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NAPCE News – February 2021

  • Monday 1st Mar 2021

NAPCE News – February 2021

Making a positive difference to young people through pastoral care

FEATURE ARTICLE: NAPCE Officer John Hunt Compares the Experience of Online Learning with ‘In-School’ Teaching During the Pandemic 

Comparing the Experience of Online Learning with ‘In-School’ Teaching During the Pandemic.

Firstly, on behalf of the National Association for Pastoral Care in Education, I want to pay tribute and offer my heartfelt gratitude to colleagues all over the country who have made such a Herculean collective effort to ensure that our young people are educated, catered for and cared for.

Amidst unhelpful headlines, the total myth of schools being ‘closed’ and the last minute changes inflicted on the profession, teachers and support staff in schools have stepped up and done everything that has been needed and more.

I have seen first hand the pressure on staff, both in and out of school, and I am in awe of the work that has been done and the speed at which we have adapted to an entirely new way of working. Thank you all.

The late, great Ken Robinson said that ‘The real role of leadership is climate control – creating a climate of possibility’.

While I have always agreed with this statement, this last half term as a Pastoral Leader in a large secondary school has made me feel more like an air conditioning unit than ever before!

Attempting to maintain a consistent ‘temperature’ among students, staff and parents, while taking into account the very new and very real challenges in our own (occasionally neglected!) personal lives, has proven to be quite the task.

With so many unknowns, the constant anxiety over the pandemic and the many challenges in schools (that don’t go away just because we’re not on site), I have felt like I have a very different job this half term to the one I usually do, and indeed, the one I signed up for!

The most difficult aspect of this peculiar half term for me has been finding a balance between what we ordinarily do in school and what needs to be done in our new world.

Maintaining this temperature of normality across a school, while dealing with a number of persistent issues in my role, has presented a real challenge for me professionally during this period of remote learning.

Three obvious examples I can think of are:

Scenario 1

An individual student is disengaged from learning in school and simply not doing very much, struggling academically and socially.

I can work with the student, with the staff, with parents/carers, with external agencies if required to support the young person and hopefully get them re-engaged in learning and with friends. I can facilitate face to face meetings, really delving into the issues facing the young person and taking action to support them. This is my way! I rely on the relationships I have built with young people and their families to have an impact.

VS:

An individual student is disengaged from online learning, struggling academically and socially.

When I have a student disengaged from remote learning, I can still do all of the above in theory but I have been struck by the difference that the lack of true face to face communication can have. I have found it much more difficult to involve students in any meaningful communication online, something that I think (hope!) is a strength of mine when we’re in school. As a teacher, I can deliver engaging content within the classroom and this has been hindered considerably through remote teaching. I have also been painfully aware, as many readers will be, that often when a student is appearing to be disengaged it is not that they are avoiding the lesson or their work but simply that they do not have the device to access it! I was very proud of NAPCE’s offer to provide learners with laptops over recent months but wonder how many students could have been positively impacted with a more efficient roll out of devices from the Government.

As a pastoral leader, how can I support students’ social development when it feels like no one is in touch with anyone properly anyway? How will this prolonged period of physical social isolation impact on students in the long term and what difference we may encounter when we are back in school? The barrier that a computer screen or phone has put between me and the young people I serve has felt truly significant to me; I look forward to it being gone!

Scenario 2

Staff come to me with instances of poor student behaviour in school

I would investigate and work with the staff and student to resolve the issue. There are clear systems in place to support this work; we have worked tirelessly on developing a consistent and simple behaviour for learning policy which all staff can use with ease. Again, I rely heavily on direct communication with the people involved; I can read body language, I can respond directly and quickly to questions raised from either side, I can make quick decisions based on what I see, hear and feel as a result of all of this communication.

VS

Staff come to speak to me about poor student behaviour online

Well! We can issue virtual warnings (in place of written ones in school), and we can mute students in the chat function… but what capacity do we really have to do much more than this when the students are working in their own home. Online detentions? I think not! Promise a sanction when students are back in school? No chance.

As always, I have found parents to be a very important ally in these instances but I have no problem admitting that I have found it challenging to deal with student misbehaviour or rudeness to staff online. We are in the age of social media, whereby people can throw out any opinion unchallenged. Is it any wonder that some young people feel emboldened in their comments, now that they spend so much time in a virtual world?

This also links to the first scenario I outlined, in that I want to understand why the young person may be exhibiting these behaviours but I struggle to get to that place with students due to the nature of how we are right now. If I use the chat function, how will what I write be received by the student (and their parents who may be sat with them!). I’m sure we can all think of instances in which something we have typed has perhaps not come across as we’d like and dealing with student behaviour is complex enough without the danger of text speak! Will staff understand the difficulty we face in dealing with incidents compared to when we are in school? Will they feel supported? How can I ensure that they feel like their concerns are taken seriously and dealt with, when the reality may be that a phone call home is the only real action I can take? A staff member may insist an exclusion is appropriate – what am I going to do, send the student home?! While I have found this to be difficult, I must also stress that I have been so impressed by the conduct of the vast, vast majority of the students and their behaviour and attitude to learning has been truly brilliant!

Scenario 3

A staff member is struggling with a particular class in school in terms of their involvement in lessons.

I can easily drop into the lesson. I can observe what is going on and support the staff member with effective teaching and learning strategies which I have developed over years in the classroom, in the hope that these will see an improvement for all concerned. I can speak to any individual students who need this intervention and can ensure that the staff member feels supported throughout. I can continue to be a visible, supportive presence for them and a visible reminder to the class of our school expectations.

VS

A staff member is struggling with a particular class online in terms of their involvement in lessons

I can still easily drop into the online lesson and observe. I can still easily speak to individuals via Teams. Am I truly in a position to offer any coaching or guidance on remote teaching? Absolutely not. I have no more experience of teaching online than any of my colleagues do (and I am truly indebted to colleagues who have shared some great tips!) We have all learnt a great deal over this half term with online provision but I don’t feel like I’ve been nearly as much use to the staff in our school as I would usually be.

There are many, many more examples where I have found things that I usually breeze through to be difficult and I am sure that some readers will recognise this rather frustrating feeling. As I outlined at the beginning, this half term has felt like quite a task. A task which has been challenging, difficult, occasionally tense and utterly exhausting. More than anything though, I have found it to be a task which has brought out the absolute best in so many colleagues; their resilience, kindness, humour and unwavering determination to do the best they can for our young people. It has also reinforced to me the importance of the role that relationships play in schools, be they in person or online. Regardless of any technological advancements we make as a result of this pandemic, of which there will surely be many, pastoral care and the human nature of our relationships must remain a constant driver in our schools.

John Hunt
NEC Officer
NAPCE
February 2021

AWARDS: Entries Coming in for the National Awards for Pastoral Care in Education 2021

Entries Come in for The National Awards for Pastoral Care in Education 2021

Nominations are coming in for the second annual National Awards for Pastoral Care in Education since the opening of the entry window in January.

The Awards scheme is the first and only in the UK to recognise great practice of pastoral care providers in the education sector.

The independent judging panel for the 2021 Awards, who will preside over all entries, has also just been announced:

Professor Stan Tucker of Newman University in Birmingham, NAPCE President
Professor Richard Pring, of Oxford University Associate Professor Anne Emerson of Nottingham University
Doctor Noel Purdy of Stranmillis University College in Belfast
Phil Jones Chair of NAPCE. 

We were delighted by the participation and success of the first NAPCE Awards and are so excited about bringing it back, but this year the event will be even bigger and better.

We’ve added a new category in International Contribution to Pastoral Care this year, a worthy addition to the seven existing classifications which proved so popular in 2020.

The closing date for all categories this year will be Monday May 24th, 2021, so don’t hang around, get your entries in now.

Just like last year, the finalists of the National Awards for Pastoral Care in Education will be invited to attend the ceremony on Friday, September 24th, 2021 to share the experience with peers and find out who wins each Award.

Speaking about the Awards, Phil Jones, Chair of NAPCE, said: “We are delighted to see the quality of entries is so high once again this year. 

“We believe it is even more important this year to recognise the pastoral heroes who have done so much to support our young people through the challenges presented by COVID-19.

“Nominations only take a few minutes to complete and we urge all schools, individuals and associated organisations to get involved, recognition for those who make a real difference is so important.” 

Criteria for Each Category
 
Pastoral School of the Year
A school that can demonstrate a commitment to pastoral care and support for learners that makes a real difference in the progress and personal development of young people in the school.

Pastoral Team of the Year
A team that works in pastoral care and can demonstrate a determination to support young people to achieve their full potential and a positive impact on the young people they work with.

Pastoral Member of Staff of the Year
A member of staff who works in pastoral care and who always makes the extra effort to support young people to enable them to become effective learners and achieve success.

Pastoral Leader of the Year
Has a passion for pastoral care that is shared with colleagues to inspire and motivate them to make a real difference in the lives of the young people they work with.

Pastoral Development of the Year
A pastoral initiative or idea that has achieved positive outcomes and has improved the learning experience and future life chances, for young people.

Raising Awareness about Pastoral Care
An individual, group or organisation who through their actions have raised awareness about pastoral care or pastoral issues and encouraged positive improvements for the benefit of young people.

Outstanding Contribution to Pastoral Care
A person, group or organisation that has made a real difference in pastoral care, for the benefit of young people.

International Contribution to Pastoral Care
An international school, organisation outside of the UK or an individual working in research or in an international school outside of the UK, that has promoted or delivered high quality pastoral care.
 
Any school or organisation can make a nomination for one or more of the categories. You do not need to be a member of NAPCE to make a nomination. Self-nominations are accepted.
 
Nominations are supported with information about how they meet the criteria for the category.

Nominations are for pastoral work during the 2020-21 academic year. The finalists and winners are selected by the judging panel of leading academics and practitioners in pastoral care and education. All finalists are invited to attend a presentation event when the winners are announced. 

There is a prize of one hundred pounds for the school, university, or organisation that the winners represent, in each category, to support their future work in pastoral care. There are prizes and plaques for winners and certificates for finalists. 
 
Nominations opened on Monday 18th January, 2021 and it is a good idea to make your nomination as soon as possible so you do not forget. 
 

Activity Date 2021
Nominations Open Monday 18th January
Nominations Close Monday 24th May
Judging Completed Friday 25th June
Finalists informed Monday 28th June
Tickets for Presentation Available Monday 5th July
Invitations to attend Presentation Event sent Monday 5th July
Presentation Event Friday 24th September

To make your nomination

You can enter the NAPCE Awards here  https://napceawards.wufoo.com/forms/napce-awards-2021-entry-form/

Nominations are encouraged for awards in different categories from schools and educational establishments and you DO NOT need to currently be a member of NAPCE to take part.

FROM THE CHAIR: An Update on NAPCE Activities from Phil Jones

 

From the Chair with Phil Jones

Despite the latest Lockdown, the start of the year has been a busy time for NAPCE.

NAPCE was pleased to contribute once again to the planning and delivery of the annual conference for pastoral leaders organised by the Association of School and College leaders (ASCL).

I was pleased to work with Maria O’Neill the founder of UK Pastoral Chat, to deliver a workshop on ‘Pastoral Care for Remote Learning’, as NAPCE’s contribution to the Conference.

Although it was a virtual Conference this year, it was very well attended with delegates from schools across the United Kingdom and an impressive list of speakers and workshop leaders who explored many of the current issues facing people working in pastoral roles.

It is exciting times for Maria, whose first book on pastoral care, ‘Proactive Pastoral Care. Nurturing happy, healthy, and successful learners”, is published by Bloomsbury on April 15th.

NAPCE was pleased to be invited to contribute to the planning of Safer Internet Day 2021. This annual event is organised to raise awareness of making the internet a safer place for young people and NAPCE was delighted to be able to support this important initiative.

I attended the virtual event on February 9th on behalf of NAPCE and this included a live streaming on YouTube from the top of the BT Tower and information about the good work that is being done, by many organisations, to help make the use of the internet a safer experience for all young people.

On the same day, I presented a live webinar for ASCL which was attended by headteachers and school leaders from across the United Kingdom, about Leading on Safeguarding.

It is right to see NAPCE continuing to support these important initiatives that will improve the learning experience and lives of young people. 

The Pandemic and the restrictions that have had to be imposed are having an impact on young peoples’ well-being and progress in their learning.

There will be a need in the future to look at how the learning and mental health of young people can be supported, following the experience of the pandemic and NAPCE and its members will want to explore and share ideas about how we can respond to this challenge.

NAPCE wanted to contribute to supporting young people who are struggling during the Pandemic. Our initiative of ‘Laptops for Learners’ invited members of NAPCE to nominate deserving young people, who would benefit from being funded for a laptop to use for their learning at home.

We were very pleased to provide funding for the laptops and although we can only make a small contribution to a big problem, we hope it will make a huge difference to the learning experience of the young people we have been able to support. 

The nominations have been opened for the National Awards for Pastoral Care in Education 2021.

It is more important than ever this academic year that we recognise and value the work and contributions of the pastoral heroes working in pastoral care. 

Nominations can be made in the following categories:

Pastoral School of the Year
A school that can demonstrate a commitment to pastoral care and support for learners that makes a real difference in the progress and personal development of young people in the school.
Pastoral Team of the Year
A team that works in pastoral care and can demonstrate a determination to support young people to achieve their full potential and a positive impact on the young people they work with.
Pastoral Member of Staff of the Year
A member of staff who works in pastoral care and who always makes the extra effort to support young people to enable them to become effective learners and achieve success.
Pastoral Leader of the Year
Has a passion for pastoral care that is shared with colleagues to inspire and motivate them to make a real difference in the lives of the young people they work with.
Pastoral Development of the Year
A pastoral initiative or idea that has achieved positive outcomes and has improved the learning experience and future life chances, for young people.
Raising Awareness about Pastoral Care
An individual, group or organisation who through their actions have raised awareness about pastoral care or pastoral issue sand encouraged positive improvements for the benefit of young people.
Outstanding Contribution to Pastoral Care
A person, group or organisation that has made a real difference in pastoral care, for the benefit of young people.
International Contribution to Pastoral Care
An international school, organisation outside of the UK or an individual working in research or in an international school outside of the UK, that has promoted or delivered high quality pastoral care.

Nominations can be made by following this link. 

https://napceawards.wufoo.com/forms/napce-awards-2021-entry-form

Thank you to schools and organisations who have already sent their nominations in. If you would like to nominate yourself or somebody else for an award, put it at the top of your ‘to do’ list.

The judges for the 2021 Awards have been confirmed as, Professor Stan Tucker of Newman University in Birmingham, NAPCE President Professor Richard Pring, of Oxford University, Associate Professor Anne Emerson of Nottingham University, Doctor Noel Purdy of Stranmillis University College in Belfast, and me as Chair of NAPCE.

On March 27th NAPCE will be organising virtual meetings for the National Executive Committee, The Editorial Board, and the Annual General Meeting.

All members are invited to attend the Annual General Meeting which will take place on Saturday 27th March at 12-30pm.

Please contact admin@napce.org.uk if you are a member who would like to attend the AGM or if you are interested in becoming a member.

The AGM is a good opportunity to find out more about the work of NAPCE and learn more about future plans.

Looking ahead, 2022 will be the 40th Anniversary year since the Association was formed and the journal, ‘Pastoral Care in Education’ was first published.

The Association is proud of its history and the work it has done since the founder members first formed the Association as a charity to support pastoral care.

In that time, it has shared good practice and research that has made a real impact in supporting young people to reach their full potential from education and to support their personal development, to enable them to make a positive contribution to society.

The Association has plans to celebrate the contribution it has made to educational thinking and practice with events and activities planned for 2022.

A small team have been working on plans for a book, to reflect on developments in pastoral care since the Association was formed in 1982 and the challenges and opportunities pastoral care will face in the future.

Good progress has been made on the ideas for the book, and a proposal is ready to go to publishers.

The hope is that the book will be published during 2022. There are plans to produce a special edition of the journal that will be sent to NAPCE members and subscribers to the journal in the spring or summer of 2022.

We also have exciting news for a ‘live’ conference in September 2022, where members and supporters of NAPCE will be able to meet, following the publication of the NAPCE book and special edition of the journal.

Other events and activities are planned to celebrate the anniversary of the Association during 2022.

Please continue to follow NAPCE on Twitter on @NAPCE1 or facebook.com/napce1 for all the latest news and information.

If you have colleagues or contacts who have an interest in pastoral care and education, please encourage them to contact admin@napce.org.uk to register for the monthly NAPCE newsletter.

It is free and will be sent to the email address provided, but we need a request to be registered for data protection purposes. Thank you for your continued support for NAPCE.

Phil Jones
National Chair
NAPCE

MEET THE TEAM: Introducing New NAPCE Team Member Susana Cervera

 

Introducing NAPCE’s Newest Team Member, Susana Cervera

Susana grew up in Spain but continued her education in the UK, where she completed a MChem Hons at Kingston University.

Following a seven year stint at a global organisation in London, Susana finally listened to her inner call and completed her PGCE at Homerton College, University of Cambridge, in 2010.

She then went on to gain Qualified Teacher Status and taught at several schools in Essex.

“What I enjoyed most during my time as a teacher was establishing that special teacher-student relationship that is so closely interweaved with pastoral care,” she revealed.

“As a teacher and tutor, I viewed myself as having a responsibility not only to help young people to develop academically, but also to help them develop as a person.

“Many recent studies link health and wellbeing to academic performance but to me, having had to overcome quite a few difficulties whilst growing up, there was never any doubt about the importance of feeling safe and how closely health and wellbeing are linked to your idea of self-worth and how that can translate, not only into academic achievement, but also to function as a person in later life.

“The schools I had the fortune to worth with took pastoral care seriously. As a teacher, I was in a position where I could help. I wanted my students to be safe and I saw my job as key in the mechanism to ensuring their physical and emotional welfare.

“I no longer teach but I continue to be involved with education and now through collaborating with NAPCE I hope to continue to contribute to the work that has been so important to me.”

Effective pastoral care can improve students’ attendance and retention rates; foster an orderly atmosphere where all students can access opportunities, and enhance their academic achievements; promote tolerance, especially in students and teachers with due regard for protected characteristics; and subdue racism and inequality, and teach respect for self and others (Benard, 1995, pp. 3–4).

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