Bad behaviour

Everyone needs to understand that there's a clear link between behaviour and consequence. Pupils must learn that if their behaviour is unacceptable, an appropriate punishment will follow.

No-one wants to over react to small misdemeanours, where humour can often defuse tension, but serious disruption needs to be dealt with straight away.

Where bad behaviour is repeated, communication between schools and parents is vital - staff and parents are in partnership. Sometimes written correspondence or a telephone call from one partner to another can avoid problems escalating.

When unacceptable behaviour persists, a teacher may withdraw a child's privileges, impose sanctions, or put them on report for closer monitoring. Teachers may tell a child to attend a detention at the end of a session. By law, they must first give parents at least 24 hours' written notice, which should include the reason for the child's detention.

Corporal punishment is illegal - nobody should contemplate hitting a child. On rare occasions, reasonable force is allowed in school to control or restrain when other approaches have failed. This should never be a punishment, cause injury, or be intended to humiliate. If it happens, parents should be notified and told why the action was necessary.

Exclusion from school (for a fixed period or permanently) will always be a last resort, taken only in response to serious indiscipline or when possible harm may occur. Head teachers and local education authorities have to follow strict procedures on exclusion, and parents always have the right to appeal against their child's exclusion.