Win Brightsparks4kids Renewable Energy Kit right here
Design, build and understand your own renewable energy circuits! The Brightsparks4kids Renewable Energy Kit REK01 contains 7 essential component modules and Electricity Hand crank. Easily create simple or more complex circuits with the supplied leads ‘Simply Plug & Play’ Kit contents include everything you need to get started in generating you own FREE electricity! Each kit includes: • 1 x Electricity hand crank generator • 2 x Solar Cells (3Volt 100mA) • 2 x Bulb modules (Series & parallel investigations) • 1 x Motor module (Solar type) • 1 x Buzzer module • 1 x White L.E.D module • 8 x Stackable Plug-in connecting leads • 2 x Crocodile adaptor clips for Conductors & insulators experiments Plus, resources CD-ROM containing an In-depth Teaching Guide on PDF & easy to follow supporting videos are available to watch from our website. For easy classroom management each Renewable Energy Kit is supplied in a transparent storage tray & lid. Available singular, twin pack, and class packs of 5. All BrightSparks products are CE & UKCA approved and are ‘Proudly Designed & Manufactured in the UK’ To be in with a chance of winning this fantastic prize all you need to do is answer this simple question: How many stackable plugin leads come with the kit? Enter here a Rafflecopter giveaway To find out more and see the full product range of BrightSparks 4kids Renewable Energy and Electricity kits please go to www.brightsparks4kids.com Or contact us below Contact us Info@brightsparks4kids.com Visit us www.brightsparks4kids.com Follow us on Twitter @BrightSparksEdu *The administrator of this competition is the QA Education Magazine (“administrator”). By participating in the competition, each Entrant unconditionally accepts and agrees to comply with and abide by these Official Rules and the decisions of Administrator, which shall be final and binding in all respects. The administrator is responsible for the collection, submission or processing of Entries and the overall administration of the competition. Entrants should look solely to Administrator with any questions, comments or problems related to the Competition. The administrator may be reached by email at socialmedia@euromediaal.com during the Promotion Period. * This giveaway will close at 12.00am, 31st July 2022. * The prize is a Brightsparks4kids Renewable Energy Kit REK01 worth £50. The prize is non-transferable, non-refundable. There is no cash alternative. * Open to UK residents aged 18 or over, excluding employees of the Administrator, the sponsor, their families and anyone else professionally connected with this promotion. * There is one compulsory entry which requests that to enter the competition you answer a question based on the throw. Additional entries are available. * The prize winner will be asked to provide their email address so that contact can be made to arrange prize delivery, and their name and county be published in the next issue of the magazine * By entering the competition, you grant the Administrator permission to add your details to the mailing list, share your email address and any other personally identifiable information with the other competition Entities for the purpose of administration and prize fulfillment, including use in a publicly available Winners list. * Entries will only be accepted as instructed and any entrant that does not complete the qualifying requirements will be disqualified * The winners will be chosen using the random entry selector built into the widget. * The winners will be informed by email within 5 days of the closing date, and must respond within 5 days to claim their prize. If there is no response within the 5 days and new winner will be drawn at random. *This prize draw is governed by English law and the courts of England shall have exclusive jurisdiction over any dispute arising in connection with it. For further T&C and our privacy policy please see here Euromedia Associates Ltd: Privacy Policy https://www.iubenda.com/privacy-policy/66331438/legal
MENTAL HEALTH FIRST AID IN Education
Adolescence is a time of important change and development. It is also a time when mental health problems such as depression and anxiety first emerge. During these critical years, mental health issues are a leading cause of falling grades, problems with relationships and substance misuse, often having a lifelong impact. That is why spotting the signs and early intervention are so important. Schools and colleges are an amazing source of support for adolescents and their families but can also be a source of strain or stress, especially for young people facing challenges with their mental health. It is important to also recognise, that it is not only students who may need support. For many teachers the day-to-day impact of coping with student relationships, classroom dynamics, co-worker and parent relationships, alongside workload and time pressures, can all lead to physical and mental health issues. Creating a mentally healthy workplace, where teachers and staff feel supported, is crucial to their professional and personal success and the integral role they play in the development and social, emotional and physical well-being of students. There is much that can be done to support this approach. From providing awareness training, to implementing youth and adult mental health first aiders, changing policy and taking a whole school proactive approach to mental wellbeing, the outcome is that we keep talking about mental health and ensuring that there is someone there to reach out to, whoever in the school may need that help. Tim Lloyd RMN – Managing Director Mindmaps Wellbeing www.mindmapswellbeing.com info@mindmapswellbeing.com 01803 523 660
Cardiff City Hall to host Wales’s biggest Mental Health Conference in 2022 with Frank Bruno MBE
The Headspace magazine are pleased to be working with the Mental Health and Wellbeing Show 2022 in Cardiff! Organised by Ajuda Event Management, Cardiff City Hall is due to host one of the biggest Mental Health and Wellbeing events in the UK on 10th May 2022 to celebrate Mental Health Awareness Week, with Frank Bruno MBE in attendance as keynote speaker! The all-day event will welcome over 1,000 guests to the Welsh capital to raise awareness and develop knowledge on a wide range of topics including workplace mental health, suicide prevention, eating disorder awareness, men’s mental health, bereavement, diversity & inclusion, youth mental health, mindset, substance misuse, and much more. Included in the day is over 35 live seminars, 70 exhibitors in our exhibition and lots of networking opportunities. Organisations joining on the day include Samaritans, NSPCC, BEAT, Action for Children, 2 Wish Upon a Star, and National Centre for Mental Health among many more. The event is supported and sponsored by Ajuda Training and Precision Biotics. Frank Bruno MBE will be presenting a keynote talk on his inspiring story of resilience and strength after facing years of ongoing mental health issues. His battle with mental health led him to form the Frank Bruno Foundation to help other people who are suffering. Tickets for Frank’s talk begin at £25 per person, with the option to upgrade to a dining experience with Frank. Other speakers include founder of 2WishUponAStar Charity and recent Pride of Britain recipient Rhian Mannings MBE, former professional footballer Neville Southall MBE, Paralympic athlete Andy Lewis MBE, Member of the Senedd Jack Sargeant and a host of special guests will be speaking on mental health and wellbeing for this monumental event. Event director Dawn Evans says: “Following such a difficult few years for all, I could see there was a clear need for a bigger and more extensive event around mental health and wellbeing in the UK. The team at Ajuda always strive to provide our customers with the training and events that really matter to them, so we decided to create an event to accommodate the rising need for mental health and wellbeing training.” Tickets for the event are already available to book, with entry to the exhibition free and seminar tickets at just £5 per person. Tickets can be ordered on Eventbrite or by contacting the Ajuda Events team on 02922 400382 or events@ajuda.org.uk
Providing students with effective wellbeing support
It is more important than ever for schools to support the wellbeing of students. With the prevalence of social media, the disruption of the pandemic, uncertainty around exams and financial pressures on parents being only a handful of the challenges faced by students, stress levels can be comparatively higher than previously seen and pastoral care is all the more important. One key issue remains in that young people are more comfortable communicating online through their smartphones; many find it difficult to articulate their thoughts and emotions in person, making it extremely difficult to support their wellbeing. How can schools provide effective wellbeing support for students when they are unaware of the specific issues that may be impacting them? Tech-driven wellbeing platform GoVox facilitates effective wellbeing support, through its regular Wellbeing Check-In and Personal Wellbeing Report service. These do not replace any in-person pastoral care at your school, they simply compliment this and improve the efficiency and scale of wellbeing interventions. The system checks in directly with students via their emails, and harnesses social media behaviours which results in a very high level of engagement. Results feed back into a central dashboard, so that teachers and pastoral heads can view any red flags and comments from students. A monthly Personal Wellbeing Report is sent out following the check-in, so students can also apply self-help techniques that are refreshed on a regular basis. There is a healthy volume of data contained in the dashboard – the data can be analysed and used to measure trends. At a micro level, cyclical trends are identifiable in individual students, who are being given a voice through the check-in. Critically, the platform is also available to staff, so that they receive wellbeing support from line managers at your school. Unlike other wellbeing platforms, GoVox isn’t anonymous, meaning you understand exactly who would benefit from some support, and in which key areas. GoVox takes away the guesswork involved in pastoral care at schools, meaning happier, higher-achieving students. According to recent research*, one in five students has a diagnosed mental health problem; would you know who that is in your school, and how you might be able to support them? For a free demo of the platform, visit govox.com/schools today, or get in touch via hello@govox.com https://www.mind.org.uk/information-support/tips-for-everyday-living/student-life/about-student-mental-health/
Could you be a foster carer? Hounslow Council need you
As part of a national drive, Hounslow Council is encouraging professionals to come forward and foster children and young people in our care. People foster for a number of reasons, but it’s overwhelmingly because they want to make a difference to a child’s life. A foster carer provides a home for children or young people who are temporarily unable, for a range of reasons, to live with their own family. Children of all ages need fostering, from babies to teenagers and young parents. Some may be children on their own and others may be with brothers and sisters who need to stay together. There are many children and young people in Hounslow who need foster carers, especially those from a diverse range of ethnic, cultural, and religious backgrounds. The only key requirement to becoming a foster carer is having a spare room, time and commitment. You may wonder if you have the skills to become a foster carer, so be reassured that what really matters is being able to offer a loving and caring home to children separated from their own families. Advice and support is always available for foster carers, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, and a generous weekly allowance is paid to meet the needs of each child placed. Hounslow’s allowances are higher than the recommended national rate for foster carers and are up to £868.60 per fortnight, per child. As one of our foster carers, M, said: “I’d always thought about being a foster carer, applied and was successful. The process was straightforward. For me fostering, is a profession. It provided an opportunity to change my career and make a real difference to a child’s life.” M, who has three grown-up children and four grandchildren, gets so much out of fostering, but says the best thing about it for her, is seeing the child you are fostering flourish and do well at school. She added: “I am passionate about education and feels this opens up children’s opportunities and provides better life chances. I am in touch with the children that I have worked with, and I am proud many of them have gone on to study at university or work for a vocation. It feels special when they thank me for the support I provided.” M says that every child is different and there are challenges, but the benefits of fostering outweigh these. She says people who have children already, shouldn’t be put off fostering: “My children have always got on really well with our foster children. It is a nice family dynamic as foster children appreciate having other young people around. Fostering is without a doubt the best decision I ever made. If you are thinking about it go for it. You won’t regret it.” Hounslow’s Fostering Team runs fortnightly live information sessions on Microsoft Teams. If you are interested in taking part, please email: fostering@hounslow.gov.uk and we will send you joining instructions. The next information sessions are: Tuesday 23 November 2021 at 6pm and Tuesday 7 December 2021 at 11am with more to be organised in 2022. Check our website for details: www.hounslow.gov.uk/fostering Alternatively, please call our fostering team on 020 8583 3426 for a friendly chat to answer any queries or questions, or fill in our the online form on our website to register your interest and one of the team will contact you.
Creative Relationship and Sex Education transforms young people’s lives
The state of sex-ed “We watched a video of a dog giving birth” – 2007 “Mine started with a r*pe joke” – 2017 “I literally have no recollection of it” – 2019 These are all real Relationship and Sex Education (RSE) experiences from across the years and across the country. You can find more in our online ‘What’s your Sex-Ed Story?’ collection. The stories range from hilarious to shocking, from confusing to totally non-existent. They capture the wide-ranging spectrum of experiences people have when it comes to their own RSE. Although some of them seem amusing, there is a darker side. A lack of learning around topics like consent, gender and red flags in unhealthy relationships means that young people are more likely to have sexual experiences that are detrimental to their sexual health – both physically and emotionally. Statistics tells us that 86% of 16-24 year old women have been sexually harassed in public spaces (UN Women UK) and two-thirds of 18-24 year-old men feel pressured to display hyper-masculine behaviour (Future Men Survey). And it is those who are already marginalised that are most affected. LGBTQIA+ people are 150 times more likely to develop depression and anxiety compared to the rest of the population (IICSA) and transgender hate crimes recorded by police rose by 81% from 2018-2019 (BBC). Sexual health services continue to fail Black communities in the UK. Young people with disabilities are desexualised and their RSE deprioritised. Everyone has the right to an RSE that reflects themselves and the society they live in, so that they have the best chance of happy, safe relationships. What’s changing? Thankfully, RSE is finally compulsory in all UK secondary schools as of last year. And in 2019, the curriculum has had its first update since the year 2000. Although we consider there to be gaps in the guidance (no mention of pleasure whatsoever), things are moving forwards. However, in our experience schools and teachers still feel unprepared to teach the subject. A BETT survey found that 39% of secondary school teachers do not feel prepared to cover the RSE requirements and 47% of teachers expressed a lack of confidence in their ability to deliver RSE. We’re here to help. Creativity and RSE go hand in hand At Split Banana, we provide inclusive and relevant RSE, using creative teaching methods. We know that students are far less awkward talking about topics when they’re busy making or doing something. We’ve seen groups of young men openly discussing the stigma about crying in public whilst storyboarding together. We’ve seen students express delight at sketching bodies that we don’t usually see on our screens: fat bodies, queer bodies, disabled bodies. We also like to showcase art created by underrepresented people and communities, and relate to topics and events happening in popular culture. Getting creative with RSE means it’s more engaging and memorable. How we can help your school We have a skilled team of trainers and facilitators with diverse expertise. We can support your school in a variety of ways: We can deliver creative RSE workshops to groups of young people on all sorts of topics: sexual health, gender, porn, body image, consent, to name a few. We can run these workshops in-person, or remote. We can train educators in bespoke or public training days, equipping them with confidence and skills to design and deliver quality RSE themselves. We can provide 1:1 consultations with your RSE lead to review your existing RSE curriculum and provide expert advice on lesson plans, resources, whole-school approaches and much more. Nice things people have said about us “We’re always impressed by the care and attention to detail SB put into their resources and prep for sessions, always centering content around the needs and context of their audience. And their sessions are so much fun!” – Body image workshops for Y9s “The facilitators are really knowledgeable and the focus on intersectionality and decanting normative perspectives was refreshing. Loved your openness in answering questions and sharing practice (including times you felt you’d made mistakes).” – Public 2-day RSE training “Not only was your advice incredibly insightful and useful but it was presented with a real understanding for the complexities faced by our staff and without judgement, making us feel really supported in our endeavors to improve!” – Consultation with Stretford High School Get in touch If you think that your school might benefit from some support, get in touch. We’re always happy to have a chat. Say hello@splitbanana.co.uk, call Matilda (Director at SB) on 07875946906 or visit our website to find out more.
Eating Disorders: can we help teenagers avoid them?
Here at tastelife, we believe emphatically that yes, we can help our teenagers avoid developing an eating disorder! We know that eating disorders often begin during adolescence, so the vision behind Youth Track: Understanding Eating Disorders, is to keep teens informed about this too-often taboo subject, as well as to provide those who work with them the means and the confidence to engage with it in a healthy way. We believe that if young teenagers gain a clear understanding and healthy awareness of eating disorders, and understand why they might happen, they will be better equipped to avoid developing one themselves. They will also be more compassionate and understanding towards others who struggle with an eating disorder, who often feel isolated and misunderstood. We also know that by talking more openly about sensitive issues such as eating disorders, we give teens the opportunity to seek help earlier than they perhaps might have. This is crucial because we also know that the earlier a person gets help for their eating disorder, the quicker the recovery. It also means that they are less likely to regress in the future. So rather than avoid these topics, let’s get talking about them! In fact, both the Department for Education and the PSHE Association recommend that schools should address the topic of eating disorders. Our link will take you to an online information pack, including a short document outlining this very point, as well as highlighting the ways in which Youth Track help you as a school to meet your statutory PSHE requirements. Eating disorders steal life, sometimes literally. We want our adolescents to enjoy their teenage years – and well beyond. If we can open up a conversation around this topic then we give them the opportunity to stay mentally healthy – or to nip any issues in the bud. If you would like to see some examples from the resource, then click HERE. We can help you address this serious illness within your school. The Youth Track USB has everything you need to run engaging and effective lessons, all for a one-off fee of only £50. www.tastelifeuk.org/youth-track
What Role Can Technology Play in Assessment?
With the cancellation of exams in the summer, the subject of assessment has been brought to the fore. The short-term exam preparation phenomenon of ‘teaching to the test’ will have temporarily disappeared and some will be thankful of that, but does this give us a unique chance to explore and adopt other methods of continuous assessment perhaps on a more permanent basis? Continuous assessment offers the opportunity to improve teaching and learning for the benefit of the student by affording the ability to identify and address knowledge gaps in a timely manner. It can remove the bias towards narrow teaching and cramming where exams are involved, therefore potentially improving long-term educational outcomes for all. We also know high-stakes assessment has often been criticised for the anxiety it creates. With the rise in mental health issues amongst young people, given all they have had to deal with in the past two years in relation to the Pandemic and lost opportunities for learning, should we be doing more to minimise situations which put children under any more stress such as assessment related anxiety? Further, given the learning loss due to the disruption of COVID which still continues to interrupt classroom lessons on an ongoing basis, the challenge is for teachers to assess where individual pupils are now in relation to their knowledge and plan the best approach to help them move forwards. While it is accepted that there has been learning loss and many students are possibly not where they should be or where we would like them to be, how this is assessed, presented and how it is addressed also needs to be carefully managed to ensure students don’t feel penalised for something that is not their fault and to ensure teachers do not become overwhelmed. I’d like to suggest that technology can play a role here. Moving forward needs to be about recalibrating the curriculum, reconnecting with students and building confidence. Informal assessments which avoid further stress can identify gaps in learning to help secure firm foundations moving forwards with an emphasis on quality over quantity. Tools such as virtual tutoring platforms can off additional support in terms of assessment and to scaffold learning. A virtual tutor is an automated online system that simulates behaviours of a human tutor. While not designed to replace one-to-one human interaction, virtual tutors can offer teachers and students additional support, providing content which adapts to different levels of attainment and pace of learning. As a by-product of learning, a virtual tutor such as Whizz Education’s Maths-Whizz Tutor for example, constantly generates data analytics in real-time, providing continuous assessment data. This has allowed teachers and Whizz to track learning progress and loss and identify where children need further support on different topics. We have found that the Maths Ages of students determined over time by continuous assessment informs teachers where to focus the class teaching or where to focus the virtual tutor or face-to-face teaching. This continuous assessment data can support formative assessment, reducing the burden for teachers and the anxiety over high stakes summative tests for students. Jo Kerkham, Head of School and Snowy Owls Class Teacher, Brisley Church of England Primary Academy explains: “Maths-Whizz keeps skills simmering and knowledge up-to-date across the board. It’s also a great assessment tool as progress and knowledge gaps are easy to identify. This feedback helps teachers understand which areas to focus on to develop further learning.” In this way technology, can be used to provide individualised support within different contexts, including assessment, identifying gaps, motivation and confidence building due to the fun, interactive nature of the solution. Whatever our assessment mechanisms – formative or summative, low stakes or high – we must recognise there are always trade-offs to be made. When it comes to evaluating schools, informing teachers and motivating students, formative assessment is more than fit for purpose, without the stress inducing side effects! Perhaps now is the perfect time to take advantage of the lessons learned during the COVID restrictions to see how exam alternatives could offer better options for students and support teachers with prioritising lesson planning for improved learning outcomes at the same time. Article by Fiona Goddard, Education Consultant, Whizz Education For further information please see: www.whizz.com
Young people hold the key to their wellbeing with Composure Active
Here at Composure Active our intention is to help young people realise that they hold the key to their own wellbeing. Through Yoga, Mindfulness and Resilience exercises, we show students how to uncover their innate resilience and potential! Wellbeing workshops and courses are not only aimed at finding a sense of calm, ease and peace but of empowering young people and teachers to support themselves to navigate all aspects of life. Now more than ever, students and teachers need support. Now more than ever we need a shift away from people believing they need to better themselves in order to be happy. Our approach is different, we believe everyone is already good enough but they may just need a little guidance to see that clearly. From this place, students and teachers feel resilient, optimistic and engaged in their school life as well as naturally happier, more able to regulate emotions and additionally to this, improve their relationships with others. All sessions are run by Hannah, our qualified Psychologist, Sports Therapist, Yoga & Meditation Teacher. She has experience working with all key stages as well as with teachers. Composure Active offers a wide range of workshop days for both students and teachers as well as bespoke wellbeing days which recognise individual differences and requirements. Choose from: Yoga or Meditation Classes Wellbeing Workshop Days Meditation and Mindfulness Courses for Teachers and Facilitators Visit www.composureactive.co.uk for our price list OR call today on for a free consultation to curate a day especially for your needs : 07909448046