Bexley Excellence Cluster

eXcellence for everyone

Behaviour Improvement Programme (BIP)

The Behaviour Improvement Programme aims to raise standards of behaviour, improve attendance and reduce exclusions so that children and young people are able to achieve their potential.

The Behaviour Improvement Programme (BIP) is one of the central elements of the Government strategy to improve behaviour and attendance in schools and is an integral part of the drive to raise standards. It is also intended to contribute to the Government's strategy to reduce street crime.

BIP is overseen and managed by groups of schools drawn from the EiC Partnership. The aim is to provide both whole school support and support for specific groups of pupils: high on the list of these specific groups will be those pupils who are deemed to be 'at risk' and those who display challenging levels in relation to their behaviour and/or attendance. The BIP is a critical element in the Government's strategy to achieve improvements in behaviour and attendance. The programme aims to:

Reduce low-level behaviour problems;
Reduce the number of incidents of extreme behaviour and bullying;
Reduce the number of fixed term and permanent exclusions;
Ensure high quality alternative provision for those excluded, supporting their reintegration;
Reduce unauthorised absence;
Improve parents' and teachers' perceptions of behaviour; and
Close the gap between behaviour problems shown by different groups of pupils.

From an individual school's point of view, the key outcomes involve:

Improved standards of behaviour overall, and promotion of a reduction in the number of serious incidents;
Improvements in unauthorised and authorised absence;
Reductions in fixed term and permanent exclusions;
Key worker support for every child at risk of truancy, exclusion or criminal behaviour, to be in place; and
Fulltime, supervised education for all pupils from Day 1 of either permanent or temporary exclusion.

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Outline of the Programme

Mandatory programme elements

Provision for excluded pupils and strategies for reduced fixed term exclusions
This is a key part of the programme as it relates to each BIP's targets for exclusions and alternative provision aspects which are to:
provide full time, supervised, high quality, education from the first day of exclusion (Day 1) for both fixed-term and permanently excluded pupils; reduce the number of both permanent and fixed-term exclusions in all schools taking part in the programme, and where exclusion becomes necessary, to reintegrate the pupils into appropriate mainstream provision as soon as appropriate.
The exact nature of the provision for excluded pupils is determined by schools and the LEA, based on behaviour audits, analysis of the characteristics of excluded pupils, causes of exclusion, and local issues.
Pupils at risk: allocation of key workers
Key workers are adults who provide continuing and holistic support to a child or young person at risk of not participating fully in learning and reaching their full potential. Their purpose is to:
decide how support might be best provided and by whom (for example, by the key worker or by specialist agencies);
be a single point of contact between the child or young person and the home institution for access to sources of support from within and outside that institution; provide continuing, sustained and holistic support to named individual children and young people.
Attendance
This is a key aspect of the programme as it is linked to the targets which each BIP school sets. While there is no prescribed programme for BIPs, it is expected that a number of strategies across the BIP schools will either be introduced.
'Extended' or 'Full Service Extended' schools
Extended schools provide on school premises a range of services such as childcare, study support, police, health and social services, breakfast clubs, after school clubs and adult, family and community learning. The determination of which services and whether the services are provided by one school or by a cluster of schools is decided locally, dependent on local circumstances. As the name suggests, extended schools should be open, as far as possible, throughout the school day, before and after school hours, at weekends and during school holidays. There is no specific funding in the BIP programme for extended schools but it is possible that the establishment of the programme creates conditions in which other services and agencies are encouraged to participate in this way.

Recommended programme elements

Learning Mentors
As set out in the guidance for EiC Partnerships, the role of learning mentors is to help individual pupils overcome barriers to learning, both within and outside school. Their role is to support those pupils who are at risk of underachieving or disengaging from learning for a variety of reasons.
Learning Support Units (LSUs)
School-based LSUs are designed for pupils at risk of exclusion by providing separate short-term teaching and support programmes tailored to their needs. Their purpose is to keep pupils in school and working whilst their behaviour problems are tackled, helping to re-integrate them into mainstream classes as quickly as possible. LSUs should not be used for the referral of a pupil as a disciplinary response to a particular incident.
Behaviour and Education Support Team (BEST)
BESTs are multi-agency teams whose purpose is to promote emotional well-being, positive mental health, positive behaviour and school attendance among children and young people, and help in the identification and support of those with, or at risk of developing, emotional and behavioural problems through the provision of multi-agency support in schools and to individual families. The model is firmly grounded in the evidence of what works when delivering multi-agency services to children and families.
Behaviour and attendance audit and review: CPD opportunities for schools
A crucial first step for each BIP school is to take stock of their current position in regards behaviour and attendance policy and practice. This part of the programme which is supported by BIP staff asks schools to undertake an initial review which covers a number of aspects of behaviour and attendance work and depending on the outcome, to undertake (if necessary) in no more than three areas a more detailed examination, although this is for each school to determine. This decision will depend on local capacity and the existing priorities for the school.
Lead Behaviour Professional (LBP)
In essence the LBP is the person in each BIP primary and secondary school who is responsible for, and oversees, the BIP programme. It is crucial that they are a member of the school's senior management team and have the lead role on whole school behaviour and attendance issues. An important part of their role is to develop staff confidence in handling the majority of behaviour issues at class level. They should not become the person to whom misbehaving children are referred
Promoting social, emotional and behavioural skills (SEBS)
Social, emotional and behavioural skills (SEBS) are a fundamental part of everyday life. We need them to negotiate our way through life. But some children miss out on them and do not develop the skills they need and require support to develop them. SEBS is located within five broad domains – of self-awareness, managing feelings, motivation, empathy and social skills – which manifest themselves as a set of personal and interpersonal behaviours. At the heart of the programmes to promote SEBS is the belief that positive behaviour in schools requires a proactive, whole school approach to developing children's social, emotional and behavioural skills and abilities within a learning community that promotes their emotional well-being.
Safer Schools Partnerships (police in schools)
Safer School Partnerships (SSPs) are designed to provide support to schools where there is a need to ensure a secure community and safe learning environment for all.

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Strategic Plan

Behaviour Improvement Programme (BIP) Strategic Plan (165Kb, pdf file)
Behaviour Improvement Programme Action Plan (26Kb, pdf file)

If you would like further details about the project or would like to discuss any aspect of it, please contact: Ellen Mulvihill (BIP Co-ordinator).