Students’ Perceptions about a Collaboratively Designed Behaviour Improvement Policy: An Exploratory Ethnographical Study

Prior to my appointment to the senior leadership team at a secondary school in England, the Independent Schools Inspectorate (ISI) recommended that the school must ‘ensure consistent application of sanctions in response to concerns expressed by pupils’ (Appendix A). This was an area that I was keen to address. Consistent approaches to behaviour management can enhance relationships between teachers and students, enabling foundations for lifelong learning to be formed (Collins, 2019, Haydn, 2007). This exploratory ethnographical practitioner research explores pupil perceptions of behaviour management in response to the introduction of a Behaviour Improvement Policy that was designed collaboratively by staff, pupils and parents. Analysis of the data collected through focus groups and questionnaires have led to the assertions that (a) behaviour management is more effective when the school’s policy is designed collaboratively by staff, pupils and parents; (b) successful behaviour improvement policies are dependent on school leaders being committed to ensuring its success; (c) effective outcomes occur when all stakeholders are actively involved in the implementation of the policy; (d) pupils perceive their school well-being is at an optimum when there are clear and consistent policies in place that promote positive behaviour. The purpose of my research is to evaluate pupil perceptions of the collaboratively designed Behaviour Improvement Policy, critically reflecting on my own leadership actions so that elements of practice may be transferable to other educational settings or lead to further inquiry.