Product reviews for Sorting out Behaviour

No infographics, no academic references and no complex analogies: it has been a while since I have read a book for professional reasons and encountered such a no nonsense -˜this is what we did' and -˜this is why it worked' approach. Simple and quick, the book took me two short morning naps of a six month old to complete. I had thought the birth of my first child would put an end, at least for a while, to my wider reading for work, but Mr Rowe's tell it like it is and no more style has meant not.

It could be argued that the book's structure is possibly a little too straightforward and that the dedication of one whole page to -˜Sorting out a hall of fame' and the 14 words that follow is unnecessary. Perhaps it could have fitted easily into another chapter. I couldn't make up my mind whether the boxed up key points at the end of each chapter were patronising or served as helpful reminders; maybe they were both depending on the complexity of what had preceded.

Rowe's sections on detentions and on call really hit home. I only wish I or some of my colleagues had read them a few years ago. He articulates what some of us have failed to quite put our finger on about these vital consequence systems and he articulates it simply without ego or evangelical zeal. Rowe talks about how some ill thought measures put in place by schools are -˜worse than doing nothing' and having been witness to this, again I only wish this book were about 5 years older. There are no tables or pie charts to back up his claims, but one cannot help but be convinced and want to put in place some of the measures he explains.

While the style is at times conversational, his ideas are brave and there is a sense of the big picture. Rowe clearly keeps in mind what can happen to young people when we don't get it right and he makes this evident in his section on alternative education. Despite participating in a nationally run behaviour and attendance programme, I had not been exposed to Rowe's -˜big play' idea of study weeks, nor the idea of student questionnaires or the transformational value of home visits: brave and big ideas that make impact.

-˜Remember, the burden of proof is lower in schools than in courts-¦' This is one of many golden nuggets in the sections on dealing with complaints, parents and uniform. Rowe doesn't just put forward measures and experiences, he answers the questions you have in your head while you read like how when a parent says something is -˜pathetic', he always agrees and asks why they are making an issue out of it in that case. Real advice based on dealing with real parents and children in real schools.

The book contains continual references to the creation of a behavioural timetable. Too often, schools tackle behaviour on the whims of senior staff, local feedback and teacher complaints. Rowe's argument for a timeline is compelling and I wonder how many will be able to read this book without going off afterwards to sort out their behavioural timetable?