Educator

Views my own.

[Educator @eduhead1]

@KaiQuinn666 @EVERALDATLARGE Why?

[Gateacre School @GateacreSchool]

This week, we held an excellent Christmas concert to celebrate the end of a successful Autumn term.

We thank all students, staff and wider school community for your continued hard work, commitment and support.

We wish everyone an enjoyable Christmas break and a Happy New Year.

[Educator @eduhead1]

@JoeScuderi1 I’m good, thanks , Joe. Hope you’re well. Feels like yesterday but it’s around 20 years ago that we played at Nelson. That under 17s team are all grey haired now! Except Thomo… who’s the exception like his father 😃

[Tom Bennett OBE @tombennett71]

Some handy links for schools in the season of winter bugs. Merry Christmas!

Education Hub Blog: Reducing the spread of illness this winter: Seven steps to healthier schools and higher school attendance https://t.co/E6rfnG18gg
NHS Guidance for Parents: Is my child too ill for school? – a useful resource to help parents decide when children should stay at home. https://t.co/ZxZRFAWaOQ
Preventing and Controlling Infections Guidance: Includes advice on vaccination, ventilation, and good respiratory hygiene. https://t.co/EKZ01E7lA9
A–Z of managing Infectious Diseases: Practical guidance on managing specific illnesses. https://t.co/ojWUhCJMq4

[Tom Bennett OBE @tombennett71]

Neurodiversity is a common term in education- and society. But it lacks precision both in definition and usage. And that really matters in the real world.

For a start 'neurodiverse' is not a clinically recognised or used term, eg in the DSM-5. It was coined by the sociologist Judy Singer in 1998, as an advocacy term for people with ASD and very closely related conditions.

'Neurodivergent' describes an individual whose brain functions differently from the majority. Clinically recognized examples include autism spectrum disorder, ADHD, dyslexia, dyspraxia, Tourette syndrome, and others. These are formal neurodevelopmental diagnoses.

Crucially this means people who have been born with a life-long condition. It does *not* include people with anxiety disorders, or dementia, or PTSD, or depression etc. It doesn't mean 'everything'.

There is no diagnosis 'neurodiverse'. It is a purely vernacular term, with multiple meanings depending on who is using it and who you talk to. Clinicians diagnose specific conditions, like ASD.

And of course even clinically diagnosable conditions like ASD, ADHD are subject to intense debates about how the category is defined, is it too broad or narrow etc.

Diagnostic criteria can vary from country to country, LA to LA, school to school. And so can the response strategies. What a lot of people outside of either the education or clinical sectors don't realise is that this is an area that is crying out for high quality research, clarity, transparency, and honesty about what works, and when, and when it doesn't work. We are often talking about very different things when we use the same words carelessly.

The common use of 'neurodiverse' matters; it is often heard in advocacy discourse, the media, etc. but frequently misunderstood.

It doesn't mean 'a little bit different'. We are all different from one another. People who claim to be 'a little bit autistic' may very well simply misunderstand that some of the characteristics they identify in that category are also perfectly normal-spectrum qualities that many people have. Liking your house to be tidy doesn't mean that you are neurodivergent. Being a stickler for details doesn't mean you have OCD. If the term means 'everything' then it means 'nothing.'

It has become fashionable for people to self diagnose and self-refer as neurodivergent, even in the face of little evidence. Because it confers, for some, a sense of being special, different, or interesting. And of course in a sector where we rightly seek to support people/ students who need reasonable accommodations in order to promote inclusivity, the *incorrect* assignation of an unmet need leads to unfair advantages over those who do not receive those accommodations.

A small but growing group of activists now campaign on the platform that almost any mental health difference indicates neurodivergence, but this is a huge definitional drift, without any clinical basis. You see a lot of this activism in education, often perfectly well-meant. Singer herself would have disagreed strongly with this.

The reason this matters is that if we treat all mental health problems, all behavioural disorders, all learning problems, as having lifelong neurological foundations - which they absolutely do not- then we create a narrative that indicates all individuals face insurmountable obstacles in modifying the behaviours associated with the condition. Some children identified as dyslexic, for example, are simply deficient in high quality reading instruction.

But if you treat every child that behaves unsuccessfully in the classroom as being neurodivergent, then you create a circumstance where we treat them as the victims of irresistible compulsions, rather than human beings with the ability to learn to take responsibility, to grow, to change their habits and attitudes. It is also a substantial abandonment of our commitment to only use evidence info strategies with children- especially the most vulnerable.

In other words, not all forms of SEND are indications of neurodivergent conditions. And most certainly aren't.

Sadly, as in so many fields, many of the strategies recommended for children with any form of SEND, including forms of neurodivergence, lack substantial or credible evidence bases. There is a lot of well-meant money being spent on approaches that simply have no basis in research, impact or other outcomes.

This is an area that cries out for high quality evidence bases, and evidence informed approaches to support students with genuine need, not activism that leads to treating all children as incapable. But the energy of that activism, married to evidence, could produce something spectacular for those who need help the most, and I hope we see this happen in the future.

[Schools Week @SchoolsWeek]

Abuse of headteachers over phone bans in their schools is 'completely unacceptable', the education secretary has said, after an MP reported that one leader was 'spat and sworn at'

https://t.co/lrl1I1pKrN

[Barry Smith @BarryNSmith79]

Stand up to bullies.

[Alex Quigley @AlexJQuigley]

New @EducEndowFoundn blog by @SENDMattersUK that expertly shares how SENCOs can lead vital shifts in teaching & learning:

‘How SENCOs, Teachers, and Teaching Assistants can bring metacognition to life in every classroom’

https://t.co/a4Yq7hBUXS

[Naureen Khalid @5Naureen]

This is also the best way to deal with trolls on here.

H/t to @BarryNSmith79 for 👇

[Tom Bennett OBE @tombennett71]

Reading to your children is one of the greatest pleasures life can provide. And it grows a life-long bond. And it aids their intellectual development immensely.

[Educator @eduhead1]

@PaulGarvey4 @SchoolsWeek Paul, I don’t know one headteacher that does the above

[Educator @eduhead1]

@PaulGarvey4 @SchoolsWeek Thoughts , Paul?

[Schools Week @SchoolsWeek]

Breaking: Too many children are ‘falling out of step with the expectations of school life’ through absence, making them ‘more likely to cross boundaries, challenge teachers’ and disrupt learning, the head of Ofsted has warned

https://t.co/TflabHEJU1

[Gateacre School @GateacreSchool]

Our Y13 students had an inspiring day at The University of Manchester, part of the prestigious Russell Group.

From gaining valuable insight into University life to asking key questions about UCAS applications, it was a fantastic opportunity to prepare for their next steps.

[Gateacre School @GateacreSchool]

Applications to Gateacre School Sixth Form are now open.

We welcome ambitious learners who are ready to thrive in an aspirational and supportive environment.

We look forward to welcoming our next cohort of dedicated students.

To apply, visit the application link in our bio.

[Educator @eduhead1]

Worthy cause @ZoesPlaceLiv

[Nick Gibb @NickGibbUK]

Sir Nick Gibb: Phones should be banned in all schools | Tes https://t.co/X0YZRr9Wcj

[Michael Chiles 🌍 @m_chiles]

💡⬇️👏