RTL report

Abstract

This report follows a series of practical studies by the author of this report which now comprise part 1 of the Return to Learning strategy. The studies were carried out over an eight month period in a North London state school during 2015/2016 and were based on an acceptance that causes of disagreements between teacher and student existed as a naturally occurring and, in the main, justifiable response to inconsistent actions by the teacher which traditional student fault sanctions had failed to address. The most frequently occurring inconsistent action by the teacher stemmed from attempts to resolve unpredictable and unreliable outcomes of traditional methods of identifying student fault.

During the practical study it was found that 91% of inconsistencies that led to - or were caused by - low level disruption events such as behavioural disagreements between teacher and student(s) were removed from lessons through the use of quickly and consistently administered, low-impact sanctions with a single high level deterrent. During this time students completed work almost one-third faster (31%) than previous years across KS3, with an average increase in attainment level of 0.76 (level 1-8 system) compared to a previous year 0.46 in mixed ability groups (65% increase). In all test group cases students requested the ongoing use of the study as a low level disruption deterrent/solution until low level disruption was no longer deemed a threat to teaching and learning after an average period of seven weeks in use.

This report concludes by providing a full outline of the key principles behind part 1 of the now published Return to Learning strategy for preventing and reversing inconsistency that leads to low level disruption in classrooms.

Introduction:

In the introduction to Part 1 of our course we describe how traditional behaviour management strategies - intended to resolve low level disruption - create ideal environments for making it worse. The aim of this report is to show how inconsistency in existing behaviour management strategies - including discussion/counselling based approaches that invite consistency - is a significant cause of low level disruption in schools. It aims to show how that inconsistency can be reversed; how low level disruption can be removed from classrooms as a result of this reversal; and how the outcomes of a school’s academic and pastoral programs can benefit considerably from this removal.

Only by observing consistent demonstrations of good behavioural expectations - every minute of every lesson - can students move from low value behaviour types (such as avoidance and deflection) that cause and sustain low level disruption to high value behaviour types (such as acceptance and compliance) that create and sustain a much higher level of learning.

This is achievable in any school, regardless of existing Ofsted judgement.

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