The
behaviour of young people, whether in school or in society more generally, is
a complex and often emotive subject. Good behaviour promotes good learning,
and good learning, in turn, promotes good behaviour. When this cycle of positive
behaviour and effective learning breaks down, the consequences can be extremely
serious for pupils, for individual teachers and for schools.
In the last two decades, most schools have made good progress in sustaining this positive cycle of good behaviour and effective learning. Throughout this period, however, there have been recurring concerns that the maintenance of good discipline was becoming more difficult in the changing society in which schools now work. There is also now a much greater commitment to the inclusion of pupils who are less easy to motivate and engage, pupils who might previously have been ill served by mainstream system. Both of these changes have presented heightened challenges for teachers and for other professionals working to support young people.
The Ministerial Task Group on school discipline was set up to provide a clear agenda for all schools and authorities in addressing these issues, drawing on good practice which had been developing within Scotland and elsewhere. This report evaluates the progress that schools and authorities have made in the three years since that group reported.
Our evidence indicates that most Scottish schools, and most Scottish teachers, manage these issues well, including many that serve populations in very challenging circumstances. Equally most Scottish children behave well at school. The skill and commitment of Scottish teachers in establishing this positive environment for learning should not be underestimated. In too many schools, low-level disruptive behaviour is a significant problem in individual classes or departments, with an adverse impact on learning. At the more extreme end of the scale, whilst serious indiscipline is neither inevitable nor endemic in our schools, major breakdowns of climate and relationships are occurring in a small minority across the country, with serious consequences. Where this happens, it causes a major loss of learning for the pupils involved and those around them, as well as significant distress for staff. That cannot be acceptable and it needs very immediate action in response. However, clear-sighted and resilient leadership is also required to ensure that short-term actions taken in such circumstances are not a substitute for the development of longer-term strategies to promote positive behaviour and better learning for all pupils.
I hope that this report, by highlighting effective practice and indicating where efforts most need to be targeted, will help schools and authorities to take forward the Better Behaviour - Better Learning agenda with increasingly positive impact in the coming years.
Graham Donaldson
HM Senior Chief Inspector
HM Inspectorate of Education