Behaviour policy checklist for early career teachers and mentors

This checklist is designed to be used by early career teachers (ECTs) and their mentors alongside the NEU’s Reviewing your behaviour policy advice and the behaviour checklist for schools/colleges. It sets out some of the questions around behaviour that may need consideration as ECTs start their professional journey in teaching.

ECTs have told us that positive behaviour management and special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) are two of the key areas when beginning teaching on which they feel they require more support.

We hope that the checklist will help to facilitate the conversation about behaviour approaches between ECTs, mentors and the senior leadership team (SLT), and enable the support, appropriate information and understanding that is needed for success.

• Are you familiar with your school’s behaviour policy and how you would implement it?
• Have you received any training on behaviour systems and relevant technology from the school about behaviour management? 
• Have you been offered training in de-escalation techniques?
• Do you know whether any of the students you teach have SEND and/or a behaviour support plan? If so, have you been informed fully about how they should be supported and the procedures in place to support staff if required during lessons?
• If you work in a special school or alternative provision, have you been trained in the school procedures for keeping a student safe if they are at risk to themselves or others, including appropriate de-escalation techniques?
• Have you been given guidance/training on physical interventions if needed?
• Do you know who your first port of call is if you are having issues in your classroom and need immediate assistance?
• Do you and your mentor meet regularly and discuss any current concerns about behaviour/classroom management?
• Does your school have a safe centralised system in place for detentions (if used) such as not being in a room alone with a pupil, or use of SLT detentions?
• Do you know who you need to report behaviour incidents to?
• Do you know how behaviour incidents are recorded?
• Have you received safeguarding training? And do you know who to report safeguarding concerns to in the school?
• Have you received training/advice on how to react to, manage and report racist, sexist, LGBT+ phobic and disablist incidents in school?
• Do you know where the accident report book is in your school?
• Do you know how to report an accident in it?
• Are you aware of the school’s administering medicines policy?
• Do you know that you cannot be required to administer medicines and, if you agree to do so, you must receive appropriate training from a medical professional?
• Are you trained and properly supported to manage parental expectations in relation to the reporting of behaviour?