Calm, Consistent Behaviour: Routines, Expectations and Repair

A calm classroom rarely happens by accident. Behind most of them is a teacher who has decided exactly how pupils come in, how they get equipment, how they ask for help and what happens when something goes wrong, and who then sticks to it on the good days and the bad ones.

This article brings together guidance from England’s Department for Education, Tom Bennett’s 2017 review of behaviour in schools, and everyday classroom practice. Your own school’s behaviour policy comes first. These ideas work inside it.

What the guidance says

In 2017 Tom Bennett published “Creating a Culture”, an independent review of behaviour management in schools commissioned by the DfE. Its central idea is that behaviour is shaped by school culture, which he describes as “the way we do things around here”, and that this culture has to be built deliberately. The review highlights consistent working practices across the school and argues that any behaviour that should happen the same way most of the time should be turned into a routine.

The DfE’s advice “Behaviour in schools”, most recently updated in 2024, takes a similar line. It says routines should be used to teach and reinforce expected behaviours, and that pupils should be taught what good behaviour looks like, rather than only being told what is not allowed. It asks staff to apply expectations consistently and fairly. It also asks schools to try to understand the underlying causes of behaviour, and to consider contributing factors such as unmet or unidentified SEND.

Both documents make the same point about SEND. Where a pupil’s disability affects their behaviour, schools must make reasonable adjustments. Bennett also warns against the “poverty of low expectations”: adjustments are there to help pupils meet high expectations, not to lower them.

Routines: decide, teach, practise

Start by listing the moments in a lesson where things tend to wobble. For most classes these include:

• arriving and settling
• handing out and collecting equipment
• moving from listening to working
• getting the attention of the whole class
• packing away and leaving

For each one, decide exactly what you want to see. “Come in sensibly” is open to interpretation. “Come in, sit in your seat, copy the date and title, start the question on the board” is not.

Then teach it as you would teach content. Explain it, model it, let pupils practise it, and give feedback. If the class gets it wrong, calmly ask them to do it again. In the first weeks this takes time, but it saves far more over the year.

In a computing room, for example, you might teach a routine for the start of the lesson: log in, open the shared folder, monitors stay on but hands off keyboards until the starter is explained. Pupils who know what to do in the first two minutes are far less likely to drift onto games.

Expectations: few, clear and visible

Pupils need to know what is expected, and so does every adult in the room. A short list works better than a long one. Phrase expectations positively where you can (“Listen when someone else is speaking”) and make sure your TA knows them as well as you do.

Consistency matters most at the edges. If talking during an explanation is fine on Monday and a sanction on Thursday, pupils learn that the rule depends on your mood. They will test it.

Behaviour as communication

Many SEND practitioners use the phrase “behaviour is communication”. It is a reminder that a pupil who throws a pen, refuses to start or walks out is often telling you something: the work feels impossible, the room is too loud, something happened at break, or they are hungry, tired or frightened.

You still respond to the behaviour. Alongside that, you get curious about the cause. The DfE advice makes a similar point: discipline and support are not mutually exclusive.

Some useful questions:

• When does this behaviour happen, and when does it not?
• What happens just before it?
• What does the pupil get, or avoid, as a result?
• What do colleagues, the SENCO or pastoral staff know that I do not?

Patterns often appear quickly. A pupil who disrupts the start of every written task may be avoiding the moment of facing a blank page. A writing frame or a first sentence written together could do more than any sanction.

Responding in the moment

When something goes wrong, the aim is to stop it and get the lesson moving with as little drama as possible.

Keep your voice calm and your words few. Use the pupil’s name, state the expectation, and give them a moment. A private word at the desk is usually more effective than a public correction from the front, because the pupil has no audience to perform for.

If your school uses a stepped system of warnings and consequences, follow it as written. Pupils notice when one teacher skips steps or never reaches them.

Save the longer conversation for later. In the moment, an upset pupil cannot think clearly, and neither can an upset adult.

Restorative conversations

After a sanction or a difficult incident, many schools use some form of restorative conversation. The DfE advice suggests a targeted discussion after a sanction, which may include an apology where appropriate. The purpose is to repair the relationship and agree what happens next time.

A simple structure:

1. What happened? Let the pupil tell it first, without interruption.
2. What were you thinking and feeling at the time?
3. Who has been affected, and how?
4. What needs to happen to put things right?
5. What will you do differently next time, and what can I do to help?

Keep it short and private. Ten minutes after the last lesson is usually enough. Finish by making it clear that tomorrow is a fresh start, and then mean it. Greeting the pupil warmly at the door the next lesson can do more than anything you say in the conversation.

When to involve others

Some behaviour needs more than a classroom response. Talk to your head of year, pastoral lead or SENCO if a pattern continues despite consistent routines, if you suspect an unmet need, or if a pupil’s behaviour changes suddenly. A sudden change can be a safeguarding concern, so share it with the Designated Safeguarding Lead and follow your school’s safeguarding procedures.

Look after the adults too

Behaviour is one of the most draining parts of teaching. Ask for help early. Watch colleagues whose classes are calm and notice the small things they do. Very often the answer is a routine they have taught so well that it looks effortless.

Further reading

• Bennett, T. (2017). Creating a Culture: How school leaders can optimise behaviour. Independent review of behaviour in schools. Department for Education.
• Department for Education (2024). Behaviour in schools: advice for headteachers and school staff.