Behaviour

This week’s essential education news includes the two main parties revealing plans to tackle post-Covid pupil absence and an appeal to Ofsted to reduce the fear of inspection

It comes as both the government and Labour set out plans this week to tackle the ongoing absence crisis

Appointing a team of ‘learning coaches’ at his trust is helping to reverse a rise in poor behaviour, says Mark Goodwin

Addressing ‘avoidable absence’ is still a clear focus for policymakers, but what do we really know about what works? A 2022 evidence review from the EEF shed some light on the problem, as Kate Parker found out

But experts sound warnings over data privacy and the reliability of AI in addressing the school attendance crisis

Trusts’ leader says DfE attendance measures are not enough and a ‘much more systemic response’ is needed

School climate and curriculum are contributing to the attendance crisis, suggests Jean Gross – and it’s time to do something about it

Warning about teachers’ safety as union details compensation claims for assault, including a staff member who suffered a fractured jaw when punched by a pupil

All too often, there is one class where things seem to go from bad to worse – but don’t lose hope, says Zoe Enser

Instead of the uniform nature of the ‘Slant’ technique, pupils with special educational needs and disabilities require a variety of individual approaches, argues Liz Hawker

With more and more pupils identified as having special educational needs, Jean Gross argues that ‘SEND’ is an increasingly useless label – and that it’s time for an alternative

The former schools commissioner talks mental health, off-rolling and offers his tips on how to tackle exclusions