Survey reveals generosity of teachers on Public Service Day – 23 June
New research released for Public Service Day has revealed that more than half (59%) of teachers joined education to make a positive difference to the lives of others and 53% have been involved in their local community since they started their career. The survey, carried out by Opinion Matters and commissioned by public sector and civil service membership club Boundless, painted a picture of public service workers as not only serving the country with distinction but also being the cornerstone of communities. The survey also revealed that the challenges everyone faced since March 2020 have brought communities together and made Britain feel more united as a society. Nearly a third of us (28%) think the effect of the pandemic has seen a sense of community grow. And it was the UK’s teachers, healthcare professionals and police officers who helped the nation through the difficult times. Other statistics included: • Nearly 1 in 5 (18%) of teachers have looked after their neighbours during their careers • More than a third (32%) of those in education say their workplace gives them a sense of community spirit • 1 in 10 teachers run sports teams for kids in their spare time Darren Milton at Boundless said: “Community spirit is clearly alive and well and growing across the country with our teachers and other public servants at the very heart of it. “People in public service roles routinely go the extra mile. In fact, the survey also revealed that more than half, 59%, of teachers joined up specifically because they wanted to make a positive difference to the lives of others.” That community spirit carries over into their personal lives, too, with 53% of teachers working voluntarily, helping neighbours and devoting time to charitable initiatives – a revelation that makes Public Service Day on Thursday 23 June even more poignant. As an example, Marva Rollins OBE has spent the last 40 years doing voluntary work outside of her roles: “I worked with the Sickle Cell Society, at a time when many of the doctors and nurses didn’t even know about sickle cell. We were trained to go into hospitals and people’s homes, and my phone number was the one that the hospital had, so 2o’clock in the morning I might get a call from a parent saying ‘I need help’. “At the moment, I’m a trustee for Success Club, which is a charity which goes into schools to help children with mindfulness. I’m also a patron of the Reach Society – the only female patrol, because it started out as an organisation for black professional males to coach young black men, but now it’s open to all people. “I’m still a governor of three schools, including a special school and one for neurodiverse children – many of which have very complex needs. I also work on a hotline for people working in education who are in distress, as things are not always good in education. I also help people to prepare for interviews. “I do a lot of volunteer work, it’s just who I am…you’ve got to keep busy.” Public Service Day was officially launched by the United Nations in 2003. Boundless began campaigning in 2019 for more national recognition and support for those working in the sector. For more information on Public Service Day, plus inspirational stories and tips on how to get involved, please visit www.boundless.co.uk/psdand engage on social media with @bemoreboundless using the hashtags #ExtraordinaryPeople and #PublicServiceDay.
New careers website tackles outdated stereotypes about careers in geography
Esri UK has announced a new Careers with GIS website, designed to inspire more students to study geography and GIS at GCSE, A-level and degree level, by highlighting the rewarding and exciting careers that these subjects lead to. Containing stories from real professionals working with GIS (Geographical Information Systems), from drone pilots and engineers to those tackling climate change or conserving wildlife, the website dispels the outdated stereotypes about which careers are open to those with geography qualifications. The rich variety of jobs included demonstrates how geospatial technology skills are currently in growing demand across many different sectors, particularly within the sustainability and environmental industries. Content on the site includes videos and interactive story maps to be used by teachers, parents/carers, careers advisors and students, to give inspiration when choosing subjects, helping people realise that studying geography and GIS is the first step towards a fulfilling career. Using filters, the site allows students to narrow down different job profiles which they are most interested in. Profiles include GIS experts working at Costain, Sustrans, The Rivers Trust, Plantlife International and the Scottish Wildlife Trust. “Teachers tell us that students face pressure to drop Geography because the huge range of well-paid and fulfilling jobs connected to the subject are invisible from the classroom. Careers with GIS has been created to reveal what’s out there, break down outdated stereotypes of what geographers do and who can be a geographer,” said Katie Hall, Education Manager, Esri UK. “The geospatial sector is currently crying out for new people – particularly with the growth of environmental and climate change related industries. Learning geography and GIS skills can help students find fulfilling careers, empowering them to make the world a better place.” For geography undergraduates thinking about future careers, the site gives advice on what skills they’ll need to gain during their degree to apply for a growing range of jobs. Other useful resources include links to job vacancies, the GeoMentor scheme, plus industry sites including the Royal Geographical Society, Black Geographers and Women in Geospatial. Steve Brace, Head of Education and Outdoor Learning, Royal Geographical Society, said: “From flying drones to working across Government, analysing Britain’s rivers or creating a new map of Qatar’s roads – Esri UK’s career materials illustrate the wide range of roles open to those who can apply their geographical expertise and GIS skills in the workplace. These jobs are helping businesses and governments achieve more and addressing the key challenges facing our societies and environment. So, if geography students want to see where GIS might take them, the Royal Geographical Society encourages them to find extra inspiration in Esri UK’s career profiles.” Simon Holland, Head of Faculty for Geography, Bilborough Sixth Form College, Nottingham, commented: “GIS is such a big growth area for careers and lots of our students progress to this industry, often finding out about these careers after studying geography at university. Therefore, it’s invaluable to have such an exciting GIS careers resource which features a diverse range of people, job roles and backgrounds, for use at an earlier stage in their careers journey. ‘Careers with GIS’ is an excellent resource for integrating careers into teaching and for enabling students to explore in more depth the diverse and exciting world of careers with GIS.” “The new website is different to other geography-related careers resources as it focuses on careers which use the technology and skills of GIS, which today includes interactive mapping, artificial intelligence, digital twins, drones and mobile apps,” concluded Hall. “The site is a long-term project which will see the content continue to grow – we’re now on the look-out for more professionals to feature on the site to help enthuse future GIS experts.”
Go Sketch art teacher asks ‘Is talent a myth?’
Emma Shannon from Go Sketch Club teaches art to children and adults and aims to develop young artists into self confident, imaginative and creative thinking adults of tomorrow. In this guest blog she explores the notion of talent and why many children are unfairly turned off art at a young age. Is talent a myth? As a young child, many of us would have easily picked up a crayon and started drawing with a sense of freedom and exploration. I remember vividly that feeling of excitement when I opened my sketchbook on a long train journey with my family or started painting with a new set of paints. When I became a primary school teacher, I enjoyed seeing this same joy when children were given the opportunity to draw or create a clay sculpture in class. However, for many, this sense of joy and abandon when creating art does not last. As we get older, many adults leave this pastime behind them. Drawing becomes something that children do with ease and adults do with caution. As an art teacher I have noticed that there is a sense of judgement that starts from about age 8 or 9 and grows into adulthood. Instead of being present in the moment while creating, we start thinking “Is this a good or a bad drawing?”. We look around at our classmates and we start comparing our drawing to others. As a teacher, I began to wonder what causes this shift in attitude from “I can draw” to “I can’t draw”. Is there anything I can do as a teacher to stop this transition? Around the time I set up Go Sketch Art Classes, I started listening more to what children, parents and other teachers started expressing around art education and one word kept popping up again and again. The word was ‘talent’. I would hear it in class when children would ask the ‘talented’ child to help them draw something. I would hear it in other teachers who would sometimes openly pick out a child as having talent in front of the other students. I would hear it in some of the art birthday parties I taught, when parents would come up to me and say (in front of the children), “James is the talented one in this group”. I would also hear about people not having this ‘talent’, especially when parents dropped off their children at one of our Go Sketch art classes. They would often say “I’m not creative or talented in art so I don’t know where my child gets it from!”. So what is this elusive ‘talent’ people keep talking about? Talent is defined as an ‘innate ability in a particular field’. Innate is defined as existing naturally rather than being learned through experience. Talent becomes a magical quality that you are either born with or not. In some ways, this can make the person with the ‘talent’ feel very special and what is the harm in that? It is a great feeling when someone sees something special in you and celebrates it. I suppose the downside to this belief in ‘talent’ for the ‘talented child’ is that it is lot to live up to and can cause problems if the said ‘talented’ child draws something they don’t like. I have seen this in action, where the ‘talented’ child is incredibly hard on themselves and sometimes stops trying to advance their drawing in the fear that they will draw something ‘not good’ and lose the magical label of ‘talented’. I believe this idea of talent can also be a factor in the shift from children thinking they can draw to suddenly and heartbreakingly believing that they can’t. If you believe in talent as an innate ability then art is simply a door that is open to the chosen few and the moment you draw something you don’t like, that door is slammed shut as proof that you do not have this magical quality within you. Drawing and painting becomes a cautious activity that people tiptoe around or avoid altogether. In the same way that someone seeing something special in you feels great, realising that you could be lacking in that special ability can feel horrible. So do I believe talent is a myth? In a word, yes, but I feel I need to explain this further. In my experience of teaching art over the years, to both children and adults, I have noticed a few things. The first thing is that people who are said to possess this ‘talent’ for art are very often the same people who have a deep passion for drawing, painting and creating. It is this passion that drives them to create art most days, filling sketchbooks and studios with their creations. Is it not this drive and hard work that results in artwork that they are proud of rather than an ability they were born with? I would say celebrating their effort and passion for their craft means more than simply saying that they were born with that ability. Secondly, if you ask any artist if they draw, paint or create something they don’t like sometimes, the answer is always yes! The creative process relies on people being able to experiment, try out new ideas and take risks. Therefore, it makes sense that the results of this exploration will sometimes create artwork the artist is happy with and sometimes create results that they are not happy with. But creating something you don’t like is just the beginning! We need to teach children to think like artists and keep shifting and changing their work until they get to the desired result rather than just stopping in their tracks. Finally, ‘talent’ relies on the belief that there is a desired standard of art to be reached. That a piece of art is either good or bad. As many children and adults will know, if they come to our art classes online or in person, I start every
Two-thirds of teachers doubt reliability of this year’s SATs
Teachers are so concerned about ongoing disruption to children’s education, the transition to secondary school and the reliability of last month’s Key Stage 2 SATs that they are going to extraordinary lengths to plug gaps in learning and skills, according to a new survey. The study of more than 1,000 teachers found that three-quarters of teachers (75%) are worried that incoming Year 7 students will be unprepared academically, while almost four-fifths (79%) are concerned that they won’t be ready emotionally or socially for secondary school. The sample was evenly split between primary and secondary teachers. The majority are particularly concerned about those children’s basic classroom skills (60% of respondents), behaviour (54%), and reading and literacy skills (52%). And significant minorities think pupil confidence (39%) and numeracy skills (38%) have also been affected. As a result, most schools (71%) are putting in place an extraordinary programme of measures to address gaps in learning and basic classroom skills, says the formative assessments provider GL Assessment who commissioned the research. Just under a half of teachers (46%) say their schools are planning to offer more pastoral or emotional support, a third (33%) plan to implement a more comprehensive reading programme and a quarter (26%) aim to broaden the curriculum to plug any gaps in students’ knowledge. Additional measures involve devoting more time to developing classroom skills (cited by 24% of teachers) and numeracy skills (22%) as well as putting on additional early morning or after-school classes (20%). Teachers overwhelmingly think that disruption to the education system will affect children’s performance in this year’s Key Stage 2 SATs and make the results less reliable. Two-thirds (65%) think this year’s SATs will be less reliable than in pre-pandemic years and four-fifths (82%) say pupil performance will be affected by the disruption caused by serial lockdowns. Only one in five (19%) think this year’s results will be as reliable as before. Primary teachers are even more concerned than secondary school teachers – 71% of the former think SATs will be less reliable this year compared to 58% of their colleagues in secondary schools, and 88% of them think pupil performance will be affected (versus 77% of the secondary school teachers). So concerned are school leaders, that a fifth of them (20%) are considering drafting in specialist or primary expertise to help students tackle any learning needs. If anything, school leaders are even more worried – they tended to register higher concerns on all issues than more junior colleagues. Geoff Barton, ASCL General Secretary, said: “The research findings show that school leaders and teachers, in both phases, have deep concerns for pupils making the transition this year, both in terms of the impact of the disruption to their learning and their emotional and social preparedness. This reflects what our own members have been telling us, particularly in relation to the pastoral support that leaders are finding huge demand for across all key stages. “But the findings also highlight the work that schools and trusts are proactively doing to address many of these issues with the cohort transitioning this summer. It illustrates the determination leaders and teachers have for ensuring that these children have the best possible start to their secondary education.” Graeme Duncan, Chief Executive of the charity Right to Succeed, said: “In this post-pandemic era, now more than ever schools need to collaborate to meet the increasing cognitive, social and emotional needs of children and young people. We’ve seen amazing results when schools work collectively on key themes such as literacy, inclusion and wellbeing in places like Blackpool and North Birkenhead. To support this collective working, a shared measurement framework like those offered by GL Assessment can help to understand where the needs are, demonstrate impact and help schools in better supporting their children and young people.” Crispin Chatterton, Director of Education at GL Assessment, said: “Schools are going above and beyond to tackle any lingering consequences of the pandemic. But we shouldn’t be under any illusions that this year’s transition to secondary school will be anything other than extraordinarily challenging for many students and teachers. “Most schools have moved swiftly to bring in additional support where they can. And if there are issues – from gaps in student literacy and numeracy to worries over children’s emotional resilience and classroom skills – schools can use standardised assessment to understand the needs of the new cohort and spot which children might need additional support quickly and reliably.” Teachers can find out more on GL Assessment’s dedicated website – ‘The Transition Conversation’ – from 13 June 2022: www.reports.gl-assessment.co.uk/the-transition-conversation YouGov surveyed 1,006 primary and secondary school teachers in England online for GL Assessment. Fieldwork was undertaken between 14-26 April 2022.
Arts On The Move loves making a drama out of practically anything
Why Drama? A recent article in the Guardian newspaper supported the brilliant actor, Mark Rylance, in his assertion that there needs to be better drama and theatre provision in state schools. Timetables don’t always allow for discrete drama lessons but simple process drama sessions, activities, games and methods can be effective in even the smallest amount of allocated time. As the article says: ‘Drama enables children to explore issues of global concern, to develop new perspectives and acquire essential communication skills. Drama is a social art form that is informed by the interests of the participants. It is a collaborative learning experience that is sadly missing from the curriculum of many schools. It has been evident for many years that youngsters thrive in schools where drama is accessible to all.’ Drama As Development As educators we seek to develop children who are inquisitive learners, with creative minds that are ready to bring forth the ideas of the future. We want to enable children to reach their full potential, to help them to understand how to respect themselves and others; we want to encourage children to go out into the world with confidence and self-awareness, with empathy, with the ability to listen, to communicate effectively, to work in a team, to be curious, to evaluate situations and constantly reassess, to shine. Drama develops all of these. Drama In The Classroom Drama – and its co-conspirator, theatre – is the perfect subject for helping children to make sense of their world, especially in these troubling times. But not all drama lessons need to be taught by a specialist teacher. Simple drama strategies and methods can be employed as a learning tool for any lesson: • hotseating characters from a story, poem or period in history; • pair improvisations to explore different points of view; • forum theatre to look at actions and consequences; • role on the wall for in-depth character work; • conscience alley for investigating choices and behaviour …the list of possibilities is endless. The Impact of Drama Every drama experience will have an impact. Not all children enjoy drama, it’s true – and why should they, not all adults enjoy it either – but it will still have that impact. The confidence gained from learning to work collaboratively, speaking up for the first time, making eye contact, learning about your world, understanding issues, being able to assess your own and others’ work, feeling able to control your behaviour or responses, being heard and acknowledged, is invaluable. Drama is also the best form of shared experience in a safe environment – and that’s something that no other subject can offer. What Arts On The Move Offers You Arts On The Move provides a wide range of drama teaching materials, from stand-alone lesson plans to full projects, starter packs and assessment reports, plus a variety of stage scripts to develop performance and presentation skills. The website also offers a huge amount of free information, resources and advice, and the company is always ready to answer any questions you may have – and to provide invaluable support. You don’t need experience or even specialist knowledge to start offering drama in your school. Just visit www.artsonthemove.co.uk to see how drama in education works at KS1, KS2 and KS3, grab yourself a pack or two, and have a go! Visit www.artsonthemove.co.uk for all your drama needs. Call 0161 881 0868 Email info@artsonthemove.co.uk
The ‘Netflix’ of education software launched by The Access Group
One of the UK’s leading education software providers, The Access Group has launched Education Demand, bringing award-winning video content and digital learning tools to schools across the country. Described as the ‘Netflix’ of education, the video content and assessments available via the platform have been developed to engage learners, improve confidence and accelerate progress. Education Demand users benefit from access to GCSEPod, a learning and revision tool that’s proven to help users achieve one grade higher on average than non-users. Covering 28 GCSE/ IGCSE subjects, the GCSEPod content and assessments are accessible both in the classroom and at home, providing learners more flexibility and freedom when it comes to managing their revision. The GCSE Resits bundle for Maths and English Language offers access to 12 modules per subject, with each of these modules containing 3-5 lessons covering key elements of the topic. These lessons are delivered using a mixture of video, assessment, and workbook-based tasks. Nearly 30,000 subscribers used this package in 2021. Commenting on the launch Simon Baines, Managing Director, Access Education said: “Education Demand has been designed to bring together three key elements – content, assessments and data and we’re hugely excited to be launching the product to schools across the UK. We know the past few years have been incredibly challenging for schools and our software has proven to reduce teacher workload, easily integrating with SSO, Microsoft Teams and Google Classroom, enabling teachers to focus on the job in hand – teaching.” The Education Demand tool has already been extensively trialled and is already having a positive impact on schools, as Mairi Godley, Principal Teacher Pupil Support, St Margaret’s Academy said: “Our students have thrived using Education Demand, it’s extremely engaging. Used in school or at home, students can practise their key skills to better prepare themselves for assessments. This way of learning is the future, and we highly recommend it.” Schools using Education Demand can also access detailed reporting, allowing teachers to pin-point knowledge gaps and identify areas of low confidence, providing the data needed to develop personalised intervention plans. To find out more visit: https://www.theaccessgroup.com/en-gb/education/software/education-resources/
Aquaswitch providing Green water supplies for schools
The government recognises the education sector has a massive role in driving the country toward a net-zero future. Decarbonisation activities in schools and colleges can provide powerful learning opportunities. Adopting green energy initiatives is a common way schools are helping to improve the environment. Let’s look at another step schools can take in adopting a green water supply. What’s not green about a mains water supply? The supply of water to schools is highly carbon-intensive for two reasons: Water treatment – British water treatment plants process 10 billion litres of wastewater each year, emitting over 2 million tonnes of greenhouse gases. Pumping water – Pumping water from reservoirs to the water users uses lots of energy. What sustainable water options are available? Here are the most common sustainable water options that schools could take advantage of: Rainwater harvesting – Collecting and storing rainwater landing on your school buildings. Collected rainwater can be used directly in non-human processes such as sprinkler systems. Borehole water supplies – Pumping the pure water found in underground streams beneath your school up to the surface to be used as an alternative to the mains water supply. Greywater systems – Recycling and treating relatively clean wastewater produced by devices such as washing machines. The locally treated greywater is safe to use in flushing toilets or sprinkler systems. These options are great but require an upfront investment in time and money. There is also a quicker fix. Business water suppliers are now offering green water tariffs. In a green water tariff, the carbon emissions caused by your mains water supply are offset through investment in negative carbon projects such as planting forests. What about carbon emissions from energy supplies? Renewable energy technology is improving, and the green energy rates are getting ever cheaper. See if your school can benefit from a green energy tariff with a business energy comparison tool.
The headteacher urging kids to ditch the revision this bank holiday weekend
“Put down the revision and enjoy the jubilee.” That’s the message from one headteacher who believes there is much to be gained by enjoying the festivities despite the looming exams. While you may think that teachers would be advocating that the upcoming Bank Holiday weekend is the perfect time to get some extra revision hours in, Lawrence Tubb, headteacher of online independent school Minerva’s Virtual Academy, says it’s time to put down the textbooks and make the most of the Jubilee celebrations. “We can’t get away from the fact that the last few years have been incredibly hard for young people, who have faced huge amounts of disruption and have had to adapt incredibly quickly to the world of the virtual classroom,” he said. “This year we’re in a situation where thousands of students will be sitting formal exams for the first time and so, it’s no surprise that there’s so much exam-anxiety amongst the class of 2022. “Revision is so important, not only to make sure you’re up to speed with everything but that you feel confident going into the exam hall and ready to tackle whichever questions are placed in front of you. But, that’s not to say that it should take over your life entirely, especially not when we’re about to celebrate such a moment in history. “Think of it this way. When you’re 70 years old, telling stories to your grandchildren, it will be the memories of where you were and what you were doing for the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee that you’ll remember, not the fact that you missed out on all of the fun because you were revising all weekend! Ultimately, a couple of days where you can let your mind completely switch off from exams could do you the world of good and it certainly won’t derail your whole exam season.” But if a four-day weekend revision free seems as panic-inducing as the thought of the exam itself, Lawrence says there’s a few things you can do to keep on top of your studying this weekend without missing out on any festivities. “When it comes to revision, think quality over quantity. Our brains tend to take on board more information when we learn in shorter bursts rather than one long stint. So if you’re wanting to get some revision in without missing out on the rest of the weekend, try setting aside 15-30 minutes in the morning to focus on one of your priority topics. “Your family wants you to do well so why not try roping in some willing family members to help quiz you on the topics you might not know quite as well. Quickfire questions that make you think on your feet are a great way to test your knowledge and identify if you’ve got any gaps that you could focus on. A couple of quick pop quizzes over the weekend will give you a more engaging way to revise and you’ll have plenty of time to enjoy the celebrations too. “Or, how about making the most of the royal connection and revising topics that link with that theme? Whether it’s learning a few key quotes from Henry V ready for your English exam or having a think about how the Queen has contributed to the making of modern Britain, a spot of royal revision could be just the ticket – and it might help make it more memorable as well!” For more tips on revising effectively or for more information on Minerva’s Virtual Academy, visit www.minervavirtual.com
West Yorkshire primary school “Borrows the Moon” to inspire children in Science
Meteorites have landed at Birstall Primary Academy in West Yorkshire. Students at the school near Leeds have had the opportunity to get their hands on rare samples of moon rocks and meteorites which were truly out of this world. These rare samples were provided to school through a project called ‘Borrow the Moon’ by the UK’s Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC) which provides educational packs in a bid to inspire young people in Science. Hundreds of schools, colleges, universities, museums and astronomical societies throughout the UK have enjoyed the meteorite samples and NASA Moon rock discs since the scheme began. The children were encouraged to reach for the stars and learn more about the Universe around us during a week-long interactive experience of astronomy. They were given the unique opportunity to touch a piece of a space rock not of this Earth as they handled genuine meteorites. The pack provided by STFC included a 1.2-billion-year-old piece of Mars rock and 4.3-billion-year-old nickel meteorite. It is unlikely that children will ever get the chance to hold an object older than this, as Earth itself was formed 4.6 billion years ago. The lunar samples that we received were collected in the late 1960s and early 70s during some of NASA’s first manned space missions to the moon. Jayde Weir, Interim Principal at Birstall Primary Academy, said: “When the opportunity was presented to us at Birstall we leapt at the chance to give out students this once in a lifetime opportunity. “All the children involved thoroughly enjoyed the experience and were fascinated to be able to touch something that was truly out of this world.” Birstall Primary Academy forms part of 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 our communities’ where children thrive, achieve and succeed.