Focusing on student and family health

scameron — Thu, 23 Apr 2009 10:13:37 +0100

Background

Multi-agency child protection: a case study

scameron — Wed, 22 Apr 2009 16:03:26 +0100

Jason is 14, nearly 15 and until a few weeks ago had been meeting an older man who he met on the internet.

School first raised concerns. Jason’s attendance was below 50%. The education social worker tried hard to engage with Jason, visiting him at home and occasionally managing to get him into school. However, Jason started leaving home before the social worker arrived and it was getting more difficult to catch him there.

Building school-community partnerships

scameron — Mon, 30 Mar 2009 15:24:57 +0100

Better Together

A day in the life of a youth intervention officer

scameron — Mon, 30 Mar 2009 15:11:04 +0100

Background to my role
Eighteen years, several stone and no grey hairs ago, I joined the Avon and Somerset Constabulary. A young, impressionable and enthusiastic police constable about to set forth into the big, bad world to right wrongs, administer justice and change the planet! It seems like yesterday but time has moved on and things have changed.

Sustaining a home-school partnership with primary parents

scameron — Thu, 26 Mar 2009 09:10:28 +0000

So many schools establish partnerships with parents in the early years, only to see them founder as children progress through the school. I have seen schools where relationships at the Foundation Stage are an enabler to learning, and yet by Year 5 parents are regarded as blockers. How can this be allowed to happen?

Your legal responsibilities to international students

scameron — Fri, 20 Mar 2009 14:22:56 +0000

The Government recognises the value of students from abroad to our culture and economy
— in June 1999 it launched an initiative to encourage students to come to the UK. Each year international students are a significant source of income, bringing in approximately £2.5 billion to the UK economy in tuition fees alone, and an overall estimated contribution of £8.5 billion.

Exclusion and reintegration: legal update

scameron — Thu, 19 Mar 2009 16:30:58 +0000

The DCSF has introduced revised exclusions guidance, which came into force from 1 September 2008 — ‘Improving behaviour and attendance: guidance on exclusion from schools and Pupil Referral Units 2008’.

It is not a major revision, but as usual, the devil is in the detail. This article will review the main changes that schools need to be aware of.

Pupil referral units

Keeping traveller children safe online

scameron — Mon, 16 Mar 2009 16:09:12 +0000

Today’s digital generation has a wealth of opportunities to exploit through the application of ICT, both within the school environment and at home. However, although technology opens countless doors for children and young people, there are also aspects that prove a significant risk. The potential dangers should not be overlooked and range from students accessing inappropriate internet sites to the threat of cyberbullying, and in its most extreme form, predator grooming.

Developing a home-school partnership with primary parents: why and how

scameron — Thu, 12 Mar 2009 10:05:02 +0000

I was on a train to London this week and, glancing through a Saturday newspaper supplement, my eyes were drawn to an advertisement promotion for the charity Action for Children. ‘Resilience and self-esteem are key to coping with life chances,’ said the caption to the accompanying photograph. The feature showed all too starkly that for a variety of reasons, many children in the UK don’t enjoy emotional wellbeing.

How primary schools can work with parents

scameron — Wed, 11 Mar 2009 09:35:31 +0000

Anyone involved in caring for and working with children will know the necessity for maintaining positive relationships with parents; but to what extent should practitioners be responsible for the well-being and education of the parents themselves?

Case law: Religious dress and effective teaching

scameron — Wed, 25 Feb 2009 16:38:43 +0000

QUESTION: Can the school restrict a teacher’s religious observance if it interferes with her work?

ANSWER: The case of Azmi v Kirklees Metropolitan Borough Council, [2007] ELR 339, concerned Mrs Azmi, a bilingual support worker at a junior school. Her job required her to work as part of a team to support the learning and welfare of pupils, and to assist with children from ethnic minority backgrounds.

When can a religious student be exempt from uniform policy?

scameron — Wed, 25 Feb 2009 15:15:22 +0000

Fortinbras, in Hamlet, goes to war over ‘a little patch of ground that hath in it no profit but the name.’ In the recent case of Watkins-Singh, which reached the High Court, war broke out between a school and one of its pupils over a plain steel bangle about 5 millimetres wide. The bangle was a Sikh Kara, which is worn by Sikhs as a sign of their identity and faith.

The Kara did not meet the uniform requirements of the school, which stipulated that no jewellery other than a wrist watch and one pair of plain metal studs in the ear were permitted.

Bridging the gap between school and home

scameron — Thu, 29 Jan 2009 16:28:46 +0000

Back in 2001 when we were reviewing areas of behavioural need across Sunderland, there were two questions we asked ourselves:

how do you connect the professional background of the school with the home?
how do you introduce a consistent approach to behaviour management across a whole school, and mirror this within the home?

We ended up choosing the Family Links School and Nurturing Programme to help us meet these challenges. This reflected our desire to:

Mobile families: points to remember

scameron — Thu, 29 Jan 2009 14:28:42 +0000

A family (some of whose details have been changed to protect anonymity) appeared at my school shortly after a holiday break. The mother had no birth certificates for the children and struggled to spell their names, although she was white English. She spoke with an out-of-area accent; her tone was insistent, as if she was in need of help and well used to demanding it. The two boys who accompanied her were docile. Each smiled, but neither spoke.

Obligation to educate Gypsy, Roma and Traveller children

scameron — Wed, 28 Jan 2009 18:12:02 +0000

QUESTION:

How should their educational needs be balanced against those of the community at large?

ANSWER:

The case of Hughes v The First Secretary of State and South Bedfordshire District Council [2007] ELR 1, CA looked at this question.

Mr Hughes was head of one of four Traveller families who bought a site for their caravans. The site, in the green belt, was subject to stringent planning restrictions.

School uniforms and religious symbols

scameron — Mon, 19 Jan 2009 10:36:44 +0000

In recent years a number of schoolgirls have brought legal challenges against their schools when they have been prevented from wearing items related to their religious faith. The items in question have included the Jihab, the Niqab veil and a purity ring. Each of these actions has been founded on an alleged breach of the pupil’s human rights and all of these claims have failed.

Understanding parents' and schools' responsibilities towards excluded pupils

scameron — Fri, 12 Dec 2008 11:31:12 +0000

From September 2007 new law and revised statutory guidance on exclusions came into force. The new law, Improving Behaviour and Attendance: Guidance on Exclusion from Schools and Pupil Referral Units:

Education employment law: statutory leave and pay entitlements

scameron — Fri, 05 Dec 2008 16:02:10 +0000

One of the defining features of the last 11 years of New Labour government has been its apparent commitment to, and promotion of, measures designed to encourage a work-life balance and to facilitate what is termed a family friendly working environment.

‘Good’ employers, therefore, have taken the view that the remuneration and benefits package should in some way exceed the statutory minimum requirements in terms of leave and pay.

A day in the life of a BEST coordinator

scameron — Mon, 03 Nov 2008 16:54:40 +0000

The BEST way forward
Involvement in the Behaviour Improvement Programme (BIP), of which BEST is a part, has allowed us to provide a non-prescriptive, needs-led, wraparound service, embracing the local community and schools, to enhance the lives of young people and their families. This integrated practice seeks to provide better outcomes for some of our most vulnerable young people and their families.

Bringing social work into schools

scameron — Mon, 03 Nov 2008 12:16:45 +0000

Background

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When can parents educate their children at home?

scameron — Mon, 03 Nov 2008 11:09:07 +0000

QUESTION:
When can parents educate their children at home?
ANSWER:
The case of Konrad and Others v Germany [2007] ELR 435, a European Court of Human Rights case, considered this question. The parents belonged to a Christian community and objected to their children's attendance at school which, by State law, was compulsory.
read more

How to keeps parents homework happy

scameron — Thu, 30 Oct 2008 15:49:21 +0000

Why is it that when parents are asked about issues they have with their school, one group of parents will always indicate that too much homework is set, while another will tell you that there is too little?
read more

Effective partnerships with parents

scameron — Tue, 28 Oct 2008 13:48:59 +0000

How can schools already struggling with over-crowded timetables find time to build productive partnerships with parents and carers? How can schools engage parents to raise pupil attainment and improve behaviour?

The EPPa strategy was designed to explore these questions and the potential of closer partnerships between schools, families and communities.
read more

The value of multi-agency working

scameron — Mon, 27 Oct 2008 11:21:39 +0000

One Friday night…
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Engaging Parents Toolkit

scameron — Mon, 22 Sep 2008 15:19:31 +0100

Written by Julie McGrane
Getting you started on building relationships with parents
The Engaging Parents Toolkit is designed to help you start conversations with the parents of your students and your staff to make a difference to pupil attainment. The toolkit comes in 5 sections which are specifically designed to help you engage with parents in a way that will have a positive impact on students. The sections cover areas such as:
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'Virtual' schooling: education outside school

scameron — Fri, 19 Sep 2008 16:34:33 +0100

Billie Murram is gathering an impressive set of qualifications and has set her sights on becoming an IT tutor. Things could have turned out very differently for this 17-year-old from Kingston upon Thames. She opted out of school because bullying made her life a misery and she found it increasingly difficult to study in the classroom. ‘I just made excuses for not attending. I had a home tutor for a while, but this didn’t enable me to sit any exams.’
read more

The Children's Plan: the primary curriculum

scameron — Thu, 11 Sep 2008 14:06:34 +0100

The new Children’s Plan sets in motion a complete review of the primary level curriculum, with the aim of easing the transition from early years learning into school. The aim is to create an even sharper focus on maths and English yet give teachers more flexibility within the school day. More time for reading, writing and mathematics is to be allotted along with greater flexibility for other subjects. The ‘Every Child a Writer’ programme will provide intensive one-to-one coaching in areas of writing children find hard to master.
read more

Developing whole-school policy towards parents

scameron — Sat, 30 Aug 2008 12:28:27 +0100

Developing a whole-school approach can be key to improving partnerships with parents.

This CPD resource looks at formal and informal methods of engaging with parents, and includes a spreadsheet of ideas teachers should consider when producing a written policy.

Written by Angela Phillips

Starting school: An anxious time for pupils and parents

sara — Sat, 30 Aug 2008 12:28:25 +0100

This resource provides school leaders and Home-School Coordinators with useful articles on how to support pupils and parents during the transition process.

The first article is a reminder of the things that can become worries for young children, so that you can deal with them before this happens and help your child to make a confident and enjoyable start to school.

The second article will help you support parents and emphasises the key to a successful start to a child’s schooling is communication.

Written by Mike Walton

read more

Legal obligations on uniform policy

sara — Sat, 30 Aug 2008 12:21:33 +0100

In the first issue of Legal Expertise we have decided to look at school uniform. Over the last two years there have been a number of legal challenges mounted to aspects of school uniform policies and in response the DCFS issued new comprehensive guidance to schools last month. However, last week news broke of a further legal challenge relating to the rights of pupils to wear religious symbols, this time from a 14-year-old Sikh pupil whose school has barred her from wearing a silver Kara bangle, one of the five symbols of Sikh identity.
read more

Wraparound childcare provision

scameron — Sat, 30 Aug 2008 10:21:01 +0100

Background
Wychall Primary School opened in September 2000. The school is located in a pocket of deprivation on the outskirts of Birmingham and the area served by the school has suffered in the past from lack of services and funding. Families felt neglected and were desperately in need of local support.
read more

Should 'suitable education' be defined by parents or LA?

scameron — Sat, 30 Aug 2008 10:21:01 +0100

QUESTION:

Whose opinion takes precedence in a dispute over provision – parent or local authority?

ANSWER:

in the case of R(R) v Kent County Council [2007] ELR 648, a boy of 14, S, started his local school, the W School in September 2004. He was called names, and bullied. His father met the headmaster, who took the complaint seriously.

read more

A day in the life of an extended schools manager

scameron — Sat, 30 Aug 2008 10:21:01 +0100

Role
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Is it time for community schooling?

scameron — Sat, 30 Aug 2008 10:21:00 +0100

The appeal of extending the use of schools beyond the traditional school day and into the wider community has a long history. In the last issue of Extended Schools Update we looked at some notable examples of what has been put into practice in the past in the UK and USA. Nowadays, extended schools up and down the country are operating as hubs of the community but many are yet to follow suit. Now, we ask why this intuitively appealing idea has not by now become the norm.

Looking at the past
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Extended schools: after-school and holiday provision

scameron — Sat, 30 Aug 2008 10:21:00 +0100

Background
read more

Legal case notes: Adoption

scameron — Sat, 30 Aug 2008 10:20:59 +0100

The facts
A local authority foster mother, after looking after a child for nine months, wished to adopt her. By s 42 of the Adoption and Children Act 2002, because the child had had her home with the foster mother for less than one year, the foster mother required leave of the court before she could apply for an adoption order.

read more

An investigation into the effects of Seroxat

scameron — Sat, 30 Aug 2008 10:20:59 +0100
Tim Whattler was just 17 when he hanged himself in February 2006. It wasn’t his first attempt. Diagnosed with Asperger’s syndrome and ADHD he had spent much of his short life in a variety of psychiatric units or being cared for by his parents at home. Their story, which appeared in the Telegraph last July, is an unsettling one. Typically, as part of Tim’s treatment he had been prescribed anti-depressants. These included Seroxat (a brand name for paroxetine), which he had been prescribed in his teens.
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Meeting the community's needs

scameron — Sat, 30 Aug 2008 10:20:58 +0100
Background

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A day in the life of a schools counsellor

scameron — Sat, 30 Aug 2008 10:20:58 +0100

I am a counsellor working two days a week in Kenton Secondary School in Newcastle upon Tyne. I commenced this role in 2003 and work with young people to support them in addressing the emotional and behavioural difficulties that are affecting their learning and quality of life. My role in school is funded partly by Connexions and partly by the school.
read more

Lessons to be learned from child deaths and injury through abuse and neglect

scameron — Sat, 30 Aug 2008 10:20:58 +0100
The DCSF has recently published Analysing Child Deaths and Serious Injury through Abuse and Neglect: What Can We Learn? A Biennial Analysis of Serious Case Reviews 2003-2005.

Serious case reviews are carried out when abuse and neglect are known or suspected factors when a child dies (or is seriously injured or harmed). This is the third biennial analysis and involved a near-total sample of 161 cases.

read more

Extended schools: learning from the past

scameron — Sat, 30 Aug 2008 10:20:57 +0100
The appeal of extending the use of schools beyond the traditional school day and into the wider community has a long history. Not surprisingly, it has frequently occurred to people that limiting the use of school premises to tightly restricted times and a minority of the local population is wasteful of what could be a central community resource. In this issue we look at what has been suggested and, more importantly, put into practice in the past.

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Parents of G&T children: friend or foe?

scameron — Sat, 30 Aug 2008 10:20:56 +0100
‘What’s the local authority policy on gifted and talented?’ This question used to see me reaching for the caffeine when I worked as a local authority adviser. It would be the opening shot in an unexpected telephone call but I knew immediately that I had a parent on the line and it would be a long conversation. I also had a pretty good idea of the scenario behind the question as the same features came up time and time again:

Parent approaches school about a particular issue.

School goes some way towards addressing issue.

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Bridging the home-school divide

scameron — Sat, 30 Aug 2008 10:20:54 +0100
The five outcomes of the Every Child Matters agenda are now a mantra for everyone working with young people. For schools the challenge is how to support those not currently achieving these aims. As the heart of many communities, we are well placed to put in place support, but ‘how’ and ‘what’ are questions that many schools have yet to answer.

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Supporting parents of teenagers

scameron — Sat, 30 Aug 2008 10:20:51 +0100
Background

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Support for all: extended and outreach services

scameron — Sat, 30 Aug 2008 10:20:51 +0100

Priory School and the Borough of Barnsley
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Elective home education: parental rights and constraints

admin — Sat, 30 Aug 2008 10:20:49 +0100

Human beings are often characterised by seeking perfect solutions to intractable problems. This is manifested in many forms according to the situation. It can range from looking for the crock of gold at the end of the rainbow to a Valhalla which will satisfy all needs and wants.

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Primary homework

jlee — Sat, 30 Aug 2008 10:20:43 +0100
If you want to liven up a tedious governors’ meeting, introduce the subject of homework! It could change the most placid members of the governing body – especially parent governors – into a baying mob. It was on our agenda as an innocuous item about a questionnaire asking parents for their views on specific issues such as types of homework, how much children should have each week, how important they thought it was and so on.
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Home-School Coordinator

Obesity, healthy lifestyles and the role of schools

Supporting parents support their children

A day in the life of a child and family support worker in school

Focusing on student and family health

Multi-agency child protection: a case study

Building school-community partnerships

A day in the life of a youth intervention officer

Sustaining a home-school partnership with primary parents

Your legal responsibilities to international students

Exclusion and reintegration: legal update

Keeping traveller children safe online

Developing a home-school partnership with primary parents: why and how

How primary schools can work with parents

Case law: Religious dress and effective teaching

When can a religious student be exempt from uniform policy?

Bridging the gap between school and home

Mobile families: points to remember

Obligation to educate Gypsy, Roma and Traveller children

School uniforms and religious symbols

Understanding parents' and schools' responsibilities towards excluded pupils

Education employment law: statutory leave and pay entitlements

A day in the life of a BEST coordinator

Bringing social work into schools

When can parents educate their children at home?

How to keeps parents homework happy

Effective partnerships with parents

The value of multi-agency working

Engaging Parents Toolkit

'Virtual' schooling: education outside school

The Children's Plan: the primary curriculum

Developing whole-school policy towards parents

Starting school: An anxious time for pupils and parents

Legal obligations on uniform policy

Wraparound childcare provision

Should 'suitable education' be defined by parents or LA?

A day in the life of an extended schools manager

Is it time for community schooling?

Extended schools: after-school and holiday provision

Legal case notes: Adoption

An investigation into the effects of Seroxat

Meeting the community's needs

A day in the life of a schools counsellor

Lessons to be learned from child deaths and injury through abuse and neglect

Extended schools: learning from the past

Parents of G&T children: friend or foe?

Bridging the home-school divide

Supporting parents of teenagers

Support for all: extended and outreach services

Elective home education: parental rights and constraints

Primary homework