Behaviour in schools is a topic that is rarely out of the UK media. Headlines describe teachers struggling to manage behaviour, amid frequent reports of violence from pupils (BBC, 2019; Guardian, 2019; Times Education Supplement, 2018).  This impacts the quality of teaching and learning (Williams, 2018). Pupil behaviour has also been highlighted as a key stress factor for teachers in UK schools, leading to difficulties in retaining and recruiting teachers (Kyriacou, 2001).

A common response to undesirable pupil behaviour in UK schools is punishment. Punishment can range from having to stay after school for a detention, to temporary or permanent exclusion from school. Exclusion is a serious punishment and is intended to be used only as a last resort. Yet, statistics show that exclusions from UK schools have been rising since 2013 (Department for Education (DfE), 2019).

The potential cost to society is high. Almost 125,000 (~4%) state secondary school pupils received at least one temporary exclusion from school in a single academic year. A significant proportion of this group (37.9%) received more than one exclusion during that same year. Records show that the majority of these exclusions were due to ‘persistent disruptive behaviour' (DfE, 2016).

Although the UK’s educational system may be generally effective for many pupils, a core minority of  pupils find themselves caught in a cycle of undesirable behaviour. For these pupils, punishments are imposed repeatedly for the same behaviours. The punishments tend to increase in severity over time, but they often have little impact on the pupil’s behaviour. These pupils seem not to respond to punishment in the ways expected by this system. (Greene, 2016). As a result, they often become disengaged with education. This increases the risk that they will become involved in criminal behaviour and affects their future prospects, in terms of future employment (Parsons, 2011).

The current system is not working for all pupils. However, schools can enact alternative approaches to punishment. The adoption of these approaches is not yet widespread across UK schools, but their implementation in some schools have seen success. For example, some schools in Cambridgeshire have introduced Restorative Practice . These schools have benefitted from a decrease in exclusion; a reduction in persistent absenteeism; and an increase in academic achievement (Cambridgeshire Restorative Approaches in Schools, 2014).

Restorative Practice is an evidence-based approach that promotes positive behaviour within the school and wider community (Thorsborne and Blood, 2013). The main principles of Restorative Practice are based on building and maintaining relationships. All parties are involved in agreeing on a way forward, towards repairing any harm, when an incident of undesirable behaviour occurs. A restorative approach also helps pupils build their emotional awareness, as discussing feelings is not a skill often explicitly taught in school nor is it something that some pupils will certainly experience in their home environment (Thorsborne and Blood, 2013).

Another example of an alternative approach to punishment is Greene’s (2016) Collaborative and Pro-active Solutions (CPS). CPS places an emphasis on relationships and community building (Greene, 2016). The underlying premise of CPS is the assumption that pupils who display undesirable behaviour lack important thinking skills. Greene (2016) believes that ‘kids do well if they can’. CPS has a three-stage structure. First, the pupil is given the opportunity to voice their perception of the situation and the adult is encouraged to show empathy for their viewpoint. The second stage gives the adult the opportunity to define the concern and both parties are encouraged to discuss this. Finally, the adult offers an invitation to the pupil so that they can work together to develop potential solutions (Greene, 2016).

Working together is a common theme that can be seen in Restorative Practice, CPS, and other similar approaches. This is in contrast to the traditional view of school punishments, which are generally imposed without any discussion. Traditional punishment may prevent a behaviour from reoccurring, but it offers little in the way of promoting positive behaviour instead. Alternatively, an opportunity for discussion is invaluable as it provides the chance to teach pupils a different way to behave. Collaboration between pupils and adults helps to develop sustainable solutions to undesirable behaviour.

Moving from punishment to collaboration could herald an improvement in behaviour in UK schools. Potential barriers to this occurring include a lack of time to introduce a new approach; pressure from parents to maintain a ‘punitive’ system of punishment, similar to their own experiences at school; and a need for school staff to develop a greater understanding about alternative approaches (Oxley, 2019). These barriers are not insurmountable, but they do require significant commitment from the whole school in order to be overcome. For example, dedicated time could be set aside for teachers to learn about and implement a new approach. Community outreach could involve parents, helping them understand how the new approach will work. In all cases, it is essential that the school senior leadership team are committed to changing their school’s approach.

Introducing collaborative approaches, such as Restorative Practice and CPS, would benefit the core minority of children who become caught in a cycle of disruptive behaviour and punishments. It would help them break this cycle and develop the skills needed to improve their behaviour in school. In turn, this would benefit teachers, as they would experience less stressful interactions. Teachers would be able to concentrate on delivering high-quality teaching instead of so frequently dealing with behavioural issues during lessons. Ultimately this would lead to a more productive learning environment for all pupils.

Introducing collaborative approaches to behaviour management is not a quick fix. Punishment is so deeply embedded in our society that change can feel uncomfortable and chaotic to imagine. Yet, given time, a confident staff’s whole school commitment to embedding a new approach can yield positive, collaborative results that will be felt throughout the school, gently rippling into the wider community.

References

BBC (2019). Teachers face weekly violence from pupils, survey says. Retrieved from: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-47964155

Cambridgeshire Restorative Approaches in Schools (2014). Tool Kit. Retrieved from: https://www.learntogether.org.uk/Resources/Documents/Restorative%20Approaches%20Toolkit%20portal%20version%20Sept%202013.pdf

Department for Education (2019). Permanent and fixed period exclusions in England 2017 to 2018. Retrieved from: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/permanent-and-fixed-period-exclusions-in-england-2017-to-2018

Department for Education (2016). Permanent and fixed term exclusion from schools in England: 2014-2015 academic year. Retrieved from https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/permanent-and-fixed-period-exclusions-in-england-2014-to-2015

Greene, R.W. (2016). Lost and Found: helping behaviourally challenging students (and, while you’re at it, all the others). San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.

Guardian (2019). Pupil Behaviour. Retrieved from: https://www.theguardian.com/education/pupilbehaviour

Kyriacou, C. (2001). Teacher stress: directions for future research. Educational Review, 53, 28-35.

Oxley, L. (2019). Alternative approaches to behaviour management in schools: knowledge, attitudes and barriers (Unpublished doctoral dissertation). University of York, York, UK.

Parsons, C. (2011). Strategic Alternatives to Exclusion from School. Stoke on Trent: Trentham Books.

Thorsborne, M. and Blood, P. (2013). Implementing Restorative Practices in Schools. London: Jessica Kingsley Publishers.

Times Education Supplement (2018). Four in ten teachers struggle with behaviour. Retrieved from: https://www.tes.com/news/exclusive-four-10-teachers-struggle-behaviour

Williams, J. (2018). “It just grinds you down”: Persistent disruptive behaviour in schools and what can be done about it. London: Policy Exchange.

Laura Oxley is PhD student at the University of York within the Psychology in Education Research Centre. Her research explores alternative approaches to behaviour management in schools, other than the interventionist approach of using rewards and sanctions. She is a Graduate Member of the British Psychological Society (BPS) and an Associate Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (AFHEA). Prior to embarking on her PhD, she studied at the University of Cambridge and gained an MEd in Psychology in Education. In addition to her research, she works part-time in a professional role supporting schools to engage students with challenging behaviour.