Date of Last Review: June 2020

Date of Next Review: Upon Removal of Lockdown Restrictions / Full School Opening Page 2 of 5

This policy should be read in conjunction with the Behaviour for Learning Policy, E-Safety Policy, the Drugs and Substance Misuse Policy and the Anti-Bullying Policy.

We recognise that returning to school after such a long time at home presents a unique and challenging set of circumstances. Students will need guidance to help establish a routine and may feel strange being back in school and in classrooms with their peers.

Some students may feel anxious or nervous about their return to school and so extra pastoral care and support will be available on request. It is important that all students and their parents read this policy in order to fully understand the additional rules in place and why and how they are to be implemented.

By attending KORU Independent AP Academy, students are agreeing to uphold and abide by the Covid-19 addition to the Behaviour for Learning Policy in order to keep everyone in our community as safe as possible. During this pandemic and period of reopening, there are additional, strict guidelines that students and staff must adhere to.

This policy sets out clear expectations for our school community. Please note that KORU Independent AP Academy reserves the right, at any time, to respond to any incident in a manner that best serves the interests of our students, staff and community.

Students are expected to behave safely and sensibly during partial opening and focus on their learning, where possible. In order to keep everybody safe, students must obey all social distancing measures put in place and all respiratory and tactile hygiene guidance. It is imperative that students follow all staff requests without argument. If they fail to do so, or if their behaviour becomes a concern, sanctions may be applied. 

Expectations of Students during Partial Opening:

• Students must obey all Health and Safety rules in order to keep everyone safe.
• Students must not attend school if they are unwell and should tell a member of staff immediately if they feel unwell whilst in school.
• Students must abide by the Code of Conduct and follow staff requests without argument.
• Students must only attend the specific session and classroom to which they have been invited in order to minimise contact with others.
• Students must obey social distancing instructions at all times, keeping 2 metres apart both in the classroom and inside and out of school buildings.
• Students must sit where they are told, stay in their designated workspace and only leave this with permission to carry out specific tasks e.g. to wash their hands or visit the toilet.
• Students must act on requests about washing hands regularly, using hand sanitiser and avoiding touching their faces.
• Students must follow good respiratory hygiene by using tissues and following the public health ‘catch it, bin it, kill it’ guidance when coughing or sneezing.
• Students must behave sensibly, try their best and allow others to learn at all times.
• Students must be punctual for their session, equipped, and ready to learn. Equipment cannot be shared.
• Students should bring pens, pencils, ruler and calculator. They should also bring tissues and use them appropriately. They may bring and use their own hand sanitiser but this will also be provided for them.
• Students must not move around the classroom or school without permission and must follow all directional signs.
• Students must treat people, property and the environment with care and respect.
• Students may not eat or drink during lesson time, except when permitted to use their personal water bottle.
• Students must use IT appropriately and follow all instructions about keeping themselves safe online.
• Students may be searched for prohibited items, any item banned by the school rules or any item considered harmful or detrimental to school discipline. Items will be confiscated.

Arrival to and departing from school

Students are to arrive at the school on time for their designated session and abiding with social distancing rules. There will be staggered arrival times and students must adhere to these. On entry to school students will be asked to use the hand cleaning stations and will then have their temperature taken and logged.  They will then be taken to their classroom for the day.

Students will be given instructions about which exits they may or may not use and should maintain social distancing when leaving the school site.

Application of Rewards

KORU Independent AP Academy will continue to recognise students’ excellent effort and achievement in subjects and other home learning activities. Students’ hard work, resilience, commitment and community involvement will be duly recognised. Our rewards system will continue to be applied as far as possible.

Application of Sanctions

Some students will continue to work on-line and virtually at home on learning activities provided by teachers. A member of staff from KORU will do a ‘weekly check-in’ with parents and students to provide support, where necessary and appropriate.

We ask that the school is informed about any issues which may impact on their ability to complete work so that we can support and advise as necessary. Students must continue to implement safe use of the Internet as laid out in the E-Safety policy. Any inappropriate behaviour, unkindness or bullying on home learning platforms is unacceptable and will trigger an appropriate sanction. As students gradually return to school, they are expected to behave safely and sensibly and focus on their learning.

In order to keep everybody safe, it is important that students follow staff requests without argument, where possible. If they fail to do so, or if their behaviour becomes a concern, the following sanctions may be applied:

• Expectations are made clear by staff, and students are reminded which rule they are infringing. A verbal warning may be given and the student expected to fall in line immediately or risk being removed from the session.
• Senior staff speak to the student and expect them to comply immediately. They may be asked to work under supervision elsewhere.
• Failure to comply will result in the student being asked to leave the school site, parents informed and asked to collect them. This may jeopardise their attendance at future ‘face-to-face’ sessions.
• Exclusions may be actioned as per our main Behaviour for Learning Policy and Government guidance.

The types of behaviours which may result in sanctions are indicated in the school’s Behaviour for Learning Policy. This is not an exhaustive list. In addition to these behaviours, any behaviour that wilfully undermines the safety measures that the school has put in place or risks the safety of students or staff will not be tolerated.

Deliberate coughing, spitting, threatening, defiant or aggressive language and behaviour, or wilful ignoring of social distancing will result in a period of fixed term exclusion.

Behaviours are ranked in severity and will incur an increasing number of behaviour points accordingly.