Spring 2013 Research & Internationalisation in the School of Education

1. INSIDE
Research & Internationalisation in the School of Education
Spring2013
p3 International Actvity
Establishing links with
European partners.
p7 Indias right to education
An insight into education
in Bangalore, India.
p14 SEL in China
A story of a UN graduate
and her journey towards
inclusion.

2. Welcome
www.facebook.com/
EducationUniNorthampton
@SoEUniNorthants
UniNorthamptonSoE
The present issue of RISE illustrates that – at all levels of our portfolio
– colleagues from the School are increasingly active in work beyond
our shores. This is a clear recognition of the emphasis given in The
University of Northampton’s Raising the Bar strategy on the importance of
internationalisation. In respect of this, readers will notice the subtle change
in strap-line of RISE, to place emphasis on the growing level of work being
undertaken in diverse locations worldwide. Often these developments are
collaborative, with School of Education staff working in cooperation with
colleagues from diverse international settings. Typical of these ways of
operating is our work in India, Thailand, Hong Kong and China all of which
are reported in this edition of RISE.
In Europe colleagues from the School have been active in many countries –
Germany, Sweden, Poland and The Netherlands being good examples of our
desire to form close working relationships with EU colleagues. I am pleased too
that these endeavours are being effectively supported by Richard Woods and
his team at the Northamptonshire Enterprise Partnership, based in Brussels.
Richard uses this issue of RISE to provide helpful advice to all those bidding
to secure funds from EU sources.
But our research is also relevant to locations closer to home, as shown by the
work emerging from our project concerning mental health and complex needs.
It is fitting that RISE carries an illustration of Professor Richard Rose, the
School’s Research Director, on its cover. As this issue goes to press Richard
is beginning convalescence after a serious cycling accident. As if to model
positive behaviour to others in the School, he remains ‘research active’ in
spite of his incapacity. We wish him a speedy recovery!
Philip Garner
www.northampton.ac.uk/education
Contents
International Activity
p3 International Activity
p4 Our trip to Sweden
p5 Applying for
European Funding
p7 The Right to Education
in India
p10 Supporting SEN teachers
in Bangkok
p11 Training and consultancy
in Hong Kong
School News
p12 What’s been going on?
Research Update
p14 Social and Emotional
Learning in schools
in China: a story of
a UN graduate
p18 Memorandum of
Understandings
p19 Researcher profile
Follow us
www.northampton.ac.uk/education2 | Contents

3. Existing and longstanding links with
Jönköping University in Sweden
are developing on a number of fronts.
The study fieldtrips have expanded
to allow 60 students from BA (Hons)
Early Childhood Studies, BA (Hons)
Childhood and Youth and BA (Hons)
Education Studies to experience
placement opportunities in schools
and settings and to meet professionals
from the areas of Police, social
services and community liaison.
A new partnership has also been
developed with the University of
Arnhem-Nijmegen in the Netherlands.
A group of 15 BA (Hons) Education
Studies students will spend a week
studying and experiencing the
Dutch education system including
approaches such as Montessori,
Steiner-Waldorf and Freinet.
In both the above institutions plans
are also developing to facilitate a
one term exchange for University
of Northampton students on both
the BA (Hons) Childhood and Youth
and BA (Hons) Education Studies
programmes. This is part of the
ERASMUS programme where students
will take modules related to their
degrees as part of an international
cohort in either Sweden or the
Netherlands.
INTERNATIONAL
ACTIVITY
New Partnerships
Staff exchange is also increasing
with colleagues from Sweden and
the Netherlands developing projects
focused on promoting student
mobility. (Including virtual mobility
centred on the use of social media
and technology)
New staff links with Weingarten
University are also being developed
around the area of Initial Teacher
Training and the possibility of
expanding student exchanges
and practice experience. R
The numbers of staff and students experiencing links with
our European partner institutions has increased with new
partnerships and exchanges coming on stream in 2013.
Visiting Professor
from Germany
Staff at the School of Education
met with Professor Ute Massler
from Weingarten University
of Education in Germany.
The purpose of the trip was to
discuss joint opportunities for
research and to evaluate the
potential for student field trips
and study exchanges. Ute also
visited a local school and had
the opportunity to meet some of
our current students. The School
of Education is also hosting
four education students from
Weingarten who have chosen to
undertake an Erasmus exchange.
New Partnership | 3
Kyffin Jones and Professor Ute Massler

4. 4 | Our trip to Sweden
After having a day to settle into
our new surroundings, Monday
provided us with the opportunity to
attend a local secondary school in
Jönköping. After being able to just walk
into the school from the main road
with no reception or visitors book to
sign, we were all amazed with how
relaxed the school atmosphere was.
This city centre secondary school
was called Junedals Skolen, where
800 local young people attended. In
groups we attended different classes,
answering questions the students
had to ask about England whilst also
discussing the differences between
schools in Sweden compared to
England. In Sweden, children do not
attend school until they are 7 years
old, and statistics show they are more
academically advanced than children
in the United Kingdom who start school
at 4 or 5 years old. Everyone found the
culture of the school very welcoming,
and interestingly the teacher pupil
relationship was very relaxed. The
pupils do not have to wear uniform and
there was not the sense of authority
from the teachers as we see in schools
in the United Kingdom.
On Tuesday we attended two guest
lectures at Jönköping University.
Firstly we met with Gregor Maxwell
a PhD researcher, who discussed
what it was like moving from Scotland
to Sweden, and the differences in
cultures. Also he shared his research
with us around disability and inclusion.
Following this we had another guest
lecture with Dr Martin Hugo, who
shared his research around young
offenders and excluded children.
On Tuesday afternoon, Kyffin had
recommended that we went on a
field trip to Råslätt. This was an estate
that housed many immigrants in the
suburbs of Jönköping. Visiting Råslätt
provided us with the opportunity to
see how living conditions and housing
was very different to those who lived
in the City Centre.
Visiting Jönköping Police Department
on Wednesday, we found out about
how Sweden deals with their young
offenders. Having a tour of the police
station and holding cells, was a
catalyst to us focusing on how their
law differs to ours. We had many
interesting discussions about what
sort of offences young people are
committing and why. In the afternoon
we visited Jönköping’s Social Services
Department, where Johan Ojeheim
discussed Swedish law around
children in care, and providing us
the opportunity to ask any questions.
Wednesday evening we all ventured
to Jönköping Universities Student
Union, we all felt very welcomed by
the students. Whilst enjoying a few
drinks, we had manay discussions
with the students about university
life and Swedish culture.
A plenary lecture was held with
Professor Roland Persson at the
University on Thursday morning,
about Swedish culture. We were
able to ask any questions we had
about the abundance of information
we had received over the week.
Overall, everyone thoroughly enjoyed
their week away, and the knowledge
we all gained about Swedish culture
and many of their social systems. R
Our trip to Sweden
By Jess, Childhood and Youth student
Thirteen year two BA (Hons) Childhood and Youth students
visited Jönköping in Sweden for a week in May last year.
www.northampton.ac.uk/education
Childhood and Youth students, with Kyffin Jones (Centre)

5. • What about my timeframe?
• What type of financial support
can I obtain?
• Who else is involved in the project?
• Can I apply for funding
in my location?
Your First Steps
Clearly, the first step is up to you.
You need to think your ideas through
and develop a clear outline of your
proposal. Remember, it is better that
the process is driven by your ideas
rather than by the funding sources
that happen to be available. In
general, your ideas will fall into three
broad categories:
1. You wish to build up or enhance
the research capacity of your
organisation, including through
training, or you intend to undertake
pre-competitive research and
technological development to
generate new knowledge.
2. You are interested in innovation
in the sense of technology transfer,
access to venture capital or business
and innovation support services. You
wish to develop new or improved
products and services for commercial
and competitive purposes or up-
date your production processes/
organisation/ marketing strategy. You
address non-technological issues.
3. You wish to engage in enterprise
development, for instance through
setting-up an innovative company,
Applying for European Funding | 5
Applying for European
funding – practical steps
By Richard Woods, Head of European Investment
at Northamptonshire Enterprise Partnership
Since European grants cover
a very diverse range of fields,
the specific conditions that need
to be fulfilled vary from one area
to another. It is therefore important
to consult carefully the rules of each
grant programme. However, some
basic principles apply in every case.
European grants:
• Are forms of complementary
financing.
• Enable a given operation to break
even financially and cannot lead
to a profit for their beneficiaries;
• Cannot be awarded retrospectively
for actions that are already
completed.
The Commission issues open
funding calls on a regular basis to
support projects or organisations,
which assist the delivery of an
EU programme or policy. A list of
thematic grants is available here:
http://ec.europa.eu/contracts_
grants/grants_en.htm
In order to determine which European
programme or funding source is the
most relevant to support your idea,
there are a number of key questions
to answer to guide you through the
relevant funding opportunities:
• Am I eligible for a given programme
or funding source?
• Is my type of research,
innovation or enterprise
development activity eligible?
the expansion or internationalisation
of your existing business activities
or the creation of new business and
technology partnerships.
Although the European funding
environment can sometimes be
seen as complex, participation
in international projects can
improve service delivery through
information-sharing and the exchange
of good practice with European
partners, develop pan-European
research networks, showcase your
organisation’s achievements in a
specific field and attract world-class
researchers to your organisation. R
About us
Northamptonshire Enterprise
Partnership European Investment
Office was established in May
2011 and is focused on effective
representation of the County and
maximising European partnerships,
trade and funding opportunities.
The Office supports business
growth and new jobs through
inward investment, enterprise
and innovation and other European
funding interventions. In the past
two years over 1.4 million euros
of successful European bids have
been secured across a range
of different thematic funding
Programmes for the County Council
and the University of Northampton.
Richard Woods

6. 6 | Applying for European Funding
Some do’s and don’ts on EU projects:
Do’s Dont’s
www.northampton.ac.uk/education
1. Align your project idea with priorities/strategic
framework of the chosen EU Programme
2. Make your project idea fit to the priority/headline
in the EU programme – and not the other way around
3. Identify a project lead to prepare of the proposal
4. Study carefully the call for proposal/tender
5. Develop a project organisation for this project, including
• Project Manager
• Steering Committee
• Working Groups
• Communication and feedback
• Reporting, input and deadlines
• Payment and other financial issues
(EC pays PM, not all partners)
• Rights and obligations of the lead partner/other partners
• NB: Be aware of the cultural differences
in an international partnership
6. Maintain an organised system of administration for the
project, and pay particular attention to keeping financial
records - remember that you must have valid receipts
for all the project expenditure;
7. Make sure that your organisation has enough cashflow
to enable you to start-up your project and implement
activities prior to you receiving instalments of the grant;
8. Read your grant contract carefully and in detail;
9. Keep your target group and participants in your
project activities well informed about the project
and ask them for their feedback;
10. Do remember to seek advice from the Contracting
Authority about any changes to your project;
11. Be aware that your grant contract is for a limited
duration and therefore you need to carefully plan
the implementation of activities and give yourselves
enough time to complete not only the activities,
but also the reporting.
1. Be driven by money alone – the EU funding
should iideally support your main activities
or strategic objectives
2. Wait until the middle or end of the project to think
about how the achievements of the project will be
evaluated, but ensure that the project has a well
designed Monitoring and Evaluation framework
from the very beginning;
3. Hesitate to ask the National Contact Points of your
EU-funded grant for advice and assistance in the
implementation and administration of your project.
4. Forget about your partners. Involve them in every
stage of the project, particularly when you need advice
on project management and reporting issues;
5. Don’t wait until the last minute to do your project
reporting, but draft brief reports after every project
activity and use these to compile your formal reports
to the Contracting Authority. Also keep your financial
reporting fully up to date, so that every activity report
has matching book-keeping, complete with all
expenditure receipts;
6. Don’t try to change the objectives or purpose of your
project, as this will contradict the terms and conditions
of your grant contract.
For further information:
Richard Woods
Head of European Investment
Nothamptonshire Enterprise Partnership
richard.woods@northamponshireep.co.uk
www.northamptonshireep.co.uk

7. The
in India
Right to
Education
By Mary Doveston, Senior Lecturer, SEN Inclusion
During our visit to teach students in
Bangalore studying on the University’s
MA SEN Inclusion programme, visits were
made to the Brindavan Trust school which
provides remedial education to students
ranging from 4 to 15 years of age, and to
the Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan - BBMP Public
school in Bangalore.
In 2009 the Indian government
passed the Right to Education Act
(RTE) which ‘guaranteed the right to
elementary’ for all children. Ensuring
that this right is available is a challenge
for the country and the individual
states. In Bangalore alone there are
approximately 2 million children of
school age (3 – 15 years), which is
25% of the city’s population. Not
only is the sheer scale of education
provision in the city daunting it is
exacerbated by the fact that there has
been exponential population growth
since 2000 as the city has moved from
the ‘garden city’ of India to ‘silicon
city’ of over 8.4 million inhabitants.
Consequently there has been a huge
demand for education from the RTE
and from the many wealthy families
working in the IT sector.
Education in Bangalore is provided by
Non - Governmental Organisations
(NGO’s) such as the Brindavan
Trust and Bhavan schools, as well
as Karnataka state and the Indian
government. In addition to this there
are independent providers such as
Euro School.
The aim of the Indian government is
to provide one qualified and trained
teacher for every 30 pupils. In
Bangalore this ratio is around 1: 40 with
the national average 1:34, but much
higher in the rural areas. There are still
8.1 million children in India who do not
attend school with a high dropout rate
of children in ‘scheduled tribes and
castes.’ However, over the last decade
and particularly since the introduction
of RTE, those not attending school has
dropped from 22 million.
Students sit key exams at the end
of standard 10 (equivalent to our
Year 10) and at standard 10 + 2
(Year 12 or 17 yrs old). The main
exam boards are CBSE and ISE. The
CBSE – Central Board of Secondary
Education is a nationally recognised
qualification which covers Physics,
Chemistry, Biology, Maths, Business
Study, Accountancy, Economics,
English, Functional English, Hindi and
Social Science. There are also state
exams and ICSE (Indian Certificate of
Secondary education).
Schools’ curriculum planning is based
around these exams and there are
cultural pressures for children to
achieve and become engineers or
doctors. Such pressures place very
high demands on students to succeed,
particularly where there may be
learning difficulties for a child in a
wealthy family.
The Right to Education in India | 7
Professor Richard Rose at the BBMP Public School, Bangalore
...continued overleaf

8. 8 | The Right to Education in India
The Brindavan Trust provides a
balanced curriculum for these
children from the age of 5 to 15
years and guides the learning so
that success can be achieved through
phased entrance to CBSE exams
and avoiding subjects which require
higher resourcing and conceptual
understanding e.g. sciences.
Two days were spent in Bhavan
BBMP Public School, opened in 2010.
The school serves the ‘slum’ area
of Srirampuram, a mile north of the
city centre on 2nd Main Rd. The
school stands in stark contrast to
the surrounding environment. It is a
refurbished building on 3 floors with
large, airy, tall ceilinged classrooms.
The area of Srirampuram is one of
poor infrastructure with public baths
and toilets, standpipes, limited refuse
collection, no pavements and variable
road surfaces - there is no continuous
tarmac on 2nd Main Rd.
Our day started with the arrival of
the car and driver at exactly 8am as
we had to be at school for 9.00am in
readiness for the 9.15am start.
The journey of a little over 4 miles
took 45 minutes, reflecting the traffic
chaos that is Bangalore. No lane
discipline, continual horn blowing,
thousands of motorbikes weaving in
and out of cars and buses which over
take and ‘undertake’. No traffic lights
at major junctions made it a free for
all and yet we did not see a single
collision – perhaps the slow pace and
stop-start nature of traffic alleviated
this. For any British passenger – the
best advice is to look ahead at all
times! The driver was calm and quiet
weaving his way along 2nd Main Rd
to the school.
We drove into the gates and were met
by smiling children and welcoming
staff. There are 200 children in class
sizes of approximately 40, from pre-
kindergarten through to standard 2.
The school will expand to standard
10 having over 500 on roll.
The school gates are closed and locked
at 9.10 – to encourage parents to bring
their children to school punctually as
lateness was initially a major problem.
As ever the day was sunny, cloudless
and temperatures hovered around 27C
– a lovely tropical climate compared
to the snow we had left in England.
The day began with assembly. The
children lining up in form rows in the
playground, with the headteacher and
staff and guests facing them. All sing
the national anthem and chant their
pledge of loyalty to country and hard
work. Each class then files into the
school. The three kindergarten classes
are downstairs and standards 1 + 2
upstairs. Three classrooms on each
floor lay either side of a broad corridor.
The children sit at purpose built tables
set in rows facing the teacher’s desk
and a blackboard. Displays are drawn
by teachers and cellotaped to the
walls. The school day finishes at 3.30
pm for standard 1 + 2 but they attend
every other Saturday 9.30 – 12.30.
Lessons are 40 minutes in length with
a strong emphasis on English and
maths – as the kindergarten timetable
shows. The children are well turned
out with clean, smart uniforms. They
A caste system is a process of
placing people in occupational
groups. It has pervaded several
aspects of Indian society for centuries.
Rooted in religion and based on a
division of labor, the caste system,
among other things, dictates the type
of occupations a person can pursue
and the social interactions that
she may have.
Taken from Doing Business in India
For Dummies
What’s the
caste system?
The class of 38
children where
bright and keen
to take part
Mary Doveston reading to a group of children.

9. were all enthusiastic, playful and
loud! Lunch was served in a large
classroom in stainless steel trays,
one form at a time, with students
returning empty trays and supervisors
checking that everyone had eaten
their meal! Each child then duly
walked along the corridor to wash at
the clean tiled toilets.
There was a real enthusiasm for
learning with a strong emphasis on
developing English, but the children
will also learn Kannada and Hindi.
Every lesson we observed emphasised
the development of vocabulary. An
environmental studies session for
instance related to seasons, fruit, and
clothing (Bangalore has three seasons
– winter, summer and rainy). In a
standard 2 maths class, the teacher
taught length, emphasising shortest
and longest, with all the children
shouting out the answers. The class
of 38 children were bright and keen to
be helped and take part. One wonders
the potential for the Indian nation and
competition for western countries if
this class was anything to go by. Such
was the potential there was evident
need to develop teaching and learning
strategies in order to harness and
direct children’s progress so that they
achieved at CBSE.
The school is run by a triumvirate
consisting of the State government of
Karnataka who renovated the building,
the Bharatiya Bhavan ( a foundation
who provide uniforms and meals at
lunch) and the Brindavan Trust (NGO)
who recruit teachers and organise
the curriculum. The school office had
computers and printer with an office
manager and caretaker.
The children who attend the Bhavan
BBMP school are fortunate, but there
is an increasingly pressing need to
provide for those children with SEN
and to make them included in the
educational provision of the country.
The aim of the Brindavan Trust is to
provide for these children by means of
after school remedial sessions and in
small schools for which parents pay.
We visited the primary and secondary
schools run by the trust. Children
were taught in small classrooms with
a qualified teacher – no more than 8
students per teacher. The emphasis
was on the development of key skills,
lessons being taught in English.
Again the students were happy and
recognised the advantage they had
in this less pressurised environment.
The 15 and 16 year old students were
extremely articulate in outlining how
they had progressed and the reasons
for this achievement e.g. the care take
by the staff, the style of teaching and
the management of the curriculum,
enabling them to take CBSE exams
when ready. Staff worked closely with
parents to develop an understanding of
the children, their SEN and the role all
had to play, particularly in the transition
into higher and further education.
The visits to the schools were eye
opening and highlighted the potential
of such a large population in the
world economy. On reflection there
were some points for discussion
and development that the schools
may need to consider in the long
term and something the University
could potentially contribute in terms
of teacher training and CPD e.g.
curriculum development, teaching
and learning strategies and classroom
management techniques so as to
engage all students.
The visits were an amazing eye opener
into the provision and development
of education in a newly Industrialised
country and the potential for a future in
which we might play our part. R
The Right to Education in India | 9

10. 10 | Supporting SEN www.northampton.ac.uk/education
With the globalisation of business,
more and more children with
Special Educational Needs (SEN) are
being educated in English medium
international school across the world.
Many teachers in these settings do
not have the opportunity to return
to England regularly to take part in
accredited professional development.
Two years ago the University
established links with the Village
Education Centre striving to become
a centre of excellence for students
with Special Educational Needs. The
University has worked with the Village
in the provision of CPD and Masters
level courses for teachers working
across a range of International
schools. Last October, Julian Brown
and Sheena Bell visited Bangkok to
carry out teaching linked to dyslexia,
both at Master’s level and also for
a more general group of interested
professionals and others.
Our key contact in Thailand is the
Village International Education
Centre (Website: http://www.
village-education.com). This is a
unique special centre, offering
long-term and short-term support
to students from the international
school community and bringing
together a number of services such
as educational psychology, speech
and language therapy and specialist
health care. The school provides a full
time curriculum and also caters for a
range of students who visit the school
for additional lessons. Through the
initiative of the Director of this school,
Harshi Sehmar, a number of MA
students from a range of international
schools in Bangkok are completing
their MA SEN Inclusion and whilst
there Julian and Sheena carried out
intensive teaching of an MA module
on dyslexia, followed up by email
contact and tutorials using Skype
technology. In addition, they also led a
very successful study day on dyslexia
for a wide range of participants
including mainstream and specialist
teachers, teaching assistants, school
principals and parents.
This is already opening up opportunities
for further research and development,
Julian and Sheena are hoping to
develop research links. On this visit
they had the opportunity to interview
Harshi Sehmar, the Director of the
Village Centre, and visited one of the
largest schools international schools
in Bangkok. Bangkok is a challenging
environment and there is clearly a huge
gap between what the international
schools provide, and the educational
provision in the local community.
However, there is a growing need for
qualified support for those children
who are educated in international
schools. Many of the teachers
appreciated the opportunity to take
part in professional development
which not only involved face-to-face
tuition but also the support of a group.
Although we are able to teach in
English medium, not all of our students
are from an Anglophone background
and therefore there are many
challenges in supporting them.
Our links with Thailand are developing
and Julian will be continuing to
develop these when he visits Bangkok
with Kyffin Jones to teach another MA
module to our students. R
Supporting SEN
teachers in Bangkok
Julian Brown (above) and Sheena Bell (top right), Senior Lecturers (SEN Inclusion)
with pupils from the Village International Education Centre.

11. Training and Consultancy | 11
Training and consultancy
in Hong Kong
The School of Education (SEN and Inclusion
Division) have been working with Hong
Kong Education Bureau colleagues for a
number of years. Initially this partnership
began with involvement in supporting their
UK professional development visits, in
partnership with the Faculty of Education
University of Cambridge. As Hong Kong
has been developing a national curriculum,
the study visits explored issues relating to
curriculum, assessment and provision for
learners with special educational needs.
Recently collaboration has involved two visits by
Principals from Hong Kong Special Schools and
Officers from the Education Bureau [EDB]. During these
visits colleagues were able to observe practices [deemed
outstanding by Ofsted] in relation to teachers’ effective use
of evidence for assessing learning outcomes for students
with special educational needs – [using the P scales in
the UK context] and moderation arrangements which
measured these outcomes against national standards.
The visitors met with colleagues in Northants, Derbyshire,
Peterborough, Luton Cambridgeshire, Essex and some
of the London boroughs in both special and inclusive
mainstream settings and in local authority teams in order
to explore and exchange ideas.
The most recent visit to the UK was in November 2012; it
involved Dr Peter Wong and Tania Kmso from the Hong Kong
Education Bureau (CDI) and eight principals from Hong Kong
special schools. The Principals spent time at the University
of Cambridge, Faculty of Education and then visited the
University of Northampton sharing their experiences
with staff and students on the new BA SEN and Inclusion
course. During their stay in Northamptonshire they visited
Moulton College, Fairfield’s, and Kingsley Special schools,
Wren Spinney School and Studfall Junior School (Corby).
Whilst on Park Campus our Hong Kong colleagues met and
worked with other members of the SEN inclusion team,
with fruitful discussions on the approaches to promote
and enhance the teaching and learning of students with
SEN. Peter Wells the Deputy Dean welcomed our guests to
the School of Education and noted the value that we place
on reciprocal working with our education colleagues from
Hong Kong.
Over the last three years this collaboration has developed
into some focused work with the Curriculum Development
Institute (CDI) SEN Team within the Hong Kong Education
Bureau, to provide professional development and direct
support for the special schools in Hong Kong. This
consultancy builds on the UK experience of the SEN and
Inclusion Division of developing national guidance and
support for schools in assessing the progress of learners
with SEN. Steve Cullingford–Agnew and Annie Fergusson
from the university team are leading work to introduce
Assessment for learning approaches to the special schools
across Hong Kong. Using an Action Research approach,
they are working directly with small groups of special
schools in Hong Kong to develop practice in making
judgements of students’ progress based on evidence and
professional dialogue. These ‘project schools’ are among
the first schools to utilise a new Learning Progression
Framework to measure the progress of students with
Intellectual Disabilities in their new curriculum.
...continued overleaf
Teachers from the Special Schools at the Hong Kong Cultural Centre

12. 12 | School News www.northampton.ac.uk/education
Making Sense of Mental Health –
understanding the mental health
of children and young people
with complex needs
Training via new technology: New web-based
training resource is Smartphone compatible
The National Association of Independent and Non-
Maintained Special Schools (NASS) and the University of
Northampton recently launched their new web-based
training resource to raise awareness and increase
knowledge and understanding about the mental health
of children and young people with complex needs. This
e-learning has been developed by the two organisations
through a part-government funded Knowledge Transfer
Partnership (KTP) initiative.
The two year project built directly on the findings and
recommendations of earlier research commissioned by
NASS and carried out by The University of Northampton
in 2007 [NASS, 2007; Fergusson et al 2008; Rose et
al,2009]. The training offers a flexible approach for groups
of individual staff – accessed via web or Smartphone. It
focuses on the issues and staff needs identified in the
2007 research. There are four sections to the training
which aim to support staff to - Understand the meaning
of mental health, Develop skills to identify mental health
concerns in children and young people with complex
needs, Build confidence in recording mental health
information and to Share concerns appropriately within
the setting, and externally to other appropriate services.
The development of this suite of downloadable training
resources involved leading specialists from the field and
has been widely trialled by leaders and practitioners in
school and residential settings. Using a highly interactive
approach the four part training offers activities, video,
podcasts, case study examples and editable templates,
which are relevant to specialist settings – including those
for children and young people with PMLD. R
For more on the training resource or the NASS(2007) research
report contact NASS via Karen Rippon at krippon@nasschools.
org.uk or http://www.nasschools.org.uk/making_sense_of_
mental_health.aspx
To date, this work has involved two action research projects
in Hong Kong, exploring Assessment for Learning (AfL) with
a number of special schools. The first project schools had
carried out their research and development work by June
2012, completing their research cycle with presentations
at a Professional Seminar to share experiences and
developments with other project schools and EDB
colleagues. This event was a great success and clearly
demonstrated the innovation, creativity and enthusiasm
of all the schools involved in the project. the participants’
feedback and evaluation showed the programme
was viewed very positively and seen to enhance their
professional development in using Assessment for Learning
approaches to make secure and reliable judgements of
progress and to develop skills of moderation collaboration.
The latest project schools began their projects in October
– November last year, following the visit by Steve Annie.
These schools have regular contact and online support
with the SEN Inclusion team, in addition to direct, local
support from EDB colleagues until Steve Annie return to
Hong Kong in May for the final Phase of this work. The visit
will conclude again with a conference to enable project
schools to share their research and developments. Part of
this consultancy has involved developing training materials
and the supporting schools in the trialling of draft guidance
materials from the EDB. Outcomes and feedback from the
project schools from their action research will contribute to
the review and further development of training and support
materials for special schools across Hong Kong.
This opportunity has been a really exciting collaboration.
Working with experts in the field of SEN at the Hong Kong
Education Bureau (CDI) together with the enthusiasm,
motivation and commitment of Hong Kong special schools
and their Principals has not only highlighted excellent
practice in assessment, teaching and learning for students
with SEN, but has also demonstrated a keen willingness
to develop a curriculum that really is appropriate for all
students. The University of Northampton is continuing to
work with the Hong Kong Education Bureau (CDI), Hong
Kong special schools and colleagues at the Faculty of
Education, University of Cambridge. R
Principals and Hong Kong Education Bureau officers from the
Special Schools at the Hong Kong Cultural Centre

13. School News | 13
SCHOOL NEWS
UN
Consultancy
in Georgia
Richard Rose spent the first
part of this week undertaking
consultancy in Tbilisi Georgia
working with colleagues from
Norway on assessment for
learning for the promotion of
inclusive schooling. This follows
on from work completed by
professor Richard Rose with our
visiting professor John Visser
earlier in 2012. The wok has
included training for teachers
and psychologists as well as
providing a model for capacity
building. It is anticipated that
further collaborations with the
Ministries of Education in
Norway and Georgia will follow. R
Small is Beautiful
Last week the FYR Macedonia
Ministry of Education formally
adopted the national policy and
strategy on reducing Violence
against Children in schools and
committed itself to the training
programme for all schools.
Both items are the direct result
of the UNICEF grant received by
the School of Education (via its
NCfLB social enterprise). This
allowed Philip Garner and NCfLB
colleagues to spend two weeks
working with their Ministry
and UNICEF officials to develop
this plan. R
International Teaching Assistants
The first cohort of Teaching Assistants in International Schools started
the new Certificate for Teaching Assistants in an International Context
(CTAIC) last November. Julie Jones, Senior Lecturer from the University taught
the opening sessions at St George’s British International School in Rome.
The sessions explored the English curriculum in the context of the teaching
assistants’ experience of intercultural learning and teaching. It was a very
positive start and the students contributed to discussions, highlighting their
experience in international schools. They were familiarised with the CTAIC
NILE sites and the blended materials for the first module. The students will
take part in the next face-to-face sessions in February followed by
additional blended materials and video conferencing. R
Behaviour2Learn (one of the School’s Social Enterprise activities) was
November’s ‘Website of the Month’ in the SENCo Update. Colleagues
will be interested to know that the website is now named on the
Behaviour-related pages of the DfE’s own website, as well as being a
‘go to’ resource for diverse stakeholder groups, such as the University
of Bath, ParentVoice and the Higher Education Academy. The University
of York is using the website’s ‘behaviour scenarios’ as a core feature of
its PGCE programme. We are now hoping to see it being made more use
of within the School of Education itself. R
www.behaviour2learn.co.uk
“ The University of York is
using the website’s ‘behaviour
scenarios’ as a core feature
of its PGCE programme.”

14. 14 | Research Update www.northampton.ac.uk/education
Social and Emotional
Learning in schools
in China:
My journey towards the promotion of
a story of a UN graduate
RESEARCH UPDATE

15. Research Update | 15
The Masters’ year witnessed the
change of my attitudes towards
inclusive education, which further
motivated me to keep following
Professors Richard Rose and Philip
Garner in the study of my doctoral
degree on the motivation and
professional development of teachers
in special and inclusive education in
China. The journey was a challenging
one but my professors and many
others in UN paved the way for me by
supporting me in every step I took.
The post-doc year saw the publication
of my PhD study and I then thought I
deserved a break. However, upon my
return to China in September 2010, I
was reminded that the journey had
to be continued. “Keep working”,
that is what Richard said to me at
farewell. Back in China, I found my
journey towards the promotion of
inclusive education a lonely one in that
there is a severe shortage of teacher
educators at tertiary level in China
for teacher education for inclusion.
Hopefully, support came timely again
from UN which secured my application
for a research project (2011-2014)
from the Ministry of Education (MoE)
of China, an international comparative
study on the status quo of the
teaching force at tertiary level for
teacher education for inclusion.
Given that inclusive education is
becoming high on the government’s
agenda in China, very limited number
of research projects on inclusive
teacher education has ever been
funded so far. My success in the bid is
in itself a loud praise to UN for its high
teaching quality which well prepares
its graduates to embark on their
professional journey with confidence
and competence.
Last year I was further encouraged
by UN to keep on the journey. I was
very excited at the news that the
Northampton Centre for Learning
Behaviour (NCfLB) was commissioned
by the UNICEF to jointly conduct a
3-year research project on SEL in
schools in China, in which I would be
working as a member of the NCfLB
team. This would be a new journey for
me as well as for the colleagues from
China since SEL in schools in China has
just recently been identified as one of
the priorities in education.
SEL in schools in China, especially
in socially, economically and
geographically disadvantaged areas has
presented unprecedented challenges
to the country. It was at this critical time
that the UNICEF incorporated with the
MoE of China to launch a pilot study
towards the promotion of inclusive education started from
September 2005 when, as a language teacher educator with
about 20 years’ teaching experience in a university in China, I enrolled by a fortuitous route,
as a mature student in a Master’s programme in the School of Education of the University
of Northampton (UN), the UK. It was out of extrinsic motivation (and even with some degree
of a-motivation) that I began to learn about special educational needs (SEN) and inclusive
education. With very limited knowledge and understanding to start with, I was then very
sceptical about inclusive practice in China. Besides, I have to confess that in my previous
teaching career, I had never considered Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) in schools
was a critical element to make a difference for a child.
My journey

16. (2012-2015) on social and emotional
aspect of learning for children in 200
schools of five disadvantaged provinces
in the West of China. The NCfLB would
be working closely with the MoE
designated research team from Beijing
Normal University (BNU), a leading
University in China in Education. Like
the NCfLB, the BNU team has long years
of working experience with the UNICEF
to conduct research projects including
the one called China’s Child Friendly
School. Based on China’s Child Friendly
School model, the NCfLB is expected
to help develop a framework for SEL in
schools catering to the disadvantaged,
and also to develop SEL review
instruments, curriculum for schools and
training materials for administrators,
school principals,
teachers as well as
parents and carers.
The NCfLB will also
engage in the training.
Meanwhile, evaluation
and assessment of
SEL in schools with the
implementation of the
curriculum will be an
ongoing process, which
would need the input
from the NCfLB as well.
The expected outcome
of the programme is
that by 2015, a package
of interventions
that enhance the
relevance, social
emotional climate and
quality of schooling
is successfully
piloted in schools
catering to children
from vulnerable
communities,
especially those
where parents
are migrant workers
elsewhere, leaving their children to
the carers who are mostly children’s
grandparents.
The project schools in the five
provinces are a selective and
purposeful sample identified for the
high proportion of population of left-
behind children as the main target
of intervention in terms of their SEL.
Due to its large population size, those
left-behind children of migrant workers
with their social and emotional needs
unattended have been causing serious
social issues for China such as attrition
from schools and juvenile delinquency.
In fact, the national government of
China has been making tremendous
efforts in the recent years to ease the
tension. The government educational
policies and initiatives have prioritised
the education for this group of children
by increasing the funds to improve the
learning facilities and school ethos,
to enhance school leadership and
teaching qualities, and to mobilise
resources and support to accommodate
the social and emotional needs of
those children at school.
The Journey towards the promotion of
SEL in schools in China could present
opportunities as well as challenges for
the NCfLB. As the first international
research team to be commissioned to
work on SEL in schools in China, the
NCfLB would be expected to share
its knowledge and expertise with
Chinese colleagues. This indicates
the high recognition of the NCfLB’s
academic status by the UNICEF and the
MoE of China. It also entails the huge
responsibility the NCfLB is shouldering
and the enormous commitments the
NCfLB will have to make in the years
to follow.
On the journey, I am expected to
provide consultancy as part of a
technical team for the NCfLB. As a
China national with long years’ work
experience in international affairs
in higher education, I have learnt to
appreciate the culture differences
between China and the rest of the
world. This will enable me to play the
16 | Research Update www.northampton.ac.uk/education
I see my role on the
journey very important.
Given that China has rich
knowledge of and good
practices in children’s social
and emotional aspect
of learning
RESEARCH UPDATE

17. Research Update | 17
role as a bridge across nations by filling
in gaps, if any, in the communication
between the cultures.
I see my role on the journey very
important. Given that China has rich
knowledge of and good practices in
children’s social and emotional aspect
of learning, the global understanding
of SEL as a concept still needs to be
facilitated in China. The refining and
developing of SEL in Chinese schools
depends on the understanding of
SEL from the educators, for example,
who will then adopt and adapt the
established models to be implemented
in the Chinese context. To promote SEL
in schools in China, I can, on the one
hand, provide insider perspective to
the NCfLB team in its construction of
contextual knowledge of China in terms
of SEL in schools as well as protocols
and etiquettes for communication
accepted by Chinese culture. On the
other hand, the years of learning
and work experience from the UoN
has prepared me to comprehend
the message from the NCfLB and to
pass it on to the Chinese colleagues,
strategically at times when chances
arise for clarification in face of any
misinterpretation due to culture
misunderstanding.
Meanwhile, being with the NCfLB
team on the journey not only offers
me opportunities to pay tribute as
an alumina to the University for the
rewarding years I spent there, which
changed my career path from being
merely a language teacher educator
to an advocator in the promotion of
inclusive education. It also motivates
me in seeking further personal and
professional development. Specifically,
by participating in the research project,
I would be able to learn from and share
with Chinese colleagues’ knowledge
and expertise of SEL in schools. In so
doing, I could contribute to my country
by voicing for the vulnerable and
disadvantaged children for equal rights
and opportunities in education.
It has been eight years since I was led
on the journey by the University to the
promotion of inclusive education. My
heartfelt thanks go to the NCfLB which
keeps me on the track on the journey.
I am very much privileged to play the
role as entrusted and I will spare no
efforts to live up to the expectations
of all. R

18. 18 | Memorandum of Understanding www.northampton.ac.uk/education
MoU with Opole
University in Poland
Professor Zenon Jasinski
Dr Przemyslaw Kaniok from
Opole University, Poland, visited the
School in December. They discussed
collaboration arrangements between
Northampton and Opole universities
with Philip Garner and Professor Sue
Ralph. Ken Bland showed them the
Forest School, and the visitors sat in
on an Early Years (Year 1) Geography
session. The Vice Chancellor hosted
the two Polish academics at an
evening drinks reception (attended
by the University’s professors). The
visit concluded with the signing of
a Memorandum of Understanding
between The University and Opole
University, Institute of Pedagogical
Sciences. This will lead to Erasmus
collaboration and opportunities for
research, staff and student mobility
and joint publication. Thank you to all
colleagues, academic administrative,
who assisted in making this visit such
a success. Particular thanks to Peter
wells, Deputy Dean, for drawing on his
Polish cultural and linguistic repertoire!
University signs MoU with
the oldest university in the
Republic of Kazakhstan
The University of Northampton is
pleased to announce that its School
of Education has signed its second
Memorandum of Understanding (MoU)
with the Republic of Kazakhstan.
The Early Years team hosted a
delegation from the Abay Kazakh
National Pedagogical University –
the oldest and most prestigious in
Kazakhstan – and welcomed Professor
Aigulim Aitpayeva, Dr Aigul Iskakova
and Professor Khairulla Zhanbekov
for a four-day visit in December.
The purpose of the visit was to
engage with senior staff members
at the University of Northampton
in a peer review of their PhD and
Masters programmes in Early Years,
as well as signing an MoU for future
collaboration.
This visit followed on from a successful
promotional trip to Kazakhstan by Cilel
Smith, Senior Lecturer in Education
for Early Years at the University of
Northampton, which resulted in
establishing good contacts with
three Kazakh universities.
The University of Northampton
also earned recognition by the
Kazakhstan government for the
prestigious Bolashak Scholarship
scheme for training and development
opportunities for higher education
staff.
Bolashak Scholarships have also
been awarded to two Early Years
staff from the Abay Kazakh University,
who will be participating in a 10-month
internship programme at the University
of Northampton in February and will
have the opportunity to observe and
participate in teaching and visiting
early years’ settings and schools
throughout the East Midlands. R
Memorandum
of Understanding
Left to right: Prof. Philip Garner, Eugene Kaniok, Prof Sue Ralph, Peter Wells
and Prof. Jasinski Zenon

19. Researcher Profile | 19
David Preece
David Preece joined the University in September 2013.
Before this he had developed and managed Northamptonshire
County Council’s specialist social care services for children with
disabilities, in particular those for children on the autism spectrum
and their families. He also worked for a number of years as a
visiting lecturer and regional tutor within the Autism Centre
for Education and Research at the University of Birmingham.
His research interests and publications include:
• The experience of families that include members on the autism spectrum
• Consultation with children with autism and other disabilities
• Social care support
• Best practice/the impact of autism -specific approaches
- and their broader application
• Models of parent education
• Autism and visual impairment
• Multiple disabilities and visual impairment (MDVI)
• The development of research tools in conjunction with ‘the researched’
• Mixed methods research
David is a member of the International Society for Autism Research and
has published in national and international journals and has spoken at
conferences in the UK, USA, South Africa, Norway, Denmark, Slovenia and
Japan. David’s has a PhD, MEd in Special Education (Autism) and a PGCE
- his first degree was in Medieval and Modern History and he originally
trained as a middle school Humanities teacher back in the 1970s. He is also
a qualified social worker. Outside the field of SEN, he is an associate member
of the London Institute of Pataphysics.
In conjunction with Marie Howley, his fellow Senior Lecturer in Autism,
David has edited a new publication for SENCOs, Supporting Pupils on the
Autism Spectrum, to be published by Optimus Press in the near future.
He has enjoyed his first months teaching at the university and is looking
forward to the challenges to come. R
Indicative publications
Taylor, K. Preece, D. (2010)
Using aspects of the TEACCH
structured teaching approach
with students with Multiple
Disabilities and Visual
Impairment: reflections on
practice, British Journal of Visual
Impairment, 28 (3), 244-259.
Preece, D. Jordan, R. (2010)
Obtaining the views of children
and young people with autism
spectrum disorders about their
experience of daily life and social
care support, British Journal of
Learning Disabilities, 38 (1), 10-20.
Preece, D. Almond, J. (2008)
Supporting families with children
with autism spectrum disorders
to use structured teaching
approaches in the home and
community, Good Autism
Practice, 9 (2), 44-53.
RESEARCHER PROFILE

20. PUBLICATIONS
Bell, S. (2012) Training teachers of children with dyslexia
or literacy difficulties for 21st century schools in England.
In: Pancocha, K. and Prochazkova, L. (eds.) Education
and Support for People with Special Needs. Brno,
Czech Republic: Muni Press. pp. 15-24.
Bland, K. and Sleightholme, S. (2012) Researching
the pupil voice: what makes a good teaching assistant?
Support for Learning
Devecchi, C., Dettori, F., Doveston, M., Sedgwick,
P. and Jament, J. (2012) Inclusive classrooms in Italy
and England: the role of support teachers and teaching
assistants
Murray, J. (2012) Young children’s explorations: young
children’s research? Early Childhood Development and
Care, 182 (9) 1209-1255.
Garner, P., Forbes, F., Fergusson, A., Aspland, T.
and Datta, P. (2012) Curriculum, assessment and
reporting in special educational needs and disability:
A thematic overview of recent literature. Sydney, NSW:
Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting
Authority.
Garner, P. and Forbes, F. (2012) Disposable assets.
Are special education teachers still needed in 21st
Century Australian schools
Garner, P., Gittins, C. and Evans, R. (2012) Protection
against violence, abuse and neglect in early childhood:
A Review of UNICEF country Programmes
Garner, P. and Gittins, C. (2012) Reducing Violence
against Children in Schools: Dimensions and trends
in school-based violence
Garner, P., Gittins, C. and Burnett, N. (2012)
Reducing Violence against Children in Schools:
Report and commentary on the analysis of a sample
of UNICEF country programmes
Rose, R. (2012) Beyond the school gates: promoting
inclusion through community partnership. In: Boyle, C.
and Topping, K. (eds.) What Works in Inclusion?
Maidenhead: Open University Press. pp. 139-149.
Rose, R. (2012) Volunteer engagement with young
people at risk of exclusion: developing new perceptions
of pupil and adult relationships. In: Cole, T., Daniels, H.
and Visser, J. (eds.) The Routledge International
Companion to Emotional and Behavioural Difficulties.
London: Routledge. pp. 288-295.
Smith, A., Groom, B. and Griffiths, S. (2012) Supporting
pupils with dyslexia: whole-school training materials
and resources for SENCOs
Contained within this page we celebrated our staff
peer reviewed research publications of 2012.