At Witham Oaks Academy, we believe in the importance of relationships, ensuring children and young people feel valued, safe and secure, providing a sense of connection with a member of staff and a belonging to the whole school community.

Our school reflects the values of the Essex Approach to understanding behaviour and supporting emotional wellbeing known as Trauma Perceptive Practice (TPP)

• Compassion and Kindness
• Hope
• Connection and Belonging

We endeavour to make sure that at our school these values run through all the school policies and practice.

Our ethos at the school is about mutual respect for all.

At the beginning of each new school year the class teacher and children will discuss the whole school Code of Conduct:

This will be the basis for all classroom behaviour improvement. The children and staff will discuss what each code means and will be reminded of this at the start of each session throughout the day. These codes will be revisited at regular intervals throughout the school year.

Our approach is rooted in empowering children to take ownership of their actions and develop a strong sense of personal responsibility. In the first instance, we encourage pupils to communicate directly with their parents or carers if there has been a discussion or consequence relating to their behaviour. This fosters honesty, accountability, and the development of self-reflective skills in a supportive environment. Should parents or carers wish to seek further clarification or information, we kindly ask that they contact the school office via email. In line with our Communications Policy, the relevant member of staff will respond within three working days, either before or after school hours.