How do we introduce the Quality Circle Time model and improve inclusion?
Q: I have recently become a headteacher of a relatively traditional
"successful" secondary school.
I find that the school has been run autocratically with a successful but
very rigid Positive Discipline system in place. A vociferous minority of middle
managers subscribe to the 'hang em' brigade and many date back to the grammar
school days. This is making the issue of inclusion a difficult one to crack on
occasions. Given that I am completely in tune with the principles of your
circle time work (as I understand them) but with no personal experience, where
would I start, bearing in mind the background of the school? Do you have any
secondary contacts who have faced a similar situation? Which books, training
opportunities would be useful to us in planning and delivering this
transformation? Help!!
Jenny: Over the years I have spent some extraordinarily difficult and challenging training days with similar staff to the ones you describe. I have a team of consultants who work with me – and my directive to them all – is that whenever we are asked to do secondary training for a whole staff they must bring in a circle of pupils on the closure day. We have been doing this for years now and it is a very powerful tool. You bring back a large tutor group of Year 7 pupils who have never done circle time before – tutor groups are truly inclusive of children who have a range of needs and strengths. Cynical, rigid staff rarely fail to be moved by observing young people. For one hour, often the first in their whole career, they have to sit outside the circle and observe children without speaking. What they see and hear is the depth of children’s wisdom and generosity of spirit – and it rarely fails to move them. Once they have connected with their original vision of why they were drawn into teaching in the first place – they become much easier to work with. More open and responsive. So a typical training day would be a session before coffee on the vision and values of a school, after coffee a circle of pupils…and once mellowed the afternoon session can focus on ways forward that the school could take to put these values into action.
One day’s training is not enough – it is a great way of shaking people up, encouraging debate and opening up hopes and dreams…but it needs to be followed through with careful consultancy. We have a range of secondary schools who we have worked successfully with – but the whole secondary system is flawed – and the issue of whether the values and practices stay embedded is all to do with staff support, turnover and induction. As you have been specific in your request for training opportunities I can be specific in my answers ! I would suggest you negotiate a training package with us (our website is linked to this one with all the contact details) you would need to talk to our project director, Ginny Sutton. I would also suggest that once you have organised the training, you send a key member of staff on our secondary Train the Trainers Accredited week course. This is expensive but a very good investment. These courses draw together staff who are currently engaging in excellent practice within our model. At a ‘lesser level’ there are two books that are available Quality Circle Time in the Secondary School and Important Issues in the Secondary School.
So, I hope this helps…but my heart is with you on this issue of the management of change with these particular people – you need to reconnect them to a moral vision. So, good luck good luck.
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