Introduction
Key findings
Supporting members to tackle pupil indiscipline
Actions for teachers facing pupil indiscipline
 

Behaviour in Schools Report

The NASUWT Behaviour in Schools Report is an in-depth study of more than 5,800 teachers and leaders.

The report was developed in response to data gathered from the union’s Big Question survey, alongside statistics taken from casework records, which show growing concern over violent and abusive pupil behaviour in schools.

The report explores:

  • the evidence gathered through our research;

  • the voices of teachers and their lived experiences; and

  • a set of recommendations across the education system, including actions for us as a union and the expectations we will place on schools, local authorities and governments.

Key findings

Some of the key findings include, in the last 12 months:

  • 40% of respondents have experienced physical abuse or violence from pupils in the last 12 months;

  • 85% report verbal abuse or violence from pupils;

  • 81% feel the number of pupils exhibiting violent and abusive behaviours has increased;

  • 87% say the number of pupils verbally abusing staff members has increased.

More than a third of teachers (42%) strongly agree or agree that they are made to feel to blame if they have an issue with poor pupil behaviour.

Forty-three per cent also said that the culture in their school/college treats poor pupil behaviour as part of the job and they should expect to receive abuse/violence from pupils.

A similar amount - 39% - do not feel supported by their school or college’s approach to dealing with poor pupil behaviour.

You can find out more about the report and how NASUWT will be supporting members to tackle this issue on the right/below.

As part of the Behaviour in Schools study, we have also explored the types of harm that pupils are engaging in. Our research on vaping over the past three years has already shown this to be a health risk to children and young people, with 55% of teachers reporting that vaping is a concern in their schools.

To build on this, we asked teachers and school leaders whether they are concerned about the pupils they teach misusing substances and engaging in harmful activities.​

You can read the full briefing on the issue of ​children and young people engaging in harmful activities on the right/below.

Supporting members to tackle pupil indiscipline

We will represent the interests of teachers and school leaders robustly where school practices fall short of the standards of behaviour that teachers can reasonably expect.

If you have a concern about the way in which behaviour is being managed in your school, you should seek advice and support from NASUWT immediately.

We also have a full range of online resources to support our members:

Actions for teachers facing pupil indiscipline

What to do if you are verbally abused and threatened:

  • report the incident in accordance with the school’s behaviour policy;

  • make sure the incident is entered into the school’s accident/incident book;

  • keep a copy of any written report that you make;

  • seek advice and support from NASUWT as soon as possible.

What to do if you are abused on social media:

NASUWT has published updated guidance on dealing with the trauma of online abuse as a teacher, encompassing a detailed overview of the actions you should take if you are subjected to online abuse by pupils or students.

 


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