1. Context
About Southwark’s Primary Behaviour Strategy Task Force contribution to the toolkit
This toolkit was developed through the collective expertise of Southwark’s Primary Behaviour Strategy Task Force, which included senior leaders, SENCOs, teachers, speech and language therapists, local authority advisers, and educational psychologists. The idea for the toolkit emerged in response to head teachers identifying the need for practical support in working with pupils presenting behaviours that challenge.
The aim was to design a resource that would allow school staff to assess a child’s level of need and identify the most appropriate provision or intervention. To achieve this, the Task Force pooled their professional knowledge and classroom experience to compile a comprehensive list of strategies and resources proven to be effective in practice. The result is a toolkit rooted in real-world expertise, that brings together current research, evidence-informed practice and learning from schools already using relational approaches to behaviour. It brings together current research, evidence-informed practice and learning from schools already using relational approaches to behaviour.
About Anna Freud's1 contribution
Anna Freud is a world-leading mental health charity for children and families. They bring together research, clinical expertise and direct work with children, young people and their parents and carers. For more than 70 years, they have been developing and delivering pioneering mental health care, and today they combine leading science with frontline practice to create lasting change.
Guided by a vision of a world where all children and young people can achieve their full potential, their mission is to close the gap in wellbeing and mental health. They do this by advancing, translating, delivering and sharing the best science and practice with everyone who impacts the lives of children and families.
Anna Freud has been involved throughout the development and finalising phases of the toolkit, supporting the overall structure, content development and integration of evidence-informed approaches. Their input has helped guide decision-making to ensure that, where possible, resources and strategies have been selected based on their relevance to school settings and the strength of the available evidence.
In addition to the core content developed by Anna Freud, this toolkit highlights a variety of external programmes, interventions and organisations that schools may find helpful. These resources are provided for reference only. Anna Freud does not formally endorse or quality assure external content or providers and cannot accept responsibility or liability for their use or effectiveness.
While every effort has been made to highlight approaches with a strong or emerging evidence base, Anna Freud has not independently tested or evaluated the effectiveness of the external programmes listed. Schools are encouraged to use their professional judgement when exploring these materials and to consider what aligns best with their context, priorities and the needs of their pupils.
1. Anna Freud. (n.d.). About us. Available at: https://www.annafreud.org/about/