5b - Workplace Ethics and Codes of Practice/Regulations

When working in an environment swarmed by codes of practice and regulations I was expecting to discover a lot of different policies and practices when I started to research this area properly, though I didn't expect to find the range, breadth and depth of material that I found whilst searching articles and scholarly sources.  I narrowed my search and focused on my immediate surroundings which enabled me to find relevant material to share here on my blog and to reflect on in relation to my professional practice.

The place that I have chosen to look in this narrowed down search is the Department for Education, more specifically their website and the Statutory Guidance section.  This organisation offers guidance for schools and governing bodies to create their own policies that need to be in place within the school.  I read through the guidance most relevant to my place of work and below are the key points of these areas that I consider to be the most relevant.

• Behaviour Management Policies: One particular area of the behaviour management policy section that stood out to me was the section on misconduct from students beyond the school gates/premises.
• any bad behaviour when the child is:
• taking part in any school-organised or school-related activity
• travelling to or from school
• wearing school uniform
• in some other way identifiable as a pupil at the school.
• or, misbehaviour at any time, whether or not the conditions above apply, that:
• could have repercussions for the orderly running of the school
• poses a threat to another pupil or member of the public
• could adversely affect the reputation of the school. 

On reflection I am finding it so strange that I didn't list a Behaviour Management policy in my first post, 5a.  The Behaviour Management policy is one of the most commonly referred to in my place of work due to the types of students that we have on role within the establishment.  Whilst I have a good understanding of the behaviour management policy at the school that I work at, I had never considered the elements of the policy that are enforced beyond the school gates, when students are displaying negative behaviour off the school site.

• Supporting students with Special Educational Needs (SEN):  Whilst I touched upon this particular area through the consideration of 'All Students to be Considered as Equal' and 'Differentiation' under the heading of 'Ethics' in my previous post, researching this area as a whole further has really opening my understanding of this vast area.  The main features of the piece of statutory guidance that I read mainly seemed to focus on the SEN provisions taken from the Special Educational Needs and Disability Act 2001, which are:
• a stronger right for children with SEN to be educated at a mainstream school
• new duties on LEAs to arrange for parents of children with SEN to be provided with services offering advice and information and a means of resolving disputes
• a new duty on schools and relevant nursery education providers to tell parents when they are making special educational provision for their child
• a new right for schools and relevant nursery education providers to request a statutory assessment of a child
• working in partnership with parents
• pupil participation
• working in partnership with other agencies 

It needs to be considered though, that whilst SEN policies encourage the inclusion of students with Special Educational Needs, this policy in not specific to any particular need and is not a generic methodology of how to encourage the inclusion of any student with a particular need, equally, this is not a 'one way' of including all that have been identified as having a Special Educational Need.  The policy that can be created from the these guidelines supplied by the Department of Education encourages the staff within the education establishment to consider those in their care who have been identified as having Special Educational Needs and work to ensure the needs of the individual are 'understood, addressed and acknowledged' throughout the delivery of all lessons.

• Teachers' Pay and Conditions:  Again an area that on reflection should have been one of the ones that was at the forefront of my mind when I was creating my previous post.  It is incredibly vital that every educational establishment has a teachers' pay and conditions statutory policy, all based on the national one processed by the government.  However, with the recent increase of establishments outside of the Local Educational Authority's (LEA's) maintenance, the policy doesn't necessarily have to follow the national one. The aspects that I consider to be key from the guidance published by the Department for Education are:
• entitlement to specific salary and allowances
• leadership pay scales and duties that entitle additional bursary
• application for move through threshold and onto upper pay scale
• detailing of allowances for classroom teachers and Teaching and Learning Responsibilities (TLRs)
• part-time teachers 
• 1265 (Allocation of paid hours within a year)
• contractual framework for teachers
• sickness, long-term sickness and authorised absence pay terms
• non-authorised and strike action pay terms

In a time within the education system where pay and working conditions are moving quickly it is important that staff, leadership and governors have a detailed understanding of their specific establishment's policy.  It is key that the policy is refined and kept up to date in relation to the moves made by the government to ensure all staff understand that the policy that specifically constitutes their workload is inline with the changes that are being fought for.

This task has really opened my eyes to areas of the education system that I thought I had a fairly good idea of.  As stated in my previous posts, as I have recently started my new job at a new school I have been inundated with policies that govern how I am to work, and nine times out of ten flick through them and file them away.  Detailing specific areas of key policies that affect my professional practice has encouraged me to reflect on how much I really understand and know.  With regards to policies, each policy needs to be specific whilst considering its placement within the overall statutory guidance that is given from the overarching authority.

Task 5a - Workplace Ethics and Codes of Practice/Regulations

Task 5a asks to consider the workplace Ethics and Codes of Practice/Regulations without any consultation of any documents or discussion on these topics, relying wholly on my own thoughts and opinions.  Initially this struck me as strange, something that goes against the grain of writing posts towards this module but then I thought about it on a professional level.  These policies, regulations and codes of practice should be present in the minds of all staff working within the establishment and as a new member of staff at my current place of work I should be completely up to date.  So why be phased by this?  In my professional practice, teaching, I think that we (teachers) are continuously tested on our knowledge of routine practice, procedures and codes of practice, and in the effort to get these tests correct refer back to the policies directly.  Being asked to consider these policies without consulting the policy directly requires me to strive for the same element of perfection but without the safety net.  After considering this task for a little while I realised that this task isn't testing me in anyway but it is another chance for reflection.  A chance for me to consider what I do everyday, not an opportunity for me to be tested to check I'm doing what I should be doing everyday.

After getting over this initial frame of mind, I then set to the task in hand - reflecting on the Ethics, Codes of Practice and Regulations:

Ethics:

• Every Child Matters - Though this initiative has now been taken out of the education system the key factors that it aimed to implement still should be present within every young person's experience throughout compulsory education.  Every students right to an education should be honoured.
• All Students to be Considered as Equal - It is important that all students are considered as equals within the classroom.  This means that all students should be treated equally and all students should have their opinions, beliefs and thoughts listened to a considered equally against one another.
• Safeguarding - This is the protection of all involved within the education establishment, especially the protect of the students.  It is important that all students are given a safe environment in which they feel confident and comfortable to express themselves in an appropriate way and are confident to discuss any issues they are experiencing on a day-to-day basis.
• Differentiation - It is important to give all students the ability to access the learning that is happening within the classroom through the use of differentiation strategies.  The ability to learn links in with the Every Child Matters (ECM) initiative as it ensure all students are given the opportunity to learn.

Codes of Practice/Regulations:

• Teaching Standards/Ofsted Criteria - It is important that all teaching staff have an understanding and an awareness of the current teaching standards.  The reason for this isn't only to ensure that staff are awarded a high level when inspected but to ensure the development of all students is consistent and appropriate. 
• Confidentiality - Confidentiality is something that there is two sides to within education.  Whilst it is important to keep the information stored confidential, it is also important not to promise confidentiality to a student that makes a disclosure, whether this be deliberate or inadvertently. 
• Health and Safety/Professional Facilities - It is the responsibility of the teacher as well as the school leadership (responsibilities of the site) to ensure that all working spaces meet the Health and Safety Regulations.  It must not be possible for anyone to find harm within the school, with all eventualities thought through and minimised.  It is also important that protocols are considered and put in place if something does happen.
• Professionalism - Professionalism within teaching requires the member of staff to ensure whilst in work and outside of work they maintain the expectations that are made of them by the students and by the school.  Social medial usage needs to be kept to a minimum and when used, it is important that everything shared is still professional and kept private.  It is also important that there is no communication outside of the education establishment between staff and pupils or parents of pupils.  This will ensure that the professional image of the school can not be tainted.  

Task 4 - Questions Developed from Feedback

After consulting with my course tutor, my colleagues and my peers through the use of a Facebook SIG, I have adapted some of my questions in the following ways and for the following reasons.

Original Question: In a time within education where A*-Cs in EBAC subjects mean so much to a school, do arts subjects still have a valid place within the education system?  

Feedback: On of the main things that has kept coming up in my feedback from the majority of the people I have shared my questions with is that 'arts subjects' is far to vast and can result in different answers due to the hierarchy of importance placed on 'arts subjects' within education.  I have also been told that I need to consider the context that I'm asking this question within, valid to who?  What I'm trying to find out through exploring this question is how important the education system rates subjects such as Drama and Dance.  I will need to look at what policies are in place within the education system and also search through these policies to find any relation between Drama and EBAC subjects.

Revised Question: What emphasis is given to the subject of Drama by current educational policy and how does this emphasis compare to the EBAC subjects?

Original Question: Why do we have arts subjects within education?

Feedback: The majority of people that I have shared this question with have said that the question is too general and could also be seen as both a simple or complex question to which an answer may, once again, be very general.  I have decided to get rid of this question as feel my other questions are more specific and succinct.  

Original Question: Are arts subjects more important within non-mainstream education?

Feedback: The first thing that became clear after receiving the feedback on this question is that I need to specify what I mean by 'non-mainstream'.  Clarifying this within the question will help with the context of this question, making it more answerable.  By 'non-mainstream' I refer to educational establishments that educate students that have either been excluded from a mainstream school or that cannot deal with attending a mainstream school.  I also need to decide whose opinion I am searching for on the importance within this slanted education system.  I think I am looking for the opinions of the people in charge of these establishments, however it will be hard for them to judge unless they have experience of being in charge of a mainstream school.  I'm struggling with this question as I think there is a basis for an enquiry here but through further exploration of this question I'm unsure if the enquiry will actually be measurable.

Revised Question: Pending.

Original Question: In non-meainstream education, are arts subjects about teaching a skill that can be judged or developing the self?

Feedback: This question raised confusion due to the uncertainty placed once again on the term 'non-mainstream'.  I am going to revise this question firstly by clarifying this term but then also ensure that this question is not leading in a particular direction.  

Revised Question: When working with students with Behavioural, Emotional and Social difficulties (BESD), is teaching Drama about teaching a skill that can be judged or developing the Behavioural, Emotional and Social difficulties?

Original Question: In what ways do arts subjects help in getting students back into mainstream education?

Feedback: Again, an issue with this was the term 'arts subjects'.  This term is vast and when different subjects within the arts are considered the answer could be completely different.  I have decided that this question needs to be revised to make it more succinct and precise so an accurate enquiry could be made.

Revised Question: In what ways does Drama help in getting students back into mainstream education?  

Original Question: Is it important to include Drama within the teaching of other subjects to subject active/kinaesthetic learners?

Feedback: The feedback suggests that this is my most secure question.  When asking my colleagues for their feedback on this question it became apparent that many of them struggle with how to engage their active/kinaesthetic learners and therefore will now be working closely with all of teachers at work on how they can include different elements of Drama within their teaching.  The main change to this question will be to remove the judging of importance due to the fact that it will differ depending on who is judging the importance.  Instead, I will be adapting this question slightly to try an minimise this uncertainty.

Revised Question: Does the inclusion of Drama within other subjects support the learning and engagement of active/kinaesthetic learners?

Original Question: In what ways is the teaching of arts subjects different in mainstream education to the teaching of them in non-mainstream education?

Feedback: Similar feedback to this question as the other questions in regards to the term 'arts subjects'. I will change this to focus mainly on Drama.  On reflection I am also thinking that this question is quite similar to my question focusing on students with BESD.  I need to make sure the focus is on how the teaching practice is changed in order to suit these students who have either been removed or removed themselves from mainstream education.  

Revised Question: In what way is the delivery of Drama different when delivering it to students in mainstream education to the delivery of it to students who have been either removed from mainstream education or removed themselves from it?

Task 4B - SIG Group

I am now working as part the Facebook group, "SIG MODULE 2". If you have had a look at my questions and would like to join the group add me. idreamedadream@msn.com.

I am currently gathering the feedback from my wider work based community and will post it shortly.

Task 4a - Creating Questions - Continued

So, after some more time spent looking at my themes/topics/subject areas I have come up with the following questions.  Please make sure you comment on this post and give me some feedback.  Also, if these questions seem similar to your subject area let me know and I'll set up a Facebook group that we can use as our SIG.

In a time within education where A*-Cs in EBAC subjects mean so much to a school, do arts subjects still have a valid place within the education system?  

Why do we have arts subjects within education?

Are arts subjects more important within non-mainstream education?

In non-meainstream education, are arts subjects about teaching a skill that can be judged or developing the self?

In what ways do arts subjects help in getting students back into mainstream education?

Is it important to include Drama within the teaching of other subjects to subject active/kinaesthetic learners?

In what ways is the teaching of arts subjects different in mainstream education to the teaching of them in non-mainstream education? 

I'll extend this post as I develop more questions so keep checking back.  I'm going to take my questions into work this week and ask other professionals in my position to consider my thoughts and think about how they would answer them.

Make sure you comment and remember, if you want to set up a SIG with me, let me know.

Task 4a - Creating Questions

After reading the fourth Reader I am starting to feel a little more confident with this module/set of tasks.  To begin with the thought of coming up with questions surrounding my professional practice felt a little daunting and unclear but I have taken onboard what the Reader has said and started to consider a possible theme(s)/area(s) of study.  Since my sideways shift into non-mainstream education I have decided to make my theme(s) surround this new area of my professional practice too, as so far, so good!

These are my current themes that I have started to think about:

The importance of the arts within education.

The importance of the arts within non-mainstream education.

Using drama as a tool in non-mainstream education to encourage progression back into mainstream schooling.

The transferable skills that are developed through the inclusion of the arts in education.

The inclusion of the arts into other subject areas to encourage active/kinaesthetic learning.

The differences between how the arts are used in mainstream education and non-mainstream education.

All of these possible themes are currently topics that I am coming into contact with on a daily basis and are all areas that I would feel confident approaching my new team about.  I am planning on creating my questions, alongside those of you that become part of my SIG, in a way that can be accessed by both my colleagues and my students.  From here I think I am now due to start developing my questions and pulling these from one of the different subject areas that I have listed above.

If anyone has any suggestions as to what my questions could be make sure you post some comments.  Keep posted as to how this post develops over the next week as I will put my questions up on here as they start developing.