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Trainee teachers will be taught to stand up straight and look troublemakers in the eye under new guidelines to help improve discipline in the classroom.

They will also be given lessons on how to be authoritative, including advice on when to be stern with students and when to punish them. The classes, developed by the Government’s behaviour and discipline advisor Charlie Taylor, are aimed at achieving “best practice” in the classroom.

Mr Taylor, himself a former headteacher, produced the recommendations after discovering some trainee teachers had received as little as one lecture in controlling their classrooms.

More than 40% of teachers surveyed reported their initial training was poor or very poor, saying they left the profession as a result of poor discipline standards.

Advice includes varying the tone and volume of the voice, making use of classroom space and using eye contact with pupils and using praise, rewards and sanctions to improve behaviour.

According to the guidelines, teachers should know how to "vary the tone and volume of their voice to teach effectively and manage behaviour" and "stand, move, make use of the space and use eye contact in order to be an authoritative presence in the classroom".

They should also "use praise effectively to improve behaviour, and understand how to apply rewards and sanctions to improve behaviour" and "take appropriate and effective action when they are confronted by more extreme behaviour".