School processes

School ethos

Ethos - character and atmosphere of a school
Examples:
Emphasis on equal opportunities for all
All pupils are valued, praised, valued, encouraged and praised
Emphasis on social, moral, spiritual and religious development
Encouragement of pupils to participate actively in school life
School keeps in touch with parents via news letters and school reports

Ethos are usually supported by the hidden curriculum as well as the overt curriculum. Students learn attitudes and values by participating in the daily routines of school life

Rutter et al. → ‘good schools’ can make a difference to the life chances of pupils, with the features of the school’s organisation have the biggest impact;
- Teachers have high expectations of students
- There is a mixture of abilities in the school
- Teachers set examples for behaviour

National curriculum can also affect students’ achievement - 12 compulsory subjects

Student Teacher Relationships - How teachers deal with pupils can affect development of negative and positive self-concepts

Labelling Theory - someone is labelled as a certain kind of person; others respond to them in terms of ‘the label’, those labelled as ‘bright’ are likely to succeed whereas those labelled as ‘difficult’ are less likely to achieve highly

The Halo Effect - Stereotypes created by the teacher of a ‘good student’ can affect how they view the student. A teachers who formed a good impression of a student may see the pupil more favourably in other ways, even if they aren’t, can also work the other way (student being uncooperative may be seen as ‘lazy’)

WATERHOUSE (2004) - studied primary and secondary schools, found that teacher labelling, resukt