Scottish Government

6 BEHAVIOUR MANAGEMENT POLICIES IN PRIMARY SCHOOLS

Introduction

6.1 This chapter reports the findings on policies and approaches to behaviour management from the survey of teachers and headteachers. ¹⁴ It provides an overview of these, how frequently they were used and perceptions of the most helpful approaches. It then reports perceptions of the support available in delivering these approaches, including training and staff confidence in using them. The chapter goes on to describe the importance ascribed to working in partnership with parents and other agencies and relates the time spent on these and other behaviour management activities. It concludes with a brief comparison of the 2006 findings in terms of approaches to behaviour management before providing a summary. The survey findings are supplemented with illustrative data from school visits, interviews and focus groups in the seven primary schools visited as part of the study.

Approaches used, frequency and helpfulness

6.2 Primary headteachers and teachers were given a list of approaches used to encourage positive behaviour and manage negative behaviour . They were asked about how frequently these were used and asked to identify the three most helpful approaches. Table 6.1 provides an overview.

6.3 It shows the wide range of approaches used with every approach being mentioned by some headteachers and teachers. Table 6.1 shows the emphasis being given to positive and supportive strategies. This applies both to whole school approaches designed to creative a positive environment for all children and to interventions targeted at particular children with behavioural needs.

6.4 The three approaches cited by most teachers and headteachers in the 'frequently' column were the promotion of a positive whole school ethos and values (A), break time supervision (E), and reward systems for pupils (K). It is interesting that both headteachers and teachers identified the same three most frequently used strategies as their perceptions about other aspects of behaviour sometimes differ.

6.5 The three strategies that were least frequently used ¹⁵ were local authority off site provision (S), campus based police officers ¹⁶/community police partnerships (X), and broad curriculum options (Z). Again both primary headteachers and teachers identified the same least frequently used strategies for the most part. Headteachers in addition identified pupil/behaviour support base in school/campus (Q).

TABLE 6.1 PRIMARY TEACHERS'/HEADTEACHERS' VIEWS ON POSITIVE BEHAVIOUR STRATEGIES

Below is a list of approaches that some schools and classroom teachers use to encourage positive behaviour and manage negative behaviour. Please indicate whether any of the approaches are currently used within your school. (Please circle one number in each row)

* percentages rounded to nearest whole number and so totals may not sum to 100, **'-' indicates where % is zero or rounds to zero

6.6 Some detailed descriptions of particular strategies were gained from school visits. Promoting positive behaviour was linked in all 7 schools visited with the development of a strong whole school ethos and a shared code of values. These were often embodied in school rules which stressed the positive, for example 'We are gentle', 'We are kind and helpful', 'We listen.' These rules were usually visible in the classrooms and corridors of the schools. Keeping to the rules was often associated with praise and reward systems. Most teachers, senior staff and heads interviewed felt that the reward systems they had in place were effective. In one school a reward is a place at a special healthy eating table, set with a tablecloth and napkins, and a special menu; another involves trips out of school to educational destinations, such as a zoo.

Support in using strategies

6.7 Support in promoting positive behaviour and in dealing with negative behaviour is available in a number of ways. This includes the provision of classroom and learning assistants, specialist staff, support from colleagues and professional development and training. We report on each of these.

6.8 Table 6.1 shows classroom and learning assistants were clearly a key part of behaviour management approaches as were break-time supervisors. Support was also available from specialist staff and from home-school link workers. School visits revealed how very highly valued these staff were. For example, Support staff are a hugely positive element (PS1).

6.9 A variety of specialist staff were used in schools either to support positive behaviour or to help pupils with behavioural needs. The range of staff being used frequently or sometimes included:

• Staff in pupil support bases - mentioned by 26% of teachers and 14% of headteachers;
• Behaviour co-ordinator - mentioned by 40% of teachers and 41% of headteachers;
• Home-school link workers - mentioned by 42% of teachers and 39% of headteachers.

6.10 Primary teachers were also asked about the overall level of support offered to them in their school. The overwhelming majority, (83%) either agreed or strongly agreed with the statement, 'I am confident that senior staff will help me if I experience behaviour management difficulties.'

6.11 Primary support staff also reflected teachers' positive views about being supported in managing behaviour with 86% feeling well supported. This was also reflected in focus groups although a minority said that they were not always as respected by staff or pupils as teachers were.

6.12 The survey data on support was exemplified in the schools visited. Headteachers and senior staff were praised for their support both in helping pupils with behavioural needs and in being available to discuss strategies. For example, The HT is excellent. You just have to mention anyone and she is right in there talking to them (PS6).

6.13 Informal support from colleagues was also valued. This was particularly mentioned in a small school where challenges encountered by staff and ways of tackling them were discussed informally in the staffroom and the staff group offered suggestions and support (PS3).

Training and Confidence

6.14 The survey asked primary teachers whether they felt they had had effective training in behaviour management approaches used in their schools, how often they had been involved in training and how confident they felt in their ability to promote positive behaviour and to respond to indiscipline in their classroom.

6.15 In terms of training, 77% of primary headteachers said that their school had been involved in training/events relevant to promoting positive behaviour and/or managing indiscipline. According to headteachers, over half (56%) of the training had been provided by the local authority; about a fifth (21%) from independent providers; 10% reported training from the Scottish Government Positive Behaviour Team and about 18% from a range of other providers. 64% of heads indicated that they had received support from their local authority in the last three years to try new initiatives for promoting positive behaviour. For just under half (44%) this took the form of training, for 29% it involved advice and consultancy, for 18% there was additional funding or staff support and for 12% strategic or policy support. ¹⁷

6.16 Almost 2 in 3 (62%) primary teachers strongly agreed or agreed that they had had effective training in behaviour management approaches used in their schools. Around 4 in 10 primary teachers had been involved in whole school planning in relation to discipline more than twice in the last three years. About the same number (37%) had also participated more than twice in the last three years in some kind of staff development activity or training in relation to discipline or positive behaviour.

6.17 This was less so for support staff. About 35% of support staff strongly agreed or agreed with the statement that there was adequate training for classroom assistants to deal with behaviour difficulties; 40% strongly disagreed or disagreed with this statement.

6.18 Teachers were also confident or very confident in their abilities to promote positive behaviour in their classrooms (93%), and in responding to indiscipline in their classrooms (89%).

6.19 Heads surveyed indicated that many members of the school community had been actively involved in developing strategies in relation to discipline and positive behaviour. The main groups indicated by headteachers are shown in table 6.2

TABLE 6.2 MEMBERS OF THE PRIMARY SCHOOL COMMUNITY INVOLVED IN DEVELOPING STRATEGIES

Time spent on behaviour management

6.20 As table 6.3 shows most headteachers spent between one and three hours in their last full teaching week on specific activities to promote a positive school ethos and behaviour. About 1 in 4 spent the same time dealing with referrals. The majority of teachers spent under an hour or between one and three hours promoting positive behaviour.

TABLE 6.3 TIME SPENT ON BEHAVIOUR MANAGEMENT BY PRIMARY HEADTEACHERS AND TEACHERS IN THE LAST FULL TEACHING WEEK

* percentages rounded to the nearest whole number and may not sum to 100

6.21 The heads and senior staff in schools visited seemed happy in general about the volume of referrals from class teachers. Teachers deal with the behaviour in a majority of cases… they are supportive staff.

6.22 The large majority of heads in the survey felt that parents were supportive both generally and in terms of behaviour and discipline issues. 74% of heads surveyed had spent some time talking with parents about their child's behaviour in the last week. In contrast 44% of primary teachers had done so. This was also a feature in the schools visited where many staff emphasised the importance of regular informal contact with pupils' families.

6.23 Partnership working was an important aspect of promoting positive behaviour and in meeting the needs of pupils with behavioural difficulties. 26% of primary headteachers had spent 1-3 hours in the previous week working with other partners or members of the school community; 3% had spent more than 3 hours. However 33% had spent no time and 38% had spent less than an hour engaged in this.

Comparisons with 2006

6.24 It is not possible to compare exactly the approaches used to encourage positive behaviour and to manage negative behaviour in 2006 and 2009. This is because a slightly different list of approaches was used in the two surveys. In addition the frequency of use categories were different.

6.25 The most frequently used strategies in 2006 and 2009 are very similar although different language is sometimes used in the two surveys to describe strategies. Those identified by 90% of primary headteachers as being used in 2006 and by primary headteachers as being used frequently or sometimes in 2009 are:

• Anti-bullying policies;
• Buddying/peer mentoring;
• Break time supervision;
• Reward systems for pupils;
• Involving pupils in developing ideas and activities in the school.

6.26 Some specific whole school approaches were not separately itemised in 2006 but included in one question asking about the use of ' whole school initiatives such as Restorative Practices, Motivated School or Solution-Oriented School.' They were separately itemised in 2009. It seems likely that the use of some these strategies had increased in 2009. We can infer this by inspecting the percentages in the not used column for 2009. In 2006, 46% of primary teachers and 50% of primary headteachers said none of these strategies was used in their schools. In 2009 by contrast, the percentages not using these approaches had fallen markedly in some cases. For example, Restorative Practices (G) were never used by just 14% of teachers and 12% of headteachers. Solution oriented approaches (H) were never used by 16% of teachers and 12% of headteachers.

Summary

6.27 The survey data indicates that in primary schools there is wide agreement among primary teachers and headteachers about the key approaches to promoting positive behaviour and dealing with negative behaviour. Table 6.4 lists the most and least frequently used approaches.

TABLE 6.4 MOST AND LEAST FREQUENTLY USED BEHAVIOUR MANAGEMENT STRATEGIES IN PRIMARY SCHOOLS

6.28 These frequently used strategies are also seen as the most helpful by both headteachers and teachers.

6.29 Other key findings are:

• Support in promoting positive behaviour and in dealing with negative behaviour is available in a number of ways. This includes the provision of classroom and learning assistants, specialist support staff, support from colleagues and professional development and training classroom and learning assistants. These were all highly valued. Support staff were the least satisfied group in terms of the adequacy of training;
• There is reported involvement of a wide range of staff in policy development, some involvement of parents and substantial involvement of pupils;
• The vast majority of teachers and support staff are confident in their behaviour management skills and in the support of senior management in terms of dealing with disruptive behaviour;
• Comparisons with 2006 are difficult but more headteachers and teachers in 2009 seem to be using newer approaches to behaviour management that had been promoted by the Scottish government and local authorities. These include restorative practices and solution oriented approaches.