Step 2.1 - proactively engage with parents

National Guidance and or Legislation

Schools should engage proactively with parents in supporting the behaviour of pupils with additional needs (DfE, 2023, p.23).

Expectations

An early help assessment should be carried out and appropriate early help services and support avenues should be coordinated.
A Team around the Family approach has been used where needed, working with agencies from outside of education to provide support, e.g. in the home or in the community (e.g. PFSA, FIS, VCSE sector).

Step 2.2 - multi-agency assessment

National Guidance and or Legislation

Early intervention to address underlying causes of disruptive behaviour should include an assessment of whether appropriate provision is in place to support any SEN or disability that a pupil may have. The head teacher should also consider the use of a multi-agency assessment for a pupil who demonstrates persistent disruptive behaviour. Such assessments may pick up unidentified SEN, disability or mental health problems but the scope of the assessment could go further, for example, by seeking to identify housing or family problems (DFE 2018, p.19).

Expectations

• The school has received specialist advice and the child or young person’s needs have been fully assessed, e.g. through Educational Psychology Service, PRU Outreach, Inclusion Somerset and/or mental health services. This advice has been implemented over time and the impact reviewed with the specialist service.
• Where the exclusion risk relates to a specific area (e.g. mental health, sexualised behaviour), there is good evidence of working in partnership with specialists in these fields.