Student Formation

St. George’s College promotes the concept of Community Codes of acceptable behavior. In the first instance the School Behaviour Code is agreed by the Student Council and each class delegate in coordination with the class group also agree on the classroom behavior code. The codes are based on the overall concept of the 3R´s which are the paradigms on which all behaviour is judged as being acceptable or unacceptable. This is based also on Respect as the Golden Rule for the school leading to Golden rules and Golden Time.

THE 3 R’s

• Respect
• Responsibility
• Rights

«Golden Time» has been included in each class’s weekly curriculum as part of our school positive behaviour policy.

With «Golden Time» children are rewarded for behaving well. Often in school it is children who behave badly who are rewarded in different ways in an attempt to modify their behaviour pattern. «Golden Time» ensures that the majority of children who behave well are rewarded. Before implementing «Golden Time» each class are introduced to a set of ‘Golden Rules’ which is a short well-defined list of positive behaviour statements agreed on by both staff and pupils.

Students who are in danger of breaking one or more of the rules in class or elsewhere in school or playground are usually given two verbal warnings followed by a visual warning eg. a yellow card. If the child continues to ignore the warnings they are given a red card which means they lose an allotted period of ‘Golden Time’ – usually a 5 minute block. Children are given the opportunity to ‘earn back’ their time before the next «Golden Time».

«Golden Time» activities are suggested and agreed on by the children.

In this way, the message we are giving the children is that if they are sensible, co-operative and go about their business to the best of their ability, the will be consistently rewarded for their efforts and they are secure in the knowledge that their reward will not be forgotten about due to pressure from other commitments in the curriculum.

Ideally those children who have a tendency towards disruptive behaviour will be less inclined to continue if they are risking the loss of a privilege which they had a part in deciding on.

These are our Golden Rules in School.

SHOW RESPECT

• Be considerate
• Be kind and helpful
• Work hard
• Protect and respect property
• Listen to people
• Be honest
• Do not hurt anybody
• Do not hurt people’s feelings
• Do not waste other people’s time
• Do not waste or damage things
• Do not interrupt
• Do not cover up the truth 

Values Education is an integral part of the whole curriculum with emphasis being placed on respect and responsibility. Each pupil is encouraged to develop self-esteem alongside respect for others.

In the Junior School the emphasis is on personal development. Particularly, children are encouraged to consider their wider responsibility for the community and the global environment. This is often closely linked to part of a curriculum area such as Geography or Science and emphasis is put on environmental awareness and sustainable development within the school community. Respect for other people, cultures and beliefs is fostered through shared experiences such as celebrations and traditions, class-based activities as well as in Year group and school assemblies.

The community values and attitudes we consider to be fundamental are:

Respect, responsibility, fair play, team work, honesty, punctuality, moral fibre, loyalty, generosity. 

Personal Social and Health Education – PSHE – is integrated across the Junior School curriculum. Topics relating to health and to personal and social development are used as themes for group assemblies. In Grades 6 and 7, when pupils are experiencing the transition into adolescence and Senior School, a coordinated PSHE course is delivered and is designed to prepare them for the changes and challenges they are facing.

A programme of PSHE tutorials is also presented within the tutor periods for all Senior students.

The Values and Personal, Social and Health Education (PSHE) curricula in the Senior School have a significant role to play in trying to achieve a moral framework within which respect, responsibility and sound relationships develop and flourish. They are an integral part of Senior School life and are delivered through academic studies, sports and in every aspect of the daily life of the school community.

As students move through the school, themes are developed so that the material presented is appropriate for their level of maturity and reinforces areas being covered in the mainstream curriculum.