Memorandum submitted by the Association
of School and College Leaders
INTRODUCTION
1. The Association of School and College
Leaders (ASCL) represents 15,000 members of the leadership teams
of maintained and independent schools and colleges throughout
the UK. This places the association in a particularly good position
to present evidence to this inquiry.
2. We would draw the committee's attention
to work that has already been completed on behaviour, particularly
the work of the group chaired by Sir Alan Steer (2009) and the
Practitioners' Group (2005).
3. We hope that the committee recognises
that the vast majority of schools are calm well-ordered places
where violent, disruptive behaviour is not a significant issue:
a view supported by evidence from Ofsted.
4. This report can only identify a number
of the key points on such a broad topic and the association is
happy to provide further information as required.
How to support and reinforce positive behaviour
in schools
5. Schools should aim for the highest possible
standards of student behaviour.
6. Schools should develop a positive ethos
within their school community. Pupils need to be engaged in the
life of the school, consulted through pupil voice and their leadership
and decision making skills developed.
7. What the school expects of students should
be clear and understood by all. Ideally the students and their
parents should be involved in setting these expectations. These
expectations should be displayed around the school. A number of
schools have built on the idea of "Rights and Responsibilities"
to help determine expectations of behaviour.
8. The student support system of a school
should ensure that every pupil has someone who knows them well
and is able to support them with their learning and development.
Specific additional support may need to be focused on those young
people that are particularly vulnerable. A number of schools have
used learning mentors effectively in this role.
9. To promote good order schools not only
need to have agreed policies and practices in place, but all the
staff in the school need to implement these policies consistently.
10. Inappropriate behaviour should always
be challenged and the issues addressed. ASCL supports the principle
of "early identification and intervention" to work with
students with behavioural issues.
11. Where staff are having difficulties
with behavioural management they should receive intensive support
and coaching.
The nature and level of challenging behaviour
by pupils in schools, and the impact upon schools and their staff
12. Schools have a challenging task, being
expected to uphold the highest behavioural standards whilst children,
their parents and society often observe very different behavioural
norms outside school and at weekends.
13. It should be noted that the standards
of behaviour in the vast majority of secondary schools are good
or better.
14. Media reports of declining standards
are not built on any firm evidence base but tend to come from
a false extrapolation from a few relatively isolated but often
serious incidents.
15. Schools and their teachers do however
face challenging behaviour from some young people and a range
of strategies have been employed to deal with the situations faced.
16. There is a range of challenging behaviour.
The most common is what is termed "low level disruption"
to lessons through children not retaining concentration and failing
to focus on their work. This is demonstrated by actions such as,
talking out of turn, shouting out, children out of their seat
or generally hindering other students. This type of behaviour
can be a constant drain on staff energy and take the focus away
from developing the learning experiences for the students. Teachers
and support assistants have however developed a wide range of
strategies and approaches to both minimise the level of such disruption
and to deal with it when it occurs.
17. The more serious behavioural problems
include:
— Complete refusal to follow staff instructions.
— Continual use of abusive language and
use of threats to staff or other students.
— Violence to staff or other students.
— Weapon carrying and/or use.
— Gang culture and fighting.
18. All of the above behaviours can cause
insecurity in staff and students and seriously affect staff confidence
and undermine their authority. Again schools have well developed
approaches to dealing with these situations but damage can be
done to the ethos and culture of the school by the very fact that
these activities take place even when dealt with well by the school.
19. Although a serious incident can have
a negative impact on a school, dealing very well with such an
incident can also have a positive impact by making it clear that
such behaviour is not acceptable and showing what the consequences
are should there be a similar event.
20. Schools also have to deal with issues
between students and increasingly conflicts from outside the school
that move into the school and impact on school life.
21. The electronic age has brought with
it a number of new challenges including cyber bullying and challenges
to school staff authority through social networking sites. Strategies
to deal with these are being used but are still at a developmental
stage.
The Approaches taken by schools and local authorities
to address challenging behaviour, including fixed-term and permanent
exclusions
22. Prevention is of course far better than
having to deal with unacceptable behaviour. Developing a suitable
school ethos of respect among students, staff and parents is essential,
as is having a curriculum appropriate to the needs of the students.
Having a range of learning and teaching approaches that engages
and interests the young people will significantly reduce incidents
of poor behaviour. Schools have commented on the fact that the
increased flexibility in the curriculum at both KS3 and KS4 has
been helpful and has helped improve behaviour.
23. Many schools have introduced training
programmes for their staff on behavioural management strategies.
24. There is considerable experience in
schools as to what works in successfully managing behaviour. Secondary
schools have extremely well developed structures to support classroom
teachers in terms of dealing with disruptive pupils. These include:
— Coaching schemes led by experienced members
of staff.
— Observation classrooms to observe experienced
teachers at work.
— Use of specially trained classroom support
assistants.
— Support staff on call to support staff
and deal with incidents.
— Withdrawal of students from the classroom.
— Use of extraction rooms following seriously
disruptive incidents.
— Use of internal exclusion (with support
for the student) as an alternative to external exclusion.
— Senior staff on call available to deal
with serious incidents.
— Support and re-integration programmes
for students that have been internally or externally excluded.
25. Many schools now have highly trained
support staff in support of staff and to work with pupils that
are causing issues in the classroom or around the school. Schools
use punishments both to deter pupils and as part of the process
for students to understand that their actions have consequences.
26. Retaining students after the lesson
and into a break or lunchtime is a very commonly used approach.
After school detentions tend to be used for repeat offenders.
27. Fixed Term external exclusions are used
for repeated "minor" incidents or for more serious offences
such as:
— Violence to another pupil.
— Possession of drugs on the school premises.
28. Although the vast majority of secondary
schools will use any form of external exclusion only after exhausting
other alternatives there is a significant variation in the use
of external exclusions.
29. Most secondary schools operate effectively
in behavioural partnerships in which the use of "managed
moves" or "fresh starts" as a way of giving students
a further opportunity to succeed within the school system without
the need for a permanent exclusion. The success of such programmes
is variable and many partnerships have developed schemes of "time
out" between the schools with specific work carried out with
the young person, often through a PRU or special school, to modify
the student behaviour before their start in the new school.
30. In some places partnerships are still
at a low level of effectiveness, particularly when some schools
remain outside the group. In some cases trust is lacking and league
tables, and the competition for pupils, inhibits openness and
honesty.
31. Where partnerships are working well,
behaviour collaboration has produced positive benefits in reducing
the number of fixed term and permanent exclusions as well as improving
attendance rates. Schools actively involve other specialists to
work with students and multi agency working in schools is now
fairly common. We see this working most effectively when the multi-disciplinary
teams are based in schools. The quality of such teams, their capacity
to deal with the volume of work and their support for individual
students is variable across the country.
32. Some schools have worked together to
operate a unit on a neutral site. This is used as a buffer between
six day and permanent exclusion. In authorities like Lancashire
schools have set up "respite centres" which pupils attend
from the sixth day of exclusion. There are also examples of schools
providing an "alternative day" in order to reduce short
term exclusions with pupils attending school at varying times
and taught in separate units.
33. Many secondary schools continue to complain
that they do not have enough time from educational psychologists,
social workers and education welfare staff. There has been an
increase in the number of pupils from mainstream schools suffering
from mental health problems, often with consequent behavioural
problems. Schools continue to be frustrated at the slow response
time for access to children's mental health services including
child and family guidance.
34. The restriction placed on schools with
the requirement to make educational arrangements for students
on exclusions beyond the sixth day appears to have led schools
to keep fixed term exclusions down to five days whenever possible.
There are however some good examples of local arrangements working
well but there are some organisational or cost issues particularly
in rural areas with long distances between schools.
35. Permanent exclusion is, for the majority
of secondary schools, a last resort: only used when all else has
failed. However some members have indicated that they "have"
to move to permanent exclusion as this is the only way to trigger
the required support for the young person, highlighting the concerns
we have regarding the difficulties of accessing some of the support
services.
36. ASCL believes that in the interests
of fairness and natural justice independent appeals panels against
exclusions should remain. We consider that the removal of these
panels will also lead to several parents taking legal action against
schools which will involve a great deal more work and unnecessary
bureaucracy for the school.
37. Following a permanent exclusion there
are good examples of how behavioural partnerships handle the process
of allocating another school to the student. The use of re-integration
programmes and a phased introduction to the new school are well
used in many parts of the country.
38. ASCL has considerable concerns regarding
Children's Trusts. Although there are reports of some working
well in most cases these appear ineffective and bureaucratic and
have failed to produce "joined up action". Inter-agency
work is at its most effective at an institutional rather than
authority wide level.
Ways of engaging parents and carers in managing
their children's challenging behaviour
39. Schools need to actively engage with
all parents and set up a good communications system so that parents
feel involved in the decision making processes related to their
child's education. The use of modern technology is helpful here
with the use of email and text systems now being extensively used,
although there are still issues with the hard to reach parents.
40. Many schools use some form of "single
point of contact" approach for parents so that parents know
who to contact and a relationship is set up between that member
of staff and the parent.
41. Several schools have made excellent
use of Parent Support Advisers to promote the school-home relationship.
42. A number of schools have had success
in working either on their own or with external agencies in setting
up support "clinics" for parents to work with them on
strategies to improve their child's behaviour. One of the frequently
observed issues relates to young people who have not had any boundaries
set at home and therefore find it difficult in environments where
boundaries are clearly laid out. We would urge work with such
families at an early age as the behavioural patterns are often
ingrained in the pupil by the time they get to secondary school
which makes the task in there much more difficult.
43. Many schools will use a regular phone
contact with the parent/guardian to inform them of progress. It
is essential to find positive messages to send home as well as
concerns. Positive message can give the parent encouragement to
persevere whereas a series of negative messages can led to the
parent giving up.
44. As some parents themselves have negative
views of schools, some schools have used home visits or meetings
at neutral venues eg youth club to meet with parents so that the
parent is not "always been called into school".
How special educational needs can best be recognised
in schools' policies on behaviour and discipline
45. Behaviour policies need to be flexible
enough to ensure that students with SEN are in no way disadvantaged.
46. Much progress has been made to ensure
that able students with behavioural issues are not placed in SEN
(learning difficulties) groups.
The efficacy of alternative provision for pupils
excluded from school because of their behaviour
47. There is significant variation in the
quality of alternative provision with some excellent work in PRUs,
college linked and vocational courses and special schools. There
is much to learn from the good practice and better dissemination
of this is essential.
48. Some special schools report that they
are admitting pupils with behavioural difficulties at an older
age than in the past, as mainstream schools are keeping them longer,
eventually failing in many cases at around years 9 or 10. This
can mean that they arrive at special school too late for the school
to have a great impact on the behaviour of the pupil before they
reach the end of compulsory education.
Links between attendance and behaviour in schools
49. It is important that all students are
in school unless ill or engaged in education off site. Attainment
is clearly linked to attendance, with absence being one of the
major factors in limiting student progress.
50. There is some evidence that those students
who have behavioural problems also have lower attendance rates.
This can be a viscous circle as absence gives a discontinuity
in the learning experience which means the pupil has difficulty
in picking up the lesson at the start (as they were not in the
lesson last time) and this can led to them being disinterested
and then disruptive. Some schools put in place strategies to deal
with this to ensure such students are engaged at the start of
the lesson. Although this can be time consuming for the teaching
staff it can be highly effective.
51. It is interesting to note that schools
that have adopted alternative curriculum routes for potentially
difficult young people have seen both an increase in motivation,
attendance and attainment. This would emphasise the point made
earlier about the impact an appropriate curriculum and good learning
and teaching has on students.
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
52. ASCL broadly welcomes the support of
the government for schools when they have to deal with poor behaviour.
53. The vast majority of incidents in schools
do not require the use of force by staff, but heads and teachers
will be reassured that they have the Secretary of State's backing
in the rare incidents when this becomes necessary. We would, however
emphasise that there should be absolute clarity, in law, on this
as the final decision on whether the use of any force is acceptable
will lie in the hands of the courts.
54. ASCL welcomes the extension of the powers
to search and would urge that common sense should rule how and
when the search is carried out rather than the set of regulations
that were considered when the previous administration was examining
this.
55. The association acknowledges the sentiments
behind the wish to remove the "24 hour notice" for detentions.
In most cases this would only apply to detentions after school
as for break and lunchtime detentions there was never any reason
previously to give notice. For after school detentions there are
a number of practical considerations to take into account. Firstly
there is the safeguarding for the child; is it appropriate to
delay a 12 or 13 year old on a dark evening to then potentially
travel home alone without having warned the parents (who may not
be able to collect the child)? For many schools there are transport
issues where students travel to school by coach and parents would
need to make arrangements to collect their child after the detention.
The 24 hour gap also gives a "cooling off" period for
the teacher who may have made a hasty decision. The school will
also need to consider the relationship with the parents/guardians
and a lack of prior notice, even if supported by statute, is likely
to irritate them. For these reasons we can see a large number
of schools not making use of this provision.
56. ASCL welcomes the determination in the
July 7 statement to have anonymity for staff when allegations
have been made against them. Evidence indicates that there has
been an increase in the number of malicious allegations against
staff and that some pupils are using these to "get"
certain staff. Staff should be protected from being named in such
cases.
September 2010
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