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Queensmead Primary Academy

Social, Emotional and Behavioural Difficulties

What should I do if my child has social, emotional or behavioural difficulties?

Children’s emotional health and well-being are extremely important to us at Queensmead -trying to ensure that they feel happy, relaxed and safe at school is a key priority alongside providing a myriad of opportunities and experiences which focus on their personal development.

If you are concerned about your child’s happiness, well-being or behaviour, either at school or at home, the first person to talk to is the class teacher. Explain your concerns and anything you think might be affecting their well-being.

The class teacher may ask one of the following people to attend the meeting or to talk to you.  These are also people that you may wish to contact yourself to talk about your child.

  • Lisa Sewell – our Behaviour and Attendance Mentor, who provides behaviour support and mentoring for children struggling with behaviour or with other aspects of their well-being at school.
  • Kirsty Hargreaves – our Inclusion Worker, who works individually and in small groups with children who have social, emotional and behavioural difficulties.
  • Liz Peutherer – Special Educational Needs Coordinator, who can refer to outside agencies, such as the Social, Emotional and Mental Health Team (previously known as the Behaviour Support Team).
  • Liz Latham, Becky Catlow or Sian Bentley  – Principal and Deputy Principals.

If the school has concerns about your child’s happiness, well-being or behaviour, they will discuss this with you, either at parents’ evening or by asking you for a meeting.

The types of difficulties that parents or teachers might be concerned about may include:

  • Children finding it difficult to make or maintain friendships
  • Children who appear disengaged or withdrawn in school
  • Children who appear to have emotional difficulties, such as crying easily or losing their temper
  • Children who find it hard to settle in class and are constantly talking, shouting out or fidgeting
  • Children who are overly dependent on some adults or peers
  • Children who find it difficult to adhere to the school’s behavioural expectations
  • Children who are hungry or tired and lethargic

In school, we take the view that a child’s behaviour is always trying to communicate something to us and that we need to explore and understand what it is they are trying to communicate.

Some children can have extreme difficulty concentrating and curbing their impulses.  They may struggle to sit still and find it very difficult not to shout out answers in teaching sessions.  They may always be on the go, moving about or fidgeting and find it impossible to be still.

We will always work together with parents and outside agencies to try to support the best outcomes for children.