At The Ruth Gorse Academy we have high standards and expectations for our students, this includes clear guidelines in our Positive Discipline policy to ensure that all students reach their potential academically and are successful in social situations. Positive Discipline is the framework that ensures that students, alongside members of staff, can work together in a positive environment where they feel safe and secure whilst in the academy.

Positive Discipline rewards students incrementally for their positive behaviours. Students can access a range of rewards such as credits within their planners, certificates and rewards trips across each academic year.

It is our belief that clear guidelines around behaviour teaches our students how to become good citizens, this will equip them for their future and support them in understanding how to make the right choices for their behaviour throughout their lives.

Below you can find more information on the key areas of Positive Discipline:

The Student Planner which forms the centre of communication between school and parents. Personalising a Student Planner is not permitted and lost or damaged planners will need to be replaced at a cost of £7.00. We expect every student to bring their planner to school each day: sanctions will be put in place for students who forget or lose the planner.

The Ruth Gorse Academy Positive Discipline Stamp Policy

The rewarding of stamps is of paramount importance to the success of Positive Discipline across the academy. Stamps are an integral part of all lessons and not something that is simply an ‘add on’ or ‘bolt on’ at the end of a lesson. All students should know why they are receiving stamps and be aware of how they can be rewarded further. We expect students to aim to achieve to achieve 3 stamps per lesson.

The rewarding of stamps

Students receive stamps in their planner for:

Additionally, each form group will be attached to a member of the Senior Leadership Team. Each week, there is an opportunity to refer students for praise to a senior teacher during Positive Discipline hour. Positive student performance will also be rewarded in three other ways.

• The sending of “departmental postcards” each term to students who display particularly high levels of commitment.
• The continuation and expansion of major awards ceremonies at the end of the academic year.
• The linking of other rewards such as trips, tokens and sports tickets to academic performance.

At times, of course, we have to recognise and accept that young people will not behave or work in a manner which is acceptable. Where misdemeanours are minor or are a result of carelessness, it is likely that only a clear “verbal warning” will be issued. It is expected that this will be a sufficient prompt for most students to work acceptably.

Where misdemeanours are more serious or are persistent in nature then comments will be placed in the Student Planner. Such comments will result in the loss of the Form Tutor Credit for that week and, if a number of negative comments accumulate over a half term, a full school detention will follow. Where student behaviour is particularly disruptive or when three school detentions have been acquired in one particular subject, a period in isolation will automatically follow.

It is essential to point out, however, that we expect very few students to be doing anything other than enjoying working well at the academy and receiving the rewards and benefits that go with such an approach.