Behaviour


Small steps and consistent language can have a huge impact on children’s behaviour. Nick Bannister looks at the successful approaches of two schools to behaviour management


expectations. “Staff at the time wanted to provide the children with a nurturing


they just waltzed in and that led to chaos.” The turning point came in 2004 when he appointed Shirley Moore as an


advanced skills teacher with a specialism in behaviour leadership. Shirley is now head of school at Bannockburn. “That filtered across the school from her class. Her classroom was an


oasis of calm. I think staff thought that the children were being coerced into behaving but it was all values-based,” Mr Carpenter explained. “It was, for example, about how the book corner was looked after and


respected, how children were expected to use resources in a safe way, and how they were expected to move around the classroom.” Consistency in the language that adults used when talking to the children


was as vital as structure and organisation, Mr Carpenter explained. “If you come to our school you would see very well organised learning environments. There’s structure in how children move around and there’s also structure in how the children are spoken to. We make sure that the same sort of language is used constantly by all staff. This might seem prescriptive but in the end it becomes so ingrained that adults and children use the same language to describe learning behaviours.” Key to this is using language that targets the child’s behaviour – and not


the child. Mr Carpenter gave an example: “You might say ‘at Bannockburn School, we treat each other with respect. I noticed that you used unkind words towards (child’s name). When you use unkind words, your behaviour is not respectful. This is your first warning’. “If the child is seen or heard doing that again a consequence is given and


if there is a third time it’s a time-out.” Bannockburn’s simple and consistent approach to behaviour


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One small step... W


hen Rob Carpenter became head of Bannockburn Primary School in Greenwich nine years ago he found a school with a culture of underachievement, poor behaviour and low


environment but there was a lack of clarity on boundaries and how we structured the learning environment for children,” he said. “One example of this was that the children didn’t line up before school,


management has had a dramatic impact. By 2009 pupils’ behaviour was judged by Ofsted to be outstanding. The school is now aiming to share its knowledge with other schools through a new programme called Behaviour for Learning, which is being delivered through the London Leadership Strategy, an initiative which helps schools work together for school improvement.


“We make sure that the same sort of language is used constantly by all staff. This might seem prescriptive but in the end it becomes so ingrained that adults and children use the same language to describe learning behaviours”


The six-week programme has been piloted in Bannockburn and three


other London schools and Mr Carpenter has ambitions to expand it across the city and into authorities in Kent and on the south coast. One of the schools involved in the pilot was nearby Rockcliffe Manor


Primary, which is federated with Bannockburn. “The course gave teachers the confidence and practical strategies to deal


with challenging situations in a more confident and assertive manner,” explained Nav Sanghara, who is head of school at Rockcliffe. “The key for us as a school was ensuring that more adults were


interacting with children in a positive manner and were pre-empting situations before they escalated, which has made for a school with even better behaviour and stronger positive teacher-pupil relationships.” Behaviour leadership hinges on all adults working at the school having a


common voice, agrees Ms Sanghara. Behaviour is then improved through small incremental steps, she said.


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