As a South African teacher I try to follow international trends including that of the UK. To answer you question about what would improve things. I think what is essential is that power or decision making is devolved to the Head Teacher. If he/she has to go through layers of bureaucracy to get permission for experimental, creative solutions, this mitigates strongly against innovation.

I don’t know to what extent UK schools give head teachers a significant amount of independence in this regard - love to hear.

Regarding suspension - I have never thought it a good discipline tool. For me and from experience, a successful discipline system must NOT be punitive. In other words one that is focused on the threat and imposition of punishment. Why? Because this does not get to the root or cause of the poor behaviour. It is likely to simply cause greater resentment, even popularity as a rebel and worse behaviour.

A postitive approach to poor behaviour is crucial. This means the focus in exploring with the student why her or she has behaved like this - a sit down session. In this the educator gets the point across that he/she cares and would like to help the student. It is about what can be learnt from mistakes the student has made. Then the consequence needs to be a learning opportunity - something suspension is not. Example: we had a student drawing a swastika on a desk. After a sitdown session doing the above, we sent this student for a tour of the Johannesburg Holocaust and Genocide Centre (jhbholocaust.co.za)for a guided tour and workshop by one of their brilliant education department staff.