Scribblerzone celebrates National Writing Day with the launch on a children’s writing competition
We know that research shows that children who love writing write 7 times above their expected levels at school.* We also know that children love writing competitions as can be seen by the thousands that enter the BBC’s 500 words competition. Tonya Meers co-founder of ScribblerZone says “National Writing Day is an annual event that celebrates writing and we love to do anything that encourages children to write which is why we are running a writing competition for 7-13 year olds.” There are 2 categories, one for 7-10 year olds and the other for 11 – 13 year olds. First prize A full membership to ScribblerZone worth £180 per year; Their story published in an anthology that we’ll be publishing at the end of the year; and £20 worth of books of their choice. Second prize The second prize will be their story published in the anthology; and £10 worth of books of their choice. All the children need to do is write a story with theme ’The night I got locked in the museum’. The competition opens on the 24th June and closes 31st July 2020 midnight (BST). The winners will be notified on the 4th September. “Tonya adds, we can’t wait to read the stories the kids come up with as they’ve got such fantastic imaginations and we think that this theme will give them lots of opportunities to come up with all sorts of possibilities. In addition when the children submit their stories they will also get the free membership level so they will continue to get lots of writing inspiration as well as being able to read interviews with other authors and those involved in the literary world so they’ll get lots of tips from the experts.” Heres how to enter the competition
Schools pulling teacher training placements for 2020-21, according to NASBTT survey
A “worryingly high” number of schools say they pulling teacher training placements in the next academic year, according to the findings of a survey by the National Association of School-Based Teacher Trainers (NASBTT). From 247 responses to a survey which closed on 1st June, 124 School-Centred Initial Teacher Training (SCITT) providers, School Direct Lead Schools and HEIs have reported that school partners had informed them they are unable to participate in training programmes in 2020-21. Furthermore, 81% of ITT providers are more concerned about securing sufficient school placements next year compared to previous years and 45% of providers have closed, or are considering closing, programmes as a result of placements. The findings come at a time when latest figures show that there has been unprecedented increases in the number of applicants accepted for places on postgraduate ITT courses in the month between mid-April and mid-May: 30,600 compared with nearly 29,400 in May 2019, and also marking some 4,000 new applicants since mid-April. “ITT providers have told us, through our survey, that schools are not offering placements primarily due to concerns over the post Covid-19 transition, including worries about having additional people in school, the reluctance to allow trainee teachers to teach given the amount of time children have been away from school, the need to focus on other priorities, and uncertainty resulting from the pandemic,” NASBTT Executive Director Emma Hollis explained. “Additionally, capacity in schools (and in particular mentor capacity), concerns over the amount of support NQTs will need and therefore not being able to also support ITTs, and general anxiety over school finances have all been given as reasons for the decision. The number of schools who appear to be withdrawing placements is worryingly high, especially at a time when we are seeing increasing applications to teaching.” Emma called on the Department of Education to “act now” to ensure that there is no permanent damage to the system. “We would like to see supportive communications to schools, including clear guidance and encouragement to take ITTs and NQTs in the next academic year; but if needed, a requirement for schools to engage in ITT,” she said. “Funding, including suggestions for funding to schools to incentivise placements and to providers to support additional mentoring time, is also a consideration. And further guidance to ITT providers on areas such as social distancing for training and flexibility in online offerings is also worthy of attention. The bigger picture also shows concerns about the ITT Core Content Framework and Ofsted Initial Teacher Education (ITE) Inspection Framework, and both of these could be delayed or relaxed to give ITT providers some much needed breathing space.” Giving his reaction to the findings, James Noble-Rogers, Executive Director of the Universities Council for the Education of Teachers (UCET), added: “We are extremely worried about the likely shortage of school placements next year and the impact it could have on recruitment to ITE. At a time when we are experiencing the first significant increase in applications to ITE for many years, it would be a great shame if potentially excellent teachers were turned away because of placement difficulties. The government could help to address this by pointing out to schools the benefits of participating in ITE, and giving ITE providers the flexibility that they need to maximise existing placement opportunities.”
Eco-Activists’ Online Streaming Platform Backed By PM’s Father To Be Offered Free For 32,770 Schools Across Britain
The world’s first online streaming platform for Eco-Activists, Ecostreamz (www.ecostreamz.com) backed by PM Boris Johnson’s father, Stanley Johnson, will be offered free for 12 months to 32,770 schools across Britain. Johnson, a keen conservationist, is an Honorary Ambassador of Ecostreamz. The platform embraces viewpoints from both sides of the political spectrum, and has been in talks with organisations from the Ape Alliance to Extinction Rebellion about embracing the platform, hosted on Microsoft Azure, one of the world’s ‘greenest Cloud service providers’. Tensions emerged between PM Boris Johnson and his father, when Stanley Johnson marched with Extinction Rebellion just prior to the election. He joked that he was proud to be a ‘crustie’ after Boris Johnson labelled Extinction Rebellion ‘uncooperative crusties’. SaveMoneyCutCarbon, backed by Lord Robin Russell and Tree Council Chairman Joel Cadbury, who were also the first recipient of investment from Barclays £175 million Sustainable Impact Capital Initiative, is advising Ecostreamz on its educational sponsorship programme. Save Money Cut Carbon who install immunity-protecting LED lights in schools and contactless taps are offering the free 12-month Ecostreamz subscription for each school they convert. Schools can gain Government-backed loans from Salix Finance to adopt ‘COVID-19’ protecting equipment. Careful editorial balance is an absolute prerequisite for Ecostreamz to provide a welcome resource in classrooms for young people who had their eyes open to the dangers of Climate Change by Greta Thunberg and plastic pollution in our oceans, after watching Sir David Attenborough’s Blue Planet 2. Ecostreamz is backed by Mya-Rose Craig, 18 years, who blogs as Birdgirl and is President of Black2Nature. She started conservation campaigning ten years ago, becoming the youngest British person to be awarded an honorary Doctorate of Science (by Bristol University) at the age of 17 years for her environmental campaigning. Mya-Rose says: “I got involved because I think Ecostreamz is an amazing way to ethically consume media and support the causes you care about”. Fellow Ecostreamz Ambassador is Dr. Jane Goodall, DBE, Founder of the Jane Goodall Institute and UN Messenger of Peace, joined the Ecostreamz Advisory Board. Dr. Goodall says: “Documentaries can change the world and in many cases, they have! With Films like ‘The Cove’, ‘Blackfish’, ‘Blood Lions’ and ‘Stroop’, many wildlife conservation crises have received more attention in the media and the public. Unfortunately, however, the vast majority of independent, issue-related films remain unseen because they are rarely picked up by television networks or theatres. That is why I have agreed to sit on the Advisory Board of Ecostreamz. By creating a streaming video service like Netflix dedicated to global environmental and social justice issues, Ecostreamz will endorse the importance of film in changing public discourse.We are running out of time for many species and their habitats in this planet we share. Ecostreamz provides an important service and I am glad to be a part of it.” Stanley Johnson says: “Britain will emerge from the pandemic with an even greater thirst for a cleaner and greener future. I am very confident that Ecostreamz will lead that charge”. Remarkably, 80% of all paid streaming revenues is returned to charities and filmmakers that provide the content. The project is co-founded by Oregon-based James Branchflower and British conservationist Ian Redmond OBE, the man who introduced Sir David Attenborough to the mountain gorillas for the BBC documentary Life on Earth in 1978 and went on to serve as Envoy for the UN Great Apes Survival Partnership. Ian Redmond OBE says: “Greta Thunberg and Extinction Rebellion both urge the media to ‘tell the truth’ but,” says Redmond, “the mainstream media are reluctant to show documentaries they see as ‘ratings losers’ because they can be difficult to watch. Passionate filmmakers, often working with charities, make powerful educational films about the issues of our day, many of which win awards but then disappear. Ecostreamz is a platform for these important films and supports the causes that are featured. The scheme to provide free school subscriptions is a wonderful opportunity to educate the next generation and link students to the organisations working to solve the problems exposed.” Participating Ecostreamz partners include: Wild and Scenic Film Festival, International Wildlife Film Festival, Social Justice Film Festival, Wildlife Conservation Film Festival, Ape Alliance, The Borneo Project, International Primate Protection League, Gorilla Foundation, Freeland Foundation, WildAid, African Wildlife Foundation among many others. Some of the featured films currently enjoying high demand on Ecostreamz include: “Blood Lions”, “God in Shackles”, “Tainted Love”, “Stroop” and “Long Gone Wild”, among a strong line-up of must-watch critically acclaimed films.
New visusafe stencil kit has the markings of an effective aid for schools in COVID-19 fight
Improved management of social distancing in schools during the COVID-19 pandemic is provided by a new floor stencil kit from visual communication solutions specialist Beaverswood. Part of the Visusafe Personal Protection range, the stencil kit can be used to quickly mark out two metre spaces on the floor and other eye-catching public information messages to ensure people are kept safe and secure and that strict social distancing is observed. Suitable for external areas outside where people queue, the kit comes in four different 400mm x 500mm stencil options, which instruct people to stay two metres apart, keep their distance, or indicate where they should stand when queuing. A ruler, two cans of highly visible line marker paint (either yellow, red or white) and a hand held applicator, are also included in the kit. The new social distance stencil kit is part of the Visusafe Personal Protection range, which is manufactured from good quality, high performance materials, helping organisations to comply with Public Health England guidelines, which ensure materials are as robust as possible and cleanable, providing maximum protection. Jim Roberts, product manager at Beaverswood, said: “During the COVID-19, it’s critical to ensure people are effectively protected in the workplace, staying safe and minimising the spread of the virus. Our new stencil kit is part of a package of measures that does that, providing a fast, easy to use and cost effective solution.” More at www.beaverswood.co.uk or tel; 0118 979 6096 or sales@beaverswood.co.uk
Wellbeing amongst teaching staff drops since lockdown in new survey
60% of teaching professionals rated their wellbeing positive before lockdown restrictions, dropping to 32% since lockdown has been in place More than four fifths (81%) believe their employer has a responsibility to look after their wellbeing 47% say having adequate mental health support from their employer has also become more important since lockdown Wellbeing amongst teaching professionals has taken a dive since lockdown restrictions were enforced in March, according to a new survey by recruiting experts, Hays. As the UK recognises Mental Health Awareness Week, Hays urges employers to consider the effect working remotely in lockdown is having on their staff. From a survey of over 16,200 professionals, close to two thirds (60%) of those who work in teaching rated their wellbeing positive before restrictions were put in place, but only 32% said it was still positive since lockdown. Those who rated their wellbeing as negative rose from 9% to 28%. Roughly a fifth (21%) said a lack of social interaction has been the greatest challenge to their wellbeing, followed by isolation and loneliness (18%). Workers look to employers for more support More than four fifths (81%) of teaching staff say their employer has a responsibility to look after their wellbeing, but over half (55%) state that their employer hasn’t provided any wellbeing support during the lockdown. Of those who said their employer was providing support, 25% also said their employer is offering social activities, followed by training and counselling (both 15%). Work-life balance is a bigger priority since lockdown For 41% of those who work in teaching, work-life balance has become more important to them since lockdown, despite 46% rating their work-life balance between average and very poor. Having adequate mental health support from their employer has also become more important since being in lockdown, according to nearly half (47%). To support teachers with their work-life balance, Hays Education has recently launched Wellbeing First, the UK’s first free wellbeing training available for school staff across the UK. This training consists of free courses to help teachers and staff manage their stress levels, reduce their anxiety, foster positive mental health and prioritise their work-life balance, while also meeting CPD requirements. Paul Matthias, National Specialism Director of Hays Education, commented: “Staff wellbeing needs to be a top priority for those in teaching as the impacts on the profession are continuously being felt. Although every teacher is in a different position, remaining transparent and communicating to employees frequently will be extremely important as our way of working continues to change. Some of the steps employers can take include using internal communication channels to provide wellbeing advice, cultivating an open and trustworthy culture, offering training to support mental health and wellbeing, and being flexible with schedules and expectations. These support systems will help teachers through the changes and challenges ahead and allow them to continue carrying out the essential work they do.” For more information on the free Wellbeing First or other training courses, visit: https://educationtraining.hays.co.uk/
Staff retention during a pandemic: what the UK education sector needs to know
Although some announcements have been made in regards to when children might return to classroom learning, most year groups in schools, as well as colleges and universities throughout the UK remain closed for the foreseeable future. The education sector has had to make big changes to the way they communicate with, as well as the way they educate pupils, students, parents – and staff. But what exactly does COVID-19 mean for staff retention in educational institutions during this period? Is it possible that maintaining a full staff might not happen during the pandemic and lockdown period? What is the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme? If you’re not already, you should be familiar with the term ‘furlough’ or ‘being furloughed’ – a term coined by the government, in regards to their Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme. Briefly, the scheme allows institutions and businesses to keep staff protected during the lockdown period and continue paying wages, which is 80% of their salary or up to £2,500 per month. Throughout many schools, colleges, universities etc. in the UK, and worldwide, however, certain staff members are paid through recruitment agencies or umbrella companies, such as supply teachers. Currently, there isn’t any solid advice on whether or not these organisations can claim back through the government’s scheme. However, if individuals are being paid through a PAYE, there may be opportunity for them to be furloughed continue receiving some element of their wages. Am I eligible? If you’re a supply teacher or staff member, and you usually work through recruitment agencies, consult with your agency about your previous role and try to make steps to be furloughed. Remember, if you are successful in being furloughed, you won’t be able to work for that particular job, even if requested to. If you have a fixed term contract with a school, you will be a crucial part of the team when it comes to supporting other teachers. If you’re a contracted teacher, there should be no change to your employment during lockdown. Your role may continue by remote teaching, as well as looking after key workers’ children, during allocated times. If you’re a vulnerable person however, you won’t be expected to do this, as this could put you at risk, especially if you have an illness. Your main focus throughout the lockdown period may be to plan the delivery of next year’s curriculum, as well as planning for if you’re expected to go in and teach certain year’s before the end of the school year. Department improvement and development are also important tasks, particularly with the education sector, as we’re expecting to see huge changes in learning and teaching because of the pandemic. Online teaching software, such as Kinteract, enables teachers to effectively communicate with students and parents during the lockdown period – and beyond. What about Further Education? If you work for a college, which is not primarily funded by the government, you will be eligible for furlough, especially if you work in departments such as finance, student administration, human resources, and marketing. Admin and support staff are an essential part of college life. Although not all of these staff will be furloughed, it’s important that those that can be are. This is so that when colleges begin again, students will be aware of familiar faces. What about Higher Education? Fixed-term contracts are much more likely to happen in universities, such as visiting lecturers, support workers, and researchers. Throughout UK universities, there are queries over the impact that the pandemic could have on staff retention. This could be based on speculation that international students will no longer apply and perhaps September 2020 applicants will defer to next year. Can an independent school apply for the job retention scheme? Yes – but this depends on certain elements. An independent school should not rely on the government to offer additional funding, unless they receive this already. If you are an independent school and can prove that cash flow has been affected by the pandemic, for example, parents may have ceased paying fees – then independent schools may be allowed to furlough staff and gain payment from the government scheme. Online and remote learning Staff and students, wherever they’re based, can benefit from online and remote learning. For many education staff members, this might be a completely new way of teaching, but can only complement classroom-based learning. Using an online platform enhances the teaching experience for the student, rather than replacing the teacher entirely.
Re-opening schools and colleges – employers questions answered
The government has asked schools and FE colleges to start to re-open from 1 June for some students has caused a large amount of controversy. Many schools and colleges have remained open to the children of key workers and those who are vulnerable, but opening up to a wider group of children will need careful preparation. This article by Joanne Moseley at national law firm Irwin Mitchell, explains the issues you will need to consider. 1. Conduct a risk assessment All employers must take all reasonable steps to ensure that their staff work in a safe environment. If risks are identified, you must reduce these to the lowest practicable level. Before re-opening schools and colleges, or extending teaching to a wider group of pupils, you must carry out a Covid-19 risk assessment. General guidance produced by the HSE states that you must: identify what work activity or situations might cause transmission of the virus think about who could be at risk decide how likely it is that someone could be exposed act to remove the activity or situation, or if this isn’t possible, control the risk. Each of these steps must be carefully considered and documented. In the context of schools and colleges, Public Health England have said that the risk of transmission will be lowered if they apply ‘comprehensive infection control measures’. You should also read and follow new guidance: Covid-19: implementing protective measures in education and childcare settings which recommends: minimising contact with individuals who are unwell by ensuring that those who have coronavirus symptoms, or who have someone in their household who does, do –not attend childcare settings, schools or colleges cleaning hands more often than usual ensuring good respiratory hygiene by promoting the ‘catch it, bin it, kill it’ approach cleaning frequently touched surfaces using standard products, such as detergents and bleach minimising contact and mixing by altering, as much as possible, the environment (such as classroom layout) and timetables (such as staggered break times) The government has said that the majority of staff won’t need PPE beyond what they normally need for their work – even if they are not always able to maintain a distance of two meters from others. 2. Consult health and safety representatives Where unions are formally recognised, you must consult with the unions on health and safety matters and discuss your proposals for making your workplace safe for staff with union H&S representatives. If you fail to do this, it will give rise to issues under your collective bargaining arrangements and a breach of specific statutory duties. If you don’t have a union representative or a collective agreement, then you need to consult with your employees directly – as individuals or through workforce elected H&S representatives. If unions do not engage, you may need to go direct to staff on the proposals for workplace arrangements – but you should get further legal advice before doing so. Consultation involves giving information and taking into account what health and safety representatives say before making any health and safety decisions. Be open to comments and suggestions. The law doesn’t state when you must consult, or for how long, but it does say it should be ‘in good time’. In practice, this means you have to allow time for your employees to consider the issues and provide them with informed responses. 3. Consider individual circumstances You will need to know which members of staff fall into the clinically extremely vulnerable category (and must remain at home) and those who are clinically vulnerable. We recommend that you undertake individual risk assessments for those who are clinically vulnerable to ascertain whether it is safe for them to return to work. In most cases, they should be allowed to work from home. You’ll also need to consider what, if any, evidence you need from individuals who are in the vulnerable groups. In some cases, you can ask and reasonably expect evidence of a health condition to be provided (to be held and processed as sensitive personal data). In others, and in particular where they live with a vulnerable person, you cannot insist on this evidence being provided as the person affected is not your employee. You should also consider which members of staff use public transport to travel to work as current guidance is to avoid public transport where possible. You’ll need to consider how busy their route is likely to be and, perhaps look at other ways in which staff can travel safely. The Government has published safer travel guidance for passengers which asks users to ‘consider all other forms of transport before using public transport’. Where there is no alternative people are advised to; maintain social distancing (and wait for another service is their bus/train is already full), travel off peak and wear a face covering. Clearly this requires flexibility of the employer in terms of usual start and finish times. 4. Encourage staff to co-operate with requests for information We are aware that some unions are advising staff to not engage if they are asked by their employer if they are available for work. Make it clear to staff that you are asking for information in order to undertake risk assessments and to consider all options in light of the government announcement on re-opening and that you expect them to respond. We recommend that you: Explain that you will only open if your risk assessment indicates it is safe to do so and encourage them to cooperate in discussions Explain that you are engaging (or seeking to engage with the unions) and are considering their recommendations to re-opening Emphasise collating this information is important so that you can understand which staff are particularly at risk and that that you will be seeking to consult with health and safety representatives and unions in relation to all proposed measures for managing re-opening Set a date when that information needs to be
Supply Teacher Furlough Pay – making it fair
This week has seen the debate around furlough eligibility for supply teachers and agency staff reach fever pitch. For many school leaders, agency staff aren’t just the saviours who swoop in at the last minute to cover sickness absence – they’re a critical part of the team, the community and the fabric of the school. Chetan Sood, Head of Operations, Teacher Booker looks at what schools and agency workers need to look out for. The coronavirus disruption has shone a light on the good, the bad and the ugly when it comes to agency worker’s employment status and remuneration. We’ve been calling for greater transparency and accountability in this essential segment of the workforce for years, and now the turning point has come. Where previously agency workers’ employment statuses, compensation packages, professional challenges and personal circumstances were all too often swept under the rug, school leaders must now look to understand the brokenness of the temporary worker sector, act to end exploitation of workers and step up their workforce planning game to realise budgetary efficiency and the workforce’s demands for increased flexibility. Supply work in schools has dried up, leaving many agency workers without income. But Government guidance has not yet explicitly addressed furlough eligibility for every employment mechanism – and there are several employment mechanisms that supply teachers may work through. Below we break down how these mechanisms work and consider how schools can support, and maintain positive relationships with, their network of great agency staff at this challenging time by accessing furlough grants or other public funds for these at-risk key workers. Furlough pay If teachers are paid PAYE for agency work, they are eligible for furlough pay. This is how Teacher Booker operates, and reputable agencies or online platforms will offer this. That’s the easy one – moving forward, schools should work only with providers who offer this. If teachers work through an umbrella company (many agencies corner teachers into agreeing to this because of private financial benefits and removing the associated administrative burden), there are three main ways their pay might be calculated. 1. Gross pay with statutory deductions only. This includes income tax, employee’s NI and employee’s pension contribution. This is the how one would expect to be paid — simply, cleanly and only with statutory deductions 2. Gross pay with extra deductions. This includes the deductions above, but may also include things like umbrella company fees, admin fees and in bad cases, Employer’s NI deductions (Employers NI should never be taken from the teachers’ agreed rate of pay). This should raise alarm bells as extra ‘hidden’ deductions seriously reduce supply teacher’s take home pay, creating undue hardship 3. ‘Employment Income’ (or otherwise described) further broken down into National Minimum Wage (NMW) + ‘Profit Share’ or ‘Discretionary Bonus’ This would include statutory (and maybe extra) deductions as above, but further breaks down teachers’ take home pay into two or more ‘categories’. The coronavirus crisis has exposed this poor practice for what it is — a tax loophole. This method of calculating pay has left thousands of supply teachers in serious financial difficulty Where umbrella companies structure supply teachers’ pay in this third way, they can currently only claim 80% of what is considered basic pay – that is, NMW – from HMRC as a furlough grant. This means supply teachers paid this way can only receive a maximum of 80% of National Minimum Wage, regardless of how long they’ve been at the school or how important they may be to the school community. In fact, several large umbrella organisations have refused to claim even this on other, peripheral technicalities, either stating that they are “waiting on further clarification” or just staying silent and not responding to workers – leaving key workers high and dry. School leaders may now question why agency workers’ pay would be structured this way. They may also question why and how this practice has been allowed to continue. Finding a solution Whilst we would ideally like to fundamentally reshape the sector so these kinds of practices become a thing of the past, and agency workers receive the employment security, compensation and respect they deserve, right now, we need to act fast to help supply teachers access the financial support they need. We have developed practical solutions to ensure your network of great agency teachers are supported financially, establishing security and generating goodwill throughout this period. Act now to ensure your good professional relationships – and the relationships between those agency staff and your pupils – are maintained. Ask your agency teacher contacts whether they have been furloughed, and if so, whether they are being supported adequately. If there are discrepancies, or your agency teacher contacts are not receiving adequate support, encourage them to seek advice. We offer free, confidential advice and practical solutions and there are some other great organisations out there doing the same. It is important that agencies and school leaders work together to ensure workforce plans are well laid for the new dynamics in recruitment and workforce management that this crisis will precipitate. For teachers who may be registering with new employment businesses and agencies at this time, be sure to ask for the Key Information Document (KID). As of April 6th 2020 it is a requirement that agencies provide this when you register with them, and it will detail how your pay is broken down, the type of contract you will have, and an indication of the rate of pay you can expect. Knowing all this in advance will help you make informed decisions about who to register with and how you will be paid. Teacher Booker’s KID is available on our website here. Lastly, if any supply teachers are still being paid via an agency through this period, school leaders should note that they should be engaged on an open book basis – that is, the agency must provide schools with full details of the cost of (i.e. the gross pay
EduCare Make Courses Free in Response to School Closures
As COVID-19 continues to have a far-reaching socio-economic impact on the UK, it can be difficult to navigate and adjust to the big changes to our routines and environments. Duty of care and safeguarding training specialists, EduCare, recognise the impact that school closures will have on the safeguarding of children and young people, and have made a number of their courses and resources available for free online. The courses and resources, which are usually only available to customers, can now be accessed for free via EduCare’s recently launched Coronavirus Hub. Amongst these resources is information from EduCare’s owner TES, which will support teachers, schools and students during this time. This includes revision material, home packs and self-guided study material. In addition to the free courses and resources, the Hub also contains the latest news and recommendations for good practice relating to the Coronavirus and children and young people whilst away from education. Understanding that remote training will be vital to schools over the coming months, EduCare has also made seven online CPD courses available for free. These are: “Effective Health & Safety for Children with SEND and ASN” “Parental Responsibility in Schools” “Search, Screen and Confiscate for Schools” “Risk Assessments for School Trips” “Anti-Fraud, Bribery and Corruption” “Cyber Security” “Working with Display Screen Equipment” Also available for free are wellbeing resources from EduCare’s EduSafe resource library. Designed for the community of parents and carers, and children and young people, EduSafe resources have been written with leading experts including Winston’s Wish, Karma Nirvana, YoungMinds, Mentor and The Children’s Society. EduCare is communicating the message that whilst safeguarding has always been everyone’s responsibility, with school closures this will be more relevant than ever. As schools lose day to day contact with their pupils, our communities will need to act together to support children and young people. The intention of the EduSafe resource library is to ensure that the community can access the same level of high-quality information as education staff receive as part of their training. EduSafe is split into two banks of resources – resources that are specifically designed for parents & carers, and resources that are specifically designed for children & young people. Topics covered within EduSafe include: Mental health Substance misuse Dealing with bereavement and loss Honour-based abuse and forced marriage More directly related to immediate issues presented by the Coronavirus pandemic, EduCare’s Coronavirus Hub also includes free resources and information relating to the virus itself and preventing its spread. Within this section, there is also the most up-to-date news from TES editorial team, as the situation develops. To find out more, access EduCare’s Coronavirus Hub at https://www.educare.co.uk/coronavirus