Removing Barriers to Education
Building Positive Relationships
ICE staff recognise that having a positive relationship with young people is at the forefront of making a difference in the young person’s learning. Taking time to build relationships with the young people will help to understand their individual needs and requirements, this then leads to the teaching and learning being as effective as it could be.
Regular Communication between ICE Staff, Parents and School
Parents are responsible for ensuring that any progress made in the classroom is carried on into the home. We will ensure that this is done with ease and efficiency. Parents, schools and ICE staff should liaise with each other to ensure that all parties are aware of any issues, as well as to notify parents and their mainstream schools of any significant progress or achievements of their child. By doing this ICE staff are able to tailor their lesson plans, teaching strategies and interventions to each individual’s progress knowing that the work is being carried out to keep up with progress made in their mainstream setting and to improve their personal development.
Encouraging Young People to Ask for Help
Young people can have low confidence when it comes to learning and social interactions. This can discourage them from asking questions or reaching out for help. ICE staff can help to combat this by providing a safe and positive environment, offering constant reassurance and encouragement, making students feel confident enough to put their hand up in class or ask for extra help. Taking the time to listen will reassure them that their feelings and thoughts are valid and that they have a voice, it will also be helpful to gain a better understanding of how they process information.
Set Realistic Goals and Targets
Setting realistic and individualised goals is crucial for ICE staff. Getting this right will allow young people to make positive steps towards their development, as the learning capabilities will differ for each young person and will be proportionally different to their peers. The goals and expectations set for our young people will be paramount and bespoke. It may be more beneficial for the young person to have behavioural targets set. For example, focusing on concentration in class, limiting disruptive behaviour, respecting classmates and teachers as opposed to academic targets alone. Parents and host schools can use goals and targets identified by ICE to set boundaries and expectations for their young people’s behaviours at home and at school. Positive reinforcement is a great way to encourage young people to stick to their targets and work towards achieving their goals. Parents, schools, and ICE staff can also use reward systems such as certificates, rewards for milestones and trips to encourage good behaviour.
Creating a Safe and Engaging Environment
A well thought out classroom with adequate lighting and space is something that benefits all young people coupled with a supportive environment with minimum distractions which will aid concentration and learning.
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Light
Sufficient natural light into the classroom.
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Temperature
Working when too hot or too cold is a distraction, appropriate temperatures are set before class.
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Colour
Too much colour in a space can be a lot for young people to process and can be very distracting. We ensure the use of simple colours when we considered room decoration.
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Organisation and Cleanliness
Having a messy classroom or room to work in can cause too many distractions for students, ICE ensure there is a calm and organised space for them to work in.
Dealing with Attention-seeking and Disruptive Behaviours
Staying calm in difficult situations where young people are being disruptive is the best response. Young people showing disruptive behaviour in the classroom will not change this by their behaviour being completely ignored so, dealing with it firmly but calmly should avoid repeated behaviour. ICE acknowledge the feelings of the individual, do not blame, ridicule, or use sarcasm with them. Address the disruption individually, directly and immediately and be specific about the behaviour that is disruptive, identify any triggers and set boundaries.
Being Enthusiastic and Excited About Learning
We have a positive and enthusiastic attitude towards learning, our staff ensure that work set is engaging and interesting. Being excited about teaching makes the classroom more enjoyable for young people too. Young people can get bored quite quickly, so we ensure we are constantly looking for ways to change things up in fun and exciting ways, being flexible and adaptive to the young people’s needs.
Praising all of the young people’s small strides as well as giant leaps will help massively with building their self-esteem. Here at I.C.E, we firmly believe that positive reinforcement works extremely well with young people. Providing instant rewards will help a young person to associate the reward with the task or behaviour.
Help to Encourage and Positive Relationships
Bullying and poor communication between young people and their peers is one of the biggest barriers to learning as it decreases self-confidence and discourages students from attending school. ICE staff will model and support social skills, development and communication ensuring all staff are informed about their young people and how to meet their needs.
We observe what is happening during student break times, establishing a recognised ethos, supported by visual and verbal reminders, valuing diversity, kindness and friendship. Introduce a buddy system for the classroom if needed. We encourage young people to accept responsibility for their behaviour, share their concerns, listen to and support one another. We model positive social behaviours, encourage social interactions regularly and address any areas of concern.
