Subtheme 4c: Pressures and expectations

The pressures and expectations that participants had of themselves as well as from school were mentioned by all participants as affecting their ability to cope with the demands of the role. Consequently, this was identified as a sub-theme.

Participants indicated their awareness of the need for academic progress in their pupils but there were thoughts around school’s expectations for pupils and their work as being unrealistic at times.

For P2, there was an understanding that pupils needed to make academic progress but that their focus was on ensuring pupils were in a position where they were emotionally ready to be able to access their learning in the

classroom. For P2, there was pressure from senior management for pupils to make academic progress whilst in Nurture and a feeling of not being able to carry out the work that they felt they should be carrying out due to the pressures and expectations places upon them by school:

“ …I understand that obviously the children come to school to make academic progress but if they come to us and they are not in a place where they are able

to access that because of all their emotional baggage erm…then to us we see that we need to deal with that so that they are ready and able to be able to access the academic learning, because otherwise they are not in a place where

they are able to. Whereas, from the school we feel like we often get a lot of pressure of ‘no they need to be making all this academic progress’, and so then

we feel like we end up focusing more on things that aren’t helping them as much…”

(P2, 166-174)

Likewise, P4 was also aware of the pressure for pupils to make academic progress in school and the limited progress that pupils make when they are not in a position to be able to access the academic learning. For P4, expectations on pupil progress was a challenge to their work as there is a disparity between what is expected of pupils and what they can realistically achieve:

“They’ve got a bigger picture of dealing with all the other children and obviously it’s the academic side of it. As the years have gone on, academics is like the

focus within schools; and as we know, for a lot of these children, they can’t actually…until they’ve got sorted out their problems, they can’t always access

the academic side. And I guess that sometimes is a challenge as well”

(P4, 70-74)

For P7, there was a feeling that pupils and staff were expected to work in the same way as the rest of the school despite NG being different to a typical classroom:

“I do question the assessment system in here and um...we have to do this thing called fast feedback, where the children comment on their learning. I mean this lot can't...can hardly hold a pen at the beginning. So it seems a little bit too soon

to do anything like that with them so, we kind of get swept along with the needs of the school in general but it might not necessarily be what's necessary for

Nurture Group.”

(P7, 558-560)

P7 felt that while they had a more realistic expectation of pupils and the work that they could access; the expectation from school was unrealistic. There was a sense that P7 did not feel as though the needs of NG pupils were considered and no negotiation as to how the needs of their pupils could fit in with the needs and expectations of the rest of the school.

In P5’s experience of helping pupils to transition back into their classroom, P5 discussed the pressure they felt of needing to ensure that they had given class teachers strategies and suggestions to help support pupils be successful. P5 also discussed how they felt they needed to ensure they had a realistic expectation of what classroom-based staff could do in order to ensure their suggestions and strategies were continued:

“…thinking how I can move forward with that, let's be realistic here; look at how many adults in the class; look at the needs presented by that child; look at the

needs of the class; is it going to happen? No? Don't do it then, do something else.”

(P5, 396-399)

Summary of theme- Pressures and expectations:

• Need for pupils to make academic progress

• Expectations for NG pupils to do the same work as the rest of the pupils in the school.

• Realistic expectations needed for classroom staff to be able to support pupils

4.7 Chapter summary

This chapter presented the findings from the research in detail, with NG staffs’

words at the centre. The central findings were outlined within the superordinate themes which were Resilience as a concept, Identity, School structure and Navigating the challenges of the NG role. In following with the IPA principles this analysis is not a conclusive account, but the author’s interpretation, and the reader may find that they bring their own interpretations to these findings. The next chapter will discuss the findings within the context of the wider body of literature.

Chapter Four: Discussion

5.1 Chapter Overview

This chapter will first discuss the findings from the previous research analysis chapter in relation to the research question, compared to the research

discussed in the literature review and linked to relevant theoretical frameworks.

Reflections regarding researcher’s role and the role and position throughout this study will then be included. Furthermore, strengths and limitations of the

research followed by implications of the research for EPs will be discussed.

Finally, a plan for disseminating the research will be proposed.