New guidance on dealing with allegations of abuse agaiunst teachers and other staff

scameron — Tue, 21 Jun 2011 15:33:51 +0100

The new guidance on dealing with allegations of abuse against teachers and other staff is described as statutory and applicable to LAs, headteachers, staff, governing bodies and proprietors of independent schools. Interestingly, while this guidance refers to legislation it makes no mention of previous guidance contained in Working Together to Safeguard Children 2010 or Safeguarding Children in Education and Safer Recruitment.

Developing independent learning skills across the curriculum

scameron — Thu, 19 May 2011 16:49:39 +0100

School context

Ebac humanities: a saviour or a curse?

scameron — Thu, 19 May 2011 16:02:32 +0100

At a glance
The Ebac has arrived and includes its own selection of subjects under the heading of humanities. Suzanne O’Connell analyses:

Considering the ethics of fundraising

scameron — Thu, 19 May 2011 15:59:42 +0100

As more and more schools look to increase income through their own efforts, we are beginning to see a greater diversity in fundraising methods, from events such as school fetes, fashion shows, raffles, competitions and sponsored activities through to applications to the Lottery and grant-making trusts.

The changing role of the deputy head

scameron — Thu, 19 May 2011 15:21:19 +0100

In 1990 as part of my MEd degree I wrote a dissertation entitled ‘Partners' relating to the relationship between headteachers and their deputies. It followed other research which I had undertaken and sought to explore the possible development of the role of the deputy. It was particularly significant at that time in the light of the demands of the new legislation following the 1988 Education Act.

How to tackle identity-based bullying

scameron — Thu, 19 May 2011 15:00:57 +0100

What is identity-based bullying?

Still a positive role for extended schools

scameron — Thu, 19 May 2011 14:31:38 +0100

For the past six years schools have benefited from receiving additional funding for providing extended services such as breakfast clubs, after-school clubs, parenting skills and family learning.

Radical change for schools

scameron — Tue, 29 Mar 2011 15:04:24 +0100

In a white paper published late last November, the government set out proposals for radical changes to the education system, some of which are already being debated as part of the 2011 Education Bill. In this article I examine the proposals and their significance for headteachers.

Sexual exploitation: a growing problem

scameron — Wed, 23 Feb 2011 15:01:11 +0000

Two recent reports - a serious case review by the Derby Safeguarding Children Board and Puppet on a String from the children's charity Barnardo's - raise serious questions about the sexual exploitation of children and young people.

Raising higher education tuition fees: a serious mistake in the making

scameron — Fri, 24 Dec 2010 10:43:47 +0000

I should have been a carpenter, not a headteacher. I would of course have been awful at the job, unable to use a chisel or saw without doing myself a serious injury. However, that is what my family history had prepared me for. My grandfather was a ship's carpenter, working on the light ships for Trinity House. Unlike me, he was a master craftsman, able to work minor miracles with his carvings in wood.

Improving attendance

scameron — Fri, 24 Dec 2010 10:34:36 +0000

Earlier this year Ofsted paid us a visit. Out of a possible 30-plus graded areas, we were delighted that we were only given three ‘satisfactory' scores. One of those was for attendance... and that's not our fault, is it?

The Equality Act 2010: how will it affect recruitment?

scameron — Tue, 14 Dec 2010 13:05:35 +0000

The Equality Act 2010 came into force on 1 October 2010, replacing a large number of discrimination statutes and statutory instruments dating back to 1975. For the most part, the Equality Act consolidates the law, but there are some changes to the law that employers need to be aware of.

What are the changes?

Leading schools forward in times of financial uncertainty

scameron — Tue, 14 Dec 2010 12:47:57 +0000

One of the common reasons good teaching staff give for not wanting to enter the world of school leadership is that politics gets in the way of leading a school's development. Politics have certainly had a part to play over recent months since the general election. I don't know about you, but I have now abandoned my car CD collection for the drive into school in order to catch the daily news bulletins on the latest coalition education plans, government cuts and economic reorganisation.

Fundraising on your local high street

scameron — Tue, 14 Dec 2010 12:45:31 +0000

Although you may be familiar with the wide variety of voucher schemes run by retailers for various projects, the local high street may not seem the obvious place to consider when searching for help with other projects. However, most large chains operate a Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) agenda and, as part of this, offer grants and awards for community projects.

Putting risk in perspective

scameron — Tue, 14 Dec 2010 12:05:50 +0000

Amma is climbing a weeping willow tree in her nursery garden. The trunk of the tree curves gracefully, almost parallel to the ground, a couple of feet above the bare earth - the perfect height for the four-year-old to test her nerves. She doesn't realise it, but some adult eyes are keeping a watch on her. One of the nursery staff has spotted her going under the canopy, and is monitoring her progress from a discreet distance.

What the spending review means for schools

scameron — Tue, 14 Dec 2010 10:28:45 +0000

A little under a year ago Primary Headship reported on the education cuts planned by Ed Balls and the Department for Children, Schools and Families as it was then known. In case you have forgotten the details, here is a recap: Balls claimed he could cut £2bn off the £42.8bn education budget.

What the Munro review means for schools

scameron — Tue, 14 Dec 2010 10:26:17 +0000

The first report of the Munro review of child protection was published in October. Jenni Whitehead looks at the sections that are of particular relevance to schools

Social media - the risks and safety, a guide for schools part 1

scameron — Thu, 11 Nov 2010 17:17:40 +0000

With the proliferation of ‘next generation' Smartphones, portable tablet computers and gaming devices, it would seem that social media is here to stay. Indeed, every day seems to bring news of the latest celebrity ‘tweeting' controversy or viral video.

This two-part article will examine the phenomenon of social media, identifying the key legal issues for schools, pupils and parents.

Managing curriculum change: being prepared for the future

scameron — Thu, 11 Nov 2010 17:12:33 +0000

As curriculum managers gear up for the latest regeneration of the curriculum to be metamorphosed by the forthcoming White Paper (the date of which was still to be announced when CMU went to press), arguably your skills as managers of change are going to be in more demand than ever.

Developing outstanding leaders for challenging schools

scameron — Thu, 11 Nov 2010 17:09:42 +0000

In January 2006, Lord Adonis, then under-secretary of state at the Department for Children, Schools and Families, invited representatives from the National College, the Specialist Schools and Academies Trust and the children's charity Absolute Return for Kids to visit New York to examine a new charity - aptly called New Leaders for New Schools - set up to find and accelerate suitable candidates for headship.

Student interviewers: a distinctive and important voice

scameron — Thu, 11 Nov 2010 16:58:33 +0000

Student interviewers have received a lot of bad press. Earlier this year, a number of national newspapers featured lurid stories about student panels asking a candidate to sing their favourite song, while rejecting another applicant because ‘he looked like Humpty Dumpty'. Amid a chorus of ‘this never happened in my day', many dismissed such interview panels as the latest piece of evidence supporting the long-term decline of educational standards in the UK.

Get more for less from your ICT budget

scameron — Thu, 11 Nov 2010 16:54:30 +0000

From next year the education budget will be scaled back by 25% over four years. While the government has pledged its commitment to protecting front-line services, few are under any illusions that schools will be expected to play their part. For the foreseeable future, ‘more' is increasingly likely to be expected ‘for less'. According to Becta, only one in five schools makes efficient use of its technology.

Exploring pupil voice in primary schools

scameron — Thu, 11 Nov 2010 16:23:48 +0000

On 25 March an article appeared in The Independent newspaper under the headline ‘Pupil power: the children who chose their own head'. The article concerned the involvement of primary age pupils in the interview process leading to the appointment of a new headteacher at their school. This practice, which is becoming increasingly common, highlights the growing involvement of pupils in strategic developments within their school.

Making a case for federations

scameron — Thu, 11 Nov 2010 15:44:44 +0000

In a new report, Fulfilling potential, the business role in education, the UK's largest employers' body, the CBI, welcomed the coalition government's reforms for expanding the number of academies and enabling new schools to be set up, which it considers should lead to greater innovation in the classroom.

Racial tension and bullying: the duty to aid integration

scameron — Tue, 19 Oct 2010 17:14:44 +0100

We have previously discussed the supervision of pupils indoors and outdoors on school premises (issues 97 - Feb 2010, 102 - July/Aug 2010).

Making creativity central to all learning

scameron — Tue, 19 Oct 2010 17:12:14 +0100

School context

read more

Can education overcome disadvantage?

scameron — Tue, 19 Oct 2010 17:01:55 +0100

Since the invention of Ofsted in 1992, governments have claimed that poverty has no impact on learning and should not be offered as an ‘excuse' by coasting, failing or otherwise unsatisfactory schools. These governments and their agencies argue that inadequate teaching is responsible for low achievement levels and believe the answer lies in adopting officially recommended effectiveness recipes.
read more

Top 10 tips for survival on the SLT

scameron — Tue, 19 Oct 2010 16:58:32 +0100

Over the past eight or nine years, the school business management profession has gone through a period of rapid and exciting development with a significant - and growing - number of schools and collaborative arrangements now including a school business manager on their senior leadership team.
Whilst some of these teams may include other support staff colleagues, generally speaking the SBM will be the sole representative from support staff.
read more

The challenge of free schools

scameron — Tue, 19 Oct 2010 16:28:15 +0100

Most of us had not heard of the term ‘free school' before the general election in May this year. Four months on and it is an accepted part of educational terminology. Just what is all the fuss about and what difference will it make to our existing school system?
read more

Use of force: the need for greater clarity

scameron — Tue, 19 Oct 2010 16:06:39 +0100

The legal safety net designed to protect teachers and other school staff when using force against pupils has been brought out for yet another tweak, supposedly with the intention of affording greater protection. In this article I look at exactly what the current law and guidance allow you to do and the new proposed changes.
read more

Raising aspirations through dance

scameron — Tue, 19 Oct 2010 16:02:15 +0100

The Sedgemoor Learning Alliance was given the opportunity to provide 200 young people from disadvantaged backgrounds (drawn from Years 7, 8, 9 and 10) selected from our four Bridgwater secondary schools and one special school, to perform in an international dance and performing arts project.
read more

The Vetting and Barring Scheme: current obligations and future changes

scameron — Tue, 21 Sep 2010 14:07:26 +0100

Bursars and finance managers responsible for recruitment in schools will already be familiar with the need for recruitment procedures which give high priority to safeguarding. The Safeguarding Vulnerable Groups Act 2006 (SVGA) set up the most stringent safeguarding requirement yet, the Vetting and Barring Scheme (VBS), applying to all forms of work with children and vulnerable adults.
read more

An exciting era ahead

scameron — Tue, 21 Sep 2010 13:02:51 +0100

As a high-performing specialist school since its inception, with three separate specialisms (arts, science and sports) judged ‘outstanding' by Ofsted, and as a national leader of education (and the school a national support school), I am thrilled that my school, Oldfield in Bath, is being recognised and rewarded with the opportunity to be fast-tracked to academy status.
read more

Vulnerability to online grooming

scameron — Tue, 21 Sep 2010 12:22:30 +0100

I was asked recently to deliver a presentation on online grooming for sexual abuse. For this presentation I would usually use a combination of resources from CEOP and research from David Finkelhor. I have run this particular presentation a number of times and it has struck me that people tend to misunderstand my use of the word, ‘vulnerable' in the context of online grooming.
read more

Integrated working using the CAF

scameron — Tue, 21 Sep 2010 12:00:08 +0100

The Local Authority Research Consortium (LARC) is a collaboration of local authorities (LAs) and national agencies that formed in 2007 to carry out joint research into the effectiveness of integrated working in children and young people's services.
read more

Technological age: using ICT to transform T&L

scameron — Tue, 21 Sep 2010 10:49:11 +0100

It is sometimes surprising to think how far ICT use in schools has come in just the last decade. This month’s Case in Point takes a look at some of the key ICT development issues (here).
read more

Coalition government education policy

scameron — Tue, 21 Sep 2010 10:18:57 +0100

I have to admit I am not sure that I understand where education will be going with our new vibrant and enthusiastic coalition government in the driving seat.
read more

New academies 1: how to become one, and should you?

scameron — Tue, 21 Sep 2010 10:11:24 +0100

The Academies Bill 2010, which was announced in the Queen’s speech on 25 May 2010 will put into law the new government’s promise to enable more schools to achieve academy status and to give them more freedoms and flexibility.
This article, the first of two, will look at what the Bill contains, how to apply to convert to a new academy, and issues to consider when deciding whether or not to apply.
read more

Making evaluation more manageable

scameron — Thu, 12 Aug 2010 17:12:09 +0100

One of the keys to writing a strong self-evaluation form is to have data or evidence to justify your judgements. For many sections of the SEF a school leader will draw upon a range of externally validated data, yet at the heart of any school is the quality of teaching, which falls within the section judging the effectiveness of provision.
read more

Creativity and the primary curriculum

scameron — Thu, 12 Aug 2010 17:00:12 +0100

‘The touchstone of an excellent curriculum is that it instils in children a love of learning for its own sake. This means that primary children must not only learn what to study, they must also learn how to study.' (The Primary Curriculum Review Executive Summary, p8)
read more

Revised Working Together guidance and your school (2)

scameron — Thu, 12 Aug 2010 16:22:15 +0100

This is part 2 of our feature on the revised Working Together guidance. This guidance sets out how individuals and organisations should work together to safeguard young people. The revised version, published in March, has significant implications for the role schools play in child protection and combatting bullying.
read more

Writing your own policies

scameron — Thu, 12 Aug 2010 16:15:45 +0100

Policies in early years settings are there to guide the actions which practitioners need to take to fulfil the vision and aims of the setting and to act as a point of reference against which decisions can be made. Developing a wide range of policies in an early years setting will help to:
read more

New team at the Department for Education

scameron — Thu, 12 Aug 2010 15:19:02 +0100

The Tory MP Nick Gibb has taken over the job he previously shadowed to become Minister of State for Schools.
read more

Becoming a school leader

scameron — Thu, 12 Aug 2010 13:36:12 +0100

Over the last few years, I have written many articles and had numerous discussions concerning the role and status of the school business manager. One issue that has repeatedly arisen is the difficulties that some post-holders have with trying to ensure that they are contributing as - and being perceived as - full and effective members of the senior leadership team in their schools.
read more

Leadership and Management

Releasing catering from its timewarp

The outstanding lesson

How prevalent is child maltreatment in the UK?

Making the links to promote wellbeing in schools

New guidance on dealing with allegations of abuse agaiunst teachers and other staff

Inspections should engage governors

Your guide to managing an employment tribunal claim

Developing independent learning skills across the curriculum

Ebac humanities: a saviour or a curse?

Considering the ethics of fundraising

The changing role of the deputy head

How to tackle identity-based bullying

Still a positive role for extended schools

Radical change for schools

Sexual exploitation: a growing problem

Raising higher education tuition fees: a serious mistake in the making

Improving attendance

The Equality Act 2010: how will it affect recruitment?

Leading schools forward in times of financial uncertainty

Fundraising on your local high street

Putting risk in perspective

What the spending review means for schools

What the Munro review means for schools

Social media - the risks and safety, a guide for schools part 1

Managing curriculum change: being prepared for the future

Developing outstanding leaders for challenging schools

Student interviewers: a distinctive and important voice

Get more for less from your ICT budget

Exploring pupil voice in primary schools

Making a case for federations

Racial tension and bullying: the duty to aid integration

Making creativity central to all learning

Can education overcome disadvantage?

Top 10 tips for survival on the SLT

The challenge of free schools

Use of force: the need for greater clarity

Raising aspirations through dance

The Vetting and Barring Scheme: current obligations and future changes

An exciting era ahead

Vulnerability to online grooming

Integrated working using the CAF

Technological age: using ICT to transform T&L

Coalition government education policy

New academies 1: how to become one, and should you?

Making evaluation more manageable

Creativity and the primary curriculum

Revised Working Together guidance and your school (2)

Writing your own policies

New team at the Department for Education

Becoming a school leader