POLICY, BEHAVIOUR and DISCIPLINE
ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT AND ATTENDANCE
FUNDAMENTAL POLICY
1. The college aims to keep behavioural problems at a low level and, whilst being very strict, keep exclusions to a minimum.
2. In general we expect that staff know, understand and support accepted norms of social interaction. We also expect staff to enforce such things as decency, cleanliness, and respect for others and their possessions.
3. In the twenty-five years of its establishment, the college has experienced few serious behavioural problems.
4. All staff are authorities in minor matters of discipline. For more serious incidents, staff should defer to the Director of Studies or the Principal.
5. Although the college does not offer specific training in classroom management, staff must always remain even-tempered in all situations.
6. The college is tolerant, liberal and encouraging but insists on high standards of behaviour.
7. As a college whose major teaching area is at A level, we have adopted a very informal ethos. Thus, for example, we require no uniform nor, in general do we enforce a dress code or other similar disciplines found in larger and more regimented institutions.
8. The college has a policy of 100% attendance and submission of work. Problems arising in both of these areas should be dealt with through the Director of Studies and/or his administrative assistants.
9. All staff, students, parents and guardians shall be made aware of this policy.
Noteworthy are the following:
1. Smoking by students over 18 is permitted outside the premises but is strictly prohibited for students of compulsory school age.
2. The use of mobile phones in class is prohibited.
3. All students of compulsory school age must remain on the premises during class time but are permitted to leave at lunchtime with parental consent.
4. All students of compulsory school age must be escorted to and fro across Kensington High Street as required during breaks between lessons.
5. Students must speak English at all times at the college.
6. Students are forbidden to use the photocopiers or use the facilities or space of the laboratories, art room and dark room unless supervised by an authority.
7. Students are not allowed to use any of the lifts in its premises.
DISCIPLINARY PROCEDURE
LEVEL 1 - MINOR INDISCIPLINE
This might involve such things as: impertinence, tardiness upon arrival to class and return from breaks, untidiness, minor disruptiveness, and failure to follow instructions from a teacher. As stated in the outline, all staff are authorities with regard to discipline and are expected to use their discretion in determining the nature or severity of the offence and enforcing proper behaviour.
In general for minor offences we do not expect the matter to proceed beyond a dialogue between the teacher and the offending student. If appropriate, teachers should attempt to enforce proper behaviour, note any misbehaviour in their grade book and report any persistent offences to a Director of Studies.
As a rule we try to keep such problems internal so that parents would not normally be involved with such indiscipline.
LEVEL 2 - SERIOUS INDISCIPLINE
This might involve: persistent offences at level 1, aggressive insubordination, aggressive verbal or physical bullying, destruction or defacing of school property, bunking off classes and racism. For all levels of indiscipline treated in this document the division between one level and another is a matter for the discretion of attending staff. Similarly the list of examples at all levels is not meant to be exhaustive.
Most of the time such offences will require the class to be suspended and the student escorted to the office of the Director of Studies. You are required to write up all such incidents and submit copy to the DoS. The DoS will then interview the student in question and write a report of this interview and report to the Principal.
Parents are very likely to be invited to a meeting with the DoS after a level 2 offences. Subsequent offences by the same student may lead to suspension or exclusion at the discretion of the Principal.
All such offences will be recorded.
LEVEL 3 - SEVERE INDISCIPLINE
This might involve: a student using violent, scatological and abusive language in resisting authority; tampering with fire safety equipment; behaviour endangering others, such as throwing objects out of a window; physical attacks on staff or students. Naturally such incidents must also be written up. The DoS and Principal are involved as per level 2 offences.
Such level 3 offences will lead to suspension and possibly exclusion. Note that a student may be excluded immediately upon a level 3 offence and need not have been reported for indiscipline previously.
PUNISHMENT
The college does not operate a formal scheme of punishment. Nevertheless, appropriate punishments, eg writing an essay, tidying the premises may be imposed by the DoS. Staff, may suggest, but are not allowed to impose punishments.
SUSPENSION and EXCLUSION
For level 2 or 3 offences, the college will interview all relevant parties who witnessed the offence (s). A meeting with at least two members of the senior management team will then be convened to decide whether to simply discipline, suspend or exclude the student. If either of the latter, parents or guardians will be informed in writing, giving detail of the college’s decision.
APPEAL
Students may appeal any decision. A formal meeting will be convened where the student may be accompanied by a parent or guardian. After the meeting the representatives of the college will review the case and write to the student within 3 days with their conclusions.
If after this, the student still wishes to appeal a decision, the college will organize a hearing headed by an independent adjudicator such as a school principal. The adjudicator will hear evidence and take statements from both parties and reach a decision on the same day. This decision will be final.
All expenses related to the hearing must be born by the student.
SUMMARY
Staff are authorities in matters of discipline. For serious or severe breaches of discipline both the Principal and DoS will be involved. Suspension is sometimes mandatory; exclusion is discretionary.
As stated above the college insists on good manners. This policy is both a matter of principle as well as a business strategy. The college has made much progress in recent years establishing a well-ordered, lively and purposeful environment. In the past, economic necessity and excessive forbearance have permitted disruptive students to remain at the school. This should never happen again.
A LITTLE MORE DETAIL
ADMISSIONS’ POLICY
Each year the college accepts a few students who have left their previous school because they are not succeeding. Such leave takings are sometimes voluntary, sometimes not. The college’s policy is always to be encouraging but, in general, to operate a discipline policy, which, when merited, is draconian.
SEN
The college accepts, on average, less than one student per year with special educational needs. Teachers may or may not be informed of such students at the discretion of the college. We do not regard ourselves as experts in this area but have enjoyed significant success in the past because of our small classes and individual attention.
CHILD PROTECTION
Teachers may become aware of a student’s behaviour, or physical appearance, which is abnormal and may originate from familial relations, anorexia or prohibited substances. Naturally, teachers are expected to report your concerns to the DoS.
BULLYING
Bullying may be defined as deliberate and repeated, hurtful behaviour, whether physical or psychological, where it is difficult for the victim to defend himself or herself. Naturally it is not tolerated.
SOCIAL AND EMOTIONAL ASPECTS OF LEARNING
The college recognizes the contribution that Citizenship and PSHE (Personal Social and Health Education) can make to improving behaviour. In particular, these may deal with such issues as: understanding another’s point of view, working in groups and sticking together if difficulties arise, resolving conflicts and managing worries.
CLASSROOM DISCIPLINE
We like to strike a balance between informality and severe academic rigour in the classroom. It is worthwhile for new tutors to bear in mind that it is very much easier to relax discipline after a firm start than vice versa.
All tutors are reminded that punctuality is important. Students who are late should sit down and immediately, and quietly, get on with the work being set or taught in the lesson.
Students who are persistently late should be sent to John Wilson, Director of Studies or Breanne Grantham, Assistant Director of Studies.
PUNCTUALITY AND ATTENDANCE
If students are unavoidably delayed or prevented from attending a lesson, they MUST contact the College by telephone and leave appropriate work with the administrators for your students (Old Court Place: 020 7937 3858; Young Street: 020 7376 0360). If they will be absent for a whole day because of illness, you must call the office between 8.30 a.m. and 8.50 a.m.
Teachers should ensure that your classes start and finish punctually. In particular, they must not wait for latecomers. Although all rooms are checked for absences and punctuality each session and the results reported to the Director of Studies and Personal Tutors, teachers are asked to ensure that these managers are constantly informed about particular culprits in their classes.
Naturally, we are aware that occasionally both staff and students are affected by the somewhat erratic service provided by the Rail network and London Transport; however, please try and aim to be in College by 8.30 for a 9 a.m. start; that way, you have a better chance of being in situ on time.
NB Tutors are required to keep their own registers of attendance for all classes.
BREAKS
Tutors are asked to give each class a ten-minute break at a convenient moment. Students are not allowed to return late from breaks, and tutors should inform Personal Tutors and the Director of Studies if any student persistently arrives late after breaks (as this is not picked up by room checks). Tutors may withdraw the right to a break for some or all students in a group as a disciplinary sanction.
Teachers ought to finish each class at ten minutes to the hour to enable students to arrive on time for their next lesson, which may be in a different building.
We should be grateful if, at the end of each class, you ask students to throw away any debris such as coffee cups, so that the room is clear for groups which follow. Please also close fire doors as appropriate and clean the white boards.
ATTENDANCE REGISTERS
GCSE STUDENTS (YEARS 9, 10 AND 11)
The DCSF (Department for Schools Children and Families) requires registered schools to meet certain conditions. One of theses is that a register of attendance is kept rather than, as is the case for our A Level students, a list of absences (administered through the room checking process). Clearly, we must fall in line with DCSF requirements and teachers must fill out a register for each Middle School group you teach. It is necessary to keep tabs on your students’ punctuality and attendance in any event as these statistics need to be added on to the reports as indicated earlier.
SMOKING AND ALCOHOL
Students are prohibited from smoking anywhere on the College premises. They are also not allowed to smoke in front or on the steps of any of the buildings. This applies both in Old Court Place and at Young Street.
PLEASE NOTE THIS SMOKING RULE WHICH APPLIES TO EVERYONE.
Staff are NOT permitted to smoke outside Old Court Place unless they cross the road. Please be aware that staff smoking at our entrance encourages students to do this too; both create a poor impression when we have visitors and prospective students coming for interviews.
Please bear in mind the impression it gives to newcomers and potential students, not to mention their parents, when they see students smoking outside the College – it does not impress!
No student may be in possession of alcohol (cans or bottles) whilst on College premises. If discovered, the alcohol should be confiscated and the student’s PT and a Director of Studies informed so the appropriate action can be taken.
GENERAL BEHAVIOUR
The following things are not permitted at any time:
Chewing gum in lessons
Wearing baseball caps/hood hats in College – if teachers see a student wearing one, please ask them to remove it; if they don’t, please confiscate it!
Students should not wear excessive amounts of jewellery or facial piercings (common sense should prevail, please).
Students should bring a change of clothes if they are intending to play sports during the extra-curricular activity sessions and/or during lunchtimes.
Mobile phones going off in lessons – they should be turned off.
Rowdy behaviour in the Library – quiet chatting is permitted at lunchtime only, as is modest food.
Dropping litter.
McDonalds, KFC and other foul-smelling alleged foodstuffs.
Students may, at your discretion, drink or eat small items in your class. This is a privilege extended by you to them, not their right.
PERSONAL HYGIENE, DRESS AND DEPORTMENT
Students are also expected to pay attention to their personal hygiene so as not to cause offence to others. If a student is deficient in this respect, please raise it with them on their own and in a tactful manner. Occasionally neglect is a sign of depression so please take note of this comment do not think it is merely made in jest.
Students are permitted to dress casually but should respect the norms of decency and modesty.
Students, who behave in a seriously disruptive manner such that a class may not continue, may be excluded from class. Please be aware that this is a serious sanction and must not be used in cases of minor misbehaviour. All such incidents must be reported to a Director of Studies.
It is imagined that the range of behaviours that may occasion this will include:
Verbal or physical (though rare) violence towards students and/or members of staff
swearing at a member of staff (please note this means using a personally directed expletive such as telling you to f**k off, not simply using a swear-word in an inappropriate context, for which the student should be warned)
use of hateful, racist, homophobic or sexist language against a member of staff or a student (note that before exclusion from class, the student must be offered the opportunity by you to withdraw the comment and apologise to the other party)
Middle School students should be sent to the Head of Middle School (please remember that Middle School students should not be left unsupervised at any time). If neither is available and the situation is both serious and urgent (e.g. violent behaviour) please call Reception at OCP and speak to a Director of Studies.
A Level students should be sent in the first instance to reception, where one of our admin team will arrange for them to see Mike, Breanne, Lee or John at the earliest opportunity. If there is no one available to see the student, they will be held in the Library until they can be seen.
TOLERANCE
Ashbourne will not tolerate violence or intimidation, nor will it condone sexist, racist or homophobic abuse. Anyone experiencing any problems in terms of these or other issues either from student or staff behaviour can approach any member of the senior management team for advice.
Students who are involved in fighting on or near College property can expect to be suspended or excluded. If you witness a fight please inform senior management at once and do not attempt to intervene yourself – you may be putting yourself at risk of serious injury. If the situation merits it, please call the police, in particular if any weapon is involved. Ensure that first aid is provided for any casualties and call an ambulance if anyone is seriously hurt.
Obviously students are not allowed to bring knives or any other weapon on to College premises and if they are found in possession of such items they can expect to be suspended or expelled.
RESPECT FOR COLLEGE PROPERTY
Graffiti and other destructive behaviour towards College property are regarded as a serious offence and should be reported to the student’s PT and the Director of Studies.
The fire extinguishers are located near the emergency exits, the photocopiers and the laboratories. STUDENTS MUST NOT ABUSE THE FIRE EXTINGUISHERS – they must only be touched or used in the event of fire.
LABORATORIES
Students are not permitted BY LAW to enter laboratories unattended by a member of staff.
