Barbers Crescent, Rawmarsh,Rotherham, S62 6AD

Telephone: 01709 336898 Fax: 01709 336869

Head teacher/Head of Centre: Peter Gerrard M.Ed. M.A.

E-mail:

Website:

Behaviour Policy

Aims:

  • Rawmarsh Nursery School and Children’s Centre strives to maintain a caring, welcoming ethos which will establish a safe, secure and stable environment. Our ultimate aim is to work in partnership with parents to lay the foundations from which children will grow into happy, self-confident and well adjusted members of our community.
  • This partnership should be based on mutual understanding and support. We encourage parents to come into the centre to share any concerns they may have about behaviour. If we have any concerns about an individual child’s behaviour this will be discussed in confidence with his/her parents. There is no form of corporal punishment in the centre. Children are not excluded from the school because of their behaviour.
  • We welcome the support of parents to promote high standards of behaviour and realistic expectations from their children.
  • Our aim is to support healthy brain development of the babies and young children in our care. We do this through implementing the Thrive Programme throughout the setting.

The Thrive Programme is based on the latest brain research and supports the parts of the brain which develop in early childhood and control babies and children’s emotional health, well-being and behaviour.

Objectives:

It is our policy to:

  • Accept and understand that young children coming straight from home to the centre do not know our expectations of behaviour.
  • Make children feel safe and secure when they have an awareness of the boundaries set and the behavioural expectations of the setting.
  • Ensure children begin to know these by quietly explaining by word, sign or gesture.
  • Encourage all children to have respect for themselves, for other people and for the centre environment.
  • Show children how to keep themselves and each other safe and to give them confidence to express their concerns and fears in an appropriate way.
  • Be firm but gentle.
  • Model positive behaviour for children to use.
  • Establish good relationships between staff, children, and parents/carers.
  • Promote effective links with parents, making them aware of our policy, and involving them whenever possible in the Thrive Programme.
  • Promote effective links with other appropriate agencies.

As children grow and develop we will:

  • Help children to understand other people’s views and experiences and to be caring and tolerant of them.
  • Enable children to have an increasing ability to take responsibility for their actions and to understand the impact of their behaviour on others.
  • To give children an understanding of how to be fair to all; how to share and give everyone an equal chance.
  • To teach children how to be polite and considerate and promote acts of kindness and being gently towards each other, animals and the environment by example, involvement and discussion as appropriate.
  • Monitor and record persistent and difficult behaviour for further assessment that may identify additional or other needs and have regard to the Code of Practice for Special Needs as appropriate, and/or the Thrive Programme.

We believe that all behaviour is a form of communication. We help children to deal with the extreme feelings which go alongside some behaviour by implementing the Thrive Programme Vital Adult and Child regulating functions:

Attune – Connect with the child and match how the child is feeling.

(Pain, joy, excitment, sadness, anger.)

Validate – Acknowledge the child’s feelings.

(I can see you’re upset and angry because ...)

Contain – Hold the child if necessary to give the message.

(I can manage your feelings. I can keep you safe.)

Soothe – When a child is disregulated they need a calm tone, touch, eye contact. A child needs to be soothed to learn how to self soothe.

Children need to be soothed – NOT left to cry.

Children are encouraged not to retaliate but to tell teachers/parents if they are unhappy at the centre or are being hurt in any way. Parents are asked to reinforce the importance of talking about resolving disagreements and solving problems through the appropriate systems and not by retaliation.

Sometimes we may take a child gently away from a disruptive situation. Adults will remain calm, gentle, in control and consistent in their approach. Staff will share interventions in order to maintain a team approach, particularly at change over of staff.

On rare occasions our interventions may include removing a child from the situation or seeking further support and advice from senior staff. Staff should at all times avoid unnecessary physical contact or actions which could be contrived as Physical punishment. On these occasions we may need to restrain or move a child for their own safety or the safety of others. We will inform parents/carers and ensure that we follow the guidelines and training we have received.

We will implement safe holding techniques to ensure the safety of both the child and the adult. We will continue to give the message that ‘I can manage your feelings and keep you safe’, whilst continuing to sooth and regulate.

Encouraging Good Behaviour

  • Prevention – anticipation and removal of potential problems (before they happen).
  • Interaction – plenty of adult attention (so there is no need to misbehave or attract attention).
  • Praise or reward for good behaviour – draw attention to the good rather than the bad. Lots of attention for good behaviour results in more good behaviour.
  • Provision – provide physically challenging and emotionally satisfying activities for children.
  • Behavioural Expectations – clear behavioural expectations applied in a positive way.
  • Role model – positive examples from adults.

Thrive Building Blocks of Development

Dealing with unwanted behaviour

When a child is out of control, or having a massive ‘feelings storm’, they are not capable of using the thinking part of the brain. (see the ThriveBuilding blocks of development above) If the child is old enough for this area to have been developed (around 18 months-3 years), reasoning can only be sensibly applied when the child has returned to a regulated state. At this point the adult can talk to the child about their behaviour and the impact it has had.

The aim for these older children is to help them to insert thinking between feelings and action. This takes time, patience and consistency if the child is to develop strong, positive emotional health and well being.

It is vital that children know and understand that there is a fresh start after unwanted behaviour. It may be necessary for an older child to have a special place where they feel secure in order to ‘self-soothe’.

When a child has hurt another we will encourage that the child says sorry for the behaviour. This could be verbally or by action. If the child is unable or unwilling to do this, the staff will model the apology.

Care and Control – Handling and Restraint

Care and control within educational establishments requires specific guidance for supporting children who present challenging behaviours. The L.A. recognises the difficultly of caring for a child who has had difficult and damaging experiences and of meeting their needs, whilst also ensuring the safety and well being of other children and staff at work.

Both children and staff have rights.

On the occasion that containment is used it will be followed up by a senior member of staff.

Individual Behaviour Plans / Thrive Plans

Individual assessments will be made to support a child whose observed behaviour is causing significant concern and requires consistent support from all the staff involved with the child. The observed behaviour will have been recorded and seen to be happening frequently or be of a nature affecting the well being of the child and/or others.Triggers may be identified (ABC method.) A Thrive plan may be used as a support strategy, which may involve parents and be implemented through everyday actions and activities in the home as well as in the centre. Permission will always be sought where a formal Thrive assessment is made.

Biting

Occasionally children will bite. Babies and young children bite to explore. Young children sometimes bite as an instant reaction to a frustration or in anger. When this happens their brains are often functioning at the most basic level (reptilian brain – see Thrive leaflet in appendix).

The vital adult-child regulating functions need to be applied and following by reasoning when the child has returned to a fully regulated state. At the same time the child who has been bitten should be attended to by another adult.

Bullying

Bullies are people who deliberately set out to intimidate, threaten and/or hurt others in a repeated and pre-meditated way. They can operate alone or as a group. A person is bullied when he/she is exposed regularly and over time to this kind of action.

The level of brain development of the babies and very young children who attend the Children’s Centre is such that they are not capable of the pre-meditated thought process and understanding of the cause and effect necessary for this level of action. However, we take all serious negative behaviour very seriously. These behaviours would include racist remarks, threatening behaviour and persistent hurting of others. These behaviours are monitored carefully in the event that further professional help is required.

There are named practitioners for behaviour management in the School/Centre. These are:

Gillian Beech– F1 nursery

Emma Nortcliffe - Daycare

Originally written: January 2012

Reviewed/Updated:February 2017 – Peter Gerrard/Gillian Beech

To be reviewed next in February 2018

Signed Headteacher/Head of Centre Date8.02.2017

Signed Chair of Governors Date8.02.2017

To contact Ofsted: Tel: 0300 123 1231. Or: