Stuart Hughes, Haute Vallée’s fourth principal in seven years, says the Ready to Learn scheme has led to a 60 per cent reduction in the number of students being removed from lessons because of their poor behaviour.
He estimates that 7,000 hours of good, undisturbed learning time have been gained as a result.
Under the scheme, which also runs in a number of UK schools, students who are disruptive, distracted or lose focus in class receive up to two warnings.
If they continue to misbehave they are sent to the RTL room for a set time of six hours, which can be spread over two days if necessary and includes an hour after school.
In that room, students are supervised to continue with their work by at least one teaching assistant who is specially trained in behaviour management.
A ‘good learner’ status is given to all pupils when they enter a class. That status can move to ‘outstanding’ for those who display positive learning behaviours, with outstanding students rewarded over time with prizes.
Since the introduction of RTL in June, Mr Hughes – who says that when he joined the school a year ago low-level disruption was having a ‘significant impact’ on learning – said outstanding behaviour had been recorded on average five times more often than the need for students to be removed.
‘Students and staff are overwhelmingly positive about the impact that this initiative has had,’ he said. ‘Many of our students said that the poor behaviour of a minority of students disrupted their learning. This problem is echoed in a national report commissioned by Ofsted called Below the Radar. The report identifies that a key barrier to progress in schools can be low-level disruption.’
He added that parents had been invited to open evenings to find out about the new system before it was introduced. Parents are also informed every time a student is asked to attend the RTL room.
‘Students will admit that six hours is a long time working hard in silence, although this deterrent is obviously having a significant positive impact upon learning throughout the school. Disrupting the learning of others is not acceptable.’
The RTL room is now being reduced in size at the school because of the decline in demand.
The school is looking for local businesses or donors who may wish to contribute to RTL outstanding prizes over the next few months.
