Theme of the year - Ubuntu

Discipline Policy

Although the emphasis at The Deens Academy is on positive behaviour management and we recognize that encouragement and praise have the greatest impact on behaviour, it is also important to have a range of sanctions to apply, when the need arises. This is vital if we are to educate our students as far as appropriate behaviour is concerned. These sanctions will be applied consistently and fairly to have the impact that we would hope.

Students will make mistakes and show behaviour that, from time to time, do not facilitate good learning and violate the school ethos and / or rules. We want all sanctions to be constructive. i.e. they are designed to seek positive outcome / change of attitude or behaviour. Dialogue with students / parents will always form an important part of this process.

The following Behaviour Policy describes in more detail what sanctions will be applied at classroom level. All staff will be responsible for ensuring that these sanctions are consistently applied.

What Sanctions may be applied?

A variety of sanctions exist at The Deens Academy and these include:

  • Verbal reprimand
  • Temporary removal from the classroom
  • Temporary removal from co-curricular activities
  • Phone call home
  • Diary note to parents
  • Parent-Teacher discussion
  • After-school detention
  • Fixed-time suspension
  • Permanent expulsion

As and when incidents arise and sanctions are applied, an entry will be made by the concerned teacher into the Behaviour Record in the Almanac and our ‘Disciplinary Action Book’, retained with the Principal, clearly showing the actions made. This will enable us to monitor the progress of every student carefully, thus ensuring the application of appropriate levels of sanction and support.

Sanctions Policy

Sanctions can be applied by any School staff, with the approval of the Principal, whenever there is a violation of the Discipline Policy. This may take the form of:

  • Repetitive late arrival at school
  • Non-completion of class work / homework
  • Shouting / Talking out of turn repeatedly
  • Unacceptable, offensive language 
  • Not wearing correct school uniform
  • Use of mobile phones / MP3 players / ipod / or other prohibited items in class
  • Lack of respect to staff, other students or visitors
  • Smoking / drinking / use of foul language or gesture
  • Truancy
  • Repeated bullying / violence
  • Damage to school property

Students with extreme behaviour problems will be dealt with directly by the Principal.

Colour Coded Cards

When a lesson cannot proceed due to extreme behaviour of a student or group of students a

Yellow Card will be used. Yellow card is issued when other sanctions have failed or when an

incident is deemed more serious. Three yellow cards will earn the student a Red Card which

will lead to after school detention. Three red cards will earn a student fixed time suspension

as deemed appropriate by the Principal. Three or more suspensions in an academic year will

result in the child being expelled from school.

After-school detention:

  1. Notice will be given to the parent(s) of the student concerned before the detention takes place.
  2. Parents will be informed why the detention was given and details of the detention arrangements.

Parents will have to pick the child up from School at the end of the detention hour.