Context for joining Behaviour Hubs
The Eastbourne Academy is a below average sized school of just over 850 students in years 7-11. The school has well above average numbers of FSM students (44%) and this level of deprivation brings a number of challenges. The school has recently (2022) been downgraded from ‘Good’ to ‘RI’ by Ofsted and following this there has been a huge turnover in staff, including key leaders.
Part-time timetables were often used as a method for improving behaviour. These were not always effective.
Students were receiving poor levels of teaching and learning and there were an increasing number of cover teachers (due to staff absence) which was leading to significant numbers of students being removed from lessons and a lack of trust in the AHT who led on behaviour.
With the new appointments in the Senior Leadership team taking their positions in April 2023, the opportunity to take part in the Behaviour Hub project was perfectly timed to support the teams drive to better standards of behaviour across the academy.
Behaviour challenges and goals
Our main goal is to ensure that all stakeholders are very clear on the raised behaviour expectations that reflect the new values of our school (Curiosity, Ambition, Respect and Engagement).
We wanted to create calm learning environments where students were not distracted by poor behaviour and a safe environment at social times.
Many of our students have few boundaries or structures at home and therefore it was important to give these to students when they were in school.
We needed buy-in from staff and for staff to have a greater trust in the leadership of the school to deal with incidents of poor behaviour. Alongside this we needed greater consistency of approach to dealing with behaviour.
We wanted to reduce FTE and the number of removals from classrooms for poor behaviour.
To create a certainty of sanction for students and staff which would improve consistency across the school in dealing with behaviour.
Changing the culture of behaviour in a very short period of time when staff turbulence was incredibly high and gaps in staffing were a constant issue.
During the academic year 2023/4 10 teachers left, including the Deputy Head lead for behaviour (only in post for one year) and Headteacher (in post for 2 years) between the end of term 2 to end of term 5. This included the Head of Year 9 leaving. Although these vacancies are now filled, none of the staff are starting until September 2024 (new Headteacher started term 6). This led to larger class sizes, move cover lessons and a timetable rewrite in January as well as the removal of the ‘primary based curriculum’ for our most vulnerable.
The lack of support from external services to ensure our most high-profile students had the support they needed. The collapse of the local PRU which added back more challenging students.
Being under PAN in every year group made us susceptible to in year admissions which brought with them their own high level of need.
Solutions to behaviour challenges
The programme gave the school a clear focus through the process which allowed us a very new team to have a clear direction of travel, with set deadlines to set up systems and structures to support the improvements that were needed. Ensuring a range of Senior leaders and SENDCo attended training events and school visits, built sustainability around the leadership of behaviour when key staff left.
Being part of the project ensured we prioritised CPD and school visits where previously we had neglected these as issues in schools had distracted us from developing the strengths of the team.
The most supportive part of the programme came from the face-to-face days we had both at our school and at our Lead Behaviour Hub School (Worthing High). Worthing high shared resources with us so we could ensure the set-up of our interventions was focussed and more importantly a lot quicker. For example:
- Our host school shared their curriculum intent, teaching resources and model risk assessments for their Forest School provision which allowed us to implement our provision and intervene with students more quickly than we had anticipated.
- Following open day visits we took Worthing high ‘consequence cards’ and implemented them with our year 7 which led to more positive rewards being given out for our students.
The open day visits also allowed us to see the structural set up of how the pastoral team was being run. We took many parts from this model to ensure greater clarity of roles and responsibilities within our own structure which then improved communication within our community (parents and staff).
When Worthing High staff visited our school for ‘behaviour visits’ the insight and feedback they gave to leaders at all levels ensured our plan was better implemented, following tweaks to processes made after the visit. Worthing High staff were generous with their time, offering mentoring support to our SENDCo and AHT for behaviour, both of which we took up
Impact on behaviour
- New ways of recording and analysing behavioural data to ensure rapid intervention by leaders at all levels and to provide parents and students of real time behaviour and rewards.
- More regular behaviour input for staff in terms of a fortnightly briefing as well as more time given over at INSET to focus specifically on the issues faced by staff.
- Mentor time programme developed so students were taught how to behave in line with our values.
- Line up introduced for year 7 at the start of the day and end of breaks to ensure they were reset ready to learn.
- Location of restart and isolation moved so it was easier to double staff and removed the issues caused by these two areas being in the main building. New guidelines to improve the learning environment of restart and isolation.
- Increase level of expectations in terms of classroom behaviour – removals from lesson after 2 warnings, not 3.
- Detentions replaced with ‘restoratives’ to ensure staff are involved in repairing relationships following a student’s removal from lessons.
- Following this restorative attendance increased to 92% (having been sitting around 50% when they were just detentions).
- Adaption of internal Alternative provision to ensure most high-level students had full time support.
- Significant reduction in removals from lessons. This is against the backdrop of much higher expectations in terms of behaviour (students being removed from a lesson after 2 warnings and not the previous 3).
- More recent significant drops are a good sign of progress. Data show removals from lessons at a peak in January 2024 of 82 per day which was down to 39 per day at the start of term 6.
- Initial drop in suspensions but with more teacher departures and the Deputy Head in charge of behaviour leaving suspensions then increased in term 4 but have been dropping week by week since.
- Staff confidence in the leadership of behaviour significantly improved during the project. Staff survey developed by United College London showed a +88 change around the leadership of Behaviour putting us significantly above the national average.
- Staff absence reduced by 50% month on month compared to previous year.
- Student voice reports better behaviour in lessons.
- Student voice reports that they are clearer on expectations in terms of behaviour and that rules are easier to follow.
- Social times are calm and orderly creating a safe environment where students self-regulate. Gang and county lines culture does not manifest in school
Next steps on your behaviour journey
- To continue to significantly raise expectations in terms of behaviour so it is not the main point of discussion in school.
- To ensure the consistency of the approach to behaviour is not lost with high staff turnover.
- To develop a more creative curriculum to work with students who provide us with the most challenging behaviours.