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Elton (1989) Notes on the text
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The Elton Report (1989)
Enquiry into Discipline in Schools London: Her Majesty's Stationery Office 1989
Preliminary pages Enquiry into Discipline in Schools
Direct Line 01-934 0507
Telex 23171 The Rt Hon Kenneth Baker MP
31 January 1989 Dear Kenneth In March you asked me to lead an enquiry into discipline in schools in England and Wales and to make recommendations. I have had the good fortune to be supported in this task by an energetic committee, experienced assessors and a small but exceptionally able and hard working secretariat. I am grateful to them all. Their names, our terms of reference and methods of work are given in our report which I enclose with this letter. A copy of this letter goes to Peter Walker. Yours ever
Table of Contents
Foreword
1 The Enquiry 2 The Nature of the Problem
3 Teachers
4 Schools
5 Parents
6 Pupils
7 Attendance
8 Police
9 Governors
10 Local Education Authorities
11 Government
Appendix A: Written evidence received
NOTES 1 Abbreviations most commonly used in the text
2 Other abbreviations are explained when they first appear in a chapter.
Foreword
1 This report contains recommendations which apply to many people who are not professional teachers or educational administrators and we hope it will be read by them. We have therefore avoided using the technical language of education whenever we have felt that this might conceal our meaning from the general public. Some of our comments may seem to specialist readers to be statements of the obvious. We have included them in order to present a picture that is complete for those unfamiliar with our subject. This is important as we believe that some of them may have prejudices firmly based on incomplete knowledge. 2 Many specialists will also find some of our recommendations to be proposals of the obvious. These are included for a different reason. We were surprised to find that some schools are not following what seemed to us to be obvious good practice in simple matters. Our report would be incomplete if it did not deal with these lapses. 3 We were particularly concerned by reports that physical attacks by pupils on members of staff were commonplace and the cause of widespread anxiety among teachers. Although our evidence indicates that there are few such attacks and that teachers do not perceive them as a principal disciplinary issue, we still regard this as a very serious matter indeed. 4 As with other matters that have attracted widespread concern, such as vandalism, we have made some proposals dealing specifically with the individual problem. But these are not the most important of our proposals for the prevention of these very serious lapses in discipline. It is not enough to avert a lapse when it is imminent, or to rely on putting things right afterwards. The aim must be to create a school community in which pupils do not begin to consider behaving in such a way. 5 The behaviour of pupils in a school is influenced by almost every aspect of the way in which it is run and how it relates to the community it serves. It is the combination of all these factors which give a school its character and identity. Together, they can produce an orderly and successful school in a difficult catchment area; equally, they can produce an unsuccessful school in what should be much easier circumstances. Our recommendations relating specifically to serious incidents of indiscipline will not, therefore, stand on their own. They are part of a range of proposals which, if taken together, can have a profoundly beneficial effect on conditions in our most difficult schools. 6 Our recommendations also relate to the great majority of schools that are generally well ordered but in which significant improvements could still be made. Our broad objective was to make recommendations that would help all those who are responsible for schools and their pupils to create the orderly conditions in which pupils can learn. 7 We believe that, if the full range of our proposals is adopted, it will produce a general improvement in the behaviour of pupils, and that this will improve both the quality of their education and the job satisfaction of those who teach them. 8 Our recommendations are addressed to the whole range of people involved with primary and secondary schools - from parents to pupils, and from government to caretakers. If our report does nothing else it should demonstrate that our schools do not operate in isolation. They are an integral and immensely important part of society for which we all have a responsibility at some time in our lives. We hope that its publication will lead to a practical recognition of this; to a shared and general sense of commitment to our children's education; and to a realisation of the great potential latent in our schools.
Membership of the Committee
Chairman Lord Elton Vice-Chairman Dr R Bennett, Emeritus Reader in Educational Studies, Derbyshire College of Higher Education Members
Assessors
Secretariat
Summary
THE ENQUIRY 1 The Committee of Enquiry into Discipline in Schools was established by the Secretary of State for Education and Science in March 1988 in response to concern about the problems facing the teaching profession. Our task was to recommend action to the government, local authorities, voluntary bodies, governors, headteachers, teachers and parents aimed at securing the orderly atmosphere necessary in schools for effective teaching and learning to take place. We decided that the focus of our enquiry should be on maintained primary and secondary schools (other than special schools), which the overwhelming majority of pupils in England and Wales attend. 2 Our report is based on a large volume of evidence gathered from a wide range of sources. We visited institutions here and abroad, had discussions with expert witnesses, received written submissions from numerous organisations and individuals, and commissioned the largest structured survey concentrating on teachers' perceptions of the problem ever carried out in Britain. 3 Press comments have tended to concentrate on attacks by pupils on teachers. Our evidence indicates that attacks are rare in schools in England and Wales. We also find that teachers do not see attacks as their major problem. Few teachers in our survey reported physical aggression towards themselves. Most of these did not rate it as the most difficult behaviour with which they had to deal. Teachers in our survey were most concerned about the cumulative effects of disruption to their lessons caused by relatively trivial but persistent misbehaviour. 4 We regard any incidents of physical aggression in school, however infrequent, as a very serious matter. Some of our recommendations deal specifically with such serious incidents. It is also important to find ways of creating an atmosphere in school in which pupils do not even think of being aggressive towards teachers. We regard our recommendations on changes in school atmosphere as being as important in tackling aggression in schools as our specific recommendations on serious incidents. 5 Our recommendations relate to a wide range of discipline problems, particularly persistent disruption. We find that most schools are on the whole well ordered. But even in well run schools minor disruption appears to be a problem. The relatively trivial incidents which most concern teachers make it harder for teachers to teach and pupils to learn. Our recommendations would secure a real improvement in all schools. 6 A wide range of causes of, and cures for, bad behaviour has been suggested to us. We conclude that any quest for simple or complete remedies would be futile. Our report highlights the complex nature of the problem and the variety of measures required to deal with it. It contains many detailed recommendations for action at classroom, school, community and national levels by all interested parties to promote good behaviour and tackle bad behaviour. It recognises the importance of clearly stated boundaries of acceptable behaviour, and of teachers responding promptly and firmly to pupils who test those boundaries. TEACHERS 7 We conclude that the central problem of disruption could be significantly reduced by helping teachers to become more effective classroom managers. We see the roles of initial and in-service training as crucial to this process. This leads us to make two key recommendations. The first is that all initial teacher training courses should include specific practical training in ways of motivating and managing groups of pupils, and of dealing with those who challenge authority. The second is that similar in-service training should be provided through school-based groups. These groups should aim not only to refine classroom management skills, but also to develop patterns of mutual support among colleagues. 8 Our evidence suggests that the status of teachers has declined in recent years, that this decline was accelerated by their recent protracted industrial action, and that it may have reduced their authority in the eyes of pupils and parents. We recommend that ail interested parties should give urgent consideration to establishing a framework of relationships between teachers and their employers which will minimise the risk of future industrial action. We also ask the Secretaries of State to clarify the legal basis of teachers' authority. 9 We emphasise the serious implications that any teacher shortages would have for standards of behaviour in schools, and the need for their pay and conditions of service to be such as to ensure the recruitment, retention and motivation of sufficient teachers of the required quality. SCHOOLS 10 We draw attention to the growing body of evidence indicating that, while other factors such as pupils' home backgrounds affect their behaviour, school based influences are also very important. The most effective schools seem to be those that have created a positive atmosphere based on a sense of community and shared values. 11 We recommend that headteachers and their senior management teams should take the lead in developing school plans for promoting good behaviour. Such plans should ensure that the school's code of conduct and the values represented in its formal and informal curricula reinforce one another; promote the highest possible degree of consensus about standards of behaviour among staff, pupils and parents; provide clear guidance to all three groups about these standards and their practical application; and encourage staff to recognise and praise good behaviour as well as dealing with bad behaviour. Punishments should make the distinction between minor and more serious misbehaviour clear to pupils, and should be fairly and consistently applied. 12 We see the headteacher's management style as a crucial factor in encouraging a sense of collective responsibility among staff, and a sense of commitment to the school among pupils and their parents. We recommend that management training for headteachers should pay particular attention to team building and the development of a whole school approach to promoting good behaviour. 13 We point out the links between the content and methods of delivery of the school curriculum and the motivation and behaviour of pupils, particularly those who are not successful academically. We emphasise the importance of the Secretaries of State ensuring that the National Curriculum offers stimulating and suitably differentiated programmes of study for the full ability range, and that the national assessment system is supportive and not threatening. We urge schools to achieve the best possible match between the needs and interests of individual pupils and the curriculum which they are required to follow. 14 We stress the importance of personal and social education as a means of promoting the values of mutual respect, self-discipline and social responsibility which underlie good behaviour, and we recommend that personal and social education should be strengthened both inside and outside the National Curriculum. 15 We emphasise the importance of the pastoral role of class teachers and form tutors, and the need for schools to maintain regular contact with the education welfare service and other support agencies rather than calling them in as a last resort. 16 We draw attention to evidence indicating links between the appearance of school premises and the behaviour of pupils. We stress the need for appropriate building design. We recommend that the government should give positive encouragement to local education authorities LEAs and governing bodies to ensure that adequate funds are made available for building maintenance. We urge all schools to develop policies to deal with litter, graffiti and other damage, and to follow the good example set by the best primary schools in displaying pupils' work. 17 We highlight the problems that many schools are experiencing during the lunch break. We recommend that the government should encourage LEAs to ensure that adequate funds are available for lunchtime supervision, that LEAs should devolve these funds to schools so that the best match between local needs and supervision arrangements can be achieved, and that training in the management of pupils should be given to midday supervisors. 18 We draw attention to evidence indicating that the most effective schools tend to be those with the best relationships with parents. We urge heads and teachers to ensure that they keep parents well informed, that their schools provide a welcoming atmosphere which encourages parents to become involved, and that parents are not only told when their children are in trouble but when they have behaved particularly well. 19 We recommend that schools' policies on discipline should be communicated fully and clearly to parents. If children are excluded from school for an indefinite period, the school should re-admit them only after an agreement setting out the conditions under which they will be allowed to return has been signed by their parents. PARENTS 20 We highlight the crucial role parents play in shaping the attitudes which produce good behaviour in school. Parents need to provide their children with firm guidance and positive models through their own behaviour. Not all parents appreciate the degree of commitment and consistency required to provide such guidance. We think schools have an important part to play in preparing pupils for the responsibilities of parenthood. We therefore recommend that education for parenthood should be fully covered in school personal and social education programmes, and that the government should develop a post-school education strategy aimed at promoting socially responsible parenthood. 21 We recommend that parents should take full advantage of all formal and informal channels of communication made available by schools, and that parent-teacher associations should ensure that their activities are accessible and rewarding to as many parents as possible. 22 We conclude that there is a need to increase parental accountability for their children's behaviour. We ask the government to explore the possibilities for imposing civil liability on parents for damage or injury done by their children in school. PUPILS 23 We draw attention to evidence indicating that pupils tend to behave more responsibly if they are given responsibilities. We recommend that schools should create opportunities for pupils of all ages to take on appropriate responsibilities, and that they should recognise pupils' non-academic achievements. We welcome the government's support for the development of records of achievement, work experience and compacts with employers as means of promoting a sense of responsibility among pupils. 24 We stress the need for the rapid assessment of the special educational needs of pupils with emotional and behavioural difficulties by all LEAs. We recommend that LEAs should employ enough educational psychologists to enable this process to be completed in less than six months. We urge schools and LEAs to ensure that failure to identify and meet the learning needs of some pupils is not a cause of their bad behaviour. 25 Our evidence indicates that, while all LEAs make alternative provision for the most difficult pupils, its pattern tends to be a more or less improvised response to needs and difficulties. We recommend that all LEAs should review their alternative provision and, in determining its future pattern, should aim to provide adequate, appropriate and cost-effective support services for schools and individual pupils. We suggest that the most effective provision is likely to be based on support teams of specialist teachers working in mainstream schools with access to places in on-site units and, in exceptional cases, off-site units. We ask the Secretaries of State to make Education Support Grant funding available to encourage innovative projects for meeting the needs of the most difficult pupils and their schools. 26 We highlight the strong concerns expressed to us about the effect that violent television programmes may be having on children's attitudes and behaviour. We emphasise the need for careful regulation and monitoring of this aspect of broadcast, cable or video material, and the responsibility of parents for restricting their children's access to antisocial images. We recommend that broadcasters should take full account of their educational responsibilities for all television programmes, and that teachers and parents should make positive use of popular programmes as an educational resource. ATTENDANCE 27 Our evidence indicates that, while overall attendance rates seem to have remained relatively stable for many years, there are significant differences in the rates for individual schools which cannot always be explained by differences in their catchment areas. We encourage heads and teachers to take action to minimise unauthorised absence and internal truancy. We urge governors to monitor patterns of attendance in their schools. We recommend that LEAs should carry out regular attendance surveys and employ enough education welfare officers to ensure that cases of unjustified absence are properly followed up. We suggest that joint LEA - police 'truancy sweeps' should be considered as a means of improving attendance, and that the government should consider increasing the penalty for the illegal employment of school age children. POLICE 28 We encourage headteachers to develop clear understandings with local police forces about how intruders in their schools should be dealt with. We emphasise the value of school - police liaison projects and, in particular, the contribution that the police can make to education for responsible citizenship. GOVERNORS 29 We identify two major areas in which governors can help to promote good behaviour in schools. One is the positive contribution that they can make to developing and monitoring their school's policy on discipline. The other is through the decisive part that they play in the appointment of staff, especially the headteacher. We emphasise the importance of governors looking for the personal qualities required for managing a school or a classroom effectively, and for working as part of a team. LOCAL EDUCATION AUTHORITIES 30 We urge LEAs to develop their management information systems so that they can target their consultancy and support services on schools in difficulty. We stress the need for them to provide more effective consultancy services, particularly in the areas of school management and institutional change, and to ensure that the guidance and support systems which they provide for schools are coherent and properly coordinated. 31 We draw attention to the behaviour problems which are sometimes associated with the use of supply teachers, and suggest a variety of steps which could be taken to minimise their use. These include exploring the possibility of moving more in-service training out of teaching time. We ask schools to adopt codes of good practice for the use of supply teachers. 32 We conclude that attacks on teachers are relatively rare, and that our recommendations on better training and whole school approaches to behaviour should help to reduce the number of violent incidents involving school staff. We recommend that all LEAs should monitor such incidents systematically, and that a national serious incidents reporting system should be established. We urge the employers of school staff to offer comprehensive support to the victims of violence, and the police and Crown Prosecution Service to prosecute attackers. GOVERNMENT 33 We point out that most teachers see smaller classes as an important contribution towards reducing the problem of classroom disruption but that it is difficult to identify relationships between class size and pupils' behaviour. We recommend that the Secretaries of State should commission research to investigate these relationships. 34 We highlight concerns about the power of LEAs under the Education (No. 2) Act 1986 to order the reinstatement of excluded pupils to most schools against the wishes of their heads and governing bodies. But we conclude that it is too early to say that this part of the Act, which came into force very recently, is not working. We recommend that the Secretaries of State should monitor its operation for five years and consider any necessary changes in the light of the information gathered during that period, and that a special reporting procedure should be established for cases in which pupils have been reinstated by the LEA against the wishes of the governing body or by the governing body against the wishes of the head. 35 Implementation of our recommendations would require a re-ordering of priorities and additional expenditure by some LEAs. We ask the government to encourage adequate expenditure by LEAs and governing bodies with relevant responsibilities on building maintenance and lunchtime supervision arrangements in schools. In relation to the support services provided by LEAs for schools and pupils in difficulty, we note the marked differences in local levels of provision and recommend that all LEAs should ensure that they provide services which are adequate in terms of our report. At national level we draw attention to the part played by pay and conditions of service in securing the necessary supply and quality of teachers, and the need to investigate the relationships between school staffing levels and pupils' behaviour. We ask the Secretaries of State to make classroom management a national in-service training priority and to make an Education Support Grant available to fund work with the most difficult pupils. 
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