Behaviour For Learning
The BFL Programme
Known as BfL, it was previously known as the Behavioural Improvement Programme or BIP. This was a Government Scheme aimed at improving behaviour within schools. It was introduced to Kingsmead in September 2002. The programme has ensured that in Kingsmead's classrooms, students can focus on learning and teachers can focus on teaching. The heart of BfL in Kingsmead is the Inclusion Office which is located next to the Head’s office. This is where internal exclusions are managed, which is the most serious sanction given within the school.
If the need arises, the specialist team can intervene and resolve issues and if necessary investigate and work in co-ordination with Learning Directors of Year and other senior staff to determine an appropriate and consistent response. The BfL team liaise with parents when necessary and co-ordinate the range of procedures involved in school sanctions. One important feature of BfL is that it enables key workers in external agencies to meet with school staff on a regular basis to co-ordinate support for students whose behaviour places them at risk of exclusion.
The Inclusion Office is a place where students are brought if they need guidance with any behaviour issues, or where they can come to report any incidents of poor behaviour. The BfL team also runs ‘focus group’ work where individual or small groups of students receive extra support in certain subject areas. Students may come to BfL for advice, support or mentoring from members of the team. We work closely with both Learning Directors of Year and Departments to support the work they do and allow them to focus on the academic development of our students. All of these strands come together to ensure that outstanding teaching and learning can continue in all lessons, at all times in Kingsmead.
Within the BfL team we also have a PSA (Parent Support Advisor) who works closely with the families of our students who have been excluded as well as supporting students from Kingsmead who attend college courses around the borough.
Such has been the success of BfL/BIP at Kingsmead that its effectiveness has been nationally recognised. An HMI inspection in 2004 concluded that they had observed “excellent practice” and that it had made “a significant difference to the teaching and learning”. In January 2008 Kingsmead received an 'Outstanding' OFSTED report in which the inspectors commented that “the behaviour improvement programme has been extremely successful”.
The success of BIP/BfL has been reported in articles that have featured in both national and local newspapers and the team regularly welcome visitors from schools across the country who wish to see the practices and procedures used at Kingsmead.
Consequences
Our work at Kingsmead is driven by our desire to achieve the best possible outcomes for our students and we regularly look to our practices to ensure they support this purpose. We have very high levels of expectation with regards to student behaviour and one area that we wish to tighten up on is students’ low level disruption. This letter is to share with you details of a new initiative that we have trialled with Year 8 this half-term and which we will be introducing into Years 7, 9 & 10 in June.
Any type of behaviour that takes time away from your child’s learning because their teacher has to deal with it is considered low level disruption. Examples of low level disruption are:-
- Students attending lessons without the correct equipment
- Students calling out without permission
- Students talking unnecessarily, or chatting
- Students slow to start work or follow instructions
- Students not following uniform rules
Our new system introduces “consequences” for students who are causing low level disruption in lessons.
These are the stages:
Verbal warning: student misbehaves and teacher reminds them of the expectations, giving them a chance to change their behaviour.
C1: student misbehaves again during the same lesson and is given a “C1” which is logged on the register by their teacher.
C2: Further misbehaviour results in a “C2” which is logged and which results in a detention. Tutors and Learning Directors receive daily reports of the C1s and C2s so they can monitor the students.
If a student receives a number of C1s and/or C2s over a period of time, there will be an intervention and a sanction from the Learning Director of Department or Year.
We would ask that you support the school with this new initiative and reinforce to your child the importance of following school guidelines.
The BFL Team
Mr Annan-Forson- BFL Learning Coordinator
Ms T Mahmood – BFL Administrator
Mr D Lynch – Pastoral Behaviour Advisor
Ms T Mould - BFL Inclusion Officer
Mrs S Usta - Parent Support Advisor
Mr B Reid - Security Officer
