How Twinkl Parents has progressed in the last 10 months
In August 2018, Twinkl Parents was launched, a service designed to meet the needs of an increasing number of parents accessing and subscribing to the Twinkl website. The service provides resources ranging from flash-cards and activity sheets to online educational games and apps. Jay Wynn, who manages the Parents service at Twinkl, said: “We wanted to create a service to address the universal challenges parents and guardians face raising children. The team’s mantra is “made by teachers, perfect for parents” and we began by focusing on specific curriculum-based teaching resources.” As with all Twinkl resources, the materials created for parents are made in-house and approved by the current and former teachers that make up the majority of the team at Twinkl. They include resources designed to aid learning done at school and can be used at home and on the go. The amount of parents using Twinkl has grown increasingly over the past 10 months and the number of subscribers has increased by over 40% since the service was launched. As a result, the Twinkl Parents team has also grown from 3 team members based in Sheffield to over twenty located nationally, all with specific knowledge and expertise. “The team has now also started concentrating on building supportive and inclusive parenting communities,” explained Jay. “These are primarily on social media, on platforms including Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest. In the next few months, Twinkl Parents will be focusing on growing their two Youtube Channels, one Youtube channel which caters for parents and another Children’s Youtube which includes videos like how to create edible Marshmallow Slime and how to make a Lava Lamp! “Whether it be through forums, Twitter chats, or an advisor on the end of the phone, we want to support parents with more than just their educational queries and also speak to them about Health and Wellbeing, behaviour management and much more.” The materials available reflect this, with resources such as mindfulness colouring, meal ideas and wellbeing lists, to name just a few. With a full-time illustrator working within the team, there is also a selection of resources with anecdotal cartoons, which depict the highs and lows of parenthood. These show compassion towards the challenges parents face but also provide comic relief, a great example being this representation of ‘Date Night’. Twinkl Parents is always looking for new opportunities to help parents and communities. The team recently supported Sheffield’s Hospital Charity by donating over 700 Twinkl Original books and creating mindfulness colouring sheets for participants of the Jessop Super Heroes Appeal family walk, which raised money to make improvements to the Jessop Wing maternity hospital. Twinkl Parents is part of the core package from Twinkl, which is available at £4.49 a month and includes access to over half a million resources and Twinkl Originals digital storybooks. There is also an option to create a free account and a large variety of free resources to download.
Schoolworks Celebrates SATS Progress
Dave Ayers, Head of School at River Beach Primary in Littlehampton, which is celebrating its best ever SATs results Schoolsworks has announced its unverified Key Stage 2 SATs results for 2019, which show that the multi-academy trust is having a positive impact on school improvement. For schools which have been in the Trust for more than 3 years this year’s combined RWM is 67% against a national average for combined RWM this year of 65%. Schoolsworks is a growing multi-academy trust, based on the South Coast, and is currently responsible for seven schools in the area. It’s collegiate approach – with a core focus on delivering strong outcomes for children across their whole school experience; academically, socially, emotionally and developmentally – is managed through the creation of small hubs of schools which work closely together to collaborate. The heads, senior leadership teams and staff of all schools are enabled to create close partnerships to share best practice and create excellent opportunities for professional development within the Trust. Chris Seaton, CEO of Schoolsworks says, “We are delighted with this year’s results, and it’s great to see how well the schools which have been longest in the Trust have performed. Overall our data shows that we are closing the gap on national averages, which is of particular note given the relatively low performance of schools in West Sussex over recent years, and the associated educational funding crisis. River Beach – which has been in the Trust since 2013 – offers a particular success story with its best ever set of results. Their combined RWM scores are 6% above the national average, despite the school’s catchment covering one of the three most deprived wards in Sussex.” Schoolsworks’ average combined RWM score for 2019 was 64%. In 2018 the Trust added Downsbrook Primary School to its portfolio – a newly created academy school formed following an inadequate Ofsted rating.
More competition for education roles, as pay increases by 3.7%
According to the latest job market data from the UK’s leading independent job board, CV-Library, the amount of education professionals applying for new jobs increased by 14.5% last month, while average salaries also grew by a comfortable 3.7%. The findings, which compared job market data from June 2019 with the same period last year, comes as welcome news to employers that are hiring right now, as the amount of education professionals looking for work online grew by 50.4%. A key driving factor behind this could well by the jump in pay. The findings reveal that average pay for new education jobs currently sits at £31,142, compared to £30,024 in June 2018. Lee Biggins, founder and CEO of CV-Library comments: “Many organisations have had no choice but to push up their pay packets, as they look to attract more professionals to their companies. Our findings suggest that these efforts may well be paying off, as more people are considering moving jobs right now, particularly across the finance industry.” Despite these positive trends, the amount of education jobs on offer fell by 5.4% year-on-year and a further 0.9% month-on-month, according to the findings. Biggins continues: “While there are less education jobs up for grabs, it’s important to remember that this is not unusual at this time of year, given that hiring tends to slow down in the summer months. However, we could also attribute it to the fact that employers are focussing on offering fewer jobs, with higher pay, in a bid to meet the growing demands of candidates in the market.”
Parents in the UK prefer science-based careers for their children
Over three quarters (76%) of UK parents would like their children to choose careers in science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM), according to a survey commissioned by Shell’s national schools’ competition, The Bright Ideas Challenge[1]. This is despite more than a third of parents (36%) saying they lack the knowledge and confidence to give STEM careers advice to their children. The survey findings come as the regional winners of the Bright Ideas Challenge gather at Imperial College London where they are competing to be crowned national champions by Shell STEM Education Ambassador Rachel Riley. The competition asks young people aged 11-14 to imagine creative ideas to power the cities of the future, ensuring they are vibrant, healthy and clean places to live. Joanna Miles, Teacher of Science at The Petersfield School in Hampshire said: “Using STEM knowledge to solve a real-world problem opened our students’ eyes to how their lessons can be applied in a practical context. Competitions like The Bright Ideas Challenge truly help our students think big about what is possible. Our school is so proud of the team for getting this far and we are delighted they are in the running to be named national champions in London.” The 13 regional winners are now competing for £5,000 to spend on STEM-related areas at their schools. As part of the VIP winners’ experience at Imperial College, the teams will make a prototype of their ideas and develop their presenting skills in a science communications workshop. Ideas from the students include powering gyms through kinetic energy, creating hydropower from rivers through man-made waterfalls, harnessing the heat energy of windmills using thermoelectric generators, and innovations for our future cities like piezoelectric generators placed under stairs and taps which capture hydropower from running water. Initiatives such as the Bright Ideas Challenge and “Engineering: Take a closer look” aim to help children consider careers in STEM. According to EngineeringUK, a not-for-profit organisation., there will be more than 2.5 million job openings in the engineering sector alone by 2024, representing around 20% of total UK employment. For more informative stories like STEM careers please visit the news page.
Majority Of Education Professionals Want To Move Jobs
Majority of professionals working in education want to move jobs, but won’t because of low salaries A new study from the UK’s leading independent job board, CV-Library, reveals that despite the fact that 86% of professionals working in the education industry are considering moving jobs right now, 62% aren’t doing so jobs because they believe the salaries on offer aren’t high enough. Indeed, according to further analysis* from CV-Library, pay for new education jobs is currently 8.9% lower than the UK average. The study of 2,000 UK professionals and 200 UK employers also found that while 94.4% of the industry’s employers feel confident about their hiring efforts, just under a third (30.3%) of education professionals aren’t confident about applying to move jobs right now. Alongside this, 50% of the industry’s professionals worry that they don’t have the right experience for the jobs they want to apply to, while 30% are concerned about the current economy. Lee Biggins, founder and CEO of CV-Library, comments: “Searching for a new role definitely requires commitment; after all, you need to tailor your CV and cover letter to every role you apply to and spend time practising common interview questions. While it may seem like an arduous task, putting in the hard work now will definitely lead to rewards later down the line. “Plus, despite a tough economy there’s an abundance of education jobs available right now and employers are confident about their hiring efforts. This means that now is a great time to search and apply for jobs. Also, remember that there’s always room for negotiation when it comes to pay – so don’t let lower salaries put you off and do your research so you can use this evidence as leverage.” Alongside the above, 38% of the industry’s professionals are worried about losing their current job, despite 94.4% of the sector’s employers stating that they’re confident about retaining employees over the next six months. Biggins concludes: “If you are concerned about the future of your career with your current employer, it’s definitely worth speaking to your manager or HR about the options available to you. You never know, it may give you the push you need to look for a new job!”
Birmingham Teachers Unite to Make Schools More Active
Nike, Youth Sport Trust & Discovery Education host event for Birmingham Primary Schools as part of nationwide Active Kids Do Better programme Teachers from across Birmingham came together at a special event last week to help the region’s primary schools. Hosted by Nike, The Youth Sport Trust and Discovery Education, “The Power of an Active School” saw 22 teachers from around the city gather at Greet Primary School in Sparkhill on Thursday 20th June, where they shared ideas and heard from experts about building a culture in Birmingham’s primary schools. The event was part of Active Kids Do Better, a nationwide programme to increase children’s movement and play. Today in the UK, only one in five kids gets the recommended daily 30 minutes of physical activity throughout the school day. Active Kids Do Better gives teachers and parents simple tools, ideas and activities to make this goal achievable, such as short-burst classroom activities and games to motivate and energise children. Teachers attending Thursday’s event heard about the benefits of creating an active culture and shared ideas for reducing the time children spend sitting during lessons. Led by children’s charity The Youth Sport Trust, the group also learned how to meet the Government’s new Childhood Obesity Plan. Keitesha Chambers, a Year 4 Teacher at Benson Community School said: “The event was very informative. It was good to talk to other professionals and see what they do in their school. I’ll be taking the activities back to our school to use in the classroom.” Matt Haydon, ICT Co-ordinator at Greet Primary School said: “I enjoyed talking to other teachers and sharing ideas for increasing activity throughout the day. There was a lot of discussion about what it means to be active. The most important thing for me is how we encourage every child to take part.” Christine Major, Director of Educational Partnerships at Discovery Education said: “Every child should enjoy the life-changing benefits that come from play and sport, and from simply being more active. It was great to meet so many teachers who are committed to building an active culture in their primary schools. I’m sure that pupils across Birmingham will soon benefit from being more active not just in the playground, but throughout the day.” Launched in February 2018 by Nike and Discovery Education, Active Kids Do Betternow reaches thousands of teachers in hundreds of primary schools across the UK. Some of the schools taking part have received special visits from Nike Olympic athletes, and in July 2018 over 3,000 parents, teachers and children were invited to attend the Muller Anniversary Games as part of the initiative. The Power of an Active School Birmingham was the second in a series of nine professional development events taking place across the UK this year. Details and booking here: https://www.activekidsdobetter.co.uk/events Find out more about Nike and Discovery Education’s Active Kids Do Better programme. Visit the new website and register your school here: www.activekidsdobetter.co.uk
Road safety highlighted by primary children’s march
Schoolchildren took to the streets today in a national day of action to raise awareness of road safety, as horrifying statistics surrounding traffic deaths and injuries were highlighted. More than 63,000 children of primary age took part in Brake’s Kids Walk with Shaun the Sheep, as 45 children are killed or injured every day on roads across the UK. The national project, in partnership with the Ocado Foundation, saw Shaun and his flock help youngsters learn key road safety messages and call on grown-ups to make roads safer, so more children can enjoy the health and CO2-saving benefits of walking. Shocking road safety figures Road safety charity Brake highlighted the true extent of child casualties on the nation’s roads. Latest official figures show that 16,566 children were killed or injured on roads in the UK in 2017. On average, that means 45 children die or suffer injuries as a result of road crashes every single day. Department for Transport (DfT) figures show that 14,226 children were killed or injured on roads in England in 2017, while Welsh Government statistics reveal there were 577 child road casualties during the same period. Transport Scotland says that 899 children were killed or injured on roads in Scotland in 2017, and numbers were similar for Northern Ireland, which reports 864 child road casualties in the same year. Nearly 400 schools and nurseries took part in Brake’s Kids Walk, calling for five measures to help keep children safe near roads: footpaths cycle paths safe places to cross slow traffic clean traffic Short, supervised walks are taking place today and all week at or around schools and nurseries. Children will walk in a crocodile formation and hold hands to highlight the importance of being able to walk without fear or threat from traffic. Some schools are teaming up with their local fire service or police. Schools were also urged to run special road safety-themed assemblies, lessons and activities, using free resources featuring Shaun the Sheep and his friends. Funds were also raised for Brake, which supports families who have lost loved ones in road crashes. Dave Nichols, community engagement manager for Brake, said: “Every child should be able to walk in their community without fear of traffic and pollution. Unfortunately, many kids are unable to do so because they don’t have access to simple measures such as footpaths, cycle paths and safe places to cross. “Many more must contend with fast traffic and pollution from vehicle emissions. If we want children and their families to walk, we need to make sure their journeys are safe. We’re delighted that so many schools and children across the UK agree with us on this and are taking part in Brake’s Kids Walk. Together we can raise awareness about the issues that matter to them and help make their roads safer.” Dorothy Pegg, assistant head at Seven Sisters Primary School in Tottenham, said: “Our school is delighted to take part in Brake’s Kids Walk with Shaun the Sheep and help raise awareness about how we can all make our roads safer. We’re passionate about encouraging our children to live healthy lifestyles, which includes walking in their local community. That’s why we support Brake’s call for footpaths, cycle paths, safe places to cross, slow traffic and clean traffic to help keep children safe near roads.” Stuart Reid, Interim Director of Vision Zero at TfL, said: “We completely agree with these children – death and serious injuries on our roads is unacceptable. Children should be able to walk to school, play, and enjoy London without worry. We are committed to making streets across London safer, as part of our Vision Zero ambition, by improving dangerous junctions, implementing our new bus safety programme and working with schools on Junior Roadwatch.” For more information on how your school can make getting to school safer, see brake.org.uk
Teacher resilience: workload and management support
Research shows workplace conditions play greater role than personal characteristics Workload and management support are more strongly associated with teachers’ ability to cope with the demands of the profession than their personal characteristics, new research suggests. Academics at Manchester Metropolitan University found that the resilience of teachers was influenced more by external factors – such as how a school is run and its culture – than internal and personal factors, such as lack of confidence. The findings, published in the journal of Teaching and Teacher Education, have implications for school leaders looking to tackle teacher retention issues. Only last month, a poll by the National Education Union found that around one in five teachers plans to leave the profession in less than two years. Manchester Metropolitan researchers Dr Steph Ainsworth, from the Faculty of Education, and Dr Jeremy Oldfield, from the Faculty of Health, Psychology and Social Care, asked teachers to rate their levels of wellbeing, burnout and job satisfaction. The teachers rated this alongside individual factors such as empathy, self-belief and optimism, and environmental factors such as school culture, workload and relationships with management and colleagues. The study – which surveyed 226 teachers in the UK – suggests that environmental factors usually play a greater role than individual characteristics in terms of their impact on how teachers experience their role. Thriving not surviving Dr Steph Ainsworth, Senior Lecturer, said: “The three outcome measures were chosen because high levels of wellbeing and job satisfaction, and low levels of burnout are indicators of positive adaptation in teachers. These outcomes reflect the degree to which teachers are either thriving, surviving, or leaving the profession. “If we are to support teachers in ‘thriving not just surviving’ we need to ensure that teachers are not only protected from burnout, but that they are also satisfied and well.” More than 72% of the variation in teachers’ levels of job satisfaction and 61% of the variation in teacher burnout was attributed to environmental factors – positive support from management was seen to be the biggest factor, while workload and school culture were also found to be very important. For wellbeing, environmental and individual factors were found to be equally important. Whose responsibility? Dr Ainsworth added: “The environmental factors impacting on levels of wellbeing, burnout and job satisfaction can all be manipulated at the school level and are essential to improve the lives of teachers, sustain motivation and provide an effective learning environment for their pupils. “Positive adaptation to the workplace – or lack of – has an indirect effect on pupils, with satisfied and well teachers creating happier and more productive classrooms.” The researchers say the findings also have important implications for how we think about what it means to be a resilient teacher. Dr Ainsworth said: “A key implication of the study is that the responsibility for adaptation should not be placed solely at the feet of the teachers. While there might be a place for interventions or training designed to boost teachers’ ability to cope within the workplace, equal attention needs to be paid to the nature of the conditions which teachers are expected to work in. “We hope that this research is viewed as an empowering message for school leaders to become more mindful about the workspace they create to improve the lives of teachers and the children in their care.”
NetSupport School launches Google Classroom integration at ISTE 2019
NetSupport is delighted to announce the launch of Google Classroom integration in its award-winning classroom management solution, NetSupport School, at ISTE 2019! As schools continue to heavily invest in edtech, NetSupport remains focused on ensuring schools maximise its use and benefits by keeping it simple. According to research by PwC, only 10 per cent of 2,000 teachers surveyed reported feeling secure in their abilities to incorporate “higher-level” technology into their classroom, while 52 per cent of teachers report that the biggest barrier to more effective use of technology is a lack of time to integrate digital materials and tools into their lessons. Such research shows there are still many teachers who are not confident using technology with their classes and, for these people, it can create a high level of anxiety that becomes a barrier to them being able to use it successfully – while, for others, it simply takes too long to set up. NetSupport School is an all-in-one multi-platform solution for engaging with students in any digital classroom, with features ranging from screen monitoring and student management to a wealth of assessment and teaching tools. NetSupport School is built on a foundation of easy-to-use functionality that engages students and boosts learning outcomes. Its latest integration with Google Classroom expands its simplicity when connecting to students’ Chromebooks by providing “ready to connect” class lists direct from Google Classroom – and, as a by-product, saving even more valuable teaching time. Al Kingsley, MD of NetSupport, explains: “We understand that, as a teacher, you want quick, easy and reliable access to tools that work in the classroom. And for those teachers already using Google Classroom, we wanted to make it as easy as possible for them to access their SIS data and maximise their teaching time, while alsoreducing any associated tech stress by keeping it as simple as possible.” Used by over 18 million users in over 90 countries around the globe for the last 30 years, NetSupport is the leader in classroom instruction technology. To find out more about NetSupport School, visit Booth 1936 at ISTE 2019, or visit www.netsupportschool.com for a 30-day free trial.