path: root/content/behpl.md

---
title: YK Pao School Songjiang Campus Behaviour Policy
---

This is an informational copy of the YK Pao School Songjiang Campus Behaviour Policy,
updated March 2020. This is not a canonical copy and **should not** be considered legal
advice.

**This page is copyrighted by YK Pao School. The public-domain dedication does not apply.**

## 1. PURPOSE STATEMENT
YK Pao High School seeks to encourage and uphold the highest standards of behaviour
from all our students. However, we also recognise that an important part of adolescence
is making mistakes and learning from them. So, we want our school to be a
compassionate community of learners where both staff and students act with integrity
and take responsibility for our actions. We firmly believe that the best way to encourage
high standards of behaviour is for there to be a positive culture of mutual respect
between teachers and students; a culture which recognises, affirms and encourages
good and responsible behaviour, a culture where rewards, praise and affirmation greatly
outnumber sanctions and a culture of consistency and clarity where students understand
the consequences of their actions.

## 2. AIMS
This policy aims to:
- Provide a consistent approach to behaviour management
- Outline how pupils are expected to behave
- Define what we consider to be unacceptable behaviour
- Summarise the roles and responsibilities of different people in the school
- community with regards to behaviour management
- Outline our system of rewards and sanctions

## 3. APPROACH
YK Pao High School is a place of learning, and we see this in the broadest sense. Of
course, students have the opportunity to learn in the classroom, but alongside that, they
also have the chance to learn about themselves and others in every aspect of their
experience at school. As such, we perceive the mistakes or poor decisions that students
make as opportunities to learn about themselves in order to improve, grow and,
ultimately, thrive. So, mistakes and poor decisions are viewed not solely as poor
behaviour that needs to be sanctioned but also as “teachable moments” which students
can learn from.

## 4. DEALING WITH INSTANCES OF INDISCIPLINE
It is most important that all staff support one another by the consistency of their approach
to disciplinary issues. A successful and experienced teacher will have few disciplinary
issues: her/his standards and expectations will be known and pupils will respond. Pupils
will accept the fairness of punishment from such teachers. Our aim should always be that
a positive, civilised atmosphere prevails in which all members of the school community –
staff and students - treat each other with courtesy and mutual respect.

Nevertheless, all teachers, however experienced, will from time to time encounter
disciplinary problems with individuals or groups of pupils. On such occasions, the teacher
concerned should not hesitate to seek advice and support. The relevant House Tutor,
House Master, or Head of Department are obvious first points of reference, but other
colleagues dealing with the same pupil or group will probably also be able to offer
helpful pointers. In addition, all senior staff are always willing to offer help and advice on
an informal basis.

Discipline should always have a positive outcome. It should never take the form of
humiliation. Demeaning punishments, or public criticisms of pupils, are never acceptable.
Collective punishment of an entire group for what is the result of behaviour by only a few
members of that group is never acceptable, so class detentions should not be
conducted.

Staff are expected to take a leading and consistent role in ensuring a high standard of
appearance among the pupils. Pupils should not enter or leave your lesson improperly
dressed.

Sometimes teachers can be anxious that they may be viewed as lacking ability if they
bring a disciplinary problem to the attention of other, more senior colleagues. This is
absolutely not the case. **Raising such issues with other colleagues in order to seek
advice and assistance is only ever viewed as a sign of strong, considered,
professional conduct.** Conversely, to conceal a problem one may be experiencing with a
particular pupil or group of pupils can contribute to the growth of wider behavioural
issues and will result in some damage to the educational experience of pupils; it is
therefore lacking in professionalism to conceal such issues. YKPS operates a ‘no blame’
culture for staff in which we are all expected to be honest and upfront when experiencing
difficulties or making mistakes. In return, when this happens we should receive support,
practical advice and the opportunity to reflect, in a non-confrontational way, on how to
learn from the situation.

## 5. MISBEHAVIOUR
Misbehaviour is broken down into four categories: a) minor infractions; b) academic
indiscipline; c) major infractions and d) severe infractions. There are defined in the
following terms:

### 5.1. Minor infractions:
In the case of poor student decisions that affect the student only and create limited long term
damage to their standing or education and are not repetitive, such as:

- Isolated tardiness
- Isolated missed work
- Room violation (e.g. failing room inspection, moving furniture without asking, not
- respecting lights out)
- Uniform violation
- Inappropriate public display of affection (PDA) (e.g. sitting in another student’s lap)
- General misconduct (e.g. shouting, roughhousing)
- Having unauthorised packages sent to school including food and drinks
- Other conduct falling generally within the description above

These incidents will be most likely be dealt with directly by the teacher present by simply
requesting compliance rather than a specific sanction and will not require a referral to the HM
or SLO.

### 5.2. Academic Indiscipline:
In the case of poor student decisions relating to their actions in their work (excluding poor
classroom behaviour which interrupts the learning of others, which is dealt with under major
infractions), such as:
- Producing work on more than one occasion which is late or clearly inadequate given
  that pupil’s abilities and the standards required
- Failing to complete required work after a prior warning
- Failing to respond to requests to contact a teacher via email
- Level 1 Academic Malpractice

**These incidents are primarily the responsibility of the class teacher and they should
follow the ‘Incomplete Homework Policy’ issued by the Academic Affairs Office.** If a
class teacher is unable to resolve the situation themselves, they should seek the support
of their Head of Department.

### 5.3. Major Infractions:
In the case of poor student decisions that affect other students and their ability to experience
success at school and/or have longer term impact on a student’s education or standing,
which may or may not be repetitive, such as:
- Repeated (three or more) minor infractions
- Failure to follow direct instructions
- Intentional rudeness to staff
- Inappropriate/undirected use of technology in class, as defined by the teacher
- Disruption of classes that impact the learning of other students
- Any form of bullying (see further definitions below)
- Out of bounds both on campus and off campus
- Intentionally skipping class
- Possession of hazardous equipment in the dorms particularly any equipment which
  poses a fire risk
- Level 2 & 3 Academic Malpractice

Any occurrence of these incidents will all be recorded on the student’s in-school
behaviour record and will require immediate referral to the Housemaster/Mistress, who
will also notify the Student Life Office or the Academic Affairs Office in the case of
academic dishonesty/malpractice. All such incidents will be investigated and students will
complete a behaviour reflection sheet which will also be kept on file. Any such incident is
likely to be disclosed in an external school or university application.

### 5.4. Severe Infractions:
In the case of the following student decisions that affect other students and their ability to
experience success at school and/or have longer term impact on a student’s education or
standing, which may or may not be repetitive and are in some cases illegal, such as:
- Level 4 Academic Malpractice
- Sexual relations on campus or during a school organised event including trips
- Sexual assault, which is any non-consensual sexual behaviour
- Using technology illegally
- Vandalism
- Theft
- Fighting
- Racist, sexist, homophobic, transphobic or discriminatory behaviour <a id="no-discrim" />
- Possession of and/or use of any prohibited items. These are:
  - Knives or weapons
  - Alcohol
  - Illegal drugs
  - Stolen items
  - Tobacco products including vaping equipment
  - Fireworks
  - Pornographic images
  - Any article a staff member reasonably suspects has been, or is likely to be, used to
    commit an offence, or to cause personal injury to, or damage to the property of,
    any person (including the pupil)


Any occurrence of these incidents will be recorded on the student’s in-school behaviour
record and will require immediate referral to the Student Life Office, who will notify the
Principal’s Office, as well as possible involvement of the local police department. All such
incidents will be investigated and students will complete a behaviour reflection sheet
which will also be kept on file. Any such incident is likely to be disclosed in an external
school or university application.

## 6. BULLYING
Bullying is defined as the repetitive, intentional harming of one person or group by
another person or group, particularly where the relationship involves an imbalance of
power.

Bullying is, therefore:
- Deliberately hurtful
- Repeated, often over a period of time
- Difficult to defend against

Bullying can include:
- **Emotional:** Being unfriendly, excluding, tormenting
- **Physical:** Hitting, kicking, pushing, taking another’s belongings, any use of violence
- **Racial:** Racial taunts, graffititi, gestures
- **Sexual:** Explicit sexual remarks, display of sexual material, sexual gestures,
  unwanted physical attention, comments about sexual reputation or performance, or
  inappropriate touching
- **Direct or indirect verbal:** Name-calling, sarcasm, spreading rumours, teasing
- **Cyber-bullying:** Bullying that takes place online, such as through social networking
  sites, messaging apps or gaming sites

Incidents of suspected bullying must be reported to Housemaster/mistress and to the
Student Life Office. As part of this process there may be consequences for the students
involved which would fall in line with our sanction procedures outlined below. For all students
involved in bullying, both perpetrators and victims, we offer counselling support thought the
Student Life Office as well as reflective support from the relevant housemaster/mistress and
house tutor. The prevention of bullying at school is addressed in part through our Character
Education Program. Training on how to prevent bullying and how bullying can be reported
and resolved is conducted in whole staff faculty meetings.



## 7. ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES
### 7.1. The Senior Management Committee (SMC)
The SMC is responsible for reviewing and approving the school’s guiding statements. The
SMC will also review this behaviour policy in conjunction with the Principal and monitor the
policy’s effectiveness, holding the Principal to account for its implementation.

### 7.2. The Principal
The Principal will ensure that the school environment encourages positive behaviour and that
staff deal effectively with poor behaviour, and will monitor how staff implement this policy to
ensure rewards and sanctions are applied consistently.




### 7.3. Staff
Teaching and support staff are responsible for setting the tone and context for positive
behaviour within the school.

In the classroom, they will:
- Create and maintain a stimulating environment that encourages pupils to be
  engaged
- Display the pupil code of conduct or their own classroom rules
- Develop a positive relationship with pupils, which may include:
  - Greeting pupils in the morning/at the start of lessons
  - Establishing clear routines
  - Communicating expectations of behaviour in ways other than verbally
  - Highlighting and promoting good behaviour
  - Concluding the day positively and starting the next day afresh
  - Having a plan for dealing with low-level disruption
  - Using positive reinforcement

Staff are responsible for:
- Implementing the behaviour policy consistently
- Modelling positive behaviour
- Providing a personalised approach to the specific behavioural needs of particular
  pupils
- Recording behaviour incidents

The senior leadership team will support staff in responding to behaviour incidents.

### 7.4. Parents
Parents are expected to:
- Support their child in adhering to the behaviour policy
- Inform the school of any changes in circumstances that may affect their child’s
  behaviour
- Discuss any behavioural concerns with the class teacher promptly
- Model behaviour which is in line with the YKPS guiding statements and standards
  outlined in this document


### 7.5. Students
Students are expected to:
- Approach school with a positive attitude
- Show kindness and respect to all members of the community
- In class, make it possible for all pupils to learn
- Treat the school buildings and school property with respect
- Wear the correct uniform at all times
- Accept sanctions when given
- Refrain from behaving in a way that brings the school into disrepute, including when
  outside school



## 8. OFF-CAMPUS AND ONLINE BEHAVIOUR
All sections of this policy continue to apply when a student is on a school organised off-campus
trip or is still in school uniform. They also apply for a student’s online actions
especially those on public forums such as WeChat, QQ, Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat
etc. The school does not take any responsibility for the actions of a student when not
under the direct supervision of the school, however, the school reserves the right to
implement sanctions as outlined in this document if an incident does come to light.

## 9. REWARDS AND SANCTIONS
### 9.1. Rewards
Positive behaviour will be rewarded with:
  - Praise
  - Letters or phone calls home to parents
  - Positive references and recommendation letters
  - Student leadership responsibilities
  - Credits towards the YK Pao Challenge
  - Academic recognition through the Founders’ and Principal’s Awards

### 9.2. Sanctions
All sanctions **must** be logged in PowerSchool to keep clear record of student
misbehaviour.

Sanctions for behaviours listed above in order of severity:
  - **In-House Detention**: Student is required to be in a designated location in the
    boarding house from 9 pm until 10 pm. This would be issued for incidents of
    persistent minor infractions reported to the HM. **Accumulation of three of these
    detentions within a semester results in a Principal’s Detention.**
  - **Lunch Time Detention** (new for August 2019): Student is required to be in a
    designated location in the academic building for the lunch period and flextime. This
    consequence, which should be given by the class teacher or Head of Department, is
    primarily issued for incidents of academic indiscipline. **Accumulation of three of
    these detentions within a semester results in a Principal’s Detention.**
  - **Principal’s Detention:** issued for incidents of technology misuse in class, disruption
    of classes and other major infractions. **Accumulation of three of these detentions
    within the academic year results in an in-school suspension.**
  - **In-school Suspension:** issued for major infractions and those that go above those
    listed for a Principal’s Detention. Accumulation of three of these detentions within
    the academic year results in an external suspension and the issuance of a behaviour
    contract.
  - **External Suspension:** issued for severe infractions or for students who continually
    show they are unable to follow rules and directions stated above.
  - **Behaviour Contract:** Issued for severe infractions or for students who continually
    show they are unable to follow rules and directions stated above. This will be an
    understanding between the student, the parents, and the school that if the student
    cannot follow rules after the contract is agreed upon more serious sanctions will
    follow (e.g. having boarding status revoked, losing afternoon activity participation
    privileges, expulsion).
  - **Exclusion from the Residential Program and/or the CCA Program:** Issued for
    students who repeatedly fail to adhere to the terms of a behaviour contract, and can
    be for a period set by the Student Life and Principal’s Office.
  - **Expulsion:** Issued for students who have shown they are not in a position to abide
    by the school’s behavioural or academic expectations.


### 9.3. Reporting Disciplinary Action to Universities
It is in a student’s and YK Pao School’s best interest to approach the university application
process in an honest and ethical manner. Establishing and maintaining YK Pao School’s
reputation for excellence and integrity among universities is of critical importance.
Therefore, YK Pao School reserves the right to notify other schools, colleges and
universities (to which a student is applying, has been admitted or is matriculating) of a
student’s suspension or other serious discipline issue(s) stemming from academic or
behavioural misconduct, past or present. As a member of the National Association for
College Admission Counselling (NACAC), YK Pao School abides by NACAC’s Statement
of Principles of Good Practice in providing to universities information about our
Secondary School students that is relevant to the admissions process. The Principal will
make any decision as to whether a university is informed of disciplinary incidents.


All potential consequences of infractions are at the final discretion of the school’s
Executive Head.