Guidance

Behaviour in schools

How school staff can develop a behaviour policy.

• From: Department for Education
• Published: 16 July 2013
• Last updated: 19 February 2024 — See all updates

Applies to England

Documents

Behaviour in schools: advice for headteachers and school staff

PDF, 439 KB, 34 pages

Further guidance and resources for supporting behaviour in schools

HTML

Details

This guidance is for:

• multi-academy trusts
• trust boards and proprietors
• governing bodies
• school leaders and staff
• local authorities

It applies to all:

• maintained schools
• academies
• free schools
• non-maintained special schools
• independent schools

You should use this document, and the further guidance and resources provided, to promote good behaviour in school.

Read it alongside:

• school suspensions and permanent exclusion
• searching, screening and confiscation at school
• mobile phones in schools

Published 16 July 2013
Last updated 19 February 2024 + show all updates

1. 19 February 2024

   Updated the section on mobile phones in ‘Behaviour in schools: advice for headteachers and school staff’.

2. 7 October 2022

   Updated the ‘Details’ section of the page to make it clear that the guidance also applies to independent schools. There are no changes to the guidance.

3. 1 September 2022

   Updated paragraph 58 in the section about responding to the behaviour of pupils with SEND in the guidance for use from 1 September 2022. Removed the guidance that was for use until 31 August 2022.

4. 13 July 2022

   Updated with 'Behaviour in schools: advice for headteachers and school staff 2022'.

5. 16 July 2013

   First published.