Student Discipline Management System

Assumptions

Students want to be at Berne and want to learn.
Students want the best School Certificate they can get.
Students come to Berne on the condition that they do not disrupt the learning of others.
Students are educated with the whole person in mind: the school’s stated Expectations reflect this belief.

At the centre of this system is the belief that as responsible educators we cannot let the behaviour of individual students disrupt the education of many.

While going out of our way to help the individual, in the long run we’ll opt always for the common good.

Pastoral Considerations

If you always do
what you’ve always done,

You’ll always get
what you’ve always got.

For pastoral reasons students are divided into year groups that subsequently divide into pastoral care groups. A journal group is formed vertically, i.e. students from each year group.

For pastoral reasons, students are taught in small groups—generally less than five—in streamed classes for the main SC subjects. As a special school, many other unique features are incorporated into Berne’s structure to address the special needs of the students.

Discipline Considerations

In order to maximise each student’s success and personal development, a system of levels is maintained that places each student according to behaviour(s) and level of disruption of others.

Description of Each Level

One—Normal

Normal classes.
Streamed to suit academic ability.
Small classes.
Subject teachers.
Full access to privileges.
Full access to extra-curricular activities.
Full access to awards and rewards.
Monitored by pastoral care group, teachers, and yr. co-ordinator

Three—Full Internal Seperation

No normal classes.
Full program taken on an individual basis.
Work supplied by special co-ordinator.
Based either in the BU or in the SWAP room.
May not use community room or have recreation with other students.
No access to camps and excursions.
No access to any awards/rewards.
Monitored by SWAP co-ordinator and deputy principal.

Two—Partial Internal Separation

Some normal classes: only those they don’t disrupt.
Based in the BU.
No streaming: work supplied by teachers.
Class size varies according to number of students at this level.
May not use community room (may have seperate recess times).
Restricted to access to camps and excursions.
Access only to BMR card rewards
Monitored by year co-ordinators and BU co-ordinators.

Four—Full External Separation

Removal
- Permanently—expulsion: parents asked to take student elsewhere.
- Temporarily—student must do something else for a specified time under specified conditions. Return is only made into the red level.
Monitored by principal and school executive.

Notes

Students really determine their level by their behaviour and/or co-operation.
No time limits apply to Orange, Red, or Black (b) levels—monitoring will determine this for each individual student.
Our aim is to have all students at the Green level all the time.
Students may be dropped more than one level if behaviour warrants this. Progression back up is one level at a time.
Students may be permanently excluded from Berne at the discretion of the principal (or the deputy in principal’s absence) if behaviour warrants this.
Suspensions may occur from any of the first 3 levels at the discretion of year co-ordinators, the deputy principal, and/or the co-ordinators of the BU and SWAP programme. However, return to school must be to the level they were suspended from, or one lower.
It is important to understand that at all times flexibility and possibility of resolving problems will apply
Exceptions may be made, but this policy is designed to apply to all students under normal circumstances.