Diary of an NQT
COUNSELLING COUNSELLING
Meaning business
The alertness from my recent half-term travels is still I “re-reached” for the seating plan as standard
palpable, and the notion that you have to act quickly – they have forced me to throw the horseshoe out
and not take any twaddle seems to be coming of the window and it is now back to militarily
through like a predatory instinct. regimented lines. We were starting a new topic
The end of last term saw one year 10 on crime and deviance on which I thought
sociology class slowly disintegrating there would surely be some common
into a bit of a mess. ground. For me, it is important that the
That said, there have been some youth of today relate to this.
A place of healing
good lessons with them, but equally, I kept the lesson punchy, used a
there have been some howling ones variety of video clips, and subdued
as well. them with some board copying, which
I constantly feared being served as an exercise to illicit their ideas
observed with them, and if that had down to paper before discussion.
happened, the bookies’ odds for an Lesson objectives were fully
The Headroom service at Woodmill High School
“unsatisfactory” lesson would have achieved, and it was quiet when it
been short – maybe not even worth should have been and boisterous at is providing a refuge and a place of healing
a punt. the right times – informative and well
Strangely, as individuals, they are all contributed discussion also played its
for troubled youngsters. Sam Phipps paid the
lovely pupils, but as a collective they can part.
get very challenging. It felt like my best lesson in
A case in point (and this is when weeks. As I walked out of the
Scottish school a visit to find out more
the alarm bells started to ring) was door with them, the debates and
when I saw that even the two discussions continued, and when
quietest and most well behaved that happens, you know you have HE ROOM is cosy and welcoming, Pupils can wait up to two years to see a child
pupils were not being their normal hit a winner.
selves within this class. My head of department had
I have experimented with all asked me just before the lesson
the usual techniques and ideas, and how I felt. “Well, they are only kids,”
sometimes they would work for a I had replied.
short period of time, but then I would lose the Indeed they are, they just need new ball T
decorated in mauves and off-whites, psychologist on the NHS. Even then they will only
with plants, blue sofas and armchairs, get a maximum of six sessions and if they miss two
subtle lighting, and filter coffee to appointments on the trot – easily done amid their
hand. It doesn’t feel like school, and typically chaotic lifestyles – it all comes to nothing.
that is the whole point. She continued: “I thought it would be much
Amid the utilitarian 1950s easier for young people to be seen in school rather
class and have to start again. games from time to time, and this time they architecture of Woodmill High in Dunfermline, this than have to get on a bus or rely on an adult to take
I have battled with the group constantly this were faced with a teacher who meant business place is both a refuge and a place of healing. them somewhere. At Talk Matters we didn’t have
year and they were one of the driving forces at and acted like it. Here Rachel Eastop, a qualified and experienced the correct procedure set up to see children under
the end of last term for me wanting to get away from counsellor, sees children and young people with a 16, so we got everything put in place and I did
work for a bit. • This year, our weekly NQT diarist is Charles range of troubles. Some might be traumatised by some extra training. Then I approached most of the
Anyway, the class returned to my mind last week Aubeeluck, a qualified citizenship teacher who witnessing violence, others will be self-harming or secondary schools in Dunfermline and Woodmill was
as I came back after half-term and the first lesson teaches sociology and health and social care at feeling powerless because their parents have split up. the keenest.
approached. Ellen Wilkinson School for Girls in west London. All will have low expectations of their lives. “At the start they said: what can you offer that we
After a series of hour-long sessions – it could be don’t already have? Because there are a huge amount
anything from six to 20, depending on what they agree of resources available in terms of community support,
with her – most will emerge stronger and more able to social work, all that kind of thing. I said the difference
Teach it like Torno!
deal with whatever was distressing them. was that I would be dedicated to the school, that I would
Since it started at Woodmill High last September, be able to offer a regular hour-long – i.e lesson-long –
the service, Headroom, has established itself firmly into session, where they could come and speak to someone
Behave yourself Mr Balls
the fabric of the school, thanks partly to the enthusiastic who was impartial and didn’t have another agenda in
backing of the headteacher, Mike Gilmour. relation to other schools or agencies.”
Ms Eastop explained: “I was allowed to turn this So what actually happens in the sessions? Is it
room into a therapeutic environment, which is one of purely talking and listening? Ms Eastop shows me a
“Discipline is the bridge between goals and The history department then was often described as the requirements of the therapeutic process. box containing dozens of small, mostly plastic, toys
accomplishment.” Jim Rohn. a school within a school. Students would succeed
I had to smile when I read Ed Balls’ statement academically where they would fail elsewhere. In
recently about disruptive children. He said that 1996 the school itself was nearing special measures.
students who are repeatedly suspended from school The governors, in 1997, had the foresight to make
should be expelled. Hallelujah! At last someone is Mr Grant the headteacher. Within the first week he
speaking sense. suspended 300 students and made the school priority
Over the last 10 years or so there has been an discipline. Over the last 12 years the school has
‘
One of her clients came across a corpse in
the street when she was doing an early morning
obsession about “inclusion” which frankly has led to improved beyond recognition. It is now in the top
paper round. She’d been a functioning individual,
damaging consequences in the classroom. Disruptive one per cent of all schools for its CVA (contextual
students have been able to get away with such value-added). This has been achieved through sheer
atrocious behaviour precisely because they knew dedication to the students who attend the school.
very bright. After that, she was traumatised to
little or nothing would happen to them. However, make no mistake, discipline has
Moreover, school leaders have always been at the heart of revolution and the extent that she was unable to do barely
been scared stiff to confront the issue has allowed teachers to teach.
through fear of the consequences Mr Balls was speaking following
anything, including communicate. It took her six
to the school, or in some cases, the publication of the Steer report
their personal reputation. which reminds schools that
The subject of expelling parents can be asked to pay
months to ask for help
students has become a bit of a a fine of £50 if they fail
taboo whereby people are almost to co-operate with teachers
embarrassed to discuss it. On many in tackling their children’s “The youngster needs to feel relaxed, almost separate – everything from superheroes to animals, princesses,
occasions I have had conversations misbehaviour. And while from the school, and in a place that is obviously safe. monsters and insects. On the coffee table is a sand
with teachers or educationalists Sir Alan Steer suggests The stark 1950s look it used to have was just too much tray and bowls of pebb
’
les. Often it is through these
and it is clear people have felt that bad behaviour is only like a school environment.” props, or art work, that a clearer picture of feelings and
uncomfortable about admitting to a problem in a minority of Ms Eastop comes twice a week from her adult predicaments will emerge.
finding it difficult to control some of schools, I am not sure all counselling service, Talk Matters, based elsewhere “Some clients are very happy to talk and talk
their students. will agree with him. in the Fife town. At the school she sees eight pupils, and talk. That’s fine. Others are more reserved: they
In fact it has now become the All too often, schools with 16 more on a waiting list, and has won funding don’t know whether to trust me yet; they don’t quite
fault of the teacher if they have are rewarding disruptive from the Lloyds TSB Foundation for Scotland and the understand what’s going on. I’m quite creative in
trouble with one or two students students for displaying normal Church of Scotland Parish Development Fund for the the way I counsel, and these creative approaches tap
and, as I have reported in the past, behaviour, and those that conduct next three years. But in the beginning, unable to get into the subconscious, so there are a lot more ‘aha!’
some colleagues have even felt it themselves well day-in, day-out backing from anyone, including Fife Council or the moments.
necessary to leave their profession are ignored. It is high time that the NHS, she gave her time voluntarily so that Headroom “Though it may be incredibly relieving for them
because of the constant disruption students who take learning away from could get going. to just talk for the first four or five sessions, to have
in the classroom. I sincerely others are targeted and got rid of. It sounds “I was willing to do it on a voluntary basis because someone validate that this is how they are feeling,
hope that Mr Balls holds true harsh, but we have accepted this for far too I felt so strongly about it. Happily it’s paid off,” she sometimes you can bypass several sessions because
to his words, as this will send a long. New teachers in particular have to put added. you can see it in front of you: it’s visual. It’s also being
resounding message both to the up with enormously disrespectful behaviour She realised that for mild to moderate mental health able to project, so rather than saying ‘I…’ , it’s ‘this
students concerned and their parents. and it cannot continue to be tolerated. problems, the area in which she is trained, a huge gap character is doing this or that’.”
Clearly an election is looming and Obviously Mr Balls’ comments are very in provision existed. “The other thing is that young people have a very
Mr Balls is hoping that tough words welcome indeed, and, one never knows, perhaps
will do the trick. I am hoping that he the pendulum will swing in favour of common
continues to recognise that discipline is sense once again.
such an important aspect – it is the main There is an obvious link between behaviour and
difference as to whether students learn attainment and it should not have taken this long to
or not. Exciting lessons will engage and sort out. The number of incidents where students
motivate learners, but it must not be ignored that some are backchatting teachers is certainly on the increase
students will misbehave in any circumstances. and as a society we have allowed this to happen. I hope
Over the past four years permanent exclusions that this is the beginning of teachers reclaiming the
have dropped 13 per cent to 8,680 and that sounds classroom, and that governments and local authorities
impressive, but the reality is that schools have held will support expulsions when necessary – it would be
onto the trouble-makers to avoid the wrath of the a shame if it was empty rhetoric.
local authorities. It takes a brave headteacher to have
the courage of their convictions and get rid of badly • David Torn is professional tutor and an advanced
behaved students. I was lucky enough to be trained skills teacher at St Edward’s Comprehensive School
under Paul Grant, who is now head of the Robert in Essex. He is the London Secondary School Teacher
Clack School in Dagenham. At the time, he was the of the Year 2007 and is passionate that the purpose of
head of humanities and school professional tutor. education is to change lives. He returns in two weeks.
8 SecEd • May 7 2009
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