Behaviour as Communication at Wyre Forest School

Wyre Forest School recognises behaviour as communication of an unmet need or a difficulty in being able to regulate emotionally. Our Behaviour Policy and Anti-Bullying Policy can be found at the bottom of the page.

Fundamental to our Behaviour Policy is our four school rules (SAFE) and also our approach to addressing and dealing with behaviours (SPACE).  We are a . . .

SAFE SPACE

Four School Rules

S = Stay where you are supposed to be

A = Always keep your hands, feet and other objects to yourself

F = Follow instructions

E = Everybody deserves respect

Staff Approach

S = Supportive

P = Playful

A = Accepting

C = Curious

E = Empathetic

We work hard to reward positive behaviour and good choices by our pupils but also recognise that at times pupils difficulty in regulating their emotions can manifest itself in a negative behaviour. Our policy highlights our approach to responding to positive and negative behaviour and how this is consistent across the phases but with age appropriate modifications as pupils get older and are becoming ‘life ready’. On occasions we do have pupils where an emotional dysregulation can result in very extreme and challenging behaviour and all staff are team teach trained and can intervene to support pupils to become regulated again.

Our focus on developing our pupils ability to emotionally regulate is supported by a variety of interventions that include, music therapy, occupational therapy plus additional school based resources. In addition to our intervention programme we also work closely with external partners for example the NHS to provide more specialist support and our behaviour programme is audited annually by the Positive Behaviour team (an external behaviour specialist organisation).