Rooted in love

At St Mary’s, positive relationships are at the heart of successful behaviour, learning and wellbeing. Rooted in love and guided by our Catholic faith, we are committed to providing a calm, safe and nurturing environment in which every child is known, valued and cherished.

We believe that behaviour is taught, not caught. Children develop positive behaviour through strong relationships, clear expectations, explicit teaching, consistent routines, encouragement and adult modelling.

Our approach is relational, restorative and inclusive. We maintain high expectations for every child while recognising that some children may require additional teaching, reasonable adjustments or personalised support to meet those expectations successfully.

Our five school rules

Our behaviour curriculum is built around five positive rules:

1. Be kind—even when it’s hard.

2. Be honest—even when no one knows.

3. Try your best—even when no one is checking.

4. Show respect—to everyone, everywhere.

5. Make good choices—even when you’re invisible.

These rules are rooted in our Gospel values and apply throughout school, including in lessons, at playtimes and lunchtimes, during worship, on visits and when representing St Mary’s in the wider community.

We explicitly teach children what each rule means, what it looks and sounds like and why it matters. Expectations are modelled, practised and regularly revisited.

Catch Me If You Can

We aim to “catch” children following our five rules and making positive choices.

Children’s kindness, honesty, effort, respect and responsible choices may be recognised through:

• Specific verbal praise

• “Catch Me If You Can” stickers

• Certificates and celebration assemblies

• Positive messages or telephone calls home

• Sharing achievements with other members of staff

• Responsibilities and pupil leadership opportunities

Our recognition focuses upon effort, character, improvement and positive choices. We want every child to experience success and understand how their behaviour can positively affect other people.

Responding to and supporting behaviour

When behaviour falls below our expectations, adults respond calmly, consistently and proportionately. Our first priority is always to preserve safety, dignity and relationships.

Our approach follows six stages:

1. Notice, praise, encourage and build

2. Notice, support, redirect and reassure

3. Stay, protect, reduce and guide

4. Care, soothe, reconnect and reflect

5. Provide ongoing support where needed

6. Record, monitor and review

Adults notice difficulties early and offer prompts, reassurance and redirection before behaviour escalates. If a child becomes distressed or dysregulated, adults reduce language and demands, prioritise safety and provide calm support.

Once the child is calm and ready, restorative questions help them understand what happened, recognise who was affected, repair relationships and consider what they could do differently next time.

Significant incidents are recorded on CPOMS and monitored by school leaders. Parents and carers are contacted when appropriate. Where patterns emerge or additional support is required, an individual behaviour support plan may be developed with the child, their family and relevant staff.

Inclusion and additional needs

Behaviour can be a form of communication. Some children may experience additional barriers connected with communication, sensory processing, anxiety, emotional regulation, trauma, neurodiversity or another special educational need or disability.

Understanding a child’s needs does not mean removing expectations. It enables us to provide the teaching, support and reasonable adjustments they need to succeed.

Support may include:

• Visual prompts and clear routines

• Movement or sensory breaks

• A safe or quieter space

• Support from a trusted adult

• Emotional-regulation strategies

• Targeted pastoral support

• An individual behaviour support plan

• Advice from the SENDCo or external professionals

Where appropriate, plans are developed with the child and their parents or carers and are regularly reviewed.

Restrictive interventions and reasonable force

St Mary’s seeks to minimise the need for restrictive interventions through positive relationships, early support, prevention and de-escalation.

There may, however, be rare circumstances in which a member of staff needs to use reasonable force or another restrictive intervention—for example, to prevent a pupil from injuring themselves or another person, committing an offence, causing damage to property or causing disorder.

Any restrictive intervention must be:

• Lawful

• Necessary

• Reasonable and proportionate

• The least restrictive response available

• Used for the shortest possible time

• Carried out with proper regard for the child’s dignity, welfare, SEND and individual circumstances

Reasonable force is never used as a punishment.

Where the likelihood of restrictive intervention can reasonably be anticipated, we work with the child, their parents or carers and relevant professionals to identify triggers, agree preventative and de-escalation strategies and prepare an appropriate risk assessment or behaviour support plan.

Following a significant incident involving reasonable force, restraint or seclusion:

• The incident will be recorded in writing as soon as practicable, normally on the same day.

• Parents or carers will be informed in writing as soon as practicable, normally on the same day.

• The child and staff involved will be offered appropriate post-incident support.

• Any injury or adverse impact will be assessed and recorded.

• The incident will be reviewed to identify what happened and how a similar situation might be prevented.

• Relevant risk assessments and support plans will be reviewed.

• Support will also be considered for children who witnessed the incident.

School leaders and governors monitor the use of restrictive interventions, including any repeated patterns and any disproportionate impact upon children with SEND, other vulnerabilities or protected characteristics.

Our practice follows the Department for Education’s Restrictive Interventions, Including Use of Reasonable Force in Schools guidance, effective from 1 April 2026.

Working with families

Positive behaviour is most successfully supported when school and home work together. We encourage parents and carers to talk to us if they have concerns about their child’s behaviour, wellbeing or experience at school.

We will listen, share relevant information and work with families to understand needs and agree appropriate next steps. Our shared aim is always to help every child feel safe, develop positive relationships and learn to manage their behaviour with increasing confidence and independence.

Further information

Please read our:

• Relationships and Behaviour Policy

• Responding to and Supporting Behaviour Guide

• Anti-Bullying Policy

• SEND Policy and SEND Information Report

• Safeguarding and Child Protection Policy

• Complaints Procedure

Parents and carers who have questions about behaviour or relationships are welcome to speak with their child’s class teacher or contact the school office on 01995 61367.