Boost for schools as Sigma donates raft of new laptops
Wakefield and Castleford schoolchildren are set to benefit from Sigma’s new charitable technology initiative, which will see 22 laptops donated to local schools to support pupils and schools with online learning. Sigma has formed a partnership with IT solutions partner OPUS-UK, to help coordinate and ready the machines for delivery across West Yorkshire. The true end-to-end service provider will donate the laptops to children at risk of falling behind in their education because they do not have the technology to access learning resources and take part in digitally-led teaching. Around 9% of children in the UK – between 1.1 million and 1.8 million – primarily from low-income households, do not have access to a laptop, desktop or tablet at home, according to Ofcom. While ‘inadequate’ access to technology in English schools remains a significant problem. According to new survey data from polling organisation Teacher Tapp, just 1% of primary state schools are able to provide devices that their pupils can take home. Whereas 72% of students in schools rated inadequate by Ofsted do not have access to individual devices in their classrooms, compared with 59% in outstanding schools. As pupils across the UK return to schools and colleges, it is hoped the donation will be a timely relief for students and staff alike. As part of the project Sigma will also donate 17 PC tower units to school pupils through the Business2Schools Initiative – a charity dedicated to distributing refurbished office furniture and technology to schools across the UK. Sigma CEO, Craig Bennett, said: “It has been a challenging time for families and pupils facing home schooling in recent months, especially those who don’t have the equipment they need, so we are absolutely delighted that we are able to donate laptops to schools in the Castleford and Wakefield area. “As pupils plan for a return to normal school learning, the laptops will be invaluable for in-school learning. We want to ensure that children are not at risk of falling behind in their studies and can access online learning resources when they return to the classroom. Schools, teachers and families have done a fantastic job with remote learning and we hope this donation will make it a bit easier for those we’re helping as they transition back to normal learning.” Miss Goldsmith, Deputy Head Teacher at Smawthorne Henry Moore Primary School, added: “Once again, we have been blown away by the generosity of Sigma and OPUS-UK, whose efforts have been invaluable in supporting our home schooling efforts. “The laptops that have been donated have been a fantastic supplement to our in-house IT suite to enable the children to continue their online learning remotely, so it’s great that we are now able to expand these services across the school so more children can benefit from it. On behalf of the staff and pupils at Smawthorne Henry Moore Primary School, I would like to have Sigma for their ongoing support.”
Ideas for teaching on World Book Day 2021
As World Book Day 2021 approaches, QA Education features a round-up of news and ideas to help your school shine a spotlight on the best-loved children’s tales… Top 10 Children’s Books – Love Reading For Kids If you’re looking for something new to read to pupils this World Book Day, check out LoveReading4Kids’ Top 10 titles: 1. What Did the Tree See? 2. The Secret Lake 3. The Boy Who Made Everyone Laugh 4. A Tangle of Spells 5. The Last Bear 6. Hom 7. The Nowhere Emporium 8. The Shark Caller 9. Cookie and the Most Annoying Girl in the World 10. House of Happy Spirits: A Children’s Book Inspired by Friedensreich Hundertwasser LoveReading4Kids is a fantastic recommendation site for children’s books: reading, reviewing and recommending so that the children can find their next favourite book quickly and easily. Lockdown Learning with Joe Wicks and Sea Shanty star Nathan Evans The BBC’s Lockdown Learning returns on Monday 1st March and as its been announced that schools will start to open up again, Lockdown Learning will continue to support pupils, parents and teachers that need support. Joining the teaching rota for the new term is Joe Wicks, who will teach about the Vikings and the Battle of Hastings, Mr Motivator teaching maths and TikTok Sea Shanty star Nathan Evans, who will teach mini-lessons available on CBBC and Bitesize social media. For World Book Day this year (Thursday 4th March), BBC Bitesize have created a special collection of videos to be broadcasted on CBBC with authors, Jacqueline Wilson and Dan Freedman chatting about the inspiration behind their novels, alongside singer Anne Marie and TikTok star, Lucy Edwards who will share their favourite books. There will also be a live lesson for World Book Day hosted by CBBC’s Ben Shires and Bitesize Daily’s Mr Smith. The lesson will look about themes in stories and how to identify them and will include a live Q&A session with comedian and author of the Little Badman series, Humza Arshad. Lockdown Learning is available on CBBC, BBC Two, BBC Bitesize, BBC iPlayer and the Red Button. Pandemic impact on literacy highlighted by UK Reads campaign On World Book Day, best-selling authors add their voice to World Literacy Foundation (WLF) campaign designed to help children living in poverty to gain vital literacy skills. Blogger Sarah Turner of the Unmumsy Mum book series has added her voice to UK Reads’ literacy campaign ‘Before it’s too late’. Sarah will be contributing to the campaign for World Book Day activities on 4th March. Coordinated by the UK arm of the World Literacy Foundation (WLF), the campaign aims to reach children who, due to pandemic restrictions, are at higher risk than ever before of falling significantly behind with their vocabulary and reading ability. 380,000 young people living in poverty in the UK do not own a single book of their own – UK Reads is determined to change this shocking statistic by reaching 5000 children by this summer with books, reading activity packs and the literacy engagement they need. Sarah said: “If a child struggles to read an exam question, how can we expect them to pass? There are children approaching their GCSE’s who are at serious risk of becoming illiterate adults. Not to mention the younger children living in poverty who are starting school with vocabulary up to 19 months behind their more affluent peers. “World Book Day is one of the most fun days at school – my three boys love to dress up as their favourite characters and dive into wonderful stories. While the day will be different for most children this year, taking part with online school activities, they, just like my kids, will be reaching for their bookshelves and engaging in this lovely day. The reality for thousands of children however, those who live in poverty, is that they won’t be taking part with the same enthusiasm and this is why I am supporting ‘Before it’s too late’.” UK Reads is appealing for donations to help reach children with books and literacy support this year.
10 women trailblazers to study this British Science Week
British Science Week takes place on 5-14 March, just as school pupils head back the classes following the latest lockdown. If you’re planning some memorable science lessons this week, then put paid to scientist stereotypes with these 10 women trailblazers. When asked to depict a scientist, too many children draw a white man with ‘mad professor’ hair. Former primary school teacher Abby Harper of education resource experts PlanBee offers a way to show them that science and technology has always been the domain of brilliant, creative women… 10 women trailblazers in science Mary Anning: geology rocks Anning was a palaeontologist and a fossil collector. She was born in 1799 in Lyme Regis, Dorset. She collected fossils with her father. When he died, Mary sold them to help her mother pay off debts. Among the fossils Anning discovered were: ● A 5.2 meter-long skeleton of an Ichthyosaur, the first to be found. ● A Plesiosaurus skeleton initially considered too good to be genuine. An interesting fact about Mary Anning Even though she found lots of fossils and was an expert in the subject, she was often not credited with her finds. Women were not allowed to be members of the Geological Society of London until 1904, 57 years after she died. Anning is now starting to get the recognition she deserves: a statue of her is to be erected in Lyme Regis after a successful campaign by 13-year-old local teenager Evie Swire, and a film about the life of Anning, ‘Ammonite’, starring Kate Winslet, is due out later this year. Ada Lovelace: switched-on programmer The daughter of poet Lord Byron and Annabella Milbanke, Lovelace was born in 1815 in London. She became interested in Charles Babbage’s machines, which were designed to calculate mathematical tables mechanically, removing the errors that can appear when calculations are done by humans. Although Babbage’s machines were never built, Lovelace’s notes are an important part of early computer programs. An interesting fact about Ada Lovelace She has a computer programming language named after her: Ada. Marie Curie: prized Nobel laureate Marie Curie was a Polish-born physicist and chemist. She is well known for working with her husband Pierre as they discovered the radioactive elements Polonium and Radium. In 1903 Curie became the first woman to win a Nobel Prize for her involvement in research on radiation. In 1911, she became the first person to win a second Nobel Prize, this time for her work towards the discovery of Polonium and Radium. It is believed she died from the effects of long-term radiation exposure. An interesting fact about Marie Curie One of Curie’s daughters, Irène Joliot-Curie, also won a joint Nobel Prize in Chemistry with her husband – for their discovery of artificial radioactivity. Rosalind Franklin: DNA discoverer Franklin was an English chemist whose work was essential to understand the complex structure of DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid), the molecule in the cells of all living things that contains the genetic code. The code can determine things like skin, hair and eye colour as well as other traits which we inherit from our parents. Franklin took the first X-ray picture showing that the DNA molecule was shaped like a double helix. This photo was used by other scientists to discover the structure of DNA, without clearly naming her as a contributor. The work that led to the discovery of the double-helix structure of DNA was awarded a Nobel Prize in 1962 – but the award went three men, and Franklin’s work went unacknowledged. An interesting fact about Rosalind Franklin Australian astronomer John Broughton discovered an asteroid and named it ‘9241 Rosfraklin’ in tribute to Franklin. Jane Goodall: primate pioneer Born in London, Dame Jane Goodall is considered the world’s foremost expert on chimpanzees and is best known for her life-long study of chimpanzees and their social interactions in Tanzania. Through hours and hours of careful watching, sketching and note-taking, Goodall was one of the first to observe a chimpanzee using tools to fish termites from their mounds. She was also one of the first to observe chimpanzees hunting for meat and gnawing on animal bones, debunking the theory that chimps were herbivores. An interesting fact about Jane Goodall Instead of numbering the chimpanzees as was the custom at the time, Goodall named the chimps. David Greybeard was one of the first she named. Others included Gigi, Mr McGregor, Goliath, Flo and Frodo who eventually kicked Goodall out of the troop when he became the leader. Mae C. Jemison: out of this world Mae Carol Jemison became the first black woman to travel into space in 1992. Born in the US, Jemison graduated from university with a degree in chemical engineering before earning her medical degree. Jemison was part of the 1992 STS-47 mission during which she orbited the Earth 127 times! She was in space for almost 200 hours during which she conducted experiments on the effects of weightlessness on herself and the crew. An interesting fact about Mae C. Jemison Jemison is a huge Star Trek fan. Whilst she was in space, she would often open communications by saying “Hailing frequencies open” which is a quote from the show. She even appeared on an episode of Star Trek in 1993. Maggie Aderin-Pocock: star quality Maggie Aderin-Pocock was born in north London in 1968. She is a space scientist and has a passion for sharing and educating both adults and children about space and other areas of science. She co-presents “The Sky at Night” as well as appearing on many children’s TV shows too! An interesting fact about Maggie Aderin-Pocock Aderin-Pocock was diagnosed with dyslexia at age eight. She struggled at school but was passionate about science. Mary Somerville: astronomical achiever Somerville was a Scottish scientist who studied mathematics and astronomy. She was jointly admitted as the first female member of the Royal Astronomical Society. Her work focused on the sun’s radiation effects on Earth’s substances and many have agreed that her later
Jigsaw24 helps school deliver remote learning with iPad
Apple Authorised Education Specialist Jigsaw24 has helped a top preparatory day school in Greater Manchester deploy iPad on a 1:1 basis – just in time for the devices to be used for remote learning in response to the Covid-19 pandemic. Lady Barn House School in Cheadle, which can trace its history back to 1873, commissioned Jigsaw24 to help develop a perfect iPad solution that would improve classroom learning and reduce teachers’ workload. But when the coronavirus crisis led to a UK-wide lockdown soon after, the company’s education experts worked with the school’s leadership to accelerate the deployment and ensure students and teachers would be able to work on their new devices immediately regardless of their location. Jigsaw24 pre-configured the iPads so they were fully set up and ready to use on arrival, provided remote management so that every device can be updated wherever it is, and offered ongoing support for all devices to ensure any technical issues are resolved quickly. School staff also benefited from the Leading Innovation Programme and intensive teacher training – partially delivered via Zoom throughout April and May – that was tailored to focus on delivering a remote curriculum with iPad and adapting lesson plans to make them suitable for remote learning. It meant lessons could be delivered to anywhere, with teachers’ plans shared on Microsoft Teams or videos broadcast from the premises for students to view on their iPad, and has ensured the school could respond more easily to the changes necessitated by the virus. Jigsaw24 also worked with its finance partners to provide the bulk of the devices on lease contracts, rather than through capital expenditure as originally planned, to give Lady Barn House School more flexibility while rolling out the new technology at speed. Samantha Gibbons, Academic Deputy Head at Lady Barn House School, said: “Our iPad deployment has been highly positive. With professional development accelerated in this area, teachers are now competent users of Apple technology. Most staff have now acquired their Apple badges, which has underpinned high levels of creativity – for example, one member of staff in our Early Years Foundation Stage recorded a lesson from her caravan at home, worthy of a slot on CBBC! “During lockdown, we reached a point where teachers were working in teams to deliver ‘live’ lessons to whole year groups, and with others producing videos modelling maths techniques or simply sharing a book with their class. Our pupils were able to watch and re-watch the lessons being prepared by their teachers. The most important thing that we have learned is that anything is possible!” Alan Doyle, Education Consultant at Jigsaw24, said: “1:1 iPad deployments are perfect for increasing engagement and revitalising the curriculum, but our work with Lady Barn House School highlights how well suited Apple devices are for remote learning, too. “By truncating the timelines in our rollout plan with the school, we were able to speed up the rollout and make sure students could enjoy learning from home with as little disruption as possible in what are truly unprecedented circumstances. “Now the majority of students have returned to school on a permanent basis, the school will continue to benefit from the new educational opportunities their iPad devices offer, too.” Samantha added: “Now that all our students have returned to school, we are working on our blended learning policy. Accepting that some children may well have to spend time out of school over the next few months means we must be prepared to switch seamlessly to remote learning. “We also need to think about using technology in the long term, not least how it can assist children in closing the gap in learning brought about by three months off school. We are beginning to train teachers in Showbie and Socrative with the help of Jigsaw24, and with our new head of computing already a Showbie Certified Educator, the future looks very bright indeed!” Jigsaw24 works with schools, colleges and universities across the UK to support teaching and learning, offering devices, IT services, staff training, classroom displays, software subscriptions, networking solutions and more. For more information about Jigsaw24 and its work in the education sector, visit www.Jigsaw24.com.
Help to those having difficulties with mental health
As the effects of Covid-19 and school closures continue to ripple through our communities, schools are working tirelessly to support their children. From the practical help of providing food vouchers for the most vulnerable families, to providing home learning resources and looking after the key worker children who need to be in school, teachers have also had the task of supporting the children with their mental wellbeing. Plans are being put into place, and already being executed, to ensure the children are nurtured and cared for through this incredibly challenging time. On any normal day in the UK, an average of 112 children are bereaved of a parent. This doesn’t take into account deaths of wider family, grandparents, aunts, uncles, siblings or family friends. During the height of Covid-19, ONS reported that by the end of March, the number of deaths in the UK was above the five-year average. On 8th April, ONS reported that deaths in the UK were more than double the five-year average! In June there was a report of one school in Middlesbrough that had suffered 40 bereavements – this is truly heart breaking. It’s not just the immediate families that will be affected by that, it’s the whole community. It’s also very likely that this won’t be the only school to have suffered this degree of loss! In 2017, the NHS carried out research that revealed 1 in 8 young people aged between five and nineteen have a diagnosable mental health condition. There have been many professionals who have been reported to have said they believe this to be higher. Numerous expert reports over the past few years suggest the figure is closer to 1 in 4. Added to this the anxiety and loneliness that Covid-19 and lockdown have created, children are going to need an enormous amount of help. With a desire to do something proactive, Clare Shaw, author of therapeutic stories for primary aged children, has partnered with a national mental health charity, Kaleidoscope Group Plus. Clare writes picture books to help younger children understand certain situations. The current focus is on two of her books, Love Will Never Die; Helping children through bereavement and At Times I Get These Feelings; Helping children with emotions. Love Will Never Die has been used by schools and funeral directors across the country since it was first published. It explains death in an incredibly honest and direct, child-friendly way. There are many areas where the child can write or draw their own emotions, while the text gently guides the child through their grief. Children can find it difficult to identify and deal with their emotions. At Times I Get These Feelings covers twelve emotions explaining how each can make the child feel and offering hints and tips to help them with that feeling. There are many activities in the book that are widely used by teachers and ELSAs (Emotional Literacy Support Assistants) within schools and it has been hailed a “must have” for all children! Established in 1973, Kaleidoscope Group Plus offer a wide range of services for people experiencing difficulties with their mental wellbeing. Their services include: ‘community outreach initiatives to provide opportunities to people who want to improve their wellbeing, counselling for young people and adults, corporate mental health training, national telephone support line, national crisis text line, as well as residential care homes and supported houses for the most vulnerable in society.’ Together we hope to be able to help those who need it across the country. We are working to get free copies of Love Will Never Die and At Times I Get These Feelings into primary schools across the UK through fundraising and corporate sponsorship. We have set up discount code KPG40 at www.cskidsbooks.com offering people 40% off rrp on these two titles; with every book sale on the website a percentage goes back into the charity to help fund the much needed and superb work that they carry out. For more information about the charity please visit https://www.kaleidoscopeplus.org.uk/index.php For more information about the books and to place an order please visit https://cskidsbooks.com/ Kaleidoscope Plus Group have just launched a brand-new service – Talk2Us – free to use for anyone in the UK. You can contact them through the following: Phone: Call 0800 059 0123 Monday-Friday between 9am & 8pm, Saturday-Sunday between 5pm-8pm. Messenger: Chat to us online through our website, or directly through Facebook and a member of our team will be with you as soon as possible to talk. https://www.facebook.com/TheKaleidoscopePlusGroup/
Prizes up for grabs as BCIA launches school competition
The Building Controls Industry Association (BCIA) has launched a brand new summer school competition that encourages young people to get their thinking caps on and devise an idea that could help reduce the energy consumption of their schools. The Schoolz Out competition challenges school pupils to design an energy saving product or initiative for their school which uses an element of control to save energy. Rather than an extra bit of homework, the BCIA says the competition is a bit of fun for the school holidays. The innovation could be hand drawn or designed on a computer – whatever method you think best shows how your invention will work. You can also write up to 300 words to explain your idea. Terry Sharp, BCIA President, said: “Today’s students are perhaps more aware of environmental matters than anybody as it is their future that is most at stake right now. The next generation of engineers will be the key drivers in developing the innovative technologies to help create a sustainable future and the Schoolz Out competition encourages people to take the initiative as early as possible in shaping the world they will inherit.” The competition is open to two age categories; age 10 and under, and age 11-16, with a prize to be awarded to the winner in each category. All you need to do is fill in the entry form on the BCIA website and send it with your design by email or post to arrive before the deadline of Monday 31 August 2020. Every entry will be put in front of the BCIA’s judging panel who will look for the best invention and the best use of controls to save energy. The winner will be the design which the panel believes shows the greatest use of innovation and invention to control the amount of energy being used in a school and more importantly, the entry which will save the most energy for their school. The winning entries will be revealed on 17 September 2020. Terry Sharp concluded: “It is vital that we at the BCIA engage with young people like this and I am really looking forward to seeing the ideas that are put forward.” Full details and an Entry Form are available at https://bcia.co.uk/awards/schoolz-out-2020/
Leading activists still don’t trust their government to address racial discrimination
New research from One Young World’s global network of the young leaders highlights how far we still are from achieving racial justice – with 74 per cent of its Peace Ambassadors stating they have no trust in their government to address the issue in the long-term. Reinforcing this lack of trust in existing leadership, the findings show that over half of the activists surveyed do not think their government will use the current civil rights movement to make meaningful progress in addressing racial discrimination. The survey was undertaken with One Young World’s Peace Ambassadors – a global network of young leaders on the front line of peace-building around the world supported by the European Commission and Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs. An overwhelming majority of the young leaders surveyed do not have faith in the school system or the media (84% and 85% respectively) to educate and report on racial equality properly – highlighting the need for change across every corner of society to achieve real social justice. The findings also highlight effective means of change making and found two thirds of young leaders believe social media is the most important tool for activism in 2020. In the wake of sustained police brutality in the United States of America, the world has been forced to pay attention to racial injustice. However, 1 in 4 of the young activists surveyed do not believe equality will be achieved in the next 5 years – and 1 in 5 do not believe we will ever achieve equality globally. The One Young World Peace Ambassadors surveyed include: Satta Sheriff, Liberia – Founder of Youth in Action for Peace and Empowerment, an NGO dedicated to defending and protecting the rights of Liberian children and vulnerable groups. Achaleke Christian, Cameroon – Founder of Prisonpreneurs, a rapidly-expanding initiative that was established to counter one of the biggest causes of violent extremism: poverty and lack of economic opportunities. Hyppolite Ntigurirwa, Rwanda – Hyppo witnessed his father’s murder during the Rwandan genocide at just seven years old, but has chosen to forgive the killers and dedicate his life to advocating for peace. His Be The Peace initiative promotes inter-ethnic friendships, working educate and unite the post-conflict generations in Rwanda. Zar Li Aye, Myanmar – A human rights lawyer in Myanmar working to give people a fair trial in a system where 90 per cent of defendants are not allowed a lawyer. Ahlem Nasraoui, Tunisia – A nominee of for the UN’s Intercultural Innovation Award, Ahlem is fighting the causes of terrorism in Tunisia through the Young Leaders Entrepreneurs – a nationwide campaign promoting the economic empowerment of at-risk young people. Ella Robertson, Managing Director of One Young World, said:“in the past month we have seen racial injustices brought into the spotlight as people globally call for action on inequality” “At One Young World, we believe that at the heart of every global threat is a failure of leadership and the findings in this recent research from our Peace Ambassadors reinforce just that. We are proud of our global network of young leaders working hard to create a better world – with more responsible, and more effective leadership. The continued support of One Young World peace programmes supported by the European Commission and Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs mean we can connect leading activists around the world who are all changing their community, and the world, for the better.
How schools can access support
The Government has announced a range of measures so teachers and pupils can access support during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. Since the start of the pandemic and introduction of social distancing, schools have adapted quickly to continue to provide their pupils with education and support at home. To help them to do this, the Government is investing over £100m to support remote education. This includes up to £2,000 per school to help them set up effective digital education platforms, and improve outcomes for pupils now and in the future. To ensure teachers feel confident in using digital education platforms, the Government is funding expert training and support for schools to set up the free-to-use platforms, G Suite for Education or Office 365 Education. The Key is also offering free impartial information and guidance on the platforms available. To support a phased return of pupils this term, a combined approach to using face-to-face and remote education will be needed. Digital education platforms enable teachers to design and deliver tasks for pupils both attending school and those continuing to learn remotely ensuring a quality learning experience for all our young people. Thousands of schools across the country are already currently accessing digital education platforms and the remainder are being urged to follow suit now. To find out more, and get impartial advice on which platform is right for their setting, schools should visit The Key. To ensure schools continue to get the most out of using their platform the Government is also funding training and peer-to-peer support from demonstrator schools, who are already leading the way in using digital education platforms. Schools can find out more about this free support here.
A quarter of UK parents want to homeschool after the pandemic – here’s how to do it full-time
When Covid-19 closed schools in the UK, millions of parents were suddenly faced with the unfamiliar world of having to homeschool. While the new routine has certainly had its challenges, a new study has revealed that nearly a quarter of Brits (24%) are considering home-educating their children even after the pandemic is over. For those who are thinking of homeschooling full-time, Greg Smith, Head of Operations at home education provider Oxford Home Schooling, has provided five tips on how to make the transition as smooth as possible. 1. Make sure you notify your child’s school You do not need to ask permission to home educate from either your child’s school or your local authority, but you must let the school know in writing about your decision. If you are removing your child from a special school, then you are also required to inform the local authority. Some councils will provide guidance and free course materials. Occasionally they will also make informal enquiries to make sure your child is getting a sufficient education, so be ready to provide evidence such as work samples or reports. 2. Consider how long you’re planning on homeschooling Some parents may want to trial homeschooling for a few months, or even a few years, before returning their child to mainstream education. If this is the case, you should definitely choose a provider or system that closely follows the national curriculum. One of the benefits of homeschooling is that parents have flexibility with the content they teach, but if there is any chance that the children will go back to school in the future, you should not deviate too much from the standard syllabus. This will make it easier for your child to readjust should they eventually decide to return to school. 3. Identify the best teaching style for your child If your child is over five years old, you are legally obliged to provide a full-time education, but you can decide what that involves. Every child learns at their own pace and in their own way and the beauty of homeschooling is that you can cater your teaching to complement this. Some homeschool students respond best to structured learning, with timetables and routines, while others will thrive in a less rigid environment. If you think the latter may be most suitable, allow your child to explore their interests and shape their learning around these. You may find that active or practical exercises are more productive than traditional textbook tasks. 4. Think about the logistics It is important to consider who will be doing the majority of the homeschooling and whether they can realistically devote enough time to make it effective. The flexibility of home education means it is possible to do it while working full-time, but this is naturally a bit more challenging. Consider sharing teaching responsibilities with your partner, a family member or someone else from the homeschooling community. Alternatively, you could homeschool on an evening or a weekend, or think about changing your work shifts. 5. Remember you won’t be alone Our latest research found that homeschooling in the UK has more than doubled in recent years. Virtually every local authority has seen large increases and there are now homeschooling communities all over the country that frequently meet up. These communities are always willing to welcome new members and answer questions, so before you commit to home education, check out your local group’s Facebook page. People sometimes doubt whether homeschooled children develop social skills at the same rate as those in traditional education. However, in reality, they can often surpass their peers in this regard, as by attending local homeschooling events, students socialise with a wider age-range of children and this massively helps with confidence. For more information on what is required from homeschooling parents, visit: https://www.oxfordhomeschooling.co.uk/general/home-schooling-the-law/