1. Purpose

The ECC is committed to providing a safe, nurturing and respectful environment where every child feels valued, secure and supported. Behavior management will be age-appropriate, consistent and focused on helping children understand expectations, regulate their emotions and develop positive social skills.

2. Behavior Expectations

Children are encouraged to:

• Treat others with kindness and respect.
• Use gentle hands and safe feet.
• Follow simple classroom and safety instructions.
• Use appropriate language and communication.
• Take care of school resources and property.
• Share, take turns and cooperate with others.
• Develop independence and responsibility.
• Seek adult support when experiencing difficult emotions or conflicts.

3. Positive Behavior Strategies

Staff will use positive and preventative strategies, including:

• Clear and consistent expectations.
• Gentle reminders and redirection.
• Positive reinforcement, praise and encouragement.
• Modeling appropriate behavior.
• Offering choices and appropriate alternatives.
• Supporting children to identify and express their emotions.
• Calm-down and regulation strategies appropriate to the child’s age.
• Distraction and changing the environment when appropriate.
• Encouraging sharing, turn taking and problem solving.
• Restorative conversations to help children understand the impact of their actions.
• Individual support strategies where a child has ongoing behavioral needs.

4. Managing Behavior Concerns

Behavior concerns will be managed progressively and according to the child’s age, developmental stage and individual needs. Staff will first use gentle reminders, redirection, positive reinforcement and emotional support. Repeated concerns will be documented and discussed with the HOD/Management, and parents may be contacted to work collaboratively with the ECC.

5. Escalation Steps

Where behavior continues despite appropriate support, the following steps may be taken:

Stage 1 – Low-Level Support:

Reminder, redirection, positive reinforcement, emotional support and appropriate choices.

Stage 2 – Continued Concerns:

Teacher records the concern, informs the HOD where required, and parents may be contacted to discuss appropriate strategies.

Stage 3 – Formal Support:

A meeting with parents and Management may be arranged, and an individual behavior/support plan may be introduced with clear targets and review dates.

Stage 4 – Further Action:

Where significant or persistent concerns continue, further action may be taken in accordance with the ECC Behavior Policy and applicable KHDA requirements.

Serious concerns may be escalated immediately and do not necessarily require every stage to be completed.

6. Examples of Serious Misconduct

Examples may include bullying, physical violence or deliberate injury, threatening or aggressive behavior, possession or use of dangerous items, deliberate serious damage to property, serious harassment, repeated unsafe behavior, or any behavior that places a child, staff member or visitor at risk.

7. Parent Communications and Involvement

Parents will be informed promptly of serious or repeated behavior concerns through the appropriate communication channel. Parents will have an opportunity to discuss the concern with the teacher and HOD/Management, understand the steps taken and work collaboratively with the ECC on appropriate strategies or a behavior support plan.

8. Documentation and Monitoring

Significant or repeated behavior concerns will be documented confidentially. Staff will record relevant observations, strategies used, outcomes and any agreed actions. Behaviors plans will be reviewed regularly to monitor progress and ensure that support remains appropriate to the child’s needs.

9. Partnership with Parents

The ECC believes that positive outcomes are best achieved through a strong partnership between the child, family and school. Parents are encouraged to share relevant information that may help staff understand and support their child’s behavior and emotional needs.

10. Prohibited Practices

The ECC does not use physical punishment, humiliation, threatening language, public shaming or any practice that compromises a child’s dignity, safety or emotional wellbeing.

11. Review

This policy will be reviewed periodically by ECC Management and updated where necessary to reflect current ECC procedures and applicable KHDA requirements.

This policy should be read together with the ECC Safeguarding, Child Protection, Health and Safety and Attendance policies.

Children are expected to demonstrate respectful, kind, safe and cooperative behaviour in line with the ECC Behaviour Policy. Behaviour concerns will be managed through age-appropriate reminders, redirection, positive reinforcement and support. If concerns continue, the class teacher will inform the HOD and parents may be contacted to work together on appropriate strategies. Persistent or serious concerns may progress to a formal meeting and behaviour support plan, with further action taken in accordance with the ECC Behaviour Policy and applicable KHDA requirements.

Examples of serious misconduct include bullying, physical violence or deliberate injury, threatening or aggressive behaviour, possession or use of dangerous items, deliberate damage to school property, serious harassment, repeated unsafe behaviour, or any behaviour that places the safety or wellbeing of a child, staff member or visitor at risk.

Parents will be informed promptly of any serious or repeated behaviour concerns through the appropriate communication channel. They will be given an opportunity to discuss the concern with the teacher and HOD/Management, understand the steps taken, and work collaboratively with the ECC on an appropriate support or behaviour plan.