A 2018 report compiled by the Education Endowment Foundation suggested that the largest gap in children’s long-term attainment is between those children who are entitled to free school meals and those who are not (other than children who have Special Educational Needs or Disabilities.)
These differences in educational attainment are evident at the end of the Foundation Stage and tend to endure until children are 16 years and beyond. ‘Nearly half of early years providers believe that the attainment gap between disadvantaged young children and their peers had widened since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic’ an Early Years Alliance (2021) report found, which suggests that the impact of poverty is not going away.
In 2016 the High Achieving White Working Class Boys study was published by the Centre of Research in Early Childhood (CREC). It had been commissioned by the Department for Education to address the issues of underachievement of white working-class boys, who at that time appeared to be the demographic grouping who was achieving least, in England.
An affirmative, ethically driven appreciative study the researchers, led by Professor Chris Pascal and Professor Tony Bertram, investigated the life and times of boys who had experienced significant life challenges but were high achievers at the end of the Foundation Stage, appearing to buck the expectation of their circumstances. The findings were illuminating with two new definitions being coined. The boys were found to embody ‘academic resilience’ while their parents operated ‘parenting resilience.’
I was particularly struck by the idea that children could develop the skills, attitudes and attributes which led to academic resilience. The HAWCC Boys findings suggested that there was a commonality of these which the boys shared.
What was interesting was that although some of the characteristics that were highlighted had things in common with the Characteristics of Effective Learning, the elements which informed academic resilience were not always traditionally considered to be important for educational attainment. For example, all the boys who participated in the research project had a well-developed sense of humour, and demonstrated strong levels of empathy.
I wondered whether it was possible to ‘teach’ the skills, attitudes and attributes which constitute academic resilience and if they could be taught, would it be possible to assess a child’s academic resilience, so that provision and planning could be focussed where it is needed most?
Unpicking academic resilience
Although the original research focused on white working-class boys, I could see how the findings about academic resilience could be transferable and be used with any child whose educational outcomes were negatively affected by poverty, as long as the pedagogical practices were sensitive to power inequity, ethically responsive and afforded dignity to children, recognising not only their innate abilities as powerful learners, but also accounting for the significant life challenges many experienced.
Working with members of the wider Children Centre team, we critically examined the research, drawing out the essential characteristics of academic resilience for example: likes books, is persistent, has a sense of humour and is affectionate.
Building on the AcE programme, a simpler transformational assessment tool was created which over time has proved to be more accessible for parents and early years practitioners. This was created in partnership with Centre for Research in Early Childhood. There are five key elements to promoting academic resilience:
- Sensitive and skilled practitioner observation of children at play, to elicit their voice.
- Using the transformational assessment tool as a basis for conversations about the child’s learning and development, with a clear focus on the attitudes, attributes, skills, and characteristics required for children to become academically resilient.
- Utilising a power sensitive triangulated model for parents and staff to discuss children’s learning together as equal participants, where parental knowledge of their child is central to the conversation.
- Creating specific learning plans which consider the child’s interests to support children’s next steps in learning with parents based on the Pen Green model of engagement
- Ongoing reflective practice to ensure high quality, child centred, play based provision.
CASE STUDY: Angel
Angel is the third child in a family of five siblings. Her mum manages her own mental health needs and was in a relationship with Angel’s dad who worked shifts, to be part of the everyday lives of his children. Both Angel’s mum and dad have experienced significant challenge in their own lives as children, young people, and adults.
At the start of the joint work with the Children Centre teacher, Angel and her siblings were subject to a child protection plan. Angel’s parents have a history of non-engagement with professionals. At the time, they were engaging with the social worker but were struggling to engage with the Children Centre outreach worker and the health visitor.
Angel attended Sunny Days nursery, making use of the 15 hours Early Years Entitlement for 2-year-olds. Sunny Days is a pack away setting which meets in a local community space.
In nursery, she did not mix at all with her peers and was unable to sustain concentration on any one activity. Angel had very little language and at home would often become overwhelmed resulting in significant dysregulation, which her parents felt was triggered by her frustration at not being able to make her meaning known.
Angel was unable to access much of the early years curriculum, she struggled to make relationships with peers, struggled to hold focus or concentration so her ongoing ability to learn was reduced.
Angel’s lack of spoken language increased her isolation from other and had the potential to impact her self-esteem, which plays a significant part in future and current educational outcomes. Her parents often spoke negatively about Angel and felt that she was to blame for much that went wrong in the household.
An initial assessment was made using the academic resilience assessment tool. Learning Plans were developed which gave agreed tasks to both the nursery setting and Angel’s parents at home, focusing on areas highlighted by the assessment and concerns raised by the parents. Angel struggled to occupy leadership roles, so Angel’s sisters were encouraged to allow her to take the lead in their role play games, and then at nursery the opportunity was extended for Angel to play follow my leader games.
By the end of the work, Angel told her mum using Makaton and vocalising that she had friends in nursery. Angel was able to engage in activities for longer and allowed the Children Centre teacher to sit with her at the playdough table where she engaged fully in an activity for 20 minutes.
Her parents completed a Makaton course, were actively using it in the family and remained keen to do everything they could to support Angel’s learning. They reported that they could see the difference in Angel’s confidence and behaviour and took her regularly to speech and language, engaging fully with the service.
Sunny Days significantly changed its everyday practice to support Angel. The staff chose to attend a Makaton course so that they could use Makaton throughout the setting with all the children to ensure that Angel was included. The children all learnt to sing ‘We Wish You a Merry Christmas’ in Makaton for their Christmas production. Staff developed small group times, where the children were part of a named group in order to develop a sense of group identity.
This offered Angel a better opportunity to engage in the activities on offer and enabled her to feel a deeper sense of belonging. They also introduced a ‘Kindness Tree’ so that children’s kindness to one another was acknowledged and rewarded when their name and picture is put on The Kindness Tree at the end of each session.
A final assessment was made using the Academic Resilience tool, to demonstrate Angel’s learning and the impact of everyone working together.
By the time Angel went to school, she was able to speak and use her words more confidently. Her outcomes were improved by her parents and key person working together in a clear and focused way, prioritising the skills, attitudes, and attributes of academic resilience.
References
References
High Achieving White Working Class Boys study
HM Treasury (2013,2015) 2010 to 2015 Government policy: deficit reduction. Crown Publishing.
Bertram, T. Pascal, C. Saunders, M. (2008) Accounting Early for Lifelong learning. Amber Publications.
Whalley, M. & Pen Green Centre 2007, Involving parents in their children's learning, 2nd. edn, Paul Chapman Publishing, London.
Unknown children destined for disadvantage Gov.UK