Creating Value In Schools
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Accountability used to be one of the main causes of workplace stress for teachers. Now, based on surveys conducted by the DfE and Teacher Tapp, it’s pupil behaviour. In fact, findings suggest that 42% of teachers would rather improve behaviour than receive a 20% increase to their school budget.
How true is this and what can be done about it? In the first of a two-part series, we explore:
Society has a whole range of behaviours considered unacceptable but, in a school context, we might think of it simply as anything that prevents the teacher from teaching or the learner from learning.
According to The Challenging Behaviour Foundation:
The term ‘challenging behaviour’ first came to prominence in the UK through the work of the King’s Fund Centre. The expression was designed to emphasise … that such behaviour represents challenges to services rather than problems that individuals with learning disabilities in some way carry around with them. If services could rise to the “challenge” of dealing with these behaviours they would cease to be “problems”. The term challenging behaviour places the focus of discussion on services rather than on the individuals showing the behaviours.
By thinking of the problem as challenging behaviour, we avoid the toxic culture of always blaming the student and begin to focus on strategies to meet their needs.
Evidence, for example the DfE surveys into the working lives of teachers and leaders, suggests that behaviour has indeed got worse. However, speak to many school leaders and they will tell you that they are dealing with it. Understanding the problem is more than an acknowledgement of it.
Here are seven factors to consider in terms of why this is happening.
Firstly, we need to recognise the changing times. This is as much a problem for the teacher as for the child since teachers are people too, and just as subject to the seven factors above.
What must be avoided at all costs is the toxic culture where the teacher demands obedience, just because they are the teacher and punishes offenders. A parent recently overheard discussing an incident with a teacher asked, ‘and who was the adult in that conversation?’
Remember, as we have seen, the term “challenging behaviour” places the focus of discussion on services rather than on the individuals displaying that behaviour. The Tony Blair Institute’s detailed and informative report, Tackling the Behaviour Challenge in England’s Schools, sets out the causes and symptoms very clearly and we will pick up some of the points in the second part of this series, ‘Maintaining a positive behaviour culture’.
What we do know is that a positive culture exists where pupils feel safe, valued and cared for and where teachers are respected, appreciated and affirmed by senior leaders. Governors too have a role in monitoring staff wellbeing as well as pupil behaviour.
As we have seen, this is complex. We know that where the pupil/teacher relationship is respectful and caring, the child knows that their teacher will do all they can to meet their needs, they will feel safe and generally behave well. The DfE guidance refers to positive reinforcement including:
More on this to come in part 2!
In these turbulent times where parents are sometimes quick to criticise, Leaders and governors could consider these questions at board and SLT level. Keep a record of discussion if needed for your MAT, your local authority, RISE or OFSTED:
Keep an eye out for part 2 in this mini-series, ‘Maintaining a positive behaviour culture’, which explores:
