DISCIPLINE AND CODE OF BEHAVIOUR POLICY

The children of Scoil an Chro R Naofa osa have a very good reputation for the excellence
of their behaviour and the school is very proud of its reputation in this regard.
Parents/guardians too can be justifiably proud of their children and how they conduct
themselves. The purpose of the following Discipline and Code of Behaviour Policy is to
ensure that together, school and home maintain these high standards so that children are safe
and happy in their school environment.
The standards and rules contained in this policy apply in all situations where the child is
under the care or responsibility of the school, and in any situation where s/he, although
outside the school, is still the responsibility of the school, e.g. school tours, games and
extracurricular activities, and attendance at events organised by or for the school. Where a
child is alleged to have engaged in serious misbehaviour outside school, when not under the
care or responsibility of the school, the code of behaviour will apply in cases where there is a
clear connection with the school and a demonstrable impact on its work.
The purpose of this policy is to set out:

the standards of behaviour expected in the school.

the plan for promoting good behaviour.

the ways in which the school responds to unacceptable behaviour.

the plan for implementing the code of behaviour.

school procedures for the use of suspension and expulsion.

Children from Junior Infants setting a good example for all

The aims and objectives of this policy are:

to allow the school to function in an orderly and harmonious way on a daily basis.

to create an atmosphere of respect, tolerance and consideration for others in the richly
diverse, multicultural environment of the school.

to enhance the learning environment where the children can make progress in all
aspects of their development.

to promote positive behaviour and self discipline, while recognising the differences
between children and the need to accommodate these differences.

to ensure the safety and well-being of all members of our school community.

to assist the children and their parents/guardians in understanding the systems and
procedures that form part of the code of behaviour, and to seek their co-operation.

to ensure that the system of rules, rewards and sanctions are implemented in a fair
and consistent manner.

Roles and Responsibilities

The Board of Management of the school has overall responsibility for ensuring that a code
of behaviour is prepared in consultation with all the members of the school community.
The principal has overall responsibility for auditing, reviewing, implementing and
communicating the code to the children and their parents/guardians.
All members of staff are responsible for creating a positive school environment that
supports good behaviour by giving good example and modelling the schools standards
with the children, their parents/guardians and each other.
Parents/Guardians are responsible for modelling the standards of behaviour expected of
their children. In order to do this, they need to be familiar with the standards and to
support the schools expectations that the children will behave according to these
standards.
The children are responsible for trying their best to abide by the rules and standards of
behaviour expected of them.
Overall responsibility for day-to-day discipline issues rests with the principal and deputy
principal.
The principal and deputy principal have responsibility for very serious discipline issues or
for repeated and persistent incidences of minor misbehaviour.
Individual teachers have responsibility for the maintenance of discipline in their own
classrooms.
Individual assistant principal teachers have responsibility for supporting class teachers at
various class levels.
All staff members share a corporate responsibility for good behaviour within the school.

Promoting Positive Behaviour

School Expectations
The children are expected:

to show courtesy, respect and good manners to all.

to be well-behaved and to show consideration for other children and

adults.

to respect the rights of others to learn. Behaviour that interferes with this,
e.g. disruption of the class, disrespect or distraction of others is unacceptable.
to respect the rights of others to be safe at all times within the school
building and grounds.
to show respect for school property.
to respect their own belongings and the property of other children.
to do their best in school and complete their homework to the best of their ability.
to attend school regularly and on time.
to adhere to related school policies, e.g. Anti-Bullying, Homework, Healthy Eating,
Uniforms, Mobile Phones, Break times etc.
Strategies to Affirm and Promote Positive Behaviour
A high standard of behaviour requires a strong sense of school community and a high level of
co-operation among staff, pupils and parents/guardians. To this end, all members of staff will
adopt a positive approach to behaviour in the school. The school places greater emphasis on
rewards than on sanctions. While expecting a high standard of behaviour, the school
recognises the variety of differences that exist between children and the need to accommodate
these differences.
The school will adopt the following specific strategies to affirm and promote good behaviour:
Each class teacher will have a range of appropriate strategies to re-enforce positive
behaviour within the classroom, e.g. praise, star of the week, golden time, reward
stickers and certificates, homework passes, notes to parents/guardians, etc.
Playground books and class books will be used to record incidents of positive
behaviour especially during break times, e.g. lining-up, kindness to other children,
appropriate play activities, courtesy, litter awareness, and adherence to school policy.
Class of the Month will be awarded at each class level based on these records.
Efforts by children to improve behaviour will be recognised and approved.
Behaviour management programmes will be used by class teachers, and supported by
the class level assistant principal, when necessary.
A holistic child development programme involving teachers in the schools Resource
Unit will help support children with low self-esteem, behavioural difficulties, learning
difficulties or other special needs. Art therapy, P.E., music, Homework Club, drama

etc. will serve to involve and include children in programmes and activities that will
help promote and maintain a sense of well-being and belonging.

Responding to Unacceptable Behaviour

The following strategies will be used in response to behaviour which is
deemed unacceptable:
1. Discussion and reasoning with the child.
2. Fair and appropriate reprimand, which will include advice on acceptable
behaviour.
3. Consultation and communication with parent(s)/guardian(s).
4. Temporary separation from friends and peers, with appropriate work prescribed.
4.
5.
6.
7.

Temporary loss of privileges in school and/or at home.

Additional work that is fair and appropriate in terms of amount and content.
Referral to the class level assistant principal.
Referral to assistant principal(s) with responsibility for discipline.
8. Implementation of behaviour management programme in consultation and
collaboration with the childs parent(s)/guardian(s). Monitoring of progress.
9. Supervised detention during break times.
10. Referral to deputy principal.
11. Referral to principal.
12. Referral to external agency, if appropriate, with parent/guardian consent.
13.
Temporary suspension in accordance with the terms of Rule 130(5) of the
Rules for National Schools.
Note: From time to time, the principal may intervene early on in the process in the interest of
resolving a difficulty around behaviour and discipline as quickly as possible. The Board of
Management reserves the right to request a parent or guardian to withdraw their child from
school for all or part of a school day in circumstances where, in the opinion of the Board, the
child poses an unacceptable risk to other children, school staff and/or school property.
Violent, aggressive, threatening or disruptive behaviour towards another child or member of
staff will be regarded as serious or gross misbehaviour. In such cases, the Board of
Management may authorise the chairperson or principal to request a withdrawal or sanction
an immediate suspension, pending discussion of the matter with the parent(s)/guardian(s).

Strategies for Implementing the Code of Behaviour

Parents/guardians will be involved at an early stage in issues of unacceptable

behaviour rather than as a last resort.
Parents/guardians will be involved in drawing up and implementing strategies to deal
with unacceptable behaviour, e.g. behaviour management programmes will involve

parental support in monitoring progress, signing behaviour charts and rewarding

improvements in behaviour.
Standard letters will be issued to parents/guardians on issues of uniform, lunches,
punctuality, homework, breaches of school rules etc.
A Class Book will be issued to all teachers and monitored regularly by the assistant
principals. Teachers will keep written records of discipline and behaviour incidents and
sanctions imposed. Any improvement in a childs behaviour will also be recorded and
rewarded.
Playground books and class books will be used to record positive and negative behaviour
during break times.
Standard letters and/or Homework Journal entries will be used by teachers to
communicate with parents/guardians where behaviour has deteriorated or improved.

Suspension
For gross misbehaviour, or repeated instances of misbehaviour, suspension will be considered
by the Board of Management. Aggressive, threatening or violent behaviour towards another
child or member of staff will be regarded as serious or gross misbehaviour. Where there are
repeated instances of serious misbehaviour, the chairperson of the Board of Management will
be informed and the parent(s)/guardian(s) of the child will be requested to attend at the school
to meet with the principal. If the parent(s)/guardian(s) is/are unable or unwilling to give an
undertaking that the child will behave in an acceptable manner in the future, the child will be
suspended. Where parents/guardians do not agree to meet with the principal and/or
chairperson, notification of suspension will be made in writing. In the case of gross
misbehaviour, the Board of Management may authorise the chairperson or principal to
sanction an immediate suspension, pending discussion of the matter with the
parent(s)/guardian(s).
Where the Board of Management deems it necessary to suspend a child from school, the
maximum initial period of such exclusion will be three school-days. The Board may authorise
a further period of suspension up to a maximum of 10 school-days to allow for consultation
with the childs parent(s)/guardian(s). In exceptional circumstances, the Board of
Management may authorise a further period of suspension in order to enable the matter to be
reviewed.
The school will arrange for a member of staff to provide support to the child during his/her
re-integration back into the school. When any sanction, including suspension, is completed,
the child will be given the opportunity and support for a fresh start. The school will maintain
a record of the childs behaviour and of the sanction(s) imposed. On completion of
suspension/sanction the child will be expected to behave in accordance with the code of
behaviour and the rules of the school.

Expulsion
Expulsion of a child from the school will only be considered by the Board of Management on
very serious grounds. These could include:
behaviour that is a persistent cause of significant disruption to the learning of others
or to the teaching process.
behaviour that is a real and significant threat to the safety of children or staff.
behaviour which results in serious damage to property.
Expulsion is seen as a last resort by the school. However, the Board of Management reserves
the right to expel a child when all interventions and all possibilities for changing his/her
behaviour have been exhausted. In very exceptional circumstances expulsion may be
recommended for a single/first offence. The kinds of behaviour that might result in such a
proposal include:
a serious threat of violence against another child or member of staff.
actual violence or physical assault.
sexual assault.
using or supplying illegal substances in the school.

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