Memorandum submitted by Oxfordshire County
Council
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
1. Oxfordshire County Council is pleased
to provide evidence to the Education Select Committee on the Inquiry
into Behaviour and Discipline in Schools. We recognise that some
fundamental aspects of behaviour management apply universally
but locally tailored solutions often work best and suggest that
national policy encourages locally-driven solutions.
2. Oxfordshire has made significant recent
progress in improving behaviour, reducing exclusions and persistent
absence through the Success Project for pupils struggling to manage
their behaviour because of social and emotional difficulties.
The project has ten strands of work, each with a paired lead from
a senior LA officer and a secondary Headteacher. Innovative work
streams are tested out in school partnerships and good practice
shared across the county through themed conferences twice a year.
3. Our objective was to reduce the numbers
of pupils in groups vulnerable to poor behaviour and to improve
their outcomes. Behaviour is the presenting symptom of a range
of complex underlying conditions requiring a range of approaches.
4. Significant progress has been made in
understanding the root causes of unacceptable behaviour and then
intervening early. Very often the causes of negative behaviour
are to be found in the adult interactions in disorganised and
chaotic families. Our approach has been to help children to build
resilience to cope with their situation and through forming teams
to work holistically with families to address problems. The role
of the Home-School Family Link Worker has become increasingly
effective as have initiatives such as the Family Intervention
Project which seeks to improve the behaviours of dysfunctional
and anti-social families.
5. We welcome this Government's commission
into Early Intervention—reporting to Iain Duncan Smith,
as hugely important in helping to broaden strategies that will
help to tackle poor behaviour.
6. We aspire to educate all children locally,
through the right provision, in the right place and at the right
time for every child whatever their needs. Our best schools believe
they have a duty to educate all the children born into their community.
They gain high exam results for all and manage behaviour well,
without excluding pupils; they also tend to have the best attendance
and strongest links with parents and the local community. Making
sure that all our schools are as good as the best is the key to
managing behaviour across the county.
7. More attention must be paid to the ongoing
training needs for all school staff in managing increasingly complex
children exhibiting challenging behaviours, mental health problems
and special educational needs. Sufficient time must be spent during
initial teacher training to understand these agendas.
8. We welcome approaches that ensure that
schools bring order and discipline to every classroom so that
all children are able to achieve to the best of their ability
and believe that the best way to do that is to make sure that
children with complex problems and from the most disadvantaged
backgrounds get the resources, support and help that they need
to remain in school.
9. A significant rise in excluded pupils
will not only put a massive strain on resources but is likely
to lead to more children being on the streets, engaged in anti-social
behaviour, crime and unemployment. Any policy that seeks to improve
behaviour in schools through exclusion must take account of risks
and unintended consequences.
How to support and reinforce positive behaviour
in schools
10. Classroom control remains a priority
for every teacher throughout their career. Without the skills
to manage classroom behaviour, teachers become stressed. While
some staff have innate skills in developing positive relationships
and managing classes, for most it is a journey that requires constant
fuel. Insufficient attention appears to be paid to understanding
the causes of pupil behaviour and how to address it during initial
teacher training.
11. In Oxfordshire schools that are managing
and promoting positive pupil behaviour tend to employ the following
strategies;
— Continuously support all of their staff
to develop, improve and hone their skills; sharing good practice
with each other, volunteers, supply teachers and parents to develop
a culture that promotes consistently positive behaviour at school
and in the wider community.
— Has clear "living" strategies,
policies, guidance and training in place for managing behaviour
and special educational needs and the interfaces between them
are understood by all staff, parents and pupils.
— Recognise that behaviour is an external
symptom of an underlying difficulty and therefore try to get to
the root of what is causing the behaviour be it:
— A way of distracting attention from an
underlying problem eg SEN.
— Peer pressure—fear of bullying.
— A cry for help—abuse, neglect,
anxiety.
— Medical—depression, an diagnosed
visual or hearing impairment.
— Hormonal—linked to irritability.
— Frustration linked to a condition—especially
Autistic spectrum or inability to understand or absorb learning
as presented.
— Low sense of self worth and desire to
be noticed.
— Different social norms—used to
talking over each other, or shouting over a constantly blaring
television.
— Lack of attachment to family, friends,
school.
— Response to circumstances eg bereavement
or divorce.
— their school is responsible for educating
all children born into the local community whatever their needs
and will provide a curriculum that can properly meet a wide range
of needs;
— to intervene earlier through a holistic
"Team Around Family" approach is more likely to work
than exclusion and blame; and
— teaching children to self-manage their
behaviour rather than doing it for them, is more likely to reap
long term solutions and supporting families to reinforce those
strategies beyond school is vitally important.
— some children are more resilient to coping
with family difficulties than others and supports those who need
it most;
— above all else, most children respond
positively to fairness, consistency and clearly understood boundaries;
— intervening early prevents low level
persistent disruptive behaviour from becoming the norm or escalating;
— praising, celebrating and rewarding good
behaviour further improves behaviour; and
— children and families "attached"
to their school through sense of belonging are more likely to
have positive attitudes to behaviour and that children gain attachment
through belonging to and taking part in teams, clubs, performance,
residentials/school trips, exhibitions; being given a responsibility
and having a significant adult who believes in them.
Children who mis-behave are often punished by
exclusion from taking part in the very experiences that attach
them more firmly to school
The nature and level of challenging behaviour
by pupils in schools and the impact upon schools and their staff
12. Low level disruptive behaviour is one
of the most pressing issues facing schools. Research evidence
confirms that the majority of pupils engage well with their work
but a significant number of pupils cause low level disruption
and a much smaller group present in a more disruptive and unacceptable
way. Unaddressed low level disruptive behaviour can worsen, leading
to loss of control needed to lead teaching and learning. This
has the effect of wearing down teacher patience and energy and
causes ongoing stress.
13. Good teachers address this immediately
through;
— Introspection—"are my lessons
sufficiently challenging, interesting and differentiated to take
account of all learners including those with special and additional
needs?"
— Delivery of the school's behaviour policies
which involve consistent approaches, clear boundaries, fairly
administered and well understood schemes of reward and punishment.
— Communication with parents and involvement
in shared approaches.
14. Unintentional disruptive behaviour is
identified by good teachers who respond appropriately. This is
particularly relevant where pupils have an Autistic Spectrum Condition
(ASC) which may involve social and communication difficulties,
repetitive and obsessive behaviours and difficulties in managing
behaviour when frustrated. These traits can often unintentionally
lead to what appears to be challenging behaviour in the classroom.
15. Eg an ASC pupil asked to stop tapping
his pen on the desk may well stop but then may start tapping a
foot. Literally he has done as requested but may not understand
it is the repetitive nature of the disruption, not the pen, which
is annoying the teacher. An untrained teacher sees that as defiance
and reacts with a punishment. The child not understanding what
they have done wrong may become upset and even aggressive, resulting
in an exclusion from school.
16. Oxfordshire has recognised that, in
our county, too many children with special educational needs are
excluded and we need to improve training of all staff to the standard
experienced by children in our best schools which differentiate
for these pupils so they can access the curriculum, learn to read
social cues and manage their responses.
17. Constantly keeping all staff trained
across the full spectrum of special and additional needs and understanding
the needs of individual children while being seen to carry out
behaviour policies consistently, is more of a challenge in secondary
schools where children move round from teacher to teacher for
short periods of time each week. Some of our secondary schools
have had great success by operating a primary school model in
year seven where children have fewer changes of teacher in the
first few months.
18. Characteristics of conduct disorder
typically include fighting, physical cruelty, destructiveness,
stealing and truancy (including running away from home) refusal
to follow rules and offending behaviour without sign of remorse
or guilt. Often without routine by staying out all night and truanting
during the day, teenagers take risks with their health and safety
through substance misuse and sexually risky behaviour. Even though
intelligent, they rarely achieve at school.
19. Evidence shows this behaviour is linked
to feelings of low self worth and failure. It is common to blame
others and frequently mistrust adults; avoiding interventions
such as behaviour therapy and psychotherapy. Children from dysfunctional
families and those in the looked after system are most affected.
20. This type of behaviour puts a huge strain
on school staff, requires expertise and resources from a range
of professionals.
21. Although small in number, violent incidents
do occur and it is essential that all staff have training in procedures
for dealing with a physical threat. Oxfordshire's preferred model
"Team Teach" emphasises the use of de-escalation strategies.
Approaches taken by schools and local authorities
to address challenging behaviour, including fixed-term and permanent
exclusions
22. As part of the Success project, we are
piloting the Good Behaviour Game (GBG) with six primary schools
in partnership with Brookes University through the Knowledge Transfer
Partnership. The GBG is based on a 25 year evidence base of success
in improving behaviour of very challenging children in the USA.
The programme will be rolled out in 2011-12.
23. Over the past three years, Oxfordshire
has been engaged in a significant programme to increase the capacity
of mainstream schools to manage behaviour better through training
to deliver the SEAL programme (Social Emotional Aspects of Learning),
Restorative Approaches, NPSLBA (National Programme for Specialist
Leaders in Behaviour and Attendance) and whole school training
in Team Teach.
24. Simultaneously, we have re-shaped provision
for pupils at risk of exclusion through the Success Project, by
setting up a range short term local "courses" for challenging
pupils including a 20-day self-management course and a girls'
motivational programme. Pupils join others from different schools
to learn to manage themselves in a group, working with many people
from different backgrounds. These courses give them the skills
to return to their own school and settle down with their peers.
25. The results of that work are paying
off; Permanent exclusions halved in 2010 from 81 to 45 and fixed
term exclusions reduced from 4,020 to 3,095.
26. A successful partnership has developed
between school leaders and the local authority through the establishment
of an In-Year Fair Access Protocol, where area-based panels identify
pupils at risk of exclusion, share ideas to reduce exclusions
and manage "fresh start" moves between schools. The
panels allocate funding to a school to support a pupil's move
and resettlement.
27. Based on local evidence, we favour promoting
behaviour partnerships between schools.
Ways of engaging parents and carers in managing
their children's challenging behaviour
28. Evidence shows the quality of parental
involvement in the early years helps a child to develop secure
attachments and to establish personal and learning skills. Promoting
good parenting skills is a priority through children's centres
programmes.
29. Home-School Link Workers, effectively
employed by school partnerships, work alongside parents/carers
to manage their child's behaviour and encourage better relationships
with school.
30. Other teams supporting families improving
results in relation to pupils' access to school and parent co-operation
include Common Assessment Framework/Team Around the Child (CAF/TAC),
Family And Children Early Intervention Team (FACEIT) and Family
Intervention Project (FIP).
31. We have recently set up a single Family
Information Service, developing as a one-stop shop for advice
to families
32. Following evidence that many children
from disadvantaged families find it hard to make a successful
transition from primary to secondary school, we are piloting an
"attachment to school" project that ensures fragile
families are supported to become engaged with the staff at the
secondary school before their child goes there. The results so
far are promising.
How special educational needs can best be recognised
in schools' policies on behaviour and discipline
33. Most schools have a Special Educational
Needs and a Behaviour Policy. Some have combined the two; recognising
that they are inextricably linked. Since 2009, the county has
modelled a combined SEN and Inclusion policy "Included in
Success; The right provision, in the right place at the right
time for every child."
34. A senior leader in the school should
champion children with special and additional needs, ensuring
that policies are translated into action to improve results for
these children and that all new staff are fully trained.
35. If the Ofsted framework paid much closer
attention to school approaches and outcomes for children with
special educational needs as well as those from disadvantaged
backgrounds, it would assist in driving up standards.
The efficacy of alternative provision for pupils
excluded from school because of their behaviour
36. Where a child is not managing in mainstream
school and is at risk of exclusion, some schools adapt the curriculum
so the pupil remains on the school roll, is part of the school
community but some aspects of their learning may be off-site with
alternative providers. This is easier at KS4 with more vocational
options, college courses and work based providers and is an effective
option. These pupils are more likely to achieve qualifications.
However, alternative provision is expensive and schools are reluctant
always to spend on this. The local authority is concerned that,
if school budgets reduce, this style of provision will become
most at risk.
37. When a pupil is excluded more than once
and in Key Stage 4, they rarely return to mainstream school and
complete their education in alternative provision. The standard
of teaching and provision in many pupil referral units has historically
been poor. It has been seen as a career cul-de-sac and a place
where schools sent their inadequate teachers to help out. Results
have been poor nationally for these pupils. Although improving,
there is a need to encourage and incentivise the best teachers
to teach these pupils—society can not afford to ignore this
very disaffected group.
Links between attendance and behaviour in schools
38. Persistent absence from school is a
type of behaviour with many causes requiring different solutions.
Children absent themselves from school for many reasons other
than genuine illness but may present as ill because they are;
— Fearful of being bullied.
— Young carers; worried about a family
member who is ill, suicidal, or at risk of domestic violence.
— Can't understand the teacher.
— Bored with lessons on offer or in conflict
with specific teachers.
— Avoiding punishment—homework not
done.
— Wanting to help at home with a new baby
in the house.
— Embroiled in a family in conflict, debt,
relationship breakdown—all seem to be more important than
school.
— Not encouraged to prioritise school by
parents with their own complex problems.
39. Teachers report that children who have
significant periods of absence from school find it hard to re-engage
with friends and learning; when returned to school following a
formal process or court order, may respond by anti social behaviour
resulting in further exclusion—repeating the cycle and continuing
the absence.
40. Our highest achieving schools have high
attendance rates. At the Outstanding Schools award ceremony; pupils
describe why their school is outstanding. All mention a sense
of belonging to the school community, teachers who listen and
give time to individuals who need help, the wide range of extra
curricular activities on offer, valuing relationships and caring
for each other.
41. The links between attendance and life-chances
need to be made more explicit to parents and teachers; training
to recognise signs and causes of potential disengagement from
school is essential alongside a committed approach to try to re-engage
before a problem becomes chronic.
42. Our data shows that a high proportion
of children with high absence go on to become NEET. Oxfordshire
is therefore making sure that it's Team Around the Child and Team
Around the Family takes earlier referrals for children who may
not be behaving in a disruptive way in class but are starting
to disengage.
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
43. Giving teachers a more general search
power covering any item which may cause disorder or pose a threat
to safety would simplify the existing policy. We recommend that
staff are trained to manage those powers safely.
44. Schools give 24 hours notice of a detention
to parents for safety reasons so that arrangements can be made
for alternative travel home and to reduce anxiety. This is important
in winter darkness. As a rural county, there is additional challenge—significant
numbers of pupils rely on school transport. If written notice
is removed, a requirement to speak to a parent and agree reasonable
and safe arrangements should be mandatory.
45. There is support for the strengthening
of teachers' powers and the opportunity for schools to act quickly
if a sanction is necessary. However, that must go alongside an
expectation that all staff are trained to work positively with
children with complex, special and additional needs and have a
duty to take those needs into account through all activity.
46. It is too simplistic to assume that
standards in schools and methods of controlling behaviour in the
past were automatically better and therefore by simply returning
to those methods we will solve the problems of today because;
— Society is now very different, we live
in a complex global rather than simple local world.
— The school leaving age is now higher
and expectations that children continue in learning up to age
18 is a recent requirement—("difficult" children
left school earlier in the past and if they disappeared even before
the leaving date to get a job it was not frowned upon).
— Historically, inspection was very variable,
many children left without qualifications but no one was measuring,
comparing or publishing results until 1992 when, under the Education
(Schools) Act 1992, Ofsted was set up to inspect each state-funded
school in the country and began to publish its reports. The requirements
and expectations on schools have increased year on year to increase
5 A*-C including English and Maths—leaving behind the lowest
achieving children and those with most disadvantage. The inspection
focus needs to shift its gaze to our most disadvantaged children
if we are to improve some of society's problems.
— Expectations in terms of school performance
and data analysis in the form it exists today was unknown before
1992, making it impossible to compare qualifications, attendance,
SEN outcomes, standards of behaviour.
— Children with SEN often went undiagnosed,
were not expected to attend school or were educated in special
schools. This is not the norm today.
— The numbers of children with autistic
spectrum conditions is increasing nationally (and is very high
and rising in Oxfordshire.) This needs to be recognised and addressed
within any behaviour policy.
— Teachers had the respect of parents and
the community and were not routinely vilified by government and
the press as has been the case for the past 20 years.
— Punishment went on without challenge
however brutal; more freedoms should not allow a return to those
conditions.
We welcome approaches that ensure that schools
can bring order and discipline to every classroom so that all
children are able to achieve to the best of their ability and
believe that the best way to do that is to make sure that children
with complex problems and from the most disadvantaged backgrounds
get the resources, support and help that they need to remain in
school.
Oxfordshire has analysed its unit costs on educating
a child with behavioural difficulties in different settings. The
approximate costs are:
— mainstream school £5,000 per year;
— alternative provision £15,000 per
year;
— a county special school £20,000
per year; and
— out of county independent special school—from
£60,000 to £297,000 per year plus transport.
We know that outcomes for permanently excluded
pupils are extremely poor. A policy that leads to a significant
rise in excluded pupils will not only put a massive strain on
resources but is likely to lead to more children being on the
streets, engaged in anti-social behaviour, crime and unemployment.
Any policy that seeks to improve behaviour must take account of
risks and unintended consequences.
September 2010
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