The Provider:

Behaviour Support, Birmingham

Preventative support from Behaviour Support is available to all Birmingham mainstream schools taking children in the 5 - 16 age range. Pupils can be supported through their school or individually, either in a centre or in their school. Some work is now carried out at a systems level in the nursery phase.

Over 1000 referrals are received by the Service each year for non statutory preventative work. This has increased as a wider range of services has been offered.

The service has a Referral Team and 9 centres across the City.

There is a range of staff approximate numbers (FT and PT) being:

• 90 Teachers and Instructors
• 17 Learning Support Assistants
• 3 Learning Mentors
• 18 Administrative Staff

The aim:

Behaviour Support as well as performing its statutory duty undertakes a range of activities targeted to minimise exclusions, help pupils with behavioural difficulties maximise their potential and help schools to strategically manage difficult behaviours and promote greater social inclusion.

What do you see in the establishment?

• The Service working with schools to develop shared provision
• Working within a multi-agency framework
• Interactive work with Primary and Secondary Schools
• Training days and meetings for schools and BS staff
• Staff working in schools to improve the opportunities for pupils with behaviour difficulties to be included

What difference does it make?

• Recognition by Ofsted of this are of work as excellent
• Pupils are successfully maintained in their schools
• Staff skills increase
• 64 out of 78 - 82% take up rate of Secondary Schools subscribing in ISS
• All primary schools receive visits ranging in frequency from annual to weekly
• Pupils successfully reintegrated to school after exclusion
• Impact and sustainability at practice in Birmingham schools

From where is evidence collected to prove this Leading Aspect?

• Copies of current 'live' Service Level Agreements (SLA)
• A range of interactive documentation between schools and the service relating to SLAs
• EiC Strategic Inclusion Network Summaries
• School Achievement Award
• Extensive policy document covering the working practice of In-School Support (ISS)
• An evaluation report of the North Area
• Service Business Plan
• Minutes from Management Meetings
• Evidence from discussions with Referral Teachers
• Analysis at quantitative impact
• Qualitative evidence eg case study of referral teacher working documentation
• Reintegration testimonial of the experiences of student
• Range of sample case study provided by referral teaching during meeting
• Minutes at multi-agency meetings
• School testimonials and thank you letters
• Thank you letters from parents
• Weekly & Centre newsletters
• Press articles
• Website

The Verifier's Comment

'In addition to its statutory work the BSS works across mainstream schools undertaking a range of activities targeted to minimise exclusions, help pupils with behavioural difficulties maximise their potential, help schools to strategically manage difficult behaviours and promote greater social inclusion. In-School Support covers a range of activities including regular visits to schools, off-site programmes for pupils, tailor-made courses for pupils and staff, both teaching and non-teaching and co-ordinating alternative education for KS4 pupils.

'A fantastic verification visit.'

Date Aspect achieved: May 2003