Sam James

There are many things which bother me about the Attitude to Learning canteen story, but actually there is something which bothers me more than the queue itself. Firstly, the attitude to learning (ATL) scales themselves. I’ve looked at several schools. Top grades on ATL are given for things like ‘I pay attention at all times’ and ‘I plan ahead and work towards my goals’ ‘I check all my work carefully’ and low grades are given for ‘I am disorganised’, ‘I rarely set goals for myself’ and ‘I am easily distracted’. This is a measure of executive functioning, not attitude. Executive functioning comes with maturity and is much harder for some than others. Those for whom it is harder or slower to develop will sometimes, but not always, meet criteria for a diagnosis of ADHD. It’s normal for teenagers to have immature executive functioning. It’s part of what their brains are developing during adolescence. Making them feel bad about it won’t help that and will introduce shame and anxiety. Next, ‘attitude’ when it comes to children is usually a euphemism for ‘compliance’. The only attitude which is really valued is that of accepting what adults say and doing what you are told. Enthusiasm about adult suggestions, and polite helpfulness. We don’t value attitudes which challenge the status quo, or which refuse to put up with petty rules. Attitude to learning grades seem to combine compliance with executive functioning. The other part which concerns me is how these scores are being made visible and therefore potentially part of each child’s identity. In the Brighton and Hove story, all children were given a photo ID with their ATL score on it. Just think about what it would be like if you were given a photo ID at work with a number on it relating to how you did in your last appraisal. You’d literally carry it around with you. You could see the numbers of your colleagues. How might that make you feel about yourself and those you work with? If you got a high score, would you feel superior? If you got a low score, would you feel resentful or angry with those who gain approval? Would you perhaps start to dislike them, just for getting those high scores which indicate they are liked by senior management? My last question is what these scores are for. Are they meant to be an intervention? For if scores for ATL work to improve attitudes, then by Year 10 and 11, everyone should get the top score. Five years is a very long time to carry out a behavioural intervention. Attitudes and behaviour should improve between Year 7 and Year 11 and the scores should no longer be necessary. Is that what we see? Behavioural interventions should work, usually within weeks or at the most months. There should be an improvement over time and the intervention should no longer be needed. If they aren’t becoming unnecessary, then they may just be punitive. No learning is happening and it’s time to think again. brightonandhovenews.org/2024…

A parent messaged me today with the copy of a letter from their child's school. Any child who doesn't have all the right equipment on any day will get a demerit and an automatic hour long detention after school. How many adults would like that policy in their workplace? Would it help you to organise yourself? Or might it make you highly anxious?

Teachers are getting in touch to tell me about their experiences of high-control school environments. The most striking part of it for me is that they tell me that they are scared of speaking out and so they won't post in response to my posts for fear of the professional consequences. They tell me that this punitive culture we hear of for our young people also applies to them. Their behaviour is also being micro-managed and they are being prevented from developing relationships with young people in their care. They are being made to do things which they think have a negative impact on young people - immediate detentions for uniform infractions for a young person who they know has really struggled to get into school, for example. They say that their school environment has become increasingly negative for both them and young people. They tell me that they feel that their professional autonomy is being taken away from them and they are being told that the way to be a good teacher is to follow scripts and use high control strategies. They say they are having to give children behaviour points for entirely normal, childish behaviour. Many of them are telling me that this was not what they went into teaching for. They, like our young people, want something different.