Engagement & Relationship Policy

Vision and Ethos

Lansdown Park Academy is a Pupil Referral Unit / Early Intervention Base based in Stockwood in South Bristol. We are proud to be part of the Cabot Learning Federation Trust having joined in the Summer of 2023

We provide education for pupils from KS1-3 who require additional support around their behaviour. Pupils receive a tailored curriculum that supports them to re-engage with education and to help prepare and plan for their next steps.

Our Engagement and Relationship policy aims to provide an overview of our approach to Behaviour particularly with pupils will an SEMH need. The policy supports our Vision and Mission Statement.

Our Vision and Mission allow pupils to Belong, Grow and Succeed

Our Vision

Lansdown Park Academy wants to see a world where every child is valued for who they are, inspired to realise their potential and empowered to achieve their dreams.  

Our Mission 

Is to provide a safe, inclusive and aspirational learning environment, where all pupils are prepared for their next steps and leave us with the skills to become well-rounded members of the community

These statements form the backbone to everything that happens at Lansdown Park Academy. From the curriculum to the environment and to the experiences that pupils receive while with us.

The aim of this policy is to act as a guide to daily practice within school. It seeks to outline how all children will be kept safe, cared for, included and supported to learn. We intend for our relational policy to outline high expectations for behaviour and clear pathways for resolving difficulties.

Proactive Strategies

At Lansdown Park Academy, our aim is to make our curriculum (by which we mean the pupil’s entire school experience and not just the subject-specific content they learn during lesson time) ‘irresistible’ so that pupils are inspired to be curious and engaged. We believe that, when all of the child’s basic needs are being met (and the learning is pitched to match their interests, their individual learning style and their level of understanding) the pupil’s behaviour will consistently contribute to a positive learning experience. This will reduce the need for teaching staff to actively employ reactive behaviour management strategies.

As well as the school-specific guidance located in this document, all staff are supported to make use of the Quality First Teaching Guidance and to implement strategies provided by professionals who have been involved in working with pupils and/or their families e.g. The LPA Outreach Team, EPs, SALTs, OTs, Social Care, CAMHS etc.

Whole School Commitment

• Each day there is a staff briefing in the morning so that staff can share any important contextual or safeguarding information that may be relevant for supporting specific individual or groups of pupils as well as for staff to share approaches or plans that will be implemented with individuals, groups or in response to a whole school concern e.g. tactic for combating a recent spate of pupils sneaking in mobile phones etc. These concerns/approaches are then followed up and evaluated at the de-brief at the end of each day. This also provides the opportunity to raise any concerns regarding behaviour and wellbeing that have occurred during the day and troubleshoot as a team around possible actions.
• All staff receive weekly CPD. These sessions are often dedicated to safeguarding (including specific contextual issues in our local community such as knife crime) as well as training around supporting pupil’s mental health and managing behaviour through a relational, attachment-aware approach. Primary staff will meet at an additional point each week to focus on primary-age issues, particularly meeting early development needs with regards to behaviour and SEMH needs.
• When staff are concerned about a pupil’s behaviour, engagement and/or wellbeing, they are encouraged to request a formal ‘working group’ with relevant members of staff. These are designed to be empathetic, supportive and solution-focused discussions, where staff can seek ideas from their colleagues, with a range of different forms of experience and expertise, in a non-judgemental environment.
• Behaviour, like safeguarding, is considered to be everyone’s responsibility. It is absolutely essential that ALL staff are aware of the approaches and systems used in school so that pupils receive a consistent response from all adults. All new staff will have significant training on theses approaches during induction and continued support with implementation throughout their first term. For this reason, all primary staff must be familiar with each pupil’s PSP, in order to know how to manage situations where an individual child may be at risk of entering crisis.

Responsive Strategies

The art and skill of teaching lies in the use of everyday interactions which actively maintain relationships in the classroom and promote a calm, harmonious and supportive learning environment. It is normal for children of all ages to be playful, challenge authority (to mess about) and to test boundaries. Most children will, at some point, overstep a boundary and will need reminding about agreements and expectations. Our relationships, and the relational skills we utilise should be our first port of call at these times. Skilled interactions can successfully resolve low level disruption without the need to escalate.

Every child will face challenges and at times experience strong emotions which block their access to learning and good social interaction. Catching these emotions and regulating the child so that these emotions do not become overwhelming is integral to keeping the child and classroom calm.

We know that the pupils who access our provision are likely to overstep boundaries more regularly than pupils in mainstream primary settings. When this occurs, the following procedures should be followed. Sometimes, the steps will be worked through rapidly and the interaction with the child will be brief. At other times, when the ‘distressed’ behaviour is more severe and/or the response to attempts to de-escalate are less positive and/or the risk of re-escalation seems particularly high, this process could take a minimum of 45 minutes.

Co-Regulation

Unhelpful, harmful or challenging behaviour is usually the result of strong emotions which have been triggered in the moment or which underpin adaptive behaviours. In order to maintain a calm learning environment and also to support children to process their feelings and emotions in order to regulate their behaviour, we need to be able to regulate them in the moment and provide them with experiences which will support the development of self-regulation skills.

The above table was adapted from the Devon County Council and Babcock ‘Guidance for Developing Relational Policy and Practice’.

Rewards and Sanctions

Lansdown Park Academy uses the relational approach before sanctions are considered. However following some incidents, there will need to be a response from the school in order to ensure that everyone is kept safe.

In some serious cases Suspension and Exclusion may be used to ensure the safety of staff and students and the effective running of the school. See our Suspensions and Exclusions Policy for details.

In Secondary celebration events are used to recognise positives while phone calls are used to keep parents / carers updated on progress.

For Primary age pupils our relational approach thinks in terms of providing positive and effective feedback. Children who have experienced attachment insecurity or trauma have not always developed internal control and therefore the external control systems of rewards are less likely to impact positively on their behaviour. Systems which use public displays of behaviour are not always helpful as pupils can become stigmatised or focused on their ego e.g. displaying behaviour to deliberately show they ‘don’t care’ about the reward system.

Each pupil will have a ‘Success Book’ in which staff will ensure to write only positive, specific praise at multiple points throughout the day. Effort should be made to ensure these are visually stimulating through the use of stamps, stickers and certificates. Pupils should be encouraged to look through the books with their key adults as often as possible as moral boosters and to show their families and home school adults regularly. Students should not compare books or be compared against others. Nothing from books should be shared with the whole class unless permission is first granted from the pupil themselves. At the start of term, the pupils can decorate their success books with cut outs/stickers/doodles. These will then be protected using a plastic covering so the books are seen as valued and less likely to become damaged.

There is extensive research which suggests that the most effective feedback meets the following criteria:

• Specific – “You stayed really focused today even when it got tricky” rather than ‘You were great today”. This leads to greater understanding of exactly what they should be doing.
• Activity involving rather than ego involving – “It was kind and thoughtful of you to let others go first,” rather than, “You are kind”. This leads to a belief that things are not fixed, everyone can behave well on some days and make mistakes on others. What you do makes the difference.
• Individual and does not allow comparisons between children – a quiet word giving feedback or a postcard home rather than a public announcement. This leads to children being reflective about their own behaviour without being influenced by the response of other children or the need to protect their ego.
• Identifies clear next steps – “You need to wait to take your turn when talking in a group,” rather than, “You need to be better next time”. This supports children to understand expectations and focus on their actions.

Resolving Conflict

When using a relational approach in school, restorative conversations will be the norm when there is minor conflict or disagreement. There will be opportunities for restorative conversations daily whenever two people engage in conversation around a difficulty. This will support the development of a caring and restorative ethos and will support the resolution of worries and disagreements as and when they arise, rather than allowing them to build into bigger conflicts.

When we engage in restorative conversations we need to be mindful of our relational skills (safety cues, curiosity, empathy, containment, soothing etc.)

All adults at LPA need to be skilled in taking part in restorative conversations. Belinda Hopkins describes a good restorative listener and communicator as someone who does the following:

Following an incident or when there is conflict between people, time needs to be spent sharing understanding and coming to an outcome which helps to repair relationships. This involves an encounter between all those involved where a restorative exploration of the problem, conflict or incident is used to support all people involved to share their story, thoughts and feelings, understand other peoples’ stories, thoughts and feelings and come to a shared understanding of what needs to happen to meet the needs of all people involved. Restorative actions, ideally decided by those involved, can be explored as part of the process – be these letters of apology, agreements to support change or actions that show a willingness to repair the relationship.

There are a variety of structures for this type of restorative exploration. At LPA, staff utilise the four key methods outlined by Belinda Hopkins in her book ‘Just Schools’, dependent on the situation and numbers of people involved: restorative mediation to resolve conflict/problems, problem solving circles, restorative mediation following harm and restorative conferencing.

• Restorative mediation to resolve conflict/problems is a process involving a neutral third party whose role is to support two people involved in conflict to come to a mutually acceptable resolution or at least find a way forward. Successful outcomes can sometimes be found if the problem is recognised as a shared one which the disputants can work together on resolving.
• Problem solving circles are useful when there is a problem to be discussed as a group, a conflict that needs addressing or an event that has caused distress to the whole group. Problem solving circles can be a valuable community building process. The process itself as well as the content can develop people’s restorative skills and provide important relational experience.
• Restorative mediation following harm is different to the previous structures described: in this case, one person has accepted responsibility, at least to some extent, for the harm caused to the other. A key issue here is to ensure that the process does not re-victimise the person harmed. Children will need reassurance that meeting those who have hurt them will be safe and likely to make matters better and not worse. Facilitators also need to ensure that the process does not shame the child who has caused harm. Shame would be detrimental to both the restorative process and the development of the child. Shame can lead to feelings of worthlessness and helplessness and does not help the child to learn from their mistakes and repair things. Guilt however can be a helpful feeling, supporting the child to think about their actions as a mistake that they have the potential to rectify.

Warning – All those involved must do so voluntarily. If there is no clear benefit to this form of restorative discussion, it is likely to do more harm.

• A restorative conference usually involves a group of people who have been harmed meeting with those who have harmed them. The purpose is to seek understanding of each other’s perspectives and come to a mutual agreement which will repair the harm caused as much as possible.

Following the use of a restorative exploration it can be helpful for the adults to reflect on:

• What was the behaviour communicating?
• How are the unmet needs being addressed?
• What skills does the child need to develop?
• What additional learning opportunities are in place to enable this?
• What suggestions do the children have to support the repairing of the relationship?

It is also important for the adults to update any details on the child’s pupil passport.

Individual/Group Interventions

As pupils have been referred to LPA in order to avoid the risk of permanent exclusion or having been permanently excluded, we can assume that key behavioural themes and areas of difficulty will be shared with LPA staff at the initial meetings. These will be used in combination with the results from the baseline assessments to determine which interventions will be most impactful for each pupil and a bespoke timetable will be drawn up. This will be flexible and adapted to meet the pupil’s changing needs as defined through skilled staff observations and continued assessment.

All children will engage with sensory circuits and Zones of Regulation interventions in class as well as twice-weekly PSHCE lessons which are contextual and responsive to what is occurring both inside school (e.g. friendship difficulties, pupil’s personal growth) and in the wider community (county lines and grooming). The ethos and holistic approaches that underpin both Thrive and Nurture approaches are also embedded into the daily classroom practice and the wider culture of the school.

Some pupils will be referred to outside agencies and services. A list of those we use regularly can be found below:

• SALT
• Educational Psychologists
• Equine Therapy
• Off the Record
• CAMHs
• Leading Lights
• Young Bristol (Local Youth Club Links)
• School Nurse

Working in Partnership

As well as working with outside agencies, LPA staff know that clear and consistent communication between all stakeholders is essential for the success of the pupil, particularly with regards to those pupils with insecure attachments. LPA staff will interact with staff from the referring school, parents/carers and the pupils themselves in the following ways:

Mainstream Setting/Referring School

• Referral paperwork
• Initial meeting
• Midpoint review meeting and written report
• Exit meeting and written report
• Visits and Showcases
• Staged transition at both the start and end of the 12/16 week programme
• Outreach support to share effective strategies and provision prior to and during the student’s return

Parents and Carers

• Engagement meeting at the start of the programme and each new term
• Tour of the school prior to accepting place
• Midpoint review meeting and written report
• Exit meeting and written report (including assessment data)
• Most importantly, daily verbal contact with staff at either drop off or pick up
• Phone calls made to report on any significant incidents – positive or negative
• Involvement in restorative conversations where appropriate
• Certificates and positive notes sent home to provide positive feedback about pupil’s effort, attitude and achievements
• Involvement in PATH
• Invited to attend class showcases
• All written plans are shared with parents e.g. Pupil Passports

Children and Young People

• Attendance at midpoint and exit meetings
• Simple questions/templates used to gain pupil voice for midpoint and exit meetings/reports
• Fortnightly conferencing between pupil and teacher to review targets
• Success book to help remind pupils of their successes and provide specific, positive feedback
• Involvement in PATH
• Involvement in adapting their pupil passports where appropriate
• Involvement in restorative conversations
• Pupils help make big decisions with regards to their school experience e.g. voting for new playground equipment, voting for and planning trips/enrichment activities and deciding on class rules etc

Serious Incidents

Serious Incidents may be referred to the schools Suspension and Exclusion Policy.

Whilst sanctions are avoided these may be used in serious cases to maintain the safe and effective running of the school.

Safe Handling/Using Reasonable Force

At LPA, all staff have a legal power to use reasonable force to physically guide or restrain children, when the danger is immediate or all de-escalation tactics have been skilfully employed yet ineffective. This may include passive physical contact, such as standing between pupils or blocking a pupil’s path, or active physical contact such as directing a pupil out of a classroom.

Restraint means to hold back physically or to bring a pupil under control. It should only be used in more extreme circumstances, for example when two pupils are fighting and refuse to separate without physical intervention or a child is about to run in front of a speeding vehicle. The decision on whether or not to physically intervene is down to the professional judgement of the staff member concerned and should always depend on the individual circumstances (dynamic risk assessment).

We would expect staff to use reasonable force in the following circumstances:

• To prevent pupils from committing an offence
• To prevent pupils from causing physical harm to themselves or others
• To prevent significant damage to property
• When conducting a search without consent for knives or weapons, alcohol, illegal drugs, stolen items, tobacco and cigarette papers, fireworks, pornographic images or articles that have been or could be used to commit an offence or cause harm.

Any member of staff who has used reasonable force must inform the Head Teacher or Deputy Head Teacher as soon as possible and record the incident in the central log located in the Head’s office. A member of staff will then inform parents of the use of force and the full extent of the situation. A restorative conversation may need to happen between those pupils involved and/or the staff involved in the safe handling.

Physical Contact

It is not illegal to touch a pupil. There are occasions when physical contact, other than reasonable force, with a pupil is proper and necessary.

At LPA, we believe that touching a pupil might be proper or necessary in the following situations:

Holding the hand of the child when walking around school or on trips (normally younger or more vulnerable pupils)

• Comforting a distressed pupil;
• A pupil is being congratulated or praised;
• Demonstrating how to use a musical instrument;
• To unobtrusively remind pupils with insecure attachments of your presence in a way that is comforting and mitigates hypervigilance/attention-needing behaviour that disrupts learning (e.g. hand on shoulder whilst giving teacher input);
• Whilst playing certain games e.g. tag;
• Providing deep pressure touch for pupils who require this for co-regulation e.g. during sensory circuits or when pupils are in a heightened state (this will be part of their agreed plan);
• Demonstrating exercises or techniques during PE lessons or sports
• coaching; and
• To give first aid.

Complaints Procedure

(i) All complaints about the use of force should be thoroughly, speedily and appropriately investigated.

(ii) Where a member of staff has acted within the law – that is, they have used reasonable force in order to prevent injury, damage to property or disorder – this will provide a defence to any criminal prosecution or other civil or public law action.

(iii) When a complaint is made the onus is on the person making the complaint to prove that his/her allegations are true – it is not for the member of staff to show that he/she has acted reasonably.

(iv) Suspension must not be an automatic response when a member of staff has been accused of using excessive force. Schools should refer to the “Dealing with Allegations of Abuse against Teachers and Other Staff” guidance where an allegation of using excessive force is made against a teacher. This guidance makes clear that a person must not be suspended automatically, or without careful thought.

DPS Policy for Behaviour and the Safe Handling of Children January 2015 11/11

(v) Schools must consider carefully whether the circumstances of the case warrant a person being suspended until the allegation is resolved or whether alternative arrangements are more appropriate.

(vi) If a decision is taken to suspend a teacher, the school should ensure that the teacher has access to a named contact who can provide support.

(vii) Governing bodies should always consider whether a teacher has acted within the law when reaching a decision on whether or not to take disciplinary action against the teacher.

(viii) As employers, schools and local authorities have a duty of care towards their employees. It is important that schools provide appropriate pastoral care to any member of staff who is subject to a formal allegation following a use of force incident.

Acts of Discrimination (e.g. racism, homophobia, ableism, sexism etc)

Although acts of discrimination from pupils will be interpreted as serious incidents, a similar restorative approach will be utilised as, at LPA, we believe that education is the best way to overcome these prejudices.

PSHCE sessions will include discussions around discrimination and celebrating differences proactively, as well as the opportunities to respond to incidences as the occur.

Where necessary, parents will also be involved in restorative conversations after incidents of discrimination.

All serious behaviour incidents are reported to SLT and the larger staff team during de-brief and recorded. This includes all acts of discrimination. The Head Teacher will complete the racial incident log and inform the local authority as well as keep a record of how the school has responded to the incident and record the actions that were taken along with the outcomes of the investigation.

For any incidents of a serious nature, or which could be considered a hate crime, pupils will need to be reported to the police.

Pupils Conduct Outside the School Gates

LPA staff will make use of the proactive and responsive strategies outlined in this document in response to non-criminal challenging behaviour and bullying which occurs off the school premises and which is witnessed by a staff member or reported to the school. This includes the following situations:

Misbehaviour when the pupil is:

• taking part in any school-organised or school-related activity or
• travelling to or from school or
• wearing school uniform or
• in some other way identifiable as a pupil at the school.

 Misbehaviour at any time, whether or not the conditions above apply, that:

• could have repercussions for the orderly running of the school or
• poses a threat to another pupil or member of the public or
• could adversely affect the reputation of the school.

In some situations, for example, when pupils have been involved in contextual safeguarding incidents in the community such as knife crime or county lines, school will liaise with community police and local charities/advocates to improve our education in these areas. It may be appropriate to ask for support and resources to help staff deliver some specific anti-knife crime lessons for example or for LPA staff to invite advocates or police officers in to speak with classes, individuals or groups of children about these crimes, whether as informal discussions or workshops.

Discussions with parents will be a priority when illegal activities or associations with known criminals are believed to have occurred outside of school. Literature will be given to parents and information passed to social care as appropriate and to ensure parents are supported to help their children avoid criminal activity in the community.

Monitoring and Evaluation

Monitoring and evaluating is an ongoing process and a range of strategies are used to monitor the effectiveness of policy and practice.

• Staff meetings to discuss procedures, share concerns and to update staff on relevant initiatives.
• School Self Evaluation processes allow scrutiny of procedures through learning walks, lesson observation and pupil voice. Any amendments will be made or actions taken where necessary.
• External audits of behaviour policy and practices may be requested.

Outcomes from whole staff discussions, year team discussions and the on-going observations are reported annually to the governing body. These outcomes are used to determine the priorities for development.