Latest news with #badbehaviour
Telegraph
21-07-2025
- Telegraph
School hands out 200 suspensions in three weeks
A secondary school has issued more than 200 suspensions in three weeks as part of a crackdown on bad behaviour. St Edmund Arrowsmith Catholic Academy in Merseyside introduced tough new pupil conduct rules earlier in July after the school was rated 'requires improvement' at its latest Ofsted inspection. Clare McKenna, the headteacher, said the school was 'raising the bar in terms of what we expect of all our pupils', but said this had resulted in some teenagers 'testing the boundaries'. The academy has handed out 202 suspensions so far in July, including 99 in the first week its behaviour shake-up came into effect. A spokesman told The Telegraph that about 140 pupils had been sanctioned, with some given multiple suspensions. It means almost one in five pupils at the school has been suspended so far. St Edmund Arrowsmith said it had received 'some push back from parents ' but that it had been forced to take action to help turn the school around. Record suspension figures were published last week, sparking warnings of a worsening behaviour crisis across schools in England. Almost a million suspensions were handed out in English schools in 2024 – a 21 per cent jump compared with 2022/23 – with a spike in sanctions for pupils assaulting their teachers, using racist language and frequently disturbing their peers. The figures have split experts, with some suggesting they highlight consistent disruption following the pandemic and others believing they show schools deploy the only tool in their arsenal to tackle bad behaviour. Mrs McKenna said her school 'spent a great deal of time' looking at how it could improve after it was awarded the second-lowest Ofsted rating at its latest inspection in April 2025. The report highlighted an 'increase in poor behaviour during lessons and at breakdowns' and said some pupils had complained this was disrupting their work. Ofsted gave the school a 'requires improvement' rating in every area of practice, including pupil behaviour, and said the problem was being fuelled by teachers failing to implement school rules. Mrs McKenna said the school has since developed tougher disciplinary policies with the help of Education Exchange, a group of experts that share behaviour tips, which had led to the jump in suspensions. 'The vast majority of our young people should be applauded for how they have embraced these changes. The school is even calmer and more focused and the feedback we are getting from students is hugely positive,' she said. 'Inevitably, there are also some students who have pushed back and are testing the new boundaries of what is expected of them. This has led to a spike in the number of sanctions that have been given. But just two weeks in we are already seeing a significant drop of about two-thirds in things like short-term suspensions.' St Edmund Arrowsmith handed out 67 suspensions in the second week of its new behaviour policy and 36 last week, and Mrs McKenna said she expected 'this trajectory to continue' as pupils get used to tougher rules. 'There has been some push back from parents, but this has been significantly outweighed by the number of positive comments we have received,' she added. 'Ultimately, we all want the very best for our brilliant pupils. Behaviour is improving, children are happier and learning is more focused.' The Roman Catholic school, which has around 750 pupils aged 11 to 16, opened in 2021 and belongs to the Pope Francis Catholic Multi Academy Trust. Roughly half of pupils are eligible for free school meals, but a spokesman said the majority of children suspended in recent weeks did not belong to this group. Unions have frequently cited deteriorating pupil behaviour as a major driver for teachers leaving the profession. The Telegraph revealed last week that local strike action by the National Education Union has risen seven-fold over the past five years, with escalating disputes over teaching conditions including violent pupil outbursts. Parliament's Public Accounts Committee also warned last week that 'pupil behaviour is an escalating and concerning challenge' for teacher retention and that the Government did not appear to be taking it seriously enough. The Department for Education is recruiting a behaviour tsar, although it has still not appointed anybody more than a fortnight after the role was due to begin.
Telegraph
15-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Telegraph
Powerful people at BBC make life unbearable, chairman admits
The BBC still has pockets of bad behaviour where powerful people make life 'unbearable' for others, the corporation's chairman has said. Samir Shah made his comments in the BBC annual report, which reveals the BBC's highest-paid stars. It comes the day after a report into the behaviour of Gregg Wallace, the former MasterChef presenter, upheld 45 allegations of sexually explicit comments and bullying. Mr Shah said: 'The BBC is a wonderful place to work. Our staff are dedicated, hard-working and treat each other with respect. However, there are pockets in the organisation where this is not the case. 'There are still places where powerful individuals – on and off-screen – can abuse that power to make life for their colleagues unbearable.' The BBC's annual report, released today, featured details of stars' salaries and senior executives' pay. The number of senior executives earning more than £250,000 per year rose from 19 in 2023-24 to 30 in 2024-25. The highest-paid presenters on the 2024-25 list are Gary Lineker (£1.35 million) and Zoe Ball (up to £519,999), although both have now left their jobs as Match of the Day and Radio 2 breakfast show hosts respectively.
BBC News
07-05-2025
- BBC News
Secondary school behaviour declines in Wales, with call for action
'Defiance' from parents over bad school behaviour Just now Share Save Bethan Lewis Education & family correspondent, BBC Wales News Share Save Getty Images 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." Getty Images 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
