You’ve probably taught a number of children, especially in secondary schools, who have been on report for their behaviour. For some of you, the end of some lessons may involve a procession of children waiting to have their report filled out or for you to complete online.
How many of us have ever stopped to think in any depth about what behaviour reports are actually for and if the way they are designed supports those aims? The rationale behind reports should be that they support a child to focus on the aspects of their behaviour that need to improve.
However, if the behaviour improvement strategy is limited to applying pressure to the child simply by being on report, then you’re in for a long wait. This is a punitive or shaming technique - “Right! You’re on behaviour report!” - with the logic being that the shock or shame of being on report incentivises the child to sort their life out. It won’t.
Some children are perpetually on report. It is legitimate to ask in these cases if the support offered - if there is any - is effective.
Perhaps you want to focus more on how a particular child is doing in lessons? If you have an online monitoring system, then the paper aspect may be redundant or, worse, it ends up in the bin or as confetti in the playground.
If the purpose of the paper version is to help the child keep tabs on their targets and progress, then is this accessible to the child?
Swift solutions
Teachers are busy people. Unfortunately this means that we sometimes grasp swift solutions. I’ve lost count of the reports I’ve seen that have been produced late at night and that are littered with smiley and frowny face emojis or ticks and crosses. The whole child is being judged here, rather than aspects that need to improve.
If the report demands perfection in order to, for example, go on the school trip then you’re holding the child to a higher standard than their peers.
Use the report to recognise progress in behaviour. Rewarding as an incentive is unnecessary and will lead to, at best, short-term compliance, not lasting behaviour change. Accessible reports can help parents support you, too. Many online systems can do this.
As a smart senior leader said to me recently: “If I put her on report, it is only going to escalate the situation, so I’m holding off as long as I can.” He knew a different approach was required and was sensitive enough to know that blindly following his school’s policy was only going to make things worse.
Jarlath O’Brien is headteacher of Carwarden House Community School in Surrey and the author of Don’t Send Him in Tomorrow, published by Independent Thinking Press
