Early years education is available for children aged 0-5 years and can be accessed through various options such as childminders, nurseries, pre-schools, or sure start children’s centres. Sure start centres not only provide education but also offer family support, address health concerns, and give guidance on learning, training, and employment for both infants and parents. Nursery schools and sure start centres cater to children aged three to five whereas preschools and playgroups run by voluntary organizations offer part-time play and learning opportunities for children under five. Children who are three or four years old are eligible to receive 15 hours of government-funded early years education. Day nurseries serve the purpose of providing early years education from birth until the age of five either as independent businesses or voluntary groups.
Community schools are characterized by being run and owned by the local authority in relation to educational stage(s) and school governance. The Local Education Authority (LEA) is responsible for employing school staff and managing new admissions, while also owning the land where the school is located. The governance of these schools involves the governors handling finances, budgets, as well as appointing and dismissing staff. Foundation and trust schools share similar characteristics with regards to school governance.
The admissions policy of foundation schools is determined by their governing body in consultation with the LEA. The governors appoint staff and also own the school’s land. A trust school can form a trust with another business or outside agency, requiring the school to purchase support services. The decision to become a trust school is made by both the school trust and parent consultation meetings. Federation.
There are two types of federation schools:
– Hard, which refers to schools with the same governing bodies.
– Soft, which refers to schools with different governing bodies.
The choices available for young people and adults after the age of 16 are varied and provide numerous opportunities for the future. When a child reaches year 11, they have the option to continue their education by selecting a new course, finding employment, or enrolling in a training course. These choices are vital for establishing stability in one’s career.
Post 16 offers the possibility of attending college or sixth form and engaging in full-time education. The specific options individuals can choose from depend on their results and may include those listed below:
- After completing a one-year course following year 12, some people may decide to pursue further studies through full-time education, while others might prefer employment or training courses.
Post 18 provides many choices once students complete year 13, such as continuing studies, attending additional training courses, working part-time while studying, or entering full-time employment.
The list of options for post-16, post-17, and post-18 is as follows:
Entry level courses, also known as Entry Level Certificates, typically last for one or two years and do not require passing any exams.
Introductory Certificates/Diplomas are examples of courses that can typically be completed in one or two years without the need for exam passes at Level 1 (foundation level).
The text includes the following qualifications: National First Award (level 1), National certificate/Award (level 1), GCSEs, NVQ Level 1.
AREA 2
The school governing body serves the purpose of:
Assist in establishing elevated benchmarks, defining goals, and strategizing for the future of the school.
2. Maintain the pressure for school improvement, as set by OFSTED.
Provide assistance and guidance while also offering constructive criticism to the school.
4. Offer support to parents and the community.
Make sure that the school is accountable for its behavior towards the public.
6. Work together with the school to coordinate, create, and evaluate initiatives and programs. 7. Carry out its responsibilities and power jointly with the head teacher and staff members.
8. Will only intervene in the day-to-day operations of the school if necessary, such as addressing weaknesses. 9. Has the authority to hire or fire staff and administer disciplinary measures when necessary. 10. Ensures that the school operates within its budgetary limits.
The Senior Management Team consists of the head departments, Head teacher, Deputy head, and head of year, as well as the special needs coordinator. Their main responsibility is to establish and oversee the overall direction of the school. They also spearhead changes and ensure that the school achieves its objectives in providing the best education for its students.
SENCO
A SENCO teacher is responsible for coordinating areas within the school for those with special educational needs. According to Cowne and Jones (2001), a SENCO can be viewed as a key figure in bringing about institutional change and is also regarded as a leadership position within the school community.
TEACHERS
A teacher’s main duty is to communicate with students, assess their progress, and enhance their teaching methods. Additionally, teachers must develop lesson plans, engage in learning activities, address any classroom issues or conflicts that arise, and appropriately document them.
SUPPORT STAFF ROLES
Support staff, working alongside teachers, provide guidance and assistance as necessary. They receive supervision and guidance from the teacher and are not responsible for delivering direct instruction, although they may oversee a class in the teacher’s absence. Support staff must be knowledgeable about child safeguarding and report any concerns to the most senior staff member on duty in a confidential manner. Some support staff may not be located in the classroom, but they have comparable duties. EXTERNAL PROFESSIONALS
Within an educational setting, there is a presence of external professionals who collaborate with the head and other staff as required. In schools, there are numerous children experiencing psychological problems and requiring behavioral assistance. Educational psychologists provide support to teachers, parents, carers, and other involved staff members in the direct care of these individuals. They closely collaborate with the Special Educational Needs Coordinator (SENCO), dedicating time to observe and monitor behavior and address any other challenges that may arise. Subsequently, they provide recommendations and assistance to parents/carers.
SALT – Speech and Language Therapy
The speech and language therapist specializes in helping children who struggle with communication, expression, and socializing. They also provide support to children with eating and drinking difficulties, as well as assess swallowing issues. They collaborate with parents, healthcare professionals, and caregivers to ensure comprehensive care. Their goal is to help children achieve their maximum communication abilities.
SPECIALIST TEACHERS
Having a specialist teacher is essential for ensuring that children receive the best education, as they can provide support and expertise in a specific subject area. Additionally, the role of an educational welfare officer is crucial in this process.
An educational welfare officer plays a crucial role in ensuring the well-being of children by working closely with the school’s support system, students, and families. They provide guidance and assistance in addressing any issues that may arise, including conducting home visits for additional support.
Assessing how a school conveys its values, mission, aims, and ethos is important. The mission represents what the school strives to achieve and is often expressed through a motto or slogan chosen by the head teacher. The ethos encompasses the beliefs and emotions of the school.
When entering the school premises, one should be able to perceive and experience this ethos as it is deeply ingrained in both staff and students’ daily routine. Various activities conducted on a regular basis reinforce this ethos within the entire school community.
These activities emphasize the utmost importance given to children’s safety while reiterating that they are at the heart of everything.
The head teacher, in collaboration with parents, staff, and the community, determines the objectives of the school. These objectives aim to create a secure and respected environment for all members of the school community, which is crucial for achieving a successful learning atmosphere. Additionally, at Kingfisher Special School, the children’s goals include enhancing their understanding of the world and providing them with an appropriate balance of challenge and support in their education. The school also strives to cater to the spiritual, moral, intellectual, and physical development of all students regardless of disability, gender, race or ethnic background. Communication regarding individual needs can be facilitated through various channels such as Braille, sign language, picture boards,, leaflets newsletters emails telephone conversations notices.
The way a school operates reflects its ethos, mission, aims, and values. The school’s ethos is evident in every aspect of the school environment and is practiced by both staff and students on a daily basis. At Kingfisher Special School, all adults play a crucial role in setting behavioral standards for students and colleagues. The behavior of adults significantly impacts children, so fostering positive relationships among adults can promote good behavior in children. Every adult should create a positive atmosphere while maintaining reasonable expectations for each student. Respecting individuals within the school community is emphasized to encourage fairness, kindness, and understanding.
The laws and codes relevant to working in schools include the Convention on the Rights of the Child (1989), developed by UNICEF, which ensures equal rights for all children as part of an international treaty on human rights. Various versions of the Education Act, such as those from 1981, 1993, and 1996 are also included in the summary.
The following acts have been established:
- The Children Act (1989) and (2004)
- The Equality Act (2006)
- The Care Standards (2000)
- The Special Educational Needs and Disability Act (2001)
- The Race Relations Act (1976) and amendment (2000)
- The Disability Discrimination Act (1995) and (2005)
- The Public Order Act (1986)
- The Religious Hatred Act (2006)
Legislation has a strong influence on the functioning of schools, necessitating adherence to legal requirements that aim to foster equal opportunity and eradicate discrimination. Moreover, legislation also governs my interactions with children. Every school is obligated to establish diverse policies and procedures that offer staff, governors, parents, and all individuals associated with the school a framework of principles to abide by.
The school holds team meetings every year to review and communicate any updates made to its policies and procedures.
