REPORT: “From the Chair” with NAPCE Chief Phil Jones

From the Chair by Phil Jones

I am sure that this year the summer break will be very welcome, and more important than ever before, to everybody working in pastoral roles in education.

I remember the summer holidays in three different stages.

The first two weeks was recovery time where I realised that there was more to life than coping with the latest demands being made on educational professionals.

The middle two weeks were a time for reading and thinking positively about opportunities to develop new ideas and implement improvements for the benefit of the learners in our care.

In the final two weeks I tended to spend the time convincing myself that this year would be better than the last and counting the days down to when life would become hectic again and feeling a little frustrated that time would once again be rationed for family, friends, and myself.

I always had mixed feelings about the first day back at work.

I was not keen about having to get up at a certain time and having my time during the day organised for me, but it was also good to meet colleagues and students again and make a difference for learners with new energy and motivation.

This highlights why the summer break is so important for professionals working in education, to be able to recharge yourself both physically and mentally in preparation for new challenges and opportunities.

It is also a reminder of how important it is to look after your physical health and mental health with a sensible work/life balance during the academic year.

The new academic year is a fresh start and an opportunity to focus on what really matters in your role and to reflect on how you can make a positive contribution to improve the learning experience and life chances of the children and young people in your care.

Planning and setting goals in September creates the motivation and inspiration to keep going when you face the challenges that are part of every academic year and will remind you later in the year about what your priorities are despite what other demands are made for your time and attention.

My summer reading included the book, ‘Successful conversations in school’ by Sonia Gill.

In the book she describes a process of group development from Bruce Tuckman.

Forming – where the groups from and expectations are explored
Storming – where boundaries and expectations are challenged
Norming – where there is some agreement about what is expected and the boundaries
Performing – where the agreed norms and boundaries mean that positive work can take place.

This can be applied to my experience of the school year.

In September there is a motivation to explore better ways of working and new ideas and initiatives.

As a headteacher I can remember in the first few weeks of the academic year how colleagues would come and tell me how well their classes were doing.

Then comes the storming period which in my experience takes place around November with the weather deteriorating and the added distractions for people working with children and young people of Halloween, bonfire night and the darker evenings with the clocks going back.

During this period my experience as a headteacher was of colleagues coming me to tell me how impossible it is to work with my children.

This is the time when expectations and boundaries are being challenged as learners and adults explore what the norms will be.

Sonia Gill describes this as a positive process where if issues are examined and discussed a positive working culture can be developed.

The time spent on resolving disagreements leads to the norming period where there is an acceptance of the boundaries and although it is the nature of young people to keep testing them there is a shared view of what is expected.

In my experience this does not really start to appear until the second term, so it is important to understand that the challenge and questioning of rules and boundaries is a normal process that we must work through.

Eventually the reward for all the effort invested in the process comes with the performing stage when there is some shared sense of purpose of what we are working towards.

It is frustrating that with many students they seem to arrive at this point just as they are about to leave the school and the adults are left wondering why we couldn’t get to this way of working earlier, without all the effort being spent on resolving conflicts and reinforcing expectations.

Resolving conflicts and establishing a positive learning culture will always be part of the work of staff in pastoral roles in schools.

This was especially true in the last academic year because of the additional challenges form the pandemic.

Reading the nominations for the 2021 National Awards for Pastoral Care in Education it was clear what inspirational work is taking place in pastoral care.

It was great to see that nominations were being made from all parts of the UK and some from other countries across the world and from many different schools and educational organisations.

There were so many brilliant examples of good practice and innovations to respond to challenges and provide excellent pastoral care and support for learners.

It has also become clear how vital this work is for supporting the socialisation of children and young people to enable them to become positive members of society.

NAPCE is pleased to have this opportunity to share the good practice by organising the annual awards and to contribute to inspiring professionals to find effective responses to new challenges and to make a real difference in the future life chances of learners.

The winners in the eight categories will be announced at a Presentation event that takes place at 7-00pm on Thursday 23^rd September.

Once again because of the uncertainty about restrictions for the pandemic it will be an online event.

We hope that once again colleagues will make an evening of the event and join with NAPCE,  to celebrate the achievements of everybody who was nominated and to congratulate the winners.

There are a limited number of tickets for the event and they can be reserved by visiting Eventbrite.

There is no limit to how many people can join a link to be part of the event so why not arrange to dress up for the evening and organise the celebratory drinks!

Tickets for the presentation Event are free and to reserve your place and for more details please follow the link:

https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/presentation-for-the-2021-national-awards-for-pastoral-care-in-education-tickets-165522423023?utm-campaign=social&utm-content=attendeeshare&utm-medium=discovery&utm-term=listing&utm-source=cp&aff=escb

The national awards are an important reminder of the excellent work that is being done in pastoral care to support young people to achieve their full potential from their education despite the difficulties and challenges that we face every day.

The increased interest in the work of NAPCE, demonstrates what a positive impact effective pastoral care can have in supporting learners and improving their future life chances.

NAPCE followers on social media have increased, there is more contact with the Association from people who share our interests in pastoral care and the number of memberships of the Association which includes a subscription to the respected international academic journal, ‘Pastoral Care in Education’ is increasing.

NAPCE is looking forward to our 40^th anniversary year in 2022.

The Association has been supporting pastoral care in education and sharing good practice for 40 years and the passion to continue making a positive contribution to the learning experience of learners and their preparation for their future lives is as strong as it has ever been.

The National Executive Committee are planning events and activities to celebrate the anniversary, and these include the publication of a new book about pastoral care by Cambridge Scholars and a Conference where we hope to once again be able to meet each other in person.

For the latest news and information about NAPCE please visit the website napce.org.uk and follow NAPCE on social media. (TWITTER @NAPCE1). For information about membership or anything else please contact us by email on admin@napce.org.uk

NAPCE is looking forward to working with our members and supporters in the new academic year, to continue making a positive contribution to supporting children and young people to enable them to achieve success in their education and future lives.

All my best wishes
Phil Jones
National Chair
NAPCE

ARTICLE: “Supporting students to take control of leaked explicit images” published on schoolsweek.co.uk

NAPCE was created almost 40 years ago and we’ve been at the heart of pastoral care development for that time.

From as far back as the 1980s we’ve been sharing great practice and actively engaging in matters of the day affecting the wellbeing of young people in education.

Once upon a time we flicked through the newspapers on a daily basis to stay abreast of reported developments across education but more recently we have been sharing links to articles published online which relate to the wellbeing of young people.

These are matters that people working in pastoral care roles or associated positions in schools should be aware of.

In this edition of NAPCE News, we are keen to share an article published on the Schools Week website on 17th August, 2021.

The article is written by Suzanne Houghton and it is this month’s recommended read.

Read it here: https://schoolsweek.co.uk/supporting-students-to-take-control-of-leaked-explicit-images/

REPORT: NAPCE Annual National Conference 2021 – Does Every Child Still Matter?

In July NAPCE organised its first online national conference over three days.

There were presentations on the first day on different pastoral care topics, a Question Time panel on the second day and more presentations on the final day.

It was an excellent opportunity to reflect on the current challenges facing pastoral care and to share ideas on how to respond to these challenges in the future.

The conference brought together experts in pastoral care and delegates with an interest in pastoral care in educations from different parts of the United Kingdom and using the power of the internet form around the world.

Recordings of all presentations and the Question Time from the three days of the conference are available on ‘catch up’ by following this link to the NAPCE website
https://www.napce.org.uk/napce-conference-2021-watch-a-replay-here/

This is a sample of some of the brilliant feedback sent to NAPCE following the conference.

• “Thank you for the brilliant presentations last
  week. It was a very amazing and thought-provoking conference”
• “Thank you NAPCE for organising the brilliant conference ‘Does Every Child Matter? A New Approach to Education’, I enjoyed all the speakers and found it to be very motivating and inspiring”
• “I really enjoyed the conference; The whole conference was excellent. Well done on organising such a good event online”
• “Congratulations, on a very successful event”
• “Thank you for the conference. It actually gave me a new insight into my own teenager”
• “Thank you to all the speakers. You have really hit the nail on the head in so many ways. Extremely useful; and given me lots to think about”
• “Thank you NAPCE and everybody involved in contributing to the conference. The speakers were positive and inspiring”
• “The Question Time was a brilliant opportunity to listen to different views about issues that are important to schools and educationalists”
• “Thank you to everyone on the Question Time panel and in the audience for your thought-provoking conversations.  The Question Time was an excellent discussion with lots of diverse ideas”
• “Absolutely brilliant! Just what I need at the moment. Lots to think about as I start planning for the return to school in September for staff and students. Thank you”
• “Thank you for such wonderful presentations from all the presenters. Clear and interesting talks. Well done”
• “Thank you so much for everybody’s time and contributions. I am a Scottish NQT and appreciate seminars such as this trying to soak up as much info and preparation as possible before I dive into teaching full time in August”

The Conference opened on the afternoon with a presentation from, Dr Kaitlyn Mendes, from, Leicester University and Dr Tanya Horeck, from Anglia Ruskin University, on the important topic of Combatting Online Sexual Harassment – Why we need RSE More Than Ever. 

The presentation provided information on an issue that is very current and made delegates aware of the implications for all schools.

It was clear that this is not something that schools can respond to just with new policies, but a change is needed in school cultures and the pastoral care that is provided.

Free training for teachers is available in the new academic year for sex and relationship education by contacting The School of Sexuality Education at info@schoolofsexed.org
 
The next Presentation was from Lee Pritchard, Head of UK Development, The Thrive Approach, who are partners of NAPCE and one of the sponsors of the National Awards for Pastoral Care in Education, organised by NAPCE.

Lee’s interesting presentation explained more about resilience and why it is so important. Lee explored how our brains and bodies work together (or not); what we can do to build our own robust self-regulation systems and then help the children and young people we work with to do the same; and how this will ensure that they are then in a much better place to access learning and thrive!

The presentation highlighted the importance of a whole school approach to supporting learners to achieve their full potential.

It encouraged delegates to reflect on what effective pastoral care should look like in the 21^st century.
 
The final presentation on the first day was from Connor Acton who is a pastoral leader and teacher in Leicester and a member of NAPCE’s National Executive Committee.

Connor’s presentation considered what we have learned from the tests, trials and tribulations brought about by COVID-19 and how they will impact on Pastoral Care as we move into the future. 

It discussed the challenges we may face in the future and how we can take the lessons learned and ensure that Pastoral Care in our schools is effective.

Connor gave a positive report on how attitudes to learning have improved as learners have returned to school and the challenge is how to sustain this improvement.

It encouraged teachers to reflect on how pastoral systems can support learners to develop positive relationships and the implications for staff training in the future to ensure that staff develop understanding and empathy for learners. 
 
On the Thursday evening it was Question Time with a panel of guest experts to answer questions and share ideas with delegates in the audience.

In the Chair was Phil Jones Chair of NAPCE and on the panel were Assistant Professor Mark Diacopoulos, Pittsburg State University USA, Nigel Patrick Murray MBE, a retired British Paralympic athlete, Daniel Sobel, author and the founder and Lead Consultant of Inclusion Expert, Dr Noel Purdy, Director of Research and Scholarship at Stranmillis University College, Belfast, and deputy editor of NAPCE’s academic Journal, ’Pastoral Care in Education’, Margaret Mulholland, the Inclusion Policy Advisor for the Association of School and College leaders (ASCL), and Michelle de Middelaer, an experienced educational consultant for ‘Learning through Leadership’.

The first question was “Is it more important to change how schools are organised or how young people learn?” 

This led to an interesting discussion about the future of schools with views shared by members of the panel and in the audience.

One suggestion was that Covid-19 could be seen as the ‘wrecking ball’ for education which provides an opportunity to think about what schools should be about and why we need schools in the 21^st century.

It was recognised that covid had highlighted just how much work schools do in supporting the educational progress and personal development of young people.

The increased focus on pastoral care that this had encouraged was an opportunity.  

A question about mobile telephones in schools which had been raised in one of the presentations on the first day of the conference raised some issues to be considered in planning and delivering pastoral care and support in schools.

There were different views in response to the questions with some suggestions that schools would want to control anything that was seen as a risk to learning with others commenting that schools needed to teach learners how to use technology safely.

The discussions raised awareness that staff working in school will not fully understand the experience that children and young people have had in the last 18 months and that empathy is important for all adults who are going to be working with children and young people in the future.  
 
The first presentation of the final morning of the conference was from Helen Peter. 

Helen Peter is a teacher, trainer, published writer and author, and inspirational presenter. 

She has worked in over 400 schools and organisations, in all phases, training staff in pastoral care, circle time and mental and emotional health. 

She is the author of “Making the Most of Tutor Time”. 

Helen shared her considerable experience with delegates including ideas for building sound relationships using techniques, activities, and games to engage them.

She provided some excellent practical advice for example on the importance of body language and tone and not just what is said by teachers and adults working with children and young people.

The presentation raised some interesting questions about how online learning has changed learners’ perceptions about their learning experience. 
 

The next presenter was Maria O, Neil who is an experienced pastoral leader, researcher, and advanced skills teacher.

Maria is the founder of Pastoral Support UK and currently works as a pastoral leader in a school as well as various key roles to provide sustainable pastoral training and raise the profile of pastoral leadership nationwide.

Maria has worked as a partner of NAPCE to organise pastoral conferences in the past.

In the autumn term Maria will start a new challenge as a Deputy Headteacher in a school in London.

Maria used the ideas and research from her book published in April 2021, ‘Proactive Pastoral Care.  

Nurturing happy, healthy, and successful learners.’  

The presentation explained why there is a need for a proactive approach to pastoral care in schools.

It will explore how pastoral care in schools can empower students to make healthy life choices, take care of their wellbeing and reach their full potential in school and beyond.

It was clear from Maria’s presentation how her values and beliefs motivate and guide her in her pastoral work.

She started by explaining challenges that she has had as a mother, and this was a reminder for delegates that we are all humans and the people we work with in pastoral care are all humans.

It was clear from the presentation that as professionals we do not know yet what challenges we will have to face in the future in supporting learners.
 

The conference was ended with the final presentation from Phil Jones the National Chair of NAPCE.

Phil has many years of experience in leadership roles in schools and as a school governor and now works as an educational consultant specialising in pastoral care, support for learners and leadership. 

The presentation explored the opportunities and challenges schools will face after the pandemic to engage children and young people in education.

Phil encouraged delegates to reflect on the need to rethink how education meets the needs of children and young people and supports them to achieve their full potential from their learning and prepare them for their future lives in society.

The pandemic has prevented children and young people from experiencing the learning opportunities and activities that support their socialisation.

Using evidence from recent research he suggested that schools will need to consider how to support young people in their personal development and to overcome barriers caused by poor mental health and well-being for some time after there is a return to something like normality following the pandemic.

The presentation highlighted how the experience of the pandemic could be seen as an opportunity to consider what is relevant in a learning experience for children and young people living in the 21^st century and adapt policy and practice to meet their needs. 
 
To share any thoughts or ideas about the topics explored and the ideas shared in the conference please search #NapceCon21 on Twitter.
 

AWARDS: Finalists for the Second National Awards for Pastoral Care in Education Announced

The finalists of the second National Awards For Pastoral Care In Education have been revealed.

Deserving nominees have been selected in each of the eight categories by an independent panel of judges made up educational experts.

The standard of entry was extremely high this year once again, according to NAPCE Chair Phil jones, who sits on the Panel.

The Awards was launched by NAPCE in 2019 and is the first UK-wide scheme to recognise outstanding achievements across pastoral care in education settings.

A host of impressive organisations have lined up to support the National Awards For Pastoral Care In Education by sponsoring categories including Association of School and College Leaders (ASCL), Blue Sky Education, The Thrive Approach, Taylor and Francis , Inclusion Expert and Hult International Business School.

The event was created to shine a light on excellent practice in pastoral care and to celebrate the people making a real difference in the educational experience of young people.

It also encourages new initiatives and ideas in pastoral care and recognises the contributions being made to developing policy and practice in pastoral support.

Mr Jones said: “Once again we received a large range of fantastic entries for the National Awards For Pastoral Care In Education and the event is continuing to build spectacularly.

“Thank you once again to all of fantastic sponsors who returned to support the Awards again this year and to our newest supporters who came onboard for the first time.

“Huge congratulations to the finalists in each category, the standard of entry was sky high and getting to the finals is a great achievement in itself.

“Best of luck for the big presentation event later in the year, we will be revealing whether that will take place in person or online again soon.”

The Finalists

Pastoral School of The Year – Sponsored by Blue Sky Education

(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)

Royal School Dungannon, Dugannon, Northern Ireland

Oakfield School, Hull, East Riding of Yorkshire

The Children’s Hospital School, Leicester

Limavady High School, Limavady, Northern Ireland

School for Inspiring Talents, Newton Abbott, Devon

Pastoral Team of the Year – Sponsored by The Thrive Approach

(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)

The Grove Pastoral Team, The Grove School, Tottenham, London

All Saints C of E Primary School, Wigston, Leicestershire

Limavady High School , Limavady, Northern Ireland

Nidderdale High School, Pateley Bridge, North Yorkshire

Buxton Community School, Buxton, Derbyshire

Pastoral Member of Staff of the Year – Sponsored by Inclusion Expert

(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)

Zoe Knight, Westfield Infant School, Hinckley, Leicestershire

Julie McCartney, Limavady High School, Limavady, Northern Ireland

Dawn Sadler, Learning Mentor at Moulton Primary School, Moulton, Northamptonshire

Dr Helen O’Connor, St. Swithun’s School, Winchester, Hampshire

Mrs Shanie Thorpe, Bishop Challoner School, Basingstoke, Hampshire

Pastoral Leader Of The Year – Sponsored by Taylor and Francis 

(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)

Miss Laura Fisher, Limavady High School, Limavady, Northern Ireland

Helen Burton (Deputy Headteacher) Belmont Community School, Belmont Durham

Luke Ramsden, Senior Deputy Head, St Benedict’s School, Ealing

Micki Handford, The Children’s Hospital School, Leicester

Alison Simpson, Cobden Primary School, Loughborough, Leicestershire

Pastoral Development of the Year – Sponsored by NAPCE

(A pastoral initiative or idea that has achieved positive outcomes and has improved the learning experience and future life chances, for young people)

TRT (Trauma Recovery & Training) Student Support and mentoring Intervention Programme

St. Swithun’s School, Winchester, Hampshire – Positive Education Curriculum

Jenny Kay, Nidderdale High School, Pateley Bridge, North Yorkshire – Flourish Personal Development Programme

The Children’s Hospital School, Leicester – The Thrive Programme

Buxton & Leek College, Leek, Staffordshire – My team (Learner Journey Team), BLC INVEST

Outstanding Contribution to Pastoral Care – Sponsored by NAPCE

(A person, group or organisation that has made a real difference for the benefit of young people in the area of pastoral care)

Jan Ashton, Nidderdale High School, Pateley Bridge, North Yorkshire

Sarah Cockerline, Oakfield School, Hull, East Riding of Yorkshire

Nicola Wright, Nidderdale High School, Pateley Bridge, North Yorkshire

Claire Gibbs, Ridgeway Secondary School, Redditch, Worcestershire

AchieveNI, Belfast, Northern Ireland

International Contribution to Pastoral Care – Sponsor The Hult International Business School

(An international school or 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)

Bromsgrove International School, Thailand

Stephany Herzog, International School of Zug and Luzern

Child1st Consultancy Limited

Raising Awareness About Pastoral Care – Sponsored by Association of School and College Leaders

(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)

The results of this category will be announced at the Presentation Event later this year, details of this will be announced shortly.

There will be a prize of £100 for the school or institution for the winners of each category and individuals will also be recognised for their achievements.

SURVEY: Invitation to Take Part in Survey on Sexual Violence in Education

Invitation to Schools to Participate in an Important Survey on Sexual Violence in Education

Dr Kaitlyn Mendes and Dr Tanya Horeck made an important presentation at the NAPCE online July conference about combatting online sexual harassment and why we need RSE more than ever.

They are now inviting teachers in schools to contribute to their important research by completing a survey to develop a better understanding of sexual violence in schools.

This can be sent to any teacher to complete.

The survey won’t take more than 7 minutes to complete and will really help with the research.

Follow us on Twitter @napce1 where we’ll be sharing a link to the survey soon.

Dr Kaitlynn Mendes is Professor of Gender, Media and Sociology at the University of Leicester, UK. Tanya Horeck is an Associate Professor in Film, Media & Culture at Anglia Ruskin University in the UK.

CONFERENCE: An Update on NAPCE Annual National Conference 2021 – Does Every Child Still Matter?

Annual National Conference – Does Every Child Still Matter? – A New Approach to Education

Tickets for this important online conference being organised by NAPCE in July are being reserved and it is good to see so much interest in what will be an interesting and stimulating event. It takes place over three days on Wednesday 7^th, Thursday 8^th and Friday 9^th July.

On the Wednesday and Friday there will be presentations from leading experts in pastoral care.

On the Thursday evening an invited panel of educational experts will answer questions about the challenges and opportunities for education following the global pandemic.

To register for tickets, go to https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/does-every-child-still-matter-a-new-approach-to-education-tickets-146551434285?aff=ebdsoporgprofile

Tickets for this conference are FREE but delegates are encouraged to register early to avoid disappointment. The conference will explore if it is time to revisit the ‘every child matters’ agenda as a starting point to reset thinking about education.

CONFERENCE PROGRAMME

Wednesday 7^th July 
2-00pm Welcome to the Conference – Phil Jones Chair of NAPCE.
2-10pm Presentation One Combatting Online Sexual Harassment – Why we need RSE More Than Ever – Professor Kaitlyn Mendes, Leicester University.
2-45pm Presentation Two – Promoting Social and Emotional Well-Being. The Thrive Approach
3-20pm Presentation Three Pastoral Care post COVID – Connor Acton.
3-55pm Close – Phil Jones Chair of NAPCE.
Thursday 8^th July 
7-00pm to 8-00pm NAPCE QUESTION TIME – The Challenges and Opportunities for Education Following the Experience of the Global Pandemic. 
Chaired by Phil Jones – Chair of NAPCE.
On panel
Professor Stan Tucker – Editor of Pastoral Care in Education.
Margaret Mulholland  – ASCL SEND and Inclusion Specialist.
Nigel Murray – Paralympic Gold Medalist.
Mark Diacopoulos, Assistant Professor, Pittsburg State University.
Daniel Sobel, Author and Founder of ‘Inclusion Expert’.
Other guests to be confirmed
Friday 9^th July 
10-00am Welcome – Phil Jones Chair of NAPCE.
10-10am Presentation 4 Building Positive Relationships for Learning – Helen Peter.
10-45am Presentation 5  – Proactive Pastoral Care – Maria O’ Neill Founder UK Chat Care.
11-20am Presentation 6  Engaging Learners – Phil Jones Chair of NAPCE.
11-55am Close – Phil Jones Chair of NAPCE.

MORE DETAILS ABOUT THE PRESENTATIONS AND PRESENTERS

Presentation title – Pastoral Care Post COVID
Connor Acton 

Details about presentation:
What have we learned from the tests, trials and tribulations brought about by COVID and how will they impact Pastoral Care as we move into the future? A discussion of the challenges we may face in the future and how we can take the lessons learned and ensure that Pastoral Care in our schools is effective.

Biography:
Connor is a Pastoral Leader and Teacher in a Leicester secondary school – he has held a variety of roles linked to pastoral care (including Head of Year, Assistant Head of Year and Mentor) in a variety of disadvantaged contexts. Connor is Chair of Trustees at Brookvale Groby Learning Campus, Chair of Trustees for the RSPCA in Leicestershire and sits on the National Executive Board for NAPCE.

Presentation title – Building Positive Relationships for Learning
Helen Peter

Details about presentation:
Helen will outline some ideas for building sound relationships within staff and student groups by using techniques, activities, and games to engage them.
She was a fan of SEAL and believes that Every Child does still matter!
“If we were meeting in person, I would ask for a class to come in to demonstrate a lesson, but as it is I will have to try on Zoom. I hope that everyone will go away energised, with at least one new idea to use next week”.

Biography:
Helen Peter is a teacher, trainer, published writer and author, and inspirational presenter.
She has worked in over 400 schools and organisations, in all phases, training staff in pastoral care, circle time and mental and emotional health.
She is the author of “Making the Most of Tutor Time” – Speechmark 2013- a whole school, practical handbook on emotional literacy and positive behaviour management, designed to promote emotional and social intelligence and positive mental health. The handbook guides tutors and teachers to develop their communication and social skills, to support students to resolve conflict and to build self-esteem, self-awareness, and self-management. She is also the co-author of “Circles, PSHE and Citizenship” for secondary teachers to guide them in setting up a pedagogy for emotional support via circle time. She has 40 years’ teaching experience and still retains the enthusiasm, energy, and vocation she had at the start of her career.

Presentation title – Combatting Online Sexual Harassment – Why we need RSE More Than Ever with Dr Kaitlyn Mendes, Amelia Jenkinson, Dr Tanya Horeck, Professor Jessica Ringrose.

Kaitlyn Mendes

Tanya Horeck

Amelia Jenkinson

Details about presentation:
The presentation will focus on why Relationship and Sexual Education is needed now more than ever. The recent events, including over 18K disclosures of sexual violence via the website and Instagram Account Everyone’s Invited has brought these issues to public attention. Although schools are understandably focused on ensuring pupils are caught up with the curriculum, we argue that schools must equally spend time ensuring young people’s physical, mental, and emotional well-being. We argue that RSE plays an important role here. In this talk, we will share findings from our research with British teens showcasing the high rates of sexual abuse and violence, often facilitated through digital devices, and the very low rates of reporting. We will also discuss the importance of having language that recognizes practices like sending or receiving unwanted nudes as a form of abuse. The talk will finish by outlining some resources, guidance, and policies we have co-created with the School of Sexuality Education, which can help schools navigate these challenging issues.

Biographies:
Amelia Jenkinson (she/her) is the CEO and co-founder of the School of Sexuality Education. School of Sex Ed is an award-winning charity which provides comprehensive and inclusive RSE workshops for UK schools and training for teachers. School of Sex Ed’s programme covers all topics, including consent, sexuality, porn, and pleasure. Our approach is LGBTQIA+ inclusive and evidence based.

Kaitlynn Mendes is Professor of Gender, Media and Sociology at the University of Leicester, UK. She is an expert on feminist activism, and has written over fifty publications around this topic, including the books SlutWalk: Feminism, Activism & Media (2015), and Digital Feminist Activism: Girls and Women Fight Back Against Rape Culture (2019, with Jessica Ringrose and Jessalynn Keller). She is currently leading two projects with young people in schools, exploring online gendered harms and risks, and how we can teach young people to safely navigate digital spaces and speak out about issues that matter to them.

Tanya Horeck is an Associate Professor in Film, Media & Culture at Anglia Ruskin University in the UK. She writes on binge-watching, celebrity culture, crime, internet memes, social justice, and social media, and is the author of Public Rape: Representing Violation in Fiction and Film and Justice on Demand: True Crime in the Digital Streaming Era. Her current research projects include an AHRC funded study on online sexual risks for young people during Covid-19, and a British Academy funded study on the rise of consent culture and intimacy coordination.

Presentation title – Promoting Social and Emotional Wellbeing.

Lee Prichard, Head of UK Development, The Thrive Approach

Details about presentation:

Why are some people able to bounce back from the everyday knocks life throws at us – while for others it can seem like the end of the world? Lee will explain more about what resilience is and why it is so important. She will explore how our brains and bodies work together (or not); what we can do to build our own robust self-regulation systems and then help the children and young people we work with to do the same; and how this will ensure that they are then in a much better place to access learning and thrive!

Biography

With over 20 years’ experience as a teacher with specific roles as SENCo, Leader for Learning and Foundation Phase Leader, Lee has also worked as a Behaviour Support Coordinator for a local authority. In 2014 Lee was part of the first cohort of Thrive Licensed Practitioners in Wales, achieving her Thrive Trainer license in 2016 prior to joining Thrive and helping others embed the Thrive Approach in their settings.

Presentation title – Proactive Pastoral Care by Maria O’ Neill

Details about presentation:

Maria will use the ideas and research from her book published in April 2021, Proactive Pastoral Care.  Nurturing happy, healthy, and successful learners. The presentation will explain why there is a need for a proactive approach to pastoral care in schools. It will explore how pastoral care in schools can empower students to make healthy life choices, take care of their wellbeing and reach their full potential in school and beyond. The presentation will share essential information to enable teachers and leaders in schools to enhance their pastoral support to boost student progress and personal development. It will share practical research-based strategies and activities perfect for tutor time, assemblies and PSHE lessons.

Biography
Maria O’Neill is an experienced pastoral leader, researcher, and advanced skills teacher. She is the founder of Pastoral Support UK and currently works as a pastoral leader in a school as well as various key roles to provide sustainable pastoral training and raise the profile of pastoral leadership nationwide.

Presentation title – Engaging Learners with Phil Jones

Details about the presentation:
The presentation will explore the opportunities and challenges schools will face after the pandemic to engage children and young people in education. He will argue that the response to the pandemic needs to be more than simply providing learners with more English, Maths, and a focus on delivering the content in the curriculum. There is a need to rethink how education meets the needs of children and young people and supports them to achieve their full potential from their learning and prepares them for their future lives in society. The pandemic has prevented children and young people from experiencing the learning opportunities and activities that support their socialisation. Evidence is suggesting that schools will need to consider how to support young people in their personal development and to overcome barriers caused by poor mental health and well being for some time after there is a return to something like normality following the pandemic. This presentation will consider how professionals working in schools can respond positively to this challenge.

Biography 

Phil has been an active member of NAPCE both regionally and nationally, since his first year in teaching in 1982. He is the current Chairperson of the National Executive Committee and a member of the Editorial Board for the Journal. Phil has written articles for publication on pastoral issues and is a peer reviewer for the Journal. His recent publications include guidance on effective pastoral support and developing social and emotional skills Phil retired from leadership roles in schools in 2017 and now works as an educational consultant supporting schools with developing pastoral support systems, leadership, and school improvement. His experience of leadership in secondary schools, includes roles as Deputy Headteacher and Headteacher. He has experience of supporting schools as a Specialist Leader of Education specialising in pastoral care, behaviour and improving attendance. He is an Educational Performance Coach and an experienced trainer.
He has been a governor in both primary and secondary schools for over thirty years.

QUESTION TIME PANEL

Assistant Professor Mark Diacopoulos. Pittsburg State University USA
Mark is an Assistant Professor of Teacher Education and Leadership at Pittsburg State University, KS. He researches diverse topics such as meaningful integration of social emotional learning into the curriculum, educational technology in social studies, social studies preservice education, teacher candidate dispositions, and the ever-evolving identities of teachers and educators. Mark has over 25 years’ experience – ten as a high school teacher in England, with rest earned the US as a social studies teacher, technology specialist, and teacher educator.  He describes himself as a dad, Arsenal fan, sometime travel soccer coach, and semi-retired broken Aikidoka. Not necessarily in that order.

Nigel Patrick Murray MBE

Nigel Patrick Murray MBE is a retired British Paralympic athlete. He is a thirteen time English National Champion and seven time British Champion and multiple Paralympic medal winner in the sport of boccia, having competed at 5 Paralympic Games as well as numerous World and European Championships during his distinguished playing career.
Murray was born and lives in Leamington Spa. He won gold in the BC2 class during the 2000 Summer Paralympics in Sydney, Australia. Although he only reached the quarter finals in Athens four years later he followed this up with a silver medal in the same event, and a gold medal in the team event, during the 2008 Summer Paralympics in Beijing.
After Beijing, Nigel continued to win numerous medals on the world stage before captaining the GB Boccia team at the London 2012 Paralympics, winning Bronze in the Team BC1–2 event in front of home family and friends at the Excel Arena.
Nigel retired from competitive Boccia after the 2016 Rio Paralympics after a career spanning 20 years and as the most successful British Boccia player of all time.  On finishing his playing career Nigel returned to his former profession, that of supporting adults with physical and learning disability in the local community.  Nigel is currently manager of a day service for people with disabilities in the Stratford-upon-Avon area.
Since his retirement, Nigel has continued to remain involved in the sport of Boccia, coaching and mentoring athletes at a national level, though it is still Nigel’s ambition to be one day involved with coaching at an international level.
Nigel was appointed Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in the 2013 New Year Honours for services to boccia.
Nigel’s other passions are musical theatre, as well as supporting his beloved Leeds United and Leamington Football Clubs who have caused him much heartache over the years!!!

Daniel Sobel 

Daniel Sobel is the Founder and Lead Consultant of Inclusion Expert. An internationally respected leader in inclusive education, he has advised the Department for Education, the European Union, governments abroad and led various large scale initiatives involving thousands of schools. Daniel has an enormous following, particularly on LinkedIn and is a highly regarded and sought-after speaker for his thought provocative and often hilarious presentations and refreshingly original approach to Education and Inclusion Leadership. He is the author of several works, including The Pupil Premium Handbook and The SEN Code of Practice Pack. His best-selling books Narrowing the Attainment Gap, Leading on Pastoral Care are available now and The Inclusive Classroom just released in January 2021, all published by Bloomsbury Press. He has written over 50 articles in publications around the world, a series for the Guardian on Inclusive Schools and a regular column in the UK’s leading Principal’s periodical Headteacher Update. Under Daniel’s leadership, Inclusion Expert has grown into one of the country’s most respected education organisations, which has worked with over 10,000 schools in the UK and abroad and launched programs at the Houses of Parliament. His training has been used in more than 40 countries and translated into numerous languages. Daniel has a vision of a new era in Inclusion: beyond labels where we all share both a common humanity and a unique individuality.

Professor Stan Tucker
     
Stan is Emeritus Professor at Newman University in Birmingham. He is the Executive Editor of NAPCE’s academic journal ‘Pastoral care in education’.   Stan has spent the last 8 years actively researching matters of inclusion, alienation, school structures and educational underachievement. He has interviewed more than 500 children and young people as well as local authority and school leaders, governors’, and pastoral support staff. He has undertaken consultancy work on behalf of local authorities and schools. His most recent publication along with Professor Dave Trotman, entitled ‘Youth Global Perspectives, Challenges and Issues of the 21^st Century’ was published in the United States in 2018. They are currently planning a new book that will focus on reforming current pastoral policies and practices. Stan is the current editor of the journal ‘Pastoral Care in Education’.

Margaret Mulholland 

Margaret is the Inclusion Policy Advisor for the Association of School and College leaders (ASCL). ASCL represents 20,000 school leaders and acts on behalf of pupils in their schools. Her extensive teaching and leadership experience spans both mainstream and special schools. Margaret is an Honorary Norham Fellow of the University of Oxford. She also writes a column on research and inclusivity, for the Times Educational Supplement. A leading advocate for the role SEND settings play in improving understanding of inclusive teaching and learning, Margaret brings over 20 years’ experience in ITT innovation and practice. She spent seven years as Director of Development and Research at a leading special school and thirteen years at the Institute of Education, where she was responsible for innovative employment-based routes to QTS, PGCE secondary partnerships.
Margaret sits on the Universities’ Council for the Education of Teachers, is an advisor to the UK Government on ITT curriculum development and works with local authorities as an external advisor for NQTs, ITT and leadership development.

Don’t miss your opportunity to be part of this important educational event. Please send your questions for the Conference Question Time panel to admin@napce.org.uk. Visit the NAPCE page at Eventbrite to register and secure tickets for the free conference by following this link.

http://napceconference2021.eventbrite.co.uk?s=130218883

More updates about the conference will be included in future newsletters.

FESTIVAL: Tickets for International Festival of Inclusion Now Available and NAPCE is Offering an Exclusive 50% Discount

Tickets are available now for the International Festival of Inclusion which starts online on June 19th and NAPCE is proud to exclusively offer a 50% discount on the ticket price!

Both NAPCE Chair Phil Jones and Vice Chair Matt Silver will be speaking at the event which focuses on wellbeing, social, emotional and mental health and special needs across schools.

The Festival – which runs from June 19th-25th – takes place over 7 days, 70 countries and there will be 70+ talks and resources for delegates to benefit from.

Founder Inclusion expert Daniel Sobel said: “If you have anything to do with inclusion, then you won’t want to miss out on being part of this event. Join us, be part of the change.”

Tickets are priced at £100, but you can benefit from a 50% discount by entering a discount code which has been created especially for this edition of NAPCE News. Enter the code PROMO50621PJ

You can book tickets here: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/ifip-international-festival-of-inclusion-tickets-158210857935

For the full festival programme check out the pinned post on twitter.com/napce1

ARTICLE: The Role of “Advocate for the Vulnerable” by Inclusion Expert Daniel Sobel

The Role of “Advocate for the Vulnerable” by Daniel Sobel

“It is the complex, contested, and multi-faceted nature of vulnerability – in addition to the complexity of attendant bureaucracy – that creates the need for a school pastoral leader to act as advocate, especially since a great many vulnerable children will not have anyone else to advocate for them: the only agents of the state who are regularly involved in their life are their teachers.” Someone quoted me as saying that but I genuinely don’t remember doing so. I’ll take it though and I figured this is a good starting point for my article on the role of the ‘advocate for the vulnerable’.

Simultaneously, pastoral leaders have to confront an unpleasant reality, which is the conflict between their role as representatives of the local community (parents and children) and their role as agents of the state (which pays their wages).

It is the state that sets overall funding levels for the availability of services and it is the state that pays educational professionals to act as gatekeepers and rationers of those services, while nonetheless disclaiming responsibility and insisting that teachers act on behalf of children. In other words, we practitioners of pastoral care in school settings sometimes feel very conflicted about how we priorities our allegiances.

So what is advocacy anyway? Well, despite this being a common practice in every school in England on a daily basis, there is a surprising lacuna when it comes to the research. Look at this question from a different angle: if you’ve done the advocacy well, what can you describe were the results? I asked this question to my Masters students who all said something like this: successfully navigated through the quagmire of ignorance and misconceptions held by the adults surrounding the child. Well, according to that, the pastoral role then is less about the child and more about helping the adults. I can buy that, mostly.

The research (the little that there is) suggests that many pastoral leaders – and especially SENCOs tend to evaluate their success by how well they navigate the (for example EHCP) bureaucracy. A couple of choice quotes to buttress my assertion: (Gore, 2016) “the SENCOs role in writing that education section is crucial to whether something will be approved or not”(SENCO 4, line 441-442)
“…why I’m going to get as much information from you as possible because we want to make sure it’s all there so that they can’t say no…SENCO 2, line 316-317)

In some other professional public sector jobs, the advocate role is more firmly defined and better researched in the literature. Social work is an obvious example, where the legal system envisages a clear role for social workers to advocate on behalf of vulnerable children (Dalyrmple and Bolan, 2013), although even social workers are not immune from some of the same conflicting incentives that teachers also suffer from. Social workers, like teachers, are also paid by the state, and some Serious Case Reviews highlight the dangers of social workers becoming uncritical advocates of parents, over and against the interests of children.(Ferguson, 2016).

In theory, teachers could be aided by the idea that they are obliged to act in “loco parentis”, but in the “loco parentis” concept has itself been criticized as blurring the boundaries between the role of parents and the professional responsibilities of teachers, especially when conflicts between parents and teachers arise.

Legal dispute between parents and teachers have arisen not just in the field of safeguarding vulnerable children but also in the more mundane but no less fraught domains of school trips and playground accidents, where teachers have to evaluate risk as parents hypothetically would if they were present (Thomson, 2002). In loco parentis, therefore, may not be as straightforward a guide as it appears, particularly given its historic application as enabling teachers to exert far greater force over students than we would tolerate today (Burchell, 2018).

The ‘advocacy conflict’ exists for pastoral leaders in that they are directly employed by a local bureaucracy (the school) and its interest may not directly align with those of vulnerable children and/or their parents. In recent years, scandals over unofficial exclusions and managed years – generally concentrated around the key exam years – have brought this conflict to the fore (Nye, 2017).

More generally, schools have a strong natural incentive to maintain internal cohesion and discipline, an incentive created by Ofsted, parents, and teachers. Although important, behaviour management systems can become an end in themselves and begin to override the needs of vulnerable children who do not easily fit inside such systems.

It should be noted, however, that Ofsted can also serve as a spur to improve inclusive practice and pastoral leadership, since Ofsted can and does note when levels of exclusions appear unacceptably high, and motivate schools to improve their practice in this area (Tucker, 2013).

Conclusion: well, despite the fact that this is a major aspect of the pastoral roles, the research is scant, the job is conflicted and the legal ramifications are dangerous. Let’s just all give up and go home.

Daniel Sobel CEO, Inclusion Expert
www.inclusionexpert.com
PA: Sharon.finn@inclusionexpert.com
++44 (0)333 301 0178

Dalrymple J & Bolan J. (2013).Chapter in “Effective Advocacy in Social Work”. Sage.

Ferguson, Harry (2016). How Children Become Invisible in Child Protection Work: Findings from Research into Day-to-Day Social Work Practice. British Journal of Social Work, (), bcw065–. doi:10.1093/bjsw/bcw065

Burchell, A. (2018). In Loco Parentis, Corporal Punishment and the Moral Economy of Discipline in English Schools, 1945–1986. Cultural and Social History, 1–20. doi:10.1080/14780038.2018.1518562

Thomson, S. (2002). Harmless Fun Can Kill Someone. The Entertainment and Sports Law Journal, 1(1), 7. DOI: http://doi.org/10.16997/eslj.187

DUNCAN, N. (2003). Awkward Customers? Parents and Provision for Special Educational Needs. Disability & Society, 18(3), 341–356. doi:10.1080/0968759032000052905 url to share this paper: sci-hub.se/10.1080/0968759032000052905

Gore, H (2016.) “Working together…it doesn’t go far enough actually for what the relationship becomes” – An IPA study exploring the experiences of primary school SENCOs working with parents/carers through the EHCP process. A thesis submitted for the degree of Doctorate in Child, Community and Educational Psychology Tavistock and Portman NHS Foundation Trust / University of Essex. Retrieved from http://repository.tavistockandportman.ac.uk/1397/1/Gore%20%20-%20Working.pdf

Tucker, S. (2013). Pupil vulnerability and school exclusion: developing responsive pastoral policies and practices in secondary education in the UK. Pastoral Care in Education, 31(4), 279–291. doi:10.1080/02643944.2013.842312
url to share this paper: sci-hub.se/10.1080/02643944.2013.842312

Nye, P. (2017). Who’s left: three questions for the Department for Education from our work. Blog for Education data Lab, retrieved from https://ffteducationdatalab.org.uk/2017/01/whos-left-three-questions-for-the-department-for-education-from-our-work/

AWARDS: An update on the National Awards for Pastoral Care in Education 2021

The National Awards for Pastoral Care in Education 2021 – UPDATE

The nomination period for the 2021 National Awards for Pastoral Care in Education, has now closed.

We are pleased to have had more nominations this year than for the first year of the Awards, especially because of the additional pressures that managing the impact of the pandemic has had on schools and professionals working in pastoral roles.

We are pleased that despite these challenges it was important to find time to make nominations, to recognise the difference that is being made by people working in pastoral roles.

Pastoral work in schools, colleges and universities is going to be even more important for some time in the future to respond to the impact of the pandemic.

The nominations are now with the judges and NAPCE will soon be ready to announce the finalists of the 2021 Awards.

Make sure you look out for information in the monthly newsletter and follow NAPCE on Twitter for the latest news and information.

The Judging Panel

Phil Jones, National Chair, NAPCE 
Phil has experience of working in leadership roles in different secondary schools including as Headteacher. He is the current Chair of the National Executive Committee for NAPCE and a member of the Editorial Board for the Journal, ‘Pastoral Care in Education’. Phil has over 30 years’ experience as a School Governor including being a Chair of Governors in secondary, middle and primary schools. He is an experienced trainer and regular speaker at educational conferences. He is currently working as an educational consultant which includes a role as pastoral consultant for ASCL.

Stan Tucker, Emeritus Professor Newman University Birmingham, Editor, Pastoral Care in Education
Stan has spent the last 8 years actively researching matters of inclusion, alienation, school structures and educational underachievement. He has interviewed more than 500 children and young people as well as local authority and school leaders, governors and pastoral support staff. He has undertaken consultancy work on behalf of local authorities and schools. His most recent publication along with Professor Dave Trotman, entitled ‘Youth Global Perspectives, Challenges and Issues of the 21^stCentury’ was published in the United States in 2018. They are currently planning a new book that will focus on reforming current pastoral policies and practices. Stan is the current editor of the journal ‘Pastoral Care in Education’.

Anne Emerson, Associate Professor, University of Nottingham
Anne started her career working as a speech and language therapist with children with a range of communication impairments. Over the past 30 years Anne has worked in special and mainstream schools in the UK and India, worked as a Family Services Coordinator for Mencap, and with adults with disabilities in a large residential service. Anne also has teaching experience in FE and HE. For 7 years Anne worked as a psychology lecturer specialising in the fields of communication, disability and inclusive education. Anne continues to work directly with children with special needs and provide training to teachers, teaching assistants, parents and carers. Anne is a member of the Editorial Board for the journal, ‘Pastoral Care in Education’.

Richard Pring, Emeritus Professor Oxford University
Richard is the Current president of NAPCE. He retired after 14 years as Director of the Department of Educational Studies at Oxford University in May 2003. Since 2003, he was Lead Director of the Nuffield Review of 14-19 Education and Training. This was a six – year project, funded by the Nuffield Foundation. Since retiring Professor Pring has completed the following research projects in addition to the Nuffield Review: the evaluation of the Oxford Bursary Scheme with John Fox, and an evaluation of quality assurance in 11 Arab Universities. Since retiring his publications include.

• 2020   Challenges for Religious Education: is there a disconnect between faith and reason? Routledge, March 2020.
• 2013    The Life and Death of Secondary Education for All, London: Routledge

Dr Noel Purdy, Director of Research and Scholarship, Stranmillis University, Belfast
Noel is the Independent Chair of Expert Panel on Educational Underachievement, appointed by Minister of Education, Peter Weir MLA, September 2020 – May 2021.  He has been the Northern Chair, of the Standing Conference on Teacher Education North and South (SCoTENS) from 2016. He is the Deputy Editor, of Pastoral Care in Education – An International Journal of Personal, Social and Emotional Development. He is an External Examiner PGCE Primary, Durham University (2017-2021). He is the UCETNI representative on the Northern Ireland Anti-Bullying Forum from 2011 (Chair 2013-2016).  He was the President of Northern Ireland branch of NASEN (National Association for Special Educational Needs) 2014-2016.  He is a Parent representative on Board of Governors of Tor Bank Special School, Dundonald. He has published many articles on educational issues and his book Purdy, N. (ed.) Pastoral Care in Schools 11-16: A Critical Introduction, was published by Bloomsbury in 2013.

The judges will have a difficult job to select the finalists from the excellent work that the nominations have highlighted in pastoral care.

A presentation event is planned for 24^th September where the winners in each category will be announced.

The event will be a fantastic opportunity to share good practice in pastoral care in education and to recognise the excellent contribution that is being made by so many people to research and practice in pastoral care and the impact this has on supporting children and young people with the education and improving their life chances.

With uncertainty about the restrictions needed for the pandemic it is not clear at the moment whether it will be possible to organise a ‘live’ event or whether it will once again be an online event.

Further details will be shared in future newsletters and on the NAPCE Twitter account.

Thank you to our sponsors of the 2021 Awards for making it possible to recognise and highlight the work being done in pastoral care in education, that will make a difference in supporting learners to achieve their full potential, especially in these difficult and challenging times.

NAPCE Awards 2021 sponsors are:

BlueSky Education
The Thrive Approach
Inclusion Expert
The Association of School and College Leaders
Taylor and Francis
The Hult International School
NAPCE

Thank you to everybody who made a nominations and congratulations to everybody who has been nominated.

We look forward to celebrating your achievements at the Presentation Event.

ARTICLE: Pastoral Care The Gratitude and the Challenge – UK vs International 

Our social media channels are remarkably busy and we were very pleased to have received this insightful article recently on our Twitter account @napce1

The piece “Pastoral Care, The Gratitude and the Challenge – UK vs International” was written by PE Teacher and Head of Year 12 Annie Finch-Johnson for her blog talkpastoral.com

Annie has a valuable perspective because she is working at an international school in Lima, Peru.

Pastoral Care, The Gratitude and the Challenge – UK vs International

When I moved internationally I dropped my middle leadership role. I wanted to get some clarity on being a pastoral leader. I was, and still am in no doubt about how much I love working in pastoral care, but I often found it so intense in England that I found myself questioning whether I was right for the role; a role that I had longed for and worked in for so long.

However, when moving internationally I had time to reflect on both the challenges and gratitude of aspects in both situations within pastoral care. So here is an honest reflection piece looking at both these aspects.

Let’s start with the challenges!

Challenges of pastoral care in the UK

The “British” education system is one that is often seen as the gold standard across the globe. Many independent schools take on the system within their own international setting, along with the branches from the UK independent schools, it has infiltrated many continents. Yet, working in the UK it can sometimes seem the opposite, especially when you are in pastoral care.

Let’s look at a few of the challenges we face here,

1. Results/progress! Oh yes, we are accountable for this along with subjects. Of course, some schools may have the budgets to have solely pastoral focused leaders, but many do not, and therefore as a Head of Year/House, you often monitor and analyse data for each term of your year group/house. This is in addition to you checking in with students pastorally and dealing with any concerns that may have affected results.
2. Attendance, attendance, attendance! If you work in a school in England (in any role) you hear about attendance, but in a pastoral role you often dream about it. The expectation for students to have 95%+ all year, interventions to improve attendance, rewards and punishments, parents being fined – yep, we as pastoral leaders are accountable for checking, monitoring and chasing this. Of course attendance is a very important part of students ensuring they have the knowledge for the exams, but I often found this exhausting, as the focus was always on the effect on results, rather than the students and possible situations that may be happening. Also, should a child/family be punished for a child having the flu and being off school? I will leave that thought with you.
3. Groups – Oh the groups! Do not get me wrong, I value the importance of having groups within schools, to be able to check in on how the ‘disadvantaged” (another word I cannot stand), the students with SEN and so on, are doing both pastorally and academically, because we want to give all students the best and equal opportunity. However, I often felt that this was more of a tick box exercise, rather than it coming from a place of genuine care, through no fault of the school.

Please do not misunderstand me here and think I am complaining about schools in the UK, I am not! The schools have to do all this to meet demands from stakeholders, but I often felt that as much as the schools want it to be heartfelt and it genuinely coming from a good place; budgets, deadlines, paperwork, tick boxes (to name but a few), cloud these good natured intentions of teachers and educators.

Challenges of pastoral care internationally

Depending on where you are in the world will depend on the type of education the international school has decided to take, but many will often go down the route of IGCSE’s, MYP, IB or A Levels with a mix of that country’s national curriculum to support and keep the tradition/heritage. This in itself provides many challenges to those in pastoral care roles, here is a few to think over,

1. The number of roles! This challenge comes with a positive partner, but it’s because of the positive aspect that makes it challenging. Due to generally bigger budgets it means there are opportunities to develop more roles, – GREAT you say! Yes I agree, but this also means confusion on roles. In the UK as a pastoral leader, there are teams you can go to for support but generally you are a lone warrior, overseeing everything. However, internationally all those aspects can often be divided up among many people, and this can cause confusion and mixed messages to both parents, staff and students.
2. Freedom! As Sadie Hollins mentions in her blog Supporting whilst unsupported: Navigating pastoral provision in international schools, parents have the freedom to choose schools and leave them just as easily. This creates an unwritten pressure that you need to ensure things are completed correctly, in line with the school expectations but also with the parents expectations, because if people are not happy with how the situation is dealt with, they can just move on.
3. Culture and change! No matter where you go in the UK there can often be a slight shift in societal change but when you move internationally you have a whole new culture to understand, and often this culture is intertwined with many other influences. Liz Cloke explains it perfectly in her blog 5 pastoral care differences in international schools, that what we take as common expectations in the UK e.g. mental health, LGBTQ+, periods and sex education are not always accepted where you end up. You have to be careful in how things are approached and often subjects can be taboo and unwanted!

You may be thinking to yourself, ‘is this not what you expected when you moved internationally’? For me personally yes I did but for my job role, quite frankly the answer is no, I didn’t! Although all of these challenges are exciting, e.g. understanding a new culture, having lots of staff who can take some load, it can make you feel alone and struggling to find your place.

What I miss about working in a UK pastoral role

Since moving Internationally I have recognised many things that I took for granted in the UK within my pastoral care role.

1. Agencies! Wowzers, we have so many support networks for schools that are amazing! Yes, as pastoral leaders we get annoyed, frustrated, angry when we have long waiting lists for students who desperately need the support, but I never appreciated how readily available it is in the UK. More often than not, you can call the agencies to get advice, support and referrals for students and families. Having these options are priceless!
2. The mix of students! I have been fortunate to work in varying types of school in England, from single sex state schools to mixed grammar schools and one thing I have always loved is how diverse the students are. No matter what type of school you find yourself working in, the challenges are immense but the clear difference you make is something you cannot replace.
3. The identity of schools! Of course the schools are held to certain expectations by the stakeholders but because of the vast amount of schools, they can choose their own focus, their own special thing that they want the school to be. It could be sports, art, maths, academic, pastoral focused, but this helps you choose a school that is right for you and your values!
4. Then the openness of ‘moving with the times’. I love that the UK in general, supports and acknowledges the changes of ALL societies, groups and current affairs. LGBTQ+ is discussed and acknowledged, sex education is more informed and open, the list could go on, but this freedom is something we should not take for granted when working there!

What am I grateful for working internationally in a pastoral role

1. The opportunities to establish yourself within the school. I appreciate the opportunity to do the things I love and implement the things I feel are beneficial to the students and the school. There is time to monitor and evaluate without you feeling that your teaching will suffer because of it. I do not feel judged or worried that I will all of a sudden be questioned for one thing not going as well as I had hoped.
2. Although it is a challenge – more job roles within pastoral care is also a benefit. My workload feels lighter, I can seek support and delegate jobs to other areas that may be more suited to that situation. I work a little closer with the coordinators of the areas e.g IB Coordinator ,which makes you feel so much more supported, and it is someone you can talk out your thoughts with.
3. I have the time to develop myself outside of school! This is a big one for me! Since being international, I have had the time to set up this blog, be more active in research, read journals, engage with people across the world and this does not always have to be in my own time.
4. There are opportunities to challenge yourself and others’ mindset! This also links with one of the challenges regarding culture and taboos. The students are often forward thinking, inventive and want to be global citizens and therefore want to venture into discussions that are taboo generally in their culture, this provides opportunities to challenge people’s thoughts as well as your own. I do not mean challenge to cause offense, but to challenge to develop understanding globally, which in international education we want these students to be – globally minded.

So there we are, an honest reflection on the differences in a pastoral role between the UK and International working. To summarise my points, here is a table of the key points:-

Whether you are thinking of heading to work internationally or choosing to stay in the UK, pastoral care is an incredible role to work in. Both opportunities will have its challenges (probably many more than I have labelled) but they will also have their positives. I hope this helps anyone on the border to decide whether to take the leap abroad or the leap into pastoral care! Whatever you decide, enjoy the opportunity to find what is right for you!

Annie Finch-Johnson, June 2021

CONFERENCE: An Update on NAPCE Annual National Conference 2021 – Does Every Child Still Matter?

Annual National Conference – Does Every Child Still Matter? – A New Approach to Education

Tickets for this important online conference being organised by NAPCE in July are being reserved and it is good to see so much interest in what will be an interesting and stimulating event. It takes place over three days on Wednesday 7^th, Thursday 8^th and Friday 9^th July.

On the Wednesday and Friday there will be presentations from leading experts in pastoral care.

On the Thursday evening an invited panel of educational experts will answer questions about the challenges and opportunities for education following the global pandemic.

To register for tickets, go to https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/does-every-child-still-matter-a-new-approach-to-education-tickets-146551434285?aff=ebdsoporgprofile

Tickets for this conference are FREE but delegates are encouraged to register early to avoid disappointment. The conference will explore if it is time to revisit the ‘every child matters’ agenda as a starting point to reset thinking about education.

CONFERENCE PROGRAMME

Wednesday 7^th July 
2-00pm Welcome to the Conference – Phil Jones Chair of NAPCE.
2-10pm Presentation One Combatting Online Sexual Harassment – Why we need RSE More Than Ever – Professor Kaitlyn Mendes, Leicester University.
2-45pm Presentation Two – Promoting Social and Emotional Well-Being. The Thrive Approach
3-20pm Presentation Three Pastoral Care post COVID – Connor Acton.
3-55pm Close – Phil Jones Chair of NAPCE.
Thursday 8^th July 
7-00pm to 8-00pm NAPCE QUESTION TIME – The Challenges and Opportunities for Education Following the Experience of the Global Pandemic. 
Chaired by Phil Jones – Chair of NAPCE.
On panel
Professor Stan Tucker – Editor of Pastoral Care in Education.
Margaret Mulholland  – ASCL SEND and Inclusion Specialist.
Nigel Murray – Paralympic Gold Medalist.
Mark Diacopoulos, Assistant Professor, Pittsburg State University.
Daniel Sobel, Author and Founder of ‘Inclusion Expert’.
Other guests to be confirmed
Friday 9^th July 
10-00am Welcome – Phil Jones Chair of NAPCE.
10-10am Presentation 4 Building Positive Relationships for Learning – Helen Peter.
10-45am Presentation 5  – Proactive Pastoral Care – Maria O’ Neill Founder UK Chat Care.
11-20am Presentation 6  Engaging Learners – Phil Jones Chair of NAPCE.
11-55am Close – Phil Jones Chair of NAPCE.

MORE DETAILS ABOUT THE PRESENTATIONS AND PRESENTERS

Presentation title – Pastoral Care Post COVID
Connor Acton 

Details about presentation:
What have we learned from the tests, trials and tribulations brought about by COVID and how will they impact Pastoral Care as we move into the future? A discussion of the challenges we may face in the future and how we can take the lessons learned and ensure that Pastoral Care in our schools is effective.

Biography:
Connor is a Pastoral Leader and Teacher in a Leicester secondary school – he has held a variety of roles linked to pastoral care (including Head of Year, Assistant Head of Year and Mentor) in a variety of disadvantaged contexts. Connor is Chair of Trustees at Brookvale Groby Learning Campus, Chair of Trustees for the RSPCA in Leicestershire and sits on the National Executive Board for NAPCE.

Photograph to follow.

Presentation title – Building Positive Relationships for Learning
Helen Peter

Details about presentation:
Helen will outline some ideas for building sound relationships within staff and student groups by using techniques, activities, and games to engage them.
She was a fan of SEAL and believes that Every Child does still matter!
“If we were meeting in person, I would ask for a class to come in to demonstrate a lesson, but as it is I will have to try on Zoom. I hope that everyone will go away energised, with at least one new idea to use next week”.
Biography
Biography:
Helen Peter is a teacher, trainer, published writer and author, and inspirational presenter.
She has worked in over 400 schools and organisations, in all phases, training staff in pastoral care, circle time and mental and emotional health.
She is the author of “Making the Most of Tutor Time” – Speechmark 2013- a whole school, practical handbook on emotional literacy and positive behaviour management, designed to promote emotional and social intelligence and positive mental health. The handbook guides tutors and teachers to develop their communication and social skills, to support students to resolve conflict and to build self-esteem, self-awareness, and self-management. She is also the co-author of “Circles, PSHE and Citizenship” for secondary teachers to guide them in setting up a pedagogy for emotional support via circle time. She has 40 years’ teaching experience and still retains the enthusiasm, energy, and vocation she had at the start of her career.

Presentation title – Combatting Online Sexual Harassment – Why we need RSE More Than Ever with Dr Kaitlyn Mendes, Amelia Jenkinson, Dr Tanya Horeck, Professor Jessica Ringrose.

Kaitlyn Mendes

Tanya Horeck

Amelia Jenkinson

Details about presentation:
The presentation will focus on why Relationship and Sexual Education is needed now more than ever. The recent events, including over 18K disclosures of sexual violence via the website and Instagram Account Everyone’s Invited has brought these issues to public attention. Although schools are understandably focused on ensuring pupils are caught up with the curriculum, we argue that schools must equally spend time ensuring young people’s physical, mental, and emotional well-being. We argue that RSE plays an important role here. In this talk, we will share findings from our research with British teens showcasing the high rates of sexual abuse and violence, often facilitated through digital devices, and the very low rates of reporting. We will also discuss the importance of having language that recognizes practices like sending or receiving unwanted nudes as a form of abuse. The talk will finish by outlining some resources, guidance, and policies we have co-created with the School of Sexuality Education, which can help schools navigate these challenging issues.
Biographies:
Amelia Jenkinson (she/her) is the CEO and co-founder of the School of Sexuality Education. School of Sex Ed is an award-winning charity which provides comprehensive and inclusive RSE workshops for UK schools and training for teachers. School of Sex Ed’s programme covers all topics, including consent, sexuality, porn, and pleasure. Our approach is LGBTQIA+ inclusive and evidence based.

Kaitlynn Mendes is Professor of Gender, Media and Sociology at the University of Leicester, UK. She is an expert on feminist activism, and has written over fifty publications around this topic, including the books SlutWalk: Feminism, Activism & Media (2015), and Digital Feminist Activism: Girls and Women Fight Back Against Rape Culture (2019, with Jessica Ringrose and Jessalynn Keller). She is currently leading two projects with young people in schools, exploring online gendered harms and risks, and how we can teach young people to safely navigate digital spaces and speak out about issues that matter to them.

Tanya Horeck is an Associate Professor in Film, Media & Culture at Anglia Ruskin University in the UK. She writes on binge-watching, celebrity culture, crime, internet memes, social justice, and social media, and is the author of Public Rape: Representing Violation in Fiction and Film and Justice on Demand: True Crime in the Digital Streaming Era. Her current research projects include an AHRC funded study on online sexual risks for young people during Covid-19, and a British Academy funded study on the rise of consent culture and intimacy coordination.
Presentation title – Proactive Pastoral Care by Maria O’ Neill

Details about presentation:

Maria will use the ideas and research from her book published in April 2021, Proactive Pastoral Care.  Nurturing happy, healthy, and successful learners. The presentation will explain why there is a need for a proactive approach to pastoral care in schools. It will explore how pastoral care in schools can empower students to make healthy life choices, take care of their wellbeing and reach their full potential in school and beyond. The presentation will share essential information to enable teachers and leaders in schools to enhance their pastoral support to boost student progress and personal development. It will share practical research-based strategies and activities perfect for tutor time, assemblies and PSHE lessons.

Biography
Maria O’Neill is an experienced pastoral leader, researcher, and advanced skills teacher. She is the founder of Pastoral Support UK and currently works as a pastoral leader in a school as well as various key roles to provide sustainable pastoral training and raise the profile of pastoral leadership nationwide.

Presentation title – Engaging Learners with Phil Jones

Details about presentation:
The presentation will explore the opportunities and challenges schools will face after the pandemic to engage children and young people in education. He will argue that the response to the pandemic needs to be more than simply providing learners with more English, Maths, and a focus on delivering the content in the curriculum. There is a need to rethink how education meets the needs of children and young people and supports them to achieve their full potential from their learning and prepares them for their future lives in society. The pandemic has prevented children and young people from experiencing the learning opportunities and activities that support their socialisation. Evidence is suggesting that schools will need to consider how to support young people in their personal development and to overcome barriers caused by poor mental health and well being for some time after there is a return to something like normality following the pandemic. This presentation will consider how professionals working in schools can respond positively to this challenge.

Biography 

Phil has been an active member of NAPCE both regionally and nationally, since his first year in teaching in 1982. He is the current Chairperson of the National Executive Committee and a member of the Editorial Board for the Journal. Phil has written articles for publication on pastoral issues and is a peer reviewer for the Journal. His recent publications include guidance on effective pastoral support and developing social and emotional skills Phil retired from leadership roles in schools in 2017 and now works as an educational consultant supporting schools with developing pastoral support systems, leadership, and school improvement. His experience of leadership in secondary schools, includes roles as Deputy Headteacher and Headteacher. He has experience of supporting schools as a Specialist Leader of Education specialising in pastoral care, behaviour and improving attendance. He is an Educational Performance Coach and an experienced trainer.
He has been a governor in both primary and secondary schools for over thirty years.
QUESTION TIME PANEL

Assistant Professor Mark Diacopoulos. Pittsburg State University USA
Mark is an Assistant Professor of Teacher Education and Leadership at Pittsburg State University, KS. He researches diverse topics such as meaningful integration of social emotional learning into the curriculum, educational technology in social studies, social studies preservice education, teacher candidate dispositions, and the ever-evolving identities of teachers and educators. Mark has over 25 years’ experience – ten as a high school teacher in England, with rest earned the US as a social studies teacher, technology specialist, and teacher educator.  He describes himself as a dad, Arsenal fan, sometime travel soccer coach, and semi-retired broken Aikidoka. Not necessarily in that order.

Nigel Patrick Murray MBE

Nigel Patrick Murray MBE is a retired British Paralympic athlete. He is a thirteen time English National Champion and seven time British Champion and multiple Paralympic medal winner in the sport of boccia, having competed at 5 Paralympic Games as well as numerous World and European Championships during his distinguished playing career.
Murray was born and lives in Leamington Spa. He won gold in the BC2 class during the 2000 Summer Paralympics in Sydney, Australia. Although he only reached the quarter finals in Athens four years later he followed this up with a silver medal in the same event, and a gold medal in the team event, during the 2008 Summer Paralympics in Beijing.
After Beijing, Nigel continued to win numerous medals on the world stage before captaining the GB Boccia team at the London 2012 Paralympics, winning Bronze in the Team BC1–2 event in front of home family and friends at the Excel Arena.
Nigel retired from competitive Boccia after the 2016 Rio Paralympics after a career spanning 20 years and as the most successful British Boccia player of all time.  On finishing his playing career Nigel returned to his former profession, that of supporting adults with physical and learning disability in the local community.  Nigel is currently manager of a day service for people with disabilities in the Stratford-upon-Avon area.
Since his retirement, Nigel has continued to remain involved in the sport of Boccia, coaching and mentoring athletes at a national level, though it is still Nigel’s ambition to be one day involved with coaching at an international level.
Nigel was appointed Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in the 2013 New Year Honours for services to boccia.
Nigel’s other passions are musical theatre, as well as supporting his beloved Leeds United and Leamington Football Clubs who have caused him much heartache over the years!!!

Daniel Sobel 

Daniel Sobel is the Founder and Lead Consultant of Inclusion Expert. An internationally respected leader in inclusive education, he has advised the Department for Education, the European Union, governments abroad and led various large scale initiatives involving thousands of schools. Daniel has an enormous following, particularly on LinkedIn and is a highly regarded and sought-after speaker for his thought provocative and often hilarious presentations and refreshingly original approach to Education and Inclusion Leadership. He is the author of several works, including The Pupil Premium Handbook and The SEN Code of Practice Pack. His best-selling books Narrowing the Attainment Gap, Leading on Pastoral Care are available now and The Inclusive Classroom just released in January 2021, all published by Bloomsbury Press. He has written over 50 articles in publications around the world, a series for the Guardian on Inclusive Schools and a regular column in the UK’s leading Principal’s periodical Headteacher Update. Under Daniel’s leadership, Inclusion Expert has grown into one of the country’s most respected education organisations, which has worked with over 10,000 schools in the UK and abroad and launched programs at the Houses of Parliament. His training has been used in more than 40 countries and translated into numerous languages. Daniel has a vision of a new era in Inclusion: beyond labels where we all share both a common humanity and a unique individuality.

Professor Stan Tucker
     
Stan is Emeritus Professor at Newman University in Birmingham. He is the Executive Editor of NAPCE’s academic journal ‘Pastoral care in education’.   Stan has spent the last 8 years actively researching matters of inclusion, alienation, school structures and educational underachievement. He has interviewed more than 500 children and young people as well as local authority and school leaders, governors’, and pastoral support staff. He has undertaken consultancy work on behalf of local authorities and schools. His most recent publication along with Professor Dave Trotman, entitled ‘Youth Global Perspectives, Challenges and Issues of the 21^st Century’ was published in the United States in 2018. They are currently planning a new book that will focus on reforming current pastoral policies and practices. Stan is the current editor of the journal ‘Pastoral Care in Education’.

Margaret Mulholland 

Margaret is the Inclusion Policy Advisor for the Association of School and College leaders (ASCL). ASCL represents 20,000 school leaders and acts on behalf of pupils in their schools. Her extensive teaching and leadership experience spans both mainstream and special schools. Margaret is an Honorary Norham Fellow of the University of Oxford. She also writes a column on research and inclusivity, for the Times Educational Supplement. A leading advocate for the role SEND settings play in improving understanding of inclusive teaching and learning, Margaret brings over 20 years’ experience in ITT innovation and practice. She spent seven years as Director of Development and Research at a leading special school and thirteen years at the Institute of Education, where she was responsible for innovative employment-based routes to QTS, PGCE secondary partnerships.
Margaret sits on the Universities’ Council for the Education of Teachers, is an advisor to the UK Government on ITT curriculum development and works with local authorities as an external advisor for NQTs, ITT and leadership development.

Don’t miss your opportunity to be part of this important educational event. Please send your questions for the Conference Question Time panel to admin@napce.org.uk. Visit the NAPCE page at Eventbrite to register and secure tickets for the free conference by following this link.

http://napceconference2021.eventbrite.co.uk?s=130218883

More updates about the conference will be included in future newsletters.

AWARDS: Last Chance to Enter National Awards for Pastoral Care in Education 2021

Entry for the National Awards for Pastoral Care in Education 2021 closes at midnight on MONDAY, MAY 24TH.

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

ALL schools are urged to submit their entries, which is a simple online process and takes no more than five minutes or so.

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

This year 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.

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: “There is just a short time left for schools and other educational establishments to make their nominations for the NAPCE awards and we urge them to take part.

“But the entry process is very quick to complete, we know how busy staff at schools are.

“We think this year it is so important to give recognition to the pastoral heroes who have done so much to support our young people through the COVID-19 pandemic.

“The nomination process is simply 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 18^th January, 2021 and it is a good idea to make your nomination as soon as possible so you do not forget. 
 

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.

MEDIA ARTICLE: Emotionally based school refusal: How can we respond? from headteacher-update.com

At NAPCE we keep a close eye on media reports and articles relating to pastoral care, well-being and safeguarding of young people in the public domain and often share the most useful of these on our social media channels.

For this edition of NAPCE News we wanted to share this article written by Darren Martindale from the very useful resources website headteacher-update.com published on May 18th, 2021.

Emotionally based school refusal: How can we respond? by Darren Martindale.

This article was NOT produced by NAPCE and was shared on social media.

Read the full article here: https://www.headteacher-update.com/best-practice-article/emotionally-based-school-refusal-how-can-we-respond-vulnerable-children-mental-health-anxiety-covid-wellbeing-attendance/237271/

ARTICLE: NAPCE Chair Phil Jones Explores the Difference NAPCE has Made for Almost 40 years

Making a Difference for 40 Years – NAPCE Raises Awareness about the Importance of Pastoral Care in Education.

Introduction

The National Association for Pastoral Care in Education, (NAPCE), raises awareness about the important contribution pastoral care makes to the learning experience of young people.

This article will explain how NAPCE was formed nearly 40 years ago and since then has been supporting research into pastoral care and good practice in schools, colleges, and universities, for the benefit of learners.

It will explore how NAPCE, as a charity, with the support of its members has made a positive contribution, to improving the educational experience of generations of learners, by encouraging developments and the effective delivery of pastoral care.

In the time since NAPCE was formed in 1982 there have been many changes in education and many challenges to face, including a global pandemic.

What has not changed is that young people need support and encouragement to achieve their full potential.

The aims of the Association in its Constitution are.

1. To support all who have a professional concern for pastoral care whether general or specific.
2. To promote the theoretical study of pastoral care in education.
3. To disseminate good practice in pastoral care in education.
4. To promote the education, training, and development of those engaged in pastoral care in education.
5. To liaise with other organisations having similar objects.

The work and activities of the Association is organised by members elected to the National Executive Committee.

This delegates powers as required, to sub- committees, including the Editorial Board, which manages the publication of the Association’s, respected international academic journal, ‘Pastoral Care in Education’. This has been published four times each year since February 1983 and the current publishers are Taylor and Francis.

The Association will be celebrating its 40^th anniversary in 2022.

In 1982 when the Association was first formed, I was in my first year of teaching.

I had studied for my degree and teaching qualification in the Midlands but when I qualified, teaching posts were hard to find. I applied to schools across the country.

When I had an invitation for an interview from a school in Romford, in Essex, I had to look it up on a map to find where it was, which is a little embarrassing as I went on to teach Geography!

I remember that I shocked many of my new colleagues, by asking to be a form tutor.

I was passionate about making a difference for the young people in my care, but they just thought I was naïve wanting extra work.

It might be hard for younger readers to imagine, but there was no internet at this time and the only way to keep up to date with the latest news and developments was to meet people ‘face to face’.

That is why I joined the Havering branch of NAPCE, as a founder member and along with other teachers and professionals, interested in pastoral care attended the regular meetings, to keep myself informed and aware of new ideas.

The first publication of ‘Pastoral Care in Education’, announced in February 1983 that, “The curse of those who have responsibility for pastoral care provision is that they have always ‘lived in interesting times’, and until last October, have done so without the support of a professional association to which they could turn for assistance, advice or the exchange of ideas and information. In October, long overdue but at last, the National Association for Pastoral Care in Education was born”.

A West Midlands Association for Pastoral Care had been formed on the initiative of Peter Lang and Michael Marland was invited to be the keynote speaker at its second conference.

The success of this conference encouraged ideas of a national association. Michael Marland was approached, and he enthusiastically took up the idea and became the Association ‘s first Chairperson.

The need for a national association for pastoral care had been seen, when over 300 delegates had attended the inaugural conference, in Dudley, in October 1982.

The membership of the Association quickly grew to nearly 1,000. The founder Chairperson was Michael Marland, and he spoke at the conference about the plight of many thousands of teachers who carry special responsibility for pastoral care, with little training and with very limited support given to the support of the development of pastoral care in schools by the local or national government or by many of the institutions, with responsibility for training teachers.

He argued, that as most teachers would have some pastoral responsibilities that they should have training and support to enable them to be effective in that role.

It can easily be argued that these words are as relevant today with schools and education often being focused on academic outcomes.

This demonstrates that there is a need for a national association to make the case for education, supporting the personal development of young people as well as achieving good examination results.

Michael Marland and the other founder members of NAPCE inspired educationalists to understand the huge impact schools and education can have on supporting young people to achieve their full potential from their education and to prepare them for their future roles in society.

Since those early days of the Association, it has been responsible for bringing together professionals who share an interest in pastoral care and the positive contribution it can make to a young person’s education.

Professionals would meet in local associations around the United Kingdom, at conferences and at training events. Meetings have taken place at different venues including, Warwick University, the Institute of Education and recently Kings College in London, until the pandemic forced NAPCE to join the world of virtual events.

One of my memories of a NAPCE event was as a young teacher, being the partner for Michael Marland in a training event for pastoral staff. I remember that he was as interested in my views and experiences as I was in learning from him. The Times reported, after Michael Marland’s death in 2008 that he was:
”A passionate believer in education being a major force for good and that regardless of race, belief, social background or attitude, education helps us to understand ourselves and each other. Education he said is not about systems and strategies and structures. His craft was the classroom, but his passion was people and unlocking their potential”.

The words and work of the founder members of NAPCE, such as Michael Marland, have inspired generations of educationalists, to become members of NAPCE and to share ideas and good practice about how young people can benefit from effective pastoral care.

The activities of NAPCE have changed over the years, in response to changes in education and the arrival of new technology and the internet.

The activities of NAPCE have included developing training resources, providing guidance on good practice, being asked to provide advice for government and other policy makers and organising conferences and opportunities for members to meet.

Evidence of how the work of NAPCE has evolved has been seen during the global pandemic, with the first ever online event, for the first National Awards for Pastoral Care in Education.

In July, the Association will be organising its first online conference, with the title, ‘Does Every Child Still Matter? A New Approach to Education’.

This will explore how education will change, following the experience of the global pandemic and the role that pastoral care has in supporting the development of education in the future.

NAPCE continues to develop partnerships, as its constitution encourages, with other organisations that share similar interest in supporting the education of young people.

In recent years NAPCE has developed a positive partnership with the Association of Schools and College Leaders (ASCL) and has for example contributed to the planning and delivery of their annual conference for Pastoral Leaders.

A positive partnership has been developed with BlueSky Education, who were one of the sponsors of the first National Awards for Pastoral Care in Education and will once again be sponsors in 2021.

It was a pleasure to be invited by BlueSky Education, to represent NAPCE by leading a webinar at the excellent ‘Festival of Learning’ in 2020 and to have recently contributed to the BlueSky Learning platform by developing a module on pastoral leadership.

There have been many changes in education since NAPCE was formed 40 years ago, but inspired by the founder members, it continues to look for opportunities to support the learning experience and future life chances of young people.

Phil Jones
National Chairperson
The National Association for Pastoral Care in Education (NAPCE)

References
Editorial, Pastoral Care in Education, Volume 1, Number 1, February 1983
Michael Marland Obituary, Times Newspaper, July 7^th, 2008.
Michael Marland CBE, MA. A Tribute. Pastoral Care in Education, Volume 26, Number4, December 2008.

Contact admin@napce.org.uk for information about membership, The National Awards for Pastoral Care in Education, future events including the July 2021 Conference and to register for the free monthly newsletter.

AWARDS: One Month Left to Enter National Awards for Pastoral Care in Education 2021

There is just one month left to enter the second annual National Awards for Pastoral Care in Education 2021.

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

The closing date for all categories this year is Monday May 24th, 2021, and ALL schools are urged to submit their entries, which is a simple online process.

This year 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.

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: “There is now just one month for schools and other educational establishments to make their nominations for the NAPCE awards and we urge them to take part.

“We think this year, maybe more than ever, it is so important to shine a spotlight on the pastoral heroes who have done so much to support our young people through the COVID-19 pandemic.

“The nomination process is very quick 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 18^th January, 2021 and it is a good idea to make your nomination as soon as possible so you do not forget. 
 

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.

CONFERENCE: FREE tickets available now for NAPCE Conference 2021

Hurry! Last remaining tickets are available now for the NAPCE Conference 2021, which will be held online in July and is FREE to attend.

The Conference will take place over three days from July 7th to 9th and places will be limited to 100 people, to enable as many quality opportunities as possible for delegates to integrate and share ideas and good practice.

The theme for this year’s Conference is:-

Does Every Child Still Matter? A New Approach to Education

The Conference will explore current issues and challenges that professionals in pastoral roles are facing and will continue to face in the coming months.

The programme for the conference is as follows:-

Wednesday 7th July 

2-00pm Welcome to the Conference – Phil Jones, Chair of NAPCE
2-10pm Presentation One – Combatting Online Sexual Harassment – Why we need RSE More Than Ever – Professor Kaitlyn Mendes, Leicester University
2-40pm Questions
2-45pm Presentation Two – Promoting Social and Emotional Well-Being – The Thrive Approach. (Presenter to be confirmed)
3-15pm Questions
3-20pm Presentation Three – The Challenges of Managing Behaviour after Remote Learning – Connor Acton- NAPCE, National Executive Committee
3-50pm Questions
3-55pm Close – Phil Jones – Chair of NAPCE

Thursday 8th July

7-00pm to 8-00pm NAPCE QUESTION TIME – The Challenges and Opportunities for Education Following the Experience of the Global Pandemic.
Chaired by Phil Jones, Chair of NAPCE
Confirmed members of the panel.
Professor Stan Tucker, Newman University, Birmingham. Editor of Pastoral Care in Education.
Margaret Mulholland ASCL SEND and Inclusion Specialist.
Other panel members to be confirmed soon.

Friday 9th July

10-00am Welcome – Phil Jones, Chair of NAPCE
10-10am Presentation 4 -Building Positive Relationships for Learning – Helen Peter
10-40 Questions
10-45am Presentation 5  – Proactive Pastoral Care -Maria O Neil – Founder UK Pastoral Chat
11-15am Questions
11-20am Presentation 6 -Â Engaging Learners – Phil Jones, Chair of NAPCE
11-50 am Questions.
11-55am Close – Phil Jones, Chair of NAPCE

By registering for the Conference delegates will be sent links to join all three of the conference sessions.

For the more details and the latest information about the Conference please visit the NAPCE page on Eventbrite, via the link at the bottom of this article.

NAPCE members will have an exclusive period to book tickets for the event until the end of March.

Tickets will then be available during April for people registered for the circulation list for the NAPCE monthly newsletter.

Any remaining tickets will then be made available to the public.

NAPCE is also planning a conference for September 2022 as part of its 40th Anniversary celebrations at a venue to be announced.

Event link for information and tickets:

https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/does-every-child-still-matter-a-new-approach-to-education-tickets-146551434285

REPORT: NAPCE Annual General Meeting Chair/Secretary Report 2020/21

 

ARTICLE: Addressing Online Harms Through Effective Pastoral Care with the School of Sexuality Education

Addressing online harms through effective pastoral care

Pastoral staff across the UK will be acutely aware of the mental health of their pupils as we emerge from our third national lockdown.

The toll of social isolation, having to self-motivate and organize their school days from home and uncertainty for the future can be seen most clearly by parents, carers and the professionals who support our teens day-to-day.

Unfortunately, there is another, sometimes more hidden factor challenging young people’s emotional well-being: that of online sexual harassment.

Whilst in-person interactions have been put on hold, digital interactions have not. Increased screen-time during quarantine for COVID-19 has worsened gender and sexual risks online, with the scope for bullying and harassment increasing significantly, particularly for girls (Plan International UK, 2020).

At the start of the first Lockdown, our consortium of researchers, in conjunction with the sex education charity School of Sexuality Education, launched a survey exploring young people’s social media use.

We found that 37% of girls and 20% of boys reported
receiving unsolicited sexual images online. (A small sample of gender diverse respondents completed the survey, but more data is needed to better understand their experiences).

The vast majority of the images received by girls were unsolicited ‘dick pics,’ leaving those who received them feeling ‘disgusted’ and ‘confused.’

In spite of these negative feelings, the numbers of young people who reported their experiences were staggeringly low, with only 6% reporting it to the social media platform; 3% telling parents and a mere 1% reporting it to their school.

Alongside our survey findings, Plan International UK found that since lockdown began, ‘25% of girls have experienced at least one form of abuse, bullying or sexual harassment online’ (Plan International UK, 2020) and the Internet Watch Foundation saw a 50% increase in public reports of child sexual abuse during Lockdown (Internet Watch Foundation, 2020).

Taken together, these findings highlight that not enough is being done to protect young people from online harms, and as schools reopen, effective pastoral care can play a significant role in addressing this gap.

With this in mind, as a group of researchers and a RSE charity, we have developed a series of freely available policy and guidance documents, bespoke workshops and accompanying teacher training, all designed to support schools to tackle online sexual harassment.

The term ‘online sexual harassment’ includes three connected but distinct areas: receiving unwanted sexual content online; non-consensual image creation or sharing; and sexual coercion, threats or intimidation online.

The first refers to any content which is sent to a person without their consent such as sexual images, videos or messages. The second describes the non-consensual creation or distribution of sexual images.

Lastly, ‘sexual coercion, threats or intimidation online’ might include a person receiving threats of a sexual nature or being coerced into sexual behaviour on or offline via digital technologies.

Central to addressing these harms is a whole-school approach. Our comprehensive guidance document includes key recommendations, which encompass various aspects of school life: policy, procedures, curriculum, school culture and leadership.

Those working in a pastoral capacity are particularly well-placed to affect change in all of these areas. For instance, to ensure that students feel confident to speak up about experiences of online harassment and abuse, it is essential that incidents are dealt with in a supportive manner.

Our guidance document explains how to avoid responses that could victim-blame or shame, and the importance of ensuring colleagues do the same.

Similarly, PSHE and RSE should encourage critical thinking, and address online sexual harassment through a lens sensitive to consent, rather than simply encouraging students to refrain from social media use. In our guidance, we lay out key learning points for RSE/PSHE and wider curriculum, including why abstinence-based approaches to social media interactions are ineffectual and sometimes harmful, and a list of useful e-safety tools which students should be familiar with.

The law around young people and image-sharing is often a concern for those working with young people: we have worked with Professor of Law, Clare McGlynn, to break down the laws relevant to online sexual harassment (including image based sexual abuse and cyberflashing), and how this information can best be communicated in a classroom context.

All of this is captured in our Online Sexual Harassment Policy, which can be adopted by schools to formalise their commitment to systematically preventing online harms.

The policy template includes an exploratory evaluation checklist, and supports senior leaders to identify areas for further development and ensure the policy is properly implemented.

Alongside these documents, we have also developed ‘digital defence’ workshops, which School of Sexuality Education can deliver to your students at no cost.

These workshops cover using and managing social media apps, helpful resources and pages, how to apply certain privacy settings and pointing out the reporting and blocking functions on different apps.

The lessons also highlight how human rights, consent and respect apply in online spaces just as much as they do away from the keyboard.

These workshops can be delivered both in-person and virtually, and by 2022 these will be digitised and made freely available for RSE/PSHE teachers to deliver themselves. We can also provide training for staff in understanding and addressing online harassment.

If anyone is interested in having the School of Sexuality Education deliver free staff training or bespoke workshops for students please get in touch via info@schoolofsexed.org

Amelia Jenkinson, Co-Founder of the School of Sexuality Education
Dr. Tanya Horeck, Anglia Ruskin University
Prof. Kaitlynn Mendes, University of Leicester
Betsy Milne, University of Leicester
Prof. Jessica Ringrose, University College London

AWARDS: Two Months Left to Enter National Awards for Pastoral Care in Education 2021

There are just two months left to enter the second annual National Awards for Pastoral Care in Education 2021.

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

The closing date for all categories this year is Monday May 24th, 2021, and schools are urged to submit their entries, which is a simple online process.

This year 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.

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: “With just two months left to enter, we encourage all schools to begin considering and pulling together the information they need to make nominations.

“We think it is so important this year to recognise the pastoral heroes who have done so much to support our young people through the COVID-19 pandemic.

“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 18^th January, 2021 and it is a good idea to make your nomination as soon as possible so you do not forget. 
 

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.

CONFERENCE: FREE tickets available now for NAPCE Conference 2021

Tickets are available now for the NAPCE Conference 2021, which will be held online in July and is FREE to attend.

The Conference will take place over three days from July 7th to 9th and places will be limited to 100 people, to enable as many quality opportunities as possible for delegates to integrate and share ideas and good practice.

The theme for this year’s Conference is:-

Does Every Child Still Matter? A New Approach to Education

The Conference will explore current issues and challenges that professionals in pastoral roles are facing and will continue to face in the coming months.

The programme for the conference is as follows:-

Wednesday 7th July 

2-00pm Welcome to the Conference – Phil Jones, Chair of NAPCE
2-10pm Presentation One – Combatting Online Sexual Harassment – Why we need RSE More Than Ever – Professor Kaitlyn Mendes, Leicester University
2-40pm Questions
2-45pm Presentation Two – Promoting Social and Emotional Well-Being – The Thrive Approach. (Presenter to be confirmed)
3-15pm Questions
3-20pm Presentation Three – The Challenges of Managing Behaviour after Remote Learning – Connor Acton- NAPCE, National Executive Committee
3-50pm Questions
3-55pm Close – Phil Jones – Chair of NAPCE

Thursday 8th July

7-00pm to 8-00pm NAPCE QUESTION TIME – The Challenges and Opportunities for Education Following the Experience of the Global Pandemic.
Chaired by Phil Jones, Chair of NAPCE
Confirmed members of the panel.
Professor Stan Tucker, Newman University, Birmingham. Editor of Pastoral Care in Education.
Margaret Mulholland ASCL SEND and Inclusion Specialist.
Other panel members to be confirmed soon.

Friday 9th July

10-00am Welcome – Phil Jones, Chair of NAPCE
10-10am Presentation 4 -Building Positive Relationships for Learning – Helen Peter
10-40 Questions
10-45am Presentation 5  – Proactive Pastoral Care -Maria O Neil – Founder UK Pastoral Chat
11-15am Questions
11-20am Presentation 6 -Â Engaging Learners – Phil Jones, Chair of NAPCE
11-50 am Questions.
11-55am Close – Phil Jones, Chair of NAPCE

By registering for the Conference delegates will be sent links to join all three of the conference sessions.

For the more details and the latest information about the Conference please visit the NAPCE page on Eventbrite, via the link at the bottom of this article.

NAPCE members will have an exclusive period to book tickets for the event until the end of March.

Tickets will then be available during April for people registered for the circulation list for the NAPCE monthly newsletter.

Any remaining tickets will then be made available to the public.

NAPCE is also planning a conference for September 2022 as part of its 40th Anniversary celebrations at a venue to be announced.

Event link for information and tickets:

https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/does-every-child-still-matter-a-new-approach-to-education-tickets-146551434285

ARTICLE: Why Do So Many Teachers Hate Being Tutors? By Author & Former Teacher Helen Peter