This practical advice on reviewing your behaviour policy can be used as a tool for discussion about your behaviour policy, and the checklists that accompany it as audit tools for a whole school approach to making meaningful change. The underlying premise of the approach to reviewing your behaviour policy is on de-escalation, building confident staff, supporting Early Career Teachers and creating a sense of belonging which supports student behaviour.
Reviewing your behaviour policy covers the following areas: general issues for consideration and getting started, parental engagement, a focus on well-being to support positive behaviour, equalities issues, responding to student social and emotional needs, building strong relationships with students, factors affecting behaviour and what schools can do, classroom management strategies and learning behaviours, Looked After Children (LAC), alternatives to Zero Tolerance approaches to behaviour, and feeling safe in your workplace. There is also a list of useful further resources .
Reviewing your policy - what to consider
The SLT should check whether staff feel confident about the behaviour policy and how to draw down extra support for students.
Consistency and coherence around behaviour are the key to having a successful whole school behaviour policy which works for the entire school community. (Education Endowment Foundation (EEF) – Improving Behaviour in Schools report.) Your behaviour policy should have due regard to the Equality Act 2010, the Special educational needs and disability (SEND) code of practice, Keeping children safe in education (KCSIE) guidance and the Children and Families Act 2014.
Issues to consider when reviewing the behaviour policy:
• Are all staff trained, including support staff/school meals supervisory assistants (SMSAs) and all who interact with students?
• Does this training include de-escalation techniques?
• What measures are in place for the SLT to monitor and support staff with student behaviour issues?
• Is there a sense of shared responsibility among staff and students linked to the school’s values?
• Are every child’s parent or carer engaged as partners in their education?
• Are those in the wider school community – beyond SLT and teachers – clear about the behaviour policy and their role?
• To what extent are staff supported with training and mentoring around difficult conversations with families?
• Are staff facing more disruptive behaviours because of the learning gaps and disruption to learning? Where can this be discussed, and strategies on wellbeing and motivation be shaped?
• Is it clear how staff can access support for individual students? Do staff feel backed up?