A whole school approach to literacy intervention

This research project reports on the process of developing a whole school approach to literacy intervention in one multi-ethnic, designated disadvantaged primary school. The study describes how teachers worked collaboratively, using items from a resource package Successful Intervention K-3 Literacy, to critically reflect on their pedagogy in their efforts to better address the needs of those students in their classes who appeared to have difficulties with literacy learning. A modified action research method was used by the teachers to devise a context-specific school plan. Within the plan, they allocated time and resources to assist them as they shared and developed their knowledge and skills to deal with the social, cultural, emotional, linguistic and cognitive needs of the identified students. As a result, the teachers developed individual literacy intervention programs for children experiencing difficulties. The programs included all the stake holders and were devised to be used in the mainstream classrooms. In addition, in order to facilitate consistency and continuity of approach from year to year for students experiencing difficulty with literacy learning, the teachers planned a system to store and pass on students\u27 records. Of particular interest were the actions taken to explore understandings about literacy interventions, the changes in teacher perceptions, and the use of individual literacy intervention programs for children experiencing difficulties with literacy learning. As a consequence of their involvement in the project, the teachers developed an integrated literacy intervention policy and a school plan to guide future strategies for literacy intervention

How to integrate sustainable consumption and healthy eating in curriculum - An in-depth probing of the concept of whole school approach

This study inquired into integration of sustainable consumption and healthy eating in curriculum of three Finnish primary case schools, and carried out a preliminary in-depth probing into the working and outcomes of the 'whole school approach' in terms of teaching and learning. The whole school approach did portray as common effort by teachers and caterers to induce sustainability concept and reflective practices for pupils, and as such it presented new cross-curricular and transformative education binding reflection with knowledge and practices for every-day sustainability behaviors. As part of education for sustainable development and food education for sustainability in particular, organic food as an illustration for sustainability was used in one case school. Even though very fragmented and small-scale, the study suggests that sustainability education and sustainable food education do have chances to challenge current societal developments by today's pupils, the future citizens and consumers

Implementing the new orders - a whole school approach

This article outlines one school's approach to planning with the new orders, to include:understanding the new Orderreviewing existing schemes of workidentifying appropriate resourcesreviewing the existing design and technology policyWith the publication of the new National Curriculum orders in 1995, our school began the review and reorganisation of its policies and schemes of work. It was decided that design and technology should be one of the first subjects to be reviewed as it is considered to be a cornerstone in the school's cross-curricular project system - a system that all staff wanted to continue. It was felt that it was important to build upon existing design and technology work in school, recognising the good practice that was in place already. We wanted to produce a coherent programme of learning for each year group that would fit our project approach and, at the same time, would ensure continuity and progression across each year group and key stage

Trauma-informed Whole School Approach: A Case Study

Today, trauma is known to affect two-thirds of children, making it a high probability that students affected by trauma are sitting in every classroom around the United States (McInerney & McKlindon, 2014). Cole et al. (2005) described schools as being, “...significant communities for children and teachers” (p. 1). This poses a challenge for schools across the United States to know how to engage students who are affected by trauma in their learning. Trauma leads to adverse effects on how a student will learn, behave, and respond socially and emotionally in the classroom (Cole et al., 2005). Therefore, educators need to have understanding and skills about trauma and trauma-sensitive learning environments that address the needs of children who have or are experiencing trauma. This case study was developed to explore one rural district’s transition to a trauma-informed environment. The guiding questions leading the case study were, what are currently held perceptions, understandings, and skills school staff have while incorporating a trauma-informed school culture? What transitions take place in a traditional rural secondary school setting that embodies trauma-informed school culture centered around the research-based instructional practices? The data was collected and analyzed applying grounded theory seeking patterns on perceptions, understandings, and skills. Key Words: Trauma-Sensitive, Trauma-Informed, Trauma-Informed Whole School Approach, Trauma, Case Study, Toxic Stress, Childhood Trauma, AC

A Whole-School Approach to Promoting Staff Wellbeing

A caring school community can enhance whole-school wellbeing including the wellbeing of school staff, which directly impacts on student academic, social and emotional wellbeing. This study firstly examines the validity and reliability of a proposed whole-school staff wellbeing evaluation tool which uses a set of whole-school wellbeing indicators to identify strengths and areas for improvement within the school environment which may be impacting on staff wellbeing. Secondly, the association between factors found within the whole-school staff wellbeing tool with staff self-reported mental health are examined, and finally, the influence of person characteristics and role of factors on perceived whole-school staff wellbeing are determined. Cross-sectional data were collected from 801 school staff from six non-government schools in Australia as part of the School Staff Wellbeing Project. Results confirmed and validated the hypothesised structure of the whole-school staff wellbeing evaluation tool with staff relationships (leadership, staff), staff engagement (active, supported), staff emotional wellbeing (supported through policies and opportunities) and school climate (culture and values) found to be significant predictors of mental health. Prioritising resources to building supportive staff relationships, school climate, and providing opportunities to promote staff emotional wellbeing, were found to have the greatest impact on staff mental health. Characteristics such as age, gender, education, role, and length of time working in schools predicted perceptions of the whole-school’s general wellbeing. The whole-school staff wellbeing evaluation tool provides a useful screening and self-evaluation measure to identify whole-school staff wellbeing strengths and areas for improvement in staff wellbeing

Supporting whole school approaches to global learning: focusing learning and mapping impact

Within the Global Learning Programme (GLP) in England there has been an explicit focus on encouraging more holistic ‘whole school’ practice and the need for better evidence of its impact. This paper describes how support for a whole school approach to global learning was rationalised and developed within the programme, and how such an approach was used to structurally generate impact evidence. Based on evidence from existing work, it offers learning about how taking a whole school approach, and using the tools to measure it, can add value to global learning practice in England and beyond. It also contributes to a deeper understanding of the value that impact measurement has within global learning and, outside of this field, adds to the limited research to date on what a whole school approach actually means and how this kind of approach can be promoted for other initiatives. Specifically, the paper responds to four key questions: 1. Why might schools adopt a whole school approach to global learning? 2. What support do schools need in order to adopt a whole school approach to global learning? 3. How do GLP tools support a whole school approach to global learning?4. How do GLP tools measure the impact of global learning