All staff to follow below procedure
- Before implementing time out as a corrective behavioural strategy, please ensure you have read through the Behaviour Plan on the child’s file.
- Before starting your nursery session be sure to identify for yourself suitable places where a child can be requested to sit during their time out. This must be on the floor and a safe place.
- If a child has been identified as occasionally requiring to have thinking time to reflect on behaviour, it is ESSENTIAL that the practitioners seek out a greater weighted number of opportunities to praise the child reinforcing positive choices and behaviour.
- If the child is observed to not be making a ‘Good choice’ or is participating in unwanted behaviour, bring this to the child’s attention. Where possible, approach the child in a calm manner, get down to their level and with a low, firm tone explain concisely what you have witnessed, and what the consequence will be. E.G “childs NAME, I have just watched you throw sand at ???, that was not a good choice, you need to and think about this for (minutes dependent on their age) to think about what you have done , then come back and talk to them. NO MORE CONVERSATION.
- Child to be sat out for the amount of minutes that correlate with their age – EG age 3 = 3 minutes in reflective time. Extending the time is NOT effective, it is the repetition where required that manages the behaviour. We also need to consider times for children with additional needs.
- There is to be no further conversation or interaction with this child during this time period unless exceptional circumstances present.
- Return to the child and ask them why they have been asked to think about their choices. Typically they will be unresponsive, in a CALM CLEAR tone using concise limited language, summarise what they did which resulted in the time out session. Tell them that this behaviour is NOT ACCEPTABLE and if they do it again, they will have to return to think about their actions again. Ask them to stand and to go and show you that they can make good choices.
