Stuck on the sanction pathway: Why do some pupils struggle to adhere to school expectations? An action research project utilising pupil views in a secondary school.

Recent recommendations for school leaders emphasise a directive approach to behaviour management, in which top down systems are subscribed to by the whole school community (DfE, 2017). Whilst clear and consistent boundaries are considered important by pupils and school staff, it is argued by some that systems which aim to treat all pupils the same are inequitable, because the needs of pupils are different (e.g. Emerson, 2016; Roffey, 2017).
This study aimed to find out why some students consistently remain on the sanction pathway, despite expectations, rewards and sanctions being made explicit. The participating school implemented a prescriptive behaviour policy, encompassing clear rules and expectations alongside a stepped response of rewards and sanctions. Views were gathered from four year eight students who had had consistent involvement with the sanction pathway. Student views were gathered through semi-structured interviews, within an action research framework. The overall aim of the study was to lead to positive change for students through planned, collaborative action.
Thematic Analysis was used, leading to three main themes and related sub-themes. Main findings illuminated that the following contributed to the students’ school experience: understanding of expectations; difficult transitions from primary school; remaining in a negative cycle leading to frequent sanctions; and supportive factors. These findings led to collaborative action planning between the researcher and a member of the school’s Senior Leadership Team. Actions planned included: developing positive relationships between students and staff; the use of non-confrontational language; developing staff understanding of why some students struggle to control responses; early identification of vulnerable students during transition from primary school; using the time spent in detention in a productive way; and supporting students to reintegrate in to school following exclusion.