Pupil Behaviour and School Discipline
School Discipline - Promoting Positive Behaviour
Circular 1998/25 Promoting and sustaining good behaviour in schools: Summary of new legislative provisions PDF 13.5 KB
This circular advises of legislation requiring the implementation of discipline policies in schools and provides additional support to schools in the matter of suspensions and expulsions.
Pastoral care in schools: Promoting positive behaviour PDF 507 KB
This document, published in 2001, provides guidance for staff to develop and review their policies and procedures surrounding the way pupils behave in schools. It reflects strategies and examples of good practice to help promote and maintain positive behaviour in schools.
'Good Behaviour at School' Leaflet for Parents
Parents have the biggest single influence on their children’s lives and are their children’s prime educators. Parental encouragement is crucial if children are to do well in school and research clearly shows that children whose parents are involved in their education at all stages do better at school and later in life.
This leaflet gives some ways for schools, parents and pupils to help each other. The information is available in large print and these alternative languages:
- Large Print PDF 39.3 KB
- Albanian Translation PDF 130 KB
- Arabic Translation PDF 148 KB
- Bengali Translation PDF 482 KB
- Bulgarian Translation PDF 169 KB
- Cantonese Translation PDF 232 KB
- Czech Translation PDF 70.4 KB
- English Translation PDF 87.2 KB
- Farsi Translation PDF 2.62 MB
- Figan Translation PDF 67.5 KB
- Hindi Translation PDF 72.5 KB
- Hungarian Translation PDF 71.6 KB
- Irish Translation PDF 84.4 KB
- Italian Translation PDF 133 KB
- Latvian Translation PDF 69.1 KB
- Lithuanian Translation PDF 69.3 KB
- Malayalam Translation PDF 199.KB
- Malaysian Translation PDF 68.1 KB
- Mandarin Translation PDF 162 KB
- Nepali Translation PDF 209 KB
- Philipino Translation PDF 67.9 KB
- Polish Translation PDF 71.0 KB
- Portuguese Translation PDF 72.8 KB
- Romanian Translation PDF 4.97 MB
- Russian Translation PDF 180 KB
- Shona Translation PDF 67.9 KB
- Slovak Translation PDF 71.1 KB
- Slovakian Translation PDF 68.8 KB
- Spanish Translation PDF 70.7 KB
- Tagalog Translation PDF 67.9 KB
- Thai Translation PDF 151 KB
- Ulster Scots Translation PDF 68.3 KB
- Urdu Translation PDF 154 KB
Reasonable Force
All schools have a pastoral responsibility towards their pupils and should take all reasonable steps to ensure that the welfare of pupils is safeguarded and that their safety is preserved.
The need to use reasonable force to restrain or control a pupil should be rare. However, if a pupil’s behaviour threatens the safety of other pupils and staff, a member of staff may use such force as is reasonable in the circumstances to prevent the pupil from
- committing an offence;
- causing personal injury to, or damage to the property of, any person (including the pupil him/herself); or
- engaging in any behaviour prejudicial to the maintenance of good order and discipline at the school or among any of its pupils, whether during a teaching session or otherwise.
Article 4 of the Education (Northern Ireland) Order 1998 clarifies when it may be appropriate for a member of staff to use reasonable force. More advice and guidance on the use of reasonable force can be found at the link to the right.
Suspensions and Expulsions
Every school must have a written discipline/behaviour policy which outlines the behaviour which it expects from registered pupils and the sanctions which it will impose for breaches in discipline.
Sanctions are an integral part of a school’s policy in order to uphold the school’s rules and procedures. Sanctions will vary from removal of privileges and completion of additional work to, in extreme cases, a suspension or expulsion (following a suspension).
More information on the procedures around the use of suspensions and expulsions can be found at the link on suspensions and expulsions to the right.
