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To: Dorothy Stringer School Management and Governors.
Don't link children's access to food with "Attitude to Learning" at School.
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We ask that Dorothy Stringer School STOP providing children with break-time access to the school canteen in priority order through a score based on their ‘attitude to learning’ (ATL).
We understand there is need for change at break-time, but an alternative approach must be found. e.g. a rotation of forms or random numbering of students.
Why is this important?
ATL is a system which monitors a range of factors including a child’s engagement in their learning and their learning resilience.
The system should be used as a tool for supporting children's growth and development. It is effectively being used in this instance as a form of reward and punishment with respect to access to food.
We recognise that there is a need to manage canteen overcrowding at break-time. However, using the ATL is the wrong way to do it.
1. ATL scores should remain private between pupils, families, and teachers. The headmaster of Dorothy Stringer school has written that those with high ATL’s are celebrated in assemblies. We presume that those with low ATL’s are not shamed in assemblies, yet this is what is effectively happening in the canteen queue, where children’s ATL scores are broadcast in front of their peers and staff. Those with lowest ATL’s have equal hunger as their peers but will always be last in the break queue. As well as shaming children, this is hugely damaging for a child’s self-esteem and of course children with lower self-esteem are less likely to try their best. So, this system worsens the behaviour which it seeks to address.
2. The system could have negative impacts on children who have disordered eating
