Government proposal outlines new rules to ensure pupils do not disrupt lessons (From Bradford Telegraph and Argus)

Government proposal outlines new rules to ensure pupils do not disrupt lessons

10:36am Friday 12th February 2010 in

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Parents will be expected to sign their children up to behaviour contracts when they apply for a school place under new Government proposals.

The changes would see parents asked to agree to the behaviour policy, along with attendance and uniform codes, as part of the application process.

Schools Minister Diana Johnson said the move would further reduce already falling levels of bad behaviour in the classroom.

Latest figures show 4,790 Bradford pupils were suspended from school under fixed term exclusions in 2007/8 and a further 70 expelled.

The measures will apply to applications for school places made from September.

Miss Johnson said: “Standards of behaviour have improved over the last ten years with the number of schools where behaviour is a significant concern at the lowest levels ever recorded. About 80 per cent of secondary schools in 2008/09 were judged as good or outstanding by Ofsted inspection.

“In our Schools White Paper we made the commitment that every pupil will go to a school where there is good behaviour and strong discipline.

“Pupils, parents and staff share the responsibility for making sure bad behaviour does not disrupt learning.

“To do this parents need a clear understanding of a school’s expectations of them and of their child. So by setting out the rules and expectations from the outset, everyone knows what they have to do.”

Teaching unions across Bradford have expressed concerns over the proposals.

National Union of Teacher’s Bradford secretary, Ian Murch, said: “Whether we need to go through this exercise with millions of parents and it becomes bureaucratic I do not know. Some schools already have arrangements like these in place.”

NASWUT Bradford representative Pam Milner said: “Schools should have this as a weapon in their armoury. But for most of the families there is a positive attitude of compliance, hard work and a positive ethos about school which is already there and this sort of thing would not be needed for them.”

The consultation will run for six weeks. For more information visit dcsf.gov.uk/consultations.