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Teachers should ‘trust instincts’ to spot abuse


by Daniel White


Teachers should trust their own instincts when they think a pupil is being abused at home, but should be trained in how to raise their concerns, an expert has told SecEd. It follows a study by children’s


charity NSPCC which said that one in five secondary children in the UK have been severely abused or neglected during childhood. The study spoke to 2,275 children


aged 11 to 17 and 1,761 adults aged 18 to 24 and also found that one in 10 of the children said they had suffered severe parental neglect at some point in their childhood. One in 20 had been sexually assaulted, either by an adult or a young person or child. Among the adults, 25 per cent


reported severe abuse and neglect during childhood. The study was carried out in 2009 but has reported its findings this week. Jon Brown, head of strategy and


development at the NSPCC, said that if teachers have concerns then they should speak to the children professionally and schools should


make it clear that they will be open with students and teachers regard- ing any worries they may have. He added: “If a teacher has con-


cerns then they should speak to the child in a one-on-one situation, ask- ing how things are in general and at home. They can also speak to other


Questions over minister’s role in teacher regulation


Fears have been raised that incompetent teachers could avoid being barred from the profession when education minister Michael Gove takes on responsibility for teacher regulation. Chair of the General Teaching


Council for England (GTCE), Gail Mortimer, is concerned at the proposals for regulation of the profession after her organisation is scrapped next year. Under the Education Bill,


Mr Gove is set to take control of teacher regulation and disci- plinary cases. He will investi- gate allegations of unacceptable professional conduct with bans being his only sanction. Mr Gove will also maintain a list of teach- ers banned from teaching. The proposals will also mean that headteachers will no longer have a legal obligation to refer teachers to the new disciplinary body. However, Ms Mortimer fears


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that the new system will mean that teacher competence is no longer regulated nationally. She also claimed that the most seri- ously incompetent teachers will no longer be subject to potential barring from the profession or conditions such as retraining. She told SecEd: “Mr Gove


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has said he will regulate conduct but not incompetence. Individual schools will be left to determine what is incompetent and there is no framework set, and some schools or headteachers will be unsure of what the national stand- ard is to be required.” Ms Mortimer is also worried


that the only sanction in cases of bad conduct is barring. She said: “It raises concerns that the only punishment for bad conduct by teachers is for them to be barred, there are no intermediate


Gail Mortimer: Concerned


measures, and that worries me. Teachers are entitled to have a hearing and for transparency to take place. I see a major problem with barring being the only sanc- tion for conduct – headteachers will be thinking of the one sanc- tion available to Mr Gove and could think twice before referring teachers.” She added: “With the GTCE


we had teachers involved in reg- ulation and lay people for the public interest but it seems under these new ideas of Mr Gove, with him involved in every step, he will be the policy-maker and decision- maker in arbitrary sanctions.” Elsewhere, Ms Mortimer


emphasised the need for clarity on whether the public could still refer concerns about teacher con- duct directly, and also about the register of teachers. She said: “There is no indica-


tion that Mr Gove will keep a list of teachers that took 11 years to put together and cost £10 mil- lion. It is a list which parents and employers look at to verify who was teaching and that they were suitable. Last year alone, 670,000 people rang (the GTCE), mainly from employers, to check that teachers were valid.” The GTCE is now submit-


ting evidence to the Public Bill Committee which is due to con- sider the proposals.


teachers in a professional manner about concerns they may have. “If a teacher has raised con-


cerns and don’t feel they are being treated seriously or are possibly being ignored then they should be persistent. They should trust their instincts and gut feeling.”


Mr Brown also called for teacher


training in schools to highlight the dangers of abuse at home and the symptoms to look for in children. He also said that school counselling services must be available. Symptoms teachers should look out for include marks in unusual


places or bruising and bumps con- sistently being seen on children. If a child seems excessively tired or hungry then this can also be a sign of abuse or neglect happening at home. Unusually, he said that abused


or neglected children can be overly happy at school because to them the classroom is a safe haven from their home life. A concern for many teachers is


that if an allegation or concern is raised it could harm relationships with the student and/or the par- ents. However, Mr Brown said it would depend on how the situation is approached. He added: “If the school noti-


fies parents, students and teachers, through letters home that they will be open on the topic and if they have concerns for a student’s safe- ty then they will discuss things, then things will be accepted. If you are up front and open in a frank way then a relationship will not be lost and a mass fall-out will be avoided.” For more information and sup- port, visit www.nspcc.org.uk


Schools express interest in teaching schools network


More than 800 schools have expressed an interest in joining a national network of teaching schools. The scheme was unveiled in


November’s Education White Paper and will see teaching schools work alongside other schools to support staff’s professional devel- opment and boost pupil attainment. The National College has been


given the responsibility for the des- ignation and quality assurance of schools in England to meet the crite- ria for teaching schools. It revealed this week that 810 schools have expressed an interest in becoming a teaching school. Schools minister Nick Gibb has


said that he wants the “best schools, with the best heads” to become teaching schools to help train and develop graduates “rigorously” in their career.


He added: “In the NHS, teach-


ing hospitals have become centres of excellence in their local areas by training current and future gen- erations of doctors and nurses while also providing excellent medical care. “We want teachers to have the


same opportunities for excellent initial teacher training and ongoing professional development. “We also want teaching schools


to become the engines that will help weaker schools to raise their academic standards and to improve behaviour.” The first teaching schools will


open in September 2011, and by 2014 the aim is to have 500 schools with the new designation. To become a teaching school, an


institution must have a track record of successful collaborative relation- ships with other schools, an Ofsted


rating of “outstanding” for overall effectiveness, teaching and learn- ing, and leadership, and consistently high levels of pupil performance. Steve Munby, National College


chief executive, said: “This huge level of interest shows just how much talent there is in our schools waiting to be tapped. Teaching schools will enable the best in the profession to lead the next gen- eration so they can join them on the road to success. “Additional funding and recog-


nition is just one part of the deal. Schools leading schools to raise standards and increase attainment will bring huge benefits for all. But they can’t do it on their own. That’s why support from partner schools who choose to work with teaching schools is vital.” Visit www.nationalcollege.org.


uk/teachingschools


Students lead drive to help tackle youth unemployment


Enterprising students from across Nottingham are attempting to drive down youth unemployment in their area by providing young people with the skills necessary to find a job. The students are involved in


an initiative called Just Ask which aims to help 14 to 25-year-old peo- ple find employment. The Big Lottery-funded scheme


works across the city and the stu- dents are working alongside youth charity Catch 22. Among those involved are 10


students from Bulwell Academy in the city who are leading on mentor- ing projects with their peers as well as the day-to-day delivery of the programme. The Bulwell students have also


2


created content for a website full of tips and information about finding employment. Alison Bingham, director of


business and enterprise at Bullwell Academy said: “We want our stu- dents to leave with practical skills that will enable them to have good jobs. “We have chosen to partner


Catch 22 to support this work not only to help fight against youth unemployment in Nottingham, but because it is providing our students with the opportunity to develop their business management skills in practice. It’s already proving to be a great success.” It follows the findings of a sur-


vey of 1,000 young people which marked the launch of Just Ask


last year. Almost two-thirds of the respondents said that unemploy- ment was their main concern. And last week it was revealed


that levels of youth unemployment nationwide had risen to a new high of 965,000 in the three months to the end of December 2010. Youth co-ordinator for Catch 22,


Sarah Espir, said: “This project is about broadening horizons and let- ting young people know about the opportunities that are available to them. It’s about showing them what jobs are out there and how best to get them, and best of all it’s about young people helping other young people.” For more information, visit


www.justasknottingham.co.uk and www.catch-22.org.uk


SecEd • February 24 2011


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