Wellbeing and personal development
Our Year 8 agreement: respect in practice
Translate shared values into observable actions and agree one class routine to practise.
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Deputy Headteacher, Culture, Behaviour and Attendance
Fiona McArdle
I use Year 8 English teaching to examine how whole-school routines work in class, looking for patterns in context and communicating next steps calmly and specifically to families.
Explore the collectionA little about me
I lead culture, behaviour and attendance, and I also teach Year 8 English. Teaching keeps me connected to how a whole-school routine lands in a classroom, rather than only how it looks in a policy or summary.
When I examine removals or suspensions, I want to see whether a pattern points to a room, a routine or a wider issue. Looking only at a pupil’s name can miss the conditions around an event. That distinction matters when deciding what should be reviewed and how to communicate the next step.
Family-facing letters need to remain calm and specific. I want them to explain what is known and what will happen next without adding heat or vague judgements. Keeping a Year 8 English class in my week lets me see those systems from inside a classroom as well as through attendance and behaviour reports.
How I approach a lesson
Review behaviour patterns for routines and settings as well as individual events.
Write family communication that is calm, specific and clear about next steps.
Use Year 8 English teaching to stay connected to how whole-school routines affect classroom life.
Templates I'd use with my class
Explore these templates and decide what fits your own setting.
Wellbeing and personal development
My goal plan: small steps and weekly check-in
Set a meaningful goal, plan manageable steps and reflect on what helped during the week.
Wellbeing and personal development
Think It Through: restorative reflection
Describe what happened from one’s own perspective, recognise feelings and effects on others, identify current needs and consider a voluntary plan for putting things right.