National action plan on relationships and behaviour in schools: 2024 - 2027

Theme 3: Support for children and young people

Action 9: Age and stage appropriate resources are available to support children’s social and emotional development.

Action 10: Children and young people are supported to develop healthy relationships and behaviours, grounded in tolerance and respect

Action 11: Children and young people’s views are embedded in the development of school policies and procedures.

Key deliverables (how the actions will be supported and implemented)

During phase 1:

• Consider how to support parents to support their children’s social and emotional development.
• Review and update resources linked to social and emotional learning.
• Publish updated teaching guidance on Relationships Sexual Health and Parenthood education.
• Conduct desk research on evidence of young people’s views and experiences of relationships and behaviour in schools.
• Collate examples of current/emerging practice of children and young people participating in the formulation of policy.
• Work with Mental Health in Schools Working Group to consider how to encourage take up of mental health resources, including e-learning module for staff.
• Continue delivery of Mentors Against Violence Prevention programme.

During all phases:

• Review PSE materials to support provision of learning resources to allow teachers to deliver relevant, engaging and stage appropriate learning on topics such as anti-racism, gender-based violence, vaping, alcohol and drugs.
• Identify opportunities to gather young people's views and experiences of relationships and behaviour in schools to inform update to national suite of relationships and behaviour policies.

Theme 4: Supporting the workforce

Action 12: Support all education settings to have a planned and ongoing programme to promote staff wellbeing.

Action 13: Empower staff through provision of relevant professional learning to support relationships and behaviour approaches and practice and to respond to emerging trends in behaviour.

Action 14: Identify and promote the approaches to curriculum design, pedagogy, and assessment to facilitate learner engagement of all children and young people.

Key deliverables (how the actions will be supported and implemented)

During phase 1:

• Consider the outcomes of the joint SG / ADES Education Workforce Health & Wellbeing Support Project and next steps on improving existing wellbeing support that is provided by local authorities and teaching unions.
• Promote learning resources to support local authorities and schools to understand the underlying causes of absence and disengagement and consider how best to support improvement using relationship building, nurturing, trauma-informed approaches.
• Scope development of learning on emerging areas of concern, including gender-based violence and far-right extremism.

During phase 2:

• Identify and promote resources and professional development available to staff and schools on relationships and behaviour in schools, and recording and monitoring of incidents.
• Identify, develop and promote professional learning and resources on relational practice (including universal and targeted supports).

In all phases:

• Seek to ensure educational settings have a proactive and responsive approach to promoting and maintaining staff wellbeing and provide support following incidents.
• Identify and promote resources and professional learning resources available to staff and schools on relationships and behaviour in schools, rights and equalities, wellbeing, care and inclusion, and recording and monitoring of incidents.