The Education Endowment Foundation has published new guidance on improving behaviour in schools, responding to a clear need for schools to have consistent and clear policies that promote positive behaviour in lessons. The report, based on extensive research and consultancy, is built around six recommendations for preventing and responding to misbehaviour. These are categorised as either ‘proactive’ (strategies to prevent bad behaviour from happening), ‘reactive’ (how to deal with bad behaviour when it happens), or as relating to ‘implementation’ (focusing on the need for consistency and coherence in behaviour policies).
Practical examples of each are included to support senior leaders and classroom teachers in primary and secondary schools, though governors and trustees may also find the guidance useful, even in schools where behaviour is generally good. Particularly instructive is the finding that “universal systems” of behaviour management are unlikely to work, whereas more personalised approaches can significantly improve the behaviour of disruptive pupils. In terms of implementation, many require deployment at classroom level, though others still require a school-wide focus.
The report’s publication is timely and should be read alongside the Timpson review of school exclusion.