QA Education named 9th top education mag in the world
QA Education has been ranked as the world’s 9th top education magazine to follow in 2020. For the second time, the school products and services guide – which also features news and views on primary and secondary education – has been named in Feedspot’s Top 15 education publications. The content reader announced the list recently, saying it contained “the Best Education Magazines from thousands of online magazines on the web ranked by relevancy, social engagement, domain authority, web traffic, freshness and social metrics”. Feedspot added: “Subscribe to these ezines because they are actively working to educate, inspire, and empower their readers with frequent updates and high-quality information.” New mental health in schools title The success of QA Education magazine resulted in the release of a new mental health & wellbeing title in 2019 – Head Space, a title wholly devoted to mental health and wellbeing in schools. Helping schools to combat mental health issues, Head Space offers insights and helpful advice on how teachers can tackle mental health and anxiety within the education sector. Editor Victoria Galligan said: “We’re so pleased to be named in Feedspot’s top 15 websites – it’s not the first time the content reader has picked up on our articles. “We launched Head Space last year because pressure is constantly rising for students to perform well at school, and teachers are under stress to deliver promising results. “The UK has experienced a growth in the number of young people requiring support for stress-related issues, and it’s clear that something needs to be done to improve the state of our mental health within the education sector.” QA Education offers a free-to-view emagazine and newsletter, while a printed subscription costs just £30 annually (for six issues). View the free e-version of Head Space to discover the various ways you can plan and take action to improve the mental health and wellbeing of children and adults alike. From mindfulness and animal therapy sessions, to the benefits of sports and e-safeguarding issues, there are articles from leaders in child psychology and related fields. Head Space’s first issue contains articles from: – Beverly Smalley, education specialist at TTS Group – Dr Carolyn Drake, neuroscientist and former head teacher – Annie Akasati McAuley, SEN teacher and ordained Buddhist – Andrea Chatten, MD and lead children’s psychologist at Unravel – John Ingram, CEO of Pamoja Education – Paul James, director at Barabarani safeguarding consultancy – Karin Bjerde, head of strategic growth at Kognity intelligent textbooks – Paula Talman, founder of iSpace wellbeing curriculum
The roaring twenties – what lies ahead for educators?
New Year is traditionally a time to look ahead and consider the future, even if it falls halfway through the year from a teacher’s perspective. Nevertheless, this New Year also marks the beginning of a new decade, making it an opportune moment to stop and think about what trends might emerge in the education sector. Through our ongoing work with schools and teachers we have been able to put together a picture of four pervasive themes that educators agree will top the agenda in 2020 and beyond. 1. Return of Bring Your Own Device The 2010s were characterised by a battle between teachers and students over how mobile phones should be dealt with in schools. For some staff, the answer was full prohibition, with devices being banned from classrooms, corridors and in some cases whole schools. This was certainly one way to ensure that students weren’t able to use their phones inappropriately while in the classroom, but shutting off access to devices completely was ultimately deemed short-sighted. Instead of relegating phones and tablets to simply objects of distraction, many educators are now reassessing the way they are used, harnessing the power of technology to make lessons more impactful and engaging. Looking ahead into the 2020s more and more schools are going to find ways to use devices within the school walls, whether through blended learning, educational apps or as a mechanism to deliver assessments or feedback. 2. Revamped careers guidance To say that career paths have shifted over the past ten years would be an understatement. With the boom in technology roles, as well as the impact of automation on the number of traditional jobs available to school leavers, the employment landscape has changed considerably. The shifting job market needs to be reflected in the advice and teaching provided by schools. Already we have begun to see tech skills being prioritised in the curriculum, and this is likely to continue as the demand for employees with technological abilities, both soft and hard, increases. In addition, we will see the continued prioritisation of ‘learning to do’ – the independent research skills and practical application of knowledge which will prepare students for an unpredictable employment market. 3. Personalised learning will be bigger than ever Any teacher will tell you that no two students learn in exactly the same way, yet the case that the classroom environment has traditionally focused in on a one-to-many or one-size-fits-all approach. However with the introduction of new education technology over the last decade, this has begun to change. We work with a number of schools who have brought in flipped or blended learning approaches, using in-classroom laptops or tablets to change the way that students interact with their work. For some teachers, this means taking a step back from the ‘chalk and talk’ approach, and giving their students the ability to seek out knowledge for themselves. Going forward this pedagogical style is likely to become more widespread as the need for students to have individual learning skills becomes more important. 4. The administration burden will be significantly lessened Nothing sends a teacher into spirals of despair like the prospect of mountains of marking or having to photocopy thousands of worksheets. Fortunately, this stress looks to be on the way out as more and more schools adopt software, like Canvas, that enables grades, assignments and resources to be moved online. By investing in technology that takes the administrative burden away from teachers, schools can allow them to focus on the real work of teaching. It’s likely that the next decade will see class sizes and the demand on teacher time continue to increase. With this in mind, it’s more important than ever that teachers have all the time they need to teach and support their classes, and technology should be a big part of making this possible. Sam Blyth, Senior Director of Canvas EMEA
Enabling a mobile campus at Orchard Hill College
Enabling a mobile campus at Orchard Hill College, article from Paul Fisher, Technical Consultant at Parallels Orchard Hill College in London is an Ofsted Outstanding specialist college with six learning centres across London and Surrey where students with learning difficulties and disabilities over the age of 16 can access a range of specialist vocational programmes from animal care and catering to digital media and more. In order to provide a modern working environment and up-to-date working experience, the college’s team of lecturers and staff—around 300 people—need to be able to remotely connect to their work computer desktops, and access all their applications, from anywhere in the college or at home, and on any device they choose. Remote Desktops for mobile working The college decided it made sense to go down the remote application publishing and virtual desktop route and its IT department assessed the market offerings. It discovered that a basic Citrix package meant that applications could only be published through XenApp. The college needed to be able to publish its own applications and desktops to laptops and mobile devices being used remotely, but to do this would need to purchase a more expensive license. In addition, the IT department discovered that managing the Citrix environment was complicated and they really needed to invest in some training which would dramatically increase the deployment time for the college. Because of the real potential for increased workload and costly upgrades, the college decided to go with Parallels® Remote Application Server (RAS) as a simpler and more cost-effective alternative. With just one license, everything is included. Why Parallels RAS? First and foremost, Parallels RAS eliminates the need for expensive add-ons. It is also so simple to set up and maintain, the college IT team can handle it all and there is no requirement for additional help from external technicians. RAS is an all-in-one solution that includes simple patching and updates to all clones, load balancing, automatic configuration of clients, and ready-to-go shadowing features that make technical support easy. Orchard Hill College found it to be quick and straightforward to migrate across to its new Parallels RAS platform. Instead of the anticipated months, completion took only a few hours, impressing the college’s IT department. BYOD made easy An additional benefit – and one that is greatly appreciated – is that faculty and staff at Orchard Hill College can now bring in their own laptops, tablets and mobile devices to work on. This is because Parallels RAS enables the college to implement a data-secure bring-your-own-device (BYOD) policy, which helps extend the life of its existing hardware and saves the college money in terms of buying replacement devices. The IT department is able to update the administrative documentation on any device, anywhere, including from the comfort of their own homes. The college currently supports BYOD devices that run Windows, Mac®, iOS, and HTML5 Client, and will add support for Chromebooks soon. Thanks to Parallels RAS, Orchard Hill College has been able to lower the total-cost-of-ownership (TCO) of its remote application management, which give the faculty and staff the ability to work on mobile devices and have a BYOD policy. The savings come from lower licensing costs, reduced additional application costs, an increase in efficiency to load balances, and server management optimisation. Visit parallels.com/ras for more information.
What you should know about SEND teacher applications
January to June is a key time for school recruitment and for roles working with people with special needs and disabilities as the New Year is often when management teams turn their eye to planning for the next academic year. But how do you make your SEND teacher application stand out from the crowd at a time when everyone is looking for a new job? We caught up with professionals in SEND recruitment to ask their tips on how to write successful job applications for these types of roles. Start with the basics Kelly Woollard is the lead SEND consultant at Clarus Education, one of the UK’s largest education recruitment companies. She deals with hundreds of teaching job applications every week and has the following advice. “My first tip is to get the basics right. A good application will use clear written English with correct spelling and grammar and will be laid out neatly. It sounds obvious but when I’m sifting through applications, you’d be surprised at how many have mistakes or a messy layout. They immediately stand out for all the wrong reasons. “Next you need to think about crafting a good personal statement. This will set your stall from the outset. Highlight your ambition and passion, key achievements, outcomes and impact for children. Selling yourself is something that a lot of people can feel uncomfortable about, but the way to get around it is to approach it as though you are talking about somebody else. Ask your friends, relatives or former colleagues for ideas about what they think you’re good at. Business networking sites like LinkedIn are also a great place to get professional recommendations, so use (and actively seek out) endorsements from here and paraphrase them on your application. “If you feel uncomfortable about asking people for help, consider how you would feel if the shoe was on the other foot – the fact that you work in education, and particularly in SEND, means that it’s probably in your nature to want to help others; it’s likely you will find that your own network will feel the same. “In terms of layout, bullet points are a good option. We get hundreds of applications for each role, so remember the person reading yours is likely to have seen quite a few. Anything that keeps it short, snappy and to the point is a winner. Highlight any extra curriculum activities you can do such as languages, Duke of Edinburgh, sports clubs etc. “Photos can be a good idea and can make your application stand out, but it needs to be a head and shoulders shot that looks professional. A cropped photo from a night out is not the way to go.” Tailor your application to the specific SEND teacher role Amy Allen, founder of Senploy, the UK’s first jobsite dedicated to special educational needs and disabilities roles, has this advice: “You’ll probably know from experience that SEND teacher jobs often require application forms either as well as (or instead of) sending a CV. Often it’s because SEND teacher roles are publicly funded based at schools, colleges, councils and within the NHS, where it’s an integral part of the HR process. It’s also a way of the organisation gauging if your personality suits the type of role you’re applying for. “In our industry, more so than others, it’s essential to write an application that’s bespoke to the role. It can be difficult to stay motivated if you’ve written multiple job applications already, but by tailoring your application to the specific organisation you’ll make yourself stand out as somebody who is aligned with their vision and values. Read up on their mission statement and company ethos and demonstrate how you ‘fit’ with these. “As well as qualifications and experience, demonstrating ‘softer skills’ like empathy, patience and understanding are just as important for roles in the SEND industry, so potential employers will often ask you to fill in an application form with questions geared towards assessing these areas. Here is a chance to showcase your personality, the unique qualities you have that will mean you’ll excel in a role working with people with special needs and disabilities. I’d always try to weave in some real-life examples here – obviously it’s great if they’re work related but you can use situations from your personal life if they’re appropriate. Think outside the box! “Another tip is to be wary of jargon, our industry uses lots of acronyms which can make you look unprofessional if you get them wrong. Use correct and up to date SEND terminology then check and double check to make sure your using the right abbreviations. And if you’re not sure, use a full description. My one rule is to never guess as that could leave you looking unprofessional. “When adding any training use the correct qualification like Team Teach, don’t abbreviate to TT. Always state the date you undertook the training as some qualifications need refreshing.” Senploy is the UK’s first dedicated job site for careers in the special educational needs and disability sector, the website is packed with helpful advice for those looking for SEND teacher roles.
National school competition ignites children’s interest in space and robotics
The online educational publisher Twinkl and the EPSRC UK Robotics & Autonomous Systems Network (UK-RAS Network), have joined forces to launch a national School Robot Competition and celebrated on Thursday 13th February with an out-of-this-world event. The competition invites classes and school groups to design space exploration robots using a specially created application or online. The launch fittingly took place beneath the 80ft-long Blue Streak Rocket at the National Space Centre in Leicester. A group of students aged 8 to 11 from nearby Mellor Community Primary School and Forest Lodge Academy were invited to meet robotics experts from the UK-RAS Network and try out the app, which was designed and created by Twinkl for the competition. The annual competition is open to groups of pupils aged 8-14. Each group needs to create virtual robots that can move across challenging space environments and complete a range of tasks. Schools can enter by downloading and creating an account through the augmented reality (AR) app, which is available from today (Thursday 13th February) on the Apple App Store and Google Play, or by using the web-based version. The competition will be accepting entries until midnight on Monday 4th May. Jonathan Seaton, CEO and Co-founder of Twinkl, said: “The competition is a really exciting way for children to explore STEM and test their collaboration and design skills. We hope that the competition once again gets children thinking about the future of robotics and inspires them to explore the subject further. We are really grateful to all the partners that have been involved and can’t wait to join them later in the year to judge the entries.” Karen Hammond, Headteacher of Mellor Primary School said: “We’re really interested in space, making robots, and anything to do with technology so we were really keen to attend the event. Some of the children here are digital leaders, they teach other children and also adults at the school how to use the latest technology. “You have to be very creative in this industry, you have to be creative to come up with innovative solutions. The more creative they are, the more creative the ideas so it’s wonderful to capture their interest at this age”. A pupil from Forest Lodge Academy said: “The app is so cool – I’m going to download it as soon as I get home. I can’t wait to tell my parents that I know how to build a robot!” The launch was also attended by competition partner Pipebots, a network developing micro-robots to fix problems in underground pipe networks and dangerous sites. Pipebots will be judging the competition with UK-RAS and Twinkl alongside a host of other organisations, networks, and research programmes that specialise in artificial intelligence, robotics and space. The winning robots will be chosen based on a range of different criteria. The overall competition winner will receive a MiRo-E Robot from Consequential Robotics, an entertaining and emotionally engaging robot that responds to human interaction. There will also be a range of exciting and unique prizes up for grabs, which have been generously donated by partners, including robot kits for students, robot laboratory tours, Lego EV3 systems and educational support for schools. Dr James Law, Director of Innovation and Knowledge Exchange, Sheffield Robotics and member of the UK-RAS Network said: “We’ve had quite a few children ask whether they can buy a MiRo-E Robot and if they could take it home, they love it! That’s one of the important things about this competition though, to expose children to the opportunities within robotics and to inspire them to get involved. “More than that, we’re coming to an age now where robots are becoming part of our everyday lives and this will only increase. Therefore, it’s important for children to learn about these technological developments as they’re going to get more exposure to them in the future.” More information can be found at twinkl.co.uk/robotics
6 Things Parents Must Do To Keep Their Families Safe Online
Today, parents are bombarded with confusing information on how to protect their families from online threats. This is actually resulting in a phenomenon termed ‘security fatigue’ where people get overwhelmed with the sheer volume of online safety information given to us, that actually we get paralysed by the complexity of it all. As a result, parents end up having no protection at all. Luckily, the reality is far more simple. CEO of SimpleCyberLife.com Jonny Pelter believes there are just a few key things to consider when it comes to fostering a healthy and happy digitally connected family home. 1) Set the ground rules: Establish a set of ground rules that the whole family can subscribe to can help everyone ‘buy-in’ to the responsible use of technology at home. 2) Social media privacy settings – A public Facebook profile provides potential fraudsters with all the key information to commit identity fraud against you. We should all be reviewing our privacy settings for all social media sites on a regular basis, reviewing historic posts for sensitive information, only accepting friend requests from people you know in real life and remembering NOT to over-share. 3) Maintain an Open & Honest Relationship – It’s easier said than done, but try as a parent to maintain and open and honest relationship with your children and the use of technology in the home. 4) Always check your accessories and background – Before you or your child captures any photographs or video content, ensure there is nothing personally identifiable in the background – family photos, posters, documents, school uniform, etc. 5) Keep phones out of bedrooms – Kids can end up squirrelling themselves away in their rooms, becoming more and more isolated as they endlessly scroll social media on their own. The solution? Buy a cheap Family Charging Station that can be placed on a hallway or corridor table. All family members can place their smartphones on charge before they go to their rooms, they are left outside and when they return to them in the morning they are all fully charged and ready to go! 6) Webcam Covers – Consider whether any wifi connected devices with a camera are located in area where you or your family member may undress. This could included baby monitors, webcams on laptops and home security devices. It’s important to feel supported in your endeavour to keep your family safe online, and simplecyberlife.com are the world’s first membership network designed to provide accessible resources and expert advice, all in one place.
Teaching Online: Catering for children in a modern era
The internet has unravelled a whole host of opportunities for a wide range of sectors, enabling them to expand their offerings and take services to the next level. While the same can be said for education – including online resources to effectively engage students and give teachers the tools to better-manage teaching – there remains an opportunity when it comes to the upskilling and professional development of staff. Helping teachers better equip and prepare themselves for an ever-changing society, including millennials with differing demands, has the potential to completely transform the teaching and learning environment, in a way that provides staff, students and parents with flexibility, convenience and scalability. At a recent conference, Education Secretary, Gavin Williamson, told school leaders that learning about being a teacher is something that continues all the way through their professional development and career. Therefore, in a bid to boost retention and recruitment, he stated that new, improved training and professional development for teachers across the country will take place to ensure that they receive ‘the same kind of quality training you would find in other professions.’ While this is a promising step forward, the types of courses and training available need to recognise and reflect the changing landscape and provide teachers with real value to not only allow them to progress personally and professionally, but also positively impact the outcomes of their students. This comes back to my earlier point about the internet. Children today are unlikely to go an hour without checking their phone, surfing the internet and social media, let alone a day. So how do we provide them with the means to learn, in a way that engages them on their terms and suits their lifestyles, during the school day? There are plenty of online resources and platforms out there already, offering effective ways for teachers to engage with children within the traditional classroom setting. However, what about those children who might not flourish in a mainstream environment due to a variety of health or wellbeing issues, those who have been excluded, and those who require greater flexibility around their studies to accommodate future careers in acting and sport? In order to meet the increasing demand for alternative approaches to learning, teachers can invest in professional development centred around Teaching Online. This type of qualification enables teachers to boost their online knowledge and understand the necessary skills to teach in a variety of online settings, in order to help develop the relevant knowledge and skills to teach effectively in distance and blended online modes. It’s incredibly important for teachers to acquire a better understanding of how pupils operate in an online environment and how this can then be applied to teaching. This way of learning has already demonstrated particular value for students who have been bullied, anxious, lost confidence or who aren’t receptive to mainstream classrooms. These young people require a safe and secure environment, free from disruption, in order to build up their confidence and work at times that suit their needs and collaboration preferences. As part of this type of professional development, teachers are exposed to pedagogies for online learning, as well as the differences between online learning environments and the physical classroom. They are shown how knowledge is applied in these circumstances and the skills necessary to support learners who are not in the mainstream education system. Equipped with enhanced skills, teachers are then able to plan and facilitate effective online teaching, using various tools, forums and open content to interact with students as well as conducting formative and summative assessment. While qualifications for teaching online are relatively new, a recent graduate from the ATHE Level 4 Award in Teaching Online, spoke about her experience, saying, “The TTTOL qualification provided a fantastic opportunity to refresh my knowledge in current academic research surrounding teaching online and technologies that can be integrated into an online lesson. I also found it very useful watching other teachers and colleagues teach and learn from their online teaching practice. The qualification is hard work but rewarding and I would recommend it to anyone wishing to update their skills in media creation for online education and delivering lessons that utilise a wide range of online technologies to engage students.” These qualifications demonstrating internalised skills are important in terms of addressing both online education and blended learning environments, which offer a combination of online and face-to-face delivery; something which is becoming more popular with the changing needs and priorities of today’s students – and teachers. It’s important to be able to cater to alternative ways of teaching and learning, especially in an age where teaching and learning online is such a fast-growing area. It is essential that qualified practitioners are in a place to cater to students that are less able to participate in the traditional classroom and courses such as this are crucial in helping provide these vital capabilities. For more information, visit: www.weyeducation.com Article by Jacqueline Daniell, CEO of Wey Education
Safeguarding vulnerable Speech, Language and Communication Needs children with early intervention
Speech, Language and Communication Needs (SLCN) are prevalent issues found within many children’s disabilities or difficulties. Whilst they make children more vulnerable to abuse, conversely abuse also makes children more prone to developing SLCN needs. The key to addressing this challenge is to intervene as early as possible. Children who experience abuse and neglect are more likely to have communication and interaction difficulties. This can be due to the quality of interaction with and attachment to their caregivers. The effects of poor attachment can be, and often are, long-term. Children in abusive or neglectful situations are likely to develop insecure attachment to their caregivers and others, which can lead to social communication difficulties, limited opportunities to express themselves and the inability to feel safe to do so. They may also experience lower self-confidence, reduced language skills, a reduced capability to feel, recognise and express emotions, and a restricted vocabulary for thoughts and feelings. Speech and Language Therapists (SaLTs) play an essential role in helping to mitigate harm. Good SaLTs hold the keys to unlocking any trauma that might be impacting upon a child’s ability to communicate. Speech and Language Therapists work in partnership with families, children, schools, housing, inter-agency support, and other relevant stakeholders to safeguard and promote the welfare of children. Of course, not all pupils that exhibit an SLCN have been neglected, far from it, but key research has shown definite links between SLCN and neglect. For example, a lack of stimulation in childhood, resulting in a lack of opportunity for communication and interaction, can result in SLCN. The link between safeguarding and communication difficulties also works in reverse: children who have complex needs are at greater risk of abuse, in part, because of their communication difficulties. According to the World Health Organisation, disabled children are 3.7 times more likely than their peers to be victims of any sort of violence, 3.6 times more likely to be victims of physical violence, and 2.9 times more likely to be victims of sexual violence. The reasons for this are manifold but would include that some of the most vulnerable children are those whose impairments prevent them from communicating what has happened to them, making them especially vulnerable to being targeted by perpetrators of abuse. Research conducted by Refuge, a charity that supports victims of domestic violence, has found that pre-school children exposed to domestic abuse are likely to be at high risk of developing significant speech and language problems: 50% of children involved in their study met the criteria for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The most frequently reported PTSD symptoms for pre-schoolers in the study included language regression and separation anxiety. Comparisons between the achievement of children in Refuge’s playcentre and those in the wider community showed a significant difference in hearing and speech development. There is also a strong link between anti-social behaviour and SLCN. Studies have shown that disadvantaged children hear an average of 250,000 utterances per year, whereas non-disadvantaged children hear an average of 4 million per year. By the time they reach school age, disadvantaged children are often already between 18 to 24 months behind expected. This gap only grows as the children age. Poor language ability in a child’s early years increases the risk of anti-social behaviour as they grow. Early intervention should always be a priority if at all possible as it offers a key to higher rates of success. Technology is playing a part in intervention and support as well. SaLTs can support children using a range of Alternative and Augmentative Communication (AAC) options. For example, a Pragmatic Organisation Dynamic Display (PODD) is a book or device that contains symbols and words to support communication between people with complex communication needs and their communication partners, whether that’s carers, family, friends or support workers. The use of a PODD book during an Australian court case allowed a young lady to communicate for the very first time that she had been abused – this led to a conviction and a proper programme of targeted support to be put into place to help the young lady overcome the trauma. It is also essential for schools to use technology to keep track of a child’s whole safeguarding profile as tightly as possible, without gaps. We no longer need to live in the days of detailing safeguarding info on bits of paper and stuffing them into a file. Safeguarding software such as MyConcern equips safeguarding leads and staff with the tools they need to spot patterns and trends, allowing them to identify crucial actions and interventions as early as possible, making all the difference for the most vulnerable children and young people. MyConcern was created by former police officers who are experts in child protection — they know exactly how important safeguarding is and were inspired to develop the software after realising how antiquated traditional school safeguarding systems were, meaning it was all too easy for something to slip through the cracks. They are also in the process of launching a national Safeguarding Advisory Board whose members will be leading experts in their fields, bringing together every possible idea, development and solution for best practice in safeguarding. If we are to slow the detrimental impact of Speech, Language and Communication Needs, as well as associated anti-social behaviour, we need to invest in Early Years’ SaLTs who are highly trained in spotting any cause for concern or signs of abuse, are confident to work across organisations, and are adept in using technology to safeguard children and give them a voice when they don’t know how to be heard. For more information on safeguarding in SEN settings, register for MyConcern’s newsletter. By Jackie Shanks. Jackie is a Safeguarding Consultant for One Team Logic, the makers of MyConcern Safeguarding Software, and a National Leader of Education.
Ebbsfleet Green Primary School invites parents to unveiling of building plans
Ebbsfleet Green Primary School – a brand new setting due to open September 2020 – invites local members of the community to the unveiling of the school campus plans. The public consultation event will be held from 4-8 pm on Tuesday 25 February at the Eastgate Centre in Springhead Parkway, DA11 8AD. Held in partnership with the school’s building company Kier Construction, GDM Architects, planning consultants DHA planning and Project Managers Gen 2, the public consultation is an opportunity for families to learn about the future school and meet key team members of the Ebbsfleet Green Primary community. Refreshments will be available as well as art activities to keep the youngest attendees entertained. Built to serve the rapidly growing community in the new Ebbsfleet Garden City, Ebbsfleet Green Primary forms part of the Maritime Academy Trust; an educational charity catering for over 2600 pupils aged 3-11 across eight primary schools (seven with nurseries) based in London and Kent. Maritime Academy Trust follows an innovative entrepreneurial curriculum, designed to foster creativity and encourage pupils to adapt and succeed in the modern world, whilst ensuring excellent behaviour in every school. This consultation is the first time that the permanent buildings for the Ebbsfleet Green campus will be revealed to the public. The event will help parents understand the exciting opportunity that the new school provides for children living in the community. Parents will be able to discuss the school and Trust’s child-led learning with Head Teacher Joanne Wilkinson-Tabi and Maritime CEO Nick Osborne. Nick is also a National Leader in Education, a title earned for his ‘exceptional’ leadership as Executive Head Teacher of Millennium, Brooklands, and Timbercroft Primary Schools, a position he held prior to founding Maritime Academy Trust. Kathryn Jackman, Community Engagement Lead at Maritime Academy Trust, commented, “We are thrilled to share with the future families of Ebbsfleet Green Primary School our vision for the school and the pupils’ education – we can’t wait to see these plans become a reality. We have many more exciting events coming up which we hope North Kent residents will be able to attend, including an environmentally friendly family picnic later this year! ”