Persistent disruption is “endemic in English schools” according to new research, which shows the majority of teachers know a colleague who has left the profession because of poor pupil behaviour.
A survey has found that 75 per cent of teachers think that low-level disruption occurs “frequently or very frequently” in their schools.
The poll, carried out for the Policy Exchange thinktank, also found 72 per cent of teachers questioned know a colleague who has “left the teaching profession because of bad behaviour”.
It is also having a major impact on pupils’ ability to learn, according to a majority of teachers polled.
Policy Exchange has said more should be done to tackle poor behaviour.
It said higher standards of behaviour should be required to secure a good grade from Ofsted.
It also said that schools should have clear policies banning or restricting mobile phone use and that initial teacher training must have a more thorough grounding in behaviour management techniques.
The poll’s results are revealed in It just grinds you down, a report by Joanna Williams, Policy Exchange’s head of education, which has been welcomed by education secretary Damian Hinds.
It follows an exclusive Tes YouGov poll, which revealed that the majority of teachers believe that behaviour in the classroom is getting worse.
In this poll, 57 per cent of the 911 teachers questioned said they believed pupils’ standards of behaviour have deteriorated since 2013.
According to Policy Exchange, the findings from the new Deltapoll research include:
● 75 per cent of teachers say they commonly experience disruption in their own school;
● 54 per cent of teachers think the quality of children’s education is affected by disrupted lessons;
● 62 per cent of teachers are currently, or have previously, considered leaving the profession because of poor pupil behaviour;
● 71 per cent of the teachers agreed that potential teachers are being put off joining the profession by the fear of becoming victim to poor behaviour from pupils;
● 45 per cent of teachers polled claim their initial teacher training did not prepare them to manage pupil behaviour.
The report also highlights that persistent disruptive behaviour is the most common reason for permanent exclusions in state-funded primary, secondary and special schools.
It accounted for 2,755 (35.7 per cent) of all permanent exclusions in 2016-17.
Policy Exchange claims there is now a “greater consensus than ever before that higher disciplinary standards and robust enforcement of behavioural codes” are vital to educational success, particularly for pupils from the most disadvantaged backgrounds.
A statement from the thinktank added: “The time is right for schools to go further in tackling the problem of persistent disruptive behaviour.”
Mr Hinds said: “Classrooms should be safe, calm and stimulating places for both our children to learn in and our teachers to teach in.
“Poor behaviour disrupts both learning and teaching, often most keenly affecting disadvantaged young people.
“Since 2010 we have taken decisive action to empower teachers to tackle poor behaviour, and many schools are already leading the way in tackling persistent disruption.
“As these important findings from Policy Exchange show, we now need all schools to follow the lead of the best-performing so that we can build on the rising standards in our schools.”
Dr Williams said: “Persistent disruption interrupts teaching and prevents pupils from learning effectively. It demoralises teachers and hastens the speed with which they leave the profession.
“However, our report also shows that there is considerable support among teachers, parents and pupils for schools to take a far tougher approach to tackling disruptive behaviour.”
Policy Exchange recommends:
● Higher standards of behaviour should be required for schools to achieve good or better Ofsted ratings;
● Behaviour management policies must be applied and interpreted consistently;
● A proportion of staff professional development time should be dedicated to refreshing knowledge of and motivation for institutional behaviour management policies;
● Initial teacher training must include a more thorough grounding in behaviour management techniques;
● Training for school leaders should make explicit reference to the headteacher’s responsibility for the behaviour of pupils;
● Teaching unions should provide clear statements to their members highlighting their right to support in behaviour management from senior staff;
● Schools should have a clear policy on smartphone use that either restricts devices from schools altogether or limits their use to clearly delineated times and circumstances.
