Recording and Monitoring in Schools: Short Life Working Group - terms of reference

Purpose

The overarching purpose of the short life working group is to review current processes and approaches to recording different types of behaviour incidents in schools, including bullying, violent incidents, and incidents against staff, to identify ways in which consistency can be improved.  

The work will take forward the commitments in the Relationships and behaviour in schools: national action plan 2024 to 2027 to ‘review all current processes for recording incidents, including violent incidents, to identify potential means of streamlining processes and improving consistency’ and to ‘establish a working group to review current processes and mechanisms for recording different types of incidents, including bullying, violent incidents, and incidents against staff.’

The group will be asked to contribute their knowledge and expertise to:

• review evidence on the positives and limitations of current systems of recording and monitoring, including where under-recording may be occurring
• consider how best to meet the requests for change that have been made by stakeholders 
• develop and produce any guidance, support or resources which they, in collaboration with Scottish Government, determine to be required

Remit

The working group will: 

• undertake a review of what stakeholders have told us about the current systems for recording and monitoring in schools, including evidence from the Scottish Government Behaviour Summits (2023) and the Behaviour in Scottish Schools Research (2023)
• develop a set of Principles which support consistency of approach to Recording and Monitoring, demonstrate what is required from recording behaviour incidents in schools, and address concerns about under-reporting
• develop guidance on the recording of violent incidents and threatening behaviour, particularly to inform risk assessments, including a definition of violent incidents for the purposes of recording and monitoring
• develop and deliver any other outputs, such as guidance or resources, as agreed by the working group

Governance

The working group will report to the Scottish Advisory Group on Relationships and Behaviour in Schools (SAGRABIS). 

Timescale

The first meeting will take place in August 2025. The working group will agree priorities against the commitments in the national action plan, with a view to producing initial guidance by the start of the school year in August 2026. Other outputs as agreed by the group should be in place by summer 2027.

Membership

The working group will be chaired by the Scottish Government Health and Wellbeing in Schools team. The Secretariat for the group will be provided by officials from the Scottish Government’s Learning Directorate. 

See the group's membership.

Sub groups may be established if required to take forward specific pieces of work. Other relevant organisations can be invited to join the sub groups at the discretion of the Chair. 

Members' responsibility

Group members are requested to consider and provide feedback for the interests of the organisations that they represent, on any outputs or decisions made by the working group. Group members are requested to keep their organisations informed about the work of the group and where needed, gather feedback from within their organisation to take to the working group. 

Scottish Government Learning Directorate 
January 2025