Learning Behaviour: Lessons Learned - a Review of Behaviour Standards and Practices in our Schools

Another government report on pupil behaviour? In fact, the final report - at least for now. In May 2005, the government asked Sir Alan Steer to chair a practitioners' group on pupil behaviour and discipline. The group issued a very influential report later that year, which had a significant impact on new behaviour provisions in the Education and Inspections Act 2006. Since then, Sir Alan has published three interim reports, each of which has had a different focus.

Which were? Report number two looked at behaviour in relation to the government's plans for alternative education provision and in particular pupil referral units. Number three covered various issues including expanding the Safer Schools programme and ways to ensure that parents are more engaged with their school and their child's behaviour. That report also recommended that schools have broader legal powers to search pupils for alcohol, drugs and stolen property. Report four looked at disability and special educational needs and behavioural difficulties, and recommended a statutory basis for school behaviour partnerships. Both the power to search and the behaviour partnerships measures appear in the Apprenticeships, Skills, Children and Learning Bill, currently going through Parliament.