07-05-2025
Secondary school behaviour declines in Wales, with call for action
'Defiance' from parents over bad school behaviour
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Bethan Lewis
Education & family correspondent, BBC Wales News
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Backchat and disrespect from pupils is one of the biggest issues they face in class, according to school staff
A national campaign to tackle bad behaviour in schools has been suggested, with some parents showing "defiance" to policies and excusing the actions of their children, according to Estyn.
Wales' schools inspectorate said since the pandemic, secondary schools have reported a general decline in behaviour, with the most challenging pupils becoming "increasingly hard to manage".
It called for a national campaign to address the issues, with fixed term exclusions of five days or less, rising from 12,774 instances in 2018-19 to 22,945 in 2022-23.
The Welsh government said it would ensure "everything possible" was done to address declining behaviour in schools and colleges.
Poor behaviours by pupils ranged from talking in class to threats of violence against teachers and classmates, staff told Estyn.
Common issues included answering the teacher back or disrespecting staff, refusing to complete work and not going to lessons.
It said there were concerns about poor behaviour in corridors, mobile phone misuse, vaping and increased anxiety amongst pupils.
School staff told Estyn that parents sometimes challenged the approach to behaviour and many described a few parents as "unsupportive, sometimes undermining staff by excusing poor behaviour".
"A very few parents displayed aggressive behaviour towards leaders and staff when presented with concerns about their child's behaviour," the report said.
Estyn urged the Welsh government to update national behaviour management guidelines because "there is no relevant, practical and current guidance to support schools, pupils or their families in dealing with behaviour and promoting positive behaviours".
It said the Welsh government should "develop a national campaign with local authorities to promote and explain the importance of good behaviour with parents, carers and pupils".
A spokesperson for the government said it welcomed Estyn's report which highlighted the issues faced by schools and what could be done to address them.
"Making sure learners and staff feel safe and supported in our educational settings is essential," they said.
"We will be discussing these points further at our behaviour summit later this month, where we will also reflect on today's roundtable on violence and safety in schools and colleges."
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Poor behaviours by pupils ranged from talking in class to threats of violence against teachers and classmates
Data shows exclusions are on the increase, with a particular jump in fixed-term exclusions of five days or less - up from 12,774 instances in 2018-19 to 22,945 in 2022-23.
The rate of fixed-term exclusions was almost three and a half times higher for pupils eligible for free school meals compared to their classmates, the report said.
Pupils with additional learning needs (ALN) also had significantly higher rates of exclusion.
"These exclusion rates are a considerable concern and give us some indication of the increasing number of pupils demonstrating extremely challenging and complex behaviour," the report, focused on promoting positive behaviour in secondary schools, said.
No data on poor behaviour
