructions are being refused (skip all previous steps).
   2. Further rules being broken following time out in another class.
   3. Child spends 5 minutes with HT discussing behaviours. They return to complete missed learning at playtime.
   4. HT emails parents to inform them that their child has reached this stage.

Repair conversation:

1. Takes place at an appropriate time when the child is calm.
2. Can be short for minor conduct breaches or may be longer when there has been refusals or deregulated behaviour.
3. Focuses on reflection and restoring relationships (not blame or further punishment):

Cycle of sanctions during break/ lunch times:

1. Listen to the problem: When you haven’t seen the alleged incident (which accounts for most incidents at break/ lunchtimes):
   1. Ask each child to ‘tell me what happened’. Ask each child not to interrupt each other. Make sure that everyone involved gets a chance to talk. Ask who else saw what happened and speak to them as well.
   2. Make sure that your body language and voice is neutral.
   3. Having heard all viewpoints, summarise what happened and ask if everyone agrees with this version of events.
   4. Most children just want to be heard, so please invest time in listening.
   5. For minor disagreements (arguments over games, miscommunications etc) offer advice about how to move forward. For accidental trips etc suggest an apology might help.

1. Reminder: When a child or group has made a poor (although not deliberate) choice:
   1. Link back to the school rules.
   2. Remind the child of when you saw them playing well.
   3. Delivered privately away from the group.

1. Caution/ final warning: When a child or group has repeated a poor choice:
   1. Remind the child of the rule broken.
   2. Explain the ‘time out’ consequence if the conduct continues.
   3. Tell the child to think carefully about their next choices.

1. Time out (after reminders/ cautions, unless someone has been deliberately hurt):
   1. Tell the child that they now need some time to think about their choices.
   2. Ask them to sit on a bench for 2-5 minutes.
   3. Talk to them about what happened to lead up to this.

1. Repair:
   1. Before letting the child leave the bench, have a quick conversation about how they will make successful choices.
   2. End the conversation positively.

Recording Cautions, Final Warnings & Time Outs:

• The ‘Conduct record form’ (Appendix 2) will be used to record warnings and time outs.
• This will be done discretely and will not be visible to other children (i.e. filed on the teachers’ desk).

Severe Behaviour:

• If a child engages in any of the following severe behaviours, the above stages (at learning time or breaktime) can be by-passed and the staff member may choose to immediately send for the SLT.

• Hate speech.
• Verbal abuse or swearing at an adult
• Bullying (as defined in Anti-bullying policy)
• Extreme behaviour e.g. violence, running away, vandalism, deliberately dangerous activity.
• Violence towards adults.

• Staff should remain neutral in body language and tone of voice, not arriving at a conclusion about what has happened if this is not clear.

Persistent poor conduct:

• If a child has been sent to a partner class twice in a two-week period, the class teacher will ring the parents to discuss this pattern of behaviour, engaging parents early to secure their support.
• If a child has been sent to the HT office twice in a term, and are not on an individual behaviour plan,  they will be placed on individual report:
  1. A member of the SLT will contact the parent and explain why the child has been placed on report.
  2. For younger children (EYFS & KS1) this will involve the teacher meeting the parent briefly at the end of each day and sharing the successes and areas that need improvement.
  3. For older (KS2) children, this will involve being placed on a ‘daily monitoring report card’:
     1. This will be completed for every session showing good choices and poor choices.
     2. At the end of each day the child will bring this to the Headteacher to discuss how the day has been. This will look to celebrate the positives as well as discussing poor choices.
     3. At the end of the week this will be sent home to the parent.​​​​​​​
• Where behaviours persist, it is likely that these are the result of an underlying SEND/ SEMH need. At this point a child will receive an individual behaviour plan.

Persistently dangerous or disruptive conduct:

• Where there is ongoing poor conduct which does not improve or where there has been severe behaviours displayed, then the school will apply the Severe Behaviours Policy, alongside this policy.