Researchers found that young people in England who had been bullied did significantly worse at school than those who had not. Almost one-half of those aged 14 said that they had been bullied, 41 per cent aged 15, and 29 per cent aged 16. Girls were more likely to be bullied than boys in the younger age groups, although boys were more likely to suffer violence or threats. White young people were significantly more likely to report being bullied than those from ethnic minorities. When parents reported their child's bullying to the school their child was less likely to be bullied subsequently.
Source: National Centre for Social Research, The Characteristics of Bullying Victims in Schools, Research Brief RBX-09-14, Department for Children, Schools and Families (0845 602 2260)
Links: Brief | DCSF press release | NASUWT press release | Guardian report
Date: 2009-Nov
A new book examined alternatives to exclusion from school. Local authorities, working collaboratively with their schools and clusters, could dramatically reduce exclusions and make permanent exclusions unnecessary.
Source: Carl Parsons, Strategic Alternatives to Exclusion from School, Trentham Books (01782 745567)
Links: Summary
Date: 2009-Nov
An article examined the relationship between incidents of permanent exclusion from school and assumptions made on the basis of a young person's gender.
Source: Anna Carlile, 'Sexism and permanent exclusion from school', FORUM: for promoting 3-19 comprehensive education, Volume 51 Number 3
Links: Abstract
Date: 2009-Oct
The government published a strategy for improving behaviour in secondary schools in England. It included its response to the recommendations of Sir Alan Steer's behaviour review.
Source: Delivering the Behaviour Challenge: Our commitment to good behaviour, Department for Children, Schools and Families (0845 602 2260)
Links: Strategy | DCSF press release | NASUWT press release | Guardian report | Telegraph report
Date: 2009-Sep
A study of children aged 4-5 in reception classes found that once some children acquired poor overall reputations for their behaviour, it became difficult for them to be regarded as good. Bad behaviour did not always result in children gaining poor reputations: this was most likely to happen when a child's immediate conduct was regarded as a sign of a wider problem. Children's reputations might be linked, for example, to teachers' views of their home background. Once such reputations were formed they would be used to read children's day-to-day behaviour and, when the reputations spread to classmates and other parents, it became very difficult for such children to be recognized as good.
Source: Maggie MacLure and Liz Jones, Becoming a Problem: How children acquire a reputation as 'naughty' in the earliest years at school, Economic and Social Research Council (01793 413000)
Links: Summary | ESRC press release | MMU press release | Guardian report
Date: 2009-Sep
Researchers examined routes, destinations, and outcomes for pupils permanently excluded from special schools and pupil referral units. The causes, origins, and evolution of the young people's difficulties were often obscure, and were not solely attributable to the nature of the educational provision that they had received. Complex social problems could only be addressed by large-scale social reform that went far beyond policy relating to children and families, and certainly beyond more specific policy relating to exclusion from school and special educational needs and disability.
Source: Anne Pirrie, Gale Macleod, Mairi Ann Cullen and Gillean McCluskey, Where Next for Pupils Excluded from Special Schools and Pupil Referral Units?, Research Report 163, Department for Children, Schools and Families (0845 602 2260)
Date: 2009-Sep
There were 8,130 permanent exclusions from primary, secondary, and all special schools in England in 2007-08, which represented 0.11 per cent of the number of pupils in schools. Compared with the previous year the number of permanent exclusions had decreased by 6.4 per cent.
Source: Permanent and Fixed Period Exclusions from Schools and Exclusion Appeals in England, 2007/08, Statistical First Release 18/2009, Department for Children, Schools and Families (0870 000 2288)
Links: SFR | DEF press release | BBC report | Guardian report | Telegraph report
Date: 2009-Jul
The inspectorate for education and children's services said that teaching young children (aged 4-7) how to behave well and how to get on with one another, coupled with effective management of minor disruptive behaviour, were key to reducing or avoiding the use of exclusions.
Source: The Exclusion from School of Children Aged Four to Seven, HMI 090012, Office for Standards in Education, Children's Services and Skills (07002 637833)
Links: Report | OFSTED press release | NASUWT press release | Guardian report | BBC report | Community Care report
Date: 2009-Jun
The inspectorate for education and children's services said that nearly one-third of schools surveyed were failing to provide pupils who had been excluded with suitable alternative full-time education.
Source: Day Six of Exclusion: The extent and quality of provision for pupils, HMI 080255, Office for Standards in Education, Children's Services and Skills (07002 637833)
Links: Report | OFSTED press release | Guardian report | BBC report
Date: 2009-May
The final report of an official review said that there had been good progress in raising the standards of behaviour in schools, with standards reported as good or outstanding in 93 per cent of primary schools and in 72 per cent of secondary schools. The number of schools inspected where behaviour was a significant concern was at the lowest levels recorded. But although most children, teachers, and schools did very well in tackling bad behaviour, schools with 'satisfactory' standards should be encouraged to do even better.
Source: Alan Steer, Learning Behaviour: Lessons Learned – A review of behaviour standards and practices in our schools, Department for Children, Schools and Families (0845 602 2260)
Links: Report | DCSF press release | ATL press release | Voice press release | TSN press release | Conservative Party press release | Community Care report | Telegraph report | Guardian report
Date: 2009-Apr
The Welsh Assembly government published (following a review) an action plan designed to promote positive behaviour and attendance in schools. It emphasized the importance of: raising levels of literacy among young people; better training for teaching professionals; and greater recognition of the role of parents.
Source: Behaving and Attending: Action plan responding to the National Behaviour and Attendance Review, Welsh Assembly Government (029 2082 5111)
Links: Action plan | WAG press release | Review report | Voice press release | BBC report
Date: 2009-Mar
For primary, secondary, and special schools in England in 2007-08 (academic year), 6.29 per cent of possible half days were missed due to absence, compared to 6.49 per cent the previous year. 3.6 per cent of pupil enrolments were classed as persistent absentees, compared to 4.1 per cent the previous year – typically missing 20 per cent or more of possible half days of attendance.
Source: Pupil Absence in Schools in England, including Pupil Characteristics: 2007/08, Statistical First Release 03/2009, Department for Children, Schools and Families (0870 000 2288)
Links: SFR | NUT press release | History & Policy article | Conservative Party press release | Guardian report | BBC report | Telegraph report
Date: 2009-Feb
A report presented outcomes from the latest stage of an official review of pupil behaviour issues in England. It made recommendations on: how school behaviour and attendance partnerships might be developed so as to maximize their effectiveness; the impact on pupil behaviour of consistently applied school policies on learning and teaching; and the links between behavioural standards, special educational needs, and disabilities.
Source: Alan Steer, Review of Pupil Behaviour: Interim Report 4, Department for Children, Schools and Families (0845 602 2260)
Links: Report | DCSF press release | NUT press release | ATL press release | Voice press release | Guardian report | Telegraph report
Date: 2009-Feb
A report examined the ways in which gangs and gang culture affected schools, and sought to identify possible interventions aimed at managing any impact. Schools alone could not tackle the complexity of the problems related to gangs and gang culture, and a partnership approach at local level was needed: but schools could play a key role in preventing and tackling gang-related activity. Any interventions needed to adopt a holistic approach that involved young people, the school, the local community, and parents.
Source: Kate Broadhurst, Michelle Duffin, Emmeline Taylor and Amy Burrell, Gangs and Schools, National Association of Schoolmasters/Union of Women Teachers (0121 453 6150)
Links: NASUWT press release | BBC report | Guardian report
Date: 2009-Jan
