Objective

((Revised: May 2024 – Subsequent to reading this Code of Behaviour all students and parents/guardians must sign the relevant section provided in the Student Journal agreeing to abide by all rules and procedures set out within this code)

In devising this code, consideration has been given to the particular needs and circumstances of the Coláiste. 

Aims of the Code:

•      To promote good behaviour and to encourage self-discipline in all.

•      To create an environment in which quality teaching and learning can take place.

•      To ensure the health, safety and welfare of everyone within the school.

•      To promote the moral and social development of all students giving them the necessary skills to enable them to play their part as responsible members of society.

•      To foster respect for ourselves and others in the school community.

Attendance

•      Under the Education Welfare Act it is the parents/guardians responsibility to ensure that their son/daughter attends school each day.

The Coláiste is legally obliged to inform the National Educational Welfare Board if a student is absent for 20 days or more in any school year.

•      Whenever possible, medical or dental appointments should be arranged outside school hours. The onus is on the students to catch up on work missed whenever they are absent from class.

•      When a student is absent, parents/guardians should:

1. Report the absence to the office via VS Ware App prior to 8.50am.

2. Outline the reason for absence in the provided field in VS Ware

Punctuality

•       Students are expected at morning assembly by 8.50am. If a student is late for school, he/she must sign in at the office with an explanatory note.

•       If a student is late for school on two occasions in a calendar month without a written explanation, a Tuesday detention will be given.

•       Lateness to class will be dealt with by the subject teacher and a sanction will be applied.

Student Journal

•       The journal is a key element of the school’s homework policy and communication between school and home. It is a valuable record for pupils and parents. The journal is not a private diary.

•       Students must take the journal to each class, place it on the desk at the beginning of class and keep it in a neat condition, using it to record homework/study set in each subject.

•       If a student does not bring his/her journal to class, he/she will be liable to a sanction.

•       Lost or misused journals will have to be replaced at a cost of €10 to the student.

•       A student must bring his/her journal when attending parent teacher meetings.

•       A student is required to present his/her journal to teachers when requested.

•       Parents are requested to sign the journal every Thursday (Wednesday for parents of TY students). Students must take responsibility for this. If the journal is not signed, then the student will receive a Tuesday lunchtime detention.

•       Forging parents’/guardians’ signatures in the journal will be treated as a most serious misdemeanour.

Required texts/equipment

•       To facilitate learning, students are asked to have required texts, materials and equipment for each class.

•       It is important that all students’ belongings, clothing, books and equipment be marked with students’ name.

•       The school cannot accept responsibility for items lost or stolen.

•       Students will be asked to pay for/replace books or equipment damaged or lost

School Uniform

•       Students are required to wear full school uniform during school hours, and during state examinations.

•       If a student is not in full school uniform, then the following will apply:

Stage 1           Student will receive a uniform note in his/her journal.

Stage2            Student will receive a uniform note in his/her journal.

Non-uniform items will be confiscated for one week.

Parents/guardians will be contacted by the Coordinator of Behaviour.

Stage 3            Parents/guardians will be contacted and the student sent home until such time as student attends in full school uniform.

•       The school uniform may be purchased at Philips Bookshop & Barry’s Menswear in Mallow or Murray’s in Charleville and consists of a calf-length blue check skirt (optional for girls), navy pants (girls & boys), blue pullover with school crest, blue blouse/shirt, and black/navy tights/socks. Safe, suitable all black shoes to be worn.  The school jacket with the crest can be purchased online.  This jacket (or the older crested jacket) is the only jacket permitted to be worn by students within the school and on school activities.

•       Helmets must be worn for hurling and camogie.

•       Facial piercings must be covered for all practical classes and games for health & safety reasons. All piercings must be in stud form.

•       For Junior Cycle students make up is not allowed but an exception can be made by the school on receipt of a doctor’s certificate.

•       Senior Cycle students may wear discreet make up.

•       Fingernails must be kept short and neat. False nails and/or nail jewellery are not permitted.

•       For health and safety reasons students with mid to long hair must wear their hair tied back at all times.

Leaving School Grounds

•       A student leaving school during school hours must have a note from a parent/guardian in his/her journal. This note must be signed by class teacher at morning assembly or deputy principal/principal. Before leaving a student must sign out at the office. This must be witnessed by the office administrator and co-signed by a parent/guardian.

•       Failure to sign out may result in suspension.

•       If a student becomes ill, he/she should go directly to the school office. Under no circumstances should a student make this call or text from his/her mobile phone.

School Grounds/ Lunchtime

•       When moving between classes students must conduct themselves in on orderly manner.

•       Students must line up in an orderly manner outside of their next classroom when waiting for the classroom to be opened.

•       Students may not enter classrooms without the permission of a member of staff.

•       Students must walk on the left-hand side of the corridor when possible to do so.

•       No running in the corridors or in the social areas.

•       1st and 2nd year students must remain in the Coláiste during lunchtime.

•       Students from 3rd, TY, 5th and 6th years may leave the school premises at lunchtime.

•       Students may not go downtown during the 10.10/10.50 a.m. break.

•       Going into licensed premises or betting offices at any time while wearing the school uniform is not appropriate or acceptable and will result in an automatic suspension.

•       Students are asked to help care for the school grounds, furniture, and equipment and to keep classrooms and grounds litter-free at all times.

Student Parking/Driving to and from School 

•       Students may park their vehicles on school grounds in the area designated for parents/guardians.  Students are not permitted to park in the staff parking areas.

•       Students may not park their vehicles in the area directly outside the walls of the school grounds.

•       Students may not park their vehicles in, or at the entrance to, any of the industrial estates close to the school or in any private entrances.

•       Students may not park their vehicles outside of, or on the grounds of private dwellings on Station Road including “O’ Brien’s Terrace” (Red brick houses across from school).

•       For Health and Safety reasons, students may not drive their vehicles downtown at lunchtime or travel in vehicles driven by other students at lunchtime.

Supervised Study

•       Supervised Study is on offer to all students in the Coláiste. Students sign up for study on a term basis and is subject to a fee.

•       All relevant information including costs, times, etc. with regard to study will be issued to all students at the start of each term.

•       Supervised Study is a service provided by the school for all students. However, a student’s attendance is the responsibility of parents/guardians. This can be checked through the journal which is stamped daily by the teacher on study.

 Lockers

•       Students are usually assigned a locker at the beginning of the year.

•       While students have access to school lockers, they remain the property of the school and the school reserves to right to check the contents of all student lockers at any time throughout the school year.  

Mobile Phones/Personal Electronic Devices/Smart Watches/iPads – see “Acceptable User Policy” on school website.

•       The use of mobile phones/personal electronic devices is not allowed during school hours or on the school premises. If a student needs to use a phone they may make a call home from the school office.

•       We advise students to let these devices at home during the school day. Where students opt to bring such devices to school they must keep their mobile phones/personal electronic devices etc. switched off and out of sight at all times. 

•       It is absolutely prohibited to photograph/film/record/share/have an image of a member of the school community without the explicit permission of a teacher/member of staff. Engaging in such behaviour may lead to suspension.

•       In accordance with the Coláiste Anti-bullying policy, placing a once-off offensive or hurtful public message, image or statement on a social network site or other public forum where that message, image or statement can be viewed and/or repeated by other people will be regarded as bullying behaviour, and will be dealt with as such.

•       If a student is found with a mobile phone/personal electronic device during school hours, the mobile phone (complete with sim-card) or personal electronic device will be confiscated.

1st confiscation – returned after one week to student

2nd confiscation – returned after two weeks to parent/guardian

3rd confiscation – returned after one month to parent/guardian

•       Refusal to hand over any of these will result in an automatic suspension.

Homework

Students are expected to complete homework given. Persistent failure to present homework will result in a student being placed on a Homework Monitoring Card. A subject teacher or class teacher may put a student on this card. Failure to complete the card will result in the student being placed on a second card. Failure to complete a second homework card will see the student placed on a Record Card.

 Chewing Gum / Food/ Drinks

•       Chewing gum is not allowed. Clean up duties or detention may be given to students who chew gum during school hours.

•       Food is not allowed in the classrooms unless a medical condition deems otherwise. Students may only eat during break or lunch time in designated eating areas.

•       For environmental reasons students are requested to use reusable drink bottles. Energy drinks are not permitted in the Coláiste.

•       Peanuts and any related foods are banned from school. This is due to some students suffering from serious, life threatening allergies to peanuts.

Smoking

•       Smoking/possession of cigarettes & e-cigarettes/vapes is strictly forbidden throughout the school, travelling to and from school, on all school trips and while in school uniform.

•       The sanction for smoking or vaping is suspension.

Alcohol

•       Consumption/possession of alcohol before school/school activities or during school/school activities is strictly forbidden.

•       The sanction for a breach of this rule is suspension/ possible expulsion.

Drug Abuse/Abuse of Illegal Substances

•       The possession of, being under the influence of, or supplying illegal substances is strictly forbidden.

•       A breach of this rule will lead to suspension/expulsion.

School-Related Activities/ Examination Periods

•       Students are expected to comply with the Code of Behaviour during the school day and on all school related activities.

•       The Code of Behaviour continues to operate during the period of the State Examinations.

Detention

•       A student may receive a Tuesday detention for a Note of Concern in journal, misbehaviour or 2 lates to school in a calendar month where no explanatory note has been presented.

•       Detention will take place at lunchtime on Tuesdays.  Time in detention is spent in silence doing prescribed work. Students must present themselves on time and with a pen. No eating or drinking is allowed during detention.

•       At least one full day’s notice will be given in the student’s journal.

•       Should a student fail to turn up for detention he/she will be given two detentions the following week. Failure to turn up for these detentions will result in students’ removal from classes.

Behavioural ladder

Learning is the most important activity in the Coláiste. If you interrupt learning, these are the consequences which follow:

Stage 1

If a student interrupt learning in class or engages in an act of serious misbehaviour he/she will get a Note of Concern and a Tuesday detention.

Stage 2 

If a student gets a second Note of Concern he/she will get a Tuesday detention and their parents/guardians will be contacted by the coordinator of behaviour to inform them of same.  

Stage 3

If a student receives a third Notes of Concern he/she will be placed on a Record Card by the coordinator of behaviour and his/her parents/guardians will be contacted by the coordinator and asked to come in to meet with the coordinator /deputy principal.  

Stage 4

If a student receives a fourth Note of Concern he/she will be withdrawn

from class.  Parents/guardians will be informed of same.  

Stage 5 

Any subsequent Notes of Concern will result in suspension.  Your file may be referred to the Board of Management.

Any serious breaches of The Code of Behaviour will take a student directly to stage 4 or further.

CCTV

•       CCTV is in operation in all public areas of the Coláiste and will be used to investigate incidents where possible breaches of the Code of Behaviour are in question.

Suspensions

•       Every member of our school community, the wider community, and all visitors to the school deserve to be treated with respect. Threatening behaviour (including retaliation), verbal or physical, will not be tolerated and serious sanctions will be put in place for such breaches of the Code of Behaviour. Such sanctions may include suspension or expulsion.

•       Any suspension/s of longer than 20 days in any school year or permanent exclusion may be appealed firstly to the Board of Management of the school, then to Cork ETB and then to the Secretary General of the Department of Education and Science (Ed Act 1998, section 29).

Rewards

•      Through our annual Awards Ceremony, the school recognises achievement, participation and contribution to the school climate across a wide range of areas; attendance, behaviour, academic, sporting, music, drama etc.

Sanctions/Strategies

The following strategies and sanctions may be used to show disapproval of unacceptable behaviour.

•       Reasoning with a pupil

•       Verbal warning or reprimand

•       Phone call to parents/guardians

•       Additional work or exercise

•       Note to parents/guardians in the school journal

•       Reduced break

•       Referral to the Class Teacher/Coordinator of Behaviour/Deputy Principal/Principal

•       Withdrawal of privileges

•       Doing school community service, e.g. litter pick-up etc.

•       Homework monitoring card

•       Exclusion from class

•       Temporary separation from peers

•       Suspension

•       Expulsion

On occasions a student may be referred to the school guidance counsellor or to a private counsellor to offer support in making the necessary changes to behaviour:

The following are amongst the privileges which may be removed to show disapproval of unacceptable behaviour:

•       Attendance on school tours

•       Representing school on teams, debates, etc.

•       Attendance on school day trips, e.g., cinema, theatre, etc.

•       Permission to attend any courses organised by Coláiste Mhuire.

•       Permission to take part in lunchtime games or other school activities.

•       Permission to go downtown at lunchtime.

I have read through the Code of Behaviour of Coláiste Mhuire and understand how it will help me behave in a positive manner throughout the school year. I agree to adhere to the code and agree to the consequences should I fail to do so.

Student journals are signed in the relevant place to accept the contents of this policy.