Establishing behaviour groups
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Context and background to sector-leading practice
Christchurch C.P. School is in the town of Rhyl in a Communities First area in Denbighshire. The school is in the second most deprived area in Wales. Many pupils come from socially and economically deprived backgrounds, with high levels of unemployment. There are 385 full-time pupils on roll and 57 nursery aged pupils. Around 60% of pupils are eligible for free school meals. There is a specialist Resource Provision for Foundation Phase pupils based at the school. Around 36% of pupils have additional learning needs. The school currently has 30 pupils for whom English is an additional language (EAL), which is a significant increase over the last year. Trends indicate that this will continue to rise.
Description of nature of strategy or activity identified as sector-leading practice
The challenging behaviours associated with some of the pupils in the school were impacting negatively on their learning and the learning of others. Staff assessed the impact of the school’s interventions and felt that they needed further development in order to meet better the needs of the pupils, especially those with complex needs.
The school identified the needs of a specific group of pupils and established the ‘Sunflower Behaviour Group’ to target these. The aims of the sessions were to:
- follow the curriculum in a supportive environment
- encourage good behaviour through positive reinforcement and reward
- foster an environment where behaviour can be discussed openly
- improve self-esteem and self-discipline
- assist the development of social and emotional skills
The room has been set up to be warm and welcoming. Areas in the room include a dark den, small pet area, sensory zone and quiet corner.
Specific pupils use the resource in the afternoons. The session starts with an opportunity for pupils to relax and a hold a review of their morning in class. They then attend curriculum based sessions, in small groups, with individual support for pupils when needed. Staff split the lessons by providing a session of physical activity before commencing the final element of the afternoon which culminates in an evaluation of the afternoon and completing the pupils’ individual behaviour books.
Utilising the Pupil Deprivation Grant, the school appointed two Learning Mentors, a Wellbeing and Learning Mentor and a teaching assistant with specific responsibilities for EAL. The school created four new teaching environments that met the needs of different groups of learners. Each mentor has a very different focus linked to their own area of expertise. These include:
- a behaviour and nurture group
- three nurture and wellbeing groups across both phases
- cross phase speech and language therapy (SALT) provision
- literacy and numeracy focus groups
- cross phase EAL provision
What impact has this work had on provision and pupils’ standards?
Staff assess all the pupils who attend the nurture and behaviour support groups at the start of the programme and throughout the year using the Boxall Profile.
All of the pupils who have been involved in the nurture provision have showed a significant improvement from their baseline scores. This is evident in their day-to-day behaviour in school.
The pupils who attend the learning intervention groups have made significant progress in mathematics and spelling.
Staff have seen the positive impact of the intervention groups, from the nurture groups providing a positive start to the school day to the provision of a calm and relaxing sanctuary at times when pupils struggle with their emotions. They recognise every pupil’s individual needs and understand the importance of providing a bespoke provision for them, within the school.
Pupils themselves highlight the benefits of these intervention groups. For example:
Year 5
“I am happy when we get our rewards. It makes me happy when I know we have all worked together as a group.”
Year 5
“If I have had a bad morning, the relaxation helps me get the bad stuff out of my mind so I can get on with the rest of the day.”
Year 4
“I enjoy the privilege of looking after the animals.”
Year 4
“I like the dark den as it helps me calm down.”
How have you shared your good practice?
The school works closely with the local cluster, family of schools and the regional consortium to share joint planning and best practice ideas. At a recent cluster ‘speed sharing’ event, teachers and support staff gave a presentation outlining how they use the school’s ‘learning mentor’ and pastoral support programmes to support vulnerable families. The focus was on how they raise outcomes for pupils eligible for free school meals and have a notable effect on promoting good attendance and high levels of wellbeing. The local authority also encourage other practitioners to visit the school and to observe the ‘learning mentor’ programme in action.