My son is marked as a ‘red’ child, so is sometimes removed from lessons within minutes

One mum got in touch to argue that it’s not just the punishments we should be looking at, but the behavioural management software systems that create them

I think that the behaviour management software that schools use is a big part of the problem as it facilitates – and sometimes generates – much of the behavioural unfairness and abuse. Via these systems, a profile is created for each child that is essentially labelled as green for ‘good’ or red for ‘bad’, based on the number of positive and negative behaviour points the children receive. 

It’s visible to all staff, and while the teachers say it makes no difference to how they’re treated, that’s disingenuous. If you knew someone had been arrested for something in the past, for instance, you’d instantly view them through that lens.

My youngest son has a ‘red’ profile and so he’s a ‘bad’ child, instantly marked and over-punished, particularly by supply teachers. The software has a function called Exit Room, which teachers can press and then the ‘bad’ children are removed from the lesson, and this regularly happens to my son, sometimes within the first couple of minutes of class. I think sometimes it just makes life easier if they get rid of the children who have been marked as ‘difficult’. So my son misses a lot of learning through reputational damage. 

I think academies in particular just want cheap and easy, but you wouldn’t get away with this in any other public sector – would the NHS push the people with complex health needs out of the hospital altogether? Similarly, I think the way things are measured and communicated digitally has led to a disinhibition that wouldn’t be there otherwise. My children have been called rude and obnoxious via the software that I know a teacher wouldn’t say during a face-to-face discussion. And what example is that setting to the children?

But as the recipient of these app notifications, there’s no sense of being able to reply or have any power over it. But you don’t have to accept it if it’s unfair, you can request the data rectification or challenge it. And I think if more people did that, then both the software owners and schools would have to use it a bit more responsibly. 

I have complained repeatedly but just been slapped with communication restrictions, although I have referred the school to the ICO over non-compliance with UK GDPR, on the grounds of there being a lack of fairness and accuracy of personal data processing. 

My son is now close to leaving and I’m torn between wanting to keep on fighting and just wanting it all to be over, because it’s exhausting.