What is low level disruption?

The first and most obvious refers to a term devised in 2014 by Ofsted (Office for Standards in Education in the UK) in their extensive report on low level disruption in UK classrooms called 'Below the radar': 

"Typical features of [low level disruption] include pupils:

• 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."

Ofsted's conclusions revealed that:

• pupils are losing up to an hour of learning each day - or 38 days per year - in English schools.

The Return to Learning strategy views this kind of low level disruption as external low level disruption - disruption that is audible or visible.

By comparison internal low level disruption concerns the thought processes that lead to the above audible/visible actions. 

The Return to Learning strategy recognises that the symptoms of low level disruption in classrooms illustrate:

• the most significant negative influence on human behaviour, the principal outcome of which, blame culture, has created the divided world we live in today

and are caused by:

• opposing interpretations of events by our co-operative instincts and our competitive conscious mind creating a near permanent state of internal conflict.

The key to resolving this conflict is not to punish it, ignore it, or try to resolve it through discussion - as existing classroom strategies recommend - but to demonstrate a system in which our instincts and conscious mind can agree.

Through this demonstration the Return to Learning strategy:  

• returns up to 92% of previously wasted time to teaching and learning. 

and

• opens up optimal levels of academic learning and pupil well-being.

Part 1 of the Return to Learning strategy begins to demonstrate all of these benefits within thirty seconds:

• using the most successful learning method used in academic learning which thus far remains wholly overlooked in behaviour management.

Using this method during testing of the Return to Learning strategy in classrooms, the removal of the most significant influences of low level disruption resulted in an average pupil attainment increase of 65%.

You can read our report on the widespread damage low level disruption does in schools to both teaching and learning: 'The root of inconsistency in schools; its role in low level disruption and low level disruption mismanagement; and the only sustainable solution.'  (Click 'mobile version' to read in your browser.)

If you are a school leader and would like to learn more about using the Return to Learning strategy in your school please click here.

If you are a parent and would like to find out how you can help please click here.