Awarded 'Outstanding' by OFSTED

Policy statement

We believe that children flourish best when their personal, social and emotional needs are understood, supported and met and where there are clear, fair and developmentally appropriate expectations for their behaviour and interactions. We aim to help them develop pro-social feelings that in turn will develop into pro-social behaviours.

As children develop, they learn about boundaries, the difference between right and wrong, and to consider the views and feelings, and needs and rights, of others and the impact that their behaviour has on people, places and objects. The development of these skills requires adult guidance to help encourage and model appropriate behaviours and to offer intervention and support when children struggle with conflict and emotional situations and to learn about consequences. In these types of situations key staff can help identify and address triggers for the behaviour and help children reflect, regulate and manage their actions.

We aim to promote an atmosphere in which children develop self-esteem, empathy, self-regulation, mutual respect learn to understand their emotions.

We appoint a member of staff as behaviour coordinator to oversee and advise on the team’s responses to challenging behaviour.

The named person responsible for behaviour is Cindy Coppen.

 

Procedures

To promote positive behaviour staff will: -

• Praise any behaviour of a positive nature and be consistent with regard to our rules so children know what to expect and can develop appropriate behaviour. -planned ignoring of minor behaviours.

• Discuss any concerns of behaviour with the named person for behaviour

• Discuss in groups with the children – emotions, feelings, behaviour- what is acceptable and unacceptable, strategies to handle conflict amongst peers.

• Help teach the children the skills to manage emotions and deal with their own feelings to prevent unacceptable behaviour.

• Empower children to have the confidence to prevent unwanted behaviour towards them for example - say no when another child is doing something towards them that they don’t like.

• Support the child to self-regulate by using calm down boxes or going to our quiet space, staff modelling and naming our feeling, demonstrating how to be calm, showing how co-regulation can help, using calm down breathing – by encouraging them to move away from the situation - giving them time to calm down before stepping in to reflect on what happened, or understand why the behaviour is not acceptable-in a way appropriate to the child’s level of understanding.

• Always use an appropriate tone of voice when dealing with unacceptable behaviour – no raised voices or shouting.

• Use language that says what we want rather than what we don’t want. E.g. ‘let’s use our inside voices’ as opposed to ‘don’t shout’.

• Always ensure that the child and their parents know it is the behaviour that is unacceptable NOT the child.

• Be aware that some inappropriate behaviours may be due to a child’s SEN and then work with the setting Send-Co/outside agencies to deliver appropriate strategies for this.

• Only used physical intervention/restraint in a situation where a child or adult is in danger of hurting themselves, others or property - this action will be recorded and the parent informed on the day.

• Ensure recurring behaviour issues are referred to the setting Send-Co to use the graduated response approach – looking at Patterns of behaviour using the STARC observation [Setting Trigger Action Response Communication] and making a plan for positive behaviour in co-operation with the parents and key person.

• If necessary, provide additional adult support [1:1] to help model behaviour and so the children can begin to understand why their behaviour is unacceptable.

• Report unacceptable behaviour such as bullying to the manager – working with the parents of the child/ren involved – to support all.

• All incidents of Bullying will be investigated and recorded on file by the Manager.

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This Policy is review every 3 years.

Updated 2023