Promoting positive relationships and behaviour in educational settings

Published 21/09/2021.  Last updated 21/02/2024
sourceLearning resources

The promotion of positive relationships and behaviour in schools is essential to ensuring all children and young people develop the four capacities at the centre of Curriculum for Excellence. Research has demonstrated that investing time and resources into improving relationships in establishments leads to positive outcomes around inclusion, engagement, attainment and achievement in the short term and community safety and cohesion in the longer term.

This resource has been created as an overview of information, resources, and professional learning currently available on relationships and behaviour.

Promoting Positive Relationships and Behaviour in Educational Settings (PDF)

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)

Supporting content

The work of the Scottish Advisory Group on Relationships and Behaviour in Schools (SAGRABIS) coordinates the development of policy and guidance in this area within the wider policy context of Getting it Right for Every Child (GIRFEC), the Early Years Framework, Children’s Rights, and the Building Safer Communities programme.

The SAGRABIS group offers advice and guidance to local and national government through research and a range of guidance publications:

Developing a positive whole school ethos and culture: relationships, learning and behaviour (2017)

Behaviour in Scottish Schools Research: Reports available for surveys in 2006, 2009, 2012 and 2016

Included, Engaged and Involved Part 1: promoting and managing school attendance (2019)

Included, Engaged and Involved Part 2: preventing and managing school exclusions (2017)

Recording and monitoring of bullying incidents in schools (2018)

Respect for All: The national Approach to Anti-Bullying for Scotland’s Children and Young People (2017)

Respect for All: The National Approach: Supplementary Guidance (2017)

Creating an Ethos and Culture based on Positive Relationships – Reflective Questions (PDF)

Professional Learning

  • to support relationship building, nurturing
  • to promote self-regulation and positive behaviour

Units

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?
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Promoting positive relationships and behaviour in educational settings

Published 21/09/2021.  Last updated 21/02/2024
sourceLearning resources

The promotion of positive relationships and behaviour in schools is essential to ensuring all children and young people develop the four capacities at the centre of Curriculum for Excellence. Research has demonstrated that investing time and resources into improving relationships in establishments leads to positive outcomes around inclusion, engagement, attainment and achievement in the short term and community safety and cohesion in the longer term.

This resource has been created as an overview of information, resources, and professional learning currently available on relationships and behaviour.

Promoting Positive Relationships and Behaviour in Educational Settings (PDF)

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)

Supporting content

The work of the Scottish Advisory Group on Relationships and Behaviour in Schools (SAGRABIS) coordinates the development of policy and guidance in this area within the wider policy context of Getting it Right for Every Child (GIRFEC), the Early Years Framework, Children’s Rights, and the Building Safer Communities programme.

The SAGRABIS group offers advice and guidance to local and national government through research and a range of guidance publications:

Developing a positive whole school ethos and culture: relationships, learning and behaviour (2017)

Behaviour in Scottish Schools Research: Reports available for surveys in 2006, 2009, 2012 and 2016

Included, Engaged and Involved Part 1: promoting and managing school attendance (2019)

Included, Engaged and Involved Part 2: preventing and managing school exclusions (2017)

Recording and monitoring of bullying incidents in schools (2018)

Respect for All: The national Approach to Anti-Bullying for Scotland’s Children and Young People (2017)

Respect for All: The National Approach: Supplementary Guidance (2017)

Creating an Ethos and Culture based on Positive Relationships – Reflective Questions (PDF)

Professional Learning

  • to support relationship building, nurturing
  • to promote self-regulation and positive behaviour

Units

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?
^ Back to top