Sharing Student Projects

There are a variety of factors that play an influential role when a student decides on what subjects to study at GCSE level. Based on the existing literature, the main factors are whether a student finds a subject interesting, the perceived usefulness of a subject to future educational and professional goals, and the influence of parents and teachers. This case study aimed to examine whether these factors were relevant to the year 9 cohort in my school through the implementation of various data collection methods. These included a pupil voice survey, focus group interview and interviews with key stakeholders to assess the perceptions students have of geography and the factors that influence the GCSE subject options process. Additionally, data was collected on whether students believe senior leadership decision-making in their school has restricted their educational and professional aspirations. The findings of the case study indicate that the way geography is taught is the most important factor in generating a positive perception of the subject (56.5% of students agreed). Finding a subject interesting was the most influential factor in why students chose to study geography at GCSE level whilst responses from focus group participants indicated that a key reason was that geography is ‘easier to understand than history’. Whilst data from the pupil voice survey suggested that teachers and parents were influential in a student’s decision-making process, comments during the focus group interview highlighted the influence of peers, an area that has limited existing literature. For the most part, students agreed that senior leadership decision-making had a minor impact on their choices process with many agreeing that subject options process was fair (40.5% of students agreed). However, during the staff interviews both the head of geography and history highlighted how curriculum restraints had hindered their ability to foster interest in their respective subjects. Ultimately, subject teachers hold a significant degree of responsibility in this regard. Given the importance of pedagogy in influencing subject choice, teachers need more autonomy to plan and teach a curriculum that encourages students to continue their studies at GSCE level, A-Level and beyond.

I have chosen to present my findings to the maths department and Senior Leadership Team (SLT) at School X in West Cumbria, because this is where the research took place and because this is where I feel the greatest impact will be made. The maths department will benefit from my research because I investigated strategies for boosting confidence and enjoyment in maths specifically, and although the research was focused on one class and as a result the ideas expressed by the students therein will differ from those in other classes, the principles employed throughout my research were literature-based and are applicable to all maths classrooms; principles I believe are worth using in classes across the department. I have chosen also to present my research to the SLT at school X because of the school-wide focus on having more pupils achieve grades 7 and above in their subjects. My research has focused on a class in which some students are aiming to attain a grade 7 in maths, so the strategies that have benefitted them may also benefit students in similar positions across subjects. For example, using student voice to understand pupils’ interests and involve them in the planning process is something that will be helpful in many classrooms. Performance in maths within School X is not low, but there is always room for improvement. Hence there is a need for implementing strategies or interventions to try to boost pupils’ attainment where possible. Given that my research suggests that there is a link between students’ attitudes to maths, their confidence in maths and their performance, it is important that we try to promote strategies which address issues with attitudes and confidence in order to improve performance. I have been able to try out different strategies over the course of five lessons, which included a range of topics, to try to determine which strategies are effective in building students’ confidence and improving attitudes to maths by boosting enjoyment. The questionnaires and group interviews allowed me to see which of these strategies, and others, have a positive effect on students. There was not a consensus among the students as to which strategy was the best, but this points to why my research will be useful for the department – different students enjoy different approaches, but there are some which are popular amongst large portions. It is therefore useful for the department to know which strategies they may wish to introduce more frequently and how they can do so. For example, having observed other maths lessons and discussed experiences with colleagues, it is clear that pupils do not get the chance to collaborate very often, despite this being something that my students – and possibly students in other classes – place great value on. Some members of the SLT have taken an interest in my research – specifically the Headteacher and the Assistant Head responsible for Teaching and Learning, who has also been my ECT tutor for two years and in charge of my training for one year before that. It is therefore important that I share the results of my study with them to inform them of my progress, but also so that I can provide recommendations that they may wish to take forward into the teaching side of things at school. While my research has been based in the maths classroom, collaboration, students’ interests and student voice are part of many classrooms, and the value that students have placed on these things may inform curriculum planning going forward. The school wants learners who are engaged, positive about their learning, and performing well, and I hope that the strategies that I have identified, while already employed across many classrooms, can continue to encourage this kind of environment for pupils across the school.

In 2019, the Government published the Teacher Recruitment and Retention Strategy, which focused on trying to improve recruitment rates in the teaching profession whilst reducing the rising rates of qualified teachers leaving the profession. At the centre of this Strategy was the introduction of the Early Career Framework, a fully funded package of two-year support for new entrants to the profession that provided a suite of training materials and a subject mentor with funded time dedicated to undertaking the role of supporting the development of the early career teacher. Whilst there have been several studies published into the experiences of early career teachers since the introduction of the Framework, substantial research into the experiences of mentors has been lacking, limited to evaluative surveys or combined with studies into the experiences of other participants. Therefore, this small-scale case study explores the experiences of mentors in one secondary school in northwest England following the introduction of the Early Career Framework. Through a combination of questionnaires and semi-structured interviews, this study aims to investigate how the Early Career Framework has impacted mentors and the opportunities and challenges that have been created through the introduction of the Framework. The findings of this study suggest that, whilst the aims and intentions of the Early Career Framework are welcomed by mentors, the implementation and practical implications of the Framework present several significant challenges to the workload and wellbeing of mentors. In line with this study’s conclusions, the recommendations to policymakers focus on designing an effective and efficient programme that considers the concerns of mentors at the forefront. As well as this, this study recommends that school leaders consider how the implementation of the Framework in their setting may present significant challenges to mentors and use the mechanisms available to them within their setting to ameliorate these challenges.

The needs of this community are complex and exist on multiple levels. For some mentors, a need for clarity and consistency is their primary need; for others, a need for efficiency and effectiveness of their time is their most important. Communities are defined by their complexity, none more so than schools such as the ones which Teach First primarily serve. However, one need that permeates throughout the whole community of mentors is the need to feel as though the policy and practice changes introduced through the ECF are ‘making a difference’. The present time, after the ECF has been rolled out and in place for a number of years, marks a significant moment in the efficacy and longevity of the ECF. Therefore, one of the primary goals of the dissemination of this research is to ensure mentors continue to buy into the Framework and remain optimistic and enthusiastic about the ECF. The knowledge I have generated in this study has the potential to have salient impacts on the community of mentors. At a local level, the findings about clarity and support have the potential to drive organisational change and improve the culture of mentoring in my immediate school context. However, at a wider and more national level, the findings about apathy and lack of engagement with training providers and online content has the potential to drive significant change for the wider community of mentors. Further research should look to investigate the experiences and perceptions of mentors to the training they receive; motivated by the findings of this study, this further research has the potential to drive significant change and result in significant improvements for mentors on a more national scale.

Homework has been a contentious issue for many years with some educators rallying behind traditional practices, while some are calling for it, in this digital age and following the Covid-19 pandemic, for its end. The need for homework needs to be reevaluated and redefined. It has become apparent that away from the old paradigm to a new landscape. This case study analyses teacher and student perceptions of effective homework and compare them to what literature and research suggest makes effective homework. This enabled further understanding of new homework how homework is perceived in the context of the school research site, and the findings were used to inform future homework policy. Results show that initial teacher training on the subject of homework was limited despite it being included in the National Teaching Standards. Early career teachers and experienced teachers showed frustration with the lack of student completion. However, student responses suggested an awareness of effective homework practices signifying an understanding and willingness to complete homework. This highlighted a lack of understanding of why students fail to complete homework which needed further investigation is the context of this case study. Additionally, despite the generation of ‘digital age’ teachers, early career teachers appeared to prefer more traditional book-base work as proof of homework so that students could revisit it easily and as a way of evidencing homework. In addition, there was a reluctance to fully utilise online systems, fearing that potential technical glitches might impact on student learning and would mean that they would not complete homework tasks. Lastly, the notion of the effect of homework within the context of school was ultimately flawed, as there was a limited understanding amongst teachers and students about what the purpose of homework. This lack of a consensus amongst the school community suggests the need for greater clarity in the homework policy in order to encourage more effective homework.

I chose to undertake this case study in my own school as this was where I had access to investigating homework on a day to day basis. I was able to speak with teachers regularly to promote the completion of homework feedback. In addition, I could work with students I teach to gain an insight into their perceptions of homework. As this was a case study, the purpose was to study "a contemporary phenomenon with some real-life context" (Yin, 2003). Therefore, this meant that the issue of homework and the debate around what effective homework looks like, could be studied in the context of school X.

This research was useful to the community as it has identified a key issue that is apparent in the debate around homework being that the purpose of homework is ambiguous and needs clarification. It has also provided a suggestion for creating effective homework which can be used by teachers in order to bring consistency of the provision of homework across the school. This means, instead of focusing on the activity, consider a criteria which identifies what effective homework looks like and compare tasks to this. In addition, it has identified the reasons why students may not have been completing homework and will allow the school to address this issues moving forward in a more appropriate way than they may have been previously.

It is apparent that schools are becoming increasingly concerned about their role in supporting mental health and wellbeing for the pupils within their care. Through this, there is a growing discourse in Trauma Informed Theory. This, however, is often limited to contexts outside of the UK, or is focused on agencies outside of education. As such, there is a gap in the literature for a piece of research which focuses on Trauma Informed strategies within schools in the UK. Therefore, any new piece of research based around this is pioneering. This paper explores the strengths and weaknesses of current Trauma Informed strategies being used by schools within the UK. Using the researchers own educational setting as a case study, this research will explore the ability for pupils to adopt socially appropriate behaviours based on trauma informed strategies implemented. Interviews and a focus group were used to identify themes, perceptions and insights into the current trauma informed strategies used by the case study school. This data collection, combined with analysis of behavioural data and field observations, yielded results which showed the vital need for these strategies to be maintained, with some realistic adaptations to allow them to develop and make progress. hrough qualitative analysis of interviews and focus groups, analysing school data, as well as field observations, the following questions have been answered: How is Trauma Informed Theory carried out within the educational setting of the school? What are the strengths and weaknesses of the Trauma Informed Theory within the school? What recommendations can be made to allow the school to build upon the Trauma Informed Theory?

As a case study, the recommendations are directly relative to the community to which I am reporting. Throughout the dissertation process, I have worked closely with several leaders and staff within the school community. Support has been given to carry out this case study research, and because of this, access to data and observations has been granted permission, and actively encouraged, to ensure effective recommendations are established. The impact of this, will be an ability for leaders to make timely, manageable, cost-effective changes to small aspects of these trauma informed strategies. This will allow progress to be made, which will ultimately help some pupils at the school who experience traumatic events. For the school, an important part of this research was dissemination of the findings. This was done, initially, through a fifteen-minute presentation, which took place during an SLT meeting[1]. Leaders within this meeting included the Principle, Vice Principle, and Safeguarding Lead. From this, some recommendations have been actioned by leaders for the next academic year. At the heart of the community I have chosen, is a school ethos based on Trauma Informed Theory. Through whole school CPD on Trauma Informed Theory with an external specialist, I was introduced to the concept. It was from this point that I became passionate about improving my own practice whilst being mindful of the impacts of trauma amongst students, and my role in reducing those impacts as best as possible. In my own personal reflections, I was proud of the work my educational setting has done to provide opportunities to support these vulnerable students and wished to help progress these opportunities to make them more meaningful. It was then clear that the most significant piece of research, for myself and the community I worked in, was to reflect and recommend on Trauma Informed Strategies within education. The needs of the community, in relation to Trauma Informed Theory, which were uncovered by the research, were threefold. Firstly, it uncovered that partnerships must be strengthened between those who lead the trauma informed strategies, and the rest of the school. Data was unanimous in highlighting the lack of understanding between staff about the purpose, function and objectives of the strategies were. Secondly, analysis showed that these trauma informed strategies need to be more skilfully staffed to ensure they run effectively, whilst allowing staff working within these areas to be given appropriate training. Finally, a more robust way of measuring the impact of the trauma informed strategies must be developed by leaders, which should be fed back to staff to further strengthen partnerships. Through the data analysis process, it was possible to generate recommendations. This will be impactful upon the community since these have been generated to be as realistic as possible, for them to be embedded straight away, at the start of the next academic year. For these recommendations to have an impact, it was vital for them to be cost effective, and manageable to for school. Taking into consideration financial concerns nationally within education, it would be futile to create a list of recommended changes which were costly. To allow the community to recognise the impact of the study, it was also important to ensure recommendations were able to be enforced quickly, based on the current structure of the school, to allow progress in the trauma informed strategies to start as soon as possible. Through these guarantees, the recommendations will be impactful on the community. Most importantly, this piece of research will allow vulnerable students who access the trauma informed strategies due to currently dealing with traumatic events or dealing with the lasting impacts of past traumatic events, to feel further supported within school. This is due to these recommendations providing a useful starting point for greater organisation within the areas where these strategies operate. This will aid the school in the short term, as there should be less commotion around the building as these students will be in effective sessions. Also, in the long term, it will allow students to have built meaningful relationships with staff using these trauma informed strategies. They will have formed a greater sense of self and learnt to consistently work in a team to positively support their peers. These are things which trauma informed theorists believe are most effective in overcoming, for students to leave school with a greater chance of success and wellbeing.

"The poster offers an overview of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), focusing on the challenges, strengths, and strategies to support children in the primary environment. I created an iceberg to illustrate that while ADHD's visible symptoms—such as inattentiveness, hyperactivity, and impulsivity—are easily recognised, many internal struggles often remain hidden. Beneath the surface, children with ADHD may face difficulties such as cognitive impairments (e.g. poor working memory and executive dysfunction), time-blindness, emotional dysregulation, rejection sensitivity, sleep disturbances, and low self-esteem (Mandriota, 2022). These challenges can hinder their learning and must be carefully considered when developing inclusive support strategies. The poster highlights several key barriers to learning both academically and behaviourally, however I will expand on some of these aspects.  Academic Strategies

Reduced working memory can create barriers regarding the retention of information and impedes learning due to increased risk of cognitive overload (Langerock et al., 2025). As such, adaptive strategies that alleviate cognitive load are supportive for students with ADHD. These include breaking tasks into smaller, manageable steps (chunking), giving clear and explicit instructions, dual-coding learning material (combining visual and verbal cues) and providing a What a Good One Looks Like (WAGOLL) to reduce cognitive load by clarifying task expectations (ADHD Foundation, 2022).

Sustaining attention for extended periods can be challenging for children with ADHD. Consequently, an effective strategy to address this is incorporating brain breaks—short, structured breaks that allow children to reset and improve focus. Physical activity during these breaks can further support attention and learning (Arenas et al., 2024). Further, children with ADHD may experience hypo or hypersensitivity to sensory stimuli or may seek sensory input to self-regulate, which can hinder concentration (Shimizu et al., 2014). The poster details reasonable adjustments that can be made to accommodate these needs, however fidget toys should be deployed with teacher discretion as these can help or hinder learning depending on the child’s needs and the situation (Aspiranti & Hulac, 2021).

Behavioural Strategies

Poor behaviour choices can present challenges for children with ADHD due to heightened impulsivity and reduced self-regulation capacities (Staff et al., 2023). Therefore, effectively managing behaviour is an essential endeavour for teachers. One of the most important strategies to support behaviour is through providing consistent praise for positive behaviours and expertly withdrawing attention to limit the amount of negative attention the child receives (DuPaul et al., 2011). Research demonstrates that children with ADHD receive a disproportionate amount of negative attention relative to their neurotypical peers, resulting in negative attitudes towards school and impacting self-esteem (Zeigler, 2008). Additionally, implementing structured reward systems/charts and setting achievable behavioural targets can motivate children, give them a sense of accomplishment and enhance self-esteem, which benefits learning (Tripp, 2022). Consistent communication between the school and the child’s caregivers is also advantageous as regular updates, coupled with shared strategies for support, ensure a holistic approach to addressing the child’s needs (NSW Government, 2024).

Strengths

While ADHD presents challenges, children also possess unique strengths. They often exhibit creativity, imagination, and heightened curiosity that can foster a passion for learning (Gonzalez-Carpio et al., 2017). Teachers can leverage these strengths by encouraging the child’s inquisitive nature and helping them explore their interests through creative and hands-on activities. Children may excel in subjects that engage their creativity or physical activity, such as art, music, or physical education (McDougal et al., 2022). By incorporating these interests into wider lessons, adding creative or practical elements to the learning, teachers can keep students engaged (Holmes, 2024).

The poster demonstrates that ADHD is a multifaceted condition that requires a thoughtful, individualised approach. Unfortunately, ADHD is still conceptualised as a ‘disorder’ and is often met with a negative stigma (Mueller et al., 2012). The first step in creating an inclusive environment is to reconceptualise our attitude towards the condition. It is essential that teachers and school staff are well-informed about ADHD and adopt a growth mindset toward each child’s abilities (McDougal et al., 2022). Adopting this mindset and using a variety of inclusive strategies will allow children with ADHD to thrive at school both academically and personally. "

I have learned that inclusive education involves creating a learning environment that supports and challenges all children, removing any barriers they may face. This does not involve separating certain individuals from others, removing them to partake in different activities, but rather calls for the inclusion of all in the classroom together. I can further build on my professional understanding by remaining well-informed about evidence-based practices and adjustments made to accommodate the varied needs of a class of children, but also through consistently reflecting upon the strategies I am observing and speaking to expert professionals such as SENDCos and members of senior leadership to discuss how they ensure the school is an inclusive and supportive environment for all. As a trainee primary school teacher committed to inclusive educational practices, enhancing the impact of my teaching on each child's learning requires an equity-focused approach. This involves recognising that each student has unique needs, backgrounds, and starting points, and adapting my teaching to ensure all learners can succeed in my classroom. Providing equity of access to the curriculum requires providing differentiated support tailored to individual needs, such as scaffolding tasks, offering multiple channels of representation and engagement, and engaging in adaptive teaching strategies. By using formative assessments and ongoing feedback, I can identify barriers to learning and adjust my approach accordingly. This may include modifying resources, using ICT tools for accessibility, or incorporating culturally responsive teaching methods to make learning meaningful for all my future students. 

Autistic people are likely to face challenges when adjusting to university life. For example, autistic people may struggle with big changes in their routine and some autistic people might find the sensory environment at university overwhelming (Cage & Howes, 2020; Cai & Richdale, 2016; Clark & Adams, 2020; Lambe et al., 2019). Because of this, some autistic people do not finish their university education (Anderson et al., 2018; Cage et al., 2020; Cage & Howes, 2020). This is not good because having a university education is important for good life outcomes, like employment (Department for Education, 2022). This study looked at how universities can better support autistic students during the transition to university, to make sure more autistic people have positive experiences. The study looked at the thoughts and experiences of university staff who provide support to autistic students. This is important because not much research has included the voices of disability support staff (Cage et al., 2021), but they may have important things to say the support they provide and the challenges they face in providing this support. The study asked two main questions: What support do universities currently give to autistic students during the transition? And how can this support be improved? First, the researcher got ethical approval to do the research. Next, they contacted 12 random universities in the UK to see if their staff would take part in an interview. In total, 11 members of staff from seven universities in England and Wales agreed to take part. Each participant filled in a short form about themselves and took part in an online interview, either on their own, or with a colleague. When the interviews were finished, the researcher listened to each one and made a written version. They read through the written versions to find answers to the two research questions. In response to the first research question, participants spoke about lots of support that they offered, including support with academic things and non-academic things. As expected, there was not much support for developing life skills, like cooking and budgeting. While participants said they offered many types of support, autistic students don't feel they get enough help (Anderson et al., 2018; Cage et al., 2020; Cage & Howes, 2020; Davis et al., 2021; Nuske et al., 2019; Sefotho & Onyishi, 2021; Van Hees et al., 2015). Universities should check if the support they offer really helps autistic students and if there are any barriers stopping them from getting the support they need. Universities should focus on helping with life skills and consider having more autistic-led support programmes. In response to the second research question, participants said support for autistic students could be improved in three key ways. First, by making sure students have developed life skills before they arrive at university. Second, by improving communication between students, support services, and parents, to make sure students can get the support they need. Third, by creating inclusive and accessible universities so all students can thrive.

The findings of this research will be useful for researchers, university staff, and educational policy makers. Researchers can build on these findings to look deeper into specific areas, adding to our knowledge about effective support for autistic students. For example, researchers might look at what the most effective kinds of support for autistic students are, and what makes certain types of support more effective than others. University staff can use these findings to improve their current support practices, making sure the transition, and university overall, is more inclusive and accessible for autistic students. Educational policy makers can use the recommendations from this study to shape policies that promote accessibility and equal opportunities for autistic students during their journey into higher education.

Science literacy plays an important role in the learning of science and is essential for students to understand and apply their science knowledge. As a result of the worldwide Covid pandemic students at my school missed many classroom hours, therefore had a reduced knowledge of the science curriculum. Furthermore, due to missed lessons in other subject areas, such as English, the average reading age of students had declined, with an average student reading three years younger than would be expected. These two issues created a perfect storm in relation to GCSE exam performance. Students did not have the high level of comprehension, nor the science literacy to fully answer and apply their knowledge. An intervention for Year 10 students (aged 14-15 years) was implemented, with the overall aim being to increase science literacy, understanding and exam performance. Students were given a questionnaire and interviewed in a group setting to gain their insight on the issues raised and feedback in relation to the intervention strategies and techniques. Written work from the students was reviewed after the intervention to ascertain if their application of knowledge had improved. The results from this research supported the outlined aims. Students found the intervention strategies useful and were seen using them when answering exam questions. Over half of all students were awarded full marks on all questions which would gain a maximum of 4 and 6 marks respectively. One question awarded 77% of students with full marks. These results are positive in relation to the intervention, but difficult to generalise to other students. The study was only implemented on a small number of high and middle ability Year 10 students within a Physics classroom over a short period of time (6 weeks), therefore further research needs to be conducted to test the repeatability and the reproducibility.

The results from this intervention have had a positive impact on the chosen class, further research needs to be carried out on lower ability students to allow a comparison with the higher ability students from this research. As a practitioner I have found this research extremely beneficial. The intervention was easy to implement into lessons and has had a positive effect on the work and outcomes of the students. I am always striving to improve my practice and this experience has enabled me to consider different approaches which have academic support. The results will be disseminated to senior leaders and teachers during training to develop school wide interventions.

The global call of the United Nations (UNESCO, 2022) considers that education underpins all seventeen sustainable development goals. As a teacher of English in the state secondary school system in UK, I therefore wanted to know how literature could contribute to this universal trajectory in educating for the future. As part of my masters in Educating for a Sustainable Environment, my interdisciplinary dissertation set out to evaluate the potential of poetry as a critical pedagogy for ecological and ethical transformation in practice. Specifically, my research considered how ecopoetry as an ecopedagogy may awaken a critical consciousness necessary for ecocentric transformation (Bryson, 2002). Ecocentrism is a paradigm which recognises humanity’s duty towards nature and intrinsically values all life on earth (Leopold, 1986). By ‘life’, I refer to ecological living-systems. Water is an essential life-system and planetary boundary science reveals that human-induced disturbances of global freshwater flows have exceeded safe levels (Rockstrom, 2024). Water has also inspired poetry for centuries. Sahoo asserts that poetry can: play an important role in reviving our ecological consciousness; intuitively connect us with the natural world; and crucially confront difficult ethical questions about the human role in environmental stewardship (2025). Perhaps by designing a workshop that unites poetry with ecology, I could stimulate a collective effort ‘to think in new ways’ and reorient towards ecocentric thinking (Komatsu, 2020, p. 318). To reflexively evaluate how ecopoetry might foster ecocentric learning in relation to our local river, I set out to answer the following two questions: Can ecopoetry as ecopedagogy cultivate ecocentric orientation? Can ecopoetry as ecopedagogy foster eco-conscious transformation? I designed and facilitated an ecopoetry workshop, on a riverbank, for six women who responded to a public advertisement in the Coquet Valley of Northumberland, England. They were not poets. I introduced three poetic interventions which might foster an ecological consciousness for transformation. These were poetically attuning to the river, altering perspectives with the river, and critically dialoguing about ecopoetry. I chose poetic inquiry as an arts-based qualitative research approach (Faulkner, 2024) as I wanted to draw insights from poetic resonance to examine ecocentric orientations that might emerge through deeply ‘felt’ experiences in ecopoetry. In place of thematic data analysis, six poetic portraits were transcribed to interpret the essence of affective learning experienced by each participant. Resonance focuses on attending to deeply felt affective understandings that vibrate for the learner – not the researcher. Poetic portraiture ethically balances asymmetries of power between what the researcher considers relevant and defers ‘knowing’ to the knower. This provided insights into eco-conscious transformation emerging within the ecopoetry workshop. A poetic portrait exemplar follows:

Poetic dialoguing, collective reflection, and adopting the voice of the river, were considered to be the most meaningful ecopedagogical pathways by participants. The six poetic portraits revealed that ecopoetry had cultivated ecocentric orientations manifesting as: ecosystem relationality; eco-conscious transformation; interspecies responsibility; and recognising the river as a living entity. I concluded that when ecocentric learning conditions are authentically optimised in nature, ecopoetry is a powerful pedagogical tool that can shift critical perspectives. Ecopoetry can cultivate ecocentric orientation and foster eco-conscious transformation. Ecopoetry therefore works well as an ecopedagogy that can act for the wellbeing of all planetary life. Both intentional and interventional, this was a design-practice-reflect encounter that applied ecopoetry as a critical pedagogy to shed light on new educational terrain for ecocentric transformation.

This poetic inquiry revealed that ecopoetry can cultivate ecocentric orientation and foster eco-conscious transformation. Ecopoetry is therefore an important tool for building future resilience in communities. In its capacity to empower multiple stakeholders, it answers the global call for transformation and can be enacted locally:  To achieve transformation in our societies, everyone needs to learn how to promote sustainable development: learning needs to happen everywhere and throughout life. To get there, we should work across thematic boundaries and with a wide range of different stakeholders (UNESCO, 2022). Ecopoetry cultivates ecocritical and ecosystems thinking that confronts planetary fragility. More than a pedagogical tool, and stronger than a policy insight, ecopoetry enters our hearts and minds. As a collective ecocritical manoeuvre, ecopoetry can provoke discourse on ‘truths’ that we would rather ignore. What matters is what we choose to do with those deeply uncomfortable dialogues. As a first step for ecopedagogical education, ecopoetry can brings us all closer to an intentionality to act as planetary stewards. The disturbing reality of the eroding health of ‘our’ river had demonstrable emotional impact on participants. Animated discussions translated into inclinations towards collaborative action in community. Ecopoetry therefore has the capacity to unsettle conventional assumptions amongst responsible citizens and stimulate ecoliterate discourse that asks us all to question our human contribution towards failing earth-systems. This can inspire grassroots activism, community-based ecological initiatives and cultural shifts that may instigate policy change from ecocentric values emerging in place. Ecopoetry functions as a powerful interdisciplinary pedagogy. It provides a creative, critical stimulus for ecocentric reorientation that has educational, ecological and ethical merit across the boundaries of art and science and beyond academia. It is universally accessible and has the power to disseminate knowledge in deeply transformative ways. Whilst I hope that the focus of my dissertation might benefit action-researchers contemplating ecocentric praxis with ecopoetry, my personal aim was to gain confidence as a novice facilitator in community to advance educating for sustainability in reality. We are in a crisis of purpose in education. We are currently educating for a world in wrong-relationship with nature. Poetry has always been in relationship with the natural world. This evaluation has uncovered the potential of ecopoetry to educate for ecosystem relationality and eco-conscious transformation. The power of ecopoetry can therefore be mobilized as an ecopedagogy for the survival of all life on earth. Our future resilience, as humans on this planet, requires us to learn earth-centred ways together. A necessary resurgence, requires a shift away from a dominant human-centred education. Ecopoetry can galvanise communities to act for nature.

The well-being of children is of increasing concern to parents, healthcare professionals, policy makers and educators. Set amongst the backdrop of a global pandemic, today, children are subject to considerable stress through inhabiting a landscape of worry and pressure. Schools and teachers alike have embraced the challenge of ensuring the well-being of their pupils is supported. This research delves into the concept of well-being and its importance within a primary school in Greater Manchester. It looks at teacher and pupil perspectives of well-being and the strategies used to support well-being within the school. The findings highlighted the important role teachers play in supporting the well-being of pupils in their classes. It found well-being was recognised as an important topic within the school. Teachers’ roles in promoting positive well-being amongst pupils was seen as vitally important by both teachers and pupils. It also recognised the impact well-being can have on learning. It identified pupils in the school had developed a strong understanding of their well-being in regards to what makes them happy and what makes them sad. The results also showed pupils have a growing knowledge of the strategies that they can use to support their well-being on a daily basis. The research found teachers in the school were skilled in their approaches to supporting well-being and used their understanding of individual needs to find strategies to best support their pupils. Finally, it found that well-being in this school was best supported when developed as a whole-school approach and ethos. The strategies long established within the school clearly help in supporting both teachers and pupils. However, there is still a reliance on teachers being adaptable and creative in their approaches to support well-being due to the lack of resources and time constraints placed on them in a crowded curriculum.

Visual depiction of impact is provided:

The aim of the study was to find out the perceptions of mainstream secondary school teaching assistants (TAs) in England about neurodiversity, which is a different way of thinking and processing information, and the implications on their educational practice. The population selected was mainstream secondary school TAs recruited through emailing a number of different schools and posting on social media. The sample consisted of seven female TAs with between 2 and 29 years of experience from across England including Lancashire, Greater Manchester and Cheshire, South Gloucestershire, Kent and Kirklees. The approach of the study was qualitative, because it interviewed TAs using a semi structured format for 45 to 60 minutes online. After this, the researcher analysed the transcriptions using Reflexive Thematic Analysis, a 6-step method which allowed for the identification of patterns across the data and the creation of four themes. These themes were the ambiguity of neurodiversity, personal motivations of the TAs, school attitudes and practice, and neurodiversity and the label. The main findings firstly, were the lack of clarity surrounding the umbrella terms associated with neurodiversity in education. The literature corroborated this by highlighting that the current clinical interpretations have permeated into schools by perceiving that SEND is based on the idea of a deficit rather than individual differences. The ambiguity in the information given to TAs meant that they were reliant on their own personal study and experiences to understand neurodiversity. This has contributed to the need to promote individual differences within educational policy and practice. Secondly, it was found that current educational policy in England had a significant impact on the way TAs supported neurodivergent students. The literature emphasised that these constraints may have developed because the focus on attainment within schools has allowed for class teachers to deploy the TA without sufficient training and causing neurodivergent students to complete tasks rather than developing skill competencies. As a consequence, this has caused the role of a TA to be undervalued by the Department for Education and subsequently created a culture where the TAs blur the lines of their roles and often lead teaching and learning activities. Additionally, the literature emphasised that both academic self-concept and achievement need to be fostered because the constraints of policy and funding are impacting the mental health of neurodivergent students. Furthermore, the TAs highlighted there was a need for change, and the literature substantiated this but emphasis that it may not be possible without a whole redesign of the education system. Consequently, the study has raised important questions about the ways that educators and clinicians may work collaboratively to identify how the individual differences of neurodivergent students are understood within each context using cognitive and neuroscientific principles. Hence, it was recommended that there was a need for more training on neurodiversity for all educational professionals and not just the TAs. However, further research will be necessary to understand the perceptions of educational professionals about cognitive psychological principles such as executive functioning and theory of mind in order for training to address the key gaps in this knowledge.

There are a number of demographics that this research would benefit in particular, policymakers, schools, educational professionals, teachers, TAs. The policymakers would benefit because it highlights that there is a need for change in the current understanding of inclusion from the deficit model to individual differences of neurodivergent students. This research has also emphasised the cultural impact of reducing the stereotypical assumptions about neurodiversity by addressing the shift from current perceptions of deficit to individual differences. The research would also benefit schools because it acknowledges the constraints that are affecting the professionals in their workforce in particular political policies and funding. The impact for schools could be perceived as educational through their need to advocate for further funded and necessary training. Teachers would also benefit from this research educationally, because it highlights the impact a TA has when deployed to address the neurodivergent students’ needs and acknowledging the voice education and experience of the TA.

Vygotsky (1978) argues that the social interaction a child has is essential for cognitive development. An important tool to aid this is communication. Vygotsky (1978) also invented the concept Zone of Proximal Development. This process indicates what a child can do with and without assistant of a more knowledgeable person. Vygotsky’s (1978) theory resulted in researchers and practitioners indicating the importance of communication in aiding learning in education, resulting in the emphasis of using collaborative learning in the classroom. Collaborative learning is a tool which allows students to communicate with each other by defining concepts, challenging ideas and asking questions, resulting in the sharing of knowledge, students achieving their learning goal and the development of social and communication skills. Teachers are considered important in enabling successful collaboration in the classroom. But teachers do not consistently implement this method due to its challenges, such as curriculum demands, time and practical constraints. This study explored how primary school teachers facilitate collaborative learning for SEND children. Five primary school teachers were recruited. Semi-Structured were conducted on Zoom and participants provided consent prior the interviews. The interviews followed an interview schedule and were audio record, anonymised and transcribed. Once data was collected, reflective thematic analysis was conducted, leading to the identification of codes and five themes: the organisation of collaborative learning, providing support to SEND children during collaborative learning, the challenges of collaborative learning, training and support and the benefits of collaborative learning. The findings from this study suggests that teachers have a clear process when facilitating collaborative learning. This involves teachers’ planning collaborative learning by considering the suitability of subjects and the organisation of the children. Moreover, teachers provide support to SEND children to allow them to effectively take part in collaborative learning. For example, they monitor, question, prompt and lead groups. Teachers also use a range of resources, such as Colourful Semantics and Social Stories, and collaborative learning methods, like Talk Partner and Think Pair Share, to provide additional support for SEND children. However, teachers also encounter a range of challenges when facilitating collaborative learning for SEND children. The most significant challenge are social and communication needs becoming a barrier for children to access collaborative learning. As a result, children may demonstrate disruptive behaviour and an unwillingness to participate, which can become challenging for teachers to monitor and manage. Nevertheless, teachers try to overcome these challenge by understanding the needs of the children and using training and support from the SENDCO, but this can be limited. Teachers consider it important to overcome these challenges because of the benefits of collaborative learning for SEND children. Collaborative learning allows SEND children to develop their team working, communication and social skills, resulting in improved peer relationships, a growth in self-esteem and resilience and the inclusion of SEND children in mainstream classroom. However, more training is needed for teachers to allow them to build their confidence in using different collaborative methods and ensure collaborative learning can be accessed by all. This study adds to the research surrounding collaborative learning, but also addresses the research gaps in this area, as there is little research about collaborative learning and SEND children. This study did have a small sample size, meaning futures studies are needed to expand these findings. Future studies should involve understanding the experiences of teachers who have worked with students with severe communication and social needs, like mutism, as well as listening to the experiences of students with communication and social needs to further understand the challenges and benefits of collaborative learning.

This dissertation can have potential impact on the learning practices in the classroom. Teachers, senior leadership teams, SENDCOs and other educational practitioners can benefit from the findings. These practitioners can develop their understanding about how teachers effectively facilitate collaborative learning and its importance within the classroom in aiding SEND children’s academic attainment and development. Furthermore, the findings show the importance of senior leadership teams and other educational practitioners providing a range of training and support for teachers. Teachers want to incorporate collaborative learning but find it challenging due to the lack of training and support. By providing training and support, teachers can develop their teaching practices, knowledge of collaborative learning methods and understanding of how to ensure all children participate. This will allow teachers to become more confidence in facilitating collaborative learning, resulting in a classroom which promotes child centred learning, allows for children to develop their communication and social skills, increases peer relationships and promotes inclusivity of all.

This study set out on a mission to make sure that every child regardless of their special needs, gets the best education possible. The aim was to gain an understanding of the challenges faced during the EHCNA process and to check if EHCPs were good at supporting children. By doing so, children’s educational experiences could be improved. It was found that the process of assessing a child’s SEND can take a long time, much longer than it should. Which was frustrating for everyone, including parents and teachers. The study highlighted the importance of everyone who was involved in the EHCNA to work together and communicate throughout. This would lead to better outcomes for children. For children with SEND, it was found that help from a one-to-one TA can make a huge difference on their learning journey. But sometimes, money and other issues made this difficult. That meant children were waiting for a long time to receive help. Several conclusions were drawn from the research. The way children are assessed and supported needs to change. The process needs to speed up so that children can receive help quickly. Teachers, parents and experts need to work closely together to provide better help. A faster process is recommended to make sure children receive help quickly. Every child deserves a chance to shine, and with the right support, they can.

This study delved into the challenges faced by children with SEND in the context of the EHCNA process. The aim was to understand complexities of the process, identify areas that need improvement and propose actionable recommendations for positive change. Through extensive interviews and analysis, critical insights were found on the lives of children with SEND and the struggles they face with the EHCNA process. The process often takes much longer than statutory guidelines, causing delays in support for children. Effective communication and collaboration is essential among educators, parents and experts for creating tailored support plans. Improved communication can lead to better outcomes for children with SEND. Limited resources, especially financial support, hinder the provision of necessary TA support for children with SEND, potentially affecting their learning experiences. The implications of this research extend far beyond academia and into the lives of children, parents, educators and policy makers. By highlighting the prolonged assessment process, this research underscored the urgency of expediting assessments to ensure children receive timely support. Implementing this change can significantly impact children’s educational journeys. Improved communication and collaboration among educators, parents and experts can lead to better-informed decisions, resulting in more effective support plans and better outcomes for children with SEND. Identifying resource constraints in providing TAs for children with SEND emphasises the need for allocating adequate funds to support these children effectively. This research provides clear recommendations for stakeholders. To implement measures to expedite the EHCNA process leading to timely support for children. Encourage and facilitate better communication and collaboration between all those involved in the EHCNA process in order to create comprehensive support plans. Advocate for increased funding and resource allocation to provide necessary support to children with SEND. To conclude, this research serves as a call to action. By addressing the challenges faced by children with SEND and proposing concrete recommendations, this research has the potential to bring about positive change on how we support children on their education journeys. The ultimate goal is to ensure that every child, regardless of their special needs, receives equitable access to quality education and a chance to thrive.

The United Kingdom is a destination that attracts a vast amount of migrants for a variety of reasons. A high number of the migrants arriving in the UK are children who will access education, for instance, in 2019, 6% of children under the age of 18 had been born abroad (Fernández-Reino, 2020), whereas the majority of these children were non-English speakers. Additionally, a high number of children who attend schools come from families where at least one of the parents was born abroad (Fernández-Reino, 2020). As a consequence, these children will be required to learn the English language. The children who speak a different language from English are considered to have English as an Additional Language (EAL); however, they are expected to access education in the same way as English speaking counterparts. This, as a consequence, influences schools and more specifically classrooms. For that reason, this research aims to understand how teachers and teaching assistants in the Early Years Foundation Stage perceive EAL children and whether their teaching styles and approaches differ when teaching EAL children or English speakers. It also aims to understand whether practitioners recognise their ability to support EAL children and if they are aware of the EAL policies and guidance. In order to understand practitioners’ perceptions, asynchronous online surveys were applied to obtain information about how practitioners’ experience teaching EAL children in EYFS influences their practice. A selection criteria was stablished which intended to obtain information from practitioners who have experience working in EYFS with EAL children in state-maintained mainstream schools. Practitioners were contacted via email and social media, and they voluntarily decided to participate in the research. Although 129 participants replied to the online survey, only 51 questionnaires were fully completed, therefore, the rest Practitioners’ perceptions of EAL children in EYFS were removed. Once the data was collected and the unfinished questionnaires were removed, Thematic Analysis (TA) was used. Through the data analysis the following themes and subthemes emerged: Practitioners’ experience and language knowledge; Practitioners’ perceptions of EAL children and Effective ways of supporting EAL children. Following the analysis of the themes and subthemes, and according to the previous literature, it seems that EYFS practitioners believe they can adequately support EAL children. Practitioners believe that EAL children are a positive asset in the EYFS classroom because they bring diversity so children can learn from the different cultures, religions, languages or traditions. Regarding the EAL policies and guidance, EYFS practitioners thought that more specific training was needed to better support EAL children, mainly in the first years of teaching. They also suggested that schools and Local Authorities should provide more support to practitioners to ensure that EAL children access appropriate education.

This research focused on practitioners’ perceptions and their approaches to teaching EAL children in the EYFS. However, not only EYFS practitioners may benefit from this research, but all of the practitioners, because schools are constantly welcoming children arriving at any stage to their schools and they may not know English. Although practitioners may think they can support EAL children during their learning, it is important they acknowledge their lack of training, and they are capable to seek support from their own school or their local authorities. However, not only practitioners but also schools may benefit from this research. Practitioners seemed to know how to support EAL children in EYFS classrooms and they thought they were able to use approaches that were helpful for EAL children and benefited their learning. However, practitioners may need further guidance to ensure that EAL children receive the right support needed. Finally, EAL children may benefit from this research, since practitioners may become aware of their lack of training and understanding which will encourage them to improve. Practitioners accessing EAL training will positively impact their practice and consequently influence children’s learning.

The cost of living crisis means more and more people, especially young people of colour’s (YPOC’s) families, cannot afford things like food and heating. Studies suggest this probably affects YPOC’s feelings, thoughts, relationships, and self-identity at school, or more simply, their wellbeing. However, no psychology studies have actually asked YPOC themselves how the cost of living crisis affects their wellbeing in school. Therefore, this study aimed to do this, whilst also asking how schools can support YPOC’s wellbeing right now. Twenty-three YPOC from a sixth-form in Northern England talked about these topics in seven focus groups. To avoid upsetting YPOC, the researcher did not ask them about their personal experiences, but asked questions about YPOC in general and YPOC characters in realistic stories. The groups were audio recorded and the recordings analysed, to understand the most common and meaningful answers. YPOC were described to feel constantly bad at school, including feeling stressed, guilty, worried, tired, not relaxed, and not content. Some YPOC feel trapped, hopeless, and unable to be normal kids. YPOC already have fewer opportunities in life, but YPOC feel the cost of living crisis makes this even worse. YPOC also feel socially isolated, left out, and can’t talk to friends. They compare themselves to better-off friends, making them feel worse. YPOC know their parents are struggling and try to help by cutting down spending and hiding their emotions. They feel judged by peers and embarrassed when asking teachers for help. These findings all fit with research about how poverty affects YPOC’s wellbeing, but one main finding builds on previous studies. The cost of living crisis adds financial pressure and intensifies cultural pressures on YPOC - things like shame, family honour, and feeling obliged to succeed academically and make parents’ immigration worth it. YPOC feel this pressure at school, reducing their wellbeing. YPOC described that schools can reduce pressure on YPOC by providing financial and pastoral support. Financial support should pay enough, be easy to access, and not make YPOC feel bad for getting help. Pastoral support should be reliable, available, private, and understanding. YPOC wanted schools to hire more POC staff, whose cultural connection with YPOC makes them more supportive. Overall, YPOC described the cost of living crisis to negatively affect their wellbeing at school in many ways, including making them feel very pressured. YPOC described how schools can support them financially and pastorally, and schools should consider how to improve their support based on this. Further research is needed to understand how different kinds of YPOC are affected differently by the cost of living crisis.

Academically, this study benefits psychology and education researchers. By providing rich preliminary understandings of YPOC’s wellbeing during the COLC and theoretically conceptualising these, this study both addresses a research gap and provides future research directions. Publishing findings in a journal article as intended will disseminate findings more widely. Educationally, this study benefits schools, indicating they must consider how their policies and procedures impact YPOC affectively and relationally. It recommends schools follow CPAG (2022) guidelines to prevent support procedures being ostracising, marginalising, and altogether ineffective. It highlights the importance of schools directly consulting YPOC about this to better understand and meet YPOC’s needs. Moreover, it suggests YPOC want schools to employ more pastoral staff who are culturally connected to YPOC. Teachers and pastoral staff also benefit. YPOC constructed the various characteristics of supportive staff; staff can reflect on these and evaluate which characteristics they are demonstrating and which they could moreso. Additionally, the study raises White staff’s awareness and understanding of YPOC’s realities, hopefully creating more empathic appreciation of the pressures on YPOC and changing perceptions of YPOC students. Findings will be disseminated to staff at the participants’ college during a staff meeting to maximise this impact locally. Socially, this study benefits students. For participants themselves, the study provided an experience they can reflect on in university applications, that may motivate them to pursue research or psychology careers, and that hopefully reinforced that voicing their subjective realities is important. For white students, it raises awareness and understanding of YPOC peers’ experiences, thus hopefully changing their perceptions of and behaviours towards them (e.g. being less stigmatising/judgmental). Findings will be verbally disseminated to participants and their peers to maximise this impact locally.

There has been a concern from professionals about the rising numbers of school exclusions over the past decade, with permanent primary school exclusions having risen by seventy percent in the last year alone. Alarmingly, primary school children eligible for Free School Meals are six times more likely to be permanently excluded from school compared with their non-eligible peers. This dissertation examines the literature on what this means for pupils in their future life - in terms of academic attainment, health and life beyond school – to demonstrate that strategies need to be found to curtail these figures. By using a mixed-methods approach of interviewing six teachers and one room leader at a Pupil Referral Unit, and a desk-based literature review, it was able to conclude on, and recommend, a number of strategies that primary school practitioners can effectively use to limit the rate of school exclusions amongst disadvantaged children. Namely, these are: reviewing school policy and its day-to-day enactment; the use of behaviour-specific praise; utilising counselling, communication and language programmes and nurture groups; and providing staff with bespoke training which is tailored to individual school’s needs. Moreover, it is also recommended that the Department for Education review their funding that they allocate schools; particularly considering support packages for schools so that they have the resourcing and staffing to effectively implement evidence-informed strategies, which have the potential to limit school exclusions. These findings suggest that the levels of school exclusions in primary schools in England can decrease, with effective implementation of the aforementioned strategies.

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