Is the role of the Social Justice Leaderto

Respect or DisruptNurture or Challenge?

Sheila Laing, HeadteacherPrestonpans Infant School

1 Journey of a Social Justice Leader

2 How I understand Social Justice

3 Creating a Socially Just school

4 Dilemmas in Social Justice practice

Prestonpans Infant School

• 300 P1-3 + 120 Nursery

• Was area of high employment from the land – mining, fishing, soap and salt production

• Been area of high unemployment now changing + new homes

• FME 28%• SMID 36% in the poorest

20% in 2009

1/4 West Pilton Park - my home 80-88

© jim@streetsofedinburgh.co.uk

with permissionSMID 95% in the poorest 20% in 2008

My contexts as headteacher

Inchview, West Pilton 2001 - 2003 Forthview, West Pilton 2003 - 2009

Musselburgh 2009 - 2011

Prestonpans Infants 2011 - now

Brofenbenner’s Ecological

Systems Theory(1979)

Thompson’s Theory of

Discrimination (2003)

Emotional Literacy Morris (2004)

Benjamin & Emejulu

(2012)

Cribbs & Gewirtz (2003)

Westheimer and Kahne (2004)

Macro Level Structural   Redistribution Distributive Justice

Justice Oriented Citizen

Meso Level Cultural Discriminatio

n

Sense of Belonging

 

Recognition of Groups

Cultural Justice Participatory Citizen

Micro Level Personal Discriminatio

n

Sense of SelfSense of Personal

Power

Recognition of Individuals

Participative Justice

Developmental Justice

(Woods 2005)

Personally Responsible

Citizen

POWER

Who’s in?

Who’s out?

Who elseis out?

Who elseis out?

Who’s out?

Child Poverty Strategy for Scotland 2011

‘Growing up in poverty can have a profound, lasting impact on children’s outcomes.. Not simply because of the exclusion poverty brings but … with interconnected issues such as stress and poor health.

Our main aims are to maximise household resources and improve children’s wellbeing and life chances…. to tackle intergenerational cycles of deprivation.’

20 % Scots children living in poverty

(Executive Summary of the OECD Report on the Quality and Equity of Schooling in Scotland, Dec 2007)

“A major challenge facing Scottish schools is to reduce the achievement gap that opens up about Primary 5 and continues to widen throughout the junior secondary years (S1 to S4).

Children from poorer communities and low socio-economic status homes are more likely than others to under-achieve, while the gap associated with poverty and deprivation in local government areas appears to be very wide.”

So how are we going to raise that attainment?

We are the children of Forthview School

August 2003

Mental HealthHousingPovertyWelfare

Youth alienationUnemployment

We ALL do.

12 with single parents, 2 Looked After & Accommodated,

1 low attender, 6 minority ethnic, 3 SEBD, 3 ADHD

Closing the Gap

EL confirms

what we know.

Learning cannot happen unless

the more basic

needs for physical

and emotional nurturing are met.

Maslow’s hierarchy of needs

Nurturing the child for

Learning

QuietnessFeeling Book

Quiet AssemblyQuiet Room + Artist

MeditationEnvironmental Garden

Calm Down After Lunch

PlayPlayroom

Environmental GardenAstroturf

Playground Buddies Play in the Early Years

Safety and SecurityTELL and we’ll listen

‘The Village’Child Protection

Looked After ChildrenPlayroom Club

Anti Racist/Bullying ethosPlace2Be

Blackford Brae Community Support TeamNurture Group

Diverse Learners Cool Movers

Chit Chat ClubMultiple I ntelligences / Golden Time

Use of I TI EPs

creative support for individualsdevelop pupils’ nurturing personas

Love and Belonging respect, warmth and a cuddle

Greet and FarewellFiona and J im

12 Learning AssistantsAll of us

Pupil Council

PhysiologyBreakfast Club

WaterAir/ temperature/ lighting

Sweets/Fizz banFree Fruit

Good Health WeeksMorning RunBrain Gym

Babies and NappiesSleep

Collegiate ManagementProfessional Discussions

Sharing our learningShared Decision Making

Wellbeing of staff

Partnership with Parents/Carers

Family Support Teacher

Parent/Carer Guides

Parent/Carer groups

Parent/Carer/child groups

Emotional Literacy

curriculum

deer ong san soochee

I am sad yoo ar in jail

my dad is to

I hope they let you oot

D

Dr Sein Win, President in Exile

Children’s idea to support Burma’s Saffron Revolution in 2007

We co-wrote the only Anglo-Burmese children’s book

funded byAwards for All

Recognition of Groups

Cultural Justice

Participatory Citizens

Professional Dialogue on Learning

Family Support Teacher in Parent Room

Elsa Auerbach Towards a socio-contextual approach to Family Literacy

in Harvard Educational Review Vol 59:2 May 1989

“Auerbach argues that ..many family literacy programs (which she sees operating as ‘Transmission of School Practices’ models) function under a new version of the ‘deficit hypothesis’ which assumes that parents lack the essential skills to promote school success in their children.

Auerbach presents a social contextual approach in which community concerns and cultural practices inform curriculum development.” ‘How can we draw on parents’ knowledge and experience to inform instruction?’

Sir Harry Burns, ex Chief Medical Officer, Scotland

Forthview Attainment

2005 2006 2007 2008

Reading 60% 66% 65% 70%

Writing 49% 57% 55% 64%

Maths 64% 75% 75% 76%

Attainment in the previous 2 schools had been 45 – 54%

Personal Discrimination

Cultural Discrimination

Structural Discrimination

Recognition of IndividualsPersonally Responsible Citizen

Participatory Citizen

Redistribution Justice Oriented Citizen

Experiences and Outcomes?

4 Capacities?

Professional Discussions?

Parents? Communities?Children?

It’s ayways been?We’ve always done it this way.

Friendships and relationships Manners and social skills How to deal with losing/sportsmanship Responsibility, Respect and RulesTo include everyone regardless of background; sexuality, ethnic background, beliefs To learn that all people are different and be accepting of all To be considerate, to help others, play kindly with othersKnow that’s it’s OK to talk about feelings and worries if they need to.To value what they have and not take it for grantedCommon sense

Wee Pans Parents’Powerful Knowledge

Which of these3 religions

do you want to learn about?

Cultural Justice & Recognition of groups

I’m getting bored with the Jesus play, want to do a different one. Parents might not want to hear it over and over again. It isn’t fair if people don’t believe in it so do another play so people can fit in and have a good time.

I’d be sad not doing the Christian one but I am quite excited to do a different one.

We’d like to do Jesus because we care about him. The Jesus one because we did it in P1 and P2 so why don’t they want to do it in P3?

Addressing Cultural & Racial Discrimination

Addressing Cultural & Racial Discrimination

Challenging Discrimination

Ms Laing,

Peter says Mr N is gay,

eh he’s not?

Quality Family Time Opportunities

Saturday morning150 dads and their kids

To play together

Participative Justice

Cultural Justice

Distributive Justice

Challenges for Social Justice Leaders

• The lack of strategic national interest• National and local narrow focus on performance• Looking for simple, prescriptive answers• Inheriting a school with hierarchical attitudes and

structures• Too many staff with a limited worldview and poverty

of ambition for children• Dissonance and dilemma and complexity• Knowing which battles are worth fighting

What helps Social Justice Leaders

• Being politically aware

• Freedom to innovate in our local contexts

• Partnership working with other SJ practitioners

• Social Justice embedded in the Professional Standards

• Events like this and the possibility of a network for Social Justice in Education

Sir Harry Burns, ex Chief Medical Officer, Scotland