New government guidance on behaviour says it is up to headteachers to decide “if mobile phones can be used during the school day”, in a reversal of former education secretary Gavin Williamson’s plan to ban the devices from schools.
Guidance released by the Department for Education today admits that many students will have mobiles, but says that having them in school introduces “complexity and risks” such as “bullying and abuse”, and heads should be “clear as to what mitigating measures they have put in place” to minimise these.
The revised guidance, Behaviour in schools: advice for headteachers and school staff, says that “pupils should be taught explicitly what good behaviour looks like” in schools, and that staff should define “the expected behaviours in school, rather than only a list of prohibited behaviour”.
It also provides updated guidance on exclusions and sanctions, saying that removal of a student from the classroom “should be considered a serious sanction and only used when necessary”, and that headteachers “can use suspension and permanent exclusion in response to serious incidents”.
It also emphasises that establishing and maintaining high standards of behaviour plays “a critical role” in ensuring that schools are safe environments for all pupils, adding that it “is one of the key systems in place in schools which supports safeguarding”.
The guidance has been revised following a previous consultation, which closed in August. A consultation on the revised guidance, which can be found on the DfE website, opens today and closes on 31 March.
However, the revised guidance has already sparked criticism from headteachers’ leaders, who say that those working in schools “are best placed to handle the behavioural challenges that inevitably come their way”.
What does the new behaviour guidance say?
The new guidance starts off by saying that promoting good behaviour in schools “requires a clear vision of what good behaviour looks like”.
It says that schools should have behaviour curricula that define “expected behaviours in school, rather than only a list of prohibited behaviour”.
And it explains that the behaviour that is expected from pupils should be made into a “commonly understood routine”, giving the example of entering class or clearing tables at lunchtime.
It emphasises that establishing and maintaining high standards of behaviour is important in helping teachers to deliver the curriculum, but it also plays “a critical role” in ensuring that the school is a safe environment for all pupils. The guidance adds: “All staff should be aware of the measures outlined in the school’s behaviour policy and how they should implement these measures - this is one of the key systems in place in schools which supports safeguarding.”
The guidance goes on to say that schools’ behaviour policies should have a “range of possible sanctions”, including what it calls “school-based community service”, such as tidying a classroom, “suspension” and - “in the most serious of circumstances” - permanent exclusion.
It warns that removal of students from classrooms “should be used once other behavioural strategies in the classroom have been attempted, unless the behaviour is so extreme as to warrant immediate removal”.
On exclusions, the guidance says: “We trust headteachers to use their own professional judgement based on individual circumstances when considering whether to exclude a pupil.”
The guidance relating to mobile phone use also gives heads discretion, as it says “headteachers should decide if mobile phones can be used during the school day”. It adds that if headteachers do allow pupils to access them, they should “be clear as to what mitigating measures they have put in place to minimise these risks, and how they will ensure that these are effective”.
The DfE held a first consultation last summer focused on understanding how schools used their behaviour strategies to manage behavioural challenges.
At the time, Gavin Williamson, who was then education secretary, was criticised by education leaders after saying he wanted the school day to be “mobile-free”.
New guidance ‘frankly unhelpful’
The revised guidance on behaviour in schools has been branded “unhelpful” and not needed by the NAHT school leaders’ union. Paul Whiteman, the union’s general secretary, said that the government’s “obsession” with being seen to “talk tough” on behaviour was “frankly unhelpful”.
“There is little need for much in the way of additional guidance at this point in time, as schools are already highly skilled in this work,” he added.
“Instead, what the government should be focusing on is making sure that vital support services are available to support schools and pupils when they need it. It is important to find out if there is an underlying cause for an individual child’s behaviour, whether it be mental wellbeing, undiagnosed SEND [special educational needs or disability] or problems at home.”
Geoff Barton, general secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders, said that school leaders would be “astonished” with the guidance because it showed that the government “thinks it knows best” how to create calm, orderly, safe and supportive environments for children and young people, when school leaders and their staff were working “incredibly hard every single day” to achieve this.
But he added: “We are relieved to see that the education secretary clearly doesn’t share his predecessor’s obsession with the use of mobile phones in classrooms.
“He appears to have accepted what we told Gavin Williamson at the time, namely that schools and colleges already have rigorous policies in place on mobile phone use and should be left to get on with the job at hand.”
However, the Department for Education’s lead behaviour adviser, Tom Bennett, said that “many leaders” welcomed the guidance.
“Feedback we’ve had from many school leaders is that there is a need for sensible advice to support leaders across the phases and stages. Some schools manage behaviour wonderfully, but many aren’t so lucky, and this guidance offers structure for those who seek it.”
He added: “The response we’ve already had from many leaders is that this is well-evidenced, practical and compassionate material that will make a huge difference to the way many schools are run.”
Mr Bennett urged “anyone with professional expertise” to respond to the consultation so that the DfE can “make sure it’s the best advice possible”.
Stuart Lock, CEO of Advantage Schools - a school trust based in Bedfordshire - also welcomed the guidance.
He said: “This is really good guidance on how to run a school so it’s productive and a great place to learn. As a headteacher there are lots of difficult decisions to make, so it’s helpful to have central guidance. The guidance also allows flexibility - heads don’t have to follow lots of parts of it.
“The exclusions guidance is much more helpful than what we had before, there’s lots of nuance to it, and I’m in favour of it. It feels like something written by people with expertise and reflects the reality of leading a school.”
At the same time as launching the guidance, the DfE also confirmed that it would create a requirement for all local authorities to keep a register of pupils who are not in school, detailing where each child is being educated, following a rise in children no longer attending schools amid the pandemic.
Education secretary Nadhim Zahawi said: “As education secretary, it is my priority to make sure every child gets the start in life they deserve, which is why I’m announcing clearer guidance to help every school boost behaviour, and new legislation to create the first local authority register for children not in school.”
