The Victoria government (Australia) released this summary of personalised learning by tracking its evolution across several countries including the UK. Besides a useful history of the emergence of personalised learning, both internationally and nationally, the report also highlights case studies and emerging practice in implementation.
The National College for School Laadership commissioned NFER to research the links between school leadership and Every Child Matters (ECM). Their report has 6 key messages:
1. Effective school leaders are able to fully convince the staff in their school that a focus on ECM can raise standards and that ECM complements, rather than conflicts with, the standards agenda.
2. ECM cannot be achieved by a single school leader: effective school leaders share leadership responsibilities widely amongst the professionals working within the school
3. ECM outcomes cannot be achieved by the school alone: effective school leaders adopt a collaborative approach with other schools, agencies and services
4. ECM has widened school leaders’ role and led to an emerging model involving
leadership beyond their own institution, within the wider community
5. Effective school leaders believe in genuine student, parent, and community
consultation in order to develop locally responsive solutions to ECM
6. To implement ECM effectively, school leaders will require new skills: effective school leaders engage in ongoing professional development and promote a whole-school learning culture.
This Local Government Association commissioned research completed by the NFER examined the literature to find effective strategies in reducing delivering the 5 Every Child Matters outcomes for vulnerable children.
Key findings:
- strategies promoting children’s health, safety and economic stability all help to provide the necessary conditions to support effective and enjoyable learning and raise achievement
- interventions to remediate disadvantage and narrow the gap in outcomes for vulnerable groups need a long-term focus
- interventions which adopt an holistic and joined-up approach dealing with the range of obstacles and negative influences holding children back are the most effective
- interventions that focus on the whole family and involve children learning and working with their parents/carers are some of the most effective
- interventions need to build upon the positive elements and experiences of children’s and family lives and take account of value and belief systems.
This NFER research briefing examined the role of social care professionals within extended schools from the view of service users and professional groups.
Key findings:
- both social care and education professionals reported that through the school environment they could provide an appropriate environment for social care provision
- integrating social care into extended schools required a shift in working practices for both agencies and, in the early stages, led to challenges in adapting to a new culture
- the benefits are seen as significant and the challenges are felt to be negotiable
- The three main benefits highlighted were:
- earlier identification of needs and quicker access to service;
- a better understanding between social care and education colleagues; and
- offering a more coherent support package
The researchers conclude that linking social care professionals and extended schools is a successful way of integrating services and an effective response to ECM. It also assists the shift in working practices towards joint initiatives. It aids preventative work and can ease the pressure of workload for social workers. There is the opportunity for further research into the longitudinal impact of social care professionals in extended schools.
The DCSF have announced the 15 Local Authority pathfinders to pilot the "think family" approach, a 3 year strategy attracting £16million across England.
Within Yorkshire & Humber this includes Leeds Local Authority, who are also one of the 6 Local Authorities to pilot the Extended Family Pathfinder for Young Carers.
First announced in the 10yr. Children's Plan, the Family Pathfinder project has a history:
- Whitehall (Cabinet Office) started a review into families at risk in 2007, with various reports. They created a definition of what was meant by families at risk and gathering background information (click for link)
- The final report of the group resulted in a strategy called "think family" and a framework for how this will look, regarding public service provision.
- The suggestion to move towards pathfinders, to experiment and share results, was seen as the logical next step.
A report by the Institute for Public Policy Research reflects on the economic, social and political trends and changes to the role and expectations of teachers within the last 20 years before going on to illustrate how the difference between a good and a bad teacher can equate to 1 GCSE grade and that whilst a focus does exist on poorly performing teachers there is concern about how to improve those teachers who are deemed "uninspiring".
Teaching of psychological skills are important, but the professional development for teachers to develop skills in this area is weak.
Within limitations, the authors suggest certain characteristics which make an effective teacher. These include high levels of literacy and the teachers academic ability, which affects student attainment more than any other measure.
The authors state that teacher training should be more contextually specific and personalised the individual needs.
Amongst the headlines on the BBC and others include:
- That the current intake of teachers does not reflect the brightest graduates (in the UK it is the top 30% of graduates, whereas in other countries it is the top 10% or even 5%).
- Part of the reason for failing to attract the best is the lack of continued professional development (pay was found to have no effect).
- 1 years training is inadequate.
- 5 days teacher training per year is inadequate (suggest it should be 20).
- The role of school based mentors can be better developed.
The report also notes how different skills are needed to teach vocational subjects, something to become more prevalent with the changes at 14-19.
Click on image to hear an interview with the report's author and a leader from the NUT (from Radio 4's Today, 6-5-08)
Click on BBC News to see their report (6-5-08)
Posts
All Comments
