Tuesday 3rd May 2011
The Department for Education has brought out extensive guidance on Behaviour and discipline in schools
Raising standards of behaviour in schools is a key priority for the Coalition Government. Ministers want to restore teachers' authority in the classroom and are committed to making sure that they have clear and concise guidance to help them feel confident in exercising their authority.
These guidance documents have been published for consultation only at this stage. Final versions incorporating appropriate comments from the consultation will be published in July 2011.
Key changes in the new documents
- 1. Ensuring Good Behaviour in Schools is a new document which summarises the powers and duties that apply to behaviour and attendance, and sets out the Government's expectation of pupils, parents, teachers and headteachers.
- 2. Behaviour and Discipline in Schools: Guidance for Governors provides statutory guidance to governing bodies on their role in shaping their school's behaviour policy. The guidance explains the matters governors should include in their guidance to headteachers on the content of the school's behaviour policy.
- 3. Behaviour and Discipline in Schools: Guidance for Headteachers and School Staff provides advice to headteachers and school staff on developing the school behaviour policy and explains the powers members of staff have to discipline pupils. It also provides greater clarity on the scope of the power to discipline pupils who misbehave outside school.
- 4. Use of Reasonable Force provides clarification to help school staff feel more confident about using force. It sets out the responsibilities of school leaders and governing bodies in respect of this power and makes clear that, where staff are accused of using excessive force, employers should not automatically suspend the staff member. The guidance includes a reminder that the onus is on the person making the complaint to prove his/her allegations are true, rather than on the teacher to prove they have acted reasonably.
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5. Screening, Searching and Confiscation explains schools' powers to screen and search pupils. It includes new information about the legislation which came into force in September 2010, new statutory guidance on how to decide whether or not to hand over stolen items and illegal drugs to the police, and new advice.
Schools and governing bodies need to be aware of the new guidance and will need to review their current Behaviour Policy. The guidance states that:
It is vital that the behaviour policy is clear, that it is well understood by staff, parents and pupils, and that it is consistently applied. In developing the behaviour policies, the head teacher should reflect on the following ten key aspects of school practice that, when effective, contribute to improving the quality of pupil behaviour3:
1) A consistent approach to behaviour management;
2) Strong school leadership;
3) Classroom management;
4) Rewards and sanctions;
5) Behaviour strategies and the teaching of good behaviour;
6) Staff development and support;
7) Pupil support systems;
8) Liaison with parents and other agencies;
9) Managing pupil transition; and
10) Organisation and facilities.
In addition the school's behaviour policy should set out the disciplinary action that will be taken against pupils who are found to have made malicious accusations against school staff.
Pam Langmead