School Podcast The 3 C's Approach to Managing Behaviour Doesn't Work - Sam Strickland
Oct 13, 2025
In this engaging conversation, Sam Strickland, headteacher and author of 'Education Exposed', dives into the shortcomings of the popular 3 C's approach to behavior management in schools. He challenges the sustainability of multi-warning systems, advocates for a simpler single behavior point system, and emphasizes the importance of training students on expectations. Strickland also discusses the balance between supporting students' needs and maintaining classroom structure, offering practical insights for effective leadership in education.
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Host Questions Multi-Stage Systems
- Cameron recalls C1234/S1234 systems and questions their sustainability for teachers issuing multiple warnings.
- He links tiered warnings to students being pushed to test boundaries rather than punished immediately.
Warnings Encourage Boundary Testing
- Three-strike systems sound fair on paper but encourage boundary testing and lost teaching time.
- Sam Strickland notes teachers may issue dozens of warnings, which drains attention from teaching.
Behaviour Systems Cost Lesson Time
- Repeated warnings consume teacher attention and reduce effective teaching time.
- The Adjurio survey showed 8–9 minutes lost per half hour due to poor behaviour, heightening the cost of weak systems.
