Rewards and Sanctions

As staff we model the good behaviour we expect from our pupils, through our behaviour, appearance and through our punctuality.

Rewards

We recognise and reward achievement and behaviour in all aspects of school life and aim to use rewards as a motivating factor for sustained effort.

Rewards are recorded by staff electronically using SIMs. Rewards carry varying numbers of points which feed into inter-house competitions.

There are two awards commonly available in lessons:

• Credit (achievement, effort, other) (1pt) - awarded for individual pieces of good work or sustained effort
• Positive Referral (5pts) – awarded for an individual piece of outstanding work. When awarding a positive referral, it is usual to send the pupils to show the work to a member of the SLT. The pupils will also receive a letter home

In addition, staff may award the following rewards:

• Citizenship (1pt) – for an act which helps the MVC community eg helping another pupils
• Assembly (1pt) – for taking part in an assembly
• Sporting Representation (1pt) – for each appearance in a school team
• Library Helper (2pts) – for helping in the library
• Performing Arts Representation (2pts) – for participation in a performing arts event
• School Representation (2pts) – for representing the school in public

There are celebration assemblies at the end of each term and these are an opportunity to celebrate pupils achievement in its broadest sense, recognising academic, extra-curricular and personal success and improvement.

There is an annual Key Stage 4 Presentation Evening in the Autumn Term. This is a formal occasion and subject prizes and GCSE certificates are awarded.

Sanctions

Whenever possible staff will accentuate the positive, but inevitably there are occasions when sanctions are necessary. There is a clear set of expectations. These are outlined separately but are designed to encourage pupils to take responsibility for their own actions. There is also an emphasis on restorative justice – working with pupils to help them consider their actions and try to ensure they do not happen again.

In the first instance, class teachers deal with issues themselves (unless it is a very serious case). If they wish to give a child a lunchtime detention then this is written in the planner and recorded on SIMs. Within all sanctions there is a hierarchy starting with the classroom teacher/tutor and passing through the Head of Faculty to the SLT.

A pupils whose behaviour in a lesson is of a sufficient level to interfere with and prevent the learning of others may be immediately referred within the department according to the dept. referral timetable. Heads of Faculty may refer pupils to the SLT during a lesson if necessary.

A pupil who swears at a member of staff should be sent straight to SLT referral. These pupils will be removed from mainstream education for a period of time.

Monitoring Achievement and Behaviour

Tutors analyse weekly reports of the achievements and behaviours of those in their form. This informs their conversations with those pupils and enables them to build up an accurate picture of their tutees. Achievement and behaviour points are used to facilitate an inter-house competition, updated each week. In this way, positive peer pressure is exerted on pupils across the school.

Parental Access

Parents are entitled to access achievements and behaviours recorded on SIMs, including comments.

Everybody is somebody