Our Behaviour Approach

At West Newcastle Academy, we aim to:

Create a positive culture that promotes excellent behaviour, ensuring that all children have the opportunity to learn in a calm, safe and supportive environment
Establish a whole-school approach to maintaining high standards of behaviour that reflect the values of the school
Outline the expectations and consequences of behaviour
Provide a consistent approach to behaviour management that is applied equally to all children
Define what we consider to be unacceptable behaviour, including bullying and discrimination

As a school we want to build a positive relationship with families by keeping them informed about developments in their child's behaviour and the school’s policy and working in collaboration with them to resolve issues about their child’s behaviour or the behaviour of another child, which may be impacting upon their child’s behaviour.

Our Team will:

Be consistent, treating all children, colleagues and families with kindness, tolerance and respect
Identify positive examples of behaviour for learning before they name negatives
Promote and support excellent behaviour through timely acknowledgement, encouragement, and appropriate praise so that children are motivated to learn intrinsically
Primarily praise effort, but also use appropriate rewards to acknowledge their resilience, achievement and hard work
Regularly remind children to be ready, respectful, and safe learners through our curriculum, assemblies and at opportune moments throughout the school day
Integrate the zones of regulation as a tool to support and maintain regulated learners.
Use restorative and trauma informed approaches and questioning techniques to repair, encourage reflection, growth and responsibility
Ensure lessons, classrooms and outdoor learning environments are well prepared and well organised to promote good behaviour for learning: including appropriate pitch with well-matched work with scaffolds and challenges
Understand the learning and SEND (Special Educational Needs and Disability) needs of children, recognising their varying backgrounds and experiences; make appropriate adjustments to provision to ensure good behaviour for learning and high expectations for all
Respond to problems promptly and consistently; feedback to families, consider threshold for escalation to member of SLT
Consider thresholds for formal recording; ensure behaviour incidents are fairly recorded in a factual manner on Arbor
Have awareness of their statutory safeguarding duties under KCSIE (Keeping Children Safe in Education) 2026
Only restrain a child when they are a danger to themselves or others and as a last resort

Our Children will:

Be consistently well behaved; treating each other and adults with kindness, tolerance and respect
Be ready to learn at all times and ready to always respond to adults in a safe and respectful manner both inside and outside of the classroom
Respect school resources and use them appropriately, leaving the classroom tidy each day
Be inclusive and understand that some children need further adaptations and adjustments to support positive behaviour
Move around, line up and enter building, halls & classrooms etc. in a safe and respectable manner
All children will let any adults pass through a door before them saying “After you”
Use appropriate conventions to show that they would like to speak, take a turn, join in a game etc
Work appropriately in lessons: discussing in a group; talking quietly with a partner etc or in silence if the teacher has requested this
Expect learning to be challenging; have high expectations of themselves
Come to school each day with the resources they need e.g. PE kit
Use social media and mobile telephones safely and responsibly; behave appropriately with others virtually or on the internet as well as in school
Agree and follow our Pupil Acceptable User Agreement for all work online in school and at home

Our Families will:

Raise concerns in a manner which is in keeping with the school’s core values – school does not and will not tolerate abusive or unkind behaviour on the part of family members. To support school with their child’s behaviour families should get to know the school’s behaviour policy and reinforce it at home where appropriate
Support their child in adhering to the school’s behaviour policy
Inform the school of any changes in circumstances that may affect their child’s behaviour
Raise any concerns about the management of behaviour with the school directly, while continuing to work in partnership with the school
Discuss any behavioural concerns promptly and in an appropriate and polite manner
Families can share concerns by telephone or email their child’s class teacher or senior leader.
Take part in any pastoral work where concerns have been raised by school (for example, attending reviews of specific behaviour interventions)
Take part in the life of the school and its culture

Challenging and addressing unacceptable behaviour

Occasionally children will display behaviour which is not acceptable; that does not align with the school’s values and core behaviour principles; may be detrimental to the learning of their peers; may harm and hurt others.

Unacceptable behaviour may range from:

an isolated incident or behaviour – e.g. low-level classroom disruption; isolated inappropriate language;
repetitive unacceptable behaviour which establishes a pattern of unacceptable behaviour
serious and significant unacceptable behaviour e.g. abusive peer on peer behaviour; significant physical violence; racist language or behaviour; verbal or physical bullying (repetitious and targeted); online bullying addressing unacceptable behaviour:

In KS1 and KS2 the process of de-escalation is formalised, based upon the fact that older children have a greater degree of self-awareness and a better understanding of their actions and their consequences. The process of escalation is as follows

KS1 and KS2 Process de-escalation

01 – positive reinforcement: positive behaviours are highlighted, praised and celebrated – referenced back to our core behaviour principles; zones of regulation used as a tool and helpful reminder to reinforce self-regulation.

02 – nonverbal reminder: a nonverbal reminder or cue to adjust behaviour is given to the child; this may take the form of direct eye contact, a gentle tap to their table; this prompts the child to return to the positive learning behaviours previously seen. Specific adaptations may be used to provide a nonverbal reminder for SEND pupils.

03 – a verbal warning: despite the nonverbal reminder the child has not adjusted their behaviour or attitude – a verbal warning is therefore given; -This may be given during whole class teaching or more discreetly (by way of appropriate adaptation) Specific adaptations in language and tone may be used to provide a verbal warning for SEND pupils.

04 – consequence: a child has not adjusted their behaviour – a consequence is therefore given. Child is made aware their behaviour has now resulted in a consequence; child’s name is recorded discreetly by the teacher process ‘resets’ to 01 ‘positive reinforcement’ once consequence is given. The main focus of the consequence will be a restorative conversation and repair with the child and member of staff.

05 - consequence(s): a child will be removed from class by a member of SLT for a ‘reflection and repair’ if they receive a third consequence within one day. This will also result in SLT contacting the child’s family.

A serious incident: any behavior which endangers the health and safety or well-being of a pupil(s) or a member of staff will result in immediate removal of class by a member of the SLT. This will also result in SLT contacting the child’s family. Processes for potential suspension may then be considered.

Supporting Positive Change

On occasions (such as in instances of repeated unacceptable behaviour) children may require more structured support (after a sanction) to help them understand how they need to behave differently; how adults will likewise help them. At West Newcastle Academy this structured support is called a plan for positive change – a working agreement between school, child and home – to work together to support and enable positive change.

This plan encourages pupils to reflect upon and take responsibility for behaviours which may be unhelpful / harmful to themselves and or others. The plan is collaborative (completed with staff and parents) and focused on supporting positive change in behaviour; it should not be viewed as a punishment but as an opportunity to behave differently; recognising the potential positive impact of a change in behaviour. Specific aspects of the plan format may be adapted to suit the needs of individual children; however, the principles and application remain the same.