Building relationships to improve pupil attainment

Steve Morrison is the Project Manager for Streetbeat Youth Project.

Positive relationship between pupils and teachers result in young people being more engaged and receptive to learning.
It is important for young people to have good relationships with adults who value education.
Research shows that subjects that pupils perform best in are those where they have a good relationship with the teacher/tutor.
When pupils are underachieving, it is even more important to nurture the relationships with those pupils and this can be done through planned relationship building strategies.
Using an informal learning environment can break down one of the barriers to learning.

Build relationships in informal settings where pupils do not feel inadequate
Have a designated relaxed area set up in an informal way with soft seats and dimmed lighting
Have the pupils sit in a circle with no desks in front of them
Have the pupils take turns at speaking. Try 'Pit and Peak' . This helps them to become used to speaking out in class
Think about team buildings days/half days with teachers – these are particularly important when pupils are new to the school in Yr 8 and at stressful times such as exam times

Do you have pupils that do not see the value in education? What are you doing with these pupils to motivate them?
What planned activities are you doing to build relationships with pupils?
Is there an area in your school that could be repurposed as an informal learning area?
Is there a particular class/group of pupils who you think would benefit from team building away days with teachers? What teachers would be involved?

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