Forget the Teaching Superstars – Bring on the Teams

As a gung-ho young head, Rob Carpenter was in love with systems. It was, he discovered, a big mistake. He now believes that the core of leadership should be based around relationships with staff and children.

My first headship, at Bannockburn Primary School in Plumstead in 2003, saw me make more mistakes than I care to mention. It was also the period of my steepest growth and most valuable learning—starting with the headship interview. As part of the process, I was asked to lead an assembly and attempted to deliver the ‘long spoons’ story—Google it if you haven’t used it before, it’s a good one—just don’t do what I did! On this occasion, it resulted in 250 pupils scrambling for sweets across the hall, all health and safety protocols abandoned as governors watched in shock, clip-boards to hand. Remarkably, they still appointed me—something which I will be forever grateful!

Create an account to read this article

£7.00+ VAT

One-off purchase

Purchase and Download today

Register for free

No Credit Card required

Register for free
Access to 3 free articles
Free TeachingTimes Report every month

array(8) {
  ["distinct_key"]=>
  string(10) "post#44109"
  ["title"]=>
  string(99) "The Thinking School - Developing A Dynamic Learning Community For All Staff Within A Primary School"
  ["categories"]=>
  array(5) {
    [0]=>
    string(17) "Leadership Skills"
    [1]=>
    string(18) "School Improvement"
    [2]=>
    string(13) "Special Needs"
    [3]=>
    string(16) "Teacher Learning"
    [4]=>
    string(23) "Teachers as Researchers"
  }
  ["url"]=>
  string(50) "https://www.teachingtimes.com/ecj65thinkingschool/"
  ["post_date_timestamp"]=>
  int(1523974586)
  ["objectID"]=>
  string(12) "post-44109-2"
  ["_snippetResult"]=>
  array(2) {
    ["excerpt"]=>
    array(2) {
      ["value"]=>
      string(278) "Kulvarn Atwal became head of Highlands Primary school in east London in September 2012. At the time, the school had just received a Requires Improvement rating from Ofsted. By the end of the year, pupil progress at Key Stage 2 was in the top 3% of schools nationally; by the ..."
      ["matchLevel"]=>
      string(4) "none"
    }
    ["content"]=>
    array(2) {
      ["value"]=>
      string(357) "... we have maintained an extremely stable staff team.Kulvarn Atwal is the Head Teacher at Highlands Primary School in Ilford.  In the context of his leadership of the school,  the latest Ofsted report (2014) states: ‘The inspirational work of the headteacher has developed the leadership team to work collaboratively, with ..."
      ["matchLevel"]=>
      string(7) "partial"
    }
  }
  ["_highlightResult"]=>
  array(6) {
    ["title"]=>
    array(3) {
      ["value"]=>
      string(99) "The Thinking School - Developing A Dynamic Learning Community For All Staff Within A Primary School"
      ["matchLevel"]=>
      string(4) "none"
      ["matchedWords"]=>
      array(0) {
      }
    }
    ["author"]=>
    array(1) {
      [0]=>
      array(3) {
        ["value"]=>
        string(13) "Kulvarn Atwal"
        ["matchLevel"]=>
        string(4) "none"
        ["matchedWords"]=>
        array(0) {
        }
      }
    }
    ["excerpt"]=>
    array(3) {
      ["value"]=>
      string(769) "Kulvarn Atwal became head of Highlands Primary school in east London in September 2012. At the time, the school had just received a Requires Improvement rating from Ofsted. By the end of the year, pupil progress at Key Stage 2 was in the top 3% of schools nationally; by the end of the second year, they were in the top 1%. When Kulvarn took over, he firmly believed that by developing teachers within an expansive and collaborative learning environment, teachers will have the confidence to innovate and develop their practice. The simple premise was that through the empowerment of staff, children would flourish and their learning would accelerate. In this article he describes why he decided to create a dynamic learning community and considers the impact on staff."
      ["matchLevel"]=>
      string(4) "none"
      ["matchedWords"]=>
      array(0) {
      }
    }
    ["content"]=>
    array(4) {
      ["value"]=>
      string(3532) "teach.A willingness to innovate.Strong school leaders who establish the conditions in their school that enable the former two ingredients to flourish.In Schleicher’s (2015) work, the significance of leadership and collaborative learning is clear. My research complements this major research study on education and reflects both the significance of school leaders in directly influencing the quality of opportunities made available for teacher learning, as well as the significant value of collaborative learning opportunities in developing individual dispositions to learning and to the wider culture of the school learning environment. OutcomesSo, what has been the impact of this dynamic learning community within our school? Over the past five years, all teachers at the school have had opportunities to engage in research- based practice, select their own foci for their professional learning, work collaboratively across key stages with different groups of teachers, engage in peer learning and lesson studies and participate in non-judgemental lesson observations. All members of staff are now experienced coaches, and this enables them to develop their problem solving skills and engagement with stakeholders. I hope that they feel that they have been able to drive their own learning and are trusted to innovate and experiment with their practice. The result is that 24 teachers at the school undertook an MA in Education – by September 2017, ten had graduated and two are now studying for professional doctorates. At a time of such challenge for schools in recruitment and retention, we have maintained an extremely stable staff team.Kulvarn Atwal is the Head Teacher at Highlands Primary School in Ilford.  In the context of his leadership of the school,  the latest Ofsted report (2014) states: ‘The inspirational work of the headteacher has developed the leadership team to work collaboratively, with a deepened focus on high-quality learning for both staff and pupils. The progress made by the school since its last inspection is as a direct result of school leaders at all levels providing excellent role models for all staff. There are positive attitudes towards developing an ethos where thinking and risk taking is seen as part of exciting learning’.References        Darleen, O. and Pedder, D. (2010). Conceptualising teacher professional learning. Review of Educational Research, 81(3), pp. 376-407.        Elliot, J. (2007). Assessing the quality of action. Research Papers in Education, 22(2), pp. 229-246.        Eraut, M. (2004). Informal learning in the workplace. Studies in Continuing Education, 26(2), pp. 247-273.        Hodkinson, H. and Hodkinson, P. (2005). Improving schoolteachers’ workplace learning. Research Papers in Education, 20(2), pp. 109-131.        Hodkinson, P. and Hodkinson, H. (2004). The significance of individuals’ dispositions in workplacelearning: a case study of two teachers. Journal of Education and Work, 17(2), pp. 167-182.        Lave, J. and Wenger, E. (1991). Situated learning. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.        Marsick, V. J. (2009). Toward a unifying framework to support informal learning theory, research and practice. Journal of Workplace Learning, 21(4), pp. 265-275.        Schleicher, A. (2015). Schools for 21st century leaders: strong leaders, confident teachers, innovative approaches. International Summit on the Teaching Profession. OECD Publishing. http://dx.doi.org/10.1787/9789264231191.en"
      ["matchLevel"]=>
      string(7) "partial"
      ["fullyHighlighted"]=>
      bool(false)
      ["matchedWords"]=>
      array(1) {
        [0]=>
        string(10) "leadership"
      }
    }
    ["categories"]=>
    array(5) {
      [0]=>
      array(4) {
        ["value"]=>
        string(26) "Leadership Skills"
        ["matchLevel"]=>
        string(7) "partial"
        ["fullyHighlighted"]=>
        bool(false)
        ["matchedWords"]=>
        array(1) {
          [0]=>
          string(10) "leadership"
        }
      }
      [1]=>
      array(3) {
        ["value"]=>
        string(18) "School Improvement"
        ["matchLevel"]=>
        string(4) "none"
        ["matchedWords"]=>
        array(0) {
        }
      }
      [2]=>
      array(3) {
        ["value"]=>
        string(13) "Special Needs"
        ["matchLevel"]=>
        string(4) "none"
        ["matchedWords"]=>
        array(0) {
        }
      }
      [3]=>
      array(3) {
        ["value"]=>
        string(16) "Teacher Learning"
        ["matchLevel"]=>
        string(4) "none"
        ["matchedWords"]=>
        array(0) {
        }
      }
      [4]=>
      array(3) {
        ["value"]=>
        string(23) "Teachers as Researchers"
        ["matchLevel"]=>
        string(4) "none"
        ["matchedWords"]=>
        array(0) {
        }
      }
    }
    ["tags"]=>
    array(4) {
      [0]=>
      array(3) {
        ["value"]=>
        string(18) "effective practice"
        ["matchLevel"]=>
        string(4) "none"
        ["matchedWords"]=>
        array(0) {
        }
      }
      [1]=>
      array(4) {
        ["value"]=>
        string(34) "Leadership Teams"
        ["matchLevel"]=>
        string(4) "full"
        ["fullyHighlighted"]=>
        bool(true)
        ["matchedWords"]=>
        array(2) {
          [0]=>
          string(10) "leadership"
          [1]=>
          string(5) "teams"
        }
      }
      [2]=>
      array(3) {
        ["value"]=>
        string(20) "learning environment"
        ["matchLevel"]=>
        string(4) "none"
        ["matchedWords"]=>
        array(0) {
        }
      }
      [3]=>
      array(3) {
        ["value"]=>
        string(16) "teacher learning"
        ["matchLevel"]=>
        string(4) "none"
        ["matchedWords"]=>
        array(0) {
        }
      }
    }
  }
}

Leadership Skills

The Thinking School - Developing A Dynamic Learning Community For All Staff Within A Primary School

17 Apr 2018

array(8) {
  ["distinct_key"]=>
  string(10) "post#43841"
  ["title"]=>
  string(45) "Budget Crisis? How one school saved £150,000"
  ["categories"]=>
  array(3) {
    [0]=>
    string(20) "Financial Management"
    [1]=>
    string(10) "Leadership"
    [2]=>
    string(26) "School Business Management"
  }
  ["url"]=>
  string(49) "https://www.teachingtimes.com/slt83-budgetcrisis/"
  ["post_date_timestamp"]=>
  int(1512123901)
  ["objectID"]=>
  string(12) "post-43841-2"
  ["_snippetResult"]=>
  array(2) {
    ["excerpt"]=>
    array(2) {
      ["value"]=>
      string(257) "Managing with less is now the long-term reality facing leadership teams. In a stark reminder how often funding crisis are effecting schools, we published a series of articles by Malcolm Trobe on how to respond first published 10 Years ago."
      ["matchLevel"]=>
      string(4) "full"
    }
    ["content"]=>
    array(2) {
      ["value"]=>
      string(307) "consider charts 12 to 16 and consider what actions you might propose if you were a member of the leadership team of Outoftown Comprehensive. (The school’s response is given in the box overleaf.)The school’s response Water and sewageA leakage check. The caretaker was asked to check the ..."
      ["matchLevel"]=>
      string(7) "partial"
    }
  }
  ["_highlightResult"]=>
  array(5) {
    ["title"]=>
    array(3) {
      ["value"]=>
      string(45) "Budget Crisis? How one school saved £150,000"
      ["matchLevel"]=>
      string(4) "none"
      ["matchedWords"]=>
      array(0) {
      }
    }
    ["author"]=>
    array(1) {
      [0]=>
      array(3) {
        ["value"]=>
        string(13) "Malcolm Trobe"
        ["matchLevel"]=>
        string(4) "none"
        ["matchedWords"]=>
        array(0) {
        }
      }
    }
    ["excerpt"]=>
    array(4) {
      ["value"]=>
      string(257) "Managing with less is now the long-term reality facing leadership teams. In a stark reminder how often funding crisis are effecting schools, we published a series of articles by Malcolm Trobe on how to respond first published 10 Years ago."
      ["matchLevel"]=>
      string(4) "full"
      ["fullyHighlighted"]=>
      bool(false)
      ["matchedWords"]=>
      array(2) {
        [0]=>
        string(10) "leadership"
        [1]=>
        string(5) "teams"
      }
    }
    ["content"]=>
    array(4) {
      ["value"]=>
      string(1952) "consider charts 12 to 16 and consider what actions you might propose if you were a member of the leadership team of Outoftown Comprehensive. (The school’s response is given in the box overleaf.)The school’s response Water and sewageA leakage check. The caretaker was asked to check the water meter at the end of Friday and the start of Monday to see if there was significant use over the weekend which would indicate a potential leak. Three companies were brought in to look at water saving on toilet flushing and replacing standard taps with push-button versions. This was done free of charge as the companies were asked to tender for the work they proposed.The figures were put to the school council and their views sought as to how the costs could be reduced. As an incentive it was proposed that a proportion of the savings made would be made available to the school council to allocate.EnergyAlthough the energy expenditure was close to the comparator average and savings in this area were not identified as an immediate priority, this was also discussed with the school council and, as with water and sewage, the school council was given the incentive of a proportion of any savings to allocate.School-generated incomeAlthough the school believed that it was making good use of its rather limited facilities to generate income, it decided that further research was needed and set up a staff/governors/parent association group to investigate this area further by visiting schools with similar facilities that were identified as raising more income. This review was also charged with examining other ways of raising funds for the school.Malcolm Trobe is headteacher at Malmesbury School, Wiltshire and a former president of the Association of School and College Leaders. This article is based on work with some real schools but the name is fictitious and the data adjusted slightly to ensure that the schools cannot be identified."
      ["matchLevel"]=>
      string(7) "partial"
      ["fullyHighlighted"]=>
      bool(false)
      ["matchedWords"]=>
      array(1) {
        [0]=>
        string(10) "leadership"
      }
    }
    ["categories"]=>
    array(3) {
      [0]=>
      array(3) {
        ["value"]=>
        string(20) "Financial Management"
        ["matchLevel"]=>
        string(4) "none"
        ["matchedWords"]=>
        array(0) {
        }
      }
      [1]=>
      array(4) {
        ["value"]=>
        string(19) "Leadership"
        ["matchLevel"]=>
        string(7) "partial"
        ["fullyHighlighted"]=>
        bool(true)
        ["matchedWords"]=>
        array(1) {
          [0]=>
          string(10) "leadership"
        }
      }
      [2]=>
      array(3) {
        ["value"]=>
        string(26) "School Business Management"
        ["matchLevel"]=>
        string(4) "none"
        ["matchedWords"]=>
        array(0) {
        }
      }
    }
  }
}

Financial Management

Budget Crisis? How one school saved £150,000

1 Dec 2017

array(8) {
  ["distinct_key"]=>
  string(10) "post#43701"
  ["title"]=>
  string(41) "Review of the school leadership landscape"
  ["categories"]=>
  array(1) {
    [0]=>
    string(10) "Leadership"
  }
  ["url"]=>
  string(58) "https://www.teachingtimes.com/review-leadership-landscape/"
  ["post_date_timestamp"]=>
  int(1499349887)
  ["objectID"]=>
  string(12) "post-43701-9"
  ["_snippetResult"]=>
  array(2) {
    ["excerpt"]=>
    array(2) {
      ["value"]=>
      string(359) "... leadership teams and governing bodies of the country’s schools. This research offers a fascinating consideration of the schools’ landscape and clearly highlights how it has evolved over the 10 years since the first review of school leadership in England in 2002. By the National College for School Leadership - 2012"
      ["matchLevel"]=>
      string(4) "full"
    }
    ["content"]=>
    array(2) {
      ["value"]=>
      string(379) "... taken to the collection of both qualitative and quantitative data helped the research team toachieve the aims of the project. The research reviews the school leadership landscape and has collecteddata about leadership skills, behaviours, knowledge and capabilities, including any new competencies andattributes needed by leaders in order to be effective ..."
      ["matchLevel"]=>
      string(7) "partial"
    }
  }
  ["_highlightResult"]=>
  array(4) {
    ["title"]=>
    array(4) {
      ["value"]=>
      string(50) "Review of the school leadership landscape"
      ["matchLevel"]=>
      string(7) "partial"
      ["fullyHighlighted"]=>
      bool(false)
      ["matchedWords"]=>
      array(1) {
        [0]=>
        string(10) "leadership"
      }
    }
    ["excerpt"]=>
    array(4) {
      ["value"]=>
      string(571) "The English education system is experiencing an era of unprecedented change, at least as significant as the move to Local Management of Schools after 1988. Nowhere are these changes more keenly felt than amongst the leadership teams and governing bodies of the country’s schools. This research offers a fascinating consideration of the schools’ landscape and clearly highlights how it has evolved over the 10 years since the first review of school leadership in England in 2002. By the National College for School Leadership - 2012"
      ["matchLevel"]=>
      string(4) "full"
      ["fullyHighlighted"]=>
      bool(false)
      ["matchedWords"]=>
      array(2) {
        [0]=>
        string(10) "leadership"
        [1]=>
        string(5) "teams"
      }
    }
    ["content"]=>
    array(4) {
      ["value"]=>
      string(5650) "Community North 1,110 Good MiddleSchool H Special(3-19)Special EastMidlands145 Outstanding HighestOf course at the end of the day the key deciding factor was the head’s agreement to participate andavailability in the requested time period. Before each case study visit, relevant documents were read andduring each case study site visit, interviews were conducted with the headteacher, chair of governors, seniorand middle leaders, and several teaching and support staff. Views and opinions regarding the changingschool leadership landscape and its implications were sought from each interviewee. Short extracts from thecase study visits inform the report at many points.b) Telephone interviews with headteachers: 20 interviews were conducted using a similar set of questionsto those asked of the case study heads. Most of the heads were selected randomly from the surveyrespondents but to make up the required number in the timescale ( June 2012) it proved necessary to seekanother two volunteers. The 20 telephone interviews included different phase and type of institution (egprimary, secondary, special, academy) and were of varying size, from rural, urban and suburban locations,different regions, Ofsted category, and context/pupil intake (decided by FSM eligibility). In all but one of theschools that volunteered for the telephone sample, the headteacher had been in post for at least two yearsand often longer. All were in post at the time of the most recent Ofsted inspection, where leadership wasfound to be at least ‘good’ and, in all cases, student outcomes were improving. Of the 20 schools, 6 had beenclassified by Ofsted as ‘outstanding’ (grade 1), 8 as ‘good’ (grade 2) and 6 as ‘satisfactory’ (grade 3). None ofthe interviewees was from ‘unsatisfactory’ (grade 4) schools or those in an Ofsted category such as noticeto improve. The heads were from schools and academies from all over the country. Further details of theinterviewees’ schools are in Table 1.4.18 © National College for School LeadershipTable 1.4: Interviewees’ schools (n=20 headteachers)Phase Type of school Location(governmentregion)Size (numberon roll)OfstedcategoryFSM quintileSchool 1 Special Community WestMidlands80 1 AboveaverageSchool 2 Secondary Community South East 960 3 AboveaverageSchool 3 Special Community North West 90 1 Much higherthan averageSchool 4 Primary Community North West 160 2 AverageSchool 5 Secondary Community East Midlands 1,000 3 BelowaverageSchool 6 Secondary Academy Yorkshire andthe Humber1,540 2 Much lowerthan averageSchool 7 Secondary Community North West 700 3 Much higherthan averageSchool 8 Secondary Community WestMidlands470 2 AverageSchool 9 Special Community North East 130 1 AboveaverageSchool 10 Nursery Maintained East ofEngland70 2 n/aSchool 11 Secondary Community North East 570 3 Much higherthan averageSchool 12 Primary Foundation East ofEngland280 2 BelowaverageSchool 13 Primary Community Yorkshire andthe Humber30 1 Much lowerthan averageSchool 14 Primary Community London 430 1 BelowaverageSchool 15 Primary Community Yorkshire andthe Humber520 3 AboveaverageSchool 16 Primary Community East Midlands 320 2 AboveaverageSchool 17 Primary VoluntarycontrolledSouth West 280 2 BelowaverageSchool 18 Secondary Community North West 880 3 AboveaverageSchool 19 Secondary Academy London 1,060 1 AboveaverageSchool 20 Primary Community South West 470 2 Belowaveragec) Focus groups: three focus groups were conducted towards the end of the project in July 2012. They wereheld in the north, south and central areas of England. They consisted of groups of primary heads (north),secondary heads (central) and a mixed group (south). The primary heads’ focus group consisted of fiveprimary headteachers and one primary deputy headteacher, of which five were leaders in community schoolsand one was an executive headteacher of a three-school multi-academy trust. The secondary heads’ focusgroup was made up of three secondary headteachers, one secondary chair of governors and two secondarydeputy headteachers.19 © National College for School LeadershipThe mixed focus group consisted of seven people – three assistant heads (primary and secondary), a localauthority primary adviser, a head of a children’s centre and two education business leaders. The focus groupdiscussions, held in three locations, allowed the project’s emerging findings to be tested or validated withgroups of experienced school leaders, including school business managers.The approach taken to the collection of both qualitative and quantitative data helped the research team toachieve the aims of the project. The research reviews the school leadership landscape and has collecteddata about leadership skills, behaviours, knowledge and capabilities, including any new competencies andattributes needed by leaders in order to be effective as the system becomes more autonomous and diverse.It also explores how school leaders across phases and contexts are responding to changes in policy and theextent to which they are successfully maintaining a strategic and operational focus on the leadership ofteaching and learning, whilst managing wider change.Structure of the reportThe report begins with a brief review of relevant recent literature (chapter 2), before focusing on thedemography of school leadership using data from the latest School Workforce Census. Chapter 4 examinesthe current policy landscape and how schools are responding to change. Current models and futurechallenges form the basis of chapter 5, whilst chapter 6 examines the balance between"
      ["matchLevel"]=>
      string(7) "partial"
      ["fullyHighlighted"]=>
      bool(false)
      ["matchedWords"]=>
      array(1) {
        [0]=>
        string(10) "leadership"
      }
    }
    ["categories"]=>
    array(1) {
      [0]=>
      array(4) {
        ["value"]=>
        string(19) "Leadership"
        ["matchLevel"]=>
        string(7) "partial"
        ["fullyHighlighted"]=>
        bool(true)
        ["matchedWords"]=>
        array(1) {
          [0]=>
          string(10) "leadership"
        }
      }
    }
  }
}

Leadership

Review of the school leadership landscape

6 Jul 2017

array(8) {
  ["distinct_key"]=>
  string(10) "post#38545"
  ["title"]=>
  string(39) "BETT 2011 – a glimpse into the future"
  ["categories"]=>
  array(1) {
    [0]=>
    string(10) "Leadership"
  }
  ["url"]=>
  string(70) "https://www.teachingtimes.com/slt_bett_2011_a_glimpse_into_the_future/"
  ["post_date_timestamp"]=>
  int(1297092470)
  ["objectID"]=>
  string(12) "post-38545-2"
  ["_snippetResult"]=>
  array(2) {
    ["excerpt"]=>
    array(2) {
      ["value"]=>
      string(181) "What technological wonders did this year’s BETT Show have in store for school managers and senior leadership teams? SLT went along to the exhibition to find out
"
      ["matchLevel"]=>
      string(4) "full"
    }
    ["content"]=>
    array(2) {
      ["value"]=>
      string(387) "abouttheir children’s attainment in tests,attendance, behaviour and homeworkcompletion. The system allows schoolsto make announcements and postmessages to parents (with the abilityto attach files), and a timetable featuremeans parents can see which lessonstheir children have on any given day.Research is increasinglyemphasising the importance ofinvolving parents in their children ..."
      ["matchLevel"]=>
      string(4) "none"
    }
  }
  ["_highlightResult"]=>
  array(4) {
    ["title"]=>
    array(3) {
      ["value"]=>
      string(39) "BETT 2011 – a glimpse into the future"
      ["matchLevel"]=>
      string(4) "none"
      ["matchedWords"]=>
      array(0) {
      }
    }
    ["excerpt"]=>
    array(4) {
      ["value"]=>
      string(181) "What technological wonders did this year’s BETT Show have in store for school managers and senior leadership teams? SLT went along to the exhibition to find out
"
      ["matchLevel"]=>
      string(4) "full"
      ["fullyHighlighted"]=>
      bool(false)
      ["matchedWords"]=>
      array(2) {
        [0]=>
        string(10) "leadership"
        [1]=>
        string(5) "teams"
      }
    }
    ["content"]=>
    array(3) {
      ["value"]=>
      string(1875) "abouttheir children’s attainment in tests,attendance, behaviour and homeworkcompletion. The system allows schoolsto make announcements and postmessages to parents (with the abilityto attach files), and a timetable featuremeans parents can see which lessonstheir children have on any given day.Research is increasinglyemphasising the importance ofinvolving parents in their children’slearning, so the value of a toollike this is immediate and likely toincrease with time. The system usesadvanced security techniques toensure privacy and is compatible withthe popular SIMS.net managementinformation system, meaning thattest data can be transferred directlyinto it without the need to save andresave in different formats.It’s not hard to use – manyparents are fully clued up on thelikes of Facebook these days, and theMyChildAtSchool user interface is highlyreminiscent of the most popular socialnetworking sites. Many schools haveinstalled the system and it’s alreadygone down well with parents. To findout more visit mychildatschool.com.In these straitened economic timesmany schools and local authoritieswill be reviewing their policies onpurchasing and procurement. Thisbeing the case, the moment mightbe right to look again at the optionof leasing instead of buying ICTequipment. Hardsoft is a specialist inthis area – and the company’s Flexi-Lease deals mean schools aren’t lockedinto a long, inflexible contract andsystems can be upgraded before theend of the lease.With deferredpayment options, thechance to buy equipmentat a discount whencontracts end, support byemail and telephone, anddedicated local engineerson call to carry outmaintenance, Hardsoftseem to have a dealthat’s worth a look. Moreinformation can be foundat www.hardsoft.co.uk.To find out more aboutthe BETT Show ingeneral, including datesfor next year’s event,visit www.bettshow.com"
      ["matchLevel"]=>
      string(4) "none"
      ["matchedWords"]=>
      array(0) {
      }
    }
    ["categories"]=>
    array(1) {
      [0]=>
      array(4) {
        ["value"]=>
        string(19) "Leadership"
        ["matchLevel"]=>
        string(7) "partial"
        ["fullyHighlighted"]=>
        bool(true)
        ["matchedWords"]=>
        array(1) {
          [0]=>
          string(10) "leadership"
        }
      }
    }
  }
}

Leadership

BETT 2011 – a glimpse into the future

7 Feb 2011

array(8) {
  ["distinct_key"]=>
  string(10) "post#93753"
  ["title"]=>
  string(40) "What Motivates Children To Read. Or Not?"
  ["categories"]=>
  array(2) {
    [0]=>
    string(32) "Creative Teaching & Learning"
    [1]=>
    string(7) "Reading"
  }
  ["url"]=>
  string(69) "https://www.teachingtimes.com/what-motivates-children-to-read-or-not/"
  ["post_date_timestamp"]=>
  int(1618201124)
  ["objectID"]=>
  string(12) "post-93753-1"
  ["_snippetResult"]=>
  array(2) {
    ["excerpt"]=>
    array(2) {
      ["value"]=>
      string(240) "Understanding what motivates children and adolescents to read , and how to encourage them to   do more  in school and at home, are perennial  questions for educators and parents.  Researcher Sarah MacGowan explains what she has found so far"
      ["matchLevel"]=>
      string(4) "none"
    }
    ["content"]=>
    array(2) {
      ["value"]=>
      string(344) "... to read, and provide individualised support based on an understanding of the barriers.Taking a whole-school approachThere are a number of practical steps senior leadership teams (SLTs) and teachers can take to support pupils with reading at home, but for sustained success, a whole-school approach to promoting reading ..."
      ["matchLevel"]=>
      string(4) "full"
    }
  }
  ["_highlightResult"]=>
  array(5) {
    ["title"]=>
    array(3) {
      ["value"]=>
      string(40) "What Motivates Children To Read. Or Not?"
      ["matchLevel"]=>
      string(4) "none"
      ["matchedWords"]=>
      array(0) {
      }
    }
    ["excerpt"]=>
    array(3) {
      ["value"]=>
      string(240) "Understanding what motivates children and adolescents to read , and how to encourage them to   do more  in school and at home, are perennial  questions for educators and parents.  Researcher Sarah MacGowan explains what she has found so far"
      ["matchLevel"]=>
      string(4) "none"
      ["matchedWords"]=>
      array(0) {
      }
    }
    ["content"]=>
    array(4) {
      ["value"]=>
      string(5622) "skills, compared to all other text types. Starting to encourage regular reading now, while school are closed would be beneficial, and when schools re-open, this reading for pleasure time could be retained, providing time each week for pupils to read for pleasure.  Indeed, this could even form part of the school’s wellbeing strategy where pupils are encouraged to focus on themselves and find a book that really resonates with them – whether escaping into an imaginary world or catching up with their favourite fictional friends.Access books in different waysWhile many of us are concerned about the increasing amount of time that children and young people are spending on screens during this pandemic, there are many brilliant digital texts and narrated stories for children and young people to access books in this way.  Indeed, digital books can support young children’s language and literacy development, particularly when a parent or older sibling is around to discuss the story with them (e.g., make predictions, discuss emotions, and explain unfamiliar words).  Alternatively, audio books can be an excellent way for older children and young people to relax with a book, and may be particularly effective at encouraging less frequent readers. Audio books don’t put pressure on the child or young person to read themselves, they simply get to enjoy the book and all the rich experiences that come with it. Make it socialReading doesn’t always have to be a solitary activity, and while there are possibly more opportunities for discussions about reading in school, discussions can also take place online during school closures.  Ways to make reading more social include supporting a student-led book club. This gives older pupils in Key Stage 2 right through to secondary school, an opportunity to chat about and recommend books to each other. Pupils should be given an opportunity to decide on the books to discuss, and teachers can join and lead the discussion, but only if necessary. Regular meetings at a weekly book club with peers allows pupils to enjoy reading as part of a wider social activity, where they can share their own thoughts and experiences of different books. Furthermore, book clubs may also encourage children and young people to expand the genres they read.Overcoming barriers to readingWe must recognise that there are barriers to supporting reading for pleasure and some children and young people experience more barriers than others. These barriers are diverse, but can include access to books and other text types, difficulties with reading and therefore challenges identifying interesting readable books, lack of interest, difficulty finding time to read, lack of experience in identifying books of interest. In a recent study of ours, many secondary school pupils in particular reported numerous reasons why they no longer read books.  Schools, teachers and parents should seek to understand why their pupils are not choosing to read, and provide individualised support based on an understanding of the barriers.Taking a whole-school approachThere are a number of practical steps senior leadership teams (SLTs) and teachers can take to support pupils with reading at home, but for sustained success, a whole-school approach to promoting reading for pleasure is important. This could include forming a reading leadership group and considering whether reading for pleasure should be included in school strategy documents or improvement plans. A further tactic could be to encourage reading across the curriculum by making a book the centrepiece of an interdisciplinary project.Ongoing evaluation and learningSLT’s and teachers should continue to reflect on and evaluate the reading practices they are encouraging in school and at home. Are the reading practices being encouraged effective and supporting all students, or do barriers exist for some pupils? Are solutions available to tackle this? You could also request feedback from your students so you receive their opinions, either through anonymous posts or short surveys. Based on this feedback, school practices can then be refined to ensure all students’ reading experiences and development are optimally supported.Schools should also encourage teaching staff to participate in continued professional learning to ensure they draw upon recent research insights and engage in dialogue with fellow teachers to support and optimise reading for pleasure practices. Supporting pupils to read books can be challenging if teachers have limited knowledge of the books available. You could use current booklists and reports such as What Kids Are Reading to understand what children and young people are reading and find out more about these books to see if they can be offered in school or online.Implementing these changesIt is a challenging and changeable time for teachers and SLTs across the country and we have all had our resilience tested in different ways over the last year. We have all witnessed the impact of the pandemic on our children and young people and it is concerning to see the rise in children and young people experiencing poor mental health. Indeed, it has never been more important to encourage and develop a love of reading to support children’s and young people’s learning and wellbeing.For more information about this research and further advice on encouraging reading enjoyment please visit http://www.renlearn.co.uk/reading-enjoyment/ where you can download the full guide.Dr Sarah McGeown is a Senior Lecturer in Developmental Psychology"
      ["matchLevel"]=>
      string(4) "full"
      ["fullyHighlighted"]=>
      bool(false)
      ["matchedWords"]=>
      array(2) {
        [0]=>
        string(10) "leadership"
        [1]=>
        string(5) "teams"
      }
    }
    ["categories"]=>
    array(2) {
      [0]=>
      array(3) {
        ["value"]=>
        string(32) "Creative Teaching & Learning"
        ["matchLevel"]=>
        string(4) "none"
        ["matchedWords"]=>
        array(0) {
        }
      }
      [1]=>
      array(3) {
        ["value"]=>
        string(7) "Reading"
        ["matchLevel"]=>
        string(4) "none"
        ["matchedWords"]=>
        array(0) {
        }
      }
    }
    ["tags"]=>
    array(1) {
      [0]=>
      array(3) {
        ["value"]=>
        string(7) "reading"
        ["matchLevel"]=>
        string(4) "none"
        ["matchedWords"]=>
        array(0) {
        }
      }
    }
  }
}

Creative Teaching & Learning

What Motivates Children To Read. Or Not?

12 Apr 2021

Cookie	Duration	Description
cookielawinfo-checbox-analytics	11 months	This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics".
cookielawinfo-checbox-functional	11 months	The cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional".
cookielawinfo-checbox-others	11 months	This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other.
cookielawinfo-checkbox-necessary	11 months	This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-performance	11 months	This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance".
viewed_cookie_policy	11 months	The cookie is set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin and is used to store whether or not user has consented to the use of cookies. It does not store any personal data.

Create an account to read this article

£7.00+ VAT

Register for free

Cookies