Dr Debbie Bailey and Dr Paul Van Walwyk
From “Maladjusted” to “SEMH” – do labels make a difference? Two Headteachers of special schools for pupils with SEBD/SEMH share their research and discuss how labels impact on practice.
Dr. Paul Van Walwyk and Dr. Debbie Bailey will each share their research findings, followed by a facilitated professional discussion about labels being used to describe and categorise pupils – when is this helpful and when is this problematic?
Paul Van Walwyk (research relates to a successful Ed.D submission, University of Reading, 2022.)
The change in the SEND Code of Practice (DfE & DoH, 2015) saw the previous designation of need Behaviour Emotional Social Difficulties(BESD) replaced with the new term Social Emotional Mental Health (SEMH). This change was across the education sector, however, for the special schools designated as BESD special schools, this was particularly significant as they became SEMH special schools. This research looked at how the changes to Code of Practice (DfE &DoH, 2015) influenced practice within these schools using a qualitative research methodology to establish the view of the Headteachers of these schools.
Following on from a previous pilot study, Headteachers of eight SEMH special schools who experienced the change of designation from BESD to SEMH were interviewed to ascertain their views on how these changes influenced the schools they were leading. In addition Headteachers were asked their views on the influence they felt these changes had on pupils, parents and their staff teams as well as how the changes had influenced the wider social systems the schools operated within. The research looks at how these schools operate within the framework of an ecological systems model (Bronfenbrenner, 1979) and how the influence of schools within this model of social understanding appears to have shifted since the change in designation.
Findings indicate that significant adaptations took place within these schools relating to the change in the Code of Practice (DfE &DoH, 2015), particularly in relation to the introduction of the term mental health within an education construct. The changes in practice within these special schools and a narrative exploring how they further developed into new practice models are explored, offering an insight into both the leadership and pedagogy required to support SEMH needs within a special school context.
Debbie Bailey (research completed as part of a Ph.D University of Northampton 2022)
The Headteachers of special schools for students who struggle to manage their behaviour (SEBD/SEMH) have rarely featured in research around school improvement or maintaining school effectiveness. Within the role of a “colleague researcher”, existing professional relationships were utilised to explore how a group of these Headteachers have responded to external demands to implement change in their schools. Part of the initial literature review examined how the labels used to describe pupils have changed over time and how these changes have influenced approaches to meeting need.
After an initial group of five experienced Headteachers were interviewed, an instrumental case study was chosen as the research design. Case studies for a further seven Headteachers were completed using data from walking interviews. These were conducted as the Headteachers walked around their own schools, allowing observational data and contextual information to be included in the analysis.
One key finding was the significance of Headteacher values in determining their response to external demands for change. The importance of opportunities to collaborate with their peers was also emphasised as a key part of implementing change. The research findings of Cole, Visser & Upton (1998) “Effective schooling for pupils with emotional and behavioural difficulties” were supported, particularly their identification of the key factors of school effectiveness for these schools. This group of Headteachers displayed ambivalence in their attitude to Ofsted inspections, criticising the process of inspection at the same time as revealing professional pride in having achieved successful Ofsted judgements.
In the context of increasing referrals to special schools and the creation of new special schools, this research highlights the need for further investigation into the specific role of Headteachers within special schools for pupils with SEBD/SEMH (or whatever label appears next!)
From “Maladjusted” to “SEMH” – do labels make a difference? Two Headteachers of special schools for pupils with SEBD/SEMH share their research and discuss how labels impact on practice.
Dr. Paul Van Walwyk and Dr. Debbie Bailey will each share their research findings, followed by a facilitated professional discussion about labels being used to describe and categorise pupils – when is this helpful and when is this problematic?
Paul Van Walwyk (research relates to a successful Ed.D submission, University of Reading, 2022.)
The change in the SEND Code of Practice (DfE & DoH, 2015) saw the previous designation of need Behaviour Emotional Social Difficulties(BESD) replaced with the new term Social Emotional Mental Health (SEMH). This change was across the education sector, however, for the special schools designated as BESD special schools, this was particularly significant as they became SEMH special schools. This research looked at how the changes to Code of Practice (DfE &DoH, 2015) influenced practice within these schools using a qualitative research methodology to establish the view of the Headteachers of these schools.
Following on from a previous pilot study, Headteachers of eight SEMH special schools who experienced the change of designation from BESD to SEMH were interviewed to ascertain their views on how these changes influenced the schools they were leading. In addition Headteachers were asked their views on the influence they felt these changes had on pupils, parents and their staff teams as well as how the changes had influenced the wider social systems the schools operated within. The research looks at how these schools operate within the framework of an ecological systems model (Bronfenbrenner, 1979) and how the influence of schools within this model of social understanding appears to have shifted since the change in designation.
Findings indicate that significant adaptations took place within these schools relating to the change in the Code of Practice (DfE &DoH, 2015), particularly in relation to the introduction of the term mental health within an education construct. The changes in practice within these special schools and a narrative exploring how they further developed into new practice models are explored, offering an insight into both the leadership and pedagogy required to support SEMH needs within a special school context.
Debbie Bailey (research completed as part of a Ph.D University of Northampton 2022)
The Headteachers of special schools for students who struggle to manage their behaviour (SEBD/SEMH) have rarely featured in research around school improvement or maintaining school effectiveness. Within the role of a “colleague researcher”, existing professional relationships were utilised to explore how a group of these Headteachers have responded to external demands to implement change in their schools. Part of the initial literature review examined how the labels used to describe pupils have changed over time and how these changes have influenced approaches to meeting need.
After an initial group of five experienced Headteachers were interviewed, an instrumental case study was chosen as the research design. Case studies for a further seven Headteachers were completed using data from walking interviews. These were conducted as the Headteachers walked around their own schools, allowing observational data and contextual information to be included in the analysis.
One key finding was the significance of Headteacher values in determining their response to external demands for change. The importance of opportunities to collaborate with their peers was also emphasised as a key part of implementing change. The research findings of Cole, Visser & Upton (1998) “Effective schooling for pupils with emotional and behavioural difficulties” were supported, particularly their identification of the key factors of school effectiveness for these schools. This group of Headteachers displayed ambivalence in their attitude to Ofsted inspections, criticising the process of inspection at the same time as revealing professional pride in having achieved successful Ofsted judgements.
In the context of increasing referrals to special schools and the creation of new special schools, this research highlights the need for further investigation into the specific role of Headteachers within special schools for pupils with SEBD/SEMH (or whatever label appears next!)
