At Freegrounds Infant School we are always looking to build upon and improve our practise in school.  We have noticed a change in the needs of our children over the last few years and we feel that there is an increased need to support children in helping them to understand themselves as individuals and develop greater learning and social skills to be used in and beyond the classroom. We believe that when children feel better they do better, which is why we have adopted the Empowerment Approach.  We will be actively teaching children about being ‘Brain Fit’ and the approach. As such we have changed our approach to behaviour and have created a new policy.  This will form an important change to what happens on a day-to-day basis for us as a school.

We will be sharing our new Behaviour Policy shortly, which we encourage you to take time to read.  We understand that it is quite a lengthy document, however we have undergone a significant shift in our approach to behaviour in school and want you to be aware of these changes. In the coming weeks, we will be communicating further information with you in more detail around specific aspects of the policy and some of the content which is being taught during Brain Fit sessions.  This will be through social media, letters and class collective reflections.

One of the main shifts which children may come home talking about in the coming days is around our school expectations and what happens when these are met or not.

We will no longer be using a behaviour chart where children move their names up or down; instead, when children meet these expectations, they will:

- Be recognised and praised by adults for the specific behaviour shown

- Be awarded Value Bricks

- Be awarded Effort Marks in their learning (on each piece of work)

 - Be awarded a Head teacher award

- Collect marbles for the class jar

When these expectations are not met children will:

- Receive support from adults (this support will be referred to as ‘coaching prompts’ or ‘coaching conversations’)

 - Have a natural consequence as a result of the behaviour shown

 - Have additional support or measures put in place until they have developed or demonstrated the appropriate skills needed to behave in a way which is good for them and everyone else.

All of the above information is explained in far more detail within the policy.

We believe these changes will greater support the varying needs of our children.  Freegrounds Junior School are also adopting the Empowerment Approach, which in turn will lead to greater continuity across the children’s primary school journey.