Disciplinary Policies

Trinity School

Prep School Discipline Policy

The sanctions system at Trinity is one of a number of aspects of the School’s Positive Behaviour Management Policy. It exists to ensure that pupils observe the school code of conduct and ensures that good quality teaching and learning can take place in classrooms free from disruption by poor behaviour. There are different layers of sanction in the School, appropriate for different degrees of unacceptable behaviour, as shown below within the five stages. Higher levels of sanction may be imposed on pupils failing to change their behaviour after low-level sanctions have been implemented.

Within the classroom, discipline is the responsibility of the class teacher, however if the behaviour of a child is causing the lesson to be disrupted and effecting the learning of the other pupils, then the child will be sent out of the classroom, with work and sent to either the Head or Deputy Head to continue the lesson in isolation. This will result in the child receiving a letter for their parents, outlining their behaviour during the lesson. All other areas are the responsibility in the first instance of the teacher on duty.

Stages of discipline within the Preparatory Department

Stage One

Any pupil misbehaving in a lesson or around the school will be sent to their class teacher (if available) and punishment will be at their discretion. However, if this behaviour is causing such disruption that the lesson and other pupils are suffering then the pupil will be sent out to the Head or Deputy with a note outlining the disruption and will miss the rest of the lesson. This will result in a letter home with a reply slip for a parental signature.

Stage Two

Further misbehaviour from a pupil will result in the pupil being reported to the relevant Key Stage Coordinator and they will receive a Yellow Card (Three or more yellow cards given to the same child within a week will result in a Friday Lunchtime detention-see relevant paragraph). Further misbehaviour by a child who has received a letter home will be seen by both the Head and Deputy Head and will then be placed on a Blue Effort/ Behaviour Report Card (see relevant paragraph) for a period of time at the discretion of the Head and Deputy.

Stage Three

Will result in the pupil being sent to either the Head (girls) or Deputy Head (boys). At this stage the pupil will be placed on a Red Behaviour Report Card (see relevant paragraph). A letter will be sent home to their parents informing them of this and in the case of further misdemeanours parents will be invited in for a discussion regarding their child’s behaviour and possibly sign a home school agreement contract.

Stage Four

Suspension for a period of up to three days.

Stage Five

Permanent Exclusion from the Preparatory Department.

Yellow Card System

1. All Prep members of staff carry a Yellow Card.
2. All misdemeanours such as poor attitude, rudeness, incorrect kit will be recorded on a yellow card (see overleaf for other examples).
3. These will be collated on a Thursday (by the school secretary) and students who offend 3 or more times will be disciplined by a lunch time detention on Friday.

Uniform

1. In building up the ethos, reputation and identity of the School, upon which we all depend, we do ask that pupils attend in full school uniform. This includes travelling to and from School, during the school day and correct kit during P.E. lessons unless tennis, cricket or ball skills lessons take place at break time or lunchtime then pupils may come to school in their PE kit, but change before going home.
2. Pupils found to be abusing the uniform code will be recorded using the Yellow Card system

Detentions

1. Except in extraordinary circumstances, all detentions will take precedence over all other school activities.
2. Detentions will be held on Friday lunchtimes for children whose names have appeared 3 times on a yellow card.
3. A Head/Deputy Head of Prep detention will be given to any child who attends a Friday detention twice in a row. This will be held from 3.30pm to 4.00pm. A letter will be sent home to inform their parents. A child receiving this detention will also receive a Blue Effort/Behaviour Report Card in order to monitor their effort within lessons.

Report Cards

1. 1 Blue Effort/Behaviour Report cards are issued to any pupil after a Head/Deputy Head of Prep Dept detention to monitor general behaviour and effort.
2. 2 A child whose behaviour still causes concern (stage three) will be put on a Red Behaviour Report Card and parents will be informed.
3. 3 A child can be put straight onto a Red Behaviour Report Card for a major offence (such as bullying, swearing, rascist behaviour, or blatant damage to property) after consultation with the Deputy Head for boys and Head of Prep for the girls.
4. 4 A child who feels they need support in their learning/behaviour can ask to be put on a Green Effort Report Card; parents can also request that their child be put onto this.
5. 5 Report cards are to be signed by teachers at the end of every lesson and checked by form teachers every morning and at the end of the day by the Head (girls) and Deputy Head (boys).

Yellow Card Offences

Running in the building, especially on the stairs
Answering back
School shirts hanging out
Shoe laces undone
Forgetting kit
Aertex P.E. t-shirts not tucked in (at our discretion)
Incorrect school uniforms such as wrong colour hair ties
Hair, shoulder length or longer, should be tied back
Eating in the building except packed lunches and during wet break
Loitering in the cloakrooms
Forgetting personal equipment for lessons
Going to areas which are out of bounds
Extreme rudeness in lessons
Talking after the quiet bell
Unkindness
Going/trying to go home in PE kit

Foundation Stage and Key Stage One

The discipline policy for Foundation Stage and Key Stage One is as set out in the previous notes, if required. But in the first instance, the positive reward system of Golden Time is used on a day to day basis. The Golden Time system is as follows:

• All children automatically receive half an hour of Golden Time each week as a reward for positive behaviour and for following the ‘Golden Rules’.
• The Golden Rules are displayed in all Foundation Stage and Key Stage One classrooms and are as follows:
1. We are kind and helpful.
2. We listen.
3. We work hard.
4. We are honest.
5. We look after our and other people’s property.
6. We are gentle.
• The Golden Rules are taught through PSED/RE in the Foundation Stage and are recapped and reinforced throughout Key Stage One.
• Golden Time is half an hour of free time when the children can choose any activity that they would like to do. The children sign up for the activity at the beginning of the week and are involved in deciding which activities are put on the sign up sheet. The adults do their best to accommodate these activities. Golden Time takes place at the same time for all the Foundation Stage and Key Stage One children; this enables them to mix with the older/younger children and to choose to go to different classrooms if they wish. (This also helps with transition).
• If a child breaks a Golden Rule, they are given a warning. (This may be displayed pictorially for the very young children). If they break a rule again, they are given a second warning (Prep Two receive one warning only). If they break a rule for the third time in one day, they then lose 5 minutes of their Golden Time that week. This continues in 5 minute blocks of time.
• Each day begins afresh and warnings are not carried over.
• The children who lose Golden Time go to their chosen activity when Golden Time commences. They then sit out for the specified time with a sand timer. When the timer finishes, they may freely join in with the activity
• Once Golden Time is lost, it may NOT be won back, unless they have lost all of it, and then, at the teacher’s discretion, they can win back 5 minute blocks by specifically following the rule that they lost it for (This is only in extreme circumstances, most children would not lose all of it).
• This system is set up to be positive and encouraging, whilst making the sanctions for inappropriate behaviour appropriate for children of this age.

The Senior School Discipline Policy

Trinity School Sanctions

• The sanctions system at Trinity is one aspect of the School Positive Behaviour Management Policy.
• The sanctions system at Trinity exists to ensure that students observe the School Code of Conduct, and to ensure that good quality teaching and learning can take place in classrooms free from disruption by poor behaviour.
• There are different layers of sanction in the School appropriate for different degrees of unacceptable behaviour.
• Higher levels of sanction may be imposed on students failing to change their behaviour after lower-level sanctions have been implemented.

Extracts from Guidelines on disciplinary offences and appropriate punishments:

Lunchtime Detention

• No homework (some discretion)
• No planner or planner not signed (some discretion)
• Lack of equipment
• Unruly but not immediately dangerous behaviour (running in corridor)
• etc

Headmaster's Detention

• Accrual of 3 Key Stage Detentions
• Fighting or inciting to fight
• Unauthorised absence from lessons
• etc

Exclusion

• Reserved for the most serious mis-behaviour and accrual of medium-level offences.

Under the tariff system low level punishments may accumulate as indicated above, thereby triggering consequent higher level punishments. When considering punishments in this manner, only offences committed in the current term and three preceding terms will be counted. Any punishments over four terms old will effectively become spent for tariff purposes. Offences involving alcohol, tobacco and other drugs will result in punishments being awarded as appropriate depending on the context in which the offences have been committed. which the offences have been committed.

In addition, pupils must bear in mind that activity that takes place outside of the normal bounds of school jurisdiction may, nevertheless, result in disciplinary sanctions if it is considered that they have brought or may potentially bring the School’s name into disrepute. The list of offences above and the statements above cannot be considered an exhaustive list of punishable offences. Any disciplinary matter that falls outside the guidelines written above will be dealt with as the Headmaster sees fit.

The full discipline policy is available for all staff from the School Office but guidelines on sanctions follow.