Theme consultancy – exploring organisational themes to symptomatic problems of behaviour management in a primary school

Abstract

If children’s mental health needs are to be promoted rather than undermined through their experience of school, then systemic as well as individual support is needed to address behavioural difficulties. Persistent or intractable problems of behaviour management within a school may themselves be symptomatic of organisational stress. However, schools are on the whole unfamiliar with the kind of organisational consultancy which can address the underlying beliefs, feelings and ‘script’ of the institution so as to alleviate stress and to promote cooperation and development. This paper offers an example of a consultation employing ‘action research’ as a response to escalating behavioural difficulties in a London primary school. The work was negotiated as an alternative solution to that originally conceived by the school.