Although the emphasis at The Deens Academy is on positive behaviour management and we recognize that encouragement and praise have the greatest impact on behaviour. Student behaviour is observed by an appointed Grade leader from across sections and reported to the Grade Coordinator/ Section Head.Each week, every section will be awarded or denied different coloured stars for their behaviour by the Grade Coordinator/ Section Head.
Star colours: Golden (highest form of recognition), Silver, Red, Green and Black (highest disapproval)
Each star colour will attract rewards or impositions
- Loss or addition of House points (particular student/s)
Impositions will include
- Non participation in activities and competitions (whole class)
- Preparation of stars for the Grade for the following week (whole class)
However it is also important to have a range of sanctions to apply, when the need arises. This is vital if we are to educate our students as far as appropriate behaviour is concerned. These sanctions will be applied consistently and fairly to have the impact that we would hope.
Students will make mistakes and show behaviour that, from time to time, do not facilitate good learning and violate the school ethos and/or rules. Sanctions are mostly constructive. i.e. they are designed to seek positive outcome / change of attitude or behaviour. Dialogue with students / parents is always form an important part of this process.
What Sanctions may be applied?
A variety of sanctions exist at The Deens Academy and these include:
- Verbal reprimand
- Temporary removal from the classroom
- Temporary removal from co-curricular activities
- Phone call home
- Diary note to parents
- Parent-Teacher discussion
- After-school detention
- Fixed-time suspension
- Permanent expulsion
As and when incidents arise and sanctions are applied, an entry will be made by the concerned teacher into the Behaviour Record in the Almanac and our ‘Disciplinary Action Book’, retained with the Principal, clearly showing the actions made. This will enable us to monitor the progress of every student carefully, thus ensuring the application of appropriate levels of sanction and support.
Sanctions Policy
Sanctions can be applied by any School staff, with the approval of the Principal, whenever there is a violation of the Discipline Policy. This may take the form of:
- Repetitive late arrival at school
- Non-completion of class work / homework
- Shouting / Talking out of turn repeatedly
- Unacceptable, offensive language
- Not wearing correct school uniform
- Use of mobile phones / MP3 players / ipod / or other prohibited items in class
- Lack of respect to staff, other students or visitors
- Smoking / drinking / use of foul language or gesture
- Truancy
- Repeated bullying / violence
- Damage to school property
Students with extreme behaviour problems will be dealt with directly by the Principal.
Some of the common sanctions are
- Being held back from PE classes
- Running laps of the ground
- Cleaning corridors
- Cleaning and organising classroom
- Lunch hour duty
- Behaviour reflection sheets
- Subject related standardised worksheets and activities with HM
Colour Coded Cards
Green Card: This card requires the child to plant a tree and nurture. Incase it dies they plant double the number of trees.
The transgressions that attract Green card are as follows.
-late arrival at school
-non-completion of class work/ homework
-shouting/ talking out of turn repeatedly
-unacceptable, offensive language
-not wearing correct school uniform
Yellow card: This card when other sanctions have failed is issued for the following reasons.
-Use of gadgets in class
-Lack of respect to staff, other students or visitors
-Smoking/ drinking
-Truancy
-Repeated bullying/ violence
-Damage to school property
Yellow card is issued when other sanctions have failed or when an incident is deemed more serious. Three yellow cards will earn the student a Red Card which will lead to after school detention. Three red cards will earn a student fixed time suspension as deemed appropriate by the Principal. Three or more suspensions in an academic year will result in the child being expelled from school.
After-school detention:
- Notice will be given to the parent(s) of the student concerned before the detention takes place.
- Parents will be informed why the detention was given and details of the detention arrangements.
Parents will have to pick the child up from School at the end of the detention hour.