Memorandum submitted by Alison Peacock,
Cambridge Primary Review and The Wroxham Primary School, Potters
Bar, Hertfordshire
INTRODUCTION
Alison Peacock is head teacher of an internationally
acclaimed primary school that she has transformed from special
measures to outstanding within three years. She is also a National
Leader in Education at the National College. From September 2010
she combines these roles with that of Leader of the Cambridge
Primary Review Network, a two-year extension of the Review's activities,
supported by Esm
e Fairbairn Foundation, which will support and disseminate
the work of schools which are building on the Review's findings
and proposals. Quotations from the Review's final report, published
in October 2009 (Alexander 2010), appear below in italics.
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Behaviour and discipline cannot be separated
from curriculum, pedagogy and school ethos. School should be a
place where children and families quickly learn that they will
be respected and understood. The term "discipline" implies
externally enforced compliance. An infinitely preferable scenario
is one where young people are intrinsically motivated to learn
and interact effectively within a respectful peaceful community
that is nevertheless responsive, vibrant and full of life. This
document seeks to offer examples of actions that lead to highly
effective engagement, instead of disaffection and exclusion.
This submission addresses the points requested
by the Education Committee in order. Quotes from the findings
of the Cambridge Primary Review published in Children, their
World, their Education (Alexander (Ed), 2010) are in italics.
1. How to support and reinforce positive
behaviour in schools
When I took over headship of a one form entry
primary school in Hertfordshire it had been in special measures
for two years. A member of the 2001 Ofsted team described the
children in one class as "unteachable: due to their poor
behaviour. This submission seeks to illustrate the effectiveness
of strategies that the new leadership team put in place from 2003
onwards enabling dramatic school improvement.
1.1 High quality teaching and school leadership
The Cambridge Primary Review strongly supports
the view of Sir Alan Steer's group on pupil behaviour that "the
quality of teaching, learning and behaviour are inseparable"
and the principle that the management of behaviour and the management
of learning should be aligned and consistent (p496)
Excellent behaviour and high quality teaching
are inextricably linked. Strong leadership in our school has meant
that teachers understand the importance of planning and assessing
each lesson rigorously in order that no child feels left out,
confused or under challenged. Children at our school are not labelled
by ability but are offered the constant expectation that they
will seek to challenge themselves through self selection from
a range of tasks. This is a demanding process that requires careful
decision making on the part of every child. Ranking has been replaced
by an approach to learning that is challenging but rewarding in
all areas of school life.
Children from Lower Foundation upwards are enabled
to develop independence in order that they can learn and co-operate
within the school community as effectively as possible. High staffing
levels and close involvement of family and volunteer helpers throughout
the school ensures that children's learning can be supported and
extended in all areas of the curriculum.
We rapidly found that poor behaviour reduced
in classes where children knew that they were respected, valued
and noticed as individuals. These classes had teachers who knew
the importance of engaging in dialogue with children and who provided
consistent high expectations of every child. Inequality within
and between groups of children has reduced, leading to standards
of behaviour, achievement and attainment that are outstanding
(Ofsted 2006, 2009)
Strong principled leadership of the school ensures
clarity of vision and purpose.
1.2 Creating a listening school
Children's responses to the Cambridge Primary
Review were often very upbeat. Whatever was happening in the
wider world, children were seen to be spending their school days
in "communities-within-communities" that unfailingly
sought to celebrate the positive. (p56)
Children should be actively engaged in decisions
which affect their education, and attention to "children's
voices" should never be tokenistic. (p489)
Within my first term of headship we set up a
whole school approach to democracy. Through mixed aged meeting
groups all children (Y1-Y6) and adults meet on a weekly basis
for fifteen minutes to discuss whole school issues. The mixed
aged meetings increased tolerance and understanding between children
on the playground very quickly. Children suggested play activities
that they would enjoy and adult supervision changed from a passive
monitoring role to one of active play leadership. Discussions
and decisions about whole school policies regarding issues such
as bullying and individual difference are debated within these
meetings. This forum ensures that decision making about issues
that effect everyone provide a microcosm of the "big society"
initiative.
1.3 Intrinsic motivation versus extrinsic motivation—reducing
the desire to act out.
The key to achieving outstanding behaviour in
and around our school has been for children and adults to reflect
upon their actions in the light of the values-led community of
which they are an important part.
A model of behaviour management that relies
upon fear in order to ensure compliance is a model that is subject
to collapse as soon as external constraints are relaxed. Self
regulated behaviour intrinsically motivated by a desire to participate,
learn and belong is infinitely preferable. Children respond very
positively to routine and boundaries. They also delight in being
trusted and respected within those boundaries. Our mission statement
is "working together, aiming high". This statement was
agreed by the children and staff and reflects our strong emphasis
on high standards in all curriculum subjects and the importance
of team work.
1.4 Friendship mentors
What is beyond dispute is that children's
emotional development matters. p231
We have employed qualified counselling staff
who are available for children to meet with to discuss concerns
about school or home. Staff employed by the school liaise closely
with our Inclusion Leader and the Family Support Worker currently
employed through the Extended Schools consortium. In the same
way that children cannot learn and co operate effectively if they
are hungry, they are unable to participate within class if they
are angry or upset.
1.5 Peer mediation
Year Six children are trained in peer mediation
and they operate a rota system at lunchtimes for younger children.
We have provided a quiet room where children can go if they are
upset or angry. Teaching staff manage this process.
Children learn how to support each other and
develop empathy skills. All children and staff from Year One upwards,
attend weekly mixed age meetings. This whole school process operates
instead of a school council. The meetings are brief (fifteen minutes
only) but are regular and effective.
1.6 Conflict resolution
Ongoing disputes between individual children
are often resolved through conflict resolution sessions which
are led by trained teachers and support staff.
2. The nature and level of challenging behaviour
by pupils in schools and the impact upon schools and their staff
The Cambridge Primary Review encountered
considerable concern about children's behaviour in schools and
classrooms. It also found no clear agreement on the causes, though
social trends, poor parenting and the performance culture were
all frequently blamed. However, public and political discussion
of the problem tends to focus on rules rather than relationships,
detaching behaviour from learning, and replacing interaction through
which pupils learn to think for themselves by directives which
expect them to replicate the thinking of others. (p496)
The nature of challenging behaviour that I experienced
in the first years of headship at my school, included incidents
of individual children throwing furniture and other objects, children
running off site, punching and kicking between children, physical
assaults and verbal abuse of staff, racial and gender intolerance
and abuse. On the whole, these were isolated extreme incidents.
Insidious "low level" poor behaviour was closely linked
with refusal to engage and peer pressure to exhibit disinterest
and passivity within the classroom. This atmosphere of apathy
amongst the children was most noticeable in KS2 where to show
any evidence of interest in learning was to be derisively labelled
a "boffin" by peers.
Development of high quality subject teaching within
a coherently planned curriculum rapidly ensured that learning
became irresistible for almost every child.
2.1 Shared whole school responsibility
There is greater awareness of bullying in
schools and greater understanding of how to deal with it. 70%
of 10 to 15 year olds reported in 2007 that they had never been
bullied and nearly 60% believed that their schools dealt well
with bullying issues. (p54)
Disruptive behaviour, however minor, is unacceptable
and cannot be tolerated. Behaviour management is a whole school
issue which requires consistent leadership.
2.2 Record keeping and follow up
Any incidents of unacceptable behaviour are
recorded by staff on a shared format and copies are given to the
class teacher, Inclusion Leader and headteacher. This ensures
that all incidents are noted and followed up, whilst maximising
communication. Behaviour incidents are recorded on a spreadsheet
which enables analysis of victims and perpetrators. This rigorous
approach ensures that no child can "slip through the net".
Children who report behaviour as victims may tell a wide range
of different adults within the average school setting over a period
of weeks. Our system of monitoring ensures that all complaints
from children are noticed and any emerging pattern of bullying
behaviour can be seen and followed up quickly.
Confidential memos are sent to teaching staff
naming children who have been victims and includes any perpetrators
who we need to "catch being good".
3. Approaches taken by schools and local
authorities to address challenging behaviour, including fixed
term and permanent exclusions
Working closely with parents and families is
a key priority for our school. We aim never to judge parents and
do not seek to blame them if their child finds school life challenging.
Our success in minimising extreme incidents of behaviour has often
been achieved by building strong supportive relationships with
families. In my early days of headship the behaviour of the parents
whose children were acting out was often far more challenging
than that of their offspring.
We have rarely needed to resort to fixed term
exclusions. However, there have been occasions when the opportunity
to do so has provided a much needed "breathing space"
for the school.
Our local network of primary and secondary schools
meets regularly. This group enables more experienced leaders and
teachers to support others and also provides a forum for debate
about town wide issues such as ways of supporting disadvantaged
children and families.
The Local Authority Behaviour Support team provide
a useful sounding board and offer short term intervention programmes.
4. Ways of engaging parents and carers in
managing their children's challenging behaviour
True partnership cannot flourish where respect
and power are not equal (p81)
Traveller representatives said that they
and their children faced discrimination, bullying and segregation,
both inside and outside school. (p399)
The Review's national soundings stressed
the need for services to listen to marginalised groups and for
teachers to be trained in how to work with them (p399)
4.1 Working in partnership
Partnership between our school and families
is something we work very hard to achieve. Home visits take place
when children start school and we share assessment observations
regularly through learning profiles. We meet at least termly with
all families to discuss the progress of their child. Wherever
possible, children attend and lead these meetings. In Years 4,
5 and 6 children prepare powerpoint slides highlighting their
key areas of success and challenge for presentation and discussion
at family consultation meetings. This high quality interaction
promotes trust between school and home with the aim being for
the adults to work together as effectively as possible to support
the needs of the child. If a child is finding an aspect of their
behaviour difficult to control they will share their strategies
during the meeting. This "no blame" approach allows
for maximum creativity in management and reduces barriers between
the school and community.
4.2 Family support
Some submissions to the Review commented
that referral to outside agencies stigmatised families experiencing
difficulties (p398)
One way to reduce stigma is to make public
services as universal and as easily accessible as possible (p398)
5. How special educational needs can best
be recognised in schools' policies on behaviour and discipline
Acceptance of the basic rights and principles
of inclusion has not always been matched by appropriate knowledge,
skills and attitudes' (p490) The Cambridge Primary Review recommended
that there should be "a full SEN review" to include
"proper debate on the meaning and practicality of inclusive
education" (p 490)
Behaviour support teams should be skilled at
supporting schools in recognising patterns of behaviour.
5.1 SEND recognition should be an intrinsic part
of personalised learning
Every child in our school is valued as an individual.
Where difficult behaviour is linked to SEND every effort is made
by the school to recognise this. Disruptive behaviour is best
avoided by minimising potential triggers, alleviating potential
areas of anxiety, providing alternative spaces (such as a quiet
zone or sensory calming room) in order that the child can control
his behaviour with dignity.
6. The efficacy of alternative provision
for pupils excluded from school because of their behaviour
We almost never exclude a child from our school
and on the rare occasions that we have done so it has been for
a very brief amount of time.
My concern is that when children are excluded
in my local authority there is a paucity of provision for the
children and their family. This is particularly the case when
the exclusion is permanent and especially where the child is very
young.
7. Links between attendance and behaviour
in schools
My experience as a headteacher is that children
with the most challenging behaviour tend to attend very regularly.
8. The Government's proposals regarding teachers'
powers to search pupils, removal of the requirement for written
notice of detentions outside school hours and the extent of teachers'
disciplinary powers as announced by the Department on 7 July.
As a primary school we would never issue detention
outside school hours and would always liaise very closely with
families if a child was causing us concern. We have transformed
the behaviour of children in our school without the need for the
measures announced by the DfE on 7 July 2010.
SUMMARY
The message is clear: expect more, teach
better, and children will respond (p99)
Every child should be entitled to learn in an
environment where he is safe and has the freedom to express himself
as an individual, but where clear boundaries exist to enable the
highest quality education to take place for everyone. High quality
educational experience occurs in schools where teachers offer
an outstanding curriculum that is challenging, meaningful and
inclusive.
September 2010
REFERENCESAlexander,
R.J. (ed) (2010) Children, their World, their Education: final
report and recommendations of the Cambridge Primary Review, Abingdon:
Routledge.
Alexander, R.J. with Doddington, C., Gray, J., Hargreaves,
L. and Kershner, R. (eds) (2010) The Cambridge Primary Review
Research Surveys, Abingdon: Routledge.
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