Behaviour in FE is a tricky beast. We aren’t teaching children. And yet in FE, I have witnessed behaviour that wouldn’t be out of place in a Year 9 class who like to make teachers cry for fun.

There are concerns about how the Ofsted framework’s suggestions on behaviour will be translated in an FE setting, but I’m not convinced that there is much difference between the sectors in terms of what is desirable behaviour.

Granted, I’m not going to be telling Terry - a rugby player who has to turn sideways to fit his shoulders down the corridor - to do up his top button. I also won’t try to give detention to Pat, who after her upskill session has to dash to pick up her grandkids. It’s not appropriate to treat adults that way.

But there are facets of behaviour that are everywhere. Things like showing respect to staff and other learners, good timekeeping, ensuring organisation and readiness to work, not disrupting others.

Sometimes, there’s a worry that anything to do with behaviour in FE is a step towards treating adults like kids. But disregarding the subject entirely puts our learners at a disadvantage.

Tom Starkey teaches English at a college in the North of England