History brought to life at The London Bridge Experience
Step down in to the vaults of the original London Bridge with The London Bridge Experience, an immersive walk-through experience featuring live actors who will take you on a journey to relive and meet all the characters from the past 2,000 years of its history. Travelling back in time to an age of adventure, guests will uncover the dark secrets that lie beneath the world’s most famous and haunted Bridge. Moving through the experience you will encounter some of London Bridge’s gruesome characters from its past including William Wallace and Jack the Ripper and hear the tales from the Great Fire of London and join Queen Boudica and the Iceni tribe to take over Londinium. Then for those brave enough; laugh, scream and jump whilst going through the UK’s best scare attraction or for an alternative the class could join our fun headmaster for a further history lesson on London Bridge and the secrets it holds. It’s funny, historical and educational, making learning easy. Because of this the London Bridge Experience welcomes many educational groups every year and is an invaluable lesson in history covering a number of curriculum topics. Join us for a multi-sensory experience, you will see, hear and even smell what London Bridge was really like through its 2,000-year history. This really will be an unforgettable school trip and memorable lesson we can offer students hot food and beverages at our in-house restaurant. To book your school trip contact sales@tlbe.co.uk or telephone 0207 403 6333 Web: https://www.thelondonbridgeexperience.com
Government regulator to investigate ESS moving schools on to three-year contracts
The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) is investigating whether education software company ESS is abusing a dominant position to push schools into accepting a new three-year contract. The investigation will assess concerns around a contract change made by Education Software Solutions Ltd Group (ESS) – the largest provider of school management information systems in the UK. The company is requiring its customers to move from one-year contracts to three-year contracts and the CMA is considering whether schools were given sufficient time to consider their options, such as moving to an alternative provider instead of renewing with ESS for the full three years. The CMA said it was concerned that this change makes it more difficult for alternative providers to compete with ESS to win business. In the UK, most state schools are required to have a management information system in place. These systems are used to handle student information, such as attendance and safeguarding. Some schools have told the CMA that the process for selecting an MIS is often lengthy and can involve complex procurement steps. The CMA will be considering all relevant issues, including the concerns raised by schools and whether it should be imposing interim measures while its investigation is ongoing. Ann Pope, Senior Director of Antitrust at the CMA, said: “We have heard concerns regarding ESS’s contract changes. Thousands of schools rely on management information systems and their choice of supplier should not be restricted. The duration of the ESS contract has been significantly extended and schools should be able to pick the best provider for their needs. “While ESS has made some changes to its original position, such as the introduction of a possible 6-month break clause, some schools tell us this is still not enough time. A formal investigation will allow us to consider this matter properly.” As part of its investigation, the CMA will also consider the pricing of some ESS product packages – specifically, it will look at how ESS’s management information system product is being sold alongside its financial management software. This could encourage customers to buy both products and deter customers moving away from ESS. The CMA is concerned that, by adopting such a pricing strategy, market players that only offer one of these services may be unable to compete, potentially leading to an uncompetitive market in future. More information is available on the Investigation into the conduct of ESS case page https://www.gov.uk/cma-cases/investigation-into-conduct-of-education-software-solutions-limited
Children’s author Sarah Morrell announces free end of Primary event
A children’s author is hosting a free online event for up to 100 primary schools to celebrate their next adventure to secondary school. West Yorkshire author Sarah Morrell and Hashtag Press are will be talking about her new book ‘A Head Full Of Magic’ on 16th June 2022. Sarah swapped criminology for children’s books and since signing with prize-winning independent publishing house Hashtag Press, based in south-east England, she hasn’t looked back! Released this week, A Head Full of Magic is already getting rave reviews from the fiercest of critics – children – as well as librarians, booksellers, parents and teachers. This middle grade fantasy fiction about the last term of Primary School, is sure to be a big hit with readers aged 8-11, particularly those who enjoy books by J K Rowling and Maz Evans. “A laugh-out-loud, middle-grade story with a mixed raced protagonist who can talk to animals. A young Dr Dolittle – perfect for children seeking a story bursting with magic!” Fleur is used to balancing her two different cultures – from her English Mum to her West Indian Nan – but when she discovers that she can talk to animals she finds herself in a whole new world! Can her new powers help her take down Celeste ‘The Best’ the hockey-loving, ankle-smashing new girl, once and for all? “I read this book in 24 hours, it’s the fastest I’ve ever read a book, and the first book I’ve finished so far this year. I loved Sir Barclay and Fleur’s adventures!” – Macy Lewis, 11 years old, Kent, England In honour of the last term of Primary School, after a crazy couple of years thanks to Covid for these young students, and to celebrate their next adventure on to Secondary School, Sarah and Hashtag Press are hosting a free online event for up to 100 schools across the country on 16th June 2022. For more details: https://y6aheadfullofmagicevent.eventbrite.co.uk About the Author Sarah lives in West Yorkshire and worked as a Criminologist until she fell in love with writing and quickly swapped a life with crime for a life with rhyme! She is married with three awesome kids who keep her on her toes whilst she is plotting and sharing her latest stories. Sarah has self-published two picture books. ‘The King and the Cockerel’ was a finalist in the Wishing Shelf Book Awards in 2018 and ‘Molly’s Magic Brolly’ picked up a Silver Award in 2019. She is currently working on a number of middle grade and children’s picture books and has a couple of book club novels up her sleeve too. When she is not writing, she loves nothing more than to run, bike or swim in the hills of Holmfirth and recently entered her first Triathlon. Next New Year’s Eve, she will not be making any sports related resolutions… Sarah is an active SCBWI Member and a Volunteer Ambassador for Candlelighters Charity.
Only half of UK parents read with their child every day, according to recent data
A new report for Nick Jr. by the National Literacy Trust shows that fewer parents engaged in home learning activities during lockdown compared with pre-pandemic levels. Research suggests that about 1 in 5 parents said they had struggled with a lack of confidence in their abilities as a new parent during the pandemic. Our Early Words Together programme improves parents’ confidence to support their child’s literacy activities at home Only half of parents said that they read with their child at least once a day in 2021, compared with two thirds in 2019 A quarter reported that they did not chat with their child at least once a day, compared with a tenth in 2019 Research shows that improving young children’s pre-school language skills could boost the UK economy by up to £1.2 billion over the course of their lifetimes Nick Jr. and Blue’s Clues & You! are partnering with the National Literacy Trust to run Early Words Together programmes to combat the issues arising from underdeveloped communication skills in children A report compiled for Paramount as part of a wider partnership between the National Literacy Trust and Blues Clues & You! shows that parents of young children engaged in fewer home learning activities in 2021 than did in 2019 – despite spending more time with them at home during the coronavirus lockdowns. A survey conducted for the National Literacy Trust in 2021 asked 1,562 parents of children aged up to five-years-old across the UK about how often they carried out seven key home learning activities: reading, chatting, playing, singing, painting/drawing, looking at the alphabet and playing outside the home (e.g., at a library or play group). The findings revealed an overall trend of fewer parents engaging in all seven home learning activities in 2021 compared to in 2019, despite spending greater periods in the home and with their children due to restrictions put in place to fight COVID-19. The study asked parents about their activities over the previous week finding that a quarter of parents reported that they didn’t chat with their child every day in 2021, compared to ten per cent in 2019. Similarly, only half of parents said that they read with their child at least once a day in 2021 compared with two thirds in 2019. The negative effect of COVID restrictions on the learning development of young children has been established by studies such as new Ofsted report (2022), which looked at education recovery in early years providers, and found that the pandemic had affected children’s communication and language development. The Education Endowment Foundation’s study echoed this, revealing the negative effect of pandemic restrictions on the vocabulary development of young children due to children being less exposed to conversations and everyday experiences in more typical education settings. Further research by Pro Bono Economics (Kerr & Franklin, 2021), commissioned by KPMG UK in collaboration with the National Literacy Trust and BBC Tiny Happy People, has shown the wider societal impact that improving young children’s pre-school language skills could have, reporting an economic boost of up to £1.2 billion to the UK economy over the course of their lifetimes, while failing to support these children could cost up to £327 million for each cohort of three-year-olds over the same period. In response to this growing problem, Nick Jr. and Blue’s Clues & You! are partnering with the National Literacy Trust to run Early Words Together programmes in some of the most-affected areas in the country. With toolkits and activities inspired by Blue’s Clues & You!, the programmes are proven to help children’s early language and communication and phonological awareness skills. In addition, a further 500 Early Years Settings nationwide will receive free Blue’s Clues & You! learning materials and activity guides to improve their skills within their setting and at home to build parent’s confidence as their child’s first teacher and help their children be ready for school. Venetia Davie, Vice President, U.K. & Ireland at Paramount Consumer Products said: “The Early Words Together programme is a wonderful way for young children across the UK to have fun with their favourite Blue’s Clues & You! characters whilst learning vital language and communication skills to help them prepare for school and beyond. “The findings of this research have highlighted the impact of COVID restrictions on children’s language development and we’re determined to be part of the solution by creating a series of creative toolkits and activity guides built around children’s curiosity and appetite to learn new things.” Kirsty Cunnington, Programme Manager for Early Years at the National Literacy Trust comments on this exciting new programme, saying that “The pandemic has had a drastic impact on families with young children, with early years vocabulary and social development hit particularly hard and jeopardising their future development for decades to come. “During this difficult time, parents and carers have been unable to access key support networks that can give them the confidence and knowledge to create a strong home learning environment. The Early Words Together programme is dedicated to reaching and supporting parents and carers to create an engaging and lively home learning space and giving them the knowledge and skills to confidently help young children overcome the obstacles of the last two years.” Read the full report at https://literacytrust.org.uk/early-language-skills-the-role-of-the-home-learning-environment-and-emerging-insights-into-the-impact-of-the-pandemic
Are you integrating PSHE and emotional wellbeing across your curriculum?
Be Ofsted ready with ZunTold publications and teaching guides. Available from Peters and other leading educational distributors. Face in the Mirror – A teaching manual to support students’ mental health, was published by ZunTold, a specialist publisher of texts supporting mental health and the PSHE curriculum. It contains 54 poems, collated around 11 themes of wellbeing, detailed commentaries and curriculum specific lesson plans. Accompanying the teaching manual is a students’ guide. At 410 pages, the teaching manual retails for £60 but with discounts to schools available and with cross-curricular approach, it is an excellent investment for the English and PSHE department. Written by Judy Morris, who taught as a classroom teacher for over twenty-five years before she became a headteacher, Judy’s experience includes specialisms in English, special educational needs and disability (SEND), and personal, social, health and economic education (PSHE). Judy explains, ‘Poetry is an ideal form for developing speaking & listening skills and can be taught as part of the key reading, writing and speaking and listening areas of language development. But its effect and educative value are not limited to language development. Poetry can have a positive impact on the social and emotional learning of young people, and can provide them with a healthy outlet for their emotions as well as a means of accessing and understanding those feelings.’ Judy Morris has written a unique teaching guide, intended to help young people to explore issues associated with mental health, wellbeing and relationships. The lesson plans provide opportunities for young people to talk about worries and concerns, to see their connections with others and with the world around them, and to empathise with others. The aim is to move away from stigmatising mental health problems, a state of affairs that still persists in society, and to be able to talk about mental health and wellbeing issues in a normalised, accepting and supportive forum. Judy Morris is available for teacher training workshops and student workshops – topics such as how to integrate pupil wellbeing into an already busy curriculum, or Plugging the Covid gap; restoring fluency through poetry and many others. We would be happy to send schools a detailed guide of what is available for schools and the publisher is happy to take direct orders for the Teachers’ Guide and students text books. Please contact elaine@zuntold.com or call 07974 190136
The Safeguarding Community: For Everyone, Everywhere Involved in Safeguarding
The Safeguarding Company’s Head of Community Relations, Vikkey Chaffe, explains why she created The Safeguarding Community and the impact it will have for all those involved in safeguarding. Why is there such a need for our “Safeguarders” to connect with each other? Working in safeguarding can involve harrowing cases, demanding situations, challenging conversations, and upsetting circumstances. Many Safeguarding leads deal with this alone. We sometimes need a safe space where we can support each other, learn from each other, share our experiences and talk to people who are dealing with the same situations. What will the Community look like? We have invested in a particular platform to host our community, rather than a free social media platform. We have done this to ensure our community is secure and will allow us to make sure the community has been created to meet the needs of our “Safeguarders”. We will monitor the community and have ground rules so that everyone feels supportive and respected. What are some of the features of the Safeguarding Community? We will have three different rooms for different needs. Our Staff Room: where everyone can ask broad questions and share resources. Our International Room specifically for international safeguarding queries and our Safe Room, with anonymous posting for issues too sensitive and confidential to go in the ‘Staff Room’. Will people need to pay to join this community? This community is free and open to everyone involved in safeguarding. We believe that giving you a safe place to communicate will make a significant difference to your wellbeing. There will be free resources and blogs but above all, the ability to connect with others involved in safeguarding. Join the community and connect with others involved in safeguarding who understand how challenging safeguarding can be. The Safeguarding Company Contact Details Telephone: (+44) 0330 6600 757 Email: info@thesafeguardingcompany.com Web: https://www.thesafeguardingcompany.com
Aquaswitch helps schools save on their business water rates
The public accounts committee has recently warned that one in four secondary schools are in deficit and having to work through budget cuts. According to parliament’s spending watchdog, children’s education is being eroded by the financial pressure, with authority-run secondary schools among the worst hit. Schools on the lookout for pain-free ways of reducing overheads have found significant savings by switching water suppliers Can schools switch their water supplier? Yes, in 2017, the English non-household water market for water was deregulated, allowing schools to choose who supplies them with water services. Unlike other utilities such as electricity and gas, most schools have never considered comparing or switching water tariffs. The deregulated market for water has reached its fifth birthday, and the available savings in the market are now significant. How much could my school save? Comparing water quotes is a simple process with AquaSwitch. Search for your school on our smart-postcode finder to request a business water comparison report. The AquaSwitch business water comparison service will compare your current default tariff to options available from across the market. With the AquaSwitch hassle-free switch, we’ve helped schools save thousands on their water bills. AquaSwitch also offers you the chance to compare business energy and save on your energy bills.
A quarter of British 6–11-year-olds have chosen their tech devices over spending time with friends in person
A quarter (25%) of British ‘Generation Alpha’, children born after 2010, would rather spend time on their iPad, tablet, smart speaker or other devices than socialise with their peers in person, according to exclusive online research from global cloud communications platform Infobip. The research, commissioned with global public opinion firm YouGov, polled British children aged 6–11 years old and found that a fifth of girls (20%) and nearly a third (30%) of boys have chosen spending time with devices over spending time with friends in person. The survey aimed to assess the impact technology has in children’s lives at home and at school in a unique study which polled children directly. Results reveal strong appetite for the use of technology in the classroom: two-thirds (67%) of 6-11 year olds would like to use a tablet for learning in school, and over a third (35%) believe VR headsets would make a welcome addition to the classroom. In fact, nearly two-thirds (64%) would like to use laptops in classrooms, three-fifths (61%) would like to use smartboards, and a third (32%) would like to use smartphones. Meanwhile, nearly half (48%) of Generation Alpha already use their own devices for schoolwork. The research also found that: Two-thirds (66%) of Generation Alpha started using tablets such as iPads by the age of five or younger. Incredibly, a third (34%) of Generation Alpha children have used a tablet by the age of just three years old or younger. Two-fifths (42%) say they have been speaking to smart speakers from the age of six or younger. Half (48%) of Generation Alpha spend at least an hour a day on their iPad or tablet. In terms of the most popular ways to communicate, over a third (37%) of 6–11-year-olds surveyed are on WhatsApp – with nearly three-quarters (73%) of 11 year olds well-versed in this channel. SMS isn’t far behind, with almost a third (29%) of Generation Alpha still using this more traditional texting method and a third (35%) using Facetime. Catherine Thevenot, Professor in Cognitive Developmental Psychology at the University of Lausanne, said: “Generation Alpha has embraced technology like no generation before it. With the advent of the virtual classroom, the pandemic heightened reliance on tablets and laptops, with video-conferencing replacing the white board, and keyboards replacing pencils and paper. Children are now back in classrooms, but the way they have learnt over the past two years will shape the way they view the world and how they study – and after that, the world of work – for decades to come. “With these rapid technological changes, the impetus is on the adults in their lives to guide them to use digital tools for learn and play in the most positive and safe way possible – both in the home and the classroom – to ensure these digital experiences will enrich this future generation as potential employees and active citizens.” Giuseppe Perrone, Corporate Social Responsibility Manager at Infobip, said: “Despite all the headlines about Millennials and Generation Z, it is Generation Alpha who have been surrounded by technology since the moment they were born. They are learning habits that are radically different from the ones older generations developed at an early age. They are accustomed to a world of efficiency and smart technology, so when they’re presented with problems, they expect to be able to receive swift answers and solutions.” To better understand the opinions of teachers, as well as identify challenges and solutions, a focus group was organised by Roots Research, to which teachers from across the UK were invited to share their perspectives. Points of view from teachers in the UK* Location Age of the children in their classrooms Quote Teacher in Brighton, East Sussex 6–7-year-olds “I think that the jobs Generation Alpha children will have when they grow up do not even exist yet.” Teacher in Brighton, East Sussex 7–8-year-olds “Both boys and girls are really enjoying and embracing the use of technology equally. When I now ask some of the girls what they want to be when they are older, many of them say they would like to be a gamer, so it’s no longer seen as a ‘boy thing’ to do.” Teacher in Solihull, West Midlands 5–6-year-olds “There are positives to technology, however, I have found there are some downsides: kids who are glued to devices are lacking in their communication and social skills. For some children who use tech in the wrong way, overuse of these devices is having a detrimental effect.” “Kids have iPads at home but the way they use them at school differs. Our very first lesson for each term is internet safety. We must train kids on how to use technology safely and what they can do, and who they can turn to, if something doesn’t feel right. It’s so important that this first lesson is spent drilling e-safety into their heads.” Teacher in Oldham, Greater Manchester 7–8-year-olds “We’ve kept on using software on iPads and computers for homework which were first introduced due to lockdown. We have kept this on as it engages children better particularly if there are recorded clips from teachers.” Giuseppe Perrone, Corporate Social Responsibility Manager at Infobip concludes: “When implemented correctly, technology in the classroom can be a great tool to engage children and inspire learning. Outside of the classroom, technology is all around them, both as an aid to learn, as well as play. It is up to the adults in their lives – both parents and teachers – to ensure this technology is used positively, inclusively and safely.” * The quotes were gained from a focus group that took place on the 10th of November 2021 and was organised by Roots Research.
NCFE and WorldSkills UK launch third phase of applications for Centre of Excellence
A technical training firm has opened applications for its Centre of Excellence training programme. NCFE, in partnership with WorldSkills UK, is seeking people for the third year of its scheme training technical educators. With the second year of the programme currently underway, the scheme is already showing positive results from its first-year participants. An online survey of learners revealed that a significant majority (86%) said that they would be able to apply the skills they had learnt to their education and work. Notably, 80% of respondents also stated that these skills would also be applicable to other parts of their life. In terms of the sessions undertaken, 91% of respondents rated these as excellent or good. Meanwhile, 97% of practitioners who have been taking part in the Centre of Excellence’s cascading Continued Professional Development (CPD) programme said the quality of the session they took part in was excellent or good. Correspondingly, 77% said the CPD session they took part in was extremely relevant or very relevant to the courses that they teach, while 74% said it had had a major or substantial positive impact in their motivation to make changes to improve their teaching and training practice. The Centre of Excellence is a revolutionary training programme for technical education educators that will advance the sector and benefit learners. NCFE has partnered with WorldSkills UK to create this programme to drive change within colleges and training providers. WorldSkills UK is employing its expertise of global advancements in skills, while NCFE brings its knowledge of technical education to help educators fulfil their potential. The overarching aim of the programme is to inspire more learners of all backgrounds to pursue technical and vocational education as a highly effective route to success. The three-year pilot began in September 2020, but eventually the programme will be available to hundreds of colleges and training providers nationwide. Dr Neil Bentley-Gockmann OBE, CEO of WorldSkills UK, said: “As the international arm of the UK skills systems, WorldSkills UK is uniquely placed to use our knowledge of world-class standards and global best practice to support the development of high quality skills employers need now and in the future. “The hugely popular Centre of Excellence supercharges the quality and delivery of technical and vocational education by transferring international expertise and knowledge to support the professional development of educators and is key to helping create a world-class skills economy across the UK.” David Gallagher, CEO at NCFE said: “We know that we can’t have world class education without world class educators and that’s why we’re so committed to investing our resources in this initiative, which is driving forward positive change and unlocking excellence for everyone. “Based on deep insight and learner need, the Centre of Excellence supports UK-wide delivery of best practice in the technical and vocational space. In doing so, we’re creating a cohort of learners who will be well-equipped to facilitate a skills-based levelling up of the UK economy. “We look forward to seeing the full results of the initial pilot, but also to seeing the longer-term impact on the education sector as a whole. We’d like to encourage other organisations to collaborate with us on this, so please do get in touch if you’re interested in hearing more.” Web: https://www.ncfe.org.uk