Reviewing behaviour policy guide
Practical advice on reviewing your behaviour policy for a whole school approach to making meaningful change.
Getting started
This checklist should be used alongside the NEU’s Reviewing your behaviour policy booklet and, for early career teachers (ECTs) and mentors, the ECT behaviour checklist.
Where we talk about ‘staff’ in the checklist we are referring to all staff: teachers, support staff and other workers around the school. Any review of a behaviour policy should be widely consulted upon with the whole school community, including staff, students and families.
- Do all staff, including support staff, school meals supervisory assistants (SMSA’s, and all who interact with children understand the school/college behaviour policy and approach to managing behaviour that challenges? And have they received sufficient training on behaviour issues?
- Have all staff been trained in de-escalation techniques?
- What measures are in place for the senior leadership team (SLT) to monitor and support staff with behaviour issues?
- Is there a sense of shared responsibility among staff and students linked to the school’s values?
- Are those in the wider school community – beyond SLT and teachers – clear about the behaviour policy and their role?
- Are staff facing more disruptive behaviours because of the learning gaps and disruption to learning? When can this be discussed and strategies on well-being and motivation be shaped?
- To what extent are staff supported with training and mentoring around difficult conversations with families?
- Do staff have concerns about particular groups of children, e.g. those with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), free school meals (FSM), particular ethnic groups?
- Is it clear how staff can access support for individual pupils?
- Do staff feel supported?
Whole school approach to behaviour
Work collectively and create opportunities to audit which of these areas are operating well in your setting and which need further consideration:
- Are you familiar with the ‘belonging’ approach to behaviour management?
- Do you have a clear and robust reporting system that is understood by all staff?
- Do you have an open door policy for students to raise their concerns?
- Do you have a whole school approach to promoting good mental health for staff and students?
- Do you have a diverse workforce?
- Do you have an effective early help process in place for early intervention?
- Do you have appropriate procedures in place to ensure staff are confident to raise concerns about policies and process and that they know action and support will follow?
- Does the school promote positive friendships?
- Is there an effective safeguarding policy?
- Are there good staff/student relationships?
- Do you have effective whistleblowing procedures?
SLT/year group considerations
- Which groups of students need individual plans, extra small group work or individual help because of learning or pastoral needs?
- How do school routines impact on pupils, particularly those with SEND?
- Has cutting break times/lunch times had an impact on pupil behaviour or on friendship and peer relations?
- Could more outdoor learning be planned?
- Is more physical activity needed to counteract the effects of the pandemic?
- What has been learned about the ways you work with families?
- Should any of these ways of working continue?
- Are staffing levels sufficient at lunch time? Are SLT members available at lunch time to manage and support colleagues with incidents of behaviour that challenges?
- Is there enough equipment and activities to keep students occupied during play and lunch breaks?
- Do staff know how to access extra support, both within school and externally, for pupils finding school or learning challenging following the lockdown period?
- Should you boost the focus on play and creative activities to support student behaviour?
- Are there specific issues to consider given the context of your school?