Lynne Neagle, Cabinet Secretary for Education
On 22 May, I hosted our National Behaviour Summit looking at the issues of behaviour in our schools and colleges. I was joined by the Minister for Further and Higher Education, and by partners from across the whole education system, and I would like to thank all of the people who gave their time to these important discussions.
Since the Covid-19 pandemic there has been a rise in reports of poor behaviour in schools and colleges, with concerns raised by members of the education workforce, the education trade unions and local authorities. This has ranged from low level disruptive behaviour such as general rowdiness, disrespect and behaviour which impacts on the learning experience of the class, to more serious threats of violence and in some cases the carrying and use of a weapon.
Our recent workforce survey found that over 90% of respondents felt the variety, range, magnitude and frequency of challenging or disruptive behaviours had increased since the pandemic. The causes for this change are varied. These include family instability, socio-economic pressures, mental health problems, and additional learning needs. External factors such as the influence of social media and community-related issues have led to more complicated behaviours in schools.
Schools and colleges are having to respond to an ever-increasing number of wider societal issues, which are impacting the learning and behaviour of our children and young people. The summit provided an opportunity to come together, to talk about the issues, about what works, and about the actions we can take to support staff in classrooms and to help children and young people engage with their learning.
The discussions at the summit were open and frank on the issues we face but also focussed on the actions we can take to improve matters. We will be considering the detailed feedback and the ideas put forward carefully. However, there were some key themes emerging from the discussions where we can act quickly to start to make a difference.
It was clear that our schools and colleges need support to address the issues they are grappling with. This requires input from across government and across the wider public sector, looking at our health, social care, youth justice and policing partners as well as others. I have therefore committed to create the structures needed to support multi-agency working, helping organisations to come together and work with schools and colleges to tackle the societal issues that contribute to challenging behaviour.
There was a strong appetite for the guidance for schools and colleges to be updated to ensure there is more clarity and consistency across Wales. We will also establish a system for sharing best practice between schools locally and nationally taking lessons from approaches to preventing violence which are currently being tested in schools.
A key theme emerging from the summit was the need to develop professional learning opportunities focused on behaviour management techniques, de-escalation and intervention. I will ensure that this work is addressed by the newly established professional learning and leadership body.
Finally, I recognise the need to ensure there are consistent definitions and that all incidents are reported. We need clear and consistent data at local authority and at a national level to make sure the actions we take are rooted in the evidence.
This is the start of what will be a longer programme of work, and I will be reflecting further on the wider contributions that were made in the summit, and the proposals for change. We will be continuing to engage with the staff in our education settings, with parents and importantly with children and young people, to ensure we put in place the support our schools and colleges need.