OFSTED Updates for implementation in January 2015

Just as teachers are about to embark on the Christmas holidays OFSTED have just published a few documents for implementation in January.

Safeguarding – This is a comprehensive guide for inspectors on what to look for in schools  to ensure safeguarding is a priority in schools. – https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/inspecting-safeguarding-in-maintained-schools-and-academies-briefing-for-section-5-inspections

It states in section 9 that;

Definition of safeguarding

1. Ofsted adopts the definition used in the Children Act 2004 and in ‘Working together to safeguard children’. This can be summarised as:

• protecting children from maltreatment
• preventing impairment of children’s health or development
• ensuring that children are growing up in circumstances consistent with the provision of safe and effective care
• taking action to enable all children to have the best outcomes.

1. Safeguarding is not just about protecting children from deliberate harm. It relates to aspects of school life including:

• pupils’ health and safety
• the use of reasonable force
• meeting the needs of pupils with medical conditions
• providing first aid
• educational visits
• intimate care
• internet or e-safety
• appropriate arrangements to ensure school security, taking into account the local context.

Safeguarding can involve a range of potential issues such as:

• bullying, including cyberbullying (by text message, on social networking sites, and so on) and prejudice-based bullying
• racist, disability, and homophobic or transphobic abuse
• radicalisation and extremist behaviour
• child sexual exploitation
•  sexting
• substance misuse
• issues that may be specific to a local area or population, for example gang activity and youth violence
• particular issues affecting children including domestic violence, sexual exploitation, female genital mutilation and forced marriage.

and section 30 describes … The responsibilities placed on governing bodies and proprietors include:

• their contribution to inter-agency working, which includes providing a coordinated offer of early help when additional needs of children are identified
• ensuring that an effective child protection policy is in place, together with a staff behaviour policy
• appointing a designated safeguarding lead who should undergo child protection training every two years
• prioritising the welfare of children and young people and creating a culture where staff are confident to challenge senior leaders over any safeguarding concerns

Also new today are:

Inspecting schools: questionnaire for school staff – https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/inspection-questionnaire-for-school-staff  which includes;

 

	(please tick)	Strongly agree	Agree	Disagree	Strongly disagree
1	I am proud to be a member of staff at this school.
2	Children are safe at this school.
3	Behaviour is good in this school.
4	The behaviour of pupils is consistently well managed.
5	The school deals with any cases of bullying effectively (bullying includes persistent name-calling, cyber, racist and homophobic bullying).
6	Leaders do all they can to improve teaching.
7	The school makes appropriate provision for my professional development.
8	The school successfully meets the differing needs of individual pupils.
9	I know what we are trying to achieve as a school.
10	All staff consistently apply school policies.
11	The school is well led and managed.

Inspecting Schools Framework – https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/the-framework-for-school-inspection

A handbook for Inspectors – https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/school-inspection-handbook

 

Design Technology – How to support EAL learners

Design Technology is a practical subject with elements that require explanation of ideas, development of ideas using a mix of drawing and text, planning and at the end of everything evaluation. These areas are often neglected to be mentioned by senior managers as they often believe that the written element is so small it contributes little to the practical component. However this is not true in the classroom.

In the classroom young people often find it difficult to express the ideas in their heads when the classroom language is English and their first language is the same, but put your self in the shoes of an eight or thirteen year old whose first language is not English.

It is worth thinking about this at the planning stages what tools, including websites and withdrawal classes for pre teaching support, will you ensure you have to hand to support the child through the learning process?

What words will the child need to know to effectively evaluate or predict? How will you ensure that they learn these academic words alongside the other skills and practical language and skills they are learning? What is your plan if some one new is integrated into the class when you have done the groundwork with others?

Pupils who are at the emergent, developing and consolidating levels of learning EAL will benefit from planned interventions and structures to ensure they develop the language skills they need to fully access the curriculum and produce work and portfolios at the appropriate level. This cannot be left to chance it must be planned for, including ensuring if words are to be learnt they are learnt in context. Too often classrooms and workshops that I have observed, have words that may appear random to someone with very or little language of the classroom. If you must put up words, use pictures to show the product/concept and a sentence with it in context for the children to use as their starting point.

One thing you can do is to recognise the benefits of pupils using their first language at all stages of the design process and also support them to keep the language alive as this supports 2nd language acquisition, increases their self-esteem and can lead to decreased bullying incidents.