Our approach is built around Unconditional Positive Regard. We accept and value every child while maintaining high expectations for their behaviour. We separate the child from the behaviour, recognising that there is often context behind what we see. Behaviour may communicate an emotional need, difficulty with regulation, a need for connection or a skill that has not yet been developed.

When behaviour becomes challenging, our first priority is to ensure that a child is regulated and feels safe enough to engage. We use Zones of Regulation and co-regulation strategies to help children recognise and manage their emotions.

Once regulated, adults reconnect with the child before supporting them to understand what happened, consider its impact and think about what they could do differently. Where relationships have been affected, we use restorative approaches to support repair and provide a genuine opportunity for a fresh start.

We catch children getting it right

We believe that positive behaviour should be noticed and celebrated far more often than mistakes are highlighted. Staff deliberately look for opportunities to recognise effort, kindness, perseverance, self-regulation and positive choices.

Our adults use specific praise and encouragement to reinforce the behaviours we want to see more of. We believe that these small, positive interactions build emotional currency and strong relationships, making it easier to support children when things go wrong.

We teach behaviour

Our Behaviour Curriculum explicitly teaches pupils the behaviours they need to be successful, including routines such as Fantastic Walking, Legendary Lines, Super Sitting, Track the Speaker, Dress to Impress and Marvellous Manners.

Alongside this, our Skills for Life curriculum develops the executive functioning skills that underpin successful learning and behaviour, including managing feelings, getting started, remembering, persevering, adapting to change and organising ourselves.

We teach behaviour

We have high expectations for every pupil, while recognising that some children need additional support to meet those expectations. Our principle of Flexible Consistency means that our expectations remain consistent, but the pathway to achieving them may be adapted according to individual needs.

We work closely with pupils and families to understand barriers, provide appropriate support and ensure that every child has the opportunity to succeed.

Behaviour Policy: A Relational Approach

For further information about our approach to behaviour, please see our Behaviour Policy.