2.1 Inspection evidence on behaviour and discipline in schools
Overall climate and relationships in schools
HM inspectors evaluate the quality of the climate and relationships in schools in every school inspection, providing a substantial source of evidence about discipline and behaviour in schools across the whole of Scotland.
In nearly half of secondary schools, and in more than two thirds of the primary schools inspected, HMI found the quality of climate and relationships to be a major strength. In these schools there was a positive environment for learning and almost all pupils behaved well. Relationships between pupils and teachers were friendly and purposeful, and characterised by mutual respect. Nevertheless, in almost all of these schools some pupils occasionally behaved inappropriately and there were sometimes incidents of seriously disruptive behaviour. In the main, however, teachers and promoted staff dealt with any such incidents firmly and fairly, drawing on a combination of the strategies for promoting positive behaviour recommended in the BB-BL report.
There was significant scope for improvement in the climate and relationships, and in the management of behaviour, in just over half of secondary schools. In most of these schools, HMI noted that teachers did not consistently apply approaches to promoting positive behaviour and managing indiscipline. There were examples of some classes and departments in which low-level disruptive behaviour, or more serious incidents of indiscipline and aggressive behaviour, were much more prevalent than elsewhere in the school. Often, the departments involved referred discipline problems to senior staff more frequently than did other departments. In addition, principal teachers and members of the senior management team did not always give a clear lead in dealing with more serious incidents consistently and effectively.
In the primary sector, there was scope for improvement in managing the behaviour of a few pupils in more than a quarter of schools. In a small number of classes in some of these schools, a few pupils exhibited unacceptable behaviour. In most of them, however, there was only low-level indiscipline. For example, pupils did not settle to work, or continued their own conversations or sought ways to bring attention to themselves. They showed a general lack of respect for their teachers, conveyed in gesture and body language as well as tone of voice. In many of these cases teachers did not have appropriate strategies for dealing effectively with disruptive behaviour. The quality of teaching and learning often also had important weaknesses in these classes. In almost all primary schools, referrals to senior staff for more serious acts of indiscipline were generally handled effectively, with headteachers recording and reporting them and taking appropriate action.
In a small minority of this group, roughly one in 12 secondary schools overall, HMIE found important weaknesses in the quality of relationships and behaviour by some pupils which was disrupting the learning of others. This was evident in only one in 30 primary schools. In almost all of these cases in both sectors these relatively widespread discipline problems coincided with a lack of a clear and consistent lead at all levels on how to deliver an appropriate classroom experience for these pupils. Relationships between senior managers and teachers were often strained. Teachers were uncertain how to promote positive behaviour or had little confidence in so doing. In many cases, they had adopted only a limited range of teaching strategies so that pupils, even well-behaved ones, were not well motivated in lessons.
Views of parents
Responses to the questionnaires issued during primary and secondary school inspections provide a source of evidence about how parents feel about issues of behaviour and discipline in their children's schools. This was generally a positive picture, even in some cases where inspection revealed some significant problems. Almost all parents were positive about the reputation of their school in the local community and of the effectiveness of their school in maintaining good discipline. In almost all schools where leadership was very good, almost all parents, often all of them in the case of primary schools, responded positively to questions about the reputation of the school, standards of behaviour and the level of respect between teachers and pupils.
Views of pupils
Overall, primary school pupils who expressed their views during inspections commented more positively than those in secondary schools on the extent to which staff dealt with bullies, behaviour, relationships and security. Concerns about bullying that were expressed in pupils' questionnaire returns were not always borne out in subsequent interviews, and it was found, on further investigation, that most schools dealt effectively with bullying. There were exceptions, however, and schools and authorities needed to give high priority to dealing with bullying.
Views of staff
There was considerable variation in the perceptions of secondary teachers about the management of behaviour in schools. Around a third of secondary teachers were concerned about how well they, their colleagues and managers dealt with indiscipline. Nearly a fifth felt there was insufficient mutual respect between teachers and pupils. In almost all secondary schools where there was strong leadership focused on improving effective learning and teaching, the proportion of teachers who believed that indiscipline was dealt with effectively was higher than the national average. This included schools in socially-disadvantaged communities. The teachers in these schools also had more positive views on the overall level of pupils' behaviour and attitudes. In one such secondary school, which served an area of high social deprivation, all teachers believed that the school managed indiscipline effectively. They also felt that there was mutual respect between teachers and pupils, and that standards set for pupils' behaviour were consistently upheld in the school. They all believed that the school dealt effectively with bullying.
In contrast, in almost all secondary schools where leadership was not clearly focused on improving pupils' learning experiences, teachers' views of the quality of managing pupil indiscipline were below, and often well below, the national average. These included schools which served communities with low or moderate levels of deprivation. In two of these schools with moderate levels of deprivation, more than three-quarters of the staff believed that the school did not deal effectively with pupil indiscipline. In addition, more than half of them did not feel there was mutual respect between teachers and pupils. In some of these schools, the proportion of teaching staff who believed that the school dealt effectively with instances of bullying was much lower than the national average.
In primary schools almost all teachers and ancillary staff believed that their school dealt effectively with bullying. Overall, the responses of primary staff showed a marked confidence in their own, their colleagues' and their managers' capacity to manage behaviour. Almost all believed that there was mutual respect between teachers and pupils and nearly all felt that indiscipline was dealt with effectively.
Out-of-class supervised activities
Whilst many schools required to give more attention to managing indiscipline at break times, there was clear evidence of improvements in playground atmosphere arising from better supervision arrangements in some schools.
In these schools, pupils enjoyed the increased range of supervised activities available during breaks and felt less threatened by the behaviour of other pupils. Schools reported reduced vandalism in toilets and public and social areas. Many also reported a considerable decrease in the number of discipline referrals and felt that improved supervision outwith class contributed to a reduction of exclusions.
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One authority had initiated an 'Active Breaks Project'. This was supported by youth workers, who reported a positive impact on behaviour and ethos. The project was started in an area where there had been an outbreak of inter-school violence over lunchtimes. Trained youth workers were deployed to engage with potentially disruptive young people. Victims of bullying were also supported. The project reported a significant improvement in behaviour in the schools targeted. Their exclusion rates had dropped on average by 6.5% and attendance had also improved. The initiative had been most effective in schools with a high level of urban deprivation. Staff feedback was very positive. |
2.2 National data on attendance and absence
Over the past three years, the published national statistics show that most education authorities had achieved a steady improvement in attendance in primary schools and the majority had improved attendance in secondary schools. There was, however, considerable variation. Several authorities had shown some significant increases in pupils' attendance whilst others showed continuing high levels of unauthorised absence in secondary schools.
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In one authority, high priority had been given to improving attendance through supporting pupil award schemes and working with parents. Between 1998/99 and 2002/03 attendance in the authority's secondary schools increased significantly by over 3% compared to the overall increase of about 1% in Scotland as a whole. |
In primary schools, attendance was generally around 95% with only a very small level of unauthorised absence. In secondary schools, authorised and unauthorised absences increased as pupils moved from S1 to S4. The Scottish Executive had set out its intention to develop Truancy Action Schemes as part of its commitment to tackle truancy in the Partnership Agreement.
2.3 Data on exclusions and incidents of violence against staff
As a result of Circular 2/98: Guidance on issues concerning exclusions from school, a new national survey of exclusions was introduced in 1999, based on an annual census of the number of exclusions recorded by each of Scotland's education authorities. After the publication of the BB-BL report, a revised Circular 8/03: Exclusion from School, underlined the commitment to reduce exclusions but without setting specific targets. Over the past three years, the figures collected through this survey suggest that there has been a small decrease in the number of reported exclusions in primary schools from 4507 in 2000/01 to 4131 in 2002/03. In secondary schools there has also been a small reduction in the number of exclusions reported from 33,145 in 2000/02 to 31,055 in 2002/03.
A few education authorities had made considerable impact on reducing exclusions in particular groups. There has been a very significant reduction in the number of reported exclusions of children who are 'looked after' by the local authority. In 1998/99 there were 4,258 reported exclusions of looked after children from Scottish schools. In 2002/3 the number of their reported exclusions had fallen to 1,819.
The current overall level of exclusions still requires to be addressed with particular attention to a number of groups. In addition to boys being over-represented by a factor of four to one, children who are looked after by the local authority are still over-represented in the figures as are pupils with a Record of Needs and pupils who are in receipt of free school meals. It is a matter of some concern that some 45% of all exclusions involve pupils in receipt of free school meals, suggesting that a worrying cycle of educational and social disadvantage has been established in many cases. It is also notable that exclusion rates rise three-fold as pupils move from primary into secondary school, and that they peak at the S3 stage.
The Executive also undertook an annual survey of violent incidents, until 2004, that have been formally reported by staff to their education authority.
Violent incidents are defined broadly and recorded in terms of sub-categories including verbal abuse, aggressive or threatening behaviour and physical abuse. The number of reported violent incidents against staff reported through the survey had increased considerably in recent years. Some 36% of these incidents occurred within the special school sector, 35% within the primary sector and only 27% within the secondary sector. Around 65% of these reported incidents involved pupils with additional support needs, many of whom had moderate to serious or profound learning difficulties, as well as behavioural difficulties.
Some caution needs to be exercised in evaluating both the exclusions and violent incidents figures. Different ways of categorising and recording exclusions across Scotland led to inconsistency in reporting across the country, which may still be affecting the reliability of the overall figures. The 'violent incidents' survey relied on self-reporting by staff. It is likely that some of the changes noted may be reflecting the result of improved reporting procedures and greater awareness of the issue among school staff rather than reflecting real changes in the underlying rate of incidents.
Overall, the evidence from these two sets of published statistics is not straightforward to interpret although it does clearly indicate that there is no room for complacency with regard to the trends in terms of discipline and incidences of violent behaviour in schools. Any level of violence in schools is unacceptable and should be addressed vigorously by schools and education authorities where it occurs. However, the clear need to reduce these figures should be seen in the context of the generally good standards of behaviour in the great majority of Scottish schools.
2.4 The 2004 national survey of discipline in schools
In order to provide a more valid and comprehensive picture of levels of indiscipline than could be provided by the data on exclusions and incidents of violence against staff, SEED commissioned a survey of teachers and headteachers in 2004. This survey was designed to provide a basis for comparison of trends over time, in relation to previous surveys of secondary teachers in 1990 and 1996, secondary headteachers in 1990 and primary teachers in 1996. The results, published in Insight 15, report teachers' perceptions of the frequency and severity of various types of indiscipline that they have encountered. As the authors point out, they will be affected by differing levels of tolerance amongst individual teachers and schools as to what counts as acceptable or unacceptable behaviour. However they are based on a broad and balanced sample of respondents across the country and so provide a useful national benchmark, especially in relation to identifying specific issues causing concern and monitoring overall trends.
The 2004 survey indicated that teachers saw the majority of pupils as well behaved. However, trends in teacher perceptions suggested that an increasing number of teachers encountered potentially disruptive behaviours in the classroom and around the school. This was most marked in the case of secondary teachers although similar trends were reported by primary teachers. In both sectors, boys were seen as more likely to be difficult and challenging and low-level disruption continued to be the most wearing aspect of indiscipline for teachers. Reports of physical aggression towards teachers showed a significant rise in both sectors although the numbers of teachers reporting direct experience of such behaviour was small.
SEED intends to repeat these surveys on a regular basis to strengthen national monitoring of trends in discipline in schools. This should provide a valuable additional source of evidence for judging the longer-term impact of initiatives, and for informing decisions about where efforts need to be targeted to address particular aspects of the problem.