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Behaviour The playground is zoned, with areas for boisterous games… ... and calm areas for pupils who prefer quieter pursuits Lunchtime staff Lunchtime staff are always briefed with regard to anything that has happened in the morning. The playground is very often the place where children come out with something that could be a safeguarding issue, and the supervisors’ training includes knowing how to recognise that and how to respond. Supply teachers Supply teachers all receive a folder containing everything they need to know to hit the ground running. The first page is entitled page Who is? and covers everyone from the headteacher to the cleaners, lunchtime supervisors and the caretaker. This is followed by When is? outlining the things we do every day on a regular basis. There is also a classroom adaptations sheet detailing strategies for the whole class and named individuals under various headings, such as communication or visual support (see page 25). Our SEND children all have a box with their resources in it called a BOOM box, and that will be noted on it too. The final documents are individual pupil passports or medical care plans. So the supply teacher knows exactly what to do for each and every child. Pupils at risk of exclusion Nipping things in the bud When a child begins to wobble, we discuss it as a staff to see what we can do before it becomes an issue. Is Positive Play needed? Would the Hope Project be more appropriate? Is it a friendship issue that needs to be addressed with the whole class? Do we need to chunk lunchtime because the child can’t survive in the playground for that length of time? In this last instance, the solution could be our nurture room, where children come 20 minutes before the bell goes to calm down, have a drink and a biscuit, talk amongst themselves and prepare for the afternoon’s learning. Following a fixed-term exclusion When a pupil returns from a fixed-term exclusion, a plan is put in place setting out clearly and simply what will be expected of them, their parents and ourselves, and signed by all parties. Following a fixedterm exclusion, a support plan is put in place For the pupil, it might be ‘to complete all learning tasks – refusal is not an option,’ or ‘to follow all instructions without arguing.’ To help them keep on track, they might be asked to check in with myself or the headteacher every morning before going to class. For our part, we might agree to provide a TA to support them at particularly difficult times of the day, or offer them a safe place to go should they feel the need to erupt. Positive handling plan This is a powerful and effective document which identifies specific strategies that work with a particular individual, ensures they are used consistently, and enables staff and the pupil to develop and maintain positive relationships. If appropriate, it includes a risk assessment (see pages 26-7). It also identifies who will be responsible for debriefing any member of staff who has had to deal with a major incident. If they don’t get the chance to unburden, they will just take all the stress home with them. Other strategies ● A behaviour tracker, with antecedent, behaviour observed and consequences. ● A reduced timetable, or mornings only attendance. In the case of a reduced timetable, work will be sent home. ● Offering choices. For pupils who need to feel in control in order to feel safe and secure, the more you threaten this control, the more things are likely to escalate. So you present them with alternatives. ‘The diagram and the writing both need to be done before lunch. Which would you like to do first? You choose.’ ● Non-confrontational body language – open, relaxed and at the child’s height. ● Not making judgements about how the child is feeling. ‘I can see you are angry,’ can wind the child up. Something neutral is better, like ‘I can see something has happened.’ ● Keeping praise low key. Some children actually find it hard to deal with praise. ● Never giving consequences when a pupil is at crisis point. An overwrought pupil is in no frame of mind to hear what you are saying. Save it for later when they are calmer. ● Making the pupil feel a valued member of the school community. Michelle Haywood is a SEN and inclusion service manager with the Entrust education service, Staffordshire Alison Dolphin is deputy headteacher and SENCO at Lakeside Primary School, Tamworth 24 Special Children 231 www.optimus-education.com/sc231
Pull-out resource Preventing exclusions On pages 21-24, Alison Dolphin of Lakeside Primary School, Tamworth, explains how her school creates an inclusive, positive ethos that keeps behavioural problems to a minimum, and the strategies it puts in place to support pupils who might be at risk of exclusion. Some of the resources the school uses are presented on the following pages. (See also Design for learning, Special Children 227, and Meltdowns and how to forestall them and Safety first, Special Children 229.) Promoting good behaviour A classroom adaptations sheet. This is available to anyone who teaches the class, and is especially useful for supply teachers. Below is a blank template for use straight away and an example that has been filled out for a class. Classroom adaptations A behavioural environment checklist (page 28). All staff complete a classroom environment checklist to eliminate any potential problems that might affect behaviour. Playground organisation is checked in a similar way to create the right conditions for positive, cooperative behaviour. Supporting pupils at risk Positive handling plan (pages 26-27). This document is designed to reassure and support staff to prevent, manage and de-escalate crises. It is filled out for any pupil who is causing concern. The example provided has been completed to demonstrate how it works. Physical support Visual support Literacy support Social and emotional support Concentration support Maths support Communication support Medical/care plans Classroom adaptations – Year 3w Physical support Visual support Literacy support Social and emotional support Sloping board, pencil grips, traffic light support cards, personal computer, texture cushion Layton – laptop (to use when joints are sore, causing pain when writing) Layton and Kaiden – cushion to sit on Additional handouts, coloured overlays, whiteboards, extra reading opportunities Gracie and Lily – coloured whiteboards, overlays for reading, coloured exercise books Visual timetable, now and next board, visual representations (i.e. cubes to use in number work) Leo, Samuel, Erik – HFW* word folders Peer and self-assessment, golden coins, praise pads, stickers Whole class Concentration support Maths support Communication support Medical/care plans Success criteria, task board, sand timers, writing frames, short activities, work station, ear defenders, tangle toy Whole class Number lines/squares, times table mats, number bonds, practical resources (i.e. bead strings, place value resources) Whole class Leo, Samuel – POW* packs – 100 square etc. Talking partners, thinking time, new language introduction, expert wall* Whole class Asthma, allergies, toileting difficulties Lily and Leo – inhalers for asthma Layton – care plan for juvenile rheumatoid arthritis * HFW: high-frequency words. * POW pack: A5 folder containing precision teaching focus on spellings and key words. A personal resource taken to all interventions/lessons. * Expert wall: Everyone in the class is an expert at something – the wall tells you who you need to go to should you require support. www.optimus-education.com/sc231 231 Special Children 25
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