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Corridors: Silence isn’t necessarily golden

Behaviour
As part of zero-tolerance behaviour approaches, some schools have adopted silent corridors. But we need to take a deeper, more holistic look at behaviour management, says Rose Webb

Silent corridors: for many education professionals those two words will elicit emphatic agreement or profound disagreement. It is a debate that resurfaces now and again and never fails to trigger strong emotions.

It is an issue that demands we take a side but the debate it triggers, like so many these days, can leave little room for a more careful, nuanced deliberation of the behaviour issues that the approach seeks to address.

At one of these schools, the leadership team focused on the cohort causing the biggest concerns. They identified that what was needed was proper provision for those young people who were causing most concern.

This included an alternative start to the day, an internal base with a dedicated tutor who was a member of the pastoral support team, an alternative curriculum with social and emotional support, and work with every teacher to identify needs. The result was that truancy and disruptive behaviour reduced.

Of course structures and routines have a part to play in behaviour management; they can help children and young people to feel safe for a start. But silent corridors aren’t a silver bullet.

We as educators hold a position of authority – and empathy for the different experiences and feelings that young people go through is a key part of that.

The more we come from that position of empathy, meeting young people where they are developmentally, the more we can maximise the opportunities we have to support the emotional health and mental wellbeing of all young people.

This isn’t a case of advocating “wishy-washy” discipline – this is about having high expectations of students while at the same time supporting them.

A culture of belonging is essential to promote engagement. Young people who feel they belong are less disruptive. Inclusion support needs to be proactive and less reactive, preventing escalating needs and destructive behaviour.

Classroom pedagogy can support emotional regulation skills by using communication techniques that de-escalate rather than escalate concerns. There are straightforward frameworks and communication skills that facilitate this.

And we shouldn’t forget that happy teachers are a crucial part of this alternative approach. Staff wellbeing is the cornerstone of good behaviour. Stressed adults are less receptive and responsive to young people’s needs and asking them to adopt zero-tolerance approaches like silent corridors just adds to the pressure.

We need more nuance and less polarisation in the debate about behaviour and provision in secondary schools, moving to a situation where we collaborate and critically reflect on the evidence.

The stakes are high in every way. With a mental health and attendance crisis we need to approach the current climate with thoughtful debate.

Schools that adopt silent corridors risk a backlash of non-attendance and higher rates of exclusion, especially if they have a high proportion of students with additional needs who may have difficulties with their emotional regulation.

Most young people follow the rules and can manage themselves in class. But those who struggle can cause so much disruption and take up so much time.

A one-size-fits-all approach such as silent corridors isn’t going to work in the long term. The Education Endowment Foundation’s guidance on behaviour, for example, recommends a targeted approach (Rhodes & Long, 2021).

The answer is to identify need, create provision to meet those needs, and support class teachers when behaviour becomes disruptive. It is less about silence and more about a whole-school approach, plenty of empathy and understanding and, ultimately, strategic leadership.

  • Rose Webb is policy, practice, and innovation lead at Thrive. Rose taught RE, PSHE and drama at secondary and focused on working with young people with social, emotional, and mental health needs throughout her teaching career. Thrive training and Thrive Online provides schools with a framework for a holistic approach to improving wellbeing, behaviour, attendance and attainment. Visit www.thriveapproach.com

 

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