Disruptive behaviour in schools is damaging children’s learning and causing an exodus from the teaching profession, poll finds

Persistent disruption is endemic in English schools, according to research carried out for Policy Exchange. In one of the most extensive investigations ever conducted into pupil behaviour, Deltapoll found that 75% of teachers think that low level disruption occurs frequently or very frequently in their schools and that 72% of them know a colleague who has “left the teaching profession because of bad behaviour”. It is also having a major impact on pupils’ ability to learn, according to a majority of teachers. 

The polling is revealed in “It just grinds you down”, a report by Dr Joanna Williams, Policy Exchange’s Head of Education. It has been welcomed by Rt Hon Damian Hinds MP, the Education Secretary.

Using evidence drawn from the polling of parents, pupils, teachers and the wider public, as well as data gathered from focus groups and interviews, the report points to a serious problem with far-reaching repercussions for teaching and learning:

• 75% of teachers say they commonly experience disruption in their own school.
• 54% of teachers think the quality of children’s education is affected by disrupted lessons.
• 62% of teachers are currently, or have previously, considered leaving the profession because of poor pupil behaviour.
• 71% of the teachers we polled agreed that potential teachers are being put off joining the profession by the fear of becoming victim to poor behaviour from pupils. 
• 45% of teachers polled claim their initial teacher training did not prepare them to manage pupil behaviour.
• Persistent disruptive behaviour is the most common reason for permanent exclusions in state funded primary, secondary and special schools – accounting for 2,755 (35.7%) of all permanent exclusions in 2016/17. 

Persistent disruption is damaging children’s learning by preventing effective teaching from taking place and by driving teachers out of the classroom.

However, as our research shows, there now appears to be a greater consensus than ever before that higher disciplinary standards and robust enforcement of behavioural codes are vital to educational success, particularly for pupils from the most disadvantaged backgrounds. The time is right for schools to go further in tackling the problem of persistent disruptive behaviour.

The Rt Hon Damian Hinds MP, Education Secretary, said:

“Classrooms should be safe, calm and stimulating places for both our children to learn in and our teachers to teach in. Poor behaviour disrupts both learning and teaching, often most keenly affecting disadvantaged young people.

“Since 2010 we have taken decisive action to empower teachers to tackle poor behaviour, and many schools are already leading the way in tackling persistent disruption. As these important findings from Policy Exchange show, we now need all schools to follow the lead of the best-performing so that we can build on the rising standards in our schools.

“To help school leaders make that happen, we have pledged £10 million for schools to share best practice on behaviour management so that teachers can focus on the most important task – teaching.”

The report’s author, Dr Joanna Williams, said:

“This research from Policy Exchange offers a unique insight not just into the scale of disruptive behaviour but also into the negative impact it has upon all aspects of school life. Persistent disruption interrupts teaching and prevents pupils from learning effectively. It demoralises teachers and hastens the speed with which they leave the profession. However, our report also shows that there is considerable support among teachers, parents and pupils for schools to take a far tougher approach to tackling disruptive behaviour. We hope this empowers school leaders to use the authority they already have to create a more productive learning environment for the benefit of all pupils.”

Policy Exchange recommends:

• Higher standards of behaviour should be required for schools to achieve good or better Ofsted ratings.
• Behaviour management policies must be applied and interpreted consistently. 
• A proportion of staff professional development time should be dedicated to refreshing knowledge of and motivation for institutional behaviour management policies.
• Initial teacher training must include a more thorough grounding in behaviour management techniques.
• Training for school leaders should make explicit reference to the headteacher’s responsibility for the behaviour of pupils.
• Teaching unions should provide clear statements to their members highlighting their right to support in behaviour management from senior staff.
• Schools should have a clear policy on smartphone use that either restricts devices from schools altogether or limits their use to clearly delineated times and circumstances.