Behaviour

High level implementation plan 

We adapted the WMAT Behaviour Policy to suit our school which included adding in some extra layers which we needed to focus on, e.g mobile phones. 

We launched our Behaviour Policy implementation plan in June / July with staff, students and parents so that we were ready and prepared for a strong start in September. This worked really well as it meant we could deal with any issues arising or concerns before the actual September launch. This allowed us to respond and adapt in some areas but also hold the line and clarify in others. 

As an SLT we set up a Behaviour Policy task tracker to be shared and updated by all of SLT to ensure shared responsibility of all stages of the implementation process.

This is the order of our high level implementation plan:

June

• Create Behaviour Policy task tracker, shared by all SLT (I am happy to share this with anyone who would like it).

• Inform new Year 7 parents at Year 6 Information Evening

• Design a clear visual (see below) for use in ongoing communication

• Begin marketing push on social media

• Brief Year Leaders ahead of all staff so they are in support and to identify families who may need extra support or attention to ensure buy-in. 

July

• Vice Principal to present to all staff with a focus on the ‘why’, collective responsibility and accountability. ‘No chinks in the arour’ was our collective responsibility tag line.

• Write a letter to all existing parents explaining the ‘why’ and changes, with a positive slant.

• Content of letter converted to multi platform (social media / video / email) and distribute

• Roll out assemblies for all year groups, explain the sanction system but have a clear focus on students being set up for success and how they can help themselves. 

• Year Leaders meet one to one with three target families each where there have been issues with support of the school previously to ensure they are clear on rationale and are supportive.

• Place uniform order with lots of spares to loan out and help students be successful.

• Place order of pencils cases and equipment to loan out and help students be successful.

• Curriculum Leaders of core subjects provide work / workbooks for the reflection room..

• Recruit / assign a Reflection Room Manger.

• Ensure a room is designated for the Reflection Room and set up / decorated over the summer.

September

• INSET session for staff on behaviour = reminding and reiterating what we set out in July

• Separate INSET session focusing on SEND behaviour adaptations in regard to the Behaviour policy and the Reflection Room. 

• Reflection Room Manager gets the Reflection Room work set up and takes ownership for  the room and all procedures within it.

• At least two members of SLT assigned to each gate every morning to challenge unforming and allow students to ‘put it right’ before entering eschool (at FHES we do not set uniform detentions until after form time). 

• Year Leaders deliver assemblies in the first year back reiterating and reinforcing expectations.

• Year Leaders provide slides for the first week back for tutors to reiterate expectations.

• One hour after school centralised detentions begin. Students sit in silence. We needed a large capacity at first, using the main Hall and on a handful of occasions having to use the Gym or a classroom as overspill. As numbers reduced later in the year we did allow KS4 students to do revision in detention (paper only, no Chromebooks) and we now allow all students in detention to do paper work.

October

• Teaching for all staff on how to manage behaviour (to be implemented in a similar way to the work that has been done on developing pedagogy). To include suggested reading etc. 

• Launch of steplab training videos on Behaviour and a four fold approach. This was in response to a request from staff for this. 

Both of the above were in response to requests from staff, and were very successful. 

Ongoing

• Behaviour assemblies delivered to all year groups at the start of every term to remind, reinforce and support students to be successful.

• Behaviour expectations reiterated in all meetings - staff briefings / Middle Leader meetings / assemblies.

• Behaviour communicated again in Parent Info Evenings - all year groups

• Monitor that all staff are upholding their responsibilities in regard to the Behaviour Policy and deals with any issues accordingly.

• Keep communicating to Curriculum Leaders and remind them of their responsibilities toward behaviour in their departments - both in and out of the classrooms.

• Learning walk focus on behaviour and expectations - specific tabs on Steplab

This is the Standards poster we had designed which is displayed around school, used in assemblies and regularly communication via social media:

Public Relations: Student / Parent Communication 

I will set out the steps as followed last year when introducing the behaviour system.  It did not iron out all of the issues but it certainly smoothed over a few ruffled feathers.

1. Pre-empt - we sent out a letter and information in July 2023 about the system being introduced in September 2024.  We followed this up in August with another letter.  This enabled us to refer to these whenever a parent challenged us because they were not aware of the new system.  Students also received the same message in assemblies before the summer.

2. Consistency of message - every first day assembly and week 1 parent information evening for every year group received the same message about the new system from me.  I could emphasise the anticipated positive outcomes and remind them that despite any concerns about change, in reality, the new system would not present any particular change for the vast majority of students

3. Shout about success - twice in the first half term and then termly, I sent a letter out to parents lauding the behaviour of the students, selecting areas of the behaviour audits to be shared with them and repeating the positive outcome message from the information evenings.  We also ran Behaviour Assemblies throughout the year celebrating success and emphasising key areas to improve, sharing reports from audits.

4. Hard conversations - we, as other schools did, had some parents who objected vociferously to the changes (normally not until their child was affected…).  I would invite them in to talk about the system rather than answer any questions in an email.  I also invited any parents who were complaining online to come in and meet, and to tour the school to see the system in practice. Finally, we hosted a parent forum in the second half term were parents were able to come together and speak to me and have a discussion around the rationale behind the system.  One important lesson that we learnt from this was that it would have been worthwhile meeting with parents before the implementation of the new system.

Staff training 

1. Train your middle leaders and senior leaders first and ensure they are fully on board with the vision. Support individuals 1-2-1 if necessary. Never assume people already know it-they don’t!

2. Train whole school staff through systems alongside the “why”/need for change. This training needs to include model examples with either videos or live action role play as well as scripts for staff to use. Give staff the opportunity to rehearse and practise these through different scenarios during the training.

3. All training should be backed up with evidence and this should be shared with staff- EEF should be the go to alongside DFE Tom Bennett guide to behaviour. 

4. Training should not be a “one off” event. Staff need regular snippets of training/soundbite style at every weekly briefing and in every staff newsletter/bulletin.

5. Sustain engagement by really praising early adopters and everyone who is giving it a go. Publicly and privately praise and reward those who go above and beyond to follow the system. Similarly, challenge those who do not and give more 1-2-1 support as needed.

Throughout all training, maintain humour and humility. People will trust if you are human and genuine. Always give people time and be ready to answer any questions. Also be prepared to be flexible if necessary, we all have blind spots and others will often notice things we have not. 

Reflection Room / Reflection Room student work 

Our Reflection Room is run by the Room Manager. The Room Manager is a non-teaching member of staff and a continuous presence there throughout the day right up until 4pm. The only exception to this is during tutor time when the Room Manager is not there and this period is staffed by a member of SLT. The room manager is supported during every teaching period of the school day by another member of staff, usually a middle or senior leader but not exclusively. The Room Manager is responsible for the timetable, resources and all procedures.

Expectations

• When a student is sent to the Reflection Room they spend a full day there including a one hour detention after school. They complete the full day cycle whatever time they arrive e.g., if a student arrives at the start of Period 2 on Wednesday, they will go home at 4pm on Wednesday after the one hour detention and then return the next day and stay until the end of Period 1.

• Students must complete work as per the timetable during their time in the Reflection Room.

• Mobile phones must be handed in upon arrival (and are stored in the safe by the Room Manger) and bags must be placed in a locker. 

• Students are escorted to the toilet by the additional member of staff in the room. 

• Students must be polite and respectful to each other and to all members of staff.

Procedure

• The room manager sets the timetable for the day which is clearly displayed on a board in the room and inside each workbook.

• There are calming / self regulation activities on each desk and clearly displayed on the wall. 

• The expectations of the Reflection Room are sellotaped to every desk. 

• When a student arrives they must immediately hand in their phone which is held in the safe for the duration of their stay.

• After removing their equipment, the student must put their bag in one of the lockers.

• Students are allowed to talk at lunch and break but must remain at desks and not move around the room. Students must not discuss why they have been sent to the Reflection Room.

• Students are not allowed to visit the canteen at break times and at lunch they are escorted to the canteen and bring their food back to eat in the Reflection Room.

• The Room Manager deals with all the above and the running of the room and the support member of staff deals with any behaviour or expectation issues. Having said that, our Room Manager is very firm and has a good relationship with students and does also manage behaviour, especially in the initial period by setting students up for success.

• All work is written, students do not use Chromebooks. 

Student Work

• Students study only Maths, English and Science whilst in the Reflection Room and they do a double period of each as per the timetable.

• KS4 students use GCSE revision guides and revision questions. For English Literature they use specific text related guides and questions. 

• KS3 students study higher and lower Maths and Science using study guides. For English they work from booklets and on a Friday PM there is a creative writing double session which is being run as a trial.

• The work tracks approximately ten days behind the normal curriculum so it reinforces the learning. 

• The study provision is adapted for SEN students on an individual basis.

• There is a reading book on every table.

• During the detention session students remain in the Reflection Room. KS3 students work in Knowledge Organisers. KS4 students do general revision but are not allowed to use Chromebooks. 

• Students can also sit quietly or do mindfulness colouring during the detention session.

Interaction with SEND team (Lindsey Everitt)

I am very happy to be contacted at Woolmer Hill School to support you or answer any questions you may have regarding the application of the Trust Behaviour Strategy when applying it to a student with Special Educational Needs.  These are the areas of importance when considering SEN and correct and fair application of the policy in a mainstream setting.

• The policy applies to all young people within a school community, however some students will require a reasonable adjustment to support their additional need, for example a neuro-diversity

• Your school SENCo will know the appropriate strategies to be applied, as they will have access to all professional assessments, diagnostic reports and any provision detailed on the Education, Health and Care Plan (if a student has an EHCP).  These may include adjustments such as Time Out of the Reflection Room of an hour session with a Teaching Assistant in Learning Support to complete a Comic Strip Conversation.

• Keep your Learning Support Team advised of any student on the SEN Support List who is sent to the Reflection Room.  They may be needed to help de-escalate a situation or ensure the student has work they are able to access. The LS Team will also need to know if a student with SEN will not be in the lesson they are covering.

• A SENCo will likely want to have a conversation with the family of a student with SEN who is sent to the Reflection Room so that the family feel supported in talking to their child following a send.

• Staff training is key to the success of the policy when applying it to students with SEN. They may need more support in understanding their warnings in the classroom and a clearer message may need to be given to students who have communication difficulties such as Speech, Language and Communication.

Year 7 phased introduction 

Areas we support

Home learning

Support

• Time to practise handing in Home Learning with no sanction (wk-c 30th September)

• Support in Tutor time to remind them to hand it in

• New Home Learning Booklet that is much easier to follow

Organisation

Support

• Three weeks to practise bringing in your equipment with no sanction (wk-c 30th Sept)

• Support in Tutor time to remind them and help if they have forgotten it.

• Punctuality to lessons will be supported for the first few weeks.

Behaviour - High Expectations at all times

Support

• Explain to Students the expectations in the classroom

• Show the students what the warnings look like, and support them in how to respond.

• Phones are to be in their bag at all times during the school day.  

Arbor protocols 

Things to consider on Arbor:

System which supports the step by step approach (Being able to record the Warning system/Detention)

Detention system which logs students for detentions the next day

Live Feeds to Google Sheets which track when a student has received 2 detentions in a day

Live Feeds to Google Sheets which allow regular reflection from Pastoral Leads to assess what further intervention needs to be implemented

Ability to log a reflection room - and ensure it sends an instant alert to key staff in school, as well as log the category

From the logging of the reflection room - the ability to send an instant text or email which alerts the parent to knowing the student will need to be collected later on. 

What we wish we knew then that we know now/ top Tips (all)