Rewards and Sanctions

School Points System

Southborough runs a rewards and sanctions (Zehr) system based on the positive and negative points students receive for their behaviour, attitude and Commitment to Learning (CtL). These behaviour points, both positive and negative, are displayed and communicated on Class Charts for students and parents/carers to see.

Parents and carers are informed immediately when any positive or negative behaviour points are issued on Class Charts.

Once students accumulate a certain amount of positive points they are able to ‘cash in' these points in our rewards store, where students can purchase exciting rewards for all their hard-earned positive points.

School Sanctions

What is commonly known in schools as detention, is referred to as a ‘Zehr’ here at Southborough.

They are named ‘Zehrs’ after the American professor, Howard Zehr, who in the 1920s created the concept of restorative justice. This concept proves that a respectful, constructive and restorative conversation is the most effective way to improve the mistakes a young person makes in life.

Our school values are prevalent in this approach and as a school, we want to lead by example for our students in ensuring that they learn the importance of these core values of Support, Challenge, Respect, Resilience, Relationships and Responsibility.

All staff will follow the whole school sanction policy, however, and in some incidents, it may require the staff member to escalate the process (for example - a quite severe incident may require an immediate sanction of an exit room without any pre-warnings or Zehr being issued)

Teachers will issues students with a 1st warning (0 negative points) and then a second warning (-1 pt) and if improvements are still not made a Zehr  (-2 pts).

A ‘Zehr’ means that the teacher will give the student a precise time, day and location to meet and have a Zehr conversation. This places the responsibility on the student to attend their Zehr and have this restorative conversation. This conversation will usually last for approximately 15 minutes.

If a student fails to attend their Zehr Own Time then the following will happen:

• Failure to attend a Zehr Own Time will automatically upscale the very next day to an after-school Reflection  (Up to 4:00pm in the hall & -3 pts)

The sanction procedures outlined above are embedded in our Behaviour Policy and each stage is clearly communicated to parents/carers on Class Charts.