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1. Introduction

The School has traditionally had a liberal approach to discipline based on the English School Code of Conduct (see copy attached) and regulations.  For the majority of pupils this has worked well in allowing them to develop positive attitudes, self-discipline and respect.  Unfortunately, there has always been a minority of pupils who have exploited this liberal approach, bringing the School into disrepute through their appearance and behaviour.  The reporting and disciplinary system strengthens the implementation of the Code of Conduct and builds up pupil profiles so that suitable action can be taken without being over authoritarian.  A Disciplinary Committee made up of the Head Teacher, Deputy Head Teacher, S/T i/c Discipline and, if required, the S/T i/c Pastoral can be convened to deal with serious breaches of discipline.  The terms of reference for this Disciplinary Committee have been established and are available for consultation.

2. Reporting system

 

1. Discipline Report Slips: You are provided with a book of Discipline Report Slips which are printed on NCR paper.
   1. The white top copy should be returned to the Head of Year or S/T i/c Discipline (as appropriate) by placing it in the pigeon-hole provided in the staff room.
   2. The pink copy should be given to the pupil.
   3. The yellow copy should be retained by the teacher for future reference.

 

2. Ways of Reporting Pupils

1. Minor disciplinary issues:  The teacher takes necessary action and returns the Discipline Report Slip (white top copy) to the pigeon-hole of the Head of Year in the staff room.  This will be filed by the Head of Year and followed up as necessary.  This is the preferred way of dealing with disciplinary matters.
2. For persistent low level disruption the pupil should be reported to the Head of Year using a Discipline Report Slip. The white top copy should be placed in the relevant pigeon-hole. The Head of Year will then make arrangements to see the pupil, contact the parents and impose suitable sanctions.
3. Serious disciplinary issues:  The pupil is sent to the S/T i/c Discipline together with their pink copy of the Discipline Report Slip.  Ensure that it is completed properly.  In such cases it will be assumed that the teacher required support or did not have the authority to deal with the matter directly (issues involving exclusion from school or suspension).

When sending a pupil out of class to the office of the S/T i/c Discipline please follow the procedure outlined below:

• Complete a Disciplinary Report Slip.  Provide relevant details in the Teachers Comments box.
• Send pupil together with their pink copy of the Disciplinary Report slip to the office of the S/T i/c Discipline.  If the Senior Teacher is not available the office will be manned by the SMT secretary who will deal with the pupil accordingly.  In addition a Head of Year and an SMT availability list will be published.
• Return the white top copy to the pigeon-hole of the S/T i/c Discipline in the staff room so that a check can be made of pupils asked to report to the S/T.
• Please do not predict or announce the possible punishment for example “Go to Mr Panayiotou who will send you home”.  The matter will be dealt with firmly within the disciplinary procedures outlined in part 3.

3. Using the disciplinary Report Slips

These are intended to act as a deterrent in themselves.  Used properly pupils will prefer to deal with the matter directly with the teacher rather than have a Disciplinary Report Slip filed.

PLEASE NOTE THAT IN THE SECTIONS WHICH FOLLOW WHEN REFERENCE IS MADE TO REPORTING A PUPIL OR SENDING THEM TO SEE S/T i/c DISCIPLINE THE PROCEDURE OUTLINED BELOW SHOULD BE FOLLOWED.

For the Disciplinary Report Slips to be effective the following procedure should be followed:

• Fill in all relevant details.  In the section headed Teacher’s comment give a brief description of the problem and if any punishment has already been imposed.  Also indicate if any further action is required on the part of the S/T.
• Return the slip to the S/T i/c Discipline via the pigeon-hole in the staff room.
• Indicate clearly by ticking the relevant box if the pupil is being sent to the S/T i/c Discipline.
• Make sure the pupil has his pink copy which he will present to the S/T i/c Discipline if necessary and to their parents.

Please remember that failure to report pupils for non-compliance to the School Code of Conduct and regulations will render the system useless.  As a result no action will be possible on the basis of conduct, behaviour and attitude.

3. (a) Absence from school

When a pupil is absent from school, for whatever reason, they should bring a note from their parents explaining their absence on the day of their return to school.  A record should be made in the register that this absence note has been received.  Form Tutors should remind pupils that they should bring a note and follow up any cases where a pupil fails to do so e.g. by telephoning the parents if necessary.

Form Tutors should monitor the absence of pupils and report any cases of unexplained long or short term absence to the Head of Year.

• (b) Unpunctuality for morning registration
        In any half-term period

1. The first time a pupil is late a warning should be given
2. The second time a pupil is late a warning should be given that another incident of lateness will result in detention.
3. The third time a pupil is late the Form Tutor should issue a Disciplinary Report Slip with a relevant comment.  The pupil will be asked by the Form Tutor to attend a School (Saturday morning) detention.  A letter will be sent to the parents informing them of the matter with a copy, the copy to be signed by the parent and returned by the pupil.
4. The fourth time a pupil is late the matter should be dealt with by the Form Tutor and the Head of Year.  The parents must be involved.
5. The fifth time a pupil is late the matter should be referred to the Senior Teacher.  Pupils may be excluded from school for at least one day depending on the circumstances at the discretion of the S/T i/c Discipline.
6. Pupils who continue to be late after being excluded from school will be referred to the Disciplinary Committee.  Each case will be reviewed individually and the necessary action taken in the light of the pupil’s overall profile.

• (c) Unpunctuality to lessons

This is difficult to define.  Each teacher should make clear what their expectations are on this issue and set a good example by being punctual themselves.  Individual teachers will need to use their discretion on this matter, but please be strict and insist on punctuality to lessons.

1. If a pupil is late once, a warning is sufficient.
2. If a pupil is late twice in one week file a Disciplinary Report Slip via the Head of Year pigeon hole and impose some form of punishment e.g. extra work or ask to report after school.
3. If a pupil is late three times in one week or persistently late, a further Disciplinary Report Slip with suitable comment should be sent to the Head of Year.  The pupil must be asked to stay late or attend a School
   (Saturday morning) detention.
4. When a pupil is inexplicably very late file a Disciplinary Report Slip.  The matter should be investigated  and if necessary the pupil should be placed in detention.  Inexplicable here means that the pupil does not have a green permission slip.

 

• (d) Uniform and Appearance

 

1. The School’s policy on these issues is clearly laid out in the Code of Conduct and uniform regulations which have already been circulated.  THIS POLICY IS NOT NEGOTIABLE BETWEEN TEACHERS AND PUPILS and hence should not be a matter for debate.
2. It is the responsibility of ALL TEACHERS at ALL TIMES to check this.  We should begin with the Form Tutor in the morning right through to seventh or eighth period INCLUDING BREAKS.
3. This means that ALL TEACHERS should be acquainted with the Code of Conduct and uniform regulations (see your start-of-year pack).
4. When a teacher is unhappy about the appearance of a pupil (including uniform) they should:
5. Fill in a Disciplinary Report Slip and return the white top copy to the Head of Year.  In the section headed Teacher’s Comments indicate what the problem is and give an indication of the course of action to be taken e.g. send home to change or shave.
6. Send the pupil to the Head of Year with their pink copy of the form.
7. The Head of Year will deal with such matters in the following way:

• Unshaven pupils will be asked to go home, shave and return to school.
• Pupils with incorrect uniform will be asked to contact their parents to bring the required uniform to school so that they can change.  If this is not possible the parents will be informed by the School that the pupil is being sent home to change and report back to school.
• Hair should be clean, neat and tidy.  For boys it should be of a length and style acceptable to the School.  The inappropriate use of hair additives e.g. jellies, inappropriate colours, lotions etc. is forbidden.  The final decision on issues of hair will rest with the S/T i/c Discipline.
• Conspicuous body piercing is forbidden.  Girls are allowed pierced ears with suitable sleepers only (one earring in each ear).  The School is against ear piercing for boys.  The wearing of any type of earrings by boys is forbidden.  Boys caught wearing earrings should be treated in the following way:
  • The earring should be confiscated and given to the Head of Year who will return it at his/her discretion.
  • A Discipline Report Slip should be filed

8. The Head of Year will follow up repeated violations of uniform and appearance regulations in the following way:
   • For three reported violations the pupil will be placed in detention and the parents contacted.
   • A fourth violation will result in a further detention and the parents will be informed.
   • For a fifth and further violation the pupil will be excluded from school for at least one day and the case reviewed by the Disciplinary Committee.

 

• (e) Rudeness and Disrespect

1. Minor incidences should be reported using a Disciplinary Report Slip and the teacher should deal with the pupil in an appropriate way e.g. demand letter of apology; set extra work to be done at home; write an essay etc.
2. More serious cases should be reported to the Head of Year using a Discipline Report Slip and placing the white top copy in the relevant pigeon-hole. The Head of Year will then arrange to see the pupil, contact the parents and impose suitable sanctions.
3. Serious cases should be referred to the S/T i/c Discipline by sending the pupil with their pink copy and placing the white top copy in the pigeon-hole in the staff room.  In such cases the pupil may be placed in detention or suspended so please only refer the more serious cases to the S/T.

 

• (f) General misbehaviour

The same procedure as in part (e) should be followed.

• (g) Unjustified Absence/Truancy

Teachers should check that all pupils are present every lesson.   A written attendance register should be kept by all members of staff for every lesson with a note kept of lateness.   If a pupil is absent from a lesson but not on the absence list:

1. The teacher should report this by placing both the white top copy and the pink pupil’s copy of the Disciplinary Report Slip in the pigeon hole of the relevant Head of Year.
2. The Head of Year will follow the matter up by seeing the pupil.  The pink copy of the Disciplinary Report slip will be given to the pupil who may be placed in detention or be excluded from school.  The parents will be informed.
3. A second occurrence may result in the pupil being excluded from school pending a final decision by the Disciplinary Committee. In such cases the Head of Year should report the pupil to the S/T i/c Discipline.

• (h)  Smoking and possession/use of banned substances

The School considers smoking and possession/use of banned substances violations as very serious and the sanctions imposed are designed to serve as a deterrent against such abuses.

• Pupils caught in possession or using banned substances (alcohol, drugs etc.) or tobacco products or in the company of a pupil who is smoking or has such materials will be suspended from school and their parents informed. This will be dealt with by the Head of Year

 

• If there are further violations the Head of Year will report the pupil to the S/T i/c Discipline and may result in exclusion of the pupil from School pending a decision by the Disciplinary Committee.

 

• (i)  Use of Violence and Bullying

The School considers the use of violence and bullying as very serious and the sanctions imposed are designed to serve as a deterrent against such actions.

1. The use of physical violence against a member of staff will result in immediate exclusion from School pending the outcome of a Disciplinary Committee Meeting.
2. The use of physical violence by one pupil against another will result in an immediate one day suspension pending further investigation by the Head of Year who can refer the matter to the S/T i/c Discipline for further action if necessary.
3. Any form of bullying (physical or psychological) is unacceptable. Such cases should be reported to the Head of Year who, after investigation, may involve the S/T i/c Discipline and/or the S/T i/c Pastoral Care and the appropriate action taken.

 

• (j) Inappropriate and Improper use of ICT (Information and communication technology)

           The use by pupils of ICT with inappropriate contents, the sending of inappropriate (in the opinion of the recipient) electronic material or the creation of websites referring to the School without prior written permission being obtained from the School will be dealt with according to the nature of the contents. Depending on the nature of the contents the pupil could be excluded from the School immediately and the matter referred to a Disciplinary Committee Meeting.

 

• (k) Cases of Discrimination/Harassment

           A separate policy will be drawn up to cover this complex area of the School's work. Primary responsibility for dealing with cases of discrimination and harassment will lie with the S/T i/c of Intercultural Relations. The role of the Senior Teacher in such cases will be to decide whether the case is a pastoral or a discipline issue or both and take the appropriate action. This could involve

1. Dealing with the issue themselves.
2. Referring the matter to the Head of Year or S/T i/c Pastoral Care.
3. Referring the matter to the S/T i/c Discipline.

           In a multicultural school like ours, cases of discrimination/harassment will need to be treated with tact and sensitivity but also firmly so as to send the correct messages to all the stakeholders of the School.

 

4. General actions by the Heads of Year and S/T i/c Discipline

1. The Head of Year and S/T i/c Discipline will try to keep all interested parties informed of action taken for each case of referral and the general pupil discipline profile.
2. Pupils identified as developing into serious behavioural or discipline cases will be referred to the Head of Year who will then deal with the pupil in an appropriate way.
3. The Head of Year will file the Disciplinary Report Slips for each pupil and, at his/her discretion and depending on the seriousness of the incidents, take the following actions:
   1. When three Disciplinary Report Slips have been filed for whatever reason the pupil will be placed in detention and the parents informed.
   2. Filing of a fourth Disciplinary Report Slip will automatically result in a further detention and the parents informed.
   3. If a fifth Disciplinary Report Slip is filed the S/T i/c Discipline will consider exclusion of the pupil from school pending a meeting with the parents where conditions will be set as agreed by the S/T i/c Discipline or Disciplinary Committee for the pupil’s return.
   4. If the pupil is reported after this to the S/T i/c Discipline (s)he will be excluded from school for a period to be fixed by the SMT or Disciplinary Committee.  In such cases the Disciplinary Committee has the right to exclude the pupil permanently from the School (expulsion) until the case is examined by the Board
4. The Disciplinary Committee will apply a range of sanctions which in addition to detention and exclusion from school will include the withdrawal of privileges such as:  non-participation in elections for positions of responsibility (Form Captain, Pupil Representative); banning from the parade team or not allowing the pupil to go on school trips.

 

5. Evaluation of the system

An annual report will be compiled at the end of each academic year by each of the Heads of Year and submitted to the S/T i/c Discipline. The S/T i/c Discipline will then produce one overall report at the end of each academic year. This will be presented to the SMT and the Board in early September. The report will then be available to the staff and form the basis for discussion at a staff meeting if necessary. In the light of feedback the SMT will take the necessary actions for the development of the system.

 

6. Conclusion

The main aim of this scheme is an improvement in appearance, punctuality, behaviour and attitude.  The scheme does no more than insist that the school regulations and code of conduct are implemented and respected.  Punishments are designed so that they become increasingly more punitive and hopefully more of a deterrent.  For non-compliance with uniform regulations, lateness and minor incidents of misbehaviour and disrespect a pupil will need to be reported four times and placed in detention twice before being considered for suspension. The primary concern of the S/T i/c Discipline in these cases is to give support to the teacher. The use of violence, truancy and smoking (or possession and use of other banned substances) will be dealt with more severely as outlined in the scheme.  It is hoped that all interested parties especially the SMT, pastoral team, parents and teachers referring pupils can be kept informed of developments.  Pupils whose disciplinary profile appears to be problematic will be referred to the S/T i/c Pastoral for counselling.  The Disciplinary Committee has the right to impose a wide range of sanctions.  Evaluation of the system has been built in.  This will allow the SMT to decide on the effectiveness of the disciplinary system and how it should be developed or replaced.
           
If implemented properly the policy has the ability to identify and deal with pupils causing continuous low level disruption even though their academic performance is sound.