Behaviour is learned, so needs to be taught. This presentation from ResearchEd 2021 (London) shows how a large comprehensive adopted the principles of Tom Bennet's and Doug Lemov's work and created a whole-school behaviour approach based on the explicit teaching and practising of four core routines through a dedicated registration programme and lessons. It also covers the validation process used to evidence how this approach addresses the academic and pastoral impact of recent disruptions to education. It finally outlines steps towards a behaviour curriculum which eventually will sit alongside the academic.

1. Bertram Richter
Deputy Headteacher
Southam College
bertramrichter@yahoo.com
@bertramrichter
Improving behaviour through explicit teaching:

2. Behaviour is learned.
Behaviour needs to be taught.
Routines -> Habits -> Character
The power of routine

3. • pre-occupation with following Covid-protocols > learning
• general ‘sluggishness’ in lessons, lack of care with presentation
• vastly differing home-learning experience
• vastly differing parental expectations / ability to support
• 20min registration / start of the day most affected
• significant minority of students taking up majority of pastoral time – out of
learning habits and healthy routines
• background: aspiration to achieve/secure ‘outstanding’ behaviour
The problem: post-lockdown blues

4. The solution: Routines
1. Teaching behaviour vs telling students to ‘behave’
2. Making compliance visible -> building habits and strengthening norms
3. Clear, accessible definition of ‘high expectations’ / ‘be the best you can be’
4. Common language = common purpose (“Show me F.A.S.T. learning”, “make it F.A.S.T.”, “I
need to see everybody in F.A.S.T. mode in 3-2-1”, “At Southam, we learn F.A.S.T.” , “Remember
your F.A.S.T. learning” “Let’s do this again – this time F.A.S.T.”)
5. Every lesson = teaching opportunity to practise/praise/improve/correct each routine
accelerating learning
-> catching up on missed learning time!

5. Accelerating learning through routines
Why now?
• We missed out on 35% of direct learning time last academic year
• Over 400 students have missed 10-14 days of school due to self-isolation during
Term 1 = 20% of term 1
• We missed 8 weeks in Term 2 (20% of the whole year)

6. How do we teach?
• clearly defined outcomes & rationale
• complex task broken into smaller steps
• each step practised separately
• small steps add up to complex schemata over time
• ongoing feedback / correction / retrieval practice

7. How do we teach behaviour?
• clearly defined outcomes & rationale
• complex task broken into smaller steps
• each step practised separately
• small steps add up to complex schemata over time
• ongoing feedback / correction / retrieval practice

8. Imagine:
• every lesson starts purposefully with minimal lead-in time
• students are visibly engaged (eye contact, active listening)
• every student attempts to answer your questions
• students have their equipment ready from the start
?
The power of routine

9. Routines & Marginal Gains

10. Using these 4 routines is guaranteed to help students:
• learn more
• remember more
• develop more self-control, confidence and resilience – habits for life
• show you are a polite, approachable, kind and respectful person
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Accelerating learning through routines

11. Implementation timeline
1
• LOTS of reading
2
• deciding on 4 routines & acronym
• pitching/discussing with the Head
3
•refining my pitch, ‘branding’ & ideas with: Pastoral Leaders, HoDs, teaching & learning team
•training day: launch with all staff
4
• Whole-school launch: after Easter holidays – using period 1 teachers to teach FAST routines
• plaster school with FAST banners
5
• weekly FAST focus with a taught activity during registration and a clear emphasis that this is
the start of a Behaviour Curriculum

12. But…
1. “This is superficial / gimmicky”
2. “It’s nothing I don’t do anyway”
3. “Most students know and do this already – is there really a need?”
4. “Are we doing S.L.O.W learning next year?”
If we all teach these routines and insist on them, it will have a profound impact on all
students’ progress
Most students in most lessons do this which is why behaviour is good at Southam - not
outstanding. We are raising the bar for students because we know they can rise to it.
see above. Also – given the disruption to learning routines, there is a need to spell out our
minimum expectations. This is the launchpad for a taught ‘Behaviour Curriculum’
No – our 5 learning/behaviour routines won’t change for 2021/22 (and beyond!)

13. Routine 1
Follow the speaker

14. Routine 1: Follow the speaker - THEORY
Why? How? How not?
• Look at the speaker, the
powerpoint (eye contact)
• Look at the PowerPoint
• Turn to the person who is
talking
• Show that you’re listening
(nod, smile, etc) ->active
listening
• Looking around the room /
out of the window
• Looking down
• Looking at other students
• Following the speaker
whilst talking or doing
something else
• easier to understand
what is talked about
• you’ll remember more
• it is polite and
respectful
• it is an essential skill for
every job interview and
in every career

15. Routine 2
Answer questions

16. Routine 2: Answering questions - THEORY
Why? How? How not?
• In full sentences
• Facing the speaker
• Speaking clearly
• using subject-specific
vocabulary
If you don’t know:
• hypothesise “I’m not sure,
but …” or
• articulate: “What I don’t
understand, is …”
• Mumbling
• Answering in half-sentences
• Answering “I don’t know”
• Not answering
• Shouting out the answer
• Interrupting others
• Impatiently
• you’ll learn more
• thinking about what
you’ve learned helps
you remember more
• it’s polite and builds
confidence
• communication is a
life skill used for
every job interview
and in every career

17. Routine 3
Sit up straight

18. Routine 3: Sit up straight - THEORY
Why? How? How not?
• arms close to sides
• shoulders relaxed
• legs under your desk
• both feet flat on the
floor
• slouching (can hinder
serotonin production)
• leaning back / forward
• moving your chair
around
• increases oxygen flow
• aligns the vertebrae in your
back
• increases energy,
concentration and memory
• positive, attentive body
language
• higher self-esteem
• lower anxiety

19. Routine 4
Take out your equipment

20. Routine 4: Take out your equipment - THEORY
Why? How? How not?
• pen
• reading book / revision
material
• pencil case (ruler, pencil,
spare pens –essential
items)
• check/pack equipment
the night before
• missing equipment
• asking for a pen at the
start of a task
• disrupting lesson by
asking other students for
equipment
• having to stop learning
because your pen ran out
(spare pens)
• makes it easy to learn
from the start of each
lesson
• looks confident &
professional
• makes you less
dependent on
teachers’ reminders

21. Extended registration:
Routine 1 Follow the speaker
Routine 2 Answer questions
Routine 3 Sit up straight
Routine 4 Take out your equipment

22. How F.A.S.T. are you?
1. Pack away
2. Your teacher will tell each row where to stand (e.g. back of the classroom
etc)
3. When your teacher says “Fast” – you need to:
• Go to your seat and unpack all equipment
• Attempt the ‘Revise in 5’ task in your pack
• Answer when your teacher asks you
• Look at your teacher when they speak, sitting up straight
Your teacher will time you!

23. 1. What does F.A.S.T. stand for?
2. What are 2 benefits of good posture (=sitting up straight)?
3. List 3 different ways of showing your teacher/peers that you are actively
listening?
4. List two elements of a good answer.
5. What can you say instead of “I don’t know”?
F.A.S.T. learning @ Southam

25. TEACHING RESOURCES
for
Extended Registration

26. Routine 1: Follow the speaker – PRACTICE
Prepare to talk for 30 seconds about:
“A skill I’m proud of”
• Your teacher will start and then select 3-4 students
• If you are selected: talk so that the whole class can hear you
• If you listen: turn to the person who is talking and show that
you’re listening attentively
• Your teacher will then ask 3-4 more students a follow-up
question End

27. Routine 2: Answering questions – PRACTICE
Quiz – best answer wins!
• Your teacher will put you in four teams
• You will be asked a question and have 1 minute to come up with an answer
• Your teacher will give each answer a score out of 5
• Highest-scoring team wins!

28. Routine 3: Sit up straight - PRACTICE
Memorise this for 30
seconds Shoulders relaxed

29. Routine 3: Sit up straight - PRACTICE
How many do you
remember? Shoulders relaxed

30. Routine 4: Take out your equipment-PRACTICE
Equipment check 1. reading book
2. black or blue ballpoint pens*
3. pencil sharpener
4. pencils*
5. pair of compasses
6. pencil eraser
7. ruler
8. coloured pencils/fine fibre tips
9. protractor
10. pencil case
11. calculator
12. dry-wipe board pen *SPARES!
reading
book
Pencil case
pen,
pencil

31. Retrieval practice
Follow-up schedule:
Week 2: getting FASTer (finding Southam’s FASTest tutor group)
Week 3: Answering questions
Week 4: Good posture (S)
Week 5: Equipment / Reading book (T)
Week 6: Being consistent (FAST)
Week 7: Cold-calling (A)

32. Follow-up registration task – example:

33. Evidence 1: Learning Walks (SLT & HoDs)

34. Evidence 2: External evaluation
• Two external reviews – led by two different HMIs
• part of an ongoing Trust-wide quality assurance process
• Deep dives into Personal Development and Behaviour:
“The new behaviour curriculum (as seen in the consistent promotion of FAST routines in form
periods) has already contributed to students’ capacity to learn and is likely to have a significant
impact with continued and consistent implementation.”
“Behaviour and attitudes to learning are exceptional because the College has high expectations for
student’s behaviour and conduct.”
“The vast majority of students behave respectfully towards their peers and staff. Students behave
and conduct themselves extremely well during lessons and at social times.”
“Registration activities are purposeful and add to the cultural capital of students whilst embedding
the school’s focus on consistent application of FAST routines.”

35. Next steps…
Behaviour
Curriculum
FAST

36. Kindness Confidence Resilience
1. Give a genuine compliment
2. Show an interest in other people
3. Engage somebody you don’t know in a
conversation
4. Identify positive behaviour in others and
copy it
5. Understand and apply self-care
6. Acknowledge if somebody/something makes
them feel good
7. Show their admiration
8. Offer to help others when they don’t know
the answer
9. Show respect for our environment
10. Do something for somebody else
11. Display good manners/etiquette
12. Be a good listener
13. Boost other people’s confidence
14. Do something for others without them
knowing it
1. Speak publicly
2. Present a clear argument
3. Give a presentation to the tutor group
4. Give feedback
5. Tell somebody else the truth/be honest/point out
when they’re not kin (e.g. tell a friend to stop a
certain behaviour or that it’s wrong)
6. Join an after-school club without their friends
7. Take on responsibility for other students (student
leadership / rewards system)
8. Engage with visitors, external speakers
1. Stick with a difficult task
2. Recognise and manage negative emotions
3. Resolve conflicts
4. Receive and act on feedback
5. Calm themselves down
6. Ban “I can’t do this” / “I’m no good at …”
7. Make a compromise
8. Understand Sanctions/Consequences vs
resolutions
What behaviours do we want our students to leave with?
Staff survey (by value) showed the following results:

37. Behaviour Curriculum for Registration

38. Reading list
Tom Bennett: Running the Room (2020)
Peps McCrae: Motivated Teaching (2020)
Doug Lemov: Teach like a Champion 2.0 (2015) / 3.0 (14 Sept 2021)

39. Bertram Richter
Deputy Headteacher
Southam College
bertramrichter@yahoo.com
@bertramrichter
Improving behaviour through explicit teaching: