Associated Teachers TV Programme Primary Special Needs: Tackling Challenging Behaviour 1

Subtitles

Associated Teachers’ TV programme Primary Special Needs: Tackling Challenging Behaviour 1

0001 10:00:00:04 10:00:04:01

(woman) So that's a massive ten smiley faces.

0002 10:00:04:01 10:00:06:14

Well done, Aya. That's brilliant.

0003 10:00:07:14 10:00:11:13

One, two, three, four... five stars already!

0004 10:00:11:13 10:00:14:09

I think we might get a record of ten today.

0005 10:00:14:09 10:00:16:11

(narrator) With the focus on inclusion,

0006 10:00:16:11 10:00:20:06 and bearing in mind a big difference in teacher-to-pupil ratio,

0007 10:00:20:06 10:00:22:01 can special schools' strategies

0008 10:00:22:01 10:00:25:10 for teaching pupils with emotional and behavioural difficulties

0009 10:00:25:10 10:00:28:06 be transferred to mainstream schools?

0010 10:00:28:06 10:00:33:00

Penny Nice, the SENCO for mainstream primary, St Leonards, near Hastings,

0011 10:00:33:00 10:00:36:18 has come to special school, Gibbs Green, in West London to find out.

0012 10:00:36:18 10:00:40:08

Her day begins with an observation of the pupil-referral unit class,

0013 10:00:40:08 10:00:43:03

- taught by Joe Porter. - Ashley, show us our target.

0014 10:00:43:03 10:00:45:10

Can you read through your targets, please?

0015 10:00:45:10 10:00:51:01

To accept not to always be first or second.

0016 10:00:51:01 10:00:53:24

On Monday when you were here, three or four times you said:

0017 10:00:53:24 10:00:58:08

"OK, Joe, I'm gonna go third in the line," didn't you?

0018 10:00:58:08 10:01:01:14

How was it when you went back to mainstream? 0019 10:01:01:14 10:01:07:07

It was all right, cos sometimes I got in front, got there first,

0020 10:01:07:07 10:01:11:02 and sometimes never, and I didn't get angry or anything.

0021 10:01:11:02 10:01:14:20

Well done. So you were controlling your emotions as well. Excellent.

0022 10:01:14:20 10:01:18:00

It was Wednesday yesterday. What face would you give yourself?

0023 10:01:18:00 10:01:19:18

You decide.

0024 10:01:19:18 10:01:23:13

Using targets is an integral part of the way we work at Gibbs Green.

0025 10:01:23:13 10:01:27:02

We have targets, which the child will be given.

0026 10:01:27:02 10:01:29:20

We will refer to that target at the end of each session,

0027 10:01:29:20 10:01:33:12 and review and discuss what we need to do if we've not met it.

0028 10:01:33:12 10:01:37:07

The children respond really well to this, and it's very visual.

0029 10:01:41:13 10:01:44:13

OK. I really like some of the things he was doing

0030 10:01:44:13 10:01:46:22 at the beginning of the lesson.

0031 10:01:46:22 10:01:51:06

He was going over yesterday, how yesterday had been for the children,

0032 10:01:51:06 10:01:53:06 and getting them to reflect on that.

0033 10:01:53:06 10:01:55:06

So a smiley face in the morning?

0034 10:01:55:06 10:01:58:19

(Penny) The children were then giving themselves smiley faces

0035 10:01:58:19 10:02:00:22 and having to evaluate.

0036 10:02:00:22 10:02:04:02

I think, from what he was saying, that they come quite a long way

0037 10:02:04:02 10:02:06:20 in their process of not just saying, "I did really well" -

0038 10:02:06:20 10:02:10:01 they were being a bit more honest in their reflections. 0039 10:02:10:01 10:02:13:07

In that process, he was reminding them of their targets,

0040 10:02:13:07 10:02:15:05 reinforcing it. It was great.

0041 10:02:15:05 10:02:19:14

- Nearly achieved target. - OK, good boy. That's very honest.

0042 10:02:19:14 10:02:24:00

You nearly achieved the target, so not quite a smile, but not unhappy.

0043 10:02:24:00 10:02:27:20

Obviously, a class teacher in a mainstream school would not be able

0044 10:02:27:20 10:02:32:01 to go through each child's individual targets in that same way.

0045 10:02:32:01 10:02:36:13

But it could be that certain children within the class

0046 10:02:36:13 10:02:38:19 could have, with perhaps a teaching assistant

0047 10:02:38:19 10:02:41:20 or even with the teacher before the lesson starts,

0048 10:02:41:20 10:02:45:24 just a quick reflection on how they did yesterday, 0049 10:02:45:24 10:02:49:23 to reinforce and remind them of their targets for that day.

0050 10:02:51:18 10:02:55:08

(narrator) At Gibbs Green primary learning achievement centre, PLAC,

0051 10:02:55:08 10:02:58:22

Penny observes a class learning massage skills.

0052 10:02:58:22 10:03:01:11

Expert Isabelle Natali leads the session

0053 10:03:01:11 10:03:04:11 and demonstrates on learning mentor Richard Baux.

0054 10:03:04:11 10:03:07:20

Making space for lots of things to come into your head.

0055 10:03:07:20 10:03:12:19

- Is the pressure OK, Richard? - Fine.

0056 10:03:12:19 10:03:15:13

- Perfect! - (Isabelle) Squeeze the shoulders.

0057 10:03:15:13 10:03:16:12

Lovely.

0058 10:03:16:12 10:03:20:04

It's a very new kind of idea, so as a teacher,

0059 10:03:20:04 10:03:23:14

I was kind of, "What is the value of this?"

0060 10:03:23:14 10:03:25:20

But it's amazing for these kids,

0061 10:03:25:20 10:03:30:01 because they really learn to bond in a really positive way.

0062 10:03:30:01 10:03:33:01

And the care and concern that they show for each other

0063 10:03:33:01 10:03:35:09 in that time every week

0064 10:03:35:09 10:03:37:23 has made that time of the week my favourite time.

0065 10:03:37:23 10:03:41:23

And it really teaches them to respect each other's bodies as well.

0066 10:03:41:23 10:03:47:06

If you think it's too hard, you could ask Aya to do it much softer.

0067 10:03:47:06 10:03:49:01

That's too hard!

0068 10:03:49:01 10:03:56:20

So ask him really assertively, "Can you do that softer, please?" 0069 10:03:56:20 10:03:59:10

I know that Aya will,

0070 10:03:59:10 10:04:04:08 because Aya wants to give you a really nice massage.

0071 10:04:04:08 10:04:07:03

- That's beautiful. - Is that good?

0072 10:04:07:03 10:04:11:24

A lot of students are really tactile and they want to touch,

0073 10:04:11:24 10:04:16:05 but boys in particular don't know how to do it appropriately.

0074 10:04:16:05 10:04:19:10

They were being very gentle and very respective, weren't they,

0075 10:04:19:10 10:04:21:03 of each other's feelings.

0076 10:04:21:03 10:04:28:09

And you were using lots of good words, like "ask assertively".

0077 10:04:28:09 10:04:31:16

For us in a mainstream school, I can really see the benefits.

0078 10:04:31:16 10:04:36:05

I could use it in my nurture groups, on a smaller group level, 0079 10:04:36:05 10:04:38:23 where I could see that working quite well.

0080 10:04:38:23 10:04:42:23

And maybe class teachers might be interested in incorporating it

0081 10:04:42:23 10:04:45:04 into their daily routine,

0082 10:04:45:04 10:04:48:07 as a session where they might want to calm children down a bit

0083 10:04:48:07 10:04:51:11 after a lively lunchtime or playtime.

0084 10:04:51:11 10:04:54:20

I'm really, really impressed, boys, with that massage.

0085 10:04:54:20 10:04:58:10

I'm thinking in my head of the smiley faces.

0086 10:04:58:10 10:05:02:12

Before we do that, we need to set the classroom up.

0087 10:05:02:12 10:05:07:05

I'm looking for our learning target this week, which is:

0088 10:05:07:05 10:05:10:00 who can work cooperatively. 0089 10:05:10:00 10:05:12:11

(narrator) In a relaxed state,

0090 10:05:12:11 10:05:15:22 the PLAC class moves on to a literacy lesson.

0091 10:05:15:22 10:05:18:08

What is that? That's a...?

0092 10:05:18:08 10:05:19:22

- Hands. - Hand.

0093 10:05:19:22 10:05:22:17

So h-an-d.

0094 10:05:22:17 10:05:25:01

Carl, so what have you got to do on this sheet?

0095 10:05:25:01 10:05:26:23

What you've got to do is,

0096 10:05:26:23 10:05:30:05 you've got to guess what it is and then circle the word.

0097 10:05:30:05 10:05:33:19

- What's that word you're writing? - "Display."

0098 10:05:33:19 10:05:37:04

The key thing I noticed there was that the children were confident

0099 10:05:37:04 10:05:39:09 and were straight away on their task.

0100 10:05:39:09 10:05:42:14

They knew what they had to do, and they were able to do it.

0101 10:05:42:14 10:05:47:14

(Sally) Students get so frustrated because they cannot read a worksheet

0102 10:05:47:14 10:05:51:05 that it's a lot easier to push the worksheet away, throw a chair,

0103 10:05:51:05 10:05:56:10 be kicked out, and have a reputation for being bad rather than dumb.

0104 10:05:56:10 10:06:00:05

- Nathan, I want to see you working. - (indistinct)

0105 10:06:00:05 10:06:03:09

So what do you do when you've done your work?

0106 10:06:03:09 10:06:08:04

(Penny) I think it's really for mainstream teachers to feel happy

0107 10:06:08:04 10:06:10:08 that the work they give children like that

0108 10:06:10:08 10:06:12:19 may be very attainable for them. 0109 10:06:12:19 10:06:14:22

It may be slightly below their level,

0110 10:06:14:22 10:06:18:04 but you've got to then build on that success

0111 10:06:18:04 10:06:21:00 in being able to do something they can do straight away -

0112 10:06:21:00 10:06:25:07 you're gradually feeding in bits of work that become more difficult.

0113 10:06:25:07 10:06:30:03

This is our major reward system we have across the whole school.

0114 10:06:30:03 10:06:34:14

Basically, you work towards getting towards your gold award.

0115 10:06:34:14 10:06:40:04

What they do is, on a daily basis they earn smiley-face stickers,

0116 10:06:40:04 10:06:43:07 and they need to get to 200 to come into the bronze.

0117 10:06:43:07 10:06:47:08

It's very visual, and they're able to see exactly where they are,

0118 10:06:47:08 10:06:51:05 and they will refer to it and talk to each other about where they are,

0119 10:06:51:05 10:06:54:02 why they're there. The feeling of getting into gold is...

0120 10:06:54:02 10:06:56:23

The two that have managed it were really, really happy.

0121 10:06:56:23 10:07:00:06

Smiley faces can be given by any member of staff,

0122 10:07:00:06 10:07:02:10 from the caretaker to head teacher,

0123 10:07:02:10 10:07:04:12 and it's for behaviour around the school -

0124 10:07:04:12 10:07:06:18 in the playground, in the classroom -

0125 10:07:06:18 10:07:09:10 cooperating with others, encouraging others.

0126 10:07:09:10 10:07:13:05

They will give it to the child. The child will come back to the class

0127 10:07:13:05 10:07:17:14 with a certificate, saying, "I've got five. Can you add them?"

0128 10:07:17:14 10:07:21:23 Slowly, slowly, you work up to 200 for bronze,

0129 10:07:21:23 10:07:24:12

400 for silver, 600 for gold.

0130 10:07:26:07 10:07:29:04

(narrator) Penny observes awards being given to the pupils

0131 10:07:29:04 10:07:31:23 during circle time.

0132 10:07:31:23 10:07:36:08

This morning, before we start, I'm gonna give a few stickers out.

0133 10:07:36:08 10:07:39:17

I'm gonna give the first one to Aya.

0134 10:07:39:17 10:07:42:01

And that's because you've come to the circle

0135 10:07:42:01 10:07:44:05 and done exactly what I've asked,

0136 10:07:44:05 10:07:46:24 which was to sit down really sensibly.

0137 10:07:46:24 10:07:50:09

You haven't called out, you haven't disrupted in any way,

0138 10:07:50:09 10:07:52:18 and you've been a perfect role model. 0139 10:07:52:18 10:07:54:18

So well done.

0140 10:07:59:15 10:08:02:05

Richard, I want to say that I'm really impressed

0141 10:08:02:05 10:08:05:20 with how Rio and Nathan both followed an instruction.

0142 10:08:05:20 10:08:08:13

They're now sitting in the right place.

0143 10:08:08:13 10:08:11:10

I saw Nathan was a little bit upset before,

0144 10:08:11:10 10:08:14:24 but he's turned himself around and is ready to have a good circle time.

0145 10:08:14:24 10:08:19:20

So I'm thinking that, if they can keep that behaviour up,

0146 10:08:19:20 10:08:21:24 they're definitely gonna get a sticker.

0147 10:08:21:24 10:08:24:00

(Penny) I noticed in Sally's class

0148 10:08:24:00 10:08:26:07 that she was using her teaching assistant, 0149 10:08:26:07 10:08:30:00 having a conversation about a child and a child's choices -

0150 10:08:30:00 10:08:32:13 not actually directly confronting the child.

0151 10:08:32:13 10:08:35:07

That worked really well - they did it several times.

0152 10:08:35:07 10:08:40:16

I noticed that it was a good way... a nonconfrontational way of...

0153 10:08:40:16 10:08:44:23

Redirecting, without having conflict. That's the key.

0154 10:08:44:23 10:08:49:12

And that's something that I can take back to my staff -

0155 10:08:49:12 10:08:53:12 talk to them about the way they use teaching assistants.

0156 10:08:53:12 10:08:55:22

That's a different approach, isn't it?

0157 10:08:55:22 10:08:56:21

(indistinct)

0158 10:08:56:21 10:08:59:17

We could do, cos you weren't in on the last round.

0159 10:08:59:17 10:09:03:13

Yeah. This time, go that way. That way.

0160 10:09:03:13 10:09:07:16

Before I do the round I'm gonna give a sticker to Carl,

0161 10:09:07:16 10:09:13:13 because Carl has been really mature, really sensible,

0162 10:09:13:13 10:09:18:21 and hasn't been drawn into any of the distractions. So well done.

0163 10:09:19:24 10:09:22:21

I'm gonna give you a warning. If I need to speak to you again,

0164 10:09:22:21 10:09:25:15 you'll have time out. Thank you.

0165 10:09:25:15 10:09:29:13

..who are happy to help me. I'm really thankful for that.

0166 10:09:29:13 10:09:33:15

I've noticed that it's very calm in the school as well.

0167 10:09:33:15 10:09:36:16

And all the adults are using the same language

0168 10:09:36:16 10:09:39:04 and approaching children in the same way.

0169 10:09:39:04 10:09:42:02

I think that's the key, really,

0170 10:09:42:02 10:09:45:17 to how perhaps we can develop things in a mainstream school.

0171 10:09:45:17 10:09:47:13

It's that consistency of approach.

0172 10:09:47:13 10:09:52:01

It's that real calm way of dealing with some difficulties.

0173 10:09:52:01 10:09:54:03

In the two years I've been here,

0174 10:09:54:03 10:09:57:06

I haven't raised my voice above talking level.

0175 10:09:57:06 10:10:01:18

There'd be no point. When I was a year 6 teacher, I did it often.

0176 10:10:01:18 10:10:05:16

(Carl) Thank you for help me.

0177 10:10:05:16 10:10:08:10

I feel...

0178 10:10:08:10 10:10:11:12

Because you're moving around, it's hard to concentrate. 0179 10:10:11:12 10:10:15:11

I've given you a warning. Can you take time out for one minute?

0180 10:10:15:11 10:10:19:09

The one-minute timer is on the top shelf there.

0181 10:10:19:09 10:10:21:09

OK? Off you go.

0182 10:10:24:04 10:10:26:07

We have two time-out areas.

0183 10:10:26:07 10:10:28:17

We try to make that as much as possible

0184 10:10:28:17 10:10:32:14 an opportunity for kids to reflect on their behaviour and to chill,

0185 10:10:32:14 10:10:36:21 rather than a punitive consequence, as such.

0186 10:10:36:21 10:10:40:06

And kids will tell us when they need to take time out often.

0187 10:10:40:06 10:10:45:06

When they first come, we talk about situations as being like fires.

0188 10:10:45:06 10:10:49:06

You can add a bucket to that fire, to help calm down that situation, 0189 10:10:49:06 10:10:53:20 or you can add a log to that fire, to help excite that situation.

0190 10:10:53:20 10:10:57:18

So all the time kids are trying to understand the choice

0191 10:10:57:18 10:11:01:18 between making a situation better or making a situation worse.

0192 10:11:01:18 10:11:04:04

(Penny) You might say, "Time out for five minutes."

0193 10:11:04:04 10:11:08:14

It's very hard for them to gauge, I guess, how long five minutes is.

0194 10:11:08:14 10:11:12:00

An egg timer gives them a specific time.

0195 10:11:14:06 10:11:16:09

- (aggressive moan) - What?

0196 10:11:16:09 10:11:19:11

- You stepped on my leg. - I don't care.

0197 10:11:19:11 10:11:22:11

Hm, I care.

0198 10:11:22:11 10:11:24:12

Go away, dumb boy! 0199 10:11:24:12 10:11:29:03

How did these boys put a log on it? Anyone got ideas?

0200 10:11:29:03 10:11:32:13

Aya said, "You stepped on my foot."

0201 10:11:32:13 10:11:35:18

Nathan said, "I don't care" - that's putting a log on it.

0202 10:11:35:18 10:11:40:21

Then Aya pushed Nathan and said, "Go away, you dumb..."

0203 10:11:40:21 10:11:42:22

Mm-hm. That's right.

0204 10:11:42:22 10:11:47:16

So by saying, "I don't care," that was putting a log on it, wasn't it?

0205 10:11:47:16 10:11:50:09

Richard, I'm really impressed with Nathan,

0206 10:11:50:09 10:11:52:20 because at the start of the lesson

0207 10:11:52:20 10:11:55:19 he was feeling a little bit sad.

0208 10:11:55:19 10:11:59:15

But he was able to really turn it around and join in.

0209 10:11:59:15 10:12:03:05 - I'm very impressed with Nathan. - (Richard) Well done, Nathan.

0210 10:12:03:05 10:12:07:18

We have a huge focus on reflection here at the school,

0211 10:12:07:18 10:12:10:14 after incidents, at the end of the day,

0212 10:12:10:14 10:12:12:10 and also at the end of the week.

0213 10:12:12:10 10:12:17:04

So "Let's Reflect" is a solution-based approach that we have

0214 10:12:17:04 10:12:19:18 to get the students to rate their week out of ten -

0215 10:12:19:18 10:12:23:21 things they've done well, things they might need to improve on -

0216 10:12:23:21 10:12:26:06 and to set targets for the next week.

0217 10:12:26:06 10:12:30:08

(Joe) Close your eyes. Think back to the beginning of the day.

0218 10:12:30:08 10:12:34:05

I want you to reflect on your day and feel how well you've done.

0219 10:12:34:05 10:12:37:02 I'm gonna give out your sheets. Give yourself a score.

0220 10:12:37:02 10:12:39:03

Think about it and do it honestly.

0221 10:12:39:03 10:12:41:09

Here you are.

0222 10:12:41:09 10:12:45:04

- What are you gonna give yourself? - I think a seven.

0223 10:12:45:04 10:12:47:17

(Joe) Do you? I think that's quite honest.

0224 10:12:47:17 10:12:49:23

That is. I'd have gone a bit higher.

0225 10:12:49:23 10:12:52:03

I'm pleased with how he's done his 30 seconds.

0226 10:12:52:03 10:12:55:15

When you ask him something, within 30 seconds he does it now.

0227 10:12:56:23 10:12:59:01

We have a very great team here.

0228 10:12:59:01 10:13:01:19

After school, we always have a review of the day,

0229 10:13:01:19 10:13:06:01 which I've found vital as a way of talking about what's happening

0230 10:13:06:01 10:13:11:03 and leaving what can be quite an emotional time behind.

0231 10:13:11:03 10:13:13:11

(Penny) It was very interesting

0232 10:13:13:11 10:13:15:24 just to sit back and listen in their staff meeting.

0233 10:13:15:24 10:13:19:06

Although there were some difficult things that had happened -

0234 10:13:19:06 10:13:22:02 some children had had some quite difficult times -

0235 10:13:22:02 10:13:25:20 there was a plan already about what was gonna happen tomorrow for them.

0236 10:13:25:20 10:13:28:10

So everybody knew exactly what was gonna happen

0237 10:13:28:10 10:13:31:00 the next day for that child.

0238 10:13:32:00 10:13:37:05

I found today's experience very useful for my own personal practice,

0239 10:13:37:05 10:13:40:04 exciting because I could see children's behaviour

0240 10:13:40:04 10:13:44:11 being turned around, even just in one day,

0241 10:13:44:11 10:13:47:06 and I could see children's confidence being raised -

0242 10:13:47:06 10:13:49:24 and that is very, very important.

0243 10:13:54:15 10:13:59:20

Visiontext Subtitles: Steph Donohue www.visiontext.co.uk