Behaviour & Rewards
"Pupils behave well in lessons and around the school. Staff implement the school behaviour policy consistently well."
Ofsted - November 2023
General Behaviour
The Chalk Hills Academy is built upon mutual respect. We say “Sir and Miss” to teachers. We say “thank you”. We say “excuse me”. We say “please”. We smile when we greet people, both inside and outside school.
At The Chalk Hills Academy teachers and pupils are on the same team and teachers are your team captains. All pupils know that they must do exactly what the team captain says.
At The Chalk Hills Academy we give you rewards for the right behaviour choices and we take action to remind you of the consequences of the wrong choices. The Chalk Hills Academy teachers are tough on bad choices because we want to make you a better person in the long run. We teach you to break your old habits and learn new empowering habits that will make you successful in life. The Chalk Hills Academy teachers care enough to be strict.
Every time a teacher gives you a behaviour point or a detention they are reminding you of the behaviour we really want and the behaviour we can’t allow you to hold on to. If we allow you to hold on to old habits of laziness, selfishness, rudeness, excuse-making, sulking, and feeling sorry for yourself, we are not helping you grow up into responsible, successful adults.
If somebody drops something, you help them pick it up. If someone trips up, you check to see they are alright. You don’t laugh at people. You help them. If you hear about anybody being unkind to another Chalk Hills Academy student you tell a teacher immediately. If you don’t tell your teachers then the unkindness will continue and increase.
At The Chalk Hills Academy we work hard and we are kind to one another. This academic year we have introduced three new initiatives to help students make the correct choices. We expect all students to follow these initiatives when instructed by staff at The Chalk Hills Academy.
S.T.E.P.S.
S.T.E.P.S
- Sir or Miss - every time
- Thank you - every time
- Excuse me - every time
- Please - every time
- Smile - every time
SIR OR MISS
Pupils always refer to teachers as Sir or Miss. It’s a sign of respect. It’s polite. Pupils, never forget to say Sir or Miss at the end of their sentences. All teachers will treat all pupils with respect and be extremely polite. All pupils will treat all teachers with respect and be extremely polite at all times. The Sir or Miss at the end of a sentence is like a full stop. When we refer to The Chalk Hills Academy Full Stop, we are referring to the Sir or Miss that pupils habitually add to the end of their sentences when talking to teachers.
THANK YOU
In the academy we hold doors open for one another, we let people pass in front of us, we don’t barge past, we politely let people pass. If somebody drops something we help them pick it up, we pass books along carefully, efficiently, politely, in silence. We queue for lunch politely and efficiently, in single file and eyes front, we line up to enter classes, we never talk when lining up, we have our eyes front, we know that every single second counts. These are all signs of mutual respect. The Chalk Hills Academy is built upon teachers and pupils treating each other with respect. We are a team working together.
EXCUSE ME
We never push past or interrupt people. If we want to get past we say “Excuse me!” very politely. Then we wait patiently if necessary. Similarly, if we want to talk to somebody, a teacher for example, we say, “Excuse me. Do you have a minute? Could you help me with something?” We don’t take others for granted. We are polite. We are especially polite and respectful in corridors, on the stairs and when queuing. We remain in single file, eyes front. We don’t talk. We do what we have to do very smoothly and efficiently. We are polite to classmates, pupils we don’t know, and to all members of staff. That includes office, canteen and cleaning staff. There are no exceptions. The Chalk Hills Academy is built on mutual respect.
PLEASE
The Chalk Hills Academy pupils and teachers show an “attitude of gratitude” every day and in every interaction, they have. We say Sir/Miss, Thank you, Excuse me and Please very naturally.
SMILE
We always smile. We are polite and welcoming. When we greet somebody we smile, when a teacher says hello to us in the corridor we reply with an upbeat, “Hello Miss!” or “Morning Sir!” and we smile. We are professional. When we go for interviews, whether that’s for college, for university, for jobs, people are immediately struck by our good eye contact, the way we smile, the way we project, the way we articulate.
S.H.A.P.E.
At The Chalk Hills Academy we speak in full SENTENCES.
We make sure our HANDS are away from our faces as we speak.
We ARTICULATE. We never mumble.
We PROJECT. That means we speak clearly and loudly for the whole class to hear.
We look people in the EYE. We make confident EYE contact.
S.L.A.N.T.
SLANT IN THE CLASSROOM
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Sit up straight
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Listen carefully
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Ask and answer questions
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No talking when someone else is talking
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Track the speaker
At The Chalk Hills Academy we S.L.A.N.T in every lesson. This is a key habit that will help you succeed in the academy and in life.
When you S.L.A.N.T you learn more, you remember more, you develop more self-control and you demonstrate that you are a polite person who shows respect to their teachers and their classmates. The Chalk Hills Academy is built on mutual respect. We speak to one another politely at all times, and our body language and facial expressions are polite too. S.L.A.N.T is a key part of showing mutual respect and courtesy.
SIT UP STRAIGHT
At The Chalk Hills Academy you sit up straight at all times and you never slouch. Teachers have a seating plan and you sit at the seat they have allocated. When you read you always follow the text with your ruler, with both hands on the ruler. This helps you concentrate, so you remember more and understand more. When you are not writing or reading you sit up straight with your arms folded. Your teachers will instruct you: “3,2,1 SLANT!” Everyone will sit up extra straight, eyes front, looking at the teacher. You will follow their instructions first time, every time. The same rules apply to all, so are fair to all. No exceptions.
LISTEN CAREFULLY
At The Chalk Hills Academy you listen to every single word your teacher says very, very carefully. You especially listen to instructions very, very carefully. You don’t pick up your pen or your ruler, or anything else, until your teacher gives you the signal.
ASK AND ANSWER QUESTIONS
When you ask and answer questions you always put your hand straight up in the air and wait for the teacher to choose you. You must wait for the teacher. Calling out is never permitted. Even if you have your hand raised you have to wait for the teacher to choose you by name. If we didn’t do this people would be interrupting the teacher all of the time. If you are confused, or unsure what to do, let the teacher finish what he is saying and then put up your hand to ask a question. When you ask and answer questions, speak confidently and in a loud voice so the whole room can hear. If your teacher wants you to speak more clearly and more loudly he or she will say, “Project!” This means you talk loudly and clearly like an actor addressing an audience.
NO TALKING
Your teacher is the expert. You never interrupt your teacher when he or she is talking. If you are confused, or unsure what to do, let the teacher finish what he is saying and then put up your hand to ask a question. Sometimes you will receive behaviour point and detentions. Sometimes you may even be put in internal isolation. This will be because your teachers have decided that your actions were rude or damaging to your education. You may think your teacher was unfair. The teacher’s decision is final. You never answer back.
TRACK THE SPEAKER
This means you keep your eyes on the teacher or a fellow student whenever he or she is talking. You never turn around – even if you hear a noise behind you. You don’t look out of the window. You don’t lose focus. You really, deliberately concentrate on what the speaker is saying at all times. You look at the board. You listen. You read. You practise the work set in silence. You deliberately try to understand and to memorise the information and the processes you have been taught. If someone tries to distract you, raise your hand and tell the teacher.
