Schools In London Research Articles

School building-stock climate resilience: evaluating London’s school stock overheating performance

ABSTRACT Indoor environmental quality (IEQ) in classrooms is crucial for students’ health, wellbeing, and academic success. Rising outdoor temperatures due to climate change pose a significant risk – overheating in schools can negatively affect cognitive performance and health for both students and staff.This study examines the risk of overheating in primary and secondary schools in London, focusing on the impact of current and future climate scenarios. Using the UK Department for Education’s Building Bulletin 101 (BB101) as a framework, the study integrates data from various sources, including GIS form data and a national school survey, to develop a ‘one-by-one’ school stock thermal model called the Modelling Platform for Schools (MPS). This model, built using EnergyPlus, allows for the analysis of school thermal performance at national, regional, and individual levels.The results show that by the 2050s, under a medium emissions scenario, average summer temperatures in schools could reach nearly 30°C – 7% higher than current levels. The study also developed an overheating-risk regression model for London schools and explored potential mitigation strategies, such as extending summer holidays or adjusting school activities to times when overheating risk is lower.

Willingness-to-taste in UK children aged 4-7 years was driven by contextual facilitation, not intervention, in a randomized controlled trial of sensory food education

Many children would benefit from a diet richer in vegetables and fruit. Reluctance to taste new foods is widely recognised as a barrier to healthy dietary variety in children. ‘Flavour School’ is a programme of ‘sensory food education’, aiming to increase children’s confidence and curiosity in exploring foods and flavours, especially vegetables and fruit. We report a pre-registered, cluster-randomised controlled trial to assess the outcomes of the Flavour School programme, in n=160 children aged 4-7 years from 5 UK schools in London and Leeds. Children either received the Flavour School programme (experimental group n=84) or no intervention (control group n=76), in a two-level design with children clustered within school classes. Data collection consisted of video recorded behavioural observation during a tasting activity designed to resemble a Flavour School activity, conducted before and after the intervention. Linear regression models were used to fit relationships between independent variables and outcomes; Willingness-to-taste, Enjoyment (positive/negative facial expression), and Expressiveness (change in facial expression). Most children engaged readily in the tasting activity at baseline. At follow-up children engaged with the tasting activity even more readily (on average biting one more food sample), with no significant effect of the intervention. We interpret these findings to indicate that intra-individual tasting behavior in children is context-dependent. Our results suggest that the context of sensory food education activities facilitates openness to tasting across the normal range of individual traits. However, we find no evidence that receiving sensory food education makes a reluctant taster into a less reluctant taster; no ‘curative’ effect of the intervention was observed. Rather, even usually fussy/reluctant children were often willing to have a go at tasting in the conducive context of an exploratory activity. Trial registrationISRCTN: 40249947 Date assigned 17/03/2020 Last edited 24/10/2022 Version 1.2 Trial Acronym OASES (Outcomes Assessment of Sensory Education in Schools)

Complementary schools as ‘breathing spaces’: identity, multilingualism and critical pedagogies in heritage language education

Whilst mainstream schools in England may encourage multilingualism by insisting on the study of foreign languages, multilingual children are not always provided with support for the maintenance of their heritage languages and cultures. In response to this shortcoming, communities organise themselves to support their young members by setting up extra-curricular education institutions or associations, also called complementary schools, which contribute to the cultural and linguistic maintenance of minority communities. Through emblematic extracts from a fourteen-month ethnographic research in an Italian complementary school in London, this article examines how HL learners engage in and reflect on their multilingual practices and how they develop agency in their learning environment. The findings illustrate how critical modes of teaching and learning that make space for multilingualism can provide children with unique opportunities to discover, explore and experiment with their multilingual and multicultural selves, which, in turn, permit them to access linguistic resources and legitimise multilingual learner identities. Expanding on Fishman’s notion of ‘breathing space’, the article suggests that complementary schools represent a space where minority languages but also pedagogical practices can breathe and develop.

‘I like to dance with the flowers!’: Exploring the possibilities for biodiverse futures in an urban forest school

AbstractThis article explores the ways in which ‘forest school’, an educational approach where children engage in creative and play based activities in a ‘natural’ environment, can contribute towards Sustainable Development Goal 15 (SDG 15) by promoting sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems and by helping address biodiversity loss. Drawing on data from an inquiry that explored childhoodnature play in an inner‐city forest school in London, England, this article discusses the ways in which nature relations emerged over weekly visits to an urban park over the course of one school year. We, the adult and young child researchers and more‐than‐human nature, enacted ‘shared play’ as part of a post‐qualitative approach that involved playing together as a form of data creation. Co‐created ‘play tales’ from the inquiry foreground encounters between children, grass, flowers, soil, trees, fruits and insects and illuminate the ways in which nature relations ignited small, yet powerful, acts to protect and restore the flora and fauna in the urban park. This article asserts that post‐anthropocentric, postdevelopmental educational approaches create opportunities for multi‐species relations to slowly emerge and flourish. These stories illuminate the ways these ethico‐political relations and onto‐epistemological transformations can prevent the continuation of terrestrial ecosystem degradation and contribute towards biodiverse futures in urban areas.

Colour-evasive racial ideologies underpinning the hidden curriculum of a majority-minority occupational therapy school in London, England: an analysis of minoritised undergraduate students’ experiences

ABSTRACT The concept of ethnoracial ‘majority-minority’ was introduced to describe changing population demographics where racial or ethnic groups traditionally in the majority have become a numerical minority. Despite their increase in recent years, very little is known of how hidden curricula manifests in these settings. Hence, this study sought to interrogate the hidden curriculum of race at an Occupational Therapy school with a majority-minority student-educator population in London, England. We conducted a secondary analysis of qualitative data from a larger action research project. The main data source was derived from two group interviews involving 11 racially minoritised student participants, and thematically analysed through a hidden curriculum lens. Trustworthiness of the analysis was enforced through crystallisation. The hidden curriculum of race was identified as embedded within (1) formal learning, (2) the null curriculum, (3) the informal curriculum, and (4) administrative structure and functioning. It is underpinned by pervasive colour-evasive racial ideologies which perpetuate health and workforce inequities. This paper concludes that majority-minority population demographics are insufficient to mitigate the impact of wider societal norms of oppression on hidden curricula. Thus, concerted and collective efforts involving all professional stakeholders are needed to embed intersectional, critical race-conscious approaches throughout formal learning across the academic curriculum.

Play tales: Co-creating stories of childhoodnature play in an urban forest school

This article shares several co-created stories of play that we have named ‘Play Tales’. These are about our experiences of researching ‘childhoodnature play’ (playing in a place with more-than-human nature) in an urban forest school in London, England. The article offers insights about the emergence of childhoodnature play. We found out that play changes with the seasons, involves a mix of home, digital, school and outdoor worlds and you know you’re playing because of how you feel. Researching together takes time and space but it is important to work together in research because there are some things only children know.

When counter-extremism ‘sticks’: the circulation of the Prevent Duty in the school space

ABSTRACT This article contributes to scholarship in Muslim geographies to show how the Prevent Duty is a racializing and securitizing policy, which exists in an already unequal school space. Through the concept of ‘stickiness’, it shows how the Prevent Duty creates associations of violence and extremism with gendered Muslim bodies and considers the spatial politics of Prevent Duty training. By attending to the effective nature of Prevent, this paper considers how these policy documents create negative attachments that shape how Muslim teachers experience the school space, as both the implementers and potential targets of the policy. In-depth interviews with current and former teachers working in London schools were conducted in 2018, with a particular focus on the experiences of Muslim teachers. The results indicate that when the Prevent Duty is in circulation, it creates an atmosphere in which ‘Muslimness’ feels under surveillance, lingering beyond the training space.

Mathematics teachers and learners as collective agents of change

In this article, we report on findings from the Primary Maths and Social Justice research project, a recent collaboration between the three authors and six teacher researchers from two culturally diverse primary schools in London, UK. The project aimed to develop strategies for addressing issues of social justice in the mathematics classroom, and operationalising the recently developed theoretical concept of socio-mathematical agency, defined as learners’ capacity to apply mathematics in arguing collectively for social change. The teacher researchers’ experiences, as captured through audio recordings of research team meetings and interviews, form the basis of our data analysis. Our findings highlight the processes that enabled teachers to reflect critically on existing practice, prompting them to adopt more collaborative, discursive and inclusive problem-solving approaches that resulted in significantly higher levels of student engagement in mathematical activities. The teacher researchers found that cross-curricular projects provided more opportunities to apply mathematical knowledge in tackling social justice issues than the prescriptive and content-focused mastery-style mathematics schemes of work in place. They reported how students embraced opportunities to use mathematics in more meaningful contexts and in presenting arguments for change. We argue that a focus on developing socio-mathematical agency has the potential to enhance the role of teachers and learners as agents of change, an important element that is often underdeveloped in culturally responsive teaching.

Teacher and Parent Perception of Biophilic Conditions in Primary-School Environments and Their Impact on Children’s Wellbeing

The term “biophilia” refers to the intrinsic affinity that humans have towards nature, natural elements and natural processes. Biophilic design theories suggest that the introduction or representation of natural characteristics or elements into the built environment can help enhance people’s health and wellbeing. Primary school buildings are important environments where children spend considerable time. However, there is limited evidence on the impact of their biophilic features on the children themselves and on perceptions of important facilitators of children’s wellbeing, such as teachers and parents. This research aims to investigate whether teachers and parents perceive children to have a preference or desire for specific biophilic characteristics in their school’s physical environment; and whether teachers perceive some biophilic characteristics as having an effect on children’s performance and behaviour. A framework for evaluating biophilic characteristics in primary schools was developed. Two case study primary schools in London and Bath (England, UK) were audited against this framework, and teachers and parents were surveyed. The results suggest that children do have a preference towards the specific biophilic features studied, which is stronger and more demanding when the exposure is higher. For some aspects, teachers’ perception of benefits is also susceptible to the quality of the environment itself.

The use of song in RE and worship for spiritual development and wellbeing of pupils aged 7–11 in Catholic schools

This research reports an exploratory study of the use of song in religious education and worship (REW) with pupils aged 7–11. The study examined the use of three aspects of song pertaining to composition, understanding and prayer, and how these could be impactful in pupils’ spiritual development and wellbeing (SDW). This case study research was undertaken in two Catholic primary schools in London with pupils and teachers from all key stage two (KS2) classes. In total, 17 individual and group semi-structured interviews were conducted with 54 participants and this data was combined with that from 207 surveys. The literature review looks at the benefits of music on the individual and school community and then explores spirituality so that a conceptual framework is created. Research indicated that song was effective in developing pupils’ SDW as it enhanced connectivity with God, Others, Self, Cosmos and Social Action. The findings of the research offer possible ways forward for the use of song in RE for the promotion of spiritual growth as well as the Catholic life and mission of the school.

Analogical Visuospatial Matrix Reasoning, Verbal Relational Reasoning, Verbal IQ and Memory Relationships With Maths and Science: A Behavioural and fMRI Study

There is no research that combines behavioural and functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) research approaches to investigate the relationships between analogical reasoning and the mediating and moderating effects of working memory, verbal IQ, visuospatial and verbal reasoning on students’ performance of maths and science. This paper investigates all these multiple relationships between working memory (WM), verbal IQ, visuospatial and verbal reasoning with performance in maths and science accuracy. The multimethod research consists of a behavioural survey and a fMRI neuroscience investigating the interactive and multiple relationships of all cognitive independent variables (IVs) with the dependent variables (DVs) of maths and science performance. Using structural Equation Modelling (SEM) and Warp Partial Least Squares (Warp PLS) analytical approach, the research discusses the findings of both, the behavioural and fMRI data. The adolescent sample (N=34) for the behavioural and fMRI study, was recruited from consenting schools in London, UK, and consisted of equal numbers of girls and boys between 11-15 years old. The hypothesised behavioural SEM model predicted positive relationships between all the independent variables (IV) of visuospatial matrix reasoning (VSMatAR), verbal analogical reasoning (VerbAR), verbal working memory (VWM), visuospatial working memory (VSWM) and verbal IQ, with performance in maths and science accuracy. The findings support all hypotheses except two and identifies verbal IQ, Verbal WM and VerbAR as the three strongest predictors of maths and science accuracy. The hypothesised fMRI SEM, produced mixed results, which supported some of the hypothesised relationships between the IVs of verbal AR and VSMatrix AR associations and four brain regions, namely, the bilateral dorso lateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC), Parietal, Temporal and pre-supplementary motor area (PSMA). The paper makes two original contributions, firstly, by testing the hypothesis that Verbal WM mediates the independent variables’ effects on maths and science outcomes. And secondly, by using Warp PLS to test the SEM (behavioural and fMRI) models’ multiple non-linear interactions simultaneously between the IVs with the DVs of maths and science accuracy. The research produced some interesting new insights relevant for educational practitioners regarding the strong relationships between Verbal analogical reasoning and maths and science performance for adolescent students.

Academic profiling in Britain? Exploring Black youth’s experiences of tracking in schools

ABSTRACT Based on 30 one-on-one in-depth interviews and 24 focus group interviews with 120 Black Caribbean pupils in one of the largest state secondary schools in South London, this article examines how Black students make sense of their concentration in lower-ranked classes as facilitated through academic tracking. While previous research documents the academic, social and psychological implications of tracking, setting and other “ability” grouping practices for various racial, ethnic and class groups, comparatively little attention has been devoted to how the persistent misrecognition of Black pupils in Britain often results in academic profiling in schools. Academic profiling is here defined as the persistent mischaracterization of Black and other racially minoritized students based on their past achievements and dominant cultural stereotypes. The results of this study suggest that Black Caribbean participants experience academic profiling as a signature feature of their educational experiences, whether in bottom, middle or top sets.

Sir William Stanley Peart. 31 March 1922—14 March 2019

Sir Stanley Peart began his academic career with two fine original pieces of work: elucidating the neurotransmitter discharged from sympathetic nerves to the viscera; and characterizing the amino-acid sequence of angiotensin, the peptide released by the action of the enzyme renin. The influence of both these lines of work has been profound. First, on the understanding of neurotransmission in the autonomic nervous system, the peripheral nervous system that regulates involuntary processes in the viscera. Second, on the control of the vascular system; on hypertension and the design of antihypertensive drugs; on creation of analogues and antagonists of angiotensin; and on the therapeutic potential of inhibitors of angiotensin-converting enzyme. These achievements required intense application, originality of ideas and technique and good scientific taste in the choice of collaborators. However, he chose not to remain in the laboratory, but explicitly to be a clinician scientist, with his research growing from and illuminated by clinical practice. He created a fruitful and durable school of research in hypertension and the related subjects, inspiring and influencing a generation of clinician scientists. Among his strengths were the ability to analyse and constructively criticize research, and to recognize the aptitudes and abilities of all who had the pleasure of working with him. His academic career began as a medical student at St Mary's Hospital Medical School in London, and he spent almost all of his career at St Mary's, including 31 years as professor of medicine.

Students and Academics Perception of Flexible Learning Tools and their Effectiveness in Developing Employability Skills within UK Business Schools

With the growth and acceptance of flexible learning after the COVID-19 pandemic, it is crucial to identify the pedagogical tools which are effective in developing employability skills among the undergraduate business students. The paper is the second in the series to investigate the effective pedagogical tools to develop the employability skills. This study seeks to provide an insight into the most effective flexible pedagogical tool especially in the context of UK Business Schools. Indeed, the use of resourceful pedagogical tools are vital in developing the key 21st century employability skills among the business students. In order to ensure that organizations have the right skills to support and sustain their hard-earned success, and people have a relevant set of skills they need to be both employable and individually fulfilled. For this study, a single case study was selected; where a business school in central London was selected which provided both face to face and flexible learning to students in the UK. The study critically reviewed students’ and academics perspectives on the issue of pedagogical tools. Both data strands agreed that case studies, class debates, lectures, group projects, role play, and internships are effective flexible learning tools for the development of 21st century skills or in gaining employability for life values.

‘Sewing together’: An idiographic study of a music therapist’s experiences of a group at a special school for children and young people with severe and complex special educational needs

This research was commissioned by a school in London which provides for children and young people aged 2 to 16 with a wide range of learning difficulties. This single-participant study uses video annotation, video elicitation interview and interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA) to explore perceptions of processes in a music therapy group, from the point of view of a music therapist. Two tables of annotations present a description of events in each video clip in a timeline. The IPA interview analysis produced 25 emergent themes, grouped into four superordinate themes (‘Balancing diverse needs’; ‘Spontaneity’; ‘Therapists’ musical stance’; ‘Group dynamics’). Parallels are drawn with other music therapy groups described in the literature and with Foulkes’ group analytic psychotherapy. The study elucidates an approach to group music therapy which provides a space for spontaneous and meaningful interaction, both through music and other modalities.

Glasgow Alumni Column - An Interview with Prof. Rev. Sturrock and Eddie Carberry

For our first Surgo alumni column we wanted to include an interview between formerstudent Eddie Carberry and rheumatology consultant and medical school chaplainProf. Rev. Roger Sturrock. I trained in medicine at the Westminster Medical Schoolin London and worked in London before coming up toGlasgow to work as a lecturer. The opportunity arose forme to work in Nigeria for a little while and I taught in theAhmadu Bello University hospital which at the time wasthe only medical school in the North of Nigeria. I laterreturned to Glasgow to head up the Centre For RheumaticDiseases. Teaching and clinical research have always beenan important part of my working week.I have been involved in church life since my teenage years.Towards the end of my career I trained as a Reader in theChurch of Scotland and subsequently was ordained as aChurch of Scotland minister after returning to universityas a student, graduating in Divinity. I am now an honoraryChurch of Scotland chaplain to the University and I havejust taken on the role as chaplain to the medical school.I see myself as hopefully providing Spiritual Care andadvice to all students of whatever faith group or none.Roger Sturrock Eddie Carberry, FY1Having dropped in to Roger's Wednesday afternoonclinic in the Wolfson Library Room 10, I can say that hisskills of relating ethical and spiritual guidance to thetrials and tribulations of life as a medical student areincredibly useful. I would personally recommenddropping by for a chat if you have anything on yourmind An Interview with Prof. Rev. Sturrock and EddieCarberry I took the opportunity to attend one of Roger's Sunday morning sermons at KelvinsideHillhead Church. Interestingly, Roger manages to weave the religious aspects of hissermons into relevant advice and guidance for his congregation- Eddie. “ Your title is Revered Professor, whatwould you prefer students called you?” Roger.“ What is the best cytokine?” It depends on your perspective! Somecytokines are good - enhancing theinflammatory response to tumourswhereas others have the opposite effect.My favourite cytokine is TNF alpha!"What is the link between rheumatoidfactor and The X-Factor?" (the singingcontest TV show run by Simon Cowell). They are both easy to spot but withuncertain outcomes.“ Do you believe in hell?” If you mean fiery flames and devils withhorns and tails, then the answer is no.Sometimes we create our own hell forourselves."And unrelated to the previous question:Have you ever had to present a patient ata morning ward round after too manypints of Fun the night before?" (a 'pint offun' is now the signature drink at theGlasgow University Union, it's a deadlycocktail made with a triple measure ofvodka and tastes like fruit juice. It'sresponsible for the majority of studenthangovers). The short answer is no but as a juniorDoctor on one occasion I had to guide aninebriated consultant on a ward round!“ What's important about spiritual carein healthcare workers?” The NHS is now recognising theimportance of spiritual care forhealthcare workers. It is about helpingthe inner person to cope with thestresses of health care and to get thingsin the right perspective. How to copewith suffering and death etc.“ Would following all religions increasemy chances of getting into an afterlife?” No! I guess that it would be veryconfusing to follow every religion. It isnot quantity that counts but quality!“ There have been many famousscientists who were also greatlyreligious, have you ever found it difficultto think like a scientist and keep faith inreligion?” No. If anything religion helps to spur oneon to understand how God works increation

Popular boys, the ideal schoolboy, and blended patterns of masculinity for 10‐ to 11‐year‐olds in two London schools

AbstractGenerating data from small group interviews with 41 boys aged 10–11 years from two London schools in 2022, this paper contributes to the field of gender by introducing a new form of non‐hegemonic and positive masculinity, which I am calling ‘blended’ masculinity, and which was the most common formation in each school. Although its features differed a little in each setting, this blended formulation broadly consisted of orthodox qualities of masculinity (e.g. athleticism, assertiveness, confidence, independence), combined with feminine‐associated traits (e.g. kindness, caring, sociability, emotional literacy). I argue that this blended form is different from previous conceptualisations of hybrid masculinity in the gender literature and is more akin to recent conceptions of hybrid femininity. There were no dominant forms of masculinity with hierarchical connotations of superiority, and no hegemony that legitimated unequal relations, with obvious subordination of other masculinities or femininities. Boys and girls generally got on well with each other and there was also no evidence of homophobia or misogyny. The paper also explores notions of peer‐group popularity, which was based on a series of resources, and delineates the characteristics of a fictional, ‘ideal’, schoolboy, whose features and attributes were connected to the different versions of masculinity on show.

Some Early Soyinka Letters

Among the papers of James Simmons held at the Rose Library of Emory University are nine letters he received from Wole Soyinka as well as one from Soyinka’s British partner, Barbara Dixon, both of whom had been his classmates at Leeds University in the mid-1950s. The letters cover Soyinka’s activities from July 29, 1958, a year after he had graduated from Leeds, until January 13, 1960, just after he returned to Nigeria. During this period Soyinka had worked as a broadcaster for the BBC, been a play reader for the Royal Court Theatre, and a teacher in London schools. He also travelled to Paris seeking employment as a singer. Much of this time he and Barbara were under financial pressure, and their relationship eventually broke up a year after their child had been born. These letters and others like them from later years in his life yield vital information for Soyinka’s future biographers.

Journey towards a dental career: the career decision-making journey and perceived obstacles to studying dentistry identified by London's secondary school pupils and teachers.

Objective To explore the career decision-making journey towards dentistry and identify possible challenges and supports in this process as perceived by academically able, science-minded, London school pupils and their careers teachers.Methods A mixed-methods study was conducted using a purposive sample of London schools. Focus groups (n = 13) with 91 pupils aged 14-18 years and a survey of career teachers (n = 12) were conducted at a range of school-types. A topic guide, informed by the literature and previous research, guided discussions. Ethical approval was obtained from King's College London Research Ethics Committee (BDM/10/11-17 and 14/15-40). School, teacher, parental and pupil written informed consent were obtained. Data were transcribed and analysed thematically using framework methodology.Results Four distinct phases of the career decision-making journey were identified: 1) initiation of aspiration, with wider influences promoting medicine as a primary aspirational career option; 2) exposure to dentistry as a career, leading to recognition of dentistry as an alternative; 3) exploration of the career; and 4) the application process. Dentistry received little early consideration in this process. Greater representation of dental professionals within the school, access to work experience, and support in the student application process were identified as possible supports.Conclusions The findings suggest a four-phase journey towards a dental career, which may be enhanced by engagement of dental professionals at each stage. This may be particularly helpful in widening participation from under-represented groups.

The dispositions and tactics of school sixth-formers who reject the institutional ‘push’ to university

ABSTRACT This paper examines the experiences of a group of 16- to 18-year-old students in two publicly funded London schools who did not conform to expectations and rejected university as a post-school destination. The students’ experiences offer insights into how current Higher Education (HE) policy in England combined with a competitive school market encouraged differentiated levels of support according to the ‘status’ of students’ post-school aspirations. In both schools, progression to university was valorised with sixth-form (post-16) careers guidance focused on HE choosing. Students who did not conform to school expectations and sought alternatives to university were found to be most disadvantaged by a lack of independent and impartial careers guidance at sixth-form level. Characterised by creativity and resourcefulness, non-conforming students’ dispositions influenced the ways they negotiated the HE discourses integral to the institutional habitus of their schools. Drawing on social and cultural capital beyond the school, they accessed advice and guidance for post-school destinations which had more meaning for them than university. The paper draws on student interviews which formed part of a larger ethnographic study of the influence of institutional habitus on students’ HE and non-HE choosing. The discussion is informed by a Bourdieusian theoretical framework.