Task 5d

During my inquiry I will plan to be ethical by ensuring my colleges or any pupils I involve know that any information they give me or any answers given will always be blogged but it will always remain anonymous. I will never force them to answer anything they don’t want to. I will make sure that there aren’t any children’s names or faces mentioned. I will ensure the name of my workplace is never mentioned. When I carry out the inquiry and when it is being used in my practise I will make sure I never let it take over the quality of the teaching or the children’s learning time. I will never presume or make up any facts and make sure I do my research if facts are involved. The first thing I would do is to inform anyone that would need to know what my inquiry was all about and what it was for.               

Task 5c

Personal ethics

I have never thought about my personal ethics ever before this module came up. Having had a thought about it I would say from a young age, a baby to a teen my family and close ones taught me my personal ethics subconsciously. They taught me right from wrong. They taught me my manners and to respect each individual and to love those close to me. From a teen I guess my friends and me myself followed the same ethics due to being in the same circle of friends it was what I knew. I always thought being there for a friend or family member was a rule in life and that is a must and still is. Naturally growing up I have always treated others how I would like to be treated but I have learnt that every individual is different but needs to be treated the same. My opinion on personal ethics is that everyone’s ethics are different from one person to the next depending on their beliefs, lifestyle and personality.

Organisation ethics

From the start of this question I have looked into many of my organisations ethics. I have learnt that there are so many ethics people have to follow in an organisation. Everyone would follow the same dress code, contract and all would need to treat one another with equal amount of respect. Like I said above people have very different personal ethics but coming together in an organisation people have to adapt and follow the same ethics. In my own organisation I have come across many ethics I wouldn’t have ever thought I was applying but interestingly I am, I am sure many people would agree in theirs it’s the same.

Professional ethics

My first thoughts on professional ethics was that surely it’s about the individual and if you’ve learnt your own personal ethics throughout your life it would of taught you to be a professional in any situation therefore giving you professional ethics. Learning to respect others and yourself and following rules of life and meeting standards you need to would make you professional.

Consequentialist

If I had a child that came into reception in September fighting and shouting everyone and genuinely being inappropriate. And then January comes and the child had made great progress and had many friends and was pleasant to everyone around. This was due to the teachers completely ignoring the negative behaviour, when the child was being distracting. The tactics the teachers used was to praise the child when done the littlest thing. I feel being a consequentialist could work in certain scenarios. Surely it is wrong to go against such an ethic of being treated equally and to me every child has different needs and you need to use different approaches on them.

Deontologist

Having just right from wrong in my profession is nearly impossible. Especially when a child has answered a question and they are so close to the correct answer or you know they have tried so hard telling them their wrong would completely shatter their confidence and again not remembering that they all have different needs. Surely it’s an achievement so that to me is not wrong even if the answer isn’t right. Being a deontologist maybe would work in some organisations but definitely not all of them.

Virtue ethicist

Working at a school with children from all different walks of life with many different needs I immediately have to get to know what they are capable of and get to know their characteristics to know their actions. To be this means to be inclusive and to treat everyone the same and this has become part of my personal, organisation and professional ethics.

Task 5b

So after me thinking what the ethics were in teaching I went away and found a booklet on 'teachers standards' which is a legal document teachers must follow. Here is a link to the download

http://media.education.gov.uk/assets/files/pdf/t/teachers%20standards%20information.pdf

After looking at these 'musts' it made me think about what my initial thoughts were. I clearly thought of the obvious my I feel I went along the thought of most jobs and things which you have to do in a lot of professions. I don't feel like I thought from a teacher’s point of view and the detail of the job and the musts of the job. The preamble to me sums up the job and really should sum up a teacher, if quality teaching was happening.

In my setting we as staff have to follow codes of conduct at all times this clearly states the following in more detail...

 

General expectations- Do not discriminate, promote the school, comply school policies, do not make public statements about the school, no alcohol during school hours, do not drug abuse, do not rumour

 

Working practises- promote the school, work reliably, carry out instructions, be part of a team

 

Reporting malpractice and improper conduct (whistleblowing) - If needed get the policy from Schools Personnel Service

 

Schools policies and procedures- all staff should look at the staff handbook and follow this

 

Dealing with pupils- achieves the highest possible level of achievement for all pupils, value everyone equally. Apply the schools behaviour policy, ensure anything confiscated are safe

 

Health and safety- familiarise with health and safety statements, comply with hygenine requirements, comply with accident reporting requirements, never put anyone at risk, and inform manager of any other paid work

 

Appearance and dress- neat and clean, dress appropriately for your setting, role model; do not put anyone at embarrassment

 

Hours of work and attendance- attend work in accordance to contract, appointments to be made outside of work

 

Sickness absence- notification as early as possible and keep school informed where absence continues

 

Sensitive information and confidentially- know what is confidential information, know who can access it

 

Use of school resources- appropriate use of internet, no mobile phones

 

Keeping within the law- uphold the law at work, never commit a crime, breaching copyright, sexual offences. Crimes of dishonesty

 

This was a broken down version of the schools code of conduct. In comparison to my thoughts I feel I touched on some of these but looking through them now they are all in place in my practise but there are some I have never thought of. Some I hope never ever go on. I’m sure many school follow similar procedures and policies. 

 

My workplace has their own school aims and values this is available for staff, pupils and parents to see.

 

 

Our School Aims and Values To be a friendly and welcoming school where everyone cares for each other and their environment. To commit to constant improvement in the pursuit of the highest standards. To develop and promote each child’s self-esteem, self-discipline, sense of responsibility and co-operation, so that they become successful learners. To provide a learning environment in which everyone has an equal opportunity to achieve his/her potential, feeling secure, happy and valued. To provide an education to encourage each child to be a self-confident, inquiring, tolerant, positive individual, a well-rounded character with an inquisitive mind to learn, respecting the differences of others, to be of value to society. To ensure the provision of a relevant, differentiated and balanced curriculum for all children, to excite and motivate life-long learning. To work in strong partnerships with the community to foster high expectations for all children, learning for all and celebrate diversity.

 

It is up in the school and it is on our school website. Again these are points that all staff follow I would never think of them as ethics buts quite frankly they are.

My school also has a mission statement which I feel is important for people to just refer to when wanting to know how the workplace works it is crucial to many.

We work as a team to ensure that all of our children are given the best possible opportunities to experience real success with their learning and development.

We place great importance on the need for children to work hard and become independent learners because we want them to achieve high standards in all that they do at school.

This to me just touches on what the professionals do at my workplace but it is something I will always think of as our main personal ethic.

Lastly the pupils also have ethics to follow. They have golden rules.

 The School Rules: Golden Rules

• Do be gentle
• Do be kind
• Do listen
• Do work hard
• Do be honest
• Do look after property

Children are reminded of these weekly. If ever any issues with behaviour this is used and also used to show parents our expectation of their children.

These are all the policies my workplace follow and interestingly I have now been thinking more and more about my practise ensuring I am following every point.

Starting 5a

Just touching on the ethics of my workplace. I have never ever thought about these so I shall mention the ones that have sprung to my mind.

I feel working anywhere but for my school arriving on time is crucial but I feel arriving at least 15 minutes before your start time is a must to make sure you have all things ready for the day ahead. Making sure your presentation is appropriate, you are wearing suitable clothes. So if working with early years making sure you don’t mind getting your clothes and foot wear dirty. Making sure you don’t have any jewellery on that could put the children or you at risk. Making sure all your body is covered up and any tattoos aren’t on show. We expect the children not to be wearing jewellery or stick ons so don’t be hypercritical. Be a role model. It is an obvious but ensuring the environment is safe reporting anything you think will be an issue and not keep it to yourself. Follow any risk assessments put in place.  Informing all the team of anything they will need to know. Of a morning or afternoon or eve throughout the day if needed to make sure parents or careers know what they need to as well. Ensuring anything children parents or colleges have told you confidentially it stays that way. Again another obvious one is using appropriate language talk to the children and parents how you would expect them to talk to you. Use the right words and tone with them. At all times throughout the day regardless of how busy you are making sure the children are always safe. Recognising when an activity or session is not working and adapting it straight away. Lastly always communicate clearly to the children don’t confuse them in any way.

This was my initial thoughts of it I am sure I will now really notice the ethics in my professional practise and ensure I am bettering my practise.

task 4d

Based on what I have been looking into and having had a chat with Alan. I really feel my award title needs to be so specific. Obviosuly I want it be about my teaching. But some thing I am keen to hear peoples outlook on.
So I am thinking something along the lines of

BA(hons) in professional practise in teachers perceptions on children born in the final quartile,

This is not my final descision as of yet but resllt thinking along them lines.

task 4c

I asked some of my colleges some questions I have looked into and asked myself about my inquiry. I put it across the school so I asked reception, year 1 and year 2. Unfortunately we are just an infant school.  The questions I developed were..

Give your opinion on our settling in process in reception? Does it affect their learning or behaviour in any way?

Can you notice who is born in the first quartile or second through what they can achieve?

A reception teaching assistant said ‘the process takes too long for them. The older ones are always settled in better because they have started earlier so naturally they feel more comfortable. There is always such confusion for the children and the parents. But mainly for the children as one week their coming to school of a morning and the next their coming of an afternoon this can really affect their behaviour it can make them silly or get themselves in trouble.’

Another reception teaching assistant I asked was someone who had previously studied early years. They said ‘It really can work the process if good management is taking on it. If the communication is there and messages are being passed through teachers to parents and children so they have some understanding. I do feel as the months go on I see a difference in that the older ones are now pulling away. Some of these children have been in setting since they were 2 there is so much expected of them. Schooling elsewhere can be because of their religions and that it’s against their views. We as brits are still very Victorian. On the process of them settling to school we call it moulding there are many techniques for children to gradually be at the same level. ‘

A year one teacher said ‘standards. ‘mainly their behaviour is really dependant on who that individual is and nothing to do with what quartile they are born in. I may find as they come up from reception that their grouping in say maths that the top group may all be the older ones but often find s the year goes on this can change due to their developing a character and behaviour can really affect their learning.’

Lastly a year two teaching assistant said ‘I’ve never ever noticed a different but it is really interesting you have questioned this as it’ll now make me go back and look at their books to see if there is any difference. Maybe as their coming up the school they have all really balanced out.’

As my professional associates were answering these I felt it is an issue not many people had discussed and looked at before I am therefore excited to dig deeper into this as the course continues.

 

summary

After looking at some of the questions and points Alan made I have found out a little more on admissions in schools.
I searched through some websites and came across one for admissions in Northern Ireland. Interestingly if a child is born in august they would be put in the year below them so there academic year stops at July. There was no signific reason i could find as to why they do it that way or why the UK do it the way we do. But interestingly all I could see was that the parent is blame clearly but there was no reasons stated if it was benefical for the children. Most sites about when child start school it claimed parent get prosecuted if their child is not in school by their 5th birthday. It stated that the coucils welfare officer would contact them and give them a warning and then they were prosecuted. I have joint up to netmums and put a survey out on their views on summer andn winter babies. The couple of replies I have had all feel they don't notice the difference in their learning if born early or later. One mum feels 5 is a great age and even earlier would be benefical.
Just from discussin these points with people has made me question my schools settling in process.. should we seperate them so much at the begginning and persume the winter born are more ready than the summer ones? obviously it is out of my control to change this but I do know that as the all start and mix up I ensure I put them all together and not make the eldest childrens work any harder or different to the younger ones.
From a personnal point of view at my school we have 3 key children a week who we observe and plan activis to follow out with them. And at my school we make the list of these in September and we immediatly put the september to april born first and then the rest last. But from being in Novmeber now and having done 3 quarters of these children I've already noticed that in many of the children there is not much different. One child would count recognise and write their numbers would would still be 4 yet a 5 year old may not even be able to count to 5.
So my summary of this is do we already from such an early age persume the capability of children??

For anyone who wants to discuss more on my blogs and help me right out please comment and message me on this link which we could then hopefully form a SIG group.

http://www.linkedin.com/pub/claire-johnas/5b/807/9b2

Look foward to chatting further :)

Ages

Starting age of schools in different countries

 I looked up different countries and the age children can attend pre school or primary school. This is not legally it's the age they are entitled to start if needed and wanted.

Age 3- 3 countries

Age 4- 5 countries

Age 5- 3 countries

Age 6- 11 countries

Age 7- 3 countires

Interestingly most countries start from year one. Which to me and what this country are so used to having children attend pre-school seems crazy. We have a whole different curriculm in reception and nursery, the foundation stage which in these 11 countries doesn’t exist.  I am interested in knowing if anyone’s background is in another country and were schooled in another country I would really appreciate a brief encounter onto your thoughts?

More Research

 

In 2009 the school secretary Ed Balls felt he was changing the opportunities for the summer babies. Rather than them starting in January or April they have the chance to start in September just like the winter babies. This however is in my place at my school but my only doubt is like discussed in the last blog a 5 week settling process and the younger children’s being shortened is this then a problem. Some children have been to nursery or a children’s centre previous to going to school and some haven’t. My question is would that be another thought on a category to settle the children in? I will be discussing my thoughts with teachers across the school.