A resource supporting whole-school approaches to positive behaviour
What?
SOS comprises training and resources to support the development of whole-school approaches to promoting positive behaviour. The approach invites us to consider: ‘What works in school?’. It encourages us to take a pragmatic approach; learning from what is working, leaving behind practice that is failing to pay off, recognising ‘the problem’ as the problem (not the child, teacher or professional) and building from the strengths that each individual brings.
Schools and education authorities say that they have found SOS useful in refreshing their knowledge of staged intervention (sometimes called Framework for Intervention or FFI), with which many are already familiar.
Internal note – hyperlink to SI/FFI section
Why?
Do you want to …
… reduce management time spent reacting to indiscipline, by renewing whole-school efforts to promote positive behaviour and positive relationships?
… improve learning, motivation, problem-solving and creativity? – by staff as well as pupils.
… enhance relationships between school and parents within the school community?
… promote the most effective multi-agency work, to meet pupil needs?
These are the long-term objectives of the SOS programme. Moray Council aims, through SOS, to harness and share a vision of clear, child-centred goals, healthy relationships in school and openness to new ideas.
How?
SOS programme offers user-friendly, step-by-step guidelines for developing and enhancing respectful and effective learning environments. It structures thinking and positive, cultural change in school into manageable stages, without yielding to ‘tick box’ solutions. Although the package is ready-made, its impact and effectiveness lie in its combination with HT, SMT and staff commitment, and school practitioners own expertise and reflection.
Vital statistics
• 3 pilot primary schools in Moray (began in April 2004) and two secondaries (launched in May 2005)
• Representatives of 17 Scottish education authorities have received training in the SOS approach
Views from the chalk-face
Those who have trialled the programme in Moray say:
“It allows the staff to develop new skills and their own professional development and it empowers people who are already good practitioners.”
Head Teacher
“I think the approach when there are problems is a good one in that solutions are sought and making people aware that a lot of the time what we do is repeat things that aren’t working.”
Head Teacher
“I have been struck by when we ask teachers to go away and apply what they have learnt, such as the principles, by the variety of responses that come back in terms of the way people use the approach individually in their work. That has amazed and encouraged me.”
SOS team member
“[The training] has made me change my views of children and their behaviour and made me more critical of my teaching/ strategies.”
Teacher
The Who’s Who of SOS
The programme was developed by Deirdre Cavalcante, Kirsty Mackintosh and Sandra Bruce of Moray Council in collaboration with Ioan Rees of Sycol, and supported by the Scottish Executive. The pack has been road-tested in Moray.
The Scottish Executive has funded a national training event and subsidised the first cohort of authority licences (required to use the approach). A second training for trainers programme and a re-call event, to enable all authorities using SOS to share practice, are in the pipeline.
How do I find out more?
Contact Douglas Wilson within the Moray Education Service, Douglas.wilson@moray.gov.uk
Further information can also be sourced from,
www.brieftherapy.org.uk
www.kidsskills.org
www.sycol.org
