Our nursery believes that children flourish best when they know how they are expected to behave.  Children gain respect through interaction with caring adults who show them respect and value their individual personalities. Positive, caring and polite behaviour will be encouraged and praised at all times in an environment where children learn to respect themselves, other people and their surroundings.

Children need to have set boundaries of behaviour for their own safety and the safety of their peers.  Within the nursery we aim to set these boundaries in a way, which helps the child to develop a sense of the significance of their own behaviour, both on their own environment and those around them. Restrictions on the child’s natural desire to explore and develop their own ideas and concepts are kept to a minimum. 

We aim to:

• Recognise the individuality of all our children
• Encourage self-discipline, consideration for each other, our surroundings and property
• Encourage children to participate in a wide range of group activities to enable them to develop their social and emotional skills
• Work in partnership with parents and carers by communicating openly
• Praise children and acknowledge their positive actions and attitudes therefore ensuring that children see that we value and respect them
• Encourage all staff working with the children to accept their responsibility for implementing the goals in the policy
• Promote non-violence and encourage the children to deal with conflict peaceably
• Provide a key person system enabling staff to build a strong and positive relationship with children and their families
• Have a named person who has overall responsibility for issues concerning behaviour.
• Promote Fundamental British Values

All staffwill keep up to date with legislation and research and support changes to policies and procedures in the nursery; access relevant sources of expertise where required and act as a central information source for all involved; attend regular external training events, and ensure all staff attend relevant in-house or external training for behaviour management. A record will be kept of staff attendance at this training

We recognise that codes for interacting with other people vary between cultures and staff are required to be aware of this and respect those used by members of the nursery.  

Nursery rules are concerned with safety and care and respect for each other. Children, who behave inappropriately by physically abusing another child or adult, or through verbal bullying, will be required to talk through these actions and apologise where appropriate. The child who has been upset will be comforted and the adult will confirm that the other child’s behaviour is not acceptable. It is important to acknowledge when a child is feeling angry or upset and that it is the behaviour we are rejecting, not the child.

When children behave in unacceptable ways:

• Physical punishment such as smacking or shaking will be neither used nor threatened
• Children will not be singled out or humiliated in anyway. Staff within the nursery will redirect the childrentowards alternative activities. Discussions with children will take place respecting their level ofunderstanding and maturity
• Staff will not raise their voices in a threatening way
• In any case of misbehaviour, it will always be made clear to the child or children in question, that it is the behaviour and not the child that is unwelcome
• How a particular type of behaviour is handled will depend on the child’s age, level of development and the circumstances surrounding the behaviour.  It may involve the child being asked to talk and think about what he or she has done, how they can make things right or better.  It may also include the child apologising for their actions.
• Parents will be informed if their child is unkind to others or if their child has been upset.  In all cases inappropriate behaviour will be dealt with in nursery at the time. Parents may be asked to meet with staff to discuss their child’s behaviour, so that if there are any difficulties we can work together to ensure consistency between their home and the nursery. In some cases we may request additional advice and support from other professionals, such as an educational psychologist or child guidance counsellors
• Children need to develop non-aggressive strategies to enable them to stand up for themselves so that adults and children listen to them. They need to be given opportunities to release their feelings more creatively
• Confidential records (Behaviour Management Record) will be kept on any negative behaviour that has taken place. Parents/carers will be informed and asked to read and sign any entries concerning their child. This is then reviewed on a regular basis
• If a child requires help to develop positive behaviour, every effort will be made to provide for their needs
• Through partnership with parents/carers and formal observations, staff will make every effort to identify any behavioural concerns and the causes of that behaviour. From these observations and discussions an individual Behaviour Management Record will be implemented
• Children will be distracted from the negative situation and supported in a different activity or environment, if necessary for their own wellbeing and that of others in the group.
• Positive role models, praise and reward schemes such as sticker charts are all forms of guiding children in what is acceptable behaviour and that negative feelings can be expressed without resulting in negative behaviour

Recording physical intervention

All incidents of physical intervention will be recorded and parents informed within 24 hours of the incident happening, once sign forms will be stored securely to keep confidentiality. Information to include:

• The name of the child
• The name/s of the staff who used physical intervention
• The date, time and place of the incident
• The circumstances of the incident and the factors leading up to the incident
• The nature of the physical intervention used.
• Names of any witnesses
• Any injuries that may have occurred during the incident and to whom
• Any further actions taken and parents signature/s.

Anti-bullying

Children need their own time and space. It is not always appropriate to expect a child to share and it is important to acknowledge children’s feelings and to help them understand how others might be feeling.

Children must be encouraged to recognise that bullying, fighting, hurting and discriminatory comments are not acceptable behaviour.  We want children to recognise that certain actions are right and that others are wrong.

Bullying takes many forms. It can be physical, verbal or emotional, but it is always a repeated behaviour that makes other people feel uncomfortable or threatened.

Any form of bullying is unacceptable and will be dealt with immediately. At our nursery, staff follow the guidelines below to enable them to deal with challenging behaviour:

• Staff are encouraged to ensure that all children feel safe, happy and secure
• Staff are encouraged to recognise that active physical aggression in the early years is part of the child’s development and that it should be channelled in a positive way
• Children need to be helped to understand that using aggression to get things is inappropriate and will be encouraged to resolve problems in other ways
• Our staff are encouraged to adopt a policy of intervention when they think a child is being bullied, however mild or “harmless” it may seem
• The staff are ready to initiate games and activities with children, when they feel play has become aggressive, both indoors or out
• Any instance of bullying will be discussed fully with the parents of all involved, to look for a consistent resolution to the behaviour
• If any parent has a concern about their child, a member of staff will be available to discuss those concerns. It is only by co-operation that we can ensure our children feel confident and secure in their environment, both at home and in the nursery.

By positively promoting good behaviour, valuing co-operation and a caring attitude we hope to ensure that children will develop as responsible members of society.