Controversial Behaviour Policy changes

[Chattonnoire]

I am looking to get some insight into the changes taking places at a number of Free Schools, especially London, that have been making dramatic changes to Behaviour Policy since Michaela Community School made headlines as being the strictest school in Britain:

time.com/5232857/michaela-britains-strictest-school/

metro.co.uk/2017/09/11/britains-strictest-school-bans-pupils-from-looking-out-the-window-and-smirking-6917747/

www.bournemouthecho.co.uk/news/13422769.The_secrets_of_Magna_Academy_s_transformation__Students_who_walk_silently_between_lessons/

I noticed, that the comments at the end of these articles were mostly negative from parents and students in these schools, and don't appear to be in line with the "hard sell" the schools are making it out to be.

The impression is that teachers are asserting control over the difficult and disruptive students at the expense of the rest; the average student is muted in these "silent transitions" to and from classes and expressed feeling unhappy and the environment oppressive and weird.

None of the students have the authority to question the new policy, too afraid of being given 90 minutes detentions on the same day regardless of any commitments they may have (Medical or Sporting...at the expense of either their health missing long awaited NHS appointments or financial loss for missed activities to lower income families, as many students on free school meals) for often arbitrary and minor and low level disruptions such as is listed on many of these schools behaviour policies.

So they are being taught not to learn any assertiveness, question authority at any point, to conform, never to speak out, contest or oppose injustice, and may in fact have long lasting emotional and psychological negative impact on these teen developing minds in the real world, where they may not be able to defend themselves from unfair treatment from employers, or even personal relationships.

I am concerned about how fitting and convenient it is for the staff of schools in managing the delinquents, but how damaging this can potential be for bright and able children to be treated with less freedom than correctional facilities. Mental health and self harm and teen suicides statistics are already depressingly high, and with high pressured expectations and penalised for low level infractions can sabotage a once engaged teen's self esteem. A friend's 14 year old son recently committed suicide. So this really touches a raw nerve.

I've seen how a hostile school environment can crush a student with so much potential too many times.

I can't help but thinK of Pink Floyd's "Another Brick in the Wall" with faceless children put through the grinder...sorry for the grim comparison....but I can't shake it.

Is this radical new Behaviour Control in developing adolescent minds a good thing, or setting them up to fail in the real world in order that the schools get "Outstanding" Ofsted reports as inspectors come and see automatons walking silently through schools for fear of punishment and exclusion?

Are any of you in these super strict schools and finding it great or awful?

*If you are a teacher or part of school staff, please indicate in your response, so an understanding of your perspective is made clear.

Thank you

I teach at a school which is in direct competition with one of the above mentioned. We have quite a large number of students who have transferred to us mid year from the other school. At least two pupils I have spoken to have described feeling extremely anxious as a result of the rules.

I have also heard from a former member of staff that they all have to teach using a set PowerPoint and are not allowed to deviate. So no modifications for your specific class or expertise, or any kind of free thinking. It actually horrifies me slightly.

I would not send my own children there in a million years.

HPFA- I agree. Michaela’s “no excuses” discipline seems to have resulted in a widespread belief that it’s a miserable place. I’ve never visited the school but, being North London based, know a fair few teachers who have. Every single one was very impressed by the school, the students and the behaviour there. Although some of them said it wasn’t their cup of tea and they wouldn’t choose to work there none of them said it was miserable or prison-like. A couple came back really inspired by what they’d seen there. I’m not sure it would be my sort of place but some of the criticism strikes me as unfair.
This was what Tom Bennett had to say about it. behaviourguru.blogspot.com/2016/10/sympathy-for-devil-my-day-at-michaela.html?m=1

Kids at the school appear to be too scared to object. Maybe other parents thrilled with the new policy, which is why I was hoping to hear from those in these kinds of schools, to find out if I'm the odd one out

I see what you're saying reggie but you can have a calm, positive learning environment (sorry for the buzz words!!) without such an authoritarian regime.

Where I work we have very clear behaviour management policies, we police, for want to a better word, the corridors, and use a calm, straightforward routine at the start and end of lessons. These things have made a huge impact in the couple of years I have worked there. It doesn't have to be like a prison camp to turn a less well behaved school around.

I don't think it's reasonable to lump all these schools together and talk about them as if they are all the same and follow the same policies. I've read quite a lot about Michaela, and a number of things you've said here definitely doesn't apply to them.

While I can certainly believe that there are schools out there who are doing strict behaviour policies badly, I think you need to specify what school you are talking about, and what specifically you find problematic at that school, rather than talking as if they are all the same. It would make for a much more reasonable discussion.

I see where these rules are coming from- because change is needed in schools with behaviour problems. They’ve been written by heads and leaders in schools where so much of everyone’s time is taken up by the bullshit of low level disruption that they’ve got desperate.

This. In some schools the behaviour of a relatively small number of pupils is allowed to infect the rest, until all classes massively under achieve and no student has a safe learning environment. I'd far rather my kids were at a strict school.

That said- I've never encountered anything like described here. I struggle to imagine it existing and assume it must be exaggeration. For example, the SLANT thing is just the normal expectations of attentiveness I would have (without the nodding) and I can head off distractions without needing to be draconian or dull.

I would refuse to follow some of the procedures described, indeed I'd feel it went against my professional standards to do so. I really hope this stuff simply isn't true.

I find this interesting

A child with dyslexia would cope, nor would a child with ADHD.

So these rules wouldn't suit a SEN child - I think NT children's ould also struggle.

They don't appear to have any flexibility.

Yes distruption needs to be dealt with - but this isn't the way

That said- I've never encountered anything like described here. I struggle to imagine it existing and assume it must be exaggeration.

Which part appears to be an exageration or untrue? I think I would be breaking confidentiality if I copied the school's response to my questioning certain aspects of the new policy my teen recounted to me after his first day back, but maybe I can paraphrase their position. Not sure

Which part appears to be an exageration or untrue?

I am not suggesting you are lying. I was expressing general scepticism about the way a strict new regime can be interpreted. Indeed you've been very clear and convincing in your description- enough to concern me.

I would hope the stuff about even smiling on a corridor being punished would be a case of overstating a policy to make a point to the kids. I just can't imagine this being applied.

I would hope the incident in the mock exam is not as you describe. Even the best kids are not honest when they get in trouble.

I think I would be breaking confidentiality if I copied the school's response to my questioning certain aspects of the new policy my teen recounted to me after his first day back

It would not. A schools behaviour policy is not a confidential document. I would want to see it first hand.

Still even if the practicality is not as bad as you think, I would be worried about it.

donquixotedelamancha

I would hope the stuff about even smiling on a corridor being punished would be a case of overstating a policy to make a point to the kids. I just can't imagine this being applied.

This was a response from another on the thread, so smiling does not get punished, but speaking does, even a civil greeting to other friends when passing each other in corridor.

I would hope the incident in the mock exam is not as you describe. Even the best kids are not honest when they get in trouble.

It wasn't a mock exam, but end of year exam, and did happen as stated, with an X on teen's end of year report instead of the 8 or 9 grade he was likely to get. The school confirmed everything my son said about the incident, and their position was that he should learn from the incident, that exams are not for messing around and even a glance sideways can disqualify you. My teen learnt instead that teachers can be unreasonable and unjust and schools will back them up in order to maintain authority. My teen did not ever feel the outcome came out fairly.

A schools behaviour policy is not a confidential document. I would want to see it first hand.

The policy changes I have broached about the "silent transition" and no playground for break or lunch, or not allowed to leave seat for entire lunch break to talk to friends, is not on their published behaviour policy document. Which is why I contacted the school and emailed my disbelief at what my teen came home telling me was the new rules. The school's response was by email and deflected from answering directly my questions, by directing me to the links in my first post of articles of schools having success with these new policies.

I have asked twice now for the new policies in writing, but haven't heard back yet.

Even the best kids are not honest when they get in trouble.

I tend to think the same, and always contact the school for their version of events to have a balanced view of what really happened. My teen is no different from anyone else and will vent and exaggerate like the best of us when things go wrong and you want someone to side with you.

I try really hard to be objective as well as be the best advocate if it's needed.

I guess, that's one of the reasons I sought to hear from other parents in strict schools. To see if they love it or hate it, and what did they do to get out of it if it was awful. As it's really hard to switch schools last minute in oversubscribed London secondaries. I don't have the resources to go independent fee paying school, so I feel trapped into something I never agreed to or signed up for.

I feel let down as it's no longer the school environment/ideologies/structure I bought into, nor was I notified of the policy change in time to make an thoughtful decision whether is was suitable for my teen to thrive in academically or not. Only told by my teen of changes after the fact

I see nothing wrong with Silent Transition or even SLANT minus the T. However, no playground time is a terrible idea. All school children benefit from outdoor time and sitting all day is just bad for you. Better to have compulsory exercise around the perimeter like a prison than making children stay on chairs. When behaviour policies are demanding, some physical respite is a good idea. There is a primary in London that has transformed behaviour and fitness by starting every day with a long jog. Much better approach. My nephews went to a school that had P.E. for all every afternoon on the basis that kids got twitchy doing all that learning and had to run it off.

The policy changes I have broached about the "silent transition" and no playground for break or lunch, or not allowed to leave seat for entire lunch break to talk to friends, is not on their published behaviour policy document.

I think that's never a good sign. I would politely repeat my questions until I got a clear answer.

A school not following its own procedures will struggle to deal with the students who do push it.

I feel let down as it's no longer the school environment/ideologies/structure I bought into, nor was I notified of the policy change in time to make an thoughtful decision

Schools decide their own behaviour policies and consulting on them is not a good plan. To an extent parents do have to lump it, but inherent in that is the idea that all schools conform to a reasonable range of policies- as has been the case for decades. Unfortunately it has been government policy for the last 9 years to dismantle the systems of oversight, support and consistency whilst slashing funding.

Still the teaching staff have not suddenly all changed. I would not make any hasty decisions.

Chattonnoire

We implemented a "no excuses" rule, this is/was about those pupils that disrupted lessons and that always have an excuse, its never their fault, someone else was doing the same thing and they would argue (not discuss) this point so that they could disrupt the lesson and prevent the learning of others.

My teen lost all respect for the teaching staff, and things like this is going to continue to erode his esteem of authority figures.

Did you explain to him that the invigilator is not a teacher?

Boney This was end of year exams not public ones. The invigilator probably was a teacher I would have thought.

BoneyBackJefferson

How do you deal with SEN kids?

I am doing as much research into other schools and get some insight for how their students experience of these policies and how it has impacted them before making any hasty decisions. The restricted movement concerns, as I don’t think it’s right to stop breaks where they can let of some steam with such long periods of focused study.

The invigilator was a teacher at his school

For the most part my teen agrees with the no excuses etc...as he feels many disruptive classmates do exactly as you describe and it’s for the good of all to have consistent structure with unruly students. But now objects to being muted/silenced and lack of ability to move freely in playground or something like one on break and lunch to burn off pent up energy. The fear of minor infractions ending up in detention and unable to get to the sports after to maintain mental and physical wellbeing.

Already the anxiety is a problem... a whole year could lead to breakdown, as good kids are subdued and happiness to develop normally curtailed in order to control the disruptive ones

Thank you mycelialnetwork, I appreciate having some feedback from educators who experience success with behaviour management without such extreme measures. I don’t know what the solution is for the consistently disruptive student, but it can’t be to impose an environment that constricts and penalises all

Could you talk to other parents about it? If others feel the same, could you contact the PTA? If a lot of parents protest against the more unfair/restrictive rules, then surely the school has to listen. What if you/the PTA demanded a written set of rules to sign, and then a lot of parents refused to sign them without major changes? I don't know if this would work in practice or not, not having secondary age kids yet, just throwing ideas about. The exam incident sounds grossly unfair and the lack of physical movement during breaks is surely very unhealthy both emotionally and physically.

TeenTimesTwo
This was end of year exams not public ones. The invigilator probably was a teacher I would have thought.

Teachers shouldn't be invigilating any exams, Its part of something that teachers should no longer be doing.

GreenTulips

How do you deal with SEN kids?

Its not about those that have a medical condition, its about those that deliberately set about to disrupt lessons.

I don’t know what the solution is for the consistently disruptive student, but it can’t be to impose an environment that constricts and penalises all

I agree. It's similar to work situations where a manager imposes a draconian rule on a whole team because one person is behaving badly or not pulling their weight. It's almost always considered bad management practice in a workplace setting. In a school, I think it is even less defensible.