Peer attitudes to SEBD in a secondary mainstream school

This paper reports a school-based study of peer perceptions of a range of behaviours associated with social, emotional and behavioural difficulties. A Year 7 (aged 11–12) cohort of pupils were administered a pre-questionnaire in their first term. During the second term the cohorts were split into two; one group received a normally taught unit within a core subject (English); the second group (the intervention group) were taken through a unit which also developed key skills in that core subject, but had as its focus behaviour. The whole cohort was then given the questionnaire again in Term 3. Whilst some effects of the intervention on pupils' perceptions were found, these were weaker than expected. The paper explores the findings and provides some insights into peer perceptions. It concludes that for a more sustained effect in altering pupil perceptions, the programme of intervention may need to be spread over a longer period.