'I didn't stand a chance': how parents experience the exclusions appeal tribunal

In September 2012 the process changed in England for how parents (and carers) can appeal against their child's exclusion from school. This paper is one of the first accounts of how parents experience the new system. Using data from a research study with a range of stakeholders in the appeals process, this paper focuses on the accounts of the 21 parents interviewed. Thematic analysis was utilised to identify the factors that motivate parents to make an appeal, the barriers and enablers to doing so, and the physical, emotional and financial costs that result from engagement with the process. The findings reveal that the costs are extremely heavy for parents with very limited rewards. The process is experienced as inequitable with a bias towards schools and many of these parents call for the provision of experienced legal support to make it a more balanced system. In spite of the challenges involved the need to call schools to account remains a strong motivation to appeal but this was not the preferred option for parents. Instead they call for schools to develop more inclusive and enabling environments that rely more on understanding the needs of pupils and their families than on exclusion from school. Key words: Appeal; exclusion; education; schools; special educational needs; parent

Personal Social Health & Economic (PSHE) Education under the coalition government

The place of (Personal Social Health and Economic) PSHE in schools has been debated widely and central government policy has shifted from the subject almost becoming statutory in 2010, towards being almost entirely devolved in the school led system under the coalition government. PSHE is currently non-compulsory, however schools are expected to teach the subject despite the lack of available training for teachers or teaching materials. This research conducted by Ben Willis and Claire Wolstenholme in the Centre for Education and Inclusion research at Sheffield Hallam University builds on the 2011 mapping study across England conducted by CEIR. This is a small scale study which attempts to investigate how schools in one local authority area in the north of England are dealing with the new policy landscape of PSHE. The specific aim was to explore the extent to which the status and provision of PSHE in schools has altered under the coalition government of 2010 to 2015

ScratchMaths: evaluation report and executive summary

Since 2014, computing has been part of the primary curriculum. ‘Scratch’ is frequently used by schools, and the EEF funded this trial to test whether the platform could be used to improve pupils’ computational thinking skills, and whether this in turn could have a positive impact on Key Stage 2 maths attainment. Good computational thinking skills mean pupils can use problem solving methods that involve expressing problems and their solutions in ways that a computer could execute – for example, recognising patterns. Previous research has shown that pupils with better computational thinking skills do better in maths. The study found a positive impact on computational thinking skills at the end of Year 5 – particularly for pupils who have ever been eligible for free school meals. However, there was no evidence of an impact on Key Stage 2 maths attainment when pupils were tested at the end of Year 6. Many of the schools in the trial did not fully implement ScratchMaths, particularly in Year 6, where teachers expressed concerns about the pressure of Key Stage 2 SATs. But there was no evidence that schools which did implement the programme had better maths results. Schools may be interested in ScratchMaths as an affordable way to cover aspects of the primary computing curriculum in maths lessons without any adverse effect on core maths outcomes. This trial, however, did not provide evidence that ScratchMaths is an effective way to improve maths outcomes

Personal, social, health and economic (PSHE) education: A mapping study of the prevalent models of delivery and their effectiveness

In October 2008, then Schools Minister Ji, Knight announced that Personal, Social, Health and Economic (PSHE) education would become compulsory (for Key Stages 1-4). Following this, In November 2009, Sheffield Hallam University was contracted by DCSF (now DfE) to conduct a mapping exercise of PSHE education in primary and secondary schools in England. This resulted from a recommendation in the Macdonald Review, whcih identified the need for research to establish and report on the prevalent models of delivery for PSHE education and their effectiveness in improving outcomes for children and young people (Macdonald, 2009:8)

Minority ethnic male university students’ perceptions of and preferences for mental health and wellbeing support services at Sheffield Hallam University

University support services are often underutilised by ethnic minority male students. This research aimed to identify the perceptions of ethnic minority male students around using university mental health support services, including the barriers and facilitators to utilisation. The project used Listening Rooms for data collection, whereby participants pair up and undertake a recorded conversation based around talking points pertaining to the project. Fourteen pairs (n=28) participated in conversations. A round table analysis of the data took place, followed by further thematic analysis on the transcripts using Nvivo. Participants overall appeared to be positive about and grateful for, the existence of a mental health support service, despite a mixed level of awareness of its existence and differing conceptualizations of what mental health means. Barriers to service utilisation could be split into institutional and sociocultural. Institutional barriers included a perceived lack of cultural and ethnic representation amongst practitioners, as well as bureaucratic factors such as access difficulties, whereas sociocultural barriers pertained to cultural taboos and fear of judgement. As university intakes become ever more diverse, university support services must adapt to meet the needs of their populations. Findings support the need for a more representative staffing of services which would engender confidence in ethnic minority male students. Working to further raise awareness levels of the service as well as explaining how, when and why one might access the service would also be beneficial to those who do seek support