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Ofsted Watch - Don’t turn your back on bad behaviour

Boost learning (and impress the inspectors) by instigating a focused, whole-school approach to banishing low-level disruption

13th February 2015, 12:00am

Last year, while reading an Ofsted report about low-level disruption entitled Below The Radar, I felt my jaw drop as I read that teachers in some schools accepted disruption in the classroom “as a part of everyday life”.

This is a dangerous stance to take. We are proud to have been cited by Ofsted as a school where pupils have “immaculate” behaviour. New teachers are pleasantly surprised that they can actually practise their trade here and focus on pedagogy rather than punishment. Our expectations are that behaviour is always exemplary and disruption should be far from commonplace.

I fully realise that achieving consistently good behaviour in schools is tough. We did not get to our current level by chance, nor because our student body happened to be naturally well-behaved. Raising the standard of behaviour has taken considerable time and effort - we have worked hard to instil the standards that we expect.

In some schools it may feel as if you only have time to manage the big issues. I understand the stresses of the school day and the workload problems that so many teachers experience. But with proper guidance for staff and a strong, structured plan from leadership, disruption can be eradicated.

So, if you are due an Ofsted inspection or have received an inspection report that was critical of behaviour, perhaps we can lend a hand by sharing our experience. For starters, here is the guidance we give to every teacher:

Get the teaching right. First and foremost, focus on teaching and planning. An impactful starter, slick transitions between activities and a professional performance sends a strong message to pupils about your confidence, competence and authority as someone they can’t argue with.
Make it personal. Get to know the pupils’ names as soon as you can. “Quiet, please, Jonny” has far more impact than a general announcement to any pupil who may be listening.
Use seating plans. Place your students in the layout that will enable everyone to do their best. Review this regularly as relationships will change during the year.
Start strict. Err on the side of firmness while you are working out what makes pupils tick. Only consider dropping your guard once you are sure things won’t go haywire.
Lay the groundwork early. Explain the class rules to pupils in the first lesson. This may sound a bit draconian, but you need to show them that you mean business.

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