Ensuring safe environments for pupils and staff.
Clear progress is being made across all 20 actions set out in out
in a national plan aimed at improving relationships and behaviour
in schools, according to a newly-published report.
The second annual progress report on the joint action plan
details the work undertaken in the last 12 months to address
areas including guidance on consequences and on risk assessments
for schools.
Updated Scottish Government guidance has also been published on
attendance, along with new guidance on substance use, now
covering vapes, and on a whole school approach to tackling
racism. These were among the recommendations of the 2024-27
blueprint to improve relationships and behaviour in schools.
Work is also ongoing on to provide future guidance in other
areas, including the recording and monitoring of violent
incidents.
Education Secretary said:
“Scotland's schools should be safe and consistent learning
environments for everyone and clearly the vast majority of
children and young people behave well.
“However, we know there has been an impact on behaviour as a
result of issues including the COVID-19 pandemic and the cost of
living crisis. So I am heartened to see the clear progress being
made to implement the measures set out in the action plan to
address this.
“The challenges of the post-COVID-19 generation of young people
is reflected in the updated guidance on attendance to deal with
the use of part-time timetables, long-term, persistent absence,
as well as young people who are in school but absent from
classes.
“Vaping has also been identified as an emerging trend among some
young people at school, so the new guidance on substance use will
allow local authorities and Head Teachers to develop or update
local policies to deal with this. Taken together this
newly-published package of guidance addresses all the all
emerging patterns of behaviour identified in our Behaviour in
Scottish Schools Research.
“The action we are taking will help ensure that teachers and
schools can deal with issues in ways that are appropriate and
also respond to the needs of each individual child.”
Background
Second annual progress
report on the Relationships and Behaviour in Schools Action
Plan 2024-27.
Included, Engaged and Involved
Part 1: Improving attendance in Scotland's schools.
Whole school approach to
racism and racist incidents.
Responding to substance use
(including vaping and other nicotine products) in schools.
This Scottish Government guidance is the latest commitment to be
delivered through the joint Reationships and Behaviour in
schools action plan with COSLA.
Behaviour in Scottish Schools
Research 2023
