Teacher training with a twist: How the NHS Deep Cleaning and Advisory Service is protecting staff and students during lockdown
The NHS Deep Cleaning and Advisory Service is joining forces with schools across the UK to help protect staff, students and parents during the Covid-19 pandemic. More than 30 schools across the country have so far partnered with the NHS service, which aims to extend the NHS standard of cleanliness to the wider community and support organisations with their infection control procedures during the pandemic and beyond. Despite schools closing to the majority of pupils during the national lockdown, infection control remains one of the top priorities for the education sector. This is definitely the case for Billingham South Community Primary School in Stockton-on-Tees, which has kick-started the new year with staff training with a twist: a unique training programme teaching staff how to clean ‘the NHS way.’ Delivered by Tony Sullivan, the Environmental and Decontamination Services Manager based at University Hospital of North Tees and board member for the professional body for decontamination, the Institute of Decontamination Sciences, the NHS Deep Cleaning and Advisory Service training programme teaches the wider community how to clean ‘the NHS way’. From touchpoint cleaning and application of disinfectants to ATP swab tests and how to remove PPE correctly, the training session covers a wide range of topics that have helped the team at Billingham South adapt the school’s cleaning strategy in line with the NHS standard, therefore helping to reduce the risk of infection. By investing in the training programme from the NHS Deep Cleaning and Advisory Service, not only is the school enhancing its cleaning regime but it is also directly supporting the NHS. In addition to helping reduce the spread of infection in the local community and consequently easing pressure on local hospital Trusts, the income generated by the cleaning service is reinvested back into the NHS to support frontline patient care. Edwin Squire, Headteacher at Billingham South, said: “Cleaning staff are very much at the forefront of this pandemic and it’s important they are equipped with the relevant knowledge, skills and equipment to help protect our staff, students and their loved ones at Billingham South. “The training session delivered by the NHS Deep Cleaning and Advisory Service has been key to enhancing our cleaning regime at the school. Knowing how to clean in line with NHS standards has really boosted the confidence of our cleaning team and has better prepared our school for overcoming the coming challenges faced by the education sector due to the Covid-19 pandemic.†Tony Sullivan, Environmental and Decontamination Services Manager at the NHS Deep Cleaning and Advisory Service, said: “As an NHS service, we are committed to supporting organisations across the UK with their infection control measures during the Covid-19 pandemic and thereafter. “As I always say, prevention is better than cure and that’s why it’s important for organisations to ensure they have the correct cleaning procedures and knowledge in place to help stop the virus spreading in the first place. Having now provided deep cleaning, audits and training services to dozens of schools across the country, we look forward to continuing to build long-lasting relationships with the wider community and to support with their infection control long into the future.†For more information about the NHS Deep Cleaning and Advisory Service, visit: www.deepcleaning.nhs.uk.
Nation’s children can glue sustainably, says Pritt stick owner, Henkel
Consumer goods company, Henkel, has relaunched its famous Pritt stick, bringing some good news during lockdown for climate-conscious children, teachers and crafters. The new generation of Pritt sticks is even more sustainable and environmentally friendly than before; the glue is made from 97% natural ingredients (including water and potato starch) and the stick container consists of up to 65% post-industrial recycled plastics (depending on stick size). The sticks are fully recyclable. Henkel’s sustainable packaging strategy includes working towards a circular economy, where plastics are recycled and fed back into the supply chain, and the company aims to make all consumer goods packaging recyclable or reusable by 2025. Daniela Alves, Pritt Brand Manager at Henkel UK, said: “The new formula comes with the same excellent performance – Pritt is every bit as safe, durable and flexible as ever. Replacing a significant amount of plastics with post-industrial recycled plastic and ensuring the tubes are recyclable is good news for children, parents and teachers who care deeply about plastic waste.†97% natural ingredients Pritt has been unique in the market for many years thanks to its safe and strong formula based on potato starch and sugar, reaching 90% natural ingredients. Now the Henkel product development team has managed to reach 97% percent natural ingredients while keeping its well-known strength and high gluing power. Pritt glue continues to offer a strong initial tack, remains repositionable and provides a long-lasting adhesion to materials with low wrinkling of paper. Recycled and recyclable materials The relaunch is in line with Henkel’s packaging targets for 2025. The new glue stick container is the stick container consists of up to 65% post-industrial recycled plastics (depending on stick size). Only the cap and spinning mechanism are still made of virgin plastic to ensure functionality and performance. In addition, all materials are fully recyclable when the stick is empty. Pritt stick is available in four different sizes – 11 grams, 22 grams, 43 grams and 90 grams – and in different colours. The product is solvent-free and can be washed off, even at 20° C degrees.
Teacher Co-op Confronts Inequality in Virtual Education
A new virtual learning platform, owned by freelance teachers, confronts inequality, and discrimination in virtual education by forming an international teacher cooperative. Poised to open this Spring, MyCoolClass is an international cooperative of freelance teachers who plan to address the many problems online teachers face, such as low pay, draconian policies, and workplace discrimination. MyCoolClass co-founders John Hayes and Scott Anderson, both American ex-pats residing in Poland, believe that creating a teacher cooperative could be a big blow to major online education platforms by inspiring educators to come together and take control of the workplace. As a cooperative, each member teacher will have an equal stake and vote in the company. Instead of profits going to corporate shareholders, the teachers will receive benefits and build equity. “Many online platforms often have discriminatory hiring practices. Some companies pay teachers according to where they live or what passport they have. This means a teacher in South Africa or Vietnam will get paid significantly less than a teacher who lives in the USA, even though they teach the same course with the same qualifications and experience. Another issue is that teachers get burned out being overworked and underpaid with no sick leave. This causes teachers’ performance to suffer and can lead to getting fired over petty reasons. Students who have built strong relationships with their teachers are often left stranded and given poor excuses by the company as to why their teacher is no longer available. The bottom line is that a teacher cooperative makes sense and is necessary to benefit everyone.†– John Hayes – Co-founder of MyCoolClass The cooperative seeks to connect eager learners with passionate teachers around the world in a variety of languages and subjects. Refusing to take out bank loans, MyCoolClass hopes to crowdfund $20,000 USD by the end of February to cover legal and start-up fees. Hayes and Anderson plan to formally register MyCoolClass in the United Kingdom as soon as they reach their crowdfunding goal. For more information or how to help, please visit the cooperative website at www.coop.mycoolclass.com
Teachers could be over or underestimating the effectiveness of education studies because of how they are presented
The way that some education studies are presented could give teachers unrealistic expectations about what they might be able to achieve in the classroom, according to new research. Education studies are important for improving standards of teaching around the world and many schools adopt certain interventions if they believe it will help raise students’ grades. In the UK, the Education Endowment Foundation (EEF) commissions hundreds of trials each year which are summarised and published online and used by around two-thirds of early years, primary, secondary and sixth form schools in Britain. However, a new paper published in the journal Educational Researcher shows that these reviews are being presented to teachers in ways which could misrepresent their potential impact on the education of pupils. Dr Hugo Lortie-Forgues, of Loughborough University, said that although several metrics can be used to communicate the success of a trial, there is no consensus about which is best suited for communication with teachers. The researchers found that different metrics induced very different perceptions of an intervention’s effectiveness. This situation could lead teachers to overestimate or underestimate the usefulness of the interventions. Different types of metric used: Months of Progress: Additional learning gain reported in a unit of months, based on an estimate of yearly growth Percentile Gain: Expected change in percentile rank an average student would have made had the student received the intervention Cohen’s U3: Percentage of students in the intervention group scoring above the mean of the control group (Cohen, 1988) Threshold: Proportion of students reaching a certain threshold (e.g., passing a test). Test Score: Impact of the intervention in the outcome’s units Dr Lortie-Forgues said: “In recent years, there has been a growing effort to produce high-quality evidence in education. “In education research, an intervention’s impact is typically reported in units of standard deviations, but this measure is hard to interpret, so studies are generally translated into more digestible metrics before being reported to teachers. “However, very little research has examined how to present this evidence in ways that maximize the ability of teachers to make informed decisions.†The paper, How should educational effects be communicated to teachers?, reports two studies involving 500 teachers which were carried out by Dr Lortie-Forgues and Dr Matthew Inglis from Loughborough and Dr Ut Na Sio from the University of Sheffield. In the first, the researchers found that teachers have strong preferences concerning effect size metrics in terms of informativeness, understandability, and helpfulness, and that these preferences challenge current research reporting recommendations. In the second, they found that different metrics provoked different perceptions of an intervention’s effectiveness. For example, when an intervention impact was described in additional months of progress, as often done in the UK, teachers perceived the intervention as much more effective than when the same impact was reported in terms of additional point students receiving the intervention gain on a standardized test. Dr Lortie-Forgues said: “Together, our findings suggest that current way intervention effects are communicated could interfere with teachers’ ability to make informed decisions and to develop realistic expectations. “A possible way to minimize this issue would be to communicate the impact of educational interventions using multiple metrics, as it is often done in leading medical journals. This is something that we will explore in future research.â€
Is it possible to deliver quality SEN care without outside agencies during the pandemic?
Schools have had to overcome no end of challenges throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. But beyond virus control, perhaps the most pressing ongoing concern is supporting children with special educational needs (SEN) at a time when many children are already experiencing anxiety and disruption. SEN provision can be testing at the best of times, as schools seek to find the very best support for the children in their care. But while outside agencies are prevented from entering school grounds, SEN Coordinators (SENCOs) and school leadership teams are left struggling to find ways to provide much-needed support with much-reduced resources. Is it possible for schools to continue to deliver high-quality SEN care without overburdening an already stretched teaching staff? What are the issues? And how can they be tackled? Why is SEN provision such a challenge right now? One of the ongoing difficulties with the provision of SEN support is that it covers such a wide range of needs. Children who require physical, emotional, or specific learning support. There are those with difficult home lives. And those with mental health concerns. No single school can hope to provide all of the necessary expertise in house. With external agencies prevented from entering schools and a reduction of resources – such as sensory areas – SENCOs are at an immediate disadvantage. So, what options are available, and how can schools find the support they need to ensure that no children are let down as the pandemic continues to run its course? Where can schools turn to for SEN support during the COVID-19 restrictions? As with every other organisation, external support agencies are currently working to find new ways of operating during the pandemic. Observing the two-meter rule and wearing PPE is an integral part of this. Only accessing designating areas within schools is also under discussion. But there are drawbacks to these moves. Children need to be able to relax in the company of their SEN support workers. They need to be able to connect with them and feel comfortable. PPE – mask-wearing in particular – can be a real barrier to that. A resumption of established SEN services also carries the threat of further disruption should a second lockdown occur. Indeed, at the beginning of September, 4% of UK state schools were classed as “not fully open†because of Covid-19, and around 20 schools were closed outright for COVID-related reasons. This poses the risk of further upset for SEN children. Technology The use of technology within the educational setting has become increasingly widespread throughout the pandemic, often providing the only means for schools to continue supporting children in their learning journey. But it has not yet been widely embraced for SEN. Because the current generation of children have grown up around technology, its use is second nature to them. They don’t feel awkward or confronted when dialling into a Zoom call, because they’ve been FaceTiming their grandparents since birth. For this reason, technology shouldn’t just be an extension of a child’s learning and support resources, but an integral part. And within the COVID-19 climate, it offers a consistency that is lacking elsewhere. During lockdown, over 70% of children who required speech therapy through Mable Therapy were able to continue receiving support online. And technology can be used to support a wide variety of needs. From communication and speech therapy – over 80% of children with Social, Emotional and Mental Health (SEMH) concerns may have undiagnosed communication problems. And without support, this can lead to frustration, behavioural issues and a failure to thrive. To Autism, where a disruption to routine can cause anxiety and challenging behaviours. Technology can not only fill these gaps and deliver these services on a temporary basis, but become a simple, cost-effective, and educationally/emotionally valuable tool within a school’s long-term SEN strategy. Summary SEN support has always been a difficult area for schools to get right. But the current situation with the global pandemic has made things so much more difficult. And there’s no quick fix. But equally, children cannot be left without support, and teachers cannot be expected to carry the extra burden. For now, schools should turn to their local authority for advice. And if they already have a Service Level Agreement in place with an external agency, they need to find out exactly what that agency can do for them. But technology and online support should also be seriously considered as a means of providing some services, to avoid an interruption in the event of a second wave or localised school closures. Martha Currie, Clinical Director of Mable Therapy Recommended SEN resources for support and information: Supporting a child returning to school after lockdown: Young Minds Supporting deaf education during the Coronavirus pandemic – resources from BATOD members and others Schools Guide to implementing an Online therapy Provision: Mable Therapy Coronavirus: education and school: National Autistic Society Coronavirus: How we can help you:Royal National Institute for the Blind
School’s results soar after iPad parental donation scheme
Since Apple Authorised Education Specialist Jigsaw24 helped them launch a parent-driven 1:1 iPad scheme, Stephenson Memorial Primary School have posted some of their best-ever results, with their scores for writing jumping from below the national average to the top 10% in the UK. In an iPad parental donation scheme, the school leases an iPad (or other device) for each pupil and parents make a donation toward the cost, often broken down into an affordable weekly sum. Schemes like this are key to helping schools afford new technology – and are increasingly in demand since the Department for Education mandated that all schools have a remote learning solution in place in case of a second full lockdown. Because Stephenson Memorial, which serves over 400 pupils in North Tyneside, is in a low income area, many believed that a parental donation scheme was impossible – but in fact, parents bought in from day one, and uptake has increased every year since the scheme was launched. “The reasoning behind our parental donation scheme was that we wanted children to have a device that would be part of the family,†explained eLearning Lead Lynsey Carr. “A lot of our families can’t afford to go out and buy an iPad, so the scheme is a breakthrough in terms of them getting connected to the world. It’s so important for children to have access to the online world – the more we can push to get a device in every household, the better.†As a result of the rollout, the school has seen rapid improvement among their SEND students and the attainment gap between students at the end of Key Stage Two has narrowed sharply. The number of children achieving the ‘Greater Depth’ standard, which is the highest standard in education for a child aged seven, has significantly improved, and the school’s scores for writing are now in the UK’s top 10%. One unforeseen consequence of having an iPad scheme in place was that pupils and their parents were both ready to handle remote learning when the UK went into lockdown in March. Over the first month of lockdown, the school saw high levels of engagement, as pupils, teachers and staff were all familiar with the tools needed for remote learning. While other schools have struggled to keep pupils focused, Stephenson students in Years 2 to 6 submitted over 1000 pieces of work to teachers in the first month of lockdown, as well as uploading 150 photos and videos of work they’d done offline. “We were just up and running straight away,†Lynsey said. “It’s been really easy for us to check on who’s looking at things and also to keep each other’s spirits up – the children were sharing videos and personal and social updates, and although we weren’t together everyone still felt close. Parents have been communicating with us through the iPad too, so that relationship has evolved as well.†As the school’s Apple partner, Jigsaw24 helped the school develop their parental donation plan, provided all their hardware (including iPad, MacBook Air and Apple TV so teachers can deliver modern, engaging and varied lesson plans). Aside from hardware, Jigsaw24 have provided ongoing training and support, helping the school design their professional learning plan and achieve Apple Distinguished School status. “Training and development is the key to any successful iPad rollout, no matter how it’s funded,†said Jigsaw24’s Professional Development Trainer, Graham Trick. “As schools look for a remote learning solution that meets the DfE’s guidelines, it’s important that they take part in a scheme like Jigsaw24’s Leading Innovation Programme to ensure that their rollout is successful, sustainable and supports all kinds of teachers and learners. Stephenson Memorial Primary School have proven this kind of careful planning can yield amazing results – even in areas which have historically been under-served.†Jigsaw24 work with schools, colleges and universities across the UK to support teaching and learning, offering devices, IT services, staff training, classroom displays, software subscriptions, networking solutions and more. For more details, see their education page.
The UK’s largest education policy event returns this November to deliver the UK’s largest online virtual experience for the education sector!
At a time of huge change, the education sector has demonstrated exceptional strength and resilience in adapting to the ‘new normal’, ensuring efficiency is at the forefront of each operation. With the growing uncertainty on how the education sector can move forward, the Schools & Academies Show (link: https://bit.ly/3ltwaSJ) has taken the opportunity to transition to an online virtual summit, ensuring to continue to serve as the sector’s leading platform that unites school leaders and dynamic educations with leading content, best practice and key resources at a time where the sector needs it most. Taking place over 4 days, from the 17th to the 20th November 2020, and supported by the Department of Education and the Education & Skills Funding Agency, there is no other event in the country that will attract such a large and senior audience at a time when supplier’s solutions, networking and practical insights are needed to overcome the mounting challenges across the sector. Due to this unbelievable demand from the sector, the Schools & Academies Show have been working hard to bring together the sector’s most decorated and influential speakers to share their knowledge, expertise and guidance on how schools, academies and MATs can better adapt to the changing landscape in a post pandemic world, including: The Schools & Academies Show will aim to galvanise the sector by bringing together the sector’s most decorated and influential speakers to share their knowledge, expertise and guidance on how schools, academies, and MATs can better adapt to the changing landscape in a post pandemic world, including: AMANDA SPIELMAN, HMCI, Ofsted DOMINIC HERRINGTON, National Schools Commissioner, Department for Education EMMA KNIGHTS OBE, Chief Executive, National Governance Association (NGA) SAHEEL SANKRIWALA, Deputy Director, Head of Technology Delivery, Education and Skills, Funding Agency STELLA PEARSON, Deputy Director, T Level Delivery, Department for Education LAVINYA STENNETT, Chief Executive Officer, The Black Curriculum PAUL WHITEMAN, General Secretary, NAHT CAMILLA TURNER, Education Editor, The Daily Telegraph THE RT HON. DAVID LAWS, Former Minister of State for Schools and Executive Chairman, Education Policy Institute (EPI) PROFESSOR ADAM BODDISON, CEO, nasen STEPHEN MORALES, Chief Executive, Institute of School Business Leadership (ISBL) And 100 more Each speaker, dedicated to their respected craft across the education sector will lead in either a keynote session, live debate or discussion, or tailored workshops, ensuring visitors feel empowered, inspired and ready to implement key techniques, guidance and resources at the forefront of their institution. To ensure visitors receive an unrivalled experience, the show will be hosted on an innovative smart app, SwapCard, which will provide attendees the opportunity to interactive with live content led by leading experts, meet suppliers, ask questions and join discussions. This highly intuitive smart app will help visitors to easily navigate through each session, facilitate meaningful networking opportunities and connect visitors with solutions providers. Plus, new for 2020 and taking place alongside the Schools & Academies Show, the EdTech Summit, will be taking place online on the 18th and 19th of November 2020. Now more than ever, technology has become a leading driver for the education sector in delivering key teaching & learning initiatives. This event is designed to bring together education technology leaders across schools, academies & MATs, colleges, and universities to assess solutions on how they can further adapt their institutions’ digital strategies in-line with teaching and learning. With the new, innovative virtual app and the launch of the co-located EdTech Summit, the Schools & Academies Show has reacted to the overwhelming demand for new content and resources, and a platform to hear from industry experts sharing insights on ensuring successful outcomes for learners during the global pandemic; making these shows the must-attend events of the education calendar. Registration for The Schools & Academies Show & EdTech Summit is completely free for those working in schools, multi-academy trusts, charities, and local and central government. Click here to register your free (Link: https://info.schoolsandacademiesshow.co.uk/en-gb/register/birmingham) place and be the first to receive the latest insights, initiatives and guidance on the changes shaping the ever-evolving education sector.
School safety standards: How to teach our children about allergens
As schools welcome students back, albeit with greater COVID-19 health and safety measures in place, leaders must begin to give thought to other areas of concern too. Namely, food safety standards. With over 30,000 schools in the UK, all focusing more vigilantly on health, safety and risk mitigation to contain the spread of the virus, cross-contamination and hygiene are perhaps being given the greatest attention when it comes to food. However, Kirstie Jones, environmental health officer at Navitas Safety, administrators of digital food safety management, compliance and training, urges that more must be done by schools and education leaders, if we are to protect children against other food-related risks too. “Education on allergens and food safety should ultimately form part of the national school curriculum. Children learn best when they are young and learned behaviours can influence lifelong habits and routines. “Therefore, knowing the basics of food safety at an early age will not only protect children from tragic accidents while young but also stand them in good stead to ensure they do not fall foul to food poisoning later in life, too.†In the UK, it is reported that 7% of children have a food allergy. While reactions can be treated in most cases, some can be more severe and even fatal. And it’s these that can be prevented with effective education and being better informed. But how exactly can children be taught about food safety, particularly when many of us adults are unaware of the basics, such as the eight legally defined food allergens? Well, Kirstie explains simple solutions that can be integrated with school practices, which can help children make better lifelong choices and protect those most at risk. Make information easily digestible for children As with any information aimed at children, presentation is key in breaking down the barrier of comprehension. While technical terminology and bold lettering might not be the best way forward, Kirstie offers a solution that is. “Like we are used to seeing with nutritional labelling, a similar traffic light system could be adopted for allergen details on the front of packaging. Red could be used to indicate allergens, amber for ‘may contain’ and green for ‘free-from’ items, for example.†Creative communication goes down best How well information is taken on board has a lot to do with how it is communicated. While repetition and frequency are common tactics used in marketing and communications, Kirstie explains that creativity is key when it comes to getting messages across to children. “Teaching practices should be interactive and engaging. This could include promotional launches, daily pre-lunch briefings, infographics or videos displayed on TV screens, discussions and activities, such as puzzles and quizzes which are linked to allergens.†Remember, teaching is a team effort We’ve all heard the saying ‘it takes a village to raise a child’ and when it comes to teaching children vital information, like allergens, this is certainly the case. “In order to ensure information is retained, it must be reinforced by all those involved in the food-related activities in a child’s life. Included in this is teaching staff, catering managers, lunchtime supervisors and parents. “Keeping messages consistent requires collaboration and training which involves all parties. This is particularly important for children in early years who are unable to make their own food choices and depend solely on the adults getting it right. “But, whatever practices are adopted, it is important that they are kept under continual review to keep up with children’s changing dietary requirements.†Help yourself While education is important, what should be remembered is that allergen information is, in fact, a matter of life or death. That said, integrating teachings into lessons and daily routines should be supported with fool-proof aids to minimise the chance of any accidents. Kirstie emphasises that this isn’t about finding flaws in teachers but rather a way to experiment with teaching methods, safe in the knowledge that the system you have in place will see no child’s wellbeing put at risk. “Aids could include ‘free-from’ menus, the use of pictorial symbols or even integration with digital systems, whereby when a child scans their thumb to purchase a lunch, any allergies they have can be flagged up and their tray cross-checked by a supervisor. “In an ideal world, there would be one chosen method that is implemented consistently to avoid instances of inaccurate information provision, which could result in harm to an allergy sufferer. While we wait for this universal solution, for now, it is up to school leaders to take the issue further and do what they can to protect the children in their care.†For more information on Navitas Safety please visit: www.navitas.eu.com.
Homes Under the Hammer’s Martin Roberts launches new initiative to aid children’s mental wellbeing
TV personality Martin Roberts has joined the fight against childhood mental health anguish exacerbated by the coronavirus pandemic by providing free support to every primary school in the UK. Commencing Monday 5th October, ahead of World Mental Health Day on 10th October, the Sadsville Campaign will provide all 22,500 of Britain’s primary schools with materials and guidance on how to help protect children’s mental health. Each school will receive two copies of a special ‘Teaching Version’ of Sadsville, a book written by Martin Roberts, which along with the original story, includes resources, teaching materials and a lesson or assembly plan which help improve children’s resilience and mental wellbeing. In addition, every public library in the UK will receive a copy, allowing parents to access a physical version of the book alongside online and read-along versions and home study materials. Research carried out by The Martin Roberts Foundation found that reading Sadsville had a very significant positive impact on children’s mental well being, with 71% of children saying they felt “Better able to cope with Sadness†after reading Sadsville, and 76% saying they’d now know how to contact Childline and NSPCC for support if they needed it*. Recent research from Oxford University and the NSPCC has highlighted how the lockdown arising from the Covid-19 pandemic has affected children, key findings include: Primary school-aged children were most likely to seriously suffer from lockdown, with mean increases in emotional, behavioural and restlessness/inattention difficulties** The proportion of children likely to have significant difficulties (i.e., meet diagnostic criteria for a clinical diagnosis) in these 3 areas also increased, by up to 35% in primary school children** Calls into the NSPCC’s helpline increased by almost a third (32%) during lockdown on average, compared to the three months prior to lockdown – with May seeing the highest number made to the NSPCC helpline in a single month on record*** In July, Childline revealed the service had delivered 22,000 counselling sessions to young people about mental health and well-being since the lockdown, including almost 2,000 with 11-year olds and under**** Martin Roberts said: “I have my own kids aged 10 and 13 so I understand the pressures that lockdown has put on young people, and felt moved to try to help highlight and find solutions to the issues that have been caused by Covid-19, as well as those which the NSPCC and their Childline service deal with on a daily basis.†As part of the campaign, every primary school in the UK will be given two free copies of the ‘Teaching Version’ of the Sadsville book, which includes specially written teaching materials, enabling schools to provide children with the means of understanding their emotions better, and where to find help should they need it. Sadsville directs such pupils to the NSPCC’s Childline service – a free, private and confidential service where children can talk to trained counsellors about anything that may be worrying them. Children can contact Childline on 0800 111 or www.childline.org.uk. Peter Wanless, CEO of the NSPCC, said: “The pandemic has had a significant impact on the lives of children, particularly for those where home is not a safe place. At Childline we have heard from thousands of young people about how the combination of the lockdown, the closure of schools and the lack of contact with friends and family has impacted on their mental health. “The Sadsville book’s message is so important. No child should have to cope alone and Childline is here for them. I’m sure it will mean more young people know where to turn to for help.†Best known for his 17 years hosting BBC TV property auction show Homes Under the Hammer, Martin Roberts is also an established children’s book author and originally wrote Sadsville to support the invaluable work carried out by the NSPCC and Childline. The book forms part of the campaign to help children’s mental wellbeing that is the mainstay of the authors own charity The Martin Roberts Foundation which aims to give a free copy of the original Sadsville book to every child in year 4 (8 & 9 year olds) in the UK. So far over 30,000 books have been distributed, with more to come. Martin Roberts added: “Sadsville is a magical and whimsical story aimed at children aged 6 to 10, based in a land where everyone is always sad – and the reader has to work out why. The book encourages children to question their own emotions and ‘think outside the box’ as to why they may be struggling with unhappiness. It helps them find ways to feel happier and to reach out for support if they need it.†The book has already received acclaim from children, teachers and senior academics alike, with Headteachers commenting on how the book “encourages important discussion†and suggesting to fellow teachers that they should “without doubt, get involved with this project.†Elaine Fox, Professor of Psychology & Affective science at Oxford University, commented: “Sadsville helps children to break a toxic cycle of negative thought by getting them to think about sadness in a unique way, providing them with a platform to challenge the negative gremlins in their heads and to realise that the gremlins are just that – gremlins – and not a true reflection of reality.†Martin has enlisted the support of stars from film and TV for the project, including legendary children’s entertainer and all-round good fox, Basil Brush, who has recorded a charming narrated and partially animated version of Sadsville, which is available on YouTube for general viewing. A video of many other celebrities reading from the book will be available in the near future. Basil Brush said: “It was a booming pleasure to be part of Mr Martin’s wonderful book, to read his lovely story and help the NSPCC and their Childline service at the same time. The illustrations are perfect, but for some reason I felt peckish at the end… you’ll know why when you read it… It might even bring a