The social work dimension of the primary teacher's role

Abstract

This paper reports the findings of the Social Work in Primary Schools (SWIPS) project, which involved qualitative research in 15 schools and a national questionnaire survey. Conflicts between primary teachers' roles as teachers and as carers, including their provision of social work support to parents and their children, have been exacerbated over the last two decades in England. These have resulted from a combination of a growth in social exclusion and inequality, a decline in Local Education Authority support services to schools, and national government education policies with conflicting pressures between a Standards and an Inclusion agenda. The key research questions were: what social work demands are made of primary schools?; who addresses these demands?; what do they actually do?; and what support with the social work dimension of their role would primary teachers like to have? The main categories of social work undertaken by primary school teachers were: helping parents with personal problems; supporting pupils with emotional and behavioural problems; child protection; and working with agencies in relation to these and other issues. While social work demands were especially prevalent in schools in areas of economic and social deprivation, they were evident in all schools. It is argued that primary schools’ growing social work responsibilities should be acknowledged by policy makers and resourced adequately. This might include access by teachers to appropriate multi-agency training, the provision of extra non-contact time for all teachers, the freeing of Special Educational Needs Co-ordinators from class teaching, and the appointment of homeschool support workers trained in social work and counselling.

Keywords:

• Primary Schools
• Social Work
• Home-SCHOOL Liaison
• Teacher's Roles