Mindfulness for Year 7 Transition – for Pupils and Staff
How often are children and adults told that resilience is a good thing but they are rarely taught how to actually be more resilient! Mindfulness training helps to explore and understand the mind and develop skills to proactively manage responses and behaviours, as well as improving focus and the ability to pay attention. Mindful Teaching, part of the not-for profit Oakdale Centre CIC, have been working in a variety of educational settings across Yorkshire to bring evidence based mindfulness training to children and young people and/or staff. We were recently involved in teaching mindfulness to Yr 7 pupils in large school in north Leeds. The school had identified that transition was a key point in the life of the school and wanted to make mindfulness part of their transition programme. The response and engagement from the pupils was excellent. They found it useful in areas such as concentration, exam stress, sleep, managing emotions and also in sport, music and drama. Yr7 Quotes “it helped me with my feelings and sleep and worries massively” “in exams; it helps me concentrate and not stress” “I used it when I was about to play a piece on the piano in front of a crowd and was feeling nervous” “very inspiring and helps me get through tough times” “my younger brother took something from my room and instead of getting angry I did a quick mindfulness practice and he gave it back because I didn’t react” We also ran introductory sessions for interested staff and specific sessions for the teachers involved closely with Yr7. This meant that key staff understood the aims of the programme. We are now training staff in mindfulness with a view to supporting their own wellbeing (1.5 hours per week for 8 weeks, run as a twilight session). Mindfulness is typically taught over a number of sessions so that skills can be practiced and embedded as the course unfolds. Staff who have taken part in a mindfulness courses in schols report benefits such as a reduction in anxiety, help with burn out, less days off work and an increase in coping skills, motivation, self-confidence and ability to take perspective. ( This article summarises this nicely https://mindfulnessinschools.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/Evidence-for-Mindfulness-Impact-on-school-staff.pdf). From our work with staff in other schools, they also report being kinder to themselves, managing their minds and emotions more skilfully and engaging/communicating better with colleagues. Quotes from staff in Bradford and Hull “I am able to respond rather than react to stressful situations. That has made a huge difference at work & home”. “I am in a pastoral role in the school and it challenging every day. My reactions are massively different now at work and it has had positive effect on my relationships at work as well as my overall work.” “This training has helped me become self- aware which has definitely enhanced my relationship with the children in the classroom” Some of the staff in the Leeds school we are currently working in will go on to train to teach mindfulness within the school and we will support the school develop their own staff based resource. Mindfulness can lose momentum in a school if there is not sufficient opportunities to engage with it. We are helping them find ways (many of which are free or very inexpensive to implement) to keep up the momentum of mindfulness in the school. Bringing mindfulness into a school is not a ‘quick fix’ but done in the right way it is overwhelmingly successful. So how to move forward with mindfulness in your school? Ask for an introductory meeting with Mindful Teaching and learn more about what we can provide. We will help you identify a cost effective way to implement mindfulness according to your present needs and aspirations to well being. Contact us info@mindful-teaching.co.uk to discuss how we can help you.
What is The Daily Mile?
It’s outdoor physical activity, as part of Health and Wellbeing, in an enjoyable social setting. The class goes outside into the playground with their teacher and run and jog at their own pace for 15 minutes each day. What are the benefits for children? Children develop a physical activity habit and running every day becomes normal for them. They quickly develop fitness, stamina and resilience – most children are fit after only four weeks. Mental health is improved and children report feeling happier and less anxious. The Daily Mile refreshes their bodies and minds and they return to class more settled and ready to learn. What are the benefits for the school? The Daily Mile is simple and free. It has a positive impact on whole class focus and individual challenging behaviour. There is no planning or measurement needed and no workload for teachers or schools. The health benefits extend to staff and there is overwhelming support from parents with many excellent examples of family engagement. Schools report that disclosures increase because of the daily opportunity for teacher / child engagement away from the four walls of the classroom. In addition, it helps schools to meet recommendations for daily physical activity and provides an extra reason for being outdoors. Importantly, it helps children access PE and Sport with many schools finding that performance improves considerably. When The Daily Mile is implemented according to the Core Principles, it is sustainable over time, because the children enjoy being outside getting fit with their friends. Teachers and children can introduce occasional child-pleasing ideas to keep it fresh such as Laps to Lapland, running to Tokyo or even running the route in the opposite direction on a Friday! Full guidance on the introduction and implementation of The Daily Mile is available on our website – www.thedailymile.co.uk If you have not yet tried The Daily Mile in your school or nursery, I suggest that you give it a go and see what happens. Most schools find that it’s a game changer for children’s mental and physical health and brings significant benefits in terms of happiness, focus and behaviour. It was developed in a large and complex primary school and, perhaps because of this, it slots easily into the life of schools and nurseries across the UK and beyond, bringing benefits which far outweigh the 15 minutes it takes out of each day. By Elaine Wyllie MBE, Founder of The Daily Mile™
Safe Hands Training Services
At Safe Hands Training Services, we believe it is vitally important to remove stigma from talking about emotional wellbeing and mental health. Mental Health is still seen my many people as embarrassing or a sign of weakness. We want talking about mental health to be as everyday as talking about physical health, by doing this we can encourage our young people to talk to us and change the alarming but sadly true statistic that Suicide is the most common cause of death for boys and girls aged 5 and 19 in England and Wales. Young People today are faced with multiple, often complex, challenges exacerbated by our fast-paced world. With it becoming increasingly difficult to access mental health services for young people educational settings are being relied on to deal with the country’s mental health epidemic in-house. Its fair to say that “schools have a significant role to play in the safeguarding and mental wellbeing of their pupils”. The impact and reality of mental illness means schools can no longer separate the pastoral from the academic so much so that one of the eight principles of Ofsted’s updated framework (September 2019) is on Wellbeing !! NICE guidance recommends that: head teachers, governors and teachers should demonstrate a commitment to the social and emotional wellbeing of young people. They should provide leadership in this area by ensuring social and emotional wellbeing features within improvement plans, policies, systems and activities. We believe high quality training is key to safeguarding our Children, Young People and Staff. Training is an investment in people and one of the biggest incentives a company can offer to not only recruit staff, but also retain them, with the National charity Education Support Partnership stating over a third of education staff are expected to leave the profession by 2020, it is paramount we provide staff members with the best training possible to support them in their ever increasing role. we provide highly interactive, informative and 100% relevant specialist training all over the UK. Utilising trainers who are not only specialists within their own fields, having experience in their sectors, but are also accredited through numerous awarding bodies. We offer an all-round flexible package tailored to meet your needs. Starting with a free telephone consultation with our lead trainer, having over 15 year’s experience working with looked after children and delivering training to Schools and Children’s services across the UK. We take an holistic approach to our training recognizing that our learners, just like the young people they support and teach, are all individuals and have their own learning styles. With this in mind we will work together with you to create a high-quality learning experience allowing for learners to continue their CPD. Our aim at Safe Hands Training Services is for our clients to leave the classroom feeling competent and confident to go out into the community they work within and deliver an outstanding service. Our courses are packed full of practical activities and demonstrations alongside the theory which underpins the learning. We offer in house training, train the trainer courses and open courses across the UK, whatever the requirement we offer all the compliance training you need to help prepare you and your staff for every eventuality. Please see below the list of courses we currently deliver across the UK. • SAFEGUARDING CHILDREN • ATTACHMENT THEORY • PEOPLE MOVING AND HANDLING • MENTAL HEALTH AWARENESS 4 HOURS • MENTAL HEALTH FIRST AID LEVEL TWO (1 DAY) • MENTAL HEALTH FIRST AID LEVEL THREE (2 DAYS) • CONFLICT RESOLUTION, BREAKAWAY AND SAFEHOLDING • PAEDIATRIC AND ADULT FIRST AID AT WORK • OUTDOOR FIRST AID • MEDICATION ADMINISTRATION • TRAIN THE TRAINER COURSES • FIRE SAFETY Safe Hands Training Services can work with a wide range of sectors including Local Authorities, Emergency Services, Health Trusts, Education, business and Industry. For all bookings and new enquiries please call us on 0333 22 44 333 and we will be more than happy to help. Please visit our website www.safehandstrainingservicesltd.co.uk to see our full list of courses and customer testimonials. QA Education readers can get 10% off their first booking with Safe Hands Training Services! Just quote QA Education!
London schools recruit 10 teachers from Australia amid school staff shortages
QA Education caught up with Stuart McLaughlin, Principal, Bower Park Academy after his trip to Australia where he interviewed teachers there in a bid to ease school staff shortages back in London Borough of Havering. Here, he tells us about the decision to go to Australia, who funded the trip and the results now he is back in the UK… Why is there a surplus of teachers in Australia? There are several factors contributing to the high number of qualified teachers in Australia. Firstly, there are many attractive routes into teaching, with qualifications available at most universities in Australia. Options include: • A specialist undergraduate four-year Bachelor of Education degree which provides trainees with at least four student teaching placements to develop their skills • A Postgraduate Diploma and Master degrees which can be completed in 12-18 months To add to this, Australia’s low birth rate in the last decade has affected primary pupil numbers in certain regions, resulting in more trained primary teachers than available roles. In 2017, Australia’s total fertility rate (TFR) was 1.74; to maintain its population a country needs a TFR of 2.1. Finally, Australian teachers are in the top ten of the world’s highest-paid teachers according to the World Economic Forum2, making it an extremely attractive profession to candidates. Nonetheless, there remain exceptions. Maths and science teachers are in huge demand nationally and there are areas (including regional, remote and metropolitan locations) which struggle to recruit enough teachers for their schools. Whereabouts did you go to recruit teachers in Australia? My trip began in Brisbane where I stayed for two days before flying to Sydney for the next stage of my trip. I am currently in Melbourne where I’ll remain until returning to Brisbane for my flight home. What are the main differences in teacher recruitment between the UK and Australian schools? Unlike the UK, recruitment for government schools in Australia is run by a centralised body in every state or territory. New graduates join a list or are fast-tracked into government school vacancies. It is a points-based system. Hard to staff schools will have the opportunity to recruit up to 50% of their candidates directly and faith and independent schools will use agencies when needed to support their recruitment process. What are Australian schools doing in terms of teacher retention? Packages are offered to teachers who commit to working in schools based in areas which are difficult to staff. Incentives include higher salaries, relocation expenses and subsidised housing. To attract new graduates to regional and/or remote parts of the country, they are offered a three year posting in exchange for either their university fees being cleared or a role in a preferred location once their contract is complete. Like the UK, a high number of teachers leave the profession within the first five years. In response to this, the government is now holding an inquiry into the status of teaching in Australia. To attract the highest calibre candidates, there is currently a plan for high achieving teachers to earn $40,000 more a year (approximately £21,691) as “instructional specialists.” The plan proposes that school leavers with high scores in their final exams will be offered scholarships worth $10,000 (£5,427.50) per annum to enter the teaching profession. Could you describe the recruitment process which Supply Desk used to sign up Australian teachers? Supply Desk kicked off the process with Havering Education Services (HES) by identifying recruitment needs in the borough. Our overseas recruitment team is Teach In, the Australian branch of Supply Desk – who coincidentally funded my trip. The Teach In team is made up of ex-teachers and they are in charge of screening CVs and applications – around two in three candidates pass the process. Supply Desk evaluate these candidates using their specialist knowledge of UK schools to ensure we secure a good match and provide a teacher who meets all their requirements. Now you are back home in the UK, could you tell us about how successful the trip was? Teach in and HES organised 26 interviews for me: 13 secondary and 13 primary. Most of the recruits were available to come to the UK on a two-year visa but a few would require sponsoring to be employed in the London Borough of Havering. The interviews were mainly face-to-face, with some Skype interviews built into the schedule. The quality of candidates was high – only four were deemed not ready for a post in Havering. When I travelled to Australia, there were 20 vacancies in Havering across all sectors. My role was to match potential recruits with the requirements of my colleagues in the Borough. A Havering primary headteacher also interviewed the primary candidates after me in order to double-check their suitability for our schools. It was reassuring to know our judgements were aligned! Most of the primary candidates were qualified to teach all Key Stage 1 and 2 year groups, while secondary candidates were qualified in two or three subjects. Unfortunately, there weren’t many maths and science candidates (the post most in demand across Havering) as these are subjects for which there is a shortage in Australia too. However, there were excellent English, music, history and geography teachers available – many of whom have been snapped up by Havering schools. Altogether 10 new teachers have been appointed – so the trip was a great success. Should we choose to recruit from Australia again next year, I would recommend that a primary and a secondary headteacher travel together, so they can pool their expertise and agree jointly which candidates should go forward . The new recruits have already started arriving; at Bower Park Academy we have welcomed a maths and English teacher into our school with great excitement. One of Stuart’s Australian interviewees Charlotte talks us through her interview: Day 3 of Interviews – Stuart answers the main question from the candidates, “What support will they get when working in Havering?”. Day 4 of interviews in Melbourne – Australia. Hannah – Melbourne interviewee speaks about her time working
iSpace Wellbeing
iSpace is the Wellbeing Curriculum for schools, developed by its founder and creator, Paula Talman. It is designed to give children the tools to develop their whole selves, providing a whole-school approach to mental health and wellbeing for children aged 4-11 and 11+. iSpace uses a language that is clear, child-friendly and positive. Through its toolkits and online portal, it establishes an environment where teachers, parents and healthcare professionals can help deliver a progressive method of learning that sits along each child as they move through their school years and into adulthood. Together, through this proactive approach, we can help children to live life well and to be ready for life’s challenges. Paula Talman a registered paediatric and adult nurse who is now a director of compliance, health and welfare within the education sector. The idea for iSpace was launched into schools in 2016. The curriculum is now in schools in Sussex, Kent and London and the iSpace community continues to grow strong as more and more schools join. Taught through the PSHE timetable and themed around a galaxy of wellbeing planets, iSpace encourages children to talk about their wellbeing. Through the iSpace language, its tools and life-skills children are able to build an emotional first aid kit for themselves. Year 7 and 8 pupils have now been introduced to their own programme, #iWonder, a wellbeing curriculum for teens that focuses on understanding their emotional, physical, social and mental health. Teachers have reported the positive impact made by iSpace through improved relationships amongst pupils and between pupils and teachers. They report improved behaviour and access to learning. Parents are encouraged to be involved in this whole school approach through iSpace talks and workshops. They too are reporting signs of change that leaves them hopeful of a better future for their children. Children at iSpace schools are talking about their mental health and wellbeing as a normal part of their everyday life. Our hope is that by being empowered today, our children will be ready for tomorrow. www.ispacewellbeing.com paula@ispacewellbeing.com
Singing competition will see one lucky school perform at the WellChild Awards
School singing competition will see one lucky school perform for the stars at the WellChild Awards. An exciting singing competition is now open to choose pupils from one lucky primary school in the UK to display their singing talents in the company of a host of celebrities and perhaps even royalty at the 2020 WellChild Awards. Register your school now at www.wellchild.org.uk/schoolchoir WellChild is launching the fourth WellChild School Choir of the Year competition for primary schools across the UK to see who can perform the best version of Can You Feel The Love Tonight, from Disney’s The Lion King. The winners will perform their version at the WellChild Awards, which is regularly attended by WellChild’s Patron HRH the Duke of Sussex and a host of celebrity guests. Visit www.wellchild.org.uk/schoolchoir to register your school and find out more. Schools need to find 20 of their best musical stars and send WellChild a video of them singing their rendition of Can you Feel The Love Tonight. Schools can be as creative or as classical as they want, it’s up to them. The competition will culminate in a live public vote from 26th May to 26th June 2020. The five schools with the most votes alongside the five with the highest fundraising total will qualify for the final judging by a panel of musical experts. The winner will be crowned WellChild School Choir of the Year and will win the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to perform at the prestigious WellChild Awards regularly attended by the Duke of Sussex and a host of celebrity guests. The winner will be announced on 1st September 2020. Last year’s winners Star Primary School from Canning Town, London, opened the 2019 WellChild Awards in front of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex and celebrity guests with their show-stopping performance of the classic song Lean On Me by Bill Withers. WellChild Chief Executive Colin Dyer said: “This is a fantastic opportunity for schools across the UK to get involved in a fun musical competition with a great prize while at the same time helping WellChild with our work supporting seriously ill children and their families. We would love to see as many schools as possible singing their hearts out with their version of Can You Feel The Love Tonight so please get recording your entry now!” To get your school involved in the competition simply visit the WellChild website: www.wellchild.org.uk/schoolchoir About WellChild WellChild is the national charity for seriously ill children and their families. More than 100,000 children and young people are living across the UK with serious or exceptional health needs. Many spend months, even years in hospital simply because there is no support enabling them to leave. Meanwhile those who are at home face inconsistent and inadequate levels of support. Through a UK-wide network of children’s nurses, home and garden transformation projects and family support services, WellChild exists to give this growing population of children and young people the best possible chance to thrive – properly supported at home, together with their families. Visit www.wellchild.org.uk to find out more.
Understanding Eating Disorders
tastelife Youth Track: Understanding Eating Disorders A robust, sensitive, high-quality resource for use in secondary schools and youth groups. The three interactive sessions are designed to equip young people with a healthy awareness and understanding of eating disorders: why they develop, how they affect somebody’s life, and how those battling them can be helped. Understanding Eating Disorders is educational, but ultimately preventative too. Eating disorders so often begin in adolescence; young people of this generation are facing unique pressures and are falling easy victim to what is becoming a hidden epidemic. The tastelife Youth Track is an innovative way to help teachers and youth leaders tackle this taboo topic, so that young people can be more mentally healthy. Designed to work within a PSHE context, the three hour-long sessions are accessible for any teacher to deliver, and any student to engage with. It’s suited best for those aged between 11-14 at KS3 but can be adapted to suit older secondary-age pupils. Meeting the PSHE Association’s 10 Principles of Effective Education, as well as covering a range of objectives within its programme of study, this resource enables teachers to deliver relevant, forward-facing sessions that would complement a whole-approach to PSHE. For £50, each user will be able to download the Youth Track and access: • Three detailed session plans for facilitators • Three PowerPoint presentations • Video content including real life recovery story • Facilitators’ tutorial • High-quality worksheets and handouts for all sessions • Certificates of attendance for all participants Our pilot feedback: From Young People: ‘It has made me understand what eating disorders really are and how they can affect normal people.’ ‘It’ll make me look out for others, to identify and support people with disorders.’ ‘I will be more compassionate.’ ‘It will give me knowledge for the future so that if me or someone around me was to be ill with an eating disorder, I would know exactly what to do.’ ‘It will make it easier to talk about eating disorders.’ From Facilitators: ‘Very clear. Could easily be used by any teacher, whether trained or untrained in eating disorders.’ ‘The resource appears professional and is presented in an accessible way for young people’ ‘The lessons were all very good and informative, the students responded well to them and the PowerPoint was clear and easy to follow…’ ‘I could not think of a better resource to educate young people around eating disorders’
Firefly Yoga Wales
We provide workshops that train teachers, TAs, playworkers etc to run our signature ’15 minutes to happy, healthy kids’ program. This simple yet effective yoga and well-being program. can be easily adapted and weaved into your current everyday class routine. Our program meets many points in the Healthy Schools, ESTYN & Welsh Curriculum guidelines. Training provided throughout the South Wales Valleys. For more information and to book visit www.fireflyyogawales.co.uk/mini-me-yoga For those outside South Wales visit www.minimeyoga.com to find a rep near you.
To Touch the Hearts of Those Entrusted to Our Care
St. Cassian’s Centre, Kintbury, West Berkshire, lies within the North Wessex Downs – an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. It is a Lasallian Retreat Centre for Young People under the patronage of the De La Salle Brothers, whose Founder was French priest St. John Baptist de La Salle who dedicated much of his life to the education of poor children, pioneering many lasting educational practices. He is the Patron Saint of Teachers. The vision of St. La Salle is lived out every year at St. Cassian’s – also known as The Kintbury Experience – as a residential community, including young volunteers, continuing to share the Brothers’ vision for a new apostolate; a place of Welcome, Awareness, Reconciliation and Good News. St. Cassian’s is a safe and welcoming place for young people, where they can take time to reflect on their lives, with Christ as their Guide and St. John Baptist de La Salle as their inspiration. Our daily challenge is to be ambassadors and ministers of Jesus, to motivate and lead young people on their life journey. We are constantly reminded that our retreat work here is to touch the hearts of those entrusted to our care. Our young volunteers are engaged in an invaluable peer ministry that has an influence on the lives and development of young retreatants. We seek to be creative and authentic in our inspiration, nurturing and support of all young people in their faith development, so as to integrate their particular faith with every aspect of their lives. Fundamentally, our work is a ministry of Evangelisation. We do this by creating a space of warm hospitality in which God may speak to our young people. Our retreat programme, devised to meet the needs of people from different backgrounds, has a full scope and sequence that builds upon itself; designed to be developmentally appropriate for each year group in school as they cultivate their spirit of faith along with their skills of reasoning, highlighting the relevance of Lasallian Charism and of our faith to life and contemporary culture. Our Senior Team, as instructed by the Director, are involved in the planning, development, delivery and evaluation of programmes in accordance with the foundational inspiration of the De La Salle Brothers and the Lasallian Identity Framework, which incorporates a vision of the Christian and Lasallian character. We also offer Adult, Parish and Confirmation Retreats, with availability of Conference facilities.