Memorandum submitted by Dr Heather Geddes,
UKCP Reg Educational Psychotherapist, The Caspari Foundation
INTRODUCTORY COMMENTS
The issue highlighted by the points inviting
comment, is what to do about the challenges of behaviour in schools.
There appears to be insufficient focus on what such behaviour
means. Unless the causes of the disruptive behaviour are understood
then the solutions do not have enough meaning and impact. For
policy to be effective, it must be fully informed about what it
is legislating about. Policy from the top down needs to reflect
the experience it seeks to address—from the bottom up. I
therefore submit a brief argument which links behaviour to early
experiences of childhood which, if adverse, can affect the organisation
of behaviour and so a pupil's behaviour can be an expression of
how they have learned to cope with life including the challenges
of learning. If this is understood, it is my experience that teachers
respond in ways which are more effective in enabling pupils to
experience learning in less challenging ways and are more accessible
to being taught.
(This is detailed in my book Attachment in
the Classroom (Worth Publishing 2006) which is based on research
and highlights the links between early adversity affecting engagement
and achievement in school. It is a well subscribed text for classroom
teachers and the work has been appreciated in specialist fields
such as Adoption and Fostering and LAC).
The following is a brief synopsis of my argument
which seeks to influence policy and focus attention on the need
to understand a problem before formulating a solution, and the
need for all teachers to be informed about the social and emotional
factors affecting learning in order to extend their skills as
teachers to improve outcomes for all pupils.
ATTACHMENT, BEHAVIOUR
AND LEARNING
1. Adverse life experiences are known to
be linked to behaviour and underachievement and later emotional
well being and social inclusion. Neglect, abuse, domestic violence,
absent fathers, drug and alcohol mis-use and mental illness issues
in families are associated with behaviour, underachievement, disengagement
and social exclusion. Most men in prison have very low reading
age. There is a group of the population which appears to remain
stuck in the trap of not being able to access opportunity and
who are at the heart of the issue of inequality. The most impoverished
members of society are those who cannot access opportunity and
education is a key pathway to accessing opportunity. It is often
an intergenerational issue and experience in school, especially
primary school, can provide significant opportunity to make a
considerable difference to this complex situation.
2. Behaviour and underachievement are the
two factors which most affect teacher stress and satisfaction.
Behaviour is the key issue that triggers responses to pupils in
school and it's the naughty boys who are "noticed" and
often the quiet vulnerable pupils are overlooked.
3. The research and application of Attachment
Theory offers a significant framework for appreciating the factors
which most affect behaviour and achievement is school. Early relationships
in the context of maternal care (supported by paternal involvement)
have the most profound affect on children's experience of self
awareness, expectation of others and in particular the development
of resilience to face and survive life's challenges, such as those
above, including the challenges of learning. We all develop ways
of coping and our coping behaviours reflect our early experiences
of being supported in early life.
4. Adverse attachment experience is evident
in the coping behaviour of many troubled children. And it is these
entrenched patterns of defensive behaviour which are most challenging
and resistant to practical intervention and require a deeper understanding:
— The perceived and real experience of
rejection is linked to self reliance and difficulties in relying
on adult help which affects pupils being able to trust the teacher
and they can underachieve because they are unable to ask for help
(Avoidant attachment pattern).
— Children who have experienced a carer
who is unreliable and needy themselves, can feel responsible for
the welfare of the parent and find separation difficult affecting
attendance and focus on the learning task (Resistant Ambivalent
attachment pattern—also associated with separation anxiety
and attendance issues).
— Children who have experienced risk, abuse
and absence of sufficient care can become controlling and very
untrusting, challenging the authority of the teacher and behaviour
boundaries (Disorganised Attachment pattern). We experience this
pattern with many LAC and with pupils most likely to provoke exclusions.
These behaviour can be accommodated and addressed
within the classroom and the differentiation of learning materials,
when the teacher is aware of the meaning of pupil's behaviour.
5. Behaviour can be a communication about
experience and in particular, children who have experienced fear
and uncertainty can act this out in ways that are very challenging
and disruptive—gangs are a classic way of seeking to feel
safe in a group which colludes in the denial of fears and helplessness.
This complex range of behaviours is present
in every classroom and in some areas of high deprivation, can
be the dominant behaviours, challenging the best of teaching practices.
6. Much of this can be addressed in schools
which are informed and appropriately supported and resourced.
Schools, especially primary schools, can and do make a significant
difference to the educational opportunity of many vulnerable pupils
but the opportunity is diverse and unequal. Teacher training is
essential to prepare for this aspect of educational vulnerability.
7. In order to address the behaviour issues
presented in schools, the behaviours need to be understood so
that appropriate interventions can be reflected in individual
and whole school practice. School can become the "secure
base" for our most vulnerable pupils and so make a very significant
contribution to emotional well being for the most vulnerable members
of our society to whom inclusion is denied because of lack of
understanding and insight into the meaning of behaviour. Without
this insight, our policies do not address the real issues.
These comments are brief and a lot of detail
and argument is not included because of the limit of the situation
but I would be pleased to give a fuller presentation if required.
BIOG—HEATHER
GEDDESDr Heather Geddes is an
Educational Psychotherapist and has worked in a variety of settings
in education and Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services,
concerned primarily with pupils presenting challenging behaviours.
Her particular interest is the social, emotional and behaviour
difficulties that inhibit learning and so affect equality of opportunity.
She has researched and published several articles on the subject
of the links between early Attachment experience and behaviour
and learning in school and is author of Attachment in the Classroom:
the links between children's early experience, emotional well-being
and performance in school. (Worth Publishing 2006). She currently
works as supervisor, trainer and consultant with links to services
for Looked After Children and Fostering and Adoption.
October 2010
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