Meeting the Every Child Matters agenda and the challenge for employers: a tale of two cities

Grant type: Research
Round: Research grant 2008
Amount awarded £9,999.42
Leader(s): Dr Sean MacBlain
Organisation: University College Plymouth St Mark & St John
Contact Email: smacblain@marjon.ac.uk
Contact phone: 01752636700 (Ext. 5666)
Partners:
Annie Fisher
School of Education and Professional Development, University College Plymouth, St. Mark & St. John
Audrey Curry
School of Education, Stranmillis University College, Queen's University of Belfast
Dr Noel Purdy
School of Education, Stranmillis University College, Queen's University of Belfast
Kathy Jarrett
School of Education and Professional Development, University College Plymouth, St. Mark & St. John
Sharon James
School of Education and Professional Development, University College Plymouth, St. Mark & St. John
Wendy Geens
School of Education and Professional Development, University College Plymouth, St. Mark & St. John
Start Date: 11 November 2008
End Date: 31 August 2011
Interim report received: 29 September 2009
University College Plymouth, St. Mark & St. John is undertaking a joint project with Stranmillis University College, Queen's University Belfast to investigate current thinking behind the employability of Newly Qualified Teachers (NQT's) working with disadvantaged children in cities experiencing regeneration. The project seeks to understand the decision making processes behind the recruitment of NQT's and the desired knowledge and skills base that head teachers seek when making appointments. Faced with a growing number of children with complex social and emotional needs many of whom will come from disadvantaged inner city backgrounds and increasing numbers of pupils whose first language is not English, head teachers are finding themselves faced with the challenge of employing NQT's who need a different type of skills and knowledge base and the necessary personal qualities to effectively respond to the “Every Child Matters” and "Extended Schools" agendas. In reality, however, the initial training of teachers in the U. K. continues to come under intense scrutiny, with suggestions being made in some quarters that some teachers entering the profession are ill-prepared and, that following expensive appointment processes, many are leaving the profession after only a short period of employment