Education Policy And Practice: Entitlement, Provision, And Governance

Entitlement and provision for early years education

1.1 Summarise entitlement and provision for early years education

1.2 Explain the characteristics of the different types of schools in relation to educational stage(s) and school governance

1.3 Explain the post 16 options for young people and adults

2.1 Explain the strategic purpose of:

a) school governors

2.1 Explain the strategic purpose of:

b) senior management team

2.1 Explain the strategic purpose of:

c) other statutory roles e.g. SENCO

2.1 Explain the strategic purpose of:

d) teachers

2.1 Explain the strategic purpose of:

e) support staff roles

2.2 Explain the roles of external professionals who may work with a school e.g. educational psychologist

3.1 Explain how the ethos, mission, aims and values of a school may be reflected in working practices

3.2 Evaluate methods of communicating a school’s ethos, mission, aims and values

4.1 Summarise the laws and codes of practice affecting work in schools

4.2 Explain how legislation affects how schools work

4.3 Explain the roles of regulatory bodies relevant to the education sector which exist to monitor and enforce the legislative framework, including:

a) general bodies such as the Health and SafetyExecutive

4.3 Explain the roles of regulatory bodies relevant to the education sector which exist to monitor and enforce the legislative framework, including:

b) school specific regulatory bodies

5.1 Explain why schools have policies and procedures

5.2 Summarise the policies and procedures schools may have relating to:

a) staff
 
5.2 Summarise the policies and procedures schools may have relating to:

b) pupil welfare

5.2 Summarise the policies and procedures schools may have relating to:

c) teaching and learning

5.2 Summarise the policies and procedures schools may have relating to:

d) equality, diversity and inclusion

5.2 Summarise the policies and procedures schools may have relating to:

e) parental engagement

5.3 Evaluate how school policies and procedures may be developed and communicated

6.1 Summarise the roles and responsibilities of national and local government for education policy and practice

6.2 Explain the role of schools in national policies relating to children, young people and families

6.3 Explain the roles of other organisations working with children and young people and how these may impact on the work of schools.

In the UK, education is covered in five stages, which includes early years, primary, secondary, Further Education (FE) and Higher Education (HE). Broad and Goddard (2010) mentioned that since, 2010, the UK government had imposed a rule where, the children between the age group of 3-4 years are entitled to undergo 15 hours of free nursery education for at least 38 weeks in a year. Brown and Carasso (2013) stated that the early years of education take place in several systems which include the state nursery schools, reception classes in the primary schools and privately run nurseries. In 2000, the foundation stage had been introduced in the UK, where the children between the age group of 3 to 5 years had received the primary level of education.  Claringbould. and Knoppers (2007) denoted that a statutory rollout of the Foundation Phase Framework has been developed in 2008 and the entire process was completed by 2011.

Characteristics of different types of schools in relation to educational stage(s) and school governance

Early Years education

The UK government had imposed the law in 2010, in which all the children between the age group of 3 to 4 years are eligible to perceive 15 hours of free education for 38 weeks.

Primary

According to Brown and Rahn-Blakeslee (2009), the primary education system covers the three stages, nursery, infant and junior. In the UK, the primary education is generally catered for the children between the age group of 4-11 years.

Secondary

Culliney (2014) mentioned that in the UK, the public provision for the secondary education is comprised of different types of criteria. It includes the structure of signifying the historical circumstances and strategy followed by the local authority.

Further education

Grigg (2010) stated that the further education is majorly perceived in general senses to cover all the non advanced modules after the tenure of compulsory education. The UK colleges that provide the Further Education courses include the modules like general further education courses for the students.

Higher education

The Higher Education includes the courses like GCE A level, postgraduate courses, undergraduate courses and other undergraduate level courses.

As per the regulation of post 16 option, all the UK population until the age group of 16, needs to complete the time education. Levy (2006) mentioned that the UK government has enacted the rules which signify that the school leaving age of the candidates relies on the birth date. Moreover, Patel et al. (2007) determined that all the students require to continue the training and education process until the age of 17. The prior assertion reflects that the learners that perceive the education from the year 7 would complete the training and education system by 17 years. The post 16 options cover up varied categories like full time training, apprenticeship, part time education based training and self employed training for 20 hours in a week.

1. a) School governors

According to Kilic (2013), the school governors provide a strategic view to the school by developing a strategic vision. At the same point of time the governors also set the purpose and aim of the school within the agreed framework of policy. The major responsibility of the governor is appointing the suitable managers and teachers for the school and to set a statutory budget for the school with exact staffing structure. Secondly, Howard (2008) inferred that the governor needs to scrutinise and evaluate the overall performance of the school, the students’ behaviour and the improvement policy.  Moreover, Jing (2014) denoted that the foremost responsibility of the school governor is to evaluate the performances of the teachers. Similarly to make sure that the parents are involved  in the decision making process. This have been accounted from the well being of the children.

Post-16 options for young people and adults

2.1 Explain the strategic purpose of:

b) Senior management team 

The foremost responsibility of the senior management team in a school is to share the collective responsibility for the aspects of the school’s management and leadership. In the similar context, Amos (2010) determined that the members of the senior management team are assigned with specific task as per the post  or designation. The senior management team has collective responsibility for the effectual daily running and sound discipline of the school. The team is also required to look after the pastoral care of the students and staffs and implementing a collective agreement and development plan. Moreover, Baporikar (2009) mentioned that the strategic role of the senior management team is to set a strategic direction for the school and lead lucrative changes that would facilitate the students to enhance the knowledge lucratively.

2.1 Explain the strategic purpose of:

c) Other statutory roles e.g. SENCO

According to Clarke (2008), SENCO is highly responsible for the day to day operations of the Schools SEN policy. The SENCO play the most critical part, which ensure that the children demanding special educational requirement and disabilities would receive the acute support from the school. With the passing phase of time the roles and responsibilities of SENCO have developed gradually with successive direction to substantiate the responsibilities.  Moreover, Callejo-PeÃŒÂrezand Ode (2013) inferred that SENCO has the most significant role in collaborating with the head teachers and governing body to determine the strategic upliftment of the SENM policy. The UK government is making a huge effort to convince the schools’ leadership teams to be responsible for the SEN policy.

1. d) Teachers

In the present context, Edgington (2015) stated that the school teachers are comprised of the leadership role to promote the educational achievement of every student. The deeper sense of purposes of the school teachers’ includes preserving the attentive behaviour towards the conflicts between the students. According to Mallin (2006), the classroom, environment is fostered with various interactions between several students on the daily basis. Thus, shaping up the social development and daily habits of the students are the major responsibilities of the school teachers. The teachers are also responsible to frame out the curriculum and extracurricular activities for the children that would facilitate the students to enhance the other expertises besides the academic knowledge.

1. e) Support staff roles

 The roles of the support staffs are discussed below:

Business managers

The business managers are responsible for  managing the day-to-day human resource and financial operations of the schools. McMahon (2009) inferred that the managers also support the principal to mitigate the strategic, operation and financial objectives of the school.

Strategic purpose of school governors

Aboriginal and Island officers

The offices assist the teachers to deliver the planned education programs and encourage the inclusive learning environment. Potcharapanpong and Thongthew (2010) inferred that the aboriginal students enact to be the liaison between the school and community.

Education assistants

According to Pickard and Maude (2014), the education assistant are the mainstream staffs that supports the teachers to deliver the education program. At the similar point of time encourage and assist the teachers with other resources required to enhance the education system of the schools.

2.2 Explain the roles of external professionals who may work with a school e.g. educational psychologist 
The educational psychologist assists the schools and its authority to improve the students’ experience of learning. Raffe and Croxford (2013)  inferred that the psychologists use the expertise in understand the psychological conditions of the students and support to come over the difficulties the students face during the educational tenure. Wilkins (2011) determined that the educational psychologists conduct a solo or group sessions to evaluate and observe the accurate needs of  younger students. In the majority of the cases the students get over burdened with the societal pressure of scoring high markets, thus, the pressure sometimes lead to frustration, which prevent the  candidates from concentrating on the productive activity. Thus, the psychologists conduct the counselling session to reduce the stress level amongst the students.

Ethos

According to Truss (2008), the schools’ ethos has been recognised as its values and beliefs. It should be easily identified when the students enter into the school premises, as the discipline and code of conduct had been the daily practices of the students, teachers and practitioners in the schools.

Mission

The mission statement of the schools needs to reflect the long and short term goal of the management. Stronge et al. (2008) denoted that the schools’ missions are majorly set by the head teacher, which facilitates the parents to the acute learning, knowledge and the educational system offered by the school. Based on the offering the parents decide to admit the students in the specific school.

Aims

The aim of the schools had been the major aspects through which the long term vision of the school reflects.

Values

 Truss (2008) mentioned that the values reflect the moral and code of conduct of the schools, like self discipline, truthfulness, friendship, etc.

Reflecting the school’s ethos, mission, aims and values through the website would be an effective source of communication. McMahon (2009) specified that conduction of the school spectrum helps the management to spread the messages through word of mouth commutation. The spectrum somehow managed to impress both the parents and students, thus, the changes of word of mount communication would be relatively higher.

Strategic purpose of senior management team

Every Child matters – 2004

The UK Government green Paper outline 5 agreed criteria for the children, being health, safety, positive contribution, economic well being and enjoying.

Education Act – 2002

The school authority has the duty of safeguarding and promoting the welfare r of the children.

Education Act 2010

The act ensures that equal opportunities should be provided to all the students.

Data protection Act 1998

According to Truss (2008), the schools are required to secure its information and the personal details of the students. It has been inferred that the schools are responsible for providing the registration number for the secondary education. The specific number would be required by the students for the higher education and career growth.

Disability Discrimination Act 1995

Stronge et al. (2008) mentioned that the current act reflects that the schools do not have the authority of discriminating against the disabled children.

1. a) General bodies such as the Health and Safety Executive

The Health and Safety Executives are responsible to enforce the safe environment within the school premises. According to McMahon (2009), the executive decides to include the health and safety strategies based on the school’s size and nature of the risk associated with the school activities. The primary roles of the Health and Safety Executives are training the teachers and the staffs regarding the safety measures, consultation arrangement with the management team, occupational health services, minimising staff violence, fire safety measures and work at height.

1. b) School specific regulatory bodies

The school specific regulatory bodies are responsible to carry out the inspections of schools to ensure that the quality of services provided is adequate for the students in the educational career (Stronge et al. 2008).  During the inspection process the executives concerned with the regulatory systems would collect evidence on the basis of the practices and the changing attitude of the students after the provision of the services. After the investigation methods, the regulatory bodies pass on the professional judgement based on the collected evidence and information.

In the context of the present statement, Truss (2008) mentioned that the school had been the primary place that strengthens the foundation s of the children. The students are highly influenced by the code of conduct and partitioning behaviours tough by the school staffs. It has been inferred that students receive the corrective lessons regarding the career upliftment policy and societal behaviour from schools. Thus, maintaining in an effective policies and procedures would be highly necessitated for the school’s regulatory body. The policies generally help the students to understand the behaviour that needs to be followed in within and outside the school’s premises.
5.2 Summarise the policies and procedures schools may have relating to:

Strategic purpose of other statutory roles e.g. SENCO

a) Staff

The Staff Development Section had been entirely to provide guidance, advice and opportunities to the staffs on the basis of the performances and information received. McMahon (2009)stated that the staffs are also responsible to evaluate the centrally funded events to ensure the effective benefits of the organisations. Truss (2008) figured out that the Staff Development Advisory Group is responsible to monitor and advice the staff development activity to ensure the equity and sound planning throughout the organisation. In certain schools the staffs had been provided effective training of the subjects, which helps the staffs to gain correct knowledge of the subjects.

2 Summarise the policies and procedures schools may have relating to:

b) Pupil welfare

According to McMahon (2009), the UK Governing Body and proprietors are responsible to ensure the schools’ policies and procedures are guided and monitors with compliances to enhance the welfare values for the pupil. The UK Government had passed the law, which states that every school should have a child protection policy and the policies needs the approval of the local authorities prior to its implementations. The management team of a school needs to operate safe recruitment procedures, which ensures that the statutory team that works with the children are sound minded and harmless.

5.2 Summarise the policies and procedures schools may have relating to:

c) Teaching and learning

The polices of teaching and learning involves the curriculum policy, early years policy, planning, assessment, marking policy and special educational needs policy.  The, foremost objectives of the above policies are to provide safe and stimulating learning environments for the teachers and pupils (McMahon, 2009). The collective policies ban procedures are arranged in one particular place in order to ensure that children should receive an equal opportunity within the school curriculum. The specific approach would facilitate the management to differentiate its teaching process to fit the individual learning needs and capabilities of the children.

5.2 Summarise the policies and procedures schools may have relating to:

d) Equality, diversity and inclusion

The specific policy had been made to ensure that the students coming from different diversity should receive the equal treatment. Truss (2008) specified that the Equal Opportunity policy had been set in the UK education system.It focussed on the fact that children and the teachers should not discriminate each other on the foundation or colour, sex, origin. The educational operations should be conducted in the specific manner that would be easily grasped each of the students.  Hence, children should be considered as an individual and every child’s education needs to be developed with respect to the needs and abilities.

Reflecting the ethos, mission, aims, and values of a school in working practices

5.2 Summarise the policies and procedures schools may have relating to:

e) Parental engagement 

Truss (2008) denoted that the inclusion of the parental engagement would be highly necessitated in the current educational system. The teachers would be passing on the information to the parents, continuous conduction of the similar activities would generally facilitate the children to get the positive behaviours and influence into regular habits.

The head teachers and the senior management team of the schools needs to initiate the policies and procedures. McMahon (2009)  denoted that that the head teachers require to account on the requirement of the parents, based on which the policies and regulation would be formed. The new rules and policies would be communicated through the notice boards. On the other hand, Truss (2008) mentioned that in various schools the management had collected the email ids of the parents, thus, beside highlighting the policies in the notice boards, a soft copy had been forwarded through the email ids of the parents.

McMahon (2009) mentioned that the and the local government provides lucrative support and direction to the local school with regards to its norms and code of conduct. The local government work together with the SECO department of the shape up the changes to balance the educational system. The governing body forwards the changes within the education policy and provides effective training to the key members and staffs. Truss (2008) inferred that the national government is responsible to develop new ways to amplify the service qualities within the education system. The national government is also accountable for the school league tables.

The primary role of the school is to implement the nation strategies, which had been initiated for the welfare purpose. McMahon (2009) denoted tat each h school aims at following the five main policies and philosophies, which are, staying safe, enjoying life, proper attainment, positive societal contribution and uplifting the economic well being. Schools are responsible for the well being of a family. Since, the education and lesson provided to the children would definitely reflect in its behaviour. Thus, the attitude of the student would definitely create a positive impact on the family reputation.

Truss (2008), mentioned that all the organisation that deals with children share a collective commitment of safeguarding the welfare. The specific approach helps the teachers to proceed with the existing policies that are nurtured by the other agencies.

References:

Communicating a school’s ethos, mission, aims, and values

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