Teaching unions say teachers need better support and fewer targets to enable them to better manage behaviour. Sir Alan said the vast majority of pupils are well behaved, despite society’s “negative” perceptions of children. But he believes more can be done earlier to prevent unruly behaviour becoming a serious problem, such as through primary schools jointly funding social work professionals.

Teaching unions have welcomed the idea, providing it does not burden them with more work, but say the real problem is that staff are ill-prepared to deal with bad behaviour. NASUWT general secretary Chris Keates said “Behaviour management training is inadequate both in initial teacher training and when teachers are in the job in schools. What’s preventing a lot of teachers from actually being able to manage behaviour effectively is the current school accountability regime which drives teachers to reach numerical targets, to teach to satisfy inspection.”

Mick Brookes, general secretary of the National Association of Head Teachers, said three in 10 teachers leave the profession in the first five years and unruly behaviour was the main cause.

Sir Alan says a more intelligent approach is needed to combating bad behaviour in the classroom. “If we can extend into schools some other services to support children, to help those children who struggle then we are far more likely to have success,” he said.

What procedures does your school have for dealing with disruptive pupils? Have you got a story you would like to share? Do you think that initial teacher training programmes should build in strategies for behaviour management?