The following themes were grouped together as they reflected Anne’s
perceptions of both the opportunities and threats for her daughter (Emma) at secondary school.
4.2.4.1.1 Subordinate Theme 1: Fresh Start.
It transpired from the interview that Emma’s younger sibling had complex SEND and Emma had often had to act as her carer, both at primary school as well as within the birth family. Anne appeared to use a tone of desperation and
heartbreak when speaking about Emma’s previous inability to be ‘Emma’ and
Opportunities and Threats
Fresh start Labelling of child Safety and vulnerability Disappointment in the primary school
Homework as the biggest challenge
Work of Managing the Self
Professional identity as a source of knowledge and resilience Child's response as reassuring Knowledge that child has support in
school
Opportunity to be a parent expert A school that can meet the child's
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thus she hoped that secondary school would offer Emma a fresh start to develop her own identity in a school “without her sister” (100). Indeed, Anne often spoke about the new relationships Emma was building at secondary school:
“…she went to her first sleepover last weekend and I think that’s done her the world of good. They seem to be on WhatsApp the whole time this group of girls ‘cos she’s never really had a lot of girl friends, they’ve always been males because, you know, males aren’t bitchy is her quote [laughter] but” (191-195).
Anne’s use of the phrase “the world of good” indicates that she views secondary school as providing an opportunity for Emma to be an eleven-year old child again and not viewed as a young carer. In this way, secondary school has served as a fresh start for Anne, offering her daughter a new group of
friendships, a new sense of identity and belonging and an opportunity “to feel
happy in her own skin and have a bit more confidence” (651-652).
4.2.4.1.2 Subordinate Theme 2: Labelling of Child.
Despite perceiving secondary school to offer a fresh start, Anne also raised concerns about the possibility of her daughter being labelled as a result of her adoptive status.
“We try not to, we want people to understand that for that not to be a reason why *CHILD’S NAME* isn’t pushed at the same time as she’s a bright little thing. So we haven’t pushed that too much” (203-206).
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This possible fear of Emma being labelled as adopted, treated differently and not allowed to flourish as her individual identity, is further emphasised through Anne’s comments about the school’s approach to placing all the pupils with pupil premium funding in one form group.
“I do have reservations about all of you know, your kids who come with attached funding being dumped in one area, I’m sure it’s not dumped but, it’s a concern” (334-336).
Anne’s use of the word “dumped” offers a perception that her daughter has been thrown down like a bag of rubbish, labelled as a ‘needy’ child and thus is not understood and supported as an individual. Indeed, Anne also speaks about her daughter being viewed as “part of the problem form” (322) and about the form structure representing “an odd way of socially engineering a population” (308) perhaps indicating a concern that this labelling will result in a self-fulfilling prophecy emerging (Rosenthal & Jacobson, 1968). It may be that Anne holds concerns around how Emma’s individual and social identities will be affected and whether being with other pupil premium children will result in her returning to the caring role she previously held with her sister.
4.2.4.1.3 Subordinate Theme 3: Safety and Vulnerability.
This theme arose on two occasions and reflected concerns around how
Emma’s perceived attachment needs could result in her increased vulnerability at secondary school.
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“She’s quite scared of groups of people and older teenagers she says she’s scared of so walking to school when there’s two schools so close together is quite daunting for her” (58-61).
Whilst Anne spoke about Emma’s fears, her discussion of this issue could indicate her to also have concerns around how her daughter’s needs may increase her vulnerability when in secondary school. Anne also speaks about her daughter as being “very very sensory” (62) with Anne’s reflection on these needs and use of repetition possibly indicating the increased noise of secondary school to be perceived as a threat to her daughter’s successful experience.
4.2.4.1.4 Subordinate Theme 4: Disappointment in the Primary School.
When asked about the preparation provided for her daughter, Anne spoke about her disappointment in the primary school.
“They made a call to *SECONDARY SCHOOL* and suggested she’d benefit from an extra transition day, which was nice but not really
enough. I think they got to the end of the SATs and were like right we’re almost done now, if I’m being honest. They did really well with her with the SATs and they helped her catch up a lot but, mmm not really” (695- 699).
Anne’s perception of the lack of understanding within the primary school of Emma’s needs is indicated through her choice of language and the confirmation offered at the end of her final sentence. Indeed she later speaks about how the primary school did not understand “the emotional side that she needed” (722)
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and were not “clued up on attachment at all” (731). For Anne, this lack of understanding offered a source of concern and threat to her child experiencing a successful start to secondary school and is in contrast to the nurturing and inclusive ethos of the secondary school which serves to manage parental anxiety (section 4.2.4.2.5).
4.2.4.1.5 Subordinate Theme 5: Homework as the Biggest Challenge.
Anne spoke about the difficulties with homework:
“Yeah I think, upping the level of homework has been our biggest
challenge, and getting her to engage with that [laughter]” (343-344). “Um, and that that I think has been our biggest challenge because home is home in her eyes, it’s not school and her view is that, if they haven’t taught me enough in school then you know they haven’t taught me well enough, it’s very black and white” (349-352).
Anne uses laughter in an attempt to lighten the extent of the challenge and this may indicate her to feel a sense of despair when attempting to support Emma to complete the increased level of homework at secondary school. The separation of home and school for the child is at the heart of this despair with Anne’s comments indicating an inability to alter Emma’s view.
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