A city-wide vision

When one primary school decided to pull itself out of special measures, no-one realised that the impact would be felt throughout the local authority. Estelle MacDonald tells the story of how one school inspired a movement to adopt restorative practice.

In 2004 I took on a school in crisis – a primary school in an area of high deprivation in the city centre of Hull that was in special measures. There were high needs; relationships had broken down on all levels; and the governing body had been replaced.

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      string(5702) "they aredoing well and where they need toimprove. This is for all pupils, in everysubject, within each cohort subgroupwhich enables departments tosupport each other and tailor theirteaching provision accordingly.Five years ago, we were trying toforce this on to teachers. Now, anymember of staff who can’t accesstheir MIS is knocking on my doorsaying ‘Help!’ The data is nowasking the questions and we arehaving conversations about what weare going to do, for each individualchild, based on these questions.”http://www.teachingtimes.comThis month’s FeaturesMoving forward with yourMISThe effective use of an MIS ishelping schools like HandsworthGrange analyse their performanceon an ongoing basis and identifythe exact nature of issues, monitorinterventions and ensure that theyare ready when the call comes fromthe inspection teamIf you are looking to improve the useof their MIS to help with Ofsted andto develop a more strategic approachto school improvement, the first stepis to determine a priority area – be itbehaviour, attendance or achievement– and then work to expand usage fromthat point.  Once this priority has beendecided, it is beneficial to look at bestpractice in other schools.Achieving a top Ofsted rating“(Teachers) showed effective useof assessment data to providechallenging resources and activitiesthat are carefully tailored to theinterests and academic needs ofindividuals and groups of students.These aspects enable students tomake good or better progress.”  Thiscomment in Handsworth’s Ofstedreport provides the anecdotalevidence that the inspection doesnot just take a snapshot of teachingon the day but looks to get animpression of the impact of teachingon learning over time.  In addition toobservations, the data helps Ofsted tomake judgements about teaching andlearning over a longer period of time.As a school leader, it is essentialto have accurate information atyour fingertips when Ofsted comescalling. An MIS can help you provethat you are worthy of the grade youfeel you deserve and can instantlyprovide you with the answers for anyquestion an inspector asks. If yourschool is on the road to improvement,the data helps you demonstrate tothe inspectors that you know exactlywhat the issues are, and whether thestrategies you have put in place todeal with them are working.Phil Neal, Managing Director,Capita SIMSNOW from Sandwell Inclusion Support Service a NEW version of the DfEapproved numeracy assessment Sandwell Early Numeracy Test (SENT) for usewith pupils in Key Stage 2 and Key Stage 3This assessment tool is used with individual pupils, undersupervision by a teacher or teaching assistant.Oral countingValue and computationObject counting4 to 11 years.plan individual programmes and monitor progress. It has beenextensively researched and the previous version was the standardORDER NOWAND RECEIVEYOUR PACK SOON!PRICE:£139.00 + VATSandwell EarlyNumeracy Test (SENT)Key Stages 2-3By Chris Arnold, Phil Bowen, Moira Tallents and Bob WaldenSandwell Inclusion SupportPlease send orders to: Imaginative Minds Ltd309 Scott House, The Custard Factory, Gibb Street, Digbeth, Birmingham B9 4AATel: 0121 224 7599  or Fax: 0121 224 7598  Email: enquiries@imaginativeminds.co.ukwww.teachingtimes.comhttp://www.teachingtimes.comThis month’s FeaturesThe Teaching TimesNew on the ProfessionalLearning CommunitySchool Leadership Today is part of an extended online Professional Learning Community providingarticles and pedagogic strategies from our best practice library, to develop the knowledge and skillsnecessary for the continued professional development of all school staff.For further information, or to subscribe to the Professional Learning Community, please contact Imaginative Minds, 309 Scott House, Gibb Street, Birmingham B9 4AATel: 0121 224 7578     Fax: 0121 224 7598 Email: enquiries@imaginativeminds.co.uk    www.teachingtimes.comArticles recently published on the ProfessionalLearning Community:Creative Teaching and LearningThe power of questionsAsking the right type of questions unlocks the door to a deeperlevel of thinking.The 100 word challengeInspiring young creative writers to flourish in a safe onlineenvironment.Cross Curriculum Project Plan: Contemporary SlaveryUnearthing a modern day evil to develop global awareness in thiscomprehensive project plan.Every Child JournalOperation safer schoolsInvestigating the impact of increased police involvement inday-to-day school life.A city-wide visionOne school’s efforts to break out of special measures prompteda city-wide restorative practice revolution.New Kids on the blockExamining the psychological minefield of early years’ groupsand the risk of parental ‘group-phobia’.Every Child UpdateParental engagement – what works!An overview of the recent DfE report on interventions that aim tosupport and improve parental engagement in education.Don’t let children with Autism lose out!Guidance on improving the levels of support offered to childrenwith autism and their parents.Fitter or fatter? Schools falling behind in PE and sportA look at the major research prompting concerns over youngpeoples’ fitness levels.Professional Development TodayProfessionals take control! – A series of articles dedicated tocoaching and mentoring to help teachers take greater controlof their professional development.How to…embed coaching and mentoring into the everyday lifeof school.How to…use tools and resources to build skills and capacity.Coaching options for change.e-Learning UpdateHow secure is your school’s data?With tough new penalties in place"
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Digital Learning

Effective use of data to prepare for short-notice Ofsted inspections

3 Jul 2013

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      string(5699) "placeanytime, anywhere, withanyoneMost young people in Britain are in schoolfor about 16 per cent of each year. They sleep,on average, 40 per cent of the year, whichmeans that they are actively involved in livingand learning outside school for 44 per centof each year. Thus ‘going to school to learn’ isa fundamental misconception. It should begoing to school for certain types of learning.Concerns are increasingly expressed aboutchildren not being ‘school ready’. A greaterconcern is surely that they should be life ready,and that involves being effective learners inevery context of their lives.It is a well-established principle thatthe most significant learning is often thelearning that takes place in the family, thecommunity and the peer group. In some cases,the only recognition of learning beyond theschool is homework, when there should bestrategies to see parents as first-educatorsand the acknowledgement that literacy, oracy and social interactions are the basis forall learning, and these are significantly informed by contextual factors like parenting,community value and social class.52Vol 6.4School Leadership Todaywww.teachingtimes.comSchool ImprovementEvidence-basedpracticeJohn West-BurnhamThe implications of this perspective might be summarised as:■ The need to engage parents as active partners in their children’s education,particularly with respect to language and social development through play and richlanguage development opportunities.■ The importance of seeing the community as a learning resource through greatermutual interaction with local agencies, organisations and individuals e.g. throughvolunteering.■ Creating opportunities for pupils to engage in community-based learning throughcommunity service projects.4. Intelligence can be learntIntelligence is generally understood as an expression of cognitive capacity and ability.It is fundamentally influenced and informed by genetic inheritance and neurologicalfunctioning. But, as with many aspects of genetic and brain functioning, intelligence isopen to mediation and development.Adey shows that there are programmes which have successfully demonstrated thatbetter thinking can be positively affected by appropriate teaching strategies – perhapsthe most convincing evidence of the plasticity of intelligence:‘A recent evaluation of the Philosophy for Children (P4C) programme in one localauthority’s schools showed an effect size on cognitive abilities of 0.48. …the gains madeby the experimental group over the controls were maintained for at least two years.‘The cognitive acceleration (CA) approach has been demonstrating big effects foryears. …students who used CA in science …scored about one grade higher in theirGCSE science, mathematics and English compared with matched controls.’4The key elements of P4C and CA are best captured in the very simple notion ofhelping children to learn to think. Law provides a succinct overview of the componentsof objective and analytical approaches to thinking:■ Reveal and question underlying assumptions.■ Figure out the perhaps unforeseen consequences of a moral decision or point ofview.■ Spot and diagnose faulty reasoning.■ Weigh up evidence fairly and impartially.■ Make a point clearly and concisely.■ Take turns in a debate, and listen attentively without interrupting.■ Argue without personalising a dispute.■ Look at issues from the point of view of others.■ Question the appropriateness of, or the appropriateness of acting on, one’s ownfeelings.5The practical implications of developing strategies to support thinking across theschool might include:■ Providing training in thinking for all pupils and all staff – i.e. becoming a thinkingschool.■ School leaders modelling cognitive strategies in all aspects of the school’s working– for example, using restorative justice strategies rather than punishment-basedapproaches.■ Embedding cognitive strategies across the curriculum, ensuring consistentapplication and assuming their use in all activities.■ Crucially, the school developing a culture based on objective evidence, rationaldialogue and reasoned interactions – i.e. Do as I do, not do as I say.■ Pupil voice focusing on involvement in developing and enhancing learning andteaching.5. Learning is a neurological functionLearning takes place in the brain – it is essentially an electro-chemical processof infinite complexity. Although neurological science and cognitive psychologyhave made major progress in enhancing our understanding of brain functioning,neurologists and cognitive scientists are extremely wary about building robust bridgesbetween research and practice.53Vol 6.4School Leadership Todaywww.teachingtimes.comSchool ImprovementEvidence-basedpracticeJohn West-BurnhamHowever, there are areas that do seem to be open to possible interventions thatmight enhance the potential of learners to learn more effectively. Three areas thatseem to be free of pseudoscience are the potential to enhance memory, the place ofchallenge in human cognitive activity, and the importance of practice.Making memoriesMemory is an essential element of learning and serves as the foundation fordeveloping understanding. 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Leadership

Rethinking our approach to teaching and learning

27 Jan 2015

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      string(5636) "the lesson– to arrive on time, pay attention, do the tasks set, and betested on the outcomes. Would you be prepared to requirethe same of your staff – and test the learning of teachersafter their Inset lesson? Probably not!51January/February 2008    Managing Schools TodayProfessional development   Situational LeadershipYou will more likely answer that you would expect tosee teachers making use of the ideas and strategies intheir lessons. However, if you are to manage this aspect ofteachers’ performance, you will first need to be clear aboutwhat exactly you will be observing. Mostly what we find (andthe TDA is no exception) are somewhat vague expectationsof performance. Within the core skills about managing thelearning environment (C38), teachers should:“(a) manage learners’ behaviour constructively by establishingand maintaining a clear and positive framework fordiscipline, in line with the school’s behaviour policy.(b) use a range of behaviour management techniques andstrategies, adapting them as necessary to promote theself-control and independence of learners.”So for the observer the question is “What does thatactually look like in real practice?” What is it that thecore skills teacher will be doing; what are their teachingbehaviours at this stage? Just as we need to be clear-cutabout the behaviour we are teaching to our pupils, so toowe need to be explicit about the behaviours that teacherswill demonstrate in the classroom. We mostly need a muchhigher level of specificity about this. What we say about theclassroom – “fuzzy expectations lead to fuzzy behaviour”– will also be true for the staffroom.Developmental perspectiveSo this is not about putting in place a ‘policy’ and expectingeveryone to follow it, then despairing when they don’t.We have to take a developmental perspective, indeed atruly educational approach to teacher skills development– particularly in the area of behaviour management. Theseare difficult skills to learn and to apply. Those learning theskills don’t require traditional ‘management’ – after all,there is often little in place yet to ‘manage’; what they needis skilled leadership to take them on what can often provea long and difficult journey.Why so difficult? The point we have frequently stressedis that the children we face in today’s classrooms are notthe same as previous generations. We have witnessed atechno-cultural revolution in the last ten years which hascontributed to a rapid change in expectations and attitudesabout adults’ and children’s roles and relationships. Thisrapid cultural shift has, in may cases, created a ‘socialdisruption’ between teachers and pupils – requiring a moresophisticated set of skills to create the necessary socialmediation than were needed in the past with traditional‘discipline policies’.4When teachers are engaged in the acquisition ofsuch social mediation skills, they are taking part in adevelopmental process, and those who are leading thisenterprise are as much involved in a process of professionalChecklist of leadership skillsHow do you rate your present leadership skills in respect of the team that you lead i.e. your direct reports?I am able to translate the school improvement plan into clear goals and roles for team membersI am able to develop clear objectives for team membersI establish unambiguous team performance targetsI strive to reach agreements on specific individual performance targetsI know how to diagnose the development level of each team member for the different tasks they havebeen allocatedI understand how and when to provide the appropriate leadership style for each team member on eachtask:– how and when to direct team members– how and when to coach them in the skills– how and when to support them with their efforts– how and when to delegate tasks to them52Situational Leadership   Professional developmentManaging Schools Today    January/February 2008development as one of organisational change. Themethods that leaders then adopt are those that provide thenecessary and appropriate levels of support and directionfor each teacher. This sort of ‘performance management’task is transformational – more than a judge to determinesomeone’s pay scale, but more a leader at times coaching,at times supporting, at times directing, and eventuallydelegating. All the time the feedback on performance isformative rather than evaluative.In our own work on leading change in organisations wehave begun to train managers in our Situational LeadershipII programme,5 a method that we find entirely congruentwith our own approach to classroom managementusing the Assertive Discipline method. In consequencethe leadership shown by teachers in the classroom andthe leadership of senior managers shares a commonmethodology: being clear about what should be done,supporting it when it happens, and redirecting back oncourse when it doesn’t. Both approaches are also informedby a common philosophy. This is not something we areWorking on the ‘what’ question of performance managementSelect a particular category from the Teacher Professional Standardse.g. C38: Teachers will “use a range of behaviour management techniques and strategies, adapting them as necessary topromote the self-control and independence of learners.”Now begin to list some of the range of possible behaviour management techniques and strategies that your teachermay knowe.g. assertive discipline, circle time, restorative justice, solution-focused approachesSelecting one of these (e.g. “the Assertive"
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Leadership

Another wasted day

6 Mar 2008

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      string(5744) "that some children develop well despite growing up inhigh-risk environments. This capacity to cope with adversity and to even be strengthenedby it is at the heart of resilience. It is not something that people either have or don’thave – resilience is learnable and teachable, and as we learn, we can increase the rangeof strategies available to us when things get difficult. In effect, the theory of resilienceprovides us with an optimistic message of hope. It is indeed possible to learn resilientthinking patterns and skills which in turn help us to become more accurate and flexible inour thinking. Children can begin to do this at a much earlier age than previously thought,and it is vital that they do so, given the fact that stress and adversity are an inevitable partof our lives. It therefore makes good sense, as MacConville suggests, to teach children andyoung people how to:Vol 4.6 n www.teachingtimes.comWellbeingEvery Child Journal36n have an optimistic bias;n challenge their negative thinking patterns;n think outside the box;n bounce back from adversity7.Children need to become resilient to overcome the many adversities they face and willface in life. However, resilience is not something that children can simply learn on theirown – they cannot do it alone. They need adults who know how to promote resilience andare, indeed, becoming more resilient themselves.Seven learnable skills of resilienceKaren Reivich and her colleagues at Penn University identified seven abilities thatcharacterise resilient individuals8. These are presented in the chart below:Emotional awareness or regulation Ability to identify what you are feeling and manage theseappropriatelyImpulse control Ability to tolerate ambiguity and not rush decision makingOptimism Optimistic explanatory style – wed to realityCausal analysis Ability to view difficulties from a number of perspectives, andconsider many factorsEmpathy Ability to read and understand emotions of others. Help buildrelationships with others and give social supportSelf-efficacy Confidence in your ability to solve problems – involves knowingyour strengths and weaknessesReaching out Being prepared to take appropriate risk – a willingness to trythings and view failure as part of lifeOverall, Reivich highlights the fact that resilience is not an “either/or” trait, rather it isa continuum, and all of us are to some extent able to increase our ability to rise to thechallenges and setbacks that life presents us with. It is consequently important that anysupportive mechanisms to facilitate change and encourage children to manage a smoothtransition include the development of resilience building skills. Children need to be taughtthese strategies and given copious opportunities to practise them on a regular basis. Thesekinds of happy habits of positive psychology are essentially life skills which will ensure thatresilience is built on an ongoing basis throughout the young person’s time at school andbeyond.www.teachingtimes.com n Vol 4.6Wellbeing Every Child Journal37Developing resilience – The whole-school approachIt is also important to highlight the fact thatthere are practical aspects of the school contextthat can and do have a positive impact upon thedevelopment of resilience. Whole-school approachesthat promote resilience and a smooth transition alsoensure consistency and coherence across each ofthe components. Policy documents are written andproduced but it is important that they are also seento be implemented. In other words, the policy mustbe modelled in practice for all members of the schoolcommunity.The following list of examples provides an ideaas to some of the whole-school approaches thatensure the promotion of resilience in the changeprocess and the daily lives of children and youngpeople.1. School culture and ethos characterised by:n Every child a respected, safe learner;n Mistakes are allowed;n All staff know children well;n Shared school vision;n Restorative approaches – understanding, notblame; focus on solutions;n Continuous improvement – review and learn;n Communication for all;n Valuing the whole child;n Teamwork;n Empowering pupils, preparing children to beindependent;n Listening;n Consistent approaches to children withdifficulties;n Shared information;n Flexible and approachable;n Fun;n Role-modelling;n Consistency of whole-school approach;n All staff valued and included;n Valuing the contribution of all children;n Children feel secure and feel they belong;n House system, house points, celebrations andsense of belonging;n Catholic ethos.2. Leadership that models and enables:n A clear purpose for the school that isconsistently articulated and shared with staff,children and parents;n All members of the school community tounderstand their role and to take up that role;n Positive modelling of behaviour;n Willingness to learn and to change;n Mistakes to be made and learned from;n Fairness;n Consultation.3. The curriculumn Differentiated curriculum – chance for all tosucceed – adapted for specific groups of pupilsand taught in small groups where appropriate;n SEAL embedded in the practice and culture ofthe school;n PSHE for whole school, groups and individuals;n Ownership (negotiated) of IEPs and IBP targets;n ‘Opening Minds’ – cross curriculum approachlinking work to real life issues and topics acrosssubjects;n PACE – Personalised, Alternative, CurriculumExperience – 11 hours per week with the samespace, teachers and peers;n Planning for sensory curriculum to meet theneeds of the pupils with profound and complexdifficulties;n"
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Special Needs

Building resilience

11 Dec 2014

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