You are here  Parents Code of Discipline
Staff, Board of Management and Parents Council, have approved this document on school discipline.
The school places greater emphasis on behaviour than on discipline. The school recognises that standards of behaviour come from the home. It is therefore vital that parents regularly instruct their children as to what constitutes correct behaviour. The children will receive a far better quality of education if the teachers can devote all their time to teaching and not have to disrupt classes continually to deal with poor behaviour or indiscipline. No individual child has a right to waste valuable time on those who wish to learn and gain maximum benefit from their time in school.
Throwing things, unnecessary comments, arguments of any kind or any such behaviour cannot be tolerated and if repeated must lead to the removal of the offending child from the class. Parents must explain the seriousness of this to their children. The school expects the full co-operation of parents in dealing with all incidents of indiscipline.
Matters constituting serious misbehaviour will include:
continuous disruption of class, lies, leaving school grounds without permission, taking half days without permission, fighting, indecency, disobedience, bullying, smoking, aiding or abetting lies or dishonesty. Repeated minor indiscretions will be classed as disobedience and will be regarded as serious. Children will be held responsible for any deliberate damage to school or other children’s property and will be expected to make good any damage caused. Children may be suspended from school for continuous serious misbehaviour.
The Board of Management will strive to keep the school environment clean and as bright and stimulating as possible. The Board acknowledges that a good environment can help children have more respect for school and create a better atmosphere in which to work.
Every effort will be made by all members of the staff to adopt a positive approach to the question of behaviour in the school. The school places greater emphasis on rewards than on sanctions in the belief that this will, in the long run, give the best results.
The overall responsibility for discipline within the school rests with the Principal.
Each teacher has responsibility for the maintenance of discipline within his/her classroom while sharing a common responsibility for good order within the school premises. Staff will consider themselves responsible at all times for the behaviour of children within sight or sound of them and will respond promptly and firmly to incidences of unacceptable behaviour.
Following consideration by the Board of Management in April 2006 the following were agreed as incidences that would warrant immediate suspension from school:
1. Behaviour likely to cause serious injury to self or others
2. Physical or verbal assault or threat of assault on any member of staff
3. Unprovoked assault on a pupil – not the result of a clash during sports etc
4. Throwing stones or other objects (other than a ball at games) in either the play yard or classroom likely to cause injury
5. Possession of or use of weapons that might constitute a threat to the Health and Safety of pupils, parents, staff and any other personnel attached to the school
6. Bullying – though proof would need to be clear and culpability accepted by child in question
7. Drug abuse or dealing in prohibited substances
Late arrival at school and non-attendance at school are not seen as a breach of discipline as these are the responsibility of parents.
Incidents of serious misbehaviour will be noted in writing on the child’s Detention Form by the relevant teacher. Relevant teacher responsible for giving & correcting worksheets. The Principal will again supervise the Detention Room for 2007/2008.
Our Golden Rules
• Do be gentle - Don’t hurt anyone
• Do be kind - Don’t hurt anyone’s feelings
• Do listen well - Don’t shout out
• Do work hard - Don’t waste your or other peoples time
• Do look after property - Don’t damage it
• Do be honest - Don’t cover up the truth
The following strategies will be used to show disapproval of unacceptable behaviour:
 Reasoning with the pupil
Reprimand (including advice on how to improve)
Temporary separation from peers
Loss of privileges: e.g. taking part in school football/basketball/hurling leagues, tournaments, school tours
A Record detailing all times a child has seriously misbehaved or repeatedly committed misdemeanours will be held on the school’s database. When a child has been recorded two times in Detention a copy of his/her record in this database will be sent to his/her parents. The class teacher will complete the “Early Years Behaviour Checklist” at this stage. Parents will be invited to call to the school to discuss their child’s behaviour with the class teacher. Should a child be recorded a further two times then the parents will again be invited to the school to meet with the Principal. Should a child be recorded a further two times again then the parents will again be invited to the school to meet with the Principal and Chairman of Board of Management. They will be required to give an undertaking that their child’s behaviour will improve.
Should this improvement in behaviour not come about the child will be suspended from school as stated in Rule 130 (5) of the Rules for National Schools and as amended by Circular 7/88 and communicated to Board’s of Management under Circular 20/90. The Department of Education’s guidelines on suspension will be followed meticulously.
For extreme cases, the child will be expelled, in accordance the Education Welfare Act 2000. (ratified by BOM 05/12/06)
Every effort will be made to have an emotionally disturbed child referred for psychological assessment without delay.
Help will be sought also from support services within the wider community e.g. Community Care Services. Discipline will be enforced consistently. The Principal will deal strictly, but fairly, with any pupil a teacher feels necessary to send to the office. However in all cases, justice will be tempered with mercy.
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