headteacher-secondary

B E H AV I O U R complex needs, but recognising that all children have three core needs: learning, wellbeing and safeguarding. It also helped me acknowledge that any student facing challenging times, and feeling unsafe or anxious could see problems rapidly escalate – not just ‘the usual suspects’. Indeed, Previous work by Ofsted in the area of child criminal and sexual exploitation (bit.ly/ TSdifferenceofsted) has encouraged schools to recognise that related issues can affect any child. After all, adolescence itself presents risks to every teenager. The transition from childhood into adulthood changes who you are. It’s a point in a young person’s life where they’re at pains to demonstrate their agency and shape their future identity – something often achieved by crossing the boundaries caring adults create to keep them safe. All teenagers can be vulnerable at this time, to exploitation from others, unhealthy relationships, risky choices and depression linked to social isolation. Some of these can be low level, mostly affecting teenagers’ abilities to be happy, healthy, and to engage. Some, however, can escalate, leading to serious changes in behaviour and threats to their own safety or that of others. Authentic inclusion I think we often create a myth that safeguarding and mental health are specialisms that fall outside the remit of teachers and are best left to experts. But we now know from research into mental health in schools and its links to school exclusion (bit.ly/ TSdifferenceguardian) that all relationships are protective factors. They lessen risks for mental ill health because they meet our wellbeing needs to be heard and understood. That means students’ relationships not just with teachers, but with the adults on the reception desk or who serve them dinner; those whom they chat to every day, including their friends and classroom peers, as well as obviously their parents. These relationships fulfil wellbeing needs, but can also help us spot potential safeguarding concerns early on, before they escalate via unexplained or somehow unexpected behaviour coming from children. The child who normally says hello and chats to the receptionist is suddenly silent all week. The pupil who is often shy to talk to adults tells her best friend about the older man she’s met. The student who is already being exploited criminally disappears during a school holiday; when he returns, he's aggressive to his mum. At Thomas Tallis, we therefore developed a framework for authentic whole-school inclusion – a framework that meant all staff had a supporting role for ABOUT THE AUTHOR Shaun Brown is Programme Lead (Wellbeing & Safeguarding) at The Difference; he is a specialist in whole-school inclusion, trauma-aware practice, multi-agency working and contextual safeguarding. The-Difference.com every student. We had a programme of staff training and behaviour systems which ensured children understood consequences to their actions. There was concerted work with parents, giving them input into the school’s work on learning, wellbeing and expecially safeguarding (see panel above). Over time, the support of leadership and whole staff engagement led to us significantly reducing our fixed term exclusions, from 10.5% to 3.4%, while also improving attendance from 93.2% to 95.4%. Make a difference Three years later, I left my job at Thomas Tallis to spread that Inclusion framework further. At The Difference, we give teachers the opportunity to walk similar career paths of their own. Teachers on The Difference Leaders Programme leave middle or senior leadership roles to take up a two-year senior leadership placement in a PRU, alongside training informed by the Inclusion Framework. At the end of those two years we hope that the skills they have learnt will help them return to mainstream and reduce exclusions, by improving their school’s capacity to meet all pupils’ wellbeing, safeguarding and learning needs. Readers can find out more about the work we do at The Difference by joining us for our IncludEd conference, which takes place on Saturday 6th November 2021 at King's Cross Academy, London, For further details and ticket information, visit bit.ly/TSdifference “Adolescence presents risks to every teenager” TIER 3 High needs Identify your EHCP students, and review their SEN Profiles. Liaise with SEN Team and TAs to ensure learning is accessible Identify student needs from the SEN register, read Profiles where available and adapt lessons to include them Establish a classroom culture in which all students are supported to think hard, to ask for help and accept it. Respond warmly to all students and model compassionate responses to distress. Recognise that all students may be exposed to harm. Look for unexpected changes in behaviour. Report every concern you have. Ensure that students in distress are indentified to Form Tutors and HoYs so they can receive additional support swiftly. Know what makes behaviours Harmful and Abusive. Ensure victims and perpetrators are referred for appropriate support. Recognise the difficulties experienced by students facing mental ill-health. Promote their recovery by responding with care and compassion. Be alert to students who have been identified to you as 'at risk of harm'. Report concerns you have immediately Inclusion Framework: All Staff. Every Student. Learning Wellbeing Safeguarding TIER 2 Identified needs TIER 1 All Students 15 teachwire.net