At the Trust we believe that strong and caring relationships are central to ensuring children are able to manage their emotions and behave well.
Pupil Behaviour
Supporting children’s self-regulation and good behaviour
“All of us need to feel safe and cared for and enjoy a sense of belonging. Schools play a vital part in developing both relationships and the sense of belonging for all children. Schools where children achieve well and enjoy their learning are those where relationships are at the centre of all they do. In these schools we see teachers who are able to create an atmosphere where all feel valued, where the life chances of all children are improved and where children take with them the ability to form meaningful and caring relationships into their adult life.”
Ian Hemelik, Virtual School Headteacher, Devon County Council
Values and Beliefs
The following values and beliefs underpin the Trust ethos around supporting effective relationships and good behaviour. School staff, trustees, parents and children have a clear joint vision as to what they want for their own school communities.
This is based on the following values and beliefs:
- An ethos based around inclusive and compassionate principles that are beneficial to the well-being of all children.
- All children wish to belong, achieve and contribute to their school, family and community. Child centred approaches, where their voices are central and where plans utilise their strengths, resources and qualities are integral to success.
- High levels of nurture and empathy, with containment and structure, support children to feel safe. Children need clear boundaries, predictable routines, expectations and regulated responses to behaviour.
- Natural consequences that can follow certain behaviours should be made explicit, without the need to enforce sanctions that can shame and ostracize children from their peers, school community and family, leading to potentially more negative behaviour. Responses to behaviour should ensure that children feel safe and that all needs are met.
- Behaviour is often a form of communication and the expression of underlying needs. It is not possible to support a child’s behaviour without addressing these needs.
- Children need personalised responses to supporting their personal development and well-being. Consistency does not mean always responding in the same way to each child or behaviour, it means responding in a way which is consistent to our values and beliefs. Whilst each individual child benefits from a consistent approach, being consistent and fair is not about everyone getting the same, but everyone getting what they need.
Effective relational approaches and behaviour management will vary from school to school and different responses may be required to meet the needs of individual children.
To maintain effective practice and provide the best support for all pupils we:
- ensure staff are adequately trained to respond to particularly challenging behaviour
- embed a whole school culture and school wide methods which encourage pride and responsibility
- work closely with parents to ensure behavioural expectations extend beyond the classroom
- develop an approach which can identify pupils at risk of exclusion early on and work with them to avoid this
- adapt school behaviour interventions to meet the needs of individual pupils and ensure individually targeted support
We are committed to establishing and maintaining clear and effective behaviour policies in order to improve the learning environment and outcomes for all children, alongside creating a happy teaching environment for everyone.