A simple way to improve behaviour at school and at home

News article from January 31, 2017

SHS Practitioner, Becky Southern, works at a school in Thamesmead. There they use the ‘Good to be Green’ behaviour system, a system that uses colour-coded behaviours and consequences for pupils: ‘Green’ is expected behaviour, ‘blue’ is exceptional behaviour (which is rewarded with a ‘privilege card’), ‘yellow’ means that they’re not behaving as expected and results in a warning card, and if they don’t heed the warning then they are on ‘red’, which results in ‘consequence card’ or loss of privileges. A common saying at the school is, “It’s good to be green, it’s better to be blue!”

While the system was very effective at school. Becky noticed that lots of parents were still struggling with home behaviour. She reached out to these parents, offering workshops that taught them how to the ‘Good to be Green’ system worked and how to adapt it for home. She found:

Using the same system for school and home improved behaviour at both. Having a consistent approach across parents and teachers helped children to accept rules and remember them. School and home are the most important parts of a child’s life – it makes sense to keep these in harmony.
The method had particular benefits for SEN children. Children with SEN often appreciate consistency and routine, something this method provides.
It was a great access point for helping families with more complex issues. If the workshop doesn’t solve the issue, Becky visits families at home to help them tweak the system to suit them better. This gives her the opportunity to build on relationships and identify other issues.

Watch this video for more information on ‘Good to be Green’ and Becky’s parenting workshops:

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Using the same system for school and home improved behaviour at both. Having a consistent approach across parents and teachers helped children to accept rules and remember them. School and home are the most important parts of a child’s life – it makes sense to keep these in harmony.

The method had particular benefits for SEN children. Children with SEN often appreciate consistency and routine, something this method provides.

It was a great access point for helping families with more complex issues. If the workshop doesn’t solve the issue, Becky visits families at home to help them tweak the system to suit them better. This gives her the opportunity to build on relationships and identify other issues.