Information for parents

Promoting Positive Behaviour and Attitudes at Dickens Heath Community Primary School

At Dickens Heath, we are committed to creating a safe, calm and respectful school where every child can learn and thrive. Our behaviour approach is built on strong relationships, clear expectations and our school values—respect, positivity, trust, honesty and cooperation.

We teach behaviour as part of our curriculum so that children know what good behaviour looks like and can practise it every day. When challenges arise, we use consistent routines, restorative conversations and logical consequences to help pupils understand their choices and learn from them.

We celebrate positive attitudes regularly and support children who need extra help through our SEND, SEMH and pastoral teams. Working closely with parents is a key part of our approach.

Our full Promoting Positive Behaviour and Attitudes Policy explains how we encourage excellent behaviour, how we respond to incidents, and how we ensure that every child feels safe, valued and ready to learn.

Behaviour on a page - a summary of our approach

At Dickens Heath Community Primary School, we believe that good behaviour helps every child learn, feel safe and become the best version of themselves. Our behaviour policy explains how we teach and encourage children to behave in positive, respectful and kind ways.

What We Expect

All children are expected to:

• Turn Up, Work Hard, Choose Kind
• Follow our five school rules
• Show our school values: respect, positivity, trust, honesty and cooperation

How We Teach Behaviour

Just like reading or maths, we teach behaviour. Children learn routines such as how to enter school calmly, listen well, work with a partner, move around school safely and show kindness to others.

Building Positive Relationships

Staff build strong relationships with every child—they greet them each morning, check how they are, and show that they care. This helps children feel secure and supported.

How We Respond to Behaviour

We notice all behaviour—positive and negative—and respond fairly and consistently.

Positive behaviour:

• Lots of specific praise
• Celebration Assembly mentions
• Certificates, badges, the Great News Book
• Work displayed on the “Wow Wall”
• Family points and class recognition

Inappropriate behaviour:
We use a stepped approach:

• Redirection
• Warnings
• Reflection time
• Restorative conversations (talking about what happened and how to put it right)
• Contact with parents and carers if needed
• Support from senior staff for more serious issues

Serious behaviour, such as aggression, bullying, racism or homophobia, is dealt with by senior leaders.

Supporting Children with Additional Needs

Some children need extra help to manage their behaviour. We work with parents, the Inclusion lead, SENDCo and other professionals to put the right support in place.

Working Together

We communicate clearly and quickly with parents and carers about behaviour—both positive and negative. Parents help by keeping us informed, supporting school expectations and encouraging positive behaviour at home.

Anti-Bullying

Anti-bullying Statement

At Dickens Heath Community Primary School, we are committed to providing a safe, respectful and inclusive environment where every child feels valued, protected and able to thrive. Bullying of any kind is unacceptable and will not be tolerated. Our approach to preventing and responding to bullying aligns with the Department for Education’s Keeping Children Safe in Education (KCSIE 2025) statutory guidance, which requires schools to safeguard children, tackle bullying (including cyberbullying) and address all forms of peer‑on‑peer abuse.

Our Principles

Our Anti‑Bullying approach is rooted in the core beliefs of our Behaviour Policy:

• Every child has the right to learn in a safe, supportive environment free from bullying, harassment, discrimination and violence.
• Positive relationships and “connection before correction” guide all interactions.
• All behaviour is communication; all feelings are valid, but harmful behaviour—including bullying—is not.
• Early intervention, consistent responses and restorative approaches help children learn from harm caused and rebuild relationships.
• We work in partnership with parents and carers and communicate openly, empathetically and promptly.

What We Define as Bullying

Bullying is behaviour that is:

• Repeated,
• Intentional, and
• Targets an individual or group, causing physical or emotional harm.

This includes:

• Physical harm
• Verbal abuse, name calling or intimidation
• Cyberbullying
• Prejudice‑based bullying, including racist, homophobic, ableist, sexist or religion‑based bullying
• Peer‑on‑peer abuse, including behaviours referenced in statutory safeguarding guidance such as sexual harassment or online abuse

Our Commitment to Preventing Bullying

We promote positive behaviour every day through:

• Our school values: respect, positivity, trust, honesty and cooperation
• Teaching behaviour as a curriculum, including routines and expectations
• Emotion coaching, Zones of Regulation and personal development education
• Celebrating kindness, resilience and positive attitudes through assemblies and recognition systems

Responding to Bullying

When bullying is reported or observed:

1. We act immediately and with deliberate calm, ensuring children feel safe.
2. Incidents are investigated thoroughly by staff or senior leaders, depending on seriousness.
3. Responses follow our colour‑coded framework:
   • Yellow (low‑level emerging patterns)
   • Orange (significant concern)
   • Red (serious prejudice‑based or harmful behaviours, including racism or homophobia)
     These are recorded in behaviour logs and escalated when repeated.
4. Restorative conversations help pupils understand impact and repair harm.
5. Support is provided for victims and appropriate interventions put in place for perpetrators.
6. For serious or repeated bullying, senior leaders may involve the SENDCo, SEMH team or external agencies, in line with statutory safeguarding duties.

Recording and Monitoring

All serious, repeated or prejudice‑based incidents are recorded in the whole‑school behaviour log, reviewed at SLT behaviour review meetings and acted upon in line with KCSIE requirements for safeguarding documentation. The number of serious behaviour incidents are recorded and reported to governors by the head teacher each term.

Working with Parents and Carers

We inform parents promptly about significant incidents and work collaboratively to help children improve behaviour, rebuild relationships and feel safe in school. We value open, respectful communication, and we do not discuss incidents at the school gate.

Our Commitment

Dickens Heath Community Primary School will:

• Challenge all forms of bullying
• Provide a culture that promotes kindness, respect and safety
• Treat all reports seriously and handle them sensitively
• Uphold all requirements of the DfE’s statutory safeguarding guidance
• Support every child to feel safe, included and able to succeed