Curious Minds

St Aidan CE’s School Improvement Plan identified the need to address the challenging behaviour of a group of year 6 pupils, which was impacting not only upon their own attainment but also that of other pupils. The school wanted to develop different techniques for resolving conflicts, including incidents at lunchtimes, and to look at the impact of these upon the whole school. 

Representatives of pupils and lunchtime staff were involved in the selection process for Kate Gorst- a drama practitioner who was selected because of her ability to relate to young people and her vision of the wider impact this intervention could have on St Aidan’s CE. Kate’s process was as follows:

• Developing the skills. Drama workshops were held with pupils, teaching and non-teaching staff, focusing on developing confidence, listening skills, co-operation and teamwork
• Applying the skills. The young people created characters and engaged in role-play and improvisation. They produced a report and learnt Restorative Justice techniques - for example, the ‘Justice Circle’- through which they examined choices and consequences
• Building relationships: dissemination. The Year 6 class worked alongside the Year 5 class to pass on their skills through drama games and role-plays

• Lunchtime Supervisors: The Way Forward. The lunchtime supervisors were involved in workshops designed to build relationships with the young people. They worked through scenarios which were based on real-life incidents that had occurred. The lunchtime supervisors were given the opportunity to listen to the young people in a non-threatening environment. 

The school has discovered that children can very successfully be taught techniques to resolve conflict:

• The project has had a huge impact on pupils’ learning and behaviour. They developed understanding of, and skills in, empathy, collaboration and cooperation. They can now follow instructions and work effectively in groups without conflict
• The improved behaviour of pupils is believed to have led to improved attainment in SAT results, with a 12% rise in Level 4 and above compared to targets
• Behavioural incidents have decreased, with teaching assistants used less to direct behaviour and more for support
• All teachers in the school have learnt how drama games and activities can be used to improve skills and can confidently use them
• Lunchtime supervisors are beginning to build better relationships with the pupils. The pupils have said that they find it easier to speak to them now, and that they feel more understood.

• In the next academic year, the same process will be followed with the new Year 6 class and, by the following Summer, will be rolled out to the whole of Key Stage 2
• Staff will be receiving further CPD from Kate Gorst and the school’s Behaviour Policy will be rewritten in collaboration with staff
• Lunchtime supervisors will work with the new Year 6 class in the autumn term to build relationships straight away
• The findings of the project will go into the school’s Self Evaluation Form and a behaviour management action plan will be included within the School Improvement Plan.