Helpful and unhelpful practices in meeting the needs of pupils with emotional and behavioural difficulties: a pilot survey of staff views in one local authority

Abstract

The emotional and behavioural problems experienced by pupils continue to be a key concern for educationalists. In this article, Peter Lloyd Bennett, an educational psychologist, reports on his research into the views of staff about this important area of work. Questionnaires on meeting the needs of pupils with emotional and behavioural difficulties were circulated among professionals in one local authority as part of the development of the authority's behaviour support plan. Respondents were asked to identify the practices and forms of additional support which, in their view, resulted in successful and less successful outcomes for pupils. Peter Lloyd Bennett analysed these responses and presents here ideas about staffing, strategies, training, multi‐agency work, provision and the role of parents. Interestingly, staff working with primary‐aged pupils frequently referred to whole‐school behaviour policies as contributing to successful outcomes. Professionals involved with both primary‐ and secondary‐aged pupils suggested that the constraints of the National Curriculum can contribute to pupils' emotional and behavioural difficulties. The results of this survey were used to inform developments in Peter Lloyd Bennett's local authority and will be directly relevant to colleagues grappling with similar issues in other contexts.