Newsround
What’s been newsworthy in the world of education?
- Read Ofsted’s latest report ‘Growing up neglected: a multi-agency response to older children‘ which examines the multi-agency response to older children who are living with neglect following 6 inspections of local authority areas. For me, their key quote is this…
Children are not the problem. Older children still need parental care and support. Professionals are not always doing the work to tackle neglectful parenting.
Their Executive Summary says,
1. Neglect of older children sometimes goes unseen.
2. Work with parents to address the neglect of older children does not always happen.
3. Adult services in most areas are not effective in identifying potential neglect of older children.
4. The behaviour of older children must be understood in the context of trauma.
5. Tackling neglect of older children requires a coordinated strategic approach across all agencies.
- See also Ofsted’s ‘School inspection update: academic year 2017 to 2018‘ full of useful information and clarifications. Of particular note is what they have to say about safeguarding and the tragic case of Chadrack Mbala-Mulo and a reminder that….
Children who do not attend school can become hidden, which means that agencies are less able to help and protect them. Some of these children may experience risks within their family, such as abuse and neglect. Ofsted’s inspections of schools will continue to focus strongly on children who are missing or not being educated in school as part of assessing the effectiveness of schools’ safeguarding arrangements.
- Working Together to Safeguard Children guidance sets out new requirements for improved partnerships to protect children at risk. Some of the changes include:
* equal duties placed on the police, Clinical Commissioning Groups (CCGs) and local authorities to work together on safeguarding decisions and to promote children’s welfare;
* placing greater accountability on senior leaders for each agency: the council Chief Executive, the accounting officer of a CCG and the Chief Officer of Police;
* strengthening expectations on schools and other educational settings that they must co-operate with the multi-agency safeguarding arrangements;
* extending safeguarding responsibilities to sports clubs and religious organisations in recognition of their important role in working with and protecting children and young people;
- Dr Sue Gifford and Helen Williams point out that key aspects of mathematics are missing from the New Early Learning Goals including problem solving and the entire “shape, space and measures” goal. They also say that “Inappropriate and over-ambitious targets are likely to discourage teaching for depth and understanding.”
- It’s great to see that Damian Hinds is telling schools that ‘off-roll’ special needs pupils to improve league table rankings are out of order
I want to be clear right now – this is not okay. Special educational needs pupils are not someone else’s problem.
- The Daily Telegraph report that the headteachers of Eton College and Harrow School have been summoned to Downing Street and told to explain how they will share more resources with state schools.
- A survey by the National Education Union of 1,200 primary teachers found that 9 out of 10 primary school teachers felt Sats were detrimental to children’s wellbeing.
- Amanda Spielman’s speech to the Policy Exchange think tank discussed the importance of promoting British values in schools and Ofsted’s role in making sure this is done well. She says,
When it comes to British values, we often see an oddly piecemeal approach, which too seldom builds the teaching into a strong context….More generally, we see a lot of wall displays and motivational assemblies, but not much coherent thinking about how a real depth of understanding can be built.,.