Mary Lanovy-Taylor is a teaching and learning consultant for Education Bradford. She specialises in behaviour and attendance at Key Stage 3, advising teachers across the city on good practice in behaviour management.
Mary works with Paddy Ryan, a newly qualified teacher at St Bede's Roman Catholic High School for Boys. Formerly a police officer, Paddy now teaches information technology and he's discovering that the strategies he employed in the police force are not always transferable to the classroom.
After Mary's initial lesson observation, it becomes clear that the main problem Paddy has to contend with in his classroom, apart from its awkward shape, is constant low-level disruption. Mary makes practical suggestions to help with motivating pupils, getting their attention and the use of praise and rewards.
But when Paddy tries out his new approach, not everything goes according to plan. Will he succeed in turning his class around?
