Planned circulation (active supervision path)
Aim (what it achieves)
Prevent low-level disruption by being present where it starts.
When to use
Independent work; practical tasks; group work; any ‘risky’ lesson phase.
How to use (steps)
Teacher language (examples)
“Show me your first line.” “Good—carry on.”
Top tips (makes it work)
Move early (first minute); stop briefly then move; vary proximity.
Common pitfalls
Staying at the front; hovering too long over one student; turning back on class.
SEND/PP considerations
Predictable movement can support anxious students; avoid ‘hovering’ that feels targeted.
Useful for these SEND needs
Relevant SEND Needs
Why this strategy helps
- Builds predictable routines before disruption.
- Reduces cognitive load and supports completion.
Universal SEND-friendly: Yes
SEND-targeted: No
Tags
Sources
Used in
Common Behaviour Issues (Behaviour Hub)
- Proactively Prevent Chatting during independent work
- Proactively Prevent Off-task / fiddling / low-level distraction
- Proactively Prevent Attention seeking / clowning / minor disruption
- Proactively Prevent Peer friction / bickering / low-level conflict
Related strategies
Seat for success (visibility, support, low friction)
Reduce predictable flashpoints by thoughtful seating and room layout.
Coaching pairs (RallyCoach-style: one solves, one coaches)
Improves on-task behaviour by giving each student a clear role; reduces copying and increases productive talk.
Active participation planning (frequent responses)
Increase engagement to reduce off-task behaviour and calling out.
Teach voice levels and talk norms (when to talk, how loud, with whom)
Prevent ‘noise creep’ and low-level disruption by making acceptable talk explicit.
Pre-teach collaboration norms (roles, turn-taking, disagreement rules)
Reduce peer friction and off-task talk by teaching ‘how to work together’.
Structured partner talk with turn-taking (Timed Pair Share / RallyRobin)
Channels chatter into purposeful academic talk so noise is predictable, participation is fair, and attention returns to the teacher cleanly.