Weston Village Primary SchoolBehaviour and Anti-Bullying
A Calm, Safe and Respectful School
At Weston Village Primary School, we want every child to feel safe, valued and ready to learn.
Our approach to behaviour is built around positive relationships, clear expectations and calm, consistent adults. We believe that behaviour should be taught, modelled and practised, just like other aspects of learning.
Our aims are to:
create a calm, safe and respectful environment
help children develop the habits and behaviours they need to succeed
maintain high expectations for all pupils
recognise effort, kindness, responsibility and positive choices
respond to difficulties fairly, consistently and proportionately
help children understand the impact of their actions and repair harm
identify where a child may need additional support
prevent and respond effectively to bullying and discriminatory behaviour.
Our approach reflects current Department for Education guidance, which places a strong emphasis on a clear whole-school behaviour culture, explicitly taught expectations and consistent responses.
Our Approach to Behaviour
At Weston, we believe that adult behaviour matters.
Staff are expected to model the calm, respectful behaviour we want children to develop. Our key principles include:
We teach behaviour
Children are explicitly taught routines, expectations and positive social behaviour through everyday practice, modelling, assemblies and PSHE.
We are calm, clear and consistent
Staff use predictable responses and avoid escalating situations unnecessarily.
We praise in public and correct in private
Positive behaviour is recognised openly. Corrections are made discreetly wherever possible so that children retain their dignity.
We use consequences to teach and repair
Where behaviour falls below expectations, consequences are proportionate and children are supported to reflect, make amends and move forward.
Every child receives the support they need to succeed
Expectations remain high, but some pupils may need reasonable adjustments or a more personalised approach because of SEND, communication needs, anxiety, trauma, health needs or other circumstances.
Recognising Positive Behaviour
Our starting point is to notice and reinforce the behaviours we want to see.
Children may be recognised through:
verbal praise
Class Dojo points
certificates and celebration assemblies
positive messages or calls home
responsibilities and pupil leadership opportunities
wider recognition of effort, improvement, kindness and contribution to school life.
Our Secrets of Success provide a shared language for many of the attitudes we want children to develop, including resilience, independence, teamwork, empathy and perseverance.
Rewards are not reserved for academic achievement. Every child has opportunities to be recognised for positive attitudes, effort and behaviour.
When Behaviour Falls Below Expectations
When something goes wrong, adults aim to respond calmly, clearly and proportionately.
Our usual stepped response involves:
reminding the child of the expectation
giving a clear warning or choice
allowing an opportunity to reset where appropriate
applying a proportionate consequence if the behaviour continues
following up with a restorative conversation.
Restorative conversations help children think about:
what happened
who was affected
how things can be put right
what they can do differently next time.
Consequences might include reflection time, completing missed learning, repairing harm, loss of an appropriate privilege, parent contact or support from a senior member of staff.
The aim is not simply to impose a sanction. We want children to learn from what has happened and succeed next time.
Understanding Behaviour and Identifying Need
Children's behaviour can sometimes tell us that something else is happening.
A noticeable or persistent change in behaviour may be associated with:
SEND or communication needs
anxiety or mental-health needs
trauma
health or sensory needs
family circumstances
difficulties with friendships or relationships
safeguarding concerns.
Staff are expected to be curious rather than confrontational: we address the behaviour while considering what may be contributing to it.
For significant incidents, we use an ABC approach when recording and analysing what happened:
A – Antecedent: What happened before?
B – Behaviour: What did the child do or say?
C – Consequence: What happened next and how did adults respond?
This helps us identify patterns, understand context and decide whether teaching, adjustments or additional support are needed.
SEND and Reasonable Adjustments
Having an additional need does not mean that expectations disappear.
Instead, we consider what support or adjustment will help the pupil meet those expectations successfully.
Depending on the child, this might include:
adjusted language or instructions
visual support
sensory or movement breaks
planned check-ins
regulation spaces
personalised targets
individual behaviour or risk plans
SENDCo or pastoral support
advice from external professionals.
Reasonable adjustments are made where required, while maintaining ambition for every pupil.
Where concerns persist, school may also use pastoral support, mentoring, family work, Early Help or multi-agency support.
Preventing Bullying
What Do We Mean by Bullying?
At Weston, bullying is never accepted as a normal part of growing up.
Bullying is different from an isolated disagreement, argument or incident of unkind behaviour.
Bullying involves behaviour which is:
deliberately hurtful
repeated, or likely to be repeated
associated with an imbalance of power, making it difficult for the person affected to defend themselves.
This is consistent with the Department for Education's current anti-bullying guidance.
One-off incidents still matter and will be dealt with appropriately, but accurately distinguishing between an incident of unkindness or conflict and bullying helps us respond effectively.
Bullying Can Take Different Forms
Bullying may be:
verbal – including name-calling, taunting or spreading rumours
physical – including hitting, kicking or pushing
emotional – including deliberate exclusion, intimidation or humiliation
online – through messaging, social media, gaming, photographs or video
sexual or related to sexual harassment
prejudice-based or discriminatory.
This includes bullying connected to race, religion or belief, disability or SEND, sex, sexual orientation or other aspects of identity.
Online bullying can also involve AI-generated or manipulated material, including deepfake images or videos created to embarrass, intimidate or harm another person. This is explicitly recognised within Weston's current Anti-Bullying Policy.
What Happens If Bullying Is Reported?
We want children and parents to tell us early.
If bullying is reported or suspected, we will:
listen carefully
establish what has happened
make sure the pupil affected is safe and supported
investigate promptly and fairly
speak to the children involved
inform relevant staff
involve parents/carers as appropriate
record and monitor concerns
apply appropriate consequences
use restorative or supportive work where suitable
monitor what happens afterwards to check that the behaviour has stopped.
Where a bullying concern also raises a safeguarding issue, our safeguarding procedures will be followed and the Designated Safeguarding Lead will be involved.
We also recognise that children displaying bullying behaviour may themselves need support. Addressing the behaviour and protecting the child who has experienced it remain essential, while understanding and addressing any underlying factors which may contribute to recurrence.
Preventing Bullying Before It Happens
Anti-bullying work is part of the wider culture of Weston rather than something addressed only when an incident occurs.
This includes:
PSHE and Relationships Education
safeguarding and online-safety teaching
myHappymind
assemblies
Anti-Bullying Week
pupil voice and leadership
teaching about equality, diversity and protected characteristics
opportunities to discuss friendships and healthy relationships
pastoral and ELSA support
OPAL play, which provides richer opportunities for positive social interaction, cooperation and mixed-age play
staff training to identify and respond to bullying.
Our Anti-Bullying Policy also places particular importance on pupil voice and ensuring that children know how and where to report worries.
Child-on-Child Abuse and Safeguarding
Some behaviour between children goes beyond ordinary behaviour management and may constitute child-on-child abuse.
This can include bullying, discriminatory abuse, sexual harassment, sexual violence, harmful sexual behaviour and online abuse.
Such behaviour is never dismissed as banter, joking or an inevitable part of growing up. Safeguarding procedures are followed whenever appropriate.
Please see our Safeguarding and Child Protection page for further information.
Restrictive Intervention and Reasonable Force
There are limited circumstances in which staff may need to use reasonable force to keep a child or others safe.
At Weston, the emphasis is on prevention and de-escalation. Where reasonable force is necessary, it must involve no more force than necessary and for the minimum time required, with the child's safety and dignity maintained.
Significant incidents are recorded and reported to parents in line with current guidance and school procedures.
Suspension and Permanent Exclusion
Suspension and permanent exclusion are serious sanctions.
Suspension may sometimes be necessary where behaviour is sufficiently serious or where other strategies have not been successful. Permanent exclusion is a last resort.
Only the Headteacher, or Acting Headteacher, can suspend or permanently exclude a pupil, and statutory procedures must be followed.
Where a pupil returns following a suspension, the emphasis is on successful reintegration and a fresh start, with appropriate support put in place to reduce the likelihood of further difficulties.
Working With Parents and Carers
Positive behaviour is strongest when school and home work together.
Parents and carers can help by:
reinforcing expectations around kindness and respect
talking positively about appropriate behaviour
letting us know about circumstances which may be affecting their child
contacting us promptly if they are worried about bullying or relationships
working with school where additional support or a behaviour plan is needed.
If we contact you about your child's behaviour, our aim is to work with you, understand what has happened and help your child move forward.
If You Have a Concern
Your child's class teacher will usually be the best first point of contact.
For persistent, serious or sensitive concerns, including concerns about bullying, a member of the senior leadership or pastoral team can also support.
Telephone: 01270 814848
Email: admin@weston.cheshire.sch.uk
If you remain dissatisfied following the school's response, our Complaints Policy explains the next steps available to you.
Policies and Further Information
The following documents provide full details of our approach:
WVPS Behaviour Policy
WVPS Anti-Bullying Policy
WVPS Suspension and Permanent Exclusion Policy
You may also find these pages useful:
Safeguarding and Child Protection
Staying Safe Online
Mental Health and Emotional Wellbeing
SEND and Inclusion