Issue 23 • Spring Term 2 2009

■ COULD YOU BE A LEARNING MENTOR? ■ THE TA WHO STARTED HER OWN CHARITY ■ DIFFERENTIATING – IT MAKES ALL THE DIFFERENCE

How TAs can help school-phobic children 1896_LS_Spr2_09.indb 1

18/2/09 13:07:46

Would you like support to develop your career? Are you looking for a single source of information on roles, national occupational standards, qualification options and progression routes for support staff? The Training and Development Agency for Schools (TDA) can help you through all stages of your career − from introductory training to specialist development opportunities. For more information, visit www.tda.gov.uk/support

2  Learning Support  Spring Term 2 2009 1896_LS_Spr2_09.indb 2

18/2/09 13:08:00

from tHe editor

A profession Lessons of the snow

Better communications needed

10

Golden rules

Display rules that pupils themselves have developed

Avoid dehydration

You lose 2.5 litres of fluid a day Why TAs make good learning mentors

Home to roost TA’s charity sparks knitting frenzy

Easy printing

Use vegetables, card or string

School phobia

When a child can’t face school

Make a difference

Continuing our series on new occupational standards for TAs

Work-based degrees

We talk to TAs undertaking research at work

14

16 18 20

22

25

Roll up

Playdough offers learning opportunities as well as fun

4–8 9 10 15

11 12

My job is to listen

News Letters Displays Children’s health

7

Children’s books Resources Me and my job Playtime

26 28 30 31

One of the best bits of my job is meeting teaching assistants and hearing about their work. I know we’re always going on about TAs’ close relationship with children – close enough to build real trust and understanding. But it’s also fascinating to hear about TAs’ different jobs. Schools are waking up to the potential of their support staff and TAs in particular are finding an ever-growing range of roles and responsibilities to support children’s learning and well being. The new School Support Staff negotiating Body will face the enormous task of discovering and classifying all those different roles. If it succeeds, the work done by support staff in schools will be revealed and accurately described. It sounds impossible, but just think of the health service where there are literally hundreds of different roles, all of them clearly defined and understood. In the same way, every teaching assistant’s job would slot into the new framework. This doesn’t have to mean that jobs are set in stone – they can continue to evolve as they have done. But the risks of staff being asked to take on too much responsibility for their qualifications and experience would be greatly reduced. At last teaching assistants would be a profession in which everyone is appropriately qualified and paid for the work they do.

Frances Rickford Editor Learning Support  Spring Term 2 2009  3

1896_LS_Spr2_09.indb 3

18/2/09 13:08:28

news

Parents ‘want to scrap SATs’ agreed that teacher assessment should be used instead. Seven parents out of ten wanted to see league tables abolished. The nAhT says it carried out the survey because of claims by politicians that parents want key stage 2 SATS to continue.

PArenTS wAnT key stage 2 SATs tests to be scrapped, a survey has shown. The national Association of head Teachers (nAhT) collected the views of more than 10,000 parents, and 85% of them do not want the current system to continue. More than nine out of ten parents cHANNEL 4

Home alone show ‘demeans children’

ChILD PrOTeCTIOn chiefs in Cornwall have protested about the Channel 4 TV show Boys and Girls Alone (above) that is set in the county. Cornwall’s assistant children’s services director ruby Parry wrote to Channel 4 after the first episode of the programme saying: “Some of the children were greatly distressed and this, in our view, is abusive”. She said Boys and Girls Alone demeans and “to some extent” demonises the children involved, some of whom are likely

to suffer from long-term consequences as a result. In the programme, 20 primary school children are left without adult supervision for two weeks. Ms Parry was writing on behalf of Cornwall’s Safeguarding Children Board. Channel 4 said the programme fully complied with child safety legislation. ■ what do you think about Boys and Girls Alone? write to Learning Support, 38 high Street, Bishop’s Castle, SY9 5BQ or email [email protected]

CHILDREN AT Broadmoor Primary School in Berkshire have voted on a new name for their school. The governors decided the school’s name was putting off prospective parents. It is in the same village as the notorious high security hospital. But they left it to the pupils to choose the new name in a ballot from a choice of three. From September the school’s name will be Wildmoor Heath. Wildmoor Heath is the name of a local nature reserve.

WHAT DO YOU THINK? Why not share your views by writing or emailing a letter to Learning Support. You could win a £30 book token. See page 9 for details.

4  Learning Support  Spring Term 2 2009 1896_LS_Spr2_09.indb 4

18/2/09 13:08:31

bbc

news

Children at Bagthorpe Primary School in Nottinghamshire made this five-star hotel for Minibeasts in their school grounds. Nearly 9,000 schools have signed up to the BBC’s Breathing Places in Schools programme which is designed to encourage children to get more involved with local

wildlife. Primary, middle and special schools can take part in the programme, “doing one thing for nature” each term – with free teaching resources and activity ideas. This term schools are being encouraged to create a home for all kinds of wildlife in a “wildlife wall”.

Another step towards pay negotiating body for TAs A new national system of pay and conditions for school support staff has come another step closer. The government has published a Bill that will set up the School Support Staff Negotiating Body – the organisation that will eventually tell schools how much teaching assistants should be paid. Discussions are still going on about the details of the Apprenticeships, Skills, Children and Learning Bill – especially concerning the legal

weight the new body will carry. School employers’ representatives will be happy if schools have to ”pay due regard” to the pay body, but not if they are legally bound to do as it says. Unions on the other hand fear that some schools will ignore the new pay structure if they are not under a duty to adopt its recommendations. There are also worries about the government’s own role and whether ministers will be able to veto the pay

body’s recommendations. The Bill also strengthens the system of apprenticeships and gives a duty to local authorities to provide enough Sure Start children’s centres to meet local needs. It also changes Ofsted’s inspection responsibilities so that inspectors will visit schools that are judged successful less often. The Bill is at a very early stage and is likely to be changed by MPs before it becomes law.

Learning Support  Spring Term 2 2009  5 1896_LS_Spr2_09.indb 5

18/2/09 13:08:32

news

Selfish adults are making children unhappy says charity ADULT SeLFIShneSS and the pursuit of personal success is creating unhappy children, says a report from a major children’s charity. The belief that our main job is to make the most of our own lives – rather than caring for other people – is causing family breakdowns and other problems which are damaging many children says the Children’s Society. It says children’s lives are more difficult than in the past because the culture of individualism produces more family discord and conflict. There is more pressure to own things and too much competition in schools as well as great inequalities of income. The report is the result of a two-year inquiry into childhood. evidence from 30,000 children and young people, parents, professionals and organisations was considered by a panel of academic experts and religious leaders.

It says that about one child in six now has significant emotional and behavioural difficulties. The Children’s Society says parents should make a long-term commitment to each other and be fully informed about what is involved before they have children. It says all children should have a birth ceremony – and that the government should introduce non-religious, free birth ceremonies for families who are not members of any particular religious group. The charity says SATS should be scrapped and that data on individual schools should not be published because league tables can make schools regard low-achievers as a threat rather than treat them as children needing help. A Good Childhood: searching for values in a competitive age. www.childrenssociety.org.uk

All babies should have a ceremony where families celebrate the birth and parents vow to care for the child, says the Children’s Society

Government wants teenage TA apprentices SChOOLS SeCreTArY ed Balls wants schools to take on 4,000 apprentices in the role of teaching assistant. he told a committee of MPs that 16-year-olds could be taken on to work in classrooms as part of the government’s bid to expand apprenticeships. They could work in classrooms as teaching assistants for as little as £80 per week. But critics pointed out that while apprenticeships in schools have been around for a long time there has been very little take up. One trade union official said: “You become an apprentice to learn skills that you hope are going to earn you a living. Becoming a teaching assistant at the moment is not seen as an attractive career prospect.”

More aid for disabled in new health plan

The GOVernMenT has promised an extra £350m to support disabled children as part of its new child health strategy. The money is to be spent on short breaks, community equipment and wheelchair services and palliative and end-of-life care. Other plans include a named health visitor attached to every Sure Start children’s centre and more investment in the national healthy schools programme. Healthy lives, brighter future: the strategy for children and young people’s health. Department for Children, Schools and Families

6  Learning Support  Spring Term 2 2009 1896_LS_Spr2_09.indb 6

18/2/09 13:08:35

AndyL/FOTOLIA

TAs tell Hazel Davis how the snow affected their schools and the lessons that need to be learned

news

W

hen The white stuff hit Britain in February, it was as though we had never seen it before. roads were closed, trains were cancelled, flights grounded and the newspapers suddenly filled with something other than the recession. More than 8,000 UK schools with an estimated 2m pupils stayed shut for two days amid controversy and complaint. But how did it affect teaching assistants?

r

ose wilkes is a teaching assistant in a nursery class in Upper norwood, South London and she also has a daughter in year 4 at the same school. She was surprised at how unprepared her school was when the snow closures hit. “Monday was an in-service training day, so it was only going to be staff in. The head just phoned around to let us know that it had been cancelled,” she says, “but on the Tuesday, the parents were not properly informed that the school was closed.” The reason was that nobody could get to school to be able to call the parents or take phone enquiries. rose wilkes adds: “Information about the closure was posted on the Croydon Council website, but the school itself does not have its own website and I don’t know how many parents would have thought to look online. I think a fair few parents complained to the school when it reopened on wednesday about the lack of information.” It’s food for thought. “I think, in future, our school needs to consider a more efficient way of getting messages to parents – even just an answerphone that can be accessed from out of school, says rose wilkes. “This situation has amplified the

Snow highlights need for  better communication need for a school website – which is already in progress.” There is a resource for schools and parents – snowday.co.uk. It’s a national emergency closure website where schools, colleges and day nurseries can register and, in the event of severe weather conditions or other emergencies, post a closed notice. But the site’s success, of course, depends on your school being registered and parents knowing of the site in the first place.

T

he snow closures have also had a huge impact on lessons. “I don’t think any of us expected to see quite so much snow,” says rose wilkes. “It’s going to affect our planning for the next week in that the work that had been planned for the closed days will now have to be prioritised so that we can decide which bits can be discarded and which bits will need

to be squeezed in alongside next week’s work.”

J

o Payton lives in nearby Tooting and has a four-year-old son in reception class. he was off school for two days in the snow. “It was a bit like Chinese whispers,” she says. “I got several texts from other parents in the morning asking me to spread the word. we never got any official news from the school as such, although one of the parents who texted me works there so I take her word as gospel.” Jo Payton works from home so her son being off school threw her schedule a little, but her partner was unable to travel to work so they managed. “when we went along to the local pub where he was working in the afternoon,” she says, “half the school staff were in there and lots of other kids. It was like the Blitz spirit.”

Learning Support  Spring Term 2 2009  7 1896_LS_Spr2_09.indb 7

18/2/09 13:08:37

news

POLICE HAVE appealed for help in trying to find Australian TA Katrina Woods (above). She worked as an agency teaching assistant in London primary schools. She was last seen in Hammersmith in May 2008 and last emailed her mother in September. She is 29 and is believed to still be in the UK. If you can help, please call 020 8246 2815.

Unviable Welsh schools must close, say inspectors weLSh COUnCILLOrS must be willing to close schools when they are not viable, says wales’ school inspection body estyn. It says school reorganisation plans are being blocked by elected members, leaving too many unfilled school places and wasting money. Its report says primary school standards in wales are improving with good or very good standards of teaching in 84% of lessons. Girls do better than boys in all subjects but the most able pupils are still not being challenged enough. Special schools are doing even better, with 92% of lessons good or better. “In all the maintained and independent special schools we inspected, the care, support and guidance of pupils are outstanding. “The majority of pupils with a range of complex needs make rapid progress,”

says the report. But standards in schools for children with emotional and behavioural difficulties were not as good as they should be. Two thirds of primary schools, special schools and pupil referral units make good provision for promoting bilingualism but the teaching of welsh as a second language is getting worse, said the report. Dr Bill Maxell, chief inspector for schools in wales, said: “Many authorities can’t deliver school reorganisation plans because too many elected members are not prepared to take the difficult decisions to close some schools …The end result, of course, is that money is wasted or used less efficiently than it should be and that has an impact in terms of less resources for pupils in the area.” Annual Report 2007/2008. www.estyn.gov.uk

Get Learning Support at home for £2 a month

There’s no catch. Find out more at www.learningsupport.co.uk 8  Learning Support  Spring Term 2 2009 1896_LS_Spr2_09.indb 8

18/2/09 13:08:59

Our special role Learning Support 38 High Street Bishops Castle SY9 5BQ www.learningsupport.co.uk ISSN 1747-1990 © Brightday Publishing 2009 Editor Frances Rickford [email protected] 01588 638567 Production Alan Slingsby at editionperiodicals.co.uk Cover picture Hannah Cumming Business manager Trevor Chalkley trevor.chalkley@ learningsupport.co.uk Subscriptions and advertising enquiries 01588 638567 [email protected]

Write to us and win a £30 book token

treated as an important part of the team, which makes the job so much more satisfying. Beccy Andrews Newcastle upon Tyne

Beccy Andrews wins our £30 of book tokens prize

Down’s children can flourish

I would like to say a big “Thank you” to Learning Support magazine for the fantastic article on how to help children with Down’s Syndrome achieve their full potential. I currently work with a child who has Down’s Syndrome and have already implemented some of the brilliant ideas as part of this child’s continuous development. I believe that with the right support, these

I am being cast aside

I have been employed for 22 years in my primary school – first as a nneB qualified nursery nurse – then, two years ago, my job title was changed to Level 3 Teaching Assistant. now the school is cutting staff and I have been told to re-apply for my job. I will be competing with the other Level 3 TAs for one post, so two of us will be made redundant. Are any other TAs facing this process? I feel that after so many years of giving 100% to the school I am being cast aside. Name and address supplied

children can flourish and be able to participate fully in all classroom activities. I hope to see future issues covering a range of learning difficulties such as ASD and ADhD which will hopefully enable us support assistants to help our children develop and progress further. Fazilla Mulla Blackburn

Two places at once

The government wants parents to be more involved in primary schools, AnD to go out to work more – including single mums. Can the new government parenting classes teach us how to be in two places at once please? Rosemary Campbell Whitchurch

We send a new book (children’s or TA professional development) to the writer of every letter we publish, and a £30 prize for the top letter STEVIE

Email your letter to editor@ learningsupport. co.uk, fax it to us on 0871 733 5474 or post it to Letters, Learning Support, 38 High Street, Bishops Castle, SY9 5BQ

I am happy that Ofsted (LS22) has written about the special role teaching assistants play in primary schools. we’re not just assistants to the teacher – our skills and experience mean we are often better than teachers at creating close bonds with children, and better at winning the trust of parents. At my school we really are

letters

Don’t forget to provide a full postal address (we won’t publish it but we need to know that letters are genuine) and indicate clearly that your letter is for publication. Letters may be edited for reasons of space.

Learning Support  Spring Term 2 2009  9 1896_LS_Spr2_09.indb 9

18/2/09 13:09:00

displaYs

Golden rules Get the pupils to agree the classroom rules, then make a special display of them, says Linda Hartley

C

LASSrOOM rULeS displays have usually been on the wall for quite a while by this time of year. The display can be getting a bit stale and tatty. Many teachers start the year by displaying rules the children have come up with and agreed themselves. This is a powerful way of getting the pupils to take ownership of the rules and to feel involved. The problem is that unless you are very careful you can end up with a large number of rules, some of which can be quite complicated and hard to remember. This is a good time to revisit the rules display and freshen it up.

GET THEIR ATTENTION BACK One idea is to start with the pupils’ suggestions and then refine them into themes. You should aim to have a maximum of six broad areas. At this stage it can be a good idea to turn the rules into positive statements. Then get the class to simplify the rules and the language they use. This can help members of the class who are able to cope better with a reduced vocabulary. Once you’ve got your revised and

simplified rules you can decide how to display them.

GOLDEN RULES Stage One

Choose four or five simple rules Print them out in a large font Mount on gold paper Arrange on a plain background Use a gold border Post the rules in a prominent position in the classroom and also put smaller laminated versions on the tables. Make it clear that if these simple ■ ■ ■ ■ ■

a CLassrOOM TreaTy Write the rules in a list onto a large sheet of paper in very clear handwriting ■ Every child signs the treaty and agrees the rules ■ Use pencil first and then go over with permanent marker, ideally black ■ Use very dilute brown powder paint and a cotton wool pad to colour the paper (easier to control than tea bags) ■ Introduce a few darker brown ‘age spots’ by spattering with a

toothbrush ■ Tear edges and paint them slightly darker brown. ■ Varnish with dilute PVA (one part glue to four or five parts water) ■ Leave to dry overnight ■ Crumple the treaty round the edges to make creases, carefully avoiding the writing ■ Add seals made from painted bottle tops and red ribbon ■ Mount on a dark background

rules are followed then no one will be in trouble.

Stage two

Over the next few days catch children following the rules and take photos of them. Add to the display to remind the class what good behaviour looks like and show them that they can all do it.

10  Learning Support Spring Term 2 2009 1896_LS_Spr2_09.indb 10

18/2/09 13:09:03

Keep up your fluid levels Avoid dehydration by making sure you have plenty of water, fruit – and the odd cup of tea, advises Joy Ogden

W

heneVer I make soup from a packet of dried flakes I’m struck by the transformative power of water. It might not feel much like it, but about two thirds of our body is composed of water. It is by far our body’s most important nutrient – apart from oxygen – and is needed to lubricate our joints and eyes, keep our skin healthy, help digestion and flush out waste and toxins. And it doesn’t take much to become dehydrated: if you lose just 1 to 2% of your body weight from fluid loss you will be mildly dehydrated. This can usually be remedied by having a glass of water, but if dehydration gets more serious you may need an intravenous drip and you could even die.

CAUSES OF DEHYDRATION? we become dehydrated when we lose more fluid from our body than we have taken in. This causes an imbalance in important chemical substances, such as sodium (salt) and potassium, which many of our body’s cells need to work properly. we take in about two-thirds of the water

dehydraTIOn syMPTOMs In adULTs Mild to moderate

Severe

Dry mouth, eyes and lips

Extreme thirst

Headache Tiredness

Loose skin with lack of elasticity

Dizziness or light-headedness

Sunken eyes Clammy hands and feet

Decreased urine output

Low urine output and concentrated, dark urine with a strong odour Confusion and irritability

Your HealtH

we need from drinks. Up to one third comes from food (cucumber, tomatoes, fruits and berries, fish and poultry are good sources) and some is provided by chemical reactions within the body. Average adults lose about 2.5 litres of fluid each day through breathing, sweating and waste removal. Illnesses such as gastroenteritis can lead to dehydration through diarrhoea and vomiting. You can also become dehydrated if you have a fever and sweat heavily. Drinking too much alcohol can lead to dehydration: the hangover headache is a symptom, which is why you should drink plenty of water when you have been on the booze. remember, if you have a headache, it might not be because of the children, it might be because you are dehydrated, so make sure that at break time you top up your fluid levels.

AVOIDING DEHYDRATION In a normal environment – neither very physically active, nor very hot, cold or dry – a generally accepted rule of thumb for adults is to drink six to eight glasses of water (about two litres) or other fluids, such as diluted fruit juice, every day. when it is hot, or you are strenuously active, or suffering from vomiting and diarrhoea, you should increase your fluid intake. Drinks containing caffeine such as tea, coffee and cola should not be your only source of fluids, but they can still make a useful contribution. Dr Carrie ruxton, public health nutritionist at Kings College, London and her colleagues say that tea rehydrates as well as water does and has many other health benefits. And while tea and coffee can act as mild diuretics (ie make the body produce more urine), you would still have a net gain of fluid.

Learning Support  Spring Term 2 2009  11 1896_LS_Spr2_09.indb 11

18/2/09 13:09:05

LEARNING MENTORS

What is a learning mentor and why do TAs make good ones? Jan Murray finds out

A

FTER TEN years as a social worker specialising in child protection, Maggie Eyre was looking for a new challenge. “I enjoyed my job, but it was becoming increasingly reactive. I wanted to be more proactive.” When she saw an advert in a local newspaper for the role of learning mentor at Cale Green Primary School, in Stockport, it seemed an ideal opportunity. Six years on, she is glad she made the move: “There is so much autonomy and the chance to think creatively about how to make a difference to children’s lives. I just love it.” Learning mentors were introduced in 1999 as part of the government’s Excellence In Cities programme designed to improve educational outcomes for city children. Ten years on, learning mentors still have a crucial role in schools and colleges across the country and not just in cities.

‘My job is listening to children’

S

pecific roles and responsibilities vary from school to school, but the key task of the learning mentor is to help pupils to achieve to their potential. Typically, learning mentors work in one-to-one and group settings to identify individual barriers to learning – such as problems at home, bereavement, or bullying – and to devise strategies to help children move forward.

12

But as Maggie Eyre found out, that is just part of the picture. When she started at Cale Green, she found there was no ‘template’ for the job. Her role has evolved to meet the needs of the children who attend the school and their families. She believes this experience is common for learning mentors. A typical day starts at 7am, when she arrives at school to prepare for breakfast club, something she believes is vital for students’ readi-

Maggie Eyre: You can’t overestimate the impact a learning mentor can have on a school

ness to learn. Then she turns her attention to attendance, “meeting and greeting” late arrivers and offering a gentle reminder about the school’s start time. Next she checks the registers and puts in a call to every home where a child is marked absent. “It’s all about building genuine partnerships with parents,” she says. “If we’ve established good relationships we are more likely to spot potential problems early on.”

Learning Support Spring Term 2 2009

1896_LS_Spr2_09_12-13.indd 12

18/2/09 13:16:15

children who attend. It can be transformational. They can play a key role in improving the overall wellbeing of a whole family, which can be crucial to remove barriers to learning.”

L

Improving children’s health and happiness is part of the learning mentor’s job Attendance dealt with, Maggie Eyre works with individual children or small groups. Then it’s off to open the healthy eating tuck shop before more one-to-one or group work. Most of her work takes place outside the classroom, but if a class teacher flags up a particular concern, such as bullying or friendship problems, Eyre might join the class to lead circle time or a group session. After lunch (often spent in the playground or running school council meetings), there are meetings with families or parents’ activities to organise.

S

ince she started at Cale Green, Maggie Eyre has established a range of education opportunities for parents, including cooking classes, arts and crafts, literacy, parenting, numeracy and ICT. “Learning mentors can do so much to bridge gaps between school and home,” says head teacher David Marshall. “You can’t overestimate the impact a learning mentor can have on a school and the lives of the

earning mentors come from a variety of areas such as teaching, learning support, social work, educational welfare, youth work or counselling and some employers may expect a qualification or experience in one of these areas. There are no set entry requirements for learning mentors, but employers might require particular qualifications depending on the demands of the role. It’s worth taking a look at what your local college or learning provider has to offer: some run level 1 or 2 mentoring courses, educational coaching or counselling and guidance – all useful for the aspiring learning mentor. Experience is helpful, but not essential, as newly appointed learning mentors receive induction training, devised by the Children’s Workforce Development Council (CWDC) and there should be opportunities for further professional development. There is no national salary structure, but full-time equivalent salaries generally range from £14,000 to £24,000. Contracts also vary, so some posts might be offered on a term-time only basis, or on an hourly or sessional basis. Maggie Eyre believes teaching assistants can be particularly well-placed to move into the role of learning mentor. “Experience of working one-to-one with children and encouraging and motivating them towards their goals can be invaluable.” For Maggie Eyre, becoming a learning mentor offers the chance to make a real difference to children’s lives. For more information about becoming a learning mentor visit: www.cwdcouncil.org.uk www.standards.dfes.gov.uk/ learningmentors

LINDA BAILEY-WOOD

Learning Mentor, Highfield Primary School, Moortown, Leeds I’d been working as a teaching assistant for 19 years when a vacancy came up for a learning mentor at my school. I’d worked as a special needs teaching assistant and ethnic minorities achievement co-ordinator, so I felt I had lots of experience to offer. When I started the job last September I went on a four-day induction course. A lot of the material covered, such as child protection and Every Child Matters, was familiar but it gave me real insight into record-keeping and how to keep a ‘paper trail’ of my work with children. The children I work with on a regular basis often have social, emotional or behavioural issues which are creating barriers to learning. I see my biggest role as listening to the children, whether that is in a one-to-one, small group or whole class situation. I have a weekly meeting with teaching staff, where we discuss any concerns they might have about individual students. There is no such thing as a ‘typical day’ really. Members of staff will come to me at any point of the day, if there has been a problem at playtime or a parent has raised a concern. It’s a busy, but very rewarding job.

Learning Support Spring Term 2 2009 1896_LS_Spr2_09_12-13.indd 13

13

18/2/09 13:16:17

NORWIcH EVENING NEWS

out of tHe classroom

Learning Support meets a TA who saves battery hens from becoming dog food – and who would like some help

L

AST SPrInG something happened that changed teaching assistant Jo eglen’s life. She visited a chicken farm. Jo, a teaching assistant at harford Manor Special School in norwich, now finds new homes for hundreds of hens every month and runs her own charity and website devoted to rescuing the chickens that battery farms no longer want. Jo, 29, wanted a few chickens to keep in her back garden so she contacted a group in London that “rehomes” unwanted hens. The group was due to collect some hens from a farm near Jo’s home and asked if she would help. “It was a battery egg farm and going there opened my eyes so much,” she says. Conditions in these intensive farms are so stressful that hens’ egg production falls after a year and they are slaughtered for dog meat. The farmers let the re-homing group collect the hens but because it has no land it has to deliver the hens directly to their new homes. “It meant we had to leave some behind to be killed because there were not enough new homes for all of them,” Jo recalls. She decided she wanted to do more to help so she set up her own local re-homing group. “To start off with I kept all the hens in our garden! Then a local man said we could use his five acres of land and some disused stables which has been brilliant. “we’ve had good publicity from the local paper and we advertise around the place and on the internet for people to offer homes to the hens. Although their laying slows down in the battery farm, they are usually

Jo’s chickens can count themselves lucky great layers once you get them into a garden or free range conditions.” Jo has taken hens into her own school, for children with severe learning difficulties. “when we had a story about the little red hen. I brought in a hen and the children felt her and looked at the eggs.” She also visits local primary schools to teach children about chickens. “we don’t go on about where they have come from – battery farms – we just talk about chickens and let the children stroke them and look at the eggs.” having the use of the fields means Jo can even take injured or sick hens and nurse them back to health. her Little hen rescue organisation also has a Sponsor a hen scheme for people who want to help but can’t keep chickens themselves.

One problem with the rescued hens is keeping them warm in winter. “They are in such bad conditions in some farms that by the time we get them they are practically bald. So we asked people to knit jackets for them!” Jo published a knitting pattern on her website and the norwich evening news helped her to publicise the chickens’ plight. She now has more than 1,000 hen jackets. “we send them to their new homes in the jackets if they need them. And when the feathers have grown back the new owners wash the jackets and send them back.” Jo’s family – husband Steve, Jay, six and Bobby, three – are all involved. “Steve was doubtful to start with,” she says, “but now he’s been to a chicken farm he’s as committed as I am. I just wanted to get these little hens out and give them the life they deserve. As soon as you get them home, they are happy.” ■ littlehenrescue.co.uk ■ henrehomers.net

14  Learning Support Spring Term 2 2009 1896_LS_Spr2_09.indb 14

18/2/09 13:09:14

cHildren’s HealtH

Meningitis can strike anyone but it is most dangerous to children, so it is vital that TAs know the symptoms, says Joy Ogden

T

he wOrD meningitis strikes fear into the hearts of anyone who knows someone who has suffered its devastating effects. And the health Protection Agency (hPA) has recently released figures that show the number of cases is rising. Vaccines can prevent some types of meningitis, but not all. There are around 3,000 cases of bacterial meningitis and probably twice that number of viral meningitis in the UK each year. It can strike anyone without warning. But babies and young children whose immune systems are not developed well enough to fight it off are most at risk. One in 10 who gets the disease dies and many more are left with seriously disabling long-term effects, such as deafness, blindness, limb loss, learning difficulties and behavioural problems. It is important that teaching assistants can recognise the symptoms and danger signs because knowing when to raise the alarm might save a life.

WHAT IS MENINGITIS? Meningitis is inflammation of the meninges – the membranes that surround and protect the brain and spinal cord. Bacterial meningitis can be fatal and needs urgent medical attention. Viral meningitis makes people very ill and can leave them with after-effects such as headaches, tiredness and memory loss, but it is rarely life-threatening. The meningococcus, which is the most common cause of bacterial meningitis in the UK, can also cause septicaemia (blood poisoning).

HOW IS IT SPREAD? The germs that cause bacterial meningitis live at the back of the throat and most of us have them without becoming ill. They are passed by coughing, sneezing and mouth to mouth kissing, though usually without causing meningitis. Smokers are more likely to carry the bacteria and children who live in a smoky environment are at more risk of disease. enteroviruses are the most common cause of viral meningitis. They usually live in the intestines and can be transferred by poor hygiene

COMMOn syMPTOMs MENINGITIS

Fever, cold hands and feet Severe headache Vomiting Dislike of bright lights Stiff neck, muscle pain Drowsiness, difficulty in waking ■ Confusion and irritability

■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■

SEPTICAEMIA

Fever, cold hands and feet Vomiting Severe muscle pain Spots or rash (see the glass test, below) ■ Stomach cramps and diarrhoea ■ Drowsiness, difficulty in waking ■ Confusion and irritability

■ ■ ■ ■

ScOTT GRIESSEL/FOTOLIA

Know the signs – failure to wash hands after visiting the toilet, for instance. The early stages of meningitis and septicaemia can be difficult to recognise because the signs and symptoms are similar to common illnesses like flu.

s

ymptoms can appear in any order and some may not appear at all. Meningitis and septicaemia often happen together. Be aware of all the signs and symptoms. A rash that starts as tiny pinpricks on the body is caused by blood leaking into the tissues under the skin and is a sign of meningococcal septicaemia. It can spread quickly to look like fresh bruises. Press the side of a clear glass firmly against the skin. If there is a fever and the spots do not fade, get medical help immediately. If someone is ill or obviously getting worse, do not wait for a rash, which might not appear – tell the head teacher and get medical help urgently. If you catch meningitis early it is less likely to be fatal or to cause serious after-effects ■ Meningitis Trust 24-hour nurse-led helpline 0800 028 18 28 www.meningitis-trust.org ■ Meningitis Research Foundation’s free 24 hour helpline is on 080 8800 3344 with an interpretation service in 150 languages. Information in 22 languages from www.meningitis.org

Learning Support  Spring Term 2 2009  15 1896_LS_Spr2_09.indb 15

18/2/09 13:09:17

Easy printing craft page laBel proJect

Here are three simple methods of printing – card, vegetable and string, writes Clare Beaton. Later, get children to try other things that leave interesting marks when covered in paint String prints Glue string onto card making attractive loopy patterns taking care not to cross the string over itself so that it forms one level

Vegetable prints Keep the shapes simple. One shape can be printed on to another when the first paint is dry

What you will need root vegetables such as carrots, turnips and potatoes string card glue scissors knife for cutting vegetables (adult use only) sheets of coloured paper paints and brushes

Glue the shapes firmly to a base that is easy for small hands to hold and keep these bases close to the size of the cut pattern so it’s easy to place the shapes when you are printing. Build up the background card by adding more card or small easily glued objects such as corks or wooden blocks on the back. This makes the prints easy to handle. Make sure everything is completely dry before using.

Card prints Cut simple card geometric shapes plus stars and hearts and glue onto thicker background card.

See Clare Beaton’s craft and activity books at www. bsmall.co.uk

16  Learning Support  Spring Term 2 2009 1896_LS_Spr2_09.indb 16

18/2/09 13:09:23

g

Cover the shape with a layer of paint. Press firmly down onto the paper. Repeat two or three times, then apply more paint. Keep the shapes quite close together. Or leave gaps where another shape can be printed once the first printing is dry. Used the (dried) printed papers to cover book, boxes, folders etc., or for wrapping presents.

The printed paper can also be cut up and used for paper collage pictures. Cut into bold, simple shape and glue onto plain coloured papers. Use with black paper backgrounds and black shapes stuck onto printed papers.

es onto

Learning Support  Spring Term 2 2009  17 1896_LS_Spr2_09.indb 17

18/2/09 13:09:26

Show you care scHool pHoBia

Louise Tickle looks at ways of helping when children literally can’t face school

F

OUr YeAr-OLD eliott was a happy little boy all through nursery. During last summer’s long holiday he talked excitedly about going to “big school” and, because he’d got a place at the same school site as his nursery, his mum Jo did not anticipate any problems. But after the “settling in” period of going to school for half days only eliott hit a stumbling block. Full days meant staying for lunch and his parents had wanted him to try school dinners. “It was a huge mistake,” says Jo. eliott was overwhelmed by the noise and by being pressured to decide quickly what he wanted to eat. he has some speech and language difficulties and was too shy to speak up in the busy dining room. Although he switched to packed lunches after three days, the damage was done, says Jo. eliott became frightened of going to school and his fear manifested itself physically when he started throwing up and crying every morning and evening. “he started to have nightmares and couldn’t even talk about school without bursting into tears,” says Jo. Severe emotional upset when faced with the prospect of going to school is a classic symptom of school phobia, sometimes known as “school refusal” says educational psychologist Dario Pellegrini, who treats children at London’s Tavistock Centre. About 2% of all children experience it and, although the proportion may not be high, the effect both on the child and on their family can be enormous.

Like eliott, many children who develop school phobia will have immense difficulty getting themselves through the school gates. Long absences are not uncommon, which means a lot of missed classwork. The difference between this kind of absence and TAs can play a crucial truanting, however, is role in easing the fears that parents will be well aware of their child’s of a child who is attendance problems. That is a good thing, frightened of school because it means that TAs and classroom teachers can work closely with parents to develop a strategy to help. TAs, in particular, can play a crucial role in easing the fears of a child who is frightened of school, says Dario Pellegrini. “They are often the adults with the highest level of direct contact with children experiencing distress,” he says. Showing children you care about them as individuals is the first step, says Teaching Awards

18  Learning Support Spring Term 2 2009 1896_LS_Spr2_09.indb 18

18/2/09 13:09:27

TOP TIPs

TA of the Year Mandy Skillen from woodland Primary in Birkenhead. “I’ve been to their house and talked to them where they feel WaTCh OUT FOr safe and secure. Sometimes I’ve chatted to children on ■ sudden poor attendance at school that gets the phone or even through progressively worse. the letterbox if they ■ repeated complaints of stomach aches, head aches didn’t want to open the and not feeling well which on medical investigation have door.” no physical cause. The next step is ■ avoidance behaviour such as hysterical crying or gently persuading a physical refusal to enter school premises. child to come with her Possible causes: into just a part of the school, then gradually ■ Has a child experienced loss or change recently? spending a bit more ■ Have their family dynamics altered? time around school ■ Are there concerns about inappropriate activities, she says. parenting or parental discord? Talking – and not just about school stuff ■ Is the child struggling with the – means the child does curriculum or having problems with a not see you as just teacher? another person trying ■ Is the child being bullied? to drag them back to the classroom, says hOW TO heLP helen Skelton, a TA at ■ Don’t be afraid to report your concerns. Bracken Lane Primary in ■ Take the time to talk with the pupil in a quiet retford and TA of the Year part of the playground or school building or, in 2005. after consulting with your team, outside school “The key thing is reassurin a place where the child feels safe. ance and taking the time you have as a TA to give emotional ■ Take things gently, but keep offering the child support and to let them express opportunities to engage with different elements themselves without any judgment.” of the school environment, reassured by your reassurance on its own is not enough presence and ongoing emotional support. though. The reasons why a pupil has developed a fear of school will need to be teased out and, in the most extreme cases, therapeutic support from a psychologist will be needed to enable them to to blur the line between home and school. This was participate fully in class once again. all made much easier by the fact Jo was homeSo as part of the team trying to help, one of a based. For parents or carers with full-time jobs it TA’s most important roles is sharing the obserwould have been trickier. vations they make But school phobia can be tackled and, over If you suspect a child in the course of the time, overcome. So if you suspect a child may school day, says Dario be developing a fear of school, do share your may be developing a Pellegrini. concerns, says Dario Pellegrini. “It’s far better fear of school, do For eliott, to discover they’re unfounded than to see a consistent effort over child become so desperately unhappy that they share your concerns many weeks by his withdraw entirely.” mum, teacher and TA has helped him work through eliott is now very close to his TA, says Jo. She his fears and develop the resilience to conquer was able to take a “surrogate mum” role at the them. They tried lots of strategies. times he was most upset, and made sure that at Jo would come in for the occasional lunchtime times of stress he got the individual attention he so she could chat to eliott about the sights and was missing from home. sounds in the dining room; she gave him exactly By Christmas eliott was a changed child and the same packed lunch every day so that he had starred as Joseph in the school play. “his confino extra surprises to deal with; and she negotiated dence is still growing,” Jo says, “but he is now spending more time helping out in his class in order happy at school and progressing really well.”

Learning Support  Spring Term 2 2009  19 1896_LS_Spr2_09.indb 19

18/2/09 13:09:29

continuing professional development

What the standards say

Standard 1: Providing support for learning activities 1.2 Support the delivery of learning activities You need to: ■■ provide support for the learning activity as agreed with the teacher ■■ obtain and use the agreed learning resources ■■ provide support as needed to enable pupils to follow instructions ■■ make yourself available and easy for pupils to approach for support ■■ use praise, commentary and assistance to encourage pupils to stay on task ■■ monitor pupil response to the learning activities ■■ provide support as needed to enable pupils to complete any follow-up tasks set by the teacher ■■ promptly seek assistance if you experience difficulties in supporting the learning activity as planned

You need to understand: ■■ the relationship between your own role and the role of the teacher within the learning environment ■■ your role and responsibilities for supporting pupils’ learning and the implications of this for the sort of support you can provide ■■ the objectives of the learning activities to be supported ■■ the importance of planning and evaluation of learning activities ■■ the basic principles underlying child development and learning; the factors that promote effective learning; and the barriers to effective learning ■■ strategies to use for supporting pupils’ learning as individuals and in groups The TDA has produced a booklet and chart on the standards: www.tda.gov.uk/nos

How to make a T

Anne Watkinson continues her series on the new occupational standards for teaching assistants by looking at how the concept of differentiation underpins the work of all TAs

he word differentiation is not mentioned in the new occupational standards but it will underpin your work. All children are different. To achieve the teacher’s intended learning outcome for the lesson, children will need different inputs and, often, different approaches. Community backgrounds, family circumstances, physical and mental inherited factors, illnesses and variations in schooling will all make a difference to the way a child learns. The more you understand about these factors and the particular learning needs of the children you work with, the better the outcome for them is likely to be. Differentiation is the way you adapt the learning tasks to enable the child or group of children you are working with to achieve a learning objective. When you start as a TA, the teacher will tell you which child or children to work with, what task to work on and what resources to use. If things at your school are as they should be, he or she will discuss it all with you beforehand. The teacher will already have done the basic differentiation by determining which children will undertake which task and which of them you are to support. But it

does not stop there. Every gesture of yours, every word, can make a difference to how well that task enables the children to progress their learning. As you decide what question to ask, or what prompt or aid to give – without actually doing the task of course – you are ‘scaffolding’ – providing the circumstances which enable the child to reach the next stage themselves. You will quickly see which children in your group need which kind of support. Some just take longer and will manage if they are given time. Some need chivvying. Some may not have understood what went before and some may even set out to challenge you by refusing to do the task. You may need to: ●● repeat the instruction using simpler words ●● give different examples ●● read or even change the words to simpler ones on a task sheet ●● recap the previous lesson ●● change to different tools: a pen instead of a pencil, or left-handed scissors ●● help with spellings: don’t give them a word automatically, get them to sound it out or find a dictionary

20  Learning Support Spring Term 2 2009 1896_LS_Spr2_09.indb 20

18/2/09 13:09:30

e a difference ● help source some information in the library or enable access to a computer ● sit with an individual a bit longer to give them time to finish. whatever the outcome, you can see how important it is to feed back to the teacher on what you have done and how the children respond. Do any of the children need a different approach to get that job done? would different resources help? how can boredom be prevented and the group’s self esteem be boosted while working on the task? EXPERIENCED teaching assistants who have a good working relationship with the class teacher might ■ change a task say from writing to acting, or completing a puzzle rather than colouring in ■ go for a walk with their group to see what a particular object actually looks like or feels like ■ use the teacher’s worksheet for the class to prepare special worksheets in advance for their group ■ find or make different resources to help explain a particular learning point ■ read round a subject so they can ask extra questions and challenge children who have completed a task quickly

Hazel Bennett explains how to create resources for pupils with the lowest attainment levels

T

eaching assistants who support children in literacy lessons are usually asked to support the pupils with the lowest attainment. whether pupils have a learning difficulty or they are bright but in the early stages of learning english, it is important to know how to create resources which make the content of the lesson accessible to them. If the main body of the class is reading a passage or chapter that is too difficult for your group, read the chapter in advance and pick out the main points. write or type them in jumbo print in several sentences or paragraphs, whichever is appropriate for your pupils. Take a sheet of A4 paper and fold into four, snip the top folds and staple the ‘spine’ to make it into a little booklet of eight pages. Put a sentence or paragraph on each page. If you can add a picture or two to make it more attractive, so much the better. You can usually find something on clip art at www. picsearch.co.uk. Better still, before snipping and stapling, photocopy the booklet double-sided so everyone in the group has their own copy. Alternatively you could make a jumbo one with sugar paper or two sheets of A3 to use for group reading. This is time-consuming, but well worth the bother because your pupils will be more willing to try when they see that the task is within their grasp. Children who are in the support group sometimes dread the comprehension activity. It can be frustrating for the child who understands

the text but is unable to put their answers on paper. when you have read the passage and the questions, you can write or type a resource to make it suitable for the children’s needs. If you have pupils who can read and understand the text but cannot write their answers, make a cloze sheet (below) in which all the answer sentences are written with spaces for the key words so pupils can write them in. If the pupils have low reading ages or are in the early stages of learning english, read the text and, as with the booklet above, pick out the main points and type them in several sentences, using a large point size – 18 or 20. Then type the questions in the textbook giving three or four alternative answers for pupils to select the right one. Mark your multiple choice answers

A, B, C and D with a tick box at the end. Children love this because it is like playing ‘who wants to be a Millionaire?’ And, of course, with every resource you make, it is important to keep a master copy in your own resource bank to save you time in the future. ■ Hazel Bennett is the author of The Ultimate Teachers’ Handbook and The Trainee Teacher’s Survival Guide.

Learning Support  Spring Term 2 2009  21 1896_LS_Spr2_09.indb 21

18/2/09 13:09:33

From assistant to researcher ta researcHers

More and more teaching assistants are knuckling down to serious study. The range of courses and qualifications on offer is vast, but among the most popular is the work-based foundation degree. These differ widely from college to college, but their TA students often undertake independent research projects at school. Third year students on the foundation degree at Swansea Metropolitan University in South Wales talked to Learning Support about the classroom research projects they carried out as part of their degree. Sue Ingmire, 46

Vicki Harris, 24

TA and playground supervisor at Brynmill Primary School, Swansea

TA at the Gors Community School in Swansea

We’ve got a lot of children at our school who speak no English, or very little, when they arrive. I wanted to find out more about how they pick up the language through interacting with other children, and how I could help them more effectively. I observed a year 6 boy, a year 4 boy and a girl in the nursery. I also talked to other practitioners about their experiences. I found that using pictures with words in both languages – English and their own language – worked well. So did helping them to make friends in the playground, especially with other children who speak their language but have been in the school for a while. That way they can learn through play.

My research was on boys and girls’ attitudes to reading in reception class. It’s been an issue in our school – we know that the boys are developing more slowly. I wrote a questionnaire about reading for the children. I had to read it out to them and write down their answers. I also did an observation. I asked each child to pick a book. Most of the girls went to the books and had a look at them before choosing the one they wanted. The boys tended to just pick one without looking at it so carefully. I found overall that in reception the boys got less enjoyment from the books and from reading than the girls did.

22  Learning Support Spring Term 2 2009 1896_LS_Spr2_09.indb 22

18/2/09 13:09:38

n

an

Liz Collier, 27 Pentrepoeth Infant School. Nursery nurse in the morning, TA in the afternoon running a nurture group in reception and year one. My research project was about whether the foundation stage children were able to access the resources they need to become autonomous learners. The head wanted to know about this. I observed the children’s behaviour and designed a questionnaire for support staff about how much access the children were getting to the resources. Many children depended on an adult to get the resources they wanted and didn’t know the right place to put things away in. If they had put them away, they knew where to get them next time they wanted them. Labelling was important to help them do this. I put a photograph of a spoon in the spoon section of the cutlery drawer and then re-observed them. I found there was a big difference. I enjoyed doing the research but it was difficult to find the time to do it while I was working. Amanda Grey, 48 TA at St David’s Catholic primary school I was interested in the influence that faith has on children’s learning and why children in faith schools get better results. I talked to colleagues who have experience of faith and non-faith teaching and to parents. I did a questionnaire for people who had moved their children from non-faith schools. Everything is based on the principles of the faith – the attitudes of staff, the school’s ethos and behaviour policy, and the ethos at home. I’d never done research before but I loved it. It was an interesting topic to me as a TA at a Catholic school, but not a Catholic myself. I had to do a lot of reading to identify which strategies to use. I had to re-do my questionnaire because I was no wiser after the first one!

A chance to take a closer look

Why do teaching assistants need to do original research – and how do they know what to do? Jill Morgan is a senior lecturer in education at Swansea Metropolitan University and the year tutor for these third-year foundation degree students. reSeArCh IS important because it means looking more closely at what is going on in the classroom. Being an observer in their own classroom – where they are usually in the thick of the action – means that they can pay attention to details that normally might not be noticed. Delving into a subject that is highly relevant to what they do often involves interviewing colleagues such as teachers or the special educational needs coordinator. This can be very revealing. TAs doing research also have to read around the issues – both the subject they are researching, and the methods they use – and quote from the existing literature in their research reports. Before they start their research they are taught about different research methods – for example, questionnaires and observations. They then write the outline of their project and formulate their research question. This is often the trickiest part. everyone wants to prove the world is round, or something equally ambitious. But we’re looking for a very small slice of knowledge. narrowing things down to something achievable, and original, is an important part of the process.

Being an observer in your own classroom means you can pay attention to details that normally you might not notice

Learning Support  Spring Term 2 2009  23 1896_LS_Spr2_09.indb 23

18/2/09 13:09:43

One of those days? Tell your TA colleagues all about it There are more than 100,000 primary school teaching assistants in England alone. Start getting to know some of them on Learning Support’s Forum. There’s no easier way to share experiences, get advice and ideas, offload your frustrations and even have a laugh with your fellow TAs from around the UK.

www.learningsupport.co.uk/forum 1896_LS_Spr2_09.indb 24

18/2/09 13:09:45

learning tHrougH plaY

Roll up, roll up Playdough is fun to play with and also offers plenty of learning opportunities for early years, foundation stage and key stage 1 children, says Sarah Cruickshank

1 Make the playdough (see the

recipe below). Talk about how the different ingredients feel and ask the older children to predict what might happen when the ingredients are mixed together and when the final mixture is heated. These activities will help to develop scientific, prediction and investigation skills.

6 roll out a sausage and then make

one-to-one correspondence.

4 Take a blob of dough and roll

it into a ball between your hands, then put it on a table or board and start rolling it into a sausage using your fingers. This will, again, help to develop fine motor skills. Start by making short, fat sausages, then see who can make the longest, thinnest sausage (to be really successful at this you’ll need to work from one end of the sausage to the other).

5 roll out 10 fat sausages and sing the song, squashing your sausages as you go!

3 Take a lump of dough and make a

ball by rolling it between your hands (helping to promote fine motor skills). how does the dough change as you work it? Change the shape of the ball by pinching and pushing bits of the ball. Flatten the ball and re-roll it. Split the ball into a number of smaller balls and create animals, faces and everyday items from the small balls. Count the balls, pointing to each one as you do so, to promote the idea of

7 roll the dough flat to make a

writing surface and practice mark making using lots of different tools.

8 “write” simple letters, words and

numbers from sausages of dough for the children to recognise, read and copy.

9 Use the dough to practice cutting skills using safety scissors. You can cut through balls, sausages and rolled flat pieces of dough.

10 Provide paper plates and a

few different colours of dough from which children can make their favourite meal, or a meal for their favourite story character. This will give the children a chance to practise their motor, creative and speaking skills all in one activity.

2 Play with the dough,

explore what you can do with it – kneading, rolling, squashing, flattening. Can you describe how it feels? what noises does it make as you use it? what does it remind you of? here we’re encouraging both physical and creative skills, as well as encouraging talking, thinking and expressing ideas.

the initial letter of your name, or short words. You could also make numbers. If your children need a prompt, use laminated sheets.

THERE is nothing too terrible in this recipe if any of it gets eaten, but I would not encourage it! To make play dough you will need: 1 cup flour 1/ cup salt 2 2 teaspoons cream of tartar 1 tablespoon vegetable oil 1 cup water few drops of food colouring (optional) Method ■ Put the flour, salt and cream of tartar into a pan (non-stick if

you have it) ■ Add the oil, water and a few drops of food colouring and stir well ■ Place the pan on the hob over a medium heat and stir constantly until the mixture forms a ball in the middle of the pan ■ Turn out onto a floured surface and knead well (at this point you can add some glitter if you like) ■ Leave to cool before you play with it. Store in an airtight box or bag in the fridge and it will keep for several weeks.

Learning Support  Spring Term 2 2009  25 1896_LS_Spr2_09.indb 25

18/2/09 13:09:46

cHildren’s BooK reviews

Knit your own cat History, fantasy and cats are the themes of this issue’s books. Reviews by Nichola Gale

My Secret War Diary by Flossie Albright Marcia Williams Walker Books Hardback £12.99

Frozen in Time Ali Sparkes Oxford Paperback £5.99 IT’S A brave writer who attempts to walk even a few steps in enid Blyton’s sensible brown brogues but, with her latest novel Frozen in Time, Ali Sparkes has “a jolly good try”. having always wondered what the Famous Five would make of the 21st century world, Ali takes two children, Freddy and Polly (and their inevitable dog), cryogenically freezes them in 1956 and then ‘defrosts’ them again in 2009. with the help of their great nephew and niece, Ben and rachel, they attempt to locate their missing scientist father, while having the monumental task of adapting to life as teenagers in 2009. As you would expect, the millennium children compare rather unfavourably with their 1950s counterparts, Polly and Freddy, who

are well mannered, middle-class children in the mould of the Famous Five. But every child who was itching to give Blyton’s Anne a bit of a shake-up will be cheering on rachel as she attempts to give her great aunt a touch of ‘girl power’. A very entertaining book which could lead to interesting discussions on how life has changed for children, and especially girls, in the last 50 years.

There Are Cats In This Book Viviane Schwarz Walker Books Hardback £9.99 ChArMInG enOUGh to melt even the frostiest of cat haters’ hearts, this

FOr ChILDren who need motivation to learn about the past, interactive books such as My Secret War Diary are a perfect place to start. Flossie Albright is just nine years old when Britain goes to war with Germany in 1939 and her ‘secret’ diary covers the period from the onset of war until Armistice Day. enhanced by the author’s own family mementoes, letters from Flossie’s father give an insight into the military aspects of the war but, essentially, this is an account of a pre-teen girl’s life in Dorset during the war years. In parts very moving and always extremely interesting, the book will probably take three or four readings to absorb all the information contained within the newspaper clippings, drawings and photographs that accompany each diary entry.

is one of my favourite picture books at the moment. There are, indeed, cats in this book – three to be precise – and as demanding and lovable as real pets they are too. At each turn of the page, Tiny,

26  Learning Support Spring Term 2 2009 1896_LS_Spr2_09.indb 26

18/2/09 13:09:55

The Mapmaker’s Monsters – Beware the Buffalogre! Rob Stevens Macmillan Paperback £5.99 The SUCCeSS of the horrible histories and Beast Quest series shows just how popular the subjects of history and monstrous beasts are with children, particularly boys. An author who combines the two is therefore likely to be onto a winning formula, especially if the book is as humorous and well-written as The Mapmaker’s Monsters. Christopher Columbus wannabee rupert Lillywhite thinks that becoming a world famous explorer

will bring him fame and fortune. Joining his crew of gambling, drinking, maggot-swallowing sailors on his ship ‘The Lost Fool’ is mapmaker walter Bailey and his 12-year-old apprentice nephew, hugo. But discovering new lands is not all it’s cracked up to be, as walter and hugo soon find out. The purplebeached island they are ordered to explore may look like paradise, but they soon learn that pigs do fly, beetles can be vampires and the buffalogres will tear you to shreds! A gruesomely exciting opening chapter sets the tone for the rest of the book, which is thoroughly recommended to children of 7+.

The 13 Treasures Michelle Harrison Simon & Schuster Paperback £5.99 There IS no doubt that Fairyland becomes darker and more sinister the older you get. In The 13 Treasures, there are no multi-coloured benevolent fairies dispensing handfuls of magic dust over children. human heroine Tanya is tormented to such an extent by her ‘gift’ of second sight that her mother, doubting her sanity, sends her to stay with her grandmother in her gloomy mansion in the country. There, her torment continues as she and unlikely friend Fabian (who roasts insects with sunlight to record their burning points) attempt to solve the mystery of a girl who went missing in the forest many years ago. Forget the madman who never leaves the second floor, the brusque, sullen gamekeeper who tracks her every move, the carnivorous ginger

Moonpie and Andre command their readers to literally come and play, with balls of wool, cardboard boxes and pillow fights. It is this level of interaction (similar in style to Sally Grindley’s Shhh!), together with the book’s Shhh!

cat and the strange old woman who lives in hangman’s wood – no, Tania’s true adversaries are the fairy folk themselves, who will, it seems, stop at nothing to prevent her from discovering their awful secret. Definitely not to be read at the witching hour, take care to pick this book up only when your clothes are red and inside out, with a salt cellar and a running tap close at hand.

simplicity and page after page of effective paper engineering, which makes it so much fun. And if this was not enough, the author’s webpage even offers a knitting pattern for you to produce your own feline friend!

Nichola Gale is a children’s literature specialist

Keep up to date with the news about teaching assistants and the children they work with. UPDATE is Learning Support’s free email news bulletin for primary school teaching assistants. Visit www. learningsupport. co.uk to subscribe.

Learning Support  Spring Term 2 2009  27 1896_LS_Spr2_09.indb 27

18/2/09 13:10:01

resources

Plenty of interest for any TA

Supporting teaching and learning in schools: a handbook for higher level teaching assistants Sarah Younie, Susan Capel and Marilyn Leask (editors) Routledge £17.99

T

his book must have been given the label “handbook” because of its size – fewer than 200 pages – rather than its content. It’s unlikely you would keep it in your bag to dip into for on-the-hoof answers to classroom challenges. But for the serious student with £18 to spare, the book could be a very useful resource. It is aimed at hLTAs and people working towards hLTA status, but there is plenty there of interest to any TA. The 13 chapters include collaborative working with the teacher; developing your verbal and non-verbal communication skills; pupil diversity; pupil behaviour and teaching strategies; how pupils learn; monitoring and assessing pupils; and developing resources. written by 11 experienced academics, the chapters are based on official hLTA occupational standards. Some, for example Susan Capel’s on collaborative working with the teacher, are based on practice. Others are more theoretical, such as Understanding how Pupils Learn by Julia Lawrence, which introduces the ideas of key educational thinkers like Piaget. An interesting compilation, but don’t expect an easy read – the typeface is tiny and the writing style is sometimes very dry.

As enjoyable as your favourite re The Communication Cookbook I Can/BT £12 (Primary schools get one copy free)

W

e are always asking children to listen, but they do not always know how to, says this compendium of activities and picture cards from the communications charity I Can. It’s a good title because, although there is no cooking involved, it is a deliciously produced book that is as enjoyable to browse as your favourite recipe book. Just as they need good food to grow, children need “feeding” to

communicate well – and communication is fundamental to their development. The “five a day” of

Syndromes: A lot of reader-friendly in Alphabet Kids: from ADD to Zellweger Syndrome Robbie Woliver Jessica Kingsley Publishers, £22.50

T

his is meant to be a layperson’s guide to all the different “syndromes” that can affect children’s behaviour. A good idea in principle, the style is more like a magazine than a standard text book. each entry

begins with a story about a child with the syndrome or condition. The author also gives a list of signs and symptoms, the cause or causes, as far as they are known, how children are diagnosed, treatments and the prognosis or chances of recovery. This formula works better for some “disorders” than others, as you can imagine, and there is a lot of stating the obvious. The book also uses US terminology that in some cases could sound offensive in the

28  Learning Support Spring Term 2 2009 1896_LS_Spr2_09.indb 28

18/2/09 13:10:06

Moving Toys at Key stage 1 Cathy Rostas www.movingtoysinschools.co.uk £25

C

athy rostas has been running toymaking workshops in London infant schools for 14 years. In this book she suggests using moving toys to teach design and technology to key stage 1 children. She shows how cheap or free materials can be used to make moving puppets, vehicles, spinning toys and even wind-up moving models. Some of the worksheets and technical definitions seem a bit hard for year 1 and 2 children, but they should at least help adults (like me) who are still not sure what a cam or a winch is!

te recipe book communication are attention and listening, vocabulary, building sentences, telling stories and conversations. The cookbook provides a feast of recipes for helping children to develop these skills, backed up by a jam-packed website at www. communicationcookbook.org. uk. (For more about ICAn’s main web site, see the review in On the web, right). english primary schools can order a copy of the Communications Cookbook free and schools in other parts of the UK pay postage only.

Reviews by Bridget Marriot, Arnbrook Primary School, Notts

M

ark Making Matters is a downloadable booklet useful for all foundation stage and possibly year 1 practitioners. It explains the importance of children’s mark-making with examples of progression and offers ideas for promoting markmaking across all areas of the foundation stage. The case studies use colour photographs and analyse the marks made. It identifies effective practice, challenges and dilemmas and reflecting on practice. There is also a comprehensive list of ideas for mark-making across all areas of the eYFS curriculum. Go to http://nationalstrategies. standards.dcsf.gov.uk/ and search for Mark Making Matters. You are then given the option to download. It is well worth a look.

dly information

UK – we find “mental retardation” under M, for example. The book does contain a lot of reader-friendly information about the many psychiatric problems that can affect children and the labels we attach to them. But unfortunately for the publishers in these days of the internet, Google would probably be at least as useful to anyone wanting to know about a condition affecting a child they were working with.

on tHe weB www.ican.org.uk is an informative site run by a charity that helps children to communicate. It is very userfriendly and easy to navigate. There is something for all ages loosely grouped under three headings: early Years, Primary Talk and Secondary Talk. The site offers suggestions for resources, general information, web reviews, book reviews, research and discussion groups. Many of the resources are free and others require a small postage fee. I found the Communication Cookbook section especially good. If you come across web resources other Learning Support readers would want to know about, write and tell us about them. We pay £10 for every review we publish. Email editor@learningsupport. co.uk, and don’t forget to include your details.

Human Communication Sciences

Study for an Advanced Certificate in Language and Communication Impairment in Children Part-time by Distance Learning Develop your knowledge and understanding to support children with special needs. One year Course specially designed for Learning Support and Teaching Assistants. “All aspects were useful. I keep taking things into work for people to read”. - Advanced Certificate student. To find out more please visit our website http://www.sheffield.ac.uk/hcs/prospective_pg/lacic/ advcert.html or contact Charlotte Barber on 0114 222 2405 or by email [email protected] quoting reference “LRNGSUP”

Learning Support  Spring Term 2 2009  29 1896_LS_Spr2_09.indb 29

18/2/09 13:10:11

me and mY JoB

Deb Davies, 43

I have been working at Grange since September 1984. I started doing a week’s supply and never left! First it was a temporary job, then permanent. I’d got my national nursery examination Board qualification the previous year. I work as a nursery nurse in the reception/ nursery class, but I have worked throughout the infant department with children with hearing impairment and speech and language difficulties. I also have a contract to do six hours a week admin work after school. For a number of years I have been mentor for the TAs in my school. we have 10 TAs at present. I meet them on a one-to-one basis once a term to help them identify training needs. I will book courses for them and sometimes deliver in-service training sessions. I lead induction sessions for new TAs and students. I manage the playground rota and deploy the teaching assistants. This includes organising replacements or rearranging TAs when necessary with approval of the head teacher. I’m sometimes asked to attend senior management meetings to give the TAs’ perspective. I also support our nVQ students and liaise with their tutors. I do planning, preparation and assessment cover one full afternoon a week in the reception/nursery class. This means working with individual pupils, groups and the whole class without the class teacher present, but I always plan the sessions in advance with the class teacher. I have a qualification in speech and language support in the classroom and help with early identification and support for any child with speech and language difficulties. I manage the nursery waiting list and liaise with the head on admissions. I usually make the first phone call to parents and invite the next batch of children and their parents for a visit. In the summer term I run language and play sessions for the children who are about to come into the nursery and their parents. we have three or four sessions with activities for the adults and children so they can get used to our school. we have a hearing impaired unit at our school and parents of hearing impaired children are sometimes apprehensive about their children

Job: senior teaching ass istant and nursery nurse School: Grange Prima ry, Westcross, Swansea

Family: Husband Mark, son Christopher, 24

I feel valued starting school. Many don’t live in the area, so they don’t know other children and parents from the playgroups. I have found these sessions really help to break down barriers. I’m passionate about computers and run a computer club for year 2 pupils. we use digital cameras and download our photographs into photo stories. I graduated with a foundation degree in learning support in June 2007. As part of the course I did a research project on the use of ICT in the classroom. The results were fed into the school development plan. Because of the extra work I get an “honorarium” – some extra money – on top of my nneB salary which is for 52 weeks a year, and my admin contract. My role in school has changed immensely over recent years and I feel valued not only by other TAs but by my teacher colleagues and head teacher.

30  Learning Support  Spring Term 2 2009 1896_LS_Spr2_09.indb 30

18/2/09 13:10:14

Look and learn page laBel plaYtime

Sarah Cruickshank suggests useful formats for treasure hunts

T

reASUre hUnTS are a great way to fill a long playtime and do not need a lot of equipment. no special resources are needed (unless you want to link a hunt to something that’s happening in school or to a particular class).

HUNT 1 Ask the children to work in twos or threes and explain that they will need to listen carefully to your instructions or they won’t bring you back the right treasure. explain that the children must walk to the treasures and back to you (so there are no accidents). They must ask for permission before they borrow items from people not taking part in the game and if that permission is refused they must look elsewhere. Ask each team to find a blue lunch bag: the first team back gets a point. next, ask for a red scarf. Then a blue headband … and so on. Keep going until the groups seem to be getting bored by the game – it’s better to end on a high than in chaos. At the end of the game make sure that all the items have been returned safely to their owners.

was there. (This gives everybody a chance to answer all the questions).

HUNT 3 GOOD FOR OLDER CHILDREN You’ll need to stick up the basic compass points around the playground (north, north east, east, south east, south, south west, west, north west). Once these points are visible, you can ask children to take 10 steps north, three steps north west, etc. By following these instructions you can navigate the children back to you or to a particular point or prize.

HUNT 4 AN A-Z HUNT For this hunt, you’ll need some paper and pencils and also some alphabet cards in case children need help to remember the sequence of the letters. Once again, they can choose to work alone or in pairs. Ask them to

write the letters A to Z down the side of the page, then they simply work through the alphabet as they walk around the playground spotting something that begins with each letter. Obviously some letters will be easier than others – not many playgrounds will contain X-words!

HUNT 5 FOR WET PLAY You can do the A-Z hunt during wet play. The children can write down the letters of the alphabet on paper or individual whiteboards. working alone or in pairs and sitting down, ask the children to find something for each letter of the alphabet in their classroom. These four hunts are just the starting point for this kind of activity. You and the children will be able to think of more possibilities for treasure hunting at playtime.

HUNT 2 GOOD FOR YOUNGER CHILDREN Focus on prepositions (direction and place words). You will need to do a bit of preparation for this hunt, as you’re going to ask the children to look for treasure behind/on top of/ next to/underneath, etc. You will only need five or six items. The children can work alone or in pairs. Ask them not to bring the treasure to you, just to tell you what

Learning Support  Spring Term 2 2009  31 1896_LS_Spr2_09.indb 31

18/2/09 13:10:16

For even better classroom ideas

Stuck for ideas? Don’t break out the pipe cleaners just yet. Just visit www.teachers.tv/moreways instead. It’s full of ideas for lessons and practical advice on every subject and key stage. All delivered via short, informative videos that you can watch online, or download for later. While you’re there, why not brush up on your behaviour management skills? With videos featuring real people and real classroom situations, there’s an answer to everything – even how to keep 6C interested in the solar system tomorrow afternoon.

1896_LS_Spr2_09.indb 32

18/2/09 13:10:16