Hal and the End Street and Hal and the Parties are children’s books with a difference
Co-written by children’s author Jude Lennon and 18-year-old Will Hawkes and illustrated by Will, they include an autistic main character, Hal. Hal’s Books are different too as they are inspired by the life of Will Hawkes who is an autistic teenager. Will who was just 16 when his first book was launched was diagnosed with autism when he was 6. While at school, he felt there were no books with an autistic main character, so he decided to create one. “Will wanted other autistic children to have a mascot like themselves and to help other non-autistic children have a better understanding of how their classmates may be feeling.” Author, Jude Lennon The stories come very much from Will’s own experiences, although the characters and setting for both books are fictional. The first book, Hal and the End Street, starts in 1974 when Hal is 13, there are lots of fun references to the decade and how attitudes were at that time. It tells the story of how Hal copes with anxiety and social situations. The second book Hal and the Parties, picks up Hal’s story in 1977 when he turns 16, it’s his birthday and the Silver Jubilee Year, so there are lots of parties to go to, something that Hal finds quite difficult as he doesn’t like being the centre of attention. Will wanted his books to be as accessible to as many children as possible so we have included in the books; Dyslexia Friendly Font Easy to read short chapters Reader choice chapter endings Spaced out easy to read Fun illustrations Hal and the End Street became and Amazon no. 1 Best seller in its category and has received high praise from children, parents and teachers. “I teach in secondary school. One of my children, who’s on the autistic spectrum, told me to read this. I have bought two copies for our KS3 library and his friends are queuing up to borrow it!” 5 star Amazon Reviewer To help teachers who use the books for reading groups at school or to read to their class we have included downloadable resources on our website. These resources include lesson plans, reading group questions, display board topics and copies of the books covers for classroom displays. For more information visit www.halsbooks.co.uk or email at info@halsbooks.co.uk.
Those that can – Did Teach
Are former teachers an untapped source of talent for business? Are they undervalued by traditional recruiters? Should we not have a responsibility to give people of such integrity a chance to succeed in a second career? Absolutely. We support some of society’s most selfless individuals and help companies acquire top tier talent for their business. Did Teach is the go to site for teachers who are looking to leave the profession or want to diversify their income. Here at Did Teach we firmly believe that education professionals are defined by reliability, professionalism, project management skill, integrity and resilience. We understand that it can feel overwhelming finding a new direction if you are considering leaving the teaching profession and that there is no single place for organisations to connect with you. So you can use our experience and connections to help you make the next steps to be successful. Did Teach was born from the certainty that outstanding teachers possess the skills to be successful in other careers. These altruistic individuals who have pledged their time, energy and commitment to improving the life chances of the next generation seek new challenges, new horizons beyond the confines of the classroom. We passionately believe that such people have the talent to thrive in other business sectors and it is the aim of our business to find them exciting jobs outside of education. As successful teachers ourselves we are fully aware of the qualities and capabilities that educators possess. However, we are also conscious that many outstanding teachers have ambitions outside of the classroom or want to enrich their experiences with “extra curricular” work. This is where the concept of Did Teach was born! That’s why we have been knocking on the door of Charities, EdTech, Start-ups, STEM Industries and major Blue Chips for two years to understand how teachers need to prepare themselves for new challenges outside the classroom. We are however still passionate about teaching and it is not our intention to prise outstanding teachers away from the classroom, we simply want to inspire talented people. Would teaching be a more attractive profession if individuals knew that their skills are valued after they have spent time in the classroom? Did Teach can help exceptional candidates from an educational background with career support in the following ways: Targeted Jobs Board. Career Transition workshops. Job update alerts. Join our tribe today www.didteach.com
Experience of working with children? You could be a foster carer.
Children come into care every day of the week. Often they have had a difficult time. Their parents might be ill or have a drug or alcohol problem. The family might be going through a tough time for another reason. Our foster carers step in to give a young person a safe space. They help them grow in confidence and build their self-esteem. And when possible, they support the young people to return home to their family. The foster carers we need Ideally, we are looking for people with experience of working with children, who have patience, commitment, and flexibility. Good communication and listening skills are essential. Does that sound like you? The different types of fostering There are lots of different types of fostering and we help foster carers decide what is right for them and the children they look after. Emergency foster carers As an emergency foster carer, you would look after children under 18 for up to two weeks. These are often the children that have had the most difficult experiences. As a result, they can: find it hard to trust people be nervous about building new relationships be struggling at school suffer from low self-esteem. We want foster carers who can help them through these difficult days. Specialist foster carer As a specialist carer, you would help children who have been struggling with their existing foster placement or at school. They may have complex emotional or social difficulties. You would give them the support to deal with their emotions and behave positively. We want specialist foster carers who are committed to making a difference to these children when they are at their most vulnerable. You will need to be able to deal with the difficulties these children face. Think that fostering could be for you? We pay an average of £380 a week tax-free for one child. You’ll also get a regular income if you foster with us because we always have children who need a home. And, unlike some independent fostering agencies, we don’t do this to make money. We always put the needs and interests of our children first. Our foster carers receive: a dedicated social worker to help support you one-to-one round-the-clock on-call support from our social work team excellent professional training and development to help you progress in your fostering career. Who can be a foster care? You must: live in the Manchester area be in good health and have a spare room be happy for us to carry out checks to see that you’ll be a good foster carer. Interested? Get in touch today for an informal chat on 0800 988 8931. Or visit manchester.gov.uk/fostering to find out more information.
Spellzone unlocks the mystery of English spelling
Spellzone is the online English resource for students over 7 right up to adults, adapting to all abilities, it enables students, including those with dyslexia, to study independently on any platform at school, home or on the go. Spellzone has three main components; the Spelling Ability Test, a complete spelling course and 1000’s of word lists. The Spelling Ability Test provides students with baseline scores and individual learning pathways. Automatic retesting keeps them on track with little intervention. “The programme really can be tailored to suit individual needs. The resource allows every student to work at a level that has been set according to their individual strengths and needs. This means children whose spelling ability is strong don’t have to slow down and those with weaker spelling don’t struggle to keep up. They are all learning at the same time, at their own unique pace. Everyone is equal.” Pauline Guinan, Y5 and Y6 teacher and SENCo, Sheering Church of England Primary School The phonics-based spelling course covers all of the English spelling rules and includes the differences between British and American English spelling and much more. Teaching text includes definitions, sentence context and learning tips. There are lots of multi-sensory activities and tests with a high level of teaching, learning, practice and revision. All activity and results are logged so teachers can evaluate progress at any time. “His standardised score has risen from 99 to 131. This is a truly phenomenal result. I just wanted to share the best result I have ever seen.” Terrie Penrose-Toms, Casterton College Structured access to word lists makes Spellzone ideal for dyslexic and EFL students. All word lists can be used with spelling activities and games, translated into 92 languages and printed for off-line practice, including handwriting worksheets. Teachers can create their own subject-specific word lists. These can be set as classroom or homework tasks for individual learners or whole classes. Perfect for exam preparation! “The ability to find specific content for individual students and tailor learning support accordingly is superb. We’re very keen to make sure that work is specifically targeted to relevant age groups, and Spellzone makes this very easy to do. Being able to set tasks is another great tool, as it allows staff to set and mark homework quickly and easily.” Alison Ridyard, Director of Literacy, King’s Leadership Academy Free trials are available for single students, private tutors, families and schools. Visit the Spellzone website today to find out more.
Universities ‘could save £2.2bn on energy bills by 2035’
UK universities could reduce energy bills by £146m a year if they upgrade outdated energy systems, according to new research released by Centrica Business Solutions. The saving, which amounts to £2.19bn over a typical 15-year energy contract, is identified in a new study that aims to assess the economic opportunity of public sector organisations adopting green technology. The Powering Britain’s Public Sector report found that if just half of the UK’s 106 universities updated their energy systems – by deploying technology like combined heat and power units, battery storage and solar panels – it would reduce annual energy costs by more than a third (36%), enough to pay the salaries of more than 3,700 lecturers. The adoption of new energy technology would also deliver an annual emissions saving of 160,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide, around eight per cent of the sector’s current carbon footprint and the equivalent of taking 105,000 cars off the road. The carbon reduction savings could be doubled with the injection of around 20% green gas – a type of gas created from biodegradable material – into the fuel mix. The new report examines the impact that the adoption of distributed energy technology would have on the university, healthcare and defence sectors. Distributed energy solutions are designed to help organisations take control of their energy, so that it’s produced and managed at the point of use, often independent of the grid. Combined, the three public sector estates are responsible for more than 7.8m tonnes of carbon emissions each year and have been challenged by the Government to reduce emissions by 30% by 2020/21, and hit net zero by 2050. Alan Barlow, Director of UK and Ireland for Centrica Business Solutions, said: “Powering Britain’s universities costs in the region of £400m every year. Such public expenditure has come into sharp focus over the last decade, alongside ambitious goals to reduce its carbon footprint. “Those institutions that seize the initiative and adopt new energy technology will not only create savings on their energy bills and reduce their carbon emissions but will also establish a competitive edge over those who don’t.” Centrica aims to deliver £300m in energy efficiency savings for the public sector and essential services globally by 2030, as part of its responsible business ambitions. To help the public sector implement the necessary energy technology changes, Centrica has made a series of recommendations to government, including the simplification of procurement frameworks and a stable and long-term regulatory environment. Case study: The University of Birmingham The University of Birmingham campus is used by more than 30,000 staff and students and is, by nature, energy intensive. To help reduce its energy bills, improve resilience and bring down carbon emissions, a 4.4 MW combined heat and power unit (CHP) was installed to generate energy and heat directly on campus. A further five CHPs were fitted shortly after. CHP technology works by converting gas into both electricity and heat in a single process. It’s one of the most efficient sources of energy production and allows an organisation to produce a significant amount of its energy on-site – improving the resilience of supply and reducing costs. Since the adoption of the CHPs, the university has saved £1.8m on its energy bills and generated 10 million kWH of energy on-site. Since 2016, the university has also been participating in the Capacity Market, which allows it to sell any excess energy generated on-site back to the grid, creating a new income stream for the organisation. To read the Powering Britain’s Public Sector report in full, click here centrica.com
School fire extinguishers – your FAQs answered
You probably walk past the fire extinguishers in your school every day without a thought. But those little devices are primed and ready for action when needed. But are you? Do you know how to use one? Do you know which types you should be using? How often should they be serviced? And what to do with out-of-date ones? Ashley Hickling, Fire Sales Manager of STANLEY Security answers the most commonly asked questions. You may never look at a fire extinguisher in quite the same way! Even if your premises are kitted out with the latest fire detection and suppressant systems, fire extinguishers are an essential asset when it comes to proofing your building against a fire emergency. They can help control small outbreaks of fire quickly, preventing flames from spreading and causing more damage. In more severe emergencies, fire extinguishers can save lives, helping keep an evacuation route clear and providing crucial access to escape points. In the UK and Wales, The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 includes the present fire extinguisher rules that you’ll need to abide by. A good fire company can explain what you need to comply with the Order, but if you are responsible for fire safety in your school you must have a basic understanding of fire extinguishers. That has to start with an understanding of fire itself. Classes of fire There’s no smoke without fire, or so the saying goes. If only it were that simple. True, the two go hand in hand, but you may be surprised to realise there are different types of fire, with different characteristics. Some fires smoulder with large amounts of smoke and others are the opposite – fast flaming fires with almost invisible smoke. Here are the six classes of fire pertinent to most standard premises: • Class A – fires involving solid materials such as wood, paper or textiles. • Class B – fires involving flammable liquids such as petrol, diesel or oils. • Class C – fires involving gases. • Class D – fires involving metals. • Electrical Fires – fires involving live electrical apparatus (it doesn’t get an ‘official’ category) • Class F – fires involving cooking oils such as in deep-fat fryers. Class A is the most common fire type, but walking around your school you should be able to identify areas where other fire types might arise. Matching the fire with the fire extinguisher Over the years, different types of fire extinguisher have been developed to deal with the different fire types. Here are the types of fire extinguisher, their colour code (put on the extinguisher for quick identification) and what types of fire they are suitable for: • Water (red label): Class A only • Water Mist (white label): All classes • Foam (cream label): Class A & B • Dry Powder (blue label): Class A, B, C & some electrical • Carbon Dioxide (CO2) (black label): Class B & electrical • Wet Chemical (yellow label): Class A & F At present, UK rules require you to have a minimum of two water extinguishers on each level of the building, typically located by exits and fire alarm call points. However, a combination of one water and one CO2 or foam fire extinguisher is a common approach as the latter can be used to safely extinguish electrical fires without any damage to electrical equipment, which is present in most buildings. Whilst dry powder extinguishers on the surface look suitable to cover a range of fires, it should be noted that these are not ideal for enclosed spaces as the powder is easily inhaled and the residue is not easy to clean up. If you are, however, looking for a fire extinguisher that covers all the standard fire types then Water Mist extinguishers are for you. One of the newer technologies on the market, Water Mist extinguishers release microscopic particles of water that suffocate a fire rather than douse it. As they can be used for all fire types, they are ideal for using in areas that have multiple fire risks, rather than requiring multiple fire extinguisher types. The life of fire extinguishers Let’s face it, most fire extinguishers will never do a day’s work in their lives…and that’s the way you want it! However, should you have need of them you want them ready to work at a moment’s notice. To ensure they work, they need to be serviced every twelve months or after each use. They must be replaced at the end of their lives which is ten years for CO2 extinguishers and 15 years for all others. Even if your extinguisher hasn’t been used or is new, check it regularly and get it replaced if you notice any of the following characteristics. • The hose or nozzle is cracked, ripped, or blocked with debris. • The locking pin on the handle is missing or unsealed. • The handle is wobbly or broken. • The inspection sticker or hang tag, with a record of check-ups and maintenance, is missing. If you do have to dispose of your extinguisher, then do not put it out with your rubbish. If you have very small school with just a couple of fire extinguishers then you could take them to a local recycling centre where staff will know what to do with them, but do check with you council first. By far the easiest option is to arrange for disposal by a recognised and licensed disposal company, who will make it safe before removing it and make sure you get a Waste Transfer Note as proof. Using your fire extinguisher Of course, it’s not just your fire extinguisher that needs to be ready in the event of a fire – you do too. The good news is that fire extinguishers are easy to use, mostly with the P.A.S.S. method: P. Pull the pin on the fire extinguisher to interrupt the tamper seal. A. Aim the fire extinguisher low, with the nozzle
Reducing the cost of fire safety provision in education
Every year, around 700 school fires occur in the UK. This figure only takes into account school fires that were attended by the fire brigade; in reality, this figure is probably much higher. London Fire Brigade stated in 2018 that school fires in London had increased by 34% in just one year. Having the ability to react swiftly in the event of a fire can reduce collateral damage and save lives as well as minimising the impact on the local community. It is, therefore, crucial that you have the right equipment at hand and that staff have adequate training. In 2010 the FIA (Fire Industry Association) found that 88% of fires were successfully extinguished with a fire extinguisher. Many schools, colleges, and universities have reduced budgets and are now trying to find cheaper ways to meet all their legal duties under the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety 2005) Order, without compromising on safety. The P50 service-free fire extinguisher is one way that can help you reduce costs and meet your legislative requirements. Improve your extinguisher provision and save costs The range of P50 service-free extinguishers can not only offer you a dramatic reduction in the cost of your extinguisher provision they can also provide you with much better coverage across your site. Manufactured from an aramid fibre similar to Kevlar, the material bullet-proof vests are made from, a P50 extinguisher is lighter than a traditional extinguisher and will not corrode. These extinguishers are manufactured to BS EN3, the British standard for fire extinguishers. They do not require an annual service by an external extinguisher technician and don’t need refilling after five years. All that is needed is a simple annual visual inspection that can be completed by your handyman or site manager, significantly reducing your costs. You will no longer have to cope with the disruption of escorting an external technician around your premises. As well as saving money by eliminating the need for an external extinguisher technician to carry out an annual inspection, the P50 can offer you further cost savings. This is achieved through the manufacturer’s 10-year warranty, which after refurbishment can be extended for a further ten years, giving you an extinguisher with a 20-year service life! When installing P50 service-free extinguishers, it is often possible to reduce the number of extinguishers that you require, as, for example, the P50 foam extinguisher has a much higher rating than a traditional foam extinguisher (P50 foam rating: 13A 183B, traditional foam rating: 13A 113B). In addition to this, a P50 foam extinguisher can be used on live electrical equipment of up to 1000 V, meaning that you don’t need to install any additional CO2 extinguishers to tackle any electrical equipment fire hazards. This is a great benefit. With only one extinguisher covering all your fire hazards, your staff can be confident that they are using the correct extinguisher for all types of fires that may face them. Save time as well as money With traditional extinguishers, you will need to ensure that the technician attending your premises has the correct DBS check. If the technician does not have an enhanced DBS, you will have to arrange for a staff member to accompany them around your site to service each extinguisher. This can put a strain on staffing resources and is not cost-effective. The annual visual check for a P50 extinguisher is instead completed by one of your staff, meaning you do not need to worry about these issues. Your staff member can work independently, already having their DBS clearance as part of their role with you. Case study An education complex and primary school in Darlington made the switch to P50 service-free extinguishers. The educational complex now saves around £1,500 per year. That equates to a staggering £15,000 over the 10-year life span of the P50 extinguishers! This complex had a total of 65 extinguishers on site. This educational complex also has a swimming pool and some outside locations that they needed covering. The non-corrosive P50 were ideal for these areas as well. Reduce your carbon footprint We are all being asked to consider ways that we can contribute to reducing our carbon footprint, and the education sector is no different. The P50 reduces CO2 emissions, as no engineers have to travel to site and the P50 extinguisher also halves chemical usage, as the contents have to be exchanged only after 10 years instead of the normal 5 years. Phase-in P50 extinguishers To ensure that you are not replacing existing extinguishers that still have service life left, we can offer you a phase-in approach to their replacement. You only replace those extinguishers that are at the end of their service life. For further information about the P50, please call Safelincs 0800 612 7954 http://www.safelincs.co.uk/p50/ service@safelincs.co.uk
Are you getting the best value from your residential visits?
The majority of primary schools in England only having one residential trip, usually for year 6 students post SATs, meaning most schools see none of the long term benefits of a brilliant residential. The benefits of learning outside the classroom are now well documented, with evidence to support the health, social and personal impact of spending time in nature. There are also numerous studies on the positive academic impact of taking learning outside of the classroom. So why are so many schools still battening down the hatches in the spring term for students due to sit their KS2 SATs? Shouldn’t we be flinging open the doors and exploring the world these students will soon be cast into? If so, can we use the environment to teach key subject areas at the same time? Let’s take a look at maths as an example. Whilst journeying through the landscape you can measure distances, perform surveys and complete tables of data; include activities such as archery for mental arithmetic; go into a stream and measure the speed of the flow; navigate with a compass during an orienteering course and discover angles, measure distance and identify a location on a grid. All these areas can be brought to life and given a purpose outside of the classroom. At the end of your residential take the tables back into the classroom and make graphs, find the averages and write about the experience. These are just a few examples of the rich natural resource which can be utilised with the right outdoor education provider. At Crowden Outdoor Education Centre in the Peak District we have been delivering outdoor learning and adventure activities since 1977. We take great pride in our ability to use the natural environment to provide a wide variety of activities which are tailored to the needs of our visitors. All groups at Crowden get Sole occupancy of the centre, you will have our full attention A bespoke activity programme, created to meet your needs and maximise learning opportunities Direct contact with us throughout the booking and planning process Nationally qualified instructors with multiple years of experience Your own catering menu from a large selection of dishes, all prepared fresh in house We offer free leader places and can accommodate up to 40 residential guests. Find out more at www.crowdenoec.org.uk
How to achieve more in your EYFS or primary classroom…
What if there was a way to make the EYFS and primary school observations and assessment process simpler? What if there was a way reduce the manual burden on teachers, but at the same time, allow them to achieve more? These were just a couple of the questions that the software gurus at edtech software development company, NetSupport, were asking as they considered creating a new education app that would save time for teachers – as well as provide them with simple ways to gain more insights into the attainment and progress of their class. After close consultation with teachers and school leaders throughout the whole development process (plus extensive classroom trials), the end result is ReallySchool: an convenient app for primary school teachers that streamlines the observations and assessment process that needs to be completed for every pupil each day – with a comprehensive bundle of bonus tools that maximise the learning evidence that they are required to collect. And it’s already making quite an impact! Let’s explain… A new way to capture learning The ReallySchool app has been designed to be intuitive and easy for teachers and teaching assistants to use, without any formal training required. Teachers can begin using it in their classrooms straight away: photographing children’s skills acquisition on a tablet or smartphone and assessing it in a couple of clicks by applying statements from the in-built frameworks, spotting any learning gaps from timelines and class overviews and being able to share pupils’ achievements with parents and guardians via student journals or messages. The feedback we’ve had from the teachers already using ReallySchool in their classrooms is outstanding, with many saying that it saves them approximately two hours per day; cumulatively, over a week, that’s a significant amount of time that can be reinvested into teaching and learning to benefit pupils. As the app has been designed in the style of many common social media apps, it’s intuitive and easy to learn as you go. Some schools have told us that even their most technophobic members of staff who wanted to continue using paper journals for pupils’ observations started to use ReallySchool when they saw how quickly their colleagues were completing theirs – which is great news! What’s more, it’s extremely accessible to schools and early learning institutions due to its budget-friendly cost. A treasure trove of tools Sometimes, classroom learning can take an unexpected twist and teachers need to go with the flow. So to ensure that ReallySchool is as responsive teachers need it to be, we designed its tools to be as flexible as possible. So what if, instead of photographing evidence of learning, a child wants to tell you about it or show it to you instead? Simple – just click the audio or video icon, then ‘Record’, and it’s captured. What if you need to quickly add a student to a group observation? Just click and add them in, without having to re-create groups from scratch. Assessments in ReallySchool are extremely flexible and convenient, with teachers being able to include multiple frameworks, age bands and learning areas all in a single observation. To give teachers the extra insights and overviews of whole class attainment that they need (or, alternatively, whole-school views for senior leaders), ReallySchool’s complementary desktop portal has a dedicated Reports Dashboard. This can provide class attainment, class progress, baseline reports showing EYFS pupils’ skills on entry and more – as well being the area where teachers can create student journals; an individual in-depth achievement report for each pupil that can be shared with parents at parents’ evenings. Class overviews showing which pupils are emerging, developing, expected and exceeding in their skills acquisition are also a great way for teachers to spot where any learning gaps are – allowing them to plan their instruction accordingly and ensure that all pupils are on track. For convenience, teachers can also access these reports and overviews on the app, enabling them to easily spot and address learning gaps during the lesson. To reward pupils for good progress, behaviour choices and more teachers can give badges for achievement which are appended to their students’ observation records. These cover a multitude of topics and act as a great motivator for the pupils – and teachers can share news of any award directly with parents and guardians (to their own version of the ReallySchool app), so they can celebrate and share in their child’s success. And to encourage parental engagement, ReallySchool allows teachers to send messages and/or audio clips to parents, which can sometimes be helpful for those whose first language is not English and who may understand the spoken word better than the written one. Both parents and teachers can comment on observations and have a dialogue about learning, progress and how best to support young learners. ReallySchool: now UK-wide NetSupport focuses on continuous development and innovation to ensure all its solutions deliver exactly what schools and teachers need, so regular updates are the order of the day. ReallySchool’s latest tools include Leadership Reports for school leaders – including SOAP, whole school attainment and more. We’ve also added new assessment frameworks to the in-built list: the National Curriculum for Wales, The Digital Competence Framework, the Scottish Curriculum for Excellence and the Northern Ireland Curriculum for Primary – to make it even easier for teachers across the whole of the UK to apply the appropriate assessments to their pupils’ observations. And to help them make their judgements at the end of each key stage, we’ve incorporated the National Curriculum End of Key Stage 1 and End of Key Stage 2 assessment criteria too. There are already many ways that ReallySchool helps senior leaders, teachers and teaching assistants by maximising the data that schools are required to collect as evidence of learning – and more functionality is being developed and added all the time. To discover more about ReallySchool’s features and to sign up for a free trial for your school, click here. See us at Bett 2020 Even better,