Diary of an NQT
SCHOOL PROFILE SCHOOL PROFILE
Pigs don’t wear fluffy pink socks
GIVING TOP set year 7 boys free reign on the yes the pre-release texts may be boring, but they
subject of their speeches this week turned out to be need to work because they have an exam on it in a
a hilarious decision and a glimpse into the madcap matter of days. Wasting a lesson in a huff, or
world of the randomness of intelligent sneakily texting absolutely perplexes me.
youth. The laziness is excruciating; once Ownership of their education
One boy’s presentation on “Cheese I’ve provided them with a classroom,
toasties” saw me learn that we won a pen, their books, the question papers
the war by placing cyanide in photocopied, a highlighter, and a detailed
Hitler’s cheese toastie and that PowerPoint explaining it all, they still
cheese is a cunning ploy by the can’t be bothered and will sit there
When two schools in Essex merged, the
powers that be to control the grunting “I want to go back to bed”.
population Soma-style! Kevin and Perry have nothing on
leadership team decided it was an opportunity
Nothing could compare to the this lot.
talk on “Why pigs don’t wear In steep contrast, I went to see
to completely overhaul their approach to
fluffy pink socks”, however. the drama production of Billy Elliot
Turns out that the farmer has this week with many of the children
no time to wash them all and so I teach involved. It was an excellent
education. Chris Parr visits the Basildon
he would rather see those pigs end night; I really enjoyed seeing them
up as sausages! enjoy themselves doing something they Academies to find out more about its new college system,
These surreal topics coupled loved and their courage and talent to
with complete deadpan delivery and perform was wonderful.
and the challenges of making two schools into one
witticisms made for a thoroughly In an up and down week that has
enjoyable lesson and some fantastic seen me never leave before 5pm, I have
levels reached. Well done boys! exhausted myself working hard for an AVING SPENT a wonderful between the area’s Chalvedon and Barstable
It’s a shame that this type of impending department appraisal and am
humorous creativity doesn’t extend really conscious that I shouldn’t let my
to some of my other classes however, new team down.
as this last few days has seen some I’m sure it will go well and that our
pretty serious behaviour problems excellent department will get the recognition
spoil my working week. it deserves, but I know I will be observed H
day strolling around the hugely Schools.
impressive Basildon Academies in Chalvedon became the “Upper Academy”,
Essex, I found myself in perplexed catering for year 10 to 6th form, while Barstable
at the impression some local people became known as the “Lower Academy”,
have of the school. accommodating those in years 7 to 9.
Before visiting, I contacted Alan Roach is the executive principal, and
Whether its kids “forgetting” with my “MunchBunch” year 10s. a friend who works at a local paper in Essex, and oversees the goings on across the two sites.
detentions, or just not doing their In recognition of this I will be expecting to asked him for the low-down. He told me the school Sitting in the Lower Academy’s expansive dining
homework, I have found myself often fall flat in Ofsted’s one to four grading system, could be summed up by one student who had hall, complete with a drinks bar that would not
working through lunchtimes filling out the but will be hoping to be decorated with a medal been suspended for starting a fight with one of the look out of place in your local Starbucks, he told
endless bureaucratic paperwork needed of some description for “services in the face of teachers. me: “Everything we do here is designed to give the
to report such mischief and running the malicious apathy” – that’s if the assessor can bare The taxi driver who picked me up from Basildon students ownership of their education – including
detentions myself. to stay long enough! station urged me to keep a close eye on my bag this cafe area, which gives them somewhere to
My year 10s see no sign of changing either while on the premises. come, have a hot chocolate, and talk about their
and the ominous exam I am preparing them for is • Matt Connett is a newly qualified teacher of English However, within 10 minutes of entering the work.
causing apathy and negative dejection throughout at Shenfield High, a training school in Brentwood in grounds, it became clear that the school – like “We don’t want them to feel like they’re sitting
the entire group. They have no grasp of the fact that, Essex. He returns next week. so many others in the UK – has been grossly in a grotty old school dining hall, we want them
misrepresented by the local press, and is in fact to be inspired by where they are, and to want to
doing all it can to offer its 2,000 students the best come here. When we visited London with some of
possible education. our pupils, their eyes lit up when we went to Costa
The “academies” title was taken in September Coffee, so we’ve tried to bring that atmosphere into
Moral support
2009 after a £45 million federation was formed the school.”
Parent-teacher relations
IN CONVERSATION with a friend recently, I was can work better together. Surveys carried out by
taken aback by a phrase he used and how it captures both charities found that 64 per cent of teachers said
the role of those involved in education, and teachers they had been subjected to verbal or physical abuse
in particular: “sowing the seeds of possibility”. by a parent. This is horrifying. While 62 per cent of
Teachers are in a privileged – if sometimes very parents said they had been patronised, sidelined or
challenging – position to influence the aspirations ignored when trying to deal with an issue in their
and futures of young people. child’s school.
A big part of Teacher Support Network’s role is Teachers overwhelmingly reported that those
giving individual teachers the freedom to make the parents who do not engage, or with whom there is
most of their role, less fettered by the challenges a bad or difficult relationship, have an enormous
that can sometimes overwhelm the education impact on their wellbeing and work, and both
profession. parents and teachers felt that if a child’s
Last week, we took significant steps education was suffering as a result of
to help overcome one challenge in a difficult home life, some form of
particular. external support, such as a parent
Parental involvement in a school’s support worker, would be vital.
work is an issue that will be familiar The report demonstrates that
to teachers across the country. On poor parental engagement is
top of this, as a parent myself, it is a having an adverse effect on pupil,
subject that has pronounced relevance parent and teacher wellbeing.
to my family life, too. Many parents said they had felt
The emphasis of our involvement patronised, sidelined or ignored by
in the education – and lives – of our their child’s school, and an equally
children changes as they grow older; a worrying number of teachers said that
transition mirrored in their relationship they had been verbally or physically
with their teachers and our contact with abused by a pupil’s parent.
the school as parents. Clearly the need to develop and
In primary school, we were afforded maintain a more effective dialogue
direct contact with their teachers, is essential
standing by the coat pegs at the school’s As a result, we have made
entrance every time we dropped them several recommendations, including
off and collected them. the creation of a comprehensive
In secondary school, contact has been Home-School Agreement, which
far less frequent; some would say rightly so involves consultation with the whole
given young people gradually taking more school community and the provision
responsibility for themselves. at every school of adequate access to
On top of this, finding a slot to meet in both a visible parent support worker who is
the school and our professional timetables seems trained to deal with a spectrum of family
to become more difficult every year. Like many and emotional issues and whose role and
parents, we try to be involved in the school in other remit is fully understood.
ways; giving a talk on Holocaust Memorial Day, Those schools that engage with parents and the
helping in a school play, or getting involved in the wider community, communicate well and ensure
jumble sale. teachers have sufficient time and support to do so,
But these things are of course very different from reap the benefits.
discussing a child’s progress; meeting with teachers We are hoping that these recommendations are
to share our own insight into our child’s interests taken into consideration by policy-makers at a
with the knowledge and experience of those whose national and local level.
job it is to help children realise their potential. Our experiences have shown that when parents
At Teacher Support Network, our work has and teachers work together effectively, those seeds
shown that barriers still exist between teachers and of possibility blossom far and wide.
parents, which can lead to stress and anxiety on
both sides. This is verified by the experiences of our • Julian Stanley is chief executive of the Teacher
partners at the charity Parentline Plus. Support Network. Visit www.teachersupport.info or
For this reason, we have released the report call 08000 562 261 (England), 08000 855088 (Wales).
Beyond the School Gate: How schools and families Moral support returns in two weeks. New approaches to education: Students at work in Basildon Academy in Essex (images
above) and outside the Upper Academy building (main image)
8 SecEd • March 11 2010
08-09 Confis.indd 8 8/3/10 16:34:37
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