Leading Education and Social Research - Institute of Education University of London
Behaviour - Policy
Key London Issues > Behaviour > Policy:

Behaviour Review Final Report, April 2009
Conducted by Sir Alan Steer (The chair of Practitioners’ Group on School Behaviour and Discipline)

LERU would like to bring to your attention that Sir Alan Steer has recently conducted a review around the issues of School Behaviour and Discipline. This review provides the evaluation of the progress made since the original report, Learning Behaviour, was published in 2005. It also identifies new, emerging issues such as cyberbullying. In case you are interested in recommendations and area of further development, these are also given in the report.

According to the report progress thus far has been considerable, particularly in:
  • Early intervention and support for parents and children
  • The introduction of statutory powers for teachers on the ‘right to discipline’
  • The changes relating to school exclusion and the conduct of independent appeal panels
  • The consolidation of the programme Social and Emotional Aspects of Learning (SEAL)
  • The new guidance relating to bullying, including the higher profile for homophobic bullying
Emerging issues:
  • Child and Adolescent Mental Health
    Sir Alan Steer reported that behavioural problems experienced by some children are caused by mental health issues. Many headteachers, consulted for this report, are concerned at the apparent variation in the provision and standards of CAMHS (Children and Adolescent Mental Health Services). For CAMHS review go to: www.dfes.gov.uk/CAMHSreview/

  • Alternative Provision
    Sir Alan highlighted that schools need to be able to rely on high quality Alternative Provision as part of their behaviour management strategies. As well, as families who need to know that excluded pupils, and other young people for whom mainstream schools are not suitable, are nonetheless receiving a good quality education. The report rated some alternative provision, such as some Pupil Referral Units, as of good quality, but emphasized that the system is not currently arranged to ensure a high level of accountability and performance across the board. For pupil referral units go to: www.dfes.gov.uk/exclusions/alternative_provision_policies/pupil_referral_units.cfm
    The announcement in the Children’s Plan of measures to increase accountability in the alternative provision part of the education sector should bring improvements in this area. For Children’s Plan go to:
    www.dfes.gov.uk/publications/childrensplan/downloads/The_Childrens_Plan.pdf

  • Cyberbullying
    Sir Alan identifies cyberbullying as a new and often invisible matter of serious concern affecting both children and adults in schools. The inclusion of guidance on cyberbullying in the recent anti-bullying document, Safe to Learn should help school engage with it. For Safe to Learn go to: www.teachernet.gov.uk/wholeschool/behaviour/tacklingbullying/safetolearn
    The actions of DCSF in working with Childnet and in establishing a Cyberbullying Taskforce will support all relevant parties working closely together with the recognition that this is a problem which is difficult to resolve.

  • Safer School Partnerships
    Sir Alan has found evidence that where these partnerships exist they are effective in improving behaviour and attendance. He recommends that the extension of these partnerships should be encouraged and be given greater priority by schools and the police.For Safer School Partnerships go to: www.crimereduction.homeoffice.gov.uk/saferschools07.htm

  • Parental Responsibility
    The view of the Practitioners’ Group was that good behaviour in schools and society requires a clear understanding by all parties of their rights and their responsibilities. The Government took up the recommendations in this area, for example by making parents responsible for their children’s whereabouts during the first five days of an exclusion, introducing mandatory reintegration interviews following longer fixed period exclusions and giving schools extended powers to agree parenting contracts and apply for parenting orders. However, some school leaders perceive the Children’s Plan as emphasising the rights of parents while being less clear as to their responsibilities with regard to schools and the education of their children. Sir Alan suggested that it might be helpful to place a new emphasis on parental responsibility. However, he argued that clarifying parental responsibilities should be seen as being supportive rather than being punitive and closely linked with the provision of support to families as specified in the Children’s Plan.
Recommendations:

These areas have been further development as recommended by Sir Alan and Practitioners’ Group are:
  • Parent Support Advisers
    The report warns of the indications that “funding provided to Parent Support Advisers over the next three years (£33.5m, £34.5m, £34.5m) will not have the impact that the Government would wish if it is spread too thinly and absorbed into other spending needs”. The recommendation was that sufficient importance needed to be given to Parent Support Advisers in communications with Local Authorities, schools and other educational organisations. For Parent support advisers go to: http://www.tda.gov.uk/remodelling/extendedschools/coreoffer/parentingsupport/psaproject.aspx?keywords=psaproject

  • Learning, Teaching and Behaviour
    The main concern for the Practitioners’ group was that there remained such variation in practice within schools, between schools and between school phases in regards to Learning, Teaching and Behaviour. The approach to Learning, Teaching and Behaviour as a whole, since the original report in 2005, has created expectations that all schools will monitor the impact of their Learning and Teaching policy on pupils’ behaviour. Ofsted has placed a greater importance on the link between learning and teaching and behaviour in its guidance on school self evaluation. For self evaluation go to: https://forms.ofsted.gov.uk/login.aspx?ReturnUrl=/index.aspx

  • The spread of good practice
    Sir Alan sees creating change in schools as requiring support over a period of time in the context of school priorities. Therefore, schools need to be able to visualise what the change would look like and the benefits it would bring. He urges for examples of good practice from credible sources to be presented regularly to schools.

  • Social Harmony and Building Schools for the Future
    According to the report the design of new school buildings must be influenced by the need to promote social harmony and good behaviour. The BSF guidance was judged by the Practitioners’ Group as helpful where practical issues such as bullying in school toilets were addressed. The report argued that schools needed facilities that enable them to be at the centre of their community. For BSF guidance go to: www.p4s.org.uk/library/bsf_guidance.jsp

  • Power of Search
    Sir Alan recommended reviewing Power of search in practice.The right of teachers to search pupils for dangerous weapons was enacted in the 2006 Violent Crime Reduction Act.For Power of Search Act go to: www.homeoffice.gov.uk/crime-victims/reducing-crime/violent-crime/

The full report is available at:
http://www.dcsf.gov.uk/behaviourandattendance/uploads/Steer%20interim%20260308FINAL.pdf

The original report: Learning Behaviour (2005) is available at http://publications.teachernet.gov.uk/eOrderingDownload/1950-2005PDF-EN-02.pdf