All local authorities and education settings have policies related to relationships and behaviour however many are considering refreshing these documents to reflect the incorporation of UNCRC into Scottish law (2021). This resource will support educational establishments or local authorities who are intending to refresh their relationships (and behaviour) policies or those who are reviewing their current guidance. The document brings together a summary of the available resources that may support local decisions and approaches to promoting positive relationships and behaviour.

Guidance for developing a Local Relationships and Behaviour Policy (PDF)

Improvement questions

These reflective questions invite you to consider the impact of your own practice, and your educational setting’s approaches, to building relationships and promoting positive behaviour.

• How effectively do I build relationships with learners?
• How well do I look beyond behaviour to understand needs?
• How well do I involve children and young people in planning learning that meets their needs and interests and is sufficiently challenging?
• How well do we as an education setting recognise and plan for learners who are at risk of disengaging or being excluded?
• To what extent do we take account of adverse experiences which may impact on behaviour and how effectively do we respond to this?
• How well do our policies align to values around building positive relationships and children’s rights?
• How consistent is the understanding of relational approaches across all staff? To what extent are our staff trained in these approaches?