Personal development, behaviour and welfare

The Education Adviser for Personal Development, Behaviour and Welfare in Bedford Borough works with our schools, striving to improve behaviour and attendance in order to positively affect learning and teaching, in line with current Government guidelines.

This strategic support and challenge focuses on a whole school approach to improving behaviour and attendance and includes ensuring that:

• all our schools have up-to-date behaviour, attendance and anti-bullying policies
• the school environment actively promotes learning
• every teacher is good at managing and improving children's behaviour

Specific support is offered around the following aspects:

Attendance

We work closely with colleagues in the Educational Welfare Service to improve overall attendance rates and reduce persistent absence within all our Primary and Secondary schools.

These guidance documents are available to download:

• Reducing Persistent Absence Framework (PDF)
• Persistent Absence Read Amber green (RAG) Review document (PDF)

Mental health, wellbeing and resilience in school

In conjunction with Early Help, Public Health, East London Foundation Trust and Schools we have created a Toolkit to support schools with developing a Whole School Approach to Mental Health and Wellbeing.

• Promoting Positive Mental Health Emotional Wellbeing and Resilience Toolkit (PDF)

We also run half-termly Professional Study Groups for school leads to allow them to share best practice around this important aspect of school support.

Social and emotional aspects of learning

Working with our schools to promote social emotional awareness through the implementation of the Primary and Secondary (SEAL) programmes.

The Borough have produced two transition documents which utilise SEAL based activities:

• Primary Transition (PDF)
• Secondary Transition (PDF)

Behaviour and attendance partnership work

Encouraging schools to work collaboratively to improve behaviour and attendance by sharing good practice and developing effective transition work.

• Guidance on school behaviour and attendance partnerships - March 2010 (PDF)
• Behaviour and the role of Home-School Agreements - Sir Alan Stear 2010 (PDF)

Continuing professional development

We recognise the importance of having a highly skilled and well-trained workforce and consequently, provide a range of CPD opportunities specifically aimed at improving behaviour and attendance eg The Programme for Specialist Leaders in Behaviour and Attendance (PSLBA). Contact Ian Lindsay regarding details for this course.

Current Department of Education publications:

• Behaviour and Discipline in schools - a guide for head teachers and school staff - March 2012 (PDF)
• Getting the simple things right: Charlote Taylor's behaviour checklists - 2011 (PDF)

For further details on any of the services we offer, please feel free to contact the School Improvement Team on: schoolimprovement@bedford.gov.uk