Promoting and Sustaining Positive Behaviour NBSS

NBSS The NBSS is working with 50 schools identifying, developing and disseminating current good practice and assisting with behaviour issues which impede teaching and learning.

NBSS Guiding Principles Respect for the on-going work of schools Belief that schools make a difference Recognition that behaviour is intrinsically linked to teaching and learning Awareness of inclusion as a core educational value

NBSS Structure

NBSS – 3 Stages WHOLE SCHOOL CUSTOMISED BEHAVIOUR SUPPORT CLASS

NBSS Areas of Concentration Senior and Middle Management The Classroom Whole School Structures Special Education Needs Guidance Provisions Psychological Support Customised Support Continuous Professional Development (all staff) Behaviour Support Classrooms

Perspectives on Behaviour 1.Biological 2.Behavioural 3.Cognitive-Behavioural 4.Social Learning 5.Psychodynamic 6.Ecological 7.Humanistic 8.Ecosystemic

“The young people of today love luxury. They have bad manners, they scoff at authority and lack respect for their elders. Children nowadays are real tyrants, they no longer stand up when their elders come into the room where they are sitting, they contradict their parents, chat together in the presence of adults, eat gluttonously and tyrannise their parents” Source: Socrates

Present Reality The behaviour of a very large majority of pupils remains satisfactory or better Most schools are successful at managing behaviour and creating an environment in which pupils feel valued, cared for and safe The most common form of poor behaviour is persistent low-level disruption of lessons that wear down staff and interrupts learning. Source: ‘School Matters’ 2006,Ofsted 2006

Present Reality A significant proportion of pupils with difficult behaviour have special education needs and face disadvantage and disturbance in their family lives. Many have poor language skills. Problems with reading and writing often begin early and continue into secondary school, limiting achievement in a range of subjects. Source: Ofsted 2006

Cloward and Ohlin’s Strain Model Anticipation of failure Favourable Comparison of Abilities Visible Barriers To Opportunities External Blame Delinquent Peers Legitimacy of Alternative Norms Delinquent Activities

What is Behaviour? Behaviour is anything a person does which can be observed Behaviour (good or bad) has to be learned Everyone can learn new behaviour Behaviour which has been rewarded is more likely to be repeated Behaviour is influenced by what happens before it and what happens after it. Source: South Eastern Education and Library Board 2006

First Principles of Behaviour Management Behaviour –communicates information about needs –can result from tiredness, friendship hassles, hunger, sickness, loss etc (BDS) –can be changed –is taught Source: Andy Vass 2006

First Principles of Behaviour Management Behaviour is –learned –conditioned –purposeful –chosen Source: Andy Vass 2006

Purpose of Misbehaviour 1.Attention 2.Power 3.Revenge 4.Display of inadequacy Source: Rudolf Dreikurs

Most Successful Strategies for Improving Behaviour Schools recognised that behaviour issues would not be resolved by just updating discipline policies Behaviour was tackled as part of a wider school improvement strategy Schools promoted honesty, ownership, teamwork

Most Successful Strategies for Improving Behaviour (cont’d) Source: Ofsted inspections of 35 schools in 2005 and 2006 Schools identified behaviours that were most challenging and planned ? Schools used external support effectively

The Establishment Phase It is extremely important at the “establishment phase” of the year for teachers to have in place a plan for positive classroom management A Plan should include: preventative strategies corrective strategies

Teaching Class Rules Clearly written Few in number Essential Enforceable Enforced Visible Positively Phrased Teachable

Follow Up, Follow Through Emphasis certainty of the consequential chain of events Consequences should be certain but not severe Focus on the behaviour/issue/task Tune into how pupil is feeling Give partial agreement “maybe you do but…….”

NBSS – Positive Behaviour Strategy Named area/s for prioritisation Rationale for prioritisation Link to school culture and ethos Detailed plan for each priority Indicators of success (impact on behaviour) Monitoring procedures Evaluation procedures

The Six Week Strategy Using the most severe sanction in the first instance leaves no room for properly planned intervention or fall back position. Behaviour does not change overnight. All strategies should be followed through consistently for at least six weeks.

Implications for Behaviour Policies in Schools Realistic expectations Capacity of policy to inform what is happening in the classroom On-going process of improvement Good practice in the area of the curriculum can inform good practice in the management of pupil behaviour Policy should be capable of differentiation Source: Galvin, Miller, Nash

Behaviour Policy at Whole School Level Effective communication with pupils around behaviour in school Strategies to motivate pupils to behave in ways which are agreed and communicated The correction of behaviour in ways that lessen recurrence Strategies to support good behaviour at whole school, classroom and individual level System/strategies to effectively address challenging behaviour

Importance of Planning Everyone in the school system has a responsibility to manage behaviour but people can have different roles within a team approach