News

Quality leadership strongest factor in staff satisfaction

A new study in schools across England finds that the quality of school leadership is the most important factor behind satisfied and engaged staff – with teaching and learning, professional growth, and diversity and inclusion also key contributors.

The report by the social enterprise ImpactEd found that teacher workload and classroom behaviour, commonly cited as major contributors to staff dissatisfaction, were less important factors in whether school staff are happy or not. ImpactEd’s study also concludes that where staff are satisfied, so are pupils. It says pupils’ wellbeing is highest in schools where teachers have a more positive relationship with their work.

Owen Carter, co-founder and managing director of ImpactEd, said: “We know highquality teachers are the cornerstone of our education system, yet staff wellbeing and retention continues to be a pressing challenge for the sector. At the same time our research shows that pupils are struggling with mental wellbeing and anxiety, in particular children with special educational needs and those eligible for the Pupil Premium.

“Our report’s findings demonstrate how important it is for school leaders to consider the wellbeing of staff and pupils in tandem, and that achieving one is more than likely to achieve the other.

“The last two years in particular have been very challenging for so many people working in schools, with Covid and changes in Government policy. However, whilst national policies may well impact on many aspects of staff engagement, the high variation in scores between schools suggests individual schools are able to have an impact on staff satisfaction and therefore on pupil happiness. The quality of leadership is front and centre among the factors that drive stronger staff satisfaction and engagement.”

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ASSESSMENTS

Views of assessments during pandemic revealed

Research published by Ofqual reflects the views of students, parents and school leaders on assessment arrangements during 2021, following the cancellation of exams.

A series of YouGov surveys commissioned by Ofqual finds the public and stakeholders had less confidence in arrangements for 2021 than in exams.

Just over half (52 per cent) agreed, however, that the arrangements for grading and assessing students in 2021 were as good as they could be in the circumstances. Agreement was highest among parents (59 per cent) and senior school and college leaders (55 per cent), and lowest among students (46 per cent). Overall confidence in teacher judgements was relatively high. Stakeholders felt confident that teachers had the expertise to grade their students, although they were less confident that they would grade them accurately in reality, i.e. that they would grade neither too harshly nor too generously.

Meanwhile, confidence that grades would be reliable and comparable across schools and colleges was much lower when thinking about 2021 in general, in comparison with perceptions about grades pre-pandemic.

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POST-16 EDUCATION

Parents urged to get clued up on post-GCSE options

Gatsby Charitable Foundation is encouraging parents to get clued-up on post-GCSE options in order to better support their children when it comes to making their decisions.

The call follows research which shows that parents feel as though they lose influence over their teenager’s education choices from the age of 13. Only 16 per cent of parents surveyed believe they have a lot of influence over their teenager’s education decisions and 83 per cent of parents believe other people, like teachers, friends and careers advisers have the most influence.

Yet, according to a poll of students aged 14-16 they do feel most influenced by their parents, with an overwhelming 66 per cent of students saying they are still influenced by their parents when it comes to education choices. This also resonates with schools and colleges surveyed who said parents and family members were the biggest influencers when it comes to education choices for teenagers. These contradictory figures suggest a potential information gap that could mean teenagers don’t consider all options available to them post-GCSEs, such as T-levels.

As students confirm their parents as the most influential, Gatsby are encouraging parents to get clued-up on post-GCSE options in order to better support their children when it comes to making their decisions. New technical education options like T-levels are an exciting alternative to A-levels and Apprenticeships, which put career-focused learning at the forefront. T-levels have been designed with employers and combine classroom study with a 45-day industry placement, giving young people the skills they need for the world of work and addressing skills shortages faced by employers across the country to build the economy.

While many parents rely on their teenagers for more information around post-GCSE options (40 per cent), many also say they need to learn more about their children’s future career options (42 per cent) so they feel able to share knowledge on the pathways their children can take.

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Oak Academy to address weaknesses in curriculum design and delivery

The Department for Education has published the business case it made to the Cabinet Office and Treasury to turn the Oak National Academy into an arms-length curriculum body.

The business case says that rationale for intervention is to address two main problems in education - curriculum design and delivery and excessive teacher workload associated with curriculum planning.

The report points out that in 2014, Ofsted reported serious concerns with the quality of curriculum design in schools and concluded that there are “a number of deficiencies in curriculum thinking” and “limited evidence of a thoughtful approach to curriculum”.

In response to these findings, Ofsted introduced a new focus on curriculum as a central part of its changes to the Education Inspection Framework. Introduced in 2019, this framework effectively increased school accountability for curriculum design and delivery. But the business case said that “the new 2014 National Curriculum has been implemented by teachers with comparatively little practical guidance. Overall, this has meant that since 2014, schools have needed to teach a more rigorous and academically challenging curriculum, but with more autonomy and less support than they have been used to.”

The report also says that evidence suggests that many teachers struggle to find quality resources and end up having to create their lessons from scratch.

The report says: “Without government intervention, this business cases concludes it is unlikely that this cycle will be broken quickly enough, and the standard of curriculum design and implementation may well remain too low to achieve our wider aims for education recovery and levelling up.”

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READING

Bespoke help needed for struggling readers

Ofsted has published a research report looking at how high-performing secondary schools provide targeted support for struggling readers.

The aim of the study was to explore how schools make sure that pupils who leave primary school unable to read ageappropriate books fluently can become proficient readers and keep up with all their other curriculum subjects.

The six schools Ofsted visited for the research were chosen because a higherthan-expected proportion of their initially poor readers achieved a pass in English language at GCSE. In these schools, Ofsted found that senior leaders prioritised reading by investing in additional, bespoke help for struggling readers and training for staff who taught reading. Teachers also accurately identified gaps in pupils’ reading knowledge, and staff who taught reading had expertise in teaching weaker readers. Clear procedures were in place to monitor this teaching and its impact on struggling readers. As pupils’ reading improved, they gained confidence and became more motivated to engage with reading in class.

Ofsted’s chief inspector Amanda Spielman said: “The ability to read is a fundamental life skill. However, secondary school leaders and teaching staff should be aware that a significant number of their pupils are lacking the basics.

“All children, with very few exceptions, should leave school proficient readers. That’s why it’s essential that children who leave primary school unable to read well get the additional teaching they need to participate both academically and in wider society.”

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Anti-racist training for education staff in Wales

Education staff in Wales are to be offered free diversity and anti-racist professional learning, as Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic histories and experiences become a mandatory part of the curriculum.

The Welsh Government has pledged to create an Anti-Racist Wales by 2030, which calls for zero tolerance of racism in all its guises. To do this, its education system must broaden pupils’ understanding and knowledge of the diverse cultures which have built our past and present.

Wales’ first Black headteacher, Betty Campbell MBE, pioneered a curriculum which included Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic histories. One of her former pupils, Chantelle Haughton, principal lecturer in early childhood education at Cardiff Metropolitan University, is driving a national approach to empower all educational staff with the knowledge, skills, empathy, and confidence to celebrate and value diversity

Resources, training, and guidance for educational professionals are available in one place through the DARPL virtual campus. This project is led by a coalition of partners with professional and lived-experience to support those working in education to understand and develop anti-racist practice.

The grass roots of the project were sewn earlier this year, with anti-racist professional learning for school-based practitioners. From the autumn term, provision will extend to early years and further education practitioners. A new anti-racist professional learning module for senior education leaders will launch in the Spring. DARPL has been fast-tracked as one of the new professional learning areas supported by Welsh Government as part of its National Professional Learning Entitlement.

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Most schools face difficult cuts without more funding

A survey of 630 headteachers by the Association of School and College Leaders has shown that almost all schools are likely to have to make cuts due to rising costs and insufficient government funding.

Nearly all respondents (98 per cent) said their school or college would have to make financial savings either in the current academic year 2022/23 or future years, or both, compared to last year, as a result of cost pressures. Sixty per cent said they will have to make financial savings both in the current academic year and in future years.

In the absence of additional funding, 58 per cent said they were considering or likely to reduce teaching staff and increase class sizes, while 43 per cent are considering reducing curriculum options, and 55 per cent are considering reducing the number of teaching assistants.

Press reports have suggested that some schools may reduce to four-day or three-day weeks to reduce costs. We asked respondents whether this was being considered. None are considering a three-day week, but 17 schools (2.7 per cent) are considering a four-day week.

The cost pressures affecting schools and colleges include nationally agreed teacher and support staff pay awards for which there is no additional government funding to afford the cost of these awards, rising energy costs, and rising catering costs.

Geoff Barton, general secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders, said: “School leaders in this survey use words such as ‘catastrophic’ and ‘devastating’ to describe the financial situation they are facing and the impact on their pupils. It is clear that the future is bleak unless the government acts urgently.

“No government can claim to be serving the public interest by presiding over an education funding crisis which cuts provision and imperils standards. And no government which does so can expect to remain in power at the next General Election.

“To make matters worse, we are concerned about the possibility of further public spending cuts being imposed in order to rescue the nation’s finances from the hole dug by the government. It should be clear to MPs of all parties that it is simply untenable to once again sacrifice schools and colleges on the altar of austerity, as happened in the wake of the last financial crisis. Education should not be seen as a soft target for government cuts but a vital public service and an investment in the future.

“It is imperative that the new Prime Minister and Chancellor make education a priority by improving the level of funding in their forthcoming financial plans.”

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Ofsted report identifies ways that T-levels can improve

Ofsted has published an interim report evaluating the quality of the new T-level courses, which finds that while providers are working hard to ensure that T-level courses meet their aim, some challenges need to be overcome.

The interim report was commissioned by the DfE and draws on evidence from visits to 24 providers.

Overall, Ofsted found that learners were appreciative of the quality of teaching on their T-level course. However, not all learners felt prepared for how much work they had to do. Effective industry placements gave learners broad, high-quality and appropriate experiences that helped them to make informed decisions about their future career path. However, many learners experienced delays in going on placements.

Work experience is a fundamental component of the transition programme. Yet in some cases, providers failed to help learners secure meaningful work experience relevant to their course, which resulted in learners sourcing their placements independently.

The review also found that many teachers did not receive comprehensive training and some found teaching the new curriculum challenging. What’s more, providers did not always have access to the resources they needed from awarding bodies in good time.

The recruitment and retention of staff with sufficient knowledge and experience were also a challenge, due to sector shortages and the effects of the pandemic. The more effective T-level curriculums involved frequent collaboration between education providers and employers.

Ofsted’s report recommends that all T-level and T Level Transition Programme providers give initial advice to learners before they start a T-level course to help them decide which pathway to follow, and that they collaborate with employers to make sure the design and delivery of the curriculum is of a high quality.

It also recommends that the impact of work placements is monitored and that the DfE works with universities to make sure they accept T levels for entry to relevant courses.

cannot really work without a wellconsidered curriculum in place. In the stronger schools, teachers and tutors were able to use the curriculum to identify the core knowledge that pupils had missed and made sure this could be covered. Tutors and class teachers collaborated to keep one another informed of a pupil’s progress.

In a minority of schools, the tuition provided was haphazard and poorly planned. These schools had not understood the purpose of having small tutoring groups and frequent sessions.

It was found that most schools had not yet found a good way to assess pupils’ progress and to decide when to stop tuition for individual pupils.

Some leaders found it difficult to extend the school day for tutoring, leading to many providing tutoring during school hours. Some schools had mitigations in place to minimise the impact on other lessons, yet others had not thought through the risks of disrupting children’s learning by taking them out of regular classes.

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COVID-RECOVERY

Most schools lack a system to assess impact of tutoring

Ofsted has published a review of the government’s tutoring programme in schools, and found that the quality of tuition varied greatly depending on the school, and that most teachers did not know the extent to which tutoring was having an impact.

Despite some of the issues, leaders, staff and pupils were positive about the tutoring provided, and overall, the national tutoring programme, particularly the school-led tutoring route, has been well received by schools.

The review found that most schools prioritised English and maths tuition, while FE providers offered English and maths alongside a range of other subjects.

Most leaders in the 63 schools visited had chosen to use existing staff to tutor pupils through a school-led route, rather than external tutors, because this gave them greater control and oversight of quality.

Schools that had strong tutoring in place used assessments with teachers’ knowledge to identify the pupils who could benefit most from tuition. Ofsted found that sessions taught by qualified teachers tended to be of higher quality than those taught by other types of tutors. Nevertheless, inspectors saw that tutoring CLICK TO READ MORE

Why you need to hire an immigration consultant for a stress-free visa application

Holmes and Partners Limited provide a full end-to-end sponsor licence and visa application service to educational institutions and individuals, which includes visa compliance, preparing applications, booking appointments, and liaising with the Home Office

Are you looking for smooth entry into the UK? Work with a visa consultant to make this process as stress free as possible

The application process is not as straightforward as you might like. There is the time it takes to ensure your application is complete and the risk of having the Home Office reject your application due to missing documents. A visa or immigration consultant will do extensive research for you on your eligibility for your chosen visa, thoroughly go through what documentation you require to complete your application and keep you updated every step of the way.

Immigration consultants are there to guide you through every step of the process. They save you time, money and stress during the entire visa application process. Whilst hiring a visa consultant comes with its own fee, this will save you a larger additional fee from the Home Office if the smallest mistake shows on your application.

Resubmitting your application also comes with the added stress of aligning your deadlines with the Home Office’s approval times. By hiring a consultant, you can ensure that your application is complete before submission with an expert pair of eyes looking through every aspect of your application. You can reduce the amount of time it takes to submit your application to the Home Office, leaving you with more time to prepare for your entry to the UK.

Attention to detail Did you know that visa applications have been denied simply because your passport was not deemed to be in a presentable condition? It’s tiny things like these that often go unnoticed that can make a huge impact on the acceptance of your application. Visa consultants leave no rock unturned and go through your application with a high attention to detail.

Visa consultants strive to get your application approved the first time around. They will review your application thoroughly to ensure that there is no faults for the Home Office to flag back.

Be fully supported from start to finish You might have a million questions about your application that the internet simply does not have the answer to. A visa consultant has an answer to every one of your questions. They provide one-to-one support tailored to you and your needs as well as acting as your representative. As a representative of yourself to the government, they make sure your rights are protected and privacy secured.

Your privacy is secured You may be hesitant to share your personal information with an external party. But be rest assured that your personal details are protected from day one. Visa consultants will always keep all your personal information protected and will not share any of your data in line with internationally recognised standards like GDPR.

Up to date on UK regulations Immigration law is constantly changing and it is a visa consultant’s job to stay up to date on these changes. You do not want to run the risk of missing something on your application because a change came into action weeks before you hit send.

Someone who understands is on your side Many visa consultants, such as the Holmes and Partners team, came into this profession after going through this process themselves. They understand your frustration, sympathise with your stress and they know that there is a better way to do this. We all want the same thing and the Holmes and Partners team are ready to assist you in entering the UK.

Holmes and Partners Limited provide a full end-to-end sponsor licence and visa application service to companies, educational institutions and individuals. This includes checking and advising on documents in terms of visa compliance, drafting forms, preparing applications, booking appointments, uploading documents to visa application centre portals, liaising with the Home Office and other stakeholders on your behalf, coordinating approval of applications and more.

Holmes and Partners Limited will make the sponsor licence application process easy and stress-free. We provide a comprehensive service that covers everything to help you apply for a Sponsor Licence, including Advising on the most appropriate licence for your sector/business needs, helping you prepare your organisation for the Home Office pre-licence inspection, assisting with the online application process and mandatory document requirements, advising on the eligibility and suitability requirements, costs and compliance duties, providing ongoing advice on record keeping, monitoring and reporting, notifying the Home Office of any change in circumstances.

We offer specialised visa services for those looking to study in the UK. We want to allow individuals from all over the world the opportunity to study at a UK independent school, college or University without making the visa application process for a UK Study Visa overwhelming for them and their families. L

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