Article 6 – Behaviour and Attitudes a new Key Judgement in the EIF

This short article aims to give an overview of ‘Behaviour and Attitudes’, which is one of the new key judgements in the 2019 Education Inspection Framework (EIF). Personal Development, Behaviour and Welfare (PDBW) from the old CIF has gone. It has been replaced by two new key judgements in the Further Education & Skills Inspection Handbook (July 2019). There is one new Key Judgement on behaviour and attitudes and one Key Judgement on personal development.  Teasing PD & BW apart seems to make reporting on them in the SAR clearer with what appears to be less overlap between the two new key judgements.

Behaviour and attitudes as we would expect will form part of observations, in classroom and workshops, with employers and in the wider learning environment. The use of registers to record and monitor attendance remains a key feature.

Safeguarding plays a big part in the behaviour and attitudes key judgement. Inspectors will draw on the responses to the Ofsted on-line questionnaires that become available at the point of inspection. Questionnaires will be made available to students, staff, parent/carers and employers under the new framework. A Questionnaire for staff is a new element for 2019. There is an expectation that the Ofsted questionnaires will be completed, and Inspectors are interested to hear “how respondents feel about the provider and how well supported and respected they feel in the provider” (p52). Once again, we see a positive learning culture as an intrinsic part of this key judgement.

Interestingly in the good criteria for behaviour and attitudes we see reference to attendance and punctuality linked to on-line learning and virtual learning environments.

 Below Table 1 which shows the difference in the Key Judgements between the old CIF (2017) and the new EIF (2019). Details of all the key judgement criteria can be found in the ‘Further Education and Skills Inspection Handbook’ July 2019. 

Let’s have a look at the grade descriptors for behaviour and attitudes.  Anything in italics in this article is my own view or interpretation otherwise I have taken the information directly from the new Ofsted Further Education and Skills Inspection Handbook, published in July 2019, reference 190021.

The behaviour and attitudes key judgement considers how “leaders and staff create a safe, disciplined and positive environment within the provider and the impact this has on the behaviour and attitudes of learners” p51

GRADE DESCRIPTORS P 53-54
The main detail of the grade descriptors can be found in the section on Good (grade 2) – it appears you must meet the Good criteria and then meet additional criteria to be graded as Outstanding. 

Outstanding (grade 1)

• The provider must meet all the criteria for good behaviour and attitudes, securely and consistently
• Behaviour and attitudes are exceptional

​In the addition, the following apply

Outstanding (grade 1)

• The provider must meet all the criteria for good behaviour and attitudes, securely and consistently
• Behaviour and attitudes are exceptional

• Learners have consistently high respect for others, they play a highly positive role in creating an environment that values and nurtures difference. Bullying and harassment are never tolerated.
• Learners demonstrate consistently highly positive attitudes and commitment to their education and/or training. They are persistent in the face of difficulties. If learners struggle with this, the provider takes intelligent, swift and highly effective action to support them.
• There are many examples of commitment beyond the basics, for example high participation in skills competitions or social action projects.
• Learners behave consistently well, demonstrating high levels of self-control and consistently positive attitudes to their education and/or training. If learners struggle with this the provider takes intelligent, fair and highly effective action to support them to succeed in their programme of learning.

Good (grade 2) inspectors will use a ‘best fit’ approach, relying on the professional judgement of the inspection team

• Provider have high expectations of learners’ behaviour and conduct, and these are applied consistently and fairly. This is reflected in learners’ behaviour and conduct
• Learners’ attitudes to their education or training are positive. They improve their attitudes over time. They understand their rights and responsibilities as learners. They are committed to their learning, know how to study effectively, are resilient to setbacks and take pride in achievements
• Learners have high attendance and are punctual. This includes participating in any distance -learning activities, such as online learning and virtual learning environments
• Relationships among learners and staff reflect a positive and respectful culture where the principles of equality and diversity are nurtured. Learners feel safe and rarely experience bullying, harassment or discrimination. If incidents occur, learners feel safe and confident to report them, knowing staff will take swift and appropriate action.
  
  

Require Improvement (grade 3)

• Behaviour and attitudes are not yet good
• Learners feel safe and confident in reporting incidents of bullying, harassment or discrimination, knowing that staff will take swift and appropriate action.

Inadequate (grade 4) Behaviour and attitudes are likely to be inadequate if any of the following applies.

• Learners’ lack of engagement, motivation or enthusiasm inhibits their progress and development.
• A significant minority of learners show a lack of respect and self-disciple. Learners ignore or rebut request to moderate their conduct and are not ready to move on to their next stage or world of work.
• Learners’ attendance is consistently low and shows little sign of sustained improvement
• Incidents of bullying, harassment or prejudiced and discriminatory behaviour, both direct and indirect are frequent.
• Learners have little confidence in the providers ability to tackle bullying, harassment or discrimination successfully.
• Learners are not safe, or do not feel safe, at provider or at work or subcontractor settings

​

In summary some key words to give a favour of the ‘behaviour and attitudes’ Key judgement
High expectations of learners behaviour & conduct, mutual respect,  bullying or harassment are never tolerated and rarely experienced, rights and responsibilities, improvement over time, attendance is high & sustained, punctuality is important, motivation, engagement and commitment to learning, positive learning culture that values and nurtures difference, high participation in skills competitions or social action projects, effective study skills, learners feel safe & confident to report incidents of bullying, harassment or discrimination and are confident that staff will take swift and appropriate action, high attendance and punctuality in on-line learning/distance learning and virtual learning environments, self-control, courtesy and pride in themselves, the college and their employers.

---

Thanks so much for reading, please email wendy@yellowgooseleadership.co.uk with your thoughts or feedback or use LinkedIn. Hope you and your students settle well and have a great  first term. Wendy