Supporting Our Children

How we Encourage Positive Behaviour

“The purpose of the behaviour is to get our needs met”.

Definition of Behaviour

Any behaviour that is distressing to the individual and/or their support/carers.

There is always a reason for a child’s behaviour. It is important that we try to find out why the child uses this behaviour.

Aims of the school – Broadmeadow recognises that all behaviours have a function and our role is to establish what that is.

The school recognises the need for:

• Consistent approach
• Clear boundaries
• Positive, caring and nurturing relationships
• Knowledge of the children
• Praise and reinforcement of good behaviour
• Natural consequences

We respond to the needs of all the children through:

• Programmes of Approach- written planned strategies that provide a positive and consistent approach.
• GAS (Goal Attainment Scaling)- to monitor and evaluate behaviour targets and interventions. Goals are set to target a specific concern and provide a consistent approach.
• Assessment – ABC charts- these enable us to identify any triggers, determine why the behaviour occurs and whether there is anything we can change to help the child.
• Proactive management- this is to address a child’s need before the behaviour occurs. Proactive strategies are designed to meet the child’s needs without them needing to rely on a behaviour e.g. communication, environment, predictable routines and structure.
• Means of communication-visual systems e.g. PECS, visual timetable, schedules, symbols, photographs.
• Multi-disciplinary working- outside agencies e.g Inspire. This helps to provide a consistent approach between home and school.

Functional Analysis

Behaviours generally fall into 4 categories. Our aim is to look at the child’s behaviour and establish which category the behaviour falls into.

The 4 categories of behaviour to consider:

• Sensory – Children may engage in behaviour they are seeking from one of their senses e.g. a child playing with their spit or constant rocking.
• Escape – Negative behaviours that occur to escape/avoid a situation they are not comfortable with or to avoid a demand being placed upon them e.g. dropping to the floor.
• Attention – A behaviour that occurs in order to gain attention from another person e.g. hitting a child that a supporting adult may be giving their attention to.
• Tangible – This behaviour occurs to gain an actual object of desire e.g. becoming upset at leaving the toy area without a toy or object of desire.

Low key management of behaviour used in school:

• Planned Ignoring – Ignoring the behaviour and not the child.
• This is useful at times when a child may display negative behaviours in an attempt to gain attention. This is usually the first strategy to be used.
• Planned ignoring should be used only when the child or others are not in immediate danger, the child is not becoming increasingly distressed or property is not being destroyed.
• Distraction –The stimulus of a new resource, activity or change of staff will often help the child to refocus and can be used at times when negative behaviour is being displayed.
• Re-direction – In giving a child a visual or verbal demand can reinforce the desired behaviours and help the child regain focus.
• Sensory snacks – Short bursts of physical/sensory activity can often improve a child’s focus prior to more focused tasks.

We never exclude but instead would offer a differentiated/personalised curriculum and would negotiate with the LA for additional funding to provide 1:1 support if deemed to be appropriate. The process of this would be through a review of EHCP.

We always make reasonable adjustments in terms of the best use of school resources and the organisation of classes/workspaces to provide a fully inclusive programme of support.