Teachers’ perspectives on children’s wellbeing in a neoliberal school system.

Presenter: Ruth Arundel

Supplementary resources: Slides

MA Research into transition from KS2 to KS3 for vulnerable children

Presenter: Ahman Kar

Abstract:

Primary to secondary school transition has been recognised not only as a pivotal moment in a child’s life, but also an area of concern in recent years. At present, there is evidence indicating that during this transition, many children are placed in a position where they are at risk of experiencing a negative impact on wellbeing; particularly those belonging to vulnerable groups.

With momentum being picked up more so in the present day on children’s well-being due to increasing numbers of children experiencing anxiety around the matter (Deieso and Fraser, 2018), the present research aimed to investigate how vulnerable children’s wellbeing is supported at the point of transition from primary to secondary school. Adopting a pragmatic epistemological position, this paper sought to contribute to the understanding of what vulnerabilities children display during the point of transition, and whether their understanding of change and social skills could be promoted positively following a series of interventions. Through a combination of mixed-methods data collection, a group of 8 children were surveyed, interviewed and given intervention, in addition to interviewing a range of staff members to understand the process from differing perspectives. Findings indicated that interventions focusing on alleviating concerns and promoting coping skills benefitted children, better preparing them for transition. The implications of findings are discussed and further recommendations for research are considered, in addition to the limitations of the current study.

The Translation of Cognitive Science to the Classroom: Reflections on the EEF Cognitive Science in the Classroom Review

Presenter: Tom Perry

Supplementary resources: Cognitive Science Presentation