This informal CPD article, ‘Behaviour Concerns in Your School? You’re Not Alone’, was provided by NSM Training and Consultancy, an organisation that provide engaging, practical, and high-impact CPD courses and in-house training for education staff across the UK and beyond.
Across the UK, schools are seeing a sharp rise in behaviour issues. This isn’t about “bad behaviour” in the traditional sense. It’s about a system under increasing pressure, staff pushed to their limits, and pupils presenting with complex, often unmet needs.
Recent research on School behaviour
A BBC-commissioned survey recently found that nearly one in five teachers in England has been hit by a pupil this year (1). That’s in addition to reports of spitting, swearing, and chairs being thrown not isolated incidents, but repeated challenges disrupting classrooms every day.
The NASUWT’s most recent Behaviour in Schools survey (2) collected responses from more than 5,800 teachers. The findings paint a difficult picture:
- 20% had been physically assaulted.
- 38% had been shoved or barged.
- 62% reported stress caused by pupil aggression.
- 52% had considered leaving teaching altogether.
This level of disruption is more than a safeguarding issue, it impacts teaching quality, staff wellbeing, and school culture. Many educators are left managing behaviour without the resources or training they need. In fact, 70% of teachers said they don’t feel equipped to meet the behaviour needs of their pupils, and nearly 79% say the number of unsupported pupils is rising (2).
Three-quarters of teachers believe that some pupils would benefit from placement in specialist settings, but those placements are often unavailable (2). That leaves mainstream schools trying to meet needs they were never designed to handle, often without additional support.
So, what can be done?
There’s no quick fix, but there are proven approaches that work when implemented consistently:
- The Step-Up Approach offers a balance of warmth and structure, promoting consistent expectations across staff teams while encouraging pupil responsibility.
- Restorative Approaches focus on repairing harm and rebuilding relationships, not just imposing consequences. When embedded into school culture, they reduce repeat incidents and improve pupil engagement.
- Trauma-Informed Practice helps staff respond to behaviour through the lens of lived experience. Pupils impacted by trauma need structure and safety, not leniency but those structures must be underpinned by understanding and consistency.
- Functional Behavioural Assessments (FBA) help identify the function of a pupil’s behaviour. Whether a behaviour is driven by anxiety, the need for attention, or sensory regulation, knowing why it’s happening allows staff to intervene more effectively.
- Avoiding the revolving door. Exclusion and reintegration without meaningful support leads to the same patterns. Schools need long-term, relational, and proactive strategies, not short-term removals and re-entry plans that simply reset the clock.
Changing the behaviour culture of a school doesn't happen overnight. It takes leadership, commitment, and often external support. No one should feel hesitant to ask for help, it’s a sign of strength, not weakness, to recognise when things aren't working and to seek out a better way forward.
If the challenges described here resonate with you, if behaviour in your school feels like a constant struggle, know that you are not alone. There are strategies that work. There are systems that can make a difference. And there are people ready to help. The situation may be difficult, but it’s not hopeless. With the right support, even the most challenging environments can change.
We hope this article was helpful. For more information from NSM Training and Consultancy, please visit their CPD Member Directory page. Alternatively, you can go to the CPD Industry Hubs for more articles, courses and events relevant to your Continuing Professional Development requirements.
REFERENCES
- https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-68674568
- https://www.nasuwt.org.uk/static/0806f8a8-5f22-4cb1-ad4510df68c01a3a/Behaviour-in-Schools-Full-Report-2025.pdf
