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Annex 1 The Interview Schedules
Local Authority Telephone Interview Schedule
1. What is your perception of the nature and prevalence of indiscipline in primary and secondary schools within your authority?
Probe - Are there differences between types of school e.g. primary and secondary; urban/rural?
2. How does your authority monitor and record incidents of violence or bullying in your schools?
Probe - Have you noticed any trends?
3. What off-site provision is there in your authority for pupils with behaviour difficulties?
4. What would you identify as examples of effective practice within your authority in responding to indiscipline?
- at local authority level)
- at whole-school level (any differences between types of school?)
- at classroom level
5. What would you identify as examples of effective practice within your authority in promoting positive behaviour?
- at local authority level
- at whole-school level (any differences between types of school?)
- at classroom level
6. To what extent do you feel the recommendations of Better Behaviour - Better Learning have affected practice within your authority in responding to indiscipline and promoting positive behaviour?
- at local authority level
- at whole-school level
- at classroom level
7. Could you identify any key factors in effective behaviour management?
- at local authority level
- at whole-school level
- at classroom level
8. What progress has been made to date within the authority towards reviewing and developing written policies and guidelines into a single framework (e.g. to include care, behaviour and inclusion policies).
9. What CPD do you offer in your authority on behaviour / classroom management?
Probe - What support is offered to individual teachers in your authority if they are struggling with behaviour issues?
- Does your authority have a staff support/welfare/counselling advisor?
10. Is there anything else you would like to say regarding the issue of behaviour within your authority?
Thank you very much for your time
Case-Study Interview Schedule for School Staff
Key member of staff - contextual interview
1. Could you please outline for me your role in school in relation to behaviour?
2. Could you just tell me a bit about the pupils involved in the focus groups?
Prompt: type of pupil or behaviour
3. Are there any contextual/local factors that have a bearing on behaviour in this particular school?
4. Is this school involved in any initiatives for behaviour?
For interviewer: e.g. staged intervention ( FFI), restorative practices, solution-oriented schools, motivated school
5. Does the school have a written behaviour/discipline policy?
If yes: - who was involved in developing it ( SMT, teaching staff, non-teaching staff, pupils, parents)?
- do all staff adhere to it (e.g. is there consistency amongst staff)?
6. On the whole, how well-behaved would you say pupils are in this school?
7. Where poor behaviour does take place, is this generally low level or more serious?
8. Are there any patterns of poor behaviour, e.g. timing (particular lesson/day); particular year groups, classes or individuals?
9. Does poor behaviour tend to take place inside classrooms or outside e.g. in corridors/playgrounds?
10. Does the school recognise and promote positive behaviour?
If yes: how?
11. What strategies/approaches are used effectively in this school to manage or deal with poor behaviour?
Prompt: why are these successful?
12. Is there support available for members of staff who find it difficult to cope with poor behaviour?
If yes: what type of support?
13. What training is available to staff at this school in relation to behaviour?
Prompt: needs/gaps
14. Is there more you think could be done to further improve behaviour in this school?
Thank you very much for your time
Case-Study Focus Group Schedule for School Staff
Questions and prompts for Staff Focus Groups
1. Could you just say very briefly, what type of school you are from and what your role is within the school in relation to behaviour? Are there any specific local factors that have a bearing on behaviour in your school? (Ice-breaker to each)
Nature of behaviour/indiscipline
2. What sort of poor behaviour are we talking about?
Prompt: - low level, more serious?
3. What are the key patterns of poor behaviour that you observe in your schools?
Prompt:
- does it relate to timing (e.g. time of lesson, day of the week), particular year groups, particular classes, particular individuals etc.?
- what are the circumstances/issues relating to individuals/classes felt to be more challenging?
4. Where does poor behaviour take place in school?
Prompt: - does it tend to be mostly in the classroom, or outside e.g. in corridors, playgrounds etc.?
5. What effect does poor behaviour (both inside and outside the classroom) have:
- on staff (does it vary for different kinds of staff)?
- on teaching and learning?
6. Do staff observe and recognise positive behaviour?
Prompt:
- what sort of positive behaviour?
- how do staff deal with/respond to positive behaviour?
Approaches to/support for managing behaviour
7. In your experience, what works in managing poor behaviour?
(For moderator: examples might be school policies; dress codes, rewards; sanctions (including exclusion); support bases; home-school links?)
Prompt: - why are these successful?
8. What works in promoting positive behaviour?
For heads only
8a Are there structures within the school/ LA that help to promote positive behaviour e.g. bringing pastoral care, learning and behaviour support together; designated staff including pupil care and welfare/behaviour; discipline committees etc.?
For heads only
8b Where does maintaining relationships with the local community fir into this e.g. keeping it informed of development and policy, handling complaints, promoting the image of the school etc?
9. What kind of support have you (or your colleagues in school) received if you/they have experienced a difficult incident?
Prompt: - any other forms of support/resources needed for effective behaviour?
Management?
10. Have participants had training in managing behaviour?
Prompt:
- what sort of training is available within their LA?
- other needs/gaps in training?
11. What does it take to develop a whole-school approach to positive behaviour?
Prompt:
- what is the best way to achieve this, what changes are needed?
- what time is needed (both staff investment and calendar time)?
- are staff/pupils/parents involved and if so, to what extent?
- what are the key features of an effective whole-school approach?
Experience and confidence of staff
12. How do teachers/other staff feel about:
- pupil-on-pupil verbal or physical incidents?
- incidents directed at staff?
Prompt: how confident do they feel about intervention e.g. de-escalation?
13. At what point do teachers no longer feel able to cope with misbehaviour?
Prompt: is it a particular context/incident/behaviour/pupil?
14. What is the level of awareness amongst staff of Better Behaviour - Better Learning or other Executive-supported initiatives for behaviour?
15. What more needs to be done:
- at LA level?
- at school level?
- at classroom level?
- at national level?
16. Are there any other issues in relation to managing behaviour that you would like to raise?
Thank you all for coming today and for your very valuable contributions. We hope you have found it a useful session.
Case-Study Focus Group Schedule for Pupils
Questions and prompts for pupil focus groups
1. Could you please just say which year group you are in?
2. Do you think pupils in this school are generally well-behaved?
3. When bad behaviour does take place, what sort of behaviour are we talking about (e.g. low level or more serious)?
4. Where does bad behaviour tend to take place?
Prompt: is it mostly in the classroom or outside e.g. in corridors, playgrounds etc?
5. Does it tend to be particular year groups/classes or individuals that are involved in bad behaviour?
6. Does bad behaviour tend to happen with certain teachers?
Prompt: why do you think that is?
7. What effect does bad behaviour have:
- on you?
- on other pupils?
- on the way you learn?
8. Do teachers recognise good behaviour? What do they do?
9. What happens when pupils behave badly?
10. What sort of things do you think work to stop bad behaviour and help pupils behave well?
Prompt: why do you think these things work?
11. Do you think pupils are treated fairly when they behave badly?
Prompt: if yes, why?
if no, why not?
12. Are pupils in this school involved in deciding the school rules?
Prompt: in what way - check whether any pupil involvement in devising behaviour and anti-bullying policies
13. Is there more that your school could do to stop bad behaviour and help pupils behave well?
Thank you very much for talking to me and for your very useful comments. I hope you enjoyed the session.
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