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Behaviour

Understanding Behaviour in Children

All children show a wide range of behaviours as they grow and learn. Behaviour is often a way for children to communicate how they are feeling. Sometimes, challenging behaviour can be linked to difficulties such as anxiety, frustration, special educational needs, or changes at home or in school. By working together, we can help children develop positive strategies and feel supported.

Why Children May Show Challenging Behaviour

Children’s behaviour can be influenced by many factors, including:

  • Anxiety, worry or low self-esteem

  • Struggling to understand or process instructions

  • Tiredness or changes in routine

  • Feeling overwhelmed by noise, crowds or transitions

  • Underlying needs such as ADHD, autism or communication difficulties

How We Support in School

At Woodchurch, we use a positive and consistent approach to behaviour. Our strategies include:

  • Creating a calm, predictable environment

  • Rewarding effort, kindness and progress through positive behaviour approaches

  • Teaching children to recognise and manage their emotions

  • Providing clear routines and expectations

  • Offering safe spaces and movement breaks when needed

  • Working closely with families to develop consistent strategies

How You Can Support at Home

Parents and carers play a key role in helping children manage their behaviour. Some helpful approaches include:

  • Keeping routines predictable and clear

  • Using positive praise for small steps and achievements

  • Talking calmly about feelings and modelling coping strategies

  • Setting simple, consistent boundaries and expectations

  • Sharing strategies with school so your child feels supported in both places

Useful Resources

We’re Here to Help

If you are finding your child’s behaviour challenging, please speak to their class teacher or our Inclusion Leader, Mrs Butcher. Together, we can explore what might be causing the behaviour and put strategies in place to support your child.

Resource: Restorative Conversations

‘What Happened’ Restorative Conversation Book – a visual resource that can be used to support restorative conversations with children after an incident. It may take time before a child is ready to reflect, but this tool can help guide calm, constructive discussions.