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“Learning is what remains after the targets are forgotten”

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Editorial The disadvantage of summer born children relative to those born earlier in the academic year has been decisively confirmed by research and well publicised.

This is far from being short term but extends as far as the likelihood of gaining five GCSE A* to C results and to entering university. The focus is on children born in August and parental concern has led to pressure which in September 2015 prompted the Schools’ Minister to promise an amendment to the Admissions Code to ensure later entry to the admission class if this is the parents’ wish.

But the issue is far more deep-seated than the current debate allows. Relative disadvantage is not confined simply to the August born. Research has also shown that taking children born in the preceding autumn quartile (September, October, November) as the baseline, there is disadvantage for the subsequent winter quartile increasing progressively until the summer quartile. The most disadvantaged are indeed the August born but the disadvantage graph is a straight line and there is no cliff edge over which they fall.

One of the roots of the problem lies in the Government’s recommendation of a single date for the admission of all rising fives into the admission class at the beginning of the academic year. The oldest children may already be five years old when school starts in September whereas the youngest may not reach their fifth birthday until the following August. The differences in age and maturity are very great and are a severe test of the perception and skills of the admission teacher as they face the challenge of meeting individual needs. There is a considerable risk that insufficient recognition of the earlier stage of development of the younger four year olds can lead to stereotyping and even premature assessment of special educational needs.

There should be a closer matching of the children to the admission class which is an important transition to the more formal teaching of key stage 1. The single date of entry into the admission class should be abandoned in favour of entry at the beginning of the term during which the child becomes five. Learning is largely through play at this early stage and there would be no problems in assimilating the new entries during the year. Indeed coming into the class would be facilitated by the new entrant joining children who are already familiar with school routines.

The government eases away, all too slowly, from the crude assumption that all children can be expected to reach the same level of achievement at any one time and moves towards a concern for individual progress.

It is time for every primary specialist to make a similar shift in focus. Each child’s chronological age and level of maturity matters enormously and this should be the first consideration as we plan learning. Not for the first time we will be ahead of slow moving government. Perhaps it may help to persuade them if we draw attention to the results of this year’s phonic screening. In an old fashioned way it is expected that all children, irrespective of their age when the screening takes place, will reach a predetermined level but an analysis of the results tells a different story. 74% of the youngest children met the expected level but 88% of the oldest did so. This is what we practitioners would expect and it is high time that the government expected it also.

About us

Editorial Editorial Board

John Coe Peter Cansell, Malini Mistry, Stuart Swann, Robert Young

Primary First journal is published three times per year by the National Association for Primary Education in association with the Association for the Study of Primary Education.

Primary First, 57 Britannia Way, Lichfield, Staffordshire, WS14 9UY Tel. 01543 257257, Email. nape@onetel.com ©Primary First 2017 No part of this publication may be reproduced, copied or transmitted in any form or by any means without the express written permission of the publisher. Whilst every care has been taken to ensure the accuracy of the editorial content the publisher cannot be held responsible for errors or omissions. The views expressed are not necessarily those of the publisher.

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CONTENTS 03.

Editorial

16.

Book Review

About Us

18.

Malini Mistry introduces the ASPE pages.

05.

Sonia Blandford considers the achievement gap

19.

The Effectiveness of Teaching Assistants by Rosey Sellars

10.

Prevent Duty: Its Social and Cultural Relevance

26.

Jacqueline Harding eases transition to secondary school.

14.

The Book Page by Carey Fluker Hunt

28.

The impact of Plowden on today’s practice.

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Achievement for All: Closing the gap

by Sonia Blandford

At age 11 children from less advantaged families are 8.2 months behind their better off peers in reading and mathematics. By age 16 this gap has increased by 4.6 months, where those from socio economic disadvantage are likely to be 12.8 months behind their more advantaged peers in average GCSE grades; they are also almost twice as likely not to achieve the equivalent of a C grade or above in GCSE English and maths (FEA, 2017).

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The link between socio economic disadvantage and academic underperformance is widely acknowledged.

Less discussed are other related factors; children from low income families are more likely to be born with an inherited SEND, they are also more likely to develop SEND as children and are less likely to move out of this category whilst at school (Shaw et al., 2016). In addition, 57% of looked after children have SEN (DfE, 2017).

Schools in England, particularly primary schools, have gone some way in addressing underperformance over the last decade. However, there is still much to be done and particularly in regional areas of the country- coastal areas, Yorkshire and the Humber along with visible and less visible pockets across the country.

• Attainment, ‘I have’: attaining the grade. Children and young people have achieved

• Aspiration, ‘I can’: the grit and resilience that makes perseverance in the face of challenge a ‘lived practice’ of children and young people, understanding and supporting learning, building ambition and goalfocused behaviour.

• Access, ‘I do: developing independence in learning and self-development in children and young people leading to an understanding and ownership of their responsibility for their own ongoing life-long journey of learning and development.

a better home learning environment (HLE) leads to increased attainment at age 11, with out of school enrichment activities and reading at home, leading to increased attainment at the end of secondary school.

However, education is not only about academic learning, but as the first joint report of the education and health committees session of 2016-2017 pointed out, there needs to be a whole school approach to pupil well- being, where teachers are given more support and training (House of Commons, 2017). The All Party

• Achievement, ‘I am’: the internalisation of learning and success, the ‘feel good’ factor of learning that grows from within, equipping children and young people to understand what they know and how to learn.

2016 KS2 data, showed that only 39% of pupils from socio economic disadvantage reached the expected ‘sturdier’ standard in reading, writing and mathematics (DfE, 2017). This means that 61% of 11 year olds from less advantaged backgrounds started secondary school without the basic levels of literacy and numeracy to access the KS3 In essence, education is Schools can and should make a curriculum without extra support. At about building the core of difference; no child is born to fail the same time, for those children and children. Research highlights (Blandford, 2017). Our education young people from socio economic the importance of emotional disadvantage, who attain the system has a moral imperative to health in childhood to ensure that every child and young expected level or above at age 11, person can achieve. When these needs satisfaction in adulthood, gaps can open again in secondary are met, the needs of our future society placing it above academic education. In 2014, 15% of able are also met. This is accomplished achievement or wealth when pupils who scored in the top 10% by harnessing and mobilising the older (Layard, 2014). nationally at age 11 failed to achieve potential, talents, and skills of all in the top 25% at GCSE; boys from children and young people that will drive society to less advantaged backgrounds were twice as likely to progress. Future world needs may be unpredictable, but be in this group than other young people (Sutton Trust, if children and young people are effectively supported 2015). The drop off in achievement at secondary schooltoday, they are more likely to be prepared to meet the both progress and attainment- points towards the need challenges of tomorrow. for strengthening the transition between the two phases In essence, education is about building the core of education and exploring further the challenges faced of children. Research highlights the importance by secondary schools across England. of emotional health in childhood to satisfaction in Schools do make a difference to a child’s present and adulthood, placing it above academic achievement or future, both in school and in supporting the home wealth when older (Layard, 2014). To build children’s learning environment. Toth et al. (2016) showed that core, education needs to be about: good early years and primary school experience and

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Parliamentary Group for Children, which had met two years previously had also highlighted the need to: teach pupils how to manage stress and pressure at home and school; manage transitions to a new school-often beyond the first year for some pupils; encourage and support good peer to peer and pupil to teacher relationships; enable young people to feel they belong and build parent or carer engagement with the school and their child (All Party Parliamentary Group for Children, 2015).

Some or more of these practices are being put in place by some schools, but it needs to be more widespread.

(EEF, 2012). Vaughn and Fletcher (2012) show its origins in the USA, where it has been traditionally used in schools as a whole school preventative measure and/or on a case by case basis, where children who are struggling or vulnerable to underachievement are identified, the intervention is put in place and they are closely monitored; RTI is delivered through a tiered approach, where each tier becomes more intense.

It uses pupil assessment data to shape teaching and interventions, where interventions are provided in three tiers of increasing intensity matched to pupil needs.

Teachers use monitoring data as well as evidence of This gap, which many primary schools across the country impact of the particular intervention on pupil progress, to go some way in closing, start to open up again in the determine the level of intensity (the tier) first year at secondary school and ...the study highlighted that each pupil is offered. continue throughout KS3. In 2015, Ofsted outlined the national picture in the fact that primary Achievement for All has worked with many secondary schools in England; a teachers see the teaching The Centre for the use of Research lack of focus on high quality teaching, of literacy as their primary and Evidence in Education (CUREE) to responsibility whereas pupils less challenged and engaged deliver RTI literacy interventions and secondary teachers by their learning, pupils more likely coaching (adapted as a literacy ‘catchto be repeating work they had consider the coverage of up’ programme offered to pupils in their already covered in primary school subject content their main last year of primary school who were at and also less likely to be benefitting risk of not achieving the expected level, responsibility. from Pupil Premium funding; the to enable them to reach the functional report highlighted poor communication of data between literacy necessary for success at secondary school). For primary and secondary schools as a contributory factor. many schools, the programme offered a chance to reflect Ofsted (2015) showed that even for the most-able pupils, on how they approached the issues that confront these too many ‘tread water’ during KS3, with the result that pupils, prompting them to find new and innovative ways when the focus and pressure is increased for KS4, in of solving them. many cases it is too late. By the time these pupils reach In addition, the study highlighted the fact that primary KS4, the damage has been done and they are unable to teachers see the teaching of literacy as their primary achieve their full potential. For less advantaged young people, the consequences can be devastating; a significant responsibility whereas secondary teachers consider the coverage of subject content their main responsibility. proportion may already be disqualified from entering a Pupils, once in secondary school have to apply their sixth form college, taking A levels or going to university. literacy skills across different subject areas (mathematics,

social studies, science etc.). To support transition, the More action is needed: What works?

RTI (literacy ‘catch- up”) programme, enabled pupils in A good starting point is the transition from primary to Year 6 to: build vocabulary (both core vocabulary and secondary school (although the gaps are evident much academic vocabulary specific to different subjects); earlier), a much discussed yet relatively under researched improve their background knowledge (because pupils area, with the exception of continuity in literacy and who have adequate background knowledge are more numeracy. There has been some success in England likely to understand what they read), and improve with Response to Intervention (RTI) during the transition comprehension strategies across different content areas period; a “school wide, multi-tiered programme that (e.g. pupils practising summarising what they read for measures pupils’ response to research based instruction” history and science texts).

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Secondary schools: developing the right systems and practices Quality teaching can help pupils surmount generation –long barriers to learning, but the particular approaches and strategies need to be inclusive and well embedded into the regular practice and culture of the school.

The situation in England is often compounded by the relatively widespread use of ability setting, particularly for mathematics. Jo Boaler (2000), in her study of mathematical learning of pupils at secondary school, found that ability setting did not contribute to achievement or social mobility.

However, teachers should not be naive about the challenges they face, in the context of the needs of the children coming into schools. Causality is often misinterpreted as a definitive diagnosis – and this is rooted in a deficit model. In other words, children and young people are defined by ‘they can’t do this because they have a problem’. This leads to labelling, low expectations, and a rhetoric of failure. That’s a state of being that is no good for parents and carers or teachers or for the children in their care.

Teachers who’ve reached these children, however, have discovered in a myriad of joyous, satisfying and career-defining ways that these children can succeed.

They know these children might be dogged by adults’ low expectations and aspirations - including their own parents and carers - and they may be less likely to have books at home, the space to do homework, or a parent or carer with the time to help. They know they are less likely to have access to private dance, drama, music or sport coaching, the stuff that can build confidence and friendships.

Parents as partners A key factor in the development of a school ‘learning’ community is the extent to which parents and carers are engaged in their children’s learning. Parental engagement in children’s learning has a very distinct and far-reaching effect on their outcomes. Research across OECD countries and economies showed the greater confidence and motivation of children whose parents had high expectations for their learning and achievement (Schleicher, 2014). Parent and carer engagement

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in children’s learning is about schools and teachers developing positive relationships with parents. It is about schools giving parents the opportunity to talk about their child, their aspirations for their learning, their strengths and what they enjoy. It is also about teachers learning from parents, jointly setting learning targets with parents and ensuring this informs classroom planning. Schools which are particularly effective in engaging parents and carers as partners in their child’s learning have seen improved attainment and accelerated progress in pupil outcomes (PwC, 2014 and Humphrey and Squires, 2011).

Taking this further, professional behaviours linked to professional development are most effective when they include not only the development of teacher skills, but those of parents and carers. Parents are enabled to become ‘real’ partners in their child’s education, contributing to accelerated progress. High standards of behaviour are achieved across classrooms when pupils feel valued and want to belong to their school.

The quality of interaction between teachers and students as well as teacher expectation is enhanced through communication and interaction skills across the curriculum. In helping children to develop as independent and confident learners, head teachers, teachers and other staff need to give particular attention to the creation of a positive environment; a stimulating learning environment will produce stimulating results.

Conclusion: No child is born to fail While initiatives and interventions can be bespoke there is a danger that we focus entirely on one group when we talk about social mobility in schools. Of course, studies have rightly highlighted that there are groups which demand our attention. We know, that white workingclass boys’ poor performance at GCSE level (only 24 per cent gain five A* – Cs) makes them the lowest or secondlowest ethnic group over the past decade. We also know that low-income families start off behind other families in our communities and risk never catching up. In the latter example this starts with early years development – problems with speech, language, play and so learning.

And then the gap actually increases so by the time they get to Key Stage 2 at least one in four of those children born into low-income families has difficulty learning,

particularly around literacy and numeracy. The gap increases as they go onwards to Key Stage 4.

Fair Education Alliance, Report Card 2016/2017, London: FEA, 2017.

But to make a difference to any group (age, class, or ethnic group) we should – I believe – focus on everyone, and at every age. Not second-guessing the problems they may face, judging or classifying in a negligent manner, or assuming those same problems are confined to one group of children. Meaningful change in society will only occur if we invest in all children and young people, find what is great inside them, dig it out and share it with the world.

Humphrey, N. and Squires, G., Achievement for All: National Evaluation Final Report, Nottingham: DfE, 2011.

Achievement for All has worked with schools to improve the behaviour of pupils identified with SEND and others vulnerable to underachievement. By improving how they communicate with parents and carers, Achievement for All has also allowed schools in multiple settings to identify previously unknown barriers to learning, leading to greater achievement once they have been broken down. Greater engagement has empowered parents and carers to take an active role in their children’s learning, meaning progress becomes more sustainable and schools, parents and pupils hold greater aspirations about what can be achieved. Evidence from the programme and adoption of 3As principles illustrates how the simplest of acts, whether these are communication or pedagogy, can increase participation in learning and

enhance the life chances of all pupils.

Shaw, B., Bernardes, E., Trethewey, A., and Menzies, L., Special educational needs and their links to poverty: Joseph Rowntree Foundation, 2016.

Layard, R., Clark, A.E., Cornaglia, F., Powdthavee, N. and Vernoit, J., What Predicts a Successful Life? A Life-course Model of Wellbeing, The Economic Journal, 124 (580), p.688-719, 2014.

Ofsted, KS3: the wasted years, London: Ofsted, 2015 PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) Social Impact Assessment, Achievement for All, Belfast: PwC, 2014.

Schleicher, A., What we learnt from the PISA 2012 results, Education Today, OECD, 2014

Sutton Trust, Missing Talent, London: Sutton Trust, 2015.

Toth,K., Sylva, K. and Sammons, P., Subject to Background: What promotes better achievement of bright but disadvantaged students?, London: Sutton Trust, 2015 Vaughn, S. and Fletcher, J. Response to Intervention with Secondary School Students with Reading Difficulties, Journal of Learning Disabilities, May 45 (3), P244-256, 2012.

References Blandford, S) Born to Fail? social mobility, a working class view, Woodbridge, John Catt.2017. Available from: https://www. amazon.co.uk/Books-Sonia-Blandfords?ie=UTF8&page=1&rh=n% 3A266239%2Cp_27%3ASonia%20Blandford Boaler, J., Wiliam, D.,and Brown, M. Students’ Experiences of Ability Grouping - disaffection, polarisation and the construction of failure. British Educational Research Journal, 26 (5). pp. 631648, 2000.

Department for Education, National curriculum assessments: key stage 2, 2016 (revised), London, DfE, 2017.

Department for Education, Outcomes of looked after children by local authorities in England, 31 March 2016, London, DfE, 2017.

Education Endowment Foundation, Improving literacy in the transition: What do we need to know about what works? July, EEF, 2012

Sonia Blandford is Founder and CEO of Achievement for All. Sonia is currently Professor of Education and Social Enterprise at the UCL institute of Education.

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Prevent Duty:

Its Social and Cultural Relevance for Primary Education by Keir McDonald

For those who are not already aware of Prevent duty, it is one of the government’s current antiterrorism strategies.

It requires schools to provide “due regard to the need to prevent people from being drawn into terrorism” and alert teachers to the possibilities of “nonviolent extremism”.

There is a phone number to call (for Channel, the infrastructure in place to support those who need it), through which a school can refer any student it feels might have developed radical views. In some cases, the referred then receive educational counselling to highlight how certain views cannot sit alongside our core values as a society.

The aim of this article is not to directly discuss why Prevent duty exists at a primary education level, but to try to unpack its potential within the UK curriculum. Placed between Religious Education (RE) and Personal, Social, Health and Economic education (PSHE), Prevent duty could offer education systems the opportunity to foster relationships within the community. It can promote the key values within modern British

society and prepare students for later life.

The multicultural society we call Britain today benefits from over 300 different spoken languages and a variety of religions and beliefs. Its development could be considered one of the most prominent features of modern British history — a part of what makes Britain “Britain�. This is something to be proud of, as the growth of a diverse culture brings a wealth of opportunities, as well as strengthening humanistic thinking which would benefit many.

Unfortunately, not everyone shares this view.

Prevent duty was implemented as a way to protect people against those who oppose multiculturalism; that do not show interest in living within a modern British society.

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The Popularity of Prevent

explained how a training official from Channel had delivered their Prevent training. While Coverage of Prevent in the mainstream she appreciated the methods used during the media has arguably been quite negative, session, the content had not been developed to choosing to focus on the mistakes teachers accommodate her pupils. had made, or the “success stories” of how The fact that the government does not offer young people have been referred. This only separate guidelines for works to paint an image of an primary education shows their education system that is unable The fact that the unwillingness to engage with to educate students on the government does not Prevent’s potential. All the dangers of extremism. Instead offer separate guidelines headteachers were unanimous of developing a curriculum for primary education in agreeing that their staff that equips learners with the shows their unwillingness couldn’t see how the current tools to understand the modern to engage with Prevent’s model of their Prevent duty world, you can hand over pupils was passing any lasting potential. to a counter-terrorism unit. benefit to their pupils. While it Fortunately, this image is not a could be argued that Prevent true reference of Prevent. duty was designed to safeguard pupils first and Having spoken with two primary school foremost, there is space for it to have greater headteachers and a SEN school specialist scope. If it remains so unpopular among those in Brighton, it’s easier to understand that who are enforcing it, why not design it in a Prevent’s shortfallings should not be placed more integrated and sustainable way? at the feet of the UK’s education system. The National Union of Teachers (NUT) conference did vote for the government to withdraw Prevent from schools and colleges, stating that it did not create the positive atmosphere in which to discuss challenging subjects.

Furthermore, Conservative Member of Parliament and school governor Lucy Allan recently highlighted that Prevent had moved from “a cooperative and voluntary act of the community into a statutory duty”. She said that it was felt to be intrusive by those communities affected and that a there “is an incentive to make referrals under Prevent”, that you could get into trouble if you didn’t.

One of the headteachers, Craig, was quite clear in his views that Prevent was not implemented in a considered way. As well as this, Julia, who works in a SEN school,

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The Future of Prevent Duty in Primary Education It’s undeniable that Prevent has had some positive effect on safeguarding children. Most of those referred to Channel are under the age of 18, so it does hold value in its current form. Unfortunately, its exact worth is difficult to quantify. We cannot be sure of the extent to which these referrals have been either effective or necessary. What we are certain of, though, is that children do need to be protected from extremism, but that the system isn’t currently as beneficial as it could be. So why not reshape Prevent duty to represent this?

Michele Lawrie, the headteacher at St Peter’s Community Primary School, has implemented

her Prevent duty in a more positive way. By example they might experience at school. including it in her PSHE classes, she said that Ultimately, the future of Prevent within primary it had benefitted her staff’s teaching within education is a grey area. While it can be PSHE. Michele didn’t believe that her pupils seen as both culturally and socially relevant, were “more aware of what radicalisation is or in some instances, it would be difficult to means”, but she did say it had helped staff to convey that relevance to the pupils. Certainly, be more aware of their progression Prevent has a place within a Are primary schools into young adults. primary school’s safeguarding already preparing pupils Fortunately for Michele, St Peter’s responsibilities, but finding a for a life in modern is a one-form entry school, so it solution for its longevity as Britain? Yes, of course is easier to maintain strong links an educational tool will prove they are, but perhaps to her pupils and their families. complex. their Prevent duty can The need for Prevent duty isn’t A special thank you to Craig, as prominent in this instance, but help to prepare them in Julia and Michele for their the example is still a relevant an even greater way. time. one. Michele was able to offer a constructive response when asked whether she had any experience where Prevent duty had given her an opportunity to foster community bonds.

Much of what schools do already contributes to their Prevent duty; exploring cultures and promoting diversity, advocating critical thinking skills and positive identities, challenging prejudices or racist comments and furthering the spiritual, moral, social and cultural development of pupils, as well as British values. So why has this not been covered by the media? Are primary schools already preparing pupils for a life in modern Britain?

Yes, of course they are, but perhaps their Prevent duty can help to prepare them in an even greater way. Schools have been known to suggest that Prevent is not relevant to them because of the demographic of their pupils.

However, quite the opposite is true. If the ethnicity of a school has a majority, Prevent’s necessity can be even greater. It serves to Keir McDonald founded EduCare thirty years ensure that staff are teaching children about ago. EduCare’s learning programmes are the variety of cultures they can find within focused upon care issues including health and Britain, as opposed to the one-dimensional safety.

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The Book Page

by Carey Fluker Hunt

‘Slow Reading’ our way to a nonfiction renaissance?

There’s been a crisis going on in children’s publishing. “Once there were hundreds of (nonfiction) books,” said author Jenny Vaughan in a letter to The Guardian, “but almost overnight … the market for them has… vanished.” Vaughan had twenty-five co-signatories, and the concerns they raised are shared by many who care about children’s reading.

Non-fiction used to reign supreme in libraries and classrooms. Culturally confident and authoritative, these books defined a common core of knowledge that children were assumed to need and want.

They weren’t all great but they were accessible, and innovations by publishers like Dorling Kindersley and Usborne created seismic shifts that kept the genre up to date.

Then came the internet, and an existential crisis for nonfiction. Books strived to be funkier and funnier, and somehow lost their confidence and gravitas. But who needed nonfiction, anyway?

With one click, said those who knew, a child could google anything.

But can they? Accessing material digitally is challenging, and much of a search-engine’s results are less reliable and harder to assess for accuracy and relevance than the books they have replaced.

A child’s reading confidence can be damaged by exposure to poor or badly-timed material, and wading through obscure and boring text online will exclude all but the most able and determined.

“Beautiful pages of verified information written in clear and often lyrical prose by a writer passionate about the subject,” as author and dyslexia expert Nicola Morgan puts it, sound more promising.

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Children do need to be able to use the internet confidently, safely, and with clarity of purpose, but it’s not the only tool in the box. We should think of it, says Morgan, as a “vast extra resource which can show us things that would otherwise require a plane ticket. But the key word is extra.” Effective internet use requires advanced literacy skills. “And how do we acquire those? From books.”

Such views have been gaining currency. The birth of the Slow Reading Movement encouraged reflection about literature and how to enjoy and consume it post-internet, and families are showing renewed interest in holistic book experiences that are distinct and separate from those their children have online. Publishers, too, have been grappling with the nature of non-fiction books with growing confidence, and this is beginning to make an impact on the market.

Take Shackleton’s Journey by William Grill: published by newcomers Flying Eye, it won 2015’s Greenaway medal for its delicately detailed and quirky depiction of the explorer’s journey, and is a banner-waver for the revival. A large-format picturebook, it offers an unashamedly literary and immensely pleasurable ‘whole book experience’.

Restraint and skill ensure that every aspect of a reader’s aesthetic and emotional experience is matched by the quality of information conveyed.

As new arrivals, Flying Eye are not alone: Big Picture launched in 2013, followed by WideEyed (a “visually-driven nonfiction imprint”) two years later. “At a time when information can be received in an instant on single-user devices, we want to be part of the ‘slow reading’ movement,” says Wide-Eyed, in what amounts to a manifesto for the new approach. “Our books provide what the Internet cannot: the chance to pause and absorb a potent cocktail of quality art, design, and information on a single printed page.”

But gorgeous giftbooks alone cannot sustain a renaissance. “The best young non-fiction is defined by two things, usually together,” says Morgan.

“Illustration that grabs readers visually, and writing that hits the part of the brain where we respond deeply to language… The buzz phrase is narrative non-fiction - fact that reads like fiction and is not design-led.” She believes that quality text is vital. A reader needs to be able to engage fully, to “achieve ‘flow’ and transportation into the words… What matters is that the writer sucks the reader in and keeps (them) there.”

Luckily, we’re being offered plenty of titles in which quality of text and child-appeal are key ingredients. Narrative nonfiction has been quietly getting on with its own renaissance for some time, and although children’s nonfiction can’t field a bestseller like Bill Bryson, there are some ‘names’ emerging. Nicola Davies, for example, writes nuanced texts pitched perfectly at their target audience: try Tiny and A Child’s First Book of Nature - both Walker – for a flavour of her work. Then there are the books of jokes and funny poems, TV tie-ins and activity books: nonfiction that children choose themselves. These deserve more attention, but are increasingly sophisticated and are selling well.

Despite these advances, though, the wider nonfiction landscape for children remains fragile.

Too many budget-holders and policy-makers misunderstand the delicate relationship between internet and book, and the genre needs more recognition, reward and media coverage.

The renaissance has begun, but we should be wary of complacency.

For more giftbooks with gorgeous plumage, try…

The Wonder Garden by Jenny Bloom and Kristjana S. Williams (Wide Eyed) Under Earth Under Water by Aleksandra and Daniel Mizielinski (Templar) Historium by Richard Wilkinson and Jo Nelson (Big Picture Press)

Carey Fluker Hunt is Creative Development Manager at Seven Stories, the National Centre for Children’s books based in Newcastle Upon Tyne. Carey writes in a personal capacity.

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Review by John Coe

Ability-Grouping in Primary Schools

by Rachel Marks Published by Critical Publishing

This is a study of setting with particular reference to the teaching of mathematics. Actively encouraged by government the practice of setting is now all too common in primary schools. Even the youngest children, based on the crudest of yardsticks and with an inadequate recognition of their age, are placed in segregated groups according to the school’s assessment of their ability. There they tend to stay for far too long and the achievement gap widens inexorably. Rachel Marks has assembled the evidence that setting does not enhance achievement and she quotes the children in her confirmation that those in the ‘lower’ sets become more and more certain that they are unable to learn.

When asked if they felt they could improve on their present position the responses from the children were consistent and stark.

Zachary: “I think I would not move. I think I would normally stay in the same place. I don’t think there’s anything I could do to make myself better.” ( Year 4, bottom set).

Peter: “Just about here, not in a huge way, well because you can only do so much can’t you, it’s quite hard. (Year 6, bottom set).

The author concedes that setting is introduced with the best of teacher intentions but it is pointed out also that the motivation for setting is rooted in target setting and increased accountability. There is considerable pressure for success in national assessment tests which are taken to be the indicator of value in primary education.

The unintended consequence is that while the task of coaching for test performance may be eased for the

teacher, the impact on the personal development of many children may well be harmed. Children at the end of their primary education should be confident in their ability to learn and acquire new skills and not conditioned to failure.

One of the powerful ideas underpinning the practice of setting is an old fashioned belief in fixed ability, that you are born bright and a quick learner or that you are not. Rachel Marks found through her research that both the children and many of their teachers held fast to that belief. The concept of the fixed and immutable IQ has long been discredited by researchers and practitioners and it is hoped that this book will help to consign such a limited view of human ability to the pages of history.

The book is a highly successful contribution to critical debate. It should be read by all teachers in training as they move towards a professionalism which will question the received view of those who govern education. It will also be found useful as required reading for colleagues extending their teaching skills during the induction year. It is time we met the challenge of teaching all children as we find them and not simply those pigeonholed into supposed categories which deny them their individuality.

Education is not just about conventional school matters like curriculum or standards or testing. What we resolve to do in school only makes sense when considered in the broader context of what society intends to accomplish through its educational investment in the young. How one conceives of education ...is a function of how one conceives of culture and its aims, professed and otherwise.

Jerome Bruner

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A new academic year begins Malini Mistry, University of Bedfordshire Editor of ASPE articles As the new academic year begins, many pupils will be nervous yet excited about being in a new class with a new class teacher, but new teachers entering the profession feel exactly the same.

After years of university training, now these newly qualified teachers are finally ready to do what they have trained so hard for. Just as pupils want to give a good impression to their new class teacher, new teachers also want to do the same to their head teacher, school staff, parents and the pupils themselves.

We all know the importance of research informed practice to help improve pupil outcomes, therefore in this issue, we focus on an article written by initial teacher trainee student at the final stage of her university course just prior to becoming a newly qualified teacher. This article is based on research carried out in and across primary schools by the author herself.

The article focuses on the importance of teaching assistants in supporting the writing process to aid pupil development.

We would like to wish all our new teachers a successful and inspirational academic year.

Effectiveness of Teaching Assistants (TAs) in supporting pupils with their writing in Year 1.

Rosey Sellars Danesholme Infant Academy, Corby, UK Introduction The effectiveness of Teaching Assistants (TAs) in the classroom is an area where little research has been carried out in relation to the impact of writing in Y1, despite the fact they are utilised on a daily basis to support pupil’s learning across the curriculum. This research looked at how effective TAs are in supporting the writing of Year 1 pupils. Writing is a skill which all pupils should have the opportunity to master, however it must be asked how TAs provide help to aid pupil progress? The British Government carried out an initiative to begin to increase the number of support staff working in schools, and furthermore have strived to offer more training to TAs to enhance their qualifications enabling them to take on more responsibilities and roles across schools (DfES. 2002).

Currently in schools across England there are 263,000 TAs working full time, which has significantly increased from previous years (DfE, 2016). Despite this many TAs are on lower pay scales than many of their colleagues (Russell, Webster, Blatchford. 2013), which can have an effect on how they viewed in terms of status.

This small scale research was carried out in an infant school, focussing on a Year 1 class. In this school each class was allocated a minimum of one TA. The school was situated in a socially disadvantaged area, with a high proportion of pupil premium pupils. The school had a variety of ethnicities and languages. In the school’s

most recent Ofsted report (Ofsted. 2014), it was graded as ‘good’ in all areas of inspection. However an area identified as requiring improvement was the way TAs were utilised in the classroom. The report described how TAs were not always encouraged by teachers to be fully involved in lessons meaning that pupils did not always benefit from having multiple adults in the classroom, which in turn posed an area of interest to the author.

This research is innovative because it looked at the effectiveness of TAs in one context in relation to the impact of support on progress in writing. The purpose of this research was to investigate how TAs have a positive effect on supporting learning in writing, to enable pupils to make progress.

Literature The role of the TA is has undergone much change (Townsend. Parker. 2009). In 2008 the Training and Development Agency for Schools (TDA) reported that a TA should work alongside the teacher to support pupil’s learning individually and in groups, with some TAs specialising in specific areas for example special needs, Literacy or English as an Additional Language (Townsend. Parker. 2009). The TDA have compiled a set of standards TAs are expected to meet. In the standards for supporting teaching and learning, TAs 19

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have a variety of responsibilities ranging from providing support in learning and development to keeping pupils safe. What is evident in these standards is that TAs are expected to support pupils in a broad range of areas including Literacy and ICT but also support pupils who may have additional needs (TDA. 2008). Although there are definitions of the roles a TA should fulfil, it is much harder to achieve an understanding of what ‘effective support’ is in the classroom to be able to tailor the TAs’ roles to allow this be obtained, as the effectiveness of TAs can only be as good as their deployment and management (Watkinson. 2003).

For supporting writing in particular, TAs needs to have a sound subject knowledge of all aspects of writing (such as how phonics helps to inform writing) which is likely to be covered in teaching sessions everyday, much like the teacher. One challenge for TAs in supporting writing with Year 1, is that they may lack confidence with supporting learning in literacy and therefore may feel unable to provide the necessary tools to help pupils progress. TAs with more qualifications may feel more confident with this, therefore it is important to ensure that training opportunities are available (Blatchford.

Russell. Webster. 2012).

The number of TAs has increased largely across the year groups in schools as schools employ larger teams of support staff to ensure high standards of teaching and learning for all pupils that require this. In 2003, there were 79,791 TAs employed in primary schools, which had increased from 37,065 in 1998 (Cook-Jones. 2006).

In 2016, the DfE showed that there were 263,000 fulltime TAs working in schools across England meaning there is more support for pupil learning (DfE, 2016). It was the Plowden Report in 1967, which first recognised the importance of TAs in that they were an ‘additional pair of hands’ to support the teacher and provide help alongside supervising pupils (Vincett. Cremin. Thomas.

2005). Whereas others described TAs as simply ‘the domestic helper’ (Kolvin et al.1981), and were often appointed to work solely with pupils with disabilities and it was believed that they should only be there to help pupils when needed, having no part in the planning or organisation of learning (Brennan. 1982).

Clayton (1993) explained the change in the status and role of TAs in terms of how they have progressed from doing supplementary jobs such as cleaning up resources, to supporting the teaching and learning with guidance from the teacher. The status of TAs can be overlooked (O’Brien. Garner. 2001) despite the fact they play a crucial role within the school, but this is changing and many TAs see themselves as the right hand of the teacher

The aims of this research were:

For TAs to be effective they must possess certain traits and characteristics such as good pedagogical knowledge and understanding of the learning processes of all pupils (Burnham. 2011). They must also possess interpersonal traits such as sensitivity and use of initiative, as well as intrapersonal skills such as positive relationships with all members of the school and good communication (Watkinson. 2003).

1) How can the support of TAs improve the quality of writing produced by a group of pupils?

2) How do schools use TAs in the most effective ways to maximise impact on pupil learning in writing?

3) What tools and guidance are TAs provided with to support pupil progress in writing?

Methodology An interpretivist approach was taken to collect research as this considered specific actions to be meaningful, therefore impliying the data collected could be interpreted and understood within its small scale context (O’Donoghue. 2007). Interviewing was the most beneficial way of gathering information from the TA and class teacher, as this provided the opportunity for their views to be shared. The use of participant observations was useful in gathering information for the purpose of the study as it was found that they gather deeper and richer data (Burns. Sinfield. 2012).

However it can be argued that qualitative data can be unreliable and non-factual, due to the fact it depends solely on the perceptions of the individuals in question, therefore it must be remembered that the data gathered was only reliable in answering the questions outlined for this specific study in the chosen research school.

Each session which was observed consisted of two groups of randomly selected pupils which were of a mixed ability in terms of writing. Neuman (2013) explains that by using random sampling, it increases the probability of a true representation being seen.

With this particular study a true representation of

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pupils across the class was seen due to the varied abilities of the groups. This provided the opportunity for observations of the TAs supporting learning with pupils of varying abilities and needs to be made.

Three methods of data collection were used in order to complete the study, to form triangulation the methods were analysed to pull all key pieces of information together. Triangulation is the process of analysing completed research and challenging the different arguments and perspectives found (Bell. 2010). It was crucial to ensure that with any completed research both sides of the argument were analysed in comparison to the findings of the study (Neuman. 2013).

Results and discussion Firstly, pieces of work gathered from both a group of pupils working with the TAs and a group working with the class teacher along with observations of the TAs working with pupils during writing sessions showed that there was a positive impact on the quality of writing produced by the pupils. However, the evidence gathered showed some differences between the work completed by the pupils working with the TAs in comparison to those working with the class teacher.

What was visible was that the child which had worked with the TA (Child A) had managed to correctly spell significantly more words than the child (Child B) who had been working with the teacher. It could be argued that the Child A was of a higher writing ability in comparison to Child B, however observations which took place whilst this activity was underway showed that the TA often sounded out the words to the child, rather than challenging them to have a go at sounding out the words independently, as Child B had done whilst working with the class teacher. This was something that was found in literature, (Morgan.

Ashbaker. 2009) as often TAs can unknowingly give too much away to the pupil, therefore decreasing the independency of the writing, which has an effect on how the pupils are assessed against the criteria of the National Curriculum (DfE. 2013). A second piece of work which was analysed however showed very little difference in the overall quality of writing due to the support provided.

Secondly it was found that effective communication had clearly taken place for the lessons observed, as both the teacher and the TA were consistent in their

support methods for the pupils within the groups, therefore effective communication was the key to enable TAs to effectively support progress in writing (Dixie. 2011). However results from the questionnaire contradicted what was found in the observations. When asked how often effective communication amongst staff was experienced many participants marked this as 3 and 4 on a scale of 1 to 5, meaning they were experiencing communication all the time, and in some cases this was more effective as they were given more details of what needed to be done. In comparison to the answers given for other questions on the questionnaire, this was the lowest scoring area. The impact of having TAs working with pupils to support writing was that specific individuals within the class (such as a child with EAL) could receive concentrated and specific support each lesson. Without a TA the teacher would be required to support the learning of all pupils in the class resulting in less time spent with pupils who require more support or vice versa where the teacher spends all their time with specific individuals meaning the rest of the class are left to work independently with very little means of additional help.

Finally it was found that the TAs did have an impact on progress in writing if used in the correct way, with clear explanations of lesson expectations and outcomes.

In addition to this it was found that schools do utilise TAs effectively by ensuring all pupils in the class have an opportunity to work with different adults, as well as utilising specialist knowledge of support staff to support learning in a range of areas and not just within literacy. Finally it was noted that it was very important for TAs to have access to guidance and support from other members of staff to ensure they are confident and comfortable with their responsibilities and roles in supporting pupil progress and assessment in writing through possibly having a mentor from a more experienced member of staff.

Impact on primary education The impact of the results found in the small scale research study showed a contrast to what was found by a previous research study called The DISS Study. They showed that teaching assistants do have an impact on pupil progress when supporting writing, as long as the appropriate guidance, support and communication

was in place within the classroom between adults. This Impact of research on others study can help TAs be used more effectively in schools, The research could be very beneficial for other as the data collected through the various research members of staff within the research school used for methods allowed an insight into the personal views this study, as the research only took place in one year of both a class TA and teacher in terms of how they group. Therefore, the results found could be similar feel they support learning in the classroom as well as if the research was conducted in these other classes. what they believe could be done to improve this. Very So the findings may be useful for staff members to often assumptions are made about TAs and what they look at to help them identify any issues or areas of should be doing in the classroom, without actually concern which they may have in regards to how TAs looking deeper into their hidden strengths and areas are utilised to have an impact on pupil progress. of interest. This data allowed recommendations for The questionnaires which were the school to improve in this area to be made which could also be beneficial to collected in were of the views of a By ensuring TA’s had the other schools in relation to writing in Y1. opportunity to work with variety of staff members across the different groups of pupils school, therefore the results and This small scale research showed that findings of these may be useful to

by TAs being used effectively, a variety instead of the same other adults in school to look at in of pupils with varying needs and individuals each session order to gain an understanding of abilities had access to support which also meant that pupils how people feel about how TAs are was appropriate to them. By ensuring felt able to come to the utilised and what staff members TAs had the opportunity to work with feel requires improvement within TA for support as well different groups of pupils instead of rather than relying solely this particular area. Sometimes the same individuals each session also how people feel about the on the class teacher. meant that pupils felt able to come to utilisation of TAs can be different to the TA for support as well rather than the reality, and therefore these feelings are important relying solely on the class teacher. The importance as it has an impact on practice and how provision can in offering the opportunity for staff development be tailored. was also highlighted in this study, as many TAs were interested in progressing to HLTAs. A key finding Conclusion and recommendations for practice was that schools should ensure they utilise the skills The research findings of this small scale study showed their support staff possess. If a TA specialises in, or is that a range of adults across the school recognised interested in SEN, then this knowledge can be crucial the importance of regular support and guidance being in supporting the development of writing for certain offered to TAs when supporting writing. Interviews individuals in the class, meaning TAs have a lot to with the TA explained that if they felt they lacked offer when it comes to contributing to the planning, confidence in a particular area, or if they were unsure preparation and delivery of a session. of how to support learning for that particular lesson, Overall it was found that it is extremely important they felt able to talk to the class teacher about this to utilise all staff fully to help pupils make progress, and ask for help in doing so. Literature showed particularly in writing. If additional support is that the Government was aiming to push for more available in the classroom, then it must be planned qualifications for TAs to obtain to help provide them with the necessary tools to support learning as appropriately to ensure the pupils gain something effectively as possible (DfES. 2002). The interview from having additional support available, so involving with the TAs confirmed that training days and inTAs in the assessment process can be very beneficial. school training was available to help enhance skills This is particularly the case if TAs have worked with and understanding. Overall the impact on providing a group of pupils which the teacher has not during TAs with guidance and support was that there was the lesson, as feedback can be provided on how they an increased level of confidence gained in supporting interacted with the activities and the progress made.

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learning, which is good practice in any school.

Recommendations to the school for offering further support and guidance to TAs were to ensure that all support staff have access to contact a member of staff with specialist knowledge in the teaching of writing.

This would act as a source of information if needed.

In addition to this, training days specific to supporting writing was recommended to provide all TAs with up to date tools, strategies and methods to do this.

References Bell, J. (2010) ‘Doing your Research Project: A Guide for firsttime Researchers in Education, Health and Social Science.’ 5th Edn. Maidenhead. Open University Press.

Blatchford, P. Russell, A. Webster, R. (2012) ‘Reassessing the Impact of TAs. How research challenges practice and policy.’

Abingdon. Routledge.

Brennan. W K. (1982) ‘Special Education in Mainstream Schools: The Search for Quality.’ Stratford upon Avon. National Council for Special Education.

Burnham, L. (2011) ‘Brilliant Teaching Assistant: what you need to know to be a truly outstanding teaching assistant.’

Harlow. Prentice Hall.

Burns, T. Sinfield, S. (2012) ‘Essential Study Skills. The Complete Guide to Success at University’. 3rd Edn. London.

Sage.

Clayton, T. (1993) ‘From domestic helper to ‘assistant teacher’ – the changing role of the British classroom assistant.’

European Journal of Special Educational Needs. Vol 8. No 1. Pp 32-44.

Cook-Jones, A. (2006) ‘The Changing Role of the Teaching Assistant in the Primary Sector’. Education Line. [online] Available at: http://www.leeds.ac.uk/educol/ documents/158173.htm [Accessed on 2nd April 2017] Denscombe, M. (2014) The Good Research Guide for Smallscale Social Research Projects. 5th Edn. Buckingham: Open University Press.

Department for Education. (2016) ‘School Workforce in England: November 2015’. [online] Available at: https:// www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/ attachment_data/file/533618/SFR21_2016_MainText.pdf [Accessed on 19th April 2017] Department for Education. (2013) The National Curriculum in England: Key stages 1 and 2 Framework Document. [online] Available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/ system/uploads/attachment_data/file/425601/PRIMARY_

national_curriculum.pdf [Accessed on 24th April 2017] Department for Education and Skills. (2002) ‘Time for Standards: Reforming the School Workforce.’ [online] Available at: https://www.education.gov.uk/consultations/ downloadableDocs/200_5.pdf Accessed on 3rd April 2017] Dixie, G. (2011) ‘The Ultimate Teaching Manual. A Route to Success for Beginning Teachers’. London. Continuum.

Kolvin, I. Garside, R F. Nichol, A R. Macmillan, A. Wolstenholme, F. Leitch, I M. (1981) ‘Help Starts Here: The Maladjusted Child in the Ordinary School’. London. Tavistock Publications.

Morgan, J. Ashbaker, B. (2009) ‘Supporting and Supervising your Teaching Assistant’. London. Continuum.

Neuman, W. (2013) ‘Social Research Methods: Qualitative and Quantitative Approaches’. 7th Edn. Essex. Pearson.

O’Brien, T. Garner, P. (2001) ‘Untold Stories: learning support assistants and their work.’ Stoke on Trent. Trentham Books.

O’Donoghue, T. (2007) ‘Planning your Qualitative Research Project. An introduction to interpretivist research in education.’ Abingdon. Routledge.

Ofsted (2014) Inspection Report: Tennyson Road Infant School [online] Available at: https://reports.ofsted.gov. uk/inspection-reports/find-inspection-report/provider/ ELS/121862 [Accessed on 20th February 2017] Russell, A. Webster, R. Blatchford, P. (2013) ‘Maximising the Impact of TAs. Guidance for School Leaders and Teachers’.

Abingdon. Routledge.

TDA. (2008) ‘National Occupational Standards for Supporting Teaching Learning’. [online] Available at: https://www.gov. uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_ data/file/239935/NOS-SUPPORT_for_supporting_teaching_ learning.pdf [Accessed on 18th March 2017].

Townsend, M. Parker, P. (2009) ‘Changing Schools, Changing Roles for TAs’In (eds) Parker, M. Lee, C. Gunn, S. Heardman, K. Hincks, R. Pittman, M. Townsend, M. ‘A Toolkit for the Effective Teaching Assistant’. 2nd Edition. London. Sage.

Chapter 1 pp. 9-10.

Vincett, K. Cremin, H. Thomas, G. (2005) ‘Teachers and Assistants Working Together’ Maidenhead. Open University Press.

Watkinson, A. (2003) ‘Managing TAs. A Guide for Headteachers, Managers and Teachers.’ London.

RoutledgeFalmer.

Rosey Sellars teaches at Danesholm Infant Academy in Corby.

Welcome to the Association of the Study of Primary Education (ASPE) ASPE was founded in the belief that one of the best ways to advance primary education is through professional collaboration and action. ASPE was launched in 1988 to address the demand for establishing a national association to help advance the cause of primary education by promoting its study. ASPE’s objects are to advance the education of young learners by enhancing the development of primary education through:

Promoting Primary Education

Promoting collaboration

Holding Events

MEMBERSHIP OF ASPE INCLUDES: • The only primary education organisation • Subscription to 3-13 • Online journal access • Promote reflective practice • Priority access to ASPE events • Access to research funding

Publishing materials

Reflection on practice

Promoting information

FOR INFORMATION ON JOINING ASPE, PLEASE CONTACT THE MEMBERSHIP SECRETARY AT: ASPEinfo@aol.co.uk or write to: ASPE, PO Box 308, Cheadle, SK8 9ER For further information on ASPE, please visit

www.aspe-uk.eu

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Supporting pupils to build resilience for the transition to secondary school with current affairs Dr Jacqueline Harding The challenges experienced by children in the period of transition from primary to secondary school have been well documented by teachers, pupils and academics past and present. From a change in environment to new responsibilities and routines, the emotional complexities involved can be understandably stressful. Research funded by the Department for Education in 2003 found that up to two out of five pupils struggle during this period and other researchers have posited that the transition from the primary to the secondary school environment coincides with a decline in pupils’ academic achievement.

In a bid to provide insight into how these challenges might be addressed, Tomorrows Child, in partnership with The Week Junior magazine, recently undertook research into the effects of encouraging child curiosity in real world events. This included an effort to examine the role of critical thinking, curiosity, creativity and imagination, resilience, and metacognition during periods of transitions.

Using new data from over 1000 children aged 8 to 15, teachers and parents – collected both quantitatively and qualitatively through semistructured interviews and questionnaires – our research confirmed that there are many developmental benefits associated with explaining real world news in a way that stimulates

curiosity in children at primary schools, which lend themselves well to the transition period to secondary school.

Beyond supporting “healthy minds”, engaging in discussion and giving children the tools to understand real world events has the potential to deepen academic learning and enhance cognitive growth. Children going through the transition from Year 6 to Year 7 are particularly vulnerable, with the emotional complexities of a changing school environment often leading to worsened cognitive functioning. More useful thinking strategies, such as creativity and critical thinking skills (in relation to real world events and undertaken through discussion with others) have a significant part to play in prevention of potential academic decline during this transition. Indeed, children surveyed recognised the support linking real world events with school subjects would lend to then in later life (Figure 1). These skills are all proven to support the building of resilience, a valuable resource during the tumultuous transition from primary to secondary school, as well as for a child’s success later in life.

Jacqueline Harding, lectures at Middlesex University. She is Director of Tomorrow’s Child, a children’s film, production and research company.

Figure 1

I think joining up real world events with school subjects helps to prepare me for when I leave school Never *Sometimes Always

8.5% (40) 49.7% (235) 41.9% (198)

Teachers involved in the study were overwhelmingly convinced that emotional resilience is linked to transition success from Year 6 to 7, with 96.5% identifying a link between emotional resilience and successful transition at this stage (Figure 2). Teachers participating in the study commented on the need for children to work with their peers through critical thinking and problem solving activities to inoculate them against possible stress posed by this period.

Figure 2 Have you witnessed a link between emotional resilience and a pupils potentially successful transition to year 7?

Never Sometimes Always

3.5% (15) 47.3% (202) 41.9% (210)

Significantly, the study raises questions about the way in which primary schools might offer a deeper and more tangible link between real world news and classroom lessons as a way of enabling children to develop these skills. Building on these findings, I believe that bringing current affairs into classrooms early has an important role to play in helping children to develop these skills. Teachers surveyed as part of the report often lamented the lack of time available to bring current affairs and real world events into the classroom. However, tools such as The Week Junior magazine can explain difficult but important topics in a simple and fun format and can help teachers to spark interest in the classroom.

Parents can also support this effort and school leaders should look into ways they can improve collaboration between home and school to stimulate the curiosity required to build these invaluable skills. An overwhelming 89.9% of parents surveyed expressed the belief that learning about real world events always benefits their child’s education (Figure 3).

Figure 3 How often do you think your child does the following: (Never, sometimes, always) Benefits from learning about real world events and news in their education?

Never 0.8% (1) *Sometimes 9.3% (12) Always

89.9% (116)

Whilst for some children the transition to secondary school will always be a complex time, teachers can guard against this by giving pupils the skills they need to build emotional resilience. Engaging children in current affairs and helping them to make sense of the world is an important and accessible means of achieving this.

To download a copy of the research report, please visit: http://theweekjunior.co.uk/schools-research

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PLOWDEN in PRACTICE Mervyn Benford I met Lady Plowden when she visited the school where I first worked. It was a large urban junior school but then distinctive because it did not stream classes by ability.

Generally a and b classes meant different ability levels. My class was 3b only because my surname started with ‘B’.

I was therefore rather interested to see the report when it was published - but a new, still young teacher was not likely to read two large tomes full of findings that in many cases seemed beyond matters of how I organised my classroom. I read the media summaries and the basics became very clear. The child had to be at the centre of the process and parents were important. Later I learned that the only two resources that ultimately guarantee outcomes - for better or worse as both are lotteries- are home background and teaching quality.

Nuffield Junior Science soon followed Plowden.

As a young staff member I was seen as the one to be signed up for the course though I had no science exam qualifications at all! The county science adviser wanted representation in the pilot programme and I was ‘chosen!’ The training week, in free time then of course, had an opening lecture before we were sent in random groups to rooms packed with materials and items of one sort or another and told only “to get on!” Our group tutor set no work.

It felt rather boring. I had comforted myself that I might pick up some of the science I had not grasped at grammar school. I thought of walking out and enjoying the weekend at home. The

human brain is known to get restless with little to do and I just picked up a length of aluminium curtain rail from a heap of such bits and pieces and, having also spotted a tin containing ballbearings, took one, leaned the rail against a wall and rolled the bearing down. Sheer 25 year-old curiosity made me change the angle of the rail to see if the ball went further and suddenly the tutor appeared as if from nowhere, asked me what I was doing and helped me formulate a plan. As he left he said, almost over his shoulder, “Later try bending the rail!”

The only direction it could be bent was upwards and then I realised I was into ballistics. That was when the Plowden penny dropped. I was the child -- I had energy and curiosity. I was allowed to determine my own activity with abundant choices and an effective teacher monitoring his class knew how to help me take useful subject learning further forward.

An Essex colleague, met me as we were washing hands after visits to the toilet. I noticed my tap squeaked rather a lot. He started trying others in what were rows of college sinks. Between us we realised there was air in the water system, and rather a lot – quite a noisy outcome. Beethoven it was not but something of Bartok perhaps, far from harmonious. It became an immediate Nuffield challenge and we spent class time composing the Wimbledon College Sink Symphony!

Nuffield science characterised the next 24 years of my classroom experience both as teacher and later village school teaching head. It dovetailed perfectly with the then contemporary Plowden philosophy.

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As an evaluator in my later years for the National the track might prove an incentive and again Education Trust teasing out factors recognised in knew where to find them. They used existing its first ten “advocacy schools” it became very knowledge of pet foods, notably for rabbits and clear the most relevant and indeed powerful guinea pigs, and found dandelion leaves were factor was leadership - but invariably well the closest to such delicacies. It all took time to devolved throughout the school. Spending time arrange - distribution had to be fair! Children value in classrooms it also became clear how the ‘fairness in everything” until society teaches them leadership vision was reflected in overall school different! Discussion about the rights and wrongs planning, however it is important to stress that each teacher had considerable freedom to apply it of putting the errant creatures back where they as he or she saw fit. started, or where they started to deviate, led to It confirmed in me that the teaching and discussing rules of fair play. By the time the lesson learning partnerships within schools endorsed ended no snail had advanced more than a metre. by both Plowden and Nuffield involved flexible After morning break I had to decide if the project use of time, people and resources with goals, should continue. A maths. lesson was due standards and values clear even then regarded as a priority for the and endorsed. Within It was a firm morning. Science in the first lesson had such concepts of flexibility principle of mine that individual qualities of already broken that convention! The notwithstanding any teachers, classroom assistants children decided to forgo their play and particular goals I may and of course children are asked permission to continue observing have had for a learning far better stretched and their snails. Over coffee I decided that activity, the children experienced, with parental would be invited to help there was maths in this project and the interest and support both other science groups were recruited to plan the next step. evident and welcomed. discuss possibilities for maths in their Family holidays in termchosen science studies. It was a firm principle of time are a particularly open door for rich shared mine that notwithstanding any particular goals I learning for children, families and classroom and the notion that primary achievement becomes may have had for a learning activity, the children weakened is a difficult claim to substantiate. would be invited to help plan the next step.

Best practice in 2017 would have to reflect ways Meanwhile snail tardiness continued. But then to use time productively. a child in another group stood up, went over to Three 8/9 year olds in my second post - a similar them and said: “I’ve an idea - set a time limit for 340 pupil junior school where science was actively the race and see which one has gone forward rooted in pupils choosing their investigations, the most!” So the race duly had a winner and I planned a snail race. They knew where to obtain converted the lesson forthwith into work based on A3 sheets of paper and tape to join them as a track. They marked start and finish lines. They also time and distances - of course including clocks! I asked the snail group to write up their work in the knew where there were snails! I certainly didn’t afternoon English lesson- again not the traditional - and such lessons were beyond preparation and planning! time for English- but some interesting vocabulary The race duly began but the snails did not really emerged! get the idea. One started to wander off to the Carol and Amanda in the same class - 42 in those right. This generated new problems- what to do days, with twelve separately chosen science about it? The children thought green leaves along projects running at the same time- had chosen to

PrimaryFirst

impressed by their humanity! In some cases the test the difference between Carol’s grandmother’s victim felt nothing and more determined contact recipe for healing nettle stings- namely crushed was needed. Ultimately all of us had been stung dock leaves- and Amanda’s mother’s then and the girls waited for results. They had discussed relatively new anti-histamine cream. with me the further question of how long they You cannot imagine such a piece of science ever should wait for an outcome and we had decided being planned by a teacher! It would never have occurred to me! My task was to help them resolve on purely practical grounds a period of 30 minutes.

We accepted it might vary with individuals. They the issue. They made a very rational plan, two could hope only for answers at a very fundamental groups would be formed and after each had level. been stung one or other cure would be applied.

The results were inconclusive- as are so many They would be asked if it felt better. I realised in the real science laboratory of course. Some that though interesting outcomes might happen children felt the crushed dock leaves were better the results could not be compared. As a science and some the anti-histamine. Some found no investigation it should at least be a fair test extra benefit from the dock leaves compared and conducted so. Nor would they know if the to the untreated hand while the sting would have become better The important anti-histamine group did marginally without any treatment. I had to experience was rigorous find their treatment superior to warn them they would have to be no treatment at all. The important stung at least twice- with one left planning, responsible method, relevant experience was rigorous planning, untreated! Even without today’s problem-solving and responsible method, relevant problemHealth and Safety demands I solving and valid conclusions- the real needed to consult parents. Only valid conclusions- the goals of effective education. My role if they and their children agreed, real goals of effective as a teacher was attuned to oversight, effectively trusting me as oldeducation. direct intervention and support fashioned ‘in loco parentis,’ would enabling their plans to proceed. My problem a child take part. All did agree! The children were came when they decided that boiling the plants very excited, though somewhat apprehensive. I might have made a difference and could they had to volunteer to be first.

The two girls recognised the two stings as the fair start again!! For once I objected to the value of testing factor but still faced the other question repetition in learning! about no treatment at all. Both were intelligent The CBI, and other employers both here girls and they quickly decided they needed and abroad have claimed that despite rising three categories of experiment: direct treatment examination results we are still not producing comparison; giving one of the treatments and enough people who can “think for themselves, a stung but untreated other hand. Their good make decisions, take responsibility, work in teams planning then moved to the necessary resources! and solve problems.” The following extracts from They borrowed Amanda’s mother’s anti-histamine the Plowden report indicate its relevance to the cream and with a group of friends searched the challenges of today. park and allotments for the plants. They discussed Para. 750: Our report makes it clear at many points boiling the plants but felt that was not the claimed that we believe in discipline. But it can come only traditional method. They crushed them effectively from a relationship between teacher and child in and added a little amount of water as Carol said, which there is mutual respect and affection. There “to make it easier to apply- like paste.” is nothing soft, or flabby, about this relationship. It Both girls gently applied the nettle, I was is impaired by disorder, untidiness, boredom and 31

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slackness and only flourishes in an atmosphere of order and purposefulness.

Para. 775: The case for giving children some individual teaching and allowing them to work in small groups is strong. Perhaps the most promising line is for the large group to be engaged on individual work in which many children can get on by themselves without the help of a teacher.

Para. 758: Group work has often demonstrated the capacity of primary school children to plan and follow up mathematical and scientific enquiries.

Para. 770: A class is large enough to have groups that form and re-form for different purposes.

Para. 772: We conclude that the class, with its own teacher, should remain the basic unit of school organisation, particularly for the younger children…….Yet even at this younger stage there is benefit in children knowing and having access to other teachers. The classroom doors should no longer be shut…with the teachers, experienced and inexperienced, isolated in their rooms.

Para. 773: The older children might benefit from a more systematically planned contact with two or three teachers, each expert in one of the main aspects of the curriculum and able to teach related subjects. It will be even more desirable to provide the oldest pupils with teams of teachers.

Para. 935: It will, we think, strengthen primary schools if heads go farther than usual in delegating duties.

Para. 936: A staff member may act as (subject) consultant for teachers and ancillaries working with one or two age groups.

group. Two successive years may consolidate understanding of the problems involved. But there are too many schools in which teachers settle down with a particular age group.... for the bulk of their career.

- A school is not merely a teaching shop; it must transmit values and attitudes. It is a community in which children learn to live first and foremost as children. The school sets out deliberately to devise the right environment for children, to allow them to be themselves and to develop in the way and at the pace appropriate to them.

It lays special stress on individual discovery, on first-hand experience and on opportunities for creative work.

- A child brought up in such an atmosphere at all stages of his education has some hope of becoming a balanced and mature adult and of being able to live in, and to contribute to, and to look critically at the society of which he forms a part. The best preparation for being a happy and useful man or woman is to live fully as a child.

Moral development is closely associated with emotional and social development. The child forms his sense of personal worth and his moral sense from early experiences of acceptance, approval and disapproval.

- (In good schools) it is the approach, the motivation, the emphasis and the outcome that are different. In these schools, children’s own interests direct their attention to many fields of knowledge and the teacher is alert to provide material, books or experience for the development of their ideas.

Para. 937: ...The role of a consultant teacher should be advisory but might sometimes mean taking over a class for part of the week. This may be desirable in order to improve the quality of the work, or indeed to ensure that a subject..... is covered in some classes. It is also important that consultant teachers or teams of teachers do not remain permanently with the same age

In 1967 Plowden wisely recognised the class rather than the subject as a basis for organising teaching and learning. The flexibility of 21st. Century ideas was clearly inherent in that recommendation half a century ago. It still has relevance, coloured by later experience. The radically changing future facing children in terms of life and living will mean these values help them survive .

PrimaryFirst

A National College gathering of primary children asked them what they wanted from primary education: Here is a summary of their replies:

We want to learn about real things.

We want to break down subject barriers.

We want to choose our curriculum.

We want more time for our work, to learn better.

We want to learn about the world and world events.

We want more work with different age groups.

We want to learn about parents and adults.

We want to use different technology.

We want more doing and making.

We want experts to inspire us.

We want more work in teams.

We want other country contacts.

We want to work more outside.

We want to laugh together.

Lady Plowden

I confidently assert Lady Plowden would have endorsed all of them.

Mervyn Benford is the former head of a rural primary school in Oxfordshire. He moved from the headship to be adviser to small schools and now he is a writer and education consultant.

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READING the EVIDENCE Teachers of young children are being pressured, often against their better professional judgement, towards the exclusive use of synthetic phonics at the early stages of development as readers.

Now comes the publication of a new book, edited by Professor Margaret Clark, a member of NAPE, which sets out the evidence concerning phonics which should be considered by all schools.

Seven academics, all with extensive experience in the field of literacy have contributed to the book.

The aim is to enable readers to make their own judgement as to whether the political claims being made for synthetic phonics as the main method of teaching reading are justified.

What is in dispute is whether there is evidence of improvement in attainment of literacy to justify the mandatory adoption of the statutory phonics check and the large amount of funding which has been invested in it. Finally there is a consideration of the negative effects on the reading environment of young children and on their attitudes to the skill of reading for which this policy is responsible.

The book is an essential contribution to the professional development of Early Years and KS1 Teachers and their assistants.

READING the EVIDENCE Synthetic Phonics and Literacy Learning Edited by Margaret M Clark OBE Available as an ebook from Amazon for ÂŁ10 Available as a paperback from Amazon for ÂŁ15 Published by Glendale Education, Birmingham

NATIONAL ASSOCIATION FOR PRIMARY EDUCATION

Rosemary Evans

Bequest Award

Are you a recently qualified early years/primary teacher (QTS gained since June 2015)?

Are you keen to reflect on your professional development as a classroom practitioner?

Are you keen to get something published in an educational journal and add it to your CV? If so, we hope you will be interested in the Rosemary Evans Bequest Award to be given on an annual basis to the best article received for publication in Primary First from a recently qualified teacher. The award is for £200 and the theme can be selected from one of the following: • The highlights and challenges of taking on your own class • What do you see as the key principles and/or values which inform your approach to learning and teaching?

• How can teacher retention be improved?

• The global teacher for the 21st century.

The article should be between 1500 - 2000 words and you are welcome to select your own focus and title, but drawing on one of the above themes.

The article should both critically explore aspects of your own experience and identity as a recently qualified teacher and be informed, where appropriate, by relevant literature.

The final date for submission for this academic year is 1 May 2018. It is to be submitted electronically in Word or PDF format to Robert Young, NAPE General Secretary at rmyoung1942@yahoo.co.uk.

The Primary First Editorial Board will judge the submissions and it is anticipated that more than one submission will be considered for inclusion in the journal, although not in receipt of the Award itself. Further details about the Award can be requested from Robert Young.

Widely recognised as a leader in its field Widely recognisedasasa aleader leader in its field Widely recognised (and economically priced) in its field (and priced) (and economically economically priced).

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The set costs costs £65.00 (£55.00 for NAPE members) and includes: The complete complete set (£72.00 for NAPE members) and includes: The complete set costs£80 £65.00 (£55.00 for NAPE members) and includes: Resourcebook bookfor forteachers teachers–- available available separately separately at at £30.00 £30.00 each each 1.1. AAResource 1.

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All prices include post and packing All prices include post and packing For a sale or return pack contact: For a sale or return pack contact: NAPE at 01604 647646 For a sale or return pack contact: or NAPE at 01604 647646 NAPE at 01604 647646 FREEPOST or or NAPE MID 24319 FREEPOST FREEPOST Moulton NAPE MID 24319 NAPE MID 24319 Northampton NN3 7BR

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