Conservatives pledge zero tolerance on violence and bad behaviour in schools and reforms to Alternative Provision

The Conservatives have today [7 October] set out a tough new plan to restore discipline in schools, and a blueprint to transform Alternative Provision.

Shadow Education Secretary Laura Trott announced the Party has laid a suite of amendments to the Schools Bill to tackle bad behaviour, and, that the next Conservative Government will introduce new policies to ensure proper provision for children who are not best served in mainstream schools.

Poor behaviour is one of the biggest issues facing schools. A recent survey of 5,800 teachers found that two in five had been physically assaulted by pupils in the last year, including attacks with weapons. The Department for Education's own research shows that almost a quarter of teaching time is lost to misbehaviour, the equivalent of nine weeks of learning every year. Yet Labour's disastrous Schools Bill does not mention the issue once.

Even worse, in London, Labour Mayor Sadiq Khan is encouraging schools to sign up to “Inclusion Charters” that discourage exclusions, even for pupils who bring knives into classrooms. 

To help tackle this, the Conservatives have tabled amendments to the Schools Bill to back teachers and ensure children with extreme behavioural problems get the right support in the right setting. This would see a presumption against the reinstatement of any pupil excluded for possession of a knife or offensive weapon, sexual assault, or assault against a teacher. 

Pupils permanently excluded from two mainstream schools would not be placed in another mainstream setting but moved into specialist provision such as a PRU or AP. The Conservatives are also calling on the DfE to publish a report on the impact of poor behaviour on teacher recruitment and retention. And we want headteachers to retain the right to exclude and suspend pupils, without being forced into local “inclusion charters”.

Over the last decade, the Conservatives drove up standards in our schools. Today we have set out how we will finish the job with a blueprint for a stronger Alternative Provision system for children who cannot thrive in mainstream education.

Some AP schools are excellent, but too many are inconsistent and poorly monitored. Conservatives believe that every local area should have specialist provision, and that proper oversight is crucial, so every setting must be Ofsted-inspected. Social workers should be better embedded in AP to give children extra support, and earlier intervention. Girls should have separate provision to protect them from violent young men. Academy chains should be required to partner with AP to share expertise. Sports clubs and football teams will work alongside providers to give excluded pupils role models, mentors, discipline and routine. Under the Conservatives, every AP setting will be independent of local authorities and held properly accountable for children's outcomes. 

This builds on Conservative proposals to ban smartphones in schools - a simple, evidence-based step that would immediately improve behaviour. International evidence from Portugal, France and Australia shows phone bans reduce bullying and halve disruption. Yet Labour refuse to act and were the only party to vote against our proposals in the Commons.

The Conservatives are the only party that will back our teachers and ensure proper standards in schools, delivering for students and for the taxpayer.

Laura Trott MP, Shadow Education Secretary, said:

“Labour's disastrous Schools Bill doesn't address one of the biggest challenges facing schools: poor behaviour.

“Conservatives are clear: one knife and you're out. Failure to tackle knives just mean more of them coming into school. Children must learn that actions have consequences.

“Exclusion offers a pathway into tailored support that some children desperately need. That's why we need stronger alternative provision across the country, so every child gets the right help in the right setting.”

ENDS

Notes to Editors

The Conservatives have tabled the following amendments to the Schools Bill:

After Clause 62, insert the following new clause –

Behaviour Improvement: presumption against reinstatement for children who engage in extremely serious behaviour

Section 6 of The School Discipline (Pupil Exclusions and Reviews) (England) Regulations 2012 are amended as follows:

After subsection 3 insert

1. In the following circumstances the presumption should be that the governing body must not reinstate the pupil unless a risk assessment has been carried out which demonstrates that the students does not present a heightened risk factor to other students and staff, in which case the school must be able to demonstrate how this risk has been eliminated or negated. The pupil must be relocated to an environment that is more suitable to their challenging behaviour, such as a PRU or AP or similar.
2. Where a pupil's possession of a knife or other offensive weapon was a factor in the decision to exclude the child; 
3. Where the pupil's behaviour which led to their being excluded included sexual assault; 
4. Where the pupil's behaviour which led to their being excluded included assault against a teacher. 

Member's Explanatory Statement 

This amendment seeks to probe the Government's willingness to introduce a presumption against the reinstatement of a child who has been excluded for possession of a knife or other offensive weapon, sexual assault, or assault against a teacher. The pupil must be relocated to an environment that is more suitable to their challenging behaviour, such as a PRU or AP or similar.

--

After Clause 62, insert the following new clause –

Behaviour Improvement: presumption against reinstatement in a mainstream school for children who have been permanently excluded on two occasions.

Section 6 of The School Discipline (Pupil Exclusions and Reviews) (England) Regulations 2012 are amended as follows:

After subsection 3 insert

1. Where a pupil has been permanently excluded on two occasions, the presumption should be the governing body, of any mainstream school, must not reinstate the pupil unless a risk assessment has been carried out which demonstrates that the students does not present a heightened risk factor to other students and staff, in which case the school must be able to demonstrate how this risk has been eliminated or negated. The pupil must be relocated to an environment that is more suitable to their challenging behaviour, such as a PRU of AP or similar. 

Member's Explanatory Statement 

This amendment seeks to probe the Government's willingness to introduce a presumption against the reinstatement of a child who has been permanently excluded on two occasions from any mainstream school from being moved to another mainstream school and relocated to an environment that is more suitable to their challenging behaviour, such as a PRU or AP or similar.   

--

After Clause 62, insert the following new clause –

Report: impact of behaviour of school children on teacher recruitment and retention

1. The Secretary of State must, within 12 months of the day on which this Act is passed, publish a report on the impact of the behaviour of school children on teacher recruitment and retention.
2. In producing the report under subsection (1), the Secretary of State must consult

1. Local authorities;
2. Parents;
3. School governing bodies;
4. Teachers; 
5. The Office for Standards in Education; and 
6. Any other persons the Secretary of State deems appropriate.

Member's explanatory statement

This amendment seeks to require the Department for Education to undertake and publish a report on the impact of behaviour of school children on teacher recruitment and retention.

--

After Clause 62, insert the following new clause –

 Duty for schools to report acts of violence against staff to the police

(1)Where an act which meets the conditions set out in subsection (2) takes place which involves the use or threat of force against a member of a school's staff, the school must report the incident to the police.

(2)An act must be reported to the police where—

(a) it is directed towards a member of school staff or their property, and

(b) it takes place—

(i) on school property, or

(ii) because of the victim's status as a member of a school's staff.

(3)The provisions of this section do not require or imply a duty on the police to take specific actions in response to such reports.

Member's explanatory statement

This new clause seeks to create a duty for all schools to report acts or threats of violence against their staff to the police. It would not create a requirement for the police to charge the perpetrator.

--

After Clause 62, insert the following new clause –

Report: impact of behaviour of school children on educational outcomes

1. The Secretary of State must, within 12 months of the day on which this Act is passed, publish a report on the impact of the behaviour of school children on educational outcomes for their fellow schoolchildren.
2. In producing the report under subsection (1), the Secretary of State must consult

1. Local authorities;
2. Parents;
3. School governing bodies;
4. Teachers; 
5. Academy trusts;
6. The Office for Standards in Education; and 
7. Any other persons the Secretary of State deems appropriate.

Member's explanatory statement

This amendment seeks to require the Department for Education to undertake and publish a report on the impact of behaviour of school children on teacher recruitment and retention.

--

The Public Bill Office are proposing the below on ‘no exclusion' zones: 

After Clause 62, insert the following new Clause—

Right to exclude and suspend pupils

(1)       Headteachers have the right to exclude and suspend pupils from their schools.

(2)       The Secretary of State has a duty to ensure that agreements or schemes to create local “no exclusion” areas do not infringe on headteachers' right to exclude or suspend under subsection (1).

(3)       In carrying out their duty under subsection (3), the Secretary of State must ensure that teachers are not subject to undue pressure to sign up to voluntary agreements or schemes to reduce or eliminate exclusions and suspensions.