1.0 Introduction
St. Dominic’s aims to provide a happy, secure, and friendly learning environment where children, parents, teachers, special needs assistants, ancillary staff and the Board of Management work in partnership. Each individual is valued, encouraged, and respected for their uniqueness and facilitated to reach their full potential.
The staff is committed to the realisation of these objectives. Our aim is to create a happy, secure environment for our pupils, in which there is a sense of good order and a reasonable approach to discipline. In this way, a large group can be organised so that the school can operate smoothly for the benefit of all.
The revised code of Behaviour comes into effect on 12 June 2019. The Code has been consider by the Parents Association and staff, and approved by the BOM. The code is mindful of the curriculum, the school’s Health and Safety Statement, Anti-Bullying Policy, Admission Policy and Child Safeguarding Statement.
In our school we have a positive approach to teaching and learning. Positive rules for behaviour in class and out of class are learned by pupil at the beginning of their school year. Pupils are disciplined by being motivated to keep these rules.
All incidents of bullying to be dealt with using Anti Bullying Policy
General Guidelines for Behaviour
The 3 R’s-REPSECT, REPSONSIBLITY and REACTION is our whole school focus – respect for yourself and for others, responsibility for your own actions and appropriate reaction to a situation. We encourage pupils to take responsibility for their action, thus showing an appropriate reaction and respect for others.
2. Code of Behaviour
The Code of Behaviour covers the following areas:
- Behaviour in class
- Behaviour in the playground/yard
- Behaviour in the school environment and behaviour outside school settings
- Homework
- Other current issues
2.1 Behaviour in Class
Courtesy and respect are essential. Disrespectful behaviour towards other pupils or towards a teacher (i.e. defiance, cheek, insolence) is unacceptable. Pupils must respect the right of other pupils to learn. Any behaviour which interferes with this right is considered unacceptable behaviour. In order that pupils benefit from the work in class, full co-operation is required at all times. Pupils must co-operate with instruction given by the teacher.
2.1.1 St. Dominic’s Classroom Rules
- Be respectful to others
- Be ready for class
- Raise your hand and wait your turn.
- Follow teachers’ instructions at all times
- Eat a healthy lunch
- Always do your best and allow others to do the same.
Pupils should treat other pupils as they would like to be treated themselves. Any behaviour which endangers or offends others is not permitted. Rough behaviour is prohibited. Games or activities considered to be dangerous shall be prohibited. Any behaviour which interferes with other pupils’ play is not permitted. Pupils may not leave the playground for any reason during breaks without permission from the supervising teacher, and this includes re-entering the school building
2.2.1 St. Dominic’s Playground Rules
- Play in your area with your class group.
- Play safe and fair.
- Stop play and line up when the bell rings.
- Follow teachers’ instructions at all times.
2.3 Behaviour in the School Environment &Behaviour on School Outings
Respect and courtesy to others is essential. Any kind of verbal or physical abuse of another pupil is not acceptable. The use of foul language among pupils in unacceptable. Bullying or intimidation of other pupils is prohibited and is always regarded as a serious misbehaviour. Pupils must show respect for school property at all times. For reasons of safety and to minimise incidents, pupils should move about the school in an orderly manner.
Pupils are encouraged to be respectful of each other on their way to and from school. When on school outings, pupils are expected to behave in an orderly manner and show respect for public property. They should always co-operate fully with their teachers and special needs staff.
If there a child misbehaves at swimming/tours/outings, the principal on behalf of the BoM will decide if they can participate in subsequent swimming/ tours/outings.
2.4 Homework
It is the policy of the school to assign homework on a regular basis. Parents should sign the homework journal to confirm that work has been full attempted. If for some reason homework or part of it, cannot be completed, parents are asked to note this in the homework journal.
Written work must be done neatly and carefully. Graffiti on textbooks and copy books is not permitted. Please refer to Homework Policy and Book Rental Policy for further information.
2.5 Other school related issues:
Jewellery
Students are permitted to wear stud earrings and/or watch only.
Mobile Phones /iPads/Electronic Games- see also Acceptable Usage Policy
Use of mobile phones, ipads, or electronic games during school hours is strictly forbidden. Children have access to the office phone if they need to contact parents during the school day. If a child needs to access to a mobile phone, they must leave it in the office, switched off, where it will stored safely until home time. If a child is found in possession of a mobile phone, it will be confiscated and a parent will be required to collect it from the Principal.
All electronic gadgets are prohibited on school outings, tours and trips.
School Uniform
All pupils must wear the full school uniform. Hoodies are used as coats and not as school jumpers. Footwear must be suitable for the school environment. Optional PE jumper can be worn on PE day or as a coat on Non-PE days.
School Journal
The school journal is an important communication between parents and the school. Parents need to read and sign the journal each night and ensure the personal information page in the school journal is completed. The school journal should always be kept neat and tidy, and free from graffiti.
3.0 Whole School Approach to Promoting Positive Behaviour
The BoM and the Principal have overall responsibility for the implementation and on-going monitoring of this policy. However all staff members have responsibility for their own classes and for the general school population when on yard duty or on any organised out-of-school activity. The school values the support and co-operation of parents in the promotion of this policy.
St. Dominic’s uses the following strategies to promote Positive Behaviour:
- Stamp ,sticker and raffle systems
- Student of the week awards
- Praise and recognition
- Delegating some special responsibility or privilege to a pupil/pupils
- Visit to another teacher/Principal for praise of good behaviour or neat work
- Various motivational strategies and reward systembs within each classroom e.g. class dojo points, golden time etc.
4.0 Misbehaviour Sanctions
4.1 Misbehaviour on Yard
The following have been identified as minor misbehaviours on yard (this list is not exhaustive):
Rough play/ Use of bad language/ Excluding someone on purpose/ Not following teacher instruction/Not following school’s playground rules
Minor yard incidents will be dealt with using the following procedure:
- Pupil is given warning for misbehaviour
- If the pupil continues to misbehave, teacher will impose a period of time out where the student will be asked to remain in specified place until told to return to play (age appropriate time out)
- If the behaviour is repeated and the child has not heeded the warning/timeout the pupil will have detention/other appropriate sanction the following day.
Supervising teacher on yard will inform the class teacher of the misbehaviour.
If a pupil receives three timeouts in a week, they will receive a red card and be sanctioned for this persistent behaviour.
Serious misbehaviour on yard will be dealt with using the serious misbehaviour sanction procedure below.
4.2 Minor Misbehaviours
The following have been identified as minor misbehaviours (this list is not exhaustive):
Interrupting class work/Running in the school building/Littering around the school/Being discourteous or unmannerly/Not completing homework without good reason (to include a note from parent/guardian)/Inappropriate behaviour or gestures/Name calling/Talking out of turn / Graffi of school property/Minor damage to school property/ Poor effort/engagement with classwork
If a child’s behaviour is deemed to be a minor misbehaviour teachers will:
- Give pupils a verbal reminder, otherwise classified as a warning
- If the pupil continues to engage in behaviour which is not in line with the rules, the teacher will issue them with a yellow card
- If the pupil still continues to engage in misbehaviours, the pupil will then be issues a red card and subsequent sanctions ensue.
- A reflection/behaviour sheet will be sent home to parents
- Pupils will be given detention or another form or sanction that is deemed appropriate by the class teacher
Sanctions for Minor Misbehaviours:
Reasoning with the pupil
Verbal reprimand
Note in the journal
Detention/Yard Detention(Shadowing teacher on yard)
Withdrawal of privileges
Withdrawal from a particular lesson
Detention
Removal from the classroom
Written work- lines, copying from a script etc.
Detention
Parents are notified of detention by phone, by reflection sheet or by note in the students journal.
Pupils may have detention in class supervised by a teacher or may have a yard dentention where they need to shadow the teacher on yard at all tiems.
Regular occurrences of minor misbehaviour will lead to:
- Parent Teacher meeting
- Drawing up a behaviour contract with parents, pupils and teacher
- Temporary separation from peers
- Referal to another classroom
If however, behaviour is more persistent and escalating more frequently:
- Formal letter from the Principal to parents
- Denial of participation in some class activity
- Principal-Parent-Teacher meeting
- Chairperson of the B.O.M. informed and parents requested to meet with the Chairperson and board member and the principal
4.3 Serious Misbehaviours
The following are deemed to be serious misbehaviours this list is not exhaustive:
Constantly disruptive in class/telling lies/blackmail/stealing/persistently not working to full potential/damaging others property/bullying/answering back a teacher/continuously not completing homework/endangering self or fellow pupils in the class or the yard/ using unacceptable language repeatedly/inappropriate use of the internet/deliberate, continual disobedience/ absent from class without permission/spitting/
Serious misbehaviour will be dealt with using some of the following steps
- Pupil will meet with Principal
- An account of the incident(s) will be entered in the relevant incident book/Aladdin system
- Formal letter from school principal informing parent of misbehaviour and the sanctions involved
- Class teacher/yard duty teacher /parents /principal meet to discuss the behaviour
- Chairperson of B.O.M meets with parents/ principal
Stage1- Detention
The principal is informed and detention decided upon
Stage 2- Detention and Contract
If a pupil receives four detentions in a month, the pupil/parent/principal will meet to draw up an individual behaviour contract for the pupil. This will involve creating certain goals for the pupils in question. The contract will be signed by the parents, pupil and principal.
Stage 3- Internal Suspension
Pupil is removed from their class and places in another class group for up to 3 days. This stage will be activated when stage 1 and 2 are exhausted.
Stage 4- Suspension
If stage 3 is exhausted with no improvement in behaviour, this could lead to a suspension.
Suspension will be used as a sanction where all attempts at reasoning with the pupil have failed and where all other efforts of the school in consultation with the parents/guardians of the pupil have failed to achieve a satisfactory conclusion.
Appeal
Parents of a pupil who has been suspended for 20 school ays or more are entitled under Section 29 of the Education Act 1998 to appeal such a decision.
4.4 Gross Misbehaviours
The following are deemed to be gross misbehaviours:
Brining weapons or dangerous substances to school/Smoking/Persistently engaging in activities which has been identified by members of staff as dangerous or inappropriate/Leaving school premises without permission/Deliberately injuring any member of the school community/ Setting fire to school property/Purposely activating school fire alarm/Deliberately leaving taps etc. turned on/ Aggressive, threatening behaviour towards a member of staff or a pupil (e.g. physical, striking, nipping, biting , spitting)/Vandalism/ Serious inappropriate behaviour/ assault
Persistent incidents of serious behaviour will be classified as gross misbehaviour.
Incidents of Gross Misbehaviour will be dealt with the following procedure:
- Principal and Chairperson informed and suspension sanctioned for the pupil
- When a suspension is sanctioned, the parent/guardian will be requested to remove the student from the school for the period of the suspension.
This procedure may be considered in an extreme case, in accordance with Section 23 of the Education Welfare Act 200.
Grounds for Expulsion
Behaviour is persistent cause of significant disruption to the learning of others or to the teaching process/Continued presence of pupil constitutes a real and significant threat to safety/Pupil is responsible for serious damage to property/Automatic Expulsion
The BoM may sanction automatic expulsion for certain prescribed behaviours:
- Sexual Assault
- Possession of illegal drugs or tobacco
- Supplying of illegal drugs or tobacco to other pupils in the school
- Actual violence or physical assault
- Serious threat of violence against another pupil or member of staff
Procedures in respect of expulsion
1. Detailed investigation by the school Principal
2. Recommendation by Principal to BoM
3. BoM considered Principal’s recommendations and holds a hearing
4. BoM will come a decision. If BoM recommends expulsion, they will propose a date which will allow for a 20 day ‘cooling off’ period
5. Education Welfare Officer is informed of proposal to expel pupil and effective date of the proposal
6. Parents of the pupil are informed of rights to invoke a Section 29 Appeal under the Education Act 1998
7. Education Welfare Officer arranged consultations
8. Confirmation of decision
5.0 Involving Parents/Guardians in Managing Behaviour
Parent/Guardians are valued as partners in the school community and as such will be invited to participate in promoting positive behaviour both in school and in the wider community. Parents are expected to sign any notes in the school journal about behaviour and reflection sheets. Parents are expected to speak to their child about their behaviour and remind them about the classroom and yard rules. Class teachers may occasionally request parents/guardians to visit them in the school to discuss some aspects of their child’s behaviour. In specific cases, a shorter school day may be implemented where a pupil is having sever difficulties coping with a full day. This would be agreed between the principal/parents and BoM.
6.0 Record Keeping
The yard incident book is kept in a secure filing cabinet. More serious incidents are recorded on Aladdin. Copies of communication with parent/guradians will be retained by the school. Records of more serious incidents are recorded in the pupils personal file and are retained until student reach 21 year. This is in line with the school’s policy on record keeping and data protection legislation.
7.0 Conclusion
The essence of our Code of Behaviour is valuing people and encouraging them to accept responsibility for their own behaviour and develop self-discipline.
Ratification
This policy was reviewed on 26 September 2023.
Caitriona Manser
Chairperson of the Board of Management