Parents uninformed of deadly school run risks, according to new research
Parents across the country are worryingly unaware of how the school run can threaten their children’s safety, according to the latest research from leading home-to-school travel provider Kura. The research, which surveyed 1,000 parents across the UK, found that more than half (52%) of parents are unaware that the toxic fumes created by school run traffic were detrimental to their children’s health. Concerningly, this figure also increases to 57% of parents living in cities and built-up urban areas, where air pollution is a recurrent problem. Air pollution is linked to as many as 40,000 premature deaths a year, and recent findings from Unicef revealed that children are more at risk of breathing in toxic air pollution during school hours than at any other time of the day, with nearly two thirds of the air pollution they take in daily coming from this period. Indeed, the same research found that millions of children are breathing in deadly levels of particulates that breach World Health Organisation (WHO) guidelines – known as PM 2.5 – every day. This lack of awareness around the problem is perhaps surprising, given that 52% of parents surveyed reported a keen interest in environmental issues, with 42% claiming to be more interested in “green” topics than their children. Furthermore, more than half of parents (53%) report that they would like their children’s school to be as environmentally friendly as possible. Parental awareness was only slightly higher around the dangers posed by cars entering and exiting school premises before and after school, with just over half of parents (52%) citing traffic around schools as a risk to their child’s safety. A further 47% also went on to report there being “too much” traffic around school entrances and exits, which can lead to vehicle collisions, or the potential for the 38% of pupils who walk to school each day to be struck by a passing car. The research, which surveyed parents of school-age children attending state schools, independent schools and academies across the UK, was conducted as part of Kura’s Green School Guide – a new resource created to support parents and schools looking to create a safer, greener school run. Mathew Hassell, founder and CEO of Kura, said: “Children are more at risk from deadly air pollution during the school run than anywhere else, so it was extremely worrying to see this problem flying under the radar for so many. As it stands, a lack of viable school travel options is forcing parents across the country to take their children to and from school in their cars, which in turn poses threats to children’s safety that many are not even aware of. “School travel needs a serious rethink, if not a full-blown revolution. Pupils, parents and schools are all being negatively impacted by a school run that is no longer fit for purpose, and the only way we’re going to stop this is by working together. Schools and parents working as one with pupils’ needs front of mind, and the support of stakeholders, businesses and the community around them, can stop this deadly issue in its tracks and drive a safer, greener school run that truly meets the needs of all.” Kura is a leading provider of home-to-school transport services, providing safe travel for over 7,000 pupils a day across 300 routes. Kura is part of the Transport2 Group which carries over two million passengers a year. Kura is currently expanding its network of partner-schools throughout the UK, working to identify and deliver a safer, greener, smarter school run. For more information, please visit https://www.ridekura.com/green-guide/
Animal Farm named nation’s favourite school book
George Orwell’s Animal Farm has been voted the nation’s favourite ever school book in new research from Oxford Home Schooling. The independent survey of 2,000 adults asked which books they read and enjoyed at school and the dystopian novella won out against several plays by William Shakespeare and gothic horrors Frankenstein and Dracula. Dickens’ classic Great Expectations came in second, as selected by 20% of respondents, followed by William Golding’s Lord of the Flies. Nation’s Top Five Favourite School Books Animal Farm 27% Great Expectations 20% Lord of the Flies 20% To Kill a Mockingbird 19% Wuthering Heights 18% The Bard’s plays missed out on a place in the top five, but Macbeth earned sixth place on the list, followed by A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Honorable mentions were also made for Julius Caesar, Merchant of Venice and Twelfth Night, while Much Ado About Nothing featured in the top 20 with 5% of votes. Animal Farm proved most popular book with men, earning 33% of the male vote, followed by Lord of the Flies (23%) and Great Expectations (20%). However, Emily Bronte’s dark romance Wuthering Heights topped the female’s list, alongside the Orwellian masterpiece and Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird. The sexes also showed different tastes when it comes to Shakespeare, with the Bard’s tale of star-crossed lovers Romeo and Juliet making the top five of the women’s list, while bloody tragedy Macbeth was the most popular Shakespeare play for male respondents. Dr Nick Smith, Principal at Oxford Home Schooling, said: “It is not easy to pick a favourite ‘school’ book but I think the public has judged well. Animal Farm made a huge impact on me when I was a schoolboy and made political ideas accessible to a wide audience with the apparent simplicity of its story. Great Expectations is a worthy silver medallist. I studied Dickens for my doctorate and the experience left me even more convinced that Pip’s suspenseful narrative was the greatest of his novels. If, for some reason, you have not read any of the books on this list, you have a treat in store!” Other popular secondary school books mentioned in the poll include An Inspector Calls (10%), which was recently the subject of a TV adaptation featuring David Thewlis and Miranda Richardson, and Steinbeck’s classic Of Mice and Men.
Top tips for keeping children safe online
By Mike Glanville, Director of Safeguarding Services at MyConcern. As a former police officer with more than 35 years of high-level safeguarding experience, Director of Safeguarding Services, Mike Glanville, explains how schools can leverage technology to reduce pressures on safeguarding leads and improve outcomes by identifying and addressing concerns at the earliest possible opportunity. Online safety is not just important, it is absolutely vital for protecting children and young people. We all want them to be able to use every opportunity that comes with having the world at their fingertips, building on knowledge, broadening their world and increasing their understanding of different thoughts, beliefs, places and ideas. But we also know the online world has made it all too easy for predators, bullies, or even people who are just plain bored and think something will be funny, to target children and young people and expose them to things that they simply aren’t yet equipped to handle mentally or emotionally. As a society we have a responsibility to do everything we possibly can to keep children and young people safe. Social media is becoming more and more a part of daily life and is now a prime method of communication and socialising for young people. Fortunately, the makers behind popular apps are beginning to recognise that they have a part to play in the protection of children and young people and are taking steps to make their apps safer. Tik Tok has been in the news recently because they launched a new ‘Family Safety Mode’ as a response to challenges within their community. New features allow parents to manage how much time their children spend in the app, limit who sends messages to them or turn off direct messaging completely, and allow them to restrict the appearance of potentially inappropriate content. Other innovations are making online safety within schools more comprehensive. Our safeguarding software MyConcern has teamed up with student online monitoring and management solution Senso.Cloud to create an integration between the two platforms, designed to boost the power behind school safeguarding processes. Schools who use both MyConcern and Senso.Cloud will now be able to easily see a holistic view of a student’s safeguarding profile, which will include Senso.Cloud’s automatically triggered screenshots of concerning online behaviour such as incidents related to bullying, self-harm, eating disorders, pornography, gambling and other concerning issues. In tandem with making good use of key innovations, it’s important to always keep in mind a number of key principles for online safety. To help, we’ve put together a list of our top tips to share with children, young people, parents, carers, and school staff, enabling them all to make good choices online. These can be downloaded here in poster format or found below. Top 10 tips for staying safe online: 1. Your online posts are permanent: What you share online will remain accessible forever. Always think before you post! 2. Update your privacy settings: To make sure you are always keeping your personal information safe, take a look at the privacy options your sites have and make the most of the protection they offer. 3. Remember, stranger danger!: Never meet up with anyone who you only know online, and only accept requests from people you know. 4. Beware of viruses: Watch out for links or adverts that may contain malicious and harmful viruses. If something seems too good to be true, it probably is (e.g. you probably haven’t won the latest iPhone for being the millionth visitor!). 5. Social media isn’t real life: Don’t measure your own life against what other people are posting. Remember that everyone will only be posting their best (or imagined) moments. It’s not healthy to make that your benchmark. 6. Respect others online: There’s so much joy to be found online, try not to ruin it for other people. Always think about how others will be affected by what you’re doing or posting. 7. Think before you send: Don’t share with anyone online something that you wouldn’t want them to share with others. It’s far too easy to lose control of something once it has been sent. 8. Worried? Report it: If you see something that worries you, report it to the site AND to a trusted adult. This way you will keep yourself safe, and prevent harm to others. 9. Time’s Up!: The internet provides a great platform for catching up with friends, but staying online for long amounts of time has been found to have a negative impact on other areas of life. Know when to switch off and take a break. 10. Keep your passwords private, always: Don’t share your account passwords with anyone, even your most trusted friends. To keep children and young people safe from online harm, it is essential that all staff working with them are well-equipped with reliable and up-to-date information. There are a growing number of platforms which children are using, and each comes with its unique risks. It is critical that all staff are updated on these safeguarding issues, such as those presented in this webinar from MyConcern with guest speaker and criminologist Carole Phillips. You can register to watch the recording here.
Bradford school revamps reading areas in time for World Book Day
Shibden Head Primary Academy has overhauled its pupils reading areas ahead of World Book Day which is set to take place on Thursday 5 March 2020. The new facilities have been designed to include comfortable, inviting spaces for children to spend time solo reading as well as with other pupils to encourage them to work together and to inspire children to read more at home. This has also seen the introduction of new books for children to enjoy. During World Book Day pupils at the school will be encouraged to come to dress as their favourite book characters and create a ‘book in a jar’ or a ‘book in a box’. Children will also be able to purchase books at a Book Fair which will be running during the week commencing Monday 9 March. Head of Shibden Head Primary Academy, Sarah Thornton said: “Nationally, 27% of pupils leave primary school unable to read at their expected level for their age. “This is why at Shibden Head we are putting a full school focus on the importance of reading and how it can be a fun hobby for our pupils to engage with. Connecting with them at a school level will mean they will be encouraged to read more at home too.” Michelle Harrison, Assistant Head and English Leader at Shibden Primary Academy, added: “With technology playing a bigger role in youngsters lives it can sometimes be difficult to get children to engage with books. “That is why we have gone back to basics and made spaces where children can access the books a fun place to be, helping them excite one another about what stories they can unfold.” Shibden Head Primary Academy operates as part of Focus Trust – a charitable multi-academy trust which is based in the North West of England with a vision of providing an engaging and challenging learning environment where the children are happy.
Safeguarding absent children means giving them more ‘ways out’
By Lara Péchard, Head at St Margaret’s School in Hertfordshire The importance of registration and attendance some say, has supposedly been made easier by management information systems, but these can be perfunctory and in some cases the word of another child can be enough for someone to be marked present. Increasingly in our fast-paced world, absence is the first and most reliable indicator of a pastoral or safeguarding issue and consequently it deserves much more prominence and professionalism in schools. Regardless of the type of school or size of site it seems many schools still find the monitoring of attendance a difficult task. Having explained at industry training days about the important steps one should take regarding pupil attendance, it was surprising to discover just how many schools struggle with the process. All too often parents are somewhat shocked that the child they dropped off at the school gates or at the train station never actually made it in. Systems need to be more suspicious about a possible gap between parent and school exploited by the child. In this scenario the possibility is that the child has simply gone to a library or a coffee shop to catch up on work or is unable to face the school day. This is a common occurrence especially for a sixth former without the right routines. However, in an age of child exploitation and County Lines, as a school, you have to be sure you know where your pupils are at all times during school hours. Chasing absence and lateness every day with the child and family is a must. For the child spiraling into depression, going into school might be too much for them. Schools need to know how to identify these children and the correlation with their attendance patterns. A chill out zone or welfare area; open and non-judgmental might make the difference in holding them safely. Often when a child has a high rate of lateness or absence you can find colleagues too easily accepting of plausible reasons for absence, as a pastoral need. For example, citing a parental health issue as a reason for a boy regularly missing school is one that springs to mind. In this scenario, at best the child is at home with a parent undertaking schoolwork, but in this case he was sleeping off a drug dependency and needed the school to lean in rather than respect his distance. It can be uncomfortable trying to encourage parents to get their children into school. Avoiding school is difficult for the entire household. Of course there are often very legitimate reasons to keep children at home and away from school. However, the instinct should be to get them into school to provide support, especially when offered as a package of care for the child and family. Often a parent, especially those who can work from home can be weak and an unhealthy pattern can take hold. A child that is consistently off school for one reason can quickly develop other issues that are very difficult for families to unpick. In truth, there are many more desperate situations where the school is trying to reach the inadvertently ‘boxed-out’ child with friendly visits from a tutor, classmates or chaplain. Schools need robust attendance systems that allow for multiple registration points, communication with home and that are easy for staff to get right. Secondly, schools should allocate a dedicated member of staff to check and follow up absences with personal communication. Schools need to be safe places with suitable space to ‘zone out’ for the traumatised, unhappy or bereaved. Giving children more ways out, so that coming into school can be managed even if homework isn’t completed, has to be where schools focus their attention.
How can we effectively close the disadvantage gap?
Sharon Davies is the CEO of Young Enterprise and a highly experienced youth worker. Having left home at 16, Sharon was working in a Kwik Save at 19 when she was spotted by a youth worker who noticed her savvy and calm interactions with misbehaving teenagers outside the shop. The youth worker then encouraged her to go into youth work herself – a turning point for her own future. Here, Sharon discusses closing the disadvantage gap by giving young people the skills they need to succeed… A 2019 report by the Education Policy Institute found that the attainment gap between the most disadvantaged students and their peers is increasing. Disadvantaged students are almost two years behind by the time they finish their GCSEs. The report ‘Who’s Left 2019’ found that the extent of the disadvantage gap has historically been masked by ‘off-rolling’. This is the practice of removing students from rolls, based on whether or not they were enrolled in January of Year 11, which more often than not improves the GCSE results of a school. The FFT Education Datalab, which produced the report, found that 24,600 students disappeared from school rolls in 2019, compared to 22,000 in 2018. This problem is getting worse. Disadvantage gap highlights inequality According to the Institute for Fiscal Studies, income inequality in the UK is amongst the highest by international standards, and regional inequality is higher than any other large wealthy country. More and more young people are not getting the fair start they deserve. In fact, according to a recent poll by the Social Mobility Commission, 74% of people in the South East believe that there are good opportunities for them to make progress, compared to 31% in the North East. It is critical that young people with the least access to social capital are not left behind. So how can we reduce the disadvantage gap? The answer lies in ensuring every young person is provided with meaningful opportunities to develop crucial skills as a fully integrated part of the education system. Our current knowledge-based curriculum has created an exam led approach to education which inevitably leaves some young people behind. It increases pressure on teachers and school leaders and exacerbates challenges such as off-rolling. There is a greater need than ever to teach these crucial financial and entrepreneurial skills in our schools. Having the opportunity during school years to develop work skills and gain insight into the range of career opportunities available is a prerequisite for social mobility. Confidently understanding money puts young people in a good position to start their working lives. We are currently not doing enough to give young people the consistent access to the skills they need. Consequently, opportunities to even the playing field are being missed. Buidling on transferable skills It’s not just about understanding the world of work and finance, but all of those transferable skills that are going to be the currency of employability in young people’s futures. At Young Enterprise, we never fail to be amazed by the impact our programmes can have on our participants. Young people develop a confidence they never had, able to solve real-life problems in real-time, learn from their mistakes and adapt accordingly; these are the skills that enrich academic attainment to maximise opportunity. Just imagine if every young person were given equal access to develop the skills they need to succeed in addition to their academic achievements. Imagine the increased opportunity if a young person can showcase their potential through both academic achievement and skills development, and these were equally valued by employers. This vision is not a million miles away. It is one that Young Enterprise wholeheartedly believes in, it’s one that employers call for every year, and it is one that enables teachers to do what they entered the profession to do – inspire, enthuse, and prepare young people most effectively for their future. With a new language of success, together with the access to develop skills to match, so many more young people – regardless of their background – can begin to aspire to success. We’re committed to making change happen. By 2023, Young Enterprise aims to create a minimum of 1 million opportunities to help young people activate their untapped ambition. But as the ‘Who’s Left’ report showed, there is still a long way to go. We owe it to our young people to act today to equip them with the skills and confidence they will need to succeed tomorrow. All of our futures depend on it.
Teaching Online: Catering for children in a modern era
The internet has unravelled a whole host of opportunities for a wide range of sectors, enabling them to expand their offerings and take services to the next level. While the same can be said for education – including online resources to effectively engage students and give teachers the tools to better-manage teaching – there remains an opportunity when it comes to the upskilling and professional development of staff. Helping teachers better equip and prepare themselves for an ever-changing society, including millennials with differing demands, has the potential to completely transform the teaching and learning environment, in a way that provides staff, students and parents with flexibility, convenience and scalability. At a recent conference, Education Secretary, Gavin Williamson, told school leaders that learning about being a teacher is something that continues all the way through their professional development and career. Therefore, in a bid to boost retention and recruitment, he stated that new, improved training and professional development for teachers across the country will take place to ensure that they receive ‘the same kind of quality training you would find in other professions.’ While this is a promising step forward, the types of courses and training available need to recognise and reflect the changing landscape and provide teachers with real value to not only allow them to progress personally and professionally, but also positively impact the outcomes of their students. This comes back to my earlier point about the internet. Children today are unlikely to go an hour without checking their phone, surfing the internet and social media, let alone a day. So how do we provide them with the means to learn, in a way that engages them on their terms and suits their lifestyles, during the school day? There are plenty of online resources and platforms out there already, offering effective ways for teachers to engage with children within the traditional classroom setting. However, what about those children who might not flourish in a mainstream environment due to a variety of health or wellbeing issues, those who have been excluded, and those who require greater flexibility around their studies to accommodate future careers in acting and sport? In order to meet the increasing demand for alternative approaches to learning, teachers can invest in professional development centred around Teaching Online. This type of qualification enables teachers to boost their online knowledge and understand the necessary skills to teach in a variety of online settings, in order to help develop the relevant knowledge and skills to teach effectively in distance and blended online modes. It’s incredibly important for teachers to acquire a better understanding of how pupils operate in an online environment and how this can then be applied to teaching. This way of learning has already demonstrated particular value for students who have been bullied, anxious, lost confidence or who aren’t receptive to mainstream classrooms. These young people require a safe and secure environment, free from disruption, in order to build up their confidence and work at times that suit their needs and collaboration preferences. As part of this type of professional development, teachers are exposed to pedagogies for online learning, as well as the differences between online learning environments and the physical classroom. They are shown how knowledge is applied in these circumstances and the skills necessary to support learners who are not in the mainstream education system. Equipped with enhanced skills, teachers are then able to plan and facilitate effective online teaching, using various tools, forums and open content to interact with students as well as conducting formative and summative assessment. While qualifications for teaching online are relatively new, a recent graduate from the ATHE Level 4 Award in Teaching Online, spoke about her experience, saying, “The TTTOL qualification provided a fantastic opportunity to refresh my knowledge in current academic research surrounding teaching online and technologies that can be integrated into an online lesson. I also found it very useful watching other teachers and colleagues teach and learn from their online teaching practice. The qualification is hard work but rewarding and I would recommend it to anyone wishing to update their skills in media creation for online education and delivering lessons that utilise a wide range of online technologies to engage students.” These qualifications demonstrating internalised skills are important in terms of addressing both online education and blended learning environments, which offer a combination of online and face-to-face delivery; something which is becoming more popular with the changing needs and priorities of today’s students – and teachers. It’s important to be able to cater to alternative ways of teaching and learning, especially in an age where teaching and learning online is such a fast-growing area. It is essential that qualified practitioners are in a place to cater to students that are less able to participate in the traditional classroom and courses such as this are crucial in helping provide these vital capabilities. For more information, visit: www.weyeducation.com Article by Jacqueline Daniell, CEO of Wey Education
Empowering teachers to make the most of their professional development plan
It is beneficial for teachers to have a professional development plan (PDP) and feel supported to achieve the goals that have been identified. A PDP is a documented record of an individual’s career aspirations and progressions and may also be referred to as CPD (continuing professional development). The plan should outline the goals that individuals wish to achieve and how they are going to develop the skills necessary to reach these goals. It is important that teachers feel they are able to actively work on their professional development. Making time for this may be challenging, but employers should encourage and support staff to professionally develop themselves. High Speed Training, a leading online training provider delivering accredited digital training that helps people to be engaged, effective and safe in the workplace, has shared advice for teachers looking to make the most of their PDP. How to write a professional development plan There are nine steps to take to complete a PDP: 1. Assess where you are now 2. Identify your specific career goals 3. Gather information 4. Identify what professional skills you already have and which you need to work on 5. Choose how you will accomplish your goals 6. Develop a timeline for accomplishing your specific targets and goals 7. Write it all down 8. Evaluate your plan 9. Measure your progress Each of these stages is explained in more detail in High Speed Training’s online article, Writing A Professional Development Plan – Example & Template. Professional development ideas Professional development goals are likely to vary from colleague to colleague and may relate to the job level or role that is desired or the development of specific teaching styles and capabilities. Professional development goals which can be considered include: • To become a head of year • To become a subject head • To become a child behaviour specialist • To develop ICT skills to make the most of technology use in the classroom • To learn how to provide support to special educational needs pupils and confidently give teacher support • To address the individual learning styles of students and expand teaching methods accordingly It is important for teachers to always feel as though they can ask their employers for opportunities to develop professionally – and this will benefit the school just as much as it will benefit the individual. How to achieve development goals • Qualification courses Teachers can gain professional qualifications by completing online or face-to-face training. High Speed Training offers various online educational training courses, from Designated Safeguarding Officer to Challenging Behaviour Training. Courses provide the practical information needed for individuals to take action and develop skills in the areas that need addressing. • Mentoring and peer observation Teachers are guaranteed to learn something by shadowing colleagues, irrespective of their level of seniority. It may result in individuals witnessing teaching methods that successfully engage pupils with a difficult topic or taking note of a particular strategy for managing disruptive pupils. Both the observer and the teacher being shadowed are likely to benefit from peer observation as it provides an opportunity for constructive feedback to be shared. • Observation visits to other schools Visiting other schools is similar to shadowing colleagues, but it is likely to have additional learning benefits. A different school may encourage alternative teaching strategies and behaviours, and teachers can take this knowledge back to their own school and trial new ways of teaching. • Workshops Workshops on a subject matter, method or other education-related topics are a useful platform for teachers to discuss their own experiences as well as learn. They may be led by an external specialist or hosted by one of the teachers. Such discussions also provide teachers with an opportunity for internal reflection and result in individuals getting a lot more out of the sessions than initially anticipated. • Education conferences and seminars This type of learning will allow teachers to develop in a particular area recognised as challenging. Dr. Richard Anderson, Head of Learning & Development at High Speed Training, said: “The modern teaching career is a continuous learning journey, and teachers should feel empowered and supported in their professional development to progress in their desired career direction. Like any form of learning or development, how you go about achieving your goals will take many forms. You may find that you develop best when seeing things in practice, such as by shadowing other colleagues and visiting other schools. Whatever form your development takes, it is important that is effective for you and that you’re able apply what you’ve learnt in the classroom.” For more information and to find out more about the courses, please visit www.highspeedtraining.co.uk.
Encouraging Parents to Embrace the Concept of the School Trip
The concept of the school trip has changed over time. Once, a trip out of the classroom amounted to little more than a jaunt to the local museum, whereas today, the potential for taking youngsters out of the confines of the classroom is vast. With ever-expanding options for destinations and learning experiences, it is little wonder that parents have rising concerns about taking the school trip plunge. It is the job of schools to make sure that these worries are alleviated so that our kids today don’t miss out on one of the most valuable educational experiences. Access to learning is paramount if we are to arm our youngsters with the tools they need to succeed both academically and socially in this world, and the best bit is that acquiring knowledge doesn’t only have to take place in the classroom. In fact, our world is a haven for learning and simply bursting with opportunities that every child should have the chance to grab with both hands. The benefits of a school trip definitely outweigh any potential issues and I want parents to trust that their little darlings are the teachers’ number one priority when they are in their care. Sending children away with the school has so many plus points, not least the fact that I don’t know any youngster who wouldn’t relish the prospect of spending time away from home, hanging out with their friends. Bunking in with mates, sharing new experiences together and making memories that will stick with them forever are all part of growing up, learning and developing, and when teachers pitch an idea for an excursion, they need to focus on these positives. By exposing the next generation to different environments, cultures and countries, we empower them with the tools they need to enhance their personal development, grow in confidence and experience a blossoming sense of responsibility. A trip outside of school often engages children who are otherwise disinterested in the school room setting, and this can be an incredible boost to pupils, teachers and parents alike. For a parent, however, the worry can be very present, so I feel it is really important to encourage headteachers and teachers alike to tackle some of the issues and offer solutions to concerned parents: Tackling the Obstacles to School Trips The Cost Yes, trips can be expensive. I know that teachers are always doing their utmost to keep costs as reasonable as possible but sometimes the cost can be a deal breaker for mums and dads. It is sensible to plan as far in advance as possible (so people can save up) and choose off-peak dates so that the costs can be kept lower. Inexpensive travel options should also be considered, for example, travelling by coach instead of by plane, and the itinerary needs to be tailored to accommodate the demographic of children in the class. Using a tour operator can help with this. Suggest places to buy second hand equipment the children might need for the excursion or have a sale organised at the school. Skiing can be particularly expensive, for example, so this will be appreciated. Communicating regularly and in detail with home relieves some of the stress and worry, as does including them; encouraging parents to get involved with fundraising for the excursion helps them feel more of a part of things and also relieves some of the financial burden. Health and Safety This is again down to communication with the school. Mums and dads should get a detailed itinerary of the trip, with any higher risk activities highlighted and explained in detail. Always highlight the exciting parts of the activities and the sense of achievement the youngsters will have taking part; parents love to know their child is accomplishing things. Of course, you can share the school’s health and safety policy and relevant risk assessments for extra reassurance. What Will They Really Learn? Teachers must make an effort to highlight the benefits of the trip from the academic and social side. Parents want to know what they are spending their hard earned cash on. I appreciate that, as a teacher, you may not like bombarding parents with information, but if you push the positives and make them feel involved, they are more likely to get on board. Whatever the learning objectives, teachers should demonstrate to parents that when youngsters are given the opportunity to be in any new environment they develop new perspectives, learn more, are encouraged to ask questions and contextualise theoretical learning that will stick with them always. Bringing any theory off the page and putting it in context is invaluable for children when it comes to understanding what they are learning. They begin to make connections with what they experienced in the classroom and this often boosts motivation and enthusiasm. The Activities Offered Every child is unique and they all have different fears, anxieties and worries, therefore it can be quite tempting for some parents to keep them away from a school trip in an effort to avoid these. Teachers need to make it very clear what is on offer in terms of activities and then parents can help get their children prepared for the trip. Invite mums and dads to inform your staff about their child’s worries so that they can be dealt with sympathetically. Children often perform differently away from home and this is a great opportunity for them to do that and concurrently for them to grow socially and emotionally. Parents need to be encouraged to ‘cut the apron strings’ and reap the benefits of an increasingly independent child. Preparation Getting pupils ready for a trip can also be a daunting prospect for families, so the school must be clear on what equipment and clothing is required. Worrying about whether to send your child with shorts or trousers, for example, is a worry that parents really don’t need to have. Guidelines regarding money, mobiles, confectionary and behaviour should all be made clear too so that