Pastoral Care, Community and Respect!

Pastoral Care, Community and Respect! We believe that good behaviour and positive relationships, which are based on mutual respect, are essential for effective teaching and learning to take place. Alison Piguet explains our Golden Rules and how we recognise and reinforce them.

We believe that good behaviour and positive relationships, which are based on mutual respect, are essential for effective teaching and learning to take place. Alison Piguet explains our Golden Rules and how we recognise and reinforce them.

The underlying aim at La Côte International School is to create a climate in which pupils can become aware of themselves as valued, respected, autonomous and responsible individuals. Such a climate is based on a quiet, yet firm insistence on high standards of behaviour at all times and permeates through all the school’s activities.

At LCIS we believe that good behaviour and positive relationships, which are based on mutual respect, are essential for effective teaching and learning to take place.  Pupils and staff have the right to work in an environment that is safe, friendly, peaceful and fair.  It is the responsibility of all the teachers, children and parents to work together to achieve this goal through consistent practices.

In our Foundation and Primary sections, we have 6 fundamental Golden Rules, which reflect our moral code and school culture, and which can be easily understood by all members of the school community.

The golden rules are:

• Do be kind and helpful… don’t hurt people’s feelings
• Do listen… don’t interrupt
• Do work hard… don’t waste other people’s time
• Do look after property…don’t waste or damage it
• Do be honest… don’t cover up the truth
• Do be gentle… don’t hurt anybody

Golden Badges

Good behaviour in school means that everyone in school endeavours to be:

•             Kind

•             Polite

•             Friendly

•             Helpful

•             Respectful

•             Tolerant

•             Hard working

•             Careful

•             Responsible

These statements guide us all in our relationships. We are all encouraged to use appropriate language when conversing with any other person, to listen to others’ observations, comments, requests and concerns. We are encouraged to look after physical property whether it is personal or belongs to the school and to treat it with respect. We endeavour to be sympathetic towards the needs of others, to show kindness and understanding, and to tell the truth in all circumstances.

Recognising and reinforcing good behaviour

At LCIS good behaviour and making the right choices are recognised and celebrated in different ways by class teachers, by other staff members and by the children themselves.  This includes praise and positive reinforcement, sharing good examples with others in the school community, and valuing the contributions to the school by individual children as models of our culture.

A more formal endorsement of this philosophy is made through our Golden Badges and Certificates, which are given to students in assemblies at the end of each week.  Golden badges are awarded to a child in each class in recognition of commendable examples of our golden rules and the values, attitudes and attributes.  The badge is worn for a week before being passed on to the next recipient. A record is kept of Golden Badge winners during the course of the academic year.

At specific times of the year, staff are also awarded Golden Badges! This is a lovely occasion when students can recognise and celebrate their contributions.