In April the Department for Education published its national behaviour survey based on the data from 2022-23.
Its headline figures made for worrying reading, with the biggest concerns being reported increases in pupil misbehaviour and disruption to lessons.
But the survey report’s 77 pages contain a lot more that didn’t get picked up in those headlines, including some figures that shed light on why behaviour is a growing problem in schools.
Why behaviour is an increasing problem
1. Questioning the fairness of school rules
One of the most striking findings from the survey is that many teachers and students do not think that rules are applied consistently.
Some 89 per cent of pupils and 98 per cent of teachers said they felt school rules were applied fairly “at least some of the time”, but only 18 per cent of students and 19 per cent of teachers said they felt this was the case “all of the time”.
That more than 80 per cent feel that school rules are not always applied consistently seems a likely factor in worsening behaviour in schools.
While in many cases it may be positive that young people have the confidence to challenge unfair applications of rules, the more that challenging rules becomes the norm, the harder it will be for staff to enforce those regulations.
And many parents would support their children in challenging school rules. A worrying low 60 per cent of school leaders and teachers agreed that parents were supportive of their school’s behaviour rules.
More on behaviour in schools:
2. The opportunity for student voice
Given this challenge to rules, it is increasingly important that schools work together with their students in taking their views into account.
Most schools say they are trying to do this, with 73 per cent of schools reporting that student feedback was considered when reviewing their behaviour policy.
Yet despite this, only 27 per cent of students said they thought schools asked for feedback on behaviour.
In addition, 48 per cent said they were not confident that any feedback would be listened to or acted upon.
Either schools are not seeking student feedback as much as they think or they are not doing so in a way that is clear for their students.
This must change if schools are to build parent and student confidence in their behaviour policies.
3. A disconnect between classroom teachers and school leaders
Another concern that arises from this survey is a gap between what classroom teachers think is happening in schools and what school leaders think is happening.
For instance, while 66 per cent of leaders said they were “very confident” in managing misbehaviour, only 35 per cent of teachers agreed.
Meanwhile, 84 per cent of leaders said their school had been calm and orderly “every day”, but just 59 per cent of classroom teachers said the same.
Interestingly, 54 per cent of students agreed that their school had been calm and orderly “every day”, much closer to the proportion of teachers - suggesting that teacher were giving a more accurate picture.
It is often the case that those away from the “chalkface” have a more optimistic picture of their school than those who are regularly in the classroom.
But with growing national concern about behaviour, it is essential that leaders make every effort to get out of the office and into their schools in order to understand what is happening on the ground and to demonstrate support for their staff.
In this survey 49 per cent of teachers said they did not see members of the school leadership team “every day”, which shows where the problem lies.
4. The link between behaviour and happiness
Conversations about student behaviour are too often divorced from conversations about student happiness. But students who are not enjoying school are far less likely to behave well.
Therefore it is worrying that only 11 per cent of students said they enjoy coming into school “every day” - a decrease from 15 per cent the previous year - and 17 per cent said they never enjoy coming into school.
While 71 per cent said they feel motivated to learn in school, that leaves 29 per cent who do not.
These unhappy and demotivated students are far more likely to be poorly behaved, a crucial problem that schools must address in order to resolve behaviour concerns.
An informed strategy
Overall, school leaders increasingly understand the need to use data to inform their decisions.
They should look to the powerful picture that this survey paints when putting together their behaviour strategy for next year.
Luke Ramsden is deputy head of an independent school and chair of trustees for the Schools Consent Project
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