Building a positive culture within our school - a focus on vulnerable students.

What do we know about our most vulnerable students?

The HoH team write: Everyday we teach students who have suffered Adverse Childhood Experiences. This could include abuse, bereavement, parents with mental health issues or domestic violence. A student’s mental health and well being is fundamental to their ability to focus and engage in learning.

We know that our SEND and Pupil Premium students are more likely to suffer from mental health issues and experience trauma during their time in secondary school. These students have suffered and some continue to suffer Toxic Stress which physically affects the make up of the brain and has a direct impact on its function. This can make a child anxious, edgy, impulsive, hyper vigilant and unfocused. These behaviours link to the reasons why a disproportionately high number of SEND and Pupil Premium students are sent to RTL.

Does this mean we should accept poor behaviour?

We absolutely need to continue to challenge behaviour that falls below our expectations, however we must also hold ourselves to account and question whether we are doing all that we can to support their individual needs. 

What strategies do we deploy after a student receives a first warning that will prevent them from receiving a second?

As a HOH team we considered this question and agreed that as frustrating as a poorly behaved student can be, we need to be able to have more opportunities to take a step back and question what is driving that behaviour as well as reflect on our own actions in responding to it.

For example, an anxious child can present in many different ways.  The most obvious way is to avoid the situation that is making them anxious (flight).  The other less obvious signs of anxiety are dissociation or work-refusal (freeze) and conflict (fight).  If we know that a particular student will respond with conflict when we introduce a new seating plan how do we avoid this? As a HOH team we were all able to share examples of when we had responded in a way that escalated negative behaviour rather than improved it. 

Following this discussion we decided that we would value more opportunities to discuss with all staff the different factors which contribute to creating positive learning environments for our most vulnerable students. As a result, we have collapsed our HOH briefing session twice a term so that we can hold whole staff sessions on this topic.  We also hope to use this blog to signpost further reading and guidance.

What is a good book to read on this topic?

In When the Adults Change, Everything Changes: Seismic Shifts in School Behaviour, Paul Dix upends the debate on behaviour management in schools and offers effective tips and strategies that serve to end the search for change in children and turn the focus back on the adults.

Drawing on anecdotal case studies, scripted interventions and approaches which have been tried and tested in a range of contexts, from the most challenging urban comprehensives to the most privileged international schools, behaviour training expert and Pivotal Education director Paul Dix advocates an inclusive approach that is practical, transformative and rippling with respect for staff and learners. An approach in which behavioural expectations and boundaries are exemplified by people, not by a thousand rules that nobody can recall.

Each chapter is themed and concludes with three helpful checklists – Testing, Watch out for and Nuggets – designed to help you form your own behaviour blueprint. Throughout the book there is indispensable advice about how to involve all staff in developing a whole school ethos built on kindness, empathy and understanding.

If you would like a copy of this book please make Clio Corpe or HOH aware and we will order you one. 

What was covered in the first HoH briefing?

We discussed the Theory of Language & Interaction section from the Paul Dix book. Below is an example of a suggested strategy.

'When you come to see me today get as close to 3.30 as you can so we can resolve this quickly and both get home in good time'. As opposed to, 'Meet me at my room at the end of school'.

The trust in the student that this statement implies, combined with the clarity of the expectation, often results in immediate action without protest. It is almost a closed request which leaves no 'hook' to hold onto and argue with.

You are assuming and encouraging a positive response; making it awkward for the student to respond negatively.

Thinking Point - Think of a student who you need to approach in a different way. Set a target for the end of term to use different language/interaction with them. In our HoH briefing on the last week of term we will come back together as a team and share and reflect on the strategies that we have tried out. We look forward to hearing from you!