Qualified Teacher Status (QTS) Classroom Practice and Behaviour Management Syllabus

Under the Education and Inspections Act 2006, what statutory power do teachers have regarding pupil behaviour?

Teachers have a statutory power to discipline pupils for misbehaviour, including the right to impose sanctions and to give detentions (including, within limits, outside school hours without parental consent), provided sanctions are lawful, reasonable and proportionate.

What does the law say about a teacher's power to use reasonable force?

Section 93 of the Education and Inspections Act 2006 allows staff to use reasonable force to prevent a pupil committing an offence, causing injury or damage to property, or seriously disrupting order; force must be reasonable, proportionate and a last resort, never used as punishment.

What are the legal limits on confiscation, screening and searching by staff?

Staff may confiscate items as a disciplinary penalty and may search pupils (with consent, or without consent for prohibited items) under DfE 'Searching, Screening and Confiscation' guidance; searches without consent are limited to specified prohibited items and must follow safeguarding procedures.

Define 'explicit instruction' as a teaching approach.

Explicit instruction is a structured, teacher-led approach where the teacher clearly states learning intentions, breaks content into manageable steps, fully models each step, checks understanding, and provides guided then independent practice, leaving little to chance.

What are the three phases of the 'gradual release of responsibility' model?

'I do' (teacher models/demonstrates), 'We do' (guided/shared practice with support), and 'You do' (independent practice). Responsibility for the task gradually shifts from teacher to pupil.

Why does explicit instruction reduce cognitive load for novices?

Because it presents information in small, sequenced steps with full worked models and guidance, it prevents working memory overload that occurs when novices are left to discover or solve complex problems with insufficient support.

What is 'modelling' in teaching and what should an expert make visible when modelling?

Modelling is demonstrating how to perform a task or produce an outcome. An expert should make visible their normally hidden thinking, decisions, and self-questioning, narrating the reasoning steps a novice cannot yet see.

Define 'metacognitive modelling' / thinking aloud.

It is the teacher verbalising their internal thought processes while completing a task, including the choices, monitoring and self-correction they make, so pupils can learn the expert's strategy, not just the final answer.

What is a 'worked example' and why is it effective for novice learners?

A worked example is a fully completed model of a problem showing each step. It is effective because studying it reduces cognitive load compared with solving an unfamiliar problem, freeing working memory to build schemas (the 'worked example effect').

Define 'scaffolding' in instruction.

Scaffolding is the temporary support a teacher provides to help pupils complete a task they could not yet do alone, such as writing frames, sentence starters, prompts, partial worked examples or guiding questions, which is gradually removed as competence grows.

How does scaffolding relate to Vygotsky's Zone of Proximal Development (ZPD)?

The ZPD is the gap between what a learner can do unaided and what they can do with support. Scaffolding provides that support within the ZPD, enabling success on tasks just beyond independent reach, and is removed as the task moves within independent ability.

Why must scaffolds be progressively removed ('faded')?

Because permanent scaffolds create dependency; the goal is independent competence. Gradually fading support transfers responsibility to the pupil and ensures the learning is internalised and durable rather than reliant on prompts.

What does 'maximising learning time' mean and what is its main enemy?

It means increasing the proportion of lesson time pupils spend actively learning. Its main enemies are lost time from poor transitions, slow starts, disruption, unclear instructions and excessive administration.

Distinguish 'allocated time', 'instructional time' and 'time on task'.

Allocated time is the total scheduled time; instructional time is the part actually used for teaching after routines/admin; time on task (engaged time) is the portion pupils are genuinely focused on learning. Effective teachers maximise time on task within allocated time.

What is meant by lesson 'pace', and why is appropriate pace important?

Pace is the rate at which a lesson moves and challenge is sustained. Appropriate pace keeps pupils engaged and thinking hard, prevents boredom or drift that leads to disruption, while still allowing time to think; it should not mean rushing without understanding.

Compare the typical purposes of group, paired and independent work.

Group work develops collaboration and discussion of multiple ideas; paired work (e.g. think-pair-share) increases participation and structured talk; independent work consolidates learning and reveals what each pupil can do alone. Each suits different stages of the learning sequence.

What is a common pitfall of group work and how can it be avoided?

A common pitfall is 'social loafing', where some pupils do little while others carry the task. It can be avoided by assigning individual roles, ensuring individual accountability, keeping groups small, and setting clear, structured tasks.

What is the role of a teaching assistant (TA) according to research on effective deployment?

TAs should supplement, not replace, the teacher's teaching; be deployed to add value and promote pupil independence, be fully briefed and prepared, and support high-quality interactions rather than simply completing tasks for pupils.

Summarise the EEF guidance on the effective deployment of teaching assistants.

TAs should not be used as an informal teaching resource for low-attaining pupils; they should add value to the teacher's work, help pupils develop independent learning skills, be prepared with subject and task knowledge, and deliver structured interventions where appropriate.

What is the risk of 'over-reliance on adult support' for an individual pupil?

Constant one-to-one adult support can foster 'learned helplessness' and dependency, reduce the pupil's interaction with the teacher and peers, lower expectations, and ultimately limit independence and progress.

How can a teacher reduce a pupil's over-reliance on adult support?

By using scaffolds that are gradually faded, teaching self-help and metacognitive strategies, encouraging pupils to attempt tasks before asking for help, deploying TAs to promote independence, and ensuring the teacher (not only the TA) works with high-need pupils.

State a key principle for using technology and digital tools to support learning.

Technology should be used to serve clear learning goals (its pedagogy, not novelty), to enhance teaching, feedback or practice, and only where it adds value beyond what is achievable without it; it must not increase cognitive load or distract from learning.

Give examples of how digital tools can effectively support learning.

Low-stakes quizzing/retrieval practice apps with instant feedback, modelling via visualisers, adaptive practice software, simulations of inaccessible phenomena, recording and replaying expert demonstrations, and tools that reduce marking workload to free teacher time.

What is the EEF's overall position on the impact of technology in classrooms?

Technology has potential but its impact depends on how it is used, not the device itself; it should support effective teaching strategies (e.g. feedback, retrieval, collaboration) and be implemented with clear purpose, training and evaluation.

How should the physical layout of a classroom support behaviour and learning?

The layout should allow the teacher clear sightlines to all pupils and easy circulation, position pupils to see the board and the teacher, suit the activity (e.g. rows for individual focus, groups for collaboration), and keep movement routes and resources accessible to minimise disruption.

What is the difference between a 'working wall' and a celebratory display?

A working wall is an interactive, evolving display that supports current learning (e.g. vocabulary, models, steps) and is referred to during lessons; a celebratory display showcases finished pupil work to build pride and belonging. Both serve different purposes.

How can classroom displays inadvertently hinder learning, and how is this avoided?

Overly cluttered or decorative displays can overload attention and distract, especially for younger pupils. This is avoided by keeping displays purposeful, uncluttered, and directly useful to current learning, removing redundant material.

Why is 'catching pupils being good' an effective behaviour strategy?

Because publicly noticing and praising desired behaviour reinforces it, makes expectations explicit to the whole class, encourages others to imitate it, and shifts the classroom climate towards the positive rather than focusing attention on misbehaviour.

What is the purpose of a 'restorative' approach to behaviour?

Restorative approaches aim to repair harm and rebuild relationships after an incident by having those involved reflect on the impact and agree how to put things right, rather than relying solely on punishment, thereby supporting longer-term behaviour change.

How does 'consistency' from an individual teacher support good behaviour?

When a teacher applies rules, routines, rewards and consequences the same way every time and for every pupil, expectations become predictable and fair, pupils learn the boundaries quickly, and the teacher's authority and credibility are reinforced.

What is 'checking for understanding', and why is it integral to explicit instruction and pacing?

It is systematically verifying whether pupils have grasped the material (e.g. via targeted questioning, mini-whiteboards, hinge questions) before moving on. It is integral because it ensures the gradual release proceeds only when pupils are ready, maintains appropriate pace, and prevents misconceptions embedding.