The Department for Education has awarded a contract for developing a national behaviour toolkit for all mainstream schools.

It has been given to education services provider Etio - formerly Tribal Group - and will run until July 2029, with the option to extend for three years.

Last October, the government invited suppliers to conduct a “best practice review” and develop a toolkit for mainstream schools in England with pupils aged 5 to 16.

The contract started in March, and the toolkit will “support schools in managing pupil behaviour, reducing preventable exclusions, and tackling and preventing bullying”.

There will be no mandate for schools to use or follow the toolkit, but it is being developed to “complement” existing statutory and non-statutory guidance. It will be available for all schools once it has been independently evaluated.

A statement from Etio says: “The toolkit will help schools strengthen approaches that set high expectations for all pupils, build shared understanding across staff, pupils and parents/carers, and enable consistent, evidence-informed practice.”

The education services provider adds that the review and toolkit will be structured around “overarching principles; behaviour and exclusions; and anti-bullying”.

‘Three-pronged approach’ to behaviour

Dr Gordon Carver, UK managing director at Etio, said: “By taking a three-pronged approach, bringing together overarching principles, behaviour and exclusions and anti-bullying, we will develop a toolkit for schools and a robust evidence base for what works.

“We must work on removing all barriers to opportunity for young people.”

Etio will work with education consultancy ImpactEd to deliver the resource.

The announcement follows two prominent education unions voicing concerns over violent behaviour in schools.

Delegates at the NEU teaching union conference recently voted for a motion for a national campaign to reduce pupil violence in schools, and Matt Wrack, general secretary of the NASUWT teaching union, told journalists that violent pupil behaviour is going “under-reported” by teachers.

Suspensions and exclusions reached ”record highs” during the 2023-24 academic year, but recent analysis from the FFT Education Datalab found the rate of suspensions is falling overall, despite increases in primary schools.

The DfE has been approached for comment.