CONVERSATION THREE

Hi All,
I do not have a problem doing the needs analysis having done it already before BUT I can comment on personal, local aand national needs but NOT school needs ( because I am on sabbatical- and I do not really want to focus to be on school- as I am not there Jan-Sept) Should I just include some relevant info from Bowes anyway?? Or shall I use my other employment with Loca4Global, which involves work with local authorities etc as the focus? In otehr words, make the school needs 'employer needs'?
Hope everyone got on Ok with proposals/section 1 and half termw as good. Lisa

Hi
I'm the same too. I don't have a problem justifying the national needs but as my dissertation is on ethical leadership and the global dimension, it's not really needed by the school, although I will be using my own experiences to add to my findings and hypotheses. Is there anyone out there who is a subject leader or head of school - I think you are Lisa A and Jackie too. Would you be willing to participate in a questionnaire about motivation for leadership? I'm looking at the reasons WHY people become leaders and how they are linked to the purpose of education.
Hope everyone had a good half term
Carol

Carols needs should include why we need her study on leadership. Why are we intersted in "moral purpose" behind leadership? Who says we should be intertedstd and why is it a problem?

Im fine with that...fire away...I also know of others who you could ask.

You need to think of the dissertation as more of a research justification of the need for the research. Some of this might be to fill a gap in research (which you will show later in your literature review). Some of the need might arise from a growing area which needs to be looked at.


Your needs analysis for this study will be different. You are doing a research based dissertation. Justifying the research to a research audiance is differrent to a practical one. What questions need researching, and why do they matter is very specific. Why would we be intersted? What does th case you study hope to reveal to us? In what way would education in general benefit from your research.

Ian you said we need to think of the dissertation as more of a research justification of the need for the research as its a research based dissertation, not practical.
I do however think it is a need of local ( and let's face it) national schools- Im referring to community cohesion now.
Schools and LAs would potentially be interetsed becasue it meets their statutry oligations and schools like thinsg to be multi purposeful. SO i think they would be intersted( if its a positive result) Education in general might benefit by identifying this common link, this big overlap, and this ready made way to tie up and link up several agendas at once.
My next section will expand on this I hope.

I am tring to emphaisise in the dissertations a growth in importance of the "research" question. The justification for research is that it hasn't been done before or that this extra case study might validate others and supply insights that we do not yet have.

"schools need" is a practical issue based on belifs values, policies

"we need to research X" is based upon a gap of some sort in what we know (and need to fill)

Another way of saying this is that we do not know if these ideas in policy and practice) actually work. In your case, the evidence is not overwhelming that any global dimension work makes any difference, for example. It might all be logical, and PC but where is the research evidence and what really happens? We need to know for that reason and this justifies your research.

I am refining my thinking yet again- after a helping hand or three. New focus is even tighter: A critical enquiry into school leaders understanding of Community Cohesion.

I am interested to see what leaders reactions to and understanding is of another government initiative, especially as this year it became an inspection requirement of schools by OFSTED. In answer to the above questions:
Likely sources to consult in order to complete a needs analysis and to analyse school, local and antional needs:

• Government policies and documents
• Local needs- Enfield policy eg Chidlrena nd Young peoples
• Historical and socil abckground on policy- eg the Macpherson report, Race Relations Act 2000 amendment, Ajegbo report etc
• OFSTED inspection criteria, strategies and reports
• Other scholarly research in the area of community cohesion, albeit a relatively new area
• School SEFs?

Community cohesion is a ‘new’ area which needs to be looked at, a current problem, the nature of which my project is tackling. As such, some evidence might be thinner ( to use Ian’s words) in materials as its not that old. Therfore it justifies an enquiry, I hope.

Your final focus Lisa is a good example of how much things can change as you work on the details of your research. Less is usually more :)

Well done - feedback emailed to you just now.

Hi everyone,
Sticking with the CAF, like everyone else I can justify national and local need (ECM etc.) but when it comes to school I might find documentary evidence quite hard to find - last OFSTED gave an outstanding for pastoral support.It is just one item on my annual SEN development plan and there is some data on vulnerable children in the school. It is a problem I alone have in the school - carrying out the process effectively as this is the nature of being a SENCO (there is only one other with some experience of the CAF in the school) but I am hoping I can learn from other SENCOs and their experiences. My emphasis will have to be on other SENCOs in my borough and looking at what they know/experience and might pass on to help me in the school and in turn others if they have good ideas/strategies.I might also talk to the borough supervisor for the CAF. For the 'first iteration' is it alright to have the base-line small scale data collection to come from an informal scoping of other SENCO views picked up at a conference - all verbal and not on paper?

Local needs:

yes they may be thinner. Don't worry and balance the other material at national level.

Dont hesitate to use personal or collegaue opinion/discussions or interest or role as well as other reasons. Use Performance managment tragets, priorities etc

Emphasise your analysis of all the "evidence" in justifying the focus and the research

Hi Janet
Have just been on teh Teachers' Website (Teachers' tv that is) and they ahve on page 3 a section on how CAF benefits pupils. Just thought you'd be interested.
Carol

Hi
I’m not altogether sure about the ‘need’ element within this question. To some extent I feel the ‘need’ is obvious if we are working with children it’s reasonable to say we need to know how they are doing. The ‘need’ I think is probably to say how can we make assessments/ tracking better and more effective.
I think the distinction between local, national & school needs to be an interesting one. To some extent this is part of the whole tension within education, what is education trying to achieve and what do we want from it? I’ve got a great quote from Matthew Arnold (1867) talking about Payment by results he said ‘But the question is, not whether this idea, or this application suits ordinary public opinion and school managers; the question is whether it really suits the interests of schools and their instructions’

Hi eric, I am going to do the needs section based on my needs, my institutional needs, my local authority needs(possibly) and the national needs agenda- Im doing community cohesion and the global dimension, but with the intention of sharing what I am convinced will be a helpful way for schools to devliver CC (whcih gets Ofsteded from this year).
Your quote- I guess that means that 'instruction' are the kids??

Similarly, Andrew with above. The theory is that teachers need to know to teach the next thing.


Whether this is true is the research question. Your literature review will no doubt show some research evidence but not much that cannot be criticised beyond doubt. Logic says it is true. But that is not research evidence but another way of proving truths.


Neither do we know much about how teachers know, and how they use their knowledge of what children ar doing.


How much time should teachers put into finding out what children can do? If say they increased it from 50% of their time to 90% of their time would standards say double? We dont know much about this either.

The need/justification section of your research should be based on evidence and referencing data, documents, priorities, plans, etc. It should show your analysis and decsion making. It should also emphaise why we should be interested in your study. It is a chance to explain the context of what is behind this focus and study.

In your case "it’s reasonable to say we need to know how they are doing." is not reasonable because it was not the logic of manay some years ago. It has only recently become popular since the Black and Wiliam report infleunced government stratgeies. Alternatively, you might ask why a previous report (TGAT) which said similar things 10 years earleier was not enough! Clearly, it needed to be said again. So what is the problem of assessment tracking...... thats the research. Not whether it works or not becuse that is logical.


 The ‘need’ I think is probably to say how can we make assessments/ tracking better and more effective.

Yes. Or even what makes it easy/dificult in your context.


Good point.

I have only a glimmering idea of our Additional Learning Support Department's needs within the College, let alone National Needs - does anyone else work within Further Education in the group?

Jackie

Hi jackie

Not sure if anyone else is- lets see what they reply.

I am not sure what you are saying. Our question is "why do we need your research project", what knowledge of evidence will it provide, and what will it be contributing to in temrs of policies, priorities, plans, aims objectives (and whose).

Hopefully, its more than a whim that you had but sits into a pattern of knowledge creation and development?

You are all on the right lines in your thinking on this. However, emphasise your MA work as a researcher and your assignmnet as a claim to meet the QAA level descriptors (in your handbook on page 5)


Number 1 is "1. a systematic understanding of knowledge, a critical awareness of current problems and/or new insights, much of which is at, or informed by, the forefront of their academic discipline, field of study, or area of professional practice."


This is a chance to quote evidence in the form of policies, reports, research at a national, local, and insitutional level, to jutify what you are doing and to show off your in depth knowledge".

You should also emphaisise the "current problem" nature of what your project is tackling.


Some topics might be thinner in materail than others but do't hesitate in making connections eg Inclusion in FE has no reports, but is a massive issue in HE (and therfore you say this justifies your research by implication despite FE not paying much attention yet) etc etc

This is all about skills as a researcher, is it not? I feel that I need to have data and information that I can compare and contrast in order to analysis my findings and the impact of my research.How far is this the case?

Not sure if I follow you Amanda but it sounds like it is the case and you are correct. Your research skills are your scholarship (using QAA level statement) here. You need data. Data is everything here. Data which enables you to compare/contrast with what is said to be the case (eg by other research, literature, government guidance etc). You certainly need to portray real (actual) impact (in all its widest forms and not just "attainment").

hi all,
in brief I've outlined why my enquiry is important but would value input from others re experience of national benchmarks or other publications that refer to improved parent participation:
• Focus: develop parent participation in pupil learning
Context: - why the enquiry is important:
• School identified priority
• Baseline entry of pupils below National expectations
• Speaking & listening below
• Writing trend below National & identified key priority
• Community school serves is identified as an area of social deprivation
Justification:
• Raise pupil attainment (e.g. speaking, vocabulary, extended writing) & therefore address key issue from last Ofsted inspection
• Raise parent knowledge, skill and understanding of what is expected of their child
• Improved partnership
• Raise pupil & parent aspirations
• Increase uptake of courses/ learning opportunities offered
• Nationally parents expected to become partners in their child’s learning
• National drive to improve adult basic and parenting skills
• Action research enquiry enhance professional development

Next steps:
To identify baseline, gather data, begin literature review: any pointers??

Sounds lik egood logic as a professional (and as Andrew says fairly obvious) but think as a researcher too. So

1. Make sure referencing to school, local, and national documents, data, plans, priorities, policies etc is good.

2. Again in your case (as with Andrew) there is a long history. I think you might even be able to reference Plowden 1963, if my memory serves me. Certianly, Newsom 1965. So why hasn't the issue of parental involvement been solved yet?

3. Both Andrew and you have not mentioned the general "drive for standards" (However, that may be defined) and why we have it. I wouldnt spend much time on it but the interest in education dates back to the late 1970s discovery that (some) "schools make a difference" to class AND to economic competition (and relative decline). (ie school failure has ruined our economy and social well being). Before we decided that in the 50's and 60's there was not much interest in what schools did as it was felt they didnt make much difference.

To what extent is your study based upon notions of equality.

The 1944 Education act in UK was based upon equality according to need (ie grammar, technical or secondary modern)

In the 1960's "equality of outcome" became popular- compensating for disadvantage (of class, later gender, race (and later disability?) through education.

How relavnat is the equality notion to your need (especially "inclsuion" people) and is it equality according to need (is this personalisation) or acording to outcome (compensating for disadvantage)?

Whats is behind your study? What is driving your interest and practice?

Rather than the moral interest of equality perhaps it is another current policy shift-------social cohesion?

Dealing with the potentially disruptive underclasss? Or maximising social capital? (For the economy or more than that?)

See www.learningbenefits.net/Publications/ResReps/ResRep7.pdf
Education
Equity and Social
Cohesion: A Distributional Model
Andy Green,
John Preston and Ricardo Sabates

Ian is this addressed to everybody or somebody specific- sometimes I cant follow the threads.

I, too, feel confused. I have been dithering about what to choose as a topic for Needs Analysis. Do you start from the top - National then break it down to regional then to local. So could it be The 14-19 Curriculum developments (National) Regional - how this has been taken up by the various regions (ie Diplomas) and then specifically how my work place is to roll the 14-19 Diplomas out and what this means for us as an Additional Learning Support Department - for instance do the staff have to become familiar with the National Curriculum rather than solely the Adult Core Curriculum - and how does the funding for students who need support work? Have I got the right end of the stick? Jackie

The needs analysis is a justification. You might be making it too complex. What reasons has the school got for wanting this development? What data, reporst and plans prove that this i not just your whim?

Where oders it sit in a national agenda (or international)?

Hi everyone,
I'm planning to implement a VLE at school this year, but to step back and observe the implementation at the same time. My dissertation is basically about the thought processes behind the implementation, rather than the impact on the school of actually having a VLE in place. We are already finding all kinds of things that we weren't expecting. We 'rolled out' to parents last week. I spent hours giving them all their own passwords, which we had debated at first, but thank goodness I did as they are cropping up all over the place, and throwing up all kinds of issues about privacy and intrusion into teacher's private time. Your right, Ian, that I can't research something that hasn't happened yet, but will it be ok to collate my questionnaires about initial attitudes, make sure that the VLE is up and running, and then research how attitudes have changed across the range of stakeholders? I was worried that no one would answer my questions, but I'm inundated at the moment.

beverleys research is illustartive. Given a national strategy and policies for VLE's and school adoption and plans, given 'extending access, out of school learning, and part of the whole agenda of raising acheivement and inclusion etc, the question of the role of the VLE in all this is paramount.

Beverley might use the research partially to identify what might be acjived by the VLE in this agenda and context (ie the added value in terms of access, inclsuion, achievement, extended schools etc etc)

Do Additional Learning Support staff need a wide breadth of knowledge of Specific Learning Difficulties/other sensory impairments to teach/support students?
Directly linked to Inclusion -
Tomlinson
Ofsted Report for College
College Policy
local student needs/Assessments for students
training needs for staff/continuous professional development/Specialist staff
assistive technology needs
specially adapted teaching materials

These are the areas that I deal with on a day to day basis - Jackie

Hi Gina and Ian,

I have placed some work on my folder adn have emailed you but i have not heard from you?

If you could let me know what you think of the questionnaires and also my research title. I look forward to hearing from you on my email. Nasima Menni

Hi Nasima

I've just sent you some feedback - the main thing is you need to do a lot less! This is good news! Less is more as I just said to Lisa! A good topic though and useful for your school.

Gina

This conversation is excellent as I see you talking through your understanding of what a needs analysis could be/is. Some confusion is unavoidable when trying something for the first time.

I wondered if Carol or Lisa would choose to share their Needs Analysis from their last module? An example can clarify things. I suggest them because I worked with them and know they did it - if anyone else has an example, please do share!

I dont mind sharing mine but I know it was not a strong one...but just for anybody to look at, it is in my folder- search under users for me (Lisa) then look for the file needs analysis AESI 2008.
As I said its by no means perfect but you are welcome to have a look.Beware it was not in the least focussed at this point!
Am much happier with my current proposal!
Lisa

Hi
SOrry I've not been around recently - v v busy at school and lost s of demands for the new A level specifications etc. ANyway - you're very welcome to look at my old needs analysis. Ian and Gina seemed to like it. I used/am using the national curriculum pages - recentlymodified- to get a lot of my national needs and justification. I also - becasue it was relevant, use a lot of quangos such as OXFAM etc - any body which has written recent reports on your topic. My Needs analysis is in my folder on the old MIDWHEB site adn I know Ian has provided a link on this or the previous conversation. Let me know if you can't find it and I'll post it here. Haven't quite finished my present one but it's not closely related to my school's needs - more a national one as I thinkt hat it's important for schools to know exactly WHO is leading the Global Dimension int heir schools and for what purpose. What motivates them adn what makes them specially qualified to lead such an improtant area. This hasn't been discussed as far as I can see and fromt eh literature I've read. More is in my needs analysis.
Carol

Is this telated to the Initial Plan or is it something more general but related? Am I making this more complicated than it is? I just have a feeling that everyone else understands what it's about and I really don't. I do not work in a school - I work in a College so it's a slightly different environment -

Please can someone tell me - could an example be the DDA National / Regional/ College and then how it is rolled out in our department / is it in keeping with the law/ is the way support is allocated - is it in keeping with the law, is it fair, does every student receive support that should and if not is it a fault of the department/college? How can this be rectified - Jackie

Hi Jackie...you sound worried...fear not...i looked back at your threads and i have this to add if of any use whatsoever!
yes the needs analysis is related to the initial plan- which your supervisor should have/ or be approving by now. SO once you get your focus, you will then look at your, your collegesa nd the natioanl picture for your theme.
so, if you are doing 14-19 developments, look at the national picture ( loads of materaisl) then locally- your LA take on this? if necessary, and importantly your college needs ( and yours).
None of us are experst here even if some might appear to be!!- it might be that a focus is fixed earlier on- i for one have changed and ditehred my focus about 4 times :-) im now settled happily on my focus which you are welcoem to have a look at although Im nowhere near finishinga needs analysis.
You can get college 'needs' from policies, your action plans for depts and whole college, and self evaluation stuff ( we have SEFS, what do you have?) then from this you can see what the needs are and youc an elate it back to your area of study. So, if your students are not hitting their (collge or govt set)targets in specific areas, what can eb doen to support that?although im not entirely clear on your area, thats the kind of thing. im sure Gina dn ian will correct if im wrong.
Your idea sounded good whats DDA?
Hope it helps,
Lisa

Well, I've changed my mind several times - my initial plan is to find out what consitutes good practice in Learning Support sessions OCR the examining board is very prsecriptive as to what a typical hour's session should cover, of course the learner has a say, it is negotiated. But other Examining boards/courses have slightly different ideas - so Aditional Learning Support exists mainly because of the Disability Discrimination Act 1995 - 2006 - so this idea seems ok with Ruth - isn't it but is the Needs Analysis then National Policy the DDA 1995 etc - how the Learning Skills Council funds Learning Support - how the College then dishes support our to students - is it fairly allocated - it there good practice in place to ensure that the funding is well used - what is the criteria to allocate support - we have a capped budget so it's first come first served is this fair - how should it be done - perhaps Gina,Ian or Ruth could comment Jackie

Lisa is exactly right - one of the key realisations of doing study at masters level is that you are the expert here - it is a requirement of masters research to be breaking new ground - even if that is tiny! YOU know your area. YOU know best what it is you do everyday. The challenge is to align this with what others in the field are saying. We can't just go around saying, this is the best type of support session, without backing it up with what others have said before and without data to show what you say has merit. You need to know that there is no RIGHT and WRONG way to approach this. We cannot tell you more than you can what your job is and what you know about it. We CAN say, this point isn't clear, or your data is not analysed in a convincing way, or you have missed the major research in this field - look over there. But it is YOU who have to decide what to do and to justify why it is important to the education world.

There is excellent guidance in the handbook about how to approach a needs analysis and you are on the right track with the documents you are thinking about using to justify your research.

I think in this last posting you are getting into the literature review more than the needs analysis. Would it make it easier if I said the needs analysis is a change for you to answer a very critical person in the corner of the staff room who says to you - we already know what makes a good support session, your research is a waste of time!'? You have to justify that you do have important things to say and back it up with evidence from your school documents and plans, spreading out to what the govt says is important in schools.

Please can you just tell me - is the Action Research the unfolding of your Initial Plan and Focus - so how I would find the answers to what I've set out in this - it may be very obvious to everyone else but it isn't to me?

I just need some clarification on what I have to do please? Jackie

Hello Lisa, I tried to have a look but I think you need to give permission? Not sure - anyway thank you for your guidance - but if the initial plan is linked to the Needs Analysis - shouldn't this come first? Anyway, I've put together some ideas if it's not right, well ? DDA - is the Disability Discrimination Act, mention of this usually makes educational establishments zoom into action! But thanks again Lisa - Jackie

Ive messed it up on here with permissions n all...but it is still on the otehr midwheb site here- i do not profess to be perfect so take it as you will! http://midwheb.core-ed.net/Members/LisaTaner/aesi
good luck!

Thanks Lisa, have managed to access the folder - it was very helpful.

Jackie

It's always helpful to share - thanks so much Lisa. It is not about looking at perfect pieces of work (do they exist?) - it is about looking at how others have thought about the task which can help you to clarify your own approach. Share here as much as you can to help each other!

Needs Analysis – MIDWHEB Notes
Question: Has the impact/introduction of Personalised Learning (PL) improved the planning and delivery of the curriculum for student with Moderate Learning Difficulties (MLD)
I have started my research and reading but this is still continuing. At the moment I can find lots of information on PL but not so much on MLD and PL. I can already see the over-lapping areas/theories between PL and diagnosis of MLD, difficulties with inclusion etc but I feel at the moment there is imbalance in my re-search material. I’ve also had difficulties accessing documents at school because everything was being re-written for an impending OFSTED( which is now over..phew...). Please take anything I say with this context. This is only intended to be a small posting to see if I am on the right track.
I have never written a need justification before so this will be my first attempt. At a personal level my needs analysis is based on the fact that there seems to be increasing numbers of these students entering secondary school. As a group of students they remain ill defined with very little information on practice and pedagogy for teachers (roots in Warnock). I want to try and analyse why this is so? Especially when you can see other groups of SEN students represented by almost vociferous umbrella organisations who seem to be experiencing some success in influencing policy/practice/pedagogy on behalf of their of client groups.
Then there is this new ‘buzz term’ called PL. Which seems to suggest that these students should be catered for within the curriculum of secondary schools? LA’s have devolved larger parts of the SEN budgets to schools under the banner of improving the curriculum PL. Yet I increasingly hear teachers complaining that they do not know how to teach them... Teaching assistants also complain that these students are wasting their time in lessons and are learning nothing. There is also a tension between the perceived notion of differentiation and the requirements of PL. On informal conversations with my colleagues the only area of PL they are really clear about is AFL. Technically this should link to curriculum planning but many teachers, especially at KS3 plan the curriculums from L3 upwards. Many of the MLD’s may not be able to access this level. How inclusive is planning for MLD’s as a result of PL? Do teachers really understand the difference between differentiation and PL? What are MLD’s over looked and perceived as difficult to teach compared with other SEN groups? Do teachers need a particular pedagogy for SEN groups or is this a tension between the theories of PL and teachers perceptions of their own needs? If the theory of PL is working correctly why do these pupils often have alternative curriculums or units?
I will be examining school/local and government policy and looking at how the ideas of PL are implemented and disseminated. Is there a tension between students need and statutory requirements? I want to try and highlight the MLD’s as an over looked group without a voice!!

Does this sound like I am on track for a needs analysis?

Elaine Parkin

Yes you are on track!

As you are a dissertation student, the main purpose of the needs analysis is to make sure you are very clear in your mind why you are doing this research - is there a need? You won’t be just plonking the needs analysis in your dissertation somewhere – parts of it may form part of the introduction. Up to you - there isn’t one way to do this.

For you doing your dissertation, the three big sections (lit review, methodology and methods, data analysis) are the most important. Things like the needs analysis and prof auto are like background work to make sure you are thinking the proposal through clearly. You will use parts of what you do – you won’t just hand the sections in like you do for the AESI assignment.

SO - yes your thinking is clear. You could refer more to policies that back up what you are saying.

You all sound as if you are getting on well with investigating the needs analysis. I am finding it rather difficult to research the local and national needs here in Kenya. Unfortunately, we are not as advanced in our thinking and 'inclusion' is a new word. I shall be looking at the UK policies as I do work in a British school. Not sure if there is anyone else in the same situation?

Hi Gina,

I still have not heard from Ian - Is everything ok? Can you tell me if the needs analysis partly identified from the results of the questionnaires?

If so I will hope to give out the questionnaires end of the week and collate results by end of next - so in terms of our timetable - it is not possible to keep to the times stated in the module guide? Is that ok?

Nasima Menni

Hi Nasima, as I said in my feedback to you, your focus needs looking at before you do anything - have you managed to choose ONE area and to then make sure the questionnaire is asking the right questions to gather the answers you need? That would be a good next step.

Ian may have missed the email in the hundreds he gets everyday - I would recommend sending him the questions again if you have not heard from him.

Can you get back to me with a much tighter focus for your action enquiry?

Thanks!

The needs analysis is a justification for the research and development work that follows. It can be based upon personal, inistutional, local and national needs. Reference to data, documents, policies,plans, would be helpful to show off your knowledge and skills of analysis.

If these are absent then a more personal and relective justification would have to do. Alternativeley you may argue a personal belief in social justice.


Don't be afraid of stepping back and place needs into a wider context. There are general needs for higher acheivement, education in developin g countries, economic and social capital reasons. You may reference OECD for example.


So both Elaine and Laura have good elements in their ideas. The needs analysis is not the whole work and elements that cannot be shown here may be shown later in the literature review and analysis of data. It may therefore be thinner for some people in this section acording to context.

The end objective is to justify what follows.

Hi Gina Ian,

Many Thanks Ian for getting back to me and I will reply back in regards to some of the questions i had raised.

Gina - Yes I will omit some of the questions in my focus in particular; What is good behaviour? But is it possible to actually change it to What is good behaviour for learning? I will be having a meeting with my school based advocate tomorrow. I would like to keep the question on Comparing our Behaviour Policy with that of an Academy - so that is simply to look at other good practice which i can then use for my recommendations to the school? what do you think. I will hopefully update my focus to you by end of tommorow.

Nasima Menni

Hi Nasima

I can see what you are saying with regard to the comparison to an Academy - as this will inform your judgement and recommendations. OK! You need to be specific though - one Academy? More? How many? Remember less is more!

I am not certain you can ask in one action enquiry module, 'what is good behaviour for learning?' as this is a HUGE question. HUGE. PHD and more. You could investigate what some of the literature says about learning environments - what is best etc etc and that could inform the recommendations to your school on its policy, but be very very careful not to have huge open research questions. Keep it narrow. Keep it tight. Keep it small.

The enquiry on inclusive practice in the SEN school is important because every child should be and feel validated. With that involved in community and other school events with the mainstream.

Is it enough? and are the pupils enjoying it? Are they achieving academically from inclusive practices? Does the inclusive practice supply they needs? Is it beneficail for the students?

This research was not done at this school. We are taking the opportunity to find out if the practices are beneficial and how we can improve, change, or enhance programmes. Having the research to support the implementation of the inclusive practice and how they are executed will act as a guide and enlighten us the needs of the pupils.

Doing ok. Just not enough time in the day at the moment to type everything up.

Thanks for letting us know Lisa. Good to know you are still here - I hope you get some time at Easter. (and to eat some eggs of course :)