Whilst the Covid lockdowns proved challenging for many, Deanery C.E. School took it as a useful opportunity to revaluate their behavioural management approach and look at new ways of doing things. 

 

The school wanted its approach to be more positive and relational in style, without public naming and shaming. The ever-popular house-point system was finally starting to wain. It no longer appealed to the older children and for key stage 1 was inconsistent. This inconsistency also extended to school rules, with differences between classrooms and a lack of knowledge of what the rules definitively were.

 

The school rules were simplified to ‘Ready, Respectful and Safe’, with the keywords prominently displayed and frequently focused on in assemblies. There is now a mutual understanding of what it means to ‘Behave the Deanery Way’. Pupils not keeping to the school rules are challenged in a non-confrontational way, with the rules used as an anchor. Several layers of consequence are in place to encourage pupils to self-regulate their behaviour positively.

 

A Behavioural Steering Committee was set up to gain opinions from across the school and share the implementation. The principle behind Deanery’s behavioural system is children choosing to make positive behavioural choices because it’s the right thing to do, rather than because of a promise of reward or the threat of punishment.

 

Great things that the Deanery are doing include recognition boards for each classroom, relating to each of the school rules. This ties in with clarity and buy-in of the school rules and celebration of positive behaviour. Staff work hard to communicate great behaviour with parents, sending physical postcards home, emailing virtual ones across and telephoning them to share positive praise about the children. Pupils are also invited to share their great pieces of work with subject leads across the school reinforcing the praise within the school. ‘Above and beyond’ tokens are given out to recognise those who exceed school values, impact the wider school community and show initiative. Tying in with the Christian ethos of the school, these tokens can be ‘donated’ to one of the school’s chosen charities, with each charity receiving a proportion of fundraising money linked to the number of tokens. Finally, Fridays are ‘fabulous’ at the Deanery with their ‘Fabulous Friday’ juice and a biscuit with the headteacher treat for 1-2 pupils each week, who are continually doing the right thing and making good choices.