Staff, parents and pupils themselves all have a role to play in ensuring positive and productive learning environments for the whole of the school community. So too do governors and LEAs. Much is already happening to support behaviour in schools that goes beyond the classroom – such as enhanced home-school links for example. But we can do more to support staff and school leaders in promoting positive behaviour and attendance.

We are supporting improvement in a range of ways, including through LSU policy and through work to tackle bullying. Real investment supports these policies and others. Over the next three years nearly £470m will be spent on the national behaviour and attendance strategy. In September 2003, the behaviour and attendance strand of the Key Stage 3 strategy was launched. This means advice, support and training in improving behaviour and increasing attendance for every secondary and middle school in England. Senior leadership teams in schools will carry out audits of behaviour and attendance and from these will establish priorities for the whole school. They will then plan actions to improve further their policy and practice and will draw up training plans for their staff. Training materials and expert consultancy are being provided to support this.
 
This programme will help schools promote positive behaviour and tackle the issue of low-level disruption.  The aims are to ensure that all schools have the skills and support that they need to maintain creative and positive learning environments for all children to give support in developing positive behaviour throughout the school and to help schools to develop pro-active policies.
 
A pilot project in improving behaviour and attendance was launched in October 2003 in primary schools in 25 LEAs. This pilot has focused on promoting social, emotional and behavioural skills, and on providing intensive specialist help for young children, and for their families, where the child’s behaviour difficulties are a significant barrier to learning. A key element of the pilot, the Social and Emotional Aspects of Learning (SEAL) curriculum resource is being made available to all primary schools in June 2005. For further details see following section on SEAL.