Tracey Smith

When relationships are prioritised, behaviour becomes something we understand and support, rather than simply manage. The impact is profound: calmer classrooms, increased engagement, improved staff wellbeing and stronger partnerships with families. By fostering trust, consistency and belonging, schools create the conditions where positive behaviour flourishes.

In April 2017, I was asked to take over a school in Oxford that had failed its Ofsted inspection and been placed in Special Measures. New Marston - I’m naming it because people who know me, also know this is a true story. When I arrived for my first visit, it was utterly chaotic from the outset. The deputy head had recently left, the headteacher was off sick, and the school was heavily reliant on supply staff. With so little consistency, behaviour was appalling. I saw pupils running out of...

Behaviour management is one of the most persistent challenges in education. Traditional disciplinary models have often relied heavily on punitive responses, based on the assumption that undesirable behaviour is best controlled through sanctions. It is not. Research tells us that approaches underpinned by positive reinforcement, relational practice, and adult consistency work best. Among the most influential proponents of this approach is Paul Dix , whose work argues that sustainable...