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Education & Family Correspondent, BBC Wales News
BBCFights organized at school by means of social media, then filmed and shared on-line.
Pupils leaving classes dissatisfied about social media feedback.
These had been common occurrences at Cardiff West Community High School – one of the vital “challenged” colleges in Wales – till cellphones had been banned as a part of a variety of measures presented to take on dangerous behaviour.
“Almost overnight, exclusions [for violence] reduced,” mentioned head trainer Mike Tate, who presented the ban on the secondary college in Ely, Cardiff, ultimate summer time.
Mr Tate, who additionally banned shouting, mentioned inside truancy – when pupils are at school however now not classes – was once now “almost nil” and there was once higher center of attention in school rooms.
When Mr Tate was the top trainer of Cardiff West two years in the past, he sought after to know what was making the behavioural issues on the college.
The problems integrated pupils bunking off classes, being competitive and preventing because of social media spats.
Deputy head trainer Kathryn Stevens mentioned the issues “permeated every part of the school day”.
“We were having fights at lunchtime, at break time. We were having children walking out of lessons because they were seeing messages popping up and it was causing them distress,” Ms Stevens mentioned.
Mr Tate mentioned pupils would “come out of class because they would get a message to go and see another pupil”.
“We could see that these were big issues,” he added.
Getty ImagesSpecific measures had been presented to focus on the issues, together with a ban on telephones for pupils, workforce and guests all over the varsity day which was once carried out ultimate summer time.
Mr Tate mentioned it might be “naive” to say fights have been eliminated totally, however mentioned scholar exclusions for violence had fallen through 72% for the reason that ban was once presented.
He mentioned banning telephones had additionally addressed the issue of “pupils texting one another to meet in the toilets, or be out of lessons”, resulting in a discount in inside truancy.
“It’s transformed behaviour,” added Ms Stevens.
The Welsh executive has resisted a countrywide coverage to prohibit cellphones in colleges, however mentioned it was once running with colleges “to ensure they have policies and resources to reduce the negative impacts of mobile phones and promote learning”.
‘No shouting within the college’
Banning telephones isn’t the one alternate the varsity has made.
Mr Tate mentioned a large emphasis have been put on workforce construction respectful relationships with pupils and now not elevating their voices.
“We are a no shout school. There’s no shouting in the school,” mentioned Ms Stevens.
“You won’t see potentially those old fashioned school days of children being berated by staff or shouting.
“We all the time attempt to communicate with kids and we all the time attempt to get started conversations with: ‘Is the entirety OK?'”
So what do the pupils make of the changes?
Sixteen-year-old Lanre believes the phone ban, brought in last year, has made a big difference to behaviour.
He said pupils were more focused in lessons and there was less bullying
“People was recorded and it used to log on” but that has now stopped, he said.
Lexi, 15, said better relationships between staff and pupils was important.
“I feel higher relationships without a doubt lend a hand the youngsters turn out to be higher behaved of their categories,” she mentioned.
“If they prefer the instructor, they’re going to behave higher than if they have got a foul courting with the instructor.”
Mr Tate said that clear expectations and consistency with enforcing the rules was important.
Effort and resources have also been focused on tackling the reasons for poor behaviour.
A high number of pupils at the secondary school are “functionally illiterate”, meaning they have a reading age well below average when they start Year 7.
These pupils are being given “number one taste” help with reading so that they can fully understand the rest of their lessons, Mr Tate said.
“There’s an absolute hyperlink between folks’s lack of ability to get right of entry to studying and behavior and appearing out,” he added.
The school has also reviewed its curriculum following research with the local community.
Ely is one of Cardiff’s most deprived suburbs and more than 60% of pupils at the school are eligible for free school meals.
The school found that not eating breakfast and consuming energy drinks were potential problems, so it has placed more emphasis on nutrition in lessons.
Mr Tate said schools had to identify “what the problems are, taking a look at what you’ll do with the cash you’ve got, after which how you’ll observe the have an effect on of what you might be doing”.
“But cash is a matter, there is not any doubt about that,” he added.
“We’ve were given to ensure that cash’s accurately spent and it is spent at the proper issues which can have an effect on upon educating and studying.”
Behaviour summit
A recent review by education inspectorate Estyn found secondary schools in Wales had reported a general decline in behaviour, with the most challenging pupils becoming “more and more laborious to regulate”.
A Welsh government survey of nearly 8,000 education staff found an increase in “difficult or disruptive behaviours” since the pandemic.
More than half of respondents working in secondary schools said they had concerns about pupils bringing weapons to school.
Nearly half of staff working in primary schools said physical assaults on teachers were a serious concern.
Education leaders will meet for a national behaviour summit hosted by the Welsh government on Thursday, prompted by the growing concerns about behaviour as well as an incident at Ysgol Dyffryn Aman in Carmarthenshire last year when a pupil stabbed two members of staff and a fellow student.
The Welsh government said this summit would “supply transparent steering on the usage of cellphones”.
So, could bringing together educational leaders from local authorities, unions and schools pave the way for a solution to the challenges?
“I feel it is an figuring out of the place colleges are and what colleges handle, as a result of we handle excess of simply educating and studying,” mentioned Mr Tate.
Additional reporting through Gareth Bryer and Sanjana Idnani.
