What would happen with this behaviour in your school?

[missbunnyrabbit]

Child (6 years old) screams randomly throughout the day. Refuses to anything she doesn't want to. Will hit members of staff. Climbs on furniture. Very defiant. Snatches things off other children. Screams and has long meltdowns, but stops when you give her what she wants.

Child is EAL but understands a fair bit. We suspect autism, or severe only-child-brought-up-by-doting grandparents syndrome. Child is only at school for a year so school won't do any SEN assessments. Keep being told it is my responsibility as the class teacher to manage her behaviour. Tried to follow the behaviour policy with her (three strikes on the board and then removal to partner class) but no one will take her into their class. We've had mum in, but she's very very soft and just says "oh no." We have tried many techniques in class but nothing has worked.

Please tell me what would be steps taken in your school about this child? Would anything be done? My TAs and I have four high needs children, including her, in the class and we are going out of our minds with stress. I'm constantly told it's my job to sort it but we've tried everything we can think of.

Your SLT sound awful. I would log every incident. Follow the behaviour policy to the letter. If a colleague refuses to take her log this as well. Send log in writing to SLT and ask for advice on what to do. If they ignore or refuse to engage I would get advice from my union. On our school slt would be managing this. She would be removed from the classroom. She might be having 1.1 support. She would have been referred into the system.

On our school slt would be managing this. She would be removed from the classroom. She might be having 1.1 support. She would have been referred into the system.

This.

Hitting a member of staff would be immediate suspension at ours (as in, parents are called to pick up right there and then), regardless of age. This is followed by a warning letter from the head. Three of those and the child's contract gets cancelled. (We are an independent school. )
At the same time, there would be a referral to our SEN department and social services. They are needed here to access 1-2-1 support for children. Senco and SLT would meet with the parents to discuss what to do in terms of support.
In terms of screaming and not following instructions, our behaviour policy goes through steps. One of those is removal to another class. This is followed by having parents pick the child up. If nobody wants to have the child in their room, we do have members of the SEN department and some spare rooms they can go to...or they have to go to SLT. If the parents refuse to pick up (doesn't tend to happen, but they sometimes take forever to arrive), social services and the police would be called.

That said, we have some low level behaviour across the school (not listening, etc.) but nothing major, usually.

Hitting members of staff? I’ve got to ask why this child is still at the school? They’d be immediately gone if they were at mine, EAL / Autism or not.
Seems like your SLT and SENCO is poor - you should be supported better than this!

I'm secondary so it is different but hitting staff would be a permanent exclusion. The rest would likely be internal exclusion or one day exclusion depending on the severity of the meltdowns etc.

I'd consider getting your union rep involved in terms of your safety at work - a six year old could still injure you in some circumstances.

I'd also raise with SLT that you cannot follow the behaviour policy as other teachers won't take her into their class. Next time this happens, I'd ask your head or the senco to remove her.

Thanks everyone, I appreciate the responses. Sounds like my school are too soft and hopeless.

I teach Y1 and in my school we would put a Positive Behaviour Plan in place if the parents agreed to it. If the parents didn’t agree we’d still set up a PBP but the documentation wouldn’t be in place. The plan would say things like:

• the teacher will greet the child at the classroom door, chat to them and ensure they start the day well.
• the teacher will ensure that the child is praised for all positive or neutral behaviours with a time frame e.g. at least once ever 45 seconds.
• the teacher will provide a range of engaging activities which target this child’s interests to use as rewards.
• the child will be given a sand timer. If they engage in a non-preferred activity for the duration of the sand timer then they can use one of the reward activities for 10 minutes.
• the teacher will email the head every day to find times for the child to visit the head to show him a piece or work.

In theory it’s lovely, but in practise (with a class of 30 and no TA) it doesn’t work.

And when it doesn’t work, the teacher is dragged over the coals for not being consistent.

Bloody hell when do you have time to teach the other 29 kids!!

Typical SMT thinking, Bucklerpoint. The teacher and the child, ignore the fact that there are 30+ other students in the class

I am interested in how violence is is dealt with in other schools- especially with children with SEN. Chair throwing, hitting, etc something that TAs are expected to tolerate in a mainstream I have experience in... Children in a mainstream primary with very complex needs...

And other children witness of course...

And, of course, such behaviours indicating children not being appropriately supported/ possibly in inappropriate setting...