Bad Behaviour in Classrooms - UK Legal Information Blog

Based on the text in the image taken from the Sunday Times and current government announcements from late 2025, here is the breakdown regarding the White Paper and Ofsted’s findings on behaviour. Bad behaviour

Has a “Bad Behaviour” White Paper been produced?

Not yet.
While the newspaper clipping mentions a White Paper coming “this autumn” (Autumn 2025), the Schools White Paper has recently been delayed until early 2026.

It is not a “Behaviour White Paper”: It is a broader Schools White Paper that will include a major section on behaviour, alongside SEND (Special Educational Needs) and attendance reforms.
Current Status: The Department for Education (DfE) has released the data behind the White Paper (the “National Behaviour Survey” mentioned in your clipping), but the actual policy document has been pushed back to allow more time to finalise the SEND reforms.

What the DfE Research Says (The “45 Days” Figure)

The headline in your image comes from the National Behaviour Survey (2024-25) data released by the DfE.

The Stat: Teachers report that on average, 7 minutes of every 30-minute lesson are lost to disruption.
The Calculation: Over a standard school year, this adds up to roughly 45 days of lost learning time per pupil.
Key Finding: Only one-third of teachers currently feel confident managing misbehaviour, and suspensions have tripled to record levels.

What Ofsted Has Said (Annual Report Dec 2025)

Ofsted’s Annual Report for 2024/25 (published just this week, December 2025) explicitly targets behaviour as a “systemic” issue.

“Endemic” Disruption: Ofsted Chief Inspector Sir Martyn Oliver has described poor behaviour and low attendance as “endemic” in schools post-pandemic.
The Link to Attendance: Ofsted highlights that behaviour and attendance are now indistinguishable problems—children who feel unsafe or disengaged due to chaotic classrooms are refusing to attend.
Suspensions: Ofsted noted that permanent exclusions and suspensions are at the highest levels on record, with “persistent disruptive behaviour” being the most common reason.

What Can We Expect & When?

Since the White Paper is delayed to early 2026, schools should prepare for the following announced measures:

Measure	Detail
“RISE” Hubs	The government has launched 21 new “Attendance and Behaviour Hubs” (mentioned in the clip) where “lead schools” with strong discipline records will mentor struggling schools.
Early Expectations	The White Paper will likely mandate a standardised “behaviour curriculum” that sets explicit expectations for behaviour from Early Years onwards, rather than leaving it to individual school ethos.
Parental Contracts	Bridget Phillipson (Education Secretary) has signalled that the White Paper will push for Home-School Agreements to be taken more seriously, emphasizing that parents are “responsible” for their child’s behaviour (as quoted in your image).
Year 8 Checks	There are proposals for a new statutory assessment in Year 8 (specifically on reading/fluency) to catch disengaged students before they drop out or become disruptive in Year 9/10.

Summary for your setting: The “White Paper” is coming in the new year (Jan/Feb 2026). Until then, the focus remains on the new “Behaviour Hubs” and the DfE’s push for stricter enforcement of mobile phone bans and attendance tracking.

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