Children suffering from heart-breaking effects of food poverty in Britain
Children are unfairly facing the effects of diet equality as the cost-of-living crisis sweeps the UK. Children living on the breadline are suffering due to chronic food inequality, according to scientific evidence presented at a British Nutrition Foundation conference. Case studies featured youngsters who shared the hardship of trying to maintain a healthy lifestyle when their parents are forced to choose between heating and eating. Variables such as too much access to cheap food outlets and not enough access to free school meals play a major role in contributing to diet inequality. Professor Corinna Hawkes, Director, Centre for Food Policy at the University of London described the issue as “critical and topical”. The latest government data shows that more than four million children are living in poverty across the UK as a result of austerity, the pandemic and the ongoing and spiralling cost of living crisis. Insufficient access to nutritious food is a key part of defining poverty or food insecurity, with children being some of the worst affected. The BNF shared findings of a study conducted by Professor Julie Brannen and Professor Rebecca O’Connell which found that half of parents living in low-income households sheltered their children from food insecurity by limiting their own food intake or skipping meals. While three quarters of mums said they bought or prepared meals that were ‘filling rather than nutritious’, by bulking out meals with cost-effective carbohydrates like pasta or rice. But the dependency on high sugar, high fat, convenient food only exacerbates the problem of diet inequality with young people and children, not developing tastes for ‘good or nutritious’ foods, it was heard today. In a poignant statement read by Prof Brannen, a boy called Jimmy said: “sometimes I go to bed hungry. I just started to grow and when I started to grow, I think my belly started to grow too”. That is why the importance of eating at school must not be overlooked, as several nutrition experts including Katie Palmer, Programme Manager for Food Sense Wales presented. Despite all children in Brannen and O’Connell’s study coming from low-income households, only half were entitled to free school meals. Many of these children said the allowances were not enough to fill them up and that they felt embarrassed by the smaller portion sizes they may receive compared to their classmates who paid. Those discrepancies brought about feelings of shame and embarrassment in children living on lower incomes, with some saying they felt singled out by staff and lunchtime supervisors. The effects of living hand to mouth stretch beyond its health implications, with the social ramifications rarely spoken about. Professor Hawkes, the host of the British Nutrition Foundation Annual Day said: “Food is about so much more than nutrition. It is hugely symbolic and plays a major role in people’s lives.” Furthering the discussion around the significance of Free School Meals in a struggling climate, attendees also heard about several other schemes across the UK which are striving to ensure children have access to healthy food, all year round. Sara Stanner, Science Director, British Nutrition Foundation said: “We recognise the need for all children to have access to healthier food in schools, alongside provision of good food and nutrition education which we support through our Food-a fact of life education programme”.
Practical strategies to help students navigate stress
Earlier this term, National Stress Awareness Day marked an important opportunity to reflect on the negative impact stress can have on a person’s physical and mental health as well as their general wellbeing. Young people in particular can feel significant stress when faced with the pressure of achieving at school and in their exams. In fact, 60% of young people have felt so stressed by the pressure to succeed that they have felt overwhelmed or unable to cope. This can place an enormous strain on schools, many of which are unequipped to deal with the rise in students struggling with everyday battles over their self-image, confidence, social media and unhealthy relationships. In order to support students and tackle these ongoing challenges, schools need to help them develop techniques to manage stress. Through our bespoke workshops, we teach young people techniques and practical strategies to navigate this stress and prioritise mental wellbeing. It is also important for us to explain in which situations each technique is best to use. Support with feeling overwhelmed In times of high stress, for example in the lead up to an exam or during times of conflict with friends, anyone, and especially young people, can feel overwhelmed. In this circumstance, students can use specific breathing techniques that seem simple but are extremely effective. This includes the well-known STOP technique which encourages young people to take a moment to be calm. The technique requires a person to stop what they are doing, take a breath and focus on something else, such as what is happening outside. Following this, students are normally ready to focus again and can be present in lessons. Furthermore, sometimes students take five minutes to blast their favourite song or dance it out like nobody is watching to distract them from the source of their stress long enough to be able to refocus and continue with their learning afterwards. It can also be difficult for young people to recognise the stages leading up to feeling overwhelmed, and then once they’re consumed with stress it can be hard to deescalate. For this reason, it is important teachers also support students to recognise why their stress is increasing too much and encourage them to undertake breathing techniques, and identify and tackle the problems which are overwhelming them Handling longer-term stress Additionally, schools should be promoting self-care in dealing with longer-term issues around stress. Students should be encouraged to sleep well and take time out of their day for activities that are good for their wellbeing, such as getting outside and doing something they enjoy. This can help young people manage their stress. Stress can have a real impact on the success of young people and so it is imperative schools do what they can to fully support students to handle overwhelming feelings. Providing them with the advice and top tips to deal with stress will support them throughout the rest of their education and beyond. By Yvonne Kekeliadis, Founder and Creator of Brightstarz
Teacher training providers and trainee teachers hit by cost-of-living crisis, according to NASBTT survey
The “very real” impact of the cost-of-living crisis on Initial Teacher Training (ITT) providers and trainee teachers has been revealed today (November 29) in new research undertaken by the National Association of School-Based Teacher Trainers (NASBTT). In her opening address at the NASBTT Annual Conference 2022, Executive Director Emma Hollis said that having battled through the recent ITT market review and reaccreditation process, rising costs and inflation were now directly hitting the sector. She reported that this year’s trainees are already withdrawing as a result of increased costs, and outlined the key aspects of ITT provision that are in danger of being cut. The survey, undertaken by NASBTT this month amongst over 80 ITT providers, found that: 93% of providers report the cost-of-living crisis, and rising costs, are having an impact on their ITT provision. When asked how their provision is being impacted key themes include the cost of travel for trainees proving to be prohibitive, trainees not applying or withdrawing, as well as staff and operating costs. Staff salaries, pay award increase and energy prices are the three rising costs causing providers the greatest concerns in their 2022-23 ITT budget. As a direct result, 48% of providers expect a budget shortfall this year and a further 34% believe this is a possibility. However, looking forward, 82% say it is ‘very likely’ or ‘likely’ that their provision will impacted further in 2023-24. Aspects of ITT provision that are in danger of being cut or affected as a result of rising costs are: Staffing (loss of staff or increased workloads due to being unable to recruit for need). Teaching/training resources. Payments to schools. Fewer face-to-face meetings/training. Potential closure of provision. 88% of providers report that the cost-of-living crisis, and rising costs, are having an impact on trainees. The three areas that trainees are most affected are fuel/transport; wellbeing and energy prices. Other areas include mortgages/rent, food and clothing. 47% of providers have had trainees already withdraw as a direct result of the cost-of-living crisis (ranging from 9 in 2 providers down to 1). 96% of providers are ‘concerned’ or ‘very concerned’ that more trainees may withdraw due to the cost-of-living crisis. When asked what would support them, key ideas and ‘requests’ for help include financial support (bursaries across all subjects and phases, childcare costs, hardship funds, transport costs etc), and funding staff wage increases for providers – most are linked to teacher pay so are facing increased staff costs with no corresponding increase in tuition fees. Outside of the cost-of-living crisis, 45% of providers state that the ITT market review and reaccreditation process has impacted the financial strength of their organisation. When asked ‘how’, the key themes are: Impact on time/capacity and workload with no additional staffing (it is simply unaffordable to recruit help). Risk of large national providers undercutting/competing in areas already struggling to recruit. Schools unable to meet the additional requirements of mentoring and removing offers of placements/requiring more funding. Costs associated with increased staffing to meet new quality requirements effectively – especially requirements around lead mentors and general mentor training – funding available does not cover the actual costs. Closure of provision. “We cannot ignore what we are seeing here,” Emma said. “These are worrying trends, and we have to acknowledge and respond to the very real threats in front of us today before we can really consider the future following the market review. “Trainee recruitment is already challenging. If we look at secondary, for example, Ministers are likely to miss their trainee teacher target for next year by a third, the ninth time in the past ten years that targets have been missed. Whilst I have repeatedly said that the glimmer on the horizon is this is all happening at a time of economic uncertainty – and history shows that during periods of economic difficulty there is generally a boom in applications for teacher training – clearly financially-hampered ITT providers and financially struggling trainees will not lead to a positive uplift on these gloomy recruitment figures. “We will be discussing these findings with government, and sharing these with other sector representatives, to draw attention to the issues raised and the workable suggestions being proposed by ITT providers through the survey.” In a wide-ranging speech, Emma also called on schools to “open their doors to trainee teachers, not just when they are recruiting new teachers but in supporting their training right from the start”, and highlighted the availability of time and capacity for mentoring that is “causing some concern for our sector”. The NASBTT Annual Conference, which this year is titled ‘Reflect, Connect, Refocus’, runs until 1st December. Speakers include the Department for Education, Ofsted, Chartered College of Teaching, Education Endowment Foundation, National Foundation for Educational Research, National Institute of Teaching, Teaching School Hubs Council and Teacher Development Trust.
Welsh broadband firm brings interactive STEM programme to south Wales schools
Pupils in the Vale of Glamorgan have become the first in Wales to benefit from new science education workshops provided by Wales’s home-grown internet company, Ogi. Delivered in collaboration with leading interactive education practitioners, Science Made Simple, the new programme brings broadband technology to life, helping schools to embed ultrafast connectivity and showcase the real-life application of STEM (science, technology, engineering, mathematics) subjects throughout the new curriculum. The initial pilot programme launched during the autumn term with three schools in Llantwit Major, coinciding with the completion of Ogi’s initial broadband works programme in the Vale of Glamorgan town. Classes of pupils from years 5-9 from Ysgol Gymraeg Dewi Sant, St Illtyd Primary School, and Llantwit Major Secondary School took part in the pilot, designed and delivered by Science Made Simple and engineers at Ogi. Sarah Vining, Head of Brand and Engagement at Ogi, said: “We talk a lot about the benefits of ultrafast broadband here at Ogi, and this initiative gives pupils the opportunity to build their own piece of the puzzle; learning more about the technology they use each and every day.” At Ysgol Gymraeg Dewi Sant, following an assembly that introduced using the electro-magnetic spectrum to transfer information – showing how light travels through fibre – pupils took part in an electronics workshop where they built and soldered their own slice of a network, emulating the delivery of data using a circuit board, resistors, capacitors, transistors and LEDs. Ms Pearson, year 5 teacher at Ysgol Gymraeg Dewi Sant, said: “We are always excited when there are opportunities to further develop science and particularly the STEM suite of subjects in our school. The interactive workshops provided ‘real life’ opportunities and the support Ogi offered during the session was so inspiring, thought provoking and gave pupils a tangible example of how electrical circuits are used in our everyday lives. “The echo of enjoyment, confidence and discussions following the session showed the impact the team had on all learners.” Session leader, Dan Reed from Science Made Simple, said: “It was great to see pupils getting stuck in, learning new skills like soldering, and seeing the theory in reality as the session went on. Their enthusiasm is so inspiring. Everyone left with a working kit to take home to show their families. We had lots of smiles by the end of the day.” Following the successful pilot, Ogi is now looking to expand the programme to schools across south Wales in 2023. Ogi’s Sarah Vining, added: “This is a generation who were heavily reliant on broadband and connectivity for home schooling, entertainment and support during the pandemic. So, while broadband is brilliant for gaming, and keeping in touch with friends, we want to create excitement about the technology behind the ‘magic’ too, inspiring a new generation of engineers and data scientists. “These groups have shown a real understanding and appreciation for the inner workings of a broadband connection, taking nothing for granted as they explore the science that continues to keep them connected to the world around us. “That’s why it’s essential we continue to help schools access opportunities like this, which demonstrate the real-life application of these vitally important STEM subjects.” The internet company is now using feedback from the initial pilot to help design the next phase of the programme roll out in 2023.
Voices of children previously excluded from school at heart of North-East conference
More than 200 delegates will listen to the voices of children and young people sharing their experiences of school exclusion and the impact it’s had on their lives. It’s hoped that the youngsters’ views, shared through a series of powerful films and aired at the University of Sunderland conference, will offer delegates a unique perspective of exclusion from the child’s perspective. Representatives from government, including Ofsted and the Department for Education, children’s services, charities, headteachers, teachers, parents, academic experts and educational psychologists, are among those attending. The showing of the films, funded by the University and UKRI (UK Research and Innovation), will be followed by in-depth discussions reacting to the views of the children, aged five to 16, and what can be done to transform the current education system. The Child and Young Person-Led Conference: Preventing School Exclusion is the result of five years of research work by University of Sunderland academic Sarah Martin-Denham, focusing on childhood adversities, SEND (Special Educational Needs and Disability) and school exclusion. Sarah has been working with over 200 children and young people from five Local Authorities in a range of educational provisions. Sarah says: “As a result of successful funding bids I have been able to launch various projects which capture the voices of children, who have shared what matters most to them. “The delegates will be able to watch nine films, facilitating a conversation on what we can do differently and how to make things better for these children. “Hopefully we can help improve provision for children across, through sharing an insight into their world. They are the heart of this conference.” She added: “We want children to be heard, it’s about listening, becoming more aware of how important their voice is and the influence their voice can have.” One of the research projects – the largest into school exclusions in England, found that major improvements are needed in the current system and has made a series of recommendations to prevent more pupils from losing out on their education. Commissioned by Together for Children Sunderland, which provides children’s services on behalf of Sunderland City Council, the study sought to provide clarity on the experiences of children at risk of exclusion or those permanently excluded from school and learn the factors leading to the exclusion and the impact on their lives, mental health and learning. One of the most concerning areas of the study was finding evidence of significant numbers of children, in some secondary schools, placed in isolation booths for large parts of the school year, compounding mental and physical health needs. Simon Marshall, Director of Education Services in Sunderland, said: “We’re pleased to have worked alongside the University on this project to better understand the experiences of young people who’ve been excluded from school. “It was crucial for us to put young people’s voices at the forefront of this project, as it enabled us to better engage with pupils and understand the impact that school exclusions have had on their learning, their experience of school, and their mental health. By listening to them, we can understand how we can support and develop services for young people in the future.” Delegates are encouraged to share the hashtag #pullupachair, tweet @SeeMeNorthEast and @blogsenco to promote the conference messages through their social media channels. The conference, at the Sir Tom Cowie lecture theatre, St Peter’s Campus, has been funded by the University of Sunderland Interdisciplinary Research Network Adverse Childhood Experiences and Together for Children. For more information or to register, email lynn.carr@sunderland.ac.uk
Esri UK provides mapping expertise for Department for Education’s major new climate project
Nature Park project will map grounds of every school, creating one vast nature park roughly twice the size of Birmingham. The Department for Education (DfE) has released further details of its National Education Nature Park, created to teach children about climate change and improve biodiversity across the country. Esri UK is providing a digital mapping platform and expertise in biodiversity mapping to help underpin this exciting initiative, first announced at COP26 by the Education Secretary. The National Education Nature Park will engage young people and teachers with nature, supporting them to play a driving role in mapping and monitoring biodiversity on their grounds using citizen science and, critically, taking action to enhance it. The DfE believe this could play an important part in increasing biodiversity across the education estate and have a real impact on halting the decline of nature in England. The Nature Park project will map, manage and enhance the grounds in every school, college or nursery in the country, creating one, vast nature park roughly twice the size of Birmingham. Students will have the opportunity to transform their green spaces into their own Nature Park and play leadership roles in studying, managing and enhancing biodiversity and climate resilience. To deliver the project, DfE has created a partnership led by the Natural History Museum working with Esri UK, the Royal Horticultural Society, the Royal Society, Royal Geographical Society, Learning through Landscapes, Manchester Metropolitan University and other supporting partners. The partnership will be working with Esri UK to devise digital tools for use by children and young people, such as mobile apps, enabling them to map the biodiversity of their school grounds and its improvement over time. “We are delighted to be working with the Department for Education and partners on the National Education Nature Park initiative,” said Stuart Bonthrone, Managing Director of Esri UK. “Biodiversity and environmental sustainability are at the heart of much of the work that Esri UK and our customers are involved in globally and we have a long-standing commitment to Education, providing our software free to schools in the UK and around the world. We are therefore particularly proud to be part of this initiative which closely reflects the core nature and values of our business.” In addition to improving biodiversity across the country and engaging young people in nature, the application of biodiversity mapping will help children and young people develop competences in mapping, numeracy and spatial awareness. The Nature Park will therefore help pupils and students to develop skills in data visualisation and analysis, encouraging analytical thinking and problem solving. The project is a perfect fit for Esri UK. For over 50 years, Esri has been committed to the conservation of the planet, developing geospatial solutions that help to protect it. In the UK Education sector, over 3,000 schools currently use its Geographic Information Systems (GIS) software as part of the Esri UK Education programme, which provides free access to its software, teaching resources and teacher training. The partnership will be creating a wealth of curated and quality assured information and teaching resources easily accessible to teachers to support them in delivering climate education across the curriculum. A new climate action award scheme will also recognise the work being undertaken in all education settings to protect green spaces and promote biodiversity. To find out more about the National Education Nature Park, schools and students can read the Department for Education’s blog and register for updates on the Natural History Museum’s website.
Socio-economic attainment gap remains stubbornly wide after pandemic, with reading skills particularly affected
EEF publishes findings from longer-term NFER study on the impact of the pandemic on younger pupils’ attainment. New evidence shows schools continue to face big challenges supporting socio-economically disadvantaged and low attaining pupils because of the COVID-19 pandemic. This is according to a major piece of research published by the Education Endowment Foundation (EEF) today, that tracks the longer-term impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on younger pupils’ reading and maths skills. The study, by the National Foundation for Educational Research (NFER), followed 6,000 pupils who were in Reception and Year 1 (four to six-year-olds) in March 2020 until the spring term of 2022. It investigated how this group of pupils’ attainment and social skills had been affected by disruptions to learning. Many children have caught up, but younger pupils still struggling with reading Today’s research finds that – on average – pupils who were in Year 3 in spring 2022 (seven and eight-year-olds) have caught up in both reading and maths compared with pupils before the pandemic. The picture is more mixed for Year 2 pupils (six and seven-year-olds). While these pupils have also – on average – caught up in maths, they are still behind in their reading by about three months. More very low attaining pupils in the typical classroom However, for some groups of pupils, learning recovery is proving more challenging. The researchers found an increase in the proportion of very low attaining pupils, particularly for reading. For Year 2 pupils, the proportion of very low attainers in reading more than tripled from 2.6 per cent before the pandemic to 9.1 percent in spring 2022. For Year 3 pupils, the proportion more than doubled from 2.5 per cent to 6.5 per cent. For maths, the proportion of very low attainment in Year 2 more than doubled from 2.6 per cent before the pandemic to 5.5 per cent in spring 2022. For Year 3 pupils, the increase was less pronounced, rising from 2.5 per cent to 3.9 per cent. In the typical Year 2 classroom, this means that there will be three very low attaining pupils for reading, compared to one before the pandemic. This creates additional challenges for schools and teachers, particularly those in disadvantaged areas with higher proportions of lower attaining pupils, as they work to provide targeted support for their pupils who are struggling. Socio-economic attainment gap is wider than before the pandemic and shows no sign of reducing An additional and significant challenge identified by today’s report is that the attainment gap between socio-economically disadvantaged pupils and their peers has widened since before the pandemic and has remained at a similar level since spring 2021. In Year 2, the disadvantage gap in spring 2022 was around six months’ progress for reading, and around five months’ progress for maths. For Year 3 pupils, the gap was even wider, at around nine months’ progress for reading and around eight months’ progress for maths. Headteachers concerned about their pupils’ wellbeing The research also investigated the impact of the pandemic on younger pupils’ social skills and wellbeing. Surveys with headteachers found that they were concerned about Year 2 and Year 3 pupils’ wellbeing, with many introducing interventions to tackle this, adding to teachers’ workload. Two-thirds (66 per cent) of schools surveyed said they were redeploying staff to support social skills and wellbeing, while a slightly smaller proportion (63 per cent) said they were running small-group wellbeing sessions. Targeted support important for socio-economically disadvantaged pupils, with reading a particular focus Today’s report provides yet more evidence that socio-economically disadvantaged pupils have been the worst affected by the partial school closures and highlights the importance of targeting support and funding at this group. The EEF would like the government to make sure that – as more pupils become eligible for pupil premium funding – the amount paid per pupil is protected, ideally increasing in real terms. Today’s findings also tell us that supporting reading development in younger pupils should continue to be an area of focus. The EEF has a suite of resources to support literacy development in Key Stage 1 and 2 pupils. These include a specialised guidance report complete with eight evidence-informed recommendations to help teachers maximise the impact of their literacy teaching. Relevant strands of the Teaching and Learning Toolkit also provide information around approaches to teaching early reading. Professor Becky Francis, CEO of the Education Endowment Foundation, said: “Today’s research gives us clear evidence that the efforts of schools and teachers across the country in supporting their pupils learning are paying off. It is encouraging to see that, on average, younger pupils are making good progress. “However, the findings add to a heavy body of evidence telling us that socio-economic inequality in education – already entrenched before the pandemic – has grown. Schools are doing – and have done – a lot to mitigate against this, but it would be naïve of us not to recognise that factors outside of the school gate – such a widening poverty – also play a significant part in the widening attainment gap. “Tackling education inequality – and the factors behind it – is the biggest challenge our education system faces. But doing so must be a top priority for this government. At the very least, pupil premium funding levels should be protected, ideally increasing in real terms for every eligible pupil.” Dr Ben Styles, Head of Classroom Practice and Workforce at NFER said: “The huge effort from teachers and school leaders appears to be leading to encouraging recovery amongst some of our youngest pupils, but the disadvantage attainment gap remains a real concern. “Schools which already face huge challenges are now faced with a large number of very low attaining pupils, particularly in reading, who have suffered most at the hands of the pandemic. It is essential that the National Tutoring Programme is protected from Government cuts and that funds are distributed in a way which directly supports disadvantaged
Use of non-specialist teachers in schools struggling with recruitment could have negative impact on learning
New research reveals the use of non-specialist teachers is more prevalent in schools facing teacher supply challenges, and that this is likely to have a detrimental impact on pupils’ education and learning. The data, covering schools in England, shows that among secondary schools finding teacher recruitment the most difficult, 62 per cent reported at least ‘some’ maths lessons being taught by non-specialists, 55 per cent for physics and 26 per cent for Modern Foreign Languages (MFL). This compares to 28 per cent for maths, 29 per cent for physics and 14 per cent for MFL in the schools that reported finding teacher recruitment the least difficult. The study, conducted by the National Foundation for Educational Research (NFER) and funded by the Nuffield Foundation, examines national and local level trends in teacher recruitment and retention in England. NFER surveyed nationally representative samples of senior leaders with responsibility for staffing in autumn 2020 (reflecting on the 2019/20 academic year) and autumn 2021 (reflecting on the 2020/21 academic year) to gather information about their experience of teacher recruitment, retention and what actions, if any, they had taken to manage shortages. It found that many secondary schools are facing recruitment challenges. School leaders were asked to rate the extent they were ‘unable to assemble a field of quality applicants’ (1 being ‘not at all’ and 8 being ‘to a great extent’). On average, secondary school leaders said 5 and primary school leaders 3.8. NFER School Workforce Lead and co-author of the report, Jack Worth, said: “The growing recruitment and retention challenges in England are likely to be having negative impacts on pupils’ education and learning. Under-recruitment to initial teacher training leads to school leaders facing teacher recruitment shortages, which they can mitigate to some extent by, for example, deploying non-specialist teachers or asking school leaders to take on more teaching. But these measures make school improvement harder right across the system. “We call on the Government to place a renewed focus on improving teacher recruitment and retention, to ensure a sufficient supply of teachers, and in turn, support the improvement of pupil outcomes in schools throughout the education system.” Josh Hillman, Director of Education at The Nuffield Foundation said: “Knowledgeable and inspiring teachers are vital for ensuring that every pupil receives a high-quality education. It is therefore of great concern that the report’s findings highlight how recruitment challenges are leading to an increased use of non-specialist teachers, particularly in schools struggling to hire teaching staff, and in particular parts of the country.” Other findings include: Quantity and quality of applicants to vacancies are particularly acute challenges for secondary schools, where recruitment of trainees to teacher training programmes has been below the target numbers required for many years. Schools that reported finding teacher recruitment the most difficult were considerably more likely than other schools to report recruiting less-experienced teachers than they would otherwise like, and more likely to employ more unqualified teachers then they normally would. Recruiting inexperienced or unqualified teachers may have negative implications for teaching quality. In the autumn 2020 survey, only 13 per cent of primary school leaders and 27 per cent of secondary school leaders reported that they could have afforded to recruit another teacher, regardless of whether they wanted to or not. As part of NFER’s research into England’s growing teacher recruitment and retention challenges, it has created a data dashboard, in partnership with the Nuffield Foundation, which will launch in December. The tool provides information on the nature of the recruitment and retention challenges, and their implications for pupils and schools in terms of teacher shortages, across different dimensions, including geography, subject and school types.
Brian Blessed Helps Schools Generate Up to £13K for Energy Bills Through Story Writing
The current energy crisis has seen bills rise by 54% in September 2022, and has been described as ‘worse than the pandemic’. As well as homes, the crisis is massively affecting schools, with price hikes threatening resources. To help schools in the crisis, actor and writer Brian Blessed, known for his portrayals in Flash Gordon and Blackadder, has teamed up with children’s education platform, BoomWriter in its latest campaign. Brian will be writing the first chapter of a story book, with schools across the UK finishing the entire book. The finished book will then be published by BoomWriter and sold, with all profits going towards school energy bills. Schools could individually receive up to £13k for their energy bills as a result. In addition, Brian will select his favourite book and visit the winning school in April 2023. Effects of the energy crisis on UK schools According to The Guardian, some schools have seen energy prices increase by 300%. The Guardian reported that, as a result, schools are looking to pay for the extra energy bills through existing funds, leading to cutbacks in school activities or even teachers themselves. Headteacher unions have even said that some heads have no choice but to pay for the extra costs by cutting staff hours, particularly teaching assistants. As a result, schools and both students and teachers are struggling, which is why Brian Blessed and BoomWriter decided to stand up. Brian Blessed said: ‘’I am delighted to be working with BoomWriter on this project, which will help schools across the UK in a time of need. As a longstanding member of the arts community, I am thrilled to be using my love of the written word to support students and teachers in the energy crisis, as well as encouraging students to pursue reading and writing. ‘’With enough involvement, this project has the capacity to dramatically change the state of UK schools during this time. No school should have to choose between delivering an excellent student experience and paying their energy bills.’’ BoomWriter and Brian Blessed combat the energy crisis BoomWriter has paired up with Brian Blessed in a bid to help schools manage the rising bills whilst still engaging their students. Brian has written a story prompt for classes to finish chapter-by-chapter, with each school putting its own spin on the story. Once the book is complete, BoomWriter will publish each book and give a copy to each student for them to sell, with all profits going to the schools to help their energy bills. From all participating schools, three finalists will be chosen, with Brian selecting his favourite story and visiting the winning school in April 2023. Schools across the UK are encouraged to sign up to BoomWriter for free now, and can start writing the book from 9th January 2023 until the 14th of March 2023. It’s estimated that if 30,000 students signed up, each school could receive around £13k to help towards their energy bills. This is based on £5.40 per book sold per student going back to the school. BoomWriter is an online platform that allows children to become published authors. Classes are given the beginning of a story and will complete it until they have a finished book. BoomWriter will then publish the book for students and families to keep. With BoomWriter UK pupils have an authentic audience for their writing – their classmates. Children peer review each others’ work anonymously to decide a class winner for each piece of writing. This provides fantastic motivation for pupils to not just write, but to write to the best of their ability. Sign up for Write to Raise here: https://boomwriter.co.uk/write-to-raise To find out more please visit: https://boomwriter.co.uk/