Hertfordshire School Programme Asks “Healthy Only Please!”
Registered Health Coach, Joanna Shurety from Shurety Coaching is collaborating with the team at ELSA to help bolster their “Healthy Only Please!” campaign and share her expertise on how to live a healthier lifestyle. Created to teach secondary school aged children how to understand, embrace and implement a healthy lifestyle, the Healthy Only Please! campaign covers everything from mental and physical health and the positive effect it can have. The campaign feeds into the government’s ‘5 Ways to Wellbeing’ initiative and helps schools to add a wellbeing aspect to the curriculum without needing to pull staff away from their timetable and specialist subject. Speaking of her role at ELSA, Joanna said; “Working with secondary school aged children has been so rewarding as you can see how much fun they’re having. Our sessions are often very interactive and you can see their confidence build as they engage with the content and each other. Students explore what it is to view food in a healthy way and understand what food does for them, in a positive and supportive environment. Sharing the message about the benefits of a healthy lifestyle to this age group has been a completely new experience for me, but one that I wouldn’t change for the world. There are so many conflicting opinions when it comes to nutrition and so much information out there that can be really overwhelming, so it’s no surprise that parents can struggle with what to teach their children. By working with schools we can help take that burden away from the parents and empower the children to make better choices,” added Joanna. The Healthy Only Please! campaign focusses on all areas of self including: Mental health Physical health Social care Choice Self-esteem Self-expression Self-care The key message is to focus on the things that be can be added into your life to make it better. It’s about making informed decisions and moving towards a more balanced way of living. The Healthy Only Please! campaign launched in January at Marriotts school in Stevenage, Hertfordshire and was a roaring success. Here’s what the Assistant Head Teacher had to say: “Jane and her team from ELSA delivered a ‘Healthy Only Please!’ day to 240 year 7 students, focusing on the 5 Ways to Wellbeing: Connecting, Being Active, Taking Notice, Keep Learning and Giving. This was delivered through a serious of workshops that involved the students in a number of different activities, including a work out with trainers from Nuffield Health, a Health Coach explaining healthy relationships with food and an activity requiring students to consider their current attitude and relationship with their phone, social media, television and gaming. The students thoroughly enjoyed the day, and were fully engaged throughout. The messages in this programme are an integral part of any school curriculum and helps us keep a focus on mental health and well-being, which is very important to us. We thank all of those involved for delivering such a thought-provoking, informative but also fun day for our young people.” The campaign is currently being rolled out across Hertfordshire and Bedfordshire and will soon launch in Essex and East London too. To find out more about the campaign and how it can be introduced into your school please visit www.elsa.education.
Open University partners with online learning provider SEEK Group in £50m deal
A £50million deal thought to be the largest ever private-sector EdTech investment in Europe will see the Open University partner with international online learning provider SEEK Group. SEEK Group (ASX: SEK) will make the investment to become a joint, 50% owner of The Open University’s FutureLearn social learning platform, it was announced today. The Open University launched FutureLearn, which is based in London, in December 2012 with a dozen UK university partners to test opportunities offered by digital learning and massive open online courses (known as MOOCs). Rapid growth means that FutureLearn now has over nine million learners. The platform offers short online courses right through to postgraduate diplomas and certificates and fully online degrees, all designed around social learning. FutureLearn partners with over a quarter of the world’s top universities, as well as organisations such as Accenture, the British Council, the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development, Raspberry Pi and Health Education England (NHS). Welcoming the announcement, The Open University’s Vice Chancellor Mary Kellett said: “Our new partnership is a fantastic opportunity to change more lives around the globe through flexible lifelong learning. The Open University is rightly known for pioneering new approaches to education and for our academic excellence. Today’s announcement shows this is as true today as when we started fifty years ago. It represents one of the most exciting educational prospects in modern times. “Our partnership with SEEK and the investment in FutureLearn will take our unique mission to make education open for all into new parts of the world. Education improves lives, communities and economies and is a truly global product, with no tariffs on ideas.” The new partnership with SEEK will have contractual arrangements in place to protect the University’s academic independence, teaching methods and curriculum. The SEEK Group is a market leader in the creation and management of online education and employment businesses. SEEK are well-established across Australia, New Zealand, China, South East Asia, Brazil and Mexico. Commenting on the investment, SEEK Co-Founder and CEO Andrew Bassat said: “This investment follows the same logic applied to IDP and Online Education Services ‘OES’ in that we like to invest in disruptive business models that provide world class student education outcomes. “Technology is increasing the accessibility of quality education and can help millions of people up-skill and re-skill to adapt to rapidly changing labour markets. We see FutureLearn as a key enabler for education at scale. “FutureLearn’s reputation is strong and it has attracted leading education providers onto its platform. We are excited to come on as a partner with The Open University.” FutureLearn is involved in UK government-backed initiatives to address skills gaps including The Institute of Coding and the National Centre for Computing Education. It currently has six university partners offering full, online degrees on the platform, and has most recently launched Unlimited, a new business model allowing learners access to most courses for a one-off annual payment. Commenting on the investment FutureLearn CEO Simon Nelson said: “The Open University’s vision and investment, the hard work of our staff and support of our partners, has seen FutureLearn grow rapidly in the past six years. The investment announced today will enable us to unlock FutureLearn’s true potential and extend our global reach and impact. “This investment allows us to focus on developing more great courses and qualifications that both learners and employers will value. This includes building a portfolio of micro-credentials and broadening our range of flexible, fully online degrees and being able to enhance support for our growing number of international partners to empower them to build credible digital strategies, and in doing so, transform access to education.” FutureLearn has been advised by IBIS Capital, a specialist investment and corporate finance advisory group focused on the global media, education and health sectors, and Kemp Little, a leading technology-focused law firm. The Open University was advised by Farrer & Co, the London-based independent law firm. SEEK Group was advised by O’Melveny & Myers, an international law firm.
Grant of £30k to encourage more men into Early Years roles
The government has announced a £300,000 grant to encourage more men to take up careers in Early Years setting. The news was announced this week by Education Minister Nadhim Zahawi, who highlighted the fact that only 3% of EYFS staff in England are men. Mr Zahawi added: “Every child needs a role-model to guide them – whether that’s a parent, a close family member or friend, or someone at nursery or preschool that makes a difference in their life. The early years staff who support children in the first few years of their education equip them with important skills before they reach the classroom, getting them on track to succeed as they get older. “Just as parenting is a shared responsibility, so is kickstarting a child’s love of learning. I want more men to play a positive role in educating and caring for our next generation. That’s why we’re supporting the Fatherhood Institute to encourage men from all walks of life into early years careers, to give children the best start in life and be a part of this important and rewarding sector.” June O’Sullivan MBE, CEO of London Early Years Foundation, welcomed the news and the opportunity to address the stereotyping of teaching roles, saying: “Studies show that children see little difference between the care provided by male teachers and that provided by their female counterparts and therefore it’s critical that we widen the talent pool if we are to staff the Early Years sector with high-quality male nursery teachers and assistants. “Whilst the nature of modern work is changing, the perception that nursery teaching is not for men persists and the experiences of men in Early Years demonstrate how pervasive negative stereotypes remain. It’s imperative that we create a culture change and shift attitudes for the better and for the sake of our children.”
Fewer than half of UK schools believe they are GDPR compliant
New research findings released today by RM Education and Trend Micro shows fewer than half of UK schools and colleges (48%) believe that they are fully GDPR compliant. Plus, there remains confusion over staff responsibility in terms of GDPR compliance. Last year 156 education professionals were surveyed about how practices and systems have changed since the arrival of GDPR in May 2018 and their ongoing concerns about the legislation. Key findings from the research include: ·Half of schools believe that they are in breach of the regulations – 52% of schools surveyed did not think they are GDPR compliant. In addition, 14% of schools still do not have a strategy in place to become GDPR compliant. ·Fines would have severe impact – Almost four-fifths of schools and colleges (79%) stated they would be significantly affected by any fine for not complying with GDPR. 65% said a data breach would significantly impact their reputation. ·Staff are considered the biggest risk – ‘Accidental loss by staff’ is considered the biggest data threat (75%) followed by cyber criminals (19%). Respondents were from schools and colleges across the UK and included IT Managers, Data Protection Officers (DPOs) and other school leaders. Just 48% of respondents stated that they believed their school/college to be fully GDPR compliant. In terms of reasons for lack of compliance 23% stated legacy systems as a challenge, 46% stated security awareness and 31% stated lack of financial investment. However, the research suggests that schools and colleges are taking GDPR seriously and significant steps have been taken to work towards trying to ensure compliance. Of those surveyed 97% of schools and colleges had updated their policies, 89% had increased staff training, 85% hired a DPO and 83% carried out a data audit (including third-party systems). Furthermore, 38% of those surveyed had increased their IT spend as part of becoming GDPR compliant. When surveyed about the possibility of a data breach 77% of respondents stated they were confident that their school/college was as secure as it could be against a data breach. However, just over two third of schools (71%) surveyed had a formal data breach response plan in place. In terms of what respondents considered to be the biggest threats to their data 19% stated cyber criminals and 75% said accidental loss by staff. Steve Forbes, Principal Product Manager at RM Education comments: “From our work with thousands of schools across the UK we know that untangling the intricacies of GDPR has been a great concern for education providers. One surprising finding is that 91% of schools and colleges surveyed stated that they knew where all their data resides. Schools and colleges process large quantities of data on their pupils, staff and suppliers, and it’s likely that data is in more places than perhaps thought. We will continue to support schools to help them identify these data sources and implement the right cyber defences to protect data both inside and beyond the school’s gates.” Forbes continues, “The survey has uncovered some interesting findings, and highlights the challenges that schools are facing today. There is some confusion in terms of roles and responsibilities in schools when it comes to GDPR. 60% of those surveyed said final responsibility for GDPR sits with the Principal/ Head Teacher, 42% said the responsibility also sits with the DPO and 31% said responsibility also lies with the head of IT. GDPR compliance does not sit with one role alone; and the responsibility for compliance is shared. A DPO is tasked with monitoring GDPR compliance and other data protection laws and policies, awareness-raising, training, and audits. However, as in all other organisations, responsibility for compliance within a school must be a shared responsibility and this relies on a whole school approach”. Download the full report at rm.com/GDPR-in-schools
National Training Provider partners with Collaborative Vocational Learning Hub
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Initiative to tackle holiday hunger for disadvantaged children
A programme to help tackle holiday hunger, physical inactivity and social isolation for some of the disadvantaged children in Hertfordshire returned to the county for the Easter Holiday. The initiative which first ran in the summer of 2018 is a collaborative programme run by Herts Sports Partnership, HCL (Hertfordshire Catering Limited), Hertfordshire Fire Department and Hertfordshire Library Service. The Fit, Fed and Read programme for children aged 8 to 11, focuses on healthy eating, sport and physical activity, and improved literacy. Children who attend the programme are treated to a nourishing hot meal, prepared and freshly cooked by a team from HCL, who also provide education catering facilities to over 450 schools, academies and colleges around the county. HCL also initiated special learning sessions where the children were blind-folded and then given a piece of fruit or vegetable to guess what it is. They were also given the opportunity to make their own fresh smoothies by using pedal power on smoothie making bicycles. Angela Pearson, a Training and Development Supervisor at HCL said: “We encourage children to learn about the benefits of a balanced, healthy diet. A lot of the children have not tried or seen many of the food on display such as asparagus or artichokes, so it is nice teaching them about all the variety of foods on offer and encouraging them to taste different food.” HCL Chief Executive Ian Hamilton said: “We’re proud to support the Fit, Fed and Read programme. Holiday hunger is a huge issue around the nation, with more and more research showing some children do not get the same nutritious food during their holidays as they do at school. We hope this programme will help to work towards addressing these issues in Hertfordshire. We would also like to thank Onslow St Audrey’s, Barnwell Middle, Tudor Primary, Kingsway Junior and Andrews Lane Primary schools for allowing us to use their kitchens to cook for the children attending the programme.” Rory, a 9-year-old boy from Hertfordshire said: “Since coming to the sessions I have made some new friends and I have learnt about different types of food and their benefits. I liked the smoothie making pedal bike. It was fun filling the jug with all different fruits and then using the pedal to mix it into a delicious smoothie.” The Fit, Fed, Read programme will continue to run for the remainder of the Easter Holiday. The programme returns to Hertfordshire in the summer. Events are scheduled to take place across 10 fire stations in the county with the aim to tackle holiday hunger. For similar stories like holiday hunger click here
Nigel Duncan awarded OBE for services to Further Education
The Principal of Fareham College, Nigel Duncan has been presented with his OBE by Her Majesty the Queen at Windsor Castle for his services to Further Education, during a career spanning nearly 40 years. After a number of years as a part-time lecturer in Birmingham, Nigel started his full-time career in Further Education as a lecturer at Solihull College of Technology in 1981. Following this he moved on to hold senior posts at Lowestoft College, as Director of Faculty for Vocational and Technical Studies, and West Herts College as Director of Curriculum. Nigel joined Fareham College in 2005 as Vice Principal Curriculum and Corporate Development, before being appointed Principal and Chief Executive of the College in March 2012. Over the next few years, Nigel led Fareham College to win the prestigious TES Best FE College Award in 2018. The steps to this prime position included Fareham College opening a Centre of Excellence in Engineering, Manufacturing and Advanced Skills Training (CEMAST), a leading centre in the UK for apprenticeships and technical qualifications and being judged ‘outstanding’ at its most recent Ofsted inspection in 2017. This Autumn, the College is to open a £4.1m Civil Engineering Training Centre (CETC) created to deliver more than 1,600 civil engineering and groundworks apprenticeships during the next five years. Accepting his award, Nigel said, “Today has been a day I will never forget. This award is a huge honour and one I simply would not have received were it not for the amazing support of my family, friends, and the fantastic colleagues I have had the opportunity and privilege to know and work with over the years.” For more information about Nigel and his OBE please visit https://www.fareham.ac.uk
Longmoor Primary School wins Shine a Light communication award
Longmoor Primary School in Liverpool, which is dedicated to developing their pupil’s communication skills, has won the coveted Primary School of the Year Award at the 2019 Shine a Light Awards organised by Pearson, in partnership with The Communication Trust. The awards were presented by British comic actress and writer, Sally Phillips with special performance from Britain’s Got Talent winner Lee Ridley (Lost Voice Guy). Longmoor Primary School started an initiative in 2011 to address the very low communication and language skills of their youngest pupils and due to the team’s hard work and dedication, Longmoor Primary has now become a ‘trailblazer’ in their local authority! The school has developed a bespoke diagnostic assessment for pupils on entry to early years so they can specifically tailor interventions to individual needs. This has formed the basis of provision that has been so successful, it has been expanded throughout the whole school to improve the language skills of every child. The Shine a Light judges were blown away with the level of importance the school places on communication. It is at the forefront of everyone’s mind and the school has a dedicated oracy team and a communication specific teacher performance management target. In addition, Longmoor Primary has joined the nationally recognised Voice21 project and a dedicated section about speech, language and communication within their annual school improvement plan. The high priority of oracy is also reflected in the school’s curriculum planning documents and despite school budgets being squeezed, a portion of Longmoor’s budget is directed to the development of oracy for staff training and purchasing specialist equipment. They have also employed a specialist drama teacher and invested in a new communication and language tool, Stoke Speaks Out. It wasn’t just the senior leadership team and staff room activity that grabbed the judges’ attention, it was also the support they provide their children. Following assessment for speech, language and communication needs (SLCN), a provision map and pupil profile is created for each child requiring additional support, working with their experienced Communication and Language Assistants to ensure progress. On a wider, whole-school level, the school is constantly looking at ways to promote and support communication in a fun and interactive way. They have introduced themed weeks with an oracy element and encourage participation in whole-school/public performances with their spelling bees, Poem a Day, choir, orchestra and productions at Christmas and over the summer. Longmoor Primary has even created specific roles and clubs that prioritise communication including school councillors, playground buddies, play leaders, debate team, public speaking club and press gang. As if all that wasn’t enough, the staff take the time to extend their support to parents, working closely with them to promote speech and language skills via parental training, oral motor and health sessions and stay and play sessions. They have also created a weekly Lego Club for parents of children with special educational needs (SEN), particularly those who have SLCN. Longmoor recently worked with the Ethnic Minority and Traveller Achievement Service team in Liverpool to develop a programme for new-entrant pupils, who have English as their additional language, and their families to support integration into school, assessment of their language needs and appropriate provision. The school performance results are testament to the school’s amazing work in promoting communication. Just 10% of their pupils are at the ‘expected’ level for communication and language (C&L) upon admission to the nursery. By the time the children leave, they are articulate, fluent and confident speakers. Summer 2018 results showed 94.9% of children were at expected level in C&L come the end of Reception. By the end of Key Stage 2, 93% of children were at expected level in reading, 88% in writing and 91% in EPGS (English, grammar, punctuation and spelling). For more information on the Shine a Light Awards visit shinealightawards.co.uk and follow on Twitter: #awards_SAL
Girls’ progression in science studied by Institute of Physics
Schools from across England are being invited to sign up for free to the Institute of Physics’ Improving Gender Balance national research trial. Across England, the trial, funded by the Department for Education (DfE) will work with teachers on whole-school approaches to tackling gender stereotyping and the resulting limits on both boys and girls’ choices. In doing so it seeks to redress the fact that for more than 30 years only a fifth of those taking A-level physics in England have been girls. The randomised control trial, will see half of participating schools receiving a wide-ranging programme of valuable evidence-based support including: · Training and continuous professional development for teachers · The development of a whole-school strategy to combat gender stereotyping · Options evenings, careers guidance, and student-led projects · A dedicated, Institute of Physics coach A previous smaller scale pilot project run across six schools in 2014-2016 saw the number of girls taking A-level physics more than treble over two years. Participating schools reported that a non-gendered whole school approach and head-on tackling of gender stereotypes had equipped teachers to ensure that all students were able to explore the possibility of studying subjects across the board, irrespective of gender. Fifty-five per cent of A-levels were awarded to girls in 2018. However, girls just 43% of A levels awarded in STEM subjects and only 22% of A-levels awarded in physics, with only 13% of girls who achieved grade A or A* in GCSE physics going on to study the subject at A-level. This compares to 39% of boys who go on to study physics at A-level having achieved grade A or A* in the subject at GCSE (Institute of Fiscal Studies, August 2018). The Institute of Physics’ ground-breaking Improving Gender Balance trial is open to all state-funded co-ed secondary schools where a gap currently exists between the proportion of girls and boys taking physics A-level and all girls schools with a relatively low number of girls progressing to A-level in physics. Beth Bramley, Gender Balance Programme Manager at the Institute of Physics commented: “Physics is hugely rewarding subject to study at A-level and a gateway subject to so many exciting career roles and higher education options. We want to ensure that as many young people as possible, irrespective of gender have the chance to benefit from the opportunities it can open up. “This ground-breaking research study represents a unique opportunity to make a real difference. It will tell us what really ‘works’, embed whole-school approaches to tackling gender stereotyping and help set the future agenda for best practice in gender balance improvement in schools.” All interested schools can sign up to participate in the Institute of Physics trial at beta.iop.org, with applications open until 31st May 2019.