27/05/10
Innovative training aims to help education professionals handle confrontation and aggression
The specialist courses, believed to be the first of their kind in Wales, will be rolled out by Cardiff-based Portal Training after initial piloting around the country. They come against the background of statistics from a survey by the Association of Teachers and Lecturers revealing that almost 40% of teachers have encountered physical aggression in the classroom this year.
The problem of classroom aggression was further highlighted by the recent case of Mansfield teacher, Peter Harvey, who snapped and attacked a 14-year old pupil with a dumbbell after persistent taunting and provocation by youngsters. He was cleared of attempted murder.
Tackling bad behaviour in schools is currently the subject of a major Welsh Assembly Government strategy following the publication 18 months ago of the National Behaviour and Attendance Review.
Portal has developed training that is designed to equip staff at all levels with an awareness of the causes of aggressive behaviour from pupils and parents and with the practical skills to avoid and defuse it.
The courses are intended for teachers and other learning and skills professionals, giving them an insight into the issues behind challenging behaviour, such as emotional triggers and external pressures. The programme is designed to help staff recognise potentially confrontational situations and nip them in the bud before they escalate.
The company was set up in 2008 by company director Gareth Davies, who has 15 years of experience delivering intensive support and training to people in the youth services, Youth Offending Service and post-education fields.
Gareth said: "There is a wealth of great frontline practitioners in Wales, but unfortunately staff members simply haven't been given the support they need to deal with people displaying challenging behaviours. This applies to everything from disruptive students to violent parents, from young people with substance misuse issues to bullies - all of whom I've found staff have to deal with on an increasingly common basis."
Portal Training also provides courses on safeguarding children and young people, engaging and motivating young people Not in Education, Employment or Training (NEET's) and on cyber bullying and internet safety.
Gareth said: "Unfortunately, there is no quick fix for challenging behaviour. It is an issue that needs to be approached intuitively. I say this because tackling problem behaviour is often a matter of recognising external issues, such as family breakdown or bullying, and thinking realistically about the pressures young people face now.
"For many practitioners, trying to deal with challenging individuals or complex issues such as cyber-bullying can be extremely difficult, and guidance on how to approach these matters can work to very quickly bring situations or people under control."
Laura Strange, Cardiff manager at The CADCentre (UK) Ltd, whose staff have been trained by Portal, said:
"The existence of Portal Training shows the seriousness of the situations that teachers and trainers can face. We found the training highly beneficial and we all felt motivated by the way that Gareth taught - relating issues to his own experiences of working with young people. I would definitely recommend Portal Training for people working in education or youth services, as it provided practical solutions specific to our needs."
For more information about Portal Training, please visit: http://www.portaltraining.co.uk/ or call Gareth Davies on 02920 667045.
