News

News update: July / August 2008

The past month has been incredibly busy with Staff Training in a number of geographical areas including Newcastle, Derby, York, Manchester, Liverpool, London, Chichester, Kent, Forest of Dean and Birmingham. Courses have mainly been on Behaviour Management for Lecturers, Teachers and Cover Supervisors. I have also run courses on Student Welfare for Support Staff, Developing the Independent Learner and Bullying.

The Autumn Term will see work in Scotland, Newcastle, Essex, London, Birmingham, Kent, Hull, Derby, Manchester, Leeds, Liverpool and The Lake District. I will also be presenting seminars at the NASEN Conference in Islington on 17^th and 18^th October.

I am also starting to write a new book on Engaging The Disengaged to be published early in 2009. The website is also being developed and one new addition will be articles by guest writers. The first available on the website is from Fin O’Regan and lists some key skills needed to Manage Challenging Behaviour. Click here to access the article.

Creating A Wave So Students Are Prepared To Surf With You.

Brian Apter, an Educational Psychologist with Wolverhampton Council has just conducted a survey of 3500 Primary aged children and 300 teachers in 141 schools looking at Numeracy and Literacy hours. He suggested that pupils talked least when teachers talked the most. In Literacy and Numeracy hours he felt teachers were pressing hard on the accelerator and speaking faster. It was thought that this could exacerbate behaviour problems. In fact it led to better behaviour as pupils did not have enough time to misbehave. At this time teachers became ultra alert with senses heightened.

Talking a lot and enthusiastically about your subject, being active and motoring around the classroom, encourage kids all the time. If you do this you are creating the wave so that learners are prepared to surf with you.

Are Children Being Wrongly Diagnosed As Having ADHD?

Psychiatrist Dr. Benjamin Keene has been conducting research, which he presented to the Royal College of Psychiatrists in July on the diagnosis of ADHD. His research indicated that teachers are labeling children as hyperactive when they are simply naughty. A study of pupils in Tower Hamlets found that only 5 of 52 children referred to mental health specialists in 2007 were correctly diagnosed. The research raised fears that children are being wrongly diagnosed because they are disruptive in lessons or refuse to co-operate with teachers.

Schools To Monitor And Improve Children’s Well-Being

The Education Secretary has stated that teachers will be expected to monitor and record up to 31 detailed aspects of children’s lives at home and at school. Schools will be expected to monitor healthy eating and look out for signs of neglect amongst others. The DCSF issued draft guidelines on this topic in early July. A list of well-being assessment indicators will be issued later in the year.

Knife Crime

Hospitals have seen a large rise in knife injuries and children as young as 10 are being treated for stab wounds. The age range of victims has dropped significantly over the last 3 to 4 years. The proportion of girls wounded has risen to 10%, an average 38 a day or 14000 a year. These figures may mask the true level, as knife injuries are not automatically reported to police as gunshot wound are. Police Minister, Tony McNulty said that carrying knives had become ingrained in the ‘collective DNA’ of a generation of British youngsters.

No wonder knife crime is rising. The world of a teenager is a threatening place and many young people including gang members are carrying weapons including replicas or items that could be used as weapons. Many young people live in a fantasy world and they do not realise how dangerous knives are. They say getting a weapon is easier than getting a pizza. Next month’s newsletter will contain an extensive article on Gangs and Groups.

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