Issue 2 by Tiger Iron

Issue 2 • September/October 2005

Exclusive! Schools Minister Jacqui Smith on the future for support staff Children affected by domestic violence Good riddance to ‘nits’ Playtime games Plus news, reviews, and much more

Rise and shine

Making the most of Extended Schools

Each week in the UK, at least one child dies as a result of abuse. This is one child too many. That's why our helpline provides people with someone to turn to. If you're a child at risk, call us. Or if you're a concerned neighbour, call us. Or a parent who's about to snap, call us. The service is free and you can speak, in confidence, to an experienced counsellor or Child Protection Officer 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Together we can end child abuse. REGISTERED CHARITY 216401

FROM THE EDITOR

Expecting respect In this issue … Extended schools

Your health

Domestic violence

Classroom displays

Schools Minister on support staff

Children with diabetes

Extended schools should enable support staff to develop new skills and increase their income. Nits – a problem for the whole school Three quarters of a million children have witnessed domestic violence in their own family. What can school staff do to help them?

Second part of our pull-out-and-keep guide Support staff have come a long way, says Schools Minister Jacqui Smith in an exclusive interview

One in 550 school-age children has diabetes, and the number is rising. What support do they need at school? News

4-7

Software

Viewpoint

Advice please

Letters

Me and my job

Reviews

Playtime games

SCHOOL STAFF and pupils are settling into the new term, and schools have made many different arrangements for providing teachers with their new entitlement to planning, preparation and assessment time. Allowing heads to use experienced teaching assistants to provide class cover has proved very controversial, with teachers feeling anxious that their professional status is under attack, and some support staff angry that they are being exploited by schools, and the government. Teaching assistants have no desire to impersonate teachers, or take on teaching responsibilities at half the pay. At the same time they are certainly not “cut-price helpers” as the Observer newspaper described them in a headline. A growing proportion have a vocational qualification, and many also have the benefit of years of experience of educating children – including their own. Some are graduates, some have teaching or other professional qualifications, others are teachers in training. But equally important, teaching assistants in common with other support staff are often among the most stable members of the school team, and know the pupils and their families far better than many teachers. They know children’s strengths and weaknesses, they know their foibles and their flashpoints, and they provide a sense of security which is crucial to children’s ability to settle down to learning. Whether or not teaching assistants are taking classes, they must now be given the respect they deserve by schools and the government. This doesn’t mean pats on the back, or token gestures. It means taking them seriously as fellow professionals, and properly rewarding their skill and commitment.

Frances Rickford Editor Learning Support September/October 2005 3

BRIAN MITCHELL

NEWS

“Off-the-peg” uniforms like this one are more affordable than uniforms from specialist shops

School ‘too pricey for poor’ say charities

CHILDREN FROM poor families are being isolated, stigmatised and bullied at school because their parents cannot afford school uniforms or “optional extras” such as school trips, a coalition of charities together with the National Union of Teachers has warned. The government’s own research found that it costs almost £600 a year to send a child to primary school. As well as school clothing, meals, trips, and classroom equipment parents are expected to find money for textbooks, materials for the classroom, music lessons and charity fundraising events. The campaigners warn that the government’s insistence on a school uniform to underpin school standards can have the effect of excluding children from poor families. Fewer local authorities now offer help towards the cost of uniforms, and in those that do the value of grants is falling. The Citizens Advice Bureau says that many parents are borrowing money to pay for uniforms. Children

have been disciplined for going to school without the right uniform, even when the reason was that their parents could not afford to buy all the required items. Uniforms which can be bought from chain stores are less of a problem than customised uniforms which can only be bought from specialist shops, says the report. The organisations behind the report are Citizens Advice, One Parent Families, End Child Poverty, the Family Welfare Association, the Child Poverty Action Group, Barnardo’s, Save the Children and the National Union of Teachers. They are calling on the government to force local education authorities to provide uniform grants, and to give them money to do this. The coalition also says all schools should have an equal opportunities policy which makes sure no child is excluded from school time activities because of inability to pay. It is asking Ofsted to inspect the impact of school policies on children from deprived backgrounds.

4 Learning Support September/October 2005

Minister praises the ‘massive contribution’ of support staff

THE GOVERNMENT is still considering introducing national pay scales for school support staff. And schools minister Jacqui Smith has acknowledged that it needs to ensure teaching assistants are not being exploited by schools and local authorities. In an interview with Learning Support, Smith said the role of school support staff is likely to continue to change as teachers’ roles change, but nothing was yet decided about the next phase of workforce remodelling. Smith herself is against the proposal that teachers should give up taking part in school assemblies, as some reports have suggested was likely. “I value support staff and I support them. I value them as a parent from my own experience, and as the schools minister I can see the massive contribution they are making to children’s outcomes in schools.” When told that in some schools teaching assistants had been invited by the head to attend staff meetings in their own time, she said in her view that was wrong. She acknowledged that there was a risk of exploitation but said guidance being issued by the department should ensure that people are paid properly for their work. “It clearly is a problem (that some support staff feel exploited) but that doesn’t necessarily need national pay and conditions to solve” she said. “It is a fast moving area and we need to keep up in terms of the guidance we are developing so support staff can feel confident that their role is recognised and their voice is heard.” She said the opportunities presented by workforce remodelling “far outweigh any difficulties”. Extended schools, and the new career framework for the children’s workforce also offered big opportunities to school support staff. n See page 18.

Truancy sweeps ‘ineffective’ A NEW study casts serious doubts on the value of truancy sweeps. The research, by campaign group Action on Rights for Children, claims that only one truant is found for every 82 minutes of police time spent doing the sweeps. Two thirds of children stopped in truancy sweeps are found to be absent from school for a valid reason. Each year since 2002 there have been two national three-week periods ordered by the government when local education authorities conduct a series of truancy sweeps in conjunction with police. Sweeps involve on average two police officers and two education welfare officers. A “designated place” has to be staffed where children can be taken if they cannot be returned to school for any reason, and there is administrative work to be done in preparing and following up the sweeps. In primary schools the official truancy rate is just 0.41 – down very slightly from 0.49 in 2000. Secondary school truancy rates have risen slightly in the same period to 1.14 per cent, with special schools

NEWS

Is it truancy if a child feels too ill to face school, but well enough to go out on an errand with Mum? down from 2 to 1.74. Much larger numbers of children miss the odd day of school, but for valid reasons such as doctor’s appointments or authorised termtime holidays. The new study suggests that there is a lot of confusion among schools and local education authorities about what counts as truancy. When children absent from school because of illness were found at the shops with a parent, it was recorded as “parentally condoned truancy”. ARCH says the view that a child is either well enough to attend school

or too ill to leave their home is to simplistic. “It does not allow for convalescence, or the fact that a child with a heavy cold may simply feel too unwell to cope with the demands of a full school day.” Children who feel fine but have a contagious condition such as conjunctivitis may be kept away from school to protect others. In others, children who were absent because of bereavement, or because of bullying at school, or because they were looking after disabled or sick family members were recorded as truants.

New web resource for support staff

A NEW training website for school support staff is to be launched this month. The Skills for School Support Staff web site (www.skills4schools. org.uk) will offer detailed career and training information and advice to everyone from teaching assistants to school caretakers. The public sector trade union Unison has produced the site (right), which is funded by the Learning and Skills Council. It is due to go live on September 30. The site features a a self-assess-

ment tool to help users map where they are in terms of skills and qualifications, and to plan their next steps. Users will be able to find out whether courses they are interested in are available locally. There is a section of the site for head teachers, one for Continuing Professional Development managers in schools and another for union learning representatives. Mary Myles, project leader for the new web site, said, “We are very excited about it – this is a first and we

hope it is going to be a great help to support staff. It is work in progress, and lots more information can go on the site, so we hope people will feed back their ideas for developing it further.”

Learning Support September/October 2005 5

NEWS

Many back junk food ban

MORE THAN 135 organisations including Unison and the National Union of Teachers are backing the Children’s Food Bill, a private members bill to improve children’s diet and health. The bill, introduced into parliament in the summer by Mary Creagh, Labour MP for Wakefield, would stop advertising of unhealthy foods to children, ban the sale of junk food in schools, set nutrient and quality standards for school meals, and ensure that children are taught how to choose, grow and cook healthy food. www.sustainweb.org/child_index.asp

New shake-up for schools planned PARENTS’ GROUPS, charities and faith groups could take over the running of some local schools under the next phase of government reform. A White Paper to be published later this year will herald another round of school reform, including a new one‑year deadline for schools in “special measures” to improve. Schools which fail to meet this deadline could be closed and re‑opened under a new management team, or amalgamated with another school in a “federation”. Education secretary Ruth Kelly told a Local Government Assocation conference that government wants to widen the range of providers in the school system. Not-for-profit organisations including educational charities, faith and parents groups

and perhaps mutual organisations could be involved in running schools in the future. Parents would be more closely involved with schools, and local education authorities will be charged with giving parents a say in deciding who will run schools. Local councils will have to offer information, guidance and practical support to parents “to bring them right to the heart of the system”. Kelly said “We cannot ask children in our weakest schools to be patient while their school gets a second, third or fourth chance to improve.” She said the highest standards of teaching and the most effective deployment of support staff were needed to ensure “tailored learning to meet the needs of every child”.

Your school is changing Staff are being asked to take on new roles and responsibilities. What are your rights? Can you say NO? What about pay and training? UNISON can give advice and support on all these issues. It’s never been more important for school staff to be in a union. Have a say in your future – join the biggest union for school staff – join UNISON

www.unison.org.uk 6 Learning Support September/October 2005

TIM OCKENDEN/AFP/GETTY IMAGES

NEWS

Ups and downs

KS2 SATS results improved slightly in Maths and English last year, but at KS1, the proportion of children reaching the expected level (level 2) fell slightly for both girls and boys in most subjects.

Refugees ‘miss out’ Tony Blair talks to families at the Beechwood Family Centre in Watford at the launch of a ‘Respect Task Force’ in September

Crackdown to speed up parenting orders

PRIMARY SCHOOLS may soon be able to apply to the courts for parenting orders to be imposed on unruly pupils’ parents – before their children have stepped too far over the line. Tony Blair has announced a big extension of the use of parenting orders. The measures force parents to attend classes or advice sessions on how to bring up their children, or compel them to control aspects of their children’s behaviour such as where they spend time. If parents do not comply they can be fined up to £1,000, or ordered to do community service. Under new proposals announced by Blair, parenting orders can be

issued to parents of young as well as older children, and can be imposed on the parent before the child has done anything serious wrong. Housing officers and local antisocial behaviour teams will be able to apply for parenting orders to be issued, and schools may also be given the power to do so if the government’s expert group on school discipline agrees it would help. Blair said, “Far too often we get heavy after the problem has got incredibly serious. It might be more sensible if we intervened earlier.” School heads can already fine parents or issue parenting contracts if children fail to attend school regularly.

Schools are not meeting the needs of asylum-seeker and refugee children, and need more money to do so properly, says a study from Cambridge university. The education of asylumseeker and refugee children says hostility to asylum-seekers and refugees makes inclusion difficult for schools.

Parents’ nerves

Parents find the start of their child’s first school term more stressful than the thought of divorce, according to a new study. The National Confederation of Parent Teacher Associations survey found that 38 per cent of parents worried about their child’s happiness at school.

For more information and links on all these stories visit www.learningsupport. co.uk/resources.html

Row rages over dyslexia ‘myth’ claim DYSLEXIA DOESN’T really exist, an education academic has claimed. Julian Elliott, professor of education at Durham university, has caused a storm with his claim that there are no clear criteria for separating dyslexic children from other poor readers. Elliott says there is no consensus about how dyslexia should be defined, or diagnosed. And little clarity about how a child should be helped to become a better reader and speller once they have been diagnosed as dyslexic.

Elliott aired his views in the Times Educational Supplement and on a Channel 4 TV programme titled the Dyslexia Myth. But his claims have angered many people diagnosed as dyslexics, and been fiercely challenged. Professor Susan Tresman is chief executive of the British Dyslexia Association which represents people with dyslexia. She said dyslexia was not just about reading. It is an information processing difficulty,

neurological in origin, she said, which affects many functions including organisation, sequencing and retrieval of information, short-term memory, spelling, writing and number. She said there was a clear consensus about the symptoms of dyslexia and about the most effective programmes for helping dyslexics. Most of the six million dyslexics in Britain had learnt to read and write but were still dyslexic. www.bda-dyslexia.org.uk

Learning Support September/October 2005 7

VIEWPOINT

Remodelling must benefit everyone, says Unison national officer Bruni de la Motte

New era for schools

EMODELLING the school workforce is a process which will, I believe, lead to a cultural transformation in our schools. The many staff who work in schools, inside and outside the classroom, are now beginning to be recognised as part of the team. The National Agreement has opened career opportunities which were simply non-existent before. In the past many nursery nurses and

teaching assistants carried out highly responsible roles without being paid adequately for them. Schools have also depended for a long time on staff with expertise in special educational needs, but previously these learning support assis-

‘We have worked hard to get our members out of a second class ghetto and we will not allow new forms of exploitation to replace the old through the back door’ tants were poorly rewarded for this important work. The National Agreement laid down some basic rules about who can do what and when. This is the basis for our negotiations of new grading structures, with different levels of

pay for different levels of responsibility. Remodelling in schools means we can revalue everybody’s job and assess their real contribution to the educational process. UNISON also welcomes the introduction of new roles, such as Higher Level Teaching Assistants. But we insist that if anyone takes on this new role, they must be paid the rate for the job. Some head teachers are trying to save money by paying a higher level rate for only a few hours per week when HLTAs work with whole classes and at a lower level for the rest of the time. This undermines this new professional role and goes against the National Agreement. We have worked hard to get our members out of a second class ghetto and we will not allow new forms of exploitation to replace the old through the back door.

Teachers carry the can Chris Davis, Chair of the National Primary Headteachers Association, suggests some diplomatic solutions to potentially delicate situations

should be provided only by qualified teachers. Although expensive, this is almost certainly the solution which will be most popular with parents. Many other schools will be using support assistants (HLTAs, TAs, LSAs) or even buying-in qualified coaches and instructors. The agreement makes it absolutely clear that the responsibility for planning lessons remains with the

Your suggestions and opinions should be professionally considered. You are a vital member of the teaching team and teamwork is crucial to success

LL teachers are now entitled to at least 10 per cent of school session time released from their teaching commitments for planning, preparation (PPA) and assessment time. This is not additional “break time” and certainly not “free time”. Although what they do during this time cannot be directed, it is expected to be utilised productively and professionally. Some schools have held the “professional” (and National Union of Teachers’) line, that PPA cover

teacher. Support workers should support the teacher’s plans and implement them to the best of their ability. Each class must also have a “designated teacher”, who is avail-

8 Learning Support September/October 2005

able if needed, not on PPA time. But this teacher will not have planned the lesson and should not be expected to get involved in marking or direct tuition. Post-lesson marking should be done by the teacher who set the work. Support workers can assist children as they work but that is all. There will be times when a support worker feels that they could teach something more effectively, especially if their training has been more recent that that of the teacher concerned! In such circumstances, it would be wise to broach the subject as a constructive suggestion, remembering that the teacher carries the can. Don’t change a teacher’s plans without prior discussion, and if things go wrong, be sure to discuss it with the teacher afterwards. Your suggestions and opinions should be professionally considered. You are a vital member of the teaching team and teamwork is crucial to success.

ELLEN RICKFORD

Learning Support 83 Alkham Road London N16 6XD www.learningsupport.co.uk ISSN 1747-1990 © Brightday Publishing 2005 Editor Frances Rickford editor@learningsupport.co.uk 020 8806 9646 Sub-editor Alison Miller Production Alan Slingsby at edition.co.uk Cover Gwyneth Williamson Subscriptions and business manager Trevor Chalkley trevor.chalkley@ learningsupport.co.uk 020 8442 4149 Advertising enquiries 020 8806 9646 info@learningsupport.co.uk

Write to us and win a book token DON’T keep your views and experiences to yourself – write to Learning Support. We’re giving a £20 book token to the writer of our top letter in every issue. Email your letter to editor@ learningsupport.co.uk, fax it to us 0871 733 5474 or post it to Letters, Learning Support, 83 Alkham Road, London N16 6XD. Don’t forget to provide a full postal address (we won’t publish it but we need to know that letters are genuine) and indicate clearly that your letter is for publication. Letters may be edited for reasons of space. CORRECTION. The views we attributed to Dorothy Miell in our feature on children’s friendships were in fact those of Dorothy Faulkner. The two Dorothies have worked together on several studies of children’s friendships at school.

LETTERS

Healthy food is more popular with children than sometimes believed

Not before time

I HAVE long thought that the standard of food provided for children at school is an atrocity, so was thrilled to see the article in the June/ July Learning Support outlining the changes that are to be made to improve this. I believe that this will come as a welcome change to the children who, despite popular belief, do not always choose the least healthy choice from a selection. I was working in a holiday club this summer. When, on someone’s birthday, the children were provided with the usual biscuits, chocolate and sweets but also nuts and dried fruit, surprisingly, the fruit and nuts were far more popular than the sweets and biscuits. I think this is to be an all-round change for the better, and not before time! Olivia Dennison Learning support assistant London N1

Congratulations

CONGRATULATIONS ON the first issue of your magazine, which I think is a really welcome addition to the resources available for teaching assistants and others. I found it very interesting, with a good variety of articles. We will certainly be drawing it to the attention of our TAs. I am sure you are aware, however, that there is a rather glaring error in the article by Chris Davis. Rather than it remaining “the teacher’s responsibility to plan the (PPA) lesson and organise resources”, precisely the reverse is the case. The regulations state that teachers must NOT

plan their PPA lessons - otherwise, teachers being teachers, they would spend half their PPA time planning their next PPA time. Hence the ability of “HLTAs” (a term I regret) to deliver “specified work”, which includes planning lessons. Mike Howell Teaching Assistant Consultant and Workforce Remodelling Adviser, Hertfordshire

Communication

THIS SEPTEMBER nearly 700,000 children will be starting school for the first time. We are concerned that one in ten of these children may not have developed the communication skills they need to learn and develop. I CAN has adopted the term ‘communication disability’ to encompass the problems faced by all 1.2 million children and young people across the UK with speech, language or communication difficulties or delays. The initial responsibility of identifying and meeting the needs of pupils with a communication disability often falls on teachers and teaching/ learning assistants. Their training may not have included modules on speech and language impairment. Staff who are concerned about a child they support should contact their special educational needs co-ordinator. They can also go to www.talkingpoint.org.uk, I CAN’s onestop online information resource for parents and professionals interested in children’s communication development and disability. Virginia Beardshaw Chief Executive I CAN, London

Learning Support September/October 2005 9

EXTENDED SCHOOLS

REAKFAST CLUBS and afterschool clubs have been around for a long time, many of them run by school support staff members. Now the government wants all schools, working in partnership with other schools or childcare providers, to offer access to year-round childcare from 8am to 6pm. Half of all primary schools and a third of all secondary schools are expected to reach this goal by 2008. Intially the government planned to spend £160 million on the extended schools programme between 2003 and 2006. But in a prospectus published in June it outlined a massive acceleration with an extra £680 million to be spent by 2008, and 2500 extended schools planned to be up and running by next year. An “extended school” does not just mean one that is open longer for childcare. The government wants schools to provide a range of other services for children and families, placing schools at the centre of communities. Not all primary schools will be expected to provide extended services on site; they may work with other agencies and the private and voluntary sector. Nor is the government laying down a strict blueprint. But in addition to wraparound childcare, extended schools will be expected to offer activities such as homework clubs, study support, music tuition, dance and drama and sport. Government wants parenting classes and information for parents about key transition points in their child’s development as well as family learning where mums and dads can join their children in class, with the opportunity to brush up their own numeracy and literacy skills. Children should also be able to reach specialist support services such as speech and language therapists or behaviour specialists through extended schools. How do teaching assistants and other support staff fit into the extended schools landscape? The government’s extended schools’

Government plans for extended schools should offer support staff the chance to develop new skills and increase their hours of work – and their income. Simon Vevers reports.

Extend yourself prospectus says that teachers and headteachers are not expected to work in extended provision. But it adds: “Many school staff may be interested in working in some of the extended services. For example, support staff may be interested

‘Support staff may be interested in working in childcare during the school holidays or beyond the school day’

in working in childcare during the school holidays or beyond the school day. Should third party providers be engaged, they will be keen to secure well-trained school staff that are known to the children and the school

10 Learning Support September/October 2005

community to deliver their services.” Anne Longfield, chief executive of 4Children which co-sponsored a conference on extended schools this month with the National Union of Teachers and Unison, says that support staff working in out-ofschool childcare services would need to undertake training in childcare or playwork, moving towards an NVQ over time. She adds: “Not all staff would need to work throughout so there would be likely to be sessional opportunities as well as holiday-only provision.” TAs are well placed to get involved because the government has now linked the extended schools programme to the process of remodelling the school workforce which has seen an increased role for teaching assistants. Julian Piper, national programme director of the Extended Schools Support Service (TESSS), works closely with the National Remodelling Team

USEFUL CONTACTS

YOU can find all these web links in one place at www.learningsupport. co.uk/resources.html n The DfES extended schools website provides detailed guidance as well as useful contacts and case studies of schools and the type of services they provide at www.teachernet.gov.uk/ extendedschools n The National Remodelling Team is at www.remodelling.org; tel: 0207 979 2850 n The Extended Schools Support Service (TESSS) provided by Continyou is at www.continyou.org.uk/tesss n The charity 4Children has advice leaflets covering many aspects of extended provision at www.4children.org.uk/schoolnotes n The Ofsted website (www. ofsted.gov.uk, tel: 0845 601 4771) provides information on regulation and registration of childcare and includes reports on the kind of individual services that schools offer which is creating teams of remodelling consultants to work with local authorities and schools on extended provision. He says there are “a whole raft of areas” in which non-teaching staff can become involved, including sports, study support, the supervision of homework and reading clubs. Some TAs are already engaged in school pastoral work, helping pupils with their social and emotional development. Chris Watts, head of North Prospect Community School in Plymouth, has been seconded to work part-time on the extended schools programme in the city and is enthusiastic about the potential role for TAs in extended provision. ”Certainly within the extended schools programme there are plenty of opportunities for support staff to receive training and get involved. Many of them work part-time and therefore they may be keen to increase their hours. We may ask

them, for instance, if they want to do a food, health and hygiene certificate so they can work in the breakfast club,” he adds. Jon Richards, senior national officer for Unison which represents most support staff, says

Schools and local authorities will need to bring together their funding with parents fees to support childcare

that extended provision enables his members “to build on their short hours contracts, to build their hours up”. But he warns that difficulties could arise, especially if services such as childcare involve a private provider,

as support staff could end up working for several different employers, and with possibly poorer pay. Anne Longfield says that while the government is investing significantly in starting up out-of-school childcare in extended schools, there is no new money available yet for ongoing support. Schools and local authorities will need to bring together their funding with parents’ fees to support childcare and other services. But she warns: “This means that it will be difficult for schools and other providers to increase salaries.” The present adult to child ratio of 1 to 8 for five to eight year olds is set by the standards for daycare. In future, childcare in schools will be inspected by Ofsted as part of the school inspection. But Anne Longfield says that while this makes sense on the grounds of efficiency she would be concerned if standards – including adult-child ratios – were lowered as a result.

Learning Support September/October 2005 11

EXTENDED SCHOOLS

XTENDED schools are good for working parents, and offer new opportunities to school support staff. But are they good for children? Now a special needs teaching assistant working in a speech and language unit, Sarah Sivers spent five years running breakfast clubs, after school clubs and holiday playschemes, and set up all three services herself for two different companies. Sarah, from Eastbourne, Sussex, says “If the club is done properly and used in the right way it can be good for children and parents. There are people who abuse it and send their children to the clubs to get them off their hands, but working parents do need to know that their children are somewhere safe.” So what are the key elements in a good club? From the children’s point of view, the club needs to be fun. Says Sarah “Kids need time out. They need to let off steam – after all they have been at school all day. At the places I set up the children made up the rules themselves. These just set basic boundaries but it made the children feel that it really was their club.” Space is also important to how much children can enjoy themselves. Sarah’s club shared a mobile unit with a nursery for a while, then spent four months in the school sports hall. “It was nice to have a big space that children could run around in but there really weren’t any facilities for those who wanted to sit down quietly and do art work, for example. To make it work well, you need somewhere where different sorts of activities are possible.

take account of that, says Sarah. “I’d try to make it as relaxing as possible. There were some key kids who you knew would have been in trouble at school all day because of their personality and so would be stressed out when they arrived. So you’d make sure you gave them a bit of TLC.” Children arriving at breakfast clubs also often arrive sleepy and grumpy, having been dragged out of bed at 6am or 6.30am. For children attending both breakfast and after school club, it is a very long day indeed. Sarah says, “It might be good for the parent but spending up to eleven hours a day, five days a week with strangers is not good for the child. Those children often bond very closely with us because they see more of us than Mum. That’s why it is so important that at the club there is someone who listens to them and plays with them.” The number of adults, and their training background, is obviously crucial. The minimum legal requirement for children age five to eight is a ratio of one adult to eight children with at least two members of staff on duty all the time. But staff also need to have the right outlook and skills says Sarah who has NVQ3 in childcare and education. Childcare and play work qualifications are more appropriate than teaching qualifications in out of school settings, but at the moment there is a huge shortage of people with these. Sarah says, “If clubs are to work in children’s best interests, you do need a really strong training basis. It’s just as important as having well trained people in school. After all it is the children’s welfare we’re messing around with.”

What about the children? “Using classrooms for out-ofschool clubs is not a good idea in my experience. In the first place it’s not fair on the teachers. But it’s not good for the children either. After a day in the classroom, they need to be in a different space.” Another important factor is the age range of clubs. “Where I originally worked we had just nine to elevens. The younger children were in a different place. Some of those older primary school children are very streetwise, and mixing them up with little dots of four doesn’t really work in an afterschool club. It was a bit different during holiday playschemes because the children were more relaxed, and it can be a good learning experience to spend time with children of other ages.” Children are often tired and wound up when they arrive at breakfast or after-school club, and you need to

How do other support staff tackle the problems you face?

WHY not ask them on the Learning Support message board? Use the message board to exchange information and ideas with other

primary support staff across the country on all the issues that matter to you, and them. It’s free, and there are no ads.

www.learningsupport.co.uk 12 Learning Support September/October 2005

“N

ITS” ARE an occupational hazard for primary school staff, and they’ve never been harder to shift. Working in a class room can be a lousy life. Or, more accurately, if you have regular contact with 30 primary school children, sooner or later you will find yourself scratching your head. At least one in ten primary school children will have “nits” in the course of a school year and, if not rapidly treated the lice may spread from child to child and eventually to the classroom staff, often re-infesting hair which has already been deloused. What’s more, for the past 40 years the injudicious use of expensive insecticide medication (which ought to be treated with the same caution as agricultural pesticide) means that we now have highly resistant Robocop lice, unwilling to give up their tenancy without a fight. So what’s to be done? The female louse – Pediculus capitis or P. capitis – mates then lays dull grey eggs close to the scalp where it is warm. Within seven or eight days, the eggs hatch leaving behind a white blob. Within a fortnight, the baby lice, having fattened themselves on the blood of the host then lay yet more eggs. Lice can’t fly or jump. They are not conveyed from one head to another via pillows or hats. They move from scalp to scalp by one head contacting another – an occupational hazard for all support staff. The result is itchiness and, often, a rash at the back of the neck as well. Community Hygiene Concern is a not-for-profit organisation which advocates a “whole school approach” to tackling lice, following the government’s National Healthy School Standards. It suggests holding at least three Bugbusting Days, one per term, to raise awareness and pre-empt a

YOUR HEALTH

Head hunters

Head louse magnified 32 times with an electron microscope

Yvonne Roberts on a problem for the whole school

widespread outbreak of lice. Bugbusting involves using shampoo and conditioner and then, before rinsing away the conditioner, dividing and combing through the hair section by section, using a special nit comb, removing any eggs or lice found, each time. This is a process which ought to be carried out every three days for a fortnight. The aim of this collective approach is to improve understanding and reduce the stigma (as the chemist

keeps telling me cheerfully, “Nits like clean hair too” … as if we don’t have more than enough evidence in our family to prove it). A communal approach might also help to contain a potential outbreak and offer a better chance of protection for staff while reducing embarrassment for individual parents reared in a time when a letter from the school nurse was carried home like a passport of shame. What’s more, getting a classroom of heads together to think about bugs and how they can be busted almost sounds like fun – unless you’re too busy scratching. n Alternative organic products to deal with lice at www.greenpeople. co.uk (10% donated to charity)

Learning Support September/October 2005 13

DOMESTIC VIOLENCE

Three quarters of a million children have witnessed domestic violence in their own family. What can school staff do to help them? Yvonne Roberts reports.

OMESTIC violence continues to inflict visible and invisible wounds on hundreds of thousands of adults and children every year, in spite of several recent Home Office initiatives and increased police powers to arrest irrespective of whether the victim makes a complaint. In the main, women are the recipients of violence, but a minority of men also suffer at the hands of their partners. In addition, children under 16 live in half the households in which assaults take place. For children to reveal what they have been told is a family secret takes not only their own courage but also the right kind of support in the one place that they may feel safe – the classroom. “My oldest brother ran away from home, so I’m the only boy in the house now, “ says one child. “I’m six years old. Every time there’s a fight, I feel like I have to be strong and stop it so my mum and sisters don’t get hurt.” The Children Act 2004 lays a duty on local authorities to improve the well being of all children yet the support for young people affected by domestic violence is woefully inadequate. So how can teaching support staff best offer help? The first step is to understand the problem and the many ways children react if assaults have become a terrifyingly unpredictable part of their family life. Home Office research says that psychological and behavioural problems are more common in children who have witnessed assaults in the family than in other children. The aim is to encourage children to believe that we all have the right to live without fear of violence.

Break the

Domestic violence is about the abuse of power. It is a pattern of coercive control which involves physical, sexual and psychological violence using threats and intimidation. It may also mean a mother is kept short of money and her life and the lives of her children are highly restricted by the abusive spouse. Children who witness domestic violence are frequently themselves abused. But it is now recognised in law – for instance the Children and Adoption Act (2000) – that witnessing violence is itself a form of emotional abuse. In addition to creating anger, fear and a sense of impotence, a perpetrator, as part of his game of power, may encourage a child to behave violently towards his or her mother. According to Eleri Butler of Women’s Aid, which runs refuges for women and children escaping domestic violence and campaigns for greater awareness, domestic violence has a profound impact on a child’s education. A child may be absent or late because of their mother’s injuries

14 Learning Support September/October 2005

(on average, a woman is assaulted 37 times before she seeks help). Or they may truant because they wish to remain at home and protect their mother. A child may arrive at school early or hang around after the final bell to avoid returning to a home that holds fear. Their concentration may be disturbed because their sleep has been disrupted by violence. A child may disappear for periods, as the family yo-yos back and forth from the family home, seeking sanctuary elsewhere before returning. “I had tummy ache all the time,” says one child. “It got to the point where my teacher asked me if there was anything worrying me. That’s when I told him about my stepdad hitting my mum. It felt good to tell someone.” Department of Health guidance suggests that an adult tries to find a confidential way of asking children what’s really wrong. Then give them time to talk; believe what they say and find out what help is available for mother and child. A mother may

he chain

die at the hands of ●● Two women a week their partners. incident is reported ●● A domestic violence te. nu to the police every mi ldren witness violent ●● At least 750,000 chi of (source: Department assaults in the home Health). ual ve witnessed the sex ●● 10% of children ha l na tio Na e: r (sourc assault of their mothe s). me Ho ’s Children 3 costs the economy £2 ●● Domestic violence fice). billion a year (Home Of screening to establish ●● We have no routine child protection or whether children using ng with domestic health services are livi violence. nal help is available for ●● Too little professio violence. children who live with merest beginnings” of ●● We have only “the ce ch children that violen work in schools to tea me (Ho g. on wr and me – against women is a cri y Mullender of the dre Au by dy stu ce Offi (2000)). ick rw University of Wa

The Hideout poster can be obtained from s.hanna@womensaid.org.uk Useful web sites: www.womensaid.org.uk www.crimereduction.gov.uk domestic violence section) www.Missdorothy.com 24-hour national domestic violence help line

0808 2000 247

Contact your local authority for more information on domestic violence

break the cycle of violence because of something her child has said, done or seen. The adult should try and build the child’s sense of self esteem and offer an explanation that helps the child to release pent up feelings and stop blaming him or herself. In March, the National Union of Teachers published Silence is Not Always Golden, a report that gives advice and guidance on domestic violence. It recommends that if there are concerns, the adult should listen positively and give reassurance to the child without guaranteeing confidentiality. The adult should then speak to the designated person for child protection in the school. Training and support should be given to all relevant staff so that, “Questioning should not result in children and their mothers being re-victimised, for example, by inappropriately removing the children into care.” It also recom-

mends a “whole school approach”, raising awareness through a number of subjects such as drama and history, alongside other issues such as bullying, citizenship, respect and social relationships. Some local authorities have produced domestic violence learning packs. Women’s Aid is available for work in schools. It also has an excellent website for older children, The Hideout (www.thehideout.org.uk). Prevention is vital. One survey of 1,300 pupils revealed that one in three teenage boys and one in five girls agreed with the statement, “Some women deserve to be hit”. The same research shows 52% of primary school pupils wanted information and discussions about domestic violence and what can be done to stop it. Learning support staff can help to create a more healthy cycle – openness about the issue may encourage more children to reveal their own plight and, in turn, prompt a victimised parent to break the chain and radically improve both their own future and that of their children.

Learning Support September/October 2005 15

PAGE LABEL DISPLAYS

In part two of our series, Elaine Simpson offers ideas for making displays even more useful and interesting to the people who matter most – the children

T the beginning of the new academic year everyone is fresh and enthusiastic and the beginning of term is a good time to make sure the classroom walls are well prepared for the work ahead. Children can be involved in making displays in lots of ways, making the classroom their own. As well as encouraging valuable learning experiences, this ensures that the children have a vested interest in looking after the displays.

WALLS AT THE beginning of each term find out the term’s schemes of work and back walls appropriately. Here are some possibilities. l hessian l crinkled or flat foil or newspaper l wallpaper with an appropriate pattern or theme Borders can reflect the themes of work, too. Cut some long strips of paper for the children to print as part of their maths work on sequencing. Hand-print borders by cutting patterns in sections of mushrooms, apples, oranges or potatoes, or use leaves of different shapes as templates. Children can practise letter and number formation and ordering, and their work can make a useful and informative border. Or ask each child in the class to produce a small drawing or painting and use these to create an attractive and interesting border. Don’t forget to make a label to point out the learning intention and the process involved in this work. Here are some alternatives to traditional mounting.

Getting cle classroom l Cut off the fronts of cereal boxes, paint the insides (or ask the children to paint them) and mount work inside. l Fix boxes of different thickness behind mounted work and cut out pictures to create a 3-D effect. l Try making spirals from stiff card and fix to the back of work to create movement and an extra dimension. l An idea that saves time is to fix wooden clothes pegs to the display board with PVA glue. Then mounted writing and pictures can be pegged up and changed frequently. l Plastic wallets can be stapled to the board and books related to the display stored. Place these at a level where the children can access them. l Put up shelves for light objects made by the children by folding card into triangles and stapling one side to the board.

16 Learning Support September/October 2005

CEILINGS

ENSURE ANY ceiling displays don’t obstruct security sensors. l Strings can be fixed to the ceiling and work pegged to them. l Coat hangers can have work folded over them. l Spirals with work attached can be fixed to the ceiling. l Banners of fabric can have work pinned to them.

WINDOWS IT’S A shame to block out valuable light from windows – research shows that a good quality of natural light enhances children’s learning. So instead of paper, try using cellophane which doesn’t block out the light. You can cut letters, using templates, from cellophane or make interesting pictures from layers of tissue painted with PVA glue.

GATEWAY SCHOOL, LONDON BOROUGH OF WESTMINSTER

TOP TIPS

●● Spend some time teaching children how to mount their own work. It pays off in the end and the children have good practice at measuring and calculating. ●● Print off the children’s names, mount them on card, laminate them and use them again and again on displays, fixing them with Blu Tack. If you have one set mounted in black and another in white it saves time doing the same job again and again. Strings can be fixed to the ceiling and work pegged to them

ever with displays

●● Use captions to make connections in the children’s minds between different areas of learning. So for example if in maths the class has been working on symmetry, put a label on another display asking “Is this display symmetrical?”. Counting practice is always useful for young learners, so as part of a display ask “How many … can you find?”, or “Count the number of …”. ●● Encourage children to search the room – eg “How many display boards are green?”; “Can you find Khadija’s model? What is it?”; “How many times can you read the word ’the’ on this board”, etc. Draw the children’s attention to these questions and encourage them to read them to each other and look for changes each day.

TABLE TOPS

WORKTOPS PLACED near wall displays can be used for interactive displays related to the work displayed on the wall. With a table-top display, children can practise the skills which are the subject of the wall display. You know the display is successful and truly interactive if, at the end of the day, the objects displayed are not in exactly the same place as they were at the beginning!

FLOORS CUT-OUT “FOOTPRINTS” or arrows with numbers or messages to lead people to a particular display or classroom area can be fixed to the floor with stickybacked plastic. Children can write the messages – eg “Follow the footsteps to see our fantastic story display” or “This way to the book corner” etc. Most children enjoy following the routes and reading the instructions, which can also be good reading practice.

Tudor Rose paper used to back a display about the Tudors

Send pictures of your favourite displays to us, and we will exhibit as many as we can in our on-line Display

Gallery at www.learningsupport.co.uk. Email a photograph (set your digital camera to its highest quality setting please) to editor@learningsupport.co.uk If you’d like us to include an explanatory caption, please include it in your email and don’t forget to tell us your name and your school’s name.

Learning Support September/October 2005 17

INTERVIEW

F YOU’VE heard schools minister Jacqui Smith on the TV or radio recently, the chances are you’ve heard her say how much the government values school support staff. With the rumpus surrounding the introduction of compulsory planning, preparation and assessment (PPA) time for teachers, Smith has been defending the government’s decision to allow teaching assistants to supervise classes in place of teachers – and by doing so has been sticking up for support staff generally. “I think those who argue against implementing PPA by denigrating support staff are completely wrong. Support staff are making a massive contribution to children’s outcomes in schools,” she says. Smith replaced the popular Stephen Twigg who lost his seat at the election, and she certainly knows what the inside of a school looks like. She grew up in Worcestershire where she is now MP for Redditch and although she may not manage to collect her two young sons from their Redditch schools very often, she worked as a teacher for 13 years in secondary schools in the county before she was elected to parliament in 1997. Since Labour came to office in 1997, says Smith, school support staff numbers have increased by 130,000. “In the schools my children attend there has been a transformation because of that. There are more adults in the classroom, staff are more able to focus on individual children and there are more opportunities to do different activities. That is great, and support staff should be really commended for their contribution to children’s learning.” Teaching assistants are certainly taking on more responsibilities, but does the minister believe there are limits to the jobs they should be asked to do? She says guidance and regulations issued by the workforce agreement monitoring group makes it

‘An HLTA will have developed the sorts of skills to enable them to help children make progress under the supervision of the teacher’ clear what support staff should and should not be doing “Preparing and planning a lesson is the job of a teacher”, says Smith, “but a Higher Level Teaching Assistant will have developed the sorts of skills to enable them to help children make progress under the supervision of the teacher and that is an important role.” But what about pay and conditions? Despite the minister’s warm words, some support staff believe they are being exploited by schools – and the government – because pay has not always

18 Learning Support September/October 2005

Support staff have come an awfully long way, Schools Minister Jacqui Smith tells Frances Rickford in an exclusive interview with Learning Support

The question I’m interested in is what do support staff need and deserve to be able to do their job properly?

HAZEL DUNLOP

improved in line with their higher skill levels and extra responsibilities. Learning Support’s June/July issue reported huge inconsistencies in teaching assistants’ pay and conditions round the country, with some even facing pay cuts, and the National Head Teachers Association has added its voice to the trade unions’ in calling for national pay scales for teaching assistants and other support staff. But Smith is cagey about national pay scales. She argues that local authorities should be making sure schools are paying teaching assistants according to the workforce agreement, and says local workforce agreement monitoring groups are there to make sure they do. “Ruth Kelly flagged up the fact that there are not national pay and conditions for support staff, and was saying, ‘Let’s have a debate about what the implications of that are’. I think there are some strong benefits to having local arrangements for staff who will tend to be recruited and used locally, so we have not made any presumption that we will move to national pay and conditions. “The question I’m interested in is what do support staff need and deserve in order to be able to do their job properly? Well, they need decent rates of pay, they need decent training, they need the opportunity to develop their careers, and those are things we should be focusing on. There are all sorts of opportunities for support staff generally and TAs in particular to take on new responsibilities which in some cases mean better pay and conditions. For example if you are operating as a Higher Level Teaching Assistant we have made very clear in the guidance, you should be better paid on that basis.” What about issues such as term-time only contracts? Many teaching assistants are not paid

Jacqui Smith certainly knows what the inside of a school looks like. She taught for 13 years in secon dary schools before she was elected to Parlia ment in 1997

for school holidays, though their term-time pay may be spread across the whole year. Smith says they will be able to boost their income by working more hours as schools provide new services such as after school clubs and holiday play-schemes. She cites her own seven-yearold son who does “fun maths” and “fun English” after school, with a teaching assistant. “It slightly suggests that all the other maths and English he does isn’t fun, but never mind, it’s a great opportunity for him but also for the teaching assistant.” In some schools teaching assistants run clubs and other activities outside school hours on a voluntary basis, and some schools have even invited support staff to attend staff meetings in their own time, presenting this as a privilege. Smith seems shocked to hear this. “No. That is wrong in my view,” she says. Teaching assistants and other support staff could be set to take on even more responsibilities in the future, with the government and unions discussing what other jobs traditionally done by teachers could be handed over to support staff. Assemblies, reports about children’s social needs, and meetings about school organisation have all been mentioned as possible candidates. Smith says the debate about the role of teachers in schools won’t end with the introduction of PPA

‘I think there are strong benefits to local arrangements, so we have not made any presumption that we will move to national pay and conditions’ time. But as a former teacher herself, she wants limits set on how much responsibility teachers should give up. “There is an ongoing discussion and debate about whether there are important new roles that will help children learn that support staff can take on. But none of these things have been decided. For example, I have views about whether I would want to see teachers not doing assemblies – I think teachers should do assemblies actually.” Whatever the outcome, Smith detects a huge change already in attitudes towards school support staff, both in government and outside. “I was in this department as a minister in 1999 to 2001 with responsibility for reducing bureaucracy. I was the first to say we should invite the unions and associations that represent support staff into the department to discuss it. Nowadays it would be unheard of not to include them.” “It is a fast moving area, and we do need to keep up in terms of the guidance we are developing so support staff can feel confident that their role is recognised and their voice is heard. But actually we have come an awfully long way.”

Learning Support September/October 2005 19

ADVERTISEMENT FEATURE

MOST PEOPLE recognise what makes a good school – enthusiastic teachers, motivated children, positive behaviour and a happy atmosphere where learning is all-encompassing and people work as a team. To achieve this, however, everyone in the school - from the teaching assistant to the midday supervisor and the bursar to the caretaker – needs to feel valued, stimulated and involved. It’s a big challenge, but this is precisely the type of learning environment that the Training and Development Agency for schools (TDA) – formerly the Teacher Training Agency – is working to bring about. With its new name, adopted this September, comes a new remit for the TDA – to help schools develop the potential of their support staff to the full. The Agency still has responsibility for the recruitment of teachers to Initial Teacher Training and will be more involved in promoting teachers’ continuing professional development in future. But a significant part of its work will now be to improve training and development opportunities for all school support staff and to tap into the huge wealth of experience and talent in this sector that is often overlooked. “The number of support staff working in schools has increased considerably in recent years and we know that there’s a lot of untapped potential there,” said Jill Staley, Director of Wider Workforce Programmes at the TDA. “When you are trying to raise standards and achievement in a school, everyone has an impact, both individually and as part of a team. But people need to know that their contribution is valued and that there’s a commitment to their personal development. “Up till now there has not been a systematic approach to developing the skills and expertise of school support staff around the country and the quality of training has been patchy. These are some of the things we want to improve.”

NEW NAME, NEW OPPOR

What do we mean by school support staff?

The TDA’s new remit applies to all staff working in support roles in schools, such as teaching assistants, administrative staff, technicians and midday supervisors. It’s increasingly recognised that they all play an important role in raising standards and promoting children’s well being, whether they are preparing healthier school meals, reinforcing positive behaviour policies, supporting pupils with special needs, or assisting with after school activities or trips.

Why is the TDA changing?

As a result of the workforce agreement, most schools have changed the way they organise their work and utilise their staff. In particular, the introduction of planning, prepara-

The TDA wants to hear about the good work happening in your school. Contact Sian Jones on 020 7023 8244 or email sian.jones@tda.gov.uk for more information. To find out more about the work of the TDA, go to www.tda.gov.uk

20 Learning Support September/October 2005

tion and assessment (PPA) time for teachers from this September means that more tasks and responsibilities are being taken on by support staff. The changes are also influenced by the Government’s White Paper Every Child Matters, which aims to improve the life chances and achievements of all children and young people and to reduce social disadvantage. Schools will have to work more closely with other children’s services in future and with the new Children’s Trusts, and, through the expansion of the extended schools scheme, will have to provide more community services such as childcare and adult learning. Support staff will therefore need up-to-date skills and knowledge and improved opportunities for progression in their careers.

How will the changes affect people working in schools?

The TDA is working nationally with a range of partners, including local authorities, employers’ organisations, trades unions, the Learning and Skills Council, sector skills councils, the National College for School Leadership and others to map the complex training and qualification arrangements that currently exist and to make the system more coherent.

LEADING THE WAY …

“The Surrey School Support Service is developing a project where schools become support staff training centres. We’re building a network of local centres that will take staff from induction to degree level qualifications with local provision and with least disruption to the school day.” Surrey Support Staff Development Schools Network “Teaching assistants, midday supervisors and administrators at the school have all achieved a nationally recognised qualification at Level 2 and are now working towards Level 3. I’m proud of my support staff for their enthusiasm, hard work and dedication to lifelong learning.”

NEW ROLE, TUNITIES With so many professions involved, and with over 600 relevant qualifications on offer, this will take time. The TDA’s first priority is to improve information about training and development opportunities, to increase access to training, and to provide better information about funding sources. Eventually, as well as better quality training, there will be much clearer progression routes for school support staff and it will be easier for staff working in multiple roles to develop their careers across different pathways. “The changes won’t be immediate,” said Jill Staley. “The challenge for the TDA is to create a new working relationship with schools and to bring about more co-ordination and coherence at both the national and local level. “It’s important that people get the type of training and development opportunities that they need. A lot of learning takes place within schools themselves and different schools have different needs, so it’s vital that the system allows for local flexibility. “We want schools to tell us what their local issues are so that we can make sure that these issues feed into our long term planning. Many schools are doing a superb job already and we want to learn from that experience.”

Headteacher Anne Tunley,Astonon-Trent Primary School, Derby

“The Year 3 and 4 teachers and teaching assistants meet once a week to plan for the week ahead and to review the previous week’s work. This partnership with teaching staff reflects the school’s very strong team ethos.” Roger Crisp, Oulton Broad Primary School, Lowestoft – one of the first teaching assistants to be awarded Higher Level Teaching Assistant (HLTA) status

WHAT’S HAPPENING NOW? l The School Workforce Development Board’s interim plan, ‘Building the school team: our plans for support staff training and development 2005/6’ outlines some of the initiatives already under way – a further three year plan will be produced in early 2006. l The TDA is working with the DfES and others to develop a common core of skills and training for all those working with children and young people. l School workforce advisers are being appointed in each local authority area, to support the TDA in ensuring that initiatives have an impact at local level and meet local needs. l A new Vocational Qualification for school support staff at level

2 is being piloted and a level 3 VQ has just been accredited. Over 4,000 teaching assistants have already achieved Higher Level Teaching Assistant status. Work has also begun on improving training for technicians and catering staff while around 1,500 training places a year are available for bursars. l Initial Teacher Training and teachers’ CPD is being reviewed to reflect the new responsibilities of school support staff. l Unison, in association with the Union Learning Fund and supported by the TDA, has developed www.skills4schools. org.uk, a website dedicated to training and career development information for support staff. It will be launched in late September.

Learning Support September/October 2005 21

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One in 550 school-age children has diabetes, and the number is rising. What support do they need at school? By Joy Ogden.

CHILDREN’S HEALTH

Children with diabetes need extra support, but they still want to be one of the crowd

Children with diabetes CHILDHOOD DIABETES is still rare but the number of cases has tripled in the last 30 years. Undiagnosed diabetes is very dangerous, and school support staff are well placed to spot the early signs.

WHAT IS DIABETES? In diabetes, the amount of glucose (sugar) in the blood rises too high because the body can’t use it properly. Glucose comes from digesting starchy foods such as rice, potatoes, chapattis and sweet foods, and from the liver. It is normally stored in the cells as fuel for the body, with the help of the hormone, insulin. Type 1 diabetes (insulin dependent) develops because the body can’t produce insulin. Type 2 diabetes (non insulin dependent) develops because the insulin is not working properly, or CHILDREN find it difficult to be ‘different’. Allow them to be involved in the same activities as their friends wherever possible. Enlist the help of the school nurse to improve awareness among classmates. Don’t try to keep it a secret, the child needs to know it is not something to be ashamed of, but keep a balance with the child’s right to privacy. Make sure that everyone knows what a hypo is, and understands who to call or what to do.

Diabetes UK: www.diabetesuk. org.uk – or 0845 120 2960 – has a leaflet for school staff and an awareness poster. You can download the leaflet from the resource page of www.learningsupport.co.uk. because there is too little for the child’s needs. Most children (90-95 per cent of under-16s) have Type 1 diabetes, which normally means they need daily insulin injections, blood glucose level checks, and regular food. Children with Type 2 diabetes are usually treated by diet and exercise alone.

DEALING WITH DIABETES Most younger children have twicedaily longer-acting insulin, and it is unlikely they will need injections in school hours. They need to ensure their blood glucose levels remain stable by checking a small sample of blood and regularly monitoring it. Most older children (around age nine) can cope by themselves and just need somewhere suitable to go, but younger children might need an adult’s help. Children with diabetes should be supported by a specialist child diabetes health team. School staff who agree to give blood glucose tests or insulin injections must be trained by an appropriate health professional. Children with diabetes need to eat regularly, which might mean snacking

SYMPTOMS – either individually or combined – that might indicate low blood sugar: ●● hunger ●● sweating ●● drowsiness ●● pallor ●● glazed eyes ●● shaking or trembling ●● lack of concentration ●● irritability ●● headache ●● mood changes (especially angry or aggressive behaviour) Some children may develop high blood sugar levels (hyperglycaemia) and need frequent trips to the loo or become very thirsty. If you smell nail varnish remover (acetone) on the child’s breath seek urgent medical attention. in class time and certainly before PE. Strenuous exercise or a missed meal can trigger a hypoglycaemic episode (a hypo), during which the blood glucose level falls too low. You must give glucose tablets or a fast acting sugary drink immediately if this happens. It is important not to leave the child alone. After 10 to 15 minutes, when the child has recovered, slower acting starchy food, such as a sandwich or two biscuits and a glass of milk, should be given. Call an ambulance if the child takes longer than 10-15 minutes to recover or becomes unconscious.

Learning Support September/October 2005 23

REVIEWS

In this issue we’ve taken a close look at some of the text books for teaching and learning support assistants. All our reviews have been written by practising TAs and are totally independent

Handbook for Learning Support Assistants: Teachers and assistants working together (revised edition 2003) Glenys Fox David Fulton Publishers ISBN 1-84312-081X Price: £14.00 HHH THIS HANDBOOK contains information for learning support assistants, SENCOs and teachers. It provides a detailed description of the roles and responsibilities of the assistant, together with information on different types of special educational need and offers guidelines for supporting pupils. Its purpose is to enable learning support assistants to work more effectively in supporting: ●● the pupil with special needs; ●● the class teacher and the special educational needs coordinator; ●● the school; ●● the curriculum. It includes sections on the current statutory framework, roles and responsibilities, giving support, different special needs and working with colleagues. This would be an ideal book to introduce new LSAs to the job – it would have been very useful to me a few years ago. As a seasoned teaching assistant it didn’t teach me anything new! It is written in plain English with cartoons scattered throughout – good if you’re like me and enjoy a few pictures. It does tend to present a rather idealised view of the role of the learning support assistant and school procedure, and is aimed more at LSAs working with SEN, rather than the ‘general’ teaching assistant, although the information is still very relevant. It also contains a chapter for the SENCO and the teacher – the only chapters without cartoons. Read into that what you will. This would be an ideal book to have in the staffroom for new LSAs as it provides a useful and comprehensive overview of the job. Louise Gall Teaching assistant Marlborough School Falmouth, Cornwall

24 Learning Support September/October 2005

Supporting Spelling Sylvia Edwards David Fulton Publishers ISBN 1-84312-208-1 Price: £12.00 HHHH THIS BOOK claims to be packed with practical activities to help teaching assistants support children’s literacy – and it is. The first chapter sets the groundwork and has three aims: ●● To raise awareness of the national curriculum. ●● Summarise briefly the requirements of spelling at key stage 1 and 2. ●● To introduce the National Literacy Strategy objectives for spelling using strategies contained in the book. Other chapters cover developing children’s spelling competence, principles for supporting spelling, developing spelling in reception year, years 1 and 2, and at key stage 2. The remaining chapters explain how to assess and monitor spelling progress, and there is a useful resources section at the end. I enjoyed this book and feel it has helped me already in my job as a TA in a year 2 class. I have found most of the things I read in it were new to me, and beneficial. This week I have used one of the activities from the book with a small group of children who enjoyed our session and asked when we’d be doing it again. Some of the activities in the book are already being used in our class, though I did still feel this book was informative. It is an easy read and I would definitely recommend it to other TAs. Occasionally it states the obvious slightly but these sort of books tend to do that for the idiots among us. Teachers too might benefit from reading it, just for a brush up. I also feel it would be a good resource for parents who wanted to help their children at home. Tracey Mayes Teaching assisatant Wheatfields Infants School St. Ives, Cambridge

Learning through Play: Babies, Toddlers and the Foundation Years Tina Bruce. Hodder Arnold. ISBN –10: 0 340 80152 2 Price: £12.99 HHHHH THIS BOOK aims to present the key ideas for learning through play and best practice for new childcare students. It is set out in two parts. Part 1 “sets the scene historically, culturally and politically” and part 2 shows the practical ways in which adults can help develop the children’s play. The book is linked to the Curriculum Guidance for the Foundation Stage (QCA2000) in England but it is useful to any childcare practitioner based anywhere. There are a few sequences of photos of children of differing ages at play. Each sequence is analysed using the “12 features of play” developed from Bruce (1991 and 1996). For someone new to observing, this would help identify what to look for and how to observe children at play. Later in the book the observations are linked to the early learning goals. I found the use of boxes throughout the book for key features, summaries and early learning goals helpful, as were the highlighted words in the text to emphasise important points. Although some of the book deals with babies and toddlers this is useful for identifying foundation stage children who seem to be falling behind their peers, and so enabling extra support to be brought in. I would recommend this book both to the new childcare students it is aimed at, and to TAs starting to work in the foundation stage as there are clear ideas for encouraging free-flow play rather than leading or directing it. The reading lists are very comprehensive and I will use them and the book itself in the future to dip into to refresh my ideas and practices. Nadine Mills Teaching assistant Northfield Infants School

Driffield, East Yorkshire Professional Values and Practice: Meeting the Professional Standards for Higher Level Teaching Assistants Anne Watkinson David Fulton publishers ISBN 1-84312-250-2 Price £15 HHHH THIS BOOK is to support TAs who are thinking of becoming a HLTA. It is one of a pair of books to support the TA through the process. It deals with the standards, values and principles that underpin learning and teaching, but does not cover all that the TA will need to know. The author hopes that anyone at this level will be reading widely and for this reason there is an extensive list of essential and further reading at the end of each chapter, as well as useful websites. The main chapters cover professionalism, relationships with pupils and adults, context and the boundaries of your role, the local and national context, and reflection and personal development. In each chapter there are boxes with questions to think about, ideas for discussions with colleagues, examples of good practice and case studies. This is a useful book that will help and be of interest to anyone thinking about HLTA and what it may involve. It is easy to ‘dip’ into and gives ideas for further reading and resources. I have ordered the companion book (Learning and Teaching: the Essential Guide for Higher Level Teaching Assistants, published September 05) to guide me through the process. Sue Stafford Teaching assistant Abbotsfield School Hillingdon

Additional Educational Needs – Inclusive Approaches to Teaching Sue Soan (editor) David Fulton Publishers – ISBN 1-84312-149-2. Price: £17.00 HHHH THIS BOOK aims to help its readers understand what is involved in achieving ‘inclusive communities’ within schools. With six expert contributors, it goes beyond the usual SEN spectrum to include bilingual learners, children in care and gifted and talented learners. Other chapters cover recent legislation relating to additional education needs; interagency collaboration and partnership with parents; cultural issues; therapeutic education; social, emotional and behavioural difficulties and transitions for children with SEN. There are also chapters on particular special needs – including children with autistic spectrum disorder, speech and language difficulties, dyslexia and movement problems. The book includes information relating to every key stage and educational setting. Every chapter includes an introduction, information relating to the specific topic, discussion points, case studies, useful addresses and websites and very good references which would allow the reader to follow up on certain points. Altogether there are 13 chapters, all of which are easy to read and very user-friendly. I have found something useful in every chapter but I especially appreciated the comprehensive list of abbreviations and the list of the standards needed to achieve Higher Level Teaching Assistant (HLTA) Status. I would recommend this book to anyone thinking of completing the Foundation Degree, especially anyone wishing to achieve HLTA Status or a Teaching Assistant who wishes to broaden their knowledge. I only wish that I had been able to read this book before achieving HLTA status myself as it would have clarified several of the standards for me. Jeanett Preece Teaching assistant Oaklands School, Birmingham

Learning Support September/October 2005 25

SOFTWARE REVIEWS

Yvonne Pearson explores three numeracy programmes, and Sue Hayes reviews a phonics-based literacy tool Splat! Numeracy Year 2 Miller Waite Ltd Single user CD £39.99 + single user licence £19.99 (Additional CDs £19.99) HH INITIALLY THE children were very excited by Splat! You can choose questions from over 50 numeracy topics covered in Year 2 and are given 12 multiple-choice answers represented by 12 clowns. If you get the answer wrong, the clown starts to cry and if you choose correctly the clown gets a custard pie in his face. However we had problems because there is no differentiation within the software. The questions are displayed on screen and there is no option to have them spoken which meant that some of the children were unable to read and/or understand them. If a child got an answer wrong, there were no clues given to point them in the right direction. As the questions have to be answered within a set time limit, the less able children relied solely on trial and error to get their answers and so learnt very little. Another problem is that there is no automatic record of times and scores for individual children so they have to keep a check themselves. All the children loved the custard pie throwing but after the initial enthusiasm, they began to lose interest as the numeracy software we usually use has much more interesting and relevant graphics.

Cleo Talks Numbers Miller Waite Ltd Single user CD £44.99 + single user licence £19.99 (Additional CDs £19.99) Reception/KS1 H CLEO THE talking crab asks over 600 questions linked to the National Numeracy Strategy. Like Splat!, there are multiple-choice options but Cleo gives clues when the children get the answer wrong. Teachers liked the fact that questions are spoken and don’t rely on the children’s reading ability and the children liked the certificates which can be printed off at the end of a set of questions. Unfortunately, the children found

26 Learning Support September/October 2005

the graphics even less exciting than Splat! and lost interest very quickly. The publishers say that Cleo is ideal for independent activities but the children found some of the on-screen elements distracting – the time and score, the menu options, the ‘help’ button (which offered no help for the children) and the ‘next’ button (why should you have to press ‘next’? Why not automatically go on to the next question?) – and it was not a great success in the ICT suite as they needed too much help. This would probably work better as a whole class mental warm-up but it is of limited appeal.

YVONNE PEARSON

2Calculate 2Simple £39.00 (Site Licence £299.00) QCA Schemes of Work: ICT QCA Units 4D, 5D, 6B Links to KS1 and KS2 Numeracy HHHHH IN CONTRAST with the other two titles 2Calculate has so much going for it that it’s almost scary! What stops it being scary are 2Simple’s excellent videos, many of which are linked to pre-set activities, which explain what to do. Each video is referenced to the National Numeracy Strategy objectives and could easily be used as an introduction of an activity to the children on an interactive whiteboard before letting them do the activities individually. 2Calculate can also be used in ICT for spreadsheets and modelling activities and in Science for graphs and charts. 2Calculate is simple enough for a Reception child to use it for counting yet sophisticated enough for a Year 6 child to use as a spreadsheet as an introduction to Microsoft Excel. I must admit that after more than 20 years of using Excel myself I found it quite hard to switch to something so much easier and more intuitive but the children were happy to tell me where I was going wrong and after

a short learning curve I was able to create and save my own activities for the children to use, limited only by my imagination! All the children enjoyed using 2Calculate and found it visually appealing and simple to use both as a whole-class activity and individually. There are tools for counting, spinning, measuring (ruler, scales, thermometer and measuring jug), random number generator and dice throwing all of which are shown very simply but very effectively and can be used in the activities as required. If I have one criticism of 2Calculate it would be the omission of a protractor from this list but it is a very minor criticism! I have never been disappointed by any of 2Simple’s software and 2Calculate is no exception. After using this for 4 weeks I still feel that I have only just scratched the surface of its possibilities and I am really looking forward to learning more. Yvonne Pearson is a specialist ICT teaching assistant at St Edmund’s RC junior school, Edmonton, London

Phoneme Track Computer CD activities, plus accompanying work book Sermerc-Granada Learning ISBN: 1-84312-138-7 Author of work-book: Laura Cryer Price: £69.33 for both HHHH PHONEME TRACK is a phonics-based computer programme, which is accompanied by a photocopiable worksheet book of phoneme frames. It aims to encourage learners to build up skills in phonemic awareness. It also claims to be fun and motivational offering word level work in an interesting and problem-solving way. The activities on the CD are based on three different activities which are represented by different monsters. Phoneme Take-A-Way This involves the user taking off a phoneme at the beginning or end of a word to make a new one (eg year to ear). Phoneme Change The user changes one sound from a word to make another (eg hat to bat).

Word Chains This consists of five frames, one underneath the other. The first word is displayed and the user changes one phoneme to make a new word until they have five words in the chain. The programme includes a very useful teacher’s area where personal settings can be selected for individual users. Each child’s settings are saved for the next time they log in and the teacher can select which words the pupil will work on from an extensive list, covering a range of levels. The accompanying book is basically a set of word frames, which can be photocopied as an extra activity to support the computer activities. The main aim is to change one phoneme from the word to make a new word. The phoneme to be changed is highlighted in grey. The child then writes the new word in the space provided. I used this with a group of year 1 and 2 children. All the children loved the monsters and this motivated them to work through the different activities. Overall I think it is a very good resource, especially as it can be tailored to the needs of individuals. The teacher can select and deselect words for each child and a printout of the child’s session shows how they have coped with the activities – or not. This gives a good indication of their strengths and weaknesses. The phoneme worksheets from the book would be useful as an independent activity to consolidate the other activities. I did find adapting the individual children’s word list time consuming. This is not a problem if you are only working with one child at a time, but if like many TAs you have a group of up to six children, this personalising would have to be done in advance of working with the group. Sue Hayes, teaching assistant at Holy Trinity Primary School, Newark, Notts

Learning Support September/October 2005 27

When I tried to talk to her, she just shouted at me ADVICE PLEASE

I’m at my wits’ end. I’m working with someone whose attitudes clash with mine and who undermines me in front of the children. I love my job, and have enjoyed studying to update my qualifications, but this person has old-fashioned views and won’t consider new ideas. For example she thinks children with autism are “just naughty”. She thinks my techniques are rubbish, and doesn’t hesitate to tell me so. This upsets me, but when I tried to talk to her about the problem, she just shouted at me, marched out and went to the head teacher. I’m quite shy and I don’t go to the regular girls’ nights out, as many other staff members do including this colleague and the head, so I feel others are taking her side and don’t like me. I’m now dreading going back to work. Martha

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28 Learning Support September/October 2005

weakness or emotion. Don’t get angry, just stick to your principles and hold tight to your self-esteem.

I think like all the problems that occur in schools the solution is always a consistent school approach. This case is obviously an SEN (special educational needs) area and the best person to handle this is the SENCO. All SENCOs know how difficult autistic children are and they provide strategies to TAs and teachers to be able to handle these situations. There should be an SEN policy in the school to explain the school’s responsibility towards these children. If the teacher in question is not following these strategies the SENCO should talk to her. If this does not work I think you should talk to your line manager. Although you do not like going out with the girls do not isolate yourself from them during the school day. Try to be friendly especially with TAs and discuss your problem with them; they will probably come up with a reasonable solutions if they have worked with this person before. This will also bring them closer to you as they might think you are a clever person that knows everything, because you are always updating your qualifications. This will show them that you are one of them and you face the same problems they face. Name and address supplied

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It sounds as if you are the victim of a bully. Act now, and here’s what to do. First talk to your head teacher. Every head has a duty of care to staff and pupils alike. Keep calm and cool, and clearly state your problems. There is every chance he or she has heard the like before, and may be well aware of your colleague’s aggressive manner already. Second, stand up to the bully. Show her no weakness or emotion. Don’t get angry, just stick to your principles and hold tight to your

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GINA GLOVER/PHOTOFUSION

self-esteem. Third, don’t worry. Don’t be overly concerned about your colleague running you down in the eyes of the children as they have a very strong sense of fairness and in time they will see you for who you are. Also don’t worry about being a shy person. You can still shine like a star – no noise required! Name and address supplied Do not let this woman intimidate you. You are a valuable member of the school’s support team, or you would not be employed by them. She appears to be threatened by you, perhaps jealous of your up-to-date skills etc. Maybe the start of the new school year would be a good time to ‘bury the hatchet’. Suggest that, for the benefit of the children you both work with, it’s time to get along and try and embrace each other’s methods. Confronting her this way may make her realise that she can’t bully you any more! Alternatively, why not try and join just one of the staff nights out. Let everyone see you

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‘off duty’, it’s amazing how different work colleagues are away from the workplace. Name and address supplied Try to approach the head teacher yourself and talk through some of the issues you are experiencing with this colleague. The head teacher after all is her manager and is there to try and resolve conflicts between colleagues. Also, is there a SENCO you could talk to? If so then maybe she or he can organise a discussion about the best way of dealing with autistic children or a specific child together so there is a whole team approach, and some consistency towards the children. It also sounds like you need to get to know your colleagues a little better. Could you try to overcome your shyness and make the effort to go out with them occasionally? Then they will get to know you. After all it helps to have people on your side and it’s great to have friends at work who you can off-load on and ask advice. Name and address supplied

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More advice please I work in reception where it is not unusual for children to have “accidents”. Instead of letting us clean up the children ourselves, our school has a policy of telephoning the parents and asking them to come into school and to deal with “accidents”. If no parent or carer can come immediately we can give them clean underwear but are not allowed to clean their skin. The head takes the view that this is not the school staff’s job, and that if we did clean children up we could be open to accusations of abuse. I feel very uncomfortable and unhappy about this as I would not want my own children left wet or dirty while they waited for a carer to turn up. It seems especially hard on children who have a lot of accidents, and those whose parents can’t or won’t come to school at the drop of a hat. What do other people do in this situation? Should I make more of a fuss or do most schools have the same policy? Joanna

Please email your advice for Joanna to editor@ learningsupport.co.uk, or post it to Advice Please, Learning Support, 83 Alkham Road, London N16 6XD

Learning Support September/October 2005 29

ME AND MY JOB

and she can’t believe the progress children are making. I would like to see a synthetic phonics approach throughout the school. I’m doing PPA (planning, preparation and assessment) cover for our Year 6 teacher for one lesson per week from this term for a trial period initially. I am covering the PSHE (personal, social and health education) curriculum. I probably won’t be using worksheets as we’ll be doing a lot of role-play with the children making decisions. It will mean more extra work. SUE HAYES, age 47 I ran a ol, Scho ary Prim newspaper RC ty Trini SCHOOL: Holy club with Newark, Notts l another idua indiv with tant assis hing ROLE: Level 2 teac TA after room class 1 e Stag Key plus ren, SEN child school for support. two years, Rebecca, 23, FAMILY: Husband Peter, daughters but I’ve and Sarah, 21. given that up for the time being as I need a break from it. It was a very busy and timeconsuming club even though I enjoyed it a the book the teacher was using and lot. I will still be running a computer find some key words. Then I could ask club – although I haven’t yet decided this little boy questions about the story what form it will take. that had been read. You do build up a There is a lovely team spirit among close relationship, and he was a very the teaching assistants here – we happy child. support each other. I still work with individual children I asked the head last year to let us but also support the Year 1 and 2 have weekly TA meetings in school classes as a whole, and work with time. If anyone has been on a course groups of children who need extra they can feed back to the others. We literacy support. also have a troubleshooting slot, so if I do my own phonics programme – I someone is having a problem, others plan it and deliver it myself. I used to can make suggestions. Since we had do the Early Literacy Support prothe meetings we’ve become much gramme but after three years I wasn’t closer. seeing any progress so I started I’m starting an Open University changing it. What these children need course in inclusive education in are the basics – their weakness is in October. I don’t want to be a teacher their decoding skills. They were supthough. I can do a really good job with posed to do independent writing but what I do because I can concentrate they couldn’t because they didn’t on specific areas, such as my phonics have the skills. or accelerated learning techniques. A I’ve done quite a lot of research, class teacher has such an enormous and last year I started using a synworkload. thetic phonics programme. I’ve had I think I am very fortunate to be fantastic results, absolutely amazing. able to say that I enjoy One boy who couldn’t read at the going in to work every beginning of the year got a level B in day. his SATS test. Another TA in year five has started using the programme

I enjoy every day I’ve been a teaching assistant here at Holy Trinity for 13 years, and I’ve lived in Newark all my life. I went o college when my youngest child was five and had a placement in a school for children with moderate learning difficulties. I thought yes, I want to do this. Here at Holy Trinity I worked with one little boy for seven years. He went to secondary school last year, but we’re still in touch. When he started school, no-one here had any experience of children with severe speech and language problems so I learnt by trial and error. I learned Makaton (a communication system for people with learning and communication difficulties) by teaching it to him. Then it was a case of integrating this child so he could communicate with the other children, so I taught the whole class Makaton. We did it for ten minutes at the end of each day – they enjoyed picking a word out of a hat and learning it. The next task was putting all the sounds and symbols around the school and introducing key words to other adults and children. After that we incorporated Makaton into class literacy lessons. I’d take away

30 Learning Support September/October 2005

Ethne Jeffreys with more ideas for a games session

UTUMN days are often fine and perfect for playing in the fresh air. But if the weather is wet these games can be played in the school hall. If a game is new to the children, tell them its name and explain the rules clearly and simply. “Any questions?” can make sure they have understood them. Here is a game for younger children – say age 5 to 7. It needs at least ten players and it will get them squealing with delight as they try to outwit the cat!

PAUL MORLEY

Cat and mouse PLAYTIME

CAT AND MOUSE 1. Children form a circle with plenty of space between players. (To get a quick, spaced out circle ask them to “Join hands, arms outstretched”, then “drop your arms”). 2. Pick one player to be the cat and one to be the mouse. The cat stands outside the circle, the mouse stands inside it. 3. The cat tries to catch the mouse by getting into the circle through a space. Players squeeze up to close the gap. 4. If the cat gets into the circle and catches the mouse, the mouse becomes the new cat and goes outside the circle. You choose another player to be the mouse. 5. Continue like this for as long as you and the children want. The next game would be good for older children. It needs two or more teams and an independent scorer. Try

to limit the number in each team to about eight so each player has a turn without the game lasting too long.

HOPPITY HOP 1. The teams line up behind a starting point and face each other. The team lines should be about two metres apart. 2. The players number off from opposite ends of their lines, so for example if there were eight players 1

in each team, number 1 of team one would be opposite number 8 of team two. 3. When the leader calls out a number, the players with that number hop towards each other and change places. The first to reach their new place gains a point. (If the player puts a foot on the ground s/he has to return to the

SAFETY FIRST! Players should always be within sight of supervisors. Before play begins:

OUTDOORS: Set boundaries (e.g. “From the school wall to the step in front of Gold Class”). Check for holes, obstructions or muddy patches which could cause a hazard. INDOORS: Make sure there are no hazards such as chairs or equipment lying around.

original place and start again.) 4. The team with the most points wins. Here’s a variation on those popular thrill-of-the-chase games.

LONDON The players line up along a starting line – it could be a chalked line, or an imaginary line marked by, for instance, the end of a building in the playground. The starter stands a few metres in front of the line with their back to the others. The starter spells out “L-O-N-DO-N, London” in a loud voice. As the starter spells out the word the other players creep up on him or her. After spelling out “London” the starter turns round and everyone “freezes”. If the starter sees anyone move, he/she tells them to go back to the starting line. The game continues in the same way. The first player to touch the starter without being seen becomes the new starter. Note: children find it helpful to practise spelling out “London” before the game starts. Under-sevens might find it useful to have a card with “London” printed on it. n These games are taken from Ethne Jeffreys’ book, Welsh Fun Games, published by Y Lolfa press. www.ylolfa.com

Learning Support September/October 2005 31

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