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I’m sorry but stop apologising for SEND!
Empowering SEND students as a teacher with Single Sided Deafness (SSD)
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by Aspirer Research School
on the
Research School Trust Report
Steve is the Assistant CEO of the Aspire Educational Trust and provides support and guidance to the team
Steve Wheeldon is the Assistant CEO of Aspire Educational Trust, part of the Aspirer Research School. He has been using the updated A School’s Guide to Implementation guidance report to support the delivery of school improvement across their schools.
I have long been a believer in the importance of relationships within schools. Good leaders build good relationships with colleagues, students and parents. When I was a class teacher I would always know what each child’s favourite meal was and most of the staffs for that matter. I’d argue this was to ensure each child felt valued and listened to but colleagues stated it was because I was a greedy beggar with an unhealthy interest in all things culinary related, don’t judge me too harshly.
When leading change in schools, there will of course be bumps in the road and we won’t always see eye-to-eye; but by having strong trusting relationships, such issues will be far easier to overcome. The challenge is in getting the balance right between driving school improvement alongside managing reasonable workloads. Leaders must ensure that the changes they bring will have a meaningful impact and that stakeholders share their vision and drive to achieve this. By having good relationships, you are far more likely to take people with you on this journey and to garner their support along the way.
This diagram, found on page 7 of the guidance report, exemplifies implementation. The process helps schools implement change effectively, while the cross-cutting behaviours and contextual factors support them in doing it well.
Education Endowment Foundation (2024) A School’s Guide to Implementation. Available at: https://educationendowmentfoundation.org.uk/education-evidence/guidance-reports/implementation
The updated guidance report recognises the importance of relationships in recommendation one around adopting the behaviours that drive effective implementation. It highlights the importance of engaging and uniting people in order to bring about positive changes in school. Leaders need to work closely with their teams in order to ensure active engagement.
By recognising the social process involved in change, leaders will have greater success in achieving their goals. Time spent getting to know your teams of people and being genuinely interested in them as people will pay dividend when taking them with you on the journey ahead. So never be afraid to ask, “What’s for dinner tonight?” you never know where it might take you.
Further Reading:
A School’s Guide to Implementation | EEF
Blog -
Empowering SEND students as a teacher with Single Sided Deafness (SSD)
Blog -
Evaluating the impact of current practice using the EEF ‘A School’s Guide to Implementation’ Guidance Report
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What the primary concern of implementation might be.
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