In order to create a positive learning environment, we aim to establish a healthy balance between rewards and sanctions. Staff encourage children to behave appropriately, and deal calmly and consistently with unacceptable behaviour for learning. To achieve good standards of behaviour and conduct, staff deal with behaviour issues as and when they occur, if necessary involving other members of staff. Unacceptable behaviour for learning will not be ignored or condoned. Recognition, praise and encouragement are used as much as possible in all situations.
Our emphasis is on rewards to reinforce good behaviour, achievement and effort. We believe that rewards have a motivational role, helping children to see that good behaviour is valued.
Most negative incidents during lessons are managed by the class teacher. However, from time to time, it’s likely that immediate support will be needed, so staff will involve the Pastoral Team or Senior Leadership Team where appropriate. In some instances, the Pastoral Team may be required to support pupils in order to take ‘time-out’ if they are impacting upon their own or others learning. In exceptional circumstances ‘Negatives’ may be awarded which would result in loss of social time and other privileges on a Friday afternoon. Where necessary a child’s parents will be informed, and expected to support and work in partnership with the school to address and improve the unacceptable behaviour being displayed.
We pride ourselves at Dove House on providing a safe learning environment for our pupils. Sometimes, some of our children may get anxious or agitated – we will do our best to help pupils to calm down using communication skills, distraction techniques and removing triggers where possible.
However, there may be times when children need more help to calm down. This can require physical interventions. At Dove House, we have adopted the Team Teach approach to de-escalate and manage challenging behaviour. All our classroom based staff have been trained in the use of this approach and we have two tutors in school who carry out initial training, on-going refresher training and advise staff on managing behaviour.
Team Teach promotes the least intrusive positive handling strategy and offers a continuum of gradual and graded techniques, with an emphasis and preference for the use of verbal, non-verbal de-escalation strategies being used and exhausted before positive handling strategies are utilised. It should be stressed that 95% of Team Teach strategies are about diversion and diffusion and only 5% about a physical intervention.
Pupils with designated behavioural needs have an individualised support plan.
This has personalised targets that seeks to improve their behaviour.
These targets are recorded and monitored by the pupil’s tutor.
At Dove House School we are all very aware that the consequences of bullying can be severe in terms of a young person’s mental well-being, attitudes towards school, educational attainment and even potential suicide risk. It is for this reason that we treat every incident of bullying extremely seriously.
The widely accepted definition of bullying is:
The persistent behaviour by an individual or group with the intention of verbally, physically, or emotionally harming another person or group.
Sadly, bullying can happen to anyone and types of bullying include:
Bullying is generally characterised by:
At Dove House we teach the children to recognise the difference. Bullying can often be an incorrectly used term to describe conflict. Conflict being a disagreement or argument. It’s natural for pupils to sometimes feel overwhelmed with big emotions when they encounter a friendship problem. Sometimes a small disagreement feels like a huge issue. At Dove House when conflicts occur, our aim is to develop conflict resolutions skills through restorative practice based on developing empathy, practicing talking about feelings and problem solving. A process where children’s voices are heard and a focus on repairing the harm and making things right.
At Dove House we need to understand the difference, and understand how we can work together to be a bully free school
When dealing with bullying our priorities are:
The Victim
The Bullying
Next steps:
Whilst it is vital that sanctions are imposed, it is equally, if not more important to re-educate the bully and we use a number of strategies to do this including:
Dove House School Academy, Sutton Road,
