Teacher Support Network Blog What lessons can be learned from the shocking attack on a teacher in Bradford?

Issue: ViolenceThe shocking events that have taken place in Bradford over the last 24 hours are saddening and must be extremely worrying for the family, friends, colleagues and students of the teacher involved.As the story unfolds, it cannot help but bring back tragic memories of the death of Ann Maguire last year and reminds us that any violence against teachers is completely unacceptable.Teachers should not have to work in an environment where they are at risk of physical or verbal abuse.Thankfully, events of the scale seen in Bradford are few and far between.What is more prevalent and more of a concern for the teachers that we speak to is low level behavioural issues.More than half of primary (53%) and 46% of secondary school teachers who responded to a YouGov survey Teacher Support Network conducted earlier last year said they had witnessed worsening behaviour over the last five years.Teacher David describes his experience:"I have just started a new job..I have never experienced such bad behaviour. A number of lessons I might as well not be there. Children walking on desks...mobiles out...ignoring staff. In detentions...10-15% of school population are in on average....the behaviour in that is terrible...swearing, walking out, calling out etc. I have only been in my present post 3 and a bit weeks and already I want to look for a new job."Gwen agrees:"The most wearing problem is a constant degree of low level disruption in enough pupils to unsettle the whole lesson. Irrelevant comments called out, missing books, distracted by others, 'I can't do this' instrumental music lessons, new pupils arrive mid-term, changes to the timetable I haven't got and general interruptions to the business of learning."The YouGov poll of 481 primary and 321 secondary school teachers also highlighted the impact poor student behaviour has on teacher well-being:Nearly two-thirds of primary teachers said poor behaviour had resulted in stress, anxiety or depression, and over a third (37%) said they had thought about leaving the profession as a result of behaviour problems.Almost one in four (38%) teachers complained that behaviour was preventing them from teaching effectively.So what can be done to improve these issues around behaviour? As an organisation, we believe that Behaviour management is best when teachers, school leaders and parents come together to create policies that meet the needs of both students and teachers. If we want to hold on to the best teachers we must ensure they are adequately trained and supported to tackle bad behaviour effectively. This can be done through a number of routes, perhaps most effectively through initial teacher trying, with follow up continual professional development throughout a teacher's career.The charity provides free teacher resources, such as "Managing Pupil Behaviour: A Practical Guide" on our main website, as well as our new website Be Well Teach Well which offers teachers useful strategies for managing behaviour in their classrooms, differentiated for primary and secondary teaching.There will be much discussion around the events in Bradford over the next few weeks and months. There will be a lot that we can take from this disturbing situation, so that we can continue to ensure our teachers are free to work in safe, secure environments.