A school’s behaviour policy plays a critical role in maintaining a positive and respectful environment for students and staff. Not only is it a legal requirement, but it is also a key component of your school’s statutory content. Ensuring that this information is clear and readily accessible on your website is essential for compliance with the school website requirements, as set by the Department for Education (DfE).

In this post, we will explore everything you need to know about publishing your behaviour policy on your school website, going into detail about what is required for different types of schools, including maintained schools, academies, and Multi Academy Trusts (MATs). We will also provide advice on how best to organise and display this important document online.

School Website Behaviour Policy – Legal Requirements

According to section 89 of the Education and Inspections Act 2006, all schools must have a behaviour policy in place, which should outline how the school manages pupil behaviour, the use of rewards and sanctions, and procedures for addressing any behavioural issues. For academies, the requirement extends to publishing an anti-bullying strategy alongside the behaviour policy.

Why Publish the Behaviour Policy?

Publishing your behaviour policy on your school website is not only a matter of compliance but also an opportunity to communicate your school’s values and expectations regarding pupil conduct to both current and prospective parents. Additionally, having this information easily accessible ensures transparency and shows that the school is taking a proactive approach to maintaining a positive learning environment.

What Must Be Included in Your Behaviour Policy?

When developing and publishing your behaviour policy, there are several key components you must include to ensure compliance. The behaviour policy must:

1. Comply with section 89 of the Education and Inspections Act 2006.
2. Address how the school promotes good behaviour, self-discipline, and respect.
3. Detail how the school works to prevent bullying and ensure that pupils complete their assigned work.
4. Clearly regulate the conduct of pupils.

In addition, it is recommended that the policy includes references to your school’s legal obligations under the Equality Act 2010, particularly with regard to safeguarding and supporting pupils with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND). The policy should reflect that certain pupils may require a more sensitive and individualised approach.

To ensure that your policy meets these criteria, it is also advisable to directly reference relevant legislation at the beginning of the document. This shows that the policy has been carefully constructed to align with statutory requirements.

Behaviour Policy for Maintained Schools

For maintained schools, the headteacher is required to set out clear measures in the behaviour policy that aim to:

1. Promote good behaviour and encourage a positive, respectful atmosphere within the school.
2. Prevent bullying and outline steps the school will take to address instances of bullying.
3. Ensure pupils complete assigned work, and highlight the expectations around academic responsibilities.
4. Regulate pupil conduct to ensure a well-ordered learning environment.

Maintained schools must make this policy available on their school website, ensuring that it is up to date and easily accessible for parents, carers, and other stakeholders.

Behaviour Policy for Academies

For academies, the requirements are slightly different. In addition to publishing the behaviour policy, academies must also publish a written anti-bullying strategy. This strategy should outline the school’s approach to preventing and dealing with bullying, as well as providing support for affected pupils.

Key elements of an academy’s behaviour policy include:

1. Guidelines for discipline if a pupil misbehaves.
2. Procedures for promoting good behaviour among pupils.
3. Anti-bullying measures that align with statutory guidance.

The behaviour policy, including the anti-bullying strategy, must be easily accessible on the academy’s website, and it must also be made available to parents upon request. This helps ensure transparency and fosters trust between the school and its community.

What Multi Academy Trusts (MATs) Need to Do

Multi Academy Trusts (MATs) have a unique opportunity to manage behaviour policies across multiple schools within the trust. With a centralised system, MATs can ensure consistency in how behaviour is managed and communicated across all their schools.

Using tools like Schudio’s ‘Shared Document Groups’ function, MATs can centrally manage and publish behaviour policies, ensuring compliance and consistency across the trust. Here’s how MATs can optimise the process:

1. Centralised Behaviour Policies: By developing a central behaviour policy template, MATs can ensure all schools within the trust follow the same core principles. However, schools can still make individual adjustments to account for their specific context, ensuring that the behaviour policy reflects both trust-wide standards and local school needs.
2. Anti-Bullying Strategy: In addition to a behaviour policy, academies within the trust must also have an anti-bullying strategy. Using the centralised approach, MATs can ensure that this strategy is consistent across all academies, providing clear guidance on how to address bullying incidents.
3. Consistent Updates: By using a tool like Schudio’s ‘Shared Document Groups’, MATs can update behaviour policies centrally and ensure these updates are automatically reflected across all school websites. This eliminates the need for individual schools to manage their own updates and helps ensure compliance across the board.
4. Central Oversight: MATs can monitor the implementation of behaviour policies and ensure that all schools are adhering to the statutory requirements. This can also simplify inspections, as the trust can easily demonstrate compliance across its schools.

How to Organise and Display Your Behaviour Policy

Ensuring your behaviour policy is easy to find and access on your school website is critical for both compliance and user experience. Here are some tips to help you organise your policies:

1. Logical Grouping: Consider grouping your policies under relevant categories such as ‘Teaching & Learning’, ‘SEND’, or ‘General Policies’. This makes it easier for visitors to find the specific information they are looking for.
2. Alphabetised Lists: Another approach is to list your policies alphabetically, ensuring a consistent naming format is used. This can help both visitors and Ofsted inspectors quickly locate the required documents.
3. Document Management Tools: If you’re a Schudio user, take advantage of the ‘Shared Document Groups’ feature, which allows you to display your behaviour policy and other documents in a structured and user-friendly way. This also makes updating and managing your policies much easier.
4. Visual Appeal: Make sure your behaviour policy is not only accessible but also presented in a visually clear and engaging manner. You can include additional resources, such as student feedback, images, or examples of positive behaviour initiatives, to further enhance the presentation of your policy.

Conclusion

A well-documented and accessible behaviour policy school website is crucial for demonstrating compliance with statutory requirements while also fostering a positive and respectful school environment. Whether you’re a maintained school, academy, or part of a Multi Academy Trust, ensuring that your behaviour policy is up to date and properly published is essential.

By following the guidance set out in section 89 of the Education and Inspections Act 2006 and tailoring your policy to meet the specific needs of your school or trust, you can provide a robust framework that supports both staff and pupils in managing behaviour effectively.

For more information on how to ensure your school website is fully compliant, check out our School Website Requirements Guide – the guide is trusted by 1000s of schools each year and is your starting point to become more confident in website compliance.