Moving beyond behaviour management stereotypes and re-establishment of daily routines may be the key to making the biggest positive difference this year, according to the Education Endowment Foundation (EEF).

The foundation has been asking its experts to come up with advice for teachers on coping with Covid as they do their jobs amid the disruption of the pandemic.

EEF learning behaviour specialist and secondary school teacher and Sendco Kirsten Mould said: “Too often, arguments present behaviour management as a hard-nosed business, with a focus on nurturing relationships as a ‘softer’ approach.

“These ideas can also unhelpfully be reflected in preconceptions about behaviour approaches in primary and secondary schools.

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“You only need to walk around a school to see the complex interaction between the classroom and the corridors, the playgrounds and the school bus home, to know our pupils’ behaviours won’t be magically transformed either by ‘cracking down’ or by a restorative conversation. We need a more balanced approach that starts from solid evidence.”

Here are her suggestions for schools:

1. Move beyond behaviour battles

Educators need to move beyond unproductive battles between “hard” and “soft” approaches and engage with the more complex truth about what influences behaviours in the classroom and beyond.

“The established research evidence is also clear that in the months ahead, managing misbehaviour needs to be equally matched by building and maintaining positive relationships,” she said.

2. Habits and routines

The research evidence is robust that behavioural habits and routines are key, Ms Mould explained.

“It is important to have consistent and clear behaviour policies that promote positive behaviour in lessons. This needs to be taught and modelled with high expectations from all staff,” she said.

“But, even amid the new normal of full school reopening, this is about more than just new rules on social distancing.”

And it’s important to keep in mind that while consistent routines are important for behaviour in school, they will have varied at home.

“An important principle for teachers in managing behaviour is to get to know and understand each pupil. Good relationships matter. If even the smallest details of our daily routine - such as welcoming pupils at the door as they enter the class, popping into a school club or linking learning to pupils’ experiences - can positively influence relationships and behaviour, we are guided beyond the old battle towards a more peaceable dialogue,” Ms Mould said.

“Though these practical, simple steps may not make for juicy headlines, it may be the re-establishment of these daily routines that make the biggest positive difference in the year ahead.”

3. Ask the right questions

Some guiding questions may help school leaders and teachers to re-establish routines and rekindle relationships after the Covid closures.

These are what Ms Mould suggested:

• How are consistent behaviour routines practised, modelled and reinforced across your school?
• How will we develop supportive teacher-pupil relationships? These can include two-minute non-learning conversations for 10 days with key pupils, greetings at the classroom door, and learning new names quickly.
• How can we utilise the ‘5:1 ratio’ - for every criticism that a teacher issues, they reinforce positive behaviours, ensuring they point out the calm way the pupil entered the class, got equipment out ready to learn, supported a peer or answered a question, or offer positive non-verbal gestures, such as a simple smile, a nod or a thumbs up.

4. Promote learning behaviours

A learning behaviour, Mould explained, is described by researchers as any behaviour that supports learning, such as paying attention to the teacher or persevering with a difficult task.

“Rather than battling opposites, we find a solution that marries the complexity of managing misbehaviour and a focus on positive relationships,” she said.

“‘Learning behaviours’ have emerged from a rich and diverse evidence base on supporting pupils in schools. It takes the incoherent noise of behaviour battles and instead creates a connected puzzle of useable evidence.”

The EEF has developed a range of guidance reports that support learning behaviours, ranging from guidance on improving behaviour, metacognition and self-regulation, special educational needs in mainstream schools, working with parents, and social and emotional learning (SEL). 

The most effective learners, Ms Mould explained, can self-regulate their learning, demonstrating resilience and coping strategies. Instead, pupils with SEND have the greatest need for high-quality teaching.

“We must understand individual learning needs, including pupils, parents, colleagues and specialist professionals in our conversations. Promoting parental engagement through positive, personalised learning communications that are easy to read can be effective,” she added.

5. Ensure appropriate training is in place

All school staff need to be supported with training to play their part to reinforce behavioural consistency and build positive relationships.

Ms Mould said: “Of course, if we don’t support teachers with training to understand the complexity of what influences behaviour as pupils return, we are doomed to repeat fruitless fights.”