London Primary School Research Articles

Conversations Around the Literacy Hour in a Multilingual London Primary School

This study was conducted against the background of a British government initiative – The National Literacy Strategy – which prescribes a daily hour of formal literacy instruction for primary aged children, known as the Literacy Hour. The paper describes the developing understanding and experience of literacy of four bilingual Year Five children, studying in a multilingual London school. I recorded and analysed conversations about literacy and the Literacy Hour with the children – two boys and two girls – for one hour a week over one school year. My focus was on the impact of the Literacy Hour on the children’s understanding of literacy as revealed through their personal talk about text. I divide the conversational data into four sets, moving from relatively structured, ‘on task’ talk, closely aligned to the Literacy Hour, to talk which embraces more widely the children’s cultural and linguistic experiences, resources and attitudes. I conclude that the Literacy Hour plays a relatively small part among the rich literacy resources, crossing both home and school boundaries, which the children make use of in everyday life.

Reading and writing

Reading and writing

Effects of road traffic and aircraft noise upon children’s academic attainments

The effects of environmental noise upon the academic performance of children aged 7 and 11 years in primary schools in London (UK) have been investigated. Noise surveys were carried out to measure levels of environmental noise during the school day outside 175 schools across London. The majority of the schools were in densely populated areas within 5 miles of central London, where road traffic was the dominant noise source. Thirty three of the schools were in a less densely populated area to the west of London near Heathrow Airport, and were subject to predominantly aircraft noise. The noise levels measured outside each school have been correlated with the results of standard tests in Reading, Writing, Mathematics, English, and Science, which are taken by all children aged 7 and 11 in England and Wales. Significant negative correlations were found between noise levels and many of the test scores, the correlations being stronger in the central London areas than in the schools around Heathrow. These results show that environmental noise has a detrimental effect upon childrens’ academic performance, the effect remaining apparent when data were corrected for socio-economic factors such as social deprivation.

Child Health Assessment at School Entry (CHASE) project: evaluation in 10 London primary schools

To assess the feasibility of implementing the Child Health Assessment at School Entry (CHASE) questionnaire, developed to capture the multiple dimensions of the health of children in their first year at school, and to evaluate data quality, reliability and validity. Parents of 278 year-1 children, from 10 primary schools in two London boroughs, received a parent questionnaire and school nurses completed a separate questionnaire from health and education records for children whose parents consented. Additional data on free school meal eligibility and ethnicity were obtained from the two Local Education Authorities. The parent questionnaire included the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) and four dimensions of the Child Health Questionnaire Parent Form-28 (CHQ-PF28). Response rate was 61%. The association between school free school meals eligibility and response rate in each school approached significance (r = -0.62, P = 0.05). Data completeness of the parent questionnaire was high (mean 98%). Data completeness of the school nurse questionnaire was more variable (mean 82%). Cronbach's Alpha was greater than 0.6 for four of the five SDQ scales and greater than 0.7 for the two CHQ-PF28 multi-item scales. Relative to parents with qualifications, parents with no qualifications rated their children as having significantly more conduct problems, peer problems, and overall mental health problems (P < 0.01) as assessed by the SDQ, and significantly lower global health (P < 0.01) as assessed by the CHQ-PF28. Children with special educational needs and children with long-standing illness or disability were rated as having significantly lower global health (P < 0.05) than children without these. Sample tables of inter-school and inter-borough comparison of key findings demonstrate considerable differences in physical and mental health status. The questionnaire was acceptable to parents and school nurses, and feasible to implement within existing school resources. Initial tests of internal reliability and validity are satisfactory. These data have the potential to inform interventions and service provision at school and borough level, and public health trends over time.

Boys' and girls' constructions of gender through musical composition in the primary school

The purpose of the study is to examine, through interviews and observations, the extent to which 8–10 year old children in a London primary school replicate gendered musical practices and experience gendered musical meanings, and how these may affect their expectations and the specific practices and products of their composition. I also consider how primary school teachers participate in the overarching discourse on gender and music education, by examining their expectations about the nature of girls' and boys' compositions. I analyse my findings in relation to Lucy Green's model of gendered musical meaning and experience. One outcome of the analysis is the development of a concept of ‘female musical subculture’ to interpret girls' and women's participation in the compositional world. Secondly, the findings strongly suggest that in their musical practice, the children in the research are not reproducing ideological assumptions about gendered musical practices, which contradicts how they operate discursively, for their discourse lies within the bounds of gendered musical ideology. Thirdly, the findings also indicate that the teachers are strongly affected by gendered musical ideologies, and have concomitant expectations about the music girls and boys produce.

Increasing children's fruit and vegetable consumption: a peer-modelling and rewards-based intervention.

To evaluate a peer-modelling and rewards-based intervention designed to increase children's fruit and vegetable consumption. Over a 5-month period, children in an experimental and a control school were presented with fruit and vegetables at lunchtime. Children aged 5-7 y also received fruit at snacktime (mid-morning). The intervention was implemented in the experimental school and levels of fruit and vegetable consumption were measured at baseline, intervention and at 4-month follow-up. Two inner-city London primary schools. In total, 749 children aged 5-11 y. Over 16 days children watched video adventures featuring heroic peers (the Food Dudes) who enjoy eating fruit and vegetables, and received small rewards for eating these foods themselves. After 16 days there were no videos and the rewards became more intermittent. Consumption was measured (i) at lunchtime using a five-point observation scale; (ii) at snacktime using a weighed measure; (iii) at home using parental recall. Compared to the control school, lunchtime consumption in the experimental school was substantially higher at intervention and follow-up than baseline (P<0.001), while snacktime consumption was higher at intervention than baseline (P<0.001). The lunchtime data showed particularly large increases among those who initially ate very little. There were also significant increases in fruit and vegetable consumption at home (P<0.05). The intervention was effective in bringing about substantial increases in children's consumption of fruit and vegetables.

External and internal noise surveys of London primary schools.

Internal and external noise surveys have been carried out around schools in London, UK, to provide information on typical levels and sources to which children are exposed while at school. Noise levels were measured outside 142 schools, in areas away from flight paths into major airports. Here 86% of the schools surveyed were exposed to noise from road traffic, the average external noise level outside a school being 57 dB L(Aeq). Detailed internal noise surveys have been carried out in 140 classrooms in 16 schools, together with classroom observations. It was found that noise levels inside classrooms depend upon the activities in which the children are engaged, with a difference of 20 dB L(Aeq) between the "quietest" and "noisiest" activities. The average background noise level in classrooms exceeds the level recommended in current standards. The number of children in the classroom was found to affect noise levels. External noise influenced internal noise levels only when children were engaged in the quietest classroom activities. The effects of the age of the school buildings and types of window upon internal noise were examined but results were inconclusive.

A Short‐term Longitudinal Study of Children's Playground Games in Primary School: Implications for Adjustment to School and Social Adjustment in the USA and the UK

AbstractIn this study we described development of boys’ and girls’ games on the school playground at recess as they progressed across the first year of primary school in London (UK) and Minneapolis (USA) in order to document age‐related trends in games during this period and to examine the predictive role of games in children's adjustment to school and more general social adjustment. Consistent with expectations, games accounted for a significant portion of children’s, but especially boys’, behavior during recess. American children played games more frequently, especially simple games, relative to English children. Consistent with expectation, the complexity of games increased, especially for boys, across the school year for children in both countries. We also examined the extent to which facility with games forecasted adjustment to school and social adjustment. Games predicted both, but only in the USA sample. Results are discussed in terms of games being an important developmental task for children of this age. Implications for future research and educational policy are discussed.

Celebrations of traditions past

Comparing Christmas traditions from the past with modern day celebrations. By Lynn Sear, literacy co-ordinator at Snowsfields Primary School in London.

Nutrient intake of children consuming breakfast at school clubs in London

Introduction: Research into the effectiveness of breakfast clubs has most commonly focused on social benefits to the child and school, such as improved attendance at school, punctuality and improved concentration levels in the classroom (UEA, 2002). Limited research has been undertaken to investigate the nutritional value of the breakfast foods on offer, or the nutritional content of foods consumed by the child. The aim of this study was to find out what children eat and drink at school breakfast clubs in London.Method: The sample population consisted of 98 children (39 boys and 59 girls) aged 5–11 years attending four primary schools in London. Data were collected about the food on offer and the pricing of different food items, demographic data about the children attending the school club, qualitative data on food preferences and a weighed food intake on two different occasions for each child. Statistical tests (anova and chi‐squared tests) and nutrient analysis using Comp‐Eat were carried out.Results: The average nutrient content of the breakfast meal consumed was 330 kcal, 12 g protein, 11 g fat and 49 g carbohydrate. Variation was seen between schools. Generally intakes of vitamin C, calcium and sodium were high and intakes of iron were average. anova between schools showed statistically significant results for a number of nutrients – protein, fat, saturated fat, carbohydrate, sugar, calcium and sodium. Boys were consuming statistically significantly more fat, saturated fat and calcium than girls. One in five children did not have a drink at breakfast. Menu options and pricing of food items varied between the schools and it was noted to influence children's food choice and consumption. Mean energy intakes equated to 18% of the estimated average requirement for boys and 20% for girls, with girls consuming more carbohydrate and sugar, and boys consumed more fat and protein.Discussion: The findings suggest that careful planning of menus should be undertaken with cereal‐based options being offered daily and cooked options only occasionally, and that healthier eating messages can be incorporated effectively into school clubs when supported by the whole school approach to healthy eating.Conclusion: Food offered at school breakfast clubs can contribute substantial nutrients to a child's daily intake and therefore a varied menu, and guided food choices, should be developed incorporating healthier nutrient rich options.This work was supported by Brooke Bond working in partnership with the BDA Community Nutrition Group.

Life and times of Nelson Mandela

Children can learn a great deal about recent history from studying the life of a famous person. Lynn Sear, literacy co-ordinator at Snowsfields Primary School in London, focuses on Nelson Mandela.

Tools for talking: the purposeful and inventive use of languages by bilingual children in primary classrooms

This article is based on a number of observations of bilingual children in an East London primary school, and some work carried out for a doctoral study. The article explores children’s views and perspectives on their use of first and second languages at home and at school. The kernel of the investigation is that language use is dependent on purpose. Bilingual children’s use of their first and second language depends on which language best serves a particular function. Often children who speak two or more languages on a regular basis combine these to create a new language. Schools therefore need to review their language policies and practices in relation to their pupil intake, taking into account the contribution of bilingual experience to children’s overall linguistic development. Teachers also need to understand parents’ views on their children’s language and literacy education. These issues are of vital importance if schools are to provide an inclusive curriculum.

Poetry in motion — an ode to free verse

Janet Bicker, a lecturer in early years education at Kensington and Chelsea College, London, and former primary school teacher, explores the powerful force of poetry.

The Inner London Education Authority and the William Tyndale Junior School Affair, 1974-1976

The William Tyndale Junior School affair marked a turning point in modern educational history. The affair, in which one north London primary school was paralysed by internal arguments over teaching method, is here analysed as a product of the pressures prevalent in Inner London education, and the article assesses the attempts of the Inner London Education Authority to contain those pressures. A necessary deference to the autonomy of teachers led to the adoption in the school of adventurous didactic methods which proved unacceptable to many parents. The unfolding of the affair widened divisions within the authority, between the authority and the teachers, between radical and traditional teachers, between teachers and managers, between teachers and parents, between different groups of parents and between the ILEA and the Borough of Islington. The Tyndale controversy was thus very complex, but its outcome is relatively straightforward: the apparent failure of 'progressive' methods in one London school prompted the adoption nationally of a more interventionist approach to methods and standards by central government and, in the process, a diminution of the autonomy of LEAs.

Teaching approaches which support inclusive education: a connective pedagogy

In this article, Jenny Corbett, a Reader in Education at the Institute of Education, University of London, considers the factors which can help to support effective inclusive learning. She uses her reading of the growing body of literature on inclusion in order to reflect upon her own enquiries into practice at an inclusive primary school in London. Drawing upon the three key elements in the Index for Inclusion, she presents findings about school culture, school policy and school practice. Her conclusions will help policy‐makers and practitioners to reflect upon the relationships between effectiveness and inclusivity.

Understanding Spelling

Stage models of learning to spell have not been helpful to teachers in teaching spelling. A three year project, based in three inner London primary schools, showed that although there is a developmental dimension to learning to spell, children nevertheless draw on several sources of knowledge from the outset. Reading and spelling are related but it is likely that phonemic understanding is gained more readily through spelling than it is in the context of reading. The project set out to examine how children develop as spellers and the nature of the links between children’s development in spelling, writing and reading. It examined the progress in spelling of two groups of children: a KS 1 group of children learning to read and write, and of a group of KS2 children who were fluent readers but who had spelling difficulties. The project also drew out the implications of its study for teachers and developed a spelling assessment framework to help teachers in analysing children’s spellings.

Children, School Choice and Social Differences

Research into school choice has focused primarily on parental perspectives. In contrast, this study directly explores children's experiences as they are going through the secondary school choice process in two inner London primary schools. While there were important commonalities in children's experience, in this paper we have concentrated on the differences. These, we argue, lay in (a) children's material and social circumstances, (b) children's individuality, and (c) the ways in which power is played out within families. However, despite both individual and family differences there remains a strong pattern of class-related orientations to choice. We also found that while the vast majority of children were actively involved in the choice process, the children's accounts highlight an important distinction between making and getting a choice. In this particular urban locale, there is less choice for black and white working-class boys than for other groups of children.

Needs and Resources Assessment: Establishing a Baseline of Expectation in Delivering Emotional Support to Schools

The promotion of mental health in the school context is gaining impetus with the introduction of the Healthy School Standard and other government‐sponsored initiatives. The Place to Be, a voluntary agency with a mission to enable emotional support to be provided to children in schools, has developed a model of successful working practice over six years. Through its needs and resources assessment, conducted early in the process of induction, important information is gathered which assists with the processes of project implementation and outcome evaluation. Key findings of the assessments undertaken in 18 London primary schools are reported here.

Theme consultancy – exploring organisational themes to symptomatic problems of behaviour management in a primary school

If children’s mental health needs are to be promoted rather than undermined through their experience of school, then systemic as well as individual support is needed to address behavioural difficulties. Persistent or intractable problems of behaviour management within a school may themselves be symptomatic of organisational stress. However, schools are on the whole unfamiliar with the kind of organisational consultancy which can address the underlying beliefs, feelings and ‘script’ of the institution so as to alleviate stress and to promote cooperation and development. This paper offers an example of a consultation employing ‘action research’ as a response to escalating behavioural difficulties in a London primary school. The work was negotiated as an alternative solution to that originally conceived by the school.

Biliteracy in a Monolingual School System? English and Gujarati in South London

The paper draws on research with 4–7-year-olds in a South London primary school to provide a longitudinal case study of one child's relationship to mother tongue literacy within the classroom. The findings demonstrate how this child, from the age of 4, actively combined Gujarati and English to enhance her literacy learning, and to construct texts which synthesised home and school experience. It is argued that the current emphasis on a monolingual curriculum in English primary schools denies such opportunities to most bilingual children. Even for the child in this study, her biliteracy development was restricted by institutional constraints due to the lack of status afforded to literacies other than English in the educational system. The relevance of these issues for bilingual education in other English-dominant countries is considered.