North Manchester Academy of Creative Pioneers

Reasons and Purposes for Undertaking the Project
This project will bring together research strengths of Manchester Met's ESRI, with its internationally-recognised expertise in collaborative ethnographic methodologies (Campbell et al., 2018), its focus on pedagogies that promote school readiness and inclusive achievement (Hick et al., 2018) and the effects of social haunting on local communities (Bright, 2018; Ivinson, 2014). As a former teacher, I have a longstanding interest in the impact of narratives surrounding 'weak and failing' schools, particularly the ways narratives of failure can stigmatise and prevent school improvement (Hargreaves, 2004), and how students, staff, parents and the wider community can collaboratively address and 'unfix' these narratives, creating a discourse that promotes inclusion and opportunity for all (Downey et al., 2008; Dedering, 2018; Hopkins et al., 1997; Chiang, 2009).

Research Project
The aim of this project is to facilitate a creative space where all those who form part of the social fabric of North Manchester Academy have an opportunity to consider, negotiate and authentically represent their lives, using their own words and perspectives. It will elicit and reflect on the narrative threads that have defined the community in the past and reflexively explore ways in which these identities can be regenerated to offer greater opportunity in the future (Dewey, 1938; Grenfell et al., 2018).

Using a collaborative ethnographic approach embedded in the community (Stearns, 1986; Lassiter, 2005), the project will utilise a series of arts-based events to understand the specific context and impact of the narrative threads of 'failure' in North Manchester and situate these in the specific challenges faced by the school and its community. The project working group may consider the relevance of a number of psychological and education theories and use these as tools to transform past 'failure' into future opportunity. These may include social psychology theories linked to failure such as labelling and attribution (Weiner, 1985; Hargreaves, 2004) and social exchange theory (Thibaut and Kelley, 1959), as well as elements that may influence perceived failure such as school ethos (Rutter et al., 1979; Scheerens, 2013) special educational needs and disabilities (Frederickson and Cline, 2008), adverse childhood experiences (Couper and Mackie, 2016; Quigg et al., 2018), social deprivation and historical and cultural legacies (Bright, 2018; Ivinson, 2014).

Following the lead of previous researchers (Lassiter, 2005; Campbell et al., 2018), all participants would receive training in relevant research methods to enable them to co-create a collaborative agenda and reflexively consider how appropriate outputs can be developed and revised during the project (Lassiter, 2005; Slutskaya et al., 2018; Campbell et al., 2018). I will avoid privileging one set of narratives over another, negotiate an appropriate ethical framework to facilitate opportunities for those from different backgrounds to find a common platform, and seek to challenge common (mis)understandings and co-construct new identities. Insights gained through the project will be used to reshape policy at the North Manchester Academy and may contribute to wider educational psychology debates.