Policy Statement

The Sky Academy is a specialist school that understands the value of relationships to support children with a wide range of needs including, but not only, SEMH and SLCN, enabling them to learn and develop so they can become successful learners and make a positive contribution to society.

Staff are aware of the potential trauma our students may have been through, as well as them having attachment difficulties, neuro-developmental delay, and neuro diversity. Through this awareness, staff are expected to adapt and personalise strategies to support students.

This policy underpins our purpose to prepare students for becoming a positive member of their community. Its aim is to ensure adults use a consistent approach to support students in recognising and regulating their own behaviour.

The policy has a key focus on both physical and emotional safety of all students and to ensure that staff can create and maintain a safe environment with clear boundaries where necessary, fostering a therapeutic and restorative approach. We understand that the young people we work with will, at times, display challenging behaviour, it the duty of all staff to be proactive in limiting this behaviour, as well as reacting where necessary in appropriate ways.

Policy Objectives

The objectives of the policy are to:

• Ensure positive reinforcement approaches are used consistently by staff.
• Promote the highest possible standard of student behaviour, ensuring clear expectations and boundaries.
• Ensure all staff understand that all behaviour is communication, and that staff have consistent responses to both positive and negative behaviours.
• To ensure staff can support young people with their behaviour through providing students with strategies to manage their own behaviour.
• Provide clarity to staff about the underlying pastoral ethos of the school.
• Ensure staff are proactive in creating an environment that reduces the amount of challenging behaviour.

School Ethos

The Sky Academy staff are responsible for modelling high standards of behaviour, both in their interactions with students and each other.

As a staff team we aim to:

• understand that all behaviour is communication.
• create a culture of respect and tolerance where students feel valued, cared for and understood, allowing a sense of belonging.
• support students to develop their resilience and ability to overcome barriers and challenges.
• develop a classroom that offers a safe, happy, and friendly and respectful environment, which encourages everyone to achieve their potential.
• set clear expectations and ambitious goals for students.
• provide suitable opportunities for praise.
• work alongside families and other agencies to ensure students are receiving a consistent message.
• allow student voice to be heard throughout the school, enabling students to feel listened to.

Approaches to Behaviour Management

The response to communication through challenging behaviour at The Sky Academy is both consistent yet personalised. All staff understand the range of needs that exist for all students. All staff have awareness of the effects of adverse childhood experiences and trauma, and this is central to how we respond to, and manage, challenging behaviour or disengagement from learning.

Students can be caught in negative cycles of reactive behaviour. Whilst it is important for students to find an authentic voice of their own and to feel they can express themselves with confidence and honesty, it is the role of The Sky Academy to promote independence, emotional maturity, and responsibility for developing positive cycles of behaviour, wellbeing, and self-regulation.

This policy focuses on positive reinforcement underpinned by the principles of ‘Team-Teach’, which emphasise de-escalation whilst recognising the needs of the young person. Staff are responsible for young people at all times, ensuring appropriate supervision is in place. As a staff team, we aim to create a positive environment that provides a caring, respectful, and safe space that is inducive to learning. Staff reinforce the importance of being an individual and ensure fair treatment is in place for all, based on honesty and respect.

Adopting the PACE approach and nurture principles is core to our interactions with young people.

Roles and Responsibilities

The Principal, Assistant Principal, SLT, and the staff team are responsible for the consistent and fair operation of this policy.

In implementing this policy, staff will be responsible for:

• creating an environment of trust, mutual respect, and high aspiration.
• ensuring that teaching and learning is creative, interesting, challenging, relevant, and personalised to match the needs of the students.
• setting routines and modelling positive behaviour to help students establish regular, punctual attendance, and good behaviour.
• promoting positive oracy and literacy habits across all areas of the students’ experiences at The Sky Academy.
• providing early intervention with prompt but calm, solution-focused action.
• identifying underlying causes to negative behaviour, appreciating the need to solve issues in partnership with students and their families / carers.
• utilising the expertise of all members of staff and other external agencies to ensure positive and effective approaches to supporting complex needs of students.
• rewarding achievements daily through positive recognition of individual students.

In support of this policy, parents / carers will be encouraged to:

• promote good attendance and participation through reinforcing the expectations outlined in the Home / School Agreement.
• participate in the day-to-day life of the school, offering their views through the Parent / Carer Voice initiatives.

In complying with this policy, students will be encouraged to:

• involve themselves fully in the life and culture of The Sky Academy and contribute ideas through student voice events. These events will allow for consultation opportunities and group discussions.
• engage with the Pastoral Team, therapeutic staff, and other external agencies.
• take responsibility for their own behaviour.
• respect themselves, others, and their environment.
• learn from mistakes.
• commit fully to our School values of Respectful, Resilience, Belonging and Ambitious.
• understand their responsibility to ensure that incidents of disruption, violence, bullying, and any form of harassment are reported.

Praise Systems for Promoting Good Behaviour

• Promoting positive behaviour is a collective responsibility – staff to be consistent, effective role models.
• Staff are trained in positive behaviour management and The Sky Academy seeks support from external agencies, as necessary.
• Staff use positive language when speaking with students and colleagues.
• The Sky Academy’s Core Values are displayed across the school site. Students and parents have been involved in the development of these and are expected to demonstrate these values.
• Students are actively involved in setting targets for their own behaviour and learning.
• Students can earn daily points; each week, if they hit a target, they can earn rewards towards a voucher or trip at the end of the half term.
• Postcards – that have been designed by students at The Sky Academy – can be sent home, by all staff, allowing a written form of praise. This on the understanding that some students may find it difficult to receive verbal praise.
• Students are provided with opportunity to display their work around the school, taking pride in what they have created.
• Parents / carers are contacted at least once a week with a positive contact, allowing a positive relationship to be created between home and school.
• Regular reviews are held to celebrate what each student has achieved and provide support, where necessary.
• Weekly celebration assemblies are held, celebrating a variety of achievements that week.

Positive Behaviour and Achievement

In addition to the above, the following will be used as positive responses:

• Oral praise, personal recognition.
• Written comments on individual pieces of work.
• Formal recognition in daily tutorial sessions and assemblies.
• Informal daily recognition from staff and members of SLT.
• Recognising and praising ‘micro-skills’ such as being helpful, active listening, or sharing.

Along with our Core Values – belonging, resilience, ambitious, and respect – students will be awarded points for displaying the following during the school day: positive attitude to learning, positive engagement, following instructions, showing respect, being safe.

Points will be recorded on our tracking system. Staff should refer to the points throughout the day and points awarded should be discussed with the students. Discussions are essential for behaviour reflection, so students understand the connection between their behaviour and the points they earn.

Counterproductive / Disruptive / Inappropriate Behaviour

At The Sky Academy, we strongly believe that consequences are only effective if used proportionately, and consistently.

The staff team make every effort to solve day-to-day behavioural issues, as seen below, as they arise. In SEMH context behavioural issues are likely to occur frequently.

• Poor attitude to learning
• Disengagement
• Failure to follow instructions
• Disrespectful behaviour
• Unsafe behaviour (throwing items, kicking doors, etc.,)

In certain circumstances, support may be required when behaviour is significantly against our Core Values, or another student’s learning is impacted.

We understand that some young people can behave inappropriately for a wide range of reasons. When young people display this behaviour, staff are trained through Team Teach to help deescalate. There are several layers to consequences in place to remind of success criteria and the clear boundaries that are in place. It is important that all staff are always of the mindset that ‘all behaviour is communication’ and understanding of what the young person is trying to communicate. This needs to be a consistent approach, however, personalised to everyone, based on the range of SEMH and SLCN needs present at the academy.

Addressing and Challenging Inappropriate Behaviour

Students whose conduct falls below the standard, which could reasonably be expected of them, will be encouraged to engage in a process of reflection. The discussion will aim to ascertain the reason for the behaviour and identify an appropriate consequence.

To be lawful, any consequence must be proportionate and satisfy the following conditions:

• The decision to give a student a consequence must be made by a member of staff in consultation with SLT.
• The decision to give a student a consequence and the sanction itself must be made on the school premises or while the student is under the supervision of the member of staff.
• The consequence must not breach any other legislation e.g., in respect of disability, SEND, race, and any other protected characteristics.

Consequences may include:

• Reflection
• Learning conversation
• Late School
• Regular reporting
• Student contracts
• Off-site reflection
• Fixed term suspension
• Suspensions / permanent exclusion (more extreme cases)

Educative Restorative Approach

At The Sky Academy, although we recognise the importance of rules and boundaries, our primary concern is developing relationships, so that people can work together with the shared interest of helping our young people learn.

Focusing on a restorative approach, the four Rs underpin the approach:

Responsibility: It is vital that both staff and students can take responsibility for their own actions. This means we need to own our behaviours, including consequences caused by them.

Respect: We ensure all people, both staff and students, are shown respect, as well as being respectful of others. Students are taught communication skills to be able to listen and communicate with each other respectfully, as well as learning to value and respect the opinions of others (this is covered in our PSHCE curriculum).

Repair: Ensuring both staff and students are given the skills and opportunity to identify solutions and repair the effects caused, aiming to help reduce the chance of repeated behaviours.

Re-integration: It is important that reintegration meetings are structured and supportive to the young person, to allow them to be successful within the school community.

Where possible, and appropriate, staff at The Sky Academy will encourage a restorative approach to help resolve incidents. This approach will depend on the type of incident and whether the young person(s) involved is regulated enough to be included. This process, ideally, would happen at the end of the day, however, if not possible, within 24 hours of the incident.

Staff will use a structured process alongside the young person(s) involved. This process should be conducted away from any other young people and should be managed and led by staff. Before any restorative work is carried out, it is important that staff are aware of any safeguarding needs e.g., CIN, such information can be found in the Pastoral Office. If any safeguarding concerns are raised during the mediation, this should be recorded on CPOMS and, when appropriate, relayed to a DSL.

When holding a restorative intervention, the following process is to be explained by the lead staff member:

‘Before we begin, there are set boundaries we must all follow. Only one person will talk at a time, you will be given a chance to speak, so we do not interrupt others. Whilst other people are talking, it is important you are showing respect and listening. This conversation is between the people within this room and will only be shared with appropriate adults.’

Once the clear boundaries are set, the lead staff member will ask the following questions to one person at a time:

Can you tell me what happened?

What were you thinking at the time? Has this changed now?

How do you feel now? Were you feeling differently at the time?

Who has been affected by the incident?

What needs to be done to resolve this? What do you or someone else need to do?

These questions are in place to explore the antecedents to the behaviours. Where students have difficulties answering explicit questions, this may be done using different methods. Staff carrying out the conversations will be trained in different approaches.

It is important that staff are aware that a restorative mediation between peers may not be suitable or may not have the desired effect of resolving the incident. If this is the case, it may mean that a restorative conference is held between appropriate adults, the young person(s), and other agencies such as social workers.

Some incidents will require further consequences. Consequences should be appropriate and proportionate to the incident; they will be agreed by all appropriate staff and, if suspension is necessary, this will be authorised by the Headteacher. Consequences should not be associated to the curriculum e.g., writing lines or times tables. If a young person has work to catch up on, this can be done in a late school.

When looking at consequences, it is important all staff are asking restorative questions:

What has happened? Why has it happened? Who has been harmed, and in what way? What needs to happen to put things right?

Parents should be informed, where appropriate, and feedback should be provided from any restorative work that has been carried out. If a young person is harmed, their parent / carer will be informed.

Behaviour Management Toolkit:

Acceptable standards of behaviour, work, and respect depends on the collective example we set. Relationships are vital between everyone and at every level. Staff must take the initiative and apply the following:

Meet and greet:

• Smile and relate
• Communicate clearly
• Treat everyone as an individual
• Understand that a student’s behaviour is not necessarily a personality trait
• Realise that certain behaviours are directly related to psychological problems, e.g., ADHD, anxiety, and ASD.
• Understand that for many students, the legacy of adverse life experiences manifests in confusion about how to engage in contexts (such as school) that demand formality and self-control
• Set and expect high standards
• Expect to give and receive respect
• Model acceptable behaviour
• Apply expectations fairly and firmly

Students may be inclined to test boundaries of acceptable behaviour. Our behaviour management success is tested not by the absence of problems but by the way in which they are handled.

It helps to:

• avoid confrontation.
• listen and give students time to offer an opinion.
• focus on strengths and resilience in students rather than weaknesses or deficits.
• establish the facts and only make judgements when certain of the facts.
• use consequences sparingly.

All informal contact contributes to standards of behaviour. Staff must take the initiative to monitor and manage behaviour at every opportunity, taking responsibility to:

• meet and greet students.
• start the dialogue.
• set high standards of speech, manner, and dress.
• manage unacceptable behaviour in line with the policy.
• report damage, graffiti, or litter problems.

When presented with particularly challenging behaviour, staff must remain calm and professional, ensuring to avoid the following:

• Humiliating students (which breeds resentment). Clear examples of humiliation include mimicry of a student’s behaviour or making concrete statements about behaviour being wholly attributable to a student’s personality
• Overreacting (which causes the problem to escalate)
• Blanket / group punishments (which leads to innocent students feeling unfairly treated and resentful
• Audience build-up (entertaining to the crowd exacerbates the situation)

It may be helpful to:

• use humour (sparingly and carefully as it may be perceived as humiliating) to diffuse a situation – this builds bridges and develops relationships.
• remain calm and offer clear and simple instructions – this reduces tension and eases the situation.
• speak slowly – this can be interpreted as soothing.
• use distraction – this can diffuse a potentially explosive situation.
• refocus the student onto something more positive.
• listen to students in turn – this earns respect and helps to reach a judgement.
• reassure the students and set limits.
• motivate and empathise with the student – get to know students and their interests as individuals.
• smile – it goes a long way.

Above all:

• Be flexible – treat every situation and student in the most appropriate manner.
• Provide support for less experienced colleagues – good behaviour management is a skill learned through taking advice and gaining experience.
• Remember that a student’s behaviour is often the symptom not the cause and is always an attempt to communicate something. Try to depersonalise the situation, give the student time to calm down, and work collaboratively with them to understand what and why an incident has occurred and then generate a restorative solution.
• Remember it’s a team effort; applying policies consistently will support colleagues and help create the culture that is envisaged.
• Focus on reward and celebration; take every opportunity to praise students who take responsibility and act as positive role models.

Classroom Management

To promote engagement, staff will have the school Core Values displayed in their teaching spaces, so that successful behaviours for learning are established as part of the teaching and learning routine. Students are reminded of their zones of regulation and are given the opportunity to communicate their feelings throughout the day.

Visual representations of the steps of regulation help to:

• prompt students, when dysregulated, to use their strategies.
• encourage students, when dysregulated, to take time out to the breakout room with / without support, depending on their strategy.

Students will be supported to regulate and return to class when ready – regulation strategies are child led, staff-supported.

• Staff are expected to have an awareness of student triggers, or aspects of sensitivity, through regular review of the EHCP, PLPs, and Individual Risk Assessments.
• Support strategies will be included in the PLP and will be clearly set out in planning documents.

Persistent ‘low-level’ disruptive behaviour can have a major negative impact on the learning environment. It is important that ‘low-level’ behaviour is resolved quickly and effectively, allowing the lesson to continue. Often, verbal reminders of expectation, classroom re-organisation or diversionary strategies will prove effective.

Where students are not meeting the high expectations laid out by the keyworker, the policy and procedures agreed promote the following actions:

• Respond with unconditional positive regard, sending a clear and genuine message of empathy and concern for them as an individual. It is a vital principle that the member of staff connects with a student before they correct the behaviour.
• Wherever possible, procedures that avoid confrontation should be adopted. For example, ignoring, distracting, sending on a supervised errand, etc.
• Negotiate, not impose, wherever possible, although minimum standards are not negotiable.
• Where confrontation is unavoidable, be calm, assertive, and positive.
• Always come back to the primary behaviour / ignore secondary behaviour.
• Criticise the behaviour, not the student.
• Use persuasive scripts
• Restorative conversations, using key questions for both sides of any conflict, to resolve issues with minimal disruption to learning or routines.
• Recognise that students will sometimes need time out of an environment or situation. This must be supported appropriately by staff.
• Reward wherever possible.
• Refer to Code of Conduct
• Reminder of Reward Points

Where either attendance or student behaviour has fallen below expectations and requires further action outside of the incident time frame, this will be recorded in the Incident Recording section of ‘CPOMS’, and appropriate action will be taken using the behaviour tool kit for support.

Keyworkers and staff are informed of / involved in resolutions, as deemed appropriate for the severity of the incident, in debriefing at the end of each day.

Pastoral Support and Interventions

At The Sky Academy, we have dedicated pastoral workers, available throughout the school day, to support students. Pastoral workers can assist with students who may need additional support within lessons; with students recognised to be needing a short period of time out of class; or where additional behavioural support is needed.

Nurture

At The Sky Academy, we strive to provide a nurturing environment based on the six principles, as outlined by Nurture UK. Our aim is to improve and progress our students’ emotional literacy through their core curriculum and, where appropriate, through interventions such as ELSA.

Our nurture-based model aims to provide safe spaces within classrooms, allowing students to self-regulate and, where needed, staff can support this with co-regulation. The model has clear boundaries, structure, and routine supporting students to be confident and engaged learners.

See Appendix 1.

Team Teach

All Teaching and Support staff at The Sky Academy are trained at Level 2, Team Teach. Staff are trained in de-escalation techniques, and safe and authorised techniques to physically support young people where needed. The academy adopts the ethos of Team Teach and the aim to resolve 95% or more of incidents through de-escalation, avoiding physical intervention when possible.

Specific Behaviours that Pose a Threat to Education / Welfare / Safety

Overview: Permanent exclusion will be considered:

• In response to a serious breach, or persistent breaches, of the school’s Behaviour Policy.
• Where allowing the student to remain in school would seriously harm the education or welfare of the student or others, such as staff or students in the school.

Smoking / Vaping

The Sky Academy is a non-smoking site. Any student who brings smoking paraphernalia, including but not limited to; lighters, tobacco, rizla papers, filter, vapes, will be immediately challenged, and be asked to hand it in. If students refuse to hand in anything deemed as smoking paraphernalia, The Sky Academy will, if needed, ask parents to come and collect the items. If associated behaviours become a threat to the welfare of other students, or persistently disruptive to the education and wellbeing of others, then the school will consider suspensions and exclusions.

Drugs and Alcohol

The Sky Academy has a zero-tolerance policy towards drugs / alcohol.

• If a student is known to have brought drugs or alcohol to school or appears to be under the influence of drugs or alcohol, they will not be allowed to enter the school site; if onsite, they will be isolated from other young people.
• Staff will aim to remove the drugs or alcohol from their person. Drugs will be handed to the police.
• The parents and carers will be informed, and the young person returned home, if safe to do so or medical assistance obtained, if required.
• Police will be informed of any incident involving drugs.
• If a student comes to school under the influence of drugs or alcohol, they will also receive a suspension and not be allowed to enter the school site. Where needed medical attention will be put in place.

All students who either bring in drugs, or are under the influence of drugs, will be referred to the local PCSO for drug education sessions, as well as in-school mandatory lessons around drug and alcohol usage.

Child on Child Abuse

• There is a zero-tolerance policy at The Sky Academy for any form of child-on-child abuse, each case is dealt with directly by the Pastoral and Safeguarding team, using a graduated and restorative approach as outlined above.
• Repeated acts of aggression may lead to referral to the violence reduction unit alongside internal sanctions within the school.
• A young person carrying out child-on-child abuse may be removed from site and suspended. A risk assessment will be carried out regarding their ability to remain safely at the school.

Use of Weapons

The Sky Academy has a zero-tolerance policy towards weapons onsite. A weapon is taken to be an object designed or used for inflicting bodily harm or physical damage.

• If a student is known to have brought weapons to school, they will not be allowed to enter the school site; if onsite, they will be isolated from other young people and returned home. The police will be informed and may visit the young person on the school site. If a young person creates a weapon onsite the same applies.
• Staff will aim to remove the weapon from their person. Weapons will be handed to / recorded by the police.
• Police will be informed of any incident involving weapons.
• A young person carrying, creating, using, or threatening to use a weapon will be removed from site and suspended. A risk assessment will be carried out regarding their ability to remain safely at the school.

Physical assault on staff/property

• There is a zero-tolerance policy at The Sky Academy for physical assault with intent to harm staff or property.
• Each case is dealt with directly by the SLT, Pastoral, and Safeguarding teams, using a graduated and restorative approach as outlined above. EHCP needs and dysregulation will be considered when deciding upon appropriate responses.
• Repeated acts of aggression may lead to referral to the Violence Reduction unit alongside MDT meetings.
• Parents / carers may be charged for wilful damage.
• A young person carrying out assaults on staff may be removed from site and suspended. A risk assessment will be carried out regarding their ability to remain safely at the school.
• The police will be informed and may be called to site.

Absconding Students

Removing themselves from class:

Staff will undertake an immediate check to ascertain the whereabouts of the student – it may be that they are just finding somewhere to “cool off”, in which a quiet discussion may suffice. The use of appropriate ‘time-outs’ is acceptable as identified in their PLP.

Absconding from the school site:

If the student has been seen leaving site, staff will note the time and monitor them as long as possible, then take note of the direction that they were last seen heading.

Staff should not attempt to chase the student – this may lead to reckless behaviour on their part.

If they disappear from sight, staff to immediately inform Reception and, if possible, relevant staff, Pastoral staff, and SLT. SLT will notify the relevant parties, including the police, when they have determined that the student is not in the immediate vicinity or returned to site.

When a student is caught absconding from site, their parents / carers will be informed as they have placed themselves in a vulnerable situation and they are beyond our care and control.

Please note:

• Students will not be allowed to leave site to go to the shops. If they need something, they will need to speak to a member of staff on duty at break / lunchtime, not during lessons.
• If a student decides to jump the fence / leave site, they do so at their own risk, and this is classed as absconding and will be dealt with accordingly.

Absconding on a trip or visit:

In the event that a student absconds whilst on a school trip / visit:

• Note the time and general direction.
• Immediately inform the police, providing details as observed and a description of the student.
• If the incident occurs during school hours, contact the school as soon as possible. If the incident occurs out of school hours, refer to the contact number provided on the Trips / Visit form.
• Absconding from a trip could lead to a suspension or ban from a future trip may be considered.
• Prior to returning to school, parents / carers will be invited in for a reintegration meeting to discuss the severity and potential risk of a young person leaving supervision without permission.

Mobile Phones and Personal Technology

All staff, students, and parents / carers are provided with a clear step by step policy regarding personal technology usage. Each classroom on site has designated spaces for each student to put their technology in. To safeguard staff and students appropriately, students will not be allowed their personal technology within school hours. If associated behaviours become a threat to the welfare of other students, or persistently disruptive to the education and wellbeing of others, then the school will consider suspensions and exclusions.

Searching and Confiscation of Inappropriate Items

The Sky Academy reserves the right to search students for items that are banned within school, including their school bag. If a student refuses to be searched, permission will be sought from parents / carers or, in extreme cases, the police will be contacted.

The Sky Academy can search students without consent for knives, weapons, alcohol, illegal drugs, and stolen items. A search with a security handheld wand can be undertaken by The Sky Academy if there are reasonable grounds for suspecting that a student is in possession of a prohibited item. Items found will be retained by academy staff and may be handed to the police, where necessary.

Section 91 of the Education and Inspections Act 2006, enables academy staff to confiscate, retain, or dispose of a student’s property, where reasonable to do so. Academies are not required to inform parents / carers before a search takes place or to see consent to search their child. Due to the nature of our students, however, parents / carers will always be informed, where appropriate, about their child being searched.

Power to Use Reasonable Force

Staff members at The Sky Academy have the power to use reasonable force to prevent students committing an offence, injuring themselves or others (including self-defence), or damaging property.

All incidents involving Restricted Physical Intervention will:

• be used as a last resort.
• be managed in accordance with Team Teach guidelines.
• be reported to the Principal, Vice Principal, SLT, and Pastoral Team.
• be written up on a Physical Incident Report with the corresponding completion of the Bound and Numbered Book.
• be recorded on CPOMs.
• involve telephoning parents / carers.
• include a “cooling off” period.
• include an update of the Contextual Safety Plan and, where possible, a Restorative Justice meeting held with involved parties.
• allow the student concerned to “de-brief” with a member of staff in their support triangle.

Staff Support

In some of the circumstances outlined above, especially where anger and aggression have been shown, it is just as stressful for the staff involved as the students themselves. It is important, therefore, that we ensure staff involved have the opportunity to take time away from the teaching environment to calm themselves and discuss the incident with a supportive colleague.

The member of staff involved, and any witnesses, will have the opportunity to write up a report of the incident as soon as possible. Opportunities to have a debrief with the Principal / SLT should also be made available.

The Sky Academy has Employee Assistance Programme for staff; following a big incident, an emergency supervision session will be commissioned with Professional Services.

Procedures for Permanent Exclusion

• Dual registered students will return to the commissioning school / academy / authority.
• Students solely on The Sky Academy’s roll will be referred to the local authority.
• Students may be required to leave The Sky Academy where:
  • there is sufficient evidence that a student has committed a disciplinary offence which, if by allowing the student on site, may seriously harm the education or welfare of others.
  • a student is found guilty by the police of a serious criminal offence.

Only the Principal may take the decision to permanently exclude a student. The Principal will take into consideration mitigating factors and aggravating factors.

Mitigating factors may include:

• provocation from bullying
• the student’s emotional and / or medical condition
• potential coercion by other students
• the nature of the offence
• whether it is their first offence
• previous behaviour
• an apology
• an admission
• willingness to cooperate with the investigation
• willingness to make restitution towards any victim

Aggravating factors may include:

• failing to heed warnings about the risk of exclusion
• premeditation of the offence
• use of a weapon
• previous history of similar incidents
• witness intimidation
• the victim(s) sustaining injury
• the victim being a younger or vulnerable student
• lack of contrition or willingness to accept responsibility for his / her action
• not cooperating with the investigation or seeking to prevent it

Notifying Parents / Carers

When the decision to permanently exclude a student has been made, parents / carers will be notified immediately by telephone, it will then be confirmed in writing.

Notifying Academy Council

The Academy Council will review all exclusions and consider any representations made to them by parents / carers.

On receiving notification from the Principal, a representative from the Governing Body will invite the parents / carers to attend the meeting. The representative will request written statements and will circulate these at least five days in advance of the meeting. The Governing Body may uphold the exclusion or direct the student’s reinstatement.

Appeals

Parents / carers have a right to appeal any exclusion decisions. As an alternative provider (SEMH) of education, the Academy has a commitment to ensure that all students are progressed in a way that meets their needs. This will remain the objective in cases of exclusions; the Academy will work in partnership with parents / carers to ensure the appropriate progression routes are established.

In cases where this is not accepted, an independent appeals panel may be convened, and governors will consult with the relevant local authority.

Monitoring and Review of Policy

This policy will be reviewed annually to ensure its effectiveness, and updated in response to new

research or changes within the school community. Regular feedback from students, parents, and staff

will be sought to continuously improve our strategies.

Appendix 1 – Nurture Policy

Nurturing Approach at The Sky Academy

Aims and Ethos:

At The Sky Academy we strive to provide a Nurturing environment; our approach is based on six nurturing principles. Our Nurture-based approach aims to provide a safe environment that is conducive to learning. All staff are to be aware that learning is developmental, and all behaviour is a form of communication.

Principles:

Children’s learning is understood developmentally.

All children at The Sky Academy have a unique story. Staff are to be aware of the developmental stage a student may be at when planning and teaching lessons; this is supported by teachers understanding that students learn at different speeds. Prior to starting at The Sky Academy, staff are made aware of their keyworker students’ school history and, through this, can begin to identify any gaps that may arise.

The classroom offers a safe base.

Every classroom at The Sky Academy has been designed to ensure both physical and emotional safety is paramount. Through the ‘Relationship for Learning Policy’, staff ensure that clear expectations are demonstrated – with boundaries in place – to help students feel safe and confident in knowing what is expected each day.

The site has physically been designed to allow students to feel safe in their space, without other students coming into their safe space. All learning spaces have a breakout area that students can use when needing to regulate or need time out.

The school day and individual lessons are clearly structured. Staff use visual timetables and establish routines to maintain open communication, allowing students to feel secure in knowing what is happening that day.

Staff ensure boundaries are made clear so that students know what is, and is not, appropriate; staff will refer to the behaviour toolkit to ensure consistent responses across the school.

The importance of nurture for the development of wellbeing.

The wellbeing of students is paramount at The Sky Academy. To help demonstrate the importance of wellbeing, and foster the value of community within the school, staff consistently model key skills such as kindness, compassion, and empathy.

Achievements at The Sky Academy are celebrated in a variety of ways including phone calls home, postcards, bonus rewards (vouchers), verbal praise, and certificates. Staff are aware of each student’s individual needs and will ensure any celebration of achievement suits that young person appropriately.

At The Sky Academy, each keyworker group is represented by a member on the Student Council; this council meets regularly through the school year to ensure student voice is being heard and any changes are implemented where appropriate.

The school day is structured as such to ensure students have opportunities to talk to their keyworkers, as well as having pastoral workers available. Students also have access to ELSAs, where they can receive support around their emotions.

Another key aspect of wellbeing recognised at The Sky Academy is the importance of being active; students have regular PE sessions, with opportunities to take part in school, and external, sports competitions, along with access to a variety of Outdoor Education activities.

Language is a vital means of communication.

At The Sky Academy, we recognise the importance of communication and allowing opportunity for regular conversation. In recognising the value of language, staff endeavour to ensure that students have frequent opportunity, through organic conversation, to practise and develop informal but appropriate language skills.

Lessons allow for the development of formal language across all subjects with the aid of subject-specific reading material and applying the use of key words.

Staff support those students showing heightened behaviour by trying to label emotions to help the student vocalise how they feel. ELSA sessions are also available to those students who need support around their emotional literacy, to help develop skills in voicing how they feel.

The Sky Academy have dedicated Speech and Language therapists to help support and develop those students who may have further needs within language and communication.

Visual aids are available to support students who may not have the language skills needed.

All Behaviour is communication.

Staff at The Sky Academy are all trained in ‘Team Teach’ and are trained to understand that, when a young person is behaving in a certain way, it is a form of communication.

Staff use information from previous schools, as well as in-school experiences, to help gain a better understanding of each student. When dealing with any form of behaviour, staff ask ‘why’ the student is displaying this specific behaviour, as well as ensuring that firm, clear boundaries are in place, to demonstrate to the young person that their behaviour is not acceptable. Staff will provide alternative ways for each student to show their behaviour.

The importance of transitions in children’s lives.

 Many young people at The Sky Academy find change and transition difficult. We aim to support our young people by normalising change and ensuring that they are prepared in advance, wherever possible. If this is not possible, staff show understanding of how that may make the young person feel and will provide appropriate support. Our timetable and keyworker base model limits transitions wherever possible, providing clear structure and routine.

Appendix 2 – Points Expectations