`A valuable collection of columns that promotes an enlightened, progressive way of practising and thinking about education. It shows that teachers who operate at the sharp end of school life have reasons to be optimistic too′ - Will Woodward, Editor, Education Guardian Sonia Blandford′s weekly Masterclass columns proved a hit with readers when they appeared in The Guardian. Now, for the first time, readers can enjoy a selection of Sonia′s columns in one book. Each chapter focuses on a current issue being faced by practitioners and school leaders, and draws on real-life events and case studies to provide practical solutions. The book includes: " advice on creation and implementation of policies " practical guidance on behaviour management " consideration of workforce reform and its impact on practice " discussion points at the end of each chapter This book is an excellent starting point for NQTs, Teachers and Teacher Trainers looking for an informative and entertaining route into discussing some of the more pressing problems in education today.
Sonia Blandford, CEO of award-winning charity Achievement for All, writes brilliantly and honestly about the facing up to the realities of the white working class and how to address social mobility from the inside. No-one in the UK is better placed than Sonia to write about the struggles of white working class pupils in our schools. She grew up on the Allied Estate in Hounslow and was the first member of her family to pursue education beyond the age of 14 and was also the first to attend university. Sonia lost her mother when she took an accidental overdose, when she couldn't read the doctor's prescription. This tragic failing served as one of the inspirations for her to set up the award-winning Achievement for All organisation, who work with thousands of schools to help close the attainment gap. Born to Fail? tackles head-on issues such as why education often doesn't matter to the working class; how education has failed to deliver for them; the importance of self-belief, action and confidence; and how the Early Years is the crucial time to build success from the start.
Social Mobility: Chance or Choice?, a sequel to `Born to Fail? Social Mobility, a Working Class View' (October 2017), sets out the current chances and choices available for those considered by the establishment to need social mobility. Revisiting mutuality, Sonia Blandford asks whether we care enough as a society by considering the issues, solutions and impact to the education and social issues that push against the chance or choice of social mobility. Citing the views from interviews with education and business leaders, Social Mobility: Chance or Choice? reflects on the changing skillsets and capacities of workers required by employers, business and industry and the inescapable conclusion that the skillsets and capacities will continue to change in ways that are almost impossible for us to predict. In these contexts, we must question whether the traditional acme and 'recognised journey' of educational achievement – maximising university entrance – is still relevant or useful for working-class children and young people and children facing disadvantage. Apprenticeships, at their best, can offer an updated and forward-facing solution to the providing choice for working-class and all children and young people. Despite current policy developments to encourage meaningful apprenticeships, apprenticeship programmes are experiencing challenges. Social Mobility: Chance or Choice? argues that applied learning and work-based learning should be more accessible and available to all children and young people. If we are serious about unleashing the talent of all children and young people, regardless of their background, challenges or needs, we must consider new and innovative approaches to post-14 education. If we are to unleash the potential of all children and young people, the role of Further Education needs to be respected and understood. Quality Further Education and training in partnership with business is a credible answer to social mobility. Further Education is an underused but ideally placed sector to develop meaningful change for working-class young people, providing real chances and choices. Beginning with Leaders - professionals, practitioners, parents or carers, and members of society have a shared responsibility to ensure that all children and young people have a right to chance or choice and support these opportunities. Building a society that is truly inclusive.
The organisation Achievement for All engaged in international projects in England, Latvia, Lithuania, Norway, South Korea, the United States of America and Wales with the aim of raising the aspirations, access and achievements of vulnerable and disadvantaged children and young people. These projects were united in bringing Special Educational Needs and Disability (SEND) back into the classroom by focusing on the relationship between parents, leaders, teachers and wider professionals. Achievement for All in International Classrooms examines these projects, looking at the context of each and the research findings, before considering how this could enhance knowledge and understanding in other international settings. Sonia Blandford examines the policy implications needed to bring SEND into the classroom, understanding of the scale of the issue, moral purpose, belief, commitment, collaboration and determination, through evaluation, research and practice. She also considers what it takes to change practice, bringing Achievement for All and SEND into the classroom, looking in particular at the implications for: - Leadership - Teaching and learning - Parent and carer engagement - Wider outcomes and opportunities - Professional development for all staff Drawing on her wealth of experience and expertise, Blandford then makes recommendations on what it would take to introduce Achievement for All in policy to bring SEND into the classroom, with particular reference to changes at national, regional and school level, as well as parental and carer engagement and a desire to improve outcomes for all children and young people.
This is a most worthwhile book which contributes significantly to the general body of knowledge on managing pupils with special education needs. I found it interesting and informative. Schools cannot but benefit from the book's scope, and from insights into the many and varied aspects on SEN provision' - REACH `A particular strength of the book is the way in which individual chapters provided "self-contained" material which lends itself for use in school-based staff development activities. The book includes a lot of information that SENCOs, inclusion managers and members of school leadership teams should find useful' - SENCO Update `The strongest point about this book is that it gives a good overview of the history of special educational needs policy in this country, including recent development on inclusion' - TES Extra Special Needs 'It is a very practical account and should be a handbook for any newly appointed SENCO... [while] for experienced SENCOs and organisations where inclusion is not an issue, this book is a reminder of good practice' - Special Written from a practitioner's perspective, this book shows schools how to effectively implement and manage an inclusive school environment. Drawing from their experience in a range of schools, the authors highlight the problems encountered by professionals in both primary and secondary school settings and offer practical solutions and advice. The book offers guidance on: the role of the SENCO as a teacher and manager; government policy and legislation; self-evaluation, good practice and monitoring; how to relate SEN to school targets and development plans. Primary and secondary school teachers, headteachers, student teachers, SENCOs, LEA Advisers and professionals involved in the management of Special Educational Needs in schools will find the practical support offered in this book invaluable.
The importance of professional development for teachers cannot be overstated. In recent years there has been much debate on how to raise standards in schools and it is now recognised by theorists, policy-makers and practitioners that the professional development of teachers is an important factor in this context. For professional development co-ordinators and senior management, knowledge and understanding of the nature of professional development roles and human resource management theories will provide a framework for practice. This book includes chapters on: *managing professional development in a human resources context *government policy *initial teacher training *the school development plan *appraisal *middle management *leadership skills. It will be of interest to co-ordinators of professional development in schools and across local education authorities, and to anyone who is part of a school's senior management team.
All children deserve a good education, where barriers to learning are addressed and teachers have the knowledge and support to raise their aspirations and achievement. The Achievement for All programme is a tried-and-tested whole-school strategy for raising the aspirations and attainment of the most vulnerable learners in any school setting (0-19), including those with special educational needs, disabilities and English as an additional language. A two-year pilot demonstrated unprecedented impact for pupils with SEND, who progressed faster on average than all pupils nationally in English and M.
Written by Professor Sonia Blandford of the award-winning charity Achievement for All. DON'T LIKE MONDAYS? is a feast of facts, personal stories and practical ideas from children and young people for children and young people. This book aims to enrich the educational experience for those who find school tough, and to empower them to make a change in the classroom that enable them to progress and will benefit everyone else too.
Written by Professor Sonia Blandford of award-winning charity Achievement for All, TAKE THE LEAD is a book for school leaders. It taps into their ambitions to ensure every pupil on their register makes progress above national expectations and shares the framework Achievement for All offers which enables them to do that. Packed with ideas and experience from Sonia's team and the leaders she's working with.
Sonia Blandford's 'Masterclass' columns proved a hit with readers when they appeared in the Guardian newspaper. Now, for the first time, readers can enjoy a selection of Sonia's column in one book.
Written by Professor Sonia Blandford of award-winning charity Achievement for All. LOVE TO TEACH takes a fresh look at the challenges facing teaching staff today and explores how they can meet them in a way that optimises both their sense of wellbeing and job satisfaction and ensures that every pupil in their class makes progress above national expectation.
Written by Professor Sonia Blandford of the award-winning charity Achievement for All. MAKE SCHOOL BETTER looks at the pivotal role all parents and carers can have in their child's experience of education, and the practical things they can do right now to make sure school's a better place to be, no matter what individual challenges children face, and ensures that all children makes progress above national expectations.
Bloomsbury CPD Library: Raising Attainment in the Primary Classroom is a complete guide for primary teachers to assess, plan and excel in raising the attainment of every child. Children begin school with considerable differences in their literacy and maths skills. For some children, this gap widens as they go through school and may never close, leaving them without the basic levels required to succeed at secondary school. Experts Sonia Blandford and Catherine Knowles set out to help you understand the theory underpinning aspiration, access and achievement, and what you can do to close the achievement gap in your school. Bloomsbury CPD Library: Raising Attainment in the Primary Classroom specifically focuses on increasing access and raising aspirations of pupils as a means to improving attainment. This easy-to-follow title in the Bloomsbury CPD Library uses self-evaluation tasks and a full set of helpful, ready-to-use training plans for hours of CPD sessions so you can offer your colleagues effective training in this crucial area to ensure every child in your school fulfils their potential. It is a full guide to raising attainment in the primary classroom that is split into two sections: teach yourself and train others. All hand-outs and presentations are provided in the book and are available as a free download from the companion website.
Teaching and Learning to Unlock Social Mobility for Every Child is a topical and insightful text that guides readers through evidence-based practice that will improve outcomes for all involved in education, increasing social mobility and inclusion in every sense. In the past 30 years, how children and young people learn has changed considerably as challenges of social mobility become more apparent. Cultural and social economic disadvantage is evident, as is the need to focus on mutuality in education, whereby all children and young people are valued regardless of their background, challenges or needs. In this context, Teaching and Learning to Unlock Social Mobility for Every Child is the first work to capture and clearly explain practical teaching and learning approaches that can be used in any school. It circles around the creativity and technology of pedagogy, exploring an educational agenda that is genuinely rooted in social mobility for all children. Written accessibly and full of case studies, this book is intended to guide practitioners and stakeholders at all levels of education from school leaders to researchers, students and teachers. It will help them to impart the skills and capacities which children and young people require to drive their future social mobility and address the challenges they will face on their own terms.
Developing Professional Practice 0-7 provides a thoroughly comprehensive and cutting edge guide to developing the understanding and practical skills necessary for working within early years education. The new edition is fully updated for the revised Early Years Foundation Stage Statutory Framework. The updated edition covers all core topics associated with developing effective professional practice, including leadership and management, personalised learning and continuing professional development. There is also a strong focus on parent/carer engagement, setting accountability for the lowest attaining groups, the parent/carer and child voice in education, transition, SEND reform, early intervention, and developing leadership at all levels including as a business model. Readers can explore in-depth issues, and take ownership of them, by applying theory to real practice in schools and early years settings. Chapter contents are directly linked to the Early Years Teacher Standards, providing a clear understanding of how the content relates to competencies and allowing readers to reflect critically on best practice. Discussion points and case studies further connect theory to practice and offer a genuinely accessible and engaging introduction to supporting the education of babies, toddlers and young children. This vibrant, dynamic and interactive approach uses examples of real practice, along with a range of additional features tailored to support the reader in developing their knowledge, skills and understanding. Developing Professional Practice 0-7 is essential reading for anyone training to work in the early years, and an invaluable resource for all those already in the early stages of their careers.
`A valuable collection of columns that promotes an enlightened, progressive way of practising and thinking about education. It shows that teachers who operate at the sharp end of school life have reasons to be optimistic too′ - Will Woodward, Editor, Education Guardian Sonia Blandford′s weekly Masterclass columns proved a hit with readers when they appeared in The Guardian. Now, for the first time, readers can enjoy a selection of Sonia′s columns in one book. Each chapter focuses on a current issue being faced by practitioners and school leaders, and draws on real-life events and case studies to provide practical solutions. The book includes: " advice on creation and implementation of policies " practical guidance on behaviour management " consideration of workforce reform and its impact on practice " discussion points at the end of each chapter This book is an excellent starting point for NQTs, Teachers and Teacher Trainers looking for an informative and entertaining route into discussing some of the more pressing problems in education today.
Understanding Applied Learning enables teachers, lecturers and educators to facilitate applied learning effectively with learners in schools, colleges and universities. It introduces teachers to the concept of applied learning in practice, cutting across any vocational and academic divide to show how this approach supports high-quality and effective outcomes for learners. Applied learning prepares and equips learners for life in the twenty-first century and lifelong learning. Offering practical guidance on why and how to adopt applied learning in all post-primary settings, this practical resource introduces and explores the core concepts, practices and benefits of using this approach. Illustrated with real-life scenarios, it examines why applied learning is relevant today, how it enables learners to connect knowledge with new situations, how to navigate and solve intellectual and skills-based problems and how to work collaboratively and develop higher-level thinking skills. Key topics covered include: A range of applied learning theories and strategies Relevant, Engaging, Active Learning (REAL) for successful knowledge and skills development The relevance of applied learning to employers Overcoming issues in embedding applied learning approaches How to embed creativity into learning experiences. Understanding Applied Learning is an authoritative, down-to-earth guide to facilitate applied learning effectively and successfully with students in secondary schools, colleges and universities. It is a source of support and inspiration for all those committed to high-quality and effective outcomes for learners.
The management of discipline is an essential element in educational practice, and at a time when teachers and managers are anxious about reported increases in violence and other forms of anti-social behaviour there's a need for practical guidance and a review of current thinking. Based on the author's experience and research in a range of secondary and primary schools, this book presents accessible summaries of relevant legislation and guides the reader through management theories towards effective practice. By placing the teacher at the centre of the management of discipline in schools and focusing on teacher and pupil esteem, a disciplined environment is not only desirable, but achievable too. Written in an accessible style, the book; * highlights the real problems and offers real solutions * includes case-studies, recent research and legislation * considers the classroom as well as the whole-school context * describes the support networks within education * provides a multi-agency approach. This book is aimed at trainee and practising teachers, managers, and all those who work with children.
Middle Leadership in Schools provides a practical introduction to management and middle management issues in both primary and secondary schools. Specifically aimed at practitioners who currently perform a managerial role or aspire to leadership, this second edition has been thoroughly restructured and revised to reflect the latest research in educational management as well as recent developments in workforce reform.
Social Mobility: Chance or Choice?, a sequel to `Born to Fail? Social Mobility, a Working Class View' (October 2017), sets out the current chances and choices available for those considered by the establishment to need social mobility. Revisiting mutuality, Sonia Blandford asks whether we care enough as a society by considering the issues, solutions and impact to the education and social issues that push against the chance or choice of social mobility. Citing the views from interviews with education and business leaders, Social Mobility: Chance or Choice? reflects on the changing skillsets and capacities of workers required by employers, business and industry and the inescapable conclusion that the skillsets and capacities will continue to change in ways that are almost impossible for us to predict. In these contexts, we must question whether the traditional acme and 'recognised journey' of educational achievement – maximising university entrance – is still relevant or useful for working-class children and young people and children facing disadvantage. Apprenticeships, at their best, can offer an updated and forward-facing solution to the providing choice for working-class and all children and young people. Despite current policy developments to encourage meaningful apprenticeships, apprenticeship programmes are experiencing challenges. Social Mobility: Chance or Choice? argues that applied learning and work-based learning should be more accessible and available to all children and young people. If we are serious about unleashing the talent of all children and young people, regardless of their background, challenges or needs, we must consider new and innovative approaches to post-14 education. If we are to unleash the potential of all children and young people, the role of Further Education needs to be respected and understood. Quality Further Education and training in partnership with business is a credible answer to social mobility. Further Education is an underused but ideally placed sector to develop meaningful change for working-class young people, providing real chances and choices. Beginning with Leaders - professionals, practitioners, parents or carers, and members of society have a shared responsibility to ensure that all children and young people have a right to chance or choice and support these opportunities. Building a society that is truly inclusive.
Teaching and Learning to Unlock Social Mobility for Every Child is a topical and insightful text that guides readers through evidence-based practice that will improve outcomes for all involved in education, increasing social mobility and inclusion in every sense. In the past 30 years, how children and young people learn has changed considerably as challenges of social mobility become more apparent. Cultural and social economic disadvantage is evident, as is the need to focus on mutuality in education, whereby all children and young people are valued regardless of their background, challenges or needs. In this context, Teaching and Learning to Unlock Social Mobility for Every Child is the first work to capture and clearly explain practical teaching and learning approaches that can be used in any school. It circles around the creativity and technology of pedagogy, exploring an educational agenda that is genuinely rooted in social mobility for all children. Written accessibly and full of case studies, this book is intended to guide practitioners and stakeholders at all levels of education from school leaders to researchers, students and teachers. It will help them to impart the skills and capacities which children and young people require to drive their future social mobility and address the challenges they will face on their own terms.
Sonia Blandford, CEO of award-winning charity Achievement for All, writes brilliantly and honestly about the facing up to the realities of the white working class and how to address social mobility from the inside. No-one in the UK is better placed than Sonia to write about the struggles of white working class pupils in our schools. She grew up on the Allied Estate in Hounslow and was the first member of her family to pursue education beyond the age of 14 and was also the first to attend university. Sonia lost her mother when she took an accidental overdose, when she couldn't read the doctor's prescription. This tragic failing served as one of the inspirations for her to set up the award-winning Achievement for All organisation, who work with thousands of schools to help close the attainment gap. Born to Fail? tackles head-on issues such as why education often doesn't matter to the working class; how education has failed to deliver for them; the importance of self-belief, action and confidence; and how the Early Years is the crucial time to build success from the start.
Whether you are a practitioner or manager, the Professional Development Manual, 3rd edition, will provide you with guidance and advice on how to plan and evaluate successful staff development in schools. The manual presents you with practical solutions to real problems relating to the management of professional development. It sets out to provide you with knowledge and understanding of professional development, theory and practice and recommends courses of action to deliver results.
The importance of professional development for teachers cannot be overstated. In recent years there has been much debate on how to raise standards in schools and it is now recognised by theorists, policy-makers and practitioners that the professional development of teachers is an important factor in this context. For professional development co-ordinators and senior management, knowledge and understanding of the nature of professional development roles and human resource management theories will provide a framework for practice. This book includes chapters on: *managing professional development in a human resources context *government policy *initial teacher training *the school development plan *appraisal *middle management *leadership skills. It will be of interest to co-ordinators of professional development in schools and across local education authorities, and to anyone who is part of a school's senior management team.
A practical guide to a multi-agency and supportive approach to behaviour management. Covering key subject areas including the School as a Community, Legislation (1994 to date), Training, Management, Monitoring and Evaluation.
This is a practical and comprehensive guide to planning, controlling and monitoring your school finances. Written from a practitioners perspective, The School Financial Management Handbook is an indispensable point of reference for headteachers, school finance managers, senior teachers and governing bodies.
The management of discipline is an essential element in educational practice, and at a time when teachers and managers are anxious about reported increases in violence and other forms of anti-social behaviour there's a need for practical guidance and a review of current thinking. Based on the author's experience and research in a range of secondary and primary schools, this book presents accessible summaries of relevant legislation and guides the reader through management theories towards effective practice. By placing the teacher at the centre of the management of discipline in schools and focusing on teacher and pupil esteem, a disciplined environment is not only desirable, but achievable too. Written in an accessible style, the book; * highlights the real problems and offers real solutions * includes case-studies, recent research and legislation * considers the classroom as well as the whole-school context * describes the support networks within education * provides a multi-agency approach. This book is aimed at trainee and practising teachers, managers, and all those who work with children.
Bloomsbury CPD Library: Raising Attainment in the Primary Classroom is a complete guide for primary teachers to assess, plan and excel in raising the attainment of every child. Children begin school with considerable differences in their literacy and maths skills. For some children, this gap widens as they go through school and may never close, leaving them without the basic levels required to succeed at secondary school. Experts Sonia Blandford and Catherine Knowles set out to help you understand the theory underpinning aspiration, access and achievement, and what you can do to close the achievement gap in your school. Bloomsbury CPD Library: Raising Attainment in the Primary Classroom specifically focuses on increasing access and raising aspirations of pupils as a means to improving attainment. This easy-to-follow title in the Bloomsbury CPD Library uses self-evaluation tasks and a full set of helpful, ready-to-use training plans for hours of CPD sessions so you can offer your colleagues effective training in this crucial area to ensure every child in your school fulfils their potential. It is a full guide to raising attainment in the primary classroom that is split into two sections: teach yourself and train others. All hand-outs and presentations are provided in the book and are available as a free download from the companion website.
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