At St Matthew’s we set high expectations of behaviour. Together, we promote positive behaviour in all our pupils and create an environment in which this can flourish. Our school has a positive atmosphere, where each member of our school family feels valued.
Discipline within our school stems from our Christian values of respect, kindness, aspiration and perseverance. Our Mission Statement and School Values underpin our Positive Relationships and Behaviour Policy as they aim to help our children know themselves, work well together and stand on their own two feet, preparing them to become selfless citizens of the world. As a school family, we endeavour for our children to ‘let their light shine’ in all that they do.
The St Matthew’s Way – Rights Respecting Behaviour
The Rights Respecting Schools Award (RRSA) recognises achievement in putting the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) at the heart of a school’s planning, policies, practice and ethos.
All staff, children, governors and parents recognise that we have the right to learn in an orderly community in which effective learning can take place. As part of our commitment to this right, the school has established clear expectations to enable all our children to embrace them, whether they are three years or eleven years of age. The St Matthew’s Way is comprised of three key rules:
Ready, Respectful, Safe
- Be ready to learn
- Be respectful of each other
- Be safe in our school environment and our community
It is important that children understand what these words mean, how they can use these words to help them in school and what their behaviour may look like when they are ready, respectful and safe.
A rights-respecting school not only teaches about children’s rights but also models rights and respect in all its relationships: between teachers/adults and pupils; between adults; and between pupils.
Steps in Behaviour
Zones of Regulation
The school uses the Zones of Regulation to help children understand, recognise and moderate their emotional responses. This compliments our Positive Relationships and Behaviour Policy.
‘Zones of Regulation’ is a whole school approach to help children manage their emotional literacy. It is not a discipline model, but helps children to understand their level of alertness for learning. Individuals are impacted by different things and thus have different responses.
Our task is to help individuals to employ strategies for optimal learning. This comes from recognising which of the 4 zones the individual is in:
Blue Zone: Low level of arousal; not ready to learn; feels sad, sick, tired, bored, moving slowly.
Green Zone: Calm state of alertness; optimal level to learn; feels happy, calm, okay, focused.
Yellow Zone: Heightened state of alertness; elevated emotions; has some control; feels frustrated, worried, silly/wiggly, excited, loss of some control.
Red Zone: Heightened state of alertness and intense emotions; not an optimal level for learning; out of control; feels mad/angry, terrified, yelling/hitting, elated, out of control.