7 in 10 UK Students Say Classroom Disruption Costs Vital Learning Time

Last year, Save My Exams' Classrooms in Crisis report highlighted the growing impact of poor classroom behaviour on teachers across the UK. It revealed that many teachers were experiencing not only persistent classroom disruption, but also increasing levels of verbal abuse, intimidation and, in some cases, physical aggression.

Much of the national conversation that followed understandably focused on the pressures facing teachers and schools. But it also raised another important question: what does the same disruption mean for the students trying to learn in those classrooms every day?

To better understand the student perspective, Save My Exams surveyed 1,009 UK-based students about classroom disruption, lost learning time and the effect this has on their studies. The findings suggest that, for many students, low-level disruption has become a routine part of the school day rather than an occasional interruption. 

Our survey found:

• 71% said their learning is interrupted by their peers' behaviour at least sometimes.

• 82% said lesson time is spent dealing with poor classroom behaviour.

• Students estimated losing between five and fifteen minutes of teaching time in a typical lesson.

Individually, those interruptions may seem relatively minor. Over the course of an academic year, however, they add up to a substantial loss of learning time. A student who loses ten minutes from every lesson could miss the equivalent of around 24 school days of learning.

Those figures highlight a hidden cost of classroom disruption. Lost learning time is often associated with school absence. But this research suggests that learning can also be lost while students are sitting in the classroom. 

Repeated interruptions not only reduce opportunities to learn; they gradually erode the conditions needed for effective learning.

And, as those lost minutes accumulate across the school year, many students appear to be seeking alternative ways to reinforce their subject knowledge and understanding beyond the classroom.

About the Data

Save My Exams surveyed 1,009 UK-based GCSE, IGCSE, A Level and IB students about classroom disruption, lost learning time and its impact on learning. 

Time-loss estimates are based on a student attending five one-hour lessons a day across a standard 190-day school year, with school-day equivalents calculated using an average 6.5-hour school day. 

How Often Is Learning Being Interrupted?

Save My Exams’ survey findings suggest that classroom disruption has become part of the everyday learning experience for many students, rather than an occasional interruption.

Across those surveyed:

• 12% said their learning is interrupted by peer behaviour very often.

• 25% said it happens often.

• 34% reported that it happens sometimes. 

Taken together, this means that 71% of students, or more than seven in ten, experience some level of disruption during lessons. 

The survey also suggests that disruption is not confined to isolated lessons. Only about one-quarter of students said there was no disruption to their lessons on a typical day due to poor behaviour. Most reported disruption in at least one lesson each day, while many noted disruption across multiple lessons during a typical day.

The findings suggest that, for many students, disruption has become part of the normal rhythm of the school day rather than an exceptional event. Lessons are increasingly experienced in fits and starts rather than in sustained periods of concentration. 

The Time Cost of Poor Behaviour

Among the students surveyed, more than four in five (82%) estimated that some lesson time is spent dealing with poor classroom behaviour. 

The most common estimate among the students surveyed was five minutes per lesson, reported by 37% of respondents. Almost one quarter estimated ten minutes, while 12% believed around fifteen minutes of teaching time was lost in a typical lesson. 

Five or ten minutes may seem insignificant in isolation. Over the course of an entire school year, they become anything but.

A student losing ten minutes from each of five one-hour lessons every school day would lose approximately 158 hours of learning over a 190-day school year. That’s equivalent to around 24 school days. Even five minutes lost from every lesson amounts to approximately 79 hours, or around 12 school days.

For students preparing for public examinations, teaching time is a finite resource. Every lesson offers the chance to introduce new concepts, address misconceptions, check understanding and develop exam skills. Once that time has been lost, it cannot simply be replaced.

How Disruption Affects Learning

The impact of classroom disruption extends beyond the minutes lost during each lesson. Learning depends on sustained attention, with the chance to check understanding and practise new skills before moving on. When lessons are repeatedly interrupted, those opportunities become harder to maintain.

Students reported that classroom disruption affects their learning in several ways. In our survey:

• 25% said it makes it harder to concentrate during lessons.

• 24% said they complete less work during lesson time.

• 16% said it leaves them feeling less engaged in lessons.

• 13% said it causes them to fall behind on topics. 

Although these findings describe different experiences, they also suggest that the impact of disruption extends beyond the loss of teaching time. Difficulty concentrating can make it harder to complete work during lessons, while reduced engagement may make it more difficult to keep pace with new topics over time.

The effects of classroom disruption on learning will vary from student to student. While some will find strategies to cope, others may find the challenges greater. For example, many autistic students benefit from structured routines and learning environments with fewer distractions (opens in a new tab). Repeated interruptions may make it harder for them to maintain focus and regulate attention. 

The Frustration Factor

The effects of classroom disruption extend beyond learning outcomes. For many students, they also shape how they feel about the time they spend in lessons.

When asked how they felt about lesson time being lost to poor classroom behaviour, almost three in five students (59%) said they felt either somewhat or very frustrated. By comparison, relatively few said they were not frustrated or that poor behaviour did not affect their learning. 

These findings suggest that most students are not indifferent to classroom disruption. They recognise the value of the learning time lost and become frustrated when lessons are interrupted by others' behaviour.

For many teachers, lost learning time is also a source of professional frustration. The Department for Education's 2024 National Behaviour Survey (opens in a new tab) found that almost three-quarters (73%) of teachers said pupil misbehaviour had negatively affected their health and wellbeing to some extent, while 76% reported that misbehaviour had stopped or interrupted teaching in at least some lessons. 

Together, the findings suggest that classroom disruption is a shared source of frustration for both teachers and students.

Turning to Outside Support to Catch Up

As classroom disruption reduces learning opportunities during lessons, many students appear to be taking greater responsibility for reinforcing their learning outside the classroom.

When asked how they catch up on lessons affected by classroom disruption, students reported using a wide range of additional resources. In our survey:

• 32% said they use online revision platforms.

• 25% use YouTube videos.

• 23% use textbooks.

• 12% use tutors.

• Only 5% said they do not use any additional support. 

The findings suggest that, rather than accepting the loss of learning time, many students are taking active steps to address it. By turning to independent study and additional revision resources, such as Save My Exams, they are reinforcing classroom learning, revisiting missed concepts and preparing more confidently for examinations.

Independent study has always been an important part of exam success. For some students, however, it also appears to be helping reinforce learning affected by classroom disruption.

Where Is Disruption Hitting Hardest?

The experiences reported by students sit alongside wider national evidence that concerns around classroom behaviour have continued to grow over the past decade.

Government data shows that suspensions issued for persistent disruptive behaviour have increased by (opens in a new tab)596% (opens in a new tab) since the (opens in a new tab)2014/15 (opens in a new tab) academic year. Save My Exams analysed the number of suspensions for persistent disruptive behaviour in schools by local authority during the 2014/15 academic year compared with the 2024/25 academic year. Only local authorities which had data for both for both years have been analysed and included within the ranking. Outer and Inner London findings have been combined, likewise have findings for the East Midlands and West Midlands.

Over the same period, suspensions for racism have risen by 313%, while suspensions for assault against another pupil have increased by 143%. While this report does not suggest a direct link between suspension rates and the experiences described by students, the figures provide important context for the wider discussion around behaviour in schools.

The largest regional increases in suspensions for persistent disruptive behaviour were recorded in:

• North East: +1,044%

• South West: +988%

• East of England: +685%

• North West: +682%

Every region has recorded a substantial increase in suspensions for persistent disruptive behaviour over the past decade, with the North East and South West seeing the sharpest rises.

At local authority level, the largest increases were seen in:

• Sunderland: +2,986%

• Cornwall: +2,986%

• South Tyneside: +2,745%

• Bradford: +2,513%

• Gateshead: +2,267%

• Liverpool: +2,243%

• Windsor and Maidenhead: +2,177%

• Hartlepool: +2,148%

• Newcastle upon Tyne: +2,140%

• Blackburn with Darwen: +2,133%

These regional differences provide valuable local context for the national picture. While the experiences of individual schools will vary, the data suggests that concerns around persistent disruptive behaviour are being reported across the country, creating opportunities for regional and local discussions about the impact on teaching and learning.

Local Authorities To Record The Biggest Increase In Suspensions for Persistent Disruptive Behaviour by Region:

Local Authorities To Record The Second Biggest Increase In Suspensions for Persistent Disruptive Behaviour by Region:

Local Authorities To Record The Third Biggest Increase In Suspensions for Persistent Disruptive Behaviour by Region:

Conclusion

Last year, Save My Exams' Classrooms in Crisis report highlighted the impact of poor classroom behaviour on teachers. This survey has explored the same issue through the experiences of students.

Taken together, the findings point to a shared challenge. While teachers lose valuable teaching time, students lose valuable learning time. Many are already taking steps to reinforce their learning beyond the classroom, but independent study cannot replace the opportunities created by effective teaching and a calm, focused learning environment.

Protecting lesson time ultimately means protecting students' opportunities to learn.

Methodology Breakdown

Survey

Save My Exams surveyed 1,009 UK-based GCSE, IGCSE, A Level and IB students about classroom disruption, lost learning time and its impact on learning. 

Themes of the survey included:

• How often classroom learning is interrupted by poor behaviour

• How much time is spent dealing with poor behaviour

• How students catch up on missed learning due to poor behaviour

• How classroom behaviour impacts learning

Department for Education Data

Save My Exams analysed the number of suspensions for persistent disruptive behaviour in schools by local authority during the 2014/15 academic year compared with the 2024/25 academic year. Only local authorities which had data for both for both years have been analysed and included within the ranking. Outer and Inner London findings have been combined, likewise have findings for the East Midlands and West Midlands.

References

• TES | Do schools need to change course on behaviour? (opens in a new tab)

• Suspensions and permanent exclusions in England - Explore education statistics (opens in a new tab)

• Distraction, distress and diversity: Exploring the impact of sensory processing differences on learning and school life for pupils with autism spectrum disorders - ScienceDirect (opens in a new tab)