Positive Behaviour Support | Cann Bridge School

The Positive Behaviour Support (PBS) Team

Vince Squance – Positive Behaviour Support Lead and CPI Safety Interventions Instructor

Vince leads the PBS Team and has worked in education in both SEND and mainstream schools since 2000. He joined Cann Bridge School in 2015 and has worked as both a Teaching Assistant (TA) and teacher during this time. Vince is passionate about working with staff to help them support learners to flourish.

Fern Zubka-Hill – CPI Safety Interventions Trainer and Trauma-Informed Practice Lead

Fern started at Cann Bridge as an apprentice in 2014. Since then, she has worked as a Higher-Level Teaching Assistant (HLTA) and is passionate about developing trauma-informed practices across the school.

Jared Ferguson & Peter Dring – CPI Safety Interventions Trainers

The PBS Team supports staff with training and advice to ensure the school has an embedded ethos of PBS. In terms of philosophy and practice, PBS is:

Not a single strategy. It is a combination of CPI Safety Intervention approaches, trauma-informed practices, and sensory approaches.
A learner-centred approach to behaviour.
Rooted in respecting and understanding the learner’s personality and needs, and focused on encouraging choice, promoting safety, and fostering engagement.
It sets reasonable boundaries and limits, but is not punitive.
Proactive, rather than reactive. PBS looks to identify causes of anxiety and meet the learner’s needs before challenging behaviours occur.
Seeks to support and prepare learners not just for the short term, but also for the long term.
Collaborative and evidence-based, with a serious focus on the effectiveness and importance of role-modelling.

Our staff are expected to exhibit the principles of PBS in their day-to-day practice, and to support this, they receive CPD in CPI Safety Interventions, trauma-informed practice, PACE, and sensory approaches to support engagement and positive behaviour.

Please click here to learn more about our Behaviour Policy.

Trauma-Informed School

At Cann Bridge School, we are committed to fostering a nurturing and respectful school community that prioritises the well-being of both our learners and staff. To achieve this, we endeavour to develop and embed a trauma-informed approach across all aspects of school life for our learners, implementing trauma-informed practices and principles to support their holistic growth and development.

We adhere to the following six principles of trauma-informed practice:

Safety: We prioritise the physical, psychological, and emotional safety of our learners and staff by creating an environment where individuals feel secure, supported, and free from harm.
Trust: We build trust among our school community by maintaining transparency in our policies, procedures, and actions, and by consistently delivering on our commitments.
Choice: We empower learners by involving them in decision-making processes, respecting their preferences and autonomy, and providing them with opportunities to make choices that contribute to their healing and growth.
Collaboration: We recognise the value of collaboration and peer support in overcoming challenges and improving our systems. We actively involve learners, staff, and families in decision-making processes and seek their input in shaping our practices.
Empowerment: We strive to empower learners and staff by validating their experiences, supporting their decision-making autonomy, and fostering a sense of agency and self-worth.
Cultural Consideration: We acknowledge and respect the diverse cultural backgrounds and identities of our learners and staff. We ensure that our policies, protocols, and practices are responsive to the unique needs and preferences of individuals from all cultural backgrounds.

Please click here to learn more about our Trauma-Informed Policy.