YHA named as Best Residential Experience provider for school trips
YHA (England & Wales) has been named as the Best Residential Experience provider for school trips. The leading youth charity scooped the accolade at the annual School Travel Awards 2018/19, the UK’s biggest event for school travel and learning outside the classroom. Chosen by readers of School Travel Organiser magazine, the annual awards recognise the best venues, attractions and companies for educational visits. Anita Kerwin-Nye, Director of Strategy and Engagement at YHA (England & Wales) said: “It’s an honour and a privilege to receive the award as it recognises the commitment and dedication of all YHA staff – both in hostel and behind the scenes, to delivering the very best experience for schools who choose to stay with us.” Last year almost 100,000 primary and secondary school children stayed on school trips with YHA (England & Wales). The charity operates more than 150 youth hostels through England and Wales in cities, towns, coastal and National Park locations, with more than 80 of them Learning Outside the Classroom (LOtC) accredited; the most of any UK provider. Research has shown that children from lower socio-economic groups, and those with special educational needs and disabilities are less likely to visit the countryside or undertake rural leisure pursuits. To enable schools to provide the opportunity for outdoor travel and adventure to all their students, YHA’s Educational Breaks support programme supports young people aged between 8 and 18 who are eligible for Pupil Premium and have additional social challenges. Up to 10 young people in a group can apply for a two-night supported break at a Youth Hostel. The current round of applications to YHA’s Educational Breaks programme is open until 31st January 2019. Anita added: “Giving young people the opportunity to learn and develop through travel and adventure is our passion and one of the main reasons that YHA exists. We know that travel and adventure are transformative for young people; benefitting their emotional, social and academic development. We hope that our Educational Breaks programme will enable more schools to give the very children who need to most, the opportunity to benefit from a residential experience.” Highlighting the importance of young people having the opportunity to access travel and adventure in the outdoors, YHA recently launched The Adventure Effect campaign. At the heart of the campaign is a film which features a social experiment highlighting the impact of young people not having the opportunity to access travel and the outdoors. Watch the powerful film at www.groups.yha.org.uk/adventure-effect To book your next residential school trip with YHA or apply for Educational Breaks support, visit https://groups.yha.org.uk/
Iraqi education leaders visit UK College of the Year
Fareham College, the Times Educational Supplement (TES) FE College of the Year, welcomed education leaders from Iraq as part of a programme by the British Council to develop effective leadership through sharing good practice. Spending a week at Fareham College, the delegates met with teaching staff and senior managers, and were able to view the industry-ready facilities and experience the teaching that have earnt it the status of top further education college in the country and an ‘outstanding’ Ofsted judgement. As part of the visit, the delegates were given a tour of the local area, visiting Gunwharf Quays and the Spinnaker Tower, and enjoyed lunch at the College’s award-winning restaurant, Avenue 141, with the Mayor of Fareham, Councillor Susan Bayford. Nigel Duncan, Fareham College Principal, said, “This has been a thoroughly enjoyable and informative experience for us all and we look forward to further developing relationships between our educational institutions.” Speaking on behalf of the delegates, Aziz Abed Abbas Abulwez from the Bagdad Institute for Science and Technology added, “We have really enjoyed working with the staff at Fareham College, the time has gone very quickly. Thank you so much for your hospitality, advice and respect.” Following their time at the College, the delegates travelled to London to present their findings at a meeting of all the Iraqi delegates that participated in the programme. www.fareham.ac.uk
The Circular Economy Showcase by Young Enterprise Scotland
Young entrepreneurs from 19 primary schools across Glasgow took to the stage at Hampden Park for an event focused on reducing, reusing and recycling. The Circular Economy Showcase, hosted by Young Enterprise Scotland with support from the ScottishPower Foundation, gave youngsters the opportunity to present their enterprise projects to their peers, teachers and a panel of judges. The showcase marked the culmination of work carried out by the business-savvy youngsters on the Circular Economy Programme (run by YES and the SP Foundation). Groups from schools across Glasgow took to the stage and wowed the panel of judges which included Rebecca Ricketts from Circular Glasgow, Scott Kennedy and Fergus Moore from Revive Eco, Phil Duffield from the ScottishPower Foundation and Fiona Craig from Zero Waste Scotland. After all of the presentations, the judges decided on five award winners – Haghill Primary, St Monica’s Primary in Pollock, Ashpark Primary School in Carnwadric, St Vincent’s Primary in Thornliebank, and St Martha’s Primary in Balornock. In the Circular Economy programme, pupils were asked to consider how businesses can run effectively and successfully in a world with finite resources by making their own sustainable product. Sustainability sessions showed youngsters how to eliminate waste and reduce dependency on natural resources, and addressed the environmental impact of manufacturing processes. YES Circular Economy programme executive Marie Leck said: “We saw so much confidence and enthusiasm from the young people and every presentation was fantastic. So many people are nervous about public speaking and the young entrepreneurs really pushed themselves and took on this challenge with aplomb. “The showcase was a fantastic celebration of all the hard work young people put into their enterprise projects and they should all be very proud of all they have achieved.” Haghill Primary took the ScottishPower Foundation’s Overall Business Idea of the Year award for PenCycle – a project which sends used pens for recycling. St Monica’s Primary in Pollock took the Young Enterprise Scotland award for Innovation for its O-Waste project which customises old clothes, and Ashpark Primary School in Carnwadric took the Zero Waste Scotland community award for its Rebikable idea which reuses old bikes. St Vincent’s Primary in Thornliebank won the Circular Glasgow commercial award for Squishies For Life which turns stress toys into cushions, and St Martha’s Primary in Balornock took the SEPA environmental award for its Snoogle Garden project which encourages people to grow their own fruit and veg. Phil Duffield from the ScottishPower Foundation said: “It has been extremely exciting to be a part of the judging process and witness the entrepreneurial spirit of Scotland’s young people, all with the environment front of mind. “The ScottishPower Foundation is proud to support the Circular Economy Challenge in its work to inspire young people to work towards building a sustainable future. Congratulations to all those involved.” The ScottishPower Foundation is a charitable organisation which aims to enhance the quality of life in local communities by supporting causes close to people’s hearts, such as developing the UK’s future generation and fighting against climate change. The Circular Economy Challenge is one of 17 different charitable projects selected by the ScottishPower Foundation from across the UK to receive a slice of funding totalling more than £1m this year. https://www.scottishpower.com/pages/about_the_scottishpower_foundation.aspx
Word Mania Global 2018 winning schools announced!
The world’s biggest literacy competition has wrapped up for 2018! LiteracyPlanet has officially announced the winners of Word Mania Global 2018, after almost 500,000 students around the world improved their English literacy skills by participating in the competition. Schools from over 100 countries participated in Word Mania Global 2018, which is based on one of LiteracyPlanet’s most popular exercises. It challenges students to think outside the box and create as many words as they can in three minutes from 15 randomly generated letter tiles. This year participating students spelt over 80 million words correctly across 2.8 million Word Mania games, which is a huge effort! Congratulations to the schools that placed first for their year level: Mayoor Private School Llc, Abu Dhabi (UAE) – Year 1 Mayoor Private School Llc, Abu Dhabi (UAE) – Year 2 Andrews International School Bangkok (Thailand) – Year 3 Ronan’s Primary School (Northern Ireland) – Year 4 GEMS New Millennium School (UAE) – Year 5 H. Christie Memorial Primary School (UK) – Year 6 Al Manar Language School-American Section (Egypt) – Year 7 Mayoor Private School Llc, Abu Dhabi (UAE) – Year 8 Mayoor Private School Llc, Abu Dhabi (UAE) – Year 9 But Word Mania is not just a fun activity for students to participate in. It also helps develop important literacy skills including phonics, word families, rhyming and root words, affixes, spelling, vocabulary, word recognition and word knowledge. This year the average game score for students participating in Word Mania increased by 56.18%. This is after just three weeks of competition! Adam McArthur, CEO and Managing Director for LiteracyPlanet, said, “LiteracyPlanet has been overwhelmed by the way schools around the globe have embraced Word Mania. To have so many students participate and build 80 million words shows just how important developing English skills are in so many countries. “Congratulations to the winners and all the schools that participated!” About LiteracyPlanet Word Mania is created by LiteracyPlanet, the most fun and comprehensive literacy programme for schools that helps build children’s abilities in word recognition, spelling and vocabulary. This global online resource consists of thousands of game-based exercises developed to give students a new way of learning literacy stills.
Centenary brings old Bromley schools together for a game of rugby
As part of Bickley Park School’s centenary celebrations pupils enjoyed playing a rugby tournament against schools that previously had been located in the Bromley area. Amesbury, a prep school which is now in Guildford, Surrey, moved from the same road as Bickley Park shortly after the end of the First World War. St Hugh’s, which is now based in Oxfordshire, left the Bromley area at the beginning of the Second World War. Forty boys took part in a rugby tournament at Saracens ground, Allianz Park, in North London, which is roughly equidistant between the three schools. Amesbury School still retains an association with the area as the name of the Headmaster’s house is ‘Bickley’, and two of the four houses at St Hugh’s school are called ‘Chislehurst’ and ‘Bickley’. Head of Sport at Bickley Park School, Alastair Hyslop, said: “The boys loved playing in this tournament as it is a fixture list that dates back to the earliest days of the school’s history. It was a real privilege to mark our centenary year with a memorable match in such a unique setting.” For more information on Bickley Park School please visit www.bickleyparkschool.co.uk.
Plastics recycling education programme launched
The recycling plastics education programme R-Generation is widening its reach for 2018, and will now be available to every primary and secondary school in the UK. Following its launch in 2016, Nestlé Waters UK is continuing its partnership with recycling charity, RECOUP, and environmental education organisation, Wastebuster, to deliver an updated programme for 2018. This year will see the national roll out of the initiative, which aims to help children understand the responsibility they have in becoming more environmentally aware citizens. There is a still a role to play in encouraging consumers to increase their recycling behaviour. The average UK household uses nearly 500 plastic bottles a year but recycles just over 280 of them[1]. This latest initiative aims to help children understand the responsibility they have in becoming more environmentally aware, both at home and in their communities. The programme gives school staff teaching Key Stage 2 and Key Stage 3 education access to a host of materials and resources which will help put recycling firmly onto the agenda for their schools. The 2018 programme features a host of new digital materials which will help create excitement in the classroom and deliver relevancy for today’s students. Resources include teacher notes, assembly guides, games, quizzes and fact sheets and aim to help inspire young recyclers of today to become recycling champions of the future. As well as classroom resources, the packs also include step by step instructions on assisting schools in setting up successful recycling schemes in their schools. Priya Hamilton, Corporate Communications Manager, Nestlé Waters UK comments: “As a business we are passionate about driving education and encouraging individuals to take action and responsibility to protect the environment through recycling. Having launched this initiative in 2016, we are delighted to be continuing to spearhead such an important initiative in driving the recycling agenda. Our commitment to recycling was also reinforced earlier this year, when we announced the roll out of the introduction of recycled plastic to all water bottles produced at our UK site. As well as the actions we take at a manufacturing level, we believe we also have a major role to play in helping to drive the uptake of recycling in the UK and this latest programme will certainly help address this amongst our youngest generation.” Anne Hitch, Communications Manager, RECOUP comments: “We are delighted to be able to work with Nestlé Waters UK and Wastebuster on this initiative. Capturing the imagination of young recyclers to encourage plastic recycling is essential for the future in driving a circular economy and long-term sustainability. “Plastic is a valuable material that can be reused if we only do the right thing with our waste. The tools within the packs give a complete understanding about different types of plastic and I hope they will motivate students and staff to recycle more at school and at home.” For schools interested in taking part, the plastics education resource pack is available for free download here
Why we need to get more tech-savvy Governors into schools
In my opinion governors have a critical role to play in schools. This is why I was happy to join the board of a local school in the past year. They help set out a school’s ethos and vision, take responsibility for financial decisions and spend time analysing data to make recommendations for progress. And crucially, we share our own personal blend of skills and areas of expertise with the school we’re working for. One of my own personal specialisms is technology. The small school at which I am a governor uses EdTech very well and carefully considers technology both for teaching and learning, and for efficiency and effectiveness, particularly for improving parental engagement. I have met with the curriculum lead for computing in my role as governor with responsibility for curriculum, and have explored ways in which the use of some EdTech can be extended and we have a good working professional relationship. But I’m one of the lucky ones – often the link between a governor and teaching staff doesn’t end up being made, or, frequently, technology skills and expertise aren’t represented among the governors. It can be difficulty enough recruiting governors let alone those with specific knowledge or skill in this area. I recently saw research indicating that from the perspective of school leaders, expertise in technology is second only to safeguarding on the list of qualities sought after in governors. Yet the study from Canvas found that it is the most underrepresented area currently on boards – more than a quarter of school leaders put it among the toughest skills to find. Governors have a strategic role and should support the SLT to make good choices when procuring, using and identifying the right EdTech for them – I’ve been a headteacher too, so know how valuable this can be! However, it is not currently an explicit role or requirement under the NGA guidelines. Given the value and potential impact of EdTech I would expect schools to actively engage in using it to support teaching and learning and to improve efficiency and effectiveness. Governors therefore have a critical role. Of course, it is for the teachers – through SLT – to determine how to effectively use EdTech within teaching. But Governors should help direct the process, and query and interrogate evidence around the decisions. The choices regarding procuring, using and identifying the right EdTech are essentially no different to the decisions made on any other initiative or purchase. The key questions are what the impact is and is it value for money. We already have this evaluative role but that outright link to tech expertise isn’t usually made. The implementation of EdTech requires careful consideration in a teaching and learning context. There is a need to ensure that its implementation is properly supported by training and infrastructure and that it actually meets the identified needs. All in all, it can be a challenging process. Currently, it feels like we’re missing opportunities when it comes to EdTech – an area of education that is only going to become more important as technology increasingly impacts all that we do. Teachers must have the key input, but can’t be expected to dedicate their valuable time to researching the options out there and ascertaining whether they’re right strategically for the school. And that’s where governors can come in – we just need more people to volunteer and support schools, particularly where there is uncertainty around technology. After all, our key role is strategic. If there’s one area where external knowledge and understanding is sorely needed in schools in a rapidly changing world, it’s technology. Colin Green is a governor at Colebrook Infant Academy in Swindon, and Director of Education at New Era Education UK
Why Teachers Choose to Work in the International Schools Sector
Recognised as the world’s best; a British education is becoming increasingly popular with parents around the world. This is pleasing news for the 4,300 British international schools* which operate globally and make up over 45% of the international school market. However, in analysing the report Teacher Supply in British International Schools (July 2018) by the Council of British International Schools (COBIS), international teaching providers, Teachingabroaddirect.co.uk found in the next ten years, British international schools will require 230,000 more teachers to meet staffing needs. The education sector in the UK faces similar staffing challenges, with research by the Department for Education highlighting an overall shortfall of nearly 10% in recruitment targets to initial teacher training. To explore further, Teaching Abroad Direct sought to identify why teachers choose to work abroad and the reasons teachers might leave the sector, to better understand what needs to be done to attract, recruit and retain teachers so urgently needed. To achieve this, Teachingabroaddirect designed graphics to showcase data collated by COBIS which captures the experiences and perspectives of more than 1,600 school leaders and teachers. Perhaps unsurprisingly, a desire for ‘Travel and Cultural Exploration’ tops the list of reasons teachers choose to work in the international schools’ sector, at 71%. This is followed by the prospect of ‘Enjoyment and Challenge’ (63%.) However, disappointingly, a ‘Dissatisfaction with Home Education System’ is the third most prolific reason, with 47% of teachers agreeing so. Potential for ‘Career Growth’ (45%) and ‘Salary’ (44%) are other, prominent factors as to why teachers work abroad. Of less interest, regarding the reasons teachers choose to work in the international schools’ sector, is ‘Cost of Living’ (24%) and ‘CPD and Training’ at 15%. Comparably, Teaching Abroad Direct found the reasons teachers might leave the international schools’ sector and return to the UK to be led by ‘Family Commitments’ (45%) and simply a desire to ‘Return Home’ (41%.) While 27% of teachers say ‘Career Prospects Elsewhere’ is the reason they would disband from teaching abroad. To ‘Improve Quality of Life’ (13%) and ‘High Living Expenses’ (9%) land in fourth and fifth place as to why teachers return to the UK from teaching abroad. Andrew Lynch, a senior consultant for Teaching Abroad Direct, comments: “The shortage of teachers around the globe is an urgent issue. At the root, we must do what we can to make teaching fulfilling. Of course, fulfilment differs from person to person but, communication is key. We need to listen to teachers, both aspiring and experienced, learn what they need and deserve from their post and environment. Whether that is abroad or at home.” *British international schools are those located outside the UK that teach a curriculum (wholly or in part) that would be recognised in the UK and that have a British ethos.
Houghton Conquest Pupils Go Site-Seeing For Road Safety Week
Houghton Conquest Lower School pupils have been given a safety talk at Mulberry Homes’ nearby development Houghton Fields as part of a wider Road Safety Week campaign. The local developer invited pupils to the site and donated 120 high visibility reflector clips to the whole school to help them stay safe and seen as part of the campaign. The visit aimed to teach pupils about staying safe on the roads and identified the potential dangers of a live building site for younger children. Road Safety Week took place between 19th and 25th November and inspires thousands of schools, organisations and communities to take action on road safety and promote life-saving messages during the week and beyond. Julie Heaslip, Year 2 Class Teacher at Houghton Conquest Lower School, said: “We’re very grateful to Mulberry Homes for supporting such a great initiative and we really appreciate the hi-vis bag tags they’ve provided for our children to wear on their way to and from school during Road Safety Week and beyond. “Being given the chance to visit a live development and learn more about staying safe near a building site was really exciting and interesting for the pupils and we have all learnt a lot from the experience!” The high-performing school was recently rated Good in the latest Ofsted report and caters for children from pre-school until Key Stage 2. Greg Driscoll, Project Manager for Mulberry Homes at Houghton Fields, said: “With the school being so close to the development it made sense for us to invite the pupils to site to come and learn about safety. “This was a great opportunity for them to find out more about what happens on a building site and show them the progress we have made here.” Houghton Fields is a beautiful development set in the stunning village of Houghton Conquest on Bedford Road. Each of the properties has been expertly designed to feature traditional exteriors and unique elevations that are perfectly blended with luxurious and modern interiors. Local amenities include a local village shop, a selection of family pubs, a village hall and local well regarded lower and upper schools. Houghton Conquest offers excellent transport links with its close proximity to Bedford, Northampton, Luton and Milton Keynes as well as the M1 motorway. Houghton Fields currently has a delightful collection of three and four bedroom properties available with prices starting from £339,950. Established in 2011 and based in Northamptonshire, Mulberry Homes is a medium housebuilder that provides quality properties across the wider midlands. It specialises in individual and small developments with their own looks and personalities and builds traditional homes with modern layouts. www.houghtonconquest.beds.sch.uk