West Kirby School seeks to create and maintain an environment in the school, which encourages and reinforces good behaviour. Good behaviour plays a significant role in promoting a safe and orderly environment, in enabling effective teaching and learning to take place.

Our Positive Behaviour Guide outlines behaviour and attitude expectations of pupils, along with the associated positive rewards including Going for Gold, and also consequences. Through our Positive Behaviour Guide we aim:

• To create and maintain an environment which encourages and reinforces good behaviour.
• To define acceptable standards of behaviour.
• To encourage consistency of response to both positive and negative behaviour.
• To promote self-esteem, self-discipline, self-control and positive relationships.
• To ensure that the school’s expectations and strategies are widely known and understood by all staff across day and residential settings.
• To encourage the involvement of both home and school in the implementation of this policy.

Understanding behaviour

At WKS we understand and believe that behaviour is a form of communication. Different people communicate different messages through various behaviours. The messages communicate a number of underlying needs.

It is our aim to listen closely to the messages communicated and to meet the various and complex special needs of our pupils. We aim to provide an atmosphere of mutual trust in which the aims are accepted and needs are met for all people. Finally, fostering positive and respectful relationships between all members of the school is seen as crucial to ensuring high standards of behaviour.

For information on how we support this please read our Safeguarding, Behaviour, Attitudes & Attendance Policy Handbook , which includes School Code of Conduct, Pupil consent/permission booklet (notes expectations of staff, parents and pupils), Anti-Bullying Policy, Rewards and Consequences, RPI Policy, Safeguarding Children and Child Protection Policy and E-Safety Policy.

Behaviour Expectations and Values

Students are expected to behave well in and out of lessons, and travelling to and from school. The fundamental expectations for all members of the school are embedded in our School Vision:

1. Be able to self-regulate and manage their social, emotional, mental health and physical needs both in our school and in life (outside school)
2.  Develop independence, resilience and kindness
3. Become respectful members of society who are community minded, uphold British Values, understand Protected Characteristics and who contribute to charitable causes
4. Feel pride in themselves and be aspirational. We want staff, parents and carers to feel this too.
5. Feel pride in their achievements and a developed/developing self-esteem. We want our parents and carers to feel this too
6. Be proactive, enterprising, aspirational and career minded
7. Leave school with a good reading level
8. Achieve at least 5 GCSEs or equivalent

These are underpinned by the 6 School Values:

• Be respectful
• Be kind 
• Be nurturing 
• Be aspirational
• Be proactive
• Be enterprising