Transcript Behaviour Scenarios A specially commissioned set of resources for tutors, school mentors and trainee teachers Scenario 10: Defusing a conflict between pupils.

Behaviour Scenarios
A specially commissioned set of resources for tutors, school
mentors and trainee teachers
Scenario 10: Defusing a conflict between pupils
Scenario 10
Defusing a conflict between pupils
You are walking across the play area and two
pupils start to push and shove each other.
Other pupils shout, “Fight, fight!” and start
running towards the scene.
What do you do?
www.behaviour4learning.ac.uk
2
Key Learning Outcomes
• Modelling and practice of ways to deal with an
emergency and development of an outline plan
of action should one arise.
• Knowledge and understanding of techniques
used by the school for resolving conflict and
evaluation of these.
www.behaviour4learning.ac.uk
3
What do you do?
1. Tell the pupils, preferably addressing them by
name, to stop now. Sound clear, firm and calm.
2. Send whichever pupil you know better to a
senior member of staff. Take the other one
with you in the opposite direction. You may
need to be assertive!
3. Blow your whistle if you have one, and/or
firmly tell the other pupils to go to their next
lesson/disperse, explaining that they are not
helping.
4. Ask a pupil you know to run and get help.
5. Physically separate the pupils, if they continue,
but without harming them or putting yourself at
risk.
www.behaviour4learning.ac.uk
4
What may be the best choice?
All four may be good choices
You will need to de-escalate the situation quickly
and disperse the crowd if at all possible. This is
one situation where you may need to raise your
voice (carrying a whistle is not only useful for
PE!) if you need to make your presence felt to a
large number of pupils but it is important to
sound calm.
Try to get help quickly in case the methods you
have used do not work.
Do not put yourself at risk.
www.behaviour4learning.ac.uk
5
How might you prepare yourself to
deal with such situations?
1. Ensure you know how to call support quickly.
2. Discuss school policies and procedures with your
mentor or other appropriate staff.
3. If you are still concerned, raise the issue at your next
meeting and request guidance.
4. Follow up the conflict according to school policy.
5. Always leave plenty of time to get to lessons so that
you are not late for your class, even if an emergency
arises.
www.behaviour4learning.ac.uk
6
Underlying principles
• Dealing with a potential emergency requires
quick thinking and firm action.
• Assertively making your presence known will
usually stop aggression and disperse onlookers.
• Safety is the major issue here, both for the
pupils and for yourself, and must be your
priority.
• Teachers are not expected to put themselves at
risk. Help should be summoned as quickly as
possible.
• Resolving the conflict through follow-up action
is a necessary next step once the emergency
has been dealt with.
www.behaviour4learning.ac.uk
7
Rights and Responsibilities
• Everyone in the school has the right to be
safe.
• You need to be fully aware of the school’s
policies so you know what to do in case of an
emergency.
• Teachers have the right to use reasonable
force to prevent injury.
• It is worth getting involved with the follow-up
with the pupils concerned if possible, even if
this is not your direct responsibility, as you
will learn useful skills and help establish your
authority.
www.behaviour4learning.ac.uk
8
Activities to try
1. It is probably best not to provoke a fight just to
practise your response! However, before one
occurs you should check your rights and
responsibilities under the Education and
Inspection Act 2006 with your school.
2. Discuss approaches seen or used by different
members of your group to try to defuse pupil
conflict in an emergency. Consider the pros and
cons of each. Include experiences from when you
were pupils yourselves.
3. Discuss a range of approaches to repairing
relationships which you have seen, or in which
you have been involved, and evaluate each one.
www.behaviour4learning.ac.uk
9
Want to find out more?
References on the B4L site
• Improving Behaviour for Learning (Secondary Schools) – The
Corridor
• Group trainee teacher discussions – Defusing a conflict
between pupils
• B4L Glossary item - Restorative Approaches
• EPPI Centre review - Conflict resolution, peer mediation and
young people's relationships
• DCSF guidance - Social and emotional aspects of learning...
improving behaviour… improving learning
• Teachers TV - Behaving with Cowley – Out of the classroom
• Teachers TV – Secondary Management - Restorative Justice in
Action 1
• Teachers TV – Secondary Management - Restorative Justice in
Action 2
www.behaviour4learning.ac.uk
10
Conclusions
• What is the key message have you gained
from this scenario material?
• How might you apply this approach in your
own practice in school.
• Further insights and notes for tutors and
mentors are available on the website
Updated August 2009