PASTORAL

Our vision is to provide children with a safe, secure and happy environment whereby their wellbeing and education goes hand in hand. We place a strong emphasis in nurturing the whole child and believe children reach their full potential in a school environment that is both caring and challenging. Our curriculum focuses on a holistic education enabling children to be responsible and respectful as well as having sound moral values. PSHE, assemblies and regular circle time provide a platform in which core values can be established.

Promoting Positive Behaviour
ISSR believes that every child has the right to be educated in a calm and supportive learning environment. Our aim is for every individual child to be cared for, known and feel respected.
A strong pastoral system nurtures positive relationships and promotes a culture that both values and celebrates children as individuals while building a strong sense of community. We endeavour to provide a harmonious environment in which we, as educators, nurture the potential of our children.
At ISSR we are committed to creating an inclusive environment that promotes well-being and emphasises personal development. A positive learning environment has been created across the whole school whereby children are encouraged to be independent, critical learners, enabling them to take full responsibility for their own actions and respect those around them.

In order to establish a positive learning environment, ISSR promotes the following principles:
• Affirming that everyone’s behaviour matters.
• Focusing on promoting good behaviour.
• Recognising that relationships are crucial.
• Focusing on personal responsibility.
• Ensuring fairness and equity.
• Promoting equality.
• Recognising educational vulnerability.
• Attending to the welfare of staff.
• Promoting safety and freedom from threat.

Strategies to promote positive behaviour in school:
• Positive everyday interactions between teachers and students.
• The ‘Learning Charter’ (agreed by the students) on display in every classroom.
• Keep it on the Green poster displayed in every classroom.
• Reinforcement of the whole school policy at the start of every term.
• Clear, simple guidelines are applied – consistently and fairly.
• Helping students themselves to recognise and affirm good learning behaviour.
• Recognising and giving positive feedback about themselves.
• Use of ‘circle time’ so that children can discuss issues that concern them and understand how people should treat each other.
• Frequent reinforcement of expectations through the following: newsletters, assemblies, the curriculum including PSHCE, outside visitors and house points.
The school has established effective policies in order to safeguard pupils and promote positive behaviour in school. Copies of the policies are available in the office for viewing.
Keep on the Green
Keep on the Green is a whole school approach used to promote positive behaviour in the classroom. It allows for recognition for pupils who behave appropriately, while keeping track of pupils who find it harder to meet the schools behaviour code. It proves an effective way to monitor and promote positive behaviour in the classroom. We also have reflection sheets which provide an opportunity for children to begin to understand and reflect on how their behaviour impacts on others as well as themselves.

Houses
The House system in ISSR contributes enormously to the sense of belonging and community we have with one another. They provide a system which enables pupils to establish friendships across the different year groups as well as supporting positive behaviour throughout the whole school community. Each child and adult (except the Principal) is allocated to a House. Furthermore they develop positive self esteem amongst students and offer a caring, supportive environment; each student becomes a valued member of a small ‘family unit’ within a larger ‘family’ within the whole school. Throughout the year various activities are organised to strengthen relationships among the different houses alongside sport competitions. These events provide opportunities to develop leadership, team building, and responsibility.
The house are:

House points are awarded and students are enthusiastic about following who is in the lead as each week and term progresses. Any adult in the school can give a child a house point for efforts made in any area; for example – helpfulness in the playground/classroom, effort in the curriculum, following Our Learning Charter or demonstrating responsible behaviour. Results are collected each week and announced during assembly every Monday. At the end of each term the House with the most points will have an extra playtime.

School council
Our School Council consists of a member from each of the Key Stage 2 classes. We recognise at ISSR the importance of empowering students to have a voice in contributing towards the effectiveness of our school and being involved in the operation of the school.
Taking an active role in the School Council is in itself a valuable part of the education process for the students. Our School Council creates a sense of ownership of the school and its activities among the student population.
The School Council gives students regular opportunities to take responsibility for projects, and to demonstrate that they can plan, manage and bring new projects to successful conclusion for example the playground rules and new reading logs for Key Stage one and two.
Each year, the school council review and update the playground behaviour charter and present this in a whole school assembly. They have also been involved in updating and editing the reading logs used in KS1 and KS2.

Green Team
At ISSR we understand, that we are all responsible citizens and need to take care of the world we live in. Our Green Team empowers students and teachers to help the environment through waste reduction, recycling, composting, energy conservation and pollution prevention. The Green Team consists of members from each Key Stage Class. They are responsible for implementing and maintaining environmental initiatives.