28 Oct Ofsted report: Disruptive children cause pupils to lose an hour of education a day
Ofsted report: Disruptive children cause pupils to lose an hour of education a day, writes Chloe Dobinson
A recent study carried by Ofsted believed children lose up to an hour of education a day due to disruptive behaviour.
The inspection, based upon 95 state schools and academies, sees disruptive behaviour as now being accepted by teachers as part of ‘everyday life in the classroom’.
Ofsted Chief Sir Michael Wilshaw said about the report: ‘low-level disruption in class is preventing too many teachers from doing their jobs’. Two thirds of teachers questioned for the survey complained that school leaders are failing to assert their authority when dealing with poor discipline and pupils flouting the school rules.
YouGov survey showed cited problems including swinging on chairs, calling out and not getting on with work as the main cause for concern in primary schools. The survey based upon 1,024 parents and 1,048 teachers showed it was a bigger problem than expected from parents.
How do we stop troublesome behaviour: clear rules, assertive teachers or consistency? Previous reports have seen main areas for improvement such as working with parents during the recent Behaviour and Safety programme introduced in 2013, and child behaviour management training. Speaking to Kelsie Clark-Davies, a child behaviour specialist who leads in social inclusion at William Bellamy Primary School, Dagenham explains:
‘Rather than looking at behaviour as poor behaviour, we really try and get underneath and understand the needs to act in a certain way… In most cases there’s something that has gone wrong along the way and the children seem to have attachment difficulties in schools. Children, for whatever reason, in their first few years of their life have had some kind of disruption with their main carer.’
Ofsted Chief Wilshaw explains there was a ‘blurring of lines ‘between friendliness and familiarity’ and teachers were ‘losing respect along the way’.
Ofsted who deliver one (programme) called Incredible Years Parenting and also the Fast programme, which is through the NSPCC, its families and schools together and child profession with colleagues from the children centre or other colleagues in the school to deliver specific mandatory accredited and recognised programmes.
Should Ofsted not encourage good attitudes for learning? Local school William Bellamy, are addressing this issue by rewarding children for good behaviour and has now gone from satisfactory to good in recent Ofsted reports. Head teacher Miss Preston explains, the school’s behaviour policy and the ceasing of low-level disruption.
William Bellamy has a behaviour policy called ‘stay on green’. Operating a ‘no hands up’ policy, where they encourage children to respond naturally to questions and within conversations. Preston further explains: ‘if a child calls out inappropriately’, they would be ‘taught the appropriate way and monitored’. Children are keen to achieve ‘bronze, silver and gold’ at William Bellamy Primary School, where it is credited as positive recognition.
