Recording negative behaviours
Managing the negative behaviour sheets is a little more subtle. The sheets are in three levels, the first two and generally being managed by the class teacher, perhaps with some help from the SMT, the pink level may be similarly managed but needs to be referred to the headteacher or a member of SMT.
The coloured sheets are not celebration of a child's notoriety and as such should not be shown to any other students if possible. The further up the levels the behaviours go, the more private the use of the sheets needs to be.
The sheets are simply guidance to the member of staff dealing with the student as to some idea of the appropriate level of outcome that may be required
• The appropriate completion of all sheets including
• circling appropriate behaviours
• writing some more detail of the behaviour including the lesson or location
• writing an appropriate outcome
Blue sheets
• Normally dealt with at the end of the lesson with a short period of time recovery to emphasise that issues, even small ones, require some discussion in order that they are not repeated
Yellow sheets
• these will also normally be dealt with at the end of the lesson but may require a more formal time recovery including writing a letter of apology or completing some work that was missed as a result of the behaviour
• there may be a possibility at this level or even at the blue level that the student will refuse to take part. At this point, we simply use the language of choices and let the student know that if they choose not to stay behind at the first request, that they will be required to stay at the next appropriate break time, not as a punishment, just to discuss the matter and finalise the outcome.
• as a consequence of this, the resolution for some issues, particularly those that take place in the afternoon, may span two days.
Pink sheets
• It is important to realise that these sheets may form the basis of a case for exclusion at a future date
• often these are filled in well away from the student and the resolution and recovery for these is often left to the headteacher to manage -- possibly with parents in attendance.
• students sometimes present behaviours at this level but are quite keen to resolve the issue independently and even though the sheet is referred to the headteacher, sometimes the student does not need to be
In filling in all these sheets, it is important to realise that they are not the initial point of contact in resolving the issues, there are simply for levelling and recording. It is therefore not ideal to suggest that the student will be getting a blue sheet, for example, unless they stop doing XYZ.
It is much better to give them choices around going out to break on time or needing to speak to you. If you feel this pre warning will lead to conflict, it may be better not to discuss at all and simply speak to the individual as the other students are leaving the class room.
If the students feel that your version of the story is not correct, simply ask them what they think is the correct version, write this on the back of the sheet and ensure that both sides are read the student. The agreement and conclusion to the incident should be that the student will willingly sign the sheet rather than wishing to tear it up.
Normally, if this time is spent with a focus on repair, recovery and relationship, the resolution which may include time recovery is not normally a huge issue for the students to accept. It is also not about a 1:1 recovery e.g. if the student misses 15 minutes of the lesson because of an issue, it is not essential for that 15 minutes to be recovered -- a token recovery of five minutes normally resolves and satisfies both sides.