Getting it Right
At Hillcrest we operate a ‘Getting It Right Policy’ (GIR). This is a behaviour policy based upon:
- Praise
- Choice – ALL Students make choices which dictate their actions. These actions can then result in either positive or negative consequences
As part of our commitment to promote British Values, it is the aim of the school to create a happy, successful school in which students are able to learn and develop to their full potential. They can, therefore, expect to be valued and respected as individuals, to be treated with fairness and understanding and to be encouraged and praised for effort. We welcome and encourage the involvement of parents and members of the community in school to enrich and improve education for all. Students must be prepared to follow the ‘Getting It Right’ policy.
Report from Ofsted:
"Pupils behave very well in lessons. There is a clear understanding of what leaders expect, and pupils want to succeed. They concentrate well and take pride in their work. Disruption is very rare." (Ofsted, September 2022)
Getting It Right Procedures
At the start of every lesson, students have a GIR point. The objective for each student is to keep their GIR point every lesson. This means students can win 5 GIR points every day if they keep their points in every lesson. Throughout the year students are expected to maintain a minimum of 96% of their GIR points, as well have attendance above 95% each term, to secure their place in termly reward events,
To keep their GIR point students must meet behaviour expectations; work to the best of their ability, arrive to lesson on time, bring the correct equipment and complete their extended learning. Students will lose their GIR point if they fail to meet one of these expectations in any given lesson. However, staff will endeavour to speak with a student to understand the reasons for any negative behaviour before issuing a C1 consequence as part of our ‘Emotional Recovery’ approach.
If a student repeatedly fails to meet expectations in a lesson, despite numerous warnings and interventions by the teacher, a C2 or C3 may be issued by the teacher. If a student receives a C2 consequence, they will receive a 30-minute detention that will be served after-school that day. If a student receives a C3 consequence, they will be sent to the isolation room for a fixed period of time and will receive a 60-minute detention that will be served during the day and after school (depending on the time of the day the C3 is issued)
As outlined in our behaviour policy, parents/carers of students who receive two C3 consequences, will be invited into school to meet with their child’s College Leader to agree terms of a ‘Behaviour Profile’. If they continue to behave inappropriately and receive three C3 consequence, parents/carers will be invited into school to agree a 'Behaviour Support Plan' with the Deputy Headteacher (Pastoral) and a one-day internal isolation will be issued. If a student receives a fourth C3 consequence, parents will be invited into school for another meeting with the Deputy Headteacher to review the 'Behaviour Support Plan' and a one-day internal suspension will be issued. If a student receives a fifth C3 consequence, parents will be invited into school to meet with the Headteacher and a one-day fixed term suspension at home will be issued. Further C3 consequences will result in parents being invited into school to attend a Governors Behaviour Panel meeting. At this stage the Headteacher will determine if a passport or managed move placement is an appropriate intervention if the behaviour continues.
If a student receives 2 or more C3 consequences in a term, they automatically lose their place on any GIR celebration events at the end of the term, even if they meet other aspects of the GIR thresholds.
Excellent attendance is important as students must also maintain attendance above 95% each term in order to participate in the GIR termly rewards events, even if their GIR score is above 96%.
GIR Bonus Points
We have a GIR Bonus Points Scheme through which students gain recognition of their achievements in relation to their academic work and community participation. Students can earn 'Academic Bonus Points' for outstanding work, effort and engagement in lessons, and 'Community Bonus Points' for participating in extra-curricular activities, student leadership roles and wider contribution to our school community.
When a student gains ten bonus points in a specific subject area, a subject commendation will be awarded by the Head of Department. The Head teacher’s commendation is worth five bonus points and is awarded for exceptional achievement or effort.
Throughout their time at Hillcrest students can receive different levels of certificates based on the number of bonus points they receive. 30 bonus points are required for a bronze certificate, 40 for a silver certificate, 50 for a gold certificate, 60 for a platinum certificate, 80 for a diamond certificate and 100 for an emerald certificate.
Any student who receives the expected level of bonus points in a term will automatically be entered into a special prize draw at the end of the term.
Praise Postcards
These will be sent home to students to inform their parents/carers of an achievement in school in relation to their academic work, attitude, good manners or anything else that deserves praise.
Community Certificate
These will be awarded to students who make a contribution to the Hillcrest community. This might include being part of a sports team, after-school club, taking part in an event or being a guide when we have visitors in school. We value the importance of representing the school in a variety of ways and feel that supporting the school and wider community is central to the personal development of our students.
Attendance
Students must be in their form room in school by 8.45am each morning. Any student arriving after 8:45am will receive a same day 30 minutes late detention after school.
Miss Stuart is our Attendance Clerk. If a student is absent from school, parents/carers should ring Miss Stuart before 9.10 am to explain the reason for the absence. Alternatively, parents can communicate the reasons for any absences through the Studybugs App.
The minimum attendance threshold for attendance is 96%. Students with attendance below 90% fall into the ‘Persistent Absentee’ category and their attendance will be monitored closely by our Educational Welfare Officer. We operate the Birmingham Local Authority attendance programme in school which may result in parents/carers receiving a fixed penalty notice fine if their child continues to be absent from school without authorised reasons. However, we will endeavour to work closely with parents/carers as part of the ‘Early Help’ programme and support parents/carers to ensure their child successfully reintegrates back into school. Further information can be found in our Attendance policy on the school website.
Students with attendance below 95% each term will not be eligible to participate in Getting it Right reward events unless the Headteacher considers there were exceptional circumstances for their absences from school.
Detention System
The school operates a same day after-school detention system. This means students will be required to attend C2 and C3 detentions on the same day the consequence is issued. Parents/carers will be notified through the Classcharts App if their child is expected to remain behind school to complete a same-day detention.
There are three different detentions in the system:
C2 detentions
This same day 30-minute detention can be issued to students under the following circumstances:
· A student arrives late to school (after 8.45am)
. A student arrives five minute or more late to a lesson
· A student receives a C2 for repeatedly failing to follow instructions or behave appropriately in a lesson
· A student fails to wear their uniform correctly
· A student fails to bring their Knowledge Organiser to school each day
· A student behaves inappropriately out of lessons
If a student fails to attend a C2 detention, they will receive a 40-minute detention. If a student fails to attend this detention, they will be internally isolated the following day.
C3 detention
This same day 60-minute detention can be issued to students under the following circumstances:
· A student receives a C3 for failure to follow instructions, speaking inappropriately to a member of staff or other students, and/or repeatedly failing to behave appropriately in a lesson, despite previously receiving a warning, C1 and C2 consequence
· A student repeatedly fails to wear their uniform correctly
· A student behaves inappropriately out of lessons, including failure to follow instructions, speaking inappropriately to a member of staff or another student, damage to school property, aggressive behaviour towards another student.
· A student has their mobile phone visible in school at any stage of the school day (including from the moment they enter the school gates at the start of the day through to the moment they leave through the school gates at the end of the school day). The student will receive a C3 consequence detention and a 60-minute detention if they hand their mobile phone to the member of staff. If a student refuses to hand the mobile phone to a member of staff, they will be sent to our Reflection Room and receive a one-day fixed term suspension at home. The student will be required to hand their mobile phone into main reception for five days after returning from their suspension. If a student fails to comply with this expectation, the student will receive a further suspension at home.
The 60-minute detention will be served throughout the day. For example, if a student receives a C3 during periods 1 or 2, they will serve 20-minutes of the detention at breaktime and the remaining 40-minutes after school that day. If a student receives a C3 period 3, they will serve a 20-minutes of the detention at lunchtime and the remaining 40-minutes after school that day. If a student receives a C3 periods 4 or 5, they will serve 60-minutes after school that day. If a student fails to fully serve the 60-minutes, they will be internally isolated the following day and the detention will be reissued.
If a student fails to attend two C3 detentions in a term they will receive an internal suspension. If a student fails to attend three or more detentions in term, they will receive a fixed-term suspension at home.
Extended Learning detention
Students who complete a piece of extended learning in a particular lesson will receive a H consequence. Any detentions for failure to complete extended learning will be served on either a Tuesday or Thursday evening after school.
If a student fails to complete a piece of extended learning, including to an appropriate standard, they will receive a 30-minute detention. If a student fails to attend the initial detention, they will receive a 40-minute detention. If a student fails to attend the 40-minute detention, they will be internally isolated the following day.
If a student fails to attend two or more detentions in a term, they automatically lose their place on any GIR celebration events at the end of the term, even if they meet other aspects of the GIR thresholds.
Hillcrest Superstar Awards
This is the highest level of award we have at Hillcrest. A Hillcrest Superstar Award will be given to a student who at the end of the year has kept a minimum of 96% GIR points, had attendance above 95% in at least two terms, earned 40 academic bonus points and 15 community bonus points. Hillcrest Superstars will receive a special certificate and their names will be displayed on a ‘Roll of Honour’. They will also be rewarded with a special Headteacher tie – one which is of a different design to the school tie
Punctuality
Arriving to school on time each day is key to students making their expected progress. Students are expected to be in their form room by 8.45am. If a student arrives in their form room after 8.45am they will be marked late by their form tutor and will receive a 30-minute c2 detention that will be served after school that day. If a student fails to attend this initial detention, they will receive a 40-minute detention and they will be internally isolated the following day if they fail to attend the 40-minute detention. Parents/carers will be notified by text message that their child was late to school and will serve the detention that night.
If a student arrives at school after 9.10am they will be marked with the letter U on the register which means they will effectively be marked absent for the whole morning session. This will then count against their attendance figure.
The student’s College Leader will meet with the student and their parents / carers if they are late to school 10 times in a year. If the student is late 15 times in a year, they will be internally isolated for one day and parents/carers will be invited into school to meet our Education Welfare Officer and Deputy Headteacher. If the student is late 20 times in a year, they will be internally suspended and the parents/carers will be invited into school to meet the Deputy Headteacher and Headteacher. Finally, parents/carers will be invited to attend a ‘Governors Attendance Panel’ meeting if their child is late for school 25 times or more in a year, and the student will be internally suspended for two days. Parents/carers will be invited into school again to attend another ‘Governors Attendance Panel’ meeting if their child continues to be late for school and a ‘Governors Contract’ will be formally signed by parents/carers. In addition, the school has the right to issue fixed-term suspensions at home if a student continues to be late for school despite the intervention of the Governing Body.
If a student is late to school 5 or more times in a term, they automatically lose their place on any GIR celebration events at the end of the term, even if they meet other aspects of the GIR thresholds.
Extended Learning
We celebrate student’s achievements in their efforts to successfully complete ‘Extended Learning’ throughout the year. Students can receive the following awards:
Termly:
Gold Award – Student comes every piece of extended learning in the term
Silver Award – Student only receives one H consequence in the term
Bronze Award – Student only receives two H consequences in the term
Annually:
Gold Award – Student comes every piece of extended learning in the year
Silver Award – Student only receives three H consequences in the year
Bronze Award – Student only receives five H consequences in the term