HOW TO CLOSE THE GAP
by meeting the real needs of your most disadvantaged pupils
and easing teacher stress
Engaging Your Disadvantaged Students.
We all know that to raise attainment we have to get students more engaged and involved in the classroom; the big question is ‘how can we engage our most disadvantaged students?’
Children from all walks of life need safe places and caring adults in order to thrive so it’s important that our classrooms offer an engaging environment with good teacher-pupil relationships so young people feel safe, that they belong and that they matter. When these needs are met, children engage and learn. This is the key to engaging disadvantaged pupils. They may not get those fundamental needs met very well at home, so it’s especially important that they are met in the classroom.
The Impact Of Teachers
Naturally, teachers have a significant influence in the classroom; they can uplift and inspire a child with a well-placed comment or distance them with an offhand retort.
We all remember teachers from our own school days, the ones we loved and the ones we loathed. Most of us have a story about a teacher who positively impacted us by changing our perception of ourselves or the direction of our lives. In fact, many teachers enter the profession because they want to make that kind of difference.
But with teaching now deemed to be one of the most stressful professions, it’s no surprise that it’s more and more difficult for teachers to be calm and patient enough to make those critical connections with pupils. Without the right help, your staff stay stressed and your most disadvantaged students remain unreachable.
A stressed workforce eventually leads to staff absences, shortages and hard to fill positions, leaving your most disadvantaged pupils without the nurturing environment they desperately need to do better in school.
Research* shows that an effective strategy to give your most disadvantaged pupils a fighting chance is to create a school culture of safety and care for pupils and staff alike.
That’s where we can help.
Manage Stress, Manage Relationships, Engage Your Students
We specialise in people engagement across all levels, from senior leadership to the pupils in the classroom.
We teach people how to create a culture where everyone feels safe, that they belong and that they matter, which reliably raises professionalism and engagement throughout your school.
In our experience, schools need these 3 vital elements to build an outstanding organisation:
Great leadership,
A clear vision
A culture where people get their most important needs met.
In the classroom, responsive, supported teachers can create a culture that engages even the most disadvantaged pupils, helping them become more involved so they can improve their attainment levels.
A Few Benefits Of Working With Us:
- Improved communication and connection
- Stronger support and increased resilience for dealing with tough situations
- Better relationships built on trust and respect
- Positive work environment where people feel safe, that they belong and matter
- Greater fulfilment and satisfaction
Programme Graduates Feedback:
"Engaging" "Relevant" "Enlightening" "Immediately Useful" "Insightful" "Team Building"
"Challenging" "Enjoyable" "Thought Provoking" "Making EQ Real" "High Impact"
Scroll down for testimonials
If you would like to know more, we invite you to find out how we can help you close your school's attainment gap here:
Head Teachers We Are Already Helping To Close The Gap
April 2017
"Two days of emotionally intelligent leadership with the colleagues I work most closely with was fantastic! The high level of trust within the team facilitated honest and constructive discussion relevant to our context. We feel collectively more connected and productive as a result of this experience."
Ruth McFarlane, Rector, Queen Anne High School Dunfermline, Fife. Nov 2017
My work with Sean (at EQ2Lead) has changed my life. Personally I am so much more aware of who I am and what makes me tick. Professionally I feel so much stronger and able to deal with anything. As a leader, I feel empowered to be the leader I want to be - to create new leaders, not followers.
Jane Gray, Head teacher, Inzievar Primary School and Saline Primary, Fife. August 2017.
If you would like to know more, we invite you to find out how we can help you close your school's attainment gap here:
*SPICe Briefing - Closing The Attainment Gap:
SPICe Briefing - Closing The Attainment Gap: What Can Schools Do? The Scottish Parliament.
This briefing highlights five guiding principles and six key strategies, gathered from evidence-based educational research, that have been proved effective in closing the attainment gap both nationally and internationally.
**The ‘Interventions for Equity’
The ‘Interventions for Equity’ framework describes how Professional Development for all levels of leadership in your school is important to ensure everyone continues to be competent in their profession in a rapidly changing world.
