Fears over teacher and classroom assistant shortages
Three-quarters of education employers expect to encounter a shortage of suitable teaching professionals over the next 12 months according to new research. The research, launched by Hays Education found that the same amount (75%) of schools have experienced recruitment difficulties over the past 12 months. Classroom-based support staff have been the most difficult to hire over the past 12 months (45%) followed by teachers (43%) and other support staff such as administration, recruitment, and office staff (24%). Other areas of skills shortages include teaching professionals in science (22%), maths (21%), SEND (22%) and specialist teaching assistants (20%). The Hays Education Salary & Recruiting Trends 2022 guide, based on a survey of over 2,500 employers and employees from a range of education settings revealed that employers need to focus on career development opportunities to better attract and retain teaching talent throughout this year and beyond. Aside from salary, career development was cited as the most important factor in attracting staff yet close to two-thirds (59%) of professionals working in education said their employer doesn’t regularly discuss their career plans with them. Skills challenges affecting employee morale across the teaching profession As education settings battle with skills shortages, over half (55%) of education leaders report that skills shortages have had an impact on employee morale, with a third (33%) reporting an increase in absenteeism due to stress. 42% of respondents say skills shortages are negatively impacting teachers, with the same percentage (42%) reporting negative impacts for classroom-based support staff. Nearly half (48%) of respondents said they believe the main cause of skills shortages in education is fewer professionals entering the job market in the sector, alongside 26% who say the main cause is people leaving to join another industry. Almost a third (29%) of professionals moved jobs in the last year, and a further 35% considered doing so. The main reasons professionals left were because of a poor work-life balance (20%), their salary being too low (17%) and a lack of career development opportunities (16%). Commenting on the research, Paul Matthias, National Director of Hays Education, said: “It’s been a challenging couple of years across the education sector and it’s clear that skills shortages are not only having a negative impact on the potential to hire new staff – staff are also feeling the strain. As well as offering opportunities for upskilling across the sector, and hiring for potential, leaders need to be encouraging existing staff to identify their own skills gaps to provide the right training to support their development. Taking the time to discuss roles, responsibilities and putting career progression plans in place will also be vital – especially as the pandemic may well have caused some staff to take on additional responsibilities. A focus on facilitating a more positive work-life balance and putting practical initiatives in place to better support employee wellbeing will also be essential in supporting existing workforces, as well as helping to attract new talent.” In response to the survey findings, Stephen Morales, Chief Executive Officer of ISBL said: “ISBL was pleased to support Hays Education in undertaking this important sector research into salary and recruitment trends in education. “These findings should help school leaders, governors and trustees manage recruitment and retention risks and also identify new opportunities in the education labour market. “It is important that all education professionals continue to engage in meaningful CPD and that employers invest in the development of their teams. It is disappointing that 59% of those surveyed don’t feel supported or encouraged to pursue professional development opportunities. “Staff costs represent the largest proportion of school budgets. The retention, ongoing development and optimum deployment of this key resource are significant factors in the success of a school or trust.” To access the full report, visit: https://www.hays.co.uk/education-salary-guide
Headteacher criticises government refusal to ban mobile phones in schools
The Head of a local independent day and boarding school in Bushey, St Margaret’s, has spoken out today following the recent news that Education Secretary, Nadhim Zahawi has decided not to go ahead with the plan to ban mobile phones from schools across England. Like many other teachers, Lara Péchard, believes that young people’s relationships with their mobile phones have changed as a result of the pandemic and not for the better. Schools like St Margaret’s have already banned their use in a bid to redress the balance and nurture the right behaviours, but in a way that is also sensitive to the needs and pressures young people face today. Ms Péchard explained: “We have a ‘no mobile phones’ policy at my school. As a result, it is very unusual to see a student using their mobile during the school day. That said, banning phones is not the only consideration for schools. Like many others, I also have concerns about how we model good behaviour around phone usage, and I feel we have a duty of care to our young people to help them find a healthy balance.” Many parents with teenage children will have understandably struggled to maintain routines and rules around mobile phone usage, particularly during the past lockdowns. As a result, Ms Péchard believes that teenagers have enjoyed, or perhaps in some cases endured, more unfettered access, which can be difficult to manage. She continued: “We have started to tackle this issue with staff and parents through training and pastoral webinars, and we are considering carefully how we encourage screen-free time and balance. After all, it isn’t just teenagers who used their phones more often during the pandemic; we have all found distraction, comfort and social interaction through mobile phones. The average teenager will quite rightly be quick to highlight the hypocrisy of your overuse when challenging theirs, so modelling the right behaviour has to be the priority.” For St Margaret’s School, spending time on tackling the overuse and the need that the phone fulfils, is a key focus. “We need more open conversations at school and at home about the behaviour that we might not like. We need to do this in a way that engages and attempts to understand, empathise and support our young people. We should try to outline our concerns and consequences rather than offering sanction or judgement. In my experience, I’ve also found that real life cases, anonymised, create very powerful messages, such as the health risks around deterioration of eyesight and poor physical health,” said Ms Péchard. On the Government’s decision, Ms Péchard said: “It is disappointing that the Government has chosen to avert a ban in schools, particularly in light of the increasing cases of mental illness in our young. We should be doing all we can to protect their wellbeing and reduce the health risks, many of which are clearly associated with excessive mobile phone use.”
Leading education partner Whizz Education on hand to help with real time assessment
Recovery and Assessment By Emma Ringe, Schools Director, Whizz Education Real-Time Assessment and reporting on children’s progress across the whole school, are some of the most significant challenges facing schools today. It can come at a substantial cost yet often does not provide the information needed to gain the insights to make robust decisions. EdTech offers solutions but can over promise and under deliver if not implemented correctly and as part of an educational programme tied to clear objectives. Programmes need to be linked to real-time learning analytics into students’ progress and levels of learning in addition to capacity building, data-driven course correction, ongoing pedagogic support plus high impact tutoring. These elements need to come together to be able to monitor progress effectively and will have a higher impact on improving attainment than EdTech alone. In early 2020, Roskear Primary School was looking for a solution to target pupils with SEND and those not on track to achieve age related expectations, to support their learning goals in maths and make it easy to track progress. Miss Furnish, Headteacher, Roskear Primary School, explains: “Any investment in EdTech needs to be considered carefully as full commitment from teaching staff and students is needed to get the best out of any solution. Working in partnership and collaboration with Whizz Education ensures we have been able to achieve this engagement across our school, maximising our investment and the results now speak for themselves.” Jess Morris-Marsham Maths Leader, Team Leader for Years 3 and 4 and Year 5 Teacher at Roskear Primary School continues: “Every half term, we assess standardised age scores. The results have shown accelerated progress. For example, our most recent assessments identified the Year 2 pupils who were below ARE in the autumn. Following the after-school interventions, where children used the Maths-Whizz virtual tutor for two hours per week, each one of those children had reached ARE within six weeks.” Real-time, continuous formative assessment is one of the keys to addressing the issue of recovery. We need to know where children are in relation to their ability and attainment as this enables teaching staff to identify, prioritise and address gaps in learning. Virtual tutors generate data analytics in real-time, as an automatic by-product of their learning, providing continuous assessment data. This has allowed teachers and Whizz Education to track learning progress and loss. Roskear teachers are now empowered and picking this up themselves since staff training on ‘5-minute analysis of data’. They can now identify struggling students and know how to use the virtual tutor to address this. Roskear acts upon the data and has arranged after school clubs for extra access to the virtual tutor for the lowest attaining 20% of students. Meaningful assessment also requires a standard learning metric that benchmarks every student in a school. We have found that the Maths Ages of Year 6 students determined over time by continuous assessment informs teachers where to focus the class teaching. It means Data-driven instruction can be embedded in the school day. We use analytics generated by the virtual tutor, synthesised with qualitative feedback and reflections from our Education Success Partners to enable the implementation plan to be refined so students and teachers realise the full benefits of individualised tutoring. We refer back to the objectives of improving ARE and increasing the Maths-Age for example, by working in collaboration with schools to understand the context, any challenges and behaviours, and then we develop a course correction to improve performance. Data can also be used to compare students’ progress with performance in a school’s chosen third party assessment. For example: alongside the quality face-to-face classroom teaching, during Autumn term, the Maths-Whizz virtual tutor has helped 86% of Roskear children attending after school Maths-Whizz sessions increase their STAR Maths score. For children attending in school sessions 72% had increased STAR Maths score. Reliable data can be used to supply to boards of governors and OFSTED. Whizz Education collaborates with schools across the UK to identify specific learning objectives and develop strategic implementation plans. By working together, we can make a significant contribution to recovery through data driven, continuous assessment programmes designed to spot learning gaps and enabling teachers to give targeted support without additional burden. To find out more visit: www.whizz.com
Forest School and autism at Quorn Hall School
Forest School is a type of outdoor education that takes place in natural spaces and encourages participants to develop personal, social, and practical skills. Quorn Hall, a provision for students with social, emotional and mental health difficulties as well as autistic profiles, boasts an impressive amount of space for their own beautiful on-site Forest School site. Forest School became a phenomenon in the UK and was soon being offered to people of all ages and abilities. Amongst those who benefited from this way of learning were participants who struggle in a traditional classroom setting including pupils with autism. There is a growing body of evidence to prove a link between increased well-being, higher achievement, and access to nature. There are many individual stories illustrating the positive influence which Forest School has had on its autistic participants. What can Forest School at Quorn Hall School offer children with autism? When these approaches are brought together by an autism-aware practitioner, autistic children have an opportunity to thrive. As a result, Forest School at Quorn Hall offers: 1. A person-centered approach doesn’t only consider the differences or difficulties someone may have. Special interests are welcomed and encouraged in the woods and are a great way to engage people. 2. Quorn Hall’s Forest School staff recognise that autism brings with it various strengths. These are often selective and focused. Some participants may choose to engage purely on a visual basis by staring into a fire, for instance. As a result, they can be encouraged further by developing their fire starting skills, experimenting with a range of materials, they can be encouraged to learn about the fire triangle and how to sustain a fire. They can then go on and learn how to cook on an open fire. 3. The team at Quorn Hall encourages an interest in and a love for nature. Their Forest School develops participants’ skills, knowledge and understanding centered around nature. It also includes learning skills about survival and bushcraft. When this comes together with the passion and focus autism brings, great things can happen. 4. The UK has some incredible role models for young people with autism, who also share a love of nature. Sir David Attenborough, Bear Grylls and Ray Mears are just some of our best-known wildlife, bushcraft and survival experts. As well as presenting TV nature shows and being a best-selling author, Chris Packham is also a tireless campaigner for the environment and has been diagnosed with autism which he has written about and discussed on TV. 5. The benefits of being in an open and natural environment. This realisation helps the practitioner to better empathise with people who are experiencing differences in their sensory processing. Sensory rooms often seem to feature recordings of running water, wind or rainfall, and gently shifting light. All of this is often available in the woods, in the breeze through the branches and the clouds slowly drifting by above the trees. Forest School works in partnership with the participant and their supporters to meet their sensory needs. There is a rich sensory environment that can be explored in Quorn Hall or, if there is a need to reduce stimuli, quiet spaces can be created in sitting spots, dens, tents or hammocks. 6. Building up confidence, resilience and self-esteem are central to the Forest School approach at Quorn Hall. Recognising individual achievement is hugely important. For some participants, this may be through repeating the same exercise over and over again, or adjusting it slightly. It could mean that an individual tries a different type of food that has been cooked on the fire that they wouldn’t normally try, or they show an improved ability to interact with others patiently. 7. Social interaction can happen at the participant’s own pace. This approach allows space for people who are becoming overloaded, and people can join in with a group activity or seek their own solitary activities. Participants may lack confidence to begin with or simply feel content just sitting and watching before deciding to take part after gaining confidence to join in on their own terms. 8. The Forest School ethos maintains that everyone is a learner. Teachers, support staff, and Forest School practitioners are encouraged to reflect and learn alongside the children they teach. This is a great motivator for autism learners. This process encourages the adults involved in their support to learn about the autism child and to appreciate their individuality, gifts, sensory needs, and communication needs. The relationships built at Forest School, together with the observations made, can be carried over into the rest of the child’s education and help them to reach their full potential. To learn more visit www.quornhallschool.com
A school for children with autism – is there a finer place to work?
Gretton School warmly welcomes autistic children and young people aged from 5-19 years old, as weekly boarders or as day students. Every student at Gretton has a diagnosis of autism or aspergers syndrome and every student is unique. By Headteacher – Mrs Elkins A student asked me this morning “Do you hate autism, Miss?” This is one of her favourite questions to ask me. I gave her a sideways glance and said “Do you think I’d be working here if I did? I happen to think I’m very lucky to work at Gretton!” This got me thinking about what autism must feel like to live with. I know that many of our students feel anathema towards their own autism; they feel ‘different’, certainly anxious a lot of the time… misunderstood. But the truth is, when I started working here with these unique souls, it felt like arriving at my happy place. At Gretton, there is one of the most creative, hilarious and learner-centred teams I’ve ever worked with – all with the collective aim of allowing the young people that come here to become the best version of themselves. And we know, from parental feedback, that the staff that work with these amazing young people are such an important part of their school experience. One parent said: “I know it’s what you guys do, but we honestly can’t thank you enough for being patient, kind, accommodating and understanding.” We also know that professionals notice the change in learners’ prospects. One has commented: “The schools that he attended before coming to Gretton just concentrated on how badly behaved he was and did not look at how intelligent he was. What you have done is amazing… you have completely changed his outcome.” So when I think about why I feel so fortunate to work at Gretton (and yes, of course I’m biased), the following are just a few of the reasons: ● The way our teachers teach – with calm humour and an endless toolkit of teaching strategies ● The way our Teaching Assistants and Residential Support Workers support the learners – with patience, kindness and an investment in learners’ interests ● The way the Senior Leadership Team shapes the school – with a commitment to the development of strong relationships and reflective practice across the school ● The wraparound support from the Behaviour and Welfare, Multidisciplinary, Admin and Admissions Teams – always looking to improve the provision for students and make Gretton a welcoming and happy place to be ● But above all… the students! Gretton School – Where Autism makes sense For further information on how to apply for a placement for your child, contact Gretton School Admissions today on 01223 277438 or visit their website for further information www.grettonschool.com/admissions
Pupils’ new product brings the buzz back to Britain
A group of pupils from a West Yorkshire school are celebrating the official launch of their award winning design. The Design Museum has begun selling Grow Wild, a flower seed canon that was the winning entry for Design Ventura 2020. The team of Year 10 pupils from Heckmondwike Grammar School began the project two years ago and are now proudly able to offer their product for general sale. All proceeds from sales will be donated to the students’ chosen charity The Kirkwood – a hospice in Huddersfield. The student team featuring Alice Cheesbrough, Emily Sharpe, Hannah Rouse, and Naomi Fisayo, designed the product to be both fun and sustainable and aimed to fulfil the mission to to ‘help save the bees’. The flower seed canon designed by the students allows users to easily distribute wildflower seeds from a simple, compact, sustainable and playful launcher – helping grow flowers that create a source of pollen for bees. The team impressed judges with their pitch video, and the rationale behind the product to ‘bring the buzz back to Britain’. The design for Grow Wild was shortlisted from entries from across the UK before the final 7 state school teams pitched their ideas to a panel of leading design and business experts. The judges included artist and designer Yinka Ilori, Shahidha Bari, Critic, Broadcaster and Professor of Fashion Cultures and Histories at London College of Fashion; Sebastian Conran, Designer and Trustee at the Design Museum; Duncan Sanders, Head of Trading at the Design Museum; and Christoph Woermann, Global Head of Corporate Bank Marketing at Deutsche Bank. Design Ventura is the Design Museum’s free design and enterprise competition for school students aged 13-16 run in partnership with Deutsche Bank’s youth engagement programme Born to Be. Every year, the competition invites student teams to design a product to improve everyday life and that can retail in the Design Museum Shop for around £10. The competition provides a unique opportunity for young people to respond to a brief set by a leading designer. Participating students must consider ethical, sustainable, accessible and user-centred design principles as well as business considerations such as budgeting and marketing to create an innovative new product. Since the announcement in June last year, the students have been working with Tom Dick and Harry Studio, a professional design agency based in Leeds to refine the product and bring it to market. Originally called Sow Beautiful the product has been renamed Grow Wild. The students further developed the packaging to appeal to their target audience of families and to fit within the retail environment of the Design Museum Shop. Lareena Hilton, Managing Director, Global Head of Brand Communications & CSR, Deutsche Bank said: “We are proud to work together with the Design Museum on Design Ventura, encouraging students to realise their potential and to develop key skills for future life and employment such as problem-solving, critical thinking and creativity. Over 108,000 students have now taken part in a Design Ventura competition, and I hope Grow Wild will go on to inspire even more students to take part.” Fiona MacDonald, Head of Learning at the Design Museum said: “In a year when environmental concerns have been brought to the fore through initiatives such as COP 26 alongside our own Waste Age exhibition, it is wonderful to see the students take on board these challenges when designing a product. Grow Wild is a playful and appealing product for families that tackles the real-world problem of bee population decline. It will make a wonderful addition to the Design Museum Shop and will help 2 showcase the importance of design towards a sustainable planet.” The winning student team from Heckmondwike Grammar School said: “It has been an incredible experience to be involved in and we are beyond excited to be launching our product at the Design Museum. We would like to say a huge thank you to Deutsche Bank and the Design Ventura team, without whom none of this would have been possible.”
Beat the winter blues: Five ways to get your class moving
The cold weather and dark mornings can make it difficult for teachers to motivate pupils for a day of learning, but research has shown that physical activity can boost productivity and improve cognitive functioning in young people. During Children’s Mental Health Week, Anthony McBride, qualified teacher and founder of edtech app myphizz, discusses the positive impact exercise can have on students’ overall wellbeing and how schools can engage children in an active curriculum. Make maths fun Encourage engagement in core subjects by using games to get children moving. Set up multiple choice questions with an active edge, by providing children with bean bags and asking them to throw these into a bucket labelled with the correct answer. Alternatively, mark four corners of a hall with multiple choice answers and ask pupils to run to the correct answer. Take a nature walk Plan a short route around the school grounds and ask children to take in their natural surroundings, listing the different trees, plants, and insects that they come across. Nature walks provide a great opportunity to be mindful and connect to ourselves and the world around us. They can be lots of fun to do with your students, can help cultivate a sense of awe and wonder, and get them moving after periods of sitting or inactivity. Active playtimes Energise morning break times by setting up quick fitness challenges including star jumps, skipping, high knees and mountain climbers. Ask pupils to complete as many repetitions as they can in 20 seconds and keep a record of achievements. Pupils could use myphizz tocreate leaderboards to motivate each other to take part in challenges. The friendly competition will encourage children to get active between lessons and allow them to return to class much more focussed and ready to learn. Stand up Assemblies Almost all primary schools in the UK hold a daily or weekly assembly. It’s customary for pupils to spend this time sitting on chairs, benches or on the ground. Why not shake things up and ask them to stand for shorter assemblies? Classes could even perform a movement of the day together! Rise & Shine! School based breakfast clubs are a popular way to help children start the day right. It’s easy to add movement and turn these meetings into mini activity sessions. You could host a morning yoga session, for example, or even take children on a mini run to boost their energy and alertness. The immediate and long-term health benefits of physical activity are indisputable and there is a wealth of evidence to demonstrate that exercise reduces the symptoms of anxiety and depression in children. Studies have also shown that aerobic exercise promotes cardiovascular fitness, which, in turn, promotes the growth of new blood vessels and improves circulation in the brain. Therefore the more physically fit a child is, the larger his or her hippocampus tends to be and this has positive links to a child’s learning and memory². Reaching young people in a safe, fun and engaging way, empowers children to take control of their own physical activity and provides them with opportunities to try new activities, develop their skills and experience whatever level of physical activity and challenge feels right for them. For more information, please visit myphizz.com.
‘Oscars of education’ return to celebrate the best of education in person
The Tes Schools Awards, recognising the outstanding teachers and schools in the UK, are returning for a full in person ceremony, following two years of virtual events. The Tes Schools Awards are now open for nominations, with the ceremony held at the Grosvenor House Hotel in London on Friday 17 June 2022. For the first time, this year’s awards will bring together categories for state and independent schools to create one combined and inclusive national event to celebrate excellence across the whole education sector. The Tes Schools Awards are a fantastic way to celebrate school achievements with the wider education community, boost morale and share inspirational stories with a wide audience. Categories will honour outstanding teachers, schools and support staff, as well as initiatives to support staff wellbeing, innovative use of technology and programmes that engage with the wider community. The awards are widely recognised as among the most prestigious for educators to receive, reflected in the calibre of its judges. Judges for this year’s Tes Schools Awards include Dame Alison Peacock, head of the Chartered College of Teaching, Christine Gilbert, former head of Ofsted and Sir Tim Brighouse, the first London Schools Commissioner who led the London Challenge. Entry is free and is open to state and independent schools throughout the UK, starting today and closing at midnight on Friday 18 March 2022. The award categories are: Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) Setting of the Year Primary School of the Year Secondary School of the Year Specialist Provision School of the Year Independent Prep School of the Year Independent Senior School of the Year Boarding School of the Year Headteacher of the Year Teaching Assistant of the Year Subject Lead of the Year (Primary) Subject Lead of the Year (Secondary) Subject Lead of the Year (Specialist Provision) Send Provision in a Mainstream Setting of the Year Pupil Mental Health Initiative of the Year School business leader of the year Resource of the Year Community Engagement Initiative of the Year School of the Year for Staff Wellbeing Best Use of Technology Lifetime Achievement Award Rod Williams, CEO of Tes Global said: “The return of the Tes Schools Awards with a full, in-person ceremony is a wonderful moment. Teachers and schools have endured so much over the last couple of years and we’re sure they will be looking forward to this prestigious event. This truly is the Oscars of education. “We can’t wait to hear what schools have achieved and we want these Awards to be the biggest and best ever, celebrating education and saying thank you to our incredible teachers.” Professor Sam Twistelton, Director of the Sheffield Institute of Education is one of the Awards judges. Professor Twiselton said: “This global crisis has not only shown the world just how much matters when education is disrupted but also how much we depend on it to navigate our way out of a disaster. I have watched in awe as the whole school workforce have kept the show on the road during this time. It’s wonderful to have an opportunity to celebrate their magnificence.” Another judge is Dame Joan McVitie, past President of ASCL. Dame Joan said: “Teachers have been absolute heroes throughout the last year. They have had to cope with unprecedented challenges and have done so admirably. This year’s Tes awards are an opportunity to nominate your local heroes and celebrate what they have achieved for your community.”
School children call for mental health, finance and survival skills to be added to the curriculum
New research has revealed the topics young people in the UK want to add to the curriculum. A new study from Huddersfield based youth-led community organisation Conscious Youth has found that 57% of young people want more freedom for individual learning following COVID-19. In line with Children’s Mental Health Week (7-13th February 2022), Conscious Youth polled young people in the UK to find out how they found the learning experience during the pandemic and what changes they would like to see in their education moving forward. Topping the list is ‘mental health’, with 83% of children calling for the topic to be taught in schools. Delving into the topics young people think should be taught in high school, the top ten subjects they would like adding to the curriculum are: Mental health (83%) Personal finance (e.g. mortgage advice, tax and money management) (73%) Survival skills (e.g. first aid and self-defence) (70%) Black history in the UK (70%) Relationship values (e.g. consent, understanding sexuality, how to spot manipulative and abusive behaviours) (63%) Human rights (63%) LGBTQ+ history and rights in the UK (63%) Mindfulness (60%) Job hunting and interview preparation (53%) Basic law (53%) Other topics young people are keen to learn about in school include real-life sex education (53%), sustainable living (40%), sociology and anthropology (47%), nutrition (50%), online etiquette and safety (37%) and social skills (47%). Commenting on Conscious Youth’s study, Caroline Allams, education expert and co-founder of Natterhub said: “The subjects highlighted in Conscious Youth’s research are a clear indication of what’s currently lacking in our education system and so many nudge towards personal empowerment, wellbeing, and mental health-related issues. It’s great to see young people recognising the importance of ‘human skills’ as well as academic knowledge. “As we know, classrooms are diverse environments with many different academic, social and personal needs. From a young age, there could be more opportunities to play to people’s strengths and provide a nurturing education for different learning styles, skills-based courses, and apprenticeships. We need more open-ended creativity across the entire curriculum and recognition for pupils who are not inclined towards academic frameworks. This could provide greater wellbeing, self-acceptance, entrepreneurship, problem-solving and personal achievement.” Reflecting back on the recent UK lockdowns, the new study reveals that 30% of children say they did enjoy virtual learning, with the main reason being that they liked the freedom it gave them (67%). Over half (56%) say they enjoyed being able to learn at their own pace at home, with 44% saying there were fewer distractions compared to the classroom. However, 43% of young people say they personally did not enjoy virtual learning as they missed being around their friends and teachers (73%). Conscious Youth also asked children to share what ways of learning they would like to see continue. A staggering 57% state they want more freedom for individual learning following COVID-19. Over a third (37%) would like to see a combination of at-home and in-classroom learning moving forward. So how could the school week look in the future? The majority (57%) of young people say their ideal school week would be three full days in the classroom followed by two days split between in-classroom learning and real-life work experience. Sophie Simpson, Co-Founder and CEO of Conscious Youth said: “One of the biggest areas that has been impacted for young people in the UK over the past 12 months is their education. The change in how children learnt over this time has really highlighted how behind the times we are and that the education system in the UK needs to be reviewed. “The world has changed dramatically and the issues young people are facing are different to when I was at school. It’s more important than ever to ensure they are equipped with the right knowledge and skills to be able to succeed in the future. From black history in the UK to personal finance advice, it’s great to see that young people have the appetite to grow their knowledge in these areas. We just need the UK government to sit up and pay attention to what young people are calling out for.” To find out more about the research, please visit: https://consciousyouth.co.uk/school-children-call-for-mental-health-mortgage-advice-and-self-defence-to-be-added-to-the-curriculum/