Bringing outdoor learning and forest school training to the north west
More children in the north west are experiencing the benefits of the outdoors with new forest school and outdoor learning training for practitioners in the area. Branching Out Training, based at Upton Heath Church of England Primary School in Chester, have delivered training for 18 providers in the area since 2018 with over 2000 children set to benefit. Leader of Branching Out Training Sarah Pearson said: “When we set up our own forest school provision at Upton Heath Primary School 8 years ago, we really had no idea how successful our forest school would become. Forest school and outdoor learning is ingrained into the culture at Upton Heath. Our EYFS teachers are out making their observations alongside us, our teachers value and understand what we are trying to achieve, and when our children talk about what they love about school, Forest School is often mentioned.” The Branching Out provision was received so well by parents, pupils and staff at Upton Heath that it wasn’t long before Sarah was fulfilling requests for training from other schools in the area: “Setting up Branching Out Training was the natural progression, enabling us to offer accredited training for schools, pre-schools and nurseries so that they have the skills and qualifications to set up a forest school in their own provisions. As well as being training providers qualified to Level 4, we’re a primary school that has been through the process and we’re teachers too. That brings a unique perspective that education providers really appreciate. We can share our successes and also the potential pitfalls.” Branching Out Training have released the dates for their 2020 training. The 7 day Level 3 Forest School Leader spring course will take place from the 23rd April whilst the autumn course kicks off on the 24th September. The 2 day Level 2 Outdoor Learning Practitioner course takes place 4-5th June 2020. There is a free taster session on Thursday 2nd April, 1.30-3.30pm at Upton Heath for the Level 3 Forest School Leader and Level 2 Outdoor Learning Practitioner course. All courses are hosted in the mini woods at Upton Heath C of E Primary School and are in association with UK training network Cambium and accredited by Agored Cymru. The Outdoor Learning Practitioner course is also recognised by the Institute of Outdoor Learning. To find out more about the Level 2 Outdoor Learning Practitioner or Level 3 Forest School Leader training courses, please visit http://www.branchingouttraining.com/ or email: spearson@uptonheath.cheshire.sch.uk. You can also book online at cambiumonline.co.uk for the spring Level 3 training, autumn Level 3 training and summer Level 2 training.
Bristol primary school children kick-off Shakespeare Week celebrations
One of the world’s most historic ships, proudly docked in the European capital of graffiti, will form a stunning backdrop for a special performance of Shakespeare’s famous plays marking the launch of Shakespeare Week – the annual national celebration of Shakespeare in primary schools. Children from two Bristol primary schools will be showcasing their Shakespearian learning with a performance of The Tempest and Romeo and Juliet at Brunel’s SS Great Britain. Organised by independent charity the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust, this year’s Shakespeare Week carries the theme of Art and Design. Pupils from Bannerman Road Community Academy and May Park Primary School have been taking part in a series of drama and grafitti workshops delivered by Bristol-based artists Graft and Shakespeare at the Tobacco Factory (STF). The initiative is part of the new Shakespeare Hub Schools project, working with creative practitioners to provide children with a great first introduction of Shakespeare, via the arts. The scheme is delivered free to schools by the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust, and supported by Arts Council England. Jacqueline Green, head of learning and participation at the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust, said, “In the seven years that Shakespeare Week has been running we’ve demonstrated that making Shakespeare fun and accessible to young children has a positive impact in the development of their creativity, critical thinking and social skills. It’s clear that providing a culturally enriching first encounter of Shakespeare is benefiting children right across the country. By working with schools and cultural partners, we are supporting teachers to enthuse children with a passion for Shakespeare’s stories, language and heritage, inspiring curiosity and a desire to make discoveries of their own. All great preparation for the secondary curriculum, and their future lives.” Families too can celebrate Shakespeare. Throughout the week, there will be a number of events in libraries and cultural organisations across the country, and of course in Shakespeare’s hometown of Stratford-upon-Avon. On Saturday 21 March, Shakespeare’s Birthplace will play host to a free family fun day, with activities such as an illustration workshop with Horrible Histories illustrator, Martin Brown, an animation station hosted by Ricky Martin from CBBC’s Art Ninja, and Shakespeare-inspired crafts with children’s author and illustrator, Marcia Williams. Other highlights happening throughout Shakespeare Week include: Shakespeare-themed activities in libraries across the country, including Shakespeare LEGO clubs and illustration workshops The Big Shakespeare Book Hunt in 154 communities across the country, supported by Walker Books and the National Literacy Trust Kids Zone online challenges for children to complete in school or at home including drawing comic strips, writing poetry or enjoying retellings of Shakespeare’s plays Over 150 free resources for teachers, home educators and families covering subjects across the curriculum, including new step-by-step video tutorials from popular children’s illustrators on creating portraits of Shakespeare. There are also fun activity resources for educators to develop creative skills in the classroom For more information see www.shakespeareweek.org.uk.
Parents uninformed of deadly school run risks, according to new research
Parents across the country are worryingly unaware of how the school run can threaten their children’s safety, according to the latest research from leading home-to-school travel provider Kura. The research, which surveyed 1,000 parents across the UK, found that more than half (52%) of parents are unaware that the toxic fumes created by school run traffic were detrimental to their children’s health. Concerningly, this figure also increases to 57% of parents living in cities and built-up urban areas, where air pollution is a recurrent problem. Air pollution is linked to as many as 40,000 premature deaths a year, and recent findings from Unicef revealed that children are more at risk of breathing in toxic air pollution during school hours than at any other time of the day, with nearly two thirds of the air pollution they take in daily coming from this period. Indeed, the same research found that millions of children are breathing in deadly levels of particulates that breach World Health Organisation (WHO) guidelines – known as PM 2.5 – every day. This lack of awareness around the problem is perhaps surprising, given that 52% of parents surveyed reported a keen interest in environmental issues, with 42% claiming to be more interested in “green” topics than their children. Furthermore, more than half of parents (53%) report that they would like their children’s school to be as environmentally friendly as possible. Parental awareness was only slightly higher around the dangers posed by cars entering and exiting school premises before and after school, with just over half of parents (52%) citing traffic around schools as a risk to their child’s safety. A further 47% also went on to report there being “too much” traffic around school entrances and exits, which can lead to vehicle collisions, or the potential for the 38% of pupils who walk to school each day to be struck by a passing car. The research, which surveyed parents of school-age children attending state schools, independent schools and academies across the UK, was conducted as part of Kura’s Green School Guide – a new resource created to support parents and schools looking to create a safer, greener school run. Mathew Hassell, founder and CEO of Kura, said: “Children are more at risk from deadly air pollution during the school run than anywhere else, so it was extremely worrying to see this problem flying under the radar for so many. As it stands, a lack of viable school travel options is forcing parents across the country to take their children to and from school in their cars, which in turn poses threats to children’s safety that many are not even aware of. “School travel needs a serious rethink, if not a full-blown revolution. Pupils, parents and schools are all being negatively impacted by a school run that is no longer fit for purpose, and the only way we’re going to stop this is by working together. Schools and parents working as one with pupils’ needs front of mind, and the support of stakeholders, businesses and the community around them, can stop this deadly issue in its tracks and drive a safer, greener school run that truly meets the needs of all.” Kura is a leading provider of home-to-school transport services, providing safe travel for over 7,000 pupils a day across 300 routes. Kura is part of the Transport2 Group which carries over two million passengers a year. Kura is currently expanding its network of partner-schools throughout the UK, working to identify and deliver a safer, greener, smarter school run. For more information, please visit https://www.ridekura.com/green-guide/
Children Who Can!
Imagine a Primary curriculum that embraces diversity, encourages curiosity and empowers success. Children Who Can offers just that. Based in Yorkshire but working across England, Children Who Can works with primary schools and educators to support them in designing a bespoke curriculum that allows children to create their own learning experiences. Using the CWC Way — their unique approach to curriculum design — they collaborate with schools to craft tailored curriculum solutions that meet their children’s emotional, social and educational needs. In addition to this, Children Who Can provide unique classroom workshops and off grid experiences. Going “Off-Grid” is exciting and enriching for children, especially when the experience involves preparing food, crafting treasures or exploring wonderful woodland scenery. Their popular outdoor learning activities provide opportunities for children to think creatively, work collaboratively and develop essential life skills. Outdoor learning boosts children’s long-term physical and emotional development and wellbeing, promoting a healthy, happy body and mind. Children Who Can actively promotes outdoor learning and works with schools to incorporate woodland and outdoor exploration, creative outdoor crafting, group gardening and exciting food preparation activities. Learning, using the CWC Way, helps children to learn how to manage and understand their emotions. Children learn together, collaborating and negotiating to achieve goals as a team. This enables the development of stronger communication and social skills, an essential part of children’s development. Enjoying outdoor learning experiences not only helps children to develop essential skills, but it also has a naturally calming and stress-relieving effect that lessens anxiety so that children can stay in control of their emotions. Learning outside the classroom helps children to develop healthy, active lifestyles and explore their environment, deepening their connection with nature. Children who enjoy active lifestyles are generally less prone to obesity and gain vital skills under a creative outdoor learning curriculum, improving their problem-solving skills, nurturing their creativity and developing their imagination. With highly positive Ofsted feedback, the CWC Way is considered to be something special that is having a positive impact on pupils’ learning outcomes. The problem-solving-based approach to teaching and learning is unlike any other — the teacher provides imaginative opportunities in the form of missions, challenges and problems, and the children lead their own learning experiences. Children develop ownership of their work through collaborative planning, designed to investigate and solve the set mission, while the teacher facilitates work on real-life situations and enterprise. The CWC Way: • Has purpose • Engages children in problem solving and enterprise • Is child-led • Ensures collaboration and teamwork • Develops oracy skills • Integrates the whole curriculum • Develops life skills The bespoke curriculum consultancy service, provided by Children Who Can, includes a range of curriculum training opportunities for primary schools and educators such as: in school training (staff meetings, twilights and INSET), curriculum planning support and curriculum evaluation and health check services. Services Offered by Children Who Can: • Bespoke curriculum design consultancy for primary schools • Curriculum development training for primary teachers and educators • CWC Curriculum taster days and school visits • Children’s learning experiences and “Off-Grid” workshops designed to develop social and emotional skills • Intervention for specific groups of children • Meaningful, relevant and memorable teacher cover solutions • After school workshops. That’s the CWC Way; a unique, child-led, problem solving approach to learning Contact Us Rosie Driver and Dr Julie Snead Managing Directors www.childrenwhocan.co.uk enquiries@childrenwhocan.co.uk
The Wish Centre
Self harm is a growing concern in the UK with rates of 1 in 9 teenagers self harming (National Inquiry 2006) and possibly as many as 1 in 5 (Affinity/NHS 2008). Black British and mixed race girls have high rates of self harm, which has been linked to domestic violence, family breakdown, socio-economic deprivation and gang related sexual violence and teenage pregnancy. Rates of domestic violence and incidents of teenage sexual violence and risks of honour based violence are rising nationally. Young people in these situations are impacted in the short term through mental health issues and risky coping behaviours, and in the longer term through a cycle of disadvantage which includes poor educational achievement and life chances and higher rates of mental health life issues and suicide ideation. Cuts in services and support have resulted in critical effects. The WISH Centre was founded around 15 years ago to support young people who were self-harming and has developed into a community-based service to support young people on a path to recovery. The WISH Centre provide a range of services to keep children and young people safe and supported. This includes therapy – in school, after school at our centres and online. We run award winning Self Harm Peer Support groups where young people can get extra support, safeguarding measures and wrap around services. We completed a two year pilot replicating our offer in the London Borough of Harrow in the London Borough Merton. This was evaluated by Government think-tank the Centre for Mental Health. The results of the evaluation demonstrate the success rates of 90% recovery from self harm that has been previously demonstrated and continues in Harrow, which has been replicated in Merton. Attendance of A&E for self-harm was markedly reduced and statistically significant positives outcomes were demonstrated for young people in both Harrow and Merton across a range of outcomes (i.e. self-harm, suicidal ideation, abuse, trauma, anxiety/stress, depression/ sadness, coping mechanisms & emotional resilience). Centre for Mental Health concludes that the approach offered by The WISH Centre is both successful and replicable. The evaluation report recommends that services using the WISH approach should be made available across the country, drawing on the benefits of peer support networks and evidence-based psychological therapies, which were both found to have a positive impact on young people at WISH. The children we work with are incredible. Despite many suffering from domestic or sexual violence and abuse, exploitation and being at risk of serious harm from themselves or others, they will find a resilience and determination to keep going, even if this means self harming as a means of coping. Children and young people we meet may have undergone trauma and may have been exploited, abused or neglected. Some have suffered physical harm and have mental health issues or are living in poverty or in fear of their safety. The work of our dedicated team of psychotherapists, outreach and youth workers is vital to ensure that the young people are supported and empowered, and that they not only achieve positive outcomes to overcome the impact of their experiences but also that their voices are heard in terms of shaping the services and help they get from WISH and others. We believe that we are all effective together. From working with partners in social care, education, health and the community to improve aspects of support for young people, to improving awareness of issues and skills through training, together we are making a real difference to children’s futures. The visibility of our impact is seen in “A Space to Talk: An Evaluation of The WISH Centre’s Self harm services to young people “by the Centre for Mental Health 2018. A key recommendation of the report is that our methodologies are adopted nationwide, and our aim is to deliver this through capacity building and training. thewishcentre.org.uk
Water is cool
It is a documented fact that most School children do not drink enough water. Children are at greater risk of dehydration than adults as they do not always realize that they are thirsty and if they are not encouraged they may not drink enough. Many children go through the entire school day consuming perhaps just one glass of water or less. Our bodies are made up of approximately 70 % water and it has a multiple functions in the body – controlling temperature, digesting food and regulating the excretion of waste. Drinking water regularly throughout the day is a very important way to protect long term health. When children do not drink enough their attention span and concentration is severely affected. It has been noted that when thirsty their mental performance is decreased by 10% and will continue to decrease even more if adequate hydration is not attended to. The child may become tired and irritable and suffer headaches, which can then contribute to behavioural problems and they find it difficult to focus on lessons. Children need educated by explaining why drinking water is so very important to their health. To ensure mental clarity and to be able to participle in exercise and physical activity it is essential that water is available for children at all times of the day and it is readily accessible. We owe it to our children to ensure adequate hydration to protect their long term health and help them to achieve their best personal educational potential by ensuring that hydration is used as an aid to their concentration and attention, which will help maintain mental clarity at lessons and improve their overall learning. As children spend a large proportion of their day in School this gives a vital and unique opportunity of encouraging regular water intake to promote good health and an excellent learning environment. Children do not always like the taste of chlorine in water so it is essential that a source of clear pure pleasant tasting water is available and this can be achieved by the use of a Filter. Also the use of refillable bottles can encourage children to drink more often. We have been providing Schools with suitable Water Cooler Units since 1998, and can provide a wide selection of Units suitable for both small and large schools, and would be happy to offer advice and recommendations for the best options for the specific needs of your school. www.watersystems4u.co.uk Tel: 01727 226 464 Email: sales@watersystems4u.co.uk
Animal Farm named nation’s favourite school book
George Orwell’s Animal Farm has been voted the nation’s favourite ever school book in new research from Oxford Home Schooling. The independent survey of 2,000 adults asked which books they read and enjoyed at school and the dystopian novella won out against several plays by William Shakespeare and gothic horrors Frankenstein and Dracula. Dickens’ classic Great Expectations came in second, as selected by 20% of respondents, followed by William Golding’s Lord of the Flies. Nation’s Top Five Favourite School Books Animal Farm 27% Great Expectations 20% Lord of the Flies 20% To Kill a Mockingbird 19% Wuthering Heights 18% The Bard’s plays missed out on a place in the top five, but Macbeth earned sixth place on the list, followed by A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Honorable mentions were also made for Julius Caesar, Merchant of Venice and Twelfth Night, while Much Ado About Nothing featured in the top 20 with 5% of votes. Animal Farm proved most popular book with men, earning 33% of the male vote, followed by Lord of the Flies (23%) and Great Expectations (20%). However, Emily Bronte’s dark romance Wuthering Heights topped the female’s list, alongside the Orwellian masterpiece and Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird. The sexes also showed different tastes when it comes to Shakespeare, with the Bard’s tale of star-crossed lovers Romeo and Juliet making the top five of the women’s list, while bloody tragedy Macbeth was the most popular Shakespeare play for male respondents. Dr Nick Smith, Principal at Oxford Home Schooling, said: “It is not easy to pick a favourite ‘school’ book but I think the public has judged well. Animal Farm made a huge impact on me when I was a schoolboy and made political ideas accessible to a wide audience with the apparent simplicity of its story. Great Expectations is a worthy silver medallist. I studied Dickens for my doctorate and the experience left me even more convinced that Pip’s suspenseful narrative was the greatest of his novels. If, for some reason, you have not read any of the books on this list, you have a treat in store!” Other popular secondary school books mentioned in the poll include An Inspector Calls (10%), which was recently the subject of a TV adaptation featuring David Thewlis and Miranda Richardson, and Steinbeck’s classic Of Mice and Men.
Top tips for keeping children safe online
By Mike Glanville, Director of Safeguarding Services at MyConcern. As a former police officer with more than 35 years of high-level safeguarding experience, Director of Safeguarding Services, Mike Glanville, explains how schools can leverage technology to reduce pressures on safeguarding leads and improve outcomes by identifying and addressing concerns at the earliest possible opportunity. Online safety is not just important, it is absolutely vital for protecting children and young people. We all want them to be able to use every opportunity that comes with having the world at their fingertips, building on knowledge, broadening their world and increasing their understanding of different thoughts, beliefs, places and ideas. But we also know the online world has made it all too easy for predators, bullies, or even people who are just plain bored and think something will be funny, to target children and young people and expose them to things that they simply aren’t yet equipped to handle mentally or emotionally. As a society we have a responsibility to do everything we possibly can to keep children and young people safe. Social media is becoming more and more a part of daily life and is now a prime method of communication and socialising for young people. Fortunately, the makers behind popular apps are beginning to recognise that they have a part to play in the protection of children and young people and are taking steps to make their apps safer. Tik Tok has been in the news recently because they launched a new ‘Family Safety Mode’ as a response to challenges within their community. New features allow parents to manage how much time their children spend in the app, limit who sends messages to them or turn off direct messaging completely, and allow them to restrict the appearance of potentially inappropriate content. Other innovations are making online safety within schools more comprehensive. Our safeguarding software MyConcern has teamed up with student online monitoring and management solution Senso.Cloud to create an integration between the two platforms, designed to boost the power behind school safeguarding processes. Schools who use both MyConcern and Senso.Cloud will now be able to easily see a holistic view of a student’s safeguarding profile, which will include Senso.Cloud’s automatically triggered screenshots of concerning online behaviour such as incidents related to bullying, self-harm, eating disorders, pornography, gambling and other concerning issues. In tandem with making good use of key innovations, it’s important to always keep in mind a number of key principles for online safety. To help, we’ve put together a list of our top tips to share with children, young people, parents, carers, and school staff, enabling them all to make good choices online. These can be downloaded here in poster format or found below. Top 10 tips for staying safe online: 1. Your online posts are permanent: What you share online will remain accessible forever. Always think before you post! 2. Update your privacy settings: To make sure you are always keeping your personal information safe, take a look at the privacy options your sites have and make the most of the protection they offer. 3. Remember, stranger danger!: Never meet up with anyone who you only know online, and only accept requests from people you know. 4. Beware of viruses: Watch out for links or adverts that may contain malicious and harmful viruses. If something seems too good to be true, it probably is (e.g. you probably haven’t won the latest iPhone for being the millionth visitor!). 5. Social media isn’t real life: Don’t measure your own life against what other people are posting. Remember that everyone will only be posting their best (or imagined) moments. It’s not healthy to make that your benchmark. 6. Respect others online: There’s so much joy to be found online, try not to ruin it for other people. Always think about how others will be affected by what you’re doing or posting. 7. Think before you send: Don’t share with anyone online something that you wouldn’t want them to share with others. It’s far too easy to lose control of something once it has been sent. 8. Worried? Report it: If you see something that worries you, report it to the site AND to a trusted adult. This way you will keep yourself safe, and prevent harm to others. 9. Time’s Up!: The internet provides a great platform for catching up with friends, but staying online for long amounts of time has been found to have a negative impact on other areas of life. Know when to switch off and take a break. 10. Keep your passwords private, always: Don’t share your account passwords with anyone, even your most trusted friends. To keep children and young people safe from online harm, it is essential that all staff working with them are well-equipped with reliable and up-to-date information. There are a growing number of platforms which children are using, and each comes with its unique risks. It is critical that all staff are updated on these safeguarding issues, such as those presented in this webinar from MyConcern with guest speaker and criminologist Carole Phillips. You can register to watch the recording here.
Gateway Adventure school & team building
Gateway Adventure was created in 2007 and we will be shortly celebrating our 13th anniversary. We are passionate about the great outdoors and enthusiastically strive to convey this ethos to our clients. As well as the physical and mental rewards and stimulus that adventurous training provides, it also allows the individual to develop life skills and an appetite for challenge. Gateway’s aim is to enable our clients to enjoy, respect and understand the outdoor environment through motivation, challenge, and skills acquisition and development, leading to our clients achieving a positive experience and outcome. We also strive to build a close and trusted relationships with everybody we come into contact with, whether clients, landowners or National Governing Bodies. You can be sure that, whatever your needs, you will receive a service that is professional, personal and tailored to your requirements. Gateway Adventure’s activity days are all about having a good time, but there is an important learning element to all the enjoyable activities we deliver to participants. Our aim is for all of our participants is, primarily, the development of life skills which are transferable to adult life. All our activities are tailored to the relevant age group, involving a mutually agreed programme of activities. Our activities are delivered on or off site, at the school or a suitable off site venue depending on the activity and client requirements. We offer different programmes and packages to suit your budget and objectives. These include On-Site School Activity Days, 2 & 3 Day School site (playing field) camping, 2 to 5 day Off-Site Residential, Prefect Training Days and staff Team Building Inset and Enrichment days. Gateway Adventure are also a D of E Approved Activity Provider for all levels of expedition and residential training and assessment. “Gateway Adventure are an integral part in our success. Without their expertise, experience, support, care and resources we would not be achieving the current levels of pupils completing the DOFE at all levels.” Glenn Hancock, D of E Award Manager Haberdashers’ Aske’s Hatcham College Steve Harris – Managing Director, Gateway Adventure. http://gatewayadventure.co.uk