Challenging the myth to boost achievement

New research published today by the Joseph Rowntree Foundation challenges the view that one of the reasons children from low-income households have poorer educational outcomes is that they have low aspirations.

The research confirms that most young people and their parents attach great importance to education and want to go to university or to attain professional, managerial and skilled jobs. Most do not believe that not working is acceptable, and also have realistic ambitions and expectations for the future.

The study identified a number of programmes where there are strong indicators of success. It found that the most effective way of helping children from low-income households to achieve their ambitions is involving parents in school; engaging parents in their children’s learning and in their own learning; and aligning school-home expectations. 

Liz Todd the author of Can changing aspirations and attitudes impact on educational attainment? A review of interventions, said: “If our education system is to give young people the best chance of achieving their goals, it is essential that they and their parents are helped to succeed and not simply encouraged to have higher aspirations. We know that most young people value their education and want to in order to get a good job when they leave school. The barrier for many is realising their ambitions.”

£500,000 scholarship scheme for SEN support staff

Hundreds of school support staff are to get degree-level and specialist training in helping children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), under a £500,000 programme set out by the children’s minister Sarah Teather.

The annual SEN support scholarship programme will provide up to £2,000 each to boost the skills of talented teaching assistants and school staff who work with children with SEND. The scholarship cash will fund staff through rigorous, specialist courses and qualifications.

Support and aspiration, the SEN green paper published in March last year, set out reforms to develop the expertise – so the most vulnerable children have their needs identified early and get the specialist help they need.

The green paper pointed to evidence that in many schools, pupils with SEND were left to be supported ‘almost exclusively’ by teaching assistants – risking children becoming increasingly isolated from the rest of the class and classroom teachers.

Sarah Teather said: “This is about getting the best from all school staff. These scholarships identify and train talented professionals, with the potential to develop their specialist knowledge.

“We know that support staff can make a real difference to the achievement of pupils with SEN and disabilities. They are never a substitute for a qualified teacher – but we know that when used effectively, they are vital to giving the most vulnerable pupils the support they need to get the most out of school.”

Applications will open on 30 April and close on 17 May, with the first scholarships awarded later this year.

This new fund for support staff scholarships is in addition to the national scholarship fund for teachers which opens its second round this month.

Special needs schools join forces to become a multi-academy

Two special needs schools in the London Borough of Hillingdon are among the first in the country to become a multi-academy. Moorcroft School and Grangewood School have formed the EDEN Academy – a multi-academy trust aimed at improving services to pupils aged 3 – 19 with severe learning difficulties.

By joining forces the schools will share a budget – directly funded by the government – and have one overarching board of trustees. They will be able to set their own curriculum, term dates and have greater control over how money is spent.

Staff will be able to move around the academy for professional development and have more training opportunities. Pupils along with their families will have access to extended services such as holiday schemes, toy libraries, late night shopping crèches, theme days and respite and sleepover services.

The newly formed multi-academy has been named the EDEN Academy ‘Educate, Develop, Enrich & Nurture.’ 

The headteacher of Grangewood, John Ayres said: “Both schools provide for young people and families who need and deserve the highest quality of education and care. By working together we will have the freedom to shape a vision and a strategy that supports our young people.” 

The schools will officially convert to a multi-academy on 1 June 2012. 

Disability sport summit drives disabled sports legacy

The sport sector needs to do more to attract disabled participants. Speaking at the government’s first Disability Sport Summit at the Emirates Stadium in London, the culture minister Jeremy Hunt urged all governing bodies to use the unique opportunity created by the London 2012 Paralympics to integrate disability sports provision into their Whole Sports Plans and boost participation.

Jeremy Hunt said: “In the year that the Paralympic Games come home I want to see a transformation in sport for people with disabilities. Now is the time for everybody to up their game, creating real sporting opportunities for disabled people. That’s why within the School Games I’m delighted that we now have disabled children playing competitive sport alongside their peers.”

Sport England will be investing £8m of funding from the Places People Play programme to help overcome some of the barriers that make it harder for disabled people to do sport.

The summit brought together disability sports bodies in the UK to set out the government’s objective of making disability sport a higher priority. It aimed to build on work already done to integrate disability sport into the mainstream in schools through the School Games, which includes a compulsory disability sport element.

Jeremy Hunt watches children playing sitting volleyball at the Disability Sport Summit. Photo: DCMS

Autistic children to benefit from new partnership

In celebration of National Autism Awareness Month, Dimensions has partnered with the charity Film Education to help improve cinema access for pupils who have autism. A free cinema event for school children across the country will be held on 26 April 2012 with special screenings of Disney’s ‘The Muppets’. There are 60 cinemas and three cinema chains taking part; Odeon, Apollo and Picturehouse.

Film Education supports and encourages the use of film within the curriculum through teaching resources, professional development of teachers and the cinema going experience. The not-for-profit support provider Dimensions is championing autism friendly films as part of its work to promote greater social inclusion for people with autism.

The free school event is aimed at students with autism and sensory differences who would benefit from the subtle alterations made to the cinema auditorium. During the special screening lights will be left on low, the volume will be turned down and people can move around the cinema or make noise as they feel comfortable. 

Schools can book the special screening by telephoning 020 7292 7360 or on the website www.filmeducation.org.

Practical workshops share best practice

RNIB Sunshine House School and Children’s Home, and Grangewood School are holding a two day practitioner workshop for professionals supporting children with learning difficulties and disabilities including sight problems. 

Designed for professionals in specialist or mainstream education, the practical workshops offer the chance to brush up on knowledge, share best practice and network with peers. 

Sessions will cover movement and mobility, communication, teaching at P levels, delivering a sensory curriculum, demonstrating educational progress and overcoming challenging behaviours associated with autism. 

Jackie Seaman, head of education at RNIB Sunshine House School and Children’s Home, said: “Increasingly specialist and mainstream schools are expected to support a widening and more complex range of needs and disabilities. The sessions are delivered by specialist teachers and therapists who are doing the job day-to-day, finding creative solutions.”

The workshops will take place on 28-29 June in Watford, Greater London. For more details see website rnib.org.uk.  

College joins Olympic stadium event

Students and staff from National Star College, part of National Star Foundation, joined the Gold Challenge Olympic Stadium Event on Sunday 1 April with four local schools. They were among the first to experience the Olympic track as a reward for their fundraising efforts.

The National Star College and schools involved – Rendcomb College Junior School, Soudley Primary School, Newent Community School and All Saints Academy – are taking part in the Gold Challenge Initiative to celebrate the 2012 Olympics and raise funds for National Star Foundation. The Olympic initiative is a charity challenge in which people take on Olympic and Paralympic sports to raise money for their chosen charity.

 The event included charities, businesses and celebrities enjoying 100 metre races, a parade, and musical entertainment from Dionne Bromfield, Angel and Britain’s got Talent winners, Spellbound. Celebrities included Katie Price, international rugby players Austin Healy and Gareth Edwards, Team GB ambassadors Tessa Sanderson, Steve Backley and Mary Peters, and Olympic medal winners Fatima Whitbread and Dalton Grant.

Rendcomb College Junior School were honoured with their own running lane in the 100 metre race to reward them for raising an impressive £2,500 for the foundation so far.

 Holly Plummer an events fundraiser from National Star Foundation said: “We were delighted to share this once in a lifetime opportunity with the schools supporting National Star Foundation with Gold Challenge; a huge thank-you to them for their commitment and amazing fundraising efforts. We are looking forward to working with them all up until the end of the summer term with more exciting Gold Challenge events.”

Specialist autism respite care home opens

Providing young people with autistic spectrum disorders with a ‘home from home’ experience in a safe environment, Priory Oliver House School in Chorley is expanding its services with the opening of a respite home close to the school.

The new facility builds on the education and care provision at Oliver House School to offer respite care placements for up to eight children aged 7-19.

The home has been designed to support young people and their families and carers in times of need, providing tailored packages and specifically devised programmes for flexible short-term breaks and respite care packages.

The unit offers spacious and homely accommodation with the opportunity for both privacy and shared living. All bedrooms are large single rooms with en-suite facilities and are adapted to the individual needs of each young person. 

Wendy Sparling, the principal at Oliver House School, said: “The focus of the new respite care service is on small group living with a dedicated team of staff providing the necessary care and support for young people with autism, sensory impairments, complex learning requirements and health needs.

 “We aim to keep parents and carers informed of all aspects of the young person’s learning and care throughout the stay and to work in close partnership to ensure that both parties get the best possible outcome from the respite care.”

Elite athlete sprints into special school

The Priory Sheridan School, a specialist residential school, welcomed elite athlete Tyrone Swaray to help celebrate its acceptance as a member of London 2012’s Get Set Network.

Sheridan School, Thetford, Norfolk, has been successfully accepted as a member of London 2012’s UK-wide reward and recognition scheme, the Get Set Network, which is the official education programme of London 2012. 

By being accepted, Sheridan School is guaranteed free tickets to London 2012.

Through the programme Sheridan School has been doing work linked with London 2012 and the Olympic and Paralympic games, and has now been recognised by the London 2012 Organising Committee as a school that is demonstrating its commitment to Olympic and Paralympic values.

London 2012 hopeful Tyson Swaray, was given a short tour of the school, before meeting parents and pupils. Tyrone then gave some of the pupils a special coaching session followed by demonstrations on how to run the 100 metres.

The sprinter, who trained with the former world champion Maurice Green in 2000, presented the children with certificates as part of the school’s open day for parents. This was followed by a presentation of the Get Set Olympic award and plaque.

Pictured from the left are Harvey Smithson, Kane Neve, Tyrone Swaray, Cobain Peck and Tamzin Beck.

UK urged to support a new action plan to wipe out illiteracy by 2020

The World Literacy Foundation urged the UK to pledge support for the new Oxford Declaration, which aims to eradicate illiteracy by the year 2020. 

The declaration defines literacy as ability in reading, writing, numeracy, digital technology, speaking and listening and more than 250 delegates from 60 countries contributed to the declaration at the World Literacy Summit in Oxford.

WLF chief executive Andrew Kay issued a plea to the government and leaders in education to be proactive in achieving the goals of the Oxford Declaration.

He said: “We have created a pathway targeted to eradicate illiteracy by the year 2020. The clear evidence says if you want to reduce poverty then address illiteracy.

“No matter whether you live in the developed or developing world, poor literacy is ruining lives. Illiteracy is linked with many poor life outcomes, such as poverty, unemployment, social exclusion, crime, long-term illness, lost productivity in business and reduced income earning capacity in a job.” 

The Oxford Declaration was developed during the World Literacy Summit from 1-4 April 2012. For more information see websites www.oxforddeclaration.org or www.worldliteracy2012.org.

Teacher cooperative recognises best teachers and the best in classroom content

Brilliant classroom resources developed by Britain’s best teachers are the focus of a new teacher cooperative co-owned by Tute Education and contributors from the teaching community.  

Essentially a ‘creative exchange’, qualified teachers uploading content to the site can opt to sell their resources or trade and exchange them for someone else’s. Registered teachers will have a dedicated e-portfolio space to display their resources, video tutorials and blog posts.

“It’s a win, win situation,” said Allan Grubb, from All Saints Academy in Dunstable, one of the first teachers to register with the cooperative. “Having invested my own time developing resources to help my students learn, it will be great to be able to share my content with peers and to see how well my work is received. The teacher cooperative definitely gets the thumbs up from me.”

 For more details see website tute.com/sc/Home/OurTeacherCooperative

Tutor and student chosen to carry Olympic Flame

A senior tutor and a first-year performing arts student at National Star College – a provider of specialist education and personal development opportunities for young disabled people – will carry the Olympic Flame.

The head of the sports department, Julian Ralph, and student Bradley Nash were selected for their inspiring achievements. They will join a team of 8,000 people carrying the flame on its 8,000 mile journey across the country before arriving at the Olympic Games Opening Ceremony on 27 July. 

National Star College is hosting a range of events to promote the London Olympics 2012 including a visit to the college from Paralympic sprinter Ben Rushgrove, a sports day and a 2012km journey for GOLD Challenge.

Julian will be carrying the torch for 300 metres as part of its three mile leg across the city of Gloucester on 24 May, day six of its journey. 

 “I was nominated by two of my colleagues and it is a massive honour, said Julian. “It is my chance to represent the college, the city and the county. I am pretty excited to be able to play a small part in one of the biggest sporting events in the world.”

Bradley Nash who will be carrying the torch in Walsall, Birmingham on Saturday 30 June is passionate about sports and played Wheelchair Football with Wolves Warriors at League Level while at school. He said: “I’m honoured to be representing my country for the Olympics and am really looking forward to the event.”