Behaviour support
Sometimes ākonga | students need additional support with social and emotional learning to naturally thrive. Our Learning Support team can assist kura | schools and whānau | families.
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Who to contact
Early years
Early intervention services can provide support for families and early childhood educators who are wanting to support younger children.
Support can be requested by contacting your local Ministry office.
School-aged students
The behaviour support service is for school-aged students experiencing significant challenges with relationships and social and emotional learning. Support can be requested by contacting your local Ministry office.
How support works
Learning support practitioners work collaboratively to embed proactive supports into day-to-day teaching and learning. Responding to challenging behaviour in isolation rarely results in sustainable change. Our practice framework, He Pikorua, provides clear principles and processes for joint decision making.
He Pikorua framework
This framework focuses on the strengths and needs of entire schools, recognising that learning, behaviour and wellbeing are inseparable. This includes ensuring that strong general support systems are in place for all learners, and then integrating more targeted supports, when needed.
Universal Supports (Te Matua)
By nesting learning supports within strong foundations, we can improve the learning experiences for everyone facilitating self-reliant ākonga, supportive whānau, and safe communities. The Ministry offers a range of funded services, tools, resources, and websites to understand and support ākonga who are neurodiverse.
Guides Inclusive Education(external link)
This website includes guidance for teachers to design supports across the curriculum including Universal Design for Learning, Inclusive design modules, a range of learning modules Ata and Oho to assist teachers in nurturing social and emotional competences within the daily curriculum as preventative measures and resources such as Huakina Mai, Behaviour and learning guide to support whole-school and community initiatives.
Universal Design for Learning – Inclusive Education(external link)
Inclusive design modules – Inclusive Education(external link)
Ata and Oho – Tāhūrangi(external link)
Huakina Mai – PB4L(external link)
Behaviour and learning guide – Inclusive Education(external link)
These and other comprehensive resource packages provide the basic tools at school and community level. Learning support staff can support schools to implement these resources in a way that supports their needs in their environments. When implemented well, these tools create and sustain healthy systems that enhance ākonga, whānau and community resilience, rather than merely focusing on individuals who have been overcome by social risks.
Professional learning and development can also be provided to support school and kura or early learning service.
Targeted supports (Te Kāhui)
For specific needs identified within educational contexts, targeted supports aim to enhance participation, learning, and wellbeing. This includes designing environments to meet ākonga needs and initiatives.
Tailored supports (Te Arotahi)
For unique needs, specialists (e.g., learning support advisors, psychologists, speech therapists) work with whānau and educators to foster a sense of belonging in the learning community. Joint planning outlines goals and resources, with the whole team responsible for tracking progress and outcomes. These efforts are part of strengthening inclusive, responsive educational environments that value diversity and foster positive school culture.
A practitioner will work with school staff, ākonga, whānau, and specialists such as resource teachers learning and behaviour (RTLB), psychologists, speech language therapists and kaitakawaenga to develop a shared understanding and co-design tailored support together. The practitioner will support the process and facilitate the engagement and collaboration of all significantly involved.
Behaviour support options
Understanding Behaviour, Responding Safely workshops
The Understanding Behaviour, Responding Safely (UBRS) workshop is delivered in modules for whole-school staff groups focusing on proactive ways of establishing safe learning environments.
It is delivered by trained staff who are experienced in behaviour management and who will also provide on-going support.
Request this training from your local Ministry office.
Behaviour service support information for teachers and schools
Behaviour service support information for parents and caregivers
Interim Response Fund
The Interim Response Fund is funding for a short-term response.
It can be used to provide additional resources to schools to keep students engaged in learning following a significantly challenging event. It gives funding for a short-term response while a more comprehensive planning takes place.
Students needing more intensive support
At points in time, some children and young people have highly complex and challenging needs.
When more intensive support is needed this may be provided through our Te Kahu Tōī Intensive Wraparound Service (IWS).
Te Kahu Tōī Intensive Wraparound Service (IWS)
Support to manage challenging behaviour
Where possible, schools manage challenging behaviour by preventing stressful situations developing or using de-escalation techniques to calm things down.
Responding to ākonga distress without restraint
These guidelines provide a practical approach to recognising and responding to distress and challenging behaviour.
Other behaviour supports
Positive Behaviour for Learning (PB4L) supports schools to promote positive behaviour and create inclusive learning environments that foster wellbeing and achievement for all children and young people.
There are a number of programmes available to improve the behaviour and wellbeing of children and young people.
Positive Behaviour for Learning (PB4L) – TKI(external link)
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