Context for joining Behaviour Hubs
It is a primary school with 197 pupils aged between 4 and 11, 35% of these pupils are disadvantaged and 36% are on the SEN register.
Atlas Primary is 7th on the deprivation index score.
Behaviour challenges and goals
- To embed a system to allow all children to be praised and able to celebrate their successes
- To support staff in their development of strategies to manage more challenging behaviour and use positive encouragement to improve negative.
- Staff to understand that behaviour is a form of communication and how to unpick a child’s behaviour and identify any triggers in order to de-escalate before dis regulation.
- To ensure consistency in manging behaviour throughout school
- An increased number of pupils with SEND / SEMH needs that were presenting with high levels of challenging behaviour.
- A high turnover in staff.
- An increase in SEN/EHCP’s
- Some staff who did not have the understanding of behaviour challenges and how best to manage incidents of misbehaviour.
Solutions to behaviour challenges
- Brought wider leadership team on board with Behaviour Hub programme (e.g. attending open days/works and virtual modules).
- Developed Behaviour Policy with staff (written document and a child friendly symbol version) and re-introduced this to staff and children with termly recaps done during whole school assemblies.
- Staff training linked to SIP and school vision
- Regular staff training and monitoring of behaviour in school with ALL staff
- Used open days and network events to find out more information about different ‘ways’ of managing and recording behaviours.
Impact on behaviour
- Most children understand and follow the rules and meet our expectations. Incidents logged on CPOMS have reduced, and STARR analysis has allowed us to unpick patterns and triggers for behaviour.
- Staff are more consistent in managing behaviour and challenge unacceptable behaviour using a consistent approach – children know what to expect from staff and what the consequence will be of not following school rules.
- Children are able to talk about how behaviour is managed as well as work together collectively to earn house points and earn rewards for behaviour.
- External SIP review recorded –
The behaviour and attitudes of the pupils is a strength of the school. Pupils are delightful, they are kind and respectful; they are comfortable to be themselves. They are welcoming and considerate of visitors to their school. They enjoy their learning and value all the opportunities that school provides for them.
- The atmosphere is positive around school and there are clear routines in place. The reviewers saw no low-level disruptions. When one pupil was seen to struggle with his behaviour, staff showed highly effective action in being able to support the child. This meant that learning was not disrupted for other children.
- Indoor break and lunch were observed; the behaviour from pupils was calm and safe. Universally, pupils say they feel safe, and they report that children behave ‘well’ and that they feel supported and cared for by all staff. They understand the expectations of them and the consequence and rewards associated with different types of behaviour.
The school’s approach to behaviour has been refined after working with the DfE Behaviour Hub and the school embodies a relational approach to foster effective behaviour and attitudes. The pupils and leaders both comprehensively spoke about model behaviours, clear rewards and consequences. All staff modelled consistent strategies and ‘high expectations of all’ for behaviour.
- Pupils said that bullying is not tolerated and if they had any concerns that they would be taken seriously and dealt with.
- There has been a reduction in the number of behaviour incidents logged and leaders articulated that this is the impact of successful training, particularly around trauma, ACEs, de-escalation and STARR analysis toolkit, and refinement of school approach and strategies.
- There have been improvements in attendance and persistent absence since the previous year. Pupil attendance has improved, and persistent absence has reduced since last year. On the day of the review attendance was above the national average. However persistent absence continues to be high at 33%. The attendance for vulnerable groups has also improved over the last 12 months though again, persistent absence remains high.
- There are no pupils who are severely absent.
- School leaders are aware of the barriers to attendance and take the full range of appropriate action to mitigate this. Leaders and staff within school work hard to establish relationships with parents and families to promote good attendance, working closely with those where attendance is an issue. This includes also utilising the support from external agencies. The school has used the full range of statutory powers to encourage good attendance.
- The pupils understand well the importance of attendance and reported that it is spoken about in school. Pupils spoke about how they are given house points for being school ready – coming to school in correct uniform and on time and they liked that.
- There is a clear process to reduce the number of children that are late to school and the data shows improvements in punctuality. Leaders are extremely mindful of the relationship between attendance and pupil safeguarding and carry out home visits whenever they have concerns.
Next steps on your behaviour journey
- To continue to develop and build upon the consistent approach to behaviour we have established.
- To ensure all new staff and new pupils are inducted to Atlas’ school policy and behaviour systems.
- To continue to provide staff training on trauma and de-escalation and use these to refine provisions for children with the highest needs and most challenging behaviour.