Teaching in Schools:
National Curriculum– Safeguarding –
Learning Styles
Emma Fieldhouse, Environment Team
www.le.ac.uk
The National Curriculum
To develop an understanding of the
structure and purpose of the National
Curriculum
Key Terminology
SEN – Special Educational Needs
G&T – (not Gin and Tonic!) Gifted and Talented
Understanding the National Curriculum
The National Curriculum sets out the stages and
core subjects children will be taught during their
time at school.
Children aged 5 to 16 in ‘maintained’ or state
schools must be taught the National Curriculum.
National Curriculum – what it sets out
The National Curriculum is a framework used by
all maintained schools to ensure teaching &
learning is balanced and consistent.
It sets out:
• the subjects taught
• the knowledge, skills and understanding
required in each subject…
National Curriculum –what it sets out II
• … standards or attainment targets in each
subject – teacher’s can use these to measure a
child’s progress and plan the next steps in their
learning
• how a child’s progress is assessed and reported
• Within the framework of the NC, schools are
free to plan and organise teaching and learning
in the way that best meets the needs of their
pupils
National Curriculum key stages
• The National Curriculum is organised into
blocks of years called ‘key stages’
• There are four key stages as well as a
‘Foundation Stage’
• The ‘Foundation Stage’ covers education for
children before they reach five (compulsory
school age)
Age
Stage
3–4
Early Years Foundation
Stage (EYFS)
4–5
EYFS
Reception
5–6
Key Stage 1
Year 1
6–7
7–8
Year
Year 2
Key Stage 2
Assessment
Teacher assessments (TA) in English, Maths and
Science
Year 3
8–9
Year 4
9 – 10
Year 5
10 – 11
Year 6
National tests & TA in English, Maths and Science
Year 7
Ongoing teacher assessment
12 – 13
Year 8
Ongoing teacher assessment
13 – 14
Year 9
TA in English, Maths and Science & other
foundation subjects
Year 10
Some children take GCSEs
Year 11
Most children take GCSEs or other national
qualifications
11 – 12
14 – 15
15 - 16
Key Stage 3
Key Stage 4
Foundation Stage
The foundation stage curriculum is organised into
six areas of learning:
• Personal, social and emotional development
• Communication, language and literacy
• Mathematical development
• Knowledge and understanding of the world
• Physical development
• Creative development
Compulsory NC subjects are the same
for Key Stages 1 and 2
• English
• Geography
• Maths
• Art and Design
• Science
• Music
• Information and
Communication
Technology (ICT)
• Physical Education
• History
Primary Curriculum Review
The primary curriculum was changed in order to:
• Ensure all children gain a good grounding in reading, writing,
speaking, listening and numeracy
• Offer schools greater flexibility to tailor teaching and learning for
their pupils
• Allow time for primary school children to learn a modern foreign
language
• Place greater emphasis on children’s personal development
• Support a smoother transition from play-based learning in
foundation stage into primary school
• Encourage creativity and inspire a commitment to learning that
will last a lifetime.
Curriculum Aims
These aims should inform all aspects of curriculum planning, teaching
and learning at whole-school and subject levels.
The curriculum aims are “to enable all young people to become:”
• Successful learners who enjoy learning, make progress
and achieve
• Confident individuals who are able to lead safe,
healthy and fulfilling lives
• Responsible citizens who make a positive contribution
to society
Essentials for Learning & Life
• These are made up of:
– Literacy
– Numeracy
– ICT capability
– Learning and thinking skills, personal and
emotional skills and social skills
• The essentials are designed to be developed
across the curriculum
Six Areas of Learning
• Understanding the arts
• Understanding English, communications and languages
• Historical, geographical and social understanding
• Mathematical understanding
• Understanding physical development, health and
wellbeing
• Scientific and technological understanding
Safeguarding for Volunteers
www.le.ac.uk/environment
Training outline
• What do we mean by safeguarding?
• Legal background and the University duty of
care
• Principles of safeguarding and who is
responsible
• Abuse and recognising it when you meet it
• Minimising risks
• Reporting
What do we mean by safeguarding?
• Who or what are we safeguarding?

Young people or vulnerable adults

You

The University
Legal background
• Complex legal framework
• Every Child Matters – government focus on
younger children
• Legislative framework (Children Act 2004,
Safeguarding Vulnerable Groups Act 2006 plus
numerous others)
• Duty of Care
Duty of Care
• Common Law Duty of Care means taking
reasonable measures to ensure the risks of
harm to vulnerable individuals are minimised
and, where there are concerns about the
welfare of individuals, to take all appropriate
actions to address those concerns
Duty of Care – University Perspective
• The university has a responsibility to take
appropriate steps to safeguard children and
vulnerable adults who are on university
premises and are working with its staff or
students
• The university is committed to practice that, as
far as is reasonable and possible, protects
children and vulnerable adults from harm
• The university will take all reasonable steps to
ensure that unsuitable people are prevented
from working with children or vulnerable adults
Principles of Safeguarding
• Young people and vulnerable adults can be
victims of physical, sexual or emotional abuse,
neglect and bullying
• Abuse has serious, long term effects on the
health and development of individuals, on their
self-esteem and future life
Principles of Safeguarding (2)
• Children and vulnerable adults must be listened
to and any allegations or suspicions they have
must be taken seriously and responded to
immediately and appropriately
• Principles apply to all equally (embracing the
principles of Equal Opportunities)
Who is responsible for protecting
children and vulnerable adults?
• We all are
Broader context
• Your responsibility for safeguarding young
people and vulnerable adults lasts for ever, not
just for the duration of your project.
• You may encounter children in your community
or through your employment who are at risk,
children who are unwashed and shabby or who
are not allowed to engage in social situations
• You have a duty to DO something about it.
Report your concerns. Trust your gut feelings.
Don’t worry about being wrong. Tell someone.
Confidentiality
• Confidentiality cannot be promised where a
young person or vulnerable adult is at risk
• If you think a young person is going to confide
something which they want to be a secret, you
need to let them know that you cannot offer
confidentiality
• You MUST report anything you feel is a
potential issue
Golden rules • If in doubt, there is a good reason for that
doubting voice, so listen to it
• Not sure about something? ASK. No-one will
think you are foolish for asking
• Challenge inappropriate behaviour/language
• Never engage in any level of sexually suggestive
behaviour/language with young people
Minimising the risks to all
• Treat everyone with equality, dignity, respect
• The welfare of children and vulnerable adults is your
primary concern
• Work in an open environment, never without a witness
• Encourage open communication and listen
• Never be negative – be positive and constructive
• Ensure that physical contact (games, sports, icebreakers) is in the open and is appropriate
Minimising the risks to YOU
• Never reveal your personal contact details
either phone or email
• Don’t give details about your personal life – ask
open questions and listen rather than talk!
• Do not give out or accept friend requests on
social networking sites. Check your permission
settings.
Minimising the risks – personal
behaviour
• Be an excellent role model at all times
• Never do things of a personal nature for a
young person. If they can’t do it for
themselves, they will have a professional
helper
• Never take responsibility for tasks for which
you have not been trained or have specific
responsibility
Data Protection
• Data protection – do you have access to data or
the personal details of individuals or to any
sensitive information?
• Personal information is covered under the Data
Protection Act so you need to be responsible in
how you use it
• More information on the University’s DP policy:
http://www2.le.ac.uk/offices/ias/dp?searchterm=data
protection policy
Reporting
• Robust mechanisms for reporting either at your
host organisation or here at University.
• Professional duty to adhere to reporting
structure and guidelines
• Your Safeguarding officer at University is:
Jean Baxter – jb74@le.ac.uk
Misconduct
• We take these issues seriously and we expect
the highest standards of professionalism from
you all
• Inappropriate behaviour would be subject to
university disciplinary procedures
Group Exercise
Group Exercise – signs and indicators
• Physical Abuse
• Sexual Abuse
• Emotional Abuse
• Neglect
• Bullying
Recognising abuse
• Unexplained or suspicious injuries for which the
explanation seems inconsistent
• An individual describes an abusive act or
situation in relation to themselves or others
• Changes in behaviour
• Individual appears mistrustful
• Sexually explicit behaviour
• Signs of neglect – unwashed, shabby, smelly
Learning Styles
Emma Fieldhouse
Environment Team
www.le.ac.uk
Complete the survey
Understanding Learning Styles
• This survey is designed to help you gain an
understanding of learning styles so that you can
incorporate the various learning styles in your
daily learning activities.
• It is NOT meant to show you your best way of
learning as the research does not promote that.
Understanding Learning Styles II
• It is a tool for learning-to-learn (meta-learning)
in order to increase awareness about your
strengths & weaknesses as a learner so that you
will try to use the correct method for learning a
task or subject, rather than sticking with a
preferred method.
• This will also help you to incorporate different
methodologies when you are creating learning
experiences for others
Kolb’s Experiential Learning Cycle
(1984)
WORKSHOP – learning styles
• Based on Kolb’s
Experiential Learning
Cycle (1984), Honey &
Mumford (2000)
created a learning
style survey that
builds on Kolb’s
model
Learning Styles
• Reflector - Prefers to learn from activities that
allow them to watch, think, and review (time
to think things over) what has happened. Likes
to use journals and brainstorming. Lectures are
helpful if they provide expert explanations and
analysis.
• Theorist - Prefer to think problems through in a
step-by-step manner. Likes lectures, analogies,
systems, case studies, models, and readings.
Talking with experts is normally not helpful.
Learning Styles
• Pragmatist - Prefers to apply new learnings to
actual practice to see if they work. Likes
laboratories, field work, and observations.
Likes feedback, coaching, and obvious links
between the task-on-hand and a problem.
• Activist - Prefers the challenges of new
experiences, involvement with others,
assimilation and role-playing. Likes anything
new, problem solving, and small group
discussions.
In Groups
• Discuss your learning styles survey results
– Were your results different?
– Think of examples where you could
demonstrate your own learning style in
action and share with your group
• Choose a learning style which is opposite to
your own and consider how you could
incorporate this style into a teaching and
learning event about carbon footprinting discuss
Coming up next week
• Planning a lesson – how to do it
• Controlling a classroom
• Carbon Footprinting in schools – workshop to
produce the materials to use in schools
• Homework! Look online to see if you can find
any interesting materials for teaching about
carbon footprinting. Here’s an example:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1-g73ty9v04
Evaluation of today’s session
• Please give some evaluation on today’s session…
• What was good about today?
• What was bad about today?
• What would you like to see next time?
Thank you for your contributions
today
Email environment@le.ac.uk with
any questions
www.le.ac.uk/environment