The Levett School

Context for joining Behaviour Hubs

The Levett School is a LA maintained, pupil referral unit for pupils aged between 5 and 14 years. It is based across two sites in the Doncaster area. The Lower Site (primary) is situated in a small village, called Sprotbrough and our Upper Site (secondary) is situated across the city in a suburb area known as Intake.

The school makes provision for up to 100 dual/single-registered pupils. The admissions process referrals are received through inclusion panel and SEN panel. The pupil admission numbers are ever changing due to the type of placement agreed at admissions whether that is a 6-day provision due to a PEX, dual registered short-term placement of 6-12 weeks or a single registered long term SEMH placement.

The pupil cohort at The Levett School is extremely complex; the vast dispositions of pupil’s scale vastly within the SEN, medical and challenging behaviour need, with diagnoses of ASD, ADHD, attachment disorder, SEMH, speech and language difficulties and epilepsy, are to name a few.

Some Levett pupils have been, or are on the verge of being, permanently excluded from their mainstream school because of their challenging behaviour. The Levett School works with the most vulnerable and challenging young people in the borough, who come from a wide range of economically diverse backgrounds. Our ambition is to focus on removing the barriers to all areas of their school life and their own personal development in the real world through re-engagement into education or to social situations. The Levett School does this through using trauma informed and Thrive approaches to support the young pupils. The aim being to reintegrate pupils back into their desired pathway and/or bespoke provision within The Levett School.

Whilst participating in the Behaviour Hubs programme the on-roll pupil numbers have increased:

September 2022	31 pupils on roll
November 2022 (Ofsted report)	38 pupils on roll
September 2023	20 pupils on roll (1 single registered pupil)
February 2024	41 pupils on role (13 single registered pupils) Current SEN proportion: SEN Support: 13 pupils / 30.23% EHCP: 26 pupils /60.46% No SEND:  3 pupils /6.97% Free School Meals: 35 pupils / 81.39% LAC: 6 pupils /13.95%

In 2022-2023 at the end of the Summer Term, the Local Authority requested that The Levett School place 18 pupils from the local area, and that these were to be assessment places, with possible short term or long-term placements for Levett. This significantly increased our numbers and changed the dynamics of curriculum, intervention planning and personal development support. It is clear to note that The Levett School’s cohort is constantly ever changing, and staff are required to be continually adaptable, highly skilled, be resilient and at all times uphold professional integrity.

The Levett School uses two registered alternative providers for a bespoke group of pupils across both Key Stages who require a blended approach to education. The current percentage is: 7% of KS2 pupils and KS3 AP – 12% of KS3 pupils.

The school’s defining core values of promoting a zero-negativity zone where only positive mindsets are allowed are positivity, determination, integrity, and reflection. We are a small provision with a huge heart for its community and stakeholders that we serve.

The joining of the Behaviour Hubs after receiving our Ofsted Inspection was one of the proactive complementary steps to take to implement positive behavioural culture change.

 

Behaviour challenges and goals

To become a school with clearly defined boundaries, expectations and consequences with a zero-negativity atmosphere in all learning spaces, that is safe, calm and purposeful, with the intention of always aiming to be consistent. Many of our pupils experience chaotic and dramatic home lives, therefore, a positive culture would influence pupil’s behaviours for the better. Our aim is to teach that non-confrontational, calm approaches are the norm, and our school is a welcoming safe space. This has been done with the focus on:

• Establishing, developing and sustaining the Thrive Online programme as a key golden thread throughout the school, embedding therapeutic interventions.

Placing a greater focus on positive praise, PACE and WINE (Thrive) strategies to support a pupil who is dysregulated.

To launch and establish a pupil leadership team across the school.

To develop a high-profile streamlined reward system and align it to the core value culture, where pupils who consistently behave and engage fully are championed and rewarded in celebration assemblies.

To develop a bespoken admissions induction programme for new pupils.

The overall aim to look at quantitative data in comparison from previous terms/academic year and to have made a reduction in the number of suspensions, (including the reasons for them), decrease in negative behaviours, to increase pupil attendance and monitor the impact on staff wellbeing.

The Levett School’s aim is to develop a culture where pupils are safe to learn, want to learn and be able to get on and learn, meaning teachers can offer quality first teaching and utilise all available time. A school with excellent behaviour culture enables a focus to shift on great pedagogy and curriculum content, which facilitates outstanding progress for all pupils.

There were four main challenges identified during this process:

A lack of support from the Local Authority in regard to not having full autonomy in the decisions made for pupil allocation, and being uninvited to the professional discussions around the decisions made for some of the pupils that are placed here, resulting in limited information being shared so that quality first support can be implemented immediately.

Changing a whole school culture in a short period of time, this has been difficult due to the ever-changing cohort and behaviours displayed of pupils on role, whilst balancing the importance of staff wellbeing and ensuring all directed time is utilised to empower staff with relevant skills and knowledge to be able to offer quality first teaching and first-class support.

Encouraging and driving the mindset of some staff in the efforts to try new approaches and techniques around supporting difficult behaviours and dealing with new pupil challenges whilst further supporting them in adapting their curriculum teaching and what dynamics in a Levett classroom need to look like.

The demands of maintaining a high-level curriculum for our young pupils and the importance of delivering a bespoke programme at all times. As senior leaders we drive the importance of responding to current, real time, local and world-wide topics around personal development (PSHE/RSE). Trends are highlighted when documented on our Child Protection Online Management System (CPOMS) with the expectation that as a school we respond and address these in a safe and effective way. This places huge demand on staff at all levels to refine their timetables and lesson plans.

 

Solutions to behaviour challenges

In order to achieve our goals, we completed the following actions:

• Worked alongside and have been supported by our lead school (Perryfields PRU) where staff have visited and seen good practice first hand.
• Due to the buy-in from SLT, the opportunity to gain support and development of a middle leadership team for change of management processes has been implemented. Further enhanced by the opportunity to send a variety of staff to open days, networking events and virtual training sessions. The impact of the outcomes of those experiences have heavily informed the action plan and made positive changes, with staff enthused for a great desire to drive change.
• Accessed high quality training via the Behaviour Hub and disseminating this to staff in sequenced and planned sessions. We particularly focused on the ‘Creating system and social norms’ module to develop consistency and fluidity of the behaviour core values around school and the attendance module to develop a whole school awareness of the importance of attendance.
• We conducted a stakeholder survey to explore what pupils, staff and parents felt about school life; focusing on behaviour. This highlighted:
• Pupils: A need to develop some school environment areas, so all pupils felt safe within school. A development of a pupil leadership team to give pupils a voice.  Staff: A need for consistency and development of de-escalation strategies and techniques of understanding high level challenging behaviour. A shift in mindset of dealing with the most vulnerable pupils and support that staff could receive to remain positive.
• Parents: Develop communication between home and school regarding their pupil’s placement at The Levett, recognising the importance of sharing more often, good behaviours and choices made by their child in a school day.
• As a Senior Leadership Team, we conducted a wide range of research involving visits to other schools such as Perryfields PRU, Keyham Lodge PRU and Oak Bank Special School. This led to into the research by Steven Baker and Mick Simpson known as, ‘A School Without Sanctions’, which resonated with the dynamical change towards a behaviour culture, ethos and vision we were aiming to realign.

This is how we achieved our greatest successes:

1. The implementation and development of Thrive programme.

• Whole school staff training was undertaken in Thrive in September and launched the schools’ non-negotiables, new curriculum demands, and intervention planning, complimented with offering internal CPD opportunities to four key staff to become qualified Thrive Practitioners for either child or adolescent.
• Following this, as an SLT we created a rigorous quality assurance process to monitor, reflect and to challenge the non-negotiables and processes for Thrive, triangulated this with the academic and Thrive profiling at key assessment points. The outcomes from this were shared with all, and ideas, next steps were considered, with amendments made to ensure the new implementation programme remained streamlined.
• Thrive approach was introduced to families on a parental engagement day sharing information of the new behaviour approach.
• Budget has been set aside to develop Thrive areas on both schools’ sites for interventions to be undertaken in a calm space, this led to further development of a wellbeing suite at the Lower Site and a Nurture based classroom.

1. The establishment and sustainment of the school’s vision and values with all members of the school community through creating a culture where all stakeholders experience a positive an enriching school/work life.  

• During an Open Day at Perryfields PRU it was shared that a KS3 provision in Huddersfield use lights to promote their school’s ethos. Bringing this back to Levett practice. A core value light box was created for each class so that the promotion of each values became daily life. This has become a real talking tool when entering any classroom making connections to the learning and behaviour curriculum.
• The reward system was aligned to the core values and the pupil leadership team supported in choosing ‘behaviours’ that would fall under each value that pupils should be displaying. End of half term rewards were implemented to boost pupil’s engagement in improving pupil behaviour and attendance.
• Celebration assemblies were modelled by senior leaders.
• Four parental engagement days are held throughout the year with a focus on one of the core values.
• The interview process has been updated to include key questions around school culture and the values we are wanting within the school’s community.

1. The implementation and development of pupil voice.  

• In November, during UK Parliament week the school launched its own campaign to elect pupils to its’ pupil leadership team, to be led by the Head of School. Pupils completed nomination forms and created campaigns. Candidates delivered speeches to their school community before participating in a real-life election process. The Levett School now has four members who have a responsibility of promoting one of the school’s core values alongside:
• Safeguarding: Promoting positive behaviour to ensure all pupils feel safe in school.
• Positive Relationships: Determined to increase the importance of positive relationships with peers to prevent bullying.
• Health and Safety: Reflecting on the school environment to improve areas around school.  Rewards and Consequences: Promoting integrity for all pupils in order to increase a variety of pupil rewards and visits.

• The pupil leadership team has really taken off and pupils are leading on parental engagement days, enrichment/curriculum events and the development of the rewards and sanctions processes. The research from the ‘Consequences and Sanctions’ module aided in looking at the school’s reward system.

 

Development of staff and pupil wellbeing support which has resulted in being able to triangulate the data with a 360 outlook on school life, and/or an individual pupil’s profile.

Creating our own bespoke admissions induction programme for new pupils.

• Weekly staff wellbeing surveys are emailed out anonymously to gain feedback on their working week voting on a scale of 1 – 5, if this is influenced by home life and to share any positive shout outs:

1. I don’t want to return next week.
2. I want to return but I am anxious.
3. I have enjoyed my week as expected.
4. I have enjoyed my week more than expected.
5. Bring on next week!

From this, SLT look at the feedback and respond and acknowledge accordingly. Sharing the positive shout outs in a weekly meeting.

• The Wellbeing Manager is now the lead teacher for supporting new pupils in the school’s admissions programme.
• The school have created its own pupil’s admissions programme to allow for a gradual response approach to help rebuild and establish relationships with key staff in school. The programme consists of academic baselines, SEN/Behaviour documentation and Thrive activities to be completed. This has resulted in a smoother transition into Levett life, with a clear and accurate picture of the pupil’s 360◦ profile resulting in an “exit” ticket being created on their transition into their chosen class in school and a personalised curriculum programme being implemented.
• Academic learning is now balanced out with therapeutic intervention. The SENDCO has streamlined the interventions offered, line managed the pastoral team, upskilled their knowledge and assigned them pupils and programmes to deliver, realigning all timetables. This has then been quality assured to monitor timetables, intervention progress and impacts on pupil 360◦ progress. 

 

Impact on behaviour

• 00% of staff agree there is a shared understanding with staff how Levett expects pupils to positively behave (an increase of 57%) and that 100% of staff state that the school rules are very easy for pupils to follow, (an increase of 49%).
• There is now a systematic approach for the management of behaviour and rewards throughout school in line with Thrive. Individual classes/teachers are not using their own approaches and consistency is more apparent.
• During quality assurance of learning walks and observations, the core value lights are lit and being referred to by pupils. All pupils in school can now articulate the behaviour culture and school rules.
• During quality assurance of therapeutic interventions, we are now at a point to be able to change the format of pupil progress meetings to allow us to deep dive and case study a full 360◦ pupil profile.
• Two supply TAs have recently been appointed at The Levett School scored high in the interview question, “Can you name the school’s core values and share examples of when you have seen this in action?” This showcases the impact and promotion of the core value culture in school.
• Staff survey completed in Spring two indicates that staff claim behaviour has improved on a school level, as a result of the new processes and Thrive has had an increase of great impact from 42% to 65%.
• Pupils are very passionate about the celebration assembly at the end of the week and are excited about sharing learning they are proud of, receiving the core value and attendance certificates before choosing their weekly rewards. Staff have voiced; “Great progress has been made with regards to children’s understanding of the four core values! Rewards are positive!”
• Pupil voice is having a say in the half termly reward visit which is impacting on pupils displaying positive behaviour. “The trips are really good and I have liked the ones this year, especially the rock-climbing trip”. “I like the core value lights and I wish we could add another”. (Pupil Y6).
• An increase of parent responses from 4 to 14 in Spring Term have evidenced that 100% of parents strongly agree that their child is supported with their behaviours, concerns raised are dealt with effectively, rules are fair and the school helps their child become the best versions of themselves.
• Website development displaying up to date and relevant information about school life.
• An appointment of a Behaviour Support Worker to enable a swift and detailed tracking and analysis into behaviour trends which allows all classes to be supported with the most vulnerable pupils and needs responded too, connecting the safeguarding team to curriculum, increasing staff’s awareness and understanding from 58% to 74%.
• The results from the weekly anonymous wellbeing surveys has increased awareness of the dynamics of Levett life with all colleagues, resulting in a happier workplace. Wellbeing data shows, 91% of staff scored 3 or above on the surveys throughout the Autumn and Spring Term.

The Spring Term staff survey at the end of the programme highlighted the following significant improvements from Autumn Term.

 

Q3: In how many lessons do pupils negatively behave, interrupt teaching or learning?
All lessons 36%, in Autumn Term	All lessons 6% in Spring Term, a decrease of 30%.
Most lessons 50%, in Autumn Term	Most lessons 28% in Spring Term a decrease of 22%.

 

Q7: What is the behaviour of pupils at school?
Good 17% an increase of 15%.  74% Staff have acknowledged dynamic change in pupil cohort and need and behaviour is as expected for a PRU.

 

Q9: There is a shared understanding with staff how Levett expects pupils to positive behave.
Agree 43%	Agree 100%, an increase of 57%

 

Q12: How easy is it for pupils to follow the school rules?
Very easy 54%	Very easy 100%, an increase of 49%.

The Levett Schools internal data since engagement on the Behaviour Hub programme comparing Autumn Term:

 

Data	2022/2023	2023/2024
Suspension data	Primary 12 Secondary 27 Total: 39	Primary 3 Secondary 4 Total: 7
Reasons for suspensions	Physical assault against a pupil Physical assault against an adult
	Persistent or general disruptive behaviour	Verbal abuse/ threatening behaviour
PEX	1 (secondary)	0
Attendance	Primary 71% Secondary 44% Whole School 52%	Primary 80.93% Secondary 51% Whole School 70.33%

In regards to Leadership and Management, positive feedback has been shared from staff

Q4: SLT foster a culture where I am confident to ask for support in managing behaviour.
Agree: 68%	Agree 94%, an increase of 24%.

 

Q5: The support from SLT (training, data sharing, wellbeing and briefing updates) helps me to manage pupil’s negative behaviour.
Agree 67%	Agree 88%, an increase of 21%.

 

Q6: How often do you see SLT visible in and around school?
Everyday 43%	Everyday 94%, an increase of 51%.

Next steps on your behaviour journey

1. To continue the positive school development momentum, we have built and drive staff consistency.
2. Update the behaviour policy in April 2024 to make amendments following the changes to the behaviour culture and introduction of Thrive now that it has been sustained for two terms. Conduct a second round of consultations prior to making adaptations for September 2024 relaunch. We believe our behaviour policy should never be fixed but continuously adapted.
3. Budget has been set aside to continue to offer CPD for staff to become qualified Thrive practitioners and work towards becoming a Thrive Ambassador School along with personalised CPD for staff.
4. To undertake whole school Dynamism training, tailored around conflict management and physical intervention in September 2024. Survey in Spring evidences that 100% of staff (an increase of 54%) state that they can access training relevant to pupil need, role, experience and active behaviour trends, with 60% of staff feeling fairly confident in managing this negative behaviour. The results show on 30% of staff feel very confident in managing negative behaviour and we want to increase this percentage.
5. For the schools Wellbeing Manager to take lead on participating and showcasing our evidence – based strategies and support to drive positive mental health change, in hope to achieve the ‘Wellbeing Award for Schools’ (WAS SP) developed in partnership with the National Children’s Bureau (NCB).
6. To utilise the research carried out on the Keyham Lodge PRU open day visit to streamline the induction process of school and implement an ‘Initial Response Team’ (IRT) resulting in increasing new job opportunities and offering further efficient programmes and support to both new and on role pupils.
7. To continue to keep suspensions across school low and continue to respond to behaviour and CPOMS trends with all stakeholders, implementing training and processes to ensure safety remains priority for all Levett community. “SLT are good at responding to negative behaviour and supporting staff. Changes are quick and staff feel listened too” (Teacher 24)
8. To potentially be a lead school for Behaviour Hubs with our Primary Site.