Stewartstown Primary School, County Tyrone, triumphs in international maths competition!
Stewartstown Primary School, County Tyrone, is celebrating international success after its students scooped second prize in the November Numeracy Challenge 2018, an inter-schools competition run by 3P Learning, creators of the online maths resource Mathletics, proven to significantly increase levels of student engagement, confidence and motivation and to improve attainment and progress in maths. Over the course of a week students from across the UK, Europe, the Middle East and Africa competed online and pitted their wits against each other to gain as many points as possible in a bid to become their nation’s best mathletes. Pupils also raised money for UNICEF whilst competing, with each point gained corresponding to a cash donation to the charity from 3P Learning. Now in its third year, the competition aims to inspire children to love learning and to become enthusiastic, confident mathematicians. During the course of the Challenge pupils compete online within Mathletics, gaining points for each correct answer they submit in the curriculum activities section of the resource and also in Live Mathletics where pupils compete in real-time with other children from around the globe. At the end of the competition the school that has gained the most points is crowned the winner, with second and third place also being announced. All three schools receive money towards the renewal of their Mathletics subscription, and a celebration pack including a trophy, wristbands and certificate. Commenting on the win Headteacher Kendra Bolton said, “We are completely thrilled to have achieved second place in a competition involving so many other schools and pupils. This is a real testament to the hard work of staff and children, huge congratulations to all involved! “Since introducing Mathletics to the classroom we have seen a real change in our pupils’ attitude toward maths. What was previously seen as a dull and even scary subject has now become fun and exciting thanks to the graphics, games and the chance to compete against other children that Mathletics offers. Our pupils are so enthusiastic that many also play and learn on Mathletics at home!” Jayne Warburton, CEO EMEA at 3P Learning, congratulated the school: “Well done to all the pupils at Stewartstown for their hard work and fantastic achievement. Coming second is a tremendous outcome for the entire school and the pupils can be proud to have represented their region so well.” For more information on Mathletics visit http://uk.mathletics.com/
United World College student on polarising debates in the Arctic
UWC Red Cross Nordic is one of UWC’s 17 schools and colleges on four continents, with a mission to “make education a force to unite people, nations and cultures for peace and sustainability.” Here, UWC Red Cross Nordic (RCN) student Hari Tamang, 21, recounts his recent expedition to the Arctic as part of a think-tank of 100 individuals tasked with discussing technology, sustainability and ethics in the Earth’s northernmost region. There are trips, and then there are the trips that change you. I applied for the expedition through the UWC RCN homepage last term and did not expect to be in the Arctic with 100 brilliant people (young and old) from all sectors and all continents, just a few months later. But that’s exactly where I ended up – I spent four days on a veteran ship, undisturbed by the outside world, with no WiFi or cellular coverage. Together, we explored our Arctic surroundings and engaged in discussions about the most important challenges of our time, such as: ‘How does tech affect democracy and the distribution of power?’, ‘How do we meet the blurring divisions between man and machine?’, ‘What are the consequences of bioengineering?’, ‘Should there be restrictions on AI?’ and ‘How can we prepare our children for the future instead of the past?’ The trip was organised by FutureTalks, a social organisation connecting youths and leading initiatives focused on the future of humanity. Before flying to Svalbard (situated between mainland Norway and the North Pole), I gave a speech at an introductory conference (FutureTalks Oslo) The topic was education and learning experiences within, and outside of, formal education. I spoke in conjunction with Christopher Schräder, Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society, and Emma Stoks, from Operation Education. In addition, world famous architect Bjarke Ingels and Westworld-creator Jonah Nolan discussed the topics of man, machine and design. Tina Kulow (Director of Corporate Communications Facebook), Katharina Borchert (Chief Innovation Officer at Mozilla) and Michael Geer (Chief Strategy Officer, AnchorFree) discussed the polarisation of social media, the power of groupthink, and its effects on democracy and elections. I met a family that sold everything to live with native tribes, and heard about the latest findings in the Science of Happiness from Oxford professor and economist Jan-Emmanuel De Neve – just to mention a few of the great discussions. The Arctic expedition was a truly amazing trip; the important discussions continued while we viewed polar bears from the top of the ship as well as dolphins and whales jumping outside the ship windows. We listened to a presentation on how earth took form, which stimulated thought about how all living creatures are connected with each other. We learnt about Russian history, with Svalbard as a starting point, as well as the history of whales. It was saddening to hear that every day we are losing a number of species. We also talked about our diets and evaluated vegan, vegetarian and non-vegetarian approaches. It was rewarding to engage with experts in the growing field of artificial intelligence and discuss the impacts it may have on us and whether it should be restricted. I still cannot believe that I swam across the 80th degree at +4°C temperatures like a polar bear; kayaked on the North Pole across pieces of ice; observed glaciers falling down and engaged in discussions about how we can bring about inner peace. Was it all peace and serenity? Well, we did find pieces of plastic on the North Pole, which was a shock for everyone. In a speech, the director of a European research centre said that every year 400 metres of ice disappears from behind the research stations in Ny-Ålesund, Svalbard due to temperature rises. Carbon dioxide levels in the air are at their highest in 650,000 years. Seventeen of the warmest years on record have occurred since 2001. In 2012, Arctic summer sea ice shrank to the lowest extent on record. The global average sea level has risen nearly 178 mm over the past 100 years. This summer, all-time heat records were set all over the world. Extreme weather is becoming even more extreme. In the Arctic, we were 4 km into what just a couple of years earlier would have been a glacier but is now open water. Climate change is real, it’s happening faster and faster and it is irreversibly changing our world. This means our actions must be faster. While climate change is getting worse, this trip and its participants gave me hope. In order to impact real change, we should not ask ourselves who we do things for, but rather who we do things with. It’s about getting everyone on board (pun intended) this shared mission by creating inclusive and cross-sector movements. Climate change (or any other issue) is not solved in silos. It can’t be solved by politicians, scientists, civil society, activists or business leaders working separately. Future Talks brought together people from all sectors, ages, and continents to engage in the most important discussions of our time. I look forward to many more inter-generational, cross-sectoral and inter-cultural discussions with the Future Talks community. With data, new technology, economic models, education, and movement-building, we can accelerate climate action. But most of all, by getting everyone on board. About Hari: Hari is from a small village in Chitwan, in southern Nepal. At the age of seven, he was travelling on a bus which was destroyed in a terrorist bomb attack. His life changed dramatically, but with this horrifying experience arose a strong determination. His journey since has taken him in unexpected directions. Hari applied for a UWC scholarship, and with the assistance of the Nepalese National Committee, he was accepted to the Survivors of Conflict programme at UWC Red Cross Nordic – a programme which the College runs in tandem with the Red Cross and the Rehabilitation Centre on campus. He is currently undertaking the IB Diploma Programme at UWC RCN. For more information on UWC, visit uwc.org/schools and to apply, visit uwc.org/howtoapply
Make The World Better With A Christmas Jumper!
Friday 14th December 2018 sees a whole host of celebrities and brands supporting the return of Save the Children’s Christmas Jumper Day This year, Save the Children’s annual Christmas Jumper Day is taking place on Friday 14th December. Flashing, festive knits will be sweeping the nation once again as schools, homes and offices across the country will be ditching their day-to-day dress and donning their daftest, most wonderful woollies for the annual fundraiser. From knits festooned in jingling bells to jumpers covered in lights, shiny neon tinsel and technicoloured baubles, Save the Children is expecting over 5 million people across the UK to take part in the biggest, silliest Christmas Jumper Day ever. Whether it’s with Christmassy colleagues, sparkly school friends or just you and your merry mates, by sticking on a fabulously festive knit, signing up and donating £2 to Save the Children (£1 if you’re at school) at christmasjumperday.org, you will be helping give children hope for a better future. This year, a range of celebrities have co-knitted to Christmas Jumper Day, including Katie Piper, Kimberley Wyatt, Gary Kemp, Aston Merrygold, Binky Felstead, Georgia Toffolo, Joel Dommett and Love Island’s Eyal Booker, Chris Hughes and Kem Cetinay, who have all popped on a festive pullover to mark their support for the campaign. To help ready shoppers for the big day, some of the UK’s leading retailers will also be selling exclusive products for women, men and children which carry a donation to Save the Children’s vital work – helping the charity build a better future for children in the UK and around the world. The Amazon Fashion UK Christmas Jumper Storewill be live from 1st November until the 31st December. For every eligible Christmas Jumper [or Christmas clothing/accessory] purchased from the Christmas Jumper Store on amazon.co.uk and smile.amazon.co.uk, Amazon will donate 20% to Save the Children. Save the Children and Selfish Motherwill join forces for a third year with a new series of slogan sweatshirts. The range of unisex, organic cotton sweatshirts come in black or red with festive gold slogans: PEACE, LOVE, HOPE AND JOY. They will be priced at £55 with a 50% donation to Save the Children and exclusively available to pre-order from Selfish Mother’s online shop, ‘The FMLY Store’ from 1st November. WHSmith has teamed up with Tom Fletcherto launch the first ever Christmasaurus cuddly toy, based on his bestselling book The Christmasaurusand designed in partnership with the leading author. This festive friend will be sold exclusively by WHSmith for £14.99 with a £3 donation to Save the Children. A limited edition of The Christmasaurusbook will also be sold for £6.99 with a 50p donation to the charity’s vital work. Peppa Pig loves Christmas, everyone loves Christmas… This year Entertainment One’s (eOne) Peppa Pigwill be teaming up with Save the Children to support the biggest Christmas Jumper Day yet! There will be a range of Peppa Pig Christmas goodies to spoil your little piggies – including a Peppa Pig Christmas Puzzle and a range of Christmas jumpers.
Positive Futures
Young people in Warwickshire are being helped into work by Positive Futures, a training scheme targeting 15 to 24-year-olds not in education, employment or training who do not have basic maths and English qualifications. Co-funded by the Department for Work and Pensions’ European Social Fund and 50 per cent match funded by Warwickshire County Council and PET-Xi Training, the training course is helping break down barriers to entering the jobs market for young people in the local area. Deputy Director, Head of European Social Fund Division, Dr Catherine Blair visited young people taking part in the training course, to see first-hand the support offered by the training and education specialists. Since its launch in 2016, the project has seen over 350 young people secure jobs or enrol in education on completion of Positive Futures. The programme, launched by PET-Xi Training, has an ambition to support a further 400 young people move into employment or education. Joined by Glenn Robinson, manager of the Skills for Growth programme run by Warwickshire County Council, the pair were given a tour of PET-Xi Training’s headquarters in Coventry by the project’s managing director, Fleur Sexton. After meeting employees, Dr Blair visited PET-Xi Training’s new Skills Hub in Nuneaton to hear more about the Positive Futures project and the impact it has had on participants’ lives. Dr Blair said: “It was fantastic to see how this project is making a real difference to the lives of young people at risk of social exclusion. “Staff can offer young people practical advice on a range of issues, including employment, and support individuals with their next steps such as moving or providing transport to interviews. “Youth unemployment is at a record low and it’s great to see the difference projects like this make, helping more young people move into work or education.” Cllr Colin Hayfield, Cabinet Portfolio Holder for Education and Learning at Warwickshire County Council, said: “The county council has prioritised young people who are at risk of social exclusion and has established a planning and co-ordination group where we liaise with partners such as PET-Xi Training to provide our young people with the support in areas where it is most needed.” Fleur, winner of Businesswoman of the Year 2017, said the legacies of Positive Futures include the impact on the lives of young people and the Skills Hub which has been opened to make it easier for young people in Warwickshire to gain qualifications and improve their career prospects. She said: “For over 20 years, PET-Xi’s vision has been to champion every single person to fulfil their potential through education and employment, find their place in their community and transform their life. “This scheme is designed to break down barriers to help young people in local communities to achieve essential basic maths and English qualifications and to improve their life chances by giving them the support they need to gain a job or a place in further education. “It was fantastic to welcome Dr Blair and Glenn to PET-Xi Training to show them first-hand the benefits of the project. “The feedback we have had from everyone involved whether it is young people or funders has been extremely positive – the Department of Work and Pensions and Warwickshire County Council have helped to fund this essential project which is making a real difference to young people’s lives.” www.pet-xi.co.uk/programmes/vocational/positive-futures/
New course will improve children’s health and wellbeing…for life
Health educators, The Sound Doctor, are offering UK parents and teachers a “secret weapon” in combating growing concerns about childhood obesity – kids who are willing to change their own lifestyle choices! Primary school pupils are about to receive fun and memorable facts on healthy eating, weight management and exercise, thanks to a new animated course based on short, animated films to be shown in classrooms. The fun and educational course is the brainchild of innovative health education media company The Sound Doctor. The aim of the films is to win the hearts and minds of UK children. Using imagery and language they can easily understand and remember, they will soak up lots of information in an entertaining format. Rosie Runciman, co-founder of The Sound Doctor, explained: “When kids love their sugary snack and other treats so much, preaching or even conventional teaching on this topic can be ineffective. “The beauty of this course, delivered through lively animations, is that it is fun. It can be delivered through a series of lessons to improve children’s health and wellbeing…for life. Animations are popular with children and ours feature many different animals which is another favourite. This means primary school pupils will be interested and engaged, picking up great tips for better health.” The initiative arose from shock figures showing that the UK is starting to match – if not overtake – childhood obesity levels in the US. The latest figures from NHS Digital suggest that in their final year of primary school in England, the number of overweight children has peaked at 20%. This compares to the number of children in the US aged between 9 and 11 who are obese, which stands at 18.5%. It is believed that around 27% of children in the UK are clinically obese, while a further 14% are overweight in medical terms. This is the equivalent of obesity impacting on one in every five children. Rosie Runciman added: “Positive action and long-term solutions depend on getting children on board so they decide to change their own habits.” “This course gives them facts, tips and, we hope, inspiration to make those changes, but in a really friendly and acceptable way. It includes lots of questions and discussion points to stimulate curious young minds.” This creative media health initiative builds on The Sound Doctor’s track record for producing world class films and audio programmes. The company’s services are widely used by healthcare professionals to advise and support patients on a wide range of self-care issues. The result is better management of long-term health conditions. Watch the film here https://youtu.be/yweX7t7LYq4. To find out more about The Sound Doctor, visit www.thesounddoctor.org
5 Top Design Tips for Increasing Productivity in Your Learning Space
Revision and coursework are regular occurrences for students across the country, and it’s important when they’re working through either of these, they’re motivated and productive. The learning environment students are in can drastically affect productivity, and that’s where schools, colleges and universities can help. Here, Demco Interiors discusses five ways you can amend your learning space to help students’ concentration levels and productivity. Learning Space Layout The layout of your learning space is crucial when it comes to productivity. For some students who are studying or working, they’ll need a quiet space they can sit in to focus; whereas for group projects, a collaborative area is needed so they can bounce ideas off each other. Ideally, your learning space will accommodate both of these. Having little cubicles is great for students who focus best in quiet environments, where they can shut the door and escape the noise. However, having open areas with sofas and tables can really encourage groups to get together and discuss ideas, but these need to be kept separate from each other. When it comes to managing noise levels, another aspect to consider is the flooring. Carpeted floors can help to reduce noise travelling, as can installing freestanding screens at the end of each desk. For students trying to concentrate on their work, this can go a great way towards helping increase their productivity. Use of Colours You may think that minimalistic creams, greys and beiges are the way forward when create a tranquil environment to study and come up with creative ideas, but you’d be wrong. In fact, workspaces that have those particular colour palettes reportedly leave people using them sad and depressed. The top three colours to help increase productivity are green, blue and yellow. Why? Well, because green and blue are associated with nature, they promote wellbeing, and improve focus and efficiency. Yellow on the other hand, can inspire innovation and creativity, with the connotations of this colour being energy, optimism, and freshness. If you want to use red in your learning space, then you should consider this carefully. Whilst some students can find it inspiring, for others it can cause an increase in heartrate and feelings of panic. So, if you do decide to use red, then you should use it sparingly to draw attention to details in your workspace that are particularly important (e.g. signs). Plants Psychologists state that a learning space with no pictures or other distractions is “the most toxic space” that a human can be in. Exeter University recently conducted some research, which noted that people were 15% more productive on average when plants were introduced into a work or learning space. In fact, it was found that just one plant per square meter substantially increased productivity. There’s been countless amounts of research done on the benefits of plants in the workplace, which can easily be applied to learning spaces too. In fact, the University of Technologyin Sydney found that the introduction of plants into a room could result in a 58% drop of anger, 44% drop in hostility, 38% drop in fatigue, and a 37% drop in tension. So, if you’re looking to improve productivity in your educational workspace, then decorating it with plants is a good place to start. Daylight and Fresh Air Poor quality air can lower performance by 10%, a 2006 analysis found. Not only can airless rooms make people who sit in it sick; it drastically reduces productivity too… which isn’t great if students are spending time revising for their exams in there. If your learning space is in the centre of a large city like London, then unfortunately, simply opening a window isn’t the answer – the air pollution and traffic noise won’t help with productivity at all! However, there’s a way to achieve fresh air without opening a window… plants. Photosynthesis purifies air in learning spaces, as carbon dioxide is transformed into oxygen. The other important thing needed to increase productivity is daylight. Many offices don’t have windows, and it’s a similar situation for learning spaces too. People who work in a space with windows are exposed to 173% more daylight than those who don’t. That results in an extra 46 minutes of sleep on average every single night – helping with concentration, motivation and productivity. Encourage Breaks Students who enter your workspace at 9am, leave at 9pm, and sit at their desk the whole time aren’t going to be studying or working productively. Putting up signs about the benefits of breaks, to help encourage them to leave their desks every once in a while. Research has found that “spacing” can really help with productivity levels: for example, revising for an hour over the space of a week is much more productive than studying for 7 hours straight. Signs that suggest students take a 15 minute break after every hour of revision can help them to go outside, have a stretch and look at a different view. Then, when they’re back, their brain will be ready for more revision. After all, studying is tiring, and it can be very easy to lose concentration. To conclude, there are many ways you can help your learning space to improve student productivity. These five tips don’t require much effort, but can help your students to enjoy higher levels of concentration, motivation, and of course… productivity.
New Health & Fitness College Finalist in International Learning Awards
Bluestone College, a vocational training provider, established for less than 2 years, is a finalist in the prestigious Learning Awards alongside Sky, Santander and EDF Energy Bluestone College, a vocational training provider that was started less than two years ago, with premises in Bournemouth, Coventry, Newcastle, Dudley, Henley-on-Arden, Manchester and Watford, has been shortlisted in the prestigious Learning Awards run by the Learning and Performance Institute. The college is a finalist in the Innovation in Learning category which recognises the achievements of companies that are finding new ways of engaging learners and creating environments that foster learning and develop capability in the workplace. Other finalists in their group include Sky, Santander and EDF Energy. Joe Turner, Bluestone’s Founder and CEO, said: “We are so proud and excited to be finalists in the Learning Awards and especially in such an important category. To be on the shortlist with such big household names is a real testament to the hard work and dedication of our office team and our tutors. The last 18 months have been extraordinary. We’ve had 167 students qualify, that’s a 94.2% pass rate. To now be recognised in the Learning Awards is just the icing on the cake!” Bluestone College provides vocational training courses in three core subjects: personal training; sports massage therapy; and exercise referral, for students across the age range from school leavers to professionals looking for a career change. Uniquely, they have partnered with The Village Hotel Group to provide their students and tutors with access to state-of-the-art fitness equipment and learning facilities. Based in Bournemouth, Bluestone currently has 6 learning centres across the UK with plans to open more in 2019. The Learning Awards are run and hosted by the Learning and Development Institute, the UK’s leading organisation for workplace learning professionals. The Awards, which have been running for more than 20 years, attract hundreds of entries from around the world, including many from well-known global brands. It’s a tremendous achievement for such a new company to make it to the finals. Joe continues: “We are really looking forward to the awards ceremony in February next year. That’ll be a great start to the new year for us. Of course, we’re hoping to come away with an award but, to be honest, to have already achieved so much in such a short time, we already feel like winners!” To learn more about Bluestone College and their courses, visit their website: https://bluestone.ac.uk/ or follow them on Facebook. For more information about the Learning Awards, go to: https://www.thelpi.org/events-2/learning-awards/
Former teacher writes books to help children with self-confidence issues
Eleanor Baggaley is using her life experiences to help children and their parents to deal with maths, self-confidence and goal-setting When Eleanor Baggaley received inspiration from two special people in her life, she didn’t realise that her journey was about to take her away from mainstream maths education to a life of self-employment, book writing and empowering children through her experiences. But now Eleanor has one children’s book published and has two more in the pipeline, all three named after her own children, Maya, Oscar and Ava. Originally from Warrington, Eleanor originally moved to the North East to attend university at Newcastle. Following a move to Scotland, Eleanor was involved in a motor accident which shook her confidence very badly. She suffered from months of anxiety as a result of the crash, which affected her life in every aspect. Eleanor moved back to the region settling in the Tyne Valley. She became a maths teacher at a small comprehensive school where she worked with several children who struggled both academically and with their confidence. One child, who sadly died from a brain tumour, provided Eleanor with the motivation and inspiration to leave mainstream education and focus on helping children with their self-belief, positive mindset and confidence. Eleanor said: “The car accident shook me up really badly and I struggled with anxiety for a long time afterwards. It was a tough time, but I didn’t give up. I just kept persevering because that’s what I’ve always done. I think that strength, combined with my later experiences of finding out my youngest child had Down’s Syndrome shortly after birth, has given me the push I need to make my new business venture really work. “My business name, The Snowdrop Story, came about because my other great inspiration in life was my Grandma – Snowdrops were her favourite flower and we planted them in our garden where we scattered some of her ashes to always have her near by.” As well as providing focused mathematics tuition, Eleanor specialises in intervention and self-belief coaching for children of school age. She provides a number of workshops for children who suffer from low self-confidence and are struggling in mainstream education. Her first book, called Maya the Unicorn, is named after her nine-year-old daughter. The book focuses on self-belief and how children can set goals, identify their dreams and focus on their strengths. “Maya is an incredible human being – she has her own business already and donates a percentage of her profits to two children’s charities because she shares my desire to help other people. We both donate money to CHUF and Down’s Syndrome NE on a regular basis because, after the birth of Ava, my youngest daughter, just four months ago, we have been on a journey to understand her diagnosis of Down’s and now we want to help other familiies in similar situations. “For the book, which aims to help children bolster their self-confidence, I chose a unicorn because they’re mythical creatures and no-one really believes in them – it’s the perfect creature to feature in this book. “The second book in the series in called Oscar the Dragon and is named after my six-year-old son. The third book is already in the pipeline and will be written for and about Ava, my baby.” For more information about Eleanor’s books, visit www.thesnowdropstory.co.uk
Gratnells confirms collaboration with Makeblock
Gratnells, providers of award-winning trays and storage systems used by schools in more than 60 countries worldwide, has confirmed its collaboration with Makeblock, the leading STEAM education solution provider, to supply classroom management and storage systems to the Chinese education market. Makeblock’s STEAM educational robotic kits and curriculum resources, currently used in more than 20,000 schools worldwide, will be housed in iconic Gratnells trays that are used and specified by leading school furniture manufacturers around the world. The product of choice for many STEAM kit makers, over 3 million Gratnells trays are sold each year, with over 50 million in regular use. Jasen Wang, Founder & CEO for Makeblock, said “Our partnership with Gratnells is truly a win-win as it has been met with a lot of enthusiasm from educators everywhere. We are always looking to collaborate with like-minded companies such as Gratnells, whose primary focus is improving children’s education.” For the past 40 years, Gratnells has partnered with international leading school furniture makers that create and commercialise furniture models using the tray storage system. “We are excited to be partnering with Makeblock as we continue to expand across educational environments”, said Spencer Randon, Commercial Director for Gratnells. “By packing Makeblock in a Gratnells tray, the deployment and storage of Makeblock becomes more efficient, allowing teachers to spend more time on what is truly important, which is teaching with the aim of improving learning outcomes.” www.gratnells.com www.learning-rooms.co.uk