The emotional, behavioural and educational needs of Breckenbrough pupils cannot be neatly labelled and therefore, no one programme of strategies devised to deliver the curriculum. Therefor, teachers need to be positive and use a wide variety of strategies in every lesson. Their successful application is dependent on teachers developing supportive relationships with the boys. The key therefore, is for teaching staff to use their relationships with the boys to apply a wide variety of skills and techniques to encourage and realise achievement in the classroom. These skills include:-

• time and commitment
• flexibility
• humour
• tolerance
• being positive
• patience
• understanding
• encouraging
• persistence

Extraneous duty hours are seen as an important avenue to facilitate the implementation of these skills in an informal environment which will enhance performance in the classroom. (More detailed guidelines on strategies for effective teaching at Breckenbrough are available for new staff.)

Teachers will accept a certain amount of acting out in class. Staff are encouraged to deal with discipline and motivational problems in the classroom as long as the pupil is not preventing other pupils from recieving their education. If the behaviour becomes too disruptive support is available from senior staff.

Programmes of study are written to ensure the National Curriculum can be delivered and is available to all boys. All schemes of work have a section on how that particular area of the curriculum relates to Breckenbrough, describing the problems of delivery and provides a number of strategies designed to overcome these problems. These programmes of study form a plan of what is to be taught lesson by lesson but teachers must be flexible. There will be times when either an individual or a group will not be in a frame of mind to accept tuition and staff are encouraged to use their experience to judge when the programme of study can be successfully delivered and when it should be adapted. Staff record the changes to the programme explaining the reasons for the change.

The programmes of study used in each subject area are designed to meet the needs of the pupils. Differetiation and individual programmes of study are applied where appropriate. The content of lessons, the pace and the rigour of its delivery is aimed to stimulate interest and encourage good behaviour. Staff should discuss with pupils how they are progressing with the aim of improving performance and addressing educational and behavioural problems by setting achievable, measurable targets on a termly basis. Short term rewards to encourage a good performance on a lesson by lesson basis is provided through the merit scheme.