3.3 Provide support for colleagues in relation to behaviour that challenges

This guide will help you answer 3.3 Provide support for colleagues in relation to behaviour that challenges.

This guide focuses on ways that you can help staff deal with pupils who display behaviour that disrupts learning or affects safety. This support can take place in the classroom, around the school, on trips, or during any school activity.

Behaviour that challenges can range from minor disruption to more serious incidents. Examples can include refusal to follow instructions, talking over the teacher, physical aggression, damaging property, or verbal abuse. Supporting colleagues means you work alongside them to manage these situations, reducing the impact on other pupils and helping the pupil learn better behaviour.

Working within School Policies

Every school has policies that set out how to respond to behaviour that challenges. These are often based on national guidance but adapted for the school’s context. It is important to know these well so you can act consistently with other staff.

School policies may cover:

• Behaviour expectations
• Steps to follow when managing incidents
• Support available for pupils with behaviour needs
• Recording and reporting procedures

Consistent use of policy helps maintain fairness. Pupils know what to expect and colleagues feel confident that everyone is working in the same way.

Understanding the Role of Support

Supporting colleagues does not mean taking over their responsibility. Instead, it means helping them work more effectively. This can involve quick practical help or longer-term actions.

You may support colleagues by:

• Encouraging positive behaviour through praise and rewards
• Reminding pupils of rules in a calm way
• Physically positioning yourself to help supervise
• Providing resources that aid focus, such as sensory tools or visual prompts
• Guiding pupils to safe spaces if they need to calm down

Support often takes place in the moment, but can also happen before and after lessons in planning and review discussions.

Building Positive Relationships

Staff who have good relationships with pupils often see fewer incidents. You can help colleagues by encouraging positive interaction and modelling respect.

Key points for building relationships include:

• Listening carefully to pupils
• Learning names and using them positively
• Showing interest in pupils’ work and lives
• Keeping calm voice tones during difficulty

Your calm presence and open manner can help the pupil see staff as allies, which makes managing behaviour more effective.

Collaborative Planning

Helping colleagues starts with understanding what they need. In some situations, the best support comes from planning together before lessons.

Collaborative planning may involve:

• Identifying pupils who may display challenging behaviour
• Discussing triggers that make incidents more likely
• Agreeing strategies for prevention and response
• Preparing materials that keep pupils engaged
• Deciding signals for calling for support discreetly

When both staff know the plan, responses can be quicker and more consistent.

Recognising Triggers

Triggers are events or conditions that cause behaviour to worsen. Helping colleagues often means noticing these early.

Common triggers can include:

• Sudden changes to routine
• Tasks that the pupil finds too hard or too easy
• Conflicts with other pupils
• Sensory overload such as loud noise or bright lights
• Fatigue or hunger

You can support colleagues by quietly pointing out emerging triggers or by making adjustments to the environment to help the pupil cope.

Managing Incidents

When behaviour that challenges occurs, you may need to step in directly to help. Your role should match the situation and follow policy.

During incidents, support may involve:

• Standing alongside the colleague to give a united front
• Guiding other pupils away from the disruption
• Using agreed de-escalation techniques
• Speaking calmly to the pupil, giving short clear instructions
• Not reinforcing negative behaviour with extra attention

If the situation threatens safety, follow the school’s emergency procedures and seek help quickly.

De-escalation Methods

De-escalation means calming a pupil before behaviour worsens. This approach works well when done promptly and respectfully.

Techniques can include:

• Offering the pupil time to collect themselves before continuing
• Giving clear simple choices
• Moving to a quieter space if needed
• Using non-confrontational body language
• Avoiding arguments during the heat of the moment

Supporting colleagues means you may take over some supervision or instruction so that they can focus on helping the pupil calm down.

Recording and Reporting

Accurate records are important for tracking behaviour patterns and planning support. Recording also protects staff by providing evidence of what happened.

You can help colleagues by:

• Writing down details soon after the incident
• Using factual rather than emotional language
• Noting time, place, people involved, and exact words or actions
• Reporting to the right person, such as the class teacher or safeguarding lead

Many schools use digital systems where you log incidents. Make sure information is stored securely and only shared with authorised staff.

Supporting After Incidents

Support does not end when the behaviour stops. After incidents, colleagues may need help with follow-up tasks.

Helpful actions include:

• Supervising the class while the colleague talks to the pupil privately
• Helping to complete incident forms
• Discussing what worked well and what could be improved
• Joining in restorative conversations with the pupil and any affected peers
• Encouraging the colleague and recognising their effort

This follow-up builds confidence and allows staff to adjust strategies for future lessons.

Working with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND)

Some pupils with SEND may display behaviour that challenges because of communication difficulties, sensory needs, or frustration. Supporting colleagues means understanding these underlying reasons.

You can help by:

• Knowing any individual support plans for the pupil
• Using specific communication aids or strategies
• Suggesting adjustments to tasks or environments
• Being aware of triggers unique to that pupil

If you notice patterns in the pupil’s behaviour, share this with colleagues to improve planning and management.

Encouraging Positive Strategies

Highlighting positive steps can boost morale and remind staff that difficult behaviour can be improved.

Examples include:

• Recognising small successes and praising them
• Giving pupils responsibilities to build confidence
• Keeping instructions clear and achievable
• Using visual timetables so pupils know what is coming next
• Involving parents or carers in support plans

When you share these strategies with colleagues, you create a stronger approach to behaviour support.

Peer Mentoring and Emotional Support

Behaviour incidents can be stressful for staff. Sometimes your help is about emotional encouragement.

Ways to support include:

• Listening without judgement after incidents
• Acknowledging their effort and patience
• Offering to share supervision duties to give them a break
• Suggesting time for reflection or discussion with senior staff

Emotional wellbeing matters as much as practical support. Showing empathy builds team strength.

Communicating Clearly

Confident and consistent communication between staff makes incidents easier to manage. Misunderstandings can lead to gaps in support.

To improve communication:

• Use agreed signals in lessons for calling for help
• Share updates on pupils’ progress or triggers
• Keep brief notes from handover times or meetings
• Speak respectfully in front of pupils to show teamwork

Good communication means the whole team works together with minimal disruption.

Examples of Supporting Colleagues

Here are some examples you can link to your own experience:

• A teaching assistant notices a pupil becoming restless. They quietly move closer and engage the pupil in a task before behaviour escalates. This gives the teacher space to continue with the lesson.
• In a playground incident, support staff guide other pupils away while the teacher speaks to the pupil involved. This prevents crowding and reduces tension.
• After a disruption in assembly, one colleague supervises the class and settles pupils, while another speaks separately with the pupil who caused the disruption.

These practical actions show how support can be immediate, calm, and effective.

Keeping Safety in Mind

Safety must never be overlooked when handling challenging behaviour. This includes the safety of pupils, staff, and yourself.

Always keep in mind:

• Your own position in the room or space
• Avoiding physical contact unless trained and authorised
• Being alert to objects that could be thrown or damaged
• Using school agreed emergency signals to call for help
• Staying aware of exit points if needed

Colleagues will appreciate your presence knowing that safety concerns are being monitored.

Training and Development

Training helps you and colleagues maintain effective behaviour support skills. It may include whole-school sessions or specialist workshops.

Topics might be:

• Positive behaviour management
• De-escalation tactics
• Safeguarding
• Supporting pupils with SEND
• First aid

Suggest training opportunities to colleagues and attend together where possible. This strengthens shared approaches.

Final Thoughts

Supporting colleagues in relation to behaviour that challenges is about practical help, teamwork, and steady communication. It involves acting quickly when needed, planning together, learning from incidents, and encouraging each other. A consistent, respectful approach benefits pupils and staff alike.

By modelling calm responses, sharing positive strategies, and recognising triggers, you help create a learning environment where behaviour can improve over time. Your willingness to step forward and lend a hand makes a difference to colleagues, pupils, and the overall atmosphere of the school.