Model of Support

The National Behaviour Support Service offers three levels of support to second level schools:

This three-tiered approach, based on international best practice, is applied to both behavioural and academic interventions and includes academic literacy and learning needs, as well as the social and emotional literacy needs of students.

All three levels of NBSS support are customised to the specific characteristics, needs and requirements of each partner school on an on-going basis as change occurs. The NBSS sees a whole school approach as fundamental to this work: working with schools on vision, mission, systems, structures, policies and practices. 

Further information on the NBSS model of support is available in the following NBSS publication:

 
Integration of Academic and Social Behaviour Three-Tiered Continuum

This model suggests that in most schools 80–90% of students will be sufficiently supported with whole school initiatives related to positive behaviour. This implies an on-going programme, within schools, of addressing the social, emotional, academic and behavioural needs of all students. The pyramid model indicates that within schools adopting a whole school approach to positive behaviour support, there may be 5 to 10% of students who will need additional support, with possibly 1 to 5% of students who may require intensive, individual support. The NBSS has applied this three tiered perspective to inform the model of support it provides to second level schools in Ireland.

(Sugai, G. 2001. School climate and discipline: school-wide positive behaviour support).