VIEWS From the pen of… DR CAT BISHOP


In our regular series looking at authors working in UK education, we’re delighted this month to hear from Olympic medallist, international diplomat and Cambridge University Business Coach Dr Cath Bishop, whose new book “The Long Win: The search for a better way to succeed” is out now.


‘Whoever gets the right answer, gets a reward!’ ‘The best will receive the top prize!’ ‘Who wants to win?’ This language resounds throughout our lives. Our cultural emphasis on ‘winning’ is set early, in the classroom and in the playground, and often further reinforced at home. Even the simple act of answering a question by putting your hand in the air can imbue a sense of competition against


those around you and put


you off from seeing your peers as supporters and team members: we have moved a long way from the original meaning of ‘competere’ – to strive together. Collaborative behaviour is too often dismissed as cheating, and assessments are made largely on an individual basis. The way we are learning what winning and competition mean at an early age is not setting us up for success later by any measure. Common experiences in education reinforce a way of thinking that


is individualist and competitive in quite a narrow sense of achieving something short-term, superficial and often involves wanting those around you not to do well. This is how our cultural obsession with winning is formed. It’s not a new phenomenon – centuries of history have recorded military and political battles with clear winners and losers, where common characteristics of the winners were physical strength, political power and wealth (as well as quite often white and male). Traditional winning role models have been heroic figures with almost superhuman powers enabling them to dominate in business, sport or politics. But are those characteristics helpful to the 21st century world we face and challenges of climate change, international security, global health, international trade or social inequality? None of these are binary win-lose issues. ‘The Long Win’ offers a fresh approach based on the 3Cs of Clarity,


Constant Learning and Connection. First, Clarify what really matters: in the world of business, companies that last longer are the ones who are not just aiming for market share and higher profit margins, but those driven by a deeper social purpose. Inside companies, leaders are crying out for more staff with more creativity, innovation and collaboration in order to be effective in dealing with the fast pace of change and constant uncertainty. Current pupils with armfuls of A-grades are not always finding themselves well-equipped for the modern workplace. Second, a Constant Learning mindset sits at the heart of how we


develop resilience, performance and leadership in a changing world. A learning outlook recognizes improvement and growth, rather than simply short-term results and outcomes. Thirdly, the prioritisation of human Connections in everything that we do sets us up to succeed in the longer-term. Organisational life runs on teams, yet many operate far below their capacity, unable to work out how to co-create the whole to be more than the sum of its parts. Winning in education should not be about league tables, beating


last year’s scores and the latest star pupils, but about developing growth mindsets, cooperative behaviours and collaborative relationships. ‘The Long Win’ is not about limiting ambitions, quite the opposite. It’s about creating an environment that broadens the possibilities for all children and expands their potential future contributions.


“The Long Win: The search for a better way to succeed” is out now, published by Practical Inspiration Publishing, priced £12.99 at https://www.amazon.co.uk/Long-Win-search-better- succeed/dp/1788601912/


December 2020 ONLINE SAFETY Remote learning – making it safe


Comment by MARK BENTLEY, Safeguarding and Cybersecurity Manager at LGfL - the National Grid for Learning.


As livestreaming and other remote teaching technologies become a way of life in schools during these uncertain times, it's more important than ever to take precautions to keep children safe and protect staff. Here are some things to consider when setting up and facilitating remote learning:


• Only use school-registered accounts, never personal ones


• Don’t use a system that your SLT has not approved


• Will some students be excluded? Do they have internet, a device and a quiet place?


• Do students have a safe and appropriate place with no bedrooms or inappropriate objects/information visible? All the video platforms now allow you to blur or change the background.


• Has your admin audited the settings first (who can chat? who can start a stream? who can join?)


• What about vulnerable students with SEND and CP needs? • Don’t give students permissions to start their own livestreams


• Never run a live lesson without another member staff in the ‘room’ and without other colleagues aware


• Once per week for live lessons may be enough to start with – don’t overdo it and make mistakes


• Keep a log of everything - what, when, with whom and anything that went wrong


• Do you want chat turned on for pupils? Can they chat when you aren’t there?


• Avoid one-to-ones unless pre-approved by SLTs


• Remind pupils and staff about the AUP agreements they signed. The rules are the same


• Remind pupils and staff about the safeguarding policy and reporting process – does it work remotely?


• Do you want to record it? Are students secretly recording it? You may not be able to tell


• How can students ask questions or get help? • What are the ground rules? When can students speak / how?


• If you don’t understand the system, if it won’t be safe or reliable, if teaching won’t be enhanced, DON’T DO IT


• Is your DPO happy? GDPR covered? Parental consent needed? With the increase in time spent at home and online there is an


increased likelihood of exposure to online harm, so it is important to recognise that during bubble/school closures when remote learning is implemented, the same principles of safeguarding, online safety and behaviour apply. Major changes to policy documents should not be needed, however, schools should review policies, remind stakeholders of existing principles and identify any which need reinforcing due to new online procedures and activities.


LGfL is a charitable trust and is offering free web filtering for pupils learning at home to all schools for a six month period. For more information click please visit https://national.lgfl.net/smartbuy/homeprotect


Julia Garvey will be back next month www.education-today.co.uk 13


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