Welcome to "The Corridor Club" A candid look at school behaviour, vulnerable pupils, and systems under pressure.
By Georgiana Koyama
Behaviour & inclusion leads, SENDCos, and everyone too busy doing the work to read LinkedIn posts ... let’s talk about “the corridor club.”
Not an official term. Not in any DfE document.
But if you work in schools, you know exactly what I mean!
If you want to understand where behaviour is most visible, spend time in a school corridor. That’s where you’ll find some of our most vulnerable pupils.
Why Are They There?
Pupils find themselves in the corridor club primarily for two reasons:
- Because they’ve been sent out following a classroom escalation or breakdown in regulation.
- Or they’ve removed themselves as a result of rising expectations, a lack of support, or a lack of understanding.
Stepping out to regulate and return to learning is one thing. But more and more, I’m seeing pupils out of class for longer periods.
Corridors as Contested Spaces
Corridors have become contested spaces between pupils in distress, stretched LSAs trying to keep everyone safe, and senior leaders doing their best to hold the line.
These days, you’ll often find me right there as part of the corridor club.
Strengthening Systems and Structures
My work involves collaborating with school leaders to reduce corridor club membership in the first place, achieved by strengthening the systems and structures that keep pupils in learning.
Because being in school doesn’t always mean being in class and learning.
Let’s keep a close eye on corridor club membership, especially who’s in the club and who isn’t.
What are you noticing in your corridors, and what’s helping pupils get back into class and learning?
