policy_title.png

St Catherine's School
Behaviour Management Policy - Senior

Reviewed by: Senior Deputy Head
Last Reviewed: October 2026
Next Review: October 2028

SCHOOL MISSION

We are inspired by St Catherine of Siena, who said ‘Be who God wants you to be, and you will set the world on fire’, to form young women of confidence and compassion, ready for service and leadership in the world. We fulfil our mission through these values:

 

Community: a place of cheerfulness, dignity and tolerance, where all are welcome
Faith: a Christ-centred school with time for reflection; a culture of gratitude and friendship
Courage: with self-knowledge, resilience and integrity, and a readiness for challenge
Scholarship: where gifts are developed through curiosity, imagination and ambition
Service: commitment to others, to stewardship, and to justice and hope for all

 

Introduction and Aims

This policy aims to

The Policy rests also on two key premises: the responsibility of all members of the School community to conduct themselves in accordance with the mission and ethos of the School, and in line with the relevant Codes of Conduct; and the belief that any individual found failing in that responsibility will be held accountable.

It is the responsibility of all teaching staff to ensure that the School’s policies and Code of Conduct are applied fairly and consistently, without regard to seniority, and with full regard to our school ethos and legal obligations as set out in the Equal Opportunities Policy.

Behaviour expectations are clearly communicated to pupils via Form Time sessions and assemblies, both at the start of the school year and at other points throughout the year as needed. Pupils have the opportunity to discuss these expectations with their Form Tutors and/or other relevant staff (for example, their Head of Middle School/Lower School) and to provide feedback, particularly through the School Council. St Catherine’s is committed to pupils’ personal development through supporting their understanding of the reasons for  behaviour expectations  and thus their informed agreement to comply.

Our approach to identifying and preventing child-on-child abuse is outlined in Section 5 of the Safeguarding and Child Protection policy.

 

1: Code of Conduct and Behaviour Expectations

Expectations of Behaviour are set out within the Pupil Code of Conduct and in the additional expectations which follow it. Pupils are expected to follow the Pupil Code of Conduct and any related expectations of behaviour. Pupils have the opportunity to give feedback on the Code of Conduct, and to make suggestions in relation to it, via the School Council.

  1. Be polite and always show respect to all members of the School community, and be aware that guests and visitors need special consideration.

  2. Respect the views and opinions of others, even if they are different from your own.

  3. Respect other people's property and your own; do not 'borrow' someone else's work, ideas or property without their permission. Use only your allocated locker and be responsible for making it secure. Under no circumstances are you to use or tamper with anyone else's locker.

  4. Respect yourself: take pride in your work, your behaviour and your personal appearance. 

  5. Move about the school in a quiet and orderly manner.  Do not run in corridors or on staircases, and keep to the left.  Follow safety codes in laboratories, technology rooms and PE areas.

  6. Honour commitments and meet deadlines punctually.

  7. Make every effort to keep the premises and locality tidy. Litter must not be dropped in the school grounds, buildings or on the way to and from school.

  8. Do not use areas of the school that are 'out of bounds' to pupils, unless accompanied by a member of the staff or under direction.

  9. Do not leave the premises during the school day, except for authorised activities; in this case, sign out at the Reception desk and sign in again on your return.

  10. Wear your school uniform smartly each day, including on the journey to and from school. Ensure that all clothing, sports kit and personal possessions are clearly marked with your name.

  11. Arrive promptly for school for the formal start of the day and for lessons. Be prepared for all classes and school activities by completing homework and bringing the necessary school tools.

  12. Food and drink should not be consumed around the corridors or outside the front of the school.  The chewing of gum is not permitted.  

  13. Smoking, vaping, and the use or supply of cigarettes, vapes or smoking substitutes, is strictly forbidden in or near school, on journeys to and from school, and at any other time when in school uniform.  

  14. Possession, distribution, or use of alcohol, or illegal drugs of any kind is strictly forbidden.

  15. Mobile phones must be locked in Yondr pouches during school hours for pupils in the Senior School. Sixth Form pupils are permitted to have their mobile phone with them but these should not be used outside of the Sixth Form area.

  16. Pupils are representatives of the school community and should not engage in any behaviours that bring the School, staff or pupils into disrepute. This includes online behaviour.

In addition to this, girls are expected to:

 

2: Rewards

The best way to ensure the highest standards in behaviour and work is to create a positive ethos where the self-confidence and self-worth of pupils is promoted by regular praise and affirmation. All available methods can be used to encourage pupils to work to their best ability across the curriculum, in their co-curricular activities and in their contributions to the life of the school. Specifically, this may include, but will not be limited to:

When deciding whether and how to reward a pupil, staff are to remain mindful of each pupil's individual circumstances, and use professional judgement to decide what format of reward is most appropriate in each circumstance.

  1. Verbal and written Praise    

  2. Stickers                                  

  3. Merit marks

  4. Work put on display

  5. Departmental postcard to parents

  6. Phone call to parents

  7. Comments made in the written report to parents

  8. Verbal comments to parents at parents evenings

  9. Head’s commendation

  10. Certificates presented at Assembly

  11. Individual prizes awarded at St Catherine’s Day

2.1 Additional notes on implementation
1. Merits

Merits are awarded online using iSAMS. A Merit is awarded to an individual pupil for: 

  1. an outstanding piece of work;

  2. consistently high attainment over a number of pieces of work;

  3. a strong contribution to House activities;

  4. outstanding achievements in co-curricular, cultural or service activities;

  5. a consistently good achievement in an activity over a period of time; 

  6. a significant contribution to the School community;

  7. significant progress made over a period of time in a subject or activity;

  8. a consistently high level of effort over a period of time in a subject or activity.

The House with the most points receives the House Cup at the end of the academic year.

2. Postcards and Commendations

Departments may send emails or postcards to send home to parents. These may be used to reward and acknowledge work or effort.

The Head awards commendations throughout the year; this process includes a meeting with the pupil (recommendations are submitted to the Head’s PA by staff) and a postcard sent home to the pupil’s parents. The Head also awards special commendations for school reports deserving of particular note for progress or effort.

3. End of Term Certificates and St Catherine’s Day

Pupils are awarded certificates at the End of Term assemblies and prizes on St Catherine’s Day at the end of the academic year. Nominations for these can be put forward by any member of staff. Awarding of these are decided by members of the Pastoral and Leadership teams.


3:  Support

Where a pupil is finding it hard to adhere to the Code of Conduct and meet expectations, the School will seek to guide and support her.  In these cases, the pastoral team will work with the Form Tutor to put appropriate measures in place.

Individual needs: Where there are individual circumstances or a special educational need staff will collaborate with the pastoral team/SENCO to ensure the best provision is in place.

Weekly Report Cards: Weekly report cards provide more focused monitoring of a pupil who is not fulfilling her academic potential. They are only issued by the Heads of Section or a member of SLT. They must be signed each period by the member of staff teaching the lesson, and by parents, each evening. They will also be checked daily by the Form Tutor and/or Head of Section. The length of time a pupil is on report is determined by her engagement with this support measure and her progress while it is in place. Report cards will be retained by the Head of Section.

Report Cards operate on a traffic light system: green, amber, red.

Green:

Amber:

Red:

After School Support: Pupils may be asked to attend Homework Club (which is also open as an optional session to all pupils). This is available from 4.00-5.50pm every weekday, and is supervised by the Librarian, or another member of staff. Homework Club can be used to support pupils who may be finding it difficult to meet homework/coursework deadlines. 

Uniform Report Cards: Blue Uniform Report Cards are used for pupils who are not meeting the uniform expectations. The Head of Lower and Middle School will inform parents that their daughter has a uniform report card and explain the reason. If the Form Tutor feels that the pupil is not engaging with the Report Card they should send the pupil to the Head of Section who will take appropriate action.


4: School Sanctions

Sanctions are applied if pupils willingly, or otherwise, breach the Code of Conduct or do not meet Behaviour Expectations. Staff will always consider SEND, pastoral needs and/or vulnerability when selecting and applying sanctions. Sanctions may only be given by School staff. 

4.1 Sanctions, Implementation and Operation

Within lessons, staff are responsible for setting the standards of work and behaviour in their lessons and tutor sessions, and should deal with concerns relating to these. If staff are in doubt about how to manage pupil behaviour, they should approach the relevant Form Tutor, Head of Section or a member of SLT for guidance or support.

In addition, the following sanctions may be used:

  1. Verbal warning: In addition to this sanction, a telephone call home may be made by any member of staff, although it is advisable to have a conversation with the pupil's Form Tutor first.  

  2.  Written comment in exercise book: In line with the school’s Marking and Assessment Policy, teachers should give written guidance on aspects of work that could be improved.

  3. Order Marks: An order mark may be given for minor behavioural offences. Form Tutors monitor the award of Order Marks via the points count on iSAMS. When a pupil has received five Order Marks she receives an automatic After-school Detention. Parents will be informed, with a minimum of 24 hours notice, and the detention should be recorded on iSAMS.

  4. Telephone call/email to parents: Staff may telephone parents directly to discuss their concerns regarding their daughter’s behaviour. If making contact by telephone the conversation should be followed by an email covering what has been discussed, and middle managers should be informed. An incident should be recorded on CPOMS.
  5. Departmental Detention: Departments may set up departmental detentions at their own discretion.  Tasks are the choice of the Head of Department, but are likely to include school work to support pupil progress.

  6. Lunchtime Detention: Lunchtime Detentions may be set and supervised by individual members of staff, for example, to finish homework. Pupils may postpone until the next Lunchtime Detention due to House/School commitments only with the agreement of the Senior Deputy Head. Non-attendees will be given an After-school Detention by the Senior Deputy Head.

  7. After-school Detention: Detentions take place on weekdays after school and run from 4.00pm until 5.00pm. They are supervised by a member of staff. The teacher who has given the detention should ensure that the pupil and the parents are informed at least 24 hours in advance by email.

    The teacher giving the detention should set his/her own work, and this should be sufficient to occupy the pupil for one hour.  Although the detention time should not be seen as an opportunity for the pupil to catch up on homework, some of the time may be used for this once they have completed the other tasks set. 

    Pupils who arrive late to the detention will automatically be given a second detention. Pupils may not change the time of their detention without significant reason, and with the assent of their parents. If pupils are absent on the day of the detention the pupil is expected to attend the detention the following week. Non-attendance will be followed up by the Senior Deputy Head via Form Tutors and pupils are likely to serve an additional detention. 
  8. Extended After-school Detention: These can only be issued by a member of SLT. The Form Tutor is responsible for informing the Head of Section if three detentions are received in a half-term. Extended Detentions can take place on any day of the week and run from 4.00pm until 5.30pm, and run alongside the normal school detention where possible/appropriate and will be supervised by the teacher on duty. Suitable work (of either an academic or practical nature) will be organised. They take priority over any other event.

  9. Head’s Detention: These can only be issued by a member of SLT. Head’s Detentions can take place on any day of the week and run from 5.00pm until 6.00pm. Suitable work (of either an academic or practical nature) will be organised. They take priority over any other event.

    Note: Clashes between detentions and other activities: If, as a result of incomplete/substandard/late/no homework, a pupil is asked to see the teacher at a time when the pupil has a co-curricular activity, work takes priority. Pupils committed to play in an inter-school match or in a School Concert or School Play must fulfil this commitment if a replacement cannot be found.

  10. Exclusion from lessons: It is only appropriate to exclude a pupil from lessons if her behaviour is seriously damaging the discipline or safety of the classroom and hindering the learning of other pupils. On these occasions the pupil should be sent immediately to either the Head of Department, Head of Section or a member of SLT. Pupils should never be left standing outside a room (or working outside a classroom). A pupil excluded from a lesson is likely to be given a School Detention.
  11. Official warning from Head or Senior Deputy Head: For certain transgressions, the appropriate sanction will be a serious, formal warning from the Head or, on occasion or in their absence, the Senior Deputy Head.  This warning will be recorded and parents will be informed.

  12. Suspensions: Suspensions may be given by the Head for either repeated acts of indiscipline or for a single serious breach of Code of Conduct or other policy relating to behaviour as detailed in Section 1, above. Refer to the Discipline and Exclusion Policy. 

  13. Permanent exclusion: A decision to permanently exclude a pupil will be taken as a last resort when a range of strategies for dealing with disciplinary offences have been employed to no avail or following a single serious offence and/or in cases of repeated misconduct.  Refer to the Discipline and Exclusion Policy for further detail. 
Restorative justice

In addition or as a replacement to the above sanctions the most appropriate response is for the pupil to demonstrate her accountability by apologising to those whom she has  wronged. This requires pupils to reflect on the impact of their transgression and develops their ability to conduct themselves with self-awareness and respect for others. This method will be mostly used for pastoral transgressions, and it may include mediation, an apology and/or putting a situation to rights by another method. It will be arranged by the Head of Section.  

Community Service

In some cases, the most appropriate sanction will be to ask the pupil to perform a task which contributes to the school community.  For example, pupils who have left the area they have used in the Dining Hall in disarray may be asked to come back and clear up after themselves. Care must be given not to disrupt learning and that tasks are appropriate for pupil wellbeing.

Restrictive Interventions and Reasonable Force 

The use of force would never be used as a sanction for a pupil. Refer to the Force to Restrain Policy for complete guidelines.

Appeal

There is no right to appeal sanctions 1-11. Appeal processes for sanctions 12 and 13 are outlined in the Discipline and Exclusion policy.

4.2 Record-keeping

The management of behavioural incidents is recorded in the Behaviour Management Spreadsheet. Record-keeping of behaviour management is of vital importance in order to:  

 

5. Mobile phone use

The School's expectation is that mobile phones and personal electronic devices should not be seen, heard or used during the school day.

Pupils in Years 7 - 11 all have Yondr pouches. Upon their arrival at school, pupils place their mobile phones in their Yondr pouches and they are to remain locked until they go home at the end of the school day. Staff may not unlock pouches during the school day, and no mobile phones may be used by pupils in Year 11 and below for any reason or in any lesson. If technology is required for learning, staff must book school-owned devices. If a pupil forgets their Yondr pouch then they should hand their phone in to Reception for safekeeping. Pupils must not put their phone into another pupil’s pouch. If a pupil is found using their mobile phone during the school day or their phone is not in their Yondr pouch then it will be confiscated and will need to be handed in to reception for a week. A detention will also be issued.

Pupils in Years 12 and 13 (Sixth Form) may have their own mobile phone unpouched, but mobile phones must be kept out of sight at all times and only used in the Sixth Form areas. Sixth Form pupils have access to their own devices (not mobile phones) for learning in lessons, mobile phones should not be seen or used in lessons or anywhere else on the school site. Under no circumstances may mobile phones be used to hotspot other devices, as this bypasses the school's safeguarding and filtering software, and is a safeguarding issue. If a Sixth Form pupil is found using their mobile phone outside of the Sixth Form area during the school day it will be confiscated and will need to be handed in to reception each day for a week. If a Sixth Form pupil is found to be using her mobile for a second time, offsite study privileges may be removed in addition to the confiscation. 

The School's behaviour, safeguarding and acceptable use policies continue to apply on school trips and visits and to online behaviour. Online behaviour that takes place outside school may still be addressed by the school where it has a significant impact on the welfare of pupils, staff or the wider school community. Smartwatches and similar devices are subject to the same expectations as mobile phones.

If a pupil is suspected to be in possession of a mobile phone, the Head may authorise a search of her property, including her bag, locker and/or coat/blazer. Any search will be conducted in accordance with the procedures laid out in the Discipline and Exclusion Policy.


6. Banned items

The school is committed to providing a safe, healthy, and focused environment for learning. To safeguard pupils, staff, and visitors, certain items are strictly prohibited on school grounds, during school trips, or while pupils are under the care and supervision of school staff.

6.1. Categories of Prohibited Items
6.1.1 Dangerous Objects & Weapons
6.1.2 Controlled Substances & Restricted Products
6.1.3 Inappropriate Content 
6.1.4 Food items
6.1.5 Electronic Devices & Valuables
6.2 Confiscation

Any banned item found on school premises will be confiscated immediately:

6.3 Searches

Body searches, locker and bag searches can be carried out by an authorised member of staff on grounds of ‘reasonable suspicion’ that a person has anything that has been or is likely to be used to commit an offence or breach the school rules as publicised, or cause injury or damage to the property of another person, or to the person being searched. In accordance with relevant education legislation and current Department for Education guidance, authorised staff may conduct searches where there are reasonable grounds for suspicion.

Searches may be conducted for:

Any search will be conducted in accordance with the procedures laid out in the Discipline and Exclusion Policy.

 

Please refer to: