Everyday good food with attitude from Urban Eat
Urban Eat, the UK’s number one sandwich brand, relaunched its popular Food to Go range last year offering ‘Food with Attitude’ with its best ever tasting range to schools and colleges. The £120million brand introduced new recipes and flavours, including new Street Food and Deli ranges which aim to capitalise on the latest food trends and broaden its appeal in a variety of channels. Ahead of the relaunch, URBAN eat conducted extensive consumer research and benchmarking to ensure the new range met the needs of modern consumers. There are now four distinct ranges available for schools: Urban Eat Core – all the Urban Eat favourites and classic flavours, plus a new premium range and light range to cater for those looking for healthy options under 400 calories. The range also includes more salads than ever before to accommodate growing demand and a range of vegetarian, vegan, gluten free and halal products URBAN eat Deli – a broad mix of coffee shop-inspired hot and cold deli products, tapping into café culture. Products include classic toasties and paninis, new additions such as the Smoked Salmon & Cream Cheese Bagel and a range of hot boxes in addition to cold eat sandwiches and salads. URBAN eat Street – a new collection of innovative and flavoursome products inspired by the latest food trends, including Bacon naan, Vegan Bean Burrito and Mozzarella & Tomato topped Flatbread URBAN eat Roots – the popular range of vegetarian & vegan sandwiches and wraps with punchy flavours and quirky names – all approved by the Vegetarian society and benchmarked to make them tastier than ever Wayne Greensmith, Head of Category Marketing at Adelie Foods, says: “The relaunch meets the needs of the evolving Food To Go market. This shines through with our refreshed packaging and simplified ranges that standout on shelf, while the new products allow us to have a portfolio that can flex around changing consumer missions, appealing to a wider demographic of consumers and reflecting modern food trends. It’s important for schools to stock the right range of products for their pupils. Our best sellers include the BLT, All Day Breakfast and Cheddar Ploughman’s, which shows that classic sandwich combinations still appeal to consumers. “Not having a vegan offering is no longer an option. Outlets must stock up on quality lighter and vegan options to keep up with shopper demand and expectation. Veganism is now a mainstay eating choice rather than a trend and in fact, vegans and vegetarians are set to make up a quarter of the UK population in the next five years, which is why we continue to innovate and grow our popular Roots range.” Sustainability is also a key objective for us. All the cardboard Urban eat uses is widely recyclable and is from managed renewable forests – with at least two trees planted for every tree used. In order to reduce food waste, 95% of the sandwich range now has a four-day shelf life. www.adeliefoods.co.uk
About the Primary Mathematics Challenge
The Primary Mathematics Challenge is a fun and exciting mathematical Challenge aimed at pupils in years 5 and 6 England and Wales, P6 and P7 in Scotland, and Years 6 and 7 in Northern Ireland. The PMC is open to schools and home-schooled pupils only. To find out more please check our FAQs. The PMC is not designed to be just another test in the school year. We are of the belief that the PMC encourages enthusiasm, boosts confidence in mathematics and shows the different way questions can be asked. We believe in the importance of Problem Solving as a means of helping pupils develop their reasoning skills. “A very well organised competition, easy to access and administer, the tough questions went far beyond the material covered in our Maths classes but a wonderful opportunity to extend and challenge our most able mathematicians.” “A wonderful challenge, thank you.” The PMC is designed to make pupils think outside the box. The questions asked are not necessarily subjects that have been covered in the curriculum by this time, but the questions can create a great starting point and lead to discussions later in the year. We try to make sure the questions are not heavily reliant on formal mathematical knowledge but can be solved by logical reasoning. The Layout The PMC paper has 25 questions. 20 of these are multiple choice. The questions are graded; starting with easy ones and graduating to harder questions. The final five require an answer where no choices are given. Answering PMC questions does not depend on mathematical knowledge alone, but on the ability to think things through, be logical and find ways to solve problems. Pupils also need to read the questions carefully! For the November paper the teachers decide how the certificates be awarded. Decisions are therefore an ‘in-school’ task. The spirit of the PMC is that, in each school, there will be a number of gold, silver and bronze pupils who deserve certificates. We know every school has pupils of varying ability, so we do not want to limit the achievements of any pupils taking part. A number of certificates are provided in the pack. http://www.primarymathschallenge.org.uk
Clear Sky Children’s Charity
Clear Sky provides therapeutic services to children who have experienced trauma through the provision of Play and Creative Arts services. Our highly qualified team work with schools, parents and other professionals to provide support around the whole child, enabling children to learn to love life and enjoy school. Clear Sky is a Children’s Charity, established in 2010 providing Play and Creative Arts Therapeutic Services to Primary Schools. We also provide parenting workshops, professional training and CPD for Practitioners. Clear Sky recently developed a new professional learning body, ‘The Institute for Play and Attachment’ and in support off our growing provision for schools, we will be launching our new Framework for ‘Emotionally Healthy Schools’ at the end of January 2020. This framework will enable schools to support children’s emotional and mental health through a highly discounted subscription giving access to online therapeutic whole school CPD learning, resources, assembly modules and classroom resources, which have been developed to support teachers needs. Clear Sky only work with fully qualified therapists to develop and provide high quality therapeutic services to schools, families and professionals. Our Charitable status enables us to subsidise services to those who need our help the most. For more information, please visit our website at: www.clear-sky.org.uk or contact us at: info@clear-sky.org.uk
Becoming a Thinking School helped our pupils become self-motivated learners
Judith Stephenson is Thinking Schools & Research Lead at Barbara Priestman Academy, Tyne and Wear. Here, she discusses the philosophy behind Thinking Schools and how it has helped her pupils, who are all on the Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). Our journey to becoming a Thinking School began back in 2008; it has been a complex and demanding process, but the impact on our school and its pupils has been dramatic. What prompted you to become a Thinking School? We had observed that a vast number of our students, who are aged 11-19, were passive learners. They were being given information in order to pass exams but there was little opportunity for them to discover things for themselves. What we wanted was to raise the level of challenge and for them to become self-motivated and lead their own learning. All our students have a diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and/or complex needs and this was an added factor we needed to consider when trying to find an approach that they would be able to connect with. Our students like things to be right or wrong and find it difficult when there isn’t a ‘right’ answer. The majority of our students see subjects as very separate entities and compartmentalise skills; they find transferring skills between subjects difficult. We started off by introducing two tools from the Thinking Schools approach: David Hyerle’s Thinking Maps and Edward de Bono’s Thinking Hats, both of which attracted us because they were such visual ways of learning. We also introduced Philosophy for Children (P4C) and Dramatic Enquiry, which is a fusion of P4C and drama. We saw a difference almost immediately: as soon as we introduced the thinkingmaps, there was an almost immediate increase in the level of classroom talk. Many ASD children are very solitary and find group activities and working co-operatively very difficult. It takes them out of their comfort zone and they feel enormous pressure. Using visual mapping (the maps) and having something tangible on which to record their ideas gave them more confidence during discussion as they didn’t have to remember what they wanted to say. In addition to improving students’ independent learning, we also wanted to challenge them in the difficulties they had with empathy and seeing things from other people’s perspectives. In Dramatic Enquiries, learners are placed in the centre of a fictitious dilemma and they have to decide for themselves about the questions they need to ask and the rights and wrongs of the given situation. It encourages them to be active, inquiring individuals. Initially some staff thought that some of our ASD students would really struggle with the idea of taking on a role and pretending to be someone else as empathy is an area that a lot of students with ASD find very difficult. But Dramatic Enquiry was so powerful that we now run a session every term. We also got involved in the National Theatre’s Connections programme which provides a director to come into the school and work with pupils on a play. After performing in a local venue we were among just 12 groups – chosen from 500 – to perform at the Dorfman Theatre in London as part of the National Theatre Connections Festival. The boost to the students’ self-esteem was immense, and we had letters from those involved in the programme commenting on their professionalism and the standard of their performance as an ensemble. In December 2011 we became the first special school in the country to gain recognition as a Thinking School and in July 2016 achieved Advanced Thinking School Status. When we began our journey, we needed to consider what was essential in the leading of a Thinking School. For us, it was the fact that it was a shared vision; written together as a whole staff team so that everyone had ownership. From that vision came a shared ethos that involved all staff, students and stakeholders thinking creatively and critically and continuously reflecting on their learning while developing a culture where this happens naturally. The Academy worked with Thinking Matters. Thinking Schools are accredited by Exeter University. For a list of accredited schools, see socialsciences.exeter.ac.uk
Qualification for aspiring headteachers to become a prerequisite from August 2020
Qualification for aspiring headteachers to become a prerequisite from August 2020 As of August, this year, any teacher appointed to their first permanent headteacher post must have been awarded the Standard for Headship. Aimed at teachers likely to reach a headteacher post within the next two to three years, the fully funded ‘Into Headship’ programme brings a wealth of career benefits and opportunities. Headteachers play a vital role in shaping schools and the lives of pupils and staff – and their leadership is central to it all. The role has many different priorities to balance, and the programme has been specifically designed to help participants meet the requirements for the Standard for Headship. A great learning experience, the programme enables teachers to build career-long networks and opens the doors to longer term career prospects. Throughout the programme, participants will have the assistance of a headteacher mentor and a local authority co-ordinator to support and develop the necessary knowledge, skills and understanding required of senior leaders in leading a dynamic school community. On successful completion of Into Headship, participants are awarded the Standard for Headship – a required prerequisite for all new permanent headteachers in Scotland from 2020. Shelley McLaren has been teaching for 11 years, 8 of which have been at Craigroyston Community High School in Edinburgh where for the past 18 months she has been headteacher. “Doing the Into Headship programme has been the best decision I have made and the best experience I have had. The responsibility of being headteacher is huge, as you have so many aspects to managing a school, but the course gave me so much confidence to do my job and helped me to grow my relationships within the school. Through attending the programme, I have met so many headteachers and aspiring headteachers and together we are open and honest with each other and are able to share advice and give each other strength to do our job!” The Into Headship programme offers support and guidance through a mix of theory and practical examples. Shelley continues: “It is very challenging academically and you do need to be committed but what you get out of it is so worth it! I learnt so much and created new ideas that I was then able to put into practice back at school. Having the mix of professional and academic reading to support the work was invaluable” The programme is led by Education Scotland in partnership with local authorities and universities. The application process is managed at local authority level who then provide the names of successful applicants to Education Scotland. Education Scotland strategic director Gillian Hamilton said: “I’m really pleased that recruitment is now open for the Into Headship programme, which provides high quality professional learning for headteachers. Feedback from previous participants on each of these programmes is consistently positive about the impact of the professional learning on their confidence and knowledge.” The application process for entry to the programme starts in January each year with recruitment for this year open now. For further information please visit https://teachinscotland.scot/career-progression/
Why supervision has to be on our radar
Managing mental health in school – why supervision has to be on our radar By Lara Péchard, Headteacher at St Margaret’s School in Herts www.stmargaretsbushey.co.uk Over the last decade, pastoral work in schools has changed significantly and continues to evolve year on year. In the majority of cases, most teachers will have joined the profession without having had any training in mental health at all, nor would they have anticipated a need to possess specialist knowledge in this area. In truth, most teachers will have picked up varying skills in this area simply via on-the- job training. Schools back in the noughties and earlier, managed pastoral issues in-house with the infrequent use of outsourced experts, which would usually have been managed by the family outside of school. To put this into context this was also a time when schools didn’t get involved in online safety issues. Today many schools will have a network of counsellors and clinical psychologists to draw upon. It is also becoming more common for schools to engage pupils, parents and staff in all kinds of therapy, while often picking up the bill themselves. With a rising number of mental health concerns affecting the young, support has undoubtedly struggled to keep up and at this stage it is not clear whether it can, or indeed ever should, meet demand. Most schools are of course deeply committed to supporting young people in crisis but the truth is, as a sector we needed to get much better at dealing with mental health issues, especially those impacting young people today. For schools though, the problem is this burden has fallen mostly to them. Today, parents are choosing schools that are academically strong and can also provide an army of pastoral staff to deal with all eventualities. Good schools will train up their staff investing in strong options such as Mental Health First Aid or any MIND course. Using experienced colleagues to provide regular updates on how to deal with eating disorders, self-harm and suicide prevention and drip-feeding these across the year can also boost the confidence of a teaching team. Using anonymised real-life case studies and having time to chat these through is stellar and affordable training, which can help bring on even the least confident. An effective welfare officer will help to siphon off the acute cases and will naturally provide staff much needed support. Importantly, pastoral staff need time to manage and reflect on the difficult issues that come across their desk and this is where supervision comes in. Supervision is a type of professional counselling where teachers and staff talk through cases and their experience of them with a qualified mental health professional. Supervision has to be on every school’s radar, it is costly in time and money but we owe it to our frontline to look after them. Through supervision heads will also have an important outlet and with it they will improve in setting the right emotional tone and language for their school. The likelihood is, in two decades from now, schools will be amazed that supervision wasn’t automatically part of the package for those with the privilege of supporting young people with mental health concerns. As a sector we should have faith in this kind of investment as it will deliver great reward.
DFRobot to showcase its IoT-enabled ‘Smart Garden’ at Bett 2020
DFRobot, a world-leading STEM education solution provider is boosting engagement with STEM with the help of their micro:bit-designed ‘smart garden’ at Bett 2020. Embracing the power and versatility of micro:bit throughout its range of STEM resources, DFRobot is blending ‘smart garden’ design with Internet of Things (IoT) technology to show students and teachers how to monitor and instruct intelligent systems by combining the knowledge and skills from block coding, programming, science and nature in one powerful and engaging lesson. Using the Maqueen Plus and Maqueen Mechanics – AI-enabled robotics kits – visitors will have the chance to see how the products work in an exciting ‘Intelligent Transportation’ display. This will demonstrate the varied and dynamic functions of Maqueen products – from being able to recognise tags and acting like miniature mechanical beetles. This cross-curricular approach is becoming increasingly important with blended learning and practical applications forecast to take centre stage in edtech in 2020. Consequently, demonstrating the flexibility of applications for products like micro:bit is becoming a priority for teachers and school leaders. At the forefront of robotics, programming and coding edtech, DFRobot is also hosting a series of three-part workshops at Bett. During these workshops, attendees will learn about: the artificial intelligence-driven HuskyLens camera, the graphical programming Maqueen robot and how this can be used with HuskyLens to gain unique insight into the opportunities that can emerge from robotics and AI when used in tandem, and finally, a hands-on session during which participants are invited to join in a live coding exercise. Ricky Ye, Chief Executive Officer at DFRobot, said: “We are incredibly excited about our offering this year at Bett – from innovative products and creative displays to exciting workshops, the event is going to be packed full of engaging learning experiences. Our products are designed to excite young people about science, technology, engineering and maths and we believe our dynamic and innovative products do just that, offering students an early and interactive introduction into coding, programming and AI. “The workshops will be particularly insightful, and we are looking forward to sharing our ideas and helping teachers and schools enhance their STEM opportunities.” Pop by Stand SA43 to speak with Edward or any of the DFRobot team, who will be happy to provide a personal demonstration of any of the exciting products in their robotics suite and advise on which resources would be the best fit for your school.
The wellbeing of teachers
Wellbeing seems to have become a buzzword throughout 2019, with terms like ‘self-care’ and ‘self-love’ growing in popularity. But in the midst of the craze, it is easy to forget what it is all about, and how important wellness and good mental health are – particularly in the world of Education. It is no surprise that the demands of teaching and the fast-paced nature of education can take a toll on the mental health of a teacher, especially if the support system around them isn’t as strong as it could be. But what role do we, as a recruitment business, play in supporting the teachers we have placed and the businesses that we work with? How can we make this world a better one, and have teachers staying in education for longer? At the start of 2019, it was declared that the government had set up an initiative to improve the mental health and wellbeing in the education sector. The Advisory Group was set up in partnership with MIND to investigate and improve the way in which wellness is seen in the sector. But as far as we can see, the problem still persists and we want to change that. As recruiters, it is important for us that the people we place find passion in their place of work, that they feel valued and progress into a career they love. Education is our speciality, but we see it all too many times where members of staff are inundated with work or feel they have no one to speak to. Oftentimes, the support is there, but accessing it can be tricky, or there is a sense of stigma attached to reaching out to the support system at the school or college. This is what we want to end. Teachers are wonderful and they are responsible for shaping students into the humans they become. If they feel stressed or pressured, they won’t be performing at their best, and therefore the students will not be getting the best. This could be a tragedy in the making. By speaking out, we can make the gap between struggle and support smaller, and give the teachers and students a better chance at education. The industry needs better communication, which gives room for difficult conversations and the reassurance that help is at the other end, as opposed to the fear of job loss or lost confidence. We are committed to the people we place and will be on hand to speak, even if you are no longer new to your role, if we can help, we will. We also want a call for better resilience training and for teachers to be given those coping tools that could make their lives so much easier. From workshops to e-learning, when you have the tools to tackle wellbeing and mental health, it much less feels like a battle and becomes more manageable. It is no surprise that workload plays a huge part in these challenges, but when budgets are smaller and deadlines are tighter, it can be hard to say ‘no’ when something is becoming tricky as a teacher. There should be no shame in reaching out for help and pushing back on projects that do more harm than good. We want to make wellbeing a key part of education, and change the perception that has been blanketed over the sector. We know it won’t be an easy task but we are prepared for the journey and we are lucky to have great allies on our side within the industry. Together, we can make sure the teachers and education providers of the present and the future are fully equipped and empowered to deal with the daily challenges of teaching, and are free to reap the rewards of teaching too. Albert Einstein said, “I never teach my pupils, I only attempt to provide the conditions in which they can learn.” In order for this to be true, we need to create the conditions where teachers are able to offer that without question or doubt. At Dovetail and Slate, we are working and looking to a future of better wellbeing and mental health for our teachers, and we will work with our providers to make this a reality. If you want to chat further about the wellbeing of teachers, we are only a phone call away.
Liverpool headteacher up for National Autistic Society Award
Mrs Ania Hildrey, headteacher of Abbot’s Lea School in Woolton, has been shortlisted for the National Autistic Society’s prestigious Autism Professionals Awards, in the Achievement by an Individual Education Professional category. The annual awards recognise people, services and schools across the UK who are making a difference to autistic people and their families. The winners will be announced at a special ceremony on 27 February 2020 at Birmingham Town Hall, following the first day of the National Autistic Society’s Professionals Conference. Mrs Hildrey was shortlisted by an independent panel of Autism specialists, who were looking for high standards of innovation, creativity, impact and sustainability. By celebrating their achievements, the National Autistic Society hopes to increase public understanding of Autism and inspire other people and organisations to make a difference too. There are thirteen awards for individuals and organisations, covering education, health, social care, employment, and volunteering. Mrs Hildrey was born in Lublin, Poland. She graduated from the University of Marie Curie-Sklodowska, earning Honour’s Degree in Special Education and moved to Denmark to learn about alternative teaching approaches at Det Nødvendige Seminarium. She later completed her postgraduate research studies based on pedagogical practice in special schools in Denmark and as a result, gained a Master’s Degree from Warsaw Academy of Special Education in 1998. Her interest in special education took her to the UK in 1999, where she has settled both personally and professionally, teaching and lecturing in a range of schools, FE Colleges and at the University of Glasgow. She took up her first senior leadership position in 2003 and progressed to leading special schools as a Headteacher since. In 2016, she joined Abbot’s Lea School as its current headteacher – one of the largest and most successful special schools in the country, which caters for over 250 students, age 3-19, with Autism and associated learning support needs. Her vision is to create an International Centre of Excellence in Autism Education, Research and Professional Development and to make Abbot’s Lea the best specialist school in the world! She is passionate about research-led practice and driven to improve the quality of lives of those with complex needs. In particular, her work focuses on improvement of the transition from childhood to adulthood, independent living, personal autonomy and empowerment, freedom of choice, self-determination, economic wellbeing, employability and family planning for people with learning difficulties. There are around 700,000 known autistic adults and children in the UK. Many more autistic people, and girls and women in particular, are undiagnosed and often misunderstood. Many people living with Autism need extra time to process information, like questions or instructions, feel intense anxiety in social or unexpected situations and may find sensory stimuli painful or distressing. Every autistic person is different and will have their own strengths and challenges. Some autistic people might need 24-hour care; others may need clearer communication or a little longer to do things at school or work. Without the right support or understanding, autistic people can miss out on an education, struggle to find work and become extremely socially isolated. Mrs Hildrey said: “I’m truly delighted and humbled to be a finalist in the Achievement by an Individual Education Professional category at the National Autistic Society’s Autism Professionals Awards – it came as a total surprise and I was very moved by the announcement. “It is my absolute goal – personal and professional – to help the lives of those with Autism and associated communication, interaction, social imagination, sensory and learning differences. “At Abbot’s Lea, we are proud to deliver the highest quality of specialist holistic education for students, ensuring they are given the same opportunities students in mainstream education receive, with particular focus on learning key life skills, receiving career guidance and work experience opportunities that will set them up for life. “As ever, whilst I thank whomever has felt it was right to nominate me, I am merely a representative of the whole school community and as such, I wish to thank, in turn, the entire team of exceptional professionals with whom I am privileged to work.” Carol Povey, Director of the National Autistic Society’s Centre for Autism, said: “Our awards celebrate exceptional people, schools and services making a huge difference to autistic children and adults, and their families. “All the finalists should be commended for impressing the judges and standing out among so many excellent nominations. “We want to celebrate their achievements and share their stories, so we can promote innovative autism practice and inspire other people and organisations to help create a society that works for autistic people.” Find out more about autism, the Autism Professionals Awards and the Professionals Conference by visiting: autism.org.uk/professionals