Behaviours of Concern Policy

Children’s behaviour is normally a means of soliciting positive (and occasionally negative)
attention, affirmation and encouragement from their parents, teachers or peers. Such feelings of
appreciation and satisfaction are generally reinforced by their parents at home and by their
teachers and other adults in school. In its simplest terms, all behaviour, including behaviour of
concern, is purposeful. It is also instructive and enlightening in terms of guidance to school
personnel in their interactions and communications with pupils.
Unfortunately, and for a variety of reasons, a minority of children have a negative experience of,
or reaction to, life in school. This may originate in the mind of the child within the home or school
setting. It behoves us as educators to seek to understand the reasons for such dissatisfaction
and to seek remedies for them as best we can.
The purpose of this ‘Policy’ is to briefly outline current theory and best practice in relation to
modifying behaviours of concern and to provide a guide as to where relevant further resources
may be found. This policy should be read in conjunction with Scoil Íde’s Behaviour of Concern
Resource Bundle which forms part of Scoil Íde’s Anti- Bullying Master Folder ( available to all
staff on Google Drive)

WHAT ARE BEHAVIOURS OF CONCERN?

In our schools, behaviours of concern are those behaviours that interfere with the child’s
learning and/or that of others. These behaviours can be triggered by a wide variety of factors
and influences, such as being a new pupil in the school, transitioning to a new teacher, or by
other external events in their lives.

BEHAVIOUR

Behaviour is defined as the manner of conducting oneself. It also reflects one’s response to
one’s environment or stimuli. Behaviour may be conscious or unconscious (e.g. quickly pulling
one’s hand away when one touches something hot). Many factors may contribute to a child’s
particular behaviour.

6 KEY ASSUMPTIONS IN UNDERSTANDING BEHAVIOUR

Ref: Daly, Patricia. (2019) Small changes can make big differences, Limerick: CDU

1: Behaviour is not random:
It is connected to events which occurred before the behaviour and is reinforced, positively or
negatively, by reactions to the behaviour. It is therefore controllable in terms of interventions
targeted at antecedents, or “triggers” and consequences

2:Behaviour works, has meaning and is not random:
It serves a purpose and has goals, though these goals may not be easy to recognise. The
functions of behaviour which negatively affect learning are:
o Getting attention, from adults or peers
o Getting an object – something the child wants e.g. a ball, a chase
o Avoiding something e.g. attention or a particular task
o Getting or Avoiding a sensory experience or human contact.

3: Children want approval:
Adult approval, particularly affirmation and approval from key adults such as teachers, is as
important to children as the air they breathe. Your approval is the strongest reward you have in
the classroom

4: Children want to learn:
This has been demonstrated time and again, both in scientific and psychological studies, and is
borne out by the experience of teachers over the years. Some may have particular difficulties
with the learning process, but they all want to learn

5: Children who know “what” and “how” cannot always “do”:
It takes a while for children to fully know, understand and apply social interactive skills. Not all
children grasp them easily and they need to be taught and supported

6: Some behaviour has hidden dimensions:
These are related to a particular child’s unique life experience. We see what happens in the
classroom and in the playground but we cannot see the child’s unique history or underlying
“invisible” conditions e.g. anxieties, sensory difficulties or learning difficulties. We should always
be aware of this, especially with children who display challenging behaviour.

INFLUENCES ON PUPIL BEHAVIOUR

There are many potential influences on student behaviour, and many factors that can lead to
behaviour that is challenging for schools to deal with. These include:

• Biophysical factors: such as medical conditions or disabilities
• Psychological factors: including emotional trauma or lack of social skills
• Behavioural/social factors: including where a student’s problem behaviour has been
  learned through reinforcement, consequences or adaptation to social practices (a
  student with a learning difficulty repeatedly misbehaves knowing that he/she will be
  removed from the class and this will avoid his/her learning difficulty being exposed)
• Student group dynamics: such as bullying and teasing, cliques or student apathy or
  hostility Environmental factors: e.g. the level of classroom noise or seating
  arrangements
• Classroom organisation issues: such as inconsistent routines, inadequate materials or
  obliviousness to cultural differences
• Teacher behaviour: e.g. boring or disorganised lessons, over-reaction to misbehaviour or
  over-reliance on punishment. In many cases, there is no single “cause” of challenging
  behaviour, but it is the result of several factors and influences operating in combination.

BEHAVIOUR AS A FUNCTION OF RELATIONSHIPS

The school leader will need to build and maintain cordial and collegiate relationships with
some/all of the following as s/he attempts to restore calmness and joy to the child exhibiting
behaviours of concern: The child The child’s parents The child’s teacher(s) Personnel from
various state agencies e.g. NEPS, NCSE, DES, PDST

POSSIBLE UNDERLYING CAUSES OF BEHAVIOURS OF CONCERN

It is the norm for children to seek attention which gives them praise and encouragement from parents and
teachers. There is always a reason for, or purpose to behaviours of concern, such as:

• Anxiety and Stress: Children may become anxious for a myriad of reasons. Worries
  about friendships, homework, home situations etc. can be overwhelming for a child,
  leading to stress. While most children are able to identify the cause and put in place
  strategies to reduce their stress levels, some cannot
• Communication difficulties: These can range from not being able to speak at all,
  shyness, social inhibition to being very articulate but not understanding the social
  variations and conventions in a conversation. Behaviours of Concern are often a
  substitute means of communication for such children
• Sensory issues: Some children can be over- or under-sensitive to any of their senses.
  This is often referred to in the literature as hyper (over) or hypo (under) sensitivity
• Social understanding: Not all children have the same understanding of social rules. Not
  all children grow up in environments with social rules similar to those in most schools
• Inflexible thinking: We all adapt to routines and can find them comforting. Some children
  struggle with changes in routine

THE INITIAL MEETING

A positive approach will lead to a better long-term relationship between home and school and
will make working with the parents much easier. Such an approach will be based on:

• Framing all discussions around the needs of the child and his/her exhibitions of distress
  in the classroom
• Expressing concern about the fact that the child, through his/her behaviour, is isolating
  her/himself socially in the classroom
• Encouraging the parents to share whatever background information they may have
  which might assist the school in alleviating the child’s anxieties and behaviours of
  concern
• Assuring the parents/guardians that we are there to help and will work together every
  step of the way
• Stating clearly to them that there is no negative judgement being made about them as
  parents, but that the meeting displays a desire and a willingness on the school’s behalf
  to improve the situation for all (child, family, peers, bus escort, bus driver, teacher, SNAs,
  school community) involved.

The School Leader should aim to clarify the following messages over the initial
meeting(s).

• The School’s Commitment to the parents and their child
• The School’s Capacity to meet the needs of the child
• The School’s Commitment to the creation of a safe environment
• The School’s Discipline and Behaviour Policy
• Parents Understanding and Commitment to the School Ethos and Values
• Recording of Behaviours of Concern
• *Partnership Schools ( under consideration) : The underpinning ideology with this
  programme is that parents, teachers, students and support staff are all working together
  to support school improvement.

RECORDING BEHAVIOURS OF CONCERN

All concerning behaviour must be recorded and analysed in accordance with the ABC
model above. NCSE and SESS provide several templates for efficient recording of
behaviour. Concise, comprehensive and clear recording forms the evidential basis for all
non-biased decisions relating to behaviours of concern.

ANALYSING THE RECORDED BEHAVIOURS

The purpose of recording the behaviours of concern is to help discern patterns of
behaviour and to understand the conditions or triggers which cause these behaviours.
Understanding the triggers will assist in better managing situations causing the
behaviours and helping the child to better regulate his/her behaviour.

NEPS APPROACH

This problem-solving process is one of assessment, intervention and review.

• What is the concern?
• Why is it happening?
• How can we help?
• Did it work?

CONFIDENTIALITY

All school employees must be fully briefed on the absolute need for confidentiality when dealing
with matters concerning pupils. This is especially important when a pupil is exhibiting
behaviours of concern and may be the focus of attention of other pupils or parents.

THE SCHOOL BEHAVIOUR MANAGEMENT TEAM

The Behaviour Management Team will consist of those staff members who have special training
or experience in the area of Behaviour Management.
It will include senior staff members and school leaders. Those directly involved may be
experiencing a behaviour of concern for the first time and will require advice and assistance in
dealing with it.

The following will need to be au fait with this policy when dealing with a child/ren displaying
behaviour of concern.

• The class teacher
• SET
• SENCO
• SNAs
• Ancillary staff

RELATIONSHIPS WITH STATE AGENCIES

NCSE: The range of services provided by the NCSE may be viewed on www.ncse.ie

NEWB, TESS, EWS & EWOS

The National Education Welfare Board (NEWB) is a national agency for encouraging and
supporting regular school attendance. The NEWB operates under the auspices of Tusla, a
section referred to as the Tusla Education Support Service (TESS). Part of this service is the
Education Welfare Service (EWS), which employs Education Welfare Officers (EWOs) to assist
schools in matters relating to school placement, attendance and child welfare concerns.

NEPS

National Educational Psychological Service (NEPS) psychologists work with both primary and
post-primary schools and are concerned with learning, behaviour, social and emotional
development. Each psychologist is assigned to a group of schools. The NEPS psychologist
should be consulted in all cases where a child is exhibiting behaviours of concern.

DES

While the Dept. of Education & Skills (DES) has ultimate responsibility for the implementation of
education policy throughout the country, it has largely delegated responsibility for SEN and
related behavioural issues to NCSE and its various component sections, as outlined above.

PRACTICAL INTERVENTIONS USED IN SCOIL ÍDE

PREPARATION 1: GET TO KNOW THE CHILD

Developing a relationship with a child who may have behavioural issues allows the class
teacher and others involved to begin to know and understand what is going on in that child’s life,
what his/her likes, dislikes and anxieties are, and what the child’s home context and background
is. As with all other relationships, good communication – listening and talking – is key. This is not
an easy task for the busy class teacher as it requires skill and patience. Good notes and
observations by staff members who have worked with the child will help a new class teacher
build on the relationships already established.

PREPARATION 2: AUDIT THE ENVIRONMENT

Aspects of the physical classroom environment may provide potential triggers for inappropriate
behaviour. It is important to carefully check the classroom environment and to remove/change
anything which might impact negatively on behaviour. The following are just some of the
suggested areas to think about:
Use of space
Displays
Respect for property and personal space
Seating arrangements
Quiet area
Noise
Light
Air/Heat
Safety
When making changes to the physical environment or seating arrangements, explain what will
happen and why the change is happening

PREPARATION 3: NEEDS ANALYSIS

All human beings have needs. Abraham Maslow defined the 5 Basic Needs for adults. The
following diagram looks at these needs from the perspective of a child.

AT THE FIRST SIGN OF A BEHAVIOUR OF CONCERN

At the first sign that a pupil is displaying behaviours of concern, the following steps should be
taken immediately by the class teacher: Ensure the safety of the child and the other children
Document the behaviour for later analysis Consult with the child’s parents to ascertain if
anything has changed at home to cause the behaviour and to enlist their assistance at the
earliest possible moment.

IF THE BEHAVIOUR CONTINUES

Document and Analyse – continue documenting and begin to analyse the behaviours. Consult
with the following to try to “get ahead” of the behaviour by seeking an early understanding of the
underlying causes and to find out what worked and, more importantly, what did not work with
this particular child in relation to the behaviour:

• Principal & Deputy Principal
• SET, if involved
• Previous Class Teacher or SETs
• SNAs who have worked with the pupil in the past
• Parents to ascertain if they can shed further light on the cause of the behaviour
• Review previous reports and notes about the pupil to see if there has been any earlier
  indication of the behaviour.

IF THE SITUATION ESCALATES

Sometimes a child will revert to their more “normal” behaviour when some small changes are
put in place as a result of the steps taken above.
However, if the situation escalates, the following steps must be considered:

• Inform Principal and SENCO
• Document and Analyse – continue documenting and continue to analyse the behaviours
• Prepare for a Meeting with the child’s parents. Inform the principal of your need to meet
  with the parents and outline your plan to him/her. Decide if the class teacher alone will
  meet with the parents or if the principal, SET or SENCO should also be present
• If it felt necessary, assess the risk of injury to the child involved, to other children and
  adults
• Meet with the parents. Be clear in the message you want them to receive, use caring but
  concise language. Have a clear description of the behaviour you want to target and stick
  to that description. Explain how it is affecting their child’s education (and other children
  too if relevant). Explain the steps you want to take with their assistance. Ensure they
  know the entire process that will be followed should the behaviours escalate, but again
  emphasise that you are there to help.

MAKING A PLAN

If appropriate a Positive Behaviour Plan can be put into place. This is where short-term
strategies are agreed and implemented by class teams, principal and parents to ensure a
consistent approach to managing/modifying a particular behaviour of concern. It is essential that
any adult interacting with the child knows the language to use and response to make should an
incident occur. If necessary, inform all staff of steps to take (or not to take) should they be
nearby when an incident occurs.
If necessary, consult with the School Behaviour Management Team*

• Recording and Analysing will continue
• Record every step and ensure that it is done with the knowledge and permission of the
  parent/guardian
• Refer the issue to NEPS and other appropriate agencies as soon as you feel this will not
  be solved in the short-term

IF A PLACEMENT IS NO LONGER WORKING?

The following approaches may be considered If both parents and school consider that the
continuance of that placement is actually harming the child and causing him/her distress.

Reaching such a conclusion is predicated on evidence-based records and frequent meetings
between parents and the school staff involved. It can only be reached when the school has put
in place all available resources to facilitate the child overcoming his/her behaviours of concern.
Interventions must be given adequate time for success and diligently recorded.

A thorough, honest and brave examination of the actions taken by the school staff and
management should be undertaken to see if everything possible has been done to ensure the
well-being and safety of all children and staff in the school. This will mean evaluating current
school practices in the light of dealing with the needs of the child in question, and not being
afraid to alter these practices if they are found wanting.
These should be considered in light of guidance found within The Tusla (NEWB) publication
Developing a Code of Behaviour: Guidelines for Schools

• Shortened school day
• Suspension
• Expulsion

Development and Communication of this Policy and Plan

Staff and parents were consulted in the preparation of this policy. Each member of staff has a
personal copy.

The policy was ratified by the Board of Management of Scoil Íde on December 6th, 2022

Signed: Ray D’Arcy

Principal/Secretary to the Board of Management

Date: December 6th, 2022