Lancashire Police Warns Parents Of Money Mule Scam
Lancashire Police have warned parents about the dangers and consequences of their children becoming money mules. Young people are increasingly being targeted to become money mules. They are being approached online through social media, or in person at school, college or sports clubs. Sometimes people they know will persuade them to take part, often because they are also acting as money mules. A money mule is someone who transfers stolen money through their own bank account on behalf of someone else, and is paid for doing so. Money mules will usually be unaware of where the money come from and that it can go on to fund crimes such as drug dealing and people trafficking. Being a money mule is illegal, and if your child is caught your bank account will be closed, they will have problems getting loans/student loans, mobile phone contacts and mortgages. Your child could even face arrest for money laundering which carries a maximum sentence of 14 years in prison. How to tell if your child has become a money mule There are many tell-tale signs that your child may have become a money mule; if they suddenly have extra money, are buying expensive items and gadgets without explanation as to how they got the money. They may also become withdrawn, secretive or extremely stressed. You and your child can learn more about money mules, and can get advice on how to handle being approached about the scam by visiting www.moneymules.co.uk. If you are worried that your child or someone you know may already be caught up in money muling, you can contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.
Rocking Ur Teens – events for your teenage students
Founded in 2015, Rocking Ur Teens is a social enterprise that equips young people with the skills that leaders of the future need. It does this through its annual events. To date, Rocking Ur Teens has welcomed over 1,500 students and teachers at its conferences. Over the next five years, Rocking Ur Teens aims to expand its impact by growing its mentoring programme. Their mission as an event is to allow students to “develop entrepreneurial spirit, agility and flexibility, character, self esteem and good mental health.” About Rocking Ur Teens Rocking Ur Teens is a social enterprise with a vision of crafting inspiring conferences that: – Expose teens to corporate environments, apprentices, graduates and interns, giving them a practical insight into the world of work – Create relationships between young people and corporate organisations to develop pipelines of diverse talent – Are accessible, providing socially mobile speakers who share stories and act as role models. Seeing is believing! – Break down barriers between those from culturally diverse backgrounds and continue to bring together a national and international audience. Dispel myths like ‘science is not for girls’ and engage audiences with speakers such Anne-Marie Imafidon MBE – Stemettes – Introduce teens to social action at an early age to illustrate how they can make a difference in their local and global community – Develop self-esteem and mental health awareness through speakers that have experienced it, such as Jonny Benjamin MBE – Mental Health Campaigner Rocking Ur Teens was founded by Jenny Garrett, award winning author, speaker and coach, Sandy Parris, event planner and Geoffrey Williams, Head of Diversity & Inclusion EMEA at Thomson Reuters. Holding around four events and conferences a year, Rocking Ur teens focuses on both boys and girls between the 13-14 years olds in Year 8 & 9 of School to help them gain the confidence that they need in order to excel in their final years of education. Rocking Ur Teens was founded by Jenny Garrett, award winning author, speaker and coach, Sandy Parris, event planner and Geoffrey Williams, Head of Diversity & Inclusion EMEA at Thomson Reuters. For more information about Rocking Ur Teens please visit their website, Facebook page or Twitter page Rocking ur teens reminds boys about “being your true self” October, 2019 With the #MeToo movement and men in senior positions accused of deception, it’s arguably never been a more important time to ask: What does it mean to be a man? How do we tackle toxic masculinity? What is men’s responsibility in the world? How can we celebrate the uniqueness of men? To celebrate International Men’s Day, Rocking Ur Teens will be bringing together 180 teenage boys and their teachers for an empowerment event to explore these questions and much more. Taking place on 12th November at Thomson Reuters head offices in Canary Wharf, the one-day interactive event will showcase positive male role models to inspire participants through their experiences and raise their aspirations, showing them that anything is possible when they have the courage and confidence to find their own identity and work hard. The event will be hosted by Bear Grylls The Island Star and Radio Presenter, Dean Quinton. Participants will also hear from keynote speakers including Andrew Hulbert, Successful Entrepreneur and CEO of Pareto; Cameron Parker, Motivational Schools Speaker and Andrew Odong, Content Strategist and Founder of Creative Media Agency Pesa Productions. They will share their career stories and learned wisdom. Andrew Hulbert said: “I remember my teens. I was unproductive, lacked direction and wasn’t focussed in the right areas. I have so much experience now that I’d like to have given to my younger self. That’s why I’m involved in Rocking Ur Teens, as it gives me the chance to shape the future of some of the countries brightest teenagers and pass on that learnt wisdom.” The teens will also take part in a spoken word workshop with Ragz-CV and a session on making good choices. They’ll benefit from speed mentoring with a diverse group of men who will share the advice that they would give their 13-year-old selves – with the benefit of hindsight. Talking about our last boys conference, one teacher said: “Students were blown away by the experience they thoroughly enjoyed the whole thing and the opportunity to network and experience new ideas.” Sponsored by Thomson Reuters, the conference is highly subsidised and tickets cost just £15 per student or teacher. To find out more about the conference and how to sponsor the event see rockingurteens.com. Tickets for this event are sold out, to register for future events see rockingurteens.com. Girls inspired to be tomorrow’s STEM leaders at Rocking Ur Teens event November 2018 International Airlines Group (IAG) and Rocking Ur Teens are teaming up to hold a one-day energetic and interactive conference for teenage girls aged 13 and 14. According to WISE, women make up just 23% of those in core STEM occupations in the UK and 24% of those working in core STEM industries. To grow these figures, IAG and Rocking Ur Teens will showcase STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths) careers where traditionally girls are underrepresented and get them excited about the prospect of a job in one of these areas, that they may not have previously considered. At a time when teenagers are starting to think about possible careers, the event will bring to life the realities of various roles in both corporate organisations and non-typical industries for participants, so that they can start to map out their own journeys. Bringing together teens from different backgrounds, the event’s focus is on raising aspirations, building self-esteem and supporting teen girls in a safe and fun environment to learn, share and grow whilst providing effective tools to help them to successfully navigate their teenage years. Taking place on 4 December at IAG’s offices in Harmondsworth, West London, the day will be hosted by Capital Xtra radio presenter, Remel London. Attendees will hear from scientists, pilots, engineers and entrepreneurs including Emily Grossman, expert in molecular
Mill on the Brue Outdoor Activity Centre, Bruton, Somerset
Welcome to our Outdoor Classroom Mill on the Brue has been receiving school groups since 1982. Our family run centre is situated in a beautiful river valley, with woods and fields. We offer over 40 activities, tasks and games, ranging from team building and challenging outdoor pursuits or just purely fun, many linked to the National Curriculum. Each programme is written in consultation with the Party Leader and the activities are carefully chosen for each group, focussing on the outcomes. Depending on choice there can be as many as six activities a day. Our experienced and qualified instructors will stay with the group for the whole trip which is exceptionally rewarding for both the teachers and the students as they build up a rapport and understanding. Mill on the Brue is open all year for residential or day trips, accommodating up to 124 students; there are three separate buildings on site, we have a large Victorian house which sleeps 40, the Clubhouse 50 and Rivermead 34. All plus teachers’ rooms. There is a fully equipped campsite which is open from May – September sleeping up to 60 + with large canvas tents, which we provide, on wooden floors. There are barns for wet weather, a campfire area, even a solar drying room! Healthy Living has always been key to us and we have found that often the biggest challenge for children is the food not the activities. We grow our own vegetables organically which the children will walk past in the morning and then see on their plate at lunchtime! We encourage the children to understand about food waste by running a Food Waste competition with each child receiving a prize if they attain 0 heroes. Since Mill on the Brue was founded, we have strived to teach children about healthy and sustainable living, caring for the environment and passing on vital life skills.
State-of-the-art learning environment with Boxlight Mimio technology
Stonehenge School has integrated the Boxlight Mimio award-winning classroom technology across its new campus in Amesbury, Wiltshire to enhance students’ learning experience and future-proof its education provision ahead of continued expansion. Working in partnership with Oakford Technology, the school has installed MimioDisplay interactive panels in classrooms and offices, as well as the powerful MimioStudio education software which allows teachers to create interactive and imaginative lessons while performing real-time assessment. As part of a campus redevelopment project to cater for a growing student community, Stonehenge School needed a transformational solution that would reinvigorate the learning experience, improving engagement and reflecting the reality of technology at home and in the workplace. Following a careful selection process, Boxlight Mimio stood out as the school’s preferred technology partner due to its commitment to improving student outcomes, quality customer support, as well as MimioStudio’s ability to adapt to the schools existing digital resources. “We’ve been working with Boxlight Mimio for a number of years and we’ve trialled their technologies. We’ve installed them in other schools, and we have a good working relationship which was crucial to us with the new building at Stonehenge School” says Oakford Technology’s Oliver Gee. The project has resulted in better student participation and improved academic results across the school. “Integrating Boxlight Mimio was an easy decision” says Nigel Roper, Headteacher. “It saves time, saves effort and most importantly improves outcomes for students. This technology is preparing them for life in the workplace, and it’s been a very positive step forward for us”. He continues. “Our teachers have spent a long time building a bank of resources and being able to transfer them straight over to MimioStudio without any need for adaptation was really important. The installation was seamless, and the support has meant that our staff felt reassured every step of the way.” says Tracy Roberts, Assistant Headteacher responsible for IT infrastructure. “We were extremely proud to work with Oakford Technology to bring a next generation learning tool into Stonehenge School. With further campus developments on the horizon, we’re looking forward to continuing our work with Stonehenge School as they keep building upon their mission to revolutionise learning in Amesbury.” says Hollie Jenkins-Green, Channel Engagement Manager at Boxlight Mimio. For more information please visit https://global.boxlight.com
Guinness World Record holder visits St Clement Dane School in preparation for Recycling week
Pupils and teachers at St Clement Danes School had a special guest visitor to their assembly on Monday (23.09.2019) to launch the start of recycling week. Chris Bertish, a Guinness World Recorder holder for being the first person to cross the Atlantic on a paddle board, visited the secondary school to attend a presentation by HCL (Hertfordshire Catering Ltd) along with their cleaning product supplier, Delphis Eco, to initiate a discussion about how plastic is recycled in the UK and the need for everyone to take the future ‘in their hands’. With a giant Eco-Turtle blimp providing an emotive backdrop, students attending the special assembly heard Mark Jankovich, an environmental philanthropist from Delphis Eco say: “There is more microplastic in the ocean than stars believed to be in the galaxy! 8 million tons of plastic, which equates to a dump truck a minute, ends up in our oceans each year and has a material impact on climate change.” Speaking about his visit to St Clement Dane and later at Little Green Junior School,Mark continued, “It’s great to meet the pupils and understand their concerns around how plastic is currently being disposed of and help them recognise how we can all make a real difference in demanding more visibility around what products are packaged in.” Andrew Sugden, Head of Food & Procurement at HCL said: “The subject of how plastics are recycled and used in our world today, and what that means for the world of tomorrow, could not be more poignant. Every one of us has a role to play and today’s visit has helped us all understand just how we can choose to make a difference. “At HCL, we are committed to managing our catering service with a focus on the impact of our activities on both people and the environment. HCL has taken practical steps to reduce harmful waste which impacts on the environment across our service. “Since 2015, all HCL’s branded disposable products are made from fully compostable, sustainably produced plant-based materials and we do not use oil-based plastics. Choosing compostable disposables means that food and packaging waste can be recycled together.” During the special assembly, the pupils were invited to make a plastic pledge: #plasticspledge and support the campaign on Instagram @plasticspledge and sign a petition asking Government and businesses to do more and change plastic waste as we know it, for good.
New Education Agency Kicks Off A Fresh Approach To Recruitment
Education recruitment specialists have set up a new supply agency, Teachright, to offer schools “something different,” including football coaching. Teachright, a joint venture with HR GO plc, the national recruitment and business services group, promises a fresh approach to helping schools – early years, primary and secondary – to findeducational staff. They use their understanding of the teaching market to provide schools with the best talent, as well as giving back free educationalsolutions. Between them, directors Sarah Mitchell, Luke Patsalou and Paul Cater have more than 20 years experience in educational recruitment. Paul is a qualified teacher and has taught in schools for over 11 years and Luke is a qualified football coach. Sarah Mitchell, previously managing director of one of the UK’s largest education recruitment agencies, said: “My absolute priority is delivering exceptional customer service to our schools, teachers and support staff. Our combined expertise and experience enablesTeachright to do things differently.’ Paul Cater added: “We feel there is sometimes a disconnection between a school and a recruiter at the end of a telephone line. We’re trying to be more authentic by visiting all our schools to really understand their challenges and culture and to work in partnership with them.” He added: “We want to give something back, for example, free sports coaching for pupils and behaviour management training for their staff. Jack Parkinson, HR GO plc executive chairman, said: “We believe there is strong demand for high-quality service in education recruitment. These are challenging times for schools and Teachright’s experience in both teaching and recruitment gives them an edge when it comes to understanding the needs of schools and candidates.” Sarah Mitchell, Teachright Director, on 07584 215208 or email sarah@rhl.co.uk
Over 1,000 outstanding schools not inspected in 10 years
The BBC recently discovered that 24 schools have gone without inspection for more than 13 years. According to the data there are 1,010 outstanding schools that have not had a visit from Ofsted in 10 years. There has been an exemption rule on routine inspections for outstanding school which has been in place since 2012. Ofsted has now called for it to end due to concerns about falling standards in classrooms. The latest data showed that more than half of previously outstanding schools lost their outstanding status at their most recent inspection. 56 schools dropped to the lowest mark ‘inadequate’ whilst another 159 dropped to ‘requires improvement’. 1,203 schools dropped from outstanding to ‘good’. 32% of students in Trafford, Greater Manchester, went to a school that had not been inspected for 10 years or more. The research showed 39 of its 94 schools were graded outstanding but 24 of those schools has not been inspected since at least 2009. Sources: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-49579520
Academies – still a controversial issue 20 years on
After almost 20 years since their introduction, we take a look at how academies have changed the landscape of UK education. Brian Crosby, CEO of an academy chain in York, outlines the advantages of school academies while Simon O’Hara from the Anti-Academies Alliance discusses the potential dangers as new research reveals that a third of UK parents would remove their child from school if it converted into an academy… The academisation of schools has been one of the most contentious issues in British education ever since the policy’s inception in 2000. The system, which involves schools receiving funding directly from central government instead of their local authority, was initially introduced to improve failing institutions, but, despite such admirable intentions, it has proved highly controversial. Early in 2019, when it was announced that their school was about to convert into an academy, hundreds of parents, children and teachers in East Sussex protested and eventually managed to overturn the decision. Interested to discover the scale of this discontent, Oxford Home Schooling recently surveyed 750 UK parents[1], all with children aged between five and sixteen, about their views on the academy system. While nearly half (45%) argued that it enables schools to spend funding more wisely, the same number believe that academies care more about profit than child development. More than a third (34%) said they feel strongly enough that they would remove their children from school if it turned into an academy. To discuss the pros and cons of the academy system, Oxford Home Schooling asked experts on both sides of the debate to explain their opinion. The advantages of the school academy system Brian Crosby is the CEO of the Hope Learning Trust in York, an academy chain that runs several primary and secondary schools. He said: “The English education system is taking part in the biggest educational experiment in the last century or certainly since 1948. School leaders are being encouraged to lead their schools and now organise them in ways to form independent, free to students, academy groups to support rapid school improvements. “It was felt that the existing model was not fit for purpose in driving up standards, especially in struggling schools. The most disadvantaged students were in the worst-performing schools and something had to change. “My bias is that I am drawn to innovation and change in education, so changing to an academy and later a Multi-Academy Trust (MAT) was compelling. But can they do what they are being asked to do and at what price? “It takes three to five years to turn around a complex underperforming school, and probably seven years to get it firmly embedded as a very good school. The problems can be complex and MATs do not have magic wands. We simply follow great educational practice and there are no quick fixes. “So what are the advantages? In my experience the biggest advantage is collective responsibility. We are a family of schools working on these issues together. We can share resources, we can share staff, we can share expertise. The best MATs are the ones committed to wholeheartedly embracing the opportunities to work differently for the good of all. “The worst MATs are castles with a few other schools as a moat to protect the castle, often a large flourishing secondary school. I believe no school should be Ofsted Outstanding without being seriously engaged in transforming a school in difficulty. The major difference in the academy programme is collective responsibility, not externally driven but internally motivated.” The disadvantages of school academies Simon O’Hara is a spokesperson for the Anti-Academies Alliance. He said: “There is a profound crisis in education. The current system of neoliberal education has failed. Academisation – the flagship of marketisation – is mired in corruption, cronyism and outright failure. The exam-factory system is failing our children and the recruitment and retention of teachers and other school staff is reaching crisis point. School funding cuts continue to wreak havoc on those least able to defend themselves. “The government is bereft of ideas to solve these and many other problems, but it continues to see privatisation as the answer. That’s why we need a concerted effort to bring an end to academisation. The rapid conversion of state schools to academies since 2010 has resulted in the majority of such schools having less freedom than before and a significant loss of accountability to parents, to communities and to those who work in them. “We face an entrenched and undemocratic ‘education ruling class’ who have power and control over vast swathes of the education system. It will take a huge social movement of staff, parents, students and communities to shift them.” Dr Nick Smith, principal at Oxford Home Schooling, said: “The academisation of schools has been, and continues to be, one of the most controversial issues in British education in recent years. “While there are a number of benefits to the initiative, like schools being able to spend funding in ways that are best for their community, there is clearly a large and growing proportion of parents that are against the idea. “Our research has highlighted how strongly people feel about the topic. With this in mind, schools and academy leaders would be wise to consult with parents to address their doubts about the system before forcing institutions to change their identity.” To read more information about Oxford Home Schooling’s research on school academies, visit: oxfordhomeschooling.co.uk
Warmer and quieter educational offices for the Master and Staff
74 Trumpington Street, including the new educational offices of the Master (Chris Smith, Baron Smith of Finsbury) of Pembroke College, has been upgraded with curved on plan and standard secondary glazing to create quieter and warmer office environments, in line with the College’s overall sustainability plan. Situated on the corner of Trumpington Street and Mill Lane, in the university city of Cambridge, three neighbouring buildings forming part of Pembroke College’s estate have recently been renovated. One of which is the Grade II Listed Kenmare House designed and built by James Essex c.1760, a prolific constructor in Cambridge, with many of his buildings now making up the University’s Estate. Pleasance Hookham and Nix were contracted by the College to put the architectural plans together of how the buildings would be reconfigured. The rooms on the front elevation, overlooked an extremely busy thoroughfare with tour buses and cars passing in front. Due to its Listing, the original single pane windows had to be retained, so a solution to combat the noise ingress and thermal inefficiencies had to be sought. One window in particular posed a bigger challenge. The main view out of the corner of the building on Mill Lane, was an ornate large curved on plan sliding sash. Selectaglaze has just finished developing a new Series 25 vertical sliding curved on plan unit which proved to be the best solution, as it matched the sightlines of the original perfectly. Over 60 units were installed throughout the buildings. On the front elevation, where noise ingress was a larger concern, the secondary glazing was installed with a larger cavity, to create the sound insulation. On the rear of the building the glazing was mainly for thermal and one large window overlooking a flat roof, had a Secured by Design unit installed for added security. A range of styles were included in the design including, Series 10 – 2 and 3 pane horizontal sliders, Series 20 vertical sliders and series 45 side hung casements (plus more). Some windows had arched heads, so special timber grounds were produced, with a great deal of scribing and care taken during installation on site. The most demanding in terms of time and precision was making the curved unit fit, with its specially designed timber sub frame. What could have been a very complicated job was made easier with collaborative working from the outset with the architects and Robert Griggs, Pembroke College Facilities Manager. https://www.selectaglaze.co.uk