Written in accordance with the Statutory Framework for the Early Years Foundation Stage (2021): Safeguarding and Welfare Requirements: Managing behaviour
3.52. Providers are responsible for managing children’s behaviour in an appropriate way. Providers must not give corporal punishment to a child. Providers must take all reasonable steps to ensure that corporal punishment is not given by any person who cares for or is in regular contact with a child, or by any person living or working in the premises where care is provided. Any early year’s provider who fails to meet these requirements commits an offence. A person will not be taken to have used corporal punishment (and therefore will not have committed an offence), where physical intervention was taken for the purposes of averting immediate danger of personal injury to any person (including the child) or to manage a child’s behaviour if absolutely necessary. Providers, including childminders, must keep a record of any occasion where physical intervention is used, and parents and/or carers must be informed on the same day, or as soon as reasonably practicable.
3.53. Providers must not threaten corporal punishment and must not use or threaten any punishment which could adversely affect a child's well-being.
Little Squirrels uses effective positive behaviour management strategies to promote the welfare and enjoyment of all children attending the Nursery. We aim to enable all children to develop confidence, self-esteem and a positive attitude towards their own learning and towards others. We aim to ensure that all staff work in an environment where there is mutual respect, and where there is a good understanding of the developmental needs of children. We recognise that there may be different expectations for children’s behaviour at home and at nursery. We therefore work closely with parents/carers to explain the ways in which we promote positive behaviour, and the ways we can work together to promote the same message to children.
Encouraging positive behaviour
At Little Squirrels positive behaviour is encouraged by:
• Staff being positive role models
• Staff engaging in play with the children and supporting their ideas giving them confidence.
• Having clear consistent boundaries that are known within the setting.
• Staff use consistent positive language with a calm tone of voice. Get down to children’s level if they want to speak to them, not shouting across the room.
• Not to use the word ‘No’ but instead some words that they understand ‘Chairs are for sitting on’ if a child is climbing.
• Ensuring the environment is interesting and inviting for the children, somewhere for children to go if they need some quiet time in all rooms.
• Allowing children to lead their own learning/play and making their own choices.
• Supporting children’s independence to choose their own resources and experiences.
• Praising appropriate behaviour.
• Informing parents about individual achievements.
Dealing with challenging behaviour
It is inevitable that as children develop and learn, there are times when they need support and guidance to understand how to control the different emotions that they are feeling. Staff at the nursery will try to determine the cause or triggers of the inappropriate behaviour to prevent the situation from recurring.
Children will be given the support in order to manage their feeling and behaviours independently by understanding the reasons behind these feelings and how to manage them appropriately.
Staff should never use any form of physical punishment, restraint, or humiliation when dealing with undesirable behaviour.
Staff have to ensure that the children are aware that hurting their friends or making unkind comments towards them is not acceptable.
Whilst in the nursery, staff should use a gentle, calm tone, and child friendly and age-appropriate language when dealing with undesirable behaviour.
Always keep calm; never show that undesirable behaviour has had any impact on you, do not take the behaviour personally. Always make sure that when discussing undesirable behaviour that you go down to the child’s level.
An explanation of why the behaviour was inappropriate should always be given in clear, age-appropriate manner.
Please be discreet and if other children are trying to listen to the conversation, gently encourage them to do something else or ask a member of staff to distract them.
Ensure that you remember that the behaviour is to blame and not the child. Our approach is to give praise to children in order to promote positive behaviour rather than blaming the other child whose behaviour was deemed to be unacceptable. No child in the nursery should be forced to say “sorry”, if they wish to on their own accord that is acceptable. It may be suggested that they give the other child a hug to comfort them or to draw them a picture, or ask the other child ‘what could…..do to cheer you up?’ No child/children should be sent to a particular area in the room to be used as punishment. Staff must refrain from suggesting that a child will be sent to another room, if their negative behaviour continues. Pudding or other treats must not be withheld or exchanged for something else, in order to make a child behave.
On occasion it may be necessary to separate children from one another or if there is a situation where there is a risk of them causing the other/each other harm. If this has been necessary, we will inform the parent/carer at pick up. It will be noted within the room’s individual child chronology to be relayed through feedback at the end of the day. In situations where the children are causing each other distress i.e., over a particular toy, they may be encouraged to use a sand timer to share and take turns or be distracted with another activity or toy.
If after consultation with parents and the implementation of behaviour management strategies, a child continues to display inappropriate behaviour, the Nursery may decide to involve external agencies (with parent consent).
All serious incidents will be recorded on an Incident record and kept in the child’s file. This is used to build a pattern of behaviour, which may indicate an underlying cause/triggers. If a pattern of incidents indicates possible abuse, we will implement child protection procedures in accordance with our Safeguarding policy.
Special educational needs
This policy was adopted by: Jo Smith
Date: July 2016
Reviewed by: Kylie Jones
Date: April 2017, May 2018, June 2019, July 2020, January 2022
If a child has a special educational need and if there are also issues with their behaviour we will work closely with parents/carers, the nursery SENCO officers and outside agencies to come up with strategies to help with the situation.