Primary Education

Class teachers play a key role in identifying and meeting the needs of young children with behavioural difficulties. Many difficulties are resolved at Stages 1 and 2 of the stage-based SEN Code of Practice where class teachers can call on the support and experience of their colleagues to identify appropriate strategies for use with children presenting behavioural difficulties. (in the revised Code of Practice these stages will be called School Support)

It is very important that at this stage class teachers and support staff within school are very aware that learning difficulties, particularly specific learning difficulties, are often a trigger for pupils behavioural difficulties. Pupils ability to access the curriculum materials presented to them and their perception of the relevance of the curriculum can be key factors in exacerbating or in creating behavioural difficulties.

In those cases where a pupil's behavioural difficulties are not resolved by school based resources, the school may make a referral to the Primary Behaviour Support Team.

This is a team of 4.5 experienced teachers who work across Telford and Wrekin and Shropshire supporting pupils with behavioural difficulties within mainstream schools. This core service has now been extended in Telford and Wrekin through the use of Standards Funding and the Education Action Zone. More information on the projects funded by Standards Funds and through the Education Action Zones through the Behaviour Support Team.

The BST works with the pupil and the teacher following a programme of intervention designed in response to the pupil's needs in consultation with the class teacher and the child's parents. For examples of good practice including the BST click here

Where a pupil is having significant behavioural difficulties and he/she may be at risk of a fixed term exclusion, school should consider initiating a Pastoral Support Programme.

If a pupil's behavioural difficulties persist despite the intervention of appropriate support services/agencies and after the implementation of a Pastoral Support Programme, the school, if it has not already done so, should consider convening a Pupil Planning Meeting,

If intervention at Stage 3 proves insufficient to meet the pupil's needs, the pupil may, on the recommendation of an Educational Psychologist, be referred for "shared-placement" at the Admaston House Tuition Centre. Placement within "shared placement" provision is determined by Education Officers working within Pupil, Student and Parent Services (PSPS).

A pupil placed within a "shared-placement" continues to attend his/her mainstream school for part of each day and spend the remaining part of the day within a specialist centre catering for the needs of pupils with emotional and behavioural difficulties.

The focus of this scheme is to prepare the child and the host school for full-time successful re-integration. At present time 25 places are available at Admaston, although this will be expanded in the future, as part of the Authority's reorganisation of Tuition Medical and Behaviour Support Service.

The LEA set up a specialist ESBD (Emotional,Socical and Behavioural
Difficulties) provision to cater for a small number of primary pupils with significant problems who had been through the traditional support available. The provision was set up in 2002 and has been reviewed at the request of the Head teacher and the governing body in the light of concerns over the suitability of the placement and in view of the pending re-designation as a secondary MLD school. Read the Review (88kB)