Check your understanding answers

Unit SWSC1 Understand schools and colleges as organisations

1 Schools and colleges in the UK may be state run or independent. The main types of
schools in the UK are:
• Faith schools
• Middle schools
• Forest schools
• Academies and free schools
• Community schools
• Grammar schools
• Specialist schools
• Special schools
• Independent schools
• Boarding schools

Colleges in the UK may be:

• Further Education (FE) Colleges
• Sixth form colleges
• Specialist colleges

In addition, International schools and British Schools Overseas are located outside the
UK but offer an English speaking education.

2 The main features of an international school are that it offers a UK or US style

education and offers globally recognised qualifications such as the IGCSE. It is also
inspected by the International Schools Inspectorate (ISI). A British school overseas is
designed to replicate the British system and will follow the British curriculum and be
inspected by Ofsted. British Schools Overseas are also required to fulfil local
regulations and standards which may not be covered by UK requirements.

3 Types of state school may be any of the following:

• Faith school
• Community school
• Academy
• Free school
• Special school
• Specialist school
• Middle school
• Forest school
• Grammar school

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4 The educational opportunities of an independent school may differ from those of a
comprehensive school in that class sizes are likely to be smaller and pupils may have
more access to teaching staff, which can improve results. Independent schools are
funded by fee paying parents rather than by the government or by state funding. They
do not have to follow the national curriculum and so may have more facilities and a
wider curriculum. However, many state schools now attain excellent results and have
facilities which may overtake those in the independent sector.

5 The senior management or leadership team work closely together to discuss the day
to day running of the school or college. They will usually comprise of the
headteacher/principal and deputy and heads of department or year groups, as well as
the SENCO, depending on the size and structure of the organisation.

6 School or college governors have ultimate responsibility for the running and strategic
management of the organisation and the headteacher or principal is accountable to
them. They will meet regularly and support the work of the senior management team
to monitor the progress of the school or college against targets in the development
plan. Governors will also be involved in the appointment of new staff, managing
budgets and looking at priorities.

7 External professionals will come into the school or college to support teachers, parents
and pupils in different ways. They may work with pupils who have special educational
needs, health needs or those who are in care to discuss pupil progress with parents,
carers and teachers and advise on additional support where needed.

8 You are likely to find your school or college aims and values on its website, although
they should also be visible in communal areas and on key documents.

9 A school or college policy is a set of guidelines which support the day to day running of
the organisation. Many of these policies are a statutory requirement, and all staff
should be aware of them and know where to find them.

10 There are a large number of policies and procedures which might be found in your
school or college. Some of the more important ones are:
• Safeguarding policy
• Health and safety policy
• Online safety policy
• Confidentiality policy
• Teaching and learning policy
• Special educational needs policy
• Behaviour policy
• Equal opportunities policy

A full list of policies can be found on the www.gov.uk website, under ‘Statutory policies
for schools’.

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Unit SWSC2 Understand children and young people’s development

1 Cognitive or intellectual development is the development of neural pathways and

thought processes within the brain. It refers to the way in which a child or young
person learns to think and process information.

2 Social development and effective speech and language development are interrelated
as communicating with others reinforces our social relationships. The more children
and young people are in a range of social situations and using their speech, language
and listening skills, the more developed their social skills will become, and vice versa.

3 The term holistic refers to the fact that all areas of a child or young person’s
development are interconnected and affect one another, as they are each part of the
whole individual.

4 A child or young person’s health will affect their development in different ways but this
will depend on the extent of their health needs. A short illness may simply mean they
are tired or unable to concentrate and need time to regain their strength. If they have a
long term health condition and are on medication they may be constantly tired or
always mindful of what they are able to do. They may find it difficult to participate in
some activities due to physical restrictions; this may in turn affect their learning and
their social relationships and development. They may also become unhappy and lose
confidence in themselves as a result.

5 A child or young person’s background encompasses their culture and/or religion,

educational background, language and home environment. All of these factors and
influences will play an important role in their social and emotional development as their
experiences, whether positive or negative, will affect the way they see the world.

6 Developmental concerns may include:

• Lack of progress in one or more areas of development over time
• Changes in behaviour such as emotional outbursts, aggression, excessive
tiredness or lack of concentration, prolonged absences from school or college,
or ‘not being themselves’ over a period of time
• Any signs of neglect or abuse

If you have any concerns about a child or young person, you should always speak to a
more senior adult in your setting, for example a teacher or the SENCO. It may help to
keep a record over time of anything which is concerning you so that you can be
specific about what has happened.

7 These types of transitions might be:

• Starting school
• Transferring to secondary school or college
• Adolescence
• Starting with a new childminder/carer
• Moving between classes

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8 Staff should know what to do as by their nature these types of transitions will be
unexpected. Pupils may react differently to them but if they are not managed well, they
may have long term effects and an impact on a pupil’s behaviour, confidence or, in the
long term, their mental health.

Unit SWSC5 Safeguarding children and young people

1 There is a large amount of legislation here – refer to AC 1.1 for the different
safeguarding legislation for various UK countries.

2 • Safeguarding or child protection policies

• Online safety policy and staff/pupil communications
• Anti-bullying policy
• Mobile phone and social media policy

3 Chickenpox: red, itchy spots and blisters and rash which may be moderate or over the
whole body as well as a slight or moderate fever. Symptoms occur between 10 days
and 3 weeks after contact with an infected person.

Measles: symptoms are similar to those of a cold, although after a few days there will
also be a rash which will spread from the head downwards and may last for up to a
week. The patient may also have grey/white spots inside their cheeks.

Impetigo: Impetigo is characterised by red, itchy sores around the nose and mouth.
There may also be a fever.

4 If you notice that a child or young person is unwell or if they come to you with a minor
injury, you may need to send for a first aider. Depending on their age, you should stay
with them until the first aider arrives and a decision can be made about treatment.
However in the case of playground cuts and scratches you may be able to reassure
and give the child reassurance and wash the wound yourself.

5 If you suspect any form of abuse, you should ensure that you follow school or college
policy and report to your designated safeguarding lead.

6 If you have any concerns about pupils and online safety, you should contact your
school or college safeguarding lead and/or the person responsible for e-safety.

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 7 E-safety is about keeping safe online and when using devices which connect to the
internet. Schools or colleges will have screening devices to prevent access to
unsuitable material when pupils are online. They will also have an e-safety policy and
are likely to also have a co-ordinator responsible for ensuring that pupils and parents
are aware of the kinds of risks which children and young people may face online.
Regular talks and discussions should be part of school or college practice and pupils
should know what to do if they have any concerns about a website or about a person
who has contacted them online.

8 Your responsibilities and those of all staff are to ensure that you are aware of and
understand the importance of confidentiality and data protection and are familiar with
these policies. This means that you should not discuss or share information about
pupils with others unless it is on a need to know basis. However, if a pupil’s well being
is in danger or they have confided in you that they are being abused or are at risk, you
have an obligation to pass on this information to others so that they can receive the
help they need. You should also know that information about pupils is subject to data
protection laws, which means that individuals have the right to see any personal data
which is held by the organisation.

Unit STL2C4 Equality, diversity and inclusion in a learning environment for children
and young people

1 Inclusive practice means that all children and young people are respected and
involved and have full access to the curriculum and wider life of the school or college. It
recognises the diversity within society and means that no pupil or group of pupils
should be discriminated against or excluded.

2 Prejudice means a set of preconceived negative ideas about a particular group of

people.
Discrimination means unfair treatment of a group of people due to prejudice.

3 • All children and young people feel that they belong and are part of the school
or college community
• Inclusion promotes a culture of respect for all
• Differences are celebrated and seen as positive
• Children and young people learn that they are individuals as well as members
of society and they can learn from and support one another

4 The most important piece of current legislation for equality and diversity in the UK is
the Equality Act 2010, although all legislation is subject to change and updating.

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5 Schools and colleges need to have policies and procedures in place for equality and
diversity to ensure that they meet the requirements of the Equality Act 2010 and
protect the rights of individuals under the law. They are a reference point for staff,
pupils and parents so that they know where to find out school or college policy. They
are also so that all staff and pupils know how to:
• Treat others
• Challenge negative attitudes in others
• Ensure that facilities and activities are inclusive for all
• Plan for and promote multiculturalism and diversity in lessons
• Ensure learning resources are inclusive and do not discriminate
• Ensure that teaching is inclusive and uses a variety of methods
• Ensure that all pupils reach their full potential

6 Areas of special educational need might be:

• Physical
• Social and/or emotional
• Cognition and learning
• Communication and language

7 Barriers to participation are anything which prevents pupils with SEND from taking part
in the activities and experiences offered by the school or college. These might be
organisational, e.g. lack of clear and up to date policies and procedures; physical, e.g.
lack of provision or resources within the environment; or the attitudes of others, e.g.
negative opinions or low expectations.

8 • Working together and regular communication between professionals and

parents/carers is beneficial for the child or young person as this will provide the
most effective support.
• Sharing professional knowledge will mean that everyone has as much
information as possible about the child or young person’s background and
aspects of different areas of development.
• Working together provides a wider knowledge of the pupil.
• Working together provides mutual support for all those who work with the pupil,
as well as the sharing of ideas and points of view.

Unit STL2C5 Maintain relationships with children and young people

1 • Giving others eye contact

• Actively listening to others
• Making time to talk to others
• Thinking about how you respond
• Being considerate and showing respect
• Being clear in what you say or write
• Avoiding making assumptions

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2 Barriers to communication might be caused by:
• Age
• Differences of opinion
• Language barriers
• Culture or race differences
• Communication differences, e.g. due to an impairment such as deafness
• Lack of understanding of the needs of others

3 A professional relationship is one in which one person requires the professional

support of another.

4 You can demonstrate effective communication skills to children and young people by
using the examples in question 1, as well as by encouraging them to use different
opportunities to develop theirs. For example, through working on tasks in pairs or
groups, through using effective questioning with them and through encouraging them
to use school or college forums to debate issues which are important to them.

5 This is important as children and young people need to learn to think about why and
how others may have different thoughts, ideas and needs from themselves. In this way
they will develop empathy and build effective relationships. Very young children or
some pupils with special educational needs will need more support with this.

6 You can do this through:

• Acting as a positive role model to others
• Involving children and young people in meetings about their progress and
taking their views and ideas into account
• Talking through any issues as they occur and teaching them to manage
conflict
• Having lessons such as PSHE and Citizenship where relationships are
discussed
• Being clear and having effective communication skills
• Offering to help and being cheerful and co-operative with others

7 These are:
• Helps them to consider different aspects of a situation
• Encourages their initiative
• Develops their responsibility
• Means that they are less reliant on others
• Enables them to make informed choices

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8 Adults will need to support children and young people to manage conflicts and
disagreements through:
• Helping them to learn to manage their own emotions
• Supporting them in developing an awareness of the feelings of others and
being able to discuss issues
• Encouraging less assertive children and young people so that they are able to
talk about their feelings

Unit STL2C6 Support the health and safety of children and young people

1 This could be any of the following:

• Health and Safety at Work Act 1974
• Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999
• Workplace (Health, Safety and Welfare) regulations 1992
• RIDDOR – Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences
Regulations 2013
• Management and storage of medicines – Children and Families Act 2014
Section 100

2 This is your school or college health and safety policy. You should also be aware of
the following:
• Safeguarding or child protection policy
• Online/e-safety policy
• ICT or Technology policy
• Physical Education policy

3 There will be ongoing and regular health and safety procedures to include:
• General health and safety checks each morning
• Regular evacuation or lockdown drills so that all staff and pupils know what to
do in an emergency
• Regular checks of health and safety equipment such as fire extinguishers, and
annual checks on electrical equipment
• Rapid contact procedures such as a pager for the site manager in case of
emergency

4 This means:
• Taking into account the age, needs and abilities of the child or young person
• Avoiding excessive risk taking while not being risk averse
• Recognising the importance of risk and challenge to a child or young person’s
development.

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 5 Within the school or college – coats left on the floor, chairs not pushed in, wet floors,
incorrect signing in or security procedures, safety or electrical equipment not checked,
hazardous learning equipment, personal protective equipment not used, cleaning
equipment and materials not locked away.

In the outside learning environment – gates left unlocked, litter such as broken glass,
broken outdoor equipment, animal faeces, poisonous or hazardous plants.

During off-site visits – incorrect procedures, staff or volunteers not given a briefing
beforehand or made aware of hazards, hazards on roads, site not safety checked, no
first aider present, incorrect staff:pupil ratio.

6 Children and young people should be taught about keeping themselves healthy and
safe and taking responsibility for this. As well as supporting pupils as part of the PSHE
curriculum, adults should encourage them to look at different situations in a balanced
way as they arise, so that they can consider the level of risk. As they learn to develop
responsibility, they will develop their confidence and ability to do this for themselves.

7 You should state how three of these should be managed according to your school or
college procedure:
• Fire
• Security Incident
• Missing child or young person
• Accident
• Illness

Unit STL2C7 Support positive behaviour in a learning environment for children

and young people

1 • School or college behaviour policy

• School or college rules or code of conduct

2 Policies and procedures will support the behavioural development of children and
young people as they give both staff and pupils a basis for behaviour management.
Everyone in the school or college should be aware of the kinds of strategies and
sanctions which are used to manage behaviour, and pupils clear about expectations.
Rules and codes of conduct and the reasons for them should be regularly discussed
with pupils; this consistency is important for children and young people’s development
so that they learn about what kind of behaviour is unacceptable and why.

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3 • Negative peer pressure – children and young people may feel pressured into
something that they know is wrong because they are anxious about how their
friends will react.

• Social media/online influences – these kinds of influences may happen over

time, and the child or young person may not be aware that it is happening.
Negative influences can include radicalisation, negative self-image, or being
pressured into acting in a particular way.

• Boy/girlfriend influences – if they spend a lot of time with a boy or girlfriend,

they are likely to be influenced by them. This can be both positive or negative,
but their behaviour may be affected in a negative way for example if their friend
is much older.

• Sibling influences – again, this can be both positive or negative, but a child or
young person’s behaviour may be influenced negatively if there is rivalry,
particularly for adult attention.

4 • Positive role models – adults in the learning environment should show pupils
how to behave through their own relationships and the way they conduct
themselves. If adults demonstrate the importance of positive behaviour in their
day to day dealings with others, pupils will be more likely to do it too.
• Encouragement and praise given for good choices and behaviour – depending
on the age of pupils, the school or college is likely to have a reward system or
positive enforcement for behaviour. This may take the form of positive praise or
be through a system such as house points.
• Actively listening to pupils and developing positive relationships – actively
listening to pupils shows them that we value what they are saying and are
taking the time to listen to their point of view. Depending on their age or ability,
we may need to get down to their level, give eye contact and also show
through our body language that we are interested.
• Giving regular positive feedback to pupils – this means noticing when pupils
are trying hard to manage their behaviour. This is a powerful reinforcement and
shows that you are aware that they are making an effort. It is also a way of
giving positive attention.

5 You can work with pupils to help them to overcome negative influences through being
open and giving them opportunities to talk through their feelings and emotions. It is
important not to judge or criticise but instead to listen and offer ideas so that the child
or young person can see different sides to their situation. In addition, you should
always make time to listen and build positive relationships with them.

6 A realistic response means that we should bear in mind the age, ability and needs of
the pupils with whom we are working when asking them to behave in a particular way,
and give them appropriate expectations.

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7 This is important because children and young people will look up to the adults around
them and will observe how they behave. You should be able to demonstrate the same
behaviour which is being asked of them in the learning environment: you will not be
able to ask pupils to act in a particular way if you are not doing it yourself.

8 Behaviour that challenges might mean any of the following:

• Verbal abuse, for example racist comments, threats, or bullying
• Physical abuse, for example assaulting others or damaging property
• Behaviour that is destructive to the child or young person
• Behaviour that is illegal
At the first sign of behaviour that challenges, you will need to apply the rules and
boundaries of the setting fairly and consistently, explaining the use of sanctions. Be
clear with pupils why you are doing this. If you are unsure or need additional support
from other adults, for example where there is an aggressive situation, send for them
straight away so that the situation does not escalate.

Unit STL2C8 Contribute to teamwork in a learning environment

1 Characteristics of effective teamwork are the features which make a team work more
cohesively together. These may be, for example, mutual respect, having a common
purpose and clear communication. Barriers to effective teamwork may happen where
there is a breakdown in communication or when personal issues, misunderstandings
and disagreements occur.

2 Your role and responsibilities within the team should be listed as part of your job
description.

3 If you need advice and support, you should go to your line manager or team leader,
because they will have an overview of the whole team and what should be happening
within it.

4 It is helpful and important to know about your own personality type and skills so that
you can learn to work to your own strengths and better support the work of the team.

5 Important teamwork skills are:

• Organising and planning skills
• Problem solving skills
• Persuasive skills
• Leadership skills

6 In order to support the purpose and objectives of the team, you will need to be very
clear on what these are, and they should be clearly identified by senior managers and
by your line manager or team leader.

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7 When attending a team meeting you will use more formal interaction skills and
techniques. These may be through reading through a team agenda, going through
items for discussion or working through action points.

8 You will find out about your own role and responsibilities through your job description
and through the activities you carry out as part of your role within the team. If you are a
volunteer, it may be helpful to look at the role of a level 2 teaching assistant in the
Professional Standards For Teaching Assistants (June 2016) which are available
through the Skills for Schools website: www.skillsforschools.org.uk

9 You might review your own teamwork practice alongside that of the team, or as part of
your own annual appraisal with your line manager. A SWOT analysis may also help
you to think about any strengths and weaknesses as well as the wider picture.

10 Seeking advice is important as you may not always have the skills and experience
needed to work through issues on your own, and it will not always be appropriate: you
will need the support of the wider team.

Unit STL2C9 Understand children and young people’s play and leisure

1 Play is important as it contributes to different areas of a child or young person’s

learning and development. It develops skills such as problem solving and critical
thinking, which in turn give children and young people confidence and develops their
self esteem.

2 Children and young people may take part in a range of extra-curricular activities such
as sporting activities, study support groups, drama or music groups, arts or technology
groups, residential trips or volunteering and business/enterprise activities.

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3 Play and leisure benefit all areas of development:

Social development – Play and leisure enable children and young people to develop
their relationships and friendships with one another. They also develop social skills
such as learning to share, considering the views of others and taking turns.

Emotional development – Children and young people will learn to develop their
independence and make their own decisions, so developing their confidence and self
esteem. Sporting and leisure activities also help children to experience winning and
losing and learn how to manage a range of emotions.

Physical development – Through a range of play and leisure opportunities, children

and young people will be able to practice, develop and strengthen their physical skills
and co-ordination. Physical activity is also important as part of an active lifestyle.

Cognitive development – Research shows that play is beneficial to brain development.

Free play encourages children to review and reproduce what they see in the world
around them, so strengthening neural pathways. As well as developing creativity and
imagination, play also develops problem solving and decision making skills.

Communication and language development – Play encourages the use of

communication and language skills in a variety of situations. It also gives children and
young people opportunities to develop social language and learn specific vocabulary.

4 Characteristics of freely chosen, self-directed play might be:

• It is not structured by adults although it may be observed by them
• It enables pupils to initiate and self-direct according to their own wishes
• It allows pupils to learn at their own rate
• It allows children to pursue their own ideas
• It enables children to work through disagreements and conflicts for
themselves

5 The adult’s role is to provide children and young people with a variety of safe and
suitable activities so that they can select those which interest them. They should
provide environments and equipment which are age and ability appropriate, and which
can be accessed by all pupils including those with special educational needs. In
addition, adults are responsible for ensuring ongoing safety in the learning
environment as well as all outdoor and sporting areas.

6 All areas for play and leisure activities should be safety checked for hazards before
use. Adults should also ensure that all equipment and materials are safe to use and
that pupils have appropriate kit or specialist equipment to carry out the activity safely. It
is also adults’ responsibility to develop children and young people’s awareness of
safety issues and to support them in starting to take responsibility for this themselves.
Adults will also need to consider the needs of any pupils with special educational
needs or disabilities, the ability of the children and young people to assess risk for
themselves, and the accessibility of adults if needed.

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7 Children and young people need to learn to manage risk themselves so that they
develop their independence and become less reliant on adults. If we protect them
completely from risk, we limit their experiences and opportunities as well preventing
them from developing confidence.

8 Challenges are valuable for children and young people as they give them the chance
to extend their learning, develop resilience and see what they are capable of. Facing
challenges will also help them do develop confidence and self esteem and to aim more
highly in their ambitions.

Unit STL2C10 Promote an effective learning environment

1 Teachers and tutors are ultimately responsible for pupil progress in their class or
subject area, and as a result have responsibility for the planning, delivery and review of
learning activities. The role of the teaching assistant is to support them in this, through
sharing ideas with teachers and tutors and contributing to the planning, delivery and
reviewing process.

2 This will depend on the age range and needs of the pupils, but to prepare the learning
environment, you should ensure that you have checked it first for any health and safety
hazards and ensured that pupils will be comfortable and able to learn. You should then
check that you have adequate resources or equipment to carry out the learning activity
effectively, taking care to ensure you have prepared for the needs of individual
learners.

3 ICT should be used to support learning where possible, particularly if there is specialist
equipment to support the needs of pupils who have special educational needs. As
technology is an area which is constantly changing, pupils will need to learn about
using different forms of ICT to enhance their learning.

4 • Creating a positive learning environment

• Ensuring pupils understand the task
• Building on pupils’ existing knowledge
• Helping pupils to use appropriate resources
• Translating or explaining words and phrases
• Managing behaviour
• Reminding pupils of teaching points made by the teacher
• Encouraging group cohesion
• Responding to learners’ needs appropriately
• Questioning pupils effectively
• Scaffolding learning
• Keeping pupils responsible for their own learning
• Using praise and encouragement

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5 Questioning is an important way of taking pupils’ learning forward and also of
assessing what they know. It can also be used carefully to guide pupils and scaffold
their learning through a series of prompts. You should be able to use open rather than
closed questioning, and where pupils are unsure to use alternative strategies to find
out what they know, such as:
• Inviting pupils to elaborate
• Using non-verbal intervention to encourage pupils to extend their answer
• Summarise what pupils have said and clarify ideas
• Reflecting or speculating on the topic

6 It is important to be mindful of pupils’ skills in English as these will influence their

learning in all subjects. Those who speak English as a second language, or who have
additional learning needs or communication or sensory needs, may need additional
support in all curriculum areas. However it is also another opportunity for developing
skills in speaking and listening, reading and writing.

7 Learners will need to give their own examples here.

8 It is important to be able to assess pupils’ learning and feed back to teachers and
tutors as they will need to be clear about whether pupils have met the learning
objectives. This will also contribute to the ongoing planning process.

9 You should evaluate learning activities with teachers or tutors, with pupils or on your
own. The kinds of questions you should ask yourself include:
• Have pupils met the learning objectives?
• Was the task presented in a way which was meaningful to pupils and would
you do it this way next time?
• What worked well/not so well?

10 You should look for opportunities to develop English, Maths and ICT within other
subject areas so that you can reinforce learning and show pupils how they link to other
areas of the curriculum.

Unit STL2C11 Provide displays in a learning environment

1 The most effective type of display is one which has a clear purpose and achieves what
it sets out to do.

2 Any of the following could be used:

• To provide information
• To celebrate achievement
• To be used as a learning resource
• To improve the environment
• To celebrate diversity
• To promote a sense of community
• To prompt feedback

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3 You might involve pupils in the design and content of a display so that they have more
ownership of their environment. Involving them will also give them the opportunity to
use their own creativity and imagination to show their work or to provide information as
part of the display.
If involving pupils, you may need to ask them specific questions which are age or
ability appropriate so that they think about the purpose of the display and how to go
about doing it, such as the considerations in question 4 below.

4 • Who or what is the display for?

• Where should we put it so that it is accessible to the audience?
• What safety considerations do we need to think about?
• What type of display should it be: 3D, interactive, informative?
• How will it be labelled?
• How much will it need to be monitored?

5 Location is an important consideration, particularly if you are creating an information

display which is for a specific group of people. Those who need to see it may need to
be directed via posters in other parts of the learning environment. Younger pupils and
those with special educational needs will also need to be considered so that you can
be sure they will be able to see and understand the content. Corridors will not be ideal
for some displays, particularly those which may be damaged easily.

6 It is helpful to pin the display to the wall or board before stapling so that you can check
the layout and accessibility, and are still able to move items around to achieve the best
effect.

7 All staff are responsible for monitoring and checking displays in the learning
environment to ensure that they are kept tidy and up to date.

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