Is RE in schools a route to stopping the rise in religious hate crime?
Religious education isn’t part of the National Curriculum, but it is compulsory in all maintained primary schools. RE sometimes seems to be more like an add-on than an integral part of what takes place in the classroom. But learning about other faiths and beliefs is key to fostering tolerance in young minds. Is your child’s school embedding RE in learning? Former primary school teacher Emma Shingleton of education resource experts PlanBee has some great ideas. RE displays Look out for a display board, or even on a table tucked in a corner. Children can be engaged in designing the board, linking it to the RE theme being taught at the time. The board could even be given to a different group of children every half term to keep it updated. What about a small table displaying books and religious artefacts related to the theme/religion? A big question box is also a great addition. A shoe box covered in wrapping paper with a cut-out post hole would work fine. Children can be supplied with slips of paper that they can use to write big questions relating to what they are learning about and how it links to their own experiences. These questions can be discussed at the end of the day or saved for a dedicated lesson. Daily reflections Religious prayer is a time for reflection. One way to ensure RE is embedded in the classroom is to introduce a time each day where children are able to reflect, whether on their learning, how they are feeling or something that happened that day. This could become part of the daily routine. The teacher might even like to link this to a daily question based on a religious story. These could be provided or thought of by the children. Making connections Rather than thinking of RE as a stand-alone subject, it’s great if teachers create links across other subjects to embed the learning further. Some examples: • Geography: link learning about countries to their religions – e.g. the most popular religion in the UK is Christianity closely followed by Islam. • History: compare ancient religions to modern religions and how they have evolved and changed. • English: share and compare stories from different religions. • Maths: make links to religious stories such as calculating how much fish and bread would be needed to feed 5,000 children. • Science: when children are learning about animals and life cycles, this can be connected to beliefs about animals in other religions, such as animal symbolism in Hinduism. • Religious values can be related to school values. Making comparisons There are often two strands of objectives in RE – learning about religion and learning from religion. Being able to compare children’s learning to their own experiences is an important skill when learning about religions other than their own. What does it mean to learn ‘from’ religion? By the end of KS1, children should be able to talk about and suggest meanings behind different beliefs and practices, including some religious and moral stories, as well as being able to express their own ideas and opinions. By the end of KS2, children are expected to build on this learning by being able to reflect on and respond to the significance of the meanings of these beliefs and practices in addition to expressing their view on why having a faith may be valuable (within this, understanding that those with no faith also have a belief system). Celebrating religious days It is important to consider the diversity of the children in the classroom and celebrate a wide range of religious celebrations with them. Some of these could include: • Islamic festivals such as Eid al-Fitr, Eid al-Adha and Ramadan • Holidays from Christianity such as Christmas and Easter • Hindu festivals such as Diwali and Holi • Hanukkah and other religious celebrations from the Jewish faith
National Effort Required To Get Children And Young Adults Writing After A Wave Of Poor Literacy Results
Five to 18-year-olds across the UK are struggling to put pen to paper. As writing and literacy skills are so important to success both in school and post-education, a national effort is required to get children (enjoying) writing again, a campaign group says. Key Stage 2 SATs in 2022 showed the highest drop in writing with only 69% of pupils meeting the expected standard, down from 78% in 2019. The National Literacy Trust’s Annual survey of over 70,000 children showed the enjoyment of writing declining over the last five years with no sign of recovery. Young Writers has conducted several surveys with teachers this academic year and found the main reasons pupils struggle with writing is due to lack of confidence, inspiration, and meaningful impact – they don’t see the use of it. Director, Morgan Walton, said: “Since 1991 Young Writers has been committed to creating inspirational, free resources to give children and young adults a reason to write. In our latest survey 75% of children were more engaged with writing after getting involved in one of our competitions and 72% of parents agreed. We’re proud we can give kids a safe platform to be creative.” This summer children aged 4-18 are invited to take part in The Young Writers’ Annual Showcase. They can enter any piece of writing from poems and stories, to blog posts or plays and anything in-between. A prize of £100 per age category and the opportunity to be published gives children a purpose for their writing. Over the next four weeks Young Writers will publish a series of creative writing tips to help children and young adults craft their own piece, the first ‘How to write a blog’ is live now on their website and will be followed by ‘How to write a story’, ‘How to write an article’ and ‘How to write a script’. Parents can sign up to receive the free tips at www.youngwriters.co.uk/subscribe. Young Writers will be reaching out to other businesses urging them to support the encouragement of creative writing and help bridge the gap the pandemic has exacerbated. “Literacy is not a luxury, it is a right and a responsibility.” Teachers can request free postal resources here: www.youngwriters.co.uk/info/teachers/resources-sign-up
Dramaworks helping schools with drama teaching and exam-oriented resources
Dramaworks has been trading for twenty-one years and now has 48 drama resources geared to examinations at 16 and 18 plus, as well as numerous plays, including many especially written for examination purposes. There are also resources aimed at the lower end of secondary schools which will ensure that all the relevant work for future examinations are covered. All resources, excluding some of the plays, are written by Jeni Whittaker, a former Chief-Examiner, who has also been a professional actor and director as well as having taught, and pilot-taught, syllabuses at the top end of schools and colleges. For many years Jeni also travelled around the UK with workshops on practitioners, set texts and more general performance and theatre techniques. Her working life has given her a set of skills spanning both education and theatre which make these resources unique in their quality and usefulness. Twenty-six of the Dramaworks’ resources are on texts that are commonly studied at Advanced exams such as A level and the IB though some crop up at GCSE also. The plays include older classics such as Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream and The Tempest, Marlowe’s Doctor Faustus, Sophocles’ Antigone and Euripides’ Trojan Women and more modern ones such as Berkoff’s Metamorphosis and Wertenbaker’s Our Country’s Good. There are also resources on plays by Brecht, Arthur Miller, Lorca, Ibsen, Chekhov and many others, old and new. Every play is thoroughly covered from an actor’s, a director’s and a designer’s perspective. Different pathways of approach are suggested, such as a Physical Theatre approach, an Epic Theatre approach or a Naturalistic one, so that students can make their own choices. This approach helps students and teachers to fit a play to a particular practitioner’s style, from the vast list currently suggested by exam boards. No resource dictates what, say, an actor MUST do, but encourages experimentation, trial and error, throughout. All plays studied go through the whole text from beginning to end and make suggestions for follow-ups, themes and the types of question that may be asked. There are a large number of resources on practitioners also. Practitioners covered are: Stanislavski, Brecht, Artaud, Grotowski, Peter Brook, Boal, Laban, Lecoq, Barrault, Berkoff and Kneehigh Theatre. The approach to these is, like all of Jeni’s work, ‘through practice.’ Jeni believes absolutely that students remember what they DO, backed up by what they read and hear. In this spirit, study of every practitioner is done practically, trying and testing every theory and approach the practitioner holds to. Each section starts with a clear explanation of a theory followed by creative exercises to try each one out in the class, after which there is discussion and written diary work is suggested to keep tabs on what has been learned. A number of resources deal with more general subject matter. These include Devising Skills, Exploring Physical Theatre, Performing Text, a practically-based history of theatre called Understanding Drama, plus shorter resources to help with understanding the difference between Genre, Style and Context and with the Reviewing of Plays. Again, this is not a full list and as always, even when the subject-matter will lead to a written component in an examination, much of the content in all of these resources is ‘through practice.’ And yes, there is some material that can be used for lower down the school: there are complete year-long lesson-plans suitable for Years 7, 8 and 9. These were written in answer to many requests from drama teachers who were so busy teaching exam classes non-specialist teachers had been handed the task of teaching drama to the lower school. The Drama Plans, therefore, can be followed pretty slavishly and if done that way will ensure that students going into a drama examination class at a later date will have all the skills they need at their disposal. Apart from the resources written by Jeni Whittaker, the Dramaworks website hosts a large number of plays, seven of which were written by Jeni, but most of which are written by others. There are plays there for all ages, including a few for primary schools. Of the others, some are long and suitable for the school-play but more of these are specifically written for exam purposes, both for GCSE and for more Advanced levels. They have proved very popular. Those written for advanced examination purposes have ISBN numbers, as cited by some of the exam boards. There are many sample pages offered when you look at the site, so that an informed choice can be made. The Dramaworks resources are treasured by teachers and the practical methods suggested have proved so successful that one Chief Examiner told Jeni a few years ago that she had single-handedly turned drama-teaching around from being book and desk based to being taught largely through practical means. There are a large number of free resources now available on the web but none offer such full, careful and accurate explorations of their subject matter as these. The full catalogue of Dramaworks resources can be found at: www.dramaworks.co.uk where the Store offers digital downloads or hard copies can be ordered directly from Jeni. Any questions to Jeni can be addressed to: jeni@dramaworks.co.uk
Major Failings Uncovered Across UK Schools During COVID-19 Closures
At a time when the effect of COVID-19 on learning outcomes is attempting to be measured, policies and professional development in education specialist Dr Ryan Thomas Williams is speaking out to end the assumption that remote and in-person learning experiences were equivalent during school closures. The University of Sunderland Associate Lecturer has uncovered major failings in leadership across UK schools during the pandemic, particularly in relation to the differing experiences of children learning in school, and from the home. Between March – July 2020, it is estimated that up to 10% of children were still attending school in person, either as dependents of designated key workers, or due to the presence of additional learning needs. Having undertaken significant research into this particular area, Dr Williams reports an underlying leadership crisis in schools surrounding internal policies and the inconsistencies in how these policies applied to children in school, and to remote learners. For example, Dr Williams’ research found that behavioural policies in the remote setting did not align with those policies that were being utilised within the school environment, such as the prohibition of mobile phones in school, and the encouragement of those same devices for remote engagement. Similarly, Dr Williams noted that while schools have traditionally fought against the use of social media, they often relied on this for remote communications. One of the most concerning failures noted by Dr Williams, however, is the decline in continuing professional development (CPD) during school closures. From the start of the pandemic, teachers were forced to shift their approach from the long established method of face-to-face teaching to a much more contemporary and alien method of delivering lessons online. And with UK schools being closed for longer than those in most other countries, teachers spent 44% of their time teaching online, often without necessary support. While the research by Dr Williams concludes that many schools did implement new technologies to help support remote learners, the CPD sessions that were run alongside these new implementations were focused more on the technology itself – what it was, and what it did – rather than on the pedagogical side of things – how educators could use that tech to teach. This is something very close to Dr Williams, who has previously penned an Engineering International article exploring the vital importance of continuing professional development as a key component of educational success. Ultimately, Dr Williams’ research concludes that, while school leaders have traditionally focused on ‘getting the job done’, this approach did not prove beneficial during the pandemic. Dr Williams firmly believes that leaders have shied away from making important decisions during the global health crisis, and that a willingness to change could have improved learning outcomes. Dr Williams, who has previously served as an educational consultant, says, “Whilst it is difficult to criticise school leaders and their role and responsibility during a pandemic, the general idea or value of just trying to finish the job is relevant in discussions around TEL. I believe that professional development is underdeveloped in schools, particularly with regards to technology. School leaders tend to focus on the ‘wow factor’ of technology, such as the cost implications of iPads on the school budget. There is little thinking about how teachers can teach with that new technology in a truly transformative way”. The UK Government notes that there were ‘wide disparities in young people’s home learning experiences’ during the pandemic. And while a significant part of that disparity certainly comes from a child’s home situation – for example, whether they had access to technology and devices, as well as parent support – the differing abilities of schools and teachers to provide the necessary learning experience to home learners must also be considered. It has become abundantly clear that, on the whole, the ability of teachers to deliver the in-school experience to home learners was not especially high, with the United Nations reporting that ‘teachers across the globe were largely unprepared to support continuity of learning and adapt to new teaching methodologies. This sentiment is backed by research showing that 70% of primary and 60% of secondary teachers were forced to postpone or cancel their CPD during the pandemic, and that the majority felt that they needed additional support to use the technologies being implemented by schools. So what does Dr Williams advise to address these failings? “I recommend that school leaders present opportunities for professional development to be focused on solid pedagogical strategies rather than on the technology itself. In this way, teachers will be able to adapt to the changes and developments that new technologies may bring and prepare themselves for the future”. To find out more about Dr Williams, visit https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7708-8907 or follow on Twitter: https://twitter.com/WilliamsR_T
Digital T Levels at a fork in the road
Two years into the flagship T Level programme would normally be an ideal time to review, take stock, and plot a clear route forward. When those two years coincided with a world-wide pandemic that massively impacted on face-to-face teaching, never mind the practicalities of lengthy work experience placements, the ‘big picture’ is much harder to clarify. This article is an effort to see through the mist to the way ahead for digital T Levels as they increasingly become the focus of post-16 technical study. England’s Department for Education has built great expectations for the digital T Level to provide a skilled workforce in high-growth areas including web development, games design, data analysis and IT support. With employers in these fields pointing to skills gaps, the need for such a qualification is obvious. In IT, however, existing qualifications such as Level 3 Diplomas and BTECs have a long and successful history, with teaching firmly embedded in many colleges and other post-16 institutions. The switch to T Levels has been met with caution but appears to be gathering pace as the threat to end some established IT applied courses becomes more real. The providers that have jumped on board the T Level steam train offer a range of reflections. Many express satisfaction with the rigour and modernity of the specifications for the three digital T Levels: Digital Production, Design and Development; Digital Business Services; and Digital Support Services. The investment in modernising teaching facilities is broadly welcomed, and staff seem to enjoy teaching in them. There have been challenges too, mainly related to the extended work placement of around 45 days. This aspect of the qualification was eyed nervously from the outset by anyone with responsibility for arranging work experience placements, acknowledging how much demand this would place on even the most supportive employer. While ministers claim that 90% of the first cohort of 1,300 students found a placement, some with ‘virtual’ components, there must surely be some adaptation to ensure that all students benefit. Allowing more than two employers to share the placement period, or changing expectations around attendance and supervision, are two of the changes requested by some providers in the first wave. There are calls for a review of the employer project which, say some, repeats aspects of the course content and creates unnecessary time pressures. These teething issues ought to be expected and all are solvable if the will is there. A more significant barrier to the success of T Levels is a lack of understanding of technical qualifications among employers whose support is critical to this learning route. Providers need time and support to engage with local employers – to advocate for the new qualification and increase its perceived value; and to collaborate on curriculum design, industry placements and project briefs. The up-to-date subject knowledge that employers can provide, while highlighting rewarding local careers, are part of a partnership package that could make T Levels a massive success. If digital apprenticeships, HE qualifications, and employer training programmes become filled with diverse, skilled and informed young people, then that success will be worthy of celebration. For resources, CPD and connections to STEM professionals to support with digital T Levels, you can visit the STEM Learning website at www.stem.org.uk/QADT By Dave Gibbs, Senior subject specialist computing & technology at STEM Learning
Art Workshops and Teacher Training for Primary Schools
Hi, my name is Christine and I run the Art Room. I used to work as a primary school teacher and now I specialise in supporting schools to teach art and DT. This is usually carried out as part of a whole school inset session, where I can target a few key areas of improvement. Another very valuable part of my job is the one-off workshops I offer. These allow children to learn a new and exciting craft. I am always on the lookout for new crafts to offer, but at the minute I teach willow weaving, felt making, paper making and mosaics. Each one can be adapted for children in foundation, key stage 1 and key stage 2. I have also visited a few special schools and run workshops specifically tailored to their needs. Many schools link their projects to their topic work, art week or leavers projects. To find out more, here is a bit of information about each one. Willow Weaving There are two willow weaving workshops which I offer; living willow and dried willow. When the willow is fresh (from January to March) I can work with the children to plant willow to form a den or tunnel. During the spring and summertime, the willow will grow and you will have a lovely new feature as part of your school grounds. To make a willow sculpture out of dried willow can be timetabled at any point throughout the year. I have worked with many schools in the past, making willow wreaths at Christmas time, weaving crosses to celebrate Easter and designing trees and other logos for Year 6 leavers projects. Many schools timetable a number of classes throughout the day, so lots of children can get the chance to take part. Wet Felting Wet felting is a great craft to involve the whole school. Using merino wool, it is possible to design and make a picture of almost anything. Also, my workshops can be adapted for children in foundation up to year 6. There is even the opportunity for the work to be sewn into a wall hanging for you to display in school. Past projects include investigating the seasons, landscapes, oceans, nature and characters from books. Paper Making Learning to make recycled paper is a fantastic way to instal an understanding of the importance of recycling. In this workshop the children make their own recycled paper and decorate it according to the topic; this could be learning about the rainforest or a cross-curricular link such as Remembrance Day or Christmas. Mosaics Creating a mosaic is a great way to mark a special occasion at your school. I can work with you and the children to plan, design and make a mosaic. This could be to represent your school values or simply to brighten up an area in your school. If your children are learning about the Romans, I even have a special mosaic workshop linked to the topic, where the children can make a Roman numeral out of mosaic tiles. Art and DT inset In addition, I also offer inset sessions, where I will help your staff master teaching art and DT and show them lots of new skills which they can use in the classroom. The inset sessions are very practical and alongside doing some painting and drawing during the class, staff will identify the key skills to teach art successfully. All resources are included in the session. Well-being Inset My latest, and what I expect is going to become one of my most popular sessions, is the willow weaving inset class. Here, staff will learn how to weave with willow and will make their own willow creation to take home. The most popular things to make are hearts, stars and bird feeders. To get in touch, fill out the contact form on my website: www.art-room.co.uk/contact or take a look at my latest updates on Twitter, Facebook or Instagram
Financial education charity reaches over 100 primary schools in one year
In the first year since launching, The Centre for Financial Capability, a charity aimed at strengthening financial resilience for children and young people, has been working with MyBnk, a specialist financial education charity, to provide crucial financial education lessons to over 100 schools. Research has shown that money forming habits and behaviours begin at the age of 7, so it is vital that financial literacy and capability is included at primary level. Topics include saving and budgeting but the core is to build the confidence, resilience and skills underlying positive money attitudes and behaviours. The Centre for Financial Capability, backed by a coalition of major UK financial institutions, focuses on the provision, delivery and research of financial education in primary schools. The charity was created in July 2021, and since then has reached over 3,500 primary-aged children in partnership with MyBnk. Many parliamentarians, including the Chancellor, have visited primary schools in their own constituencies to see the financial education sessions in action. After a successful first year as a charity, the Centre will continue to support delivery of financial education programmes and to raise awareness of the need for expanded financial capability across the UK. The charity has also been campaigning the Government to direct some of the unclaimed money from the Dormant Assets Scheme to fund primary financial education. Jane Goodland, Trustee of the Centre for Financial Capability, said: “I am delighted with the tremendous successes achieved by the Centre in its first year. Over 100 primary schools across the country have received this award-winning financial education programmes, funded by the Centre. Evidence proves that delivering financial education lessons at a young age can build better financial resilience skills and confidence, and I am proud that the Centre has continued to make a positive impact on young people’s lives. I look forward to the continuous growth and achievements for the second year!” Guy Rigden, CEO of MyBnk, said: “Providing financial education lessons to primary-aged children has a powerful and positive impact on their lives, and the programmes provide a platform to showcase good practice. I’m enthused to continue working with the Centre to deliver these vital lessons and provoke systemic change.”
Coppice Primary School awarded the Eco-Schools Green Flag certificate
Oldham-based Coppice Primary School has been awarded the Eco-Schools Green Flag Certification having demonstrated its commitment to encouraging good environmental behaviour amongst pupils and within the local community. The Eco-Schools awards have international accreditation; recognising and rewarding young people’s environmental actions for over 25 years. Their aim is to empower young people to take care of our planet now and throughout their lifetimes. Coppice successfully achieved the bronze award in 2018, silver in 2019, and then began its Green Flag journey in September 2020. The school is now required to reapply for the certificate every two years and to prove that they are running as an eco-school. The Eco-Schools team reported that the school had “clearly taken great efforts to connect your energy/litter and healthy living projects happening across the school and embedding work into the curriculum and everyday school life in a really impactful way.” Eco-initiatives across the school over the academic year included ‘Switch Off Fortnight’, ‘The Big British Spring Clean’, the ‘Big Battery Hunt’ and a new ‘healthy snack’ policy. The children also enjoyed improving the local environment through litter picking; creating habitats for mini-beasts; learning about the wider environment and current global issues. Andrew Hulmes, Headteacher of Coppice Primary Academy, said: “Working towards the certification has been amazing fun for the students and staff alike, they have all embraced every aspect of working towards the award. “There were some real highlights over the last year including the Big Battery Hunt in June, children were encouraged to bring in used batteries to be recycled, all whilst learning about renewable energy and rechargeable batteries. “A really fun day for the students and teachers was switch off day last year, all classes turned their lights off and teachers used alternative teaching activities which didn’t require the use of energy.” Coppice Primary School forms part of the Focus-Trust – a charitable primary schools trust which is based in the North-West of England and West Yorkshire with a vision of providing great schools at the heart of communities where children thrive, achieve and succeed.
Explosive fun: free virtual trip for students to experience the volcanoes of the Canary Islands
Schools across the UK are being invited to sign-up for a free virtual and interactive lesson to round-off the summer term and ‘whisk’ students to experience the volcanoes of La Palma, Canary Islands. The immersive lesson aims to bring geography and the work of scientists to life in the classroom, as students get to meet a local volcanologist and hear about his important work keeping people safe. The online lessons will be delivered live over Zoom by immersive learning resource, Lyfta, and will take place on Wednesday 6th July and Friday 8th July with sessions to suit older and younger learners. The session incorporates a human-centred short documentary film and interactive learning environments so students can virtually explore and take in the sights and sounds of an active volcano, the scientists’ control room and the local church. Students will need to tread carefully as they walk in the shoes of the volcanologist and his team, learning about key geology concepts such as why volcanoes erupt, rock cycles and what causes volcanoes to appear in certain parts of the world. Despite a career in science offering incredible variety and opportunities to make a positive impact on the world, many young people are unaware about the career options in the industry. Part of the challenge is a lack of accessible work experience opportunities, particularly for young people living in remote and disadvantaged regions in the UK. For example, research by the British Science Association found that 29 per cent of young Londoners would consider a career in science, compared to just 17 per cent of young people in the North East. Without these opportunities to experience the world of STEM, it is difficult for young people to aspire to a career in the science field. Serdar Ferit, co-founder and co-CEO at Lyfta, said: “Our aim is to provide experiences that give every student equal opportunities to experience new things and develop their cultural capital, no matter their geographic location or background. Through immersive storytelling, students can virtually travel to the Canary Islands and experience a day in the life of a science professional, ask questions and find out more about volcanology.” “The free, immersive lessons provide teachers with a fun way to supplement geography content and bring learning to life for students, particularly those who might be curious about what a scientist does and how they started in the field. Being able to apply theory and knowledge to real-world scenarios is essential if we want to inspire the next generation of brilliant science thinkers and innovators.” The free, immersive lessons will take place on Wednesday 6th July for primary schools and Friday 8th July for secondary schools. For more information and to register a class for the live, “We live amongst volcanoes” lesson, please visit: https://www.lyfta.com/blog-storage/end-of-term-primary-activities