Curriculum review launches call for evidence
Professor Becky Francis warns that the current system is failing a third of pupils and says the review will focus on disadvantaged students
Falling rolls hit LA schools hardest
The National Foundation of Educational Research has published evidence exploring the characteristics of primaries hit by steep falls in pupil numbers.
Education at the Labour conference: what happened?
Education secretary, Bridget Phillipson, delivered her first Labour Party conference speech since she was appointed as education secretary. Here's what she said.
North backs ban on junk food advertising
The North East is among nine areas that will ban unhealthy food promotions on public transport systems in a bid to support children and young people.
How one academy is connecting partnerships to place
Dormanstown Primary Academy in Redcar and Cleveland recently pioneered a creative approach to fostering local partnerships through place-based solutions.
Research & analysis
Research: Caring and classes - the education gap for young carers
[Carers Trust, 2024]
This is a 'must read' for organisations and schools committed to both understanding and tackling inequality.
The report, Caring and classes: the education gap for young carers, sets out the state of young carers’ educational attainment and opportunities in England in 2024.
The findings are based on a combination of surveys, focus groups and individual interviews with young carers, parents and school/college staff.
In addition, a series of polls has captured the views of approximately 25,000 pupils and over 8,000 teachers across England.
Young carers are missing out on 23 days of schooling every year on average; and more than half of the teachers surveyed told researchers that they didn’t think young carers in their schools receive sufficient support.
The report from Carers Trust also sets out policy and practice solutions, as well as recommendations for better identification of, and support for, young carers throughout their education.
This includes calling for (and modelling) a Young Carers Pupil Premium.
Research: State of the Nation Report 2024
Local to National, Mapping Opportunities for All
[Social Mobility Commission, 2024]
The State of the Nation 2024 report offers an in-depth examination of social mobility across the UK, focusing on local-level trends.
The report expands on the Social Mobility Index, analyzing social mobility across different local authorities to identify areas where progress is most and least effective.
It also includes detailed insights on factors such as gender, ethnicity, and disability, which can be explored further through an online tool.
Key themes:
Geography – Young people in London and the surrounding Home Counties continue to experience better social mobility opportunities. In contrast, local authorities with fewer opportunities for young people are often found in the North East and North West of England, as well as in older industrial and port towns.
Intermediate outcomes (school and young adulthood) – The gap in educational attainment between pupils eligible for free school meals and those who are not has remained relatively stable since last year. However, opportunities for young adults have improved, and there has been a reduction in the socioeconomic background (SEB) gap in university enrolment between 2014 and 2022.
Social Mobility Trends (factors influencing social mobility) – While trends in the key factors enabling social mobility appear to have generally been positive, significant challenges remain. Since 2012, the percentage of children living in relative poverty has increased, currently standing at around 30%.
Research/analysis: The problem with research in real-life schools
Demystifying research in the busy school environment
[Harris and Mayle 2024; Chartered College of Teaching & Tees Valley Education]
I'm delighted to share that this paper is now live via Impact and the Chartered College of Teaching.
In the paper, Stuart Mayle (Brambles Primary Academy) and I (PLACE, Tees Valley Education) explore why research can be problematic for schools.
We also explore some of the ways in which phrases like 'research informed' or 'evidence based' can lead to a sense of 'othering' in schools.
The paper explores some actionable and road-tested approaches to helping develop a lens of curiosity in busy and complex school environments.
Research is important, but it also needs to be accessible and digestible for those leaders and educators that are busy or fresh to it. We share some of the ways in which Tees Valley Education and partner organisations are doing this.
This paper helps to inform some of the thinking behind this latest project announced by the Education Endowment Foundation (EEF) so be sure to keep following this substack for further updates.
Thanks also to Professor Stuart Kime and the team at Evidence Based Education for developing our curiosity on these topics.
Research: Overcoming socioeconomic adversity
Academic resilience in mathematics achievement among children and adolescents in Ireland
[Sheehan and Hadfield 2024; British Journal of Developmental Psychology]
This research explores factors that influence academic resilience in children from low-income backgrounds, focusing on mathematics performance during adolescence.
Using data from the Growing Up in Ireland study, which followed 1,715 adolescents over three stages (ages 9, 13, and 17/18), the study identifies key predictors of academic success among those facing poverty-related barriers to learning.
Findings show that maths performance tended to be lower when adolescents experienced more socioemotional and behavioural difficulties, greater conflict with parents, or when their parents had lower expectations for their academic success.
Additionally, primary caregivers' lower levels of education were linked to poorer outcomes.
On the other hand, adolescents with a stronger intellectual self-concept and those attending non-disadvantaged schools seemingly performed better in maths.
This research highlights that academic resilience is influenced by multiple, changeable factors at different levels, offering insights into potential strategies for supporting children and young people facing poverty-related barriers to learning.
Blog: The problem with 'problems' in education (and other sectors)
[Harris, 2024]
As part of our PLACE work in the North East, we have been capturing some of our key learning to share with partnerships and organisations nationally.
In this latest blog, I explore why a theory of change and problem analysis can be especially useful in better understanding inequality in communities.
I also share some practical tools that can be used by schools, communities and other organisations to form clarity about complex problems (e.g. Disadvantage, inequality etc)
Please do share the blog with your colleagues.
Thanks to the generosity of Bloomberg and Fair Education Alliance, I'm also available for traded work through our PLACE project to support any teams/organisations that want to further make use of these approaches.
Just drop me a note here if you're interested in knowing more
Podcast: Working effectively with other adults in the classroom
[SecEd, 2024]
Stream or download the podcast here
The role of teaching assistants and other support staff are vital in supporting all pupils, especially those facing poverty-related barriers to learning.
This podcast discusses the role of teaching assistants (TAs) in secondary schools, focusing on the skills, training, and professional development (CPD) they need to be effective.
The conversation explores how teachers can collaborate with TAs to improve teaching and learning, and the best ways to deploy TAs in the classroom.
Key topics include rethinking traditional one-on-one support roles for TAs, their involvement in delivering interventions, and the importance of strong communication between teachers and TAs. The discussion also highlights the role TAs play in supporting students' social and emotional development.
The episode is hosted by Matt Bromley, with insights from guest experts Abigail Joachim, Nicola Kenny, and Sara Alston, all of whom have extensive backgrounds in special educational needs (SEND), teaching, and professional development for TAs.
Opportunities
Evaluating the School Fruit and Vegetable Scheme
Primary school responses needed!
The School of Food Science and Nutrition at the University of Leeds is conducting an evaluation of the School Fruit and Vegetable Scheme (SFVS), which provides a free daily portion of fruit or vegetables to children in reception and Key Stage 1 at state primary schools.
This study, in collaboration with key stakeholders, aims to assess whether the SFVS promotes healthier eating habits in children and will explore whether the scheme should be continued in its current form, modified, or discontinued.
The School of Food Science and Nutrition invites your participation in co-designing this project, including the development of materials such as surveys and creative methods.
Your input will help ensure that the research asks the right questions and that data collection methods are robust, easy to understand, and simple to implement.
Please take a moment to answer the brief questions to support the design of a co-design workshop with key stakeholders.
Curriculum and subject specific professional development
25 October 2024
The PTI, in partnership with Tees Valley Education, offers a wide range of one-day CPD courses for teachers throughout the school year.
Our continuing professional development days are focused on subject knowledge enhancement and engaging teaching & learning ideas for the classroom.
This forthcoming event will support schools to support teachers to develop specialist subject knowledge in History through attending high-quality subject-specific CPD and workshops on the day.
Find out more via the image below or this link here.
Coming Soon: Tackling Poverty and Disadvantage in Schools
I am delighted to be able to give you a preview of this very exciting forthcoming project.
I am proud to have co-authored this book with a range of contributors nationally from across different sectors.
This book is aimed at those working or alongside the education sector, especially in tackling inequality.
It contains actionable, road-tested approaches to understanding and tackling poverty in schools
The stark reality of poverty and disadvantage in our communities is one of the biggest challenges faced by schools today. Schools need better understanding of the broader impact of poverty and disadvantage and what they can do about it – that's where this book comes in.
The book contains a host of resources and research links to support leaders in navigating the complexities of poverty and tackling them in local place-based contexts of their school.
All royalties from the book are being used to support children and community projects in the Tees Valley, so please do consider purchasing a copy and sharing with your teams.
Watch this space for updates about events, resources and news about the project!
We'll also have a cover to share with you soon too.
Pre-order your copy here or from other book retailers.