Behaviour Management Policy

1. Why are we making this policy?

As a school founded in Jewish ethics, we strive to create an environment that encourages pupils to behave in a way that reflects positive Jewish values. We believe our pupils will develop to their fullest potential if they can be enthusiastically engaged in their learning without the distraction of disruptive behaviour.

2. What do we want to achieve as a result of this policy being implemented?

• To create a happy, positive learning environment
• To have clearly defined standards of behaviour centred around Jewish values that are understood and modelled by all members of the cheder community
• To encourage consistency of response to both positive and negative behaviour

3. Key criteria for the Behaviour Management Policy

•  Physical discipline, any form of humiliating practice, and negative reinforcement will not be permitted; nor will threatening of these be allowed.
• Permitted sanctions will be agreed on by all the teachers and will be age-appropriate (e.g. missing part of break time, not being allowed to play football), being sent out of the class for one to one supervision until the child is ready to behave appropriately or until the issue of concern has been sorted out.
• We do not exclude children from cheder. This may be what the disruptive child is hoping for. On the contrary we increase the level of adult supervision and attention and where necessary involve one or both parents in behaviour modification. We encourage the children to know that this is the consequence of misbehaviour as this may in itself be a deterrents to further instances of unacceptable behaviour.

4. Step Procedure for managing unacceptable behaviour

a) The teacher politely, calmly and in a neutral tone asks the child/children to stop the unacceptable behaviour, telling them what it is they are doing that is unacceptable.

b) If the unacceptable behaviour does not stop, the teacher refers to the agreed classroom rules, and asks again.

c) If there is still no response, the teacher asks the assistant or another child to get the Head Teacher, the Rabbi on duty or the Administrator, if the former are teaching, saying ‘(the child’s name) needs to see you’.

d) The appointed adult keeps the child with them in the front office until the next natural break, spending the time working productively (and age-appropriately) with them, either reading some Hebrew, researching a relevant topic or helping tidy up. The adult may discuss the child’s behaviour with them and investigate whether a way forward can be proposed which can be suggested however, this should only be done following a conversation with the child’s teacher (see step 5) The aim is usually to return the child to the class with their commitment to improved behaviour.

e) At the next natural break, the teacher and appointed adult will discuss the matter with the child, try to identify the causes of the unacceptable behaviour and work out together how it can be avoided in future.

f) If the child does not seem ready to return to the class and behave appropriately, the usual course of action is to arrange one to one tuition for the child with continuing consideration of their behaviour until both the child and the teacher agree that they are ready to trial a return to the class.

g) An Incident Report will be completed and filed in the Resource Centre at the end of the Cheder morning by the class teacher and appointed adult.

h) The Head Teacher will inform the child’s parents only in the case of serious misconduct or continued unacceptable behaviour at which point a meeting will be arranged with them.

i) Where this procedure has been repeated for 3 weeks during a half term (not necessarily consecutive), the ‘On Report’ system can be instigated. This will involve regularly scheduled meetings to agree objectives and checkpoints for the child. An appointed reviewer will be appointed to monitor the achievement of objectives and behaviour patterns over a defined period of weeks. The steps to implement this process are as follows:-

• Agree behaviour change objectives with the child (teacher/head/child)
• Agree a timeframe for progress checkpoints e.g. Every Cheder Sunday after assembly
• Appointed a Reviewer - this should be either the head teacher or the Rabbi.

The role of the Reviewer:-

• Allocate agreed time each Sunday to review the morning with the child. 
• Receive feedback from the teacher on how the morning has progressed
• Praise the child on things that have gone well
• Discuss issues and give support on resolving. 
• Check progress against objective and agree targets for next week.

5. What constitutes unacceptable behaviour?

The following are examples of unacceptable behaviour – this is not an exclusive list.

• physical violence
• bullying of all kinds (see separate policy document)
• snatching
• throwing things
• taking another child’s property
• damaging another child’s property or that of the cheder
• rudeness
• disrespectful body language / gestures 
• prolonged conversations between pupils, including whispering, which are not part of the class activity
• using abusive or aggressive language
• unnecessary movement around the room which disrupts others
• using frequent visits to the toilet as an excuse to leave the room (it is clearly vital the teacher be made aware if a child may need to go to the toilet often)
• lack of respect for property (e.g. putting feet on seats, climbing on furniture)
• using toys, games or gadgets in class
• using mobile phones in class
• prolonged and deliberate distracting of the teacher
• continuing, after warning, to behave in a way which undermines the ability of the teacher to control the class

6. Policies into practice-what will all parties do to ensure aims are achieved?

6.1. The Head Teacher will:-

•  Communicate policy and expectations to pupils, staff and parents
• Communicate a simple code of behaviour to all members of the cheder community focusing on the overarching value of :-

- b’tzelem elohim – likeness to God and 6 core values of:-

1. - darchei shalom – paths of peace
2. - g’milut hasadim – acts of loving kindness (incorporating tzedakah)
3. - kedushat ha’lashon – sanctity of speech 
4. - bal taschit – do not destroy or tikkun olam – repairing the world 
5. - derekh eretz – showing respect
6. - talmud torah – study of the torah

6.2. Teachers will:-

• Set classroom rules jointly with their class at the beginning of the cheder year (a class ‘brit’) which promote positive behaviour, and stick to them
• At the beginning of the cheder year, explain and ensure the children understand the procedure for dealing with inappropriate behaviour, and follow it with consistency
• Prepare appropriate, interesting, differentiated, well-paced lessons which are varied in their methods to facilitate pupil engagement.
• Be consistent and reasonable in their expectations of children’s behaviour
• Praise and reward good behaviour including encouraging friendliness and kindness towards fellow cheder pupils.
• Have authority to confiscate until break time or until the end of the morning as appropriate, items brought in by pupils which are either inappropriate or used in a manner that disrupts the lesson. This may include but is not exclusive to: mobile phones, game consoles, balls and toys.
• Respond to unacceptable behaviour in a developmentally appropriate way, respecting individual children’s levels of understanding and maturity
• Receive training in behaviour management where necessary
• Work closely with parents in order to promote positive attitudes and behaviour

6.3. Teachers and Assistants will

• Ensure that they know each child’s name and that they use the child’s name as much as possible when addressing the child – this is to make the child feel recognised and individually included. It also assists the other children in knowing each others names
• Ensure that the children know their teachers and assistants names and encourage them to use them in a respectful manner.
• Show by their manner and interactions that they like the children and their aim is to educate children in as enjoyable a manner as is consistent with an appropriate level of class behaviour

6.4. Assistants will

• Support the teacher in classroom behaviour management
• Take an active role in ensuring good behaviour in assembly – this usually involves sitting with or in close proximity to your children and ensuring that they are wearing their Kippah, are paying attention and are not involved in any disruptive behaviour
• Will take an active role in ensuring playground behaviour is appropriate

6.5. Parents will 

• Reinforce the standards of good behavior with their children.
• Ensure their children are aware of the examples of unacceptable behaviors
• Be wiling to engage in constructive communication with the cheder in the unfortunate event that their child is behaving inappropriately at the Cheder.
• Actively discourage their children from bringing inappropriate items with them to cheder or reinforcing their appropriate usage e.g. mobile phones for emergency use only and break times.

7. Monitoring, evaluation and review of the Policy

• Cheder staff will gather evidence to show the policy is being translated into practice, reporting back at a half-termly staff meeting and highlighting strengths and areas for further development
• Parents and the Education Committee will be encouraged to give their views on how well the policy is being translated into practice via e.g. a simple questionnaire
• The Education Committee will evaluate and review the policy no later than a year after its implementation

Wimbledon and District Synagogue Religion School