1 of 41 Underlying causes of challenging behaviour and poor attendance
National Programme for Specialist Leaders of Behaviour and Attendance
10. Underlying causes of
challenging behaviour
and poor attendance
The National Programme for Specialist Leaders
of Behaviour and Attendance
2 of 41 Underlying causes of challenging behaviour and poor attendance
National Programme for Specialist Leaders of Behaviour and Attendance
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Disclaimer
The Department for Education wishes to make it clear that the Department and its agents
accept no responsibility for the actual content of any materials suggested as information
sources in this publication, whether these are in the form of printed publications or on a
website.
In these materials icons, logos, software products and websites are used for contextual and
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The websites referred to in these materials existed at the time of going to print. Users should
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references where appropriate.
Note: For the sake of brevity, ‘child’ and ‘children’ will be used to refer to both
children and young people in this topic.
The term ‘setting’ will be used to refer to any institution that provides educational and
childcare provision e.g. PRU, school or Children’s Centre.
‘Parent’ refers to any adult with responsibility for caring for the child.
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National Programme for Specialist Leaders of Behaviour and Attendance
Contents
Session leader information
4
Aims
4
Aspects of leadership
4
Session outline
5
Preparatory reading and reflection
6
Preparatory reading Resource A: The behaviour of young people
11
Preparatory activity: Identifying underlying causes of challenging behaviour
15
Activities
16
Activity 1: Understanding the motivation behind behaviour
16
Activity 1 Resource A: Behaviour record
18
Activity 1 Resource B: Understanding behaviour
19
Activity 2: Identifying the underlying factors of challenging behaviour
and poor attendance
21
Activity 2 Resource A: Pupils talking – transcripts of interviews
23
Activity 2 Resource B: Notes on Pupils talking
25
Activity 3: Addressing the underlying causes of challenging behaviour
and poor attendance
Work-based activities
26
29
Work-based activity 1: Why do children do what they do?
29
Work-based activity 2: Reviewing strategies and approaches
31
Work-based activity 3: How do we know what works?
33
Work-based activity 4: Why don’t they come?
35
Work-based activity 5: Gettin’ ‘em back and gettin’ ‘em settled
38
Work-based activity 6: Effective pastoral support programmes
40
References
40
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Session leader information
Aims

To explore the idea that behaviour is effective in getting ‘needs met’ rather than merely
‘good’ or ‘bad’

To explore contributory factors underlying challenging behaviour and poor attendance

To examine some of the strategies used to address the underlying causes of challenging
behaviour and poor attendance

To create opportunities for developing and enhancing leadership skills
Aspects of leadership
The study of this topic will help you to reflect on how you:

encourage others to develop a positive ethos in your setting relating to the underlying
causes of challenging behaviour and poor attendance

use effective communication that values the opinions of others and aims for mutual
understanding

develop strategies for effective action planning based on an analysis of relevant data

analyse relevant data and use this information to support your action planning.
You will want to share this information with the group.
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Session outline
Previous session
Review of work-based activities
10 minutes
Overview
Underlying causes of challenging behaviour and
poor attendance
10 minutes
Activities
105 minutes
1. Understanding the motivation behind behaviour
2. Identifying the underlying factors of challenging behaviour
and poor attendance
3. Addressing the underlying causes of challenging behaviour
and poor attendance
Reflective log
Selecting work-based activities
Forward look
20 minutes
5 minutes
Total 150 minutes
You might want to adapt these activities or use alternative materials to help you meet the
particular needs of your group.
Overview
Through this topic you will explore the idea of particular behaviour or patterns of behaviour
being ‘effective’, that is in providing a positive outcome for an individual child by meeting their
needs. In Activities 1 and 2 and through Work-based activities 1, 3 and 4 you will consider
implications for the professional development needs of colleagues in developing their own
understanding of this issue. You will further develop skills and knowledge in identifying and
understanding the underlying causes of poor behaviour and attendance and explore a variety
of approaches to address these. In Activities 2 and 3, along with Work-based activities 2, 5
and 6 you will develop your knowledge and skills in these areas through engaging with the
ideas in your workplace.
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Preparatory reading and
reflection
Suggestions
Read carefully the preparatory reading and the two articles below, noting any references
or points of particular interest.
Bring along any notes you make to the cluster meeting.
Resources
Preparatory reading Resource A: The behaviour of young people
Questions for reflection and discussion

How do you feel that your school or setting tries to identify and understand the causal
factors underlying challenging behaviour or low attendance?

How does the idea that particular behaviours (including patterns of attendance as well as
bullying) develop in response to needs fit with your own views on the underlying causes?

Factors associated with behaviour and attendance problems are described in Preparatory
reading Resource A. How does your understanding of challenging behaviour or poor
attendance within your own setting relate to these factors?
Behaviour
Behaviour can often be labelled either ‘good’ or ‘bad’ in educational settings; it is also
commonly referred to as ‘challenging’. As you study this topic, it is important to reflect on and
discuss your understanding of the term ‘challenging’. To facilitate a better understanding of the
causal factors that lead to poor behaviour and attendance, it can be helpful to think of
behaviour as being ‘effective’, or ‘ineffective’ in terms of meeting needs. In this topic
challenging behaviour is defined as that which has a negative impact on learning and teaching
and also includes bullying behaviour. Important factors relating to the underlying causes of
challenging behaviour or poor attendance include the social and emotional awareness of the
individual child or young person, the physical and social environment, states of both physical
and mental health, relationships, learning needs, and of course the social and emotional
awareness of the adults in charge.
In practice, challenging behaviour is often a result of the interaction between these factors and
others, such as attitude to learning, family support and aspiration, the curriculum and the
learning context.
Behaviour does not occur within a vacuum; nor is it a passive process. It is a result of
a complex transaction between the individual, with his or her inborn strengths and
weakness, acting and reacting with an environment which sometimes encourages
and sometimes discourages certain actions.
Herbert, 1988
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As a consequence of these often complex interactions, the strategies and approaches needed
to help children to access learning, develop social and emotional awareness, feel motivated
and have good attendance are equally multifaceted. The complex nature of these strategies
and approaches is discussed in NPSLBA Topic 4: Strategies for promoting good behaviour
and full attendance.
It should be stressed from the outset that there are no simple formulae for promoting
positive behaviour in classrooms. At every step of the way teachers and schools are
likely to maximise their likelihood of success when they take account of the context in
which they are working, and when they pay particular attention to what their students
are telling them – overtly and covertly – about how they see the situation.
© Olsen and Cooper, 2001
Specialist leaders can support staff in developing their skills for managing and improving
behaviour and attendance by helping them to have a better understanding of the underlying
causes, and of how particular behaviour can be seen as meeting certain needs (of the adults
as well as children).
Social psychologist Rudolf Dreikurs believed it was possible to understand children's
misbehaviours by recognising the four main purposes or goals of the child. The four goals of
misbehaviour are attention getting, the contest for power, seeking revenge, and displaying
inadequacy.
Essentially, every action of the child is grounded in the idea that he or she is seeking his or
her place in the group. A well-adjusted child will conform to the requirements of the group by
making valuable contributions. A child who misbehaves, on the other hand, will defy the
needs of the group situation in order to maintain social status. Whichever of the
aforementioned goals he or she chooses to employ, the child believes that this is the only
way to function within the group dynamic successfully. Dreikurs states that ‘his goal may
occasionally vary with the circumstances: he may act to attract attention at one moment, and
assert his power or seek revenge at another’ (Dreikurs, 1968, p.27). Regardless of whether
the child is well-adjusted or is misbehaving, his or her main purpose will be social
acceptance. This theory of understanding the causes of particular behaviours also helps us
to understand bullying behaviour, where bullying is seen as an abuse of power.
Dreikurs promoted the use of encouragement and logical (and natural) consequences rather
than reward and punishment. For example, if it is understood that a child or young person
has a need for attention, then the adults can ensure that this attention is provided at times
and in a way that will develop independence and build positive skills. If a child or young
person has a need to be ‘in control’, then opportunities can be provided for them to develop
positive leadership skills and ensure that activities engage them in tasks that offer real
responsibility.
A second focus for this topic is that while understanding that particular behaviours can be
‘effective’ and hence motivating for the pupil (thereby maintaining poor behaviour), it can be
equally challenging and demotivating for the adults interacting with the child to accept this.
The challenge, feelings of powerlessness and lack of control, on the part of the adult, can arise
from a view that the behaviour simply does not make sense and is intended purely to annoy or
‘wind up’ the adult. These emotions, based on a lack of understanding, are often minimised
when adults come to better understand the child, the motivation behind behaviour(s) and the
context in which they occur. Studying this topic may also encourage a more objective
understanding of bullying behaviour rather than a purely emotional response that makes it
more difficult to reach and agree solutions.
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The intention of this topic is that specialist leaders and their colleagues will begin to explore the
many and complex explanations for the poor behaviour and seeming unwillingness of some
children to participate in learning. For example, one aspect of the role of specialist leader is to
help staff develop an understanding that while some behaviour might be regarded as
inappropriate in the learning environment of a classroom, it may be perfectly acceptable,
effective and possibly necessary within a community or family context. In a classroom, where
learning and teaching is the focus, dialogue and discussion is essential but physical and verbal
confrontation is unacceptable. In a social context, conflict may be an established pattern of
learned behaviour that is, in the main, effective in getting needs met. For those children
growing up in a complicated and challenging environment, it may even be a matter of survival.
Another aspect at work can be the transference relationship between pupils and adults in
authority. This was first described by Sigmund Freud, who acknowledged its importance in
psychoanalysis for better understanding of the patient's feelings and feelings of rage.
Transference occurs when a person unconsciously takes the perceptions and expectations of
one person and projects them onto another person. They then interact with the other person as
if the other person is that transferred pattern. This may be from an actual person, such as a
parent, or an idealised figure or prototype.
Countertransference involves the same principles, except the direction of the transference is
reversed. Countertransference – a normal occurrence – involves the adult’s reactions,
behaviours, thoughts, and feelings toward the pupil that are triggered by the pupil’s behaviour
and reflect unresolved issues and strong emotions from the adult’s past.
A deeper understanding of why some of us behave inappropriately at some times helps us to
develop more positive relationships with children and young people based on understanding,
empathy and a professional desire to help them develop the social and emotional awareness
they need. Within positive relationships, effective strategies for promoting good behaviour and
attendance are more likely to flourish.
Effective responses that improve behaviour and attendance require a positive mindset. Staff
need to look beyond ‘managing’ or ‘correcting’, or punishing behaviour. Prevention, creating a
positive climate of trust and support, early intervention and effective rather than punitive
responses will make a real difference. Specifically, the aim is to achieve a positive and safe
learning environment that meets the needs of every young person. In working towards these
outcomes, inappropriate behaviour will be marginalised and the life chances of children and
young people will be improved.
Attendance
The 2002 MORI Youth Justice survey of young people showed that those who play truant are
more likely to offend than those that do not, with two-thirds (65%) of truants having offended
compared to less than a third (30%) of those who have not played truant.
Good attendance is a major predictor of high attainment. When children and young
people are not at school they can be ‘at risk’. Twenty three percent of young
offenders have been truants.
Reid (1986)
Truants are more likely to end up unemployed and have poor life chances – socially,
professionally and economically.
Reid (2000).
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While there are many initiatives now in place to tackle truancy (e.g. some schools have a system
in place to contact home on the first day of absence, truancy patrols, attendance contracts, highprofile prosecutions, www.teachernet.gov.uk/wholeschool/behaviour ) these methods can be
seen as a response to truancy rather than tackling its underlying causes.
To break the cycle of poor attendance, underlying causes need to be identified and addressed
in a positive and proactive way.
It is clear also that patterns of poor attendance are emerging in primary schools. Thirty years
ago, truancy in primary schools was relatively rare. Reid (1999) states that ‘35% of truancy and
other forms of non-attendance begin whilst pupils are at the primary stage.’
He goes on to suggest that there are three types of truancy:
1. Low-level truancy  where children and young people take an occasional day off as
relief from the daily pressure of school life. This type of truancy is not regarded as
serious. However, specialist leaders should explore patterns of low-level truancy in their
own setting and attempt to identify children at academic, emotional or social risk.
2. Persistent low-level truancy  this includes:
— parent/carer-condoned absenteeism
— specific lesson absence
— post-registration truancy.
3. High-level truancy  where children’s learning is seriously damaged by non-attendance.
Reid (2002)
Initial absenteeism can go undetected. Once patterns of non-attendance are entrenched, it
becomes harder for children to return to school. There is a need for early identification and
preventative strategies to avoid low attendance becoming habitual and this is particularly
important if the poor attendance is related to bullying. It is essential to have in place a system
for supporting children and young people as they try to reintegrate after long periods of
absence.
Reid ‘through research, teaching and consultative activities over more than 30 years with
truants and persistent absentees’ has noticed that:

‘Playing truant imposes significant psychological consequences upon the individuals
concerned.’

‘The first act of truancy requires a certain amount of courage.’

‘The vast majority of truants and persistent absentees are bored when absent from
school.’

‘The majority would never become persistent absentees or truants if they had their
time over again.’
© Ken Reid (2002)
The effects of truancy include further reducing already fragile self-concepts, often to the point
of encouraging a ‘dependency culture’ which, in some cases, persists throughout adult life.
As a result, vulnerable adults can become locked in a life of crime, failed relationships, poverty,
frequent job changes and unemployment.
Most staff are sympathetic towards children with attendance problems but some unhelpful
attitudes persist. You may be familiar with some of the views expressed below:

‘Why should I go out of my way to help someone who won’t help himself?’
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
‘The parents don’t seem to care, why should I?’

‘To be honest, it’s a lot better when she’s not here.’

‘This school has enough problems without chasing after new ones.’
The attitudes of the children and young people themselves also contribute to truancy:

‘There’s nothing I’m good at. What’s the point of going every day just to learn that you
know nothing?’

‘I was always in the top set. I stopped going to school. I just couldn’t stand everyone
continually calling me a swot.’
Specialist leaders will have a key role in helping colleagues develop the empathy, knowledge
and understanding that will support children and young people in improving their attendance.
A further focus on the causal factors associated with poor attendance is to be found in
Preparatory reading Resource A and Work-based activity 4, and the issues are explored in
more detail in NPSLBA Topic 11: Addressing the causes of poor attendance.
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Preparatory reading Resource A: Factors that
1
cause behaviour and attendance problems
A wide range of factors has been associated with causing or contributing to behaviour
problems and there is ongoing debate about the relative importance of each factor. Different
theorists will argue about the causes, but there is general agreement that emotional and
behavioural problems are associated with the following factors, often in combination:
Family/parental factors
Some parents of young people with conduct disorders lack parenting skills. The association
between inadequate distorted care of children and subsequent behaviour problems is long
established.
Young people who live in such families will have grown up with no clear guidelines as to what
is appropriate behaviour. Violence may be seen as a legitimate way of getting what you
want. Emotional and behavioural problems in children and young people are more common
in those who experience family adversities. Children and young people who are bullied at
home may take out their frustration by exhibiting bullying behaviour in school.
Troubled behaviour in children and young people may relate directly to difficulties at home.
The behaviour may be a direct communication of distress, so it is important to hear and
acknowledge the message. The behaviour may improve once the message is heard and
action taken. Sometimes, however, the behaviour remains long after the original message of
distress and gets in the way of progress and future development.
Thus, when difficulties arise, parents are often presumed to be somewhat at fault. However,
it is often forgotten that the parent–child relationship is a two-way process and that some
children are consistently more difficult than others. The behaviour may be a product of the
interaction between the child or young person and the adult.
It should also be noted that adolescents (and some pre-adolescents) increasingly tend to
acquire their values from outside the family, especially in urban environments. To some
extent, their peers replace parents as interpreters and reinforcers of what is and isn’t
acceptable.
School/structural factors
Historically, explanations of difficult behaviour have tended to focus on the young person as
being the problem, especially in educational settings. It has been recognised that schools in
general and teachers in particular, can contribute to, or in some cases even cause,
behaviour problems in pupils.
If teachers lack the skills and training necessary for effective classroom and group
management, then behaviour problems become far more likely, so the standard of pupil
behaviour can be partly influenced by factors within a school’s control. Behaviour may be
very situation-specific; pupils and teachers behave differently from one lesson to the next
and from one day to the next.
1
This summary is taken from The Behaviour of Young People: A reader for those
participating in the Understanding Connexions programme (2003), Connexions, DfES,
Sheffield.
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Poor relationships between parents and school have also been shown to contribute to
maintaining behaviour problems. A cycle can develop, with poor behaviour by the young
person leading to the demoralisation and withdrawal of parents’ support, and teacher
reactivity. This can lead to a lack of coordination and support between school and home,
which has a further impact on the young person’s behaviour.
Socio-economic factors
Poverty and poor housing, and its associated health and development problems have also
been linked to behaviour issues. Poverty, unemployment and crowded living conditions put
additional stresses on families and can have a detrimental effect on parenting as well as
directly on young people themselves.
Clearly, taken together, such deprivation factors may combine to place young people at
greater risk of developing troubled and troubling behaviour.
Factors within the child or young person
The importance of environmental factors has, to a large extent, overshadowed the possibility
that there may be genetic factors which cause some children to be predisposed to
experience learning and behavioural problems.
However, it is not possible to predict with certainty whether any particular child or young
person will develop behaviour problems, let alone the nature of those problems. Perhaps the
unknown factor of inherited qualities determines how each child or young person will interact
with the environment and the extent to which he or she can tolerate extremes of experience.
Factors working together
These factors rarely work alone, but are likely to interrelate, sometimes working together and
sometimes against each other.
Knowledge of relevant factors in a child’s or young person’s background can contribute to an
understanding of the problems faced by the child. The relative importance of each factor is
likely to vary with each individual. In order to be effective, interventions must address as
many of the factors as possible in an integrated and cohesive manner.
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Preparatory activity: Identifying underlying
causes of challenging behaviour
Purpose

To explore and apply in a practical situation theories relating to the underlying causes of
challenging behaviour and poor attendance
Suggestions
Produce notes for a preliminary ‘diagnosis’ of the challenging behaviour of a pupil or
group you currently work with.
Use the Preparatory reading to help to identify the underlying causes of the behaviour or
attendance pattern that are giving rise to concern.
Refer back to your notes (a) during the study session and (b) when you write up your
reflective log after the session.
This activity would form a good basis for tackling Work-based activities 2 or 4.
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Activities
Activity 1: Understanding the motivation
behind behaviour
(25 minutes)
Purpose

To explore the idea that challenging behaviour, including bullying and poor attendance,
can occur as a result of unmet needs

To explore common behaviour descriptors and to reflect on what our use of descriptors
can tell us about our assumptions, values and beliefs
Resources

Activity 1 Resource A: Behaviour record

Activity 1 Resource B: Understanding behaviour
Suggestions
The session leader should give out Activity 1 Resource A and participants then work in
pairs to list some of the behaviours they regularly observe in their own settings (column
1). The session leader should take care not to tell the group to list challenging
behaviours. The aim is to record as wide a range of behaviours as possible. It might be
interesting to include the kinds of behaviours exhibited by children and young people
who have been bullied. The session leader should suggest that the behaviours of adults
as well as those of children are recorded.
Next, still in their pairs, group members should be asked to categorise the behaviours as
simply ‘good’ or ‘bad’ (column 2). If lists feature mainly those behaviours that are
described as ‘bad’, the group should consider the following questions:

What might it tell us about our assumptions (e.g that we should only be concerned with
problem behaviour)?

How useful is it to categorise behaviour as simply ‘good’ or ‘bad’?

How useful are descriptors (e.g. ‘challenging’, ‘inappropriate’, ‘attention seeking’,
‘disruptive’)?

What descriptors does the group find most useful?
Following this quick discussion, group members work with a different partner to note the
possible needs that are being met through this behaviour (column 3).

What are those needs?

Could they be categorised or grouped in some way? If so, on what basis?

How useful is this?

How successful are these behaviours in getting needs met (column 4)?
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Finally, the session leader should ask the group to consider how this activity could be
used or adapted to help colleagues in their own settings to develop understanding of the
drivers that can lie behind behaviour.
The session leader should then identify and reflect on the leadership issues that
emerge, including the continuing professional development needs of colleagues.
If time allows, or as an alternative activity, Activity 1 Resource B: Understanding
behaviour can be used to aid reflection on a child who has managed to develop new
skills and has improved a particular aspect of their behaviour or attendance.

What factors were instrumental in effecting this change?

What issues do these factors raise in relation to staff development?
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Activity 1 Resource A: Behaviour record
Describe the behaviour
Good/Bad?
Possible need being met
In general, how successful
do you feel such
behaviours are in getting
needs met?
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Activity 1 Resource B: Understanding behaviour
Personal motivation

Does the child recognise that his or her behaviour or attendance is problematic?

Does he or she want to find solutions?
Personal goal

Does the child have a reason or explanation for his or her behaviour or attendance?

What do he or she appear to get out of it?
Stamina/persistence

In what ways does the child show stamina and persistence in any aspect of his/her life?

How can this resource help to bring about change in his/her behaviour or attendance?

How can you help him or her build resilience and ‘stickability’?

What skills would he or she need to develop?
Self-awareness

Does the child have the necessary social and emotional awareness to allow him or her to
deal constructively with strong or uncomfortable feelings and experiences (such as
frustration, anger, failure and hurt)?
Previous successes

Has the child had any previous success in dealing constructively with strong feelings and
experiences?

How can you help him or her utilise these skills and experiences to find solutions to the
current problems?
Support from adults

How do the significant adults in the child’s life support him or her in developing
appropriate social and emotional awareness (parent, carer, teacher, teaching assistant,
learning mentor, etc.)?

How can you develop this support further?

What help and support could you provide for the significant adults?
Role model

Who are the role models for this child?

Are they providing a positive influence?

How can a positive role model be incorporated into the child’s experience?
Peer pressure

How are peer pressures influencing the behaviour or attendance?

How can any negative pressures be reduced and positive pressures encouraged?
Incentive/reward

What seems to be motivating the child to behave in this way?

Can this motivation be harnessed to create more positive behaviours?
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
What kinds of incentive and reward might help?
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Activity 2: Identifying the underlying factors of
challenging behaviour and poor attendance
(30 minutes)
Purpose

To further explore causal factors linked to challenging behaviour and poor attendance

To highlight the significance of adult responses to behaviours that occur in the ‘wrong
context’
Resources

Resource A: Pupils talking – transcripts of interviews

Resource B: Notes on Pupils talking
Suggestions
The stimulus for this activity is the interview with two secondary-age pupils talking about
their behaviour in school.
Participants who work with young children should focus on the views expressed. In this
way, they will find that the boys’ comments have relevance across the age continuum.
The group should read the transcript and use Activity 2 Resource B to record their
responses.
Participants should jot down the behaviours these young people are describing and
the needs the behaviours appear to be meeting.
Individually, group members then take a minute or two to draw any links between what
the boys were describing and comments they may hear from the children in their own
settings.
They will notice how articulate the boys are. Participants should work in pairs to consider
and compare the communication skills of the boys featured with those of the children with
whom they work. The following questions will help to structure the discussion:

Would the children in your care be able to articulate their thoughts and feelings in this
way?

What are some of the skills used by these particular young people that help them to
manage some of the contextual factors relating to their behaviour?
The session leaders should split participants into two groups to work together to
suggest the underlying or causal factors that might lie behind the behaviour of the
young people speaking in the transcript. Each group should be asked to devise a way
of categorising these factors as they emerge.
Responses might include:

relevance of the curriculum

ability to access the learning

relationships with peers, peer pressure, gang culture

physical and emotional health
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
learning environment – social, emotional and physical

poorly developed social and emotional awareness

family circumstances

substance misuse

racism, sexism, homophobia, bullying

poor attendance

relationships with family, friends

relationships with staff.
Participants should draw on their own experiences as well as using the transcripts as they
do this task. Each group should note their ideas on the flipchart or whiteboard. With the
permission of the group, these ideas can be reproduced and shared. Group members may
find the information useful if they are to develop these ideas with colleagues in the
workplace.
Finally, the session leader facilitates a discussion about the context in which particular
behaviours occur.
The session leader should select one or two of the behaviours categorised as ‘bad’ in
Activity 1 and consider any context in which this behaviour might be regarded as
reasonable, perhaps even acceptable! (Swearing can be a useful example.) Issues
should be raised that might be important to specialist leaders working with colleagues
in the workplace.
Reflection
As specialist leaders, group members might want to draw links between the ideas
explored through this activity and the behaviour of the adults in their own workplace.

How would you describe the behaviour of the adults in your workplace?

Is this behaviour meeting particular needs?

How would you describe these needs?

What level of social and emotional awareness do adults in your workplace possess or
need to develop to be effective role models for children?

In meeting particular needs, are the needs of others being denied?
The group could revisit Maslow’s hierarchy of need during this discussion.
Group members will find it useful to explore Galvin (1999) Behaviour and Discipline in
Schools if they intend to take this topic further in a secondary school setting.
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Activity 2 Resource A: Pupils talking – transcripts of
interviews
The following is the transcript of interviews with two secondary-age pupils, talking about their
behaviour.
Looking behind behaviour at possible underlying causes
What was your classroom behaviour like in secondary school?
Boy 1: It was OK, but if a pupil encouraged me to do something that I should not be doing,
then I would do it. It was not the same just off the top of my head; then I would just go and do
it. It was not a spontaneous thing. People kept egging me on and I would just do it.
Did that happen quite often?
Boy 1: Yes. I was always trying to impress people in the class. I would always be the class
joker. I was always wanting to try and impress other people in the class. What got me into
the most trouble was being the class joker. Every class was different and no class was the
same – different people in my class. When I walked into a class, things would happen in the
class. Say, someone would throw a pen and people would react and carry on and nothing
would be done in class. If I threw a pen and the teacher said, ‘Stop it’, then I would say it was
not me that threw the pen – not try to blame someone else but say I did not know where the
pen came from and try and act up as much as possible.
Boy 2: I am not really badly behaved unless the teacher has got me in a bad mood, then that
is it. If the teacher got me in that frame of mind, I would not work. She would just upset me.
That’s just it. I would not do any work for it. If I am not in a bad mood and if I get into my
lessons and if there is a good teacher – even a strict teacher – I did not muck about for them.
But some of the other teachers, some of them try to be polite and literally have no control at
all, no control at all.
Boy 1: Nobody likes being shouted at, unless I have done something wrong and – to put the
point across – some people do shout. But if I did not see it as a major thing – that I had done
nothing wrong – then I do not appreciate it at all – people shouting at me. That did used to
wind me up. If the teacher is nice to me, that is main thing, big thing. If a teacher is nice to
me then I am nice back. Like I said before, if a teacher is affected by something beforehand
and they are not in a particularly good mood, then it is not fair to take it out on somebody
else. That is my opinion and I just don’t think it is the right thing to do. They have not done
anything wrong, especially because I used to get into trouble a lot in school and teachers just
picked on me quite a bit.
Boy 2: The amount of times I used to be told to be quiet or something like that. Well I am not
the only one talking. Why can’t you pick on someone else? They are talking. Then she has
been like: What? Don’t chat to me back! Don’t answer me back, you rude little boy! It has
been like: That is it! And she says like: You get out! Me trying to keep calm and then that will
just totally make me storm out.
Then ‘just sit outside the classroom’ is unbelievable – the amount of times I had to sit outside
the classroom during a lesson. I remember once in German there were five of us. She sent
five people outside the classroom. She just said, ‘Right you get out!’ Then matey boy would
do something silly. ‘You get out!’ There was literally a crew of us outside her door – all
chucked out for doing different things.
I never had an argument with my form tutor, ever. Even if another teacher had gone to my
form tutor and said I had been misbehaving, literally, he would not even get angry, he would
just be like: ‘I hear you have been misbehaving during a lesson’ and you could tell him.
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‘Yeah! Sorry sir, but sir I have been having a really bad day; he really got me wound up, blah,
blah. All I was doing was looking at my phone.’ He’d be like: ‘Cool. I’ll have a word with sir
about that because I think you are right’. I have a lot more respect for my form tutor than
anyone.’
At some of these kids’ schools my behaviour would not have been bad but would have been
good compared to some of the kids. At my school 80 per cent of the kids was golden kids.
Do you know what I mean – never said a word, quiet, never bloody know what I mean – and
there was five or six kids who was always getting picked on and that like. As soon as you
have fallen out with a couple of teachers – a couple of mad little screws – soon as that you
get a reputation like: ‘Oh no you can’t teach him properly; he is a troublemaker and all that.’
And then they just pick on you.
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Activity 2 Resource B: Notes on Pupils talking
What behaviours are the pupils describing?
Examples: ‘clowning round’, ‘truancy’, ‘swearing’,
‘lateness’, ‘shouting out’
What needs do you feel these behaviours are meeting?
Examples: control, attention, reassurance, avoidance,
acceptance, affection, success, justice, revenge
What casual factors might be underlying some of these behaviours?
Examples: family circumstances, social, economic, school,
structural, physical, emotional
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Activity 3: Addressing the underlying causes of
challenging behaviour and poor attendance
(50 minutes)
Purpose

To use a structured approach to generate hypotheses and solutions for a case brought
by one member of the group
Note: The session leader may want to ask a member of the group in advance to volunteer to
be the issue presenter but an issue can be identified by the group during the session as no
paperwork regarding the pupil is needed for this activity.
If there is a group member who is used to working in this way, for example, a behaviour
support teacher or educational psychologist, the session leader may ask them to facilitate
this session. They will need to look at the process beforehand.
This activity combines two problem-solving approaches from Inclusive Solutions, the training
and publishing group. 2 The first is a solution circle, designed by Jack Pearpoint, Marsha
Forest and John O’Brien. 3 This short and powerful tool takes no more than a half hour. It is
effective in getting ‘unstuck’ from an issue in life or work. Solution circle is a tool to build
‘community capacity’. It assumes and demonstrates that nearby people – in any community
or workplace – have the capacity to help if asked.
The ‘Circles of Adults’ approach 4 addresses the need for a problem-solving process that is
able to take an in-depth look at meeting the emotional needs that commonly underlie
challenging behaviour in schools. The approach is designed to enable staff teams to reach a
deeper understanding of a young person and to evolve a set of hypotheses and emerging
strategies that better accommodate unmet emotional and learning needs. This approach
needs more knowledge of possible underlying causes on the part of the facilitator.
Roles to be played:

Issue presenter – the focus person

Process facilitator – group manager and timekeeper

Recorder – who writes notes/graphics on flipchart

One member of the group to listen to the presentation and subsequent discussions from
the perspective of the young person him or herself

Amazingly creative cluster group
It is important that everyone understands that the issue presenter is the one in control of
what is said and what is pursued.
2
Based upon Solution Circle: Getting Unstuck – A Creative Problem Solving Tool, Inclusion Press. Copyright © Inclusion Press
1996. Adapted with kind permission.
3
4
www.inclusion.com/ttsolutioncircle.html
Newton, C. and Wilson, D., (2006) Circles of Adults, Inclusive Solutions
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The facilitator’s role is to outline the process in detail before beginning and to keep the group
on task and to time.
Step 1: Outlining the issue
(8 minutes)
The issue presenter has eight uninterrupted minutes to outline the issue. He/she should:

give as much background about the pupil and his or her family situation as possible

outline positive and negative behaviours

say what aspects of the school’s organisation help or hinder this pupil’s
emotional/behavioural development, for example curriculum, pastoral support

talk about how he or she feels about the pupil.
The job of the facilitator is to keep time and make sure that no one interrupts. The recorder
makes notes on a flipchart. Everyone else listens. If the issue presenter stops talking before
the eight minutes elapse, everyone else stays silent until the eight minutes pass. This is
vitally important!
The facilitator makes sure that there isn’t any dialogue within the group. The aim at this point
is to get as full a picture as possible.
Step 2: Hypotheses
(12 minutes)
The facilitator asks the member of the group who is listening as the pupil how he or she is
feeling about what they have heard so far.
The facilitator then asks what understandings/hypotheses the group can draw out from the
emerging story.
This is an important stage and it is essential to keep thinking rich and open-ended, inviting as
many as possible hypotheses. Participants need to be led through a creative brainstorm of
understandings and theories that might begin to explain what is happening. It is not a time to
clarify the issue or to ask questions. It is not a time to give speeches, lectures or advice.
Everyone gets a chance to give his or her brilliant ideas. No one must be allowed to
dominate.
The issue presenter listens – without interrupting. He or she must not talk or respond. The
facilitator could give the person masking tape for their mouth to facilitate their listening. It’s
hard to just listen!
Step 3: Possible strategies
(10 minutes)
The issue presenter feeds back which hypotheses make the most sense for him or her in
order to inform this step.
The facilitator asks the group what alternative strategies/interventions are open to be used.
These are brainstormed and recorded.
This step should focus on putting forward possible strategies. It is not the time for in-depth
discussion or dialogue about the strategies. Keep the focus!
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Step 4: Finding a way forward
(10 minutes)
The issue presenter leads the group in a dialogue. This is the time to explore and clarify what
can be done. Focus on the positive points only and not what cannot be done.
The issue presenter has the final say on strategy selection.
Step 5: The first step
(5 minutes)
The issue presenter and the group decide on first steps that are doable within the next few
days. A coach from the group volunteers to phone or see the person within three days and
check whether they took their first step.
Finally, the group just does a round of words to describe the experience and the recorder
gives the record to the focus person.
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Work-based activities
The following activities are examples of work-based activities you could undertake. You may
choose to use existing work to consolidate impact, or extend activities you are already being
asked to do. You may undertake your own activity if it is relevant to the topic and your
context.
Work-based activity 1: Why do children do
what they do?
Purpose

To develop knowledge and understanding of the factors underlying challenging behaviour
and poor attendance
Audience
All group members
Use of expert
You will need to have access to the multi-professional team that supports your workplace.
Links to the learning process

Practical application

Feedback and reflection

Embedding the experience
Links to other study topics
Your completed portfolio will need to meet the Portfolio Evaluation Criteria that are
introduced on Study Day 2. To help in presenting your evidence, make sure that, when
planning, completing and writing up your work-based activity, you refer to any other relevant
NPSLBA topics you have studied. For example, even if your cluster group didn’t choose to
work through a particular topic, you may have read the materials associated with that topic
yourself. You can use the theory in those materials to inform your practice when undertaking
a work-based activity and record your reflections as you go along.
Notes
Before you begin this activity, you should meet with senior colleagues to agree
protocols.
Interview two or three members of the multi-professional team supporting your
organisation (this might include health worker, EWO, mentor, social worker, educational
psychologist, clinical psychologist, psychiatrist, learning or behaviour support, psychiatric
nurses, counsellors, art, drama, music therapists).
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Explore with them their personal and professional views on the underlying causes linked
to challenging behaviour and poor attendance and how this might impact on the
achievement of the five outcomes for children as described in Every Child Matters. For
example, what prevents children from being healthy, staying safe, enjoying and
achieving and so on and how does this impact on behaviour and attendance? (You
could construct a questionnaire to help you collect this information.) Compare the
information you collect with the rationale explored in the preparatory reading, the young
people who were interviewed and the information contained in documents such as:

Promoting Children’s Mental Health within Early Years and School Settings, DfES, Ref:
0112/2001

Promoting emotional health and well-being through the National Healthy School
Standard, DfES, Ref: 0180-2005PDF3.pdf
At the end of the work-based activity, you should meet again with senior colleagues to
discuss the impact this activity has had within your workplace.
You should record the key points from this conversation.
Outcomes
You will have:

explored a range of views and perspectives on the underlying causes of challenging
behaviour

compared this range of perspectives with your own knowledge, understanding and
beliefs.
Reporting

A short briefing document or a presentation that succinctly describes your own personal
views and beliefs about underlying causes

A copy of your questionnaire

A record of your thoughts and issues in your reflective log. Consider the following:
— What leadership issues are raised for you personally?
— What leadership issues are raised for your organisation?
— What leadership skills do you feel you can build on or need to develop in relation to
this concept?
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Work-based activity 2: Reviewing strategies
and approaches
Purpose

To review strategies and approaches aimed at improving the behaviour or attendance of
an individual or group of children – with a possible focus on bullying in particular

To consider effective ways of sharing findings with colleagues
Audience
All group members
Use of expert
None required
Links to the learning process

Practical application

Feedback and reflection

Embedding the experience
Links to other study topics
Your completed portfolio will need to meet the Portfolio Evaluation Criteria that are
introduced on Study Day 2. To help in presenting your evidence, make sure that, when
planning, completing and writing up your work-based activity, you refer to any other relevant
NPSLBA topics you have studied. For example, even if your cluster group didn’t choose to
work through a particular topic, you may have read the materials associated with that topic
yourself. You can use the theory in those materials to inform your practice when undertaking
a work-based activity and record your reflections as you go along.
Notes
Before you begin this activity, you should meet with senior colleagues to agree
protocols.
Select a child or young person whose behaviour and/or attendance is worrying you or
your colleagues and observe him or her in two or three different settings. Discuss your
observations with colleagues, including your views on the context in which the behaviour
is occurring and the needs you think the behaviour is meeting. Note how the response(s)
of the adults impact on the behaviour or attendance of the child or young person.
Facilitate a solution-focused discussion to identify:

what is going well – effective practice

what could be done differently – areas for improvement, including the development of
social and emotional awareness in staff and children.
Together, agree one or two ideas that you think might help children to develop the skills
that lead to more positive behaviours and improved attendance. Agree with your
colleagues a plan to implement these ideas.
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In your planning reflect on:

the needs of the child or the group of children

the possible underlying causes of particular behaviours including poor attendance

the new skills and positive behaviours you are aiming for

the strategies to support the child or group to improve their social and emotional
awareness.
Ask yourselves:

Who will help?

What will they do?

How will it be done?

When will they do this?
Evaluate the impact of your approaches on the behaviour of the individual child or group.
You could do this by repeating the observations.
Remember to allow enough time for changes to take place and become embedded. Often
behaviour gets worse before it gets better! Make a case for other colleagues to try out your
ideas with this child or group and evaluate the impact of a wider approach.
At the end of the work-based activity, you should meet again with senior colleagues to
discuss the impact this activity has had within your workplace.
You should record the key points from this conversation.
Outcomes
You could establish a ’directory of successful strategies’ that works well for your
setting. This could be shared and developed, with colleagues, as part of a staffdevelopment programme.
Reporting
Note the leadership skills that enabled you to carry out this activity successfully.
These skills might include:

carrying out effective observations

getting feedback from colleagues (with whom you collaborated)

communicating with colleagues

producing observation records and details of the procedures used

describing a rationale for the causal factors you have identified

carrying out an evaluation of the effectiveness of the strategies you suggested.
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Work-based activity 3: How do we know what
works?
Purpose

To review procedures for identifying the underlying causes of challenging behaviour and
poor attendance on those children in a pupil referral unit (PRU), learning support unit
(LSU) or behaviour, emotional and social difficulty (BESD) setting

To appraise the effectiveness of strategies, approaches and monitoring processes
designed to address underlying causes
Audience
Suitable for those with access to PRU, LSU, or in a BESD setting
Use of expert
None required
Links to the learning process

Practical application

Feedback and reflection

Embedding the experience
Links to other study topics
Your completed portfolio will need to meet the Portfolio Evaluation Criteria that are
introduced on Study Day 2. To help in presenting your evidence, make sure that, when
planning, completing and writing up your work-based activity, you refer to any other relevant
NPSLBA topics you have studied. For example, even if your cluster group didn’t choose to
work through a particular topic, you may have read the materials associated with that topic
yourself. You can use the theory in those materials to inform your practice when undertaking
a work-based activity and record your reflections as you go along.
Notes
Before you begin this activity, you should meet with senior colleagues to agree
protocols.
Identify an LSU, PRU or BESD school with whom you can work. Find out about both the
informal and formal procedures that are in place to identify the factors relating to the
behaviour and attendance issues faced by children on their admittance to the setting.
(You could conduct face-to-face interviews with staff, parents and carers and the
children themselves.)
Identify how far the information collected informs the approaches or strategies that are
then put in place to support children to develop new skills and to monitor their progress.
Share effective practice with colleagues and make suggestions for improvement.
Compare practice in the LSU/PRU/BESD school with that in your own workplace.
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Discuss your recommendations with colleagues and note the impact of this discussion in
promoting change.
At the end of the work-based activity, you should meet again with senior colleagues to
discuss the impact this activity has had within your workplace.
You should record the key points from this conversation.
Outcomes
You will have:

an increased awareness of how underlying causes of behaviour and attendance are
taken into account as children are admitted to a LSU, PRU or BESD setting

developed leadership skills in the area of communication.
Reporting

A rationale detailing effective practice

Your review of current practices

The areas identified for improvement as a result of a comparison against the principles of
effective practice

A review of the benefits and drawbacks of other planning processes investigated and a
summary of any changes made

Your reflection on your developing leadership skills in your reflective journal
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Work-based activity 4: Why don’t they come?
Purpose

To review processes for identifying the underlying causes of lateness and poor
attendance and the effectiveness of strategies and approaches designed to address
these
Audience
All group members
Use of expert
You do not need to involve an expert but you might find it helpful to work with the
Education Welfare Service.
Links to the learning process

Practical application

Feedback and reflection

Embedding the experience
Links to other study topics
Your completed portfolio will need to meet the Portfolio Evaluation Criteria that are
introduced on Study Day 2. To help in presenting your evidence, make sure that, when
planning, completing and writing up your work-based activity, you refer to any other relevant
NPSLBA topics you have studied. For example, even if your cluster group didn’t choose to
work through a particular topic, you may have read the materials associated with that topic
yourself. You can use the theory in those materials to inform your practice when undertaking
a work-based activity and record your reflections as you go along.
Notes
Before you begin this activity, you should meet with senior colleagues to agree
protocols.
You will find it useful to refer to NPSLBA Topic 11: Addressing the causes of poor
attendance.
Work with a partner to identify what are, in your view, the most common causal factors
contributing to poor punctuality and attendance in your workplace. Explore how these
factors compare with the information you have gained through studying this topic
including those listed below. Identify a child who has ongoing attendance or punctuality
issues. With the support of the person who is responsible for monitoring the attendance
or punctuality of this child, prepare a short biography, highlighting the
attendance/punctuality issues and associated causal factors. Describe the procedures,
strategies and support currently in place to enable this child to improve his or her
attendance or punctuality. Describe how these are evaluated, reviewed and revised.
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Prepare recommendations for adapting existing or adopting new approaches to
supporting the child to improve behaviour and attendance by addressing the underlying
causes.
Prepare a presentation that helps you to share this information with staff in your own
workplace.
For your information, these are some of the recognised factors relating to poor attendance
and punctuality problems:

parental-condoned absence

domestic violence

alcohol and drugs abuse

extended holidays

young carers (looking after siblings or parents)

unmanageable debt

frequent changes of housing

a history of disengagement with education system

unrealistic expectations of children by staff or parents

homelessness

teenage pregnancy

bullying

health problems (physical or emotional)

working below the legal age

involvement in gangs/factions

involvement in antisocial/criminal behaviour

low aspirations

inappropriate teaching and learning opportunities

difficulties in completing homework

pressure of work at school

poor transition planning following long-term absence/exclusion

poor relationships with some staff.
Look at NPSLBA Topic 11: Addressing the causes of poor attendance
At the end of the work-based activity, you should meet again with senior colleagues to
discuss the impact this activity has had within your workplace.
You should record the key points from this conversation.
Outcomes
You will have:

raised your awareness of issues relating to the underlying causes of poor attendance and
lateness
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
experience of applying your knowledge in a practical setting

developed your communication and planning skills.
Reporting

A note summarising your findings

Your recommendations and presentations should be summarised in a format suitable for
sharing with colleagues. Your report might detail effective practice in this area, your
review of current practices and the areas identified for improvement in your workplace
and your recommendations for how this could happen. You should reflect on how the
activity contributes to your overall role as leader and how it has developed your
leadership skills.
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Work-based activity 5: Gettin’ ’em back and
gettin’ ’em settled
Purpose

To analyse and review reintegration procedure and practice for children experiencing
behaviour and attendance difficulties
Audience
Those working in a PRU, LSU, hospital or home tuition service
Use of expert
None required
Links to the learning process

Practical application

Feedback and reflection

Embedding the experience
Links to other study topics
Your completed portfolio will need to meet the Portfolio Evaluation Criteria that are
introduced on Study Day 2. To help in presenting your evidence, make sure that, when
planning, completing and writing up your work-based activity, you refer to any other relevant
NPSLBA topics you have studied. For example, even if your cluster group didn’t choose to
work through a particular topic, you may have read the materials associated with that topic
yourself. You can use the theory in those materials to inform your practice when undertaking
a work-based activity and record your reflections as you go along.
Notes
Before you begin this activity, you should meet with senior colleagues to agree
protocols.
Select between one and three children who have recently been reintegrated into the
mainstream (full- or part-time) in your workplace. Prepare a profile for each. Include the
following information:

a brief description of the child’s needs before, during and after reintegration

a description of how these needs were being met prior to the start of the reintegration
process

a description of the reintegration ‘package’, explaining how it meets the needs of the child
during and immediately following reintegration.
Interview the child and his or her parent/carer to ascertain their views on how far their
needs are being met.

How do they feel about the reintegration process?
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
How included in this process do they feel?

What are the strengths and weaknesses of what is on offer?

How do they feel the original underlying causes of the problem are being addressed?

How do they feel full integration will be a) achieved and b) sustained?
Use these profiles as a basis for exploring and developing reintegration practice in your
workplace.
You could consider all or some of the following:

To what extent are parents, carers and children consulted and involved at all stages in
this process, for example, are they asked for their views?

To what degree does existing support contribute to a successful outcome?

What other factors might contribute to the success? How can this be developed?
Prepare a presentation to colleagues based on your findings. Discuss the implications
for current practice in your workplace. Consider asking parents, carers and children to
present their own viewpoints in person through audio or video.
Make recommendations for change. Describe the organisational or systemic changes
that should be made. Describe your perspective on continuing professional development
needs and how they might be met.
You might consider how this work-based activity might be adapted to support an
induction programme for new staff.
At the end of the work-based activity, you should meet again with senior colleagues to
discuss the impact this activity has had within your workplace.
You should record the key points from this conversation.
Outcomes
You will have:

raised awareness of those factors relevant to successful reintegration

developed your skills in communication and action planning, through presentation to staff
and completing an action plan

enhanced experience of obtaining the views of parents, carers and children.
Reporting

A report describing your findings and recommendations

Your reflections on how the activity contributed to your overall role as leader and
developed specific leadership skills
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Work-based activity 6: Effective pastoral
support programmes
Purpose

To review the effectiveness of pastoral support programmes (PSPs) within your own
setting

To gain experience in coordinating pastoral support programmes or in contributing to the
PSP of an individual child
Audience
Those in support and pastoral roles
Use of expert
You do not need to involve an expert; you might find it useful to liaise with the SENCO.
Links to the learning process

Practical application

Feedback and reflection

Embedding the experience
Links to other study topics
Your completed portfolio will need to meet the Portfolio Evaluation Criteria that are
introduced on Study Day 2. To help in presenting your evidence, make sure that, when
planning, completing and writing up your work-based activity, you refer to any other relevant
NPSLBA topics you have studied. For example, even if your cluster group didn’t choose to
work through a particular topic, you may have read the materials associated with that topic
yourself. You can use the theory in those materials to inform your practice when undertaking
a work-based activity and record your reflections as you go along.
Notes
Before you begin this activity, you should meet with senior colleagues to agree
protocols.
You will find it useful to check out the latest PSP advice on the DfE website:
www.teachernet.gov.uk/wholeschool/behaviour/pcspospns/protocols/psps/
You may also find it useful to refer to:
www.publications.education.gov.uk/default.aspx?PageFunction=productdetails&Page
Mode=publications&ProductId=DCSF-215709276
Identify a child who might be vulnerable to social exclusion, perhaps due to any of the
following: chronic health problems, pregnancy, teenage mother, young offender, young carer,
in a family under stress.
If necessary, communicate to colleagues that it would be effective practice for a PSP to be
put in place for this child or young person. (Refer to ‘A legal framework for school discipline’,
DfES Circular 10/99.) www.teachernet.gov.uk/wholeschool/behaviour/
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Discuss with a colleague(s) the needs of this child or young person and between you
begin to formulate support strategies and targets that could be incorporated into a PSP.
Either lead on or be an active participant in a PSP meeting designed to plan the best
support for this child. Follow your local authority guidelines.
Ensure that you either monitor or assist in the monitoring of the PSP and the progress of
the child. Be an active participant in reviews of the PSP, evaluate its impact, paying
particular attention to those elements relating to behaviour and attendance.
Use this information to prepare a short presentation to colleagues describing the
requirements relating to PSPs, include your own understanding of the term ‘vulnerable
pupils’ as it relates to issues of social exclusion.
Meet with colleagues responsible for coordinating PSPs to ascertain views on the
effectiveness of your current systems for:

convening and running a PSP meeting

content and manageability of PSPs

monitoring and reviewing of PSPs.
Track the child through the process from identification of need (PSP required) to exit
(PSP successful) and compare your experience of the PSP process, including
implementation, with that of your colleague responsible for PSPs. In particular, note how
the PSP addresses needs in relation to the underlying causes of behaviour or
attendance problems.
Record your thoughts on the following:

What works well (PSP process and practices) – issues for staff development?

What key issues were raised relating to the organisation and management of this
process?

Opportunities for improving practice and how to work with key staff members to
implement these.

The key leadership skills required to ensure successful implementation of a PSP.
At the end of the work-based activity, you should meet again with senior colleagues to
discuss the impact this activity has had within your workplace.
You should record the key points from this conversation.
Outcomes
You will have:

raised awareness of the nature of successful PSPs, the legal framework surrounding
them and the leadership skills involved in establishing and maintaining an effective PSP

produced recommendations for improving practice in ensuring that PSPs address the
underlying causes of behaviour or attendance problems and build on existing strengths

collaborated with your colleague(s) responsible for PSPs.
Reporting

A report describing your findings and recommendations

Your reflections on the how the activity contributed to your overall role as leader
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References
For use within the session
Hanko, G. (1999) Increasing Competence through Collaborative Issue Solving, David Fulton
Publishers
Herbert, M. (1988) Working with children and their families, Routledge
Newton, C. (1995) ‘Circles of Adults’, Educational Psychology in Practice 11(2), pp.8–14
O’Brien, J. and Pearpoint, J. (First printing 2004; 4th printing 2007, pp.10–11), Person
Centered Planning with MAPS and PATH: A Workbook for Facilitators, Inclusion Press
Olson, J. and Cooper, P. (2001) Dealing with Disruptive Students in the Classroom,
Kogan Page
Reid, K. (2002) Truancy – Short- and Long-Term Solutions, Routledge Falmer
For further study
Dreikurs, R. (1968) Psychology in the classroom (2nd ed.), Harper & Row
Galvin, P. (1999) Behaviour and Discipline in Schools: Practical, Positive and
Creative Strategies for the Classroom, David Fulton Publishers
Hill, F. and Parsons, L. (2000) Teamwork in the Management of Emotional and
Behavioural Difficulties, David Fulton Publishers
Newton, C. and Wilson, D., (2006) Circles of Adults, Inclusive Solutions,
www.inclusive-solutions.com
Promoting Children’s Mental Health within Early Years and School Settings, DfES, Ref:
0112/2001
Promoting emotional health and well-being through the National Healthy School Standard,
DfES, Ref: 0180-2005PDF3.pdf
Reid, K. (1986) Disaffection from School, Methuen
Reid, K. (2000) Tackling Truancy in Schools: a Practical Manual for Primary and
Secondary Schools, Routledge
Wise, S. (2000) ‘Colorado’s response to the behaviour challenge’ in Emotional and
Behavioural Difficulties: A Peer reviewed Journal Vol. 5 No 1 pp.19–29
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Acknowledgements
Activity 3: Addressing the underlying causes of challenging behaviour and poor attendance is
based upon Solution Circle: Getting Unstuck – A Creative Problem Solving Tool, Inclusion
Press. Copyright © Inclusion Press 1996. Adapted with kind permission.
Cooper, Paul & Olsen, Jerry. (2001) Dealing with Disruptive Students in the Classroom,
Kogan Page, a division of Taylor & Francis Books. Copyright © Jerry Olsen and Paul Cooper
2001. Used with kind permission.
© Crown copyright 2011