Approaches to behaviour have shifted over recent years. Lots of research and greater support from educational psychologists and special schools has led to the creation of more bespoke approaches that focus on understanding behaviour.
Where we used to describe behaviour as a “kick off”, we now understand this to be “crisis” behaviour. Although schools are now using this language there is work to be done to reduce crisis behaviours and delve deeper into how children get to that stage in the first place.
This article describes the approaches that have helped to transform behaviour management at Willowbrook Mead Primary Academy where I am vice-principal. The approach has also been adopted at The Grove, the home of two alternative provision units at Orchard Mead Academy. Both schools are part of the The Mead Educational Trust.
I recently wrote in Headteacher Update about our school’s work to identify the many seemingly invisible barriers to learning that exist for pupils today, about how we can identify “vulnerability” and what we can do once we have (Williams, 2023). Over the past few years in both mainstream and special provision we have also looked at how to understand each child’s crisis behaviour and in doing so reduce incidents and occurrences. But how did we do it?
The Six Stages of Crisis Model
A few years ago, someone showed me a resource from Team Teach illustrating the Six Stages of a Crisis model and it changed my entire response to behaviour. I have now implemented approaches to behaviour based off this model across several settings.
The model (see figure 1) breaks down behaviour into a clear visual map. Behaviour doesn’t just appear, there are triggers that cause responses. There is anxiety that causes a response or behaviour is used as a defensive response. The model shows how it builds and like a volcano “erupts” with crisis behaviour. Often adults in schools see the “big” behaviour – or stage 3 crisis – and immediately respond with “big” sanctions.
Consequences are important and they are an integral part of managing behaviour, however if someone is showing stage 3 crisis behaviours then consequences at that moment are the last thing they need.
When I was shown this model, I was told to think about the stages for myself. What are my triggers? What does stage 1 and 2 look like for me? What is my crisis behaviour?
We all have crisis behaviours but that doesn’t mean we are all physically aggressive or destroy classrooms. Someone’s crisis behaviour might be crying, it could be frustration and anger.
If an adult that you cared about showed these behaviours, how would you respond? I doubt you would tell them off or “consequence them”. Your response would be centred around love and care for their wellbeing. You would want, I hope, to get them back to a state of calm as quickly as you can. You would also want, I hope, to know what the problem was and how you could help solve it. So why isn’t this our consistent response to children in schools?
This was our first move. When we opened two social, emotional, and mental health (SEMH) provisions we knew we would see plenty of crisis behaviours due to the needs of the children. It was important that we had consistent responses to deal with this where children felt safe and supported.
Figure 1: The six stages of crisis model changes our responses to behaviour incidents. Illustration adapted from the original Team Teach Six Stages of a Crisis model and reproduced with kind permission of Team Teach
Supporting staff, supporting pupils
Staff were given CPD on the stages of crisis and we discussed our collaborative approach. It was agreed that the focus would always be on supporting the child out of crisis with kindness and care – and that this had to be genuine. We drew on the book The Kindness Principle: Making relational behaviour management work in school (Whittaker, 2021).
Sometimes staff may have been the trigger or may be frustrated at the behaviour being displayed and it can be difficult in these moments for us to always show kindness and care – we recognised this.
As our approach was consistent across all staff , it became appropriate to “swap out” if that kindness wasn’t genuine in that moment (the relationship would always be repaired later on).
This strategy ensured that incidents of crisis reduced in length as children responded to the warmth of staff. As the approach to stage 3 was nurturing, it often led very quickly into recovery and depression (stages 4 and 5) where staff reassured children that they were okay, safe, and cared for. Children felt the genuineness of this approach and the time needed in these stages also reduced.
This led into restoration (stage 6). As mentioned earlier, consequences are an integral part of school and this stage is always the proper place to discuss these. Staff use reflective questioning to calmly support children to discuss their own sanctions. It is important to acknowledge that this is not always successful and some children benefit from being told the outcome rather than discussing it.
However, waiting until this stage means that children do not spiral back into crisis. Arguably stages 4 to 6 are the most important for staff to focus on. If children are not supported during this phase, then ultimately they will spiral back into crisis.
When we discussed this phase with staff, we again asked them to think about how they would want to be treated or how they would treat a loved one. Unanimously, we said it would be with kindness and without judgement.
Asking staff to reflect and think about themselves also created an opportunity for us to coach them into the responses we knew we wanted but which are more powerful and lasting when they come from the individuals.
Stages 1 and 2 behaviours
The best strategies from this model are not the crisis responses but the identification of stage 1 and 2 behaviours. If a child’s stage 1 or 2 behaviour is not supported it will ultimately lead to crisis, so it is our responsibility to support and prevent.
Having robust structures to deal and manage crisis behaviours is important for both special provision and in mainstream but both can benefit hugely from identifying and then supporting stage 1 and 2.
If these are dealt with effectively then crisis behaviour is prevented. Again, think about yourself, what does your stage 1 or 2 look like? Is this consistent? How do you cope with it?
Then think about children with SEMH needs: what behaviour is seen in the lead up to crisis behaviour? Often it is consistent, which means we can identify it and support appropriately. Responses need to be consistent, but they also need to be kind and supportive.
‘Every interaction can be an intervention’
This simple but purposeful quote from clinical psychologist Dr Karen Treisman (2020) was our approach. She adds: “Every moment and interaction can also be positive or negative.”
If you see a stage 1 or 2 behaviour then you have an opportunity to intervene and prevent crisis behaviour – so ensure it is positive. Make a difference, be the solution not the reason crisis behaviours happen.
For all our children who had SEMH needs and require additional support we listed their stage 1 to 3 behaviours. We then created appropriate responses/interactions for staff. Furthermore, we shared these with the children.
We told them what their behaviours were and explained to them how the stages of crisis worked. They became aware of their needs and how they dealt with it, they understood how we were trying to help.
Not every incident follows this process perfectly: sometimes we don’t see stage 1 or 2 behaviours, often this happens at home or during social times. What we can do is create proactive solutions and systems. If children are always coming into school at stage 1 or 2 then could the morning interactions look different? Do they need a nurturing start rather than heading straight into maths or English?
Furthermore, what is happening at home to cause this? Is breakfast the solution? Could the family be supported? Can you look at patterns of behaviour for certain parts of the school day or for certain lessons? What can be done to reduce stage behaviours there? Do specific adults support specific children more effectively than others?
Take a step back and look at all aspects of the school day and home life. Build these into the children’s behaviour plans and associate them with each stage. Having consistent, clear plans will have a big impact on children’s behaviour which will then have a positive impact on teaching and learning.
From a mainstream perspective we looked at how whole groups could be supported. What triggers did they show? Was it certain lessons? Could the lesson structure be tweaked? Could the start of the lesson be changed to help bring children down from stage 1?
Some teachers have started the afternoon session with mindfulness activities to support any hangovers from lunchtime and playground behaviours and to ensure a smoother transition into learning. These approaches have come from the teachers off the back of training around the stages of crisis.
Final thought
Schools are well on their way to better understanding behaviour and better supporting children. Lots of schools do this well anyway. Using the six stages of crisis has given us a clear visual model to highlight how behaviour often works and has given staff the rationale to adopt a restorative, kind, child-centred approach to behaviour management. As we have all been told more than once: “How would you want to be treated?”
- Ali Williams is vice-principal at Willowbrook Mead Primary Academy in Leicester, part of The Mead Educational Trust.
Headteacher Update Summer Term Edition 2023
- This article first appeared in Headteacher Update's Summer Term Edition 2023. This edition was sent free of charge to every primary school in the country. A digital edition is also available via www.headteacher-update.com/digital-editions/
Further information & resources
- Team Teach: www.teamteach.co.uk/education
- Triesman: Every interaction can be an intervention, YouTube video, 2020: https://bit.ly/41j7Esu
- Whittaker: The Kindness Principle: Making relational behaviour management work in school, Independent Thinking Press, 2021.
- Williams: Vulnerable pupils: Identifying invisible barriers to learning, Headteacher Update, 2023: https://bit.ly/3kTrefn