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Behaviour experts to help schools Behaviour experts to help schools
(about 3 hours later)
Teams of behaviour experts will be sent into schools in England where behaviour is rated as merely "satisfactory", Schools' Secretary Ed Balls has said.Teams of behaviour experts will be sent into schools in England where behaviour is rated as merely "satisfactory", Schools' Secretary Ed Balls has said.
He says the government supports head teachers where they need to permanently exclude pupils. Government adviser Sir Alan Steer has said in a key report on discipline that "satisfactory isn't good enough".
Figures obtained by the Tories suggest the number of children repeatedly suspended for a fixed period is rising.Figures obtained by the Tories suggest the number of children repeatedly suspended for a fixed period is rising.
Government behaviour adviser Sir Alan Steer is expected to say in a report that satisfactory "isn't good enough". But Mr Balls says the government supports head teachers where they need to permanently exclude pupils.
His final report on behaviour in schools is expected later on Wednesday. Sir Alan, a former head teacher, said there was "strong evidence from a variety of sources that behaviour achieved by schools is good and has improved in recent years".
The Conservatives claim the government has made it more difficult for schools to permanently exclude children, but Mr Balls denied this. But where Ofsted rates a school's behaviour as "satisfactory", local authorities should see this as a trigger for additional support, he said.
The number of children excluded more than 10 times in a single year went up from 310 in 2004 to 837 in 2007, the figures show. He said no new legal powers to discipline pupils were needed, but that awareness of them needed to be raised.
Mr Balls said that where a child was being excluded eight or 10 times "it isn't working, and it would be much better to expel". Schools should remind parents and pupils that they also have the power to discipline for behaviour beyond the school gates.
Ill-discipline FROM THE TODAY PROGRAMME class="" href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/today/hi/default.stm"> More from Today programme
Sir Alan's report recommends the use of "withdrawal rooms", or other alternative provision, to remove a disruptive child from a class until behaviour improves.
Mr Balls told BBC Radio 4's Today programme that just under 30% of schools had a behaviour rating of satisfactory.Mr Balls told BBC Radio 4's Today programme that just under 30% of schools had a behaviour rating of satisfactory.
"If a school is rated satisfactory, and you look at the detail - I don't find it very satisfactory, to be honest."If a school is rated satisfactory, and you look at the detail - I don't find it very satisfactory, to be honest.
"Sir Alan Steer is saying they should expect independent experts from the outside to go in to help the school to improve.""Sir Alan Steer is saying they should expect independent experts from the outside to go in to help the school to improve."
If a child has been seriously disruptive or violent, they should be properly removed Nick Gibb, shadow schools minister 'Better to expel'
Where weak leadership was not tackling discipline, it would be challenged, he said. The Conservatives claim the government has made it more difficult for schools to permanently exclude children, but Mr Balls denied this.
The number of children excluded more than 10 times in a single year went up from 310 in 2004 to 837 in 2007, the figures show.
Sir Alan's report questions the value of repeatedly excluding a child, and Mr Balls said where a child was being excluded eight or 10 times "it isn't working, and it would be much better to expel".
Where weak leadership was not tackling discipline, it would be challenged, Mr Balls added.
"Let's use the powers so we can say to parents 'there will not be ill-discipline disrupting your children's education'.""Let's use the powers so we can say to parents 'there will not be ill-discipline disrupting your children's education'."
Permanent exclusions, sometimes referred to as expulsions, have been falling over recent years, and 8,680 pupils were excluded in this way in 2006-07.Permanent exclusions, sometimes referred to as expulsions, have been falling over recent years, and 8,680 pupils were excluded in this way in 2006-07.
If a child has been seriously disruptive or violent, they should be properly removed Nick Gibb, shadow schools minister
But fixed-term exclusions, commonly known as suspensions, are rising.But fixed-term exclusions, commonly known as suspensions, are rising.
There were 425,600 fixed-term exclusions of pupils of all ages in 2006-07.There were 425,600 fixed-term exclusions of pupils of all ages in 2006-07.
The majority of exclusions are given to secondary school pupils - and these rose from 288,040 in the school year 2003-04 to 363,270 by the end of 2007.The majority of exclusions are given to secondary school pupils - and these rose from 288,040 in the school year 2003-04 to 363,270 by the end of 2007.
Early intervention
Shadow schools minister Nick Gibb said: "Suspending a child from school over and over again does them no good at all.Shadow schools minister Nick Gibb said: "Suspending a child from school over and over again does them no good at all.
FROM THE TODAY PROGRAMME class="" href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/today/hi/default.stm"> More from Today programme If a child has been seriously disruptive or violent, they should be properly removed so they can get the specialist help they need to return to mainstream education."
"If a child has been seriously disruptive or violent, they should be properly removed so they can get the specialist help they need to return to mainstream education."
Mr Balls said one or two short suspensions could help a child get back on track but accepted that a child who is repeatedly suspended should be expelled.Mr Balls said one or two short suspensions could help a child get back on track but accepted that a child who is repeatedly suspended should be expelled.
"Every parent wants their child to learn - the powers are there. Sir Alan said schools must ensure parenting contracts are used where necessary.
"All of us, government, parents and governing bodies need to do more to back teachers to keep discipline in the classroom. And he also called on the Training and Development Agency for schools to review how initial teacher training equips new teachers to deal with challenging behaviour.
Sir Alan Steer's report will say schools and teachers are not using the full range of powers available to them to discipline badly behaved pupils.
The government and teaching professionals need to "raise awareness of the range of powers among schools, parents, pupils and teachers, including in particular the statutory power to discipline", he will say.
His report is expected to recommend the use of "withdrawal rooms" or other alternative provision.
If you expel the pupil and then they are out on the streets or in the parks, it's a different kind of problem for society and that's not good enough Ed Balls, schools secretary
And he will call on schools to ensure parenting contracts are used where necessary.
Mr Balls said he had produced a leaflet together with the Nasuwt union to set out the powers available to teachers to discipline.Mr Balls said he had produced a leaflet together with the Nasuwt union to set out the powers available to teachers to discipline.
'Work together''Work together'
Sir Alan will say that school provision out of the classroom should be used as part of a planned early intervention strategy and, if possible, before incidents of serious misbehaviour occur. Sir Alan said that school provision out of the classroom should be used as part of a planned early intervention strategy and, if possible, before incidents of serious misbehaviour occur.
If a child is permanently excluded from school, there can be an appeal to an independent panel to try to be reinstated.If a child is permanently excluded from school, there can be an appeal to an independent panel to try to be reinstated.
The Conservatives say they would abolish these panels. The Conservatives say they would abolish these panels, but the Steer report says they are necessary to avoid schools having to justify decisions in the courts.
They also say that potential fines for permanently excluding badly-behaved pupils mean schools are choosing to repeatedly exclude for a fixed period instead.They also say that potential fines for permanently excluding badly-behaved pupils mean schools are choosing to repeatedly exclude for a fixed period instead.
Mr Balls said discipline in schools has improved in the last few years but where there were problems, teachers should be tougher and have the support of governors and parents. Mr Balls said discipline in schools had improved in the last few years but where there were problems, teachers should be tougher and have the support of governors and parents.
"If you expel the pupil and then they are out on the streets or in the parks, it's a different kind of problem for society and that's not good enough," he said."If you expel the pupil and then they are out on the streets or in the parks, it's a different kind of problem for society and that's not good enough," he said.
"These kids should be in education and so we are also saying schools should work together even if a pupil is excluded.""These kids should be in education and so we are also saying schools should work together even if a pupil is excluded."
The report would also encourage schools with weaker discipline records to follow the lead of stronger schools, she added.
A survey of teachers has suggested five weeks of teaching a year is lost to teachers because of poor behaviour in the classroom.
The Nasuwt teaching union, at its annual conference in Bournemouth, said on average 50 minutes of teaching was lost per teacher per day.