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New approaches that bring success

I am headteacher of a school that has successfully implemented three of the strategies that other schools are being encouraged to adopt (the new SEN strategy, workforce remodelling and the primary strategy).

We are a federated mainstream and special school that has seen positive results from the new SEN stategy. We work with children with profound and multiple learning disabilities, severe learning disabilities and moderate learning disabilities, with a specialist provision for autism.

Two years ago, we implemented workforce remodelling: our teaching assistants now lead groups and classes in both mainstream and specialist classes.

The primary strategy has also brought us results: we teach the way children learn and it works.

I am keen to tell other schools that these approaches bring success to the children and the whole school community. They are good ideas that work. If you want to know more, get in touch — we are itching to tell you.

Dianne Greenwood, Abbeyfields School, Morpeth
tel: 01670 513 582

Machine madness

With regard to your article on the eating habits of school children ('Obesity: 8 effective ways...', Issue 32, May 2004), most schools make healthy food available but also have vending machines. These bring in revenue but also bring the dreaded 'e' numbers and create an obesity problem. They have to go. While they're there, the temptation for pupils is too great. We have to think of other ways of attracting revenue.

Joan Hardy, Nottingham 

The DfES responds: Guidance entitled Commercial activities in schools: best practice principles is available to help parents, teachers, school governing bodies, LEAs and businesses to identify best practice and to ensure that commercial objective is consistent with genuine educational benefits.

The DfES, together with the Department of Health, is also jointly funding a Food in Schools (FiS) programme, which includes looking at options for healthy vending machines. The findings, due in 2005, will feed into good practice that will be widely disseminated to provide schools with the skills they need to promote a clear and consistent message about diet and nutrition within the classroom.

A pocketful of advice

Thank you for the excellent feature on behaviour management (Issue 31, March 2004). I kept it with me throughout the day and referred to it often. I found the strategies to be very effective. For the first time in ages, I felt relaxed teaching classes with difficult students, and they were happier too.

I'd like to see a regular, monthly section on behaviour management in the magazine. I think it is an area that many teachers find difficult and need to work on.

Dina, London

Water works for voice training

I would just like to reply to Peter Dorr's letter about voice training in Teachers (Issue 32, May 2004).

As a trainee teacher on the graduate teacher programme with the London North Consortium (LoNoCo) last year, we had a whole afternoon dedicated to voice training. A wonderful voice coach spent the afternoon teaching us how to project our voices. The most important piece of advice given was that we should drink at least two litres of water per day.

Colleen Gleeson (NQT), Wanstead

For voice care tips, visit www.teachersupport.info/index.cfm?p=2967

The price of experience

I have just read 'The benefits of being a marker' (Teachers, Issue 32, May 2004). In the interests of balanced reporting, I would like to share my experience of being an (ex) marker for Key Stage 2 science papers.

As a new venture, I did a careful time audit, covering the overall task. I discovered that the rate of pay was less than £7.00 per hour (before tax). A phone call to the Post Office revealed that I would have received more had I spent the time as a Parcel Force driver, delivering the scripts to markers.

If the examining authorities agreed to pay professional people a professional rate, maybe they would not have to campaign each year with noble sounding promotions to recruit so many new markers and could, instead, rely on the experience of a more regular workforce.

Mr A Bailey

The QCA responds: The National Assessment Agency has recently announced that examiners and markers will receive a fee increase this year, in recognition of the important job that they do. Markers can earn around £1,000 per year marking national curriculum test papers. There are, of course, many other benefits of being a marker, including a better understanding of assessment processes which can improve teachers' performance in the classroom.

We'd like to hear from you. Please send your thoughts to:
The Editor, Teachers magazine, John Brown Citrus Publishing, The New Boathouse, 136-142 Bramley Road, London, W10 or email Teachers@jbcp.co.uk

This content was published in July 2004 and may not reflect current policy