In Forgney National School it is our aim to create a happy, secure and caring environment where the children will develop and learn to potential, it is necessary to provide a framework, which promotes constructive behaviour and discourages unacceptable behaviour. The aim is to ensure that the individuality of each child is accommodated, while acknowledging the right of each child to an education in a relatively disruptive free environment, the school code places a greater emphasis on rewards rather than sanctions, and the ideal is that pupils will acquire self-discipline.
Aims:
- To help create a positive, stimulating learning environment in which every pupil can benefit from the school.
- To help pupils become more self-disciplined, and to encourage good standards of behaviour at home, at school and locally based on consideration, respect and tolerance for others.
- The maintenance of good order throughout the school and respect for the school environment.
Forgney National School Rules:
- Pupils must show respect for teachers, parents, and fellow pupils at all times.
- School property and the property of others must be treated with respect. Interfering with or damaging school property i.e writing on tables, walls, etc. will be regarded as a serious offence.
- Aggressive behaviour or foul language will not be tolerated in the school.
- Running indoors, pushing, jostling and any sort of rough play is not permitted.
- No child is allowed leave the school grounds without permission. All absences shall be explained by written notification.
- High standards of hygiene should be required at all times throughout the school. Children are encouraged to use the litter bins to keep the school and grounds tidy.
- Punctuality is encouraged at all times. Children should arrive in school no later than 9.20 am.
- The use of mobile phones is strictly forbidden within the school grounds. If found to do so, the phone will be confiscated until 3.00pm.
- While your child is in school he/she will be known by the names (Christian name and Surname) that is on his/her birth & baptismal certificate. The school will only change the name if evidence of changing name by deed poll is made available to the Principal. Slang name-calling, surnames or nicknames is discouraged, as we would like all children to be treated with respect.
- The following are not permitted on the school premises.
- Eating during class time.
- Dangerous articles, i.e knives, glass bottle etc; sharp objects, aerosols, matches, lighters or any object that is considered a danger to any pupil or others.
- Fizzy drinks, chewing gum, or any other junk food.
- All pupils are required to line up promptly and in an orderly manner at the end of breaks. During inclement weather pupils stay in their classrooms for breaks. They must observe implicitly any directions given by teachers and safety procedures must be followed at all times.
Examples of Misbehaviour:
In Class: Continuously talking Disrupting out of turn
Cheeky behaviour Distracting others Untidy work
In School Yard: Fighting Kicking Rough play
Foul language Name-calling Spitting Littering
In the School Building: Running Shouting Vandalism
Serious Misbehaviour: Bullying Mitching Stealing
- Aggressive/threatening behaviour towards teacher or pupil.
- Deliberate damage to school property.
- Leaving school grounds without permission
Sanctions: Forgney school places greater emphasis on rewards than on sanctions. To encourage each child to behave and to co-operate fully with regulations we emphasise positive action. Verbal praise and encouragement is used as much as possible. Each teacher adopts their own system within the classroom e.g. points for individuals and groups, special privileges, rewards.
Pupils in senior classes share as much as possible in maintaining the code of behaviour of the school. School duties are assigned. It is accepted that there is need for sanctions to show disapproval of unacceptable attitudes and behaviour.
Procedures:
- Reasoning with the pupil.
- Verbal reprimand, including advice on how to improve.
- Temporary separation from peers, friends and others
- Prescribed additional work signed by parents.
- Recording of incident of misbehaviour in the incident book, signed by offender.
- Detention during breaks
- Referral to Principal
- Communications with parents.
- Suspension (temporary).
Pupils who misbehave frequently and who have no remorse for their actions will not be allowed to participate in school outings for their own safety and that of others, although incidents of misbehaviour are recorded, the emphasis is on encouraging children to behave well and praise is given for commendable behaviour.
Parents will be informed at an early stage if problems occur and not simply at the point where a crisis has arisen.
At times, it has been suggested by some parents that the matters to which their attention is being drawn are of a trivial nature, and that there was no necessity to have informed them that their child had misbehaved. The response to this is that while the misbehaviour may appear to be of a trivial nature, it is the cumulative effects of such breaches of the rules which are important as it undermines the ethos of the school.