Managing a child’s behaviour at home and whilst out and about in the local community can be a real challenge for parents, particularly when their child suffers from behavioural problems. When high levels of respite and care support don’t seem to produce a noticeable improvement, it can leave parents feeling helpless.
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However, an initiative launched by Clippens School offers hope. The idea is that successful approaches to tackling behavioural problems in the school are also applied by parents at home, with support from the school’s staff.
'Clippens School is a school for pupils with additional support needs. We have primary through to secondary pupils, facing a range of complex challenges. Parental involvement has to be seen as lifelong, particularly for pupils like ours that tend to remain very dependent on their parents for longer than pupils at mainstream schools. So, it’s absolutely essential that parents are involved in all aspects of their child’s development,' says Isabel Gibb, Headteacher, Clippens School.
Parents are encouraged to spend time in the school and be involved in their child’s schooling. 'It’s important that parents are involved in schools, as we’re all trying to help the children reach the best of their abilities. Whether it be in a mainstream or a special needs school, we all aim for the best for our children,' says Vivienne Wiltshire, whose child attends Clippens School.
Breaking down barriers to education is a top priority in the school, and it’s vital that this continues in the children’s homes. Maureen Gallagher, Pupil Support Teacher, explains:
'It’s very important that the learning that takes place in any school continues at home. But it’s particularly important in Clippens School, where we have children whose problems, mainly behavioural, are significant barriers to their learning. I spend most of my time addressing these barriers - helping children to cope with them and to learn in a school environment. It’s really important that we transfer this to the home too.'
The Home Link Project helps make this happen. The project is split into three phases: planning, intervention and evaluation. At the planning stage, meetings are held to discuss who should be involved. Observation and data collection are carried out in the home and respite settings. Following analysis of the data, a bespoke intervention plan is created for the family.
During the intervention phase, support is increased at home during the evening based on strategies used by staff. Parents are also invited into the school as volunteers to observe behaviour management approaches used within the school setting, and given guidance on how to adopt these strategies in their home. It can be difficult for parents to change their patterns of interaction with their children and the opportunity to practise under the guidance of another trusted adult is very beneficial, as Elizabeth, a parent who took up the scheme, discovered.
'My son Daniel is a fantastic boy but he has very challenging behavioural issues, so I knew that we had to work something out. When Wendy (a teacher at Clippens School) came to visit, and worked with Daniel’s dad and I to figure out how to cope with the situation, it was fantastic. Thanks to the changes we’ve put in place, like awarding his hard work with a sticker, Daniel has become much more accepting and he doesn’t just have a tantrum any more. He’s doing really well at home and at school.'
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