Reality Check

Libby Brooks

The author discusses how her previous journalistic work led her to write about childhood - how adults conceive it and how it is really lived. In her new book, The Story of Childhood: Growing Up in Modern Britain, she attempts to ‘coax out precisely how a reconfiguring of childhood might work, and how that would impact on our sense of selves as adults. Across a range of subjects the author continuously asked the question: what is the truth about childhood in modern Britain?’

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A Good Read

Mary-Anne Harrington

Employees of a leading publishing company set up a volunteer group to read to seven-year olds at a local primary school. Feedback from teachers and children was favourable, most of the children showing improvement in their reading and social skills.

A Transitional Mentor

Cathy Street

The TABS Transition project is a mentoring scheme for supporting vulnerable children transferring to secondary school. The project’s aims are to enhance pupils’ social development and self-esteem and promote better behaviour so that children remain in education. The mentors work in school and at home and provide a range of activities in both settings.

Across the Pond – Lost in Traffic

Dr Patrick Lindesay

Dr Lindesay’s column is about social disconnectedness in the United States. Recent research shows that people are less engaged socially than they used to be. Social disconnectedness can lead to an increase in physical illness as well as having an effect on mental health.

All in a day’s work

Terry Philpot

This article looks at the work of the charitable Nativity Schools in America in providing extended schooling. The school day starts with breakfast and ends with after-school and evening activities. The school aims to involve parents and has close links with a nearby college, which provides personal tutors for the pupils. The school is single sex and classes are quite small. The school has only been operational for 3 years and most pupils have shown significant improvement in academic achievement

Don't salami-slice our special schools

Mary Pearson

The author discusses how the needs of children with severe and complex learning disabilities are different to those with physical disabilities. She argues that the former group needs a specialised environment with dedicated, professional teaching where the whole child is addressed. Without that, behavioural problems emerge, born of confusion and isolation.

Facing Anxiety; Facing Pain

Reva Klein

A recent conference on counselling children and young people in educational settings raised several important issues: the need for a whole school approach to emotional well-being and more training for all staff, more evidence based documentation of good practice, improved methods of dealing with children suffering with emotional problems to avoid a circle of blame.

Going where other children go

Richard Reiser

The author discusses why inclusive education is important and why some professionals have a vested interest in keeping things as they are. The author states that there are examples of good inclusive practices in school all over the UK. He believes that one of the main reasons why inclusion is critiqued is because poor integration is often mistaken for inclusion.

Hearing the Voice Inside

Hannah Frankel

The author states that there is currently no requirement for trainee or practising teachers in the UK to undertake any specific training in dealing with autism, even though 1% of the child population have an autistic spectrum disorder. She discusses how with appropriate training in autism awareness, teachers can make small adjustments to their classes which can help autistic children feel more included in lessons and more valued in school.

Living the Inclusive Life

Preethie Manuel

The mother of a young woman with cerebral palsy describes her daughter’s positive experience of being educated in a mainstream school. The mother describes how she struggled to get her daughter into a mainstream school.

Living with the Unexpected

Danny

Danny tells about his life with his mum who developed manic depression after the breakdown of her marriage. Danny describes the difficulties of living with someone who has a mental health problem but remains positive about the experience.

Outspoken, individual

Madeleine White

This article is about the setting up of a magazine for teenagers created by teenagers.

Poetry, Friends, Fun and independence

Anita Bennett

The mother of a daughter with Down’s Syndrome, describes how her daughter’s time at a special residential school has enabled her ‘to really shine’. She tells us about her daughter’s experiences of being in mainstream education, and she discusses how she had to fight to get the funding to place her daughter in Camphill Sheiling School in Ringwood.

School’s Out

Hannah Frankel

Notschool.net is a virtual scheme to help young people back into education who have been long term absentees and exhausted all other non-school alternatives to education. Young people, aged 14-16, who join the scheme are called researchers and are provided with ICT equipment for use in their own home. They also have personal mentors who help them to set a curriculum that interests them. The young people involved in the scheme report that their self-esteem and self-confidence has improved along with their education and skills, and many go back into college or higher education or employment. The founder of Notschool sees this form of education as cost-effective alternative to school exclusion.

Seeing beyond the label

Annita Wahab

The YoungMinds training manual is aimed at the people responsible for training tier 1 staff to enable them to support young people who self-harm. The aim of the manual is to get staff to form a network in which they share their understanding of self harm and reflect on what works and what doesn’t when working with young people who self-harm. The manual has been developed with the involvement of young people who self harm and aims to make them and integral part of the training process. The manual should lead to an increase in understanding the reasons why young people self-harm.

Book Review – A child called Freedom

Terry Philpot

This book tells the story of two different childhoods in South Africa, the author, a white South African journalist and young black boy, Freedom living in Soweto in 2003.

Book Review – Naughty boys: anti-social behaviour, ADHD and the role of culture

John Pitts

The author argues that many of the behavioural disorders currently being treated are not disorders at all but bad behaviour. The author asserts that Western society’s political, social and economic system is bad for children and families. The reliance of cognitive behavioural therapy with its logical approach means that it is unsuitable for many of the young people requiring help, like younger children and those with learning difficulties.

Book Reviews – A lie about my father

Anthony Douglas

This book is a memoir of the author’s life growing up with a father who was both a liar and an abuser. The book reveals that the father’s behaviour was a result of being abandoned as a child. The author learned to understand his father and develop resilience and coping mechanisms.

Book Reviews – New Families, Old Scripts & Thinking Psychologically about children who are looked after

Terry Connor

New Families, Old Scripts is written by adoptive parents about dealing with adopted children who have attachment issues and behavioural problems. It offers lots of practical advice to parents on a range of issues. Thinking Psychologically About Children Who Are Looked After is aimed a professionals and has a multidisciplinary take on the subject. It provides extensive coverage about the needs of looked after children and their families in residential, adoptive and foster care.

Film Reviews – Harsh Realities

Imogen Le Patourel

Harsh Realities is set in the Echo Park district of Los Angeles and focuses on the story of Magdalena her cousin Carlos and her great-uncle Tomas. Tomas has taken the children in, after they have been rejected by their families. They develop a makeshift family based on acceptance but their home and community are threatened when their house is purchased by a white couple

Webwatch – Chronic illness and school

Rachel Hindley

Webwatch looks at the sites that provide information for children and young people who are suffering from chronic illness. There is information about the duty of schools to pupils who are absent for medical reasons, about the mental health needs of young people with chronic illness and for parents and families of sufferers.