Head Space

Headteacher, Dad, Fender bassist, V Dubber and enjoyer of craft beer. All opinions my own.

[Head Space @headspace5000]

@amanda_spielman No. Had we Implemented the MBACC Pathways, your inspectorate would have put our school in RI for not pursuing EBAC. Every school leader in GM knows this. Burnham knew this as well. OFSTED was a key barrier to implementing the MBACC.

[Head Space @headspace5000]

@amanda_spielman Andy Burnham advocated the MBACC as an alternative vocational pathway to the EBACC. When leaders from across GM met with him they welcomed it. It couldn’t be implemented because progress measures and OFSTED, under your tenure, would have damned any school for doing so

[Adam Boxer @adamboxer1]

I remember one of my first days at TTA, back when we were in full "turnaround" mode, and there was a Y11 kicking off big time in the science trainee's lesson. I asked him to go outside, and followed him to the corridor.

This guys was big. Massive. I'm six foot and I had to look up at the fella and he is effing and blinding and *extremely* angry. Still don't know what about. I'm in the corridor, don't know the kid, brand new HoD, no idea what to do. It's an intimidating set of circumstances, and if you haven't been there it's hard to describe the anxiety you feel yourself. Like, what's going to happen next? What do I do? What if I can't calm this guy down? What if he barges off? What next?

Anyway, Chris Fairbairn (principal) was on the corridors, as he always was at the time, and sees me outside with the fella (who we will call Dan). He comes over and Dan starts effing and blinding more I can see things going further south. Three assertive males in the corridor now, conflict inbound.

But Chris says quietly but forcefully "Dan - Dan - look at me. Stop. Look at me. In my eyes. Calm down, take a breath. Big one. In, with me. Good. One more. Back in my eyes. You good?"

Dan was good. I went back in to help with the others, and that was it.

I learnt a lot from that interaction. About expectations, about de-escalation, about how you can't say a child is unreachable until you've tried everything to reach them. It changed a lot about how I interacted with individuals and classes.

Super stuff, and I suspect Chris doesn't even remember, because once this mentality is part of who you are, it's entirely unremarkable. It's just what you do.

@totteridgeacad

[Head Space @headspace5000]

@Miss_Snuffy Having a student panel interview a candidate, observed by another member of staff, gives valuable insight into how they interact with young people. Of course, it goes without saying, students don’t have any real say in the final outcome. That would be completely inappropriate

[Head Space @headspace5000]

@Mouhssin_Ismail Rubbish! If you place an adult in the room you get a really good insight into how a candidate interacts with young people.

[Head Space @headspace5000]

@teddy_teaches @RogersHistory He’s not worth engaging with. Utter clown

[Head Space @headspace5000]

@RogersHistory I commented recently that poor parenting and not unmet SEND needs was behind all of the Perm Exes I did last year, 7 in total. This guy labelled me a child abuser then blocked me. A SEND warrior type doing more harm than good.

[Head Space @headspace5000]

@tombennett71 Has been a huge success in my school, thanks to Tom Bennett! Pupil surveys were misleading for us but the behaviour data and positive atmosphere around school speaks volumes.

[Head Space @headspace5000]

@Strickomaster Absolutely!

[Head Space @headspace5000]

@martinimarie He is talking about some and he has a point. These parents also clog up the system and make it hard for those who genuinely need help to find it in a stretched system. Not all parents are effective - just like some of the schools and LAs frequently criticised in these posts.

[Head Space @headspace5000]

@TheSecretSendM1 @TutoringPo74669 @ColinMcKenzie21 And plenty do. Remember that in your ‘crusade’.

[Head Space @headspace5000]

@TutoringPo74669 @TheSecretSendM1 @ColinMcKenzie21 Absolutely!

[Head Space @headspace5000]

@Mama__Freda @AnnaFazack1 Yes - I can see that. However, too many third parties are assuming all schools are misusing PEXs when they are not. They are needed to tackle absolute poor behaviour.

[Head Space @headspace5000]

@TheSecretSendM1 @AnnaFazack1 If it is a serious, one off assault against another student or staff - then yes. But I’d need context before making that decision. I haven’t got that here.

[Head Space @headspace5000]

@TheSecretSendM1 @AnnaFazack1 Regardless, PX is a necessary tool for schools and cases like this and emotive arguments they generate undermine schools’ authority. Poor Parenting does play a part in many PX cases and this is the uncomfortable truth also

[Head Space @headspace5000]

@TheSecretSendM1 @AnnaFazack1 I don’t know because I’m not involved in the case. Very often, what is reported in the press is often one-sided from the parent’s point of view. I can’t say here.

[Head Space @headspace5000]

@TheSecretSendM1 @AndyNelson1977 @ColinMcKenzie21 Part time TTs have to be declared to the LA. I’ve successfully used them with children on verge of PX with parental support. Children passed core subjects and moved on to college. Could so easily have gone the other way. Have to work with the families when it gets to this point

[Head Space @headspace5000]

@TheSecretSendM1 @AndyNelson1977 @ColinMcKenzie21 OFSTED also scrutinise PX records

[Head Space @headspace5000]

@TheSecretSendM1 @AndyNelson1977 @ColinMcKenzie21 Because of the grilling they give me every time I do a PX!

[Head Space @headspace5000]

@AndyNelson1977 @ColinMcKenzie21 @TheSecretSendM1 If governors are doing their jobs properly by scrutinising PXs then this should be the case. Of course, some may not, but I can’t comment on those. I know mine are incredibly thorough to their credit