Education [Early Childhood Centres] Regulations 2008: Subpart 2 43 (1) a (i,ii,iii)

Rationale

Early Childhood on Stafford will build positive relationships with all children and use this as a basis for all positive guidance.  Our aim is to develop children who can regulate their behaviour to ensure they work positively with others.  We acknowledge that all children come into our centre with a variety of skills and that some children will need more support than others.  We will work with our children, our whanau, staff and outside agencies to help equip our children with the necessary skills to engage positively with self, others and centre equipment.

Policy

Positive guidance for children attending Early Childhood on Stafford are as follows:

• Each child will be given positive guidance that promotes appropriate behaviour with the child's age   and skill base being taken into consideration.  This shall be given using praise and encouragement, avoiding blame, harsh language, belittling or degrading responses.
• No child receiving guidance will be subjected to any form of physical ill treatment, corporal punishment, solitary confinement, immobilisation, or deprivation of food, drink, warmth, shelter or protection.
• Staff will promote peaceful conflict resolution through positive modeling and actively assisting children in resolving their conflicts. This includes helping children to say to the other child, "No way" with the hand being raised. "Stop, I don't like it" with the hand raised. Children are then encouraged/guided to tell the other person what it is they don't like. This will be modeled to the younger children.  The aggressor will be encouraged to listen!
• Children/tamariki/kaiako will work together to formulate limits and boundaries that will ensure all children are safe.
• Staff will remind children of the centres limits in positive ways and will assist them to understand the reasons behind the limits.  Staff will refer to the "Discipline Hierarchies/Steps for Nondisruptive and Disruptive Behaviour" flow chart and use this as a guideline in their decision making when providing positive guidance.
• Staff will share their limits and positive guidance practices with parents and whanau, relieving teachers and trainees.
• Staff will inform parents/whanau of what the policy states at the time of enrolment.  This will also be displayed in the centre, on the website and reviewed annually.

Early Childhood on Stafford will seek the active support of Group Special Education to assist staff to work positively with all children and parents/whanau.

Adopted: February 2020

Review Date: January 2021