At our Nursery School, children are encouraged to take increasing responsibility for themselves.  They are given reasons for our routines, and they are helped to develop an understanding of the reasons for these, such as washing hands and helping to tidy up.  Consistent routines support children in feeling safe and secure. Visual aids are used to support children’s understanding of routines and transitions. 

We have high expectations of children’s behaviour and support them at every stage of their development. We know that children’s behaviour is a form of communication and when they display undesirable behaviours, they are trying to tell us that they are finding something difficult or they are unhappy. It is our responsibility as caring educators to explore reasons for a child’s behaviour and to discover if there are any unmet needs. By working with parents/carers, we can plan how we can meet these needs to help support the child as they grow and learn at home and school.

We do not seek to punish children for demonstrating and communicating their needs through dysregulated behaviour. Instead, we see undesirable behaviour as an opportunity to help the child regulate and reflect, and in doing so, giving them life-long tools and techniques to understand their own emotions and social interactions.

We explicitly talk about our Golden Rules of being kind, helpful, looking after our nursery and listening to each other. We use the Smile Programme, which teaches and supports their wellbeing and emotional development. When children are spotted showing such positive behaviour, they are given specific praise and rewarded to enforce their actions and to support other children in their personal development.