Two in three teachers say pupil behaviour regularly disrupting lessons – survey

Two in three teachers say bad behaviour by pupils is regularly disrupting learning in lessons at school, research has found.

A survey by the National Education Union (NEU) found teachers were far more likely to report behaviour regularly disrupting learning than they were before the pandemic.

Levels remain similar to 2024, when 67% of the NEU members surveyed said behaviour was having a negative impact on learning either regularly or all the time.

NEU general secretary Daniel Kebede said schools’ efforts to deal with behaviour problems are “hampered by understaffing and a lack of resources”.

“Many teachers are worried about the impact of challenging behaviour on learning in their lessons,” he said.

“Schools need behaviour management policies that staff can rely on in practice. In too many settings, this confidence is lacking.”

The survey of 10,715 teacher members of the NEU found teachers from primary schools and special schools were more likely to report learning was being impacted by behaviour at least regularly.

Female teachers, teachers working in schools in higher deprivation areas and younger teachers were also more likely to report behaviour disrupting lessons.

When asked about the causes of difficult behaviour, many teachers cited things like a lack of staff in their schools, the impact of social media use or special educational needs not being met.

One respondent said: “Due to unmet [special educational needs and disabilities] needs and insufficient specialist provision, staff are increasingly required to manage complex behaviours without adequate support or intervention from senior leadership.”

Delegates at the NEU’s annual conference in Brighton are set to debate a motion on Wednesday that states there is an “escalating behaviour crisis” in schools across England and Wales.

The motion calls for a national campaign to reduce violence in schools and for the establishment of a violence in school taskforce.

Teaching union NASUWT found in a survey last year more than four in five teachers felt the number of pupils exhibiting violent and abusive behaviour had increased, with two in five saying they had experienced physical abuse or violence.

NASUWT general secretary Matt Wrack said staff facing physical injury in schools is “alarming”.

The motion at NEU conference calls for the union to conduct a similar survey of members on the scale of behavioural issues to NASUWT.

Research by the Department for Education has found teachers and leaders think pupil behaviour at their school has gotten considerably worse since 2021/22.

Analysis from the National Foundation for Educational Research (NFER) has also found teachers who say behaviour is worse in their school are more likely to leave teaching, as well as more likely to consider leaving.

The Government has created 93 hubs aiming to support around 3,000 schools across the country with improving attendance and behaviour.