Coppice Primary School awarded the Eco-Schools Green Flag certificate
Oldham-based Coppice Primary School has been awarded the Eco-Schools Green Flag Certification having demonstrated its commitment to encouraging good environmental behaviour amongst pupils and within the local community. The Eco-Schools awards have international accreditation; recognising and rewarding young people’s environmental actions for over 25 years. Their aim is to empower young people to take care of our planet now and throughout their lifetimes. Coppice successfully achieved the bronze award in 2018, silver in 2019, and then began its Green Flag journey in September 2020. The school is now required to reapply for the certificate every two years and to prove that they are running as an eco-school. The Eco-Schools team reported that the school had “clearly taken great efforts to connect your energy/litter and healthy living projects happening across the school and embedding work into the curriculum and everyday school life in a really impactful way.” Eco-initiatives across the school over the academic year included ‘Switch Off Fortnight’, ‘The Big British Spring Clean’, the ‘Big Battery Hunt’ and a new ‘healthy snack’ policy. The children also enjoyed improving the local environment through litter picking; creating habitats for mini-beasts; learning about the wider environment and current global issues. Andrew Hulmes, Headteacher of Coppice Primary Academy, said: “Working towards the certification has been amazing fun for the students and staff alike, they have all embraced every aspect of working towards the award. “There were some real highlights over the last year including the Big Battery Hunt in June, children were encouraged to bring in used batteries to be recycled, all whilst learning about renewable energy and rechargeable batteries. “A really fun day for the students and teachers was switch off day last year, all classes turned their lights off and teachers used alternative teaching activities which didn’t require the use of energy.” Coppice Primary School forms part of the Focus-Trust – a charitable primary schools trust which is based in the North-West of England and West Yorkshire with a vision of providing great schools at the heart of communities where children thrive, achieve and succeed.
Explosive fun: free virtual trip for students to experience the volcanoes of the Canary Islands
Schools across the UK are being invited to sign-up for a free virtual and interactive lesson to round-off the summer term and ‘whisk’ students to experience the volcanoes of La Palma, Canary Islands. The immersive lesson aims to bring geography and the work of scientists to life in the classroom, as students get to meet a local volcanologist and hear about his important work keeping people safe. The online lessons will be delivered live over Zoom by immersive learning resource, Lyfta, and will take place on Wednesday 6th July and Friday 8th July with sessions to suit older and younger learners. The session incorporates a human-centred short documentary film and interactive learning environments so students can virtually explore and take in the sights and sounds of an active volcano, the scientists’ control room and the local church. Students will need to tread carefully as they walk in the shoes of the volcanologist and his team, learning about key geology concepts such as why volcanoes erupt, rock cycles and what causes volcanoes to appear in certain parts of the world. Despite a career in science offering incredible variety and opportunities to make a positive impact on the world, many young people are unaware about the career options in the industry. Part of the challenge is a lack of accessible work experience opportunities, particularly for young people living in remote and disadvantaged regions in the UK. For example, research by the British Science Association found that 29 per cent of young Londoners would consider a career in science, compared to just 17 per cent of young people in the North East. Without these opportunities to experience the world of STEM, it is difficult for young people to aspire to a career in the science field. Serdar Ferit, co-founder and co-CEO at Lyfta, said: “Our aim is to provide experiences that give every student equal opportunities to experience new things and develop their cultural capital, no matter their geographic location or background. Through immersive storytelling, students can virtually travel to the Canary Islands and experience a day in the life of a science professional, ask questions and find out more about volcanology.” “The free, immersive lessons provide teachers with a fun way to supplement geography content and bring learning to life for students, particularly those who might be curious about what a scientist does and how they started in the field. Being able to apply theory and knowledge to real-world scenarios is essential if we want to inspire the next generation of brilliant science thinkers and innovators.” The free, immersive lessons will take place on Wednesday 6th July for primary schools and Friday 8th July for secondary schools. For more information and to register a class for the live, “We live amongst volcanoes” lesson, please visit: https://www.lyfta.com/blog-storage/end-of-term-primary-activities
How educational technology can transform reading for pleasure
Reading for pleasure has many benefits to a child’s education, but how has educational technology transformed how we approach it? Reading development consultant and former Deputy Headteacher and Director of English, Ian Turner, discusses. Why reading for pleasure is so important. Teachers know that reading for pleasure can significantly impact a child’s education in terms of their performance in reading tests and their general well-being, vocabulary development, appreciation of other cultures, and knowledge. The implications of COVID-19 on reading for pleasure The pandemic’s wide-ranging impact on reading for pleasure is no surprise to anyone in the education sector. In 2020, the National Literacy Trust reported: • Children and young people’s levels of reading enjoyment continued to decline and were at their lowest since 2005. • Children and young people’s daily reading levels were at the lowest ever recorded, with just 25.8% of children saying they read daily in their free time in 2019. In 2021, the National Literacy Trust reported: • 1 in 2 (51.5%) children and young people said they enjoyed reading. This is slightly lower than the percentage recorded during the first spring lockdown in 2020 (55.9%) but higher than levels at the beginning of 2020. • 2 in 5 (44.6%) children and young people agreed that reading made them feel better. • ‘Reading to relax’ was one of the main reasons why children and young people were reading in early 2021, with 1 in 2 (52.7%) saying this, followed by ‘educational aspects’, namely helping to learn about new things (51.4%) and learning new words (49.8%). It is encouraging to see children and young people’s attitudes towards reading for enjoyment improve after the numerous Covid-related national lockdowns. Reflecting on the impact of the pandemic Rather than a blight on the future of a generation of children, the pandemic has led teachers and leaders to adapt and find alternative ways to inspire, engage, and accurately assess their pupils’ progress. The coronavirus outbreak highlighted the vital importance of technology for learning and as a tool to encourage reading for pleasure. As schools closed and physical books could no longer be swapped and taken home, many schools looked towards technology as a solution. Educational technology as a solution Access to texts to read online through programmes such as Reading Plus was a lifeline for schools and children during extended periods of home learning. Some of these programmes were developed in response to the pandemic, while others were already embedded as part of schools’ reading curriculum offer. And while some are designed purely to provide access to online texts, those that explicitly model best practices for reading development have enabled children to progress their reading skills, despite the closure of schools. Schools have been urged to seek technological solutions to teaching, learning and assessment. This ensures a smooth transition between year groups and key stages so children can continue developing age-appropriate skills. Thanks to teaching ingenuity and technology, the vulnerable and the most disadvantaged now have more opportunities. In addition, some children have perhaps read more during home-schooling than the traditional route. And while many children may not have a physical book in their house, being given hardware and software by their school has given them access to hundreds of online texts that are age-appropriate, ability levelled, and that provide direct and explicit instruction to improve their vocabulary, comprehension and fluency. Technology does not replace a book, the same way it does not replace teaching, but it can unlock the skills children need to read with metacognition. The impact of reading for pleasure A child who does not enjoy reading is less likely to read. A child who doesn’t read is less likely to develop reading efficiency, will not be exposed to a wide range of vocabulary, and is less likely to develop strong comprehension skills. These pupils are more likely to find reading difficult, lose their confidence in their reading ability, become further disengaged with reading, and lose confidence in their reading ability. How then do you teach a child to enjoy reading? To do that, you need to remove the obstacles that prevent reading from being a pleasurable experience. The obstacle of inefficient readers with low fluency To encourage reading for pleasure, we need to develop reading competence. Understanding why inefficient readers are so is a good place to start. Inefficient readers expend energy and attention simply trying to read the text, diverting attention from the critical step of information processing and understanding. As a result, inefficient readers may struggle with both comprehension and motivation to read – reading is slow and laborious, and their reading level is well below age-related expectations. Slow readers also read less and take in less information, which further sets them back. As with any activity, the more pupils read, the better they are at it. By making the act of reading more fluent, working memory is freed up to take in the meaning of the text. Weaker readers need well-structured, adaptive, and personalised reading interventions. The importance of automaticity in reading for pleasure One factor that distinguishes more successful readers from their less able peers is automaticity. That is, the ability to navigate lines of text, decode common words, and construct meaning from text without having to devote a great deal of conscious effort or attention to the process of reading. Automaticity develops from reading practice and the development of efficient, silent reading habits. With practice, word decoding speed increases, sight vocabulary expands, and word recognition becomes increasingly automatic. At some point, given sufficient exposure to appropriately levelled texts, an adequate percentage of words in a text will be sight words. According to prevailing theories, cognitive resources formerly required for word decoding can be redirected toward processes that support comprehension. How reading technologies can instil a lifelong love of reading The motivation to read and continue to read comes from curiosity about the text, knowing what you are successful at and the associated sense of achievement – and knowing what to do to
Wizard Theatre at the forefront of educational theatre and drama
Wizard Theatre has been at the forefront of educational theatre and drama for over twenty years, working in schools across England. The Power of Drama One their most significant achievements in recent years has been to introduce the Power of Drama programme, a unique series of transformative workshops nurturing children who struggle with a variety of issues, including confidence, language and social skills. The project aims to help pupils find their own voice and build their self-esteem, which in turn has a positive effect on both their academic and social life within the school. “I thoroughly recommend this course. The targeted children began fairly quietly and the aim was to develop their self-confidence through speaking and listening skills and activities. This was certainly achieved and the outcomes were excellent. I was amazed by their end of course presentations and their progress has been carried into the classroom and other areas of school life. We have seen a real improvement in their confidence and achievements.” David O’Farrell (Headteacher at St Bernadette’s Catholic Primary School, Harrow) “What a valuable use of our ‘pupil premium’ grant. Children in most need of the course looked forward to each session and were proud of their achievements during the sessions and at the final demonstration in front of their own teachers and me you could see the progress they had made and we were astounded by their dramatisations.” Mark Betts (Headteacher at St Joseph’s Junior School, Wembley) “At Sacred Heart we have seen very positive outcomes since the introduction of Wizard Theatre into our school. The impact on pupils’ learning is evident in the progress the pupils have made.” Susan Morahan (Deputy Headteacher at Sacred Heart Primary School, Ruislip) The company is passionate about the power of drama in the classroom to improve pupils’ confidence, self-esteem and establish positive relationship with friends and teachers. It is also a powerful tool to help you manage the classroom in a different and engaging way. As such Wizard has developed a teacher training programme suitable for inset days and twilight sessions, which gives delegates a toolbox of practical drama exercises and techniques that can be used immediately in the classroom. The workshop includes activities for focus, teamwork, expression, empathy and sequencing as well as non-verbal strategies too. It’s also guaranteed to be the most fun your staff will have in an inset too! “It was fantastic; I can see how these games/exercises would benefit the children (and staff). It was the perfect ice-breaker for new staff” St Agnes Primary School, Cricklewood “What a great INSET! Our staff had so much fun and learnt loads of activities to increase pupil engagement. Thanks Wizards – a great start to the new term, you have really motivated us!” St Joseph’s Primary School, Chalfont, Herts “A wonderfully inspiring workshop, thank you so much – thoroughly enjoyed and I feel all the staff benefited from it. Great variety, great encouragement from the trainers and really nicely layered activities” Uxendon Primary School, Brent Every year Wizard produces an autumn term show in association with award winning international theatre company Illyria. The production which tours from October to Christmas is a well-known classic with a contemporary twist and a strong social message. This year they will be presenting “Robin Hood” telling the story of the Evil Prince John and the Sheriff of Nottingham who tax the people into desperate poverty, till one man decides to fight back – Robin Hood! Wizard Theatre’s troupe of irrepressibly merry men present the most enduring of English legends. Packed full of music, wonderful character and most important of all bundles of fun! “an incredibly slick show” performed with “polish, precision and professionalism” British Theatre Guide “Great storytelling and fantastic acting, thoroughly entertained both adults and children and it was a pleasure working with the Wizard Theatre team” Jo Jacobs, Theatre Manager, The Leighton Buzzard Theatre “Superb” Daily Mail “Unmissable” The Scotsman “Boundless energy and fabulously executed comic scenes” Sunday Times “The language blossoms” Times Educational Supplement The company also has a range of specially designed workshops surrounding issues of drugs, safety matters, mental health awareness and pupil transition and development all bespoke to specific age groups to ensure suitability of the messages and information being relayed. This has also included performing to secondary schools across London with the GCSE Syllabus Mark Wheeler play “I Love You Mum, I Promise I Won’t Die” commissioned by the Daniel Spargo-Mabbs Foundation set up after the tragic death of the teenager. A hard-hitting play followed by a hugely informative workshop about the dangers of buying and taking drugs for recreational use. We would recommend if you haven’t looked at the range of work Wizard Theatre offers then visit their website www.wizardtheatre.co.uk to see some of the fantastic opportunities the company offers or call us on 0800 583 2373. Follow Wizard Theatre on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram
Scottish government proposes reduced use of restraint in schools
The Restraint Reduction Network (RRN) has welcomed the publication of the Scottish Government’s public consultation on draft guidance on the use of restraint in schools, Included, engaged and involved part 3: A relationship and rights based approach to physical intervention in Scottish Schools. The RRN said the consultation represented a significant step forward. It said amongst the UK nations, Scotland leads the way in promoting best practice and seeking to reduce the use of restraint including enforced isolation in schools. A spokesperson said: “We applaud the Scottish Government’s commitment to upholding the human rights of children and young people through their commitment to incorporating the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) into Scots law. “However, the Restraint Reduction Network supports calls for the guidance to be made a statutory requirement. In England, the Mental Health (Use of Force) Act 2018 has demonstrated the impact statutory guidance has on promoting culture change in the use of restraint. “While practice in education has not evolved at pace with practice in mental health and social care, we believe the publication of the consultation and draft guidance is an opportunity for the Scottish Government to move to enshrine in law the need to safeguard the rights of children and young people within schools. “Too many children and young people, often autistic children or those with learning disabilities, experience inappropriate restraint within educational settings – settings where they should be supported to thrive. We know that children with additional needs are more likely to experience restraint and enforced isolation than other pupils. “The Scottish Government draft guidance itself notes that the UN Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities stated the UK must “adopt appropriate measures to eradicate the use of restraint for reasons related to disability within all settings. “The current consultation represents an opportunity for the Scottish Government to lead the way for all UK nations to mandate guidance, improving practice and reducing the use of restraint.” The RRN said it welcomed a number of important inclusions within the guidance: Recognition that behaviour is a form of communication, and that distressed behaviour may indicate an unmet need. Clear differentiation in the definitions of pupil-led withdrawal and types of enforced isolation. The requirement that all forms of restraint in schools must be recorded. Acknowledgment of the need for post-incident support. The RRN has developed a Post-Incident Debriefing Toolkit, commissioned by NHS England, to improve specialist children and young people’s inpatient mental health, autism and learning disability services. It continued: “In our response to the consultation, the RRN will make the following suggestions: That the guidance should be a statutory requirement That, for transparency, definitions of restrictive practices within the guidance should be described separately from their justification for use The guidance could go further in preventing enforced isolation, in line with children’s homes and social care more broadly The guidance could have gone further (as is the case with NDIS in Australia) in banning certain types of physical restraint.” Quality Assurance in Training At the RRN Conference in 2021, Children’s Commissioners from all four United Kingdom nations voiced support quality assurance in restraint training used on children and young people. Regulating restraint training is essential; not doing so risks commissioning inadequate training, focussed on technical skill, restraint and use of force without sufficient focus on prevention, de-escalation or recovery. Ultimately this leaves vulnerable children unprotected. We welcome the recommendation that, where restraint is a foreseeable possibility, schools use restraint training that is certified as complying with the Restraint Reduction Network (RRN) Training Standards. The RRN Training Standards are a set of ethical training standards designed to protect human rights and support the minimisation of restrictive practices. The Mental Health Use of Force statutory guidance puts a statutory requirement for training and training providers to be certified as complying with the RRN training standards. There is a clear need for the Standards to be adopted as a statutory requirement in the devolved nations and within the education sector. Beth Morrison, RRN Trustee, said: “It is more than 7 years ago that I submitted my petition to the Scottish Parliamentary Petitions Committee, which resulted in the Children and Young Person’s Commissioner’s investigation. “Whilst the guidance represents significant progress, I am bitterly disappointed that the Scottish Government has refused to protect our most vulnerable children and young people, like my son Calum, in law. I fear guidelines will be ignored and children will continue to be physically and emotionally harmed. Why is this not statutory?” The RRN is optimistic that this moment provides an opportunity for the Scottish Government to demonstrate a lasting commitment to safe-guarding the rights of children and young people in schools and we call on them to make the guidance a statutory requirement. A strong stance in Scotland would lead the way for governments across the UK to follow suit.
Survey reveals generosity of teachers on Public Service Day – 23 June
New research released for Public Service Day has revealed that more than half (59%) of teachers joined education to make a positive difference to the lives of others and 53% have been involved in their local community since they started their career. The survey, carried out by Opinion Matters and commissioned by public sector and civil service membership club Boundless, painted a picture of public service workers as not only serving the country with distinction but also being the cornerstone of communities. The survey also revealed that the challenges everyone faced since March 2020 have brought communities together and made Britain feel more united as a society. Nearly a third of us (28%) think the effect of the pandemic has seen a sense of community grow. And it was the UK’s teachers, healthcare professionals and police officers who helped the nation through the difficult times. Other statistics included: • Nearly 1 in 5 (18%) of teachers have looked after their neighbours during their careers • More than a third (32%) of those in education say their workplace gives them a sense of community spirit • 1 in 10 teachers run sports teams for kids in their spare time Darren Milton at Boundless said: “Community spirit is clearly alive and well and growing across the country with our teachers and other public servants at the very heart of it. “People in public service roles routinely go the extra mile. In fact, the survey also revealed that more than half, 59%, of teachers joined up specifically because they wanted to make a positive difference to the lives of others.” That community spirit carries over into their personal lives, too, with 53% of teachers working voluntarily, helping neighbours and devoting time to charitable initiatives – a revelation that makes Public Service Day on Thursday 23 June even more poignant. As an example, Marva Rollins OBE has spent the last 40 years doing voluntary work outside of her roles: “I worked with the Sickle Cell Society, at a time when many of the doctors and nurses didn’t even know about sickle cell. We were trained to go into hospitals and people’s homes, and my phone number was the one that the hospital had, so 2o’clock in the morning I might get a call from a parent saying ‘I need help’. “At the moment, I’m a trustee for Success Club, which is a charity which goes into schools to help children with mindfulness. I’m also a patron of the Reach Society – the only female patrol, because it started out as an organisation for black professional males to coach young black men, but now it’s open to all people. “I’m still a governor of three schools, including a special school and one for neurodiverse children – many of which have very complex needs. I also work on a hotline for people working in education who are in distress, as things are not always good in education. I also help people to prepare for interviews. “I do a lot of volunteer work, it’s just who I am…you’ve got to keep busy.” Public Service Day was officially launched by the United Nations in 2003. Boundless began campaigning in 2019 for more national recognition and support for those working in the sector. For more information on Public Service Day, plus inspirational stories and tips on how to get involved, please visit www.boundless.co.uk/psdand engage on social media with @bemoreboundless using the hashtags #ExtraordinaryPeople and #PublicServiceDay.
New careers website tackles outdated stereotypes about careers in geography
Esri UK has announced a new Careers with GIS website, designed to inspire more students to study geography and GIS at GCSE, A-level and degree level, by highlighting the rewarding and exciting careers that these subjects lead to. Containing stories from real professionals working with GIS (Geographical Information Systems), from drone pilots and engineers to those tackling climate change or conserving wildlife, the website dispels the outdated stereotypes about which careers are open to those with geography qualifications. The rich variety of jobs included demonstrates how geospatial technology skills are currently in growing demand across many different sectors, particularly within the sustainability and environmental industries. Content on the site includes videos and interactive story maps to be used by teachers, parents/carers, careers advisors and students, to give inspiration when choosing subjects, helping people realise that studying geography and GIS is the first step towards a fulfilling career. Using filters, the site allows students to narrow down different job profiles which they are most interested in. Profiles include GIS experts working at Costain, Sustrans, The Rivers Trust, Plantlife International and the Scottish Wildlife Trust. “Teachers tell us that students face pressure to drop Geography because the huge range of well-paid and fulfilling jobs connected to the subject are invisible from the classroom. Careers with GIS has been created to reveal what’s out there, break down outdated stereotypes of what geographers do and who can be a geographer,” said Katie Hall, Education Manager, Esri UK. “The geospatial sector is currently crying out for new people – particularly with the growth of environmental and climate change related industries. Learning geography and GIS skills can help students find fulfilling careers, empowering them to make the world a better place.” For geography undergraduates thinking about future careers, the site gives advice on what skills they’ll need to gain during their degree to apply for a growing range of jobs. Other useful resources include links to job vacancies, the GeoMentor scheme, plus industry sites including the Royal Geographical Society, Black Geographers and Women in Geospatial. Steve Brace, Head of Education and Outdoor Learning, Royal Geographical Society, said: “From flying drones to working across Government, analysing Britain’s rivers or creating a new map of Qatar’s roads – Esri UK’s career materials illustrate the wide range of roles open to those who can apply their geographical expertise and GIS skills in the workplace. These jobs are helping businesses and governments achieve more and addressing the key challenges facing our societies and environment. So, if geography students want to see where GIS might take them, the Royal Geographical Society encourages them to find extra inspiration in Esri UK’s career profiles.” Simon Holland, Head of Faculty for Geography, Bilborough Sixth Form College, Nottingham, commented: “GIS is such a big growth area for careers and lots of our students progress to this industry, often finding out about these careers after studying geography at university. Therefore, it’s invaluable to have such an exciting GIS careers resource which features a diverse range of people, job roles and backgrounds, for use at an earlier stage in their careers journey. ‘Careers with GIS’ is an excellent resource for integrating careers into teaching and for enabling students to explore in more depth the diverse and exciting world of careers with GIS.” “The new website is different to other geography-related careers resources as it focuses on careers which use the technology and skills of GIS, which today includes interactive mapping, artificial intelligence, digital twins, drones and mobile apps,” concluded Hall. “The site is a long-term project which will see the content continue to grow – we’re now on the look-out for more professionals to feature on the site to help enthuse future GIS experts.”
Go Sketch art teacher asks ‘Is talent a myth?’
Emma Shannon from Go Sketch Club teaches art to children and adults and aims to develop young artists into self confident, imaginative and creative thinking adults of tomorrow. In this guest blog she explores the notion of talent and why many children are unfairly turned off art at a young age. Is talent a myth? As a young child, many of us would have easily picked up a crayon and started drawing with a sense of freedom and exploration. I remember vividly that feeling of excitement when I opened my sketchbook on a long train journey with my family or started painting with a new set of paints. When I became a primary school teacher, I enjoyed seeing this same joy when children were given the opportunity to draw or create a clay sculpture in class. However, for many, this sense of joy and abandon when creating art does not last. As we get older, many adults leave this pastime behind them. Drawing becomes something that children do with ease and adults do with caution. As an art teacher I have noticed that there is a sense of judgement that starts from about age 8 or 9 and grows into adulthood. Instead of being present in the moment while creating, we start thinking “Is this a good or a bad drawing?”. We look around at our classmates and we start comparing our drawing to others. As a teacher, I began to wonder what causes this shift in attitude from “I can draw” to “I can’t draw”. Is there anything I can do as a teacher to stop this transition? Around the time I set up Go Sketch Art Classes, I started listening more to what children, parents and other teachers started expressing around art education and one word kept popping up again and again. The word was ‘talent’. I would hear it in class when children would ask the ‘talented’ child to help them draw something. I would hear it in other teachers who would sometimes openly pick out a child as having talent in front of the other students. I would hear it in some of the art birthday parties I taught, when parents would come up to me and say (in front of the children), “James is the talented one in this group”. I would also hear about people not having this ‘talent’, especially when parents dropped off their children at one of our Go Sketch art classes. They would often say “I’m not creative or talented in art so I don’t know where my child gets it from!”. So what is this elusive ‘talent’ people keep talking about? Talent is defined as an ‘innate ability in a particular field’. Innate is defined as existing naturally rather than being learned through experience. Talent becomes a magical quality that you are either born with or not. In some ways, this can make the person with the ‘talent’ feel very special and what is the harm in that? It is a great feeling when someone sees something special in you and celebrates it. I suppose the downside to this belief in ‘talent’ for the ‘talented child’ is that it is lot to live up to and can cause problems if the said ‘talented’ child draws something they don’t like. I have seen this in action, where the ‘talented’ child is incredibly hard on themselves and sometimes stops trying to advance their drawing in the fear that they will draw something ‘not good’ and lose the magical label of ‘talented’. I believe this idea of talent can also be a factor in the shift from children thinking they can draw to suddenly and heartbreakingly believing that they can’t. If you believe in talent as an innate ability then art is simply a door that is open to the chosen few and the moment you draw something you don’t like, that door is slammed shut as proof that you do not have this magical quality within you. Drawing and painting becomes a cautious activity that people tiptoe around or avoid altogether. In the same way that someone seeing something special in you feels great, realising that you could be lacking in that special ability can feel horrible. So do I believe talent is a myth? In a word, yes, but I feel I need to explain this further. In my experience of teaching art over the years, to both children and adults, I have noticed a few things. The first thing is that people who are said to possess this ‘talent’ for art are very often the same people who have a deep passion for drawing, painting and creating. It is this passion that drives them to create art most days, filling sketchbooks and studios with their creations. Is it not this drive and hard work that results in artwork that they are proud of rather than an ability they were born with? I would say celebrating their effort and passion for their craft means more than simply saying that they were born with that ability. Secondly, if you ask any artist if they draw, paint or create something they don’t like sometimes, the answer is always yes! The creative process relies on people being able to experiment, try out new ideas and take risks. Therefore, it makes sense that the results of this exploration will sometimes create artwork the artist is happy with and sometimes create results that they are not happy with. But creating something you don’t like is just the beginning! We need to teach children to think like artists and keep shifting and changing their work until they get to the desired result rather than just stopping in their tracks. Finally, ‘talent’ relies on the belief that there is a desired standard of art to be reached. That a piece of art is either good or bad. As many children and adults will know, if they come to our art classes online or in person, I start every
Two-thirds of teachers doubt reliability of this year’s SATs
Teachers are so concerned about ongoing disruption to children’s education, the transition to secondary school and the reliability of last month’s Key Stage 2 SATs that they are going to extraordinary lengths to plug gaps in learning and skills, according to a new survey. The study of more than 1,000 teachers found that three-quarters of teachers (75%) are worried that incoming Year 7 students will be unprepared academically, while almost four-fifths (79%) are concerned that they won’t be ready emotionally or socially for secondary school. The sample was evenly split between primary and secondary teachers. The majority are particularly concerned about those children’s basic classroom skills (60% of respondents), behaviour (54%), and reading and literacy skills (52%). And significant minorities think pupil confidence (39%) and numeracy skills (38%) have also been affected. As a result, most schools (71%) are putting in place an extraordinary programme of measures to address gaps in learning and basic classroom skills, says the formative assessments provider GL Assessment who commissioned the research. Just under a half of teachers (46%) say their schools are planning to offer more pastoral or emotional support, a third (33%) plan to implement a more comprehensive reading programme and a quarter (26%) aim to broaden the curriculum to plug any gaps in students’ knowledge. Additional measures involve devoting more time to developing classroom skills (cited by 24% of teachers) and numeracy skills (22%) as well as putting on additional early morning or after-school classes (20%). Teachers overwhelmingly think that disruption to the education system will affect children’s performance in this year’s Key Stage 2 SATs and make the results less reliable. Two-thirds (65%) think this year’s SATs will be less reliable than in pre-pandemic years and four-fifths (82%) say pupil performance will be affected by the disruption caused by serial lockdowns. Only one in five (19%) think this year’s results will be as reliable as before. Primary teachers are even more concerned than secondary school teachers – 71% of the former think SATs will be less reliable this year compared to 58% of their colleagues in secondary schools, and 88% of them think pupil performance will be affected (versus 77% of the secondary school teachers). So concerned are school leaders, that a fifth of them (20%) are considering drafting in specialist or primary expertise to help students tackle any learning needs. If anything, school leaders are even more worried – they tended to register higher concerns on all issues than more junior colleagues. Geoff Barton, ASCL General Secretary, said: “The research findings show that school leaders and teachers, in both phases, have deep concerns for pupils making the transition this year, both in terms of the impact of the disruption to their learning and their emotional and social preparedness. This reflects what our own members have been telling us, particularly in relation to the pastoral support that leaders are finding huge demand for across all key stages. “But the findings also highlight the work that schools and trusts are proactively doing to address many of these issues with the cohort transitioning this summer. It illustrates the determination leaders and teachers have for ensuring that these children have the best possible start to their secondary education.” Graeme Duncan, Chief Executive of the charity Right to Succeed, said: “In this post-pandemic era, now more than ever schools need to collaborate to meet the increasing cognitive, social and emotional needs of children and young people. We’ve seen amazing results when schools work collectively on key themes such as literacy, inclusion and wellbeing in places like Blackpool and North Birkenhead. To support this collective working, a shared measurement framework like those offered by GL Assessment can help to understand where the needs are, demonstrate impact and help schools in better supporting their children and young people.” Crispin Chatterton, Director of Education at GL Assessment, said: “Schools are going above and beyond to tackle any lingering consequences of the pandemic. But we shouldn’t be under any illusions that this year’s transition to secondary school will be anything other than extraordinarily challenging for many students and teachers. “Most schools have moved swiftly to bring in additional support where they can. And if there are issues – from gaps in student literacy and numeracy to worries over children’s emotional resilience and classroom skills – schools can use standardised assessment to understand the needs of the new cohort and spot which children might need additional support quickly and reliably.” Teachers can find out more on GL Assessment’s dedicated website – ‘The Transition Conversation’ – from 13 June 2022: www.reports.gl-assessment.co.uk/the-transition-conversation YouGov surveyed 1,006 primary and secondary school teachers in England online for GL Assessment. Fieldwork was undertaken between 14-26 April 2022.