Helping children be their best selves: behaviour & values review
At Fielding, we’re proud to be a school where children feel safe, supported and ready to learn. Our approach to behaviour is rooted in our four core values, respect, resilience, empathy and reflection, and we see these being lived out every day in classrooms, corridors and the playground. Children know what the routines look like, adults use the same language and expectations.
Our Behaviour Handbook continues to guide the way we work together. We combine high expectations with a warm, supportive approach: recognising positive choices, teaching emotional regulation, and using restorative conversations when things go wrong. Pupils tell us they like the fairness of the system, the focus on learning from mistakes, and the chance to ‘put things right’ when needed.
I complete a 30‑day behaviour review every 30 school days to look at trends, celebrate the positives, and plan the next steps for pupils who need a little more help. It means we’re not waiting for problems to build, we’re responding early, communicating clearly with families and keeping our approach predictable and fair. Today I completed our 3rd 30-day review of the school year.
Headlines from the 30-day review
This month’s 30‑day review shows that the vast majority of pupils are making positive choices every day, with calm classrooms, respectful routines and lots of children showing our core values without needing reminders. We’ve seen real strengths in how pupils are playing together, supporting each other and responding to adult guidance, especially in lessons and structured parts of the day.
The review also highlighted a small number of pupils who need more help with emotional regulation, particularly during busy outdoor times. We’re already putting targeted support in place for them, tightening routines, increasing adult presence in hotspots, and working closely with families so that every child feels safe and supported.
Overall, the picture is positive: our systems are working, our values are visible, and children are thriving. The next steps are about fine‑tuning, strengthening consistency across all adults, maintaining high expectations, and continuing to build the skills of pupils who need a little more practice regulating big feelings.
Celebrating What’s Going Well
- Children know the system and feel confident in it. We’ve seen calmer transitions, purposeful play outdoors and more pupils taking pride in making good choices.
- Positive recognition is working. Values Tokens, certificates and awards in assemblies all help children feel their effort matters.
- Values are visible. Whether it’s a child helping a friend, showing resilience in a tricky lesson or practising kindness on the playground, the values are part of their everyday identity.
We teach children that every action has a consequence. Sometimes that means a values token or praise, and other times it means taking a short time out to regulate, talking things through in a restorative conversation, or receiving a proportionate sanction. This consistency helps children feel secure and understand how to make better choices next time.
Spotlight on the Values Baccalaureate (Years 4–6)
The Values Baccalaureate continues to be one of the most joyful parts of our values-based ethos. Children in Years 4–6 work towards Bronze, Silver, Gold and Platinum, building a portfolio of evidence that shows how they live our values at school, at home and in the community.
It has been wonderful to see older pupils supporting younger ones, helping in classrooms, reading to younger children, volunteering around school and contributing to their local communities. The pride on their faces when they receive their Values Baccalaureate patch is something very special.
Coming soon – 'Ripples of Kindness' a new initiative designed to celebrate and encourage acts of kindness (showing our school values) within our school and wider community. The idea behind Ripples of Kindness is simple. Just like ripples in water spread out from one small drop, small acts of kindness can have a powerful impact, spreading positivity and care far beyond the original moment. We know that our children show kindness every day, both in and out of school, and this initiative gives us a way to recognise and celebrate those moments. Look out for our February Values newsletter next week for more details.
Supporting Every Child, Keeping Everyone Safe
Some children, particularly those with additional needs, can find it harder to regulate big feelings. Very occasionally, this can lead to behaviour that affects others, and we completely understand how upsetting it is for children on the receiving end. Please know that we take every incident seriously and respond quickly and proportionately, while keeping our focus on helping all children learn safer, better ways to cope.
Being an inclusive school means we put the right support around the child who struggled and the child who was hurt. We use calm adult coaching, consistent routines, visual supports and clear restorative steps so children can repair and move forward. Where patterns emerge, we tighten plans, increase adult presence in the right places, practise social scripts before tricky transitions, and involve parents so that home and school work together.
We’re committed to building children’s skills, and making school feel safe and predictable for everyone. Where other children have been affected by the behaviour of others, we communicate with parents, check in on their wellbeing, and keep parents updated on what we’re doing next. And if any child needs more help to regulate, we’ll make sure they have a structured plan, with clear targets and regular reviews. Together, we can help every child feel understood, supported and ready to learn.
What We’re Working on Next
Even with all this success, we’re always looking for ways to grow stronger:
- Outdoor spaces: We’re continuing to strengthen adult presence and play routines in our busy outdoor areas so that games are fair, fun and inclusive.
- Consistency: We want every child to experience the same calm, predictable approach wherever they are in school, so we’re tightening up how we record incidents and how we follow up on conflict.
- Values Baccalaureate momentum: We’ll keep shining a light on the programme and helping families know how to support it from home, many of the tasks fit easily into everyday routines.
How You Can Help at Home
Simple, everyday habits make a huge difference:
- Talk about our core values and notice when your child shows them in real life.
- Encourage them to use regulation strategies when they’re upset or overwhelmed.
- If your child is in Years 4–6, take a look at the Values Baccalaureate task cards together. Choosing one or two tasks to start with is a great way to get going.
Thank You
We’re grateful for the partnership we have with you. Your encouragement at home helps reinforce the values we teach in school and gives children the confidence to keep making positive choices. Together, we can help every child grow into a kind, thoughtful and resilient young person.
If you’d like to know more about any part of our behaviour or values approach, please speak to your child’s class teacher, we’re always here to help.
- Behaviour Handbook (policies page)
- Behaviour at Fielding, web page
Clare Haines