Level 2 Supporting Teaching and Learning in Schools
Describe the importance of recognising and responding to concerns about children and young people’s development.
If there are concerns about a child’s development in any area it is important to share your concerns with others because if a child falls behind with their work then all other areas of development can be affected.
If a child has been playing on their own in the playground for more than a few days in a row, the child’s social skills may become affected as the child may become isolated and fear socialising with others. This in turn may affect the child not wanting to interact with others in the classroom which may affect the child’s intellectual development as they will not be working together as a group. The isolated child may fall behind and not learn the same as everyone else or at the same pace.
A child who finds it difficult to interact with others due to factors such as bullying, may find it difficult to express their feelings. This then may lead to changes in behaviour which can affect their development in various ways. The child may find socialising a struggle; they may think all children will bully them, thus leading to isolation and loneliness. The child could then lose confidence making them feel frustrated, thus leading to possible mood swings.
Responding to concerns like these has to be done in a professional manner. The child’s class teacher should be approached with your concerns followed by the special education needs coordinator. Even if your concerns have been noted by others in the school, your concerns still have to be recorded making a note of exactly what was seen or heard, why it was a concern to you and the date and time. If your concerns are disregarded by the class teacher because they already know, you should still record your concerns noting all information. The school will have policies and procedures in place to deal with concerns regarding pupils.