Behaviour and Discipline in Schools

Memorandum submitted by ContinYou

Introduction

1 ContinYou welcomes the Education Select Committee’s inquiry into behaviour and discipline in schools. ContinYou is one of the UK's leading community learning organisations, with many of our programmes focusing on hard to reach communities and deprived areas.

2 We run a variety of educational and public health programmes, working directly with pupils, families and schools in order to tackle underlying problems which frequently prevent pupils from achieving their potential in mainstream education. While these may not directly tackle behaviour and discipline head-on, they often have a real and tangible effect on the behaviour and conduct of pupils in schools which in turn have a positive effect on their academic attainment.

3 Michael Gove recently stated that he is "inclined to trust the common sense of the majority of mums and dads who recognise that their children want proper uniforms, strict discipline, academic subjects rigorously taught and not some of the wild and wacky theorems that have distracted some of our schools from delivering on the basics over the last 20 years." ContinYou agree that each school must establish its own set of clearly defined rules and modes of acceptable behavior to which it wants its pupils to adhere.

4 However, it is important to recognize that only 15% of what a child learns actually happens in normal school hours. The vast of majority of what a child learns and is influenced by happens outside the classroom; in their homes and in their communities. This will have a direct impact on what determines their behaviour.

5 In this submission to the inquiry we would like to briefly highlight four programmes which ContinYou run that demonstrate how focused intervention outside of normal school hours can have a positive impact on the behavior and discipline of pupils. These cover different aspects of children’s educational opportunities and development.

Supplementary Schools

6 Supplementary schools support children and young people’s education in national curriculum subjects, mother-tongue language classes, and cultural studies. They are managed and run by community volunteers and the majority identify themselves with a single ethnic, faith or national identity. It is estimated that there are between up to 5,000 supplementary schools across the UK, working with up to 38% of pupils from BME backgrounds aged 5-16. ContinYou runs the National Resource Centre, the national support body for supplementary schools.

7 A DCSF research paper into supplementary schools published in 2010, found that parents interviewed believed that participation in supplementary school increased their children’s attainment at mainstream school. They also thought it improved pupils’ confidence, and that pupils’ cultural identity was reinforced as a result of attendance. Parents furthermore believed that attendance at supplementary school would improve children’s interest, motivation and engagement with learning.

8 The benefits/added value which the respondents saw as being derived from attending supplementary schools at a pupil level include:

· developing positive attitudes towards education (including more focused, attentive, better behaved and more motivated learners);

· positive identity reinforcement;

· an increase in self-esteem/self-awareness; increased confidence in asking questions/speaking out aloud/socialising with others in and outside school.

The data suggests that it is possible for the above to be transferred into mainstream learning.

Pyramid clubs

9 Pyramid is a preventive group-work intervention aimed at improving the social and emotional skills of children aged between 5 and 14. The programme was developed by the National Pyramid Trust in the 1980s and was absorbed into ContinYou in 2007.  Pyramid clubs are run by trained volunteers and/or school staff.

10 Pyramid encourages children to develop coping skills and emotional resilience as well helping them to develop friendships, so helping them to feel more confident in school, participate better, and achieve more. It normally operates as an after-school club, but can also be used outside of schools with targeted groups of children, for example for children whose families are receiving family support. 

11 The type of child who benefits most from Pyramid is the quiet, shy, withdrawn, anxious child who is finding it difficult to make or keep friends.  Many of these children may go on to have behavioural difficulties if they are not supported in the early stage of their schooling and may in some instances develop these if their withdrawn behaviour is not tackled early on.

12 Research by the Buckinghamshire Education Psychology department, published in 2006, found that children showed statistically significant reductions in their emotional difficulties and that children showed statistically significant improvements in their pro-social skills. As a complete sample, the children also showed significant reductions in conduct difficulties and less hyperactivity/inattention. Research by Barnardos in Northern Ireland between 2003-06 uncovered teacher feedback indicating that 100% felt that children benefited from the club, 57% felt that children’s behaviour showed positive changes, 86% noticed an increase in class participation, 71% felt that children were more confident in group activities and 86% felt that children’s emotional health had improved.

Share

13 Share is a community development programme that is aimed at increasing parents’ involvement with their children’s education at home. The materials produced are intended to improve the quality of parents’ involvement in their child’s school life by having a better understanding of the curriculum and how they can help their childs education with fun activities at home that are linked to the curriculum.

14 An evaluation of Share at the foundation stage by Professor Iram Siraj-Blatchford between 2002-04 stated:

"Share has had an impact on children’s attitude to learning… Parents had noticed an impact on children’s disposition to learn. Some reported seeing their children grow in confidence to attempt new things, to give an opinion something or to join in. Others reported that their children were becoming more independent and pursuing things that interested them. In addition, better concentration, patience, inquisitiveness, a desire to learn new things, and a pride in achievement were all noted."

Study support

15 Study support is learning activity outside normal lessons which young people take part in voluntarily. Study support is, accordingly, an inclusive term, embracing many activities – with many names and guises. Its purpose is to improve young people’s motivation, build their self-esteem and help them become more effective learners with the aim of them achieving higher academic attainment. However, indirectly, Study Support has had a positive effect on pupils’ behaviour.

16 A 2008 Ofsted study found that ‘irrespective of students’ backgrounds or school attended, participation in some form of study support has a positive impact on school attendance." That, ‘self-esteem and willingness to participate in class are particularly influenced by study support.’ It also stated that the "major benefits to children, young people and adults were enhanced self-confidence, improved relationships, raised aspirations and better attitudes to learning."

Conclusion

17 ContinYou acknowledge the importance of sound discipline and good pupil behaviour in school. However, ContinYou argue that the Education Select Committee must also examine what happens outside of normal school hours which affects pupil discipline and behaviour and which forms 85% of an average pupil’s time.

18 In specialising in providing a range of extra-curricular educational programmes which target particular aspects of children’s educational requirements or needs, ContinYou can readily point to how these not only help pupil achieve higher academic results, but also help build confidence and self-esteem, reduce emotional difficulties and improve social skills, all which have a direct bearing on pupil behaviour and thus discipline.

19 We would encourage the Committee to think about the broader role of out of hours and supplementary school activity when considering how to improve children’s behaviour in the classroom.

October 2010