Undercliffe Public School

Learning for Life

Telephone02 9558 3432

Emailundercliff-p.school@det.nsw.edu.au

School discipline code

School Discipline Code

Behaviour that infringes on the safety of others, such as harassment, bullying and illegal or anti-social behaviour of any kind, will not be tolerated.This policy addresses the following issues:
 

  1. School rules
  2. Class rules
  3. School values
  4. Strategies to promote good discipline and effective learning within the school
  5. Practices designed to recognise and reinforce student achievement
  6. Restorative questions
  7. Strategies for dealing with unacceptable behaviour
  8. Anti-Bullying

 

 

School Rules

 Students are expected to:

 School Attendance

Attend school every day, unless they are legally excused, and be in class on time and prepared to learn.

 School Uniform

Maintain a neat appearance, including wearing our school uniform.

 Behaviour

Behave safely, considerately and responsibly, including when travelling to and from school and sporting activities.

 Respect
 Cooperation
 Learning

Show respect at all time for teachers, other school staff and helpers, including following class rules, speaking courteously and cooperating with instructions and learning activities.

 Treatment of others

Treat one another with dignity and respect.

 Treatment of property

Care for property belonging to themselves, the school and others.

 

Class Rules

  • Each class will formulate a set of clear and simple rules.
  • Students will be involved in establishing class rules.
  • Rules will be displayed in the classroom.
  • Students need to know that there are consequences for breaking the rules.
  • Consequences need to be explained and understood by all students.
  • Consistency requires that any behaviour that breaks the rule is not accepted and consequences are always applied.
  • Rewards are used to reinforce acceptable behaviour and modify unacceptable behaviour.
  • All students need to be rewarded for achievement and progress.

 

School Values

 

Honesty

Being consistently honest and trustworthy.

Excellence

Striving to achieve your personal best - our best endeavour.

Respect

Having respect for yourself and others.

Responsibility

Taking responsibility for your own actions.

Cooperation

Working together to achieve common goals, support others and using peaceful conflict resolution.

Participation

Participating fully in all school activities.

Caring

Showing concern for the wellbeing of yourself and others.

Fairness

Treating others fairly, honestly and without prejudice.

Tolerance

Accepting and understanding our cultural diversity.

 

 

Values in classrooms

 

Teachers will make values more explicit by:

  • Teaching core values as part of personal development
  • Using strategies that highlight the core values in their lessons.
  • Discussing the meaning of core values as they occur to help students develop their understanding of these values and how they operate in a variety of contexts.
  • Using the K - 6 curriculum which provides many opportunities to teach, demonstrate and explore values.
  • Teachers modelling and reinforcing behaviour consistent with the core values.

 

Our strategies to promote good discipline and effective learning include:

  • Providing appropriate curriculum to meet the needs of students.
  • Supporting children in achieving success in learning.
  • Developing a small number of easily understood rules that are fair, clear and consistently applied.
  • Involving parents in promoting acceptable student behaviour and core values.
  • Attending appropriate training and development programs.
  • Providing appropriate support programs, eg counselling, remediation.
  • Providing programs that develop self-discipline, self-evaluation, communication and conflict resolution skills, eg Buddy System and "Bounce Back".

 

Practices designed to recognise and reinforce student achievement:

  • The use of merit certificates, awards and other school based awards.
  • Ongoing, regular contact with parents.
  • Commendations at assemblies and special school activities.
  • Promotion of school and individual achievement in local media and school sign.
  • Modelling of consistent and caring behaviour by staff.

 Playground Behaviour and Strategies

 

 Level

Disruptive Behaviour

Strategies

M
I
N
O
R

 Behaviours such as

  • Littering
  • Out of bounds (behind or in buildings)
  • Incidental teasing and name calling
  • Interfering with others' games
  • Annoying other children
  • Engaging in dangerous play e.g. K-2 walking on silver seats
  • Inappropriate language (due to injury)
  • Pushing, hitting - minor

Teacher Intervention
Strategies may include:

  • Verbal direction or warning
  • Remind child of rules and consequences
  • Teacher invoke  small consequence

e.g. Walk with teacher
Confine to designated playground area "time out"

M
O
D
E
R
A
T
E

 Includes behaviours such as

  • Repeated minor level behaviour
  • Inappropriate language - playground
  • Careless and dangerous play e.g. throwing objects
  • Spitting in playground
  • Stealing

Teacher Intervention


Strategies may include:
  • Teacher will decide consequence on the spot - see examples above
  • Incident recorded on child's behaviour card by class teacher
  • Future consequences explained

M
A
J
O
R

 Includes behaviours such as:

  • Persistent moderate level behaviour
  • Repeated racial comment
  • Throwing objects and intentionally injuring
  • Damaging property intentionally
  • Bullying, verbal and physical
  • Inappropriate language in classroom
  • Harassment

Detention and parent involvement
Strategies may include:

  • Withdrawal from the playground for up to five days (fruit break/or lunch)
  • Parent notified
  • Possible exclusion from excursions and other outside school activities, only after discussion with all staff involved
  • Referral to school counsellor

E
X
T
R
E
M
E

 Behaviours include

  • Persistent major level behaviours
  • Racist comments - persistent
  • Violence - fighting, kicking, spitting on others, punching causing injury to others.
  • Abusing teachers, verbal or physical
  • Repeated bullying
  • Stealing - higher level

Parent Interview
Strategies may include:

  • Principal to meet with parents
  • Referral to school counsellor
  • Behaviour/Risk Management Plan
  • Limited playground
  • Exclusion from excursions /representing school
  • Suspension
  • Expulsion