Training session 2 - Responding to challenging behaviour

Induction tutor materials

Duration: 90 minutes.

Outcomes

1. Learn that challenging behaviour can take many forms, and some may be more difficult to identify than others.
2. Understand the impact of challenging behaviour on pupils and teachers.
3. Identify potential causes of challenging behaviour and understand how proactive strategies could help to prevent it from occurring.
4. Know strategies to address and resolve challenging behaviour, including the ECT’s responsibility in responding to challenging behaviour.
5. Know when and who to call on for help.
6. Know the importance of repairing relationships after incidents, and the value of using restorative conversations to resolve incidents (such as bullying).

Preparation

These resources provide information to support the session plan options below:

• The Education Endowment Foundation (EEF): Improving behaviour in schools
• Department for Education: Pupil behaviour in schools in England
• Department for Education: Preventing and tackling bullying
• Wiley Online Library: Antecedent strategies to promote appropriate classroom behavior
• Department for Education: Creating a culture: How school leaders can optimise behaviour
• The Campbell Collaboration: School-based interventions for reducing disciplinary school exclusion
• Social-Psychological Interventions in Education: They’re Not Magic
• Motivation Interventions in Education: A Meta-Analytic Review

Before this session takes place, early career teachers (ECTs) should have the following:

1. Exposure to key knowledge from ITT Core Content Framework on relevant sub-standards.
2. School input as needed.
3. Relevant conversations with colleagues.

Session structure:

Welcome and recap (10 minutes)

Provide a relevant recap on previously taught content. Set up the norms for the session.

Defining challenging behaviour and its impact (20 minutes)

You could:

• discuss the meaning of the term ‘challenging behaviour’
• identify examples of challenging behaviour (such as bullying, vandalism, consistently disrupting learning in a lesson) by referencing the school’s behaviour policy
• define bullying and discrimination as specific forms of challenging behaviour
• discuss the impact of challenging behaviour, including the emotional impact on staff and pupils, and the academic impact on pupils’ learning

Make sure that ECTs are aware that challenging behaviours:

• impact on the learning of the perpetrator and other students
• can include frequent, deliberate, low-level disruption
• can manifest physically or verbally
• can be difficult to identify (for example bullying or undermining the teacher)

Causes of challenging behaviour (15 minutes)

This section should include an opportunity for teachers to discuss the possible causes of challenging behaviour, which include:

• communication difficulties
• environmental factors
• attention seeking
• medical reasons
• socio-economic disadvantage

You could:

• discuss examples of each behaviour
• discuss how teachers can identify causes by liaising with parents, carers and colleagues to better understand pupils’ circumstances
• consider how to implement proactive strategies and try to prevent challenging behaviour
• ensure that ECTs are aware of how to report safeguarding issues relating to pupils exhibiting challenging behaviour
• remind teachers to be cautious about labelling students or groups, as this could influence their interactions with them
• look at routines and high expectations of behaviour to pre-empt challenging behaviour
• consider the importance of explicitly teaching routines and practising them regularly with pupils to reduce disruptive behaviour and increase teaching time

Responding to challenging behaviour (15 minutes)

You could:

• discuss the ECTs’ responsibility in responding to challenging behaviour in the school
• discuss the ECT’s role in actioning the school’s behaviour policy on managing behaviour in classrooms and around the school
• remind ECTs that they should use least-intrusive interventions as an initial response to low-level disruption
• remind ECTs of any school policies on reporting and recording challenging behaviour, and how incidents are communicated with parents

Repairing relationships and moving on (20 minutes)

You could:

• introduce the importance of repairing relationships between those involved in an incident
• explore using restorative conversations to tackle challenging behaviour
• explain where ECTs might seek support in your school on dealing with challenging behaviour
• consider long-term proactive measures to try and prevent challenging behaviour in the future

Action planning and next steps (20 minutes)

Provide ECTs with time to consolidate and reflect on the learning from the session.

They could be encouraged to identify specific next steps they’ll take to implement their learning.

Related ECF strands

ECF 'Learn that’ statements covered

• 7.2. A predictable and secure environment benefits all pupils but is particularly valuable for pupils with special educational needs.

ECF 'Learn how to’ statements covered

Develop a positive, predictable and safe environment for pupils by:

• 7b. Working alongside colleagues as part of a wider system of behaviour management (for example recognising responsibilities and understanding the right to assistance and training from senior leaders).
• 7g. Responding quickly to any behaviour or bullying that threatens emotional safety.

Build trusting relationships by:

• 7k. Liaising with parents, carers and colleagues to better understand pupils’ individual circumstances and how they can be supported to meet high academic and behavioural expectations.

Build effective working relationships by:

• 8l. Knowing who to contact with any safeguarding concerns.

Manage workload and wellbeing by:

• 8n. Understanding the right to support (to deal with misbehaviour, for example).