Woodlands - Behaviour Guidance Policy
The right for children to receive positive guidance in a supportive and respectful environment is protected in National Regulations. Children learn to face a variety of challenges throughout their lives and through this develop not only self-regulation but positive dispositions such as resilience and perseverance. Learning the difference between acceptable and unacceptable behaviour assists children to regulate their own behaviours in different social and emotional environments as well as when interacting with peers and adults.
Early Years Learning Framework
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Outcome 1: Children have a strong sense of identity |
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1.1 |
Children feel safe, secure, and supported |
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1.2 |
Children develop their emerging autonomy, inter-dependence, resilience and sense of agency |
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1.3 |
Children develop knowledgeable and confident self-identities |
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1.4 |
Children learn to interact in relation to others with care, empathy and respect |
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Quality Area 5: Relationships with Children |
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5.1 |
Relationships between educators and children |
Respectful and equitable relationships are maintained with each child |
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5.1.1 |
Positive educator to child interactions |
Responsive and meaningful interactions build trusting relationships which engage and support each child to feel secure, confident and included. |
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5.1.2 |
Dignity and rights of the child |
The dignity and rights of every child are maintained |
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5.2 |
Relationships between children |
Each child is supported to build and maintain sensitive and responsive relationships |
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5.2.1 |
Collaborative learning |
Children are supported to collaborate, learn from and help each other |
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5.2.2 |
Self-Regulation |
Each child is supported to regulate their own behaviour, respond appropriately to the behaviour of others and communicate effectively to resolve conflicts |
Education and Care Services National Regulations
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Children (Education and Care Services) National Law |
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155 |
Interactions with children |
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156 |
Relationships in groups |
Related Policies
Purpose
We aim to create positive relationships with children making them feel safe, secure and supported within our Service. We will ensure children are treated with respect, consistency, fairly and equitably as they are supported to develop the skills and knowledge required to behave in a socially and culturally acceptable manner.
Supporting children to develop socially acceptable behaviour and self-regulation is a primary goal for educators and families. This is embedded in fundamental documents including the Early Years Learning Framework (EYLF), The Education and Care Services National Regulations and the National Quality Standard (NQS).
Scope
This policy applies to children, families, staff, management and visitors of the Service.
Definitions
Self-regulation: The ability to manage energy states, emotions, behaviour and attention: the ability to return to a balanced, calm and constant state of being. Self-regulation is a key factor for mental health, wellbeing and learning (Kidsmatter, cited in the Guide to the NQF, p.629). Self-regulation has become an important topic of interest in regard to children’s learning and development with an
emerging understanding of its contribution to children becoming positive learners as well as their long term mental health.
Implementation
The behaviour and guidance techniques used by staff and Educators at Woodlands are designed to give children the opportunity to expand their experiences of life in a productive, safe environment that allows individuals the right to safety, tolerance, self-expression, cultural identity, dignity and the worth of the individual.
Educators understand that as children grow and develop self-regulation becomes an important aspect of social and emotional development as they begin to understand how their actions affect others.
We believe in providing boundaries as part of a loving and secure relationship with children and families to help them feel secure and self-confident. Children benefit from knowing that their environment is stable and that a competent adult is taking care of them.
There are three aspects to promoting positive behaviour:
- A learning environment that is positive and supportive, and provides developmentally appropriate experiences and resources
- Strategies for building skills and strengthening positive behaviour based on age-appropriate behaviour expectations
- Strategies for decreasing undesired behaviours
Management/Nominated Supervisor/Responsible Person will ensure:
- Information is gathered from families about their children’s social skills and relationship preferences, which will be recorded in the child’s individual file. Our educators will use this information to engage children in experiences that support children to develop and practice their social and shared decision-making skills.
- A partnership is developed with local schools and other professionals or support agencies that work with children who have diagnosed behavioural or social difficulties to develop plans for the inclusion of these specific children. This information will be kept confidential and in the individual child’s file.
- Children are given the opportunity to make choices and experience the consequences of these choices when there is no risk of physical or emotional harm to the child or anyone else.
- Children are being acknowledged when they make positive choices in managing their behaviour.
- Positive strategies are being implemented to enable educators to encourage positive behaviour in children in order to minimise adverse behaviour. In addition, we will implement strategies for educating children about developing behaviour limits and the consequences of inappropriate behaviour.
- Excessive behaviour is managed and communicated with families.
- Support educators enhance their skills and knowledge in guiding children’s behaviour
- A Strategic Inclusion Plan (SIP) is developed with local support agencies
- The SIP is reviewed on a periodic basis reflecting changes that have been applied through the implementation of the plan.
- The families and Educational Leaders are support to apply for Inclusion Support when there is family consent and a mutual agreement. Please see related guide: https://woodlandsteam.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/10792950485007-Inclusion-Support-Program-ISP
Educators will:
- Encourage and support each child’s social and emotional development, striving to develop children’s self-regulation and an understanding of the feelings of others.
- Actively work with younger children to promote and role-model positive ways to interact with others.
- Actively work with all children to support them in constructing and conveying ways of expressing needs, resolving conflict, and responding to the behaviour of others.
- At all times provide positive role-modelling in their dealings with children, other educators and staff, and families.
- Guide children’s behaviour, teaching them how to be considerate of others – to think about the effects of their actions on others. It is important that children understand what acceptable and unacceptable behaviour is and how to manage their emotions.
- Talk calmly with children about the consequence of their actions, and the reason for rules.
- Use positive guidance through redirection. In the instance of adverse behaviour being persistently observed, Educators will evaluate their program, room set up, supervision etc. to reflect on inappropriate behaviour, triggers and sources.
- Role model appropriate behaviour and language, encouraging children to socialise with other children, including children of different cultural backgrounds as well as from different age groups and different genders.
- Implement “Time with” an adult, which will be used when all other strategies (above) have been exhausted. “Time with,” allows children time to reflect on their actions, assisting in fostering self-discipline and to acknowledge that there are consequences to actions. “Time with” will occur under the supervision of other Educators.
- Take into consideration the child’s past experiences as their behaviour could be a result from past trauma such as changes in routine, changes or losses within the family, placement in care, or more serious circumstances involving abuse, neglect, or family violence.
- Be responsive to these former experiences, designing and implementing behaviour plans with the individual child that include strategies which will assist alternative and positive behaviour.
- Ensure all strategies being implemented are appropriate to the child's age and developmental capacity.
- Adopt a positive approach, excluding cruel, harsh, humiliating or demeaning actions.
- Consult with industry professionals to support the child within the Service and implement techniques within the program to benefit all.
- Commit to professional development and keep up to date with industry information regarding behaviour management.
- Redirect a child who may be causing or about to cause harm to himself or herself, another child or adult. Incidents may include a child who is kicking, spitting, biting, throwing furniture or toys, punching or hitting, or being disruptive. Redirection may also include an incident where a child places itself in a dangerous situation, for example, climbing a fence or hiding under furniture. Safety is a priority and this may mean using physical re-direction in which an Educator will actually remove the child from the harmful situation
- Ensure the teams are completing a 'Behaviour data analysis' that is on playground with each incident that occurs to ensure clarity of what is happening.
- Continue observing the child, where a similar incidence occurs three times the child’s parents and Educators will meet to discuss the behaviour of concern as they assist in creating a Strategic Inclusion Plan (SIP) to support the child in the environment.
- If incidents occur and children's behaviour doesnt improve, have the Ed Leader with the lead Educator complete a 'child wellbeing plan'. This is to be done in collaboration with the family, in a face-to-face parent partnership meeting. You will be able to exchange information with families about behaviour guidance which is encouraged both on an informal and more formal basis.
- Be sufficiently informed, trained and supervised to implement the Strategic Inclusion Plan (STP) created, ensuring that information is composed and recorded for reflection on its effectiveness for the individual child.
- Support children to explore different identities and points of view and to communicate effectively when resolving disagreements with others.
- Participate in planned and spontaneous conversations with children about emotions, feelings and issues of inclusion and fairness, bias and prejudice and the consequences of their actions and the reasons for this as well as the appropriate rules.
- Provide children with the language and vocabulary needed to express their emotions and feelings and verbalise their concerns.
- Encourage children to listen to other people’s ideas, consider prosocial and altruistic behaviour and collaborate and negotiate in problem-solving situations.
- Listen empathetically to children when they communicate their emotions, provide encouragement as they reassure the child it is normal to experience positive and negative emotions.
- Guide children to remove themselves from situations where they are experiencing frustration, anger or fear.
- Support children to negotiate their rights and rights of others and mediate perceptively when children experience complexity in resolving dissimilarity.
- Learn about children’s relationships with others and their relationship preferences they have and use this knowledge to encourage children to manage their own behaviour and expand on their empathy skills.
- Work with individual families and professional agencies to ensure that a consistent approach is used to support children with diagnosed behavioural or social difficulties.
- Use positive language, gestures, facial expressions and tone of voice when redirecting or discussing children’s behaviour with them.
- Remain calm, tender and tolerant as they encourage children who are strongly expressing distress, frustration or anger.
- Guide children’s behaviour with a focus on preserving and promoting children’s self-esteem as they learn to self-regulate their behaviour.
Families will:
- Be informed of behaviour concerns the Service may have with their child, this includes the positive and negative aspects of the day.
- Collaborate with Educators and professional agencies when required in order to develop a broader understanding of the child’s developmental level, the child's family, the parent's approach, and any recent events, which may be influencing the child's behaviour.
Children will:
- Learn to respect the rights and needs of others by anticipating the result and consequences of their behaviour.
- Be given positive guidance towards acceptable behaviour so they learn what acceptable and unacceptable behaviour is.
- Gradually develop an understanding of their actions and how their behaviour impacts on others.
- Be encouraged to use their words rather than actions to resolve conflicts.
- Build on strengthening their communication through:
- Greeting others when they arrive and depart from the Service
- Sharing resources
- Assisting when it is time to pack away the indoor and outdoor environment
- Using manners such as please and thank-you
- Learn to wait for their turn for an appropriate period of time. This will depend on age and development
- Learn about the feelings of others throughout the program in order to assist children to understand the consequences of their actions.
- Be encouraged to engage in cooperative and pro-social behaviour and express their feelings and responses to others’ behaviour confidently and constructively, including challenging the behaviour of other children when it is disrespectful or unfair.
Positive behaviour strategies:
Guiding children’s behaviour is an important aspect of caring for and educating children. Positive strategies need to be developed to assist children to learn appropriate ways of behaving. Corporal punishment and unreasonable discipline are not permitted in children’s services, not only because the child may be physically harmed, but also because it nearly always has detrimental effects on the child’s self-esteem and feelings of security.
Our Service will:
- Establish positive relationships with children and their families.
- Empower children to use language and other forms of non-hurtful communication to communicate their emotions
- Promote positive, empathetic relationships between children assisting them to develop a respectful relationship
- Encourage and assist children to make decisions for themselves and provide opportunities for independence and self-regulation
- Provide clear and reasonable limits so that children know what is expected of them and follow through to help them abide by the limits
- Model appropriate behaviours
- Provide positive feedback and focus on children’s strengths and achievements and build on their abilities
- Be understanding and supportive – acknowledge children’s emotions
- Help children develop a sense of social responsibility so that they become aware of the impact of their actions on others
- Promote children’s initiative and agency
- Discuss guidelines, rules, limits and what is fair with children, and use their contributions in setting limits and guidelines.
- Provide age-appropriate and interesting activities, experiences and equipment for children to use and become engaged in as they challenge their development
- Providing opportunities for children to explore both in the indoor and outdoor environment
- Set up the environment (indoor and outdoor) for children to engage in activities and experiences in accordance with their abilities and interests.
- Ensure there are sufficient materials and equipment
- Implement a regular routine to support children’s positive behaviour. Routines help to provide a sense of security so children feel settled.
Serious Misconduct
An education and care service must provide education and care to children in a way that -
- encourages children to express themselves and their opinions
- allows the children to undertake experience that develop self-reliance and self-esteem
- maintains at all times the dignity and rights of each child
- gives each child positive guidance and encouragement toward acceptable behaviour
- has regard to the family and culture values, age and physical and intellectual development and abilities of each child being educated and cared for by the service
Relationships in Groups
The Approved Provider must take reasonable steps to ensure that the service provides children being educated and cared for by the service with opportunities to interact and develop respectful and positive relationships with each other and with staff members of, and volunteers at, the service.
The Approved Provider, Nominated Supervisor and any staff member of, or volunteer at, an education and care service must ensure that NO child being educated and cared for by the service is subjected to -
(a) any form of corporal punishment
(b) any discipline that is unreasonable in the circumstances
Educators will:
- Sit and engage in relaxed and unhurried two way conversations with children, particularly at meal times
- Show enthusiasm and respect when interacting with all children and their families
- Comfort children who cry or show other signs of distress, fear or discomfort
- Use positive language, gestures, facial expressions and tone of voice when redirecting or discussing children's behaviour with them
- Responding promptly to children's disruptive behaviour by acknowledging their feelings, spending time with them and suggesting alternative ways of responding
- Talk with children about the consequences of their actions
- Plan and implement positive behaviour guidance strategies to support individual children's behaviour
- Encourage positive behaviour in children, and support them to understand the expectations of their behaviour and the consequences of inappropriate behaviour
- Support each child to understand and regulate their behaviour and emotions, respond appropriately to the behaviour of others and communicate effectively to resolve conflicts\
Educators WILL NOT:
- Redirect children physically without first asking permission to touch the child, either verbally or with physical gesture, ie. holding out a hand for the child to take, unless other children and educators are at risk of serious harm
- Hold children by the forearm to redirect. Educators should take a child's hand only and always.
- Lift children by their arms/hands to move them from one place to another
Woodlands Long Day Care & Kindergarten have a ZERO TOLERANCE policy when it comes to physical violence against children.
An investigation will be conducted into any alleged physical violence against a child/ren. The educator will be stood down pending investigation. If the allegations are substantiated, the employee will be terminated instantly, no notice, no payout period, and will be asked to collect their belongings and leave the premises immediately.
Related policy:
Anti-Bias & Inclusion Policy (QA5)
https://woodlandelc.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/900001705666-Anti-Bias-Inclusion-Policy-QA5
Source
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Review
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Policy Reviewed |
Modifications |
Next Review Date |
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October 2017 |
Updated the references to comply with the revised National Quality Standard |
May 2018 |
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October 2024 |
Updated to include terminology ‘Inclusion Support Plans’ which replace Behaviour Management Plans. |
October 2025 |
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October 2024 |
Updated to include ‘self-regulation’ concepts and terminology. |
October 2025 |
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January 2020 |
Branding and formatting updated Policy links added Service-specific information amended not affecting the delivery of policy |
May 2019 |
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January 2024 |
Serious Misconduct section added Zero Tolerance section added, including examples of appropriate and inappropriate behaviour |
January 2025 |