Transcript Slide 1
Why Well-being?
An examination of what helps us flourish
So, how are you?
A conversation
Activity 2: Student Views
Are we getting it right?
What are we here for?
What would education look like if promoting people’s well-being was one of the government’s main aims?
What is well-being?
• An empty concept?
• New age hippie idea, irrelevant to education?
• An important term with wide ranging implications?
• A contested concept?
• General happiness and life satisfaction?
• A social and cultural construction?
• Does it mean the same thing for adults/children/young people?
• “Positive and sustainable characteristics which enable individuals and organizations to thrive and flourish” (Well-Being Institute at the University of Cambridge) • “…a focus on the social and emotional aspects of effective learning, such as self-awareness, managing feelings, motivation, empathy and social skills. These five aspects of learning, identified within the SEAL framework, make an important contribution to personal wellbeing.” (QCA PSHE Curriculum Key Stage 4)
What helps us to thrive?
• Studies suggest; – A good marriage – The company of friends – Rewarding work – Sufficient money – A good diet – Physical activity – Sound sleep – Engaging leisure – Religious or spiritual belief – Optimism – Trust – Respect – Clear goals – Sense of belonging – Gratitude – Kindness – …..
From The Well-being Manifesto http://www.wellbeingmanifesto.net/wellbeing.htm
Another conversation… over lunch
• Over three days a number of statements looking at different parts of this issue were placed around the staffroom for people to talk about and comment on… • Key observations – support, happiness, being well at work – Line managers/others showing an interest – Praise – Support from SMT – Clear guidelines/rules – Help from others – A sense of achievement – Enjoyment – Doing your best – Tea/alcohol – Feeling successful – Appearance – Meaningful work – Being valued • How you feel, impact of how you feel on work – Not wanting to here – Not sleeping – Shit – Sick – kids make you feel like it anyway – Don’t want to talk about it now – Undervalued – Isolated lack of motivation • What helps students – Order in the classroom – Acknowledging their lives outside of school – An early night – Support from home – Feeling safe – SMT – Teachers who have time
Well-being indicators
• What things would tell us how the students were doing?
Well-being indicators
• 1970s beginnings of social indicators in quality of life movement; – material resources – social and environmental relationships – subjective experience • Overcoming adversity and happiness • Measure what matters (Well-being Manifesto, New Economics Foundation, 2004) • Personal Well-being Index for School Age Children and Adolescents (Cummins and Lau, 2005) – standard of living, health, life achievement, personal relationships, personal safety, community connectedness, future security • An Index of Child Well-being in the EU (Jonathon Bradshaw, 2007) – material situation, housing, health, subjective well-being, education, children’s relationships, civic participation, risk and safety
Where does the UK stand?
• 21 st out of 25 EU countries in Bradshaw et al’s study (2006) • Last in the UNICEF Innocenti Report Card on Child
Well-Being in Rich Countries ( see table )
• Does it matter?
• Is it useful to compare ourselves to other countries?
• Is it the same then for educational institutions?
• Risks? Benefits?
Personal and social well-being by age group, for regions of Europe
National Accounts of Well-being, NEF, 2009
School-level Indicators
• Schools have a statutory duty to promote the well-being of their pupils * • Schools are concerned with the development of the whole child and young person • Recognising, for example, that pupils’ self-confidence, social skills and resilience not only contribute to their achievement but are important in their own right • Schools invariably acknowledge that their work is not confined to promoting their pupils’ achievement • Since September 2005, the self-evaluation form (SEF) used by schools has prompted them to consider and evaluate their success in achieving the five ECM outcomes for their children and young people * The information on this page comes predominantly from the Ofsted consultation document ‘Indicators of a school’s contribution to well-being’ 2008
School-level indicators
• From September 2009 school-level indicators of well-being will be used as a part of Ofsted’s school inspection framework • Ofsted will be looking for evidence that evaluates the school’s contribution to promoting pupil well-being • Two kinds of school-level indicator are proposed: indicators relating to quantified outcomes; and indicators based on the perceptions of pupils and parents, relating to the Every Child Matters (ECM) outcomes themselves and the school’s contribution to them; – the school’s overall attendance rate for the most recent school year – percentage of persistent absentees – rate of permanent exclusion – take-up of school lunches – percentage of pupils doing at least 2 hours per week of PE or sport – post-16 progression measures – pupil and parent perceptions
Where does Thomas Tallis stand?
• What do the staff say?
• What do the students say?
• Do the indicators work for us?
– Our performance as per the indicators for 2008-2009; • Overall attendance = • Persistent absentees = • Permanent exclusions = • Take-up of school lunches = • Percentage doing 2 hrs or more or physical activity = • Post-16 progression = • Other measures? Health Related Behaviour Survey?
• What do they point to? What do they miss out?