Pastoral Support Programmes

Middlesbrough Schools have demonstrated a real willingness to work with pupils displaying challenging behaviour and their parents on a range of strategies intended to help avoid exclusions from school. The LA wishes to encourage all schools to continue to work in partnership with parents in a positive and supportive way using all of the mechanisms available.

Most schools involve the LA in meetings with parents at some point whether this is at the Discipline Committee stage when reviewing exclusions or at the preventative stage where it is possible that there is a multi-agency approach to dealing with challenging behaviour of pupils. These meetings are often referred to as Pastoral Support Programme meetings (PSPs) or Care Plan meetings. 

These meetings provide an opportunity to acknowledge positive factors relating to the child in addition to ideas regarding how to address behavioural difficulties being presented by the child. Representatives from School and other relevant professionals/agencies attend these meetings in School with parents/carers. Those present discuss a wide range of possible strategies which may be implemented to have a positive impact upon the situation. In most cases, the child is present for at least part of the meeting and realistic targets for improvement are agreed with pupil  and the parent/carer. Review meetings are held every few weeks to monitor the child's progress.

For more information regarding PSPs, please contact David Ball or Emma Lowe, Pupil Support tel. 01642 201828/201830

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