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Editorial
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Learning Your ACS’s Has Never Been More Different
Improving School Food A new child-friendly, educational tool providing important hydration advice has been launched today, coinciding with research showing that schoolchildren may improve their cognitive performance by hydrating with water.
Childhood Hydration at the Centre of Attention
The ‘Children’s Hydration Glass’ developed by the Natural Hydration Council (NHC) in collaboration with the British Nutrition Foundation (BNF), aims to inform both parents and children on healthy hydration guidelines. The infographic includes hydration guidance and advice on fluid consumption for children, whilst taking into account the impact that some drinks may have on dental health. Research published in the latest issue of Complete Nutrition found that providing children with water at school significantly increased levels of cognition, including factors such as visual memory and performance[i]. Led by Dr Emma Derbyshire from Manchester Metropolitan University in association with the Natural Hydration Council (NHC), the project involved 166 children aged 11 to 12 years drinking bottled water
Trainee Teachers To Get a Better Grip on Managing Behaviour
New Parent Pack for Child Body Confidence
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The amount of fluid a child needs depends on many factors including age, gender, weather and how much physical activity they undertake but generally they should aim to drink about 6-8 glasses of fluid per day (on top of the water provided by food in the diet). Younger children need relatively small servings (e.g. 150ml per drink) and older children need larger servings (e.g. 250–300ml per drink). Dr Derbyshire, continues: “There is now an extensive range and quantity of evidence backing up the benefits of hydrating with
water for aiding cognitive performance. Furthermore, simple measures like the addition of a bottle of water to the school lunchbox or backpack by parents could help to reinforce healthy hydration habits in children.”
to increase their fluid intake to the level recommended by the European Food Safety Authorityfor 14 days. Dr Derbyshire, who investigated the hydration levels of children at St James’s Church of England School & Sports College (Bolton), commented: “This research indicates that adequately hydrated children may perform better and be better behaved in school. It also backs up the new Children’s Hydration Glass, which clearly specifies where priorities should lie in terms of hydration choices and also presents this information in an engaging way for children.” Bridget Benelam, Senior Nutrition Scientist at the BNF said “We know there is a lot of confusion about how much and what children should be drinking. Water is a great choice to keep children hydrated, but other drinks like milk, juices and soft drinks can contribute too. It’s just important to be aware of the calorie content of drinks and the potential impact on dental health so that parents and carers can help children to develop healthy drinking habits.” Evidence from the University of East London found that older
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students who brought water into their exams performed academically better than those who went without. The researchers, who studied the behaviour of 447 undergraduate students, believed that water consumption had a physiological effect on thinking functions as well as alleviating anxiety that resulted in improved exam performance.
ation at the Childhood Hydr ion Centre of Attent
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In general, children are at greater risk of dehydration than adults due to their lower body weight and smaller reserve of body fluids. Importantly, whilst adults often have easy access to a supply of water, children tend to rely on their guardians and teachers to provide drinks and often don’t recognise the early stages of thirst. Dr Derbyshire’s Top Tips for School Hydration Children should aim to have 6-8 drinks per day which should ideally be water but milk, weak squash and diluted fruit juices are also good choices. Put a bottle of water in lunchboxes as this is the fluid that the BNF advises drinking ‘plenty of’. Children should be encouraged to sip fluids at regular intervals throughout the day i.e. a lot of children drink fluids at the end of the day when feelings of dehydration have already started to set in.
Learning O
utside
The Hive at Chesters Upton Heath School Raise £10,000
42% of Children Lose Interest in Reading By Age 11
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Feature Spotlights
10/07/2012 18:32:30
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Pupils Head to Uganda for Four Week Expedition
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More information and a downloadable version of the ‘ Children’s Hydration Glass’ is available from www.naturalhydrationcouncil.org.uk.
news page dehydration.indd 1
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ISC Census 2012: Pupil Numbers Rise at Independent schools
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r e v e N s a H s C B A r u o Y g n i n Lear t n e r e f f i D e r o Been M hers List GSA Head Teac ing Apps Favourite Learn
Remember ‘b’ for Bat and ‘c’ for Cat? Now it’s more likely your children are learning ‘b’ for Bluetooth and ‘c’ for Chat with the new digital-age inspired alphabet. And it’s not just the alphabet that’s changing. Once upon a time, when a teacher talked to you about ‘application’ you knew it was time for your daughter to pull her socks up and apply herself to her studies. Not any longer. Today, they’re more likely to be talking about the latest computer and mobile phone apps to help her with her homework. Head teachers from the Girls’ Schools Association have now pooled resources to come up with a list of their favourite learning apps for the advice and information website www.MyDaughter.co.uk. “There are thousands of learning apps out there,” says GSA president Louise Robinson, “and if the hundreds we’ve gathered together for My Daughter visitors is anything to go by, it’s clear that today’s pupils are definitely getting plenty of opportunity to engage in the latest multimedia technology in a positive way that enhances their education.” A selection of the MyDaughter top tips for learning apps is listed here. These are apps for use at home as well as in the classroom and can be found at http://itunes.apple.com. For direct links to these apps, please visit www.mydaughter.co.uk/ educating-your-daughter/heads-tips/heads-tips-apps-forlearning/
Apps by Subject
English iF Poems – Poems in a variety of categories for all age groups – some have audio of poem being read. Shakespeare in Bits – supplements study notes with an animation of the play and audio. Versions available for different plays
Science The Elements – premium science encyclopaedia. Anatomy Lite – Biology for KS3/4/5 Mitosis – Biology for KS4/5 Pocket Heart – Biology for KS3/4/5 HudsonAlpha iCell – a 3d view inside a cell, adaptable for all levels Powers of Minus Ten – cells and genetics Frog Dissection – life science featuring a virtual dissection. PeriodicTable – Chemistry for KS3/4/5 MahjongChem – a fun way to learn AL Chemistry
Economics Economics AP – lectures and practice tests on major economic models and theories A2Z Economy – up to date economic and business indicators from a diverse array of government sources the Economist – weekly publication focusing on international politics and business news and opinion. Modern Languages Word reference – free dictionary Conjuverb – Spanish verb conjugation helper Spanish Essentials – understand, pronounce and learn new spanish words. Also available for French, Italian and German MindSnacks – language learning game for French, Spanish, Italian and German Classics GCSE Latin – tests the user on the current OCR higher tier Latin vocabulary. It selects a word at random from the list and offers a multiple choice selection of the correct meaning for that word. It also tests on verbs and their endings. SPQR Latin dictionary and reader – includes both the Lewis & Short lexicon and an English-Latin dictionary. It has dozens of Latin texts with English translations, a grammar tester, numeral converter, quotes of ancient wisdom Lexidium Latin dictionary – includes both dictionaries found in the SPQR App, but also includes a parser, so students can instantly find out the grammatical form of a word. Latin hangman – vocabulary game. Certamen – the official game of the National Junior Classical League. You can play the app either solo or as a group. Ancient Greek – includes a Greek to English and English – Greek lexicon as well as a huge library of works in Greek and English. JACT vocab – a vocabulary tester which accompanies the JACT Reading Greek textbook Type Greek – a useful app which allows you to convert your text to Greek.
Music Virtuoso – learn and play the piano DigiDrummer – learn to play drums Art Doodlebuddy – paint draw, scribble & sketch – all with your fingers SketchBook – professional painting and drawing application Brushes – easy to use drawing app with multiple tools Creativity Comicstrip – create your own comic book Storykit – create an electronic storybook ReelDirector – powerful video editor Harmonious – smart sketchpad to create and share your works of art Other Philosophy Bites – downloads the latest podcasts from Nigel Warburton (who has written some fantastic philosophy books.) There’s plenty of other content there too iTunes U – access to university lectures, course notes and other podcasts Guardian Eyewitness – Photojournalism – displays 100 or so selected photos – updates with a new photo every day. The photos include a description of the event/story as well as a ‘pro-tip’ on what makes it a successful photo. Possibilities for politics, history, social sciences, citizenship, art/photography and prompts for creative writing. Art authority – collection of works by over 1000 major artists, from ancient times to today Quipper – Interactive quizzes for all ages SpellTower – a word game that goes beyond Scrabble and Boggle DataAnalysis – for empirical data and graphing. Songify – turn speech into song – useful to help remember events, dates, vocabulary lists etc Apps for Juniors A selection of apps to support mathematical learning in various areas and techniques: Math Bingo MathBoard MeteorMath PopMath Hungry Fish Jungle Fractions Fraction Basics Early Birds Squeebles TT Mr Wolf Jungle Time DiaMath MotionMathZoom Barefoot World Atlas – an interactive 3d globe for discovering the world Back in Time – an interactive journey through the defining moments in the history of mankind My spelling test – create your own spelling bee
Science DK The Human Body – an accurate, visual and accessible look into the human body Mini-Monsters – a photographic exploration of hte microscopic world of insects A Life Cycle App – illustrated descriptions of various life cycles Solar System for iPad – interactive exploartion of the Solar System SkySafari – a journey through the Solar Sytem using NASA imagery Apps for Nursery & Early years Phonics apps: Hairy Letters Pocketphonic Mr Phonics 1 Mr Phonics 2 Spelly – spelling game for 3-5 years Spellboard – suitable for all ages Any of the Busy Things Apps: Tunnel Trouble Line Up Shape Up Tangranimals The Land of Me – create your own story adventure LingoZoo – complete animal jigsaws and learn animal names in English and Spanish TapATune – choose intruments and make music with musical animals Apps for Study and Productivity Evernote – multi-platform note taking – students can access their ‘notes’ from most internet enabled devices. Flashcards – pupils can make their own sets of cards Skitch – add labels, text and notes to any image or photo Explain Everything – a very easy to use tool for creating narrative presentations with images, text, symbols and a recording of your own voice. Show Me – interactive whiteboard plus access to a range of presentations on a variety of subjects VoiceThread – add text and voice commentary to slide shows. Quick Voice Recorder – record your voice and make your own podcasts. Dragon Dictation – a basic but effective dictation tool. Speak slowly! Notability – take notes and annotate PDFs, good at recognising handwriting iA Writer – simple and distraction free writing app! iProcrastinate – planning tool Mind mapping SimpleMind+ – for brainstorming, idea collection and thought structuring Mindjet – enter ideas, tasks and notes into visual maps Popplet – create mind maps and spider diagrams. Very visual, creative and easy to use. iThoughts HD – a more complex and powerful mind mapping tool.
Compiled by Heads and staff at Burgess Hill School for Girls, Channing School, City of London School for Girls, Heathfield School GDST, Luckley-Oakfield School, Prior’s Field, Redland High School for Girls, Roedean School, St Andrew’s School Bedford, St Catherine’s School Bramley, St Gabriel’s School, St Swithun’s School, The Abbey School, Tudor Hall School
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Maths Maths Gym Algebra Touch Quick Graph Khan Academy : a library of ‘how to’ videos, mostly for Maths and Science but also available for Humanities too.
Elementals – Chemistry for KS3/4/5 Hubble – Hubble images Building serial circuits – also available for parallel circuits Exploriments – virtual science experiments NuclearPlants – shows the position of all the nuclear power plants in the world and links to the internet to give you information on the power plant and how close it is to fault lines. JustScience – climate change data from satellite mapping Orbit Architect- design satellite orbits Video Physics – uses the iPads video to record motion, which can then be analysed using the software Eye Refraction – visual aid to show students where sharp images are formed with short/ long sightedness & astigmatisms. NASA – Solar System & satellite reference app Star Walk – Solar System data NASA Viz – NASA videos of the Earth from space. Mostly mapping data.
Geography GeoBee Challenge – National Geographic quiz questions including photos and maps World Facts – extensive information on over 250 world countries Name the flag – test your knowledge of world flags iGeology – interactive geological mapping of the UK
The Government has announced that it has asked the co-founders of LEON restaurant chain, Henry Dimbleby and John Vincent, to examine school food across the country.They will create an action plan to accelerate improvement in school food and determine the role of food more broadly in school life. Over the last decade there has been a big change of attitude towards school food and significant improvement in many schools. This is the result of work done by a large array of people, including the School Food Trust, associated charities such as School Food Matters, and Jamie Oliver’s Foundation – not to mention the individual cooks, teachers, parents, pupils, outside caterers and local authorities who have embraced the cause. However in both maintained schools and Academies there is a lot of work still to do. School Food Trust research shows that: Take up of school lunches is just 38 per cent in secondary schools and 44 per cent in primary schools Only 22.5 per cent of schools provide at least one portion of fruit and veg per pupil every day Half of secondary schools offer pizzas and starchy food cooked in oil on most days A third of young people are not choosing a healthy balanced meal at school.
Henry and John have experience in creating nutritious food that tastes good, in large volume, to a budget. And before LEON, they both led large scale change in commercial organisations. Henry and John will be looking at all ways that change can be brought about: leadership, communication, rewards, inspiration, training, structures and supply chain, regulation, responsibilities within schools, reporting, and the role of parents and people from the world of food. Education Secretary Michael Gove said: “There has been an improvement in school food in recent years with many schools transforming school dinners, introducing food growing into the curriculum and teaching cookery. However, there is still more to do particularly in taking localised successes and ensuring they are replicated nationally. Henry Dimbleby and John Vincent bring a wealth of practical experience in delivering good food on a budget. “ John Vincent said: “We have a mission at LEON to make it easy for everybody to eat good food. We do it commercially with LEON, and so we are energised by the chance to do so with School Food. We join a powerful and growing team of people who have done so much. What we all now need is an action plan that gets to grips with exactly how the ideas and dreams can be implemented for all kids, and stick.” Henry Dimbleby said: “There is so much good work being done to improve school food by people in schools around the country. Our job is to find out which schools are doing well and why. This is a great opportunity to work with those people to set out in a systematic way what needs to be done to nurture and accelerate those improvements.
d o o f l o o h c s g n i v o r Imp
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The plan from Henry and John will examine which schools are doing things well and why. It will set out how all schools can reach a standard to be proud of. They will speak to experts, review research and visit schools as well as conduct primary research in order to build up a systematic picture of school food across England. An important part of their work will involve looking at what factors influence school food choices. To ensure that our children are eating well in schools the plan will address two key questions: What more needs to be done to make tasty, nutritious food available to all school children?
How do we excite children about the food so that they want to eat it?
A new child-friendly, educational tool providing important hydration advice has been launched today, coinciding with research showing that schoolchildren may improve their cognitive performance by hydrating with water. The ‘Children’s Hydration Glass’ developed by the Natural Hydration Council (NHC) in collaboration with the British Nutrition Foundation (BNF), aims to inform both parents and children on healthy hydration guidelines. The infographic includes hydration guidance and advice on fluid consumption for children, whilst taking into account the impact that some drinks may have on dental health. Research published in the latest issue of Complete Nutrition found that providing children with water at school significantly increased levels of cognition, including factors such as visual memory and performance[i]. Led by Dr Emma Derbyshire from Manchester Metropolitan University in association with the Natural Hydration Council (NHC), the project involved 166 children aged 11 to 12 years drinking bottled water
students who brought water into their exams performed academically better than those who went without. The researchers, who studied the behaviour of 447 undergraduate students, believed that water consumption had a physiological effect on thinking functions as well as alleviating anxiety that resulted in improved exam performance. The amount of fluid a child needs depends on many factors including age, gender, weather and how much physical activity they undertake but generally they should aim to drink about 6-8 glasses of fluid per day (on top of the water provided by food in the diet). Younger children need relatively small servings (e.g. 150ml per drink) and older children need larger servings (e.g. 250–300ml per drink). Dr Derbyshire, continues: “There is now an extensive range and quantity of evidence backing up the benefits of hydrating with
e h t t a n o i t a r d y H d o o h d l i Ch n o i t n e t t A f o Centre
to increase their fluid intake to the level recommended by the European Food Safety Authorityfor 14 days.
Bridget Benelam, Senior Nutrition Scientist at the BNF said “We know there is a lot of confusion about how much and what children should be drinking. Water is a great choice to keep children hydrated, but other drinks like milk, juices and soft drinks can contribute too. It’s just important to be aware of the calorie content of drinks and the potential impact on dental health so that parents and carers can help children to develop healthy drinking habits.” Evidence from the University of East London found that older
In general, children are at greater risk of dehydration than adults due to their lower body weight and smaller reserve of body fluids. Importantly, whilst adults often have easy access to a supply of water, children tend to rely on their guardians and teachers to provide drinks and often don’t recognise the early stages of thirst. Dr Derbyshire’s Top Tips for School Hydration Children should aim to have 6-8 drinks per day which should ideally be water but milk, weak squash and diluted fruit juices are also good choices. Put a bottle of water in lunchboxes as this is the fluid that the BNF advises drinking ‘plenty of’. Children should be encouraged to sip fluids at regular intervals throughout the day i.e. a lot of children drink fluids at the end of the day when feelings of dehydration have already started to set in. More information and a downloadable version of the ‘ Children’s Hydration Glass’ is available from www.naturalhydrationcouncil.org.uk.
Highlighting that there are some cases where trainees receive little more than a single lecture, Charlie Taylor calls for more practical training for trainees. This includes knowing how to vary the tone and volume of their voice to teach effectively and manage behaviour, as well as how to use posture in order to be an authoritative presence in the classroom. The headteacher of The Willows, a special school for children with behavioural, emotional and social difficulties in West London, has also today published the document Improving teacher training for behaviour. It sets out the knowledge, skills and understanding that trainees will need in order to be able to manage children’s behaviour. Behavioural Specialist Charlie Taylor said: “The greatest fear trainee teachers have is that they won’t be able to manage behaviour. It also remains one of the main reasons why teachers leave the profession.” “There are essential skills – including some which are underestimated, such as body language and posture – that all teachers need in order to manage behaviour effectively. “ “There are some great training providers but too often trainees aren’t taught the skills they need to ensure discipline in the classroom. We must spread best practice because without strong discipline and good behaviour children can’t learn.” Charlie Taylor, who from September 2012 will become the chief executive of the Teaching Agency, has carried out a review of what trainees are currently taught. It found differences in the quality of training on behaviour management. The best ITT providers take considerable time and thought to produce programmes that mean trainees leave with a range of practical skills, knowledge and understanding. It allows them to feel confident to manage behaviour when they begin to teach. However, there are some cases where trainees receive little more than a single lecture and limited support from a tutor if things start to go wrong. Some providers are not always aware of what is good training on behaviour and this means they continue to train inadequately. A survey, published last week, revealed how more than twofifths (41 per cent) of teachers rated their initial teacher training (ITT) in managing behaviour as ‘poor’ or ‘very poor’.
This includes teachers who may have been in the profession for a number of years. Improving teacher training for behaviour’ has been developed to complement the new Teachers’ Standards that all teachers have to demonstrate from September 2012. It also reflects the new Ofsted inspection framework for ITT providers, which will come into effect at the same time. It has been produced taking on board the practice from some of the outstanding teacher training providers, Ofsted and some of the best schools who train teachers. It will help ensure consistency across providers and includes how trainees should know how to: Vary the tone and volume of their voice to teach effectively and manage behaviour; Stand, move, make use of the space and use eye contact in order to be an authoritative presence in the classroom; Use praise effectively to improve behaviour, and understand how to apply rewards and sanctions to improve behaviour; Manage behaviour in a range of different situations such as whole class teaching, group work, the corridors and the playground; Plan and teach lessons that take account of individual children’s special needs, so that they are less likely to misbehave; Take appropriate and effective action when they are confronted by more extreme behaviour. Jo Palmer-Tweed, course director at teacher training provider Thames Primary Consortium, said: The importance of coherent high-quality training for behaviour management in teacher training cannot be underestimated. With a wide range of routes into teaching available and training programmes that are growing in diversity these guidelines will be essential to ensure the provision of high quality training. Crucially they do not tell providers how to structure their training programmes, but they do set high expectations in terms of what a trainee teacher should expect to receive. This will have a positive impact on the quality of teacher training and subsequently on children’s behaviour for learning.
r e t t e b a t e g o t s r e h c a e t e Traine r u o i v a h e b g n i g a n a m n o p i gr
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Dr Derbyshire, who investigated the hydration levels of children at St James’s Church of England School & Sports College (Bolton), commented: “This research indicates that adequately hydrated children may perform better and be better behaved in school. It also backs up the new Children’s Hydration Glass, which clearly specifies where priorities should lie in terms of hydration choices and also presents this information in an engaging way for children.”
water for aiding cognitive performance. Furthermore, simple measures like the addition of a bottle of water to the school lunchbox or backpack by parents could help to reinforce healthy hydration habits in children.”
Trainee teachers need better training in managing pupils’ behaviour and ensuring discipline according to Charlie Taylor, the Government’s expert adviser on behaviour.
y d o B d l i h C r o f k c a P t n e r a P
New Confidence
tools for parents ude educational cl in to s ce ur so hools’ re ildren as possible “Extending our sc lping as many ch he in ep st nt rta will be an impo
Thousands of young people with special educational needs are to get intensive support into long term paid work, thanks to a new Government programme. From this autumn supported internships are being trialled at 14 colleges around England for young people aged between 16 and 25 who have complex learning difficulties or disabilities. The trials will test a study programme for supported internships that could be adopted by all further education colleges from September 2013. The supported internships trial, backed by £3 million from the Department for Education, will provide a structured learning programme at an employer, like a restaurant, library or clothes retailer, that is tailored to the individual needs of the young person. It will equip them with the skills they need for the job, backed by expert job coaches to support interns and employers, and give them a chance to study for relevant qualifications. The programme gives them the platform to break down negative attitudes and show employers what they can do. Giving these young people experience of work allows the young adults to boost their confidence and empowers them to become more independent. Sarah Teather, Minister for Children and Families, said: “This is about helping young people with complex needs learn the skills they need for the workplace within a real job situation.” “We have to be more ambitious and tap into huge potential in people with learning needs. We can’t leave the most vulnerable on the scrapheap, without a way of getting a job and being able to live as independently as they can.” “With appropriate mentoring, even young people with complex needs can shine in a successful business.”
A new guide for parents to help them educate children about how the media alter images and the impact this can have on self esteem has been backed by Equalities Minister Lynne Featherstone today. The body image parent pack, developed for 6-11-year-olds by not-for-profit organisation Media Smart, marks the latest contribution to the government’s Body Confidence campaign.
Equalities Minister Lynne Featherstone said: “Young people are being set an impossible standard by images in media and advertising which can erode their self esteem. “As parents, we are often aware of these issues, but may not have the advice and guidance we need to talk to our children. “This will be an important contribution to the government’s body confidence campaign and I am delighted to have worked with Media Smart. I want the pack to empower parents to have those difficult conversations and open the door to discussion.”
Parents will be able to download materials – which include digitally enhanced pictures of celebrities - to help their children gain more realistic perceptions of the images they see. Media Smart Chairman Paul Jackson said: “We have been overwhelmed by the response we have had to the body image teacher pack, both in terms of the volume of responses and the enthusiasm with which it has been received. We have found that children respond really well when they realise that most of the images they see have been altered in some way and are aspirational but not realistic. “Extending our schools’ resources to include educational tools for parents will be an important step in helping as many children as possible think critically about the images they see around them every day, and we were delighted to work with Home Office Minister Lynne Featherstone to develop this resource.” Parents can download the Media Smart Body Image lesson free from the Media Smart website: www.mediasmart.org.uk
The supported internships trial is part of the biggest reform of special education needs policy in 30 years. The special educational needs green paper Next Steps details how the Government supports young people who lose support when they leave school. Special educational needs statements and learning difficulty assessments will, from 2014, be replaced with a single assessment which cuts red tape and helps to provide a continuous plan to support teenagers with special educational needs prepare for adulthood. The 14 colleges taking part in the supported internships trial from September 2012 are: Hull College (Kingston upon Hull City Council); Blackburn College (Lancashire); Mid-Cheshire College Of Further Education (Cheshire west and Chester Council); Shipley College (Bradford Metropolitan District Council); Stephenson College (North West Leicestershire District Council); Otley College Of Agriculture And Horticulture (Suffolk County Council); North Warwickshire and Hinckley College (Warwickshire); Plumpton College, special college - Agriculture and horticulture (East Sussex); Thanet College (Kent); Bexley College (London Borough of Bexley); Sir George Monoux College, sixth-form college (London Borough of Waltham Forest); Somerset College Of Arts And Technology (Somerset); Worcester College Of Technology, general FE College (Worcester City Council); Queen Alexandra College, independent specialist provider (Birmingham City Council).
The Minister saw how this works in practice at the Rose Project at Havering College of Further & Higher Education in east London, which has operated a supported employment programme for young adults with special educational needs for several years. Jenny Carr, Programme Manager for the Realistic Opportunities for Supported Employment Project, said: “We are passionate about the work that we do because we see how life changing this is for our clients who want the same opportunity as others to have jobs and develop their own independence. The benefits to businesses are also immense as the employers we already work with will happily testify.” Brian Mott, Facilities Manager, said: “An unexpected benefit of employing people
eeds n l a i c e p s h t i w le p o e p g n u o y g n Helpi h g u o r h t k r o w o int s p i h s n r e t n i d e t new suppor
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The pack encourages children to think about how and why images may have been altered and the effect this can have on their own body image. It also explores how ideas about the ‘perfect’ body have changed through the ages and offers tips for parents on how to talk to their child about the subject.
This initiative follows the launch last year of a teaching pack for primary schools, which has since been downloaded by over 1,500 teachers across the UK.
with learning disabilities has been the attitude they bring to the workplace. Most of us can be a bit jaded with work but they’re a breath of fresh air and it impacts on others.” “Every person you employ has their own idiosyncrasies and if you don’t prejudge people with learning disabilities then I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised.”
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A fantastic project to build an eco classroom at Upton Heath School, Chester, has just hit its funding target of £5,000 on peoplefund.it and was match-funded by energyshare.com unlocking £10k of funding for the project!
“The parents and partners at the school were delighted when we hit target - they were hugging each other in the corridors,” said Headteacher, Paula Moreton. “The Hive will deliver our core purpose of providing the best learning education experience possible, and the funding will accelerate us towards that goal. We are thrilled with the way it has brought the community together and delivered a fantastic result.” Peoplefund.it, from KEO Digital, the makers of River Cottage, Fish Fight and energyshare, allows people to make pledges of cash in return for rewards. Once a project hits its funding target the cash is released and the project gets its funding. No cash leaves people’s accounts until the target is reached. Energyshare, the UK’s leading platform for community renewable energy projects, launched a National competition to have renewable energy projects match-funded on peoplefund.it 6 weeks ago. The Hive is one of the first successfully match-funded projects.
Images from the schools video. Watch it at www.peoplefund.it/blog/schools/
‘The Hive’ is a solar powered classroom project which started a fund raising bid on peoplefund.it , a crowdfunding website, to raise £5k. Parents and friends of the school got together to raise £5k with the aim of hitting target by June 1, which would release £5k of match funding from energyshare.
“We are delighted that The Hive has had such success. It’s a fantastic project which has brought the community together to back a great idea and allowed the parents to make a real difference. We would encourage other schools to look at peoplefund.it as a great way to raise money for projects,” said KEO Digital, MD, Nick Underhill.
l o o h c S h t a e H n pto U ’s r e t s e h C t a .it d The Hive n u f e l p o e p o t nks a h t 0 0 0 , 0 1 £ s e rais e r a h s y g r e n e d an Page 19
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For more information, visit www.peoplefund.it/blog/schools/
r u o F r o f a d n a g U o t d a e H s Pupil n o i t i d e p x E k Wee On Friday 6th July, 27 girls from St Swithuns school in Winchester accompanied by staff Mr Brown, Miss Godfroy and Mr Shah departed for a four week expedition to Uganda. During their time there they will work on various community projects, climb Mt Elgon, undertake project work in a rhinoceros sanctuary and work together with pupils from our sister school, St Katherine’s
The girls are publishing diary entries throughout their trip. Here are their first few entries. Friday 6th July - day one All arrived safely in Nairobi and checked through to Entebbe. Amazing views of the Alps, Mt Etna and the Sahara during the flight. All well. Arrived at Heathrow safely and all checked in by 0750hrs. Sleepy but excited.
Sunday 8th July - day three Today we were introduced to Patrick, the headmaster and chairman of Chirindi village. The girls started on the project of building a new classroom.
Tuesday 10th July - day five Emily D, Hetty and Grace write:
“It starts with inspiration and ends in sweat” - Alex Blanchard. With this work ethic being employed by every member of the group a great deal of progress was made today. The day was spent for the most part making concrete. Although this process was arduous causing several blisters we were successful enough to begin laying the bricks which will eventually become a school. The children of the community continued to be enthusiastic and welcoming. We taught them to play duck-duck-goose and also serenaded them with varying versions of chart toppers and popular songs (Valerie and American Pie proving most popular). Lunch was particularly eventful with Ella having an encounter with a rat in the loo which prompted a round of screaming from most girls in the group. A highlight of the day, along with seeing the progress we made, was removing the multiple layers of dirt and dust which we accumumlated from both the work and the 8km walk to and from the camp. Despite being exhausted we are all thoroughly looking forward to continuing the project and developing our bond with the local children of the community. To follow their amazing journey, visit www.stswithuns.com/uganda-2012. Find out more about St Swithuns at www.stswithuns.com
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Saturday 7th July - day two Arrived on time in Entebbe last night and now en route to Hairy Lemon campsite. Our senses are being bombarded with sights, sounds and smells and all in good spirits.
Two groups dug the foundations and the others entertained groups of local children (a special mention here to Tash, Lexi and Laura for their performances of the hokey cokey and an S Club 7 number). The girls finished the foundation work thanks to continued encouragement by Holly, Alex and Ella. Happy birthday to Alice Buer - 18 today!
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n i t s e r e t n I e s o L n e r d l i h C 42% of 1 1 e g A y b g Readin internet as children prefer Teachers worried ted to two ilight effect’ attribu over reading. ‘Tw ls ing fantasy nove thirds of girls read
More than a third of children (42%) are likely to have turned off reading for pleasure before they reach secondary school age (11), according to new teacher research released recently. The research was carried out to mark the release of a new set of HEROES classroom reading books, edited by top children’s author Frank Cottrell Boyce and designed to stimulate children’s interest in reading. Of the 400 school teachers questioned: 29% reported that in a typical English class, more than half of their pupils show little or no interest in reading at all 94% of teachers reported that their pupils prefer spending time online to reading a book 97% felt that parents must do more to encourage their children to read.
Demon Hunter: Bali Rai’s new novel about a teenager who is transported to Victorian London to save his father by hunting down a demon, all while trying to avoid Jack the Ripper The Perfect Enemy: F. E. Higgins’ new novel about a boy who unwittingly unleashes his doppelganger and is then faced with either killing it or becoming it Ski Jump: John Townsend‘s new play about a school ski trip that is interrupted by a fight to the death with a terrorist Already Dead: Tom and Tony Bradman’s play about a group of teenage survivors running from zombies who soon realise they have a traitor in their midst
For boys in particular, teachers suggested they reacted better to horror 93% and science fiction 92%. However, both boys and girls appeared to have an appetite for fantasy novels. 83% of teachers state that boys are likely to find fantasy novels engaging and 65% state the same for girls. This trend is evidenced by the strong teen fantasy book market for series like Twilight, The Fallen or The Hunger Games.
This research has also revealed that over three-quarters (78%) of teachers thought that a greater use of online or digital technology to practice reading could help with literacy at Key Stage 3. Each HEROES book has a partner ActiveTeach – a bank of on-screen, front of-class teaching tools and class activities all built on strategies known to be most effective in engaging underperforming readers, in particular boys.
Children’s author and screen writer Frank Cottrell Boyce said: “It’s worrying to think that so many young children are not being inspired to pick up a good book and get lost in a story. According to UNESCO the biggest single indicator of whether a child is going to thrive at school and in work is whether or not they read for pleasure. “Clearly we need to make sure we are providing our children with the right types of books which stimulate their interest, capture their imagination and make them turn the next page. Our hope is that the HEROES series does just that by providing exciting, shorter stories in the genres we know young people love to read so that they go on to read bolder texts.”
The HEROES series first launched last year. Pearson asked 12 teachers and 200 pupils to trial the products and asked the teachers to report on what they thought about the series and the impact it had in their class via blogs and interviews.
Rod Bristow, President of Pearson UK said: “Literacy is crucial to everyone’s ability to do well not just at school but also throughout life and to secure employment. “These books are designed to help children access literature so that they fall in love with reading for life and I hope they will engage and excite those pupils who may have been reluctant to read in the past.” From today, schools can buy four new books and plays in the HEROES series, each designed to effectively engage reluctant readers, especially boys, in the classroom. All four books fall into the crime, horror and fantasy categories and are designed to hook children into reading so that they continue to read for pleasure outside of school and progress to more complex or traditional texts.
The 200 participating pupils were asked whether they enjoyed reading in English lessons. Before the trial 53 said they enjoyed it a lot. After studying a HEROES text in class this had nearly doubled to 102. Michaela Martin of St Mary’s High School, Hertfordshire, used the HEROES series last year with her Year 8 English class. Martin said: “I think it’s rewarding for them to learn and rewarding for us to teach. I’ve never taught anything that I heard my pupils talking about outside of class so enthusiastically.”
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This year’s books include:
o t t e s m u l u c i r r u c m r o f h t New 6 s l e v e L A f o m s i c i t i r c s s e r add A pioneering international college based in South Wales, which opened in 1962 and has since transformed the way young people prepare for Higher Education, today unveils a new c urriculum and qualification. In 1968, UWC Atlantic College was instrumental in the creation of the International Baccalaureate and was the first school in the UK to abandon a national curriculum in favour of the IB. This year, UWC Atlantic College celebrates its 50th anniversary with the launch of a new qualification, The Atlantic Diploma, which builds on the college’s reputation in developing academic and experiential-learning programmes. John Walmsley, who joined the college as Principal in January and was determined to enhance the college’s distinctive educational offering, explains: “UWC Atlantic College has always been at the forefront of international education, delivering a values-based and mission-orientated curriculum that combines rigorous academic teaching with a challenging community service programme – and this in a truly global context with a hugely engaged and diverse student body, currently 90 nationalities. The influence on students’ ambitions, outlook, attitude as well as on their perspective of the world is very significant and we measure the success of our students not in exam results and league tables, but in their impact on local and global communities. The Atlantic Diploma will build on this history, providing a pioneering and transformative experience that will prepare young people for the challenges of the modern world.” Dave Booker, Vice Principal, who is leading the development of The Atlantic Diploma, is confident that this new qualification will provide a catalyst for future curriculum development, shaping education theory and philosophy. “The new qualification, in formalising the unique experience that UWC Atlantic College offers students, addresses many of the issues facing the current education system. It strives for independence of learning and encourages initiative. Teachers are there to liberate the learner and to help them to process ideas critically as opposed to teaching them to pass an exam”.
Environmental Faculty: will develop models of sustainability and inspire in young people an active commitment to sustainable living. Global Faculty: will involve young people in a critical engagement with intercultural issues and actively promote a global ethos and linguistic and cultural diversity through local and international links and events. Peace studies and the management of conflict will be a crucial feature of the work of the faculty. Outdoor Faculty: will promote a sense of endeavour, self-discipline and personal example through challenge, expeditions and the management of risk in difficult terrains, in both the mountains and the sea. Social Justice Faculty: will develop amongst students a sense of empathy for the disadvantaged and a respect for human rights and personal dignity. A typical student could opt to follow a course in Arabic and Peace & Conflict Studies as part of the IB curriculum, with a Co-Curricular Programme focused on working with refugees (Social Justice) and including participation in a project in Palestine/Israel (Global). Another student could choose Economics, Geography, and Biology as IB courses, with a Co-Curricular Programme focused on marine environmental monitoring, on sustainable marine technology (Environmental) and including expedition planning and logistics (Outdoor) John Walmsley concluded: “In today’s education system that focuses on narrow testing and the exam grade as an end in itself, The Atlantic Diploma raises levels of attainment, increases enthusiasm for learning and prepares students for work and further study as well as encouraging the desire to make a difference in the world. It is a unique, two-year pre-University educational experience that is increasingly valued and recognised by Academics in the UK and abroad. In fact, leading American Universities such as Harvard, Yale, Princeton, Stamford and MIT send their Deans to UWC Atlantic College every year to interview our students and it is the value of the Co-curricular alongside the IB that draws them to us.”
For more information on UWC Atlantic College please contact either Sophie Spooner or Victoria Leyton at Working Word on Sophie.Spooner@workingword.co.uk or Victoria.Leyton@workingword.co.uk.
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The Atlantic Diploma’s curriculum is structured in two parts. The first forms the disciplinary framework for the International Baccalaureate academic programme. Students choose six subjects, studying three at Higher and three at Standard Level, alongside a seventh subject, Theory of Knowledge. The second and parallel element of the Diploma is a new Co-Curricular Programme, based on UWC Atlantic College’s h istory of experiential learning and which sits alongside and will be fully integrated with the IB Diploma. It involves the creation of 4 distinct Co-Curricular Faculties - Environmental, Global, Outdoor and Social Justice - each with a dedicated Faculty Head. Students will create a personal development plan with their tutor, specialising in one of the Co-Curricular Faculties through their service programme and engaging across the remaining three via a planned programme of activities, student
initiatives, projects and conferences. Crucially, students make connections across the Diploma that link the academic aspects of the IB with the in-depth experiential elements of the Co-Curricular Programme, developing the research skills and intellectual character that underpin active, self-directed learning.
School Parenting News Young children are spending more time playing online but according to new research over half of UK parents of primary school children don’t know the difference between safe chat (a pre-selected list of messages or monitored chat) and free chat (kids are able to express themselves freely).
The day when a child starts school for the very first times school marks a huge milestone in family life. However, many parents make one big mistake which means that starting school becomes more, not less, stressful for their children...
Interestingly the research found that dads were more clued up than mums about what the two forms of online chat were; with 58% of dads knowing the difference, compared with only 42% of mums. Parents from the East Midlands fared worst in the country when it came to understanding how safe and free chat differs, with 67% of mums and dads confessing to not knowing the difference, the South West and London (both 57%) followed closely behind. East Anglian and Welsh parents were revealed as the most knowledgeable when it came to appreciating the different online ‘chat’ options, 65% and 63%, respectively.
school parents Half of primary n ference betwee if d e th w o n k ’t don at according to safe and free ch new research The research commissioned by Petra’s Planet, a new safe virtual world for children to explore and learn about different cultures around the world, socialise and have fun online, interviewed 500 parents of primaschool children from around the country.
The One Big Mis take Parents Make on The Fir st Day of Schoo l and How they C an Avoid It... Here are just three of The National Book Club for Nearly Schoolers’ quirky tips for preparing a smooth and happy start to school life which you can share with parents.
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Tomi Heinonen, CEO of Dramaforum, the company behind Petra’s Planet is surprised by the findings, he said: “It is a concern that over 50% of parents with children aged 6-11 don’t understand the difference between safe and free chat. If children are on a virtual world that allows free chat they could be communicating freely with people they don’t know and who might not always be who they purport to be. Children are so savvy with their computer skills that they often find a way around the monitored chat.” He continued, “It’s crucial that parents understand this fundamental difference and can guide their children accordingly. Petra’s Planet is aimed at 6-11 year olds and in order to guarantee children’s safety, the virtual world only has safe chat in the form of ‘chat trees’ which uses a pre-defined list of greetings, questions, expressions and statements. This makes it 100% safe and also complies with the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA). The safety of young children is of paramount importance to us and therefore we only use chat trees for the time being. This lets children explore freely in a safe, fun environment.” The research was commissioned in June 2012 and was independently carried out by OnePoll.
Parents and children can keep up-to-date on all the latest Petra’s Planet news by following on Twitter, Facebook and Pinterest. To find out more information on Petra’s Planet and keeping children safe, visit the virtual world’s safety page.
tI
a e s i R s r e b m u N Pupil The Independent Schools Council (ISC) published its Annual Census for 2012 in April. For the first time since 2008, pupil numbers have risen and are up by 0.1% compared to equivalent numbers for 2011.
There are now 508,472 pupils at 1,223 ISC schools. This year’s encouraging growth shows the resilience of independent schools in a challenging economic environment and highlights their continued attraction for parents. Further highlights of this year’s Census findings include: Regional trends Pupil numbers have risen by 1.2% in the South East and London (which have 45% ISC schools and 43% pupils), while they fell by 0.7% in other parts of the UK. This reflects the varying regional economies identified by PwC’s 2011 regional index of household financial stress which showed relative buoyancy in the South, East, London and Scotland, compared to relative stress in Wales and the North.
1 Buy the school uniform as early as you can and play ‘getting dressed’ games to get your child into their clothes a good few times before school starts. Seeing your small child, rosy with pride, trying to look grownup in a school uniform two sizes too big is bound to end in tears...so make sure you get used to the sight! (Plus, he or she will know how to get dressed and undressed for PE lessons!)
“In 2012 we can be proud of the fact that in so many areas of education we set the highest standards and act as a force for good both in the country as a whole and for the individual pupils who are fortunate enough to attend our schools.”
2. Don’t leave getting to school on time to guess work. Have a practice journey one morning during the summer term, when other children are going to school. Draw a map together of little landmarks you might walk or drive past. On that first morning, you’ll both be focussed on looking for these rather than the end of the journey...
GSA President, Louise Robinson: “Clearly there is a sizeable appetite for single sex education. GSA schools educate over 36% of all girls at ISC accredited schools, while, from years 7-11, 4043% of ISC schools consist of all boys or all girls. Even at sixth form, almost 40% of ISC schools are single sex.”
3. Give them a tool kit!! Practise the very basics – putting your hand up, asking for the toilet, finding a teacher if you are hurt or worried, asking other children if they would like to play. Spend some time ‘make believing’ being at school. This will give you the confidence to know that no matter what happens they will have the tools to ask for help! To help families across the UK prepare for school life, The National Book Club for Nearly Schoolers chooses six of the best starting school books for children and from now until September posts the books, along with a brilliant activity sheet detailing ideas just like the ones above, one at a time to each member of the club. ‘There is something very exciting about receiving a parcel through the post,’ says Dawn, ‘And when this parcel contains the tools for a brilliant start to School for the whole family, it makes it even more special!’
Fees School fees have risen by an average of 4.5%, the second lowest fee increase since 1994 and below the education component of the CPI rate of inflation which was 5.1% for the 12 months to January 2012. Meanwhile, schools continue to work hard to provide fee assistance, as shown by the value of means-tested bursaries which rose by 9.4%, an increase of £24m on last year’s figures. Such aid gives the opportunity for many children from less wealthy families to attend ISC schools. Internationalisation of UK independent schools The Census points to the increasing globalisation of ISC schools, both in their pupil population and in the university destinations to which pupils go. The proportion of non-British pupils at ISC schools in 2012 was up 5.8% on 2011, while 27% of schools have reported an increase in the number of pupils going to university overseas. These figures all highlight the attraction of an education at an ISC school to a global market and reflect PISA’s findings from the OECD which rank UK independent schools as among the best in the world.
ISC Chairman, Barnaby Lenon stated in the Census foreword “Independent schools throughout the country should be very proud of the results of this census. At a time of recession, when very many parents are struggling financially, it is clear that finding fees for their children’s education remains a priority for very large numbers. For the first time since 2008 the number of pupils in our schools has risen. There are two main reasons for this. One is the terrific exam results achieved by our schools despite the fact, rarely reflected in the press, that most ISC schools are not academically selective. At GCSE, just 6.5% of entries come from independent schools yet our pupils gain 26.0% of the A* grades. A third of students getting AAA or better at A-level come from our schools. We achieve very strong results, especially in the traditional, hard subjects such as science and modern languages. But the second reason is the commitment our schools make to education beyond the classroom, something which is reflected in our disproportionate influence on areas of life such as sport (one third of the gold medals in the Beijing Olympics) and the arts - not least music and acting. Many independent schools are quite small, some are in fairly remote locations, several depend heavily on boarding, all face significant budgetary constraints. But because we offer an excellent education, because our schools are some of the best in the world, we continue to thrive. This census also shows something of the diversity of our schools - the large minority ethnic student population, the growing demand for our schools from overseas, and the £284 million spent last year on means-tested bursaries. It also shows that the very great majority of our schools are engaged in partnership schemes with local maintained schools and the wider community - something which grows in significance every year. It is not easy to run schools which have to raise every penny they need to operate. We will always face political difficulties and we are often misrepresented in the press. But in 2012 we can be proud of the fact that in so many areas of education we set the highest standards and act as a force for good both in the country as a whole and for the individual pupils who are fortunate enough to attend our schools.
For more information, visit www.isc.co.uk The ISC represent over 1,200 independent schools in the UK and overseas. These schools are ranked among the best in the world and educate more than half a million children each year.
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According to Dawn Burden, play expert and director of The National Book Club for Nearly Schoolers, parents are often so worried about how their children will cope with the first day at school that they ignore their own anxiety, which can often lead to the few weeks before school starts with a parent who is struggling with their emotions – with disastrous consequences for the child. ‘No parent wants to be the one in the playground sobbing behind dark glasses, but unless parents prepare themselves for the start of school, this is often what ends up happening.’ Says Dawn. ‘ If a child looks to their parents for reassurance and sees someone struggling with their emotions it creates huge anxiety, making settling into school trickier than it should be.’
: 2 1 0 2 s u s n e ls o o h c ISC C S t n e d n e ndep
Music & Performing Arts
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Music & Performing Arts
Music & Performing Arts
Energy Management
Busy schools give unique dishwasher service package top marks With breakfast clubs, cooked dinners and homework groups all forming part of the educational timetable nowadays, the modern school needs a constant dishwashing capability – and a generous helping of ‘on-demand’ service support to go with it. Schools of various sizes are increasingly exploring options that will allow them to efficiently wash plates, cutlery and larger kitchen items throughout the day.
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However, saving time on daily washing is only a primary requirement. ‘Total Care’ packages, such as that offered by end-to-end warewashing partner JLA, are an attractive proposition to schools that need to save money too. As in every sector, education budgets are generally being frozen or cut, but using the money saved on servicing, ongoing maintenance and repair costs, schools are able to concentrate on other important items such as quality meals – keeping students, parents and of course the LEA accountants happy. With more and more schools, boarding institutions and colleges signing up to Total Care across the UK, it seems the ‘all inclusive’ model really does tick all the cost-efficiency, performance and ongoing maintenance boxes. Visit www.jlawarewashing.com
Energy an M agement
Energy Management
Guildford County School Cuts Carbon Emissions and Fuel Costs with Boiler Efficiency System Guildford County School is announcing the implementation of a new boiler efficiency service that has already cut its consumption of gas and reduced the carbon footprint of the School. The new service involves the installation of electronic optimising equipment and after a trial period of 28 days, the service was shown to have cut gas use on the main School’s boiler by a minimum of 17%. The new service is being provided through The National Energy Saving Service (NESS). Boiler burner management technology from Dynamic Energy Products Ltd. was installed under a NESS Share™ programme, where the service is paid for out of a small share of the savings achieved. In the case of the school, this means that on one boiler alone, a net saving of over £1200 per annum will be achieved. Peter Torrance, Business Manager at Guildford County comments: “I think the NESS scheme is very attractive, as they guarantee a minimum gas saving of 10%, which more than covers their service fee.
“The savings we make on energy can now be put to good use elsewhere within the school, to the benefit of our students’ education,” he adds. NESS Share™ managed service programmes are zero cost from day one - they enable savings to be made immediately, with an initial start-up fee free period. Cliff Winckless, Managing Director of NESS UK Limited is delighted with the results achieved at Guildford County School. “We only provide energy saving managed services where we are sure they will deliver net savings for our customers. Every product supplier has to meet our APTNess™ selection criteria that underwrites those savings. The School is a prime example of how to cut fuel costs and just pay out of savings.” Energy saving technologies made available under a NESS Share™ programme have to meet the strict APT (Approved Product Technology) Ness selection criteria. This includes proven product reliability, a minimum savings capability, an acceptable proof of savings methodology, a maintenance policy to ensure minimum downtime, and an easily available user support capability. In addition, unless specifically agreed, the customer should always net 50% or more of savings achieved. For more information visit www.ness.uk.net
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They also make a commitment that if the guaranteed saving isn’t met in the 28-day trial period after the equipment is installed, then they will take the equipment out and walk away. In fact, the savings during that period
varied between 17.86% and 25% and so we were more than pleased to confirm the contract.”
External Works
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External Works
Sport
e t e p m o C p o r C e h T f O m a e r C s e m a G l o o h c S r In Tyne & Wea With the start of the London 2012 Olympics fastly approaching, schools across the country have been enjoying sports crazy lesson plans and extra special sports days. Over 500 pupils from schools across Tyne & Wear competed to find the best of the best in eight different sports at Silksworth Community Pool, Tennis and Wellness Centre in Sunderland.
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The Tyne & Wear School Games is the culmination of a series of competitions between schools that have been taking place in each local authority area since April. The youngsters from schools that made it to the final battledto win their own medals in Tennis, Gymnastics, Quadkids Athletics, Rugby League, Cricket, Tri-Golf, Volleyball and Sitting Volleyball.
The School Games is an opportunity for every pupil from every school to take part in competitive sport and experience the challenges and rewards of competitive sport, including meaningful opportunities for disabled pupils. The School Games is at the heart of the Government’s plans to create a lasting sporting legacy from the London 2012 Games. The Games are being delivered by schools, county sports partnerships and other local partners. They are supported by a range of national partners including the Department for Culture, Media and Sport, Sport England, Department of Health, Paralympics GB and the Youth Sport Trust. Over £100 million of Lottery and Government funding is being injected into the School Games over the next three years.
Sport
Sport
total-play helps schools across the country update their sports facilities... Sports surface specialist total-play Ltd has been busy helping leading independent schools across the country update their sports facilities. Perhaps best known for its range of non-turf cricket pitches, including the ECB-approved tp365 system, total-play offers a host of natural and non-turf surface design, construction, refurbishment and maintenance services for a diverse range of sports.
Non-turf projects include the design and installation of MUGAs at both Charterhouse School in Surrey and at Sheffield’s Birkdale School, alongside new, bespoke cricket practice facilities at Summer Fields Prep in Oxford, Cheadle Hulme School in Cheshire and the Tiffin School in Kingston-uponThames. For more information on totalplay’s range of non-turf and natural sports surface services visit www.total-play.co.uk
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Recent projects illustrate the
depth and diversity of the experienced team’s offering. On the natural pitch front, at Clifton College in Bristol total-play undertook the preparation & full construction of a natural cricket table with six pitches to a pre-approved design by project leader Agripower, while at Bromsgrove School eight new pitches were built on an existing natural square and at Perse School in Cambridge a new square and twelve pitches were constructed.
Sport
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Sport
Education Marketplace
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Renewable Energy
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Renewable Energy
Marketplace
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d o o g s i k s i r y h W d passion for ICT an hool with a huge sc y ar im pr on og bl nd aires uth Lo nt feature from Cl ar 6 teacher in a So re we look at a rece He Claire Lotriet is a ye n. k re ris ild on Ch r s fo se Philosophy m which focu www.clairelotriet.co
Teachers have to spend a good chunk (or at least some) of their time limiting risk. After all, keeping children safe is at the heart of a teacher’s duty of care and limiting the amount of risks they face is one way to do this. It could be done subconsciously, such as simply organising how children move around school or the classroom, or consciously, completing a formal risk assessment for a school trip. Is all risk bad? Dictionary.com defines risk as: noun. 1. exposure to the chance of injury or loss; a hazard or dangerous chance: It’s not worth the risk. Risk taking can be thought of in another way though. Not the kind of risk that exposes children in your class to the chance of injury, loss or danger, but instead the kind of risk that gives children the confidence to try something new, even if they might well fail. As I understand it, risk management and taking is one of the major skills in enterprise education, which is something I have personally had the opportunity to become more familiar with. In Learning to take risks, learning to succeed, Heather Rolfe talks about the importance of risk taking: Risk taking is essential to innovation: anyone developing a new product, service or idea risks the possibility that it will not work, that someone else will get there first or it will be met with disinterest. Young people entering work in the twenty-first century will need to take risks to find these solutions, and addressing everyday challenges also involves complex decision making and evaluation of risk.
In essence, we need to encourage children to take risks and not equate all risk with danger or negative outcomes or we are not preparing them for the future. Forget SATs, levels and point scores for a moment, this is a life skill.
To the circus! The inspiration for this post came from watching some of my class take part in a circus skills workshop today. They had the opportunity to develop a whole host of new skills from juggling and plate spinning, through to walking along a tightrope, walking on stilts and riding a unicycle. All completely new activities to everyone and with a high element of risk involved. Not a dangerous risk, but certainly the risk of failure, looking a bit silly and feeling a tad nervous because they were out of their comfort zones. The outcomes? Some children managed to walk the tightrope unaided, some didn’t. Some children walked swiftly on the stilts by themselves, some didn’t. You get the picture. However, they all gave it a shot and some of them hadn’t even imagined they would do that at the beginning. The ones that succeeded in carrying out a task were all genuinely surprised too. Either way, it had been worth the risk. Break it down now As I watched the instructors break down even the seemingly most impossible of activities, into manageable steps, it occurred to me that maybe children (and us) can actually achieve more than we imagine is possible, if the task at hand is broken down and mastered in the right way. The king of breaking the seemingly possible down into manageable chunks by analysing what ‘experts’ do, and exploiting his own strengths that match them, has to be Tim Ferriss. In his TED Talk, Smash fear, learn anything, he explains how he went from being unable to swim to swimming 1km in open water by doing just that. He also became an Argentine tango world champion and fluent in Japanese, from nothing, in a similar way. His art is ‘deconstructing things that scare the living hell out of him.’ Basically, if you can split a task up into the right skills and sequences, you can do just about anything. What a useful and inspiring mindset to instill in pupils. And maybe this is one way to encourage risk? Not to get bogged down or put off by what looks like an unachievable bigger picture, but to take risks in managed steps instead. Encouraging risk in education Public speaking at ‘proper’ events like Learning Without Frontiers and The BETT Show Being given the freedom to experiment in science Applying for roles as digital leaders Running enterprise businesses to raise money for charity Organising and staging a fashion show to raise money These are some of things that I’ve been part of, which popped into my head when thinking about encouraging children to take risks in school. But I have a feeling this is just the tip of the iceberg and with a Tim Ferriss-like approach, even greater risks and successes might be possible. What do you think? How have you encouraged children to take risks? Can it go further? Visit http://clairelotriet.com to join in the discussion
Pictured: (Left - Right) Headmistress Jane Gandee, Debra Searle and Chairman of the board of governors John Platt.
St Swithun’s welcomed Debra Searle MBE as guest speaker at this year’s speech day. Adventurer, writer and presenter Debra has taken on many different challenges in her life but will probably be best remembered for her single handed row across the Atlantic ocean which she completed when her then husband and rowing partner left the boat early on in the trip after developing an uncontrollable fear of the ocean. Debra spoke to over 1000 pupils, parents and staff about her quest for adventure from a young age, her dedication to
following her passion but above all her constant motto of ‘Choose your attitude’. Debra uses this motto on a daily basis to determine her day’s attitude to help her get the best out of life and achieve her goals. For more information about Debra please see www.debrasearle.com/www.debrasearle.com/ Home_Page.html As is St Swithun’s tradition, speeches were followed by a valedictory service in Winchester Cathedral, with the sermon given by the Rt Rev’d Christopher Foster, Bishop of Portsmouth and the school choir performing for the last time under the leadership of retiring Director of Music, Richard Brett.
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Risk taking is becoming a core skill. Employers now need people who can communicate, work in teams, take decisions, be adaptable and take risks. Despite the demand for skills of innovation and enterprise, and despite recognition of the value of invention and original thinking, the role of risk taking in preparing young people for the future is often overlooked by educators and policy makers. In the context of young people’s lives, risk is seen as largely negative, linked to danger and regarded as something to be avoided.
y a D h c e e p S s St Swithun’ e c i v r e S y r o t c i and Valed
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Which advertiser is an anagram of ‘child sat deserves sun’ To enter, please visit www.flyingstarteducation.co.uk and simply click the correct answer in the competition area. Good luck and don’t forget to check out all the companies featured in our latest edition in print or online. A Armstrong Electrical and Solar A Wakeman Electrical Services Ltd ABC Desks Ltd Adventure Beyond Adventure Playground Wales Ltd Aethon Green Energy Agrostis Turf Consultants AH07 AH07 Ameeca ltd AP Thompson Sport Engineering Archer Landscapes Ltd Archery World Atkins Vause Ltd Beaudesert Scout Camp Belchamps Scout Camp charity 1015218 Bocaddon Holiday Cottages Brathay exploration centre Brathay Hall Bridome Ltd Britmet Tileform Ltd Central Flooring Services Ltd Charles Lawrence Surfaces LTD Cleveland Sitesafe Ltd Consort Equipment Products Cool Science Country Experiences Cranedale Educational Charitable Trust Ltd Crested (Charity) Cycle 4 Adventure Easy to Name Endatio ltd trading as scantis Energy Innovations UK Energy Innovations UK Ltd Essex Flameproofing Ltd Explore Learning Farmer Palmers Farm Park Feel Good Friends Funky Lunch Generic Maths Ltd Glenridding Sailing Centre Helen O Grady drama oldham History On The Net Hoe Bridge School HUSH UK LIMITED Ingestre Hall Arts Centre International Inn Liverpool JLA Ware washing
Kites For Schools Labels 4 Kids M and M Contractors Machines Direct Megger Mepal Outdoor Centre MIW Office Solutions MJ Giddings Farm Produce Ltd Morleys Of Bicester Ltd Name in a Book National College of Music Notts Sport (UK) Ltd ODR LTD Paul Nicholas School of Acting Pedal Performing Arts Phonics International Plas gwynant Outdoor Education Play stage Jnr Playground Developments Ltd Proactive Adventure Robin Hood Activity Centre Shaggy Sheep Wales Simply Stuck SIR - West Family Charitable Trust Squarepegs Stubbers Adventure Centre Sunshade Services Ltd Systematic Energy Taste Tideswell Ltd Tersus Group Ltd The Climbing Hangar The English Team The National White Water Centre The Waterways Trust Thornbridge Outdoors Thriftwood Scout campsite and activity centre charity no vat reg number 1138253 TLC 4 SCHOOLS LTD Top Barn Activity Centre Total Locker Service Total- Play Ltd Translantic Films Twinkletrax Walton Firs Activity Centre Whitwell Hall County Centre Wilkinson Sport and Leisure Windmill animal Farm Young and Talented Theatre