ATTENDANCE

At Northampton School for Girls, we expect the highest standards of attendance and punctuality.  Research evidence and national statistics link good attendance to positive academic achievement and social potential.  Attendance and punctuality also reflect students' and parents' commitment to achievement and to our school ethos.

We encourage all students to work towards 100% attendance and set a minimum attendance target of 97% per year (equivalent to the top quartile of all English secondary schools). Excellent attendance is celebrated and recognised at the end of each term at our awards assembly. In line with government legislation, we do not permit students to take holidays during term time as this has a very negative impact on their learning.

For further information regarding attendance please click here.

BEHAVIOUR

We have very high expectations of behaviour and discipline and are clear about the sorts of behaviours and attitudes we want to see from all our students. We communicate and model these for our students on a daily basis.

We expect everyone in our school to adhere to the school Respect ethos and have Respect for Self, Respect for Others and Respect for Learning. These are fundamental values to our school – NSG is a school where the main focus is on learning and it is everyone’s duty to contribute to a climate in which learning can happen. We make sure that if disruptive behaviour does occur at any point during the school day that this does not damage the achievements of others and is dealt with consistently and accordingly.

Our expectations are clearly outlined for students, staff and parents in our ‘6 NSG Respects’. These are our non-negotiables that are the foundations for a respectful and purposeful culture for learning at Northampton School for Girls. The ‘6 NSG Respects’ are rooted in fairness and transparency, underpinning the school ethos of Respect for Self, Respect for Others and Respect for Learning. They also provide a consistent framework and model to all students the behaviours that we want to see.

The ‘6 NSG Respects’ are shown below (these can also be downloaded as a pdf by clicking here or on the image below):

It is expected that students at NSG will always comply with our ‘6 NSG Respects’. However, in instances when a student fails to comply either in a lesson or outside of a lesson they will be challenged in a consistent manner by all members of staff. At Northampton School for Girls our behaviour procedure is rooted in ARA (Ask, Remind, Advise) and this is applied when challenging a student that is not meeting the school ethos and our ‘6 NSG Respects’.

If a student is not meeting our expectations staff will identify which of our ‘6 NSG Respects’ is not being met and Ask them to correct their behaviour. At this point, the student should make a positive choice, reflecting on their actions, correcting their behaviour. When a student successfully corrects their behaviour having been Asked there are no further consequences or behaviour points given.

If a student continues to not meet our expectations staff will again identify which of the ‘6 NSG Respects’ is not being met and Remind them to correct their behaviour and make them aware that if they continue to not meet our expectations a 30 minute detention will be given. At this point, the student should make a positive choice, reflecting on their actions, correcting their behaviour. Having now been Reminded the staff member will assign a behaviour point to the student on Edulink, logging the incident and notifying parents/carers about which of the ‘6 NSG Respects’ was not met.

If a student still continues to not meet our expectations then staff will Advise the student to correct their behaviour and make them aware that they will now be given a D30 (after school 30 minute detention) due to their actions. At this point the student should make a positive choice, reflecting on their actions, correcting their behaviour. If the student chooses to not comply with the teacher’s request then further consequences will be applied with removal to another classroom or a period of time in Isolated Education (IE) to be determined by the Senior Leadership Team.

Whilst procedures in a lesson and outside a lesson are slightly different, the principles and sequencing of ARA are the same. The procedure and how it links to the ‘6 NSG Respects’ is simple, transparent and will be consistently applied by staff at Northampton School for Girls to ensure that students have the very best learning environment to thrive.

BEHAVIOUR AND ACHIEVEMENT POINTS

We are incredibly proud of our students and the vast majority are hard-working, well-behaved and respectful. We regularly identify, reward and celebrate our students’ successes.  These can be in any aspect of school life, for example, regular attendance, outstanding academic achievement, leadership and initiative, making a good contribution to the local community or an act of kindness.  Rewards can take many forms, ranging from simply saying “well done” to awarding of achievement points, recognition at celebration assemblies or special events such as the annual awards evening.

The school’s achievement point system is being reviewed this year and will be amended online accordingly.

Northampton School for Girls uses a points system to help monitor behaviours, behaviour and achievements. Behaviour points are used when a student has not met the school’s expectations. If a student is Reminded then they will be given one behaviour point. If a student is Advised then they will be given two behaviour points. These will accumulate across a year and will be used by Heads of Academic Standards/Heads of Faculty to monitor and intervene if/where appropriate. Accumulation of a particular number of behaviour points may also lead to a student being placed in Isolated Education. Compliance is captured in our Code of Conduct for Students and the Home School Agreement. The wider behaviour system is underpinned by our Behaviour Policy.