LEADERSHIP F O C U S Rewarding work at BESD school p30 The magazine for NAHT members January/February 2015 • £5
Issue #67
Assessment: life after levels p34 NAHT education conference p40
With a little help from their friends A Midlands co-operative trust celebrates its first 18 months
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Our training was graded 'outstanding' in all 44 categories assessed in our last Ofsted inspection
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We can support your school. Find out how at teachďŹ rst.org.uk/partnership
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EDITORIAL WE N A T I O N A L P R E S I D E N T
M
ay I wish you all a happy and peaceful new year. Like the Roman god, GAIL LARKIN Janus, school leaders need two faces – one to look back at the past year when we evaluate what went well and what was less successful – and one to look forward as we make our grand plans. The past year held many challenges. In September we faced the prospect of implementing many new initiatives but, as always, you rose to the challenge and were hugely successful in providing free school meals for infants, introducing a new curriculum and procedures for assessment, a new framework for SEND and performance-related pay for teachers. NAHT had a great year as we saw membership increase and we launched NAHT Edge, our association for aspiring leaders. We also held some fantastic conferences and I know that attendees at our recent education conferences in York and London were inspired by our keynote speakers Sir John Jones and Marcus Orlovsky. The report on page 38 gives a real flavour of their speeches and highlights many of their key messages. And so to the year ahead. My hope is that, with the election, politicians might be too busy to interfere in education for a
WELCOME
PEACE AND GOODWILL while and we may have time to embed the initiatives so recently implemented. We know that assessment is still a cause for concern in our schools and, as our feature on page 34 states, ‘pupil assessment faces an uncertain future’. The assessment framework developed by NAHT has been very well-received by our members, so be sure to find out more about this in the article. Finally, may I draw your attention to the article by head teacher Jane Gilmour (page 21) because she encourages you and the members of your senior leadership teams to attend NAHT branch meetings, conferences and training events as “they bring many advantages”. This would not be possible without the continuation of facilities time and I urge all our members to actively promote and support this during the coming year.
Member of the Audit Bureau of Circulation: 27,642 (July 2013-June 2014)
ASSOCIATION AND EDITORIAL ENQUIRIES NAHT 1 Heath Square, Boltro Road, Haywards Heath, West Sussex RH16 1BL www.naht.org.uk Tel: 0300 30 30 333 Editorial board: Clare Cochrane, Tony Draper, Heather Forse, Lesley Gannon, Nicky Gillhespy, Magnus Gorham, Chris Harrison, Russell Hobby, Bernadette Hunter, Gail Larkin, Caroline Morley, Stephen Watkins and Paul Whiteman. @nahtnews @LFmagNAHT
EDITORIAL TEAM Managing editor: Steve Smethurst Assistant editor: Rebecca Grant Designer: Adrian Taylor Senior picture editor: Claire Echavarry Production manager: Jane Easterman Cover photograph: Richard Lea-Hair Columnist illustrations: Lyndon Hayes Printed by: Woodford Litho
ADVERTISING ENQUIRIES Advertisement sales: Joe Elliott-Walker Sales director: Jason Grant Leadership Focus is published on behalf of NAHT by Redactive Publishing Limited, 17 Britton Street, London EC1M 5TP www.redactive.co.uk Tel: 020 7880 6200 Email: naht@redactive.co.uk
ISSN: 1472–6181 © Copyright 2015 NAHT All rights reserved; no part of this publication may be copied or reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means electronic, mechanical, photocopy, recording or otherwise without the prior written permission of the publishers. While every care has been taken in the compilation of this publication, neither the publisher nor NAHT can accept responsibility for any inaccuracies or changes since compilation, or for consequential loss arising from such changes or inaccuracies, or for any other loss, direct or consequential, arising in connection with information in this publication. Acceptance of advertisements does not imply recommendation by the publishers. The views herein are not necessarily those of the publisher, the editor or NAHT.
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New year. New horizons. Helping you move forward with a mortgage that’s right for you. At Teachers Building Society, we understand the education sector, teaching contracts and pay scales. This understanding led us to develop a wide range of residential mortgages available exclusively to education professionals. So, if you’re thinking of moving or remortgaging your property in the New Year, we’re sure to have something to suit your needs.
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CONTENTS
EN
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FEATURES
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Towering ambition The Royal Palaces asked ‘Why remember?’ and more than half a million pupils tuned in to a national online assembly
22 How to prevent extremism Extremism is a broad term and many school leaders are unsure how they are expected to prevent it. LF investigates
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How Ofsted could be improved NAHT has responded at length to Ofsted’s Better inspection for all consultation with a wide range of proactive suggestions
26 The co-operative seven Vicky Hewitson, strategic business manager at the Learning Trust for Excellence in Birmingham, looks back at the co-operative trust’s first 18 months
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NAHT vision for ‘Royal College’ A Royal College of Teaching has won support from NAHT but it would need to be ‘truly independent’ and have chartered status Call to enter the ERA The closing date for entries to the NAHT-supported Education Resources Awards is approaching fast (Monday 2 February) Inspiring Leadership 2015 Following the success of last year’s event, you can book an ‘early bird’ ticket for this year’s conference if you register by 30 January. It takes place from 10 to 12 June
10 Family Action leaflet The latest in the ‘Ready to learn every day’ series from NAHT’s charity partner focuses on ‘supporting additional education needs for your child in secondary education’ 11 Rwandan mentoring The mentoring of Rwandan school leaders has moved into a new phase with 29 head teachers selected to offer online support to their African colleagues 12 Obituaries NAHT remembers Essex head teacher Bob Knight and specialist adviser Tom Foster
30 Risk and reward A new system of behaviour management at a BESD school will see the removal of sanctions. Kilgarth head teacher Steven Baker tells Susan Young about his plans 34 Measuring pupil progress Radical changes to the national curriculum have given the government the opportunity to scrap levels. But what will take their place and what support is available for school leaders? By Joy Persaud 38 Light the fire Keynote speakers Sir John Jones and Marcus Orlovsky were the stars of the show at NAHT’s education conference under the banner: ‘Enlightened leadership, lighting the fires’, says Caroline Roberts 42 Be the best you can be The Mayor’s Fund for London is contributing to an initiative that will help deliver the educational legacy of London 2012, as Aisling Cohn reports 46 Shining lights Winners of the ‘Let Teachers SHINE’ awards share their top tips for engaging the most challenging students with Philippa Wilding
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14 NAHT partners The Education Broker has advice on what to look for when buying staff absence insurance; and it’s a good time for a financial review says Skipton Financial Services 15 Legal update NAHT senior solicitor Simon Thomas offers his advice on cautions and alleged assaults 17 Rona Tutt’s column The DfE asked how to cut back on bureaucracy. It now has almost 48,000 suggestions 19 Russell Hobby’s column Ofsted should abandon its hold on ‘outstanding’ and do what regulators are supposed to do: decide when something is ‘good enough’ 20 Best of the blogs There’s an award for SBM Nicky Gillhespy, a grilling for secretary of state Nicky Morgan and a pensive Warwick Mansell wonders if school leaders can ever relax 21 Opinion: Jane Gilmour Head teacher Jane Gilmour discusses the benefits to her school of encouraging staff involvement in NAHT 50 Susan Young’s column Sarah Hewitt-Clarkson feels the government should do more on sensitive issues of equality
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NEWS FOCUS
NEWS • OFSTED REFORM • ROYAL COLLEGE • GOVERNANCE FRAMEWORK • RWANDAN MENTORING • FAMILY ACTION
WE N E W S F R O M T H E W O R L D O F E D U C A T I O N
Students pose in the moat of poppies at the Tower of London
O N L I N E A S S E M B LY
Towering ambition THE ROYAL PALACES ASKED WHY REMEMBER? AND MORE THAN HALF A MILLION PUPILS TUNED INTO A NATIONAL ONLINE ASSEMBLY ON 10 NOVEMBER
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The Tower of London’s moat was filled with 888,246 poppies last term, one for each fatality suffered by the British miltary during World War One. It was part of the Historic Royal Palaces’ Why remember? campaign, which included a national online assembly on Monday 10 November. This was streamed live from the Tower of London and hosted by former Blue Peter presenter Tim Vincent. Head teacher Gareth Dacey said he was proud to have been involved in
the campaign. Gareth said his pupils at Cwmclydach Primary School in Wales had taken full advantage of the resources linked to Why remember? and had followed the remembrance assembly closely. He said: “As well as raising awareness of the Great War for the children, this campaign has also stimulated a discussion in the school about how WW1 affected our community here in the Rhondda Valley.”
whyremember.hrp.org.uk
PHOTOGRAPH: RICHARD LEA-HAIR
19/12/2014 11:49
Talented Leaders expansion
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10 new areas announced The Future Leaders Trust has expanded ‘Talented Leaders’, a programme to find great head teachers for schools in need of support. See bit.ly/LF_Talented
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The areas are Redcar and Cleveland, Stockton-on-Tees, Sunderland, Norfolk, Southend-onSea, Bracknell Forest, East Sussex, Medway, Thanet and Portsmouth
Ofsted proposals are welcome but ‘do not go far enough’
SMART STAT Five million children are being denied learning because of the Ebola crisis, says A World at School
Ofsted’s Better inspection for all consultation closed on 5 December and NAHT provided a comprehensive response. Russell Hobby, NAHT general secretary, told LF: “The consultation is welcome; the majority of the proposals are sensible, but they do not go far enough.” While welcoming the basic principle of ‘short form’ inspection, NAHT called on Ofsted to: • separate the judgement of governance from professional leadership; • apply the same short form of inspection to outstanding schools as well as good; • ensure schools are always inspected by a The quality of school inspection has been specialist in their phase and sector; and identified as one of the main concerns of • apply a separate, graded judgement for the the education workforce. NAHT is keen to overall breadth and balance of the curriculum. find out more about your experiences of Mr Hobby said: “Under the proposals, school school inspection. leadership and school governance are graded If you have recently been inspected, together but they are distinct roles. Problems please follow the link below to complete can occur when there is insufficient clarity the NAHT survey. If you are a member and require between the two, which is why we believe it’s immediate support about a school time for separate judgements. Parents and inspection, call: the public have the right to know whether England: 0300 30 30 333 governors are fulfilling their responsibilities. Wales: 02920 463 774 School leaders deserve to have their role Northern Ireland: 02890 776 633 recognised as a different type of responsibility with different challenges to meet.” “NAHT also suggests that a separate grade should be issued for the quality of the school curriculum. It is vital that every child has access to a broad and balanced curriculum, a separate judgement will reinforce that entitlement. We would also like to see a guarantee that the lead inspector is always a specialist from the sector and phase that they are inspecting.”
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Tell us about your inspection experience
bit.ly/NAHTmanifesto
January launch for governance framework The National Governors’ Association (NGA) and the Wellcome Trust have jointly developed a Framework for governance, an essential document for all governing boards to help them carry out their role. It can be used by any school regardless of phase, type or governance structure. Strong school governance is arguably more important than ever – governing boards have more responsibility and are held accountable for the performance of the school more rigorously than before. The framework aims to help governors and trustees successfully meet these challenges. It sets out how governors can evaluate their own practice using 20 key questions for a governing board to ask itself; how to set the strategic direction for a school; and how to monitor progress against the strategy using high-level performance indicators that go much further than just exam results. All schools will be emailed an electronic copy, which will also be available to download free of charge from the NGA.
www.nga.org.uk
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They join the four areas announced in September last year – Blackpool, Bradford, Suffolk and North Lincolnshire
NAHT vision for Royal College NAHT has spoken out about the establishment of a Royal College of Teaching. The association’s general secretary said it was a vision long-held by NAHT. “We welcome all political effort that brings the college closer to reality but it must be truly independent of politics to have any power or value. The government cannot create a Royal College of Teaching by itself. A viable college can only be created with the profession; if imposed it will wither away.” He also said that external commentators should be able to specify what a college should or shouldn’t do. “The whole point of a Royal College should be to enable the profession to take charge of its own destiny and take responsibility for standards. A strong college would speak truth to power and challenge the beliefs of politicians and pundits from a strong evidence base. “NAHT believes the government can help the profession to create its college in a facilitating role. I believe the government knows this and is working patiently with representatives of the profession to help a grassroots college come to fruition in the right way. “One solution, which others have also suggested, is that the college should be chartered to ensure its independence.”
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Life after levels made easy Assessing, tracking, reporting‌ and planning! lanning! InfoMentor is an award winning curriculum m focused learning solution.
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OVERSEAS DEVELOPMENT The Iain Grant Charitable Trust provides professional development opportunities for teachers interested in travelling abroad to study teaching methods used in other countries. The trustees currently have funds available. See bit.ly/Iain_Grant for more details
Are you ready to be inspired?
Call to enter the Education Resources Awards 2015 Preparations are now in place for the 17th annual Education Resources Awards on 20 March. NAHT is inviting members to enter two categories – ‘Leadership in education’ and ‘Educational establishment of the year’. The leadership award will be presented to an education professional (nominated by their peers or themselves), for some special leadership quality or qualities. This could be the way that a teaching environment is managed, for qualities displayed in managing an educational purchasing policy, for the way in which the respect of pupils has been gained; or for outstanding innovation or creativity. The establishment award is open to any phase but needs to demonstrate effectiveness and real value to the community it serves. Entries may cover any of the following criteria: how the establishment has created and sustained partnerships with local businesses, use made of the school building, the success of the The 2013 ERA winners celebrate pupils over a three-year period, a comprehensive approach to extended learning, a supportive and inclusive approach to the role of parents and carers in pupil achievement or for a wide-ranging professional development programme. Closing date for entries is Monday 2 February. The awards ceremony includes a three-course dinner (including wine), a celebrity host, awards presentation ceremony, casino and dance. Sponsors include YPO and Maped Helix. Supporters include NAHT and SSAT. The organisers are BESA and Brilliant Marketing Solutions.
Following last year’s inaugural ‘Inspiring Leadership’ conference, registrations are now open for the 2015 event. It will |take place from 10 to 12 June, at the ICC in Birmingham. If you register by 30 January, you’ll be able to take advantage of an early bird discount. With another unbeatable line-up of main stage speakers and a fascinating range of topics across the programme of masterclasses and workshops, not to mention a great range of exhibitors, we are sure you will leave the conference re-energised and full of ideas. The host organisations, NAHT, CfBT and ASCL were delighted with the feedback from last year’s conference. This was summarised by one delegate, who said: “I don’t have words for how valuable and inspiring this conference is. I can do my job because of it! It is unique in its approach.”
www.educationresourcesawards.co.uk
RED NOSE DAY SAY IT WITH NOSES… Red Nose Day is back on Friday 13 March and it sees the launch of nine new noses, available for schools to order through the Red Noses for Schools scheme. This year the noses come in surprise bags; so whichever nose is found, from Astrosnort to Supernose, the Comic Relief team hopes pupils will love the new characters. Schools can pay £18 per box as a deposit, and the remaining £42 after Red Nose Day, making selling noses at school easier. Selling a box of noses could pay for an orphaned child in Zambia to go to secondary school for a whole year, offering them hope, safety and life-changing access to education. Schools that buy red noses through the
PHOTOGRAPHS: ERA / ALAMY
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www.inspiring leadership.org
CORRECTION schools scheme will also be in with a chance to find the very special Golden Nose, which could be hidden in your box of noses. The school that finds the nose will win a visit and an animation workshop from Aardman. www.rednoseday.com/schools
Following a production error in the November/December issue of Leadership Focus (‘Let’s keep hold of our teachers’) we would like to clarify that Chris Wheatley is executive head of Candleby Lane School and Paul Stone is executive head teacher of Kibworth CE Primary.
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NAHT NEWS AND INFORMATION
CHARITY PARTNER
Supporting SEND This latest leaflet in the ‘Ready to learn every day’ series, co-produced by NAHT and Family Action, focuses on ‘Supporting additional education needs for your child in secondary education’. Its purpose is provide information when there has been an assessment of SEND, or when a parent/carer is concerned about their child’s learning or feels they may have special educational needs. Statistics from the DfE on SEND for 2014 in England show 2,913,840 children aged 11 to 16 in secondary mainstream education with special educational needs and comparatively more students in secondary education than primary. It can be a challenging time for both parent and child and the information in this leaflet should make it easier to
understand where and how to access information. It has been designed for SEND plan stage, rather than Education, Health and Care (EHC). This leaflet also gives parents tips on ways to communicate with their child about the difficulties having SEN may present and how to support them to achieve to the best of their abilities, create positive feelings in them and the courage to ask for help if they need it. If your school would like to get involved in the campaign, you can find resources, including the full series of leaflets and a week-long
assembly pack, at the websites below. Also, you may wish to choose Family Action as your school’s charity this year and fundraise to support our work throughout the next 12 months. For information about the leaflets or fundraising, contact Elisa Cappello. 020 7241 7454 elisa.cappello@ family-action.org.uk www.family-action.org. uk/naht www.naht.org.uk/ familyaction
Tell us your views on the DfE’s SEND reforms NAHT distributed a survey to all members last term seeking information on the implementation of SEND reforms. However, the response rate was not indicative of the level of concern NAHT has detected through more informal channels, so National Executive’s SEND committee has suggested the survey is re-launched in modified form early in the spring term. Members are therefore requested to formulate their views in readiness. The DfE has requested a meeting with NAHT where we hope to share the concerns of school leaders supported by firm evidence from the special, secondary and primary sectors. NAHT needs to prove that many local authorities are not providing adequate support to schools.
Time-management training for your middle leaders As school leaders, you already know how important time and self-management become when you are leading others. Why not share the knowledge with your middle leader colleagues by guiding them towards a free course being offered by NAHT Edge? NAHT Edge is offering 20 middle leaders the chance to attend a ‘personal effectiveness and time
management: working smarter, not harder (part one)’ course for free. The half-day course, on 23 January 2015 at Maple House in Birmingham, will enable attendees to reflect on their effectiveness, identify timestealers and consider how to use their precious time more effectively. It will explore the importance of prioritising activities and engaging
in forward planning. Those lucky enough to secure one of the limited free places will get the chance to: · reflect on the importance of a healthy work-life balance; · evaluate work activities and consider how best to prioritise important tasks; · explore the habits of highly effective people; · consider the importance of assertiveness and
saying ‘no’ to things; · develop an understanding of delegation and its potential for growing others. Places are available on a first-come, first-served basis. To help shape NAHT Edge’s continuing professional development offer, delegates will be asked for feedback during a lunchtime discussion.
bit.ly/Edge_smarter
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ASPIRING TO GREAT HEIGHTS Congratulations to Lovers’ Lane primary school in Newark, which appeared in the last LF for its work with NAHT Aspire. Ofsted inspectors have since paid tribute to the school’s leaders and managers who have “convincingly improved every aspect of pupils’ experience at school”.
Rock Enrol scheme can support citizenship
Mentoring of Rwandan head teachers gathers momentum Following a mandate from annual conference, NAHT has been supporting head teachers in Rwanda to further develop their leadership skills. Three NAHT members and an experienced trainer from the British Council visited the country last year and worked alongside 18 head teachers, the Rwandan Education Board (REB) and the British Council. On their return, they mentored six heads each via email. The REB then asked if NAHT could develop further e-coaching and e-mentoring, moving to a one-to-one model. NAHT president Gail Larkin wrote to the membership and asked for volunteer heads to mentor/coach Rwandan heads. The criteria set for this important but unpaid role was tough but she was inundated with applicants. Some 29 were selected and they recently attended a coaching workshop run by Professor Tom Whittington, a specialist in international coaching from Worcester University. NAHT’s Kenny Frederick told LF: “Esprance Uwamaliya (pictured) from the British Council in Rwanda spoke to the heads and described the history of the genocide and about the barriers faced every day by Rwandan heads. There was not a dry eye in the house. “The enthusiasm on the training day was only matched by the 29 heads we met in Kigali to run the first of our three days of workshops. They soon got to know us and the feedback from both the UK and Rwandan workshops was very positive. We are excited by what will happen next. “The UK and Rwandan heads have now been matched and made contact with each other before Christmas. We will now wait to see what happens. Watch this space.”
NAHT has been working with the government on a project to encourage young people to become more engaged in the democratic process. This has been triggered by changes in the way the electoral roll is constructed. A resource has been produced for use in PSHE or citizenship lessons for key stages four and five students called Rock Enrol, for which NAHT provided advice on content. In addition to the aim of encouraging voter registration, the initiative is also intended to play a valuable part in attempts to lessen the risk of radicalisation by promoting British democratic values.
bit.ly/Rock_Enrol
‘Disqualification by association’ applies to schools The DfE issued new guidance last term clarifying childcare regulations, outlining who is disqualified from providing childcare in a school setting. School leaders therefore need to know what obligations this places on them. A crucial point is that ‘disqualification by association’ applies. This relates to someone who lives in a household where a person who is disqualified also lives or works (see below). The Childcare Act 2006 and the childcare (disqualification) regulations 2009 disqualify staff from: • providing early years childcare or later years childcare to children who have not reached the age of eight; or • if they are directly concerned in the management of that childcare. In addition to inclusion on the children’s barred list, the
PHOTOGRAPH: KENNY FREDERICK
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wider disqualification criteria include: • being cautioned for or convicted of certain violent and sexual criminal offences against children and adults; • grounds relating to the care of children (including where an order is made in respect of a child under the person’s care); • having registration refused or cancelled in relation to childcare or children’s homes or being disqualified from private fostering; and • living in the same household where another person who is disqualified, lives or works (disqualification ‘by association’). In practice this applies to all schools as part of their safeguarding duty. School leaders should make all staff aware of the implications. bit.ly/DisqByAssoc
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OBITUARIES Bob Knight 1955-2014
Tom Foster 1951-2014
Bob was a charismatic and much loved school leader. In a career spanning 37 years, he spent 23 of them as a head teacher in primary schools in London and Essex; the last 12 being at Darlinghurst Primary School in Southend. He regarded educational leadership as a true vocation. To this he brought a vitality which underpinned an unshakable conviction that, at the heart of effective teaching and learning, was the quality of the relationship between the pupils and their teacher. He believed that schools should be places of education where, for the teachers and their pupils, learning should feel empowering, enriching, exciting and fun. And that it was a head teacher’s central role to make this so. He strove to make Darlinghurst the hub of a network of interests and development that directly and positively affected the daily life and work of the school. To this end, he organised educational links and exchanges with a number of schools around the world, he qualified as an Ofsted inspector, was a much sought-after educational consultant and leadership trainer, a member of the executive board of the National College for School Leadership, as well as being a key member of the West Essex Headteacher’s Association. Last, but by no means least, he was branch secretary for NAHT’s Southend branch. Bob was also instrumental in supporting the development of the Southend Educational Trust for which he was a prominent, supportive, reflective, and at times thoughtprovoking trustee. This work included the setting up of a business arm of the organisation to safeguard the provision of effective continuing professional development across the area and beyond. He is remembered as a man who understood the importance of staff wellbeing and the centrality of family life and friendship, made manifest by his bonhomie, a desire to live life to the full and his capacity to see – and develop – the true potential in all those in his charge. Bob leaves two grown-up children. He is greatly missed. Stuart Livingstone
It was with great sadness that NAHT learned of the death in November of long-term staff member Tom Foster. Tom was a committed egalitarian and trade unionist. He believed in a society that was not marked by prejudice and inequality. He also believed in the power of open debate and the right of free speech. He was very supportive of his colleagues and passionate about helping members. His strong moral sense underpinned everything he did while working for NAHT. Before coming to work at NAHT in 2001, Tom had been a science teacher in a secondary school, a trade union representative for NASUWT and an Ofsted inspector. Tom was a principled and honest man; the sort of person whose opinion was welcomed even when it ran counter to the majority view. He never adopted a position lightly so when he argued a case, it demanded attention. He worked as specialist adviser for NAHT members involved in Service Children’s Education (SCE), which provides schools and educational support for children of the UK armed forces. He loved SCE with a passion and was always a huge champion for its cause, earning him tremendous respect from members and other professional associations. Outside work, Tom was a committed Christian and a lay preacher. He was a loving family man and devoted grandfather. He also loved a good glass of wine. He will be remembered for his hard work on behalf of members, his quick wit and dry sense of humour, and his bravery in facing illness in later life. He was an extraordinary and formidable colleague. NAHT would like to send its deepest sympathy and condolences to his family and close friends.
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BOB BROUGHT A VITALITY, WHICH UNDERPINNED AN UNSHAKABLE CONVICTION THAT, AT THE HEART OF EFFECTIVE TEACHING AND LEARNING, WAS THE QUALITY OF THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE PUPILS AND THEIR TEACHER
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MEMBER BENEFITS
PARTNERS WE M E S S A G E F R O M A S C H O O L P A R T N E R What to look for when buying staff absence insurance for your school Neville Mort, head of education at The Education Broker, tells LF: “We’ve found from roadshows we’ve conducted with NAHT and NASBM that knowing what questions to ask insurers and understanding how to compare their answers is what schools need in their pursuit of the right insurance cover.” Here are Neville’s top tips: • No two policies are the same. A slight difference between policy wordings can mean the difference between having a claim paid or not. You should compare the full policy wording, not just quotes and key facts. • Most standard policies provide cover for 12 months, with renewal offered annually. From the outset it’s critical to establish whether exclusions (such as pre-existing illnesses or pre-planned operations) are applied only when you first buy the policy or are re-applied at renewal too. • Ask if the insurers will rely on what the school submits or will they want to write to the person’s doctor? If the latter, you will probably want to seek approval from all insured staff before buying. These are just three examples of questions, but The Education Broker will be pleased to help you with your staff insurance queries. Its service compares four insurance quotes from various insurers. You pay nothing for this service, although you would have to pay the insurance premium if you did decide to buy any of the polices.
WE M E S S A G E F R O M A M E M B E R P A R T N E R Start the new year on the right foot by arranging a financial review Now is a good time to review your savings and investments. There have been many changes to the personal finance landscape and more are on their way. In addition, if your circumstances have altered since your last review, there’s a danger that your existing arrangements will no longer be suitable for your needs. NAHT Personal Financial Services – provided by Skipton Financial Services Limited (SFS) – offer a face-to-face review. A local adviser will make a thorough evaluation of your financial objectives and an expert assessment of your savings and investments. SFS can assist with investments and retirement planning. If you could be making more of your money, they will make tailored recommendations. When surveyed, 100 per cent of SFS clients believe they were provided with support, information and enough time to make the right decision.* For more information, call 0800 012 1248, quoting ‘LFJan15’. Your capital is at risk so you may get back less than you originally invested. The value of any investments and the income from them may rise as well as fall. *Based on 5,945 returned client questionnaires; overall figures from July 2009 to September 2014. Lines open 9am to 7pm, Monday to Thursday, and 9am to 5pm on Friday. To maintain service and quality, some calls may be recorded and monitored. Calls are free from a BT landline, costs from other networks and mobiles may vary. NAHT Personal Financial Services is offered by SFS, which is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority under register number 100013 and is a wholly owned subsidiary of Skipton Building Society. SFS offers restricted advice. Registered office: The Bailey, Harrogate Road, Skipton, North Yorkshire BD23 1DN. Registered in England number 2061788. Should you take advice from SFS, NAHT will receive a fee for the introduction.
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WE NAHT
partner contacts NAHT is committed to negotiating a wide range of high-quality, value-added benefits and services for its members. If you have any comments on the services provided by our affinity partners, contact marketing@naht.org.uk.
SERVICES FOR SCHOOLS NAHT ASSURE HR, payroll, property, health and safety 0845 519 7001 Email: helpdesk@nahtassure.co.uk www.nahtassure.co.uk Online DBS checking 0845 519 7001 www.nahtassure.co.uk/online-dbs ETEACH Online staff recruitment 0845 226 1906 Email: info@eteach.com www.eteach.com GL ASSESSMENT Pupil assessment 0845 602 1937 www.gl-assessment.co.uk GL PERFORMANCE Kirkland Rowell Surveys 0191 270 8270 www.kirkland-rowell.com THE EDUCATION BROKER Staff absence insurance 0845 600 5762 www.theeducationbroker.co.uk
SERVICES FOR MEMBERS ROCK Travel insurance 0844 482 3390 www.nahttravelinsurance.co.uk AVIVA Home, contents and motor insurance 0800 046 6389 www.fromyourassociation.co.uk/NAHT CS HEALTHCARE Private medical insurance 0800 917 4325 (use code 147) www.cshealthcare.co.uk GRAYBROOK INSURANCE BROKERS Professional indemnity and public liability cover 01245 321 185 Email: enquiry@graybrook.co.uk www.graybrook.co.uk/naht-members MBNA Credit card services 0800 028 2440 www.mbna.co.uk SKIPTON FINANCIAL SERVICES Financial planning 0800 012 1248 Email: sfsnaht@skipton.co.uk www.skiptonfs-naht.co.uk
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22/12/2014 11:57
NEWS FOCUS
LEGAL UPDATE
Advice on crime: cautions and alleged assaults Being accused of a criminal offence (most commonly assault) against a child is an occupational hazard of teaching, particularly so for school leaders who have responsibilities for discipline and maintaining order, writes NAHT senior solicitor Simon Thomas. The police (or the Crown Prosecution Service) may deal with low-level first time offending by offering the offender a formal caution. This may be a simple caution or a conditional caution (conditions may, for example, prevent the offender coming into contact with the victim). A caution may have advantages for the accused, including the following: • It is a quick way to deal with the offence • No conviction or penalty is imposed • There is no trial or court appearance • There is a lower risk of publicity • A caution is immediately ‘spent’ and a conditional caution spent after three months for the purposes of the 1974 Rehabilitation of Offenders Act, which means they do not have to be declared when applying for non-exempt employment • Although teaching is exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act, cautions do usually have to be declared. However, some older or minor cautions may not have to be disclosed. If in doubt seek advice. Career-ending implications However, accepting a caution may have serious and potentially career-ending implications for school leaders, for some, if not all, of the following reasons: • The person accepting the caution must first have admitted the offence • It may be used as the basis for taking disciplinary action and/or dismissal • It may be used as the basis for unacceptable professional conduct proceedings before the National College for Teaching and Leadership or the General Teaching Council for Wales • A caution will normally appear on an enhanced criminal record certificate for at least six years
PHOTOGRAPH: PLAINPICTURE
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• A caution forms part of a criminal record • Employment that involves working with children, including teaching, is exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act. Once accepted, it is difficult to overturn a caution. It may be possible if the caution was not administered in accordance with Ministry of Justice guidelines or if the accused was insensible through illness, drink or drugs to such an extent that they could not properly understand what they were agreeing to. It’s probably not enough to show the accused was depressed or distressed. Defences against a charge of assault Under the Education and Inspections Act 2006, a teacher accused of assault will have a defence if the use of force was on school premises, or while the member of staff had lawful control or charge of the pupil, and the use of force was reasonable for the purpose of preventing a pupil from doing the following: • Committing an offence (or what would be an offence but for the age of the pupil) • Causing injury to, or damage to the property of, any person (including the pupil himself) • Prejudicing the maintenance of good order and discipline at the school or among any pupils receiving education at the school, whether during a teaching session or otherwise. These defences are in addition to the general ‘common law’ defences available to persons accused of assault, such as self-defence. NAHT advice to any member accused of assault or any other offence is that you should always exercise your right to have legal advice representation when questioned or placed under arrest by the police. Members should contact NAHT headquarters for their regional officer. If that is not possible, ask for the duty solicitor. If you need professional advice call 0300 30 30 333
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19/12/2014 16:26
NFER Reception Baseline Assessment The interactive, resource-based and child-friendly activity assessment What does the assessment cover? Communication and Language - as children’s talking and listening is spontaneous, teachers record judgements based on observations of individual pupil’s abilities. Literacy - one-to-one tasks assess children’s knowledge of language, their growing abilities to pick out sounds in words and link these with letters, and their early mark-making and writing. Numeracy - achievements such as counting and number recognition are assessed through child-friendly one-to-one activities using physical resources. Foundations of learning (optional) - observational checklist that provides a fully rounded picture of each child, including key aspects of physical development, personal, social and emotional development and characteristics of effective learning.
“We ll-org anise d and simp le to use. Children enjoyed cont act with teacher – not at all worr ied by asse ssme nt proc ess.”
What schools think We gained feedback from over 500 schools during our trialling process • 85% of teachers said that the assessment approach ensured most children completed tasks that were appropriate to their level of development.
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• 80% of teachers said most children were able to demonstrate the skills and knowledge they bring to school. • 92% of teachers rated the child-friendly physical resources as very important. • 79% of teachers rated the optional Foundations of Learning module very important.
Key benefits • Interactive, child-friendly and with physical resources. • The assessment is in the hands of the teacher who knows the child best. • Mixture of tasks and observation checklists to assess communication, language, literacy and numeracy. • Optional module gives a holistic picture of the child. • Ability to record key judgements about each child’s development and attainment. • Online administration instructions (paper documents are also available). • Mapped to Early Years outcomes. • Standardised with a nationally representative sample of approximately 3000 children in over 500 schools.
“Ac curate, evidenc e-ba sed judgeme nts are give n. Time spe nt talk ing to and wor king wit h indi vidu al children give s a mas s of info rmation and stre ngt hen s relation ship s.”
Visit www.nfer.ac.uk/ba2 to find out more
18/12/2014 14:26
OPINION
VIEWS IN EDUCATION • RONA TUTT • RUSSELL HOBBY • BEST OF THE BLOGS
WE V I E W F R O M A P A S T P R E S I D E N T
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ince taking over as secretary of state, Nicky Morgan has attempted a balancing act. RONA TUTT On the one hand, she needs to demonstrate that she can be as rigorous and insistent on standards as Mr Gove but she is also trying to be friendly enough to halt the alienation of the teaching profession before the next election. Certainly, she has spoken of the need OVERCOMING THE ‘WORKLOAD to tone down the rhetoric and for education to be about partnership CHALLENGE’ IS OUT OF OUR HANDS, rather than war. One of the first moves MS MORGAN, BUT THANKS FOR ASKING without a Govian fingerprint was the ‘Workload Challenge’. Ms Morgan’s up with unnecessary paperwork and unproductive tasks. move to recognise the burden on teachers was a good start, Ironically, the response to the workload challenge, which particularly if she manages to succeed where others have failed. asked for responses between October and November 2014, has Her approach is different as it means finding out from those been so great that the DfE itself now has its own workload bearing the brunt of the workload overload what they think challenge – analysing the 43,855 responses received. The might be done to reduce it to manageable proportions. education secretary has promised that every response will be Speaking at the Conservative party conference last autumn, read and the findings shared with trade unions, as well as a Ms Morgan said she didn’t want her own child taught by teachers group of teachers, head teachers and support staff, before a who were tired, stressed and anxious because they had stayed up plan of action is published. late marking work, planning lessons and preparing for the next But while it is refreshing to hear that there is a problem to be inspection, whenever that might be. tackled, rather than blaming teachers for making a fuss about nothing, it is hard to see how much can be achieved unless Your life in their hands politicians stop treating policy-making as something they can She said her aim was to enable teachers to spend more time indulge in without considering the consequences and the knockteaching and she hoped the profession would come up with some on effect of constant change. One of the main themes of NAHT’s answers. While a commendable approach, the solution may not education manifesto, with its telling title, Owning what is ours, is lie entirely in the hands of the professionals. One thing that the proposal for an ‘office of educational responsibility,’ which would make a huge difference would be to end the non-stop would allow politicians to continue to concern themselves with policy-making in which all politicians are inclined to indulge. policy but also work alongside the profession in creating a fiveEvery change in policy – whether to the curriculum, its year programme of reform, where every proposal for change assessment, the examination system or to the SEND framework would have to include evidence of impact, value for money and – brings with it new regulations, codes of practice and other the capacity for it to be implemented. documentation. This, in turn, results in endless hours digesting This is the kind of radical approach that may be the only the material, rewriting school policies and planning new ways answer to an increasingly pressing problem. to incorporate the latest change of direction. While the making of education policy is left in the hands of politicians, it may not be possible to make the fundamental changes that are needed Rona Tutt is a retired head so urgently. teacher and a The DfE’s website points out that the average teacher works past president of NAHT nearly 50 hours a week and that too much of that time is taken
VIEWPOINT •
NICE TO BE ASKED
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Challenge Yourself to Lead and Mentor Young People NCS With The Challenge Youth and Community Mentors and Leaders Salary: Up to ÂŁ1,540 per 3 week programme Location: London, Surrey, Berkshire, West Midlands or North West England Length of role: 2-14 weeks between June and September We are looking for dedicated individuals, with an interest in working with young people to strengthen their communities, working both residentially and in the local community in London, Surrey, Berkshire, the West Midlands or the North West. A single programme lasts three weeks and includes outdoor activities, skill development and community service. We have paid positions available working with young people, through to experienced Project Managers. We have positions lasting from 2 weeks through to 14 weeks throughout summer. The Challenge is a fast-growing social enterprise that connects and inspires people across Britain to strengthen their communities. NCS with The Challenge is a programme that brings together young people from different backgrounds, builds their conďŹ dence, and challenges them to make a difference in their local community. In summer 2015, 23,000 young people across our regions will take part in NCS with The Challenge for an intensive three-week summer programme followed by four weekends in September. Please visit our website for an in-depth breakdown of all roles available.
Applications Now Open To apply online simply visit www.ncsthechallenge.org/jobs
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15/12/2014 18/12/2014 15:54 14:54
OPINION
EE “It is an argument that the definition of excellence does not belong to a single organisation”
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he praise of others can be as dangerous as their criticism. It is not that RUSSELL HOBBY we should be immune to feedback and challenge, far from it, but – when badged from official sources – it usually comes with an agenda and is sometimes superficial. In the field of education, both praise and blame come with serious consequences, which we are right to navigate cautiously but they should OFSTED SHOULD ABANDON ITS not be a substitute for our own values HOLD ON ‘OUTSTANDING’ AND and judgement. That is the essence of STICK TO WHAT IS ‘GOOD ENOUGH’ leadership: the courage to assert our own values as worthy in spite of the example, or the independent sector’s inspectorate. They could consequences. We should not be distracted by the controversy take part in NAHT’s own peer review project, Instead, which of the day nor pursue too relentlessly the badges of success. has recently expanded across the Midlands. A local authority ‘Outstanding’ is more than a designation; it lies in the work or cluster or chain could invent its own. Those agencies whose we do, not just the work that is seen. It is not captured and own designations depend on an outstanding grade could invent contained by the framework of a single organisation. More their own quality-assurance processes. The nice thing about this importantly, someone else’s definition of excellence can never is it recognises that excellence is not generic – a school that is drive you onwards as well as your own. good at serving disadvantaged children may not be brilliant at Pursuit of official accolades – whether league table rankings or professional development, for example. inspection gradings – is useful but it creates a risk of conformity and makes us malleable to external pressure. Politicians would Now is the time to strengthen not use league tables if they did not alter schools’ behaviour and We approach the calm before the storm. The government is they would stop demanding to put their latest cause into the winding down in advance of the general election and there inspection framework if that was not a way to get things done. may be a period of uncertainty after the election. Now is the You have to take these demands seriously – jobs and futures chance to strengthen our house against the winds; for they depend upon them – but they can be redirected. This is not will surely return. Let 2015 be the year in which the profession an argument for mediocrity, or hiding failure with a contrary takes back ownership of standards and takes back what belongs definition; nor is it a criticism of schools who win praise, many to it. There is a huge residual trust and respect for teachers are phenomenal. Let’s not cut down the tall poppies – it is right and school leaders; all it requires is the public to see us talking to strive and to excel. It is an argument that the definition of honestly and clearly about our vision for education, leaving no excellence does not belong to a single organisation and should room for short-term interference. As a first step on this path, be rooted inside the profession to do the most good. let’s make the College of Teaching a reality. School leaders We welcomed many of the reforms proposed by Ofsted in its have a massive role in making this work. NAHT will play its recent consultation but said it should go further. One significant part on this as well as with our work on assessment, alternative change would be to abandon its hold on ‘outstanding’. The performance tables and Aspire, among other things. regulator should do what regulators are supposed to do – decide when something is good enough. From there on in, other groups could take over. Every school should be working towards some Russell Hobby model of excellence and should be seeking external challenge is NAHT general secretary along the way. A school could work with Challenge Partners, for
VIEWPOINT •
MODELS OF EXCELLENCE
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22/12/2014 11:58
BEST OF THE
BLOGS Lost for words and losing the will to live Susan Young “It was 100 minutes into the Education Select Committee’s grilling of Nicky Morgan on exam reform that your blogger lost the will to live,” writes education journalist Susan Young. “Was it the blizzard of words and unfinished sentences? The dogged repetition of several key concepts? Or the smiling, wide-eyed determination not to deviate from the Gove line on, well, anything. “Don’t get me wrong. She’s bright, a pleasant witness and a good politician. And it’s that last bit that’s the key to all of this. Any doubt that Ms Morgan had been put into the DfE to put a more conciliatory face on Michael Gove’s reforms was dispelled by this performance. ‘I am almost lost
A year is a long time in education Warwick Mansell Journalist Warwick Mansell asks: How can Ofsted judgements on the same school change so dramatically? “Some 14 months ago, David Laws, the schools minister, wrote to Jim Cooke, head of Bisham Church of England primary school in Buckinghamshire, to congratulate him on its 2012 key stage two test results. “These, he said, placed it top of its category among all schools in England. “‘This is a fantastic achievement,’ wrote Mr Laws on DfE headed notepaper. ‘I would, however, make one request of you. Please try to think about how you can work with other schools in your area or further away, so that all children get the chance to go to a school that is as good as yours.’ “Indeed, it was the second time Mr Laws had written to the school about
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for words,’ said Bill Esterson after an exchange on why Ms Morgan did not want to comment on which subjects should have practicals to be assessed. “But she was not lost for words with questions answered in a series of swiftly uttered and prematurely terminated sentences that were impossible to turn into coherent notes. “Here’s her reply to a question on the possible culling of low-entry exam subjects because the boards don’t have the funds to develop new-style GCSEs in them: ‘It would be a concern… but I do think having a... there’s a balance to be struck... there’s reasons why some subjects that were once popular are less popular... they’re reflecting modern needs. I also think it’s important to have diversity in the exam system and that people study the right subjects for them.’ So, are we all clear on that?” www.naht.org.uk/welcome/newsand-media/blogs/susan-young
its excellent results in the 2012 tests, an earlier letter in December 2012 seemingly having praised it both for the school’s raw score performance in English and maths and pupil progress. “Ofsted has now published an inspection report on Bisham placing it in special measures, deeming it inadequate in all areas. This seems to have cost Mr Cooke his job, with a statement from the local authority saying an interim head is in place. “The latest Ofsted report included an inadequate grade under “achievement”, under which there is a reference in the latest report to 2012 assessment results, but only in relation to key stage one, with the inspectors’ comments about key stage two scores restricted to those from 2013 and 2014 and largely negative. “How can this happen, I wonder? And, dare I say it, could it happen to your school?” www.naht.org.uk/welcome/newsand-media/blogs/warwick-mansell
VIEWS IN EDUCATION • CAN POLITICIANS ANSWER A QUESTION? • RECOGNITION OF A JOB WELL DONE • ARE YOU EVER SAFE AS A SCHOOL LEADER?
‘In recognition of all your hard work as an SBM...’ Nicky Gillhespy “As well as my usual day job,” writes school business manager Nicky Gillhespy, “I recently organised a school visit from Louis Coiffait, chief executive of NAHT Edge, who spoke to our middle leaders about what NAHT Edge can offer them; then I organised senior leadership team meetings about the pupil premium and the issue of reduction in numbers of parents registering for free school meals; and a coffee morning for parents and our caterers, Caterlink. “I also attended a London NASBM group meeting and learned about SEN funding changes and the new school food standards; attended an HR and employment law conference in Birmingham; and took part in a session on ‘disqualification by association’, both hosted by Browne Jacobson. “As part of my NAHT SBM representative role I attended the National Executive meetings in Oxford, a meeting to discuss the development of our pay framework, and chaired the NAHT SBM Committee. “Then came a real highlight of my 23-year career working in schools: I was absolutely amazed to be voted School Business Manager of the Year (Primary) at the NASBM Annual Awards for School Support Staff. “This award was sponsored by The Education Broker and a great evening was had by all. I will be the first to admit that I did have a little too much to drink and spent most of Sunday recovering but it was a very special evening. “What has delighted me most however is the many emails, texts and Twitter messages of congratulations and support that I received; I really did feel humbled and am more determined than ever to represent SBMs to the best of my ability.” www.naht.org.uk/welcome/ news-and-media/blogs/nickygillhespy-blog
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19/12/2014 09:53
OPINION
EE “Staff morale is high. When they visit other schools they regularly feed back that we are ahead of them”
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n Nigel Bailey I knew I had an outstanding deputy head who planned to go onto headship, but JANE GILMOUR I also knew the narrow NPQH would not equip him fully for the role. What has equipped him, however, is a seat on NAHT’s National Executive. Where else can you get free, quality continuing professional development for 15 days a year? Nigel has now met government ministers and senior Ofsted officials. ENCOURAGING MEMBERS OF YOUR LEADERSHIP TEAM He has networked with school leaders TO ATTEND NAHT BRANCH MEETINGS, CONFERENCES across the country. This has helped in AND TRAINING EVENTS BRINGS MANY ADVANTAGES school because when we have wanted more information on a topic, such as assessment, Nigel has been able to contact another head with deputy head. The staff have a good understanding of education the most up-to-date information. policy and the impact it has on the classroom. This enables He has been at the forefront of educational policy and them to manage change more effectively. Staff morale is high, contributed to shaping future plans. This has helped the school because when they visit other schools they regularly feed back because we have known what was coming in terms of policy that we are ahead of them in terms of planning, organisation changes, so we were better prepared than many other local and implementation of new initiatives. schools. Not only do I feel better informed as a head teacher, Nigel’s role on National Executive has also contributed to the but my staff are well-informed and more confident. This has a development of middle leaders in school, because when he is knock-on effect on the children. out of school at meetings they have been given opportunities to Being on National Executive has helped to develop Nigel’s develop their leadership skills. resilience because he has been faced with some of the The proactive and outward-looking view of education has challenging situations NAHT has had to deal with. It has helped enabled staff to be more open to change and they are more to be outward-looking and puts issues into perspective. He is confident in discussing and deciding what is in the best interests now more confident in managing some of those tricky situations of the children. It has encouraged debate and staff who have a we are faced with as heads. shared understanding of teaching and learning. When we make Nigel feels valued in his role on National Executive where he decisions in school they are well-informed. represents 6,400 deputy heads and 3,200 assistant heads, and is We work in an education system where initiatives are thrust on able to raise issues relevant to those roles. Because he is still a us at short notice; being ahead of the game helps because it gives classroom practitioner he is also able us time to discuss the strengths and to bring views on current classroom Jane Gilmour with weaknesses of these initiatives before her deputy Nigel issues to National Executive. implementing them. Having Nigel Bailey He has developed his leadership on National Executive has therefore skills by sharing information at branch not only benefited and developed my level and organising and coordinating a deputy, but has helped me in my role as conference in the Yorkshire region for head and supported my staff. deputies and assistant heads. The school has benefited greatly Jane Gilmour is head from his role. Most importantly, I have teacher at Birdwell Primary School, Barnsley been able to retain an outstanding
VIEWPOINT •
‘GIVE YOUR TEAM NAHT INVOLVEMENT’
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Radical legislation A new bill, part of the government’s Prevent strategy, is designed to ensure children are safeguarded from extreme views. But how will this affect schools? 22
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22/12/2014 14:20
WE Counter-terrorism and security bill 2014-15 • The bill creates a new duty on certain bodies to have due regard to the need to prevent people from being drawn into terrorism. The duty applies to local authorities, the police, prisons, providers of probation services, schools, colleges and universities. • It allows the secretary of state to issue guidance to those bodies on how the duty should be fulfilled. • It gives the secretary of state power to direct a body to take certain action, which would be used to enforce compliance where the secretary of state is satisfied that the body has failed to discharge the duty.
LAST NOVEMBER, HOME secretary Theresa May (pictured, left) outlined government plans for a new law that threatens schools with legal action if they fail to address child radicalisation. She said that the measures were “considered and targeted”. The government intends that the legislation – the counterterrorism and security bill 2014-15 – will be passed before the forthcoming general election in May. It will be the seventh major counter-terror law introduced in Britain since 9/11. Under the law, there will be an obligation to report extremism. Public bodies, including schools, face a duty to prevent people being drawn into terrorism. The Home Office will be able to issue court orders obliging schools to comply with directives to, for example, stop an extremist preacher from addressing a class or assembly. It forms part of the Prevent strategy, a key part of Contest, the Government’s counter-terrorism strategy. Prevent aims to respond to the ideological challenge of terrorism and those who promote it, prevent people from being drawn into terrorism and work with sectors and institutions where there are risks of radicalisation. More widely, the work includes disrupting extremist speakers, removing material online, intervening to stop people being radicalised, dissuading people from travelling to Syria and Iraq and intervening when they return. But where do schools fit in? The Prevent strategy document states: “The UK faces a range of terrorist threats. The most serious is from Al Qa’ida, its affiliates and like-minded organisations. All the terrorist groups who pose a threat to us seek to radicalise and recruit people to their cause. But while the percentage of people who are prepared to support violent extremism in this country is very small, it is significantly greater among young people.” The guidance states: “School frontline staff should understand Prevent, be able to recognise vulnerability to radicalisation, and know where to go to seek further help.”
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Yet the government’s own statistics show that awareness of Prevent in schools is patchy. A survey conducted by Ipsos MORI indicates that a majority of schools (84 per cent) know at least something about their role in preventing violent extremism and most (75 per cent) regard this role as important. But a significant minority (20 per cent) disagreed. Furthermore, a majority of schools (70 per cent) felt they needed more training and information to build resilience to radicalisation. The figures are backed up by NAHT members. Andrew Mellor, head teacher at St Nicholas Church of England primary school, Blackpool, tells LF: “We’re acutely aware it’s a hot topic but I’m still not sure what ‘best practice’ actually looks like. At the same time bad behaviour is what schools already safeguard against. So is ‘extremist’ behaviour something different?” According to Hilary Alcock, head teacher at Buntingsdale School, Shropshire, the assumption should simply be that schools follow a curriculum that is broad and inclusive of many views. “Extremism exists in many forms,” she says. “I find it ironic that personal, social and health education is not yet statutory for key stages one and two, and yet here I am, listening to talk of preventing extremism when we can’t even talk about basic things. She adds: “In truth, this is nothing new. In 2003, the Every child matters scheme, where teachers were encouraged to teach that everyone in society matters, was the accepted mantra for schooling. However, it seems the government stopped promoting this years ago. But something like this is what I believe we need to get back to.” At the same time as the counter-terror bill was announced, the DfE published guidance on promoting British values in schools to ensure young people leave school prepared for life in modern Britain. The guidance aims to help both independent and statemaintained schools understand their responsibilities in this area. All have a duty to ‘actively promote’ the fundamental British values of democracy, the rule of law, individual liberty, and mutual respect and tolerance of those with different faiths and beliefs. These values were first set out by the government in the Prevent strategy in 2011. As a result, all schools must now have a clear strategy for embedding these values and show how their work with pupils E has been effective in doing so.
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RADICAL LEGISLATION WE Preventing extremism
Isn’t it just good teaching? Extremism might have flooded news pages in recent months, W In a letter to the education select but as early as 2011 a research report by DfE called Teaching committee last March, parliamentary under approaches to build resilience to extremism found that, “many secretary of state for schools, Lord Nash, said of the key ingredients of teaching methods that help to build the changes were designed to, “tighten up resilience to extremism are no more and no less than general the standards on pupil welfare to improve principles of good teaching.” safeguarding and the standards on spiritual, moral, social and cultural development of However, it added that being aware of the potential for pupils to strengthen the barriers to extremism”. extremism, “helps to overcome a false, artificial and potentially Ofsted and the independent inspectorates dangerous simplification.” now take the work of schools in this area It defined ‘violent extremism’ as at the “extreme end of an into account during inspections. extreme position” including glorifying terrorist violence in Lord Nash said: “A key part of our plan furtherance of particular beliefs, but also accepted, “there is for education is to ensure children become no set pathway to radicalisation.” valuable and fully rounded members of society who treat others with respect and tolerance, regardless of background. We want every school to promote the basic • consider the role of extra-curricular activity, including any run British values of democracy …this ensures young people directly by pupils, in promoting fundamental British values. understand the importance of respect and leave school fully Siôn Humphreys, NAHT policy adviser and former secondary prepared for life in modern Britain.” deputy head, says: “The challenge is to vary curriculum content Examples of the understanding and knowledge pupils are and wider school processes according to the social context of expected to learn include: the school and its age-range. The starting point, however, will • how citizens can influence decision-making through the be the same: democratic process; • Do we have a clear understanding of what we are seeking • that the freedom to hold other faiths and beliefs is protected to achieve? in law; • What are we currently doing, explicitly, to address this? • an acceptance that people having different faiths or beliefs to • What are we doing that indirectly or implicitly addresses the oneself should be accepted and tolerated, and should not be the aims but needs to be drawn to the surface? cause of prejudicial or discriminatory behaviour; and • Having gone through the above, what still remains to be done? • the importance of identifying and combatting discrimination. NAHT general secretary Russell Hobby tells LF: “The majority Examples of actions to promote British values are to: of schools will find they have been ‘actively promoting’ British • include in suitable parts of the curriculum - as appropriate for values for years. School councils, PSHE, behaviour policies, a the age of pupils - material on the strengths, advantages and broad approach to religious education all exemplify British disadvantages of democracy, and how democracy and the law values. Our advice for most members is: before you do anything works in Britain, in contrast to other forms of government in new, make sure you capture and describe the good work you other countries; • ensure all pupils within the school have a voice that is listened are already doing.” to, and demonstrate how democracy works by actively Mr Hobby adds: “You don’t need to create new work in an already crowded schedule. Schools definitely have a role to play, promoting democratic processes such as a school council As they protect children, they also protect the neighbourhoods whose members are voted for by the pupils; they serve, but they are not a police service. A school’s main • use opportunities such as general or local elections to hold contribution to the cause of anti-extremism is to provide a mock elections to promote fundamental British values and provide pupils with the opportunity to learn how to argue and broad and balanced curriculum in a safe environment where defend points of view; and human rights are respected.”
EE “Schools definitely have a role to play. As they protect children, they also protect the neighbourhoods they serve, but they are not a police service” 24
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Recycle your magazine and seven days later it could come back as your newspaper.
The possibilities are endless.
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SCHOOL PARTNERSHIPS
The co-operative seven Vicky Hewitson, strategic business manager at the Learning Trust for Excellence in Birmingham, looks back at the co-operative trust’s first 18 months IN MAY 2013 SEVEN FORWARD-THINKING SCHOOLS – six primaries and one special school – and their partners made history by forming the first co-operative learning trust in Birmingham. But why choose a trust? Having worked well together informally – and all the heads being NAHT members – the schools formalised the collaboration with a view to inspiring excellence and furthering opportunity for all. The benefit of a co-operative trust was that each school retained its autonomy and governing body while benefiting from greater opportunities for pupils, staff and wider community. Rachel Davis, head of Little Sutton school and chair of the trust, says this was crucial for the schools as they considered their options in the current political environment dominated by ongoing educational reform. “We wanted to be proactive, rather than wait for change to hit us. At the same time we all wanted to retain our autonomy and independence. As a group of high achieving schools with experienced heads, we wanted to lead our own schools, protect our identities and not become clones of each other. “Retaining what is unique and special about our schools was important because that was what had made us successful.
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We wanted to learn from the strengths of the other schools, to continue to share our excellent practice and work together so we could be the best we could be. The co-operative trust model offered us that opportunity.” The schools undertook a robust consultation process supported by the Co-operative College (www.co-op.ac.uk) and the final decision was taken by the governing bodies of each school. The trust schools are maintained schools supported by a charitable foundation. They were required to change from community to foundation and have engaged key partners (see right) to support the achievement of their vision. The model is membership-based with people from the stakeholder groups becoming members of the ‘educational co-operative’. This enables parents, teachers, pupils, support staff, partners and governors to play an active role. There is evidence from Ofsted that the co-operative dimension provides benefits in terms of curriculum, sustainability of school improvement strategies and further raising of aspirations across school communities, as well as more effectively promoting community cohesion. The co-operative movement also offers a range of curriculum materials to the schools and
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Standing, l-r: head teachers Rachel Davis, Catherine Lewis, Fiona Woolford, Andrew Steggall and Heather Sutton. Seated: strategic business manager Vicky Hewitson and head Richard Green. [Whitehouse Common head teacher Debbie Allen wasn’t available on the day of the photoshoot]
WE The seven schools in the Learning Trust for Excellence • Coppice • Four Oaks • Hollyfield • Langley • Little Sutton • Moor Hall • Whitehouse Common
WE Partners • Birmingham City University • University College Birmingham • the King Edward Schools • Sutton Coldfield Rotary Club • Co-operative Society
PHOTOGRAPHY: RICHARD LEA-HAIR
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encourages the trust to address educational initiatives through local, national and international engagement. The local authority also continues to challenge and support the schools and take an active part in helping the schools and the trust address national agendas. Shared values and excellence The Co-operative Society encourages schools to work collaboratively to achieve the widest possible impact, rather than working alone or in competition with each other. Debbie Allen, head teacher at Whitehouse Common, says: “Strengths and areas for development are openly shared and solutions provided from within the partnership.” In addition to the expertise of the heads, there is also a national leader in education, a local leader of education, two Ofsted trained inspectors, two national leaders for governance, as well as expertise in special educational needs. One of the trust schools is also part of a federation bringing specific knowledge in governance and management arrangements. The schools have used this expertise to develop a rigorous review process. The head teachers form a mini inspection E
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SCHOOL PARTNERSHIPS
team and undertake regular reviews in each of the schools. Each review takes into consideration any specific focus identified by the recipient school and involves robust data interrogation, interviews with senior leadership teams, lesson observations, book reviews and pupil conferencing. Evidence-based feedback is provided highlighting strengths and suggestions for improvement and development. This ‘critical friend’ intervention enables the whole school to confidently feel Ofsted-ready and have a clear understanding of what to expect. Furthermore, embedding monitoring and self-evaluation techniques within schools Since forming the trust in summer 2013, four schools have been inspected also enhances the staff self-reviews, by Ofsted. One went from ‘satisfactory’ to ‘good’ and three were awarded giving them more ownership of their own ‘outstanding’ status. There is no doubt among the senior leaders that the professional development. work undertaken within the trust contributed to the inspection outcomes. This review process developed further Andrew Steggall, head of Moor Hall, says: “The knowledge gained from throughout the autumn term with a focus work across the schools has had a significant impact on the development on schools’ Raise Online information. All of teaching and learning at our school. For example, observation of good the heads received training from an practice in different settings provided the clarity we needed to advance Ofsted inspector to interrogate the data the development of individual targets for our children as well as improve and identify enquiry trails in accordance the use of the classroom environment.” with the Ofsted inspection process. This was followed by a detailed review of pupil’s workbooks with an emphasis on share expertise and learning from one another, devise common identifying progress and ascertaining what specifically enabled it. Where progress cannot be seen, questions are generated to policies and take ideas and best practice to suit the individual needs of each school. Working groups have been tackling topics identify why it is lacking and what is needed to address that. These additional dimensions add depth and further challenge including performance management, maths planning and to teaching and learning with a view to raising standards. assessment, the early years programme, special educational In addition, the deputy heads are now involved in needs, moderation of year six work, school procurement and undertaking the reviews. Not only does this facilitate developing a strategic approach to the use, management, organisational development, it also offers high-quality teaching and assessment of ICT across the schools. Furthermore, the trust is developing its own training, ranging opportunities for continuing professional development. from short sessions on specific aspects of the curriculum such Implementation of these reviews across the group of schools as achieving level five writing, to an eight-week programme on has also enabled the benchmarking of judgements so that the team is now able to make robust and consistent judgements of developing outstanding teaching for NQTs across the trust. school performance and identify recommendations. Anthony Smith, a teacher at Little Sutton Primary, describes the impact the NQT course had on him: “Visiting other schools, Facing challenges together observing lessons and having to think about providing The knowledge gained from work across the schools has had a constructive and challenging feedback to colleagues has been significant impact on the development of teaching and learning a real eye-opener. within the seven schools. At an operational level both teaching “It has given me a fresh perspective on the content and and non-teaching staff at all levels, as well as governors, have delivery of lessons. This team approach has been key to been encouraged to work together to share excellent practice, improving my own teaching and developing my practice to support development and tackle new agendas introduced by ‘good with outstanding features’. What’s more, I have found both local and national government. Representatives across the some great friends and colleagues to share the high and lows schools and partners work together to develop the curriculum, of life as a NQT!”
WE Inspection outcomes
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WE Cutting costs Following the reduced role and provision of services from the local authority, the trust has developed a joint approach to commissioning service providers. Fiona Woolford from Langley School explains: “The purchasing power this generates enables negotiation of highly competitive rates as well as flexibility within service provision. This has been particularly beneficial to the smaller schools in the trust as the service provision has been more tailored to meet their specific needs and is ultimately more cost-effective.”
The partner universities are also involved in the NQT programme and exploring opportunities for accreditation for participants. A programme of outstanding teaching for trust teaching assistants has also been launched. This growing portfolio of training opportunities The schools have also embarked on the employment of shared staff to is on offer to other schools in the area work across the group to achieve efficiencies and be flexible to respond including those that feature in the city’s to the changing needs of the each school. This has included a business school improvement strategy. manager and a strategic lead for ICT. Work with secondary school partners the King Edwards Schools has blossomed, ranging from a focus on increasing staff, governors, authorities, inspectors and so on. While we opportunities for children to attend the city’s grammar schools work hard to meet their needs, sometimes it can feel like no one – particularly targeting those children who may not otherwise is looking after us. With ever-changing expectations in have considered them – to the development of bespoke curriculum education we have been able to offer wonderful support to each enrichment programmes supporting both teachers and pupils. other. As a result I am more confident about facing the Children have also enjoyed a range of exciting visits to the challenges that lie ahead.” secondary settings, meeting well-known authors, participating The trust’s senior leaders regularly benchmark performance in sporting competitions and taking part in a literary festival. and explore different approaches such as the use of pupil and Likewise, secondary students have been spending time at the sport premium. There is no requirement or pressure for the primary schools in their weekly non-curriculum time and will schools to standardise structures or delivery, however good be working with the primary pupils to develop a pupil council. ideas are invaluable. For instance, three schools have Working together and sharing costs has enabled the schools transformed the structure of their governors’ meetings to to attract high-calibre trainers to explore the new curriculum become more streamlined and efficient. as well as reinforce teaching techniques such as effective Catherine Lewis, head at Hollyfield Primary explains: questioning. The involvement of partners in specific working “Following a collective review of the management of our groups has also provided opportunities. For example, the ICT governing processes we have made amendments. Now, we get strategy group has facilitated computing-based placements for through the business quickly and efficiently and the time spent students. Likewise, the university leader for teaching maths is exploring research within the schools to understand the barriers preparing my head teacher’s report has significantly reduced. The meetings are more engaging and we have the opportunity to to learning for some pupils. The hypothesis assumes that debate the important issues while complying with the business children are not secure in understanding the connections in mathematical concepts, for example, in place value, and between requirements. There is more focus on looking to the future.” multiplication and division. However, because of curriculum Trust in the future pressures learning is moved on. The fragility of the learning is The trust has worked hard to build professional relationships not immediately evident but it has implications for progression and strong foundations based on trust and respect, as well as at later stages of learning. In accordance with the learning trust values and co-operative identifying areas for beneficial collaborative working. Heather principles which bring a responsibility for all schools to work Sutton, head teacher at Four Oaks Primary says: “There is no collaboratively for the benefit of a wider community, the impact doubt that the outcomes for children are tangible. There is so of this school improvement work is also being shared with much more the trust can achieve. This is just the beginning. schools across the city via the local authority. The future is exciting and the opportunities are endless.” Moving forward, the trust will build on maximising It can be lonely out there relationships with partners and increasing the impact of the The impact of this structured approach to collaborative working trust on parents and the wider community. has been significant for the head teachers. Richard Green at Coppice Primary says: “Running a school is an exciting, If you would like to find out more about the trust, rewarding and challenging task. I feel very privileged to be in contact Rachel Davis r.davis@lte.education or Vicky Hewitson on v.hewitson@lte.education or this position. However it can get lonely. Quite rightly we are visit www.lte.education constantly accountable to all our stakeholders – pupils, parents,
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BESD
Risk and reward A new system of behaviour management at a BESD school will see the removal of sanctions. Kilgarth head teacher Steven Baker tells Susan Young about his plans “IF YOU KNOW WHY THEY BEHAVE THE WAY THEY do, they’re lovely,” says Steven Baker of his pupils. And for Steven and his team at Kilgarth, a school for boys with behavioural, emotional and social disorders (BESD), understanding why is at the heart of everything they do. So, by the time you read this article, sanctions will no longer be used to counter poor behaviour among the Merseyside special school’s 50 pupils. The new behaviour system is tailored to the boys’ underlying conditions; scientific understanding of how behaviour modification strategies work; and rewards.
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“It’s going to be really interesting: I don’t think anyone’s tried offering rewards but no sanctions in a BESD school before. Theory tells us it will work really well. Everything we do is about support but with challenge – and we’ve got to take risks,” says Steven. Deputy head Mick Simpson adds: “The carrot-and-stick approach to behaviour management has remained unchanged since we used donkeys as beasts of burden. Anecdotal evidence suggests the ‘stick’ is ineffective and that the donkey would make just as much progress in pursuit of the carrot alone. Even so, dispensing with sanctions in a school is so
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WE Kilgarth’s
core values • Relationships come first • Everybody matters, all the time • We act with integrity • We learn from each other • We work hard
contrary to received wisdom that it represents a massive leap of faith. But we think it will work and we are taking every possible step to maximise the chances.” Leap of faith it may be, but like everything this remarkable, award-winning school has done since Steven arrived as head in 2011 (influenced by a hugely unconventional early career – see box, page 32), it is underpinned by neuroscience and much thought. As Steven puts it, he and Mick are “science geeks” and with limited funding are always seeking innovative ways to improve things for the boys in their care. Kilgarth’s new system is being developed with Dr Alice
PHOTOGRAPH: MIKE POLOWAY/ UNP
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Jones of the School and Family Studies unit at Goldsmiths College in London. Based on neuroscience, evolutionary psychology and knowledge of each student, it will be developed by the school in an action-research programme. In training and development sessions, Dr Jones will help staff to understand why the boys take the risks they do and create a working system of rewards. “It’s about how to make the link between the science and what we’ve got in front of us,” explains Steven. “It’s a real challenge and that’s why we need some expertise. E I’m a great believer in action research. We’re at the
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BESD WE Steven Baker:
leader with an unusual past W chalkface and we know what the Steven Baker’s unconventional early career clearly influences his behaviour is like. We also know what approach to the job. they’re going through and we need to From “a working-class, Liverpool family,” the 39-year-old took a degree in get involved in the research to get the pharmacology before spending years working round the world (including weight of Goldsmiths behind us,” says a stint on an Australian squid boat) before he returned to the UK to do a Steven, adding: “We see behaviour as master’s degree in forensic anthropology. a physical manifestation of an That led to a couple of months working for the underlying emotion, a form of UN as a war crimes investigator, looking into the communication. We have pupils with Srebrenica massacre. social communication difficulties and we try to unearth all the layers to find “That gave me a lot of resolve and enabled me out exactly what’s happening and to work well under pressure. There was quite a support them. A lot of what we do is lot of challenge being transported into what was based on a non-confrontational basically enemy territory every day by Russian approach. You don’t hear people raising troops. Then I went into sales and worked in their voices and shouting here.” recruitment to build up enough money to carry The evidence suggests the approach on travelling. Eventually, I thought about what is already very successful: Kilgarth is I should do. People said I was really good with in the top 10 per cent of similar 11 to children so I decided to have a crack at teaching.” 16 schools nationally for key stage four On a fast-track leadership programme, Steven’s NQT year was spent externally-validated outcomes. There leading a special needs department in a mainstream school, where he have been no NEETS among their discovered he liked working with children with behavioural difficulties. leavers for the past four years and staff He became acting deputy head at Kilgarth and then deputy head at a have won major awards for their work PRU, at which point he took up stand-up comedy to improve his public and dedication. speaking, playing the Edinburgh Festival. Many Kilgarth pupils don’t want to “If you’re in front of 300 people at the Comedy Store in Manchester and go home at the end of the day. “We they find out you’re a Scouser and start giving you abuse, then you can have issues with students if they need walk into a class of 10 boys with behaviour difficulties where you get the a fixed-term exclusion because there same level of abuse. It’s water off a duck’s back.” is an issue getting them off site. They When he heard that the Kilgarth headship was being advertised, he want to be here but have difficulties hesitated about applying. “It’s such a challenging role being a head. But communicating that in a proper someone sent me the job application anonymously through the post. I had manner, shall we say?” he says. a puppy at the time who ate it and, when I finally pieced together the piece All of this is even more remarkable of paper and realised what it was, I thought it was synchronicity and I gave in the context of the school’s funding, it a go. I was fortunate enough to be taken on by the phenomenal chair of which is in the bottom 12 per cent governors who supported me in my vision for the school.” nationally. It’s here that Steven and Mick demonstrate entrepreneurial verve, training people (more than 500 recent award-winning streak, open doors or new networks. so far) in the school’s own behaviour management package, Meeting the challenge. “I always say I don’t want money: I want The various partnerships allow the Kilgarth students to do to know what can you do for us?” says Steven, adding: “We some sport at another school (they have no indoor facilities, and the local authority has only recently created a multisports trained Merseyside’s ‘safer schools’ police officers earlier this area in the playground), provide a teacher from another year and they recommended it is rolled out to more officers secondary to quality-assure key stage three marking, as well and agencies such as fire brigade and youth offending teams.” as some extra expertise in maths from an academy outside the This is just one of the school’s many outreach activities which local authority (in return for behaviour management support enable it to work collaboratively, help develop staff, supplement the budget and fulfil Steven and Mick’s ‘moral purpose’. Kilgarth for its trainees and new teachers from Kilgarth staff ). is a strategic partner in a local teaching school alliance, the Mindful of the dedication of his team, who operate in a pair deliver courses for Teaching Leaders, and Steven is challenging environment with little funding, Steven works to an additional inspector. All of these things, plus the school’s maximise opportunities and involvement for them,
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WE How neuroscience will
underpin Kilgarth’s new behaviour package and how NAHT members can access specialist information
contributing to their impressive collection of national awards won in the last year, including silver for ‘outstanding school team’ in the Pearson Teaching Awards. “I am proud of them,” says Steven. “It’s a great • Deputy head Mick Simpson explains how Goldsmiths team that cares as much as I do about making sure and Kilgarth are creating the new behaviour policy: these lads can aspire to better life chances.” “Goldsmiths will assess our pupils to discover how His approach to the school’s new mission they are likely to respond to a range of behavioural statement is telling: it was created over four days modification strategies. They will work with us to and led by the vice-chair of governors. Day one saw devise a system based on cutting edge neuroscience discussions among the adults (including nurses, and then help us to assess its impact. Our vision is local authority, police, careers advisers and the that there will be no primitive element to our systems. ex-head) of their vision of an ideal school. The day Better behaviour will be modified by protocols based was re-run with the boys, and then with parent on pupil responsibility, choice and post incident focus groups. The result was a therapeutic, holistic learning opportunities. It will be backed by a approach for the pupils whose behaviour difficulties comprehensive and coherent hierarchy of reward.” are a direct result of neurodevelopmental disorders such as autistic spectrum disorder and ADHD. The • Kilgarth is also a member of Learnus (www.learnus.co.uk) simple mission statement that resulted, Always a think tank which links neuroscience and education growing, always learning, applies to everyone at • The National Forum for Neuroscience in Special Kilgarth, including the 26 staff. Education is now hosted by NAHT and the “I tend to look for attitude and aptitude rather association’s 2015 SEND conference (see link below) than a skillset,” says Steven. “The staff are will feature neuroscience and links with education phenomenal and have been picked for their desire bit.ly/NAHT_neuro to help more people. That’s what keeps me awake at night, and I think that’s what keeps the majority of them awake at night too. none of the challenges these boys face should be deterministic’. “Around a quarter of my staff are pursuing a qualification at master’s level or above and that’s developing something much So what does his vision mean for the students? “Some of the boys hate us because we’re a school – and that’s the only reason more cheaply than going out and spending a thousand pounds they hate us. It’s all about chipping away at that, getting under a day on a so-called expert. We’ve got a couple of teachers that behaviour, redefining them, growing them and building up going through the School Direct programme too. I believe these relationships to develop them as people so when they they’re phenomenal teachers, even though they were unqualified. I stood by them and now I can get them to qualified leave us they can be contributing members of modern Britain, teacher status (QTS). It’s taken years to find a route for them or whatever it says in the inspection handbook…” Most boys, he says, do vocational courses at college (Kilgarth because they have degrees. is looking into expanding its age range upwards) though at “We’ve got the full spectrum, from a teaching assistant doing another GCSE, two others looking at undergraduate QTS least one former student ended up at university. The school’s routes, and we’re supporting people on their master’s and partnership model even extends to its former pupils. “An ex-pupil came back to visit a couple of weeks ago – he’s middle leaders programme. Everyone in the school is involved got a recording contract in Texas, went to live in Los Angeles, and we’ve got a very strong succession plan in place.” then came back with his 2014-plate Mercedes and he was Steven himself is doing his second master’s degree, this time in educational leadership, evaluating the coaching he’s very nervous about seeing us. But he was great: he introduced to improve his team’s emotional resilience. His first understands what we want to achieve and offered us use of was in forensic anthropology, part of an unconventional early his local recording school free of charge. career (see panel, left) that took him around the world, into “At Easter, we appointed another former pupil as a partsome challenging places and which has been a huge influence time teaching assistant. That’s a really powerful message: on his leadership style. that this is what you can achieve with hard work. We’re His past, says Steven, gave him an understanding… ‘that you looking to develop him further, giving him other opportunities. Maybe he could go down the qualified teacher should aspire to do things that you enjoy and to have better life route further down the line?” chances, and that’s why I’ve come into this sector, because I think
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ASSESSMENT
Measuring pupil Radical changes to the national curriculum have given the government the opportunity to scrap levels. But what will take their place and what support is available for school leaders? By Joy Persaud
PUPIL ASSESSMENT FACES AN UNCERTAIN future. Back in June 2013, the DfE set out its case against levels: “We believe this system is complicated and difficult to understand, especially for parents. It also encourages teachers to focus on a pupil’s current level, rather than consider more broadly what the pupil can actually do.” It went on to say that prescribing a single detailed approach to assessment did not fit with the curriculum freedoms it was giving schools. The claim that parents didn’t comprehend levels has been strongly disputed. “Plenty of effort was put into translating levels into ‘pupilspeak’ and ‘parent-speak’,” argues NAHT policy adviser Siôn Humphreys. “It is also the case that, yearly, more parents with school-aged children had themselves received an education with assessment based on national
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progress curriculum levels,” he says. “A more educationally rooted argument was provided by a member of the government’s advisory expert group who proposed that levels had become limiting factors to pupil progress in the sense that children would tend to define themselves as a ‘4b’, for example. “A staged approach, which might have involved implementation at the beginning of each key stage, would have produced a far more rational and educationally sound way of doing things. This is a flawed change process and one that few educationalists or organisational theorists would recognise as being the most effective.” Siôn also points out that much of the teaching body in England will have spent their careers working within the level-based framework and those in their early 30s and younger will have spent their entire educational experience within the structure. He warns: “We are seeing a radical change in procedure, expectations and experience. Given this scenario it would have been reasonable to have expected the government to have had a worked-out, coherent strategy for change.” Mick Walker, former executive director of education at the Qualifications and Curriculum Development Agency and a current trustee of the Chartered Institute of Educational Assessors, echoes this, saying there has been a de-skilling of teachers when it comes to assessment knowledge and curriculum development, which has undermined confidence in the profession. However, he says, while the recent changes to the curriculum and assessment arrangements present a challenge to teachers, “…more importantly, this is a real opportunity for the profession to grasp the challenge and demonstrate to the public and others that it can be trusted to design and implement valid and reliable assessments.” He adds: “It is wholly possible but, unfortunately, not just yet. It will need strong leadership, good quality training and continuing professional development – especially in the realism of assessment and time. But we need to move quickly.” Sue Hackman, chief adviser on school standards W
ILLUSTRATION: OTTO DETTMER
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ASSESSMENT WE What school leaders say… Andrew Day chief executive, Northumberland Church of England Academy (NCEA) “I am thankful that we may be returning to a world in which we pursue W [including assessment] at the education for each child, enabling each to fulfil his or her potential, as DfE from 2006 to 2013, tells LF: the previous world of threshold measures effectively, in many schools, “The real loss is the convenience concentrated minds on C/D borders, L4+ and L2+, potentially condemning of a sensitive national scheme the more able and those less academically inclined to under-performance. by which all schools can share judgements and track progress “However, the chief inspector, Sir Michael Wilshaw, has appealed for schools towards the final goal. not to abandon levels too quickly. We are heeding his plea and developing a “Secondaries will suffer when hybrid system.” they begin to receive a dozen different assessment scales from Steve Kirkpatrick their feeder primaries. The risk head teacher, the Deans Primary, Swinton is that they put them aside in “We expect a lot from schools and when we take this latest change in conjunction favour of ‘clean sheet’ testing in with the new curriculum, new tests at 16, free school meals a new SEN network, year seven, which will only delay it is a lot. It’s not that we shouldn’t be expected to change but as leaders we need accurate teaching plans. to phase it. A lot of schools are sticking with levels because that’s what they “Schools may be gaining know. Others will use a portfolio, some use a ladder or points system. If we take freedom, but also a system that on a new child how do we know if they are ‘secure’ [meeting a target]? At least is moving away from criterionpreviously when it was a 4b or 3c, there was a bit more understanding. You had referenced progress to a more insight – only because of familiarity. It’s the same as when levels came in – competitive and comparative people were worried about the system. It’s challenging, but not un-doable.” system. My praise goes to schools that are constructing Madeleine Denyer assessment ladders to replace head teacher, Stanford Infant School, Brighton Assessing Pupils’ Progress. It will “We are working with the local authority to develop a new assessment model that be time-consuming but they will will complement the new national curriculum. We need to ensure that planning learn a lot. It will sharpen local and assessment support each other; the old levels were never intended to be used assessment and be even better if in the way that they were, therefore it is time for change. schools work in groups to enable “We are at the earliest stages of finding a model that suits our needs; there has local moderation and a common not been much information up until now and it will be a challenging time for language for assessment.” the teaching profession; not only are they finding their way with the new Andrew Day, chief executive national curriculum, there is also an ‘unspoken’ assessment system that all of Northumberland Church of schools are trying to work out. It seems crazy that all schools are in this England Academy (NCEA), an position, re-inventing the wheel.” all-through school, is happier that new measures will help to Andrew King ensure that all pupils achieve head teacher, Chase Bridge Primary School, Twickenham and make progress, but he says “It still seems that there is a great deal of work that needs to be done at a national the implementation of the new level so Chase Bridge will maintain existing arrangements for one year to see accountability measures has been how things evolve nationally.” ‘ham-fisted’. “There is a considerable lack of clarity over primary assessment, over the new benchmarking tests, “There will need to be a benchmark to summarise what a over the comparability of data, norm and criterion referencing. learner knows or understands at a moment in time according The new examinations regime is imminent and yet much of the to a national measure. accountability framework remains something of a cloudy soup.” “It is unsettling that there appears to be freedom of approach. Madeleine Denyer, head teacher at Stanford Infant School, I am in no doubt that the government will review its stance on Brighton, says: “While it is refreshing that the government has assessment once schools have implemented the new national supposedly given schools the freedom to decide how to assess curriculum and therefore it is highly likely that a standardised pupil progress, we are still externally accountable and therefore system will be introduced.” how will we know where we fit against the national picture?
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NAHT’s assessment framework In the absence of government guidance, NAHT developed a commission to identify the key principles underpinning effective assessment in schools. This became the starting point for a framework, published in June, which exemplified the principles in practice. This is available on the NAHT website (see link). Mick Walker, one of the key consultants for the commission, says: “The floor standards from 2016 will include two measures; firstly attainment – the percentage of pupils reaching the required standard (which will be 85 per cent). This places particular demands on our schools. The current expectation is for primary schools to achieve 65 per cent of pupils reaching level four. So an increased percentage and at a higher standard in each of reading, writing and mathematics raises the bar – and quite considerably for many schools. “Schools will also be measured against the expected progress of their pupils working from a baseline test administered at the start of key stage one. This raises a number of issues. First, there will be a range of baseline tests, approved by the DfE, that schools can select. This list has yet to appear so we don’t know what the tests and their outcomes will look like. On top of this, schools will be selecting tests that meet their needs, which may prove problematic for other schools as children move from one institution to another. “I don’t doubt there will be some very useful tests produced, indeed they are already out there, but once they become part of the accountability framework my fear is that they are open to misuse. Simply put, it is easier to show ‘good’ progression from a low start. This puts pressure on schools to suppress the results. In my view, baseline assessment is a must for schools, but it is not reliable enough as an accountability measure.” Also, he adds, it is not clear how ‘expected progress’ will be articulated, something that will only be evident after the first sitting of the new tests in 2016. As for Ofsted, its inspection teams will not expect to see a particular assessment system in place and will recognise that schools are working towards the full implementation of their preferred approach. Siôn says that while Ofsted was previously able to inspect schools “based on the lingua franca of levels”, they would now need to research and
understand how an individual school ‘does’ assessment. This is essential if valid and accurate judgements are to be made on how well pupils are progressing. He adds: “A further problem is the relationship between formative ‘assessment in progress’ and summative end of key stage teacher assessments and test outcomes. The accuracy of formative processes ultimately needs the benchmark of summative data. It can be argued strongly that it needs the passage of more than one cohort before such benchmarks can be established with confidence. “In the case of key stage one, the first cohort to pass through the new structure in its entirety will be the current year one, the new assessments taking place for the first time in 2016. The position is more complicated for key stage two as the span is twice the length of key stage one. Although cohorts will be assessed in the new way from 2016 the first cohort to be taught entirely within the revised programme of study is the current year three. Those pupils will reach the end of key stage two in 2018. The argument, therefore, is that no reliable judgements can be made about the efficacy of schools’ accuracy in assessing their pupils until 2018 at the earliest.”
Engage with assessment thinking Mick stresses that although Ofsted understands the need for time, he would be “very disappointed” to find a school not engaging with the thinking around the issue – by drawing on NAHT support, reflecting on their assessment principles, looking for good practice, and sending staff on courses. He sums up: “I would like to see a much richer view of pupils’ performances that shows what a child knows and which areas require further work, support and focused expert teaching. NAHT’s assessment framework offers us a chance to see such outcomes. “Assessment purposes have drifted over the years to a point that we use one assessment for purposes for which it was never designed. It won’t feel easy for many schools. However, much of what they already do applies. Simply removing levels does not mean going back to a blank piece of paper.” www.naht.org.uk/ welcome/news-andmedia/key-topics/ assessment
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Light the fire Keynote speakers Sir John Jones and Marcus Orlovsky were the stars of the show at NAHT’s education conference under the banner: ‘Enlightened leadership, lighting the fires’, reports Caroline Roberts
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Sir John Jones Sir John has the energy and passion to match his knowledge and experience. The former head has spent most of his working life in challenging schools in the north west of England and has sat on numerous panels, policy groups and think tanks. His latest book, The magic-weaving business, reminds teachers they have the power to transform children’s lives. His speech was a treasure trove of wisdom, inspiration, and practical advice. At times he had the room in stitches with his memories of the intoxicating qualities of banda machine fluid, and in tears when he showed a video of footballer Ian Wright reunited with the teacher who changed the course of his life. Challenge for school leaders: ‘Reclaim the middle ground’ After many years of education being governed from the top down, we now stand at a crossroads, he says. “We have such an amazing opportunity to take on the system and build the future we always dreamed about. This government is uncomfortable with ‘top down’. They want to trust people out there. That’s our opportunity. Are we prepared to fight for the middle ground?” The prospect is exhilarating but also terrifying for some. “One head said to me recently: ‘I’ve been in a curriculum cage for 20 years and somebody has just opened the door and told me to fly away and I’m frightened. I’ve grown used to prescription’.”
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For Sir John, collaborative working is the answer and he quotes another head who told him he had discovered the secret of freedom was to hold the hands of other heads who are not afraid and think “What a ride!” Sign for your wall: ‘They will be smart enough if I am good enough’ Sir John tells of visiting a head of one school in very challenging circumstances and seeing the above message on her office wall. She saw beyond her dire situation, he says, and it is this ‘possibility thinking’ that all heads need. He goes on to explore the notion of ‘potential avenue’ and illustrates this with the anecdote of the small girl floundering during a swimming session who assures her teacher that she can swim, but just not yet. “I’m not saying there aren’t people who are talented, but they are just further along potential avenue.” Best metaphor: ‘Eat that frog’ A ‘worst-first’ strategy can transform your life, he says. “If you have to eat a green, slimy frog every day, it’s best to do it first thing or it will get greener and slimier by the minute.”
PHOTOGRAPH: UNP / MIKE POLOWAY
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Heads need to put world class teachers in front of children, and one of the most dreaded jobs is the conversation with an underperforming teacher. This means learning how to hold a courageous conversation. “The worst part of a courageous conversation is the opening line. But if you say: ‘I don’t want to have this conversation personally but I feel I must have it professionally’, that’s the worst bit over with.” We have to learn how to inspire people who have become stale, to breathe life into them and remind them of the day they were appointed, he adds. Top tip: ‘Think about the language you use’ Our choice of words is hugely important. We should change ‘don’t’ to ‘be’ as ‘don’t run in the road or you’ll get killed’ is much less effective than ‘be safe and stay on the pavement’. “Change ‘please’ to ‘thanks’ and kids do what you want. It’s a done deal. I was in a school recently and the teacher said: ‘Shall we get back to our learning?’ It was so much more powerful than ‘work’. “The worst thing you can say to a child who brings you a piece of work is: ‘Well done, you’re a very clever girl.’ Do you know the toxic effect that has on the other kids? It gives them a fixed mindset E – some have got it and some haven’t. Replace it with a growth
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W mindset. When that child brings you a great piece of work, you say: well done, you must have worked so hard to produce work like that. Then the message is: how hard are you prepared to work?” On leadership ‘Keep your promises’, ‘pay attention to small things’ and ‘show appreciation for your staff ’, are among his many tips. Also: remind your staff every day of the ability they have to make a child’s life miserable or joyous; to be a tool of torture or an instrument of inspiration; to humiliate or humour; to hurt or to heal. And the toughest leadership challenge of all? To get out the way and let talented staff fly. “I only became happy as a leader when I lost the need to be always certain, right and in charge.” Closing message Towards the end of the speech Sir John mentions that he’s been invited to speak at Harrow School. He maintains the teaching there is no better than at many state schools: it’s just that the children get so many opportunities to shine. “That’s part of our challenge for the next five years – give them opportunities, an appetite for discovery, build a desire, give them the time, and world class teaching. “And when your grandchildren ask how you built a world class education system, you can say it wasn’t by government edict, it wasn’t because Ofsted made us. We did it ourselves.” What delegates thought… Anne Byrne, head of Hampton Vale Primary, Peterborough:
“Sir John’s talks strengthen your moral purpose. He reminds you that you have the responsibility to be brave, hold a light for our children and give them the opportunities they deserve.” Janet Lightfoot, head of St Matthew’s CE Primary, Redhill:
“The emphasis on hanging on to our core beliefs and not being distracted was really encouraging and relevant to our situation.” Stuart Ellis, executive head, CHANGE Schools Partnership, Essex: “It brought us back to that key message that we have to take
control of the school system for ourselves, and to the fact that the heart of teaching is relationship. That was music to my ears.”
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Marcus Orlovsky Marcus has an impressive CV: director at Ernst and Young; founder of IT consultancy Gresham Bell; involved in the redevelopment of some major London sites; selling cars and antiques; training and charity work. He now runs Bryanston Square, an organisation that specialises in rethinking education. We often assume that someone who has achieved so much has done so from a springboard of privilege. It’s only at the end of his speech that he reveals the truth – a traumatic childhood from which many would have found it hard to recover. And that he is six weeks on from a major stroke, after which he had to relearn basic skills, such as telling the time. You would never know. The audience was rapt as he ranged through topics such as the pace – and sometimes the absurdity – of modern life and the innovative work he has done in schools, to the marvel of the Rosetta spacecraft landing a probe on a comet. His message was that we should turn our attention from past limitations to the possibilities of the future.
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Marcus Orlovsky gave his keynote speech at NAHT’s education conference in London just six weeks after a major stroke
Challenge for school leaders: ‘Focus on destiny, not history’ Teachers spend so much time looking at children’s history, at data and results, but Marcus prefers to think about their destiny. “I’m looking at what their futures could be and what part I am going to play in helping them develop those futures,” he says. A picture of a ‘cohort’ of identical teddy bears appears on the screen. They were all made in the same factory with the same materials but, he points out, somehow they are all a bit different. To the amusement of the audience, he picks out the bear that’s going to ‘be trouble’ and the two that need to be separated. “You can’t have a cohort of teddy bears and you can’t have a cohort of kids. That’s what gives a lot of people here a struggle in saying: ‘I know the data says this, but let me tell you about Johnny’. We have to deal with both elements. “So let’s talk about destiny rather than history. Destiny, destiny, destiny.” Up flashes a picture of a group of children. “One can be the future Shakespeare; one could create a craft that can fly for 300 million miles and land on a two-mile wide object travelling at 40,000 miles an hour and then get criticised because it bounced. We have the power to unlock this potential.” Sign for your wall: ‘How many ‘bursting to tell’ moments have you created today?’ It’s something Ofsted should report on, he says. “We sometimes forget how wonderful and joyous kids are. Wouldn’t it be lovely if kids went home to their parents and said: ‘You wouldn’t believe what we did today!’ Instead of sending a text to parents saying their child was late, wouldn’t it be lovely to send one saying: ‘I just wanted to tell you that Johnny was amazing today.’” Best metaphor: Rain on them Marcus shows the audience a picture of Death Valley, one of the hottest and driest places on the planet. Then another picture showing the same place covered in wild flowers after a rainstorm.
The rain had washed away the wax coating that protects the seeds from the intense heat and they had sprung to life. “I wonder how many of our kids just need to be rained on, just need all that crap washed away so they can germinate?” he says. Top tip: ‘Step back and give them time’ Often, teachers are too busy planning things, so they never get a chance to observe what children can do by themselves, he says. He shows a video made in just two hours by a group of children with no training or prior experience and some beautiful pictures created by children who were given as much time as they needed. For him, it’s better than giving them poster paints and paper and telling them to get a move on because they need to do phonics next: “Do what you can and take as long as you need. School should be about possibilities and fun – for all of us.” On leadership “Who’s the expert in your school? You. Do the right thing, which may not be the done thing. That is leadership. The rest is management. Do you want to be a leader or a manager? Do you want to go home saying: ‘I know it’s going to be tough but at least I got it there’?” Closing message He ends with an inspiring anecdote about how he helped to rope in some high-profile companies to help a special school – Northgate School Arts College in Northampton – on a limited budget. It has led to the development of a nearby site as The Bee Hive, which features a spa, café, animal centre, shop and conference facility, which gives work experience to the school’s students, who learn by doing. It generates up to £2,000 a day. “If you can achieve that, you can achieve wonders. What are your dreams? Dare to dream and really light fires. Good luck!” What delegates thought Linda Edwards-d’Auvergne, associate head at St Aidan’s Catholic Primary Academy, Ilford: “It was inspirational. I went
through a schooling system that wasn’t the best so I can see how people put limitations on children. I feel very passionately that it doesn’t matter where you come from, you can still achieve.” Kate Dalton, head of Bishop Bronscombe CE Primary, St Austell, Cornwall: “It’s really good to focus on what really
matters. I have lots to take back to school about the ‘bursting to tell’ moments. I want to have ‘bursting to tell’ days now.” Darren Woollard, head of Blenheim Primary School and Children’s Centre, Leigh on Sea, Essex: “The ‘history and
destiny’ part really struck a chord with me as around half our pupils come from an area of social disadvantage. Your destiny is what you choose it to be and, if you work hard enough and apply yourself, you can achieve anything.” bit.ly/NAHT_confs_events
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O LY M P I C L E G A C Y
The Mayor’s Fund for London is contributing to an initiative that will help deliver the educational legacy of London 2012, as Aisling Cohn reports
Be the best you can be IN OCTOBER LAST YEAR, the Mayor’s Fund for London launched a partnership designed to keep the educational legacy of London 2012 alive. Through the delivery of Be the best you can be! to primary and secondary schools across the capital, young Londoners will be inspired, engaged and empowered into the late 2010s and beyond. Educational charity 21st Century Legacy is behind the programme, with Olympian and co-author of Be the best you can be! David Hemery CBE, at the helm (see panel, page 44). Mayoral backing (part-funded by Taylor Wimpey) means that over the next three years pupils in 250 primary and secondary schools across London will be supported to help them realise their ambitions through the programme. Drawing on various techniques, including the GROW model (see panel, page 44), it will help young people think beyond their current environment, developing new horizons and ambitions and prompt them to consider how best to achieve them. It helps pupils think about how to raise their aspirations and increase their self-confidence, feel empowered to develop their coaching skills and become resilient, reflective problem solvers. By enabling young Londoners to do this, it helps them
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discover their potential and work towards the fulfilment of their ambitions. At the same time, it enhances the facilitation and coaching skills of teachers by providing a cross-curricular framework of resources to be delivered in the classroom. The whole approach supports staff and students to develop an ethos and language of ‘aspiration together’. At the heart of the initiative are enhanced coaching skills, which are prioritised from the start with a half-day’s continuing professional development (CPD) for all staff to introduce the key concepts of coaching in the classroom. The CPD is swiftly followed by an official launch to build momentum. Be the best you can be! embodies the legacy of London 2012 by using Olympians, Paralympians and other high achievers to deliver an inspirational half-day launch. A typical launch starts at 9am with the guest speaker taking assembly, talking about their journey through life to where they are now. This can involve short video clips, manual demonstrations of sport and motivational language. The children then get to ask some questions in the hall before moving back to their classrooms where they start their programme tasks. The guest speaker will then visit the classrooms and spend time
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Boxer Hannah Beharry, (centre) on a visit to Tweeddale Primary School in Carshalton
WE About the project Be the best you can be! is an educational legacy programme inspired by London 2012 and supported by house-building firm Taylor Wimpey. The programme is delivered in partnership with 21st Century Legacy, an educational charity founded to help fulfil a bid promise that the London 2012 Olympic Games would be an inspiration to the youth of Britain and the rest of the world. Since 2011, Be the best you can be! has been delivered across the country to more than 100,000 young people. To be eligible for the Mayor’s Fund, London schools must have above-average free school meals take-up. The cost for eligible schools is £750 (normally £1,500) plus £2 per primary pupil participating or £5 per secondary student participating – primary schools can use their sport/PE funding and all schools can use their pupil premium. The Mayor’s Fund for London exists to give young Londoners the skills and opportunities to get a decent job, escape the threat of poverty and play a full part in London’s future. Its projects focus on health and wellbeing, skills and employment. If you would like to register your school, or require more information, please contact Aisling Cohn. ACohn@mayorsfundforlondon.org.uk
with the children, where they will answer further Schools outside London should contact Jo Oakley questions, sign autographs and help the children at 21st Century Legacy. with their tasks in the workbooks. JoOakley@21stcenturylegacy.com Paralympian Wendy Smith is a Be the best you can be! speaker. She tells LF: “The impact www.mayorsfundforlondon.org.uk this initial launch has on the children is www.21stcenturylegacy.com immense. It opens up the pathways of possibility within the children and the language they and who have a ‘growth mindset’ believe their most basic use changes almost instantly. You can feel the positivity abilities can be developed through dedication and hard work and curiosity in the air as you walk into classrooms. and they persist when faced with challenges.” “I find that after they have met me and have heard how I overcame a severe spinal injury to walk again, they appreciate Jan Shaddick, principal of Lambeth Academy and now their own ability to move. They begin to believe that their a trustee of 21st Century Legacy, is about to embark on the aspirations can be met when they become determined and set programme for a second time. She explains the lasting effects clear outcomes with markers to appreciate progress.” the programme can instil: “We had a real issue with low aspiration when I was at Swindon Academy and I wasn’t Evidence-based approach looking for a quick fix. We signed up for Be the best you can November’s Public Health England report, The link between be! and trained all our year seven tutors and PE staff. Then, pupil health and wellbeing and attainment, makes the Olympic sprinter Darren Campbell came to the launch event. link between pupil wellbeing and attainment, bringing “We found it had a significant impact on resilience and selfconclusive evidence to the table for head teachers and esteem. Bath University conducted research and we scored governors to consider. The report states: “promoting physical highly in all areas under the study. Most significantly, the and mental health in schools creates a virtuous circle improvements remained several months later when they came back to follow up. reinforcing children’s attainment and achievement that in “This programme is rooted in research and is about longturn improves their wellbeing, enabling children to thrive term sustainable change and impact. It gives you something and achieve their full potential.” It suggests: “…pupils who are confident about their learning E with impact that is also flexible in its approach.”
IMAGE: MAYOR’S FUND FOR LONDON
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O LY M P I C L E G A C Y WE The GROW model W Be the best you can be! embeds a whole-school approach to raising attainment and achievement through coaching skills for teachers and young people. It awakens potential in staff and students by developing their personal strengths and capabilities, raising awareness and taking responsibility for future opportunities and choices.
Young people are taught to ‘peer coach’ each other using this model. This simple but highly effective tool allows young people to better understand themselves, where they are now and how they can take steps to move forward with some reflective questioning such as: Goal - what do you really want to achieve?
Untapped potential
Reality - what is happening now?
As David Hemery says: “There is a spark of greatness in everyone and I believe that our young people and teachers have so much untapped potential that, through enhanced coaching, new heights are always possible.” At a primary school in Greenwich the programme had a lasting impact on the staff and pupils who were struggling to overcome some difficult challenges. “We couldn’t have picked a better or more inspiring, timely project,” says Morden Mount primary school head teacher Briony Brammer. The message ‘be the best’ said it all for a ‘Cinderella’ school that had serious weaknesses, which meant it always bumped along the bottom of league tables. Hannah Beharry, World Boxing Champion (pictured, page 42), motivated the Greenwich school’s pupils in January last year to aim high, challenge stereotypes and to achieve their goals and dreams. Briony says: “Staff also appreciated the training in life coaching – some teaching assistants said it was the best inset they had ever had – and I can see its influence in the way they encourage pupils in lessons. The children have achieved great results and Morden Mount has recently been rated by Ofsted as ‘good’ with outstanding features.” Participating schools are unlocking their students’ potential
Options - what could you do? Will - what will you do?
and teachers are nurturing this in the classroom through enhanced coaching techniques that promote and develop the language of resilience perseverance and dedication. During a recent visit to a primary school in Islington, which rolled out Be the best you can be! across the school last autumn, their corridor displays were adorned with phrases like ‘Never give up’, ‘Get out of your comfort zone!’ ‘Always have a plan A and a plan B’ and ‘Keep moving forward’. In an increasingly globalised society where jobs and industries are changing rapidly and we can use Google to find an answer to just about anything, we need to prepare our young people with the skills and competencies required for the world of tomorrow and Be the best you can be! can contribute hugely to this process. Aisling Cohn is project co-ordinator for Be the best you can be!
WE David Hemery The inspiration for this innovative and dynamic whole-school approach to raising aspirations and attainment in schools by using the legacy of the 2012 Games, is David Hemery CBE. David is the founder of 21st Century Legacy and co-author of the Be the best you can be! programme. He is best known for his days in sport both as Olympic champion and world record holder in the 400m hurdles (Mexico 1968) and later three times winner of the BBC’s Superstars. Since then David has been a coach, teacher, leader and writer. He is now vice-chair of the British Olympic Association.
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THE EDUCATION RESOURCES AWARDS 2015 THE NATIONAL MOTORCYCLE MUSEUM. BIRMINGHAM FRIDAY 20TH MARCH 2015
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Shining lights Want to engage your most challenging pupils? Philippa Wilding asks the winners of the 2014 Let Teachers SHINE awards for some tips HOW DO YOU RAISE THE ACHIEVEMENT OF YOUR most vulnerable children? It is a daily challenge facing schools across the country, so who better to help address the issue than the teachers who continue to find new ways to overcome it? This summer, Capita SIMS brought together the 11 winners of the 2014 Let Teachers SHINE competition. The SHINE education charity invites teachers to propose fresh and exciting ideas to help disadvantaged children in schools. The winners receive grants to develop their concepts with the ultimate goal of improving progress. At the workshop, these winning primary and secondary school teachers shared which schemes had proved successful in their own schools. What follows are some of their ideas in the hope that they may inspire other schemes to help disadvantaged pupils in your schools.
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1. Raise the aspirations of every child Many felt addressing poverty of ambition was the place to start (see also www.inspiringthefuture.org/primary-futures): • One school introduced mixed ability classes for some lessons so that students in lower streams experience classrooms with a different dynamic where aspirations are higher • Another emphasised the importance of talking about life goals with older children to encourage them to see the value of continuing to remain in education once they have completed their GCSEs. They pointed out that some are motivated by the prospect that it will secure them a better job and how it allow them to spend money on things they might never have experienced, such as holidays • Taking children into the workplace to give them a taste of the real world of work was another suggestion raised. The teacher revealed how their school takes pupils into hospitals so they can see for themselves all the different jobs available from doctors to nurses to lab technicians to porters • Praising progress in every subject was warmly welcomed by everyone. Many pointed out that if you have students who struggle in the core subjects, it is important they get to feel what it is like to do well in something. They pointed out how an increase in confidence can help across the board
2. Raise the achievement of every child Many winning teachers thought it was important to identify areas where progress begins to slide and to take proactive action: • Carefully managing the move to secondary school was one
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SHINE AWARDS WE Amanda Poole
Shrubland Street Community Primary School Amanda is a former secondary school teacher who now works as a science specialist at a small primary in Leamington Spa. Amanda was one of the 2014 Let Teachers SHINE competition finalists. Here, she offers her tips for engaging your most challenging pupils. “It is important to generate real enthusiasm about a subject. I try to achieve this by taking over assemblies and engaging pupils in science in the playground at lunchtime. I also run competitions and show excitement when children tell me about science projects that they do at home. “I can always be seen wearing my lab coat as a way of showing that I am living my subject and I encourage my colleagues to bring science into other areas of the curriculum. As a result, I now cannot go anywhere in the school without children asking questions and sharing their scientific hypotheses – their enthusiasm is truly brilliant. “I believe strongly in giving praise and hand out ‘science challenge champion’ wristbands. These are simple paper wristbands I have printed that are awarded for science achievements in class. Outside the school lab, if a particular child is showing genuine enthusiasm for my subject, I award them a ‘science superhero’ wristband so everyone can participate. I also have a washing line in the lab with laminated cards to celebrate all the clever predictions and questions that the children have raised.
teacher’s suggestion. Having recently moved from the primary school to the “Wherever possible, I encourage children to lead the learning process. secondary sector, she holds sessions If they follow their own lines of enquiry it leads to greater thinking and over the summer holiday and also problem-solving. This year, we are running a programme in science which transition days so that children get to hands pupils the role of leaders of learning. It allows year six and year four know their new school classes to plan an afternoon of hands-on science workshops for year one and • Another idea was to create a culture two children. The project has been an amazing success. It has motivated our where it is ‘cool’ to be clever. One children to be good role models and meet our high expectations.” school capitalised on role models with academic qualifications, such as Nathan Cleverly, the Welsh boxer with a degree from Cardiff University skills to the end of key stage three to help students access • A team from one school discussed how giving students subjects, such as humanities, more easily when they move up tangible goals helped keep them on track. They planned a from primary school different school trip for each year group on which places must be earned by making good progress 3. Harness the power of teaching assistants Some primary school delegates felt they had achieved a great • A mentoring scheme, where the mentors are students who deal by raising the profile of their teaching assistants (TAs): have previously struggled in certain subjects, was having a • One school had invested in better training of TAs so they could significant impact at another teacher’s school. Having found develop a better understanding of the ways they can deliver the subject difficult themselves, the teacher pointed out that targeted intervention their expertise and insight can ensure a child receives the • Another arranged weekly meetings between TAs and the sympathetic help that they need deputy head. This meant everyone understood the priorities • A popular suggestion raised by one teacher was to set high for the week and the TAs felt valued members of staff who expectations about good behaviour and not to tolerate even could make a difference to children’s attainment minor disruptions. They felt that by setting clear boundaries, • One school sent weekly emails to TAs informing them of consistently good classroom behaviour becomes a habit teachers’ plans for the following week so that they are well • Another tip was to adapt the curriculum as far as possible E prepared to support the lessons to suit students. A secondary school is focusing on literacy
ILLUSTRATION: ISTOCK. PHOTOGRAPHY: CAPITA SIMS
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SHINE AWARDS WE Catherine Calvey,
Christ the King Catholic Academy W • Another idea was from a school that arranges ‘drop down days’ during which a higher level TA takes the class while the teacher meets with each individual pupil. Teachers then take children through their progress and targets, helping them to take responsibility for their achievement
4. Engage with parents
Catherine Calvey is an assistant head at a Catholic academy in Blackpool and has worked extensively with children who need extra support. She recently won funding for a project to help encourage reading among her school’s Gypsy Roma traveller families to support learning and raise literacy achievement levels for all pupils. “One of the most successful support programmes we offer is provided by our family support manager who is the first point of contact for all parents. Not only has she opened our eyes to issues we were previously unaware of in our traveller families, but she has helped ease the transition into primary school life for so many of our pupils.
Most of the teachers we spoke to on the day “She doesn’t simply take a child to a doctor’s appointment, but also stressed the importance of finding new and organises weekly breakfast meetings for parents. Here, families can creative ways to get parents more involved in raise a particular theme they want to discuss, such as sibling rivalry school. Some of their ideas that have worked or how to eat more healthily. at their schools included the following: “I also visit our traveller families regularly to talk • Informing parents when their child is to them about their son or daughter and the help doing well in any area at school, so that available. If there’s a meeting coming up that I they start to feel positive about their own think might be relevant to the family, I’ll try to role as a parent and develop confidence in encourage them to attend. I have found that unless their parenting skills you take the time to develop a relationship with • Running courses for parents. One school families, everything else is far harder to achieve. organises self-esteem courses for mothers. “To help raise achievement, we have employed a teacher whose sole It allowed a mum who grew up in care to responsibility is to work with our traveller children in school and also feel more positive about her own abilities deliver sessions to parents. The aim is, by raising the literacy levels of and better equipped to help her child parents, we can have an impact on children’s achievement since parents • Showing parents what career possibilities will then have more confidence to support their child’s learning at home. could be available to their child if they did well at school was an idea that had “Our view is that if something is hampering a pupil’s learning, we need to worked for one teacher find out what it is and work to change it. We often discover that parents • Another school arranged family visits to have had a negative education experience and think that things haven’t universities and colleges so that parents changed since they were at school. For this reason, we hold family days can see some of the opportunities open so that parents can see how different things are today. to their children “Having learning materials that reflect a young child’s home life makes • A delegate revealed how their school a difference too. We have books with stories about trailers and going to issues a contract that is agreed by a the Appleby Fair – all resources that many of our children can relate to. child, their parent and the school. Each We find these further enhance their engagement in the learning process.” party makes a commitment to meet set expectations regarding attendance, behaviour and effort as to whether prolonged absence should be viewed • Many felt that perseverance is key. It does takes time but, as sympathetically or not, based on your personal knowledge one delegate said: “You know you are winning when a parent of the family circumstances knocks on your door to ask about their child’s progress” • A teacher explained that if they have families that are 5. Reach out to vulnerable families reluctant to attend parents’ evenings, they communicate in Try to establish connections with parents – even the smallest other ways; a quick phone call, text or email. Anything helps • Another teacher was using pupil premium funding to provide changes can help the family feel more positive about school. eye and hearing tests for all pupils. They pointed out that • Encouraging a child’s attendance in a positive way, with it ensures pupils from vulnerable families are receiving the regular calls and visits to explain to parents how important basic care that many miss out on. it is that their child does not miss out on learning, was an approach adopted by a few schools at the workshop. Philippa Wilding is head of school improvement at Capita SIMS One delegate felt it was important to exercise judgement
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INSPIRING A LOVE OF READING IN SCHOOLS AND AT HOME
CREATIVITY IN THE NEW PRIMARY CURRICULUM Innovative, practical approaches to teaching reading and writing through the study of animals with Pie Corbett
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ZSL London Zoo: Thurs 5th Feb 2015
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WE T E L L U S A B O U T Y O U R S C H O O L We’d love to share your stories with LF re a d e rs . Ema il Su s a n E educationhack@gmail.com
FINALLY… W
alk into Anderton Park primary in Birmingham and you’ll be given paper and pen to add to the school’s project on what’s great about being British. Festooning the entrance are statements from visitors, staff and children, including: ‘walking down the street as a free person’ and ‘a good cup of tea’, but also about equality and tolerance: that ‘the law protects you’; ‘everybody’s treated fairly’, and ‘there’s always somebody to help you’. The project is part of head teacher Sarah Hewitt-Clarkson’s uncompromising approach to the education of her 700, mostly Muslim, pupils, in which their understanding of equality, diversity and Britishness is as important as academic subjects. Anderton Park became associated with the ‘Trojan horse’ episode, although Sarah, who took over in 2012, was determined not to yield to the kind of pressures experienced by her predecessor. Her approach has been praised by Ofsted and in parliament by education secretary Nicky Morgan.
SUSAN YOUNG
HEARTS AND MINDS
Taking a stand Her philosophy is simple: all pupils are entitled to equal treatment and a rich, rounded education is particularly important. “Many of our children have quite a monocultural life. Often the only non-Muslims they encounter are school staff, visitors and a few other children. “That gives our children a great family and religious life, but – like all schools – we need to widen their sense of the world. They’re our future politicians, economists, lawyers, doctors, teachers, bankers and parents. It’s important we get it right. “We need their education to be as broad, people-centred and relationship-centred as possible to help prepare them for their life as young adults. School is about education: religion is for home. Here you learn about stuff you don’t already know. If I don’t take a stand I’m doing our children a disservice.” Sarah thinks the government should do more, particularly around sensitive areas of equality. “The successes of schools seem very much down to the individual head and that’s not fair on the children. Local and national government could use TV, radio and billboards to say that, in British schools, certain things – including the equality law and sex and relationships education – will be taught; discrimination won’t be tolerated 50
and so on. This would take pressure off heads. In Ghana, for example, there are massive billboards saying: “Domestic violence will not be tolerated.” That’s so simple. “We need courageous leadership saying every British child will be taught these things. Then it cannot be talked away. People can’t say: ‘This isn’t taught in my nephew’s school and it is disgusting to talk about these things.’” Protecting pupils is always a priority: there are high rates of child sexual exploitation locally and, like many other heads who have been offered ‘preventing violent extremism’ training, Sarah’s learned it is an issue for all schools, whether in combating far-right, animal rights or a mentally ill teenager with a knife. “It has an impact. I don’t want any of my children to end up in prison [one ex-pupil is serving a 19-year sentence for terrorism offences]. Whether it’s gangs, drugs, sexual exploitation or ISIS, children with a wide, rich, equality-driven education are less vulnerable to exploitation of any kind. Education is a massive lever: if children are broadly and widely educated about the world and its people, positive relationships, tolerance and celebration of difference and belief in British law, they have a better chance of being a positive contributor. “We’ve just done some work on families, using new books on challenging homophobia in primary schools. We don’t say we’re learning about gay people, but talk about ways families can be different and amazing; and read books about how it’s ok to be different, such as Elmer about a patchwork elephant. “With older children we look at what’s in the news, we talk about all stories. Recently, an American footballer was thrown out of the team because he’s gay. The older children were outraged. We don’t shy away from more sensitive issues. Everything we do is age appropriate, woven into learning and helps embed our great sense of equality.” See also feature, page 22
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