Developing Appropriate Attitudes Andpositive Behaviour Policy

DAWNHOUSESCHOOL

Developing Appropriate Attitudes andPositive Behaviour Policy

It is important to note that “behaviour” does not exist in a vacuum, it is affected by;environment, on or off site, curriculum expectations, feelings, the way in which the young people are engaged in activities, the way they are approached etc.

Research shows that the key element in successful behaviour interventions is strong and positive relationships with the adults involved.

The main aim of this policy is to enable the pupils, as far as possible, to control their own behaviour in and around school and during school related off site activities.

The school exists to meet the needs of pupils with a severe and/or complex communication disability. There is a high level of correlation with challenging behaviour, and mental health problems in later life with this group of young people. Understanding the speech, language, communication and interaction difficulties of the pupils is the basis on which all expectations and interventions should be made.
Pupils are supported by staff skilled in the following specialist areas; speech and language therapy, occupational therapy including sensory integration, mentoring, emotional health and well-being and personalised learning
High standards of behaviour are to be achieved through developing an atmosphere in the school which is calm, orderly and purposeful and an ethos which is positive and celebrates achievement.
The physical environment is planned and organised to include; quite rooms, 1:1 spaces, sensory integration facilities etc
To support this, everyone in the school should act in accordance with the school’s code of conduct. Adults should always behave in a professional manner, treating colleagues and pupils alike with respect.
We will always ensure that any discussions and actions relating to undesirable behaviour will separate the behaviour from the person:

e.g. … did something bad, he is not a bad person

I like…. But did not like what he did.

Staff at Dawn House are reflective practitioners, continually seeking to improve and develop their practice. Reflecting on our own practice following a difficult or upsetting incident is particularly challenging, however, it is only by reflection at an appropriate time that the level of skill necessary to manage successful interventions can be achieved. If adults can admit to a mistake and apologise, it provides a powerful example for pupils to learn from mistakes. We expect to provide an opportunity for supported reflection to both adults and pupils.

Objectives should, where appropriate, be included in individual education plans and reviewed regularly.
The school has developed procedures and systems to support the achievement of positive attitudes and behaviour. These are described in appendices to this policy.
Response to behaviour, on or off site, should reflect the agreed sanctions and rewards identified in appendix 3 of this policy and specified in the individual pupil intervention plans
Incidents reported on transport provided externally will be logged in school and the appropriate support offered

PRINCIPLES

We share responsibility for managing pupil behaviour.
Intervention is at the lowest possible level.
We aim to develop a sense of community that supports positive behaviour.
We have clear expectations of pupils.
Intervention should be designed to promote positive behaviour.
We have a clear and realistic picture of desired positiveoutcomes for the pupils.
We manage pupils as individuals who have individual needs within whole school expectations.
We will always recognise and praise good behaviour and not focus solely on issues. This may involve “catching them being good”.

Our pupils need many opportunities to learn and to develop skills. We should therefore be prepared to offer many opportunities at the same level and not seek to escalate the sanction / rewards unnecessarily. We will also implement positive intervention plans for a minimum of 3 weeks before considering change. Positive intervention plans will indicate a date for review.

PROCEDURES

The school has developed a range of procedures to support the maintenance of good order and discipline and they are described in the appendices to this policy. They are:

Positive intervention plans (Appendix 2).
Focus meetings and Core teams (Appendix 1).
Rewards and sanctions (Appendix 3).

The Team Teach approach to managing behaviour has been agreed and adopted as our central system. All staff are provided with regular training and should adhere to its principles and practice.

Two other policies are closely linked to Managing Behaviour. They are:

Policy on Physical contact intervention and use of force.
Anti-bullying and anti-harassment policy.

When managing behaviour, we also need to consider the rights of our pupils under the Equality Act (2010) including those with protected characteristics ie: disability, sex, gender reassignment, sexual orientation, pregnancy, maternity, race (which includes colour, nationality and ethnic or national origins) religion or belief.

Under this legislation, we have a duty to eliminate discrimination, harassment and victimisation, and to anticipate what might put an individual at disadvantage and take the necessary steps to avoid it.

Staff development opportunities will be provided to enable all staff to develop skills and confidence in managing pupil behaviour.

ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

The Principal has overall responsibility for maintaining good order and discipline.

BEHAVIOUR FOR LEARNING GROUP

To keep the big picture and strategic planning.

To make explicit the standards expected of pupils.

To ensure there is an effective behaviour management policy (which meets the requirements and sits within a legal framework).

To ensure staff are adequately trained and are aware of policies.

To monitor practice and oversee decisions made as part of positive intervention plans.

To ensure pupils are appropriately placed, liaison with external agencies e.g. LA’s.

To deal with complaints.

To support staff in managing behaviour, this may be:

oTraining.

oDe-briefing or providing a chance to discuss.

oGiving advice, which includes facilitating reflection, contributing to focus groups or core team meetings, discussing or reviewing issues.

oDealing with a crisis.

FORM TUTOR

To have an overview of pupils’ strengths, weaknesses and needs and their welfare and behaviour at school.

To be receptive to information (relating to the pupils needs and current emotional/behavioural state) provided by others e.g. SLT, LSA, RCCO.

To makeand maintain good relationships with pupils and their parents or carers.

To be proactive about leading on behaviour management for pupils in their tutor group in school using the systems described in this policy.

To ensure that where necessary, positive intervention plans are developed, implemented and monitored both in school and on off site activities and visits.

To communicate with other staff on positive intervention plans and any changes in circumstances affecting pupils in school.

To keep behaviour for learning group informed about major concerns and progress against positive intervention plans.

To share the plan with pupils parents/carers and obtain their agreement through signature.
To ensure that all staff involved in implementing the plan are informed.
To place the plan in the behaviour management file in the staffroom.
To inform colleagues in writing that a new/revised plan is in existence (bulletin).
To identify any possible physical interventions (including escort holds) that may be used and note them in detail in the plan.
To monitor progress against the plan – discussing this with the pupil and informing parents.

LSA

To monitorpupil’s behaviour throughout the school day.

To know the triggers of behaviour for specific pupils.

To support pupils in managing their behaviour.

To be proactive in communicating pupil’s behaviour patterns to a range of staff as pupils move through the school day.

To take responsibility for pupils behaviour when under their direct supervision, e.g. lunchtimes.

To have an overview of where pupils in their class should be during the day.

To notice behaviour and take action to pre-empt escalation of that behaviour.

To be receptive to information (relating to the pupils needs and current emotional/behavioural state) provided by others,e.g. teacher, SLT, RCCO.

To take responsibility for the well being of pupils identified as being in their care at any given time and to contribute to the maintenance of order and discipline at all times when on school premises or other premises being used by the school.

SLT

To ensure that other staff understand the impact of a communication difficulty on behaviour and that other staff also understand the impact of the needs of individual pupils, (i.e. their caseload).

To ensure that they have a good understanding of the individuals needs and how behaviour links to their communication difficulties.

To make sure that pupils understand the rules and expected behaviour.

To enable pupils to understand their individual positive intervention plan.

To support pupils in being able to communicate their view.

To give pupils the opportunity to reflect on their behaviour.

To ensure that specific programmes for behaviour change are devised.

To be receptive to information (relating to the pupils needs and current emotional/behavioural state) provided by others,e.g. RCCO, LSA.

RCCO

To give feedback on the evening’s behaviour.

To make sure that behaviour is managed positively in the care setting.

To provide appropriate activities in the evenings.

To make sure that positive intervention plans are implemented and progress is monitored out of school hours.

To be receptive to information (relating to the pupils needs and current emotional/behavioural state) provided by others,e.g.SLT, LSA.

TEACHERS

To manage the pupil’s behaviour in lessons.

To plan and create a stimulating and appropriate learning environment.

To provide information about a child’s behaviour.

To ensure there are positive intervention plans for identified pupils and that they are regularly monitored and reviewed.

To take responsibility for the well-being of pupils identified as being in their care at any given time during the school day.

To contribute to maintain order and discipline at all times during the school day.

ADMIN TEAM

Responsible for inputting and corresponding admin related to incident reports.

Responsible for passing on information from parents/carers regarding behaviour issues to other members of staff.

Appendix 1

Focus Meetings

Focus meetings involve all staff involved in teaching/caring for a pupil. Meetings may be called at any time to discuss issues of concern about a pupil or group of pupils. Focus meetings are a useful forum for airing and sharing concerns/formulating specific action plans andfor ensuring that members of SLG are made aware of these concerns.

Minutes must always be taken and shared with those present. All minutes of focus meetings must be copied to Principal and Head of School. This should include a summary of proposed actions.

Please remember that views expressed at focus meetings are not school policy. They may become so in the future following agreement with SLG. As such they should not be shared with pupils, parents/carers, LA’s unless there is an agreement with SLG to adopt this line as policy.

Core Team Meetings

May be called by a pupils’ core team to discuss issues of concern at any time. Any action plan developed as a result must be approved by the Principal or Head of School before it is implemented. It is the responsibility of the form tutor or class teacher to ensure that the meeting is minuted and the minutes are distributed to all involved. When appropriate parents/carers should be informed/involved. After approval by Principal/Head of School (where necessary) pupils should be informed of relevant outcomes and/or other actions.

Appendix 2

Positive Intervention Plans (PIP’s)

The behaviour of some pupils is such that to support the development of positive attitudes and a positive intervention plan needs to be drawn up.

The positive intervention plan should be drawn up by the core team (class/form teacher, speech and language therapist and key care officer.)

To develop the plan the core team should meet; a member of SLGmust agree the content of the plan before it is implemented.

The core team meeting should:

Identify all the negative behaviours exhibited in school.
Decide on the behaviours to be worked on at present in school and in the care setting.
Decide on the strategies to be used to modify the behaviour.
Agree who is to be involved in implementing the plan.
Agree the rewards and sanctions to be used to support the change.
Identify any additional support required,e.g. from SLG, time out activities etc or involvement of outside agencies and discuss these with relevant person.
Agree on the timescale for implementing the plan and set a review date.
Seek the agreement of the Principal or Head of School
To share the plan with parents/carers and obtain their agreement through signature.
To ensure that all staff involved in implementing the plan are informed.
To place the plan in the positive intervention plan file in the staff room.
To inform colleagues by writing a note on staff room white board.
To identify any possible physical intervention (including escort holds)that may be used and note them in detail in the plan.

Appendix 3

REWARDS & SANCTIONS

WAMS

All classes and all pupils in the primary and secondary department access the WAM (Worth A Mention) reward system. This is to be presented as a POSITIVE approach to monitoring

All classes to be issued with a daily ‘tick sheet’ comprising of 8 lessons divided into 5 grids:

Arriving at lesson on time
Staying in lesson
Doing work asked
Speaking politely
Positive attitude

Pupils can achieve up to 40 ticks a day.

LSAs to be responsible for carrying tick sheet to each lesson and to end of day de-briefing. In conjunction with subject teacher & SLT complete tick sheet each lesson. This takes a very short period of time but reinforces expectations at 40 minute intervals.

Facilitating:

Peer assessment whilst supporting behaviour targets.
A ‘fresh start’ at each lesson change. Emphasised by LSA.
Motivation to ‘turn it around’ within a lesson if there’s a reminder that there may be a cross if pupil has not spoken politely, particularly if a ‘dot’ is awarded rather than a cross which can then be ‘earned back’ if behaviour improves.
Comprehensive monitoring of behaviour within school by identifying potential flash points thus promoting a proactive rather than reactive approach to behaviour management. This remains from a positive viewpoint as strategies can be identified in advance rather than waiting for incidents to occur.
‘Tweaking’ existing system to complementing WAM rewards as they can be awarded for achieving / exceeding behaviour targets.

Certificates awarded for significant achievements given out in WAM Assembly followed up with positive postcards home will help address any issues of disaffection around being ‘uncool’ to be on task / achieve.

Assemblies will promote and reinforce expectations with rewards built in for achievements.

INDIVIDUAL REWARDS

When drawing up an individual positive intervention plan, staff will need to consider how the student is to be motivated to achieve the target behaviours. Rewards here are likely to need to be more frequent. It is very important to choose a reward that will be effective and relevant to the level of achievement. Rewards may be tangible (see list below) or may simply be praise, attention display of work, informing other staff of good work etc.

NB “Approval” is the most powerful reward

The following are examples of rewards that are acceptable:

Favourite activity.
Trip off site.
Sweets /drinks (health issues).
Small item such as pen/pencil.
Letter home.

PERMITTED SANCTIONS

All sanctions should be relevant to the unwanted behaviour, and should be imposed as soon as possible following an incident.

Sanctions are more easily applied if you discuss the incident with the pupil and agree on an appropriate response. Ideally, the pupil should agree that:

a)It was wrong to behave in the way s/he did.

b)It is reasonable in the circumstances for a sanction to be imposed.

c)It is right for them to do the sanction.

You should be aware that you are responsible for managing the sanction, and supervising the pupil.

You should not impose a sanction for someone else to carry out on your behalf, unless by prior agreement.

This is particularly important when an incident happens during the school day.

Sanctions cannot be imposed for care staff to manage, unless this has been agreed with Principal or Head of School and Head of Care.

The following sanctions are permitted:

Detention.

Loss of privilege.

Miss an activity.
In residential setting, staff to choose an appropriate activity for the pupil.
Spend specified short time away from peer group with appropriate work and supervision.
Contribute towards the cost of loss/damage to property or belongings.
Pupil to complete/re-do unfinished or spoiled work.
Withhold a reward which others in the group are to receive.
Pupil to make reparation for their behaviour, e.g. repairing or tidying after causing damage, litter picking, kind deed, etc.
Pupil to work in a remove room (formally known at Dawn House as internal exclusion) Note: This must be agreed and authorised by the Senior Leadership Group.

The purpose of a remove room is to provide the pupil with his/her curriculum entitlement while acknowledging that their behaviour is such that, it is not appropriate for them to be involved in everyday school life.