Effective School Support for Disadvantaged and Vulnerable Pupils

This Estyn report identifies effective school practices to support disadvantaged and vulnerable pupils. This may include work funded by the Pupil Development Grant (PDG).

The best practice case studies in the report show how successful providers support these pupils and make a difference to their wellbeing and achievement.

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      string(404) "... primary and secondary schools in England, andexploring – in particular – the ways that some primary andsecondary schools have used PSHE education to address theneeds of more vulnerable pupils in disadvantaged areas.PSHE education – the bigger pictureIn the recent Schools White Paper (November 2010)1 TheImportance of Teaching, the Coalition Government statedthat ..."
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      string(5676) "81Vol 3.6School Leadership Todaywww.teachingtimes.comEveryChildMattersPSHEPersonal, Social, Health and Economic (PSHE) education dealswith the social and economic realities that affect children andyoung people in their everyday lives – now, and in the future.PSHE education’s importance is in helping a young personbecome life-ready and work-ready, and therefore sits alongside other coreacademic skills pupils acquire through school. The real-life relevance ofPSHE education is particularly marked in more disadvantaged areas wherethe greater challenges at home and in the community mean that meetingthe social, economic, health and wellbeing needs of young people is evenmore pronounced.This article outlines some of the findings from independent researchconducted by Sheffield Hallam University on behalf of DCSF (now DfE)Is wellbeingthe rootof alllearning?In thecountry’s mostcomprehensiveresearch on theeffectiveness ofPSHE, BarbaraStiell investigatesjust how successfulthe programmehas proved to be inmeeting the needsof young people.Strand ElementPersonal wellbeingDiet/nutrition and healthy lifestylesDrugs, alcohol and tobacco (DAT) educationEmotional health and wellbeingSafety educationSex and relationships education (SRE)Economic wellbeingand financial capabilityEnterprise educationPersonal finance/financial capabilityCareers education (secondary schools only, statutory)Work-related learning (secondary schools only, statutory)82Vol 3.6School Leadership Todaywww.teachingtimes.comEveryChildMattersPSHE in 2010, mapping the delivery and effectiveness of PSHEeducation in primary and secondary schools in England, andexploring – in particular – the ways that some primary andsecondary schools have used PSHE education to address theneeds of more vulnerable pupils in disadvantaged areas.PSHE education – the bigger pictureIn the recent Schools White Paper (November 2010)1 TheImportance of Teaching, the Coalition Government statedthat:‘Children can benefit enormously from high-qualityPersonal Social Health and Economic (PSHE) education. GoodPSHE supports individual young people to make safe andinformed choices. It can help tackle public health issues suchas substance misuse and support young people with thefinancial decisions they must make.’But given its marginal status in relation to the NationalCurriculum, PSHE education is not generally judged to beof ‘high quality’ in most schools, suffering from patchycoverage, delivery and engagement2, and of course there areconcerns that this may have a particular impact on schools in more deprived areas.But what is PSHE education? Table 1 below outlines the elements in the (non-statutory) PSHE education curriculum. As can be seen, it covers a wide range of areasrelating to both ‘personal’ and ‘economic’ wellbeing – all of which are to some degreeor other important to the lives of all children – including those in more deprivedcircumstances.Table 1: PSHE education curriculum elementsThe studyThe Sheffield Hallam University study – conducted in spring and summer 2010 –included surveys of over 900 primary schools and 600 secondary schools in England,and was followed up with in-depth case studies with 14 schools in five local authorities,which involved interviews and focus groups with 260 individual teachers, schoolgovernors, school improvement partners, local authority (LA) advisors and consultants,pupils and parents. Most of the discussion in this article focuses on the findings fromthese case study schools.Three of the nine primary case study schools and two of the five secondary casestudy schools were in areas of deprivation where a significant proportion of pupilsexperienced social disadvantage. These commonly included schools with a highmobility of pupils and mid-year admissions, sometimes associated with increasingnumbers of asylum seekers and refugees; poorer attendance and attainment; higherlevels of pupils with learning difficulties and on free school meals (FSM); and highnumbers of pupils with poor emotional and behavioural development. The schools’wider local contexts were often characterised by those we spoke to (although thisIt can help tackle publichealth issues suchas substance misuseand support youngpeople with the financialdecisions they mustmake.“”83Vol 3.6School Leadership Todaywww.teachingtimes.comEveryChildMattersPSHEwas not always possible to verify) as having high levels of unemployment, domesticviolence and family breakdown, teenage pregnancy, underage drinking, anti-socialbehaviour/low-level disruption, widespread drug use, and gun, knife and gangcultures. 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Leadership

Is wellbeing the root of all learning?

15 Mar 2012

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      string(5684) "Vol 2.4 n www.teachingtimes.comPolicy/ResearchEvery Child Journal40The aim of PSHE was to reduce the deficitthat disadvantaged children face. But has itbeen successful? Bernadette Stiell looksat the findings of the most comprehensiveresearch ever carried out into the subject inEnglandCreating theclimate forlearningPersonal, Social, Health and Economic (PSHE)education deals with the social and economicrealities that affect children and young people intheir everyday lives – now, and in the future. PSHEeducation’s importance is in helping a young person becomelife-ready and work-ready, and therefore sits alongside othercore academic skills pupils acquire through school. 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Table 1 below outlines theelements in the (non-statutory) PSHE education curriculum.As can be seen, it covers a wide range of areas relating towww.teachingtimes.com n Vol 2.4Policy/Research Every Child Journal41both ‘personal’ and ‘economic’ wellbeing – all of which areto some degree or other important to the lives of all children– including those in more deprived circumstances.Table 1: PSHE education curriculum elementsThe studyThe Sheffield Hallam University study – conducted in springand summer 2010 – included surveys of over 900 primaryschools and 600 secondary schools in England, and wasfollowed up with in-depth case studies with 14 schools infive local authorities, which involved interviews and focusgroups with 260 individual teachers, school governors, schoolimprovement partners, local authority (LA) advisors andconsultants, pupils and parents. 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The findings from this school also seemed to berelevant, and so they are also discussed here.Meeting pupils’ needs?To some degree, all schools had adapted their PSHE educationcurriculum to meet the needs of their pupils, and"
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Special Needs

ecj 2.4 Creating the climate for learning

14 Oct 2011

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      string(5816) "This NFER research investigates the impact of Covid-19 on mainstream primary and secondary schools in England and focuses on the challenges schools will face from September when they open to all pupils.It considers the extent to which pupils are behind in their curriculum learning in relation to teachers’ normal expectations for the end of the school year; the impact of Covid-19 on the ‘disadvantage gap’; the need for catch-up support from September; and the logistical issues and resource implications of opening schools fully while taking measures to reduce the risk of infection. It also considers schools’ experiences of offering remote learning from March, and blended learning (remotely and in-school) from June, in order to inform decisions about the support and resources that schools will need in the event of future lockdowns.Jointly funded by Nuffield Foundation and NFER, the study is based on a weighted sample of almost 3,000 school leaders and teachers across over 2,200 mainstream primary and secondary schools in England. Main Findings:Nearly all teachers estimate that their pupils are behind in their curriculum learning, with the average estimate being three months behind. Over half of teachers estimate that the learning gap between disadvantaged pupils and their peers has widened. Teachers in the most deprived schools are over three times more likely to report that their pupils are four months or more behind in their curriculum learning than teachers in the least deprived schools. Reasons related to the provision of remote learning include: diminishing levels of pupil and parent engagement over time; and a continuing lack of interactive remote teaching approaches. Reasons related to in-school provision for some pupils from June include: a skew of teaching resource to in-school provision to meet the demands of social distancing. This took teaching resources away from pupils based at home; a reduced quality of in-school teaching due to the restrictions of social distancing (almost three quarters of teachers did not feel able to teach to their usual standard); and low levels of pupil attendance, especially among Pupil Premium and Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME) pupils. The main reasons for low attendance were parental safety concerns. Although many schools were supplying IT equipment to their staff, over a third of teachers were providing their own laptop or computer, and three-fifths either supplied their own camera/video equipment or had no access to this at all. Over one quarter (28 per cent) of pupils had limited access to IT at home. This is a particular issue for schools serving the most deprived pupil populations. Teachers estimate that 44 per cent of their pupils are in need of intensive catch-up support. These estimates are much higher in the most deprived schools and in schools serving the highest proportion of pupils from BAME backgrounds. Senior leaders’ top priorities for September are to provide support for pupils’ emotional and mental health and well-being (81 per cent); to re-engage pupils with learning (64 per cent); and to settle them into school (63 per cent). Academic catch-up activities are most likely to take the form of small-group or one-to-one sessions. While most senior leaders predict they will find it at least ‘somewhat manageable’ to open to all pupils in September while taking measures to minimise the risk of infection, many identify a need for additional staffing and resources for cleaning, protective equipment and IT. The percentage of teachers and senior leaders intending to leave the profession has reduced by more than half compared to previous estimates. However, schools plan to reduce their initial teacher training (ITT) placements in 2020/21. This is of concern, given the large increase in the number of applications for ITT in 2020.Implications for government, schools and those that support them:Parents need reassurance that schools are safe. The Government’s national advertising campaign will need to be convincing and may need to continue through the autumn in order to assuage current levels of parental concern. Schools may need help from local authorities (LAs) and trusts with the management of non-attending pupils. The Government’s additional funding for catch-up support is welcome, but schools need extra resources for cleaning regimes and for staffing, to ensure social distancing is managed appropriately. The Government needs to work with school leaders and ITT providers to tackle the challenge of an increase in ITT applications, coupled with a reduction in training places in schools. When inspections resume, Ofsted may need to modify expectations of schools providing a broad and balanced curriculum while social distancing is in force. With the exception of pupils working towards examination specifications, catch up needs to be treated as a long-term endeavour rather than a ‘quick fix’. In future episodes of partial lockdown, ‘blended learning’ must ensure equity for all pupils. Effective remote learning needs to be coupled with high-quality in-school teaching for vulnerable pupils, children of keyworkers, disadvantaged pupils and pupils with unsuitable home learning environments (rather than specific year groups). Schools need government support to prepare for remote learning in a local lockdown. In particular, they need a clear steer on safeguarding. In the absence of this, many schools will avoid teaching and learning methods involving interaction with pupils. Schools need to take an evidence-informed approach to"
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Leadership

The Challenges Facing Schools and Pupils in September 2020

8 Sep 2020

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      string(5781) "A primary school in an urban area of the north west of England with 350 pupils identified the need to improve attendance, parental engagement and resilience for disadvantaged pupils. The majority of pupils at the school are from White British heritage. A small minority of pupils speak English as an additional language. The percentage of pupils known to be eligible for pupil premium is 24%. The proportion of pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities is 15%. Four of the pupils have an EHC Plan. Pupil numbers have increased in recent years and the school admits a number of pupils during the school year. ApproachAs a school, it chose to focus on the use of adults in the classroom to support independent learning and resilience, the impact of middle leaders on curriculum and learning and use of structured conversations* to improve parental engagement and wider outcomes for pupils.A target group of 24 children were identified in years 1–5 for one of the following reasons, although the majority were also eligible for pupil premium funding: Below age-related attainmentBelow expected progress from starting points (this includes some pupils with good attainment who had the potential to make accelerated progress)Limited parental engagement with school. Through a needs analysis, the school identified the following broad areas of focus to bring about the changes they wanted: Leadership for inclusionProvision to close the gapParental engagement Developing behaviours for attendanceLearning and well-beingEffective use of pupil premiumMaximising the impact of teaching assistantsMiddle leadership development Using effective feedback*Structured conversations (used in Achievement for All programmes) between teachers, parents and their child provide a platform for parents to engage in the learning process. They have an opportunity to discuss their child’s aspirations and interests and contribute to setting targets for their child. Parents feel valued, teachers say they get to know the children better (their learning needs and interests) and children say they like the interest their parents show in their school work.ImpactLeadership for inclusion: Over the year, school leaders sustained a focus on the aspirations, access and achievement of all pupils with SEND or vulnerable and disadvantaged pupils. A culture of distributed, inclusive and effective provision for disadvantaged pupils was consolidated across the school.Teaching and learning:TA training on maximising the use of extra adults in the classroom, questioning and fostering independence has promoted best practice with all adults working with disadvantaged children across the school. All TAs accessed this training and development; in practice it has been evident in learning walks. Exploring feedback is an ongoing conversation between teachers, as the school adapts its policy to maximise its impact on learning. Middle leaders have undertaken audits of teaching and learning in their subject areas and are implementing their findings to ensure consistency and progression of skills across the school in all curriculum areas. Pupil premium funding continues to be used to support learning within the classroom. A detailed analysis of barriers for disadvantaged pupils has resulted in more focused use of pupil premium funding. Parental engagement: 100% of parents of those children chosen to be part of the trial, engaged in their initial structured conversation, with the majority also engaging in follow up conversations. Overall engagement in Year 1 was 92%. The structured conversations increased teachers’ awareness of barriers to achievement, access and aspiration. Areas for partnership work with parents focused, in Key Stage One, on maths, social and emotional skills, basic skills and home routines; in Key Stage Two, the focus moved towards reading, writing, maths and attitudes towards learning. Clear evidence of increased parental engagement can be seen where explicit actions were agreed upon during structured conversations and parents clearly saw their role in furthering their child’s achievements. This included making time to read with their child, working with designated school staff to improve social and emotional wellbeing and encouraging children to be more resilient, both socially and academically. Pupil attitude to learning: Pupils across the school now show good attitudes to learning whilst in school. In the target cohort there is evidence of improved attitude to learning at home. This includes reading at home with parents/carers, working on a particular area at home, as discussed during structured conversations, and increased awareness of the need for resilience. Wider outcomes: Pupil premium funding continues to be used to provide wider opportunities for eligible children. Opportunities include educational visits (including residential), swimming lessons and visits by professionals from different curriculum areas with a focus on raising aspirations. Attendance at after school clubs is now more closely monitored. In Autumn 2018, 58% of the target cohort attended after school clubs compared to 42% of pupil premium children.Emotional intelligence: (Self-protective strategies, emotional self-management strategies, increased self-esteem, confidence in making choices)Designated staff within the school have worked with many of the target children and received training in using the BOXALL profile to aid assessment and management of emotional/social barriers which"
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Special Needs

It’s Time for a New Approach to Battling Underachievement

20 Sep 2019