St Madoes Primary School

Positive Behaviour and

Playground Supervision
Policy

March 2009
Rationale
At St Madoes we believe in creating a healthy, happy environment for all to work and play in.
Research shows that in schools where pupils feel safe, valued and appreciated, benefits are
made in both their social and academic achievements. In order to create such an ethos, our
school operates on a system of expectations, rewards and consequences.

Expectations
Pupils are expected to display self-discipline at all times and be responsible for their own
behaviour. Where children know the boundaries of what is expected of them, they are
ultimately responsible for their actions and behaviour.

There are set school rules to which all children must respond. These rules are as follows:

• We do as we are asked the first time.

• We are polite, kind, friendly and respectful to everyone.
• We behave in a safe way inside and outside.
• We take care of our school and everything in it.
• We stay in our playground.

These rules are displayed all around our school and should be made familiar to pupils through
discussion with their teacher at the beginning of the school session and throughout the year in
lessons where appropriate. These rules are based on standards of safety and care for all in
school.

Individual classrooms will also have their own sets of rules devised by the pupils and teacher for
that academic session. These rules, written in positive form, are set through collaboration
between teacher and pupils and refer to the specific needs and wishes of that classroom. These
too will be on display inside the classroom for continual reference.

All classes operate a system of open discussion and sharing which leads to promoting positive
and healthy communications and relationships between pupils and staff. Many classes use
“Circle Time” or other similar methods.

Rewards
The school believes in rewarding pupils who display positive behaviour. When children are
recognised as being, kind, helpful and sensible they are much more likely to continue such
positive behaviour.

Rewards can be seen in various forms.

CT’s should continue to use their own positive behaviour strategies so that there is variety from
stage to stage and children. Examples of this could be –
• Smiley faces
• Sticker books
• Certificates
• Merit books
• Star charts

Classroom Management
Each classroom operates a card system where positive individual efforts by children in that
class, are rewarded. See Pilot Positive Behaviour Management Strategies. This is directly
linked to Activity Time, with each child having 30 minutes of Activity Time each week. A
resulting red or purple card will lead to a loss of 5 or 10 minutes of Activity time respectively.
Special Certificate Awards
“Pupil Merit Certificates” recognise pupils for their positive behaviour, effort or attitude. The
certificate is awarded on a weekly/fortnightly basis at the school assembly to the pupils who
have shown special effort in a chosen area, allowing the pupil’s achievement to be recognised
by everyone. These are now based on the four capacities of the Curriculum for
Excellence.These certificates are awarded to pupil per class stage from Nursery to P7. List of
names put on wall. Pupils who have shown a display of positive behaviour outside the class e.g.
in the lunch hall or playground, are also recognised.

Individual Recognition - GOLDEN OWLS

The school operates a system called “The Golden Owl” tree, where individuals receive credit for
any positive action/behaviour they display. Any member of staff can reward a pupil by giving
them a Golden Owl, on which is written the child’s name and the reason for its award. The pupil
pins the owl onto the GoldenTree in the Hall where everyone can see the owls. Owls are colour
coded for each season. Green – Spring, Yellow – Summer, Orange – Autumn and White for
Winter. If a child collects 5 Owls and fills his/her Owl tree they receive a ceramic owl.

CONSEQUENCES
Where pupils choose not to follow the school’s rules or they display negative behaviour,
consequences will follow. Disciplining a pupil should be as positive as possible. Teachers
should always refer the pupil back to the incident and discuss possible actions he/she could
have chosen and why/how these would have had better results. Referral to school/classroom
rules when appropriate is ideal when pointing out why an action was wrong.

Classroom Behaviour
In class time, the teacher will discipline children in P1 – P7 by using the following card system.

SANCTIONS
All staff will use the same procedure for sanctions to ensure clear understanding by pupils and
staff.

There will be 5 stages of behaviour intervention within class. Each class has a named pocket
for each child so that coloured cards can be inserted and visible to all.
All children start with a green card to show that they are behaving well.

STAGES
1. Verbal warning
2. Yellow card in their pocket
3. Verbal warning followed by Orange card in their pocket (child moved to sit elsewhere in the
class)
4. Red card Child moved to another class. Please do not send child to a class they have a
brother or sister in. (Agreement with another teacher to have a “buddy class”). Lose 5 mins
Activity time
5. Purple card – resulting in time out to SMT. Lose another 5 mins Activity time

Examples of behaviour that result in immediate purple card –

• Violence
• Swearing
• High level disruption e.g. shouting, under tables, threatening behaviour.
• Spitting
• Leaving class without permission.
Behaviour such as –
• Swearing at staff
• Extreme violence towards other pupils
• Violence towards any member of staff
• Spitting on a person

Should result in parents brought in for formal meeting with SMT, CT and other staff involved.

TIME OUTS
• Teacher’s to formally log all Time Out in class folder.
• At time out 2: (within a 2 week period) a letter should be sent by the teacher
informing the parents/guardian of the child’s behaviour. This will be counter signed by
HT or DHT.
• At time out 3: (within a 2 week period) a letter should be sent out inviting the
parents/guardians to the school to meet with SMT and CT.
• At time out 4: (within a 2 week period) a letter should be sent informing the
parents/guardian that their child is courting exclusion. They should be invited in again
to discuss strategies.
• Time out 5: (within a 2 week period) may lead to an exclusion.

Bullying, racism or sectarianism will not be tolerated in school. All such incidents should be
reported to the Head Teacher and will be recorded.
Policies to deal with such incidents are also available in school.

NURSERY
Nursery children have several types of rewards and sanctions appropriate for their age and
development.
Rewards consist of Marbles in the Jar and a Marble Treat, Golden Owls, stickers etc.
Poor behaviour may result in Time Out, loss of participation in an activity or in severe cases
parents being asked to take a child home.
 PLAYGROUND SUPERVISION

Children spend at least one hour a day in the playground. We want their time there to be happy,
fulfilling, enjoyable, healthy and above all safe.

St Madoes playground consists of a large tarmac area and two grassy areas. The Nursery class
has its own enclosed play area, although the nursery children also use the main play area at
certain times. The tarmac area has playground games painted on it and P6 have been trained
to use these games and teach younger children. We also have a Quiet Area beside the pupils’
entrance which has an oak bench and flower planters. There are two Friendship Stop signs
where pupils may sit who would like some one to talk to. P6s will talk to these pupils.

We also have a Trim Trail which is allocated to classes for one day each week for P3 – P7. N –
P2 can use this when supervised at times outwith play and lunchtimes

AIMS

We aim to have the playground well supervised during breaks in the school day and to
encourage the children to play safely and appropriately with regard to each other in order to
maintain harmonious relations at playtimes.

SUPERVISION

There is no supervision in the playground before the start of the school day at 9.15 am. No
footballs or other equipment is allowed in the playground at this time.

• First bell goes at 9.13 am, second bell at 9.15 am

• Teachers bring in lines in the morning
• Morning interval is from 10.30 – 10.45 am
• Lunch playtime is from 12..30pm – 1.15pm: with 2 lunch sittings
• Bell is to be rung on time by supervisors who must be outside before the children.
• There will be a minimum of two supervisors outside at any one time. The Head Teacher
and Principal Teacher will monitor/supervise once a week
• Supervisors will supervise on a rota system so that it is always know which area each
supervisor is covering.
• Supervisors will not leave the playground to come inside unless to report a serious incident
or to attend to someone who needs first aid, at these times they should always seek the
assistance of other staff.
• Pupils who need “time out” or a “cooling down” time from playtime will be placed in the
foyer where they can be supervised by the management staff.
• Supervisors will report the incident in detail to staff/management after the break.
• Children need exercise and all pupils should be outside and not kept in to do tasks unless
for a consequence or occasionally for a special project.
• Any incidents/accidents other than very minor ones MUST be recorded in the
PLAYGROUND INCIDENTS BOOK or ACCIDENTS book. These incidents must be dated
and described accurately. The Head Teacher will read and monitor these incidents.
• Injuries should be reported in the Bump Book and a note sent home for minor bumps.
• Any head injury should result in the parent being telephoned at the time.
PLAYGROUND BEHAVIOUR

The playground supervisors will have a consequence scale to follow:

Point Action taken by Supervisor

1. Verbal request or warning from supervisor

2. Name in jotter and member of staff sought
3. Reported to Head Teacher and kept in

On point 2 the behaviour will be discussed with class teacher.

If pupil’s behaviour continues to be unacceptable, he/she hay be kept in over part or all of
playtime or asked to shadow supervisor.
More serious behaviour will be reported to the PT or Head Teacher who may gave another
punishment and result in parents being contacted.
Each week is a fresh week and all children start on a Monday with a blank sheet.
These procedures are put in place to encourage pupils to behave appropriately which is what
we strive for at all times.

Support for Learning Assistants and other support staff

SLA’s or other staff may be asked to supervise children who have Additional Support Needs.

J Sheldon
March 2009