Ordinarily Available Inclusive Provision

Relational Practice

Contents

Expectation

All leaders and staff explicitly model positive relationships and ensure that all children and young people have a sense of belonging.

  • Accordion

    • Why? Evidence base

      • Research has demonstrated that investing time and resources into improving relationships leads to positive outcomes around inclusion, engagement, attainment and achievement in the short term and community safety and cohesion in the longer term.
      • In addition, positive teacher student relationships have been shown to be central to the well-being of both students and teachers.

    • How? Whole setting

      There are established systems and practice which supports positive relationships including:

      • Active support and modelling from senior leaders and school governors.
      • Policies and systems which support strong relationships.
      • Whole staff training, CPD and induction for new staff in relational, regulatory and restorative theory and practice.

    • How? Early years

      • Practitioners ensure children feel safe and provide a ‘safe base’ through their interactions, including body language, tone of voice and facial expressions.  
      • Practitioners are attuned and responsive, they are warm and nurturing, creating a safe, welcoming and inclusive environment. The emotional environment is considered a priority by all staff.   
      • Practitioners know their children well and connect with them in meaningful ways, using age-appropriate communication methods .
      • Practitioners support children to connect with each other to develop strong peer relationships and belonging, by providing activities where children collaborate through a range of media, including role play, small world, storytelling and puppets. 
      • Practitioners organise routines to ensure there are opportunities throughout the day for real and meaningful conversations and connection between adults and children.   

    • How? Classroom

      • Teachers know how to ensure that children and young people feel safe in school and provide a ‘safe base’ through their interactions, predictability of routines, management of the environment and by ensuring that there are clear boundaries that are co-constructed, regularly discussed, and maintained.
      • Teachers know their children well and can connect with them in meaningful ways.
      • All staff ensure there is an intentional, welcoming and positive ‘meet and greet’ for all children at the start of the day.
      • Activities which support connection are built into the school day.
      • Teachers support children to connect with each other in order to develop strong peer relationships and belonging.
    Relational Practice resources

Expectation

All staff know their children’s needs well. They understand their children’s behaviour and provide support to pastoral, emotional and additional needs.

They have the skills to build relationships, teach and regulate behaviour, manage conflict and repair breakdowns

  • Accordion

    • Why? Evidence base

      • Research tells us that behaviour is a communication of unmet need, for example speech and language difficulties, learning needs or challenges at home.
      • If support is to be effective, it needs to target the unmet need rather than focus purely on presenting behaviours.

    • How? Whole setting

      • There is a whole setting culture that expects all staff and practitioners to be curious about children’s behaviour in order to understand any underlying need.
      • Whole school or setting behaviour policies are implemented consistently across the school by all staff and include a focus on relational, regulatory and restorative strategies.
      • Reasonable adjustments are made to whole school behaviour systems.
      • All staff are supported to develop their skills and practice of relational and restorative approaches via supervision and coaching, in order to build relationships, teach and regulate behaviour, manage conflict and repair breakdowns.
      • Evidence-informed approaches are used to:
        • support the emotional well-being, development and learning of all pupils through secure relationships
        • manage behaviour, regulate emotions and build children’s capacity for self-regulation
        • promote learning and repair through the use of restorative approaches.

    • How? Early years

      • Children have a key person who ensures that the child’s individual care and educational needs are met. All practitioners know children and families well.
      • Patterns of behaviour and needs are identified in order to provide preventative strategies and support.
      • All practitioners have an understanding of the connection between personal, social, emotional and language development.
      • Practitioners show they are interested in children through active listening, recalling shared experiences, and knowledge of the child’s home environment.
      • Practitioners help the child to develop a strong sense of self through fostering attachments with key practitioners. Practitioners are aware of and responsive to the child’s emotions and needs.
      • Practitioners help children to learn about feelings and emotions through experiences, revisiting shared experiences and commenting on responses.
      • Practitioners teach self-regulation strategies through modelling, role play and co-regulation processes.

    • How? Classroom

      • All staff are curious about children’s behaviour and seek to understand underlying needs. Staff understand the link between language and behaviour.
      • Patterns of behaviour and needs are identified in order to provide preventative strategies and support.
      • Teachers use regulatory approaches to de-escalate behaviour and provide strategies to support children to develop their regulation skills.
      • Teachers model and teach the use of restorative language and conversations. Restorative conversations are used to manage conflict and repair relationships.
      • Consequences which are logical and proportionate are used when they are necessary.

Resources

Useful resources for school leaders, teachers, SENCOs and early years practitioners.