Government Behaviour Hub pushing zero tolerance in schools

[Usedtodance]

I've just been reading how the Behaviour Hub set up by the government has been pushing this idea of very strict behaviour policies and zero tolerance in schools. The sort rolled out by many of the academy chains. Does anyone know what the evidence base is for this?

The policies in many of these schools are highly restrictive - short lunch breaks, limited access to toilet breaks, consequences for minor mistakes. Many adults would find it stressful to be in an environment like this. I wonder if anyone has looked at the cost of these measures to the children in terms of their mental health, fostering independence and social skills etc.

Any insight, thoughts or links to research on this would be great.

Society needs to have the political and ideological will to make this happen though. Voting for parties who recognise that specialist provision is necessary for one, not everyone believes that children with specialist needs should be educated within different provisions, the drive for inclusiveness simply means that the one size fits all approach is taken to the extremes

Also schools are too big in my opinion, again something the public and political will could change but it chooses not to

But they are separate issues to whether and what expectations are required in a school. We have an anti education culture, its not cool to be good at school or achieve in society.

As far as I’m aware the govt behaviour hubs programme is based on Tom Bennett’s behaviour theories, he’s the DFE behaviour guru. He pushes for consistency whatever the rules are rather than being prescriptive about the actual rules. He does advocate SLANT to ensure that students are sat up, listening, answering questions, nodding along and tracking the teacher. I think this is too prescriptive and possibly very difficult to monitor. It is annoying when kids are slouched on the desk, doodling etc but this can come under being respectful.

If you have money get a provide psychiatry assessment to say she is too traumatised/scared to obtain an adequate education in school. Apply for EOTAS package probably for online schooling such as interhigh

She and I want her to stay in school, just not that school. She wants friends, these bullies were friends, or so she thought until they lost use of her and turned on her.

I pretty much agree with this (maybe apart from the last paragraph - not sure the high standards in little things is overly important) but ....

My daughter describes her school environment 'like a zoo'. She wants to learn but the disruption by other kids is unreal.

Every lesson is disrupted and I'm not talking a little bit of chatting, I'm talking kids throwing things, tipping desks over, running around, shouting and teachers having to spend time dealing with this. Every lunchtime there's a fight or a drama about something.

The behaviour in secondary schools in digesting and something needs to be done. I don't know what these government measures are but I'd welcome something that gives my kids the opportunity to learn uninterrupted!

Dh only has 30 minutes for lunch and he works 9 hour shifts.
When I worked for an academy the staff were told what they could and could not wear and it was ridiculous. They were more relaxed with the pupils than the staff. You should see the state of the parents and how they were allowed to wonder around yet staff had to be covered up and treated like prisoners.
When I was at school we did not have a uniform. The school turned out some very artistic and sporty kids. Discipline was good but that was back in the day when teachers were in control and the idea of swearing at a teacher was incomprehensible.

In this instance I would consider deregistering immediately for your DD's mental health. That sounds an appallingly toxic place for her to be trying to get an education at. Look into every possible complaints you can make, tell the school, tell Ofsted, tell your MP, everyone you can think of. But first of all, let your DD recover. The LA has to help you over this. There are alternatives too, like home education, and you'd find local support groups on Facebook, where people with lots of experience about this can help you. Schools can be awful toxic places and can destroy your mental health if situations aren't dealt with properly.

It would cause a miserable amount of stress to my DD. She's well behaved and too scared to do anything that might get her told off. At least she only has two years to go.

If there are sufficient threats to break the legal threshold you can go down the police route which may force the school to take action.

The school has no sanctions that can stop your DD being bullied. They cannot expel easily if at all.

I'm guessing this is a backlash against the (largely horribly implemented) restorative behaviour systems so many schools have had in place in the past few years. Unfortunately, the way a lot of SLT interpreted that kind of system was to decide that disruptive students needed a friendly chat and a hot chocolate, and that bad behaviour was always the teacher's fault for not meeting their needs. While said teacher is stretching themselves 35 different ways trying to meet the often conflicting needs of an overcrowded classroom that has fewer chairs than learners, no support and 'aspirational' targets on which their pay prog depends. Neither that system or zero tolerance is any good for kids or teachers. But it's all a distraction from underfunding. Schools have been forced to do so much more with so much less year on year and education is broken, completely broken. I left teaching and took my kids out of state education because I felt absolutely helpless in the face of how overwhelmingly bad things had got. But the system can work - it just needs a government that will fund it adequately and not try to create distractions around this kind of nonsense. A new behaviour strategy will not fix the issues. Zero tolerance is just as hideous as the hot-choc-pat-on-the-head stuff. Either way, children's needs are not going to be met.

Just think about what you are saying here.

If schools adopt these highly rigid zero tolerance approaches, they are ruling by fear - forcing children into compliance. It's the equivalent of "you will stay at this table until you have cleared your plate, even if you are sitting here all evening".

You are advocating a system that will produce a cohort of kids who would have been compliant anyway, anywhere (as most are); a cohort of children who do manage to comply, but at great cost in terms of increased anxiety and mental health problems; and a system where much higher numbers do not manage and have to, apparently, go to specialist school. Do you genuinely think a system that rejects any child who has learning difficulties, autism, ADHD, dyspraxia, complex home circumstances, fetal alcohol syndrome, etc and sends them out of mainstream is best for either cohort? For mainstream kids to only ever meet compliant peers? To not need to learn tolerance, negotiation, patience, adaptability? And for kids with virtually any kind of SEN to have to be educated away from their local community - because you'd have a much wider band of kids who "can't cope in a mainstream environment" where that environment is not about relationships but about ruling by fear.

I am going to speak to GP over the Easter break, I am very worried about her mental health. If the GP signs her off and refers for counselling, surely the school then have to authorise her absence and provide work?

Yes absolutely. But she will be expected to return.

If other local schools are oversubscribed she will need to return to the same school as the bullies.

Please do look with an open mind at alternative provisions. Your DD will make new friends

Idinindop - I think that would be a great idea. Schools with a vast amount of money going into them with experienced teachers and excellent facilities for those who struggle with a mainstream school environment. Not so much a 'special school' but more a nurturing environment. Where kids with additional needs and conditions can learn in an environment more suitable to their needs.

Then the more mainstream schools won't be failing these students because there isn't time/facilities etc to support them but also the kids in the mainstream school can have stricter rules and more focus put on to learning instead of behaviour management.

I've been to a talk with Tom Bennet and tbh he was alright. A lot of what he said made sense , I didn't connect it in my mind with the type of severe system which is the topic of this thread.

I've done short stints of supply in a couple of strict schools and they were miserable to work in, and SLT treated the staff like the kids. It's like a cult and your face and teaching style has to fit them and their prescriptive model rather than the different teaching approaches and activities that make a school day varied and interesting. Although to be fair this judgement is based on visiting a few schools for a short time.

I just couldn't enforce toilet rules etc it seemed so cruel. I would much prefer to work in a school with a more relaxed approach where there is low level distractions but a caring ethos.

I am of the opinion that most of the problems in schools can be solved with better funding and more staff who can then be a constant and visible presence on the corridors and in the outdoor spaces. I would also go back to actually having LSAs in secondary school,they are like good dust now. Thus you solve the minor behaviour problems and have more support for all students.

But it will give us time to do so. Education is so important for children. She has worked every day she has been home. Some teachers have sent through work even though the school said no?

I can't afford to home Ed and I worry it would be too isolating.

I plan to complain to the governors, the Trust and seek guidance from the LA and I'm guessing local MP?

I have absolutely no idea where to go. I'm also terrified of getting into trouble myself too. I'm a stickler for rules.

In my dream world the school system would be one which has a variety of different settings to help young people find the right one for them. Some children will thrive in a very strict and structured environment others need a lot more flexibility. Some thrive with academic pathways others need different routes.

the issue with the current system is it tries for a one size fits all approach which doesn’t work.

The advice I would give really does depend on your financial circumstances. What needs to be done is the same either way, but if you can't throw some money at it the support you can get to do it is better.

You can complain to the MP. But unless the government starts funding SEN education properly and fully funding a educational psychiatrist, psychiatrist and mental health team in school, its probably a waste of your effort

@AM130674 yes talk to the LEA. But you need medical evidence your DD is too traumatised to attend school

Exactly, all children have the right to an education but if schools become even more rigid then many many children will not attend. There are tens of thousands of children who are persistently absent as they cannot fit into the current education system.

The school don’t have a duty to provide education for those unable to attend school. That duty is the LA’s under s.19 of the Education Act 1996. This should begin once it becomes clear DC will miss 15 days. The days don’t need to have already been missed or consecutive. If this applies to DD and isn’t being provided email the Director of Children’s Services. If that fails email again threatening judicial review. If that doesn’t work contact SOSSEN for help with a pre-action letter.

Don’t deregister, parents often find it easier (although not easy) to get support when on a school’s roll even if their DC can’t attend. Bluntly, you are someone’s problem and it is harder to brush needs under the carpet. If DD can’t attend the LA must provide provision, but if you EHE you relieve the LA of their duty.

If DD is off because of her MH the school should be authorising the absence now.

Schools are suffering from a lack of funding. Not enough staff, too many children in old crappy buildings with not enough resources for decent extra curricular activities in many cases. Sen is particularly under funded. It’s easier to superficially deal with behaviour problems with draconian rules that make you look like you are doing something when really you are just sweeping the problems under the carpet. The only people who can get help are those with resources. These draconian rules create (as someone said upthread) the opportunity to get rid of the ‘problem kids’ with their ‘persistent disruptive’ behaviour and palm them off on someone else to deal with. Children and families in the meantime are being traumatised in the pursuit of league table places and an outstanding ofsted.

When I started teaching about 15-20 years ago there was much more of a personalised offer. Many more kids at 14-16 could access lower level apprenticeships, do entry level courses, worked an afternoon at a local farm etc. However the funding for the courses and staff just isn't there anymore. Because students were on a more suitable pathway behaviour was better across the school generally and there was more freedom allowed to teach how you wanted ( e.g going outside for a lesson), doing fun stuff that wasn't on the exam spec, more trips.

Thank you, that is very helpful. I will look into this.

Thank you to all those that responded. It has helped to actually gain some perspective and know I am doing the right thing.

I am really stressed over this, which isn't helping her. I have the next week off, so I just need to spend time with the DC and try not to think about this, give her time to breathe again, see if I can get her to leave the house.

Second week of half term I'll start with the GP and go from there.

you are completely wrong in a number of ways - strict behaviour policies leads to higher educational achievement, that is blatantly obvious.

No, SEN is not behind most bad behaviour - most children who behave badly do it simply because it is more fun than behaving well, so you make it less fun, and behaviour improves.

Children removed from the classroom because of their behaviour go into exclusion for a short time before coming back, and also serving detentions, in 99% of cases.

Children with SEN have adjustments made for them

Children who refuse to comply will be expelled - as they should be

You can go to far with strictness, but in general it is a step in the right direction. It isn't fair to see children denied an education by the behaviour of their classmates