EXPERTS in challenging behaviour are taking their knowhow into mainstream schools to improve the learning climate at a time when new technology raises issues with conduct.
The overwhelming popularity of social media, gaming and digital devices are causing a host of problems for teachers as they impact on young people’s moods, ability to concentrate on lessons and their social skills.
Expert teachers at Trinity Academy Newcastle, have worked for years with children with complex needs, including social, emotional and mental health issues.
The multi-academy trust has launched Trinity Business and Enterprise offering external bespoke education and industry training solutions across the North-East.
Trinity has developed a positive behaviour package which includes Team Teach and behavioural leadership.
Coaching is designed to help leaders, teachers and support staff of all ages and experience and also aims to fill a gap in traditional teacher training which concentrates more on lesson planning than creating the best whole school and classroom environment in which to learn.
Trinity Academy Newcastle received ratification of its outstanding Team Teach practice by achieving Gold Status, making the trust a Beacon School in the North-East, also specialising in de-escalation techniques and the positive handling of challenging students.
Head of school Mark Flint said: “All schools, whether they are those supporting children with complex needs or mainstream, are facing significant challenges with behaviour that can impact on learning for the majority.
“A lot of our teachers spend hours planning fantastic lessons which they are unable to deliver because they haven’t created the right classroom environment.
“Our young people today are exposed by technology to such a lot, much more than they ever were. Social media, digital devices, unsupervised gaming with often age-inappropriate material all take their toll on the classroom.”
Trinity Business and Enterprise is offering training designed to help teachers overcome behaviour issues.
Its trainers are already working with schools across the region and with the teacher training programme Teach Direct.
Mr Flint said: “We have designed a programme based on decades of experience of working with the most challenging young people, on established best practise and sound research.
“Our philosophy is rooted in creating a calm and productive school/classroom environment, offering practical solutions to managing difficult behaviour. We use reflective practice, de-escalation techniques and positive strategies to help teachers deal with incidents quickly, calmly, professionally, assertively, but with kindness and empathy.
“Challenging behaviour often stems from places of anxiety, because young people don’t feel safe, comfortable, and confident or may feel fearful of the unknown. Our aim is to help teachers create a classroom environment that feels safe, supportive and fun, where students feel confident, engaged and able meet their potential thanks to consistent messages and agreed rules and expectations.”