Managing conflict in schools is crucial to maintaining a positive and productive working and learning environment.

Schools bring together different views of the world, different ways of being, thinking and living, and all these differences have the potential to lead to conflict.

Most school staff will be familiar with some form of conflict, be it parent to staff, staff to staff, teacher to pupil or pupil to pupil.

When conflict is neglected, it doesn’t simply disappear - it continues below the surface, resulting in damage to the school climate and if left ignored, stress can reach unsustainable levels and a toxic environment can take hold.

Skillfully managed conflict however, can benefit schools by improving the ability to work together toward shared goals and establishing a culture in which people can disagree without becoming disagreeable.

This course is for staff but also has lots of techniques suitable for teaching to pupils including class activities and games.

If you have the Unlimited training subscription, this course is included free of charge.
 
Session 1 – Understanding Conflict:

• Defining conflict

• Causes of conflict in school

• Conflict Styles (Find out yours)

• Behaviours that escalate and de escalate conflict

Session 2 – How to manage your personal response to conflict 

• Recognising your reactions - Body, Voice, Emotions

• Managing your stress - Diaphragmatic breathing, Drop the tension, Engage the senses

• Building emotional awareness - Self Awareness: Mindfulness, Journaling, Class activities. Social Awareness: How to develop and improve social awareness

• Developing empathy - 8 ways to develop empathy. Class activities & games

Session 3 – Conflict management Strategies-

• Phases of Conflict

• Skills to employ - Slowing down. Avoiding force, No to 'calm down', No judgement, Personal comments, Co-operative language, Managing your body language

• Using the CICASS system - Control, Identify, Connect (Listening skills),  Acknowledge,  Summarise, Solution

• Managing Challenging Behaviour - Violence at school, Challenging unacceptable behaviour.

 
Session 4 – Applying CICASS to School Situations

• Staff / parent - Techniques

• Staff / staff - Techniques, Mediators

• Teacher / pupil - Techniques, Escalation, Involving other parties

• Pupil/pupil - 6 step plan, Class activities & games

 
Session 5 – Conflict Prevention & Reduction

• Key points - Policy, Communication, Modelling behaviour

• Between staff - Dialog, Roles, Complimentary styles, Past issues, Feedback

• Parents - Guide, Communication, Dialog, Positive interaction

• Pupils - Clear rules, Communication, Safe space, Model behaviour, Conflict Resolution Skills, High expectations, Positive reinforcement, Calm corner/space