Good Standing Statement

Good Standing Statement

PHILOSOPHY

The Good Standing Policy is designed to create a positive school environment, protecting the rights and responsibilities of all members of the School community and enabling students to take responsibility for their learning. It aims to ensure students are creating a positive environment and achieving substantial educational progress. The College asks our students to live the College values through their everyday actions including Faith in action, Character in life and Excellence every day.

Good Standing gives students the right to make their own informed choices concerning their involvement in the College community and to make them aware of the College expectations regarding these choices

PURPOSE

To assist students in taking responsibility for their own education

PROCEDURE

All students commence the year with Good Standing and are expected to maintain this good standing at all times.

This recognises that students take responsibility for, and are committed to, their learning Maintaining Good Standing requires:

1. Meeting school requirements regarding attendance and punctuality

An attendance requirement of 95% is expected for a student to maintain GOOD STANDING STATUS and achieve success at the College Absence from class can be one of two categories: LEGITIMATE APPROVED ABSENCE and UNEXPLAINED ABSENCE/NOT APPROVED

A LEGITIMATE ABSENCE is where a student suffers a genuine illness and parents inform the school In a case where absence is longer than 3 days a student should present a doctor’s certificate to the Attendance Officer on return to school A legitimate absence also refers to any occasion when a boy is on an excursion or is representing the school at some event or function.

APPROVED ABSENCE for personal or family reasons may be applied for through the Head of School

UNEXPLAINED ABSENCE/NOT APPROVED refers to any absence other than that defined above When a student reaches five unexplained absences, good standing is lost The tutor will notify the students’ Head of House and the Head of School The student and his parents will be asked to attend an interview with their Head of House or Head of School

Students are required to be at school prior to the start of the academic day and are expected to arrive on class on time and with the appropriate learning materials.

2. Behaviour, uniform and personal presentation according to school rules

Students are required to meet the expectations under which they are admitted to the College, adhere to the Rules and Regulations, show a proper regard at all times for the high standards and reputation of the College, behave decently and with good sense and maintain a smart appearance. It is important that all boys in the College lead by example when wearing the uniform appropriately and maintaining a neat standard of personal presentation

Students are expected to adhere to the College values This includes behaving in an orderly, civilised and well-mannered way at all times, in and out of College; showing proper courtesy and respect for others They must not behave in a way that might cause inconvenience or put at risk the health and safety of others, or cause damage to property and take care to keep the school clean, tidy and litter-free

Students are to be courteous and respectful at all times, address others properly and stand for staff or visitors entering rooms Failure to report when requested to do so by a staff member is a serious offence

The College recognises its obligation to provide an education for its students free from disruption or distraction We believe it is the right of every student to have the best education we can offer We also believe that each student has a responsibility to respect the rights of others. To this end, any disruptive behaviour in classes will result in a clear warning followed by removal from the class if the disruptive behaviour continues

3. Participation in College, co curricular, faith formation and House activities

Boys need to recognise the College’s expectation that all boys will participate fully in the College Curriculum Boys are expected to attend Religious Education classes and participate in Retreats, Service and Advocacy activities

Boys are expected to represent the College in Arts, Sport, House and other co-curricular activities when required

LOSS OF GOOD STANDING:

Failure to conform to any of the aforementioned expectations may result in the loss of Good Standing status which will be communicated by the Head of School The College will continue to work with students and parents for a positive outcome However, loss of Good Standing is a clear warning that a student needs to rectify their behaviour immediately or their place at the College may be in jeopardy

The College commitment to these activities necessitates the total support of students

It is an expectation of all College students to behave in a manner that is respectful and responsible Those who maintain appropriate standards and contribute to a positive College environment will have numerous opportunities to be acknowledged

Students who have lost Good Standing will lose the right to represent the College (as Prefect or Captain, in PSA sport, Arts & Culture and/or other co-curricular activities) and attend any special events (Year 12 Ball, socials, days of celebration, excursions, etc) In the first instance, the loss of Good Standing will be for occur for 2 weeks before a review of student behaviour is conducted and a decision whether a student will have their Good Standing reinstated This will be communicated to the student and their parents by the Head of School

The loss of Good Standing may be applied under two pathways;

1

Serious breach(es) of the Student Code of Conduct as outlined Rules and Regulations for students;

2

Repeated minor and major misbehaviours which are not addressed by the student, despite interventions

THE POLICY IN ACTION

Pathway 1: Serious Breach(es)

Stage 1: Suspension

Reinstatement of Good Standing

Good Standing is reinstated by students attending to causes of concern immediately To assist students to rectify their behaviour they may be required to engage with consistent monitoring with their Head of House and/or a College Leadership Team member, placed on a behaviour contract or mentored by a chosen staff member

At times, the behaviour of a student is determined to be a serious breach of the Student Code of Conduct as outlined in the Rules and Regulations for students In these instances, the consequence is usually a suspension with the duration and location (internal or external) determined by the Head of School, in consultation with the Principal and/or Vice Principal The length of the suspension will be determined in consideration of the nature of the breach, past behaviour and the sub-school of the student*

Serious breaches of the Student Code of Conduct are outlined in the Rules and Regulations for students Examples of these breaches include, but are not limited to; Conduct such as Physical Violence (Rules & Regulations #4) Unlawful discrimination and bullying (Rules & Regulations #5) Tobacco and alcohol (Rules & Regulations #6) Illegal substances (Rules & Regulations #7) Forbidden items such as weapons (Rules & Regulations #8) As part of a suspension, the Head of School will write to the parent/guardian outlining the nature of the breach, the length of suspension, the temporary loss of Good Standing (for the period of the suspension only) and will outline that a further serious breach may result in an extended period of the loss of Good Standing. The student will have a re-entry meeting with their parent/guardian and the Head of School (or their delegate) outlining the College’s expectations moving forward and in discussion with the student and parents, support mechanisms can be put in place to prevent further breaches

Stage 2: Loss of Good Standing

Should a student’s conduct result in a second serious breach of the Student Code of Conduct as outlined in the Rules and Regulations the student will again receive a suspension However, on this occasion the Head of School will give a clear warning that the student’s position in the College may be in jeopardy and the student will lose Good Standing, for at least 2 weeks, which will be communicated through a meeting with the student and parent/guardian

A formal letter outlining the nature of the breaches, the exact duration and impact of the loss of Good Standing, as well as the College’s expectations and student responsibilities to regain Good Standing will be sent to parent/guardians and a signed behaviour contract will be completed

*Note that Stage 2 may be invoked by the Head of School, in consultation with the Principal and/or Vice Principal for extreme breaches of the Student Code of Conduct

Stage 3: Probationary Enrolment

If a student fails to comply with recommendations put in place to reinstate Good Standing as outlined in their behaviour contract in Stage 2, or has further serious breaches of the Student Code of Conduct as outlined in the Rules and Regulations, the parent/guardian and student will meet with the Vice Principal to discuss their ongoing enrolment This may result in the student commencing a period of probationary enrolment

Stage 4: Enrolment Review

If a student continues to fail to meet expectations whilst on probationary enrolment the parent/guardian will meet with the Principal to determine their enrolment status

Repeated Minor and Major Misbehaviour Pathway 2

As per the Student Code of Conduct, students must accept the responsibilities that are associated with belonging to the Aquinas College community Failure to maintain expectations will result in the accumulation of points

In the Middle and Senior School, the accumulation of points will be monitored and when it reaches certain thresholds (see sub-School specific Flow Chart of Student Discipline and Communication), parent contact and/or consequences will occur At various stages of the Flow Chart are checkpoints where the Head of House and/or Head of School will engage with both the student and parent/guardian to support the student to change their behaviour.

Minor Misbehaviour (1-point)

Failure to maintain basic expectations will result in the accumulation of 1 point

Some examples of minor infringements include:

Distracting others in class

Not prepared for class

Late for class

Failing to follow instructions

Incorrect uniform including shoes

Unacceptable haircut

Unshaven

Off task behaviour with ICT

Carrying a bag to class (except sports bag to PE/OE)

Jewelry

Out of bounds

Unduly rough play

Littering

Foul language

Chewing gum

Failure to secure a locker

Major Misbehaviour

Behaviour that results in an immediate issuance of an after-school detention by a Head of House

Some examples include:

Being sent to Time Out

Mobile phone use

Failure to correct inappropriate haircut

Anti-social behaviour towards peers

Excessive rudeness

Failure to follow student parking guidelines

Defiance of teacher instructions

Inappropriate literature

Unacceptable behaviour in public (bus, PSA sport, excursions, etc.)

Not adhering to the ICT Code of Conduct

Failure to report when directed

Academic misconducts (cheating, collusion, plagiarising, etc)

Truancy (including unexplained absence for House events)

3 POINTS

MIDDLE SCHOOL FLOW CHART

of Student Discipline and Communication for Minor and Major Misbehaviour

The College acknowledges that having students meet College expectations around behaviour is essential to developing an inclusive and supportive community where students feel safe to learn and develop their God given talents

Throughout the following process, the student, and their personal growth, remain at the centre of our work The role of the Tutor as mentor and communication with parents/guardian are essential to the flow chart to assist the student to meet expectations, to allow them to remain fully engaged with the College’s rich educational program

When appropriate, the Head of House will naturally engage support services internally (for example the Inclusive Education, Psychology, Indigenous and Academic teams) or externally, through parents/guardian, to support the student to make the changes required to meet College expectations

It is important to note, that due to the nature of minor and major misbehaviours, the consequences impact students personal time (after school or Saturday detentions) or co/extra-curricular programs (loss of Good Standing), and hence are not intended to interrupt their academic progress

POINTS 10 POINTS

HeadofHousetowriteSEQTA notetoparentsoutlining concernaroundbehaviour Studentwillbeissuedan afterschooldetention-phone callhomebyHeadofHouse

8 POINTS

15 POINTS

HeadofHousecallto parentsoutliningconcern aroundbehaviour

ParentsandStudentMeeting withtheHeadofHouseoutlining behaviourconcernsand strategiesforimprovement

Afterschooldetention-Student willbeissuedabehaviour contract(2weeks)

ParentsandStudentMeeting withtheHeadofHouseoutlining behaviourconcernsand strategiesforimprovement

20 POINTS

ParentsandStudentmeeting withtheHeadofHouseoutlining behaviourconcernsand strategiesforimprovement

Thestudentwillincurtemporary LossofGoodStanding(a minimumof1week)andeithera Saturdaydetentionorone-day internalsuspensions

Ifnoimprovementisshown whilstatStage3;Parent& StudentMeetingwithPrincipal

Stage4EnrolmentReview (asdescribedinPathway1)

Pleasenotethatthetutorand HeadofHousewillworkclosely withthestudentthroughout thisprocess.