Intent

At Benjamin Adlard Primary School, we believe that good behaviour is a necessary condition for learning and for fulfilling the broader aims of education, including the development of character and academic success. Our behaviour approach is rooted in our ambition to enable every child to become the best version of themselves — emotionally, socially and academically.

Our behaviour curriculum is underpinned by the Thrive Approach and shaped by restorative principles. We recognise that all behaviour is a form of communication, and we aim to understand the emotions behind behaviour in order to respond with empathy, consistency, and high expectations. We support children to manage their emotions, restore relationships, and make better choices.

We are intentional in using behaviour as a vehicle to develop character traits that will serve children for life. These include:

• Critical thinking
• Independence
• Resilience
• Empathy
• Equality
• Self-regulation
• A sense of responsibility

Each day, every member of our school community is expected to model and promote our core values of Aspiration, Independence, and Resilience. These values are explicitly taught, referenced, and celebrated in our daily practice.

We believe:

• Behaviour is a curriculum – something to be explicitly taught, practised and refined.
• Strong values and clear expectations underpin consistent behaviour across school.
• All feelings and emotions are valid, but not all behaviours are acceptable.
• There is almost always a way to put things right, and we actively support pupils to do so.
• Behaviour systems must serve all pupils, while offering tailored support to those who need it most.
• Parental partnership is essential. We work closely with families to support behaviour both in and out of school.

Implementation

Golden Rules

Our behaviour expectations are clearly defined, positively framed, and consistently embedded in daily school life. We teach children what good behaviour looks like through our Golden Rules, which promote positive habits in all aspects of school life:

• Wonderful Walking
• Tremendous Transitions
• Legendary Lining Up
• United Uniform
• Constant Kindness
• Magnificent Manners

These rules are explicitly taught and modelled across the school, creating a shared language and culture around behaviour.

Behaviour system

To support most children in meeting our expectations, we use a colour-based behaviour system. This provides a clear, visual way for pupils to understand how they are doing and reflect on their choices. The system includes opportunities for:

• Recognition and celebration of positive behaviour.
• Reminders and reflection to support children to make better choices.
• Children striving to reach Gold each day – a visible symbol of success.
• Star Treats for pupils who collect ten Gold Stars – a special reward experience with a member of the leadership team.

This approach allows us to combine consistent routines with emotional awareness, giving all children the tools and motivation they need to thrive.

Behaviour curriculum

We have developed a whole-school behaviour curriculum at Benjamin Adlard with the aim to create a culture of exceptionally good behaviour: for learning, for the community and for life. We aim to build a community which values critical thinking, independence, resilience, empathy and a sense of responsibility and to help learners take control over their behaviour and be responsible for the consequences of it. We encourage pupils to value the diversity in our society and the environment in which they live whilst becoming active and responsible citizens, contributing to the community and society. Through encouraging positive behaviour patterns we can promote good relationships throughout the academy community built on trust and understanding. We believe that as pupils practise these behaviours, over time they become habits that positively shape how they feel about themselves and how other people perceive them.

Impact

Our approach to behaviour ensures that all children are learning in a calm, safe and purposeful environment. As a result:

• Children demonstrate increasing levels of self-regulation, responsibility and empathy.

They understand the impact of their actions and make thoughtful choices. Dara, pupil, said “When I feel upset, I know how to calm down and talk about it instead of shouting.”

• Positive behaviour becomes habitual and supports academic achievement across the curriculum.

A strong learning culture has emerged, where pupils are free to focus and flourish. A member of staff commented on a recent staff survey ‘Pupils consistently demonstrate highly positive and commitment to their education. Low level disruption does not exist. Where children do have challenging behaviour, this is dealt with well and usually away form the classroom so the learning can continue.’

• Incidents of misbehaviour are reduced over time due to proactive teaching and consistent expectations.

The school has had 0% suspensions and permanent exclusions in the past four years.

• Pupils report feeling safe, heard and respected.

One child recently commented “Teachers really listen to us and help us sort things out.”

• Staff feel confident in responding to behaviour in a consistent and restorative way.

Regular CPD and shared language across the school have empowered staff to be proactive, not reactive. A member of staff commented on a recent staff survey ‘”he school has a strong network of leaders, teachers and support staff that have great experience of the school and knowledge of each and every child. This creates a culture where poor behaviour is addressed and dealt with at point and early. Exceptional CPD allows us to deal with difficult behaviour because we are given the tools to do so.”

• Parents feel well-informed and supported in managing behaviour collaboratively.

Parents are kept in the loop through regular communication and are part of the solution. At a recent meeting, one parent commented ““We always know how behaviour is managed and feel involved.”
 

• Pupils who require additional support are identified early and offered appropriate interventions.

No child is left behind—intervention is timely, measured, and inclusive. The school was recently nominated for ‘Inclusive School of the Year’ at the TES Awards 2025.
 

At Benjamin Adlard, we don’t just manage behaviour — we teach it, model it, and celebrate it. By doing so, we help every child to grow into a kind, resilient and responsible individual, ready to succeed both within school and beyond.