Understanding Behaviour 

At Pond Meadow we expect high standards of behaviour from our students and all of our school community.

We recognise that many of our pupils will need support to develop skills in appropriate behaviour. This support may be short or long-term. All possible reasons for behaviours that challenge should be understood and explored and reactions to the behaviour should be personlaised and consistent.

We believe that all behaviour is a form of communication that has meaning and function for the individual. It is important that all our staff recognise that pupils have the right to request attention, escape, and sensory stimulation. Pupils need to be taught the skills that allow them to communicate their needs and express themselves appropriately.

At Pond Meadow we:

• Give appropriate praise and recognition for appropriate behaviour of all pupils.
• Create clear, meaningful and consistent boundaries in classes and across the school.
• Provide a calm, structured and predictable learning environment.
• Have up-to-date knowledge of pupils’ method/s of communication available for all working with them.
• Understand strategies appropriate to an individual that allow them to regulate their own behaviour.
• Have direct teaching of relaxation and self-regulation techniques as part of the curriculum.
• Have direct teaching of appropriate behaviour. 

For more  information about behaviour expectations for our students, their families and our staff please read the behaviour policy by clicking the link below:

Understanding Behaviour Policy

Anti-bullying

At Pond Meadow we aim to promote an atmosphere which values diversity and respect of difference. Bullying will not be tolerated and is taken very seriously by everyone at the school. The school has a zero tolerance of bullying.

We encourage the children to tell a member of the school staff or a member of their family if they have any concerns using their personalised communication systems.

Parents and carers, if you have concerns about bullying please contact your child's class teacher or phase manager directly. It is important that children, families and the school work together for the benefit of all.

When reported to the teacher or phase manager and subsequently through our internal reporting systems the following questions will be considered:

• Is the incident recurring?
• Is it always the same pupils/students involved?
• Is there a pattern/trigger for the behaviour?
• How are you as a teacher/phase manager supporting the pupils/students involved to minimise these events?
• How do we as a school support both pupils/students involved?

If bullying occurs, pupils will be protected and the bully will have appropriate behaviour strategies put in place to support them to develop appropriate social skills. It is important to remember that bullying is behaviour by an individual or group, that is repeated over time, that intentionally hurts another individual or group either physically or emotionally.

At Pond Meadow with the individual needs of our students sometimes behaviours may occur from their peers that do make students in the class feel intimidated or threatened. This is usually unintentional and staffing levels in each class allow for students to be removed from such situations as required. Although our pupils may not intend to cause harm and/or upset to others as a result of their behaviour, it is important to recognise the negative impact that this could have on the pupil that is the recipient of the behaviour. We work together with pupils/students, their families and the class teams to find appropriate strategies to help calm and manage behaviours.

To make it clear, bullying is not tolerated and concerns are always taken seriously and strategies implemented to support all students involved. 

Please read section 8.4 and also Appendix 1 of our behaviour policy for our full approach and process of dealing with bullying. This includes all forms of bullying which incorporates but is not limited to; physical, verbal, cyber and emotional bullying.  

Our Child Protection and Safeguarding policy also details how we protect our students and respond to concerns and disclosures. More information about Safeguarding can be found on our Safeguarding and Child Protection page.