12 minute read
DO SChOOL BUILDINGS RESTRICT OUR STUDENTS’ POTENTIAL?
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Many of our school buildings were built in a different era for very different needs. Are they still fit for purpose? Do our school buildings limit our students’ potential? And is there something we can we do about it?
By Rob Potts
Over the last few years we’ve witnessed change occur at an often dizzying pace and the landscape 10-15 years ago looks and feels completely different to the one we occupy now. During that time much has changed: an endless line of Education Secretaries have come and (mercifully) gone; the way that we assess both our learners and our schools has changed irrevocably; perhaps most critically, the needs of the young people we serve have changed beyond recognition.
The change to the physical landscape over the last couple of decades has been equally dramatic. The ‘Building Schools for the Future’ programme instigated by Tony Blair’s New Labour government around the turn of the new millennium swept away many of the dilapidated buildings that had been left to decay and degrade for far too long. In their place, a new generation of modern, aspirational facilities emerged up and down the
country, transforming the educational experience of millions of children - particularly in some of our most disadvantaged communities.
The change within the independent sector has been no less profound. Years marked by recession, austerity, pandemic and economic self harm have widened the gap between the average family income and the rising cost of private school fees. Those schools that have been able to stay afloat in this shrinking market have been forced to direct any funds that they can muster towards improving facilities, in the hope of differentiating themselves from the growing competition in both the state and the independent sectors. It’s an increasingly harsh environment and, as the effects of Brexit, Covid and the cost of living crisis kick in, it’s only likely to get tougher.
The one thing that has remained largely constant during these years of change has been my own attitude and values. I’ve always looked upon our school buildings as vessels, rather than living organisms; my belief has always been that it is the people who make a school, rather than the structure that houses them.
As I have encountered an increasingly diverse range of schools over my years in education, that belief seemed to solidify. I’ve visited schools where the walls are literally crumbling but the moral foundations and values that underpin them are rock solid. Similarly, I’ve been to schools where the facilities are pristine but, if you dig beneath the superficial, the substance behind those walls is somewhat lacking.
However, just as our experiences over successive lockdowns have prompted us to reflect over philosophical issues such as policies, aims and values, it has also given us time to pause for thought and consider altogether more concrete issues.
As the author of The Caring Teacher, my outlook has always been (understandably) people-focused. My attention, in both academic and pastoral leadership roles, has always been directed unashamedly towards shaping policies and promoting cultures that provide students, families and teachers with the most positive educational experiences possible.
But what happens when our educational aims are hindered by the very spaces that we occupy? Where do we turn when the warm, inclusive, communal spirit that we are eager to engender is being blocked by the physical geography of our buildings? What do we do when our progressive pedagogical aspirations are being diverted by environments designed to suit the needs of a different era?
People will always be the most valued commodities within our schools but it’s becoming increasingly evident that the spaces that those people occupy really matter too.
As a senior pastoral leader, I’ve witnessed first hand as the challenges facing our young people have grown and mutated. Given the pace of these changes, it’s understandable that our schools haven’t managed to evolve physically at the same rate. We may wish to provide welcoming, communal environments but these aspirations can quickly be strangled by narrow corridors and awkward spaces. And our ability to ensure that the needs of all our students are recognised and met can be obscured when those responsible for their welfare are hidden and buried in inaccessible spaces.
More recently, having pivoted back into an academic leadership role, I’ve watched as we’ve adapted to the transition to online learning and back again without necessarily figuring out what our ‘new normal’ should look and feel like. Our children did an incredible job of adapting to independent learning, taking full advantage of the technology now available to them, but now find themselves back in classrooms where there aren’t even accessible plug points to charge their laptops. It’s becoming apparent that too many of our analog classrooms are struggling to cope with an increasingly digital world.
The disconnect between people and spaces is particularly stark in many of our more traditional independent schools. Parents may still be wooed by intangibles such as ‘character’ and ‘charm’ and may even coo appreciatively about how it’s ‘just like Hogwarts’ as they’re carefully toured around the facilities, but in a shrinking market they’re also becoming more discerning. No amount of ‘charm’ can compensate for dark and tired communal spaces and awkward and uninspiring classrooms.
Disappointingly, the failure to make the most of our spaces can often be just as evident in some of our new schools. Over recent years I’ve been wowed by the sweeping atriums and lofty horizons
that have become de rigueur in many new-builds. Too often though, what could be bustling communal areas or inspiring study spaces are being poorly utilised, lack the necessary fittings and finishes and end up being soulless, cavernous expanses or bloated and barren corridors.
Whether new or old, many schools aren’t utilising their buildings in a manner that befits the 21st century and meets the needs of their learners.
So where will the change come from? Today’s school leaders are expected to play increasingly auxiliary roles: part educationalist, social worker, diplomat and CEO to name just a few. Expecting our headteachers to somehow become experts in interior design, network solutions, acoustics and soft furnishings might be asking a little too much!
Similarly, many of those organisations called upon to build and modernise our facilities may have decades of expertise in construction but they’re likely to lack the understanding of pedagogy and the unique rhythm of education needed to transform steel, glass and concrete into a living, breathing school.
Somehow we need to discover that middle ground.
Little over two years ago, few of us had given any deep consideration to remote learning; little over a decade ago, evidence-based practice was the preserve of a dedicated few rather than an intrinsic part of a teacher’s DNA. The world of education has spun on its axis and is unlikely to turn back.
Despite these seismic shifts, I remain convinced that people - not bricks and mortar - are what make or break a school. But in an ever-changing world, it’s becoming increasingly important for our buildings to elevate, rather than limit, the people who occupy them.
Advice For Aspiring And new sencos
The role of SENCO is one that requires strategic thinking, with policies that must work across key stages and that are inclusive of extremely diverse educational needs. Not only that, the potential (actual) workload generated requires SENCOs to have slick procedures in place to manage what must be done day-to-day. Saira Saeed offers her advice on what to prioritise when new to the SENCO role.
By Saira Saeed
It is my longstanding belief that the role of the SENCO is one that has been desired by many but obtained by few and retained by fewer still. Why? It is categorically one of the most challenging and underestimated roles you can hold in an educational setting and I say this as someone who is both a SENCO and a Designated Safeguarding Lead.
However, it is also one of the most rewarding roles and one where you can develop significantly as a teacher and leader. The role of SENCO is not new to me; it’s the most long-standing role in my professional repertoire, yet I can still recall my first year as a SENCO as it if were yesterday, with the mountain of paperwork, acronyms, overworked Local Authority colleagues and the line of parents venting at me due to their frustrations with an underfunded and understaffed system.
However, I also remember the tearful parents thanking me for securing the correct support for their children, the children who settled into mainstream education and felt like they finally belonged, as equals to their non-SEND peers. I also remember the colleagues who were grateful for being able to understand and cater for the needs of their SEND learners due to CPD I had delivered and the Ofsted inspectors who told me that my passion and skills made me an asset to my school.
The first year for any SENCO is arguably the most difficult, but not impossible to complete. As such, this article lists some advice for aspiring and new SENCOs.
1. Identify your SEND learners
Your role is SENCO, which is an acronym for Special Educational Needs Coordinator, hence the accurate identification of your setting’s SEND learners is key, especially if you are in a mainstream setting where they can get lost in the myriad of other learner groups (non-SEND: PP, EAL, More Able and so on.)
A SEND register should exist, which lists all students in your setting, per year group. (Software such as Arbor allows you to create and import this in a matter of minutes.) I have many memories of triangulating data and involving numerous external agencies in order to hone this register to ensure it was accurate; no easy feat I assure you, but absolutely required. ‘Essential Guides for Early Career Teachers: Special Educational Needs and Disability’ (Anita Devi, 2020) - Don’t be fooled by the title, it is as invaluable to experienced SENCOs as it is to ECTs or new SENCOs!
‘The SENCO Handbook: Leading Provision and Practice’ (Sarah Martin-Denham & Steve Watts, 2019)
‘The Lone SENDCO: Questions and Answers for the Busy SENDCO’ (Gary Aubin, 2022)
2. Reach out to your families
I can still recall the first time a parent shouted at me about how their child was being failed by the system and it was upsetting, as I felt personally attacked. Upon reflection a few days later, I real-ised she was hurting and venting at me because she didn’t know what else to do. As SENCO you must never forget that you may be responsible for 25, 70 or more students on a SEND register but for a parent/ carer of a SEND child, THEIR child is the most important to them. Their child’s dreams matter and deserve to be realised.
This is something that needs to respected and understood because a SENCO’s job is challenging but parents of a SEND child live with their child, thus manage their respective needs all the time and this is not without impact on them and/or other members of their family.
If you are active on Twitter, I would advise following some well-known parents of children with SEND to see what this might look like, thus gain a better understanding of it. Beth Wilson (@Beth_Tastic), Ben Newmark (@bennewmark), Marie Martin (@ martinimarie), Taneisha Pas-coeMatthews (@Mellow_Pascoe) and Helen Ashby (@HelenAshby72) are particularly useful to follow, as they give you an honest insight into their lives, values and feelings; insight that is most invaluable for all SENCOs (not just new or aspiring ones).
One of the first things I did in my first year as SENCO was collate parent voice data for every child on the SEND register. A letter was posted informing them of them of who I was and why I wished to hear from them, a Microsoft Form was emailed out, phone calls were made (by myself and the TAs) and multiple coffee mornings were held to make the process accessible to as many parents as possible.
I also ensured that these weren’t a novelty, instead ensuring that they occurred at key points throughout the academic year so that I could gauge their responses to SEND provisions at my setting. I can safely say that a lot of parents knew nothing about SEND, their child’s rights and so on, so I always made sure that I regularly shared information about local support groups and CPD opportunities with them.
That being said, there were some parents who knew as much as I did (eek!) but rather than be intimidated by them, I celebrated them and utilised their expertise. Honestly, don’t ever see knowledgeable parents as a threat, they almost never are. On the rare occasion that they might try to use their knowledge to undermine you, lean on your line manager/SLT for support because no-one has the right to mistreat you regardless of their knowledge; everyone is learning.
3. Know your team
Contrary to a common misconception, as SENCO you are NOT solely responsible for the SEND provisions at your respective setting: ‘The SENCO has day-to-day responsibility for the operation of SEN policy and coordination of specific provision made to support individual pupils with SEN, including those who have EHC plans’ (SEND Code of Practice, 2015). SEND, just as Safeguarding, is everyone’s responsibility.
Notably, one of the most significant updates to Keeping Children Safe in Education 2021 places a much-needed importance on SEND learners, as their needs create additional barriers for staff to recognise signs of abuse and neglect, thus effectively safeguard them. In short, SEND should matter to everyone in your setting.
In light of this, it is worthwhile to undertake a staff voice and also a skills audit for them in order to see what (if anything) needs addressing. I have vivid recollections of doing this for the first time and being speechless to discover – amongst other things – that very few staff knew who the EHCP students in my setting were, what an EHCP was and thought that certain SEND learners
