Category: Sugarman Education News

Lavinya Stennett is the young founder of The Black Curriculum, an organisation which is on a mission to help revamp the education system and ensure that black history is taught in all schools.

Growing up in South London, Lavinya attended schools that did not teach black history, something that she felt was important for students of all cultures to learn. After graduating in New Zealand, she promised herself that she would be part of the change when she returned home.

In 2019, she was awarded ‘Student Activist of the year’ in the School of Oriental and African Studies, after campaigning to help students from ethnic backgrounds obtain bursaries for university that they had missed out on. The campaign was a success and all 92 students received their money.

At the age of 23, Lavinya has a team of people who regularly attend school and workshops with children, while providing teachers and schools with vital resources about ways they can introduce black history into their lessons. They single handedly contact schools and offer their presentations to anyone that is interested and have received an overwhelmingly response so far.

Their campaign #TBH365 (Teach Black History, all year round) has reached the government and allowed them to meet with the education secretary to discuss the changes to the curriculum. Lavinya claims that they were very supportive, but that there is some way to go before changes are made.

Lavinya hopes that the recent Black Lives Matter protests will help push for long-term, sustainable change around Black history education in the future.

“Even a small step is a big step in our eyes”

Those are the words of Sam, a Learning Support Assistant with over 15 years’ experience in the education sector, specialising in SEN schools. 

Sam’s passion for helping others is clear to see when we spoke to her about her previous experiences, working in hospitals, as a home care worker and even working with young children on a cruise ship. 

She said: “In college I did a BTEC in caring. One placement I had was in a special needs school, which is where I found my love for the sector. My last role was on a cruise ship, which stopped due to covid. I knew that schools would need SEN support during this time, so decided to go down the agency route to find a school.

Sam shares her time between various caring roles, which is why the flexibility of a supply role is perfect for her and fits around her lifestyle.

“I’m a private care worker for a little boy and I also work at a special needs playground during the holidays, so the school holidays work well for me. Family holidays are easier too when you can choose your working weeks.”

Due to her wealth of knowledge in care, Sam has been able to transfer many skills into her teaching style today, adapting her approach based on each individual that she works with.

She explains: “It’s about being patient and understanding. People might not understand that children in an SEN school can’t communicate like you would expect them to, so you have to look out for those signs. It could just be a look in their eye and that’s their ‘Yes’.

“It doesn’t come naturally, you need to learn that. Communication is what I have brought with me from other roles, being generally caring and having a calming effect.”

Sam has been registered with Sugarman Education since last November and has had consistent work ever since. Being in a long term placement, she has been able to build relationships with both staff and pupils and she shares her feelings on seeing those children develop and reach important milestones.

“In September we had 3 children come from mainstream schools. It’s very different here and we have a lot of structure. One child had one-on-one help in mainstream school and was always removed from class because he was upset or frustrated. 

We can deal with that behaviour and have already seen a huge change in him. The key is not to use too much language. We have a visual schedule and he can already recognise what task is next. It’s great to see him pick it up.”

When discussing how working in an SEN school can help shape a child’s future, Sam discusses how she has seen children develop just by completing everyday tasks and how being patient and observing their behaviour is key to communicating with them. 

She explains: “Someone putting a bag on their own peg can be a big thing for them. People will do it for them for ease, but they need to learn life skills. Simple things like dressing themselves, being independent. You’re not always focused on the teaching.

“No two children are the same, so don’t have any expectations of them. Five minutes of work is an achievement for them. If it takes them 10 minutes, then wait. Use your initiative. They can’t communicate while they are upset, so you need to pick up on that.”

From a young age, Sam was keen to help others. Her dream job was to be a vet, but after becoming an auntie at the age of 10, she knew that she wanted to work with children. 

“From then on, I liked helping kids. When I studied health and social care in secondary school, my teacher was really encouraging and pushed me towards that career.”

When asking Sam why she would recommend working in a supply role, there were many reasons why she would suggest this career path to others, as well as the service that she has received from Sugarman Education. 

“If you’re not sure if this is for you, supply is a great way to try it without being in a fixed contract. You may have only worked in mainstream schools and want to experience a week in an SEN school.

“Sugarman Education is really on the ball. They were considerate and took into account what I wanted, not what they needed. They matched me to the right role and they still check in with me now, even on a long-term placement.”

If you would like to hear more about the vacancies we have available. Get in touch today https://sugarmaneducation.co.uk/about/contact/

In the wake of the Black Lives Matter protests and the events that took place in the Euros football tournament, campaigners have been fighting more than ever for the teaching of black history to be made mandatory for all pupils in schools across England. Making this topic a permanent fixture within the school curriculum will educate the younger generation on the contributions of black people within UK history and how this has impacted the way we live today.

As part of our Black History Month campaign, we spoke to a former candidate, Adam Seymour, a history teacher whose passion and experience in black history has allowed him to expand the minds of his pupils, incorporating the topic into his lessons and reflecting on why black history should be a key focus in schools.

Adam began teaching in 2008. Black history was included to a certain degree during his teacher training.

He said: “As far as teaching in UK schools, Black History was marginal.  It was celebrated, but in terms of teaching it within history, there was not a huge emphasis. We taught the Black Peoples of America’s slave journey and integration. However, after year 9, there are only around 11 % of GCSE modules linked to or that even reference black history.”

After studying history at university, Adam has a wealth of knowledge around black history and has the confidence from his previous schools to be given the freedom to integrate and establish a curriculum which is diverse and rich and has included a multitude of units aimed at understanding minority cultures.

“There are core modules that Schools need to cover and complete as a teacher.  However, in relation to Key Stages 3, you do have a great degree of flexibility. It’s up to the Head of History to make a conscious decision as to which units are taught and can be also aligned with your area of expertise or specialism. I did my degree in History and my final thesis was on the impact both Malcolm X and Martin Luther King had on Civil Rights in the USA. Using my specialism, I find a way to incorporate my expertise and knowledge into my curriculum design and make it differentiated and accessible for all age groups.”

As well as black history being taught in a limited way in schools, Adam highlights that we are also missing the opportunity to learn about other minority groups. With such culturally diverse schools across the UK, there are significant events in history such as the British Empire that link to other cultures and countries which are scarcely discussed within the History curriculum.  For example, whilst the British Empire is explored from an Anglo-centric perspective, it fails to illuminate the impact that Indian culture has had on the UK because of British rule.

He adds: “We need to identify and explore other historical topics and cultures to expand upon black history for all cultures. There is a huge focus on the USA, which I think is important, and we need to learn about figures such as Martin Luther King, Rosa Parks and Emancipation Proclamation. However, there is a big gap in UK black history; there seems to be a lack of ingrained units which shed light upon, explore British black history. We should embed and legislate to make these units compulsory modules.”

Stay tuned next week for Part 2 of Adam’s interview

Gus John is an education campaigner, author and was the first black Director of Education in Britain in 1989. Since the 1960s, he has spent his entire career campaigning against racial discrimination and issues within the education sector in Britain’s inner cities.

Born in Grenada, he moved to the UK to study at Oxford, where his passion for education and youth development came alive.

Gus became a community activist and worked with youth groups in Manchester, campaigning for issues such as employment opportunities for black school leavers.

In his long and successful career, Gus has been a member of numerous teaching unions and education authorities and has worked as an education consultant across the world, fighting for equality and justice, whilst empowering young people.

In 1999, Gus John co-founded the Communities Empowerment Network (CEN), a charitable organisation providing representation for excluded school students and their parents/carers.

In the same year, Gus was offered a CBE in the New Year Honours list but declined. He explained at the time that his career in the UK had always been about the struggle for racial equality and social justice. One of the major stumbling blocks of promoting racial equality is the legacy of the British Empire, therefore he believed it a serious dishonour to be a Commander of the institution he had tried to demolish.

2020 saw Gus voted as one of the ‘100 Great Black Britons’.

Our CEO, Esme Bianchi-Barry speaks to the Education Journal about the supply teaching skills gap in the primary sector and the high demand for up to date training following the recent pandemic.

Esme addresses the current skills shortage and explains how we are aiming to upskill the teaching sector with our innovative CPD Supply Toolkit.

You can find this feature in the latest 13.10 Education Journal

Our CEO, Esme Bianchi-Barry speaks to FE News about upskilling the supply teaching industry following the launch of our an innovative CPD programme.

In recent years we’ve seen a growing disparity between the training that supply teachers receive compared to their counterparts in school. Esme addresses the current skills shortage and explains how we are aiming to upskill the supply teaching sector.

Click the link to read the article.

Margaret Ebunoluwa Aderin-Pocock (Maggie) is a British space scientist and science educator. Born in London to Nigerian parents in the late sixties, she moved between 13 schools during her childhood, achieving outstanding grades and a PhD in Mechanical Engineering, all whilst battling dyslexia.

From a very young age, Maggie was fascinated with space. Throughout her career, she has helped to design revolutionary space instruments and has worked for the Ministry of Defence building missile warning systems and landmine detectors. 

Maggie is passionate about educating children and regularly visits schools to inspire pupils, particularly girls, to pursue their interest in Science and to promote her company, Science Innovation. A community that explores all of the wonders of space science, reaching children and adults around the world.

Having engaged with over 350,000 children globally, she continues to educate the next generation of engineers and scientists, busting myths about class and gender across the industry.

She also helps encourage the scientific endeavours of young people by being a celebrity judge at the National Science + Engineering Competition, which rewards young people who have achieved excellence in science, technology, engineering, or maths project.

Following her powerful presence in the Science field, this has prompted a successful television career, with BBC documentaries about the moon and satellites, and most recently a role as co-presenter on the long-running astronomy programme The Sky at Night. 

She was awarded an MBE for her services to science and education in 2009. In 2013, she was listed in the UK Powerlist as one of the top ten most influential black Britons.

This month is ADHD Awareness month, a time to promote awareness and raise the profile of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) across the UK.  It is an often misrepresented and sometimes misunderstood disorder that affects between 2% to 5% of school-aged children in the UK.

Therefore, teaching staff need to ensure that they adapt the classroom to suit those suffering from the disorder and understand the common behaviours. 

We have put together some top tips to help you manage ADHD in a school setting. 

Educate fellow pupils 

Educating the class on the behaviours of certain children in the class will help them understand if they are treated slightly differently. Maybe involve the child who has been diagnosed with ADHD in the discussion, so they can explain how they feel. 

Establish a routine  

Make a routine and stick to it so as not to confuse the child and keep them on task. Establishing rules will keep every pupil in the class engaged and under control. 

Make tasks interactive 

A child with ADHD may find it difficult to sit still and focus on a full lesson. Making tasks more interactive will help keep them engaged. Letting them hand out equipment for the lesson will give them a purpose in the lesson and release some energy.  

Create a quiet area 

Consider making a quiet space where the child can take some time out from the lesson if they are feeling overwhelmed. Create some activities there that may take their mind off their anxiety. 

You can find out more information about ADHD here.

Hello, my name is Beth and I have recently made a career change and decided to train as a primary school teacher. This blog is intended to document some of my experiences and hopefully inspire you to consider a career in education too.

For me, it had always been law. I had been deeply inspired by my sixth-form college A-Level law tutors. I went on to study a law degree and eventually qualified into the family law team, but I always felt like something was missing. I never truly had that sense of satisfaction that I so desperately hoped a career in law would give me and I started thinking about what I was truly passionate about and what I could see myself doing for the rest of my life.

I had always missed school. My friends and I reminisce frequently about the happy times we had, all the way from primary school to sixth-form college. You see, the teachers were such a huge part of our positive experience at school. I still remember some of the spellbinding, awe-inspiring lessons I was a part of in primary school (which I actually ended up talking about in my teacher training interview!) and these had clearly left a lasting impact on me. The thought of being able to create the same safe, inspiring and enjoyable learning environment that my teachers created for me moved me and I knew I had the skills to do it.

Part of my reason for going into law was to help people, and to have that rewarding sense of satisfaction at the end of the day, knowing you have made a difference. I knew this is something I would get every single day within a school environment. Then I started to think, maybe my A-Level Law tutors had inspired me in more ways than I realised. Yes, they inspired me to pursue a career in the law, but truthfully it was their masterful teaching that had had the biggest impact on me. That is probably when I realised that I had a genuine passion for a career in education.

The next step was deciding at what level I would want to teach, and where would be the best fit for me. I toyed with the idea of secondary school but I knew I would have to pigeonhole myself into one subject and I just couldn’t choose! As such, it came down to primary. I began my applications as soon as possible. There are many different routes to initial teacher training but having a degree is essential; the one-year course I am undertaking is a post-graduate qualification.

To clarify, the “teacher training” course refers to two things: the PGCE element (Post Graduate Certificate in Education) and QTS (Qualified Teacher Status). The one-year course has several different routes available. I am taking the School Direct route, but there are also University-led routes and salaried routes and I would encourage you to look into these. The School Direct route is generally run by a school or a training provider (who work with lots of schools) and are partnered with a university that awards the PGCE element of the course. What School Direct means in practice is that I spend the majority of my teacher training year within a school environment, rather than being at university and going out on block placements. I felt this was the best option for me as someone with very little experience in an education setting. I feel learning on the job is the most effective approach for me personally and it enables me to truly get a feel for the school environment.

In terms of the other students on my course, I was relieved and very pleased to discover that our future teachers have such varied skill sets that can all contribute positively to educating our children in some way. Having teachers who can think critically, challenge their own viewpoints and methods and work closely with others who offer something different will surely have a positive impact on our education system.

Although I have only been in school for a couple of weeks at the time of writing, I know for sure I have made the right choice to take the plunge and pursue a career in teaching. Every day is challenging, rewarding, exciting and different. In next month’s blog, I hope to take you through how the type of training I have had so far and what I have been doing in school.

In the meantime, if you are considering a career in teaching, I would recommend the following:

• Arrange some work experience. Although this has been difficult due to the pandemic, contact a local school, or friends who are teachers, and ask if you can spend some time observing in class. This way, you’ll truly get a feel for the school environment and whether this career is for you.
• Think about what age group you would like to teach. If you are really passionate about one particular subject, maybe consider secondary or beyond. If you (like me) enjoy teaching a mixture of subjects, maybe think about primary.
• Research initial teacher training courses. You can do this via the Get Into Teaching website or the government ITT website. Think about which route best suits you and start getting an idea of the course requirements.

See you next month,

Beth.

Affinity Workforce Solutions is delighted to announce we are an approved tuition partner on the National Tutoring Programme (NTP).

The NTP was set up by the Department for Education, as part of the Government’s £1 billion funding package, to help students whose education has been affected by the Covid-19 pandemic and offers extra support they need to succeed.

As a Tuition Partner, schools can work in partnership with Affinity Workforce Solutions to provide one-to-one and group tuition for pupils in specific subject areas, across Primary and Secondary schools and academies, either face-to-face or via our brand-new online platform.

Alex Champion, Group Operations Director at Affinity Workforce Solutions, said: “We are delighted to be a supplier on the NTP to support pupils to continue to grow, develop and learn. The pandemic affected the younger generation massively and we are committed to ensuring that students have access to specialist tutors so they can achieve their potential.”

Affinity Workforce Solutions has recently launched their online tutoring platform, Affinity Tutors which features interactive tools so pupils can work collaboratively with the tutor. All of the tutors on the platform are experienced educators who have extensive tutoring skills, are currently working within schools and academies and have up-to-date curriculum knowledge.

Alex added: “We believe learning should be fun, that’s why we have incorporated interactive tools on our tutoring platform so our tutors can deliver fun, exciting lessons to engage and motivate students from Key Stage 1 right the way through to Key Stage 4/5.”

For more information about Affinity Tutors click here