Chisnell Chatter – Edition 12

Happy new Year!

If you are new to Chisnell Chatter, this publication has a range of hyperlinks embedded in the text. Where you spot an underline or highlighted text, click to find out more information. My back catalogue is available here:

Chisnell Chatter Edition 1. Chisnell Chatter Edition 2. Chisnell Chatter Edition 3. Chisnell Chatter Edition 4. Chisnell Chatter Edition 5 Chisnell Chatter Edition 6 Chisnell Chatter Edition 7 Chisnell Chatter Edition 8 Chisnell Chatter Edition 9 Chisnell Chatter Edition 10 Chisnell Chatter Edition 11

If I can help you in any way then do get in touch, you can email me chisnellg@gmail.com or call / text me on 07825149535.

For more information about my consultancy offer, please visit my website here. My latest consultancy offer includes Coaching for Appraisal as a course that prepares leaders and staff for impactful appraisal. This course is co-facilitated with HR expert Gary Edwards. I will also be co-facilitating Headspace, a residential recharge for school and trust leaders on 27 and 28 June 2024 at the beautiful venue of Hythe Imperial Hotel in Kent. Let me know if you would like to secure a place for you and your team.

Do get in touch if you are interested in training, consultancy or coaching support.

Prevent Duty

The Prevent Duty guidance has been updated in December 2023. The key changes to the guidance are:

Changed objective: ‘Tackle the ideological causes of terrorism‘

New theme: ‘reducing permissive environments’

Updates on the risks and threats of terrorism.

Updated terminology.

An emphasis on proportionality.

New section on information sharing.

Training requirements.

Updates on managing external speakers for FE and HE.

Ofsted inspections will take account of the school’s approach to Prevent as part of the school’s safeguarding culture and that the school has due regard to Prevent in a proportionate way. The local context may also determine the focus on Prevent in inspection. As a school leader, it is important to ensure you have considered, assessed and mitigated the risks to pupils. As always, the importance of staff training and effective record keeping relating to incidents remains important in assuring that pupils remain safeguarded.

Teacher Talk Radio – tackling educational hot potatoes

I came across Teacher Talk Radio a few years ago. Podcasts in their archive offer some interesting listening about a range of educational hot potatoes. Here is a link to their 2023 top ten podcasts. They include topics such as the use of artificial intelligence in schools, Ofsted reform and direct instruction.

In addition here is a link to the Ofsted podcast regarding the geography PE and music subject reports. A useful listen for subject leaders to consider the lens that Ofsted have on these subjects.

The Research Gap

I coach a range of school leaders in their research practice. One of the essential steps in this process is to ensure that the researcher defines a purposeful and interesting key issue for research.

Asad Naveed, a researcher in the field of medicine at the University of Toronto, suggests that identifying ‘research gaps’ is key to engaging in purposeful research. He suggests that identifying research gaps is essential to help you assess the current state of knowledge and determine where further research is needed.

Research gaps refer to areas in the existing literature with unanswered questions, inconsistencies, contradictions, or limitations.

Asad suggests seven types of research gaps to consider:

𝗘𝘃𝗶𝗱𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗴𝗮𝗽: A lack of empirical data or research evidence in a particular area of study.

𝗞𝗻𝗼𝘄𝗹𝗲𝗱𝗴𝗲 𝗴𝗮𝗽: A gap in the existing knowledge or understanding of a particular topic or phenomenon.

𝗣𝗿𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗹 𝗸𝗻𝗼𝘄𝗹𝗲𝗱𝗴𝗲 𝗴𝗮𝗽: A gap in practical knowledge, such as how to apply theoretical knowledge to real-world situations.

𝗠𝗲𝘁𝗵𝗼𝗱𝗼𝗹𝗼𝗴𝘆 𝗴𝗮𝗽: A gap in the methods or approaches used in previous research studies in a particular area.

𝗘𝗺𝗽𝗶𝗿𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗹 𝗴𝗮𝗽: A gap in the empirical evidence, such as a lack of studies or data in a particular area of research.

𝗧𝗵𝗲𝗼𝗿𝗲𝘁𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗹 𝗴𝗮𝗽: A gap in the theoretical understanding or conceptual framework of a particular topic or phenomenon.

𝗣𝗼𝗽𝘂𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗴𝗮𝗽: A gap in the population studied, such as a lack of representation of certain demographics or groups in research studies.

Through identifying and addressing research gaps the researcher can help to define a key issue for further research that can shine a light on pedagogy or practice in school.

The Disadvantage Gap

In their article Addressing the Disadvantage Gap: The Unavoidable Link between Poverty and Learning Outcomes, Rob Gruijters and Natalie Perera from the University of Cambridge share some interesting points about the deficit of early intervention services and impact of socio-emotional skills development in schools.

In light of recent Education Policy Institute and American Sociological Association analyses, it is evident that the education landscape is grappling with the enduring impact of poverty and a lack of early intervention services. The challenges faced by educators are unimaginably tough, and we cannot turn a blind eye to the intricate link between destitution and educational achievement. The struggle has become even more pronounced post-pandemic, with a widening gap in attainment across all educational phases.

➡️ By the end of secondary school (key stage 4), disadvantaged pupils lag behind their peers by over 18.8 months, marking the widest gap since 2012.

➡️ Persistently disadvantaged pupils are nearly two years behind by the end of secondary school, with no progress in closing the gap over the past decade.

➡️ Disadvantaged 16-19 year olds were 3.5 grades behind their peers, the widest gap since 2017.

➡️ A study reveals that teaching character, grit, and resilience, while valuable, might not be the panacea for closing the attainment gap. Data from the 2018 Pisa assessment indicates that socio-emotional skills alone have a modest impact on the overall achievement gap.

Addressing the educational crisis requires a holistic approach. While character education is valuable, it is not a silver bullet. The focus must shift towards tackling structural issues, including school quality, resource disparities, and limited out-of-school opportunities. Poverty should not be a barrier to educational success, and it is imperative that we develop a comprehensive plan to address both destitution and educational disparities.

SEND – helpful links

On my travels in the South East, I meet a range of consultants doing good work. Here are two links who can support with your SEND needs.

Daniel Zaccheo who is committed to help schools to develop a culture of positive inclusion. Daniel works with Senior Leadership Teams to develop a strategy for culture change towards more inclusive, child centred and positive working practices. In addition he supports SENCOs to meet the needs of complex children, delivers training in positive behaviour support and inclusion and can conduct whole school SEN review and provide supportive feedback and support. His contact details are:

Mobile: 07837495073 email: danielzaccheo03@gmail.com

Stacey Mitchell and Angela Harding from SEN Connect offer a range of services to help to engage parents and carers in understanding a variety of learning, sensory, language or emotional needs that their children may be experiencing. They offer bespoke training packages for schools.

Office hours: 07724 328526 email: senconnect24@gmail.com