1 Defining low level disruption in classrooms

Taking the definition of ‘disruption’ as ‘disturbance or problems which interrupt an event, activity, or process’, examples of low level disruption in classrooms are defined in Ofsted’s ‘Below the radar’ report [1] into low level disruption as:

• ‘Talking unnecessarily or chatting
• Calling out without permission
• Being slow to start work or follow instructions
• Showing a lack of respect for each other and staff
• Not bringing the right equipment
• Using mobile devices inappropriately.’ 

This list is added to in a report [2] carried out by Policy Exchange, an educational charity and think tank: 

• ‘Leaving a lesson without permission
• Talking over a teacher
• Not doing work set’.

An article written by Thomas Rogers for the TES helps put both into context [3]:

‘In teaching, you can get the class from hell, the class from heaven or the many classes in-between, but all of them have the capacity to master the art of low-level disruption. They slip “under the radar” of grand sanctions, they never do “enough” to warrant a class report or for parents to be called in, but every lesson with them is really hard work.

It’s little conversations here and there when you’re talking: too many for you to deal with in the moment. It’s shouting out when you’re trying to explain, not from one or two but from nearly all students, meaning warnings are scattered around the class rather than targeted at any one individual. It feels like they get away with it every lesson and you just go away feeling shattered for following the school disciplinary policy to the letter.’

That other sources identify a watered down version - this one by government authorised providers of training to Early Career Teachers (ECT) [4] - introduces the level to which inconsistency can be seen at the highest level of education management:

“Ms Silva feels she can secure positive behaviour from most pupils most of the time. However, she occasionally finds a few pupils are not following her instructions or are being disruptive in subtle ways. For example, having whispered conversations during a silent task, or turning around to talk to others when she is not looking. Ms Silva worries that, over time, others will begin to follow suit. How can she address this low-level disruption?” (‘Teaching Challenge’ for Low Level Disruption from the ‘Ambition Institute’’s Core Induction Programme of the Early Career Framework)

For the purposes of this report Ofsted’s findings - which draw on evidence from ‘inspections of nearly 3,000 maintained schools and academies between January and early July 2014’ and ‘includes evidence from 28 unannounced inspections of schools where behaviour was previously judged to require improvement’ (Ofsted, p.4) - are deemed the more reliable reflection of low level disruption at a national level.

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References:

1 Below the radar: low-level disruption in the country’s classrooms, Ofsted (2014) see p.4

2 ‘Persistent poor behaviour in schools and what can be done about it.’ Williams, J., (2018) see p.20

3 https://www.tes.com/news/low-level-disruption-6-ways-stop-rot

4 https://www.early-career-framework.education.gov.uk/ambition/ambition-institute/self-directed-study-materials/1-behaviour/5-low-level-disruption/