Behaviour in schools
Behaviour in schools
Author
Introduction
Schools are struggling with high levels of behavioural issues and wellbeing concerns from pupils affected by the Covid-19 pandemic. Public Health Scotland have found that the pandemic has had a negative impact on children’s learning in nurseries and schools and led to an increase in negative behaviour.
2022 Award
Cheryl-lee Brown is co-founder and CEO of Midlothian Sure Start, a Scottish charity that helps children in the communities of Midlothian to reach their potential. During her Fellowship to the USA, Cheryl-lee witnessed the PAX Good Behaviour Game (PAX GBG), a model in which teachers use trauma-informed behavioural strategies with their students to great effect. Schools using PAX GBG report increased time for teaching and learning, increased attention to and completion of academic tasks, improved learning outcomes and a reduction in disruptive behaviour. PAX GBG has been tested in Northern Ireland with positive results and Cheryl-lee has recently begun a small-scale exploratory randomised control trial of PAX GBG with nine teachers in Midlothian.
Cheryl-lee has been awarded one of our Activate grants to increase the scale of this trial to include a further 20 teachers in up to 10 primary schools in Scotland. The funding will support the provision of additional PAX GBG training in Scotland by an accredited trainer from Queen’s University Belfast in Northern Ireland, as well as the supply to each teacher of a PAX GBG Teacher Kit of resources. Cheryl-lee will work with colleagues at Midlothian Sure Start and Queen’s University Belfast to evaluate the results of the trial, and will share the learnings at a dissemination event in autumn 2022. In addition, Cheryl-lee will deliver a seminar to colleagues at Queens University Belfast outlining the trial from the perspective of a third sector organisation.
Cheryl-lee hopes that the trial will demonstrate the positive impact of implementing PAX GBG in Midlothian and that it will lead to the scaling up of this programme across Scotland so that more schools can benefit.
Cheryl-lee’s Fellowship explored the co-productive use of trauma-informed practice in the early years and was supported by the Mental Health Foundation.
2022 Award
Cheryl-lee Brown is co-founder and CEO of Midlothian Sure Start, a Scottish charity that helps children in the communities of Midlothian to reach their potential. During her Fellowship to the USA, Cheryl-lee witnessed the PAX Good Behaviour Game (PAX GBG), a model in which teachers use trauma-informed behavioural strategies with their students to great effect. Schools using PAX GBG report increased time for teaching and learning, increased attention to and completion of academic tasks, improved learning outcomes and a reduction in disruptive behaviour. PAX GBG has been tested in Northern Ireland with positive results and Cheryl-lee has recently begun a small-scale exploratory randomised control trial of PAX GBG with nine teachers in Midlothian.
Cheryl-lee has been awarded one of our Activate grants to increase the scale of this trial to include a further 20 teachers in up to 10 primary schools in Scotland. The funding will support the provision of additional PAX GBG training in Scotland by an accredited trainer from Queen’s University Belfast in Northern Ireland, as well as the supply to each teacher of a PAX GBG Teacher Kit of resources. Cheryl-lee will work with colleagues at Midlothian Sure Start and Queen’s University Belfast to evaluate the results of the trial, and will share the learnings at a dissemination event in autumn 2022. In addition, Cheryl-lee will deliver a seminar to colleagues at Queens University Belfast outlining the trial from the perspective of a third sector organisation.
Cheryl-lee hopes that the trial will demonstrate the positive impact of implementing PAX GBG in Midlothian and that it will lead to the scaling up of this programme across Scotland so that more schools can benefit.
Cheryl-lee’s Fellowship explored the co-productive use of trauma-informed practice in the early years and was supported by the Mental Health Foundation.