7.2       The Code of Behaviour.

The Board of Management is charged, under the Education (Welfare) Act, 2000, with the responsibility of ensuring that a Code of Behaviour is drawn up, applied in the school and reviewed from time to time. The Code must conform to guidelines laid down by the National Education Welfare Board (NEWB). These guidelines were published and distributed to schools in May of 2008 following an extensive consultation process which took place during the course of the previous year.

The task of drafting the Code should be delegated to the Principal in consultation with teachers, parents and students.

The Code of Behaviour should take account of the ethos and the environment of the school, should encompass rules, sanctions, rewards, incentives and procedures and, having been approved by the Board of Management, should be submitted to the Trustees for ratification. It must be available in the school for inspection by Inspectors of the Department of Education and Skills, and a copy must be forwarded to the Department if requested.

It is essential that arrangements are in place to ensure that parents are made fully aware of the school Code of Behaviour rules and procedures.

An ACCS guide on the Implementation of NEWB guidelines for the Development of a School Code of Behaviour is available on the ACCS website.