Behaviour in schools is worse since Covid, says Ofsted head

Schools in England are being plagued by increasing levels of poor behaviour since the pandemic, with pupils refusing to comply with rules, talking back to teachers and walking out of class mid-lesson, according to the head of Ofsted

- Sally Weale

Suspensions for physical assault, threatening behaviour and verbal abuse have also gone up, with even primary school children being defiant and refusing to follow simple classroom instructions, such as being asked to get out their books.

In some cases, children are turning up at school for registration and are on the premises, but then fail to go to any lessons, the outgoing chief inspector of schools in England, Amanda Spielman, said in an exclusive interview with the Guardian.

Poor behaviour and disruption in the classroom are also contributing to anxiety and poor mental health among some pupils, she said, which is in turn fuelling high levels of absence in English schools.

In a recent Ofsted survey, 42% of teachers who took part said behaviour was worse than pre-pandemic.