Glasgow City Council’s ‘Promoting Positive Behaviour’ articulates our commitment to the inclusion of all children and young people and our belief that they should fulfil their full potential whilst in our care.
Each establishment is required to produce and keep under a review, a policy on Promoting Positive Behaviour. This policy is derived from the Council’s ‘Promoting Positive Behaviour’ and will take account of the circumstances of this establishment.
Our policy outlines how we will:
- Educate the whole child and develop their personal and social skills to ensure their own well-being and that of others.
- Provide safe and stimulating learning environments for all children and young people that enable them to reach their full potential and become successful learners, effective contributors, responsible citizens and confident individuals.
- Ensure children and young people have regular opportunities to develop an understanding of their rights and responsibilities.
- Develop an awareness of co-regulation in children and young people.
- Develop a desire in all children and young people to participate positively and always contribute.
As with all our practice, it is dependent on a successful relationship with parents, carers and our children and young people.
Strategies Employed
Our nursery operates a range of initiatives/strategies, which allow the staff to promote positive behaviour within our playrooms.
Strategies employed to create an engaging and empowering climate for learning-
- Welcoming ethos where all children, parents/carers, visitors and staff are treated equally and with respect, and their contributions valued.
- Strategies, plans and risk assessments are created and followed to support dysregulated behaviour.
- Social interaction is key to then develop, literacy & numeracy.
- Information for parents/carers on how to access Triple P training.
- Differentiated curriculum.
- Staff training in ‘PAThS’ programme (Promoting Alternative Thinking Strategies).
- Nursery focus on sharing, caring for others, working together as a team.
Strategies employed to promote relationships built on mutual trust and respect
- Staff will speak to each family member who delivers/collects each child as they are welcomed into their ‘key’ group or leaving their ‘key’ group.
- Children are gradually settled into nursery at a pace which is suitable for them as individuals.
- Parents/carers are free to speak to staff (including management staff) at any time.
- Each child has a post-placement review meeting (6 weeks following their start date) whereby parents/carers meet with staff regarding their child’s progress.
- Staff follow the recommended curriculum and guidelines, ‘Curriculum for Excellence’. Where required differential methods may include using Nurturing my Potential or Education Scotland Millstones. This will be discussed with the Parent/carer.
- Parents/carers are encouraged to participate in the life of the nursery.
- Formal parents/carers meetings are arranged twice throughout the academic year as well as open events for parents/carers to attend.
- Inter-agency professionals meet as required and parents/carers are involved and supported by the nursery.
As part of our aim to have a nurturing, learning environment, we incorporate the six nurturing principles, and ten aspects of our provision which we promote in order to achieve a nurturing environment;
There are six principles of a nurture group/ nurturing environment for children;
1. Children’s learning is understood developmentally.
In nurture schools staff respond to children not in terms of arbitrary expectations about ‘attainment levels’ but in terms of the children’s developmental progress assessed through the Boxall Profile Handbook. The response to the individual child is ‘as they are’, underpinned by a non-judgemental and accepting attitude.
The classroom offers a safe base
The organisation of the environment and the way the group is managed contains anxiety. The playrooms offer a balance of educational and domestic experiences aimed at supporting the development of the children’s relationship with each other and with the staff. The nurturing school is organised around a structured day with predictable routines. Great attention is paid to detail; the adults are reliable and consistent in their approach to the children. Nurturing schools make the important link between emotional containment and cognitive learning.
3. Nurture is important for the development of self-esteem:
Nurture involves listening and responding. In a nurturing school ‘everything is verbalised’ with an emphasis on the adults engaging with the children in reciprocal shared activities e.g. play/meals/reading/talking about events and feelings. Children respond to being valued and thought about as individuals, so in practice this involves noticing and praising small achievements; ‘nothing is hurried in a nurturing school’.
4. Language is understood as a vital means of communication.
Language is more than a skill to be learnt, it is the way of putting feelings into words. Children with under-developed language skills often ‘act-out’ their feelings as they lack the vocabulary to ‘name’ how they feel. In a nurturing school the informal opportunities for talking and sharing, e.g. welcoming the children into activities or having snack/lunch together are as important as the more formal lessons teaching language skills. Words are used instead of actions to express feelings, and opportunities are created for extended conversations or encouraging imaginative play to understand the feelings of others.
5. All behaviour is communication.
This principle underlies the adult response to the children’s often challenging or difficult behaviour. ‘Given what I know about this child and their development, what is the child trying to tell me?’ Understanding what a child is communicating through behaviour helps staff to respond in a firm but non-punitive way by not being provoked or discouraged. If the child can sense that their feelings are understood this can help to diffuse difficult situations. The adult makes the link between the external/internal worlds of the child.
6. Transitions are significant in the lives of the children.
The nurturing nursery helps the child make the difficult transition from home. However, daily there are numerous transitions the child makes, e.g. between activities and between different adults. Changes in routine are invariably difficult for children and need to be carefully managed with support.
A nurturing nursery has ten aspects of its provision which fosters the six Nurturing Principles;
Relationships
An environment of supportive relationships between staff and children, staff and parents/carers, amongst all staff and amongst all children.
Teaching and Learning
The children’s engagement in a curriculum which supports their current learning and offers depth and challenge for their development.
Behaviour
Staff’s expectations are made clear to children. Positive behaviour is encouraged and children displaying dysregulated behaviour are supported .
Physical Environment
The environment provides both familiar and challenging learning areas supported by a wide range of appropriate resources.
Organisation
The nursery structure promotes good channels of communication with clear staff remits which promote the Nurturing Principles.
Partnership Working
We work in partnership with children, parents and the wider community.
Fostering Resilience
There is a focus on developing coping skills, life skills, social skills and independence.
Leadership
There is a coherent approach to leadership which supports challenges and recognises success.
Staff Style/Approach
The style and approach of staff reflect a nurturing stance.
Morale
There is a positive morale amongst children and staff.
Meeting Learning Needs through Staged Intervention
We believe that early intervention and a co-ordinated approach by education, social services and health services is essential in supporting children, young people and their families.
We ensure that children and young people receive support at levels required to meet their additional support by using Glasgow’s Staged Intervention Model.
- Stage 1: Universal Support. The class teacher uses normal classroom strategies and monitoring. This meets the needs of most children. [1, 2]
- Stage 2: Enhanced Planning and Support. If a child needs more help, the school creates a personal support plan. They might use different learning tools or bring in school-based specialists. [1, 2, 3]
- Stage 3: Targeted Planning and Support. This stage involves targeted, individual plans. The school may seek advice from a SIIM (Staged Intervention and Inclusion Meeting). This is a group of local experts who share ideas to help the child. [1, 2, 3, 4]
- Stage 4: Intensive Planning. This is for the most complex needs. It often involves a LC-JST (Learning Community Joint Support Team). This team pulls together professionals from education, health, and social work. [1, 2, 3]
The process is built to be flexible. Children can move up or down the stages based on how well their support is working. It is guided by the Scottish GIRFEC (Getting It Right for Every Child) principles, which put the wellbeing of the child at the centre of all planning. You can find the full policy document on the Glasgow City Council website
Quality Assurance
The Promoting Positive Behaviour Policy will be monitored and reviewed regularly within the nursery’s audit and review process.