BETTER Times - Issue 6 - Summer 2020

BETTERTIMES Bohunt Education Trust Termly Events Review

ISSUE 6 – SUMMER 2020 – THE GAME- CHANGER ISSUE!

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BOHUNT SCHOOLS PROUDLY SUPPORT NATIONAL CORONAVIRUS RESPONSE Schools across Bohunt Education Trust (BET) proudly supported the national response to combat the COVID-19 crisis by providing personal protective equipment (PPE) to frontline NHS workers and getting food and resources to those who need it most.

The initiatives taking place across BET schools complement the game-changing initiative launched by the Trust at the end of March, calling on local communities to donate unused computer devices to help students from less advantaged families gain access to home learning.

Staff at Bohunt School in Liphook and The Costello School helped ensure that the most vulnerable children had access to food through food drops and deliveries, and Bohunt School Worthing staff delivered iPads to elderly people in isolated care homes to help them stay engaged and connected. Bohunt Horsham opened its car park to Horsham Hospital and one of TPS’ science teachers, who is lab qualified, volunteered his expertise for vital work being undertaken at the local hospital.

The scheme, which has so far received numerous donations from individuals and local businesses, is helping children to get online so that they can continue to access education.

Press interest was high, given the game-changing provision of PPE and community support across all of our schools, with BBC Radio 4, ITV Meridian and local press covering schools’ efforts.

Neil Strowger, Trust Leader of Bohunt Education Trust said: “Our schools are deeply rooted within their local communities.

We see it as our duty to do what we can to protect our NHS at this time and so it is apposite for us to do our bit to help the heroes on the frontline, as well as those who are more vulnerable.”

IN THIS ISSUE...

GAME-CHANGER EVENT | PPE PROVISION TO LOCAL COMMUNITIES | DEVICE DONATION CAMPAIGN

| BET AWARDS | HOW WE COPED WITH CORONAVIRUS | STEYNING TAKES NEXT STEPS TO JOINING BET | FARADAY CHALLENGE | ‘BET YOU DIDN’T KNOW’ INTERVIEWS | HR SUPPORT | AND MORE…

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MESSAGE FROM THE CHAIR For all our students and staff, the Spring Term ended earlier than planned, due to the global coronavirus pandemic. For the majority, especially those in Years 11 and 13 it was an unwelcome interruption in the final runup to their crucial national exams. This was complicated still further by uncertainty about how final grades are to be awarded for their GCSEs and A-Levels.

All of us are affected by the national lockdown. Although frustrating, in line with guidance at the time of writing, I urge you all to stick to the rules of social distancing, and to stay at home unless your journey is necessary. Do also think about any neighbours who might need help, either with shopping for essential groceries because they are not allowed out, or who just need human contact (albeit from two metres away!) as they have been cut off from family and friends.

The response from the staff at all our schools has been phenomenal. Many have volunteered to be in school to look after the remarkably few students (children of key workers, etc).

All have developed remote teaching ability and lessons. I am also very proud of our schools’ response to the national effort of personal protective equipment to the NHS, and it is fitting that this issue of BETTER Times is named the ‘game-changer’ issue for this reason alone – although you will find many more examples of trust-wide game-changing efforts within.

Last term saw the first BET Awards, nominations for which were numerous, from every school and discipline, covering support staff as well as teachers. Due to a prior commitment, I was unable to attend the ceremony, held in The Studio at TPS at the end of February. By all accounts, it was an amazing event, enjoyed by all who attended – evidently, I missed out! It is pleasing to see that the Duke of Edinburgh Awards Co-ordinator Team

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was recognised twice (with Support Staff Team of the Year and the Chair’s Award), underlining the importance of our outdoor programmes to pupil wellbeing and achievement.

As always, our students and schools continue to compete at local and national level in various sports, with numerous successes. Amongst many achievements, Costello School was voted Secondary School of the Year at the Basingstoke & Dean Sports Awards at the end of February, whilst TPS pupil Felix Coomber, competing in the England squad, achieved a Gold medal for Vault in the Under-18 gymnastics competition in Mallorca.

Certainly, we are living in uncertain times, as the national and global economies grind to a halt. Huge efforts are going into development of vaccines and testing equipment, and we all hope that the virus will be defeated. If nothing else, this has highlighted the importance of science and engineering for the future of mankind, inspiring our students towards careers in these areas.

I look forward to the resumption of normality, with all schools reopening and teaching re-invigorated learners, whenever it might be!

DR RAY MORTON

Chair of the Trust Board

BETTER TIMES

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MESSAGE FROM THE TRUST LEADER Never has BETTER Times seemed more aptly named.

We are facing extraordinary challenges and worries, the like of which we have not seen in our lifetime. Life has a decidedly surreal quality: schools are open but closed to most children. We are confined to our homes and our households which will be a mixed blessing for many of us. Home School poses unfamiliar professional and pedagogical questions – how do we deliver new knowledge in an engaging and accessible manner? How do we challenge and support all learners remotely? How do we ensure that all are able to connect with online learning both literally and figuratively? How do we not limit our provision esoterically?

We must also spare a thought for the parental pressures Home School provides; many children will not have a supportive, structured or safe environment in which to engage with the ‘new normal’. Writing as a father to three children, I have witnessed a diverse and discombobulating approach to Home School - one child assiduously spends seven hours a day in front of her laptop, a second dashes through the work set in a fraction of the time intended and, worse of all, a third who is the master of displacement activity and distraction. Each child’s approach and attitude is very different but each one in its own way places tension, anxiety and stress upon the home’s harmonious operation – exacerbated and exaggerated by confinement.

These challenges are not unique to the Strowger household and we, absolutely, are more fortunate than many. Our schools have been magnificent - true game-changing efforts have taken place - not only in the provision of high quality learning; not only maintaining contact with the vulnerable; not only delivering food parcels to the most disadvantaged; not only lending iPads to the isolated; not only launching a significant and successful appeal for IT hardware to keep the most disadvantaged accessing education. But perhaps more poignantly, the BET family has, organically and unprompted, undertaken myriad initiatives to support those facing even greater challenges and beyond our sector. Our schools have donated goggles, manufactured PPE via laser-cutting and 3D printing, loaned minibuses and offered our buildings to support those heroes on the frontline against COVID-19, our NHS workers.

There can be no question with such generosity of spirit and commitment to others that, indubitably, ‘better times’ lie ahead.

How far ahead none of us can say. Stay safe.

NEIL STROWGER

Trust Leader of BET

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BOHUNT EDUCATION TRUST GETS STUDENTS ONLINE DURING CORONAVIRUS JUST ONE WEEK AFTER SCHOOLS WERE TOLD TO CLOSE BY THE GOVERNMENT, BOHUNT EDUCATION TRUST LAUNCHED AN AMBITIOUS SCHEME, CALLING FOR PEOPLE TO DONATE USED AND OLD DEVICES TO HELP GET CHILDREN GET ONLINE. Remote learning is vitally important to enable children to continue with their education. BET schools including TPS and Bohunt School work with partner organisations to provide extensive and first-class online resources to support students; however, there are hundreds of children across these schools who are unable to access online learning because they do not have access to computers at home.

It is estimated that 12% of households in the UK do not have a computer, and that people in the UK have at least one or more old computers around the house. Overall, there are around 30 million laptops or iPads lying unused in homes across the country and BET put out a call to see if people would be willing to donate theirs.

Drop points were set up at Sainsbury’s in Liphook and the main Tesco in Petersfield, with publicity including Schools Week, local print press and radio. Within days, we had offers from local businesses to help, including an opportunity from Vivid Homes, the largest provider of affordable housing in Hampshire, to provide 400 internet-ready devices to families living in their properties. At the time of going to press, 106 devices have been donated.

with children within school communities, so that they are able to access our best resources and get immediate support and feedback from teachers.

For more information on the appeal, please visit: https://www. bohunttrust.co.uk/news/bet-calls-for-old-ipads-chromebooksand-laptops-to-support-online-access-for-children/

The devices donated are vetted for suitability, before being couriered securely to our IT partners, Medhurst, who generously donated their time to configuring and setting them up, so they are ready for use. The devices will then be provided to families

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BETTER TIMES

STEYNING GRAMMAR SCHOOL VOTES TO JOIN BET

LAST TERM STEYNING GRAMMAR SCHOOL (SGS) ANNOUNCED PLANS TO LOOK TO RELOCATE ITS SIXTH FORM TO A NEW SITE AND TO TAKE THE NEXT STEPS IN DUE DILIGENCE TOWARDS JOINING BET. In March, after the consultation period with staff, students, parents, unions and the wider community ended, the SGS board voted to continue with this objective.

SGS is a high achieving secondary school which opened its doors 400 years ago. The School is rated ‘Outstanding’ by Ofsted for its boarding provision and has seen many positive changes in the last few years. Following an extensive strategic review, its governing board voted to move its Sixth Form provision to a new site and to sell its Church Street site, which is no longer fit for purpose.

To support these exciting developments and to continue and strengthen further the educational outcomes that the School provides the young people in its community, SGS’ governors considered a number of potential partners.

BET was chosen for its tight-knit network and excellent track record in performance and innovation.

The Trust has recently celebrated opening its first all-through school, Bohunt Horsham and has a new school, Bohunt

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Worthing, in its network, making a good geographical fit for SGS. BET’s founding school, Bohunt School, was named School of the Year by TES and rated ‘Outstanding’ in every category in its latest Ofsted report.

As well as high quality teaching and learning inside the classroom, BET provides over 7,500 students with numerous extra-curricular and outdoor education opportunities. SGS’ vision is ‘every person the best they can be’, which aligns with BET’s ethos and the Trust’s commitment to using innovation that works, giving all students every opportunity to succeed in life, regardless of their background.

Neil Strowger, Trust Leader, Bohunt Education Trust said: “We are thrilled to be taking these next steps with SGS. Central to BET’s ethos of ‘enjoy respect achieve’ is a commitment to providing all students every opportunity to succeed in life, regardless of their background and we have been delighted to see the similarities in ethos and vision, and commitment to young people between SGS and BET.”

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BET STUDENTS ENJOY A ‘GAMECHANGER’ AFTERNOON OF PARTNERSHIP ACTIVITIES IN EARLY MARCH, AS PART OF BOHUNT EDUCATION TRUST’S ‘GAME-CHANGER’ INITIATIVE, OVER 50 STUDENTS FROM BET SCHOOLS VISITED BEDALES SCHOOL IN PETERSFIELD FOR A PARTNERSHIP EVENT OF ACTIVITIES. The afternoon of workshops supported BET’s ‘gamechanger’ programme for year 7 students from a variety of backgrounds who attend Priory School in Southsea, The Petersfield School (TPS) and Bohunt School in Liphook, underpinning themes of resilience, leadership, independence and creativity.

Students chose two options from a carousel of four activities on offer at Bedales, all of which chimed with an overarching theme of ‘sustainability’. Those on offer were climate change, digital game design, drama and ceramics.

The workshops were taught by staff from Bedales and facilitated

by Sixth Form ‘dons’ and student leaders. Students were invited to work with peers from different schools, to encourage confidence and collaboration.

The day was part of BET’s ‘game-changer curriculum’ initiative, focused on growing the aspirations, cultural capital and character of all students from a variety of backgrounds, through exceptional opportunities.

zones, creating new opportunities and building confidence and resilience to help them become the best versions of themselves.”

Speaking about the experience, students said: “I enjoyed ceramics and the chance to make something. I feel more confident after today,” – student from Bohunt School.

“I really enjoyed today because of how much I learned. Overall, the day was amazing,” – student from Priory School.

Neil Strowger, Trust Leader at BET said, “The game-changer event continues to build on the successful and growing programme of activities between our school communities, for the benefit of our amazing students.”

The cross-sector partnership between BET and Bedales has, to date, included staff professional development sessions, Oxbridge interview preparation, Student Voice sessions, joint expressive arts performances, shared facilities, ‘Question Time’ MP panel events and teacher training.

Gary Green, Head of Virtual School at BET said, “BET’s vision for education is about empowering our students to become ‘gamechangers’. It is also about giving every single child the same chances in life, no matter where they start from. This is what today is all about – working in partnership with Bedales, friends with a similar vision for education, bringing students together from across our schools, taking them out of their comfort

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BETTER TIMES

STEM FARADAY CHALLENGE AT BET BOHUNT SCHOOL HOSTED THE ANNUAL FARADAY CHALLENGE COMPETITION IN FEBRUARY, WITH TEAMS FROM SIX SCHOOLS ACROSS BOHUNT EDUCATION TRUST.

Priory School presented judges with an electric car, Bohunt School’s team was praised for co-operation skills, whilst The Costello School and TPS put effort into managing their budget and presented their work with confidence. The overall design winner of the day was Bohunt Wokingham, whose team designed and built a hovercraft with a combination of two electric circuits. The students were praised for their imagination, use of electronics, neat prototyping and presenting their work in a confident way. The students got a trophy for their success.

Stratianna Davi, Head of STEM at Bohunt School Liphook said, “I truly believe that opportunities like this can transform the lives of students. Cross-trust participation ensures that students from all backgrounds and abilities have the chance to participate in STEM challenge days, bringing STEM subjects to life. Thank you to everybody that helped this event take place.”

The Faraday Challenge is a series of competitions that were originally introduced by the Government to enhance research into the development and sustainability of electric batteries for vehicles. Original Government grants designated over £240 million for awards to the best designs, turning concepts into reality for the young scientists who could offer solutions for a conversion to electric propulsion.

Neil Strowger, Trust Leader, said, “The event is closely aligned with BET’s overarching commitment to ensure all students have the opportunity to thrive and fulfil their potential at school. The Faraday Challenge perfectly illustrates the innovative and unique ways students can broaden their skillsets.”

The Faraday Challenge is split into three areas: the research, innovation and scale-up of designs which could be developed further into manufacture. The potential for finalists to see their STEM designs move to market is an exciting challenge for students interested in careers in engineering, science and maths.

This year’s sponsor, Airbus, set the challenge to design and build a prototype device that will send coded messages between two locations, ideally something that they would then drop from their aeroplanes, saving people from natural disasters. Given the brief, the team from Airbus gave goodie bags to all students with objects that they could use to help design and build their prototypes. All schools designed, built and presented their work in front of the panel of independent judges.

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BOHUNT STUDENTS QUESTION DAMIAN HINDS MP

DAMIAN HINDS, EAST HAMPSHIRE MP, PARTICIPATED IN A ‘QUESTION TIME’-STYLE PANEL DISCUSSION IN MARCH, GIVING OVER 140 STUDENTS FROM THE LOCAL AREA THE OPPORTUNITY TO ENGAGE ON TOPICS INVOLVING EDUCATION, YOUNG PEOPLE AND THE GOVERNMENT’S RESPONSE TO THE CURRENT COVID-19 OUTBREAK. The Education in an Uncertain World panel discussion was based on the popular ‘Question Time’ format. It was hosted by Bedales, in collaboration with Bohunt Education Trust (BET). The afternoon was attended by over 140 Politics, Economics and History students from Bohunt School, The Petersfield School, Priory School, Portsmouth and Bedales.

In the panel discussion, students in the audience were invited to ask questions on issues and topics of interest; Damian Hinds was joined by panellists Neil Strowger, Headteacher of Bohunt School and Trust Leader of BET, Magnus Bashaarat, Head of Bedales School, and Abi Wharton, Bedales Head of Global Awareness (panel chair), as well as two students – one from Bohunt Sixth Form and one from Bedales.

Following the Question Time setup, students posed several questions to the panel, varying from education and Coronavirus, through to teenage sleep, whether the voting age should be lowered to 16, and the approach to assessment and testing in schools. The students’ questions were well received by Damian Hinds and the other members of the panel, with the discussion raising interesting and insightful points from the varying perspectives of the panellists and audience.

This event followed a similar gathering featuring Damian Hinds hosted at Bohunt last year, and was the latest in a series of co-operative activities and workshops held between Bedales and BET, which has a close partnership to share good practice, resources, training opportunities and student collaborations across their networks.

Damian Hinds, East Hampshire MP, said: “It was wonderful to meet so many engaged students at this event, and to see them taking a real interest in education more broadly. Their contributions demonstrated an impressive level of knowledge, understanding and passion for current affairs. Thank you to everyone involved for an extremely enjoyable afternoon with so many bright and inspiring young individuals, and to Bedales and Bohunt for creating such a valuable educational opportunity through their partnership.”

Neil Strowger, Trust Leader at Bohunt Education Trust, said: “Bohunt is committed to providing students with ambitious, immersive learning opportunities. The popularity and success of this second Question Time event with students across a number of our schools and Bedales highlights the inspiring political motivation of our students and the strength of our partnership and embodies our collaborative approach to education.”

Magnus Bashaarat, Head of Bedales Schools, said: “Student voice has always been a strong feature of a Bedales education, so it is fitting that we have created this event with Bohunt, bringing students and school leaders together to discuss and debate the challenging issues facing politics and society today with our elected representative in Parliament.”

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BETTER TIMES

PRIORY SCHOOL AND BET IN EVENING STANDARD

When asked if any of the parents or pupils at the school were concerned over access to online facilities, Ms Yeoman replied, “As a school and as part of Bohunt Education Trust, our commitment is to providing students with opportunities, regardless of starting point or background. Additional provision was put in place to support students that had limited access to the internet or digital devices from home.”

Equally, staff can set up Google Classrooms online to teach their class remotely, ensuring the children’s learning is impacted as little as possible.

According to Ms Yeoman, parents have been very supportive of the school’s approach. She said, “All the comments that I have seen on our social media pages have been incredibly positive and supportive of staff and provision put in place at such short notice.”

As for the students themselves, Ms Yeoman praises their composure at this time, revealing,

Coronavirus brought extreme uncertainty and, in the first week of school closure, The Evening Standard interviewed Charlotte Yeoman, an English teacher at Priory School, about how BET and Priory have helped support the community at this testing time. Full article below: Teachers reach out to local communities to offer help as UK schools close due to coronavirus As the coronavirus crisis takes its toll on everyday life, teachers in local communities are rallying together to support parents in their time of need.

A few months ago it was hard to fathom just how serious a threat coronavirus was. While we saw headlines about it hitting in China and Asia, before reaching mainland Europe and, eventually, the UK, many of us did not foresee the scale at which the deadly disease would take over.

From people stockpiling on toilet roll and food in supermarkets, leaving empty shelves nationwide, to transport links shutting down and people working from home to practise social distancing; a lot has changed – and in such a short period of time.

One of the latest fallouts of Covid-19, however, is perhaps one of the biggest areas of concern: our schools are shutting down. Last week, Prime Minister Boris Johnson revealed plans to close schools, colleges and nurseries up and down the country, and confirmed GCSEs and A Level exams would be cancelled for the foreseeable future.

In the wake of the news, parents and pupils alike shared concerns about the future and the impact it would have not only on the education of our young, but also the financial burden this would place on parents – especially for those on lower incomes or not entitled to sick pay.

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Thankfully, teachers like Charlotte Yeoman and her colleagues who teach at Portsmouth’s Priory School are stepping up to offer their support - not just to friends and family, but to their community at large.

Ms Yeoman, who has taught English for 14 years, told the Standard: “I was saddened and worried when the news broke that schools would be closing.

“My first thought was to the education and experiences that our pupils would be missing out on.

“My colleagues and I had many discussions about what would happen to our vulnerable children and how we could help them.”

In response, Ms Yeoman posted on Facebook that during school closures she would be to hand if parents were struggling to help their kids out with their schoolwork, or if they required access to resources at this time.

Others since have followed suit, sharing similar messages on social media to reach to their wider community.

Discussing the impact the closures would have on her Year 11 pupils, Ms Yeoman explained: “They have worked so incredibly hard for their GCSEs, it was heart-breaking to see them leave and the uncertainty surrounding their exams.

“They were given a guard of honour and applauded out of the building at the end of the day by staff, which was probably one of my proudest moments,” she continued. “To be able to do that for them on what was also one of the toughest days of my career.”

Pupils at the school have been given at least two weeks’ worth of materials to work on at home, and they are all part of an online learning portal, which not only enables them to access work, but also allows teachers to mark submitted work.

“One of my Year 10 students came back to collect set texts that we will read next year as well as the material we had prepared so that she could make the most of her time outside of school. Bohunt Education Trust encourages students to be ‘game-changers’ – to think for themselves and challenge the status quo - and this was something that I saw in abundance last week.”

Summarising why it is so critical for people to band together, Ms Yeoman said, “It is so important that we come together in times like these to offer support and guidance in such difficult times. As Mother Theresa said, ‘None of us, including me, ever do great things. But we can all do small things, with great love, and together we can do something wonderful.’ By all of us working together we stand a better chance of curbing the spread of this infection but also getting the very best we can for our young people.

“What you are seeing now is something that those on the inside of the school gates have always known: that all staff in schools work relentlessly hard for their students. One of our heroes, Rita Pierson said ‘Every child deserves a champion—an adult who will never give up on them, who understands the power of connection, and insists that they become the best that they can possibly be.’ We are still continuing to do this, to never give up on them, despite not being in our classrooms or knowing when we will see our students again, we will not give up.”

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HOW WE COPED WITH CORONA: BET HEADS AND EXECUTIVES SPEAK OUT ADAM WHITEHEAD, HEADTEACHER BOHUNT SCHOOL WORTHING

All students, staff, parents and community have responded with a ‘can do’ attitude to home learning. We are maintaining academic rigour but interspersing it with fun challenges to enhance enjoyment and variety – toilet roll keepie-uppie, juggling, homemade comedy sketches etc. Initial feedback tells us three quarters of parents believe we are getting the pitch of lessons right. Students can contact staff to get help when needed and are turning in some fabulous work.

It has been fabulous to be able at all levels to be in touch with colleagues facing similar challenges. The collective power of so many staff has reduced anxiety and stress through the sharing of workload and development resources whether for lessons, parental communications, surveys and just developing ideas.

When the news broke about school closures it was no surprise (the Government instructed schools to close on 20 March 2020), but what was disappointing - particularly for our year 11 students - was the lack of concrete followup information to obvious questions that any reasonable forward planning should have had covered.

We began our preparations straight after half-term, as some students and staff on our Italian Ski trip had to self-isolate. This meant we practised google classroom remote learning with a few groups to work out the training needed. With a sense that we were heading towards closure and some reduction in staff due to self-isolation in the final week, we had already rotated our year nines and tens through a day each at home were they and their teachers could practise home learning-type lessons and give us feedback. With younger year groups, we also had had two days of practise lessons in school with students being taught through google classroom and the teacher present to troubleshoot.

Life, as a headteacher, goes on – opening school to support key workers has been important and I have been in school at least twice a week. At the same time, I have my own children at home - one in yr11 and the other in yr9 - so can fully empathise with home learning from a parent’s experience. It’s all about thinking creatively, having some routines but breaking things up with time to have fun through inventing new indoor sports, playing cards and board games, exercise, social media, video calls etc. My house has never been cleaner.

My advice, once we are through all this, is to stop and look around. Have a greater appreciation for and value of those around us – family, friends and the friendliness and strength of the communities in which we live in but might previously have not noticed because we existed too often with our heads down.

Our last few days in school were very calm and we even managed a proper send-off for yr11 with Year groups photos and a celebration assembly. Whilst obviously upset at the suddenness of their last day and disappointed not to be able to see their hard work truly recognised through exam results, we have only said ‘au revoir’ to them and will be having them back once we are out the other side.

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BETTER TIMES

HOW WE COPED WITH CORONA: BET HEADS AND EXECUTIVES SPEAK OUT STEWART VAUGHAN, HEADTEACHER PRIORY SCHOOL

In that same briefing (this is pre-social distancing, obviously…) I shared a simple story because I think it clarifies our circumstances and hopefully provides some basic guidance. I have been a little flippant about Canadians recently, the irony being that my father’s side of the family are Canadian. My family were in the Canadian forces on the D-Day landings, teenage farm boys from Toronto. They experienced all the horror and trauma of that extraordinary time, fighting their way inland and liberating French villages. When they stopped, disorientated, traumatised and far from home, they did the one thing they could do that made any sense to them and in the summer of 1945, they bought the harvest in. And that was my message. Do what we know. Do our jobs. Teach.

And finally, I asked for 15 volunteers to come back into work on the first Monday, when it was possibly going to be the case that we would have had over 120 children on Key Workers without really knowing how dangerous that might be. We had 71 staff offer and even as I type that I am genuinely moved once more.

There are many things that have struck me about these extraordinary times and probably nothing that I can share that would be markedly different to anyone else’s experiences. However, I offer three personal experiences.

The week leading up to ‘lockdown’ may prove to be the most challenging our careers as the enormity of our circumstances became clearer and we struggled to respond to the uncertainty and the understandable fear and anxiety of students, parents and colleagues. When you do this on a day to day basis sometimes you are blindsided by the unexpected.

Extraordinary times seem to polarise people. Some people buy toilet paper en masse and at the other end of the spectrum some people ask what more they can do to help others. During such times I find myself ever prouder of our profession and the amazing people I work with. We are public servants and sometimes that phrase is dismissed or used in some derogatory way, particularly it seems during extended periods of austerity.

What these challenging times demonstrate beyond any possible doubt is that public service has never been so important, in all its forms.

I received an email from Rome from Ellie Moore, a wonderful person and science teacher who left us a couple of years ago. I started reading it to the Leadership Team the following morning and found myself unable to carry on, overcome by emotion at that simple gesture of solidarity from someone who, so far away and in the midst of what we are about to encounter, still considered herself part of our community and wanted to reach out to us. I still read it out at staff briefing that same morning though because I’m nails!

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HOW WE COPED WITH CORONA: BET HEADS AND EXECUTIVES SPEAK OUT PHIL AVERY, DIRECTOR OF EDUCATION, BET

• After Easter: work out how to consistently teach well online and make sure students and staff are developing skills that will help them in the long term, not just for under lockdown.

After Easter is looking positive: • Game-changer resources on STEM challenges, outdoor activities, Duke of Edinburgh sections, creative arts projects and links to Chinese schools that will ensure our students are getting a full Bohunt experience that goes well beyond timetabled lessons.

• Our own principles of effective online learning (under development), which, when combined with slimmed down programmes of study, the game-changer resources mentioned above and high quality professional development on key EdTech applications will support staff to have the time, skills and materials to develop even better habits with regards to planning online learning.

• Literacy programmes, donated devices, data packages and personalised interventions that ensure our most vulnerable learners can keep up, rather than having to catch up.

As a geographer, the spread and impact of the Coronavirus was grotesquely mesmerising; infographics, demographics and global traffic combined to create and highlight an inevitable pattern that meant the announcement of learning moving online for most students came as no surprise.

What did catch me unawares was the speed and passion with which the wider community came together to support learners and schools. Suddenly we were wonderfully deluged with offers of free resources, professional mentoring/supervision, online learning courses, research programmes and more. With geographical hindsight this shouldn’t have shocked me as it is exactly what happens to communities impacted by unexpected natural disasters and something I was teaching my Year 12s about only a couple of months ago.

• Taking part in national research around online learning and student wellbeing to ensure that the opportunities for learning from these unprecedented times aren’t wasted.

As for me personally during lockdown, it’s a mix of learning to teach online a bit better each day, getting my daily exercise, a full calendar of online meetings (on a wide range of applications) to coordinate our response and network with appropriate external organisations and various evening virtual pub quizzes with various groups of friends.

Strange times, but strangely exhilarating. I can’t wait to be back in school and hope we will return with new/improved EdTech skills, renewed faith in the purpose of what we are doing and fewer WhatsApp messages!

The team across BET has been superb at sifting, sorting and working together to prioritise learning and protect our most vulnerable. Three phases have emerged: • Up until Easter: focus on wellbeing of staff and students and seek to understand how we’re doing at teaching effectively online • Over Easter: rest and reflect

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BETTER TIMES

HOW WE COPED WITH CORONA: BET HEADS AND EXECUTIVES SPEAK OUT RACHAEL JARRETT, CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER, BET

As a leader, my biggest concern is my team. We have finance team members in each school, as well as the central team, so we have already spent a lot of time trying to cultivate a remote team spirit, but not having that day to day contact has been hard to adjust to. We are definitely planning a Finance Team dinner when we are all back to normal! The way in which we are staying in touch is evolving – lots of emails and phone calls, and Zoom is featuring more and more in my working day!

The way in which the team is coping with family pressures as well as “business as usual” is fantastic. Working hours are being staggered around childcare, and I have encouraged the team to take their exercise during the working day if needed. The willingness to help critical operational problems such as how Free School Meal vouchers will be accessed by the most vulnerable pupils have made me incredibly proud of the group of colleagues I have the pleasure to work with.

In terms of business continuity, the finance function is rather crucial and so we had been preparing for the looming shut down for a couple of weeks before the instruction came.

Paperwork and bank access devices started travelling back and forth in case the instruction came into immediate effect. The finance system is a remote desktop already so the day to day accessibility has been no problem.

Life after this shut down will be different – but I truly believe in a better way. I think that there will be more flexibility surrounding working practices which will help my team balance work and home. Remote working is definitely not only possible but successful. Whilst we will never be able to move away from paper entirely, we are proving that, whilst sometimes it takes longer to complete a task without a stack of paper, it is feasible to reduce. I am sure as this situation continues, we will develop even better ways to get the job done efficiently!

The way in which we worked before the shut-down was very paper-based in terms of invoices being printed, coded by writing on the invoice, posted to the system, and then the reference number recorded on the invoice before filing in paper files. These are then compiled into batches for checking prior to payment. With eight members of the team working remotely, this was unworkable and so new methods needed to be implemented quickly! Any business critical suppliers (utilities, IT etc.) are largely already on Direct Debit which is helpful. “At risk” businesses as advised by the government’s policy for Public Bodies are our priority to ensure payment continues.

E D U C AT I O N T RU S T

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ZOOM FOR IMPROVEMENT..?

AS THE COUNTRY WENT INTO LOCKDOWN AND FACE TO FACE MEETINGS MOVED ONLINE, IT’S FAIR TO SAY THAT FOR MOST US, OUR TECHNOLOGY LEARNING CURVES BECAME STEEPER AND TOUGHER THAN PUSHING A DOUBLE BUGGY UP MOUNT EVEREST. IT WASN’T JUST HEADS WHO EMBRACED ZOOM, BUT THESE PICTURES RAISED SOME SMILES AND WERE TOO GOOD NOT TO SHARE.

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BETTER TIMES

SPOTLIGHT ON… CLAIRE YOUNG, HEAD OF D&T AT THE COSTELLO SCHOOL

Claire and colleague, Ann, make face masks to support the PPE effort for the NHS.

What gets you out of bed in the morning?

Having been a teacher for nearly 30 years it’s my body clock – even during the holidays.

How would you describe your job to a child?

You must have a great memory and be very organised as you have a new class every 8 weeks and they all are doing different things at different times. You must be fit and active as D&T means one minute, you’re marking books and problem solving, the next you’re lifting and cutting large pieces of wood or working with extreme temperatures and large machines. You must have eyes in the back of your head, so you know what is happening in your classroom to make sure the students are safe. But most of all its rewarding.

What is your biggest ‘game-changing’ achievement, personal or professional?

My daughter. There’s not a day goes by without her making me proud, laugh or pull my hair out.

What 3 words would you use to describe your job?

Frantic, creative and noisy.

Where you do you see yourself in five years’ time?

I would love to say somewhere in the country doing all my favourite crafts and cooking but probably I’ll still be teaching.

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What’s your favourite song lyric or line from a film?

I have a poem: Come to the edge.

We might fall.

Come to the edge It’s too high!

COME TO THE EDGE! And they came, and he pushed, And they flew.

What’s the best thing about working at BET? I used to work at Bohunt, Liphook but left to be closer to home so working at BET is familiar. The D&T teachers are welcoming and are a great bunch of people.

If you were an animal, what would you be?

I think a cat as sleeping all day is very appealing but eating mice isn’t.

What two things would you take to a desert island?

A pen knife and cooking pot – ever practical.

Tell us a joke.

What did Batman say to Robin before they got into the car?

“Get in the car”.

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SCHOOL HIGHLIGHT: COSTELLO RUNS WORKSHOPS AS PART OF HEALTHY EATING WEEK

The Costello School promoted an experimental week of healthy eating last term, having secured significant support from parents and students, As part of this week, students and their parents were invited to a series of ‘Healthy Eating’ workshops, aiming to provide a comfortable environment in school. Families took part in one to one tuition with course leaders, whilst experimenting and learning to cook a variety of foods, which were unfamiliar to some. Parents and carers used the time to learn new skills and children learned to cook for themselves.

The workshops were well received, with young people developing their culinary skills with the support of adults and enjoying sampling new tastes and flavours. Families took home a nutritious, balanced meal to eat at home - although in some cases it may not have reached home! Several young people tried new foods and flavours on offer and chatted to the in-house chef, who shared meal ideas and healthy, nutritious options, especially for breakfast.

Costello is now hoping to make this a regular event, following positive feedback by those attending.

Students and their parents spent an hour and a half preparing and cooking a nutritious healthy meal of Mediterranean Chicken wings, with home-made wedges, roasted baby carrots, cherry tomatoes on the vine, boiled French beans with a crème fraîche and harissa dip.

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BETTER TIMES

SPOTLIGHT ON… DECLAN EMERY, IT TECHNICIAN, BOHUNT HORSHAM

What gets you out of bed in the morning?

My alarm goes off at 05:30 which is followed by my cat jumping off me, as she knows it’s time for me to leave and for her to get back to sleep until I get back.

How would you describe your job to a child?

My job is to make sure that the school stays digitally ready by maintaining current systems and supporting staff with IT related issues.

What is your biggest ‘game-changing’ achievement, personal or professional?

Being one of the first on the Bohunt Horsham temporary site to help set up the school and working with our external provider Medhurst to integrate the new IT systems.

What 3 words would you use to describe your job?

Spontaneous, exciting and engaging.

Where you do you see yourself in five years’ time?

I can see myself running the Bohunt Horsham IT team and supporting the trust across various schools.

What’s your favourite song lyric or line from a film?

“I’ll be back!” [The Terminator].

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What’s the best thing about working at BET? If you are looking how to get something done, it is likely someone in the trust has done it before and they are only an email away.

If you were an animal, what would you be?

Kodiak bear.

What two things would you take to a desert island?

Satellite ‘phone and a solar powered charger.

Tell us a joke.

Q. Why did the PowerPoint Presentation cross the road?

A. To get to the other slide.

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THE BET AWARDS CELEBRATE THE BEST IN OUR TRUST STAFF THE FIRST EVER BET AWARDS WERE HELD AT THE END OF FEBRUARY, TO RECOGNISE AND CELEBRATE THE OUTSTANDING WORK OF BOHUNT EDUCATION TRUST STAFF. More than 100 staff across all seven BET schools attended the evening ceremony at The Studio, TPS, to see the winners of 17 categories announced.

a two course meal and reception drinks, before settling in to the safe hands of Headteachers Georgette Ayling and Stewart Vaughan, who expertly compered the evening.

The inaugural BET Awards were launched in December 2019, allowing all staff to nominate teaching and support colleagues for a variety of awards. The response was incredible, with submissions in the hundreds and friendly rivalry encouraged between schools to send in the largest number of and highest quality nominations.

Trust Leader Neil Strowger said:

The evening itself, held on 28 February 2020, offered the opportunity for shortlisted staff to dress in black tie, and enjoy

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“Staff are the lifeblood of BET. We have an abundance of ‘gamechanging’ people within the Trust who regularly go above and beyond what is expected. We tend to associate education with teachers, but there is an army of support staff, often behind the scenes, making sure things run smoothly. I am delighted we have the opportunity to recognise and celebrate just some of our amazing staff with these awards.”

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ARTS OR EXPRESSIVE ARTS TEACHER OR TEACHING TEAM BET BET Visual Arts ENGLISH OR MFL TEACHER OR TEACHING TEAM TPS TPS English MATHS OR ECONOMICS TEACHER OR TEACHING TEAM Wokingham Frankie Hodgson HUMANITIES TEACHER OR TEACHING TEAM TPS TPS History STEM TEACHER OR TEACHING TEAM Worthing Kieran Franklin OTHER, E.G. PE, VOC-ED TEACHER OR TEACHING TEAM Costello Costello Voc-Ed NEW TEACHER Olivia Stitt

Priory

SUPPORT STAFF TEAM OF THE YEAR BET DofE Co-ordinator Team INNOVATION Martin McPherson

Worthing

INSPIRATION Debs Perdu

Liphook

LONG SERVICE Alison Kearns

Costello

OUTSTANDING LEADERSHIP Horsham Georgette Ayling ENJOY RESPECT ACHIEVE Worthing Briony Palmer GAME CHANGER George Peters

Wokingham

TRUST FIRST Gary Green

Virtual School

GREEN CHICKEN SCHOOL OF THE YEAR Worthing Worthing CHAIR’S AWARD DofE Co-ordinator Team

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BET

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SCHOOL HIGHLIGHT: WINNERS IN SUSSEX TEACHER OF THE YEAR AWARDS

Last term saw success not only across the Trust in the prestigious BET Awards for trust staff, but for Georgette Ayling, Headteacher of Bohunt Horsham, and her team. Georgette was nominated for ‘Teacher of the Year’ and her team for ‘Teaching Team of the Year’.

The School received a letter from the Awards organisers confirming success in one of the categories – owing to the current coronavirus situation, the presentation evening has been postponed from June 2020 but when the night has been rearranged, the award category will be announced. Congratulations, Georgette and the team at Bohunt Horsham!

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BETTER TIMES

BET YOU DIDN’T KNOW… HANNAH RICHARDSON, ENGLISH TEACHER, BOHUNT HORSHAM Please introduce yourself.

Hello, I’m Ms Richardson. I’ve been teaching for four years. I worked in Sheffield in my first school, then decided I wanted to do something different, so I moved to Qatar where I taught for a year which I loved. Once I had moved back to the UK, I worked at an education consultancy firm which was interesting, but I really missed the classroom and wanted to be back working with students.

What do you like most about teaching English?

As a teacher you can delve into so many wonderful topics.

Sometimes, English has the stereotype of teaching texts which are unrelatable to the younger generation like Shakespeare.

However, I truly believe that any text, no matter what, can relate to students and provide challenge in considering issues that have affected humanity for centuries. I’m also teaching PSRE, which is an excellent way to get to know the students and discuss important topics around wellbeing.

What is your favourite book?

There have been a lot of important discussions around the Holocaust in school recently; I love ‘The Book Thief’ which is set in World War II and is about the power of literature and how it impacts society. Sometimes with the coverage of World War II, we forget the extent of how much information was controlled and what impact this had. It’s beautifully written as well.

What kind of music do you listen to?

I listen to a real range of music. I normally put the charts on when I’m driving back home from school, but I also really like bands like Florence and the Machine, Arctic Monkeys, The Courteeners and Blossoms. They remind me of my university days!

Favourite ice cream flavour?

Ooh, rum and raisin, or mint chocolate chip.

If you were on a desert island, what 3 things would you take with you?

I don’t know whether to be practical or fun! Okay, a water filter to make sure I have clean water, a Kindle so that I could read a collection of books and the last one has got to be my bed so that I could relax!

What would you be if you hadn’t become an English teacher?

I completed my undergraduate degree in Law, so I think I would have gone down the criminal law route. I absolutely love crime fiction and thrillers. So, a criminal barrister if I could retrain as anything.

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Do you have a favourite fictional detective?

I love Sherlock Holmes! Benedict Cumberbatch and Martin Freeman are brilliant in the series on TV. Favourite colour?

Black’s not a colour but I do wear a lot of black! I think navy actually, I tend to be drawn towards anything navy.

What country would you most like to visit?

New Zealand! There have been quite a few films that have been set there like The Hobbit and Hunt for the Wilderpeople. It looks stunning, the scenery especially. I’ve never been to that part of the world before. The long, expensive flights have always put me off slightly, but I’d love to go during a school holiday!

What are you looking forward to the most whilst working at Bohunt?

I’ve had an amazing start and I feel lucky to be here. I’m really looking forward to getting to know the students more and seeing how the school grows and evolves. I think it’s so exciting that we will see this cohort through to Year 11 and see how much they grow up and progress. I also feel very lucky to have such a lovely, very lively form, who have made me feel welcome.

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SCHOOL HIGHLIGHT: WORLD BOOK DAY AT BOHUNT SCHOOL, LIPHOOK Students and staff participated in World Book Day celebrations at Bohunt School on March 4, a day earlier than the official World Book Day. Students dressed up as favourite characters from books, comics and non-fiction publications, raising money for the School’s chosen charity The National Literacy Trust, as well as celebrating their love of literature. Other events included The Tutor Time House Competitions, literacy themed lessons in English KS3 classes and a ‘Drop Everything And Read’ challenge, where – as the name implies - students had to stop what they were doing and read on the spot.

Claire Pearson, English teacher and World Book Day organiser said, “It was exciting to see both staff and students get involved and dress up. Days like World Book Day offer students immersive activities and the chance for them to display an appreciation of the literature they have read throughout the school year.

Reading for pleasure is one of the best skills a student can learn, creating independent thinkers with a thirst for knowledge.”

All students who took part received a book token to put towards a book of their choice.

Year 9 media studies students took the opportunity to practice photography skills and take pictures of events during the day.

George, a media studies student said, “I really enjoyed being able to see all the costumes. We were able to take images as part of our lesson and join in the fun of World Book Day 2020. We are very excited to see what will happen with the event next year. Let’s see if we can get even more people to dress up!”

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BETTER TIMES

BET YOU DIDN’T KNOW… BOHUNT SCHOOL INTERVIEW OLI, YEAR 8 AND SARAH TUTTON OLI TO SARAH

SARAH TO OLI

What inspired you to be a teacher?

I was teaching sailing in Australia and loving it, but I decided that I’d like to see my students for more than a week at a time. I was only seeing them for a week’s course and then they’d leave, which was sad, so I came home and started my teacher training.

If you weren’t a teacher, what would you be?

A professional singer in the Strictly Come Dancing band, because they sing the coolest arrangements and you’d get front row tickets every week.

What’s the best part of your job?

The holidays…? Oh wait, that sounds bad… in all honesty I’d say the people. My colleagues are amazing, and I get to work with some awesome young people.

Who are your heroines/heroes?

My heroine is a Psychologist called Mary Ainsworth. She proposed a theory about how we form relationships with our parents. Through this she was one of the first female psychologists to completely change our understanding of an area of psychology.

Why did you choose to teach at Bohunt?

Bohunt had just opened a sixth form and it was an exciting opportunity for me to start psychology and build up my own department which has been fun.

Tell me a little about a teacher that inspired you My chemistry teacher from sixth form. I essentially wanted to be her. She was a singer; I was a singer. She went to Durham University, so I went to Durham University. She was a teacher, so I became a teacher, but at the same time as I started teacher training, she announced she was going to retrain to be a doctor.

That’s the moment I thought I should carve my own path because I don’t need to be around blood.

What is one exciting teaching method you use?

I’ve recently discovered that 18-year olds love a star chart. For every essay plan they write they get a sticker. There is a target of completing 86 by their final exam and they are all competing furiously to get all 86 stars.

What are your thoughts on education today?

There’s too much focus on exam results today. Education should be bigger than GCSE and A-Level results. By the time you leave school I think you should have tried to set up a tent, learnt about your mental wellbeing and how to keep healthy and learnt to write a professional email (it should not read like a text!) I believe this is something Bohunt are exceptional at and the wider educational programme here shapes our students beyond the curriculum – it is one of the reasons I really like working here.

Tell me about yourself in 30 seconds I’m 13, I go to Bohunt school in Liphook. I struggle in a few lessons, but all round I like it.

What are your strengths?

Confidence when I’m trying to explain my point to people and not being shy to answer questions.

What are your weaknesses?

My weaknesses are not being able to focus all the time in class – getting distracted and sometimes I can get quite angry but I’m learning to control that.

Give one example of something you enjoy, respect or have achieved at Bohunt.

I enjoy most of my lessons. I’ve got better in my tests recently, so I feel like I’ve developed my ability to focus more and therefore understand more of what’s going on.

What or who inspires you?

Ant Middleton. He was in the SAS. He’s a strong character who has been through so much and has since written books on how he got through it. He relates a lot of his SAS work to helping readers build their confidence and improve all round life - he’s just such a cool person.

What are your plans after leaving school?

I’d like to get an apprenticeship in an outdoors/agriculture job while going to college at the same time. If I find a specific subject I love I might go to university to carry that on.

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SCHOOL HIGHLIGHT: BOHUNT SIXTH FORM ‘FUTURES’ MORNINGS

Bohunt Sixth Form held the first of two planned ‘Futures’ Mornings last term, enabling students to meet representatives from some of industry’s leading companies to discuss opportunities, career paths and ask questions.

Students spent the morning with the guests who gave talks, including hints and tips on how to get into their chosen industries.

Representatives from many specialist subject areas visited the Sixth Form on the morning including BBC News, financial management services, law, science, research and medicine, air traffic control and an NGO.

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The Futures Morning is held every spring term and complements an already varied enrichment programme at the Sixth Form. Students gain individual insight into the world beyond college and have the chance to ask questions about possible careers plus gain a real sense of what a career is like.

A student commented, “This morning was absolutely brilliant. It provided me with some answers to questions I’ve been wondering about regarding going into medicine – it was enjoyable having the chance to chat with people who have been doing it for years. It’s been incredibly helpful, and I’ve got lots of thinking to do now!”

BETTER TIMES

SCHOOL HIGHLIGHT: GUSTAV THE BRAVE COMES TO LIFE AT THE D-DAY MUSEUM: PRIORY SCHOOL

Last year, Priory School GCSE Textiles students were invited to take part in a National Lottery funded project at the D-Day Story Museum in Portsmouth. In recent years the museum has undergone a multimillion-pound transformation, and since it’s reopening Priory School has been involved in trialling workshops, attending exclusive events, and enjoying numerous trips to the venue.

One of the most recent projects was a textiles project challenging the students to create items inspired by an object, story, or person featured in the museum displays. The final pieces created ranged from a dress inspired by the stories of nurses who served during the war, to children’s clothes appliquéd with fabric printed copies of soldier’s letters from the front lines.

One of the most loveable pieces created was the result of y11 student Rosie Russell’s interest in the real-life story of Gustav the carrier pigeon. She designed and hand sewed a toy replica of Gustav, the wartime carrier pigeon. Rosie said that she really loved reading about the story of Gustav and the other carrier pigeons used by allied forces, and these incredible stories are what drew her to recreate Gustav for the project.

West Sussex where he delivered, five hours and 16 minutes later, the very first message that the Normandy landings had commenced.

Rosie’s ideas helped bring Gustav’s story to life and along with writer Steve Tasane, who worked with a group of young writers – The Pigeon Squad – and artist Bob Moulder, they created a book, treasure trail and merchandise all linked to Gustav’s D-Day tale. Over the February half term, the museum held a launch event with the author there to read to the guests and Rosie as a specially invited guest. There are now hand sewn pigeons around the museum creating a trail and encouraging young visitors to spot them all amongst the various displays.

As a development of Rosie’s idea, the museum shop also sells make your own Gustav kits. Well done to Rosie for all her hard work and for collaborating with the D-Day story to help shine a spotlight on the lesser-known animals involved in the D-Day landings.

During the Second World War specially trained homing pigeons braved bullets to deliver life-saving messages for Britain and her allies. Gustav was one of them and on D-Day he was aboard an Allied ship off the coast of Normandy when the invasion fleet was under radio silence to avoid enemy detection. At the appropriate time Gustav was released and he flew 150 miles across the Channel to RAF Thorney Island near Chichester in

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BET YOU DIDN’T KNOW… PRIORY SCHOOL INTERVIEW DAN RACKLEY - PROGRESS CO-ORDINATOR & PE/BUSINESS TEACHER AND Y10 STUDENT AND NEWLY APPOINTED PREFECT BRADLEY BRADLEY TO DAN

DAN TO BRADLEY

What inspired you to be a teacher?

The opportunity to make a difference in a young person’s life.

If you weren’t a teacher, what would you be?

I’d have loved to be a sports journalist. I studied both English and Sports Coaching at University as I have a passion for both the power of sport and the power of language.

What’s the best part of your job?

I enjoy working with people and nothing is more rewarding than seeing a student overcome challenges with your support and guidance.

Who are your heroines/heroes?

I’d have to say Sir Alex Ferguson. I have read both his autobiography and his book ‘Leading.’ A truly inspirational character, his insight into how he brought the best out in others is fascinating and has several invaluable lessons on leadership.

Why did you choose to teach at Priory?

Before working at Priory, I was working on the Isle of Wight and if I am honest, I found the travel from the mainland a challenge.

I came for an interview at Priory and I knew just from my tour of the school and from some of the students that I met that this was the place for me.

Tell me a little about a teacher that inspired you.

It was my English teacher that inspired me when I was at school.

She was a very petite lady, but she had a massive personality! Her levels of patience knew no bounds and her ability to captivate a class is something I still aspire to today.

What is one exciting teaching method you use?

I am a big advocate of using technology in lessons and I deliver all my lessons (both PE and Business Studies!) using the Google Education suite. Using this enables me to give students truly personalised feedback and to create a dialogue that helps to fully challenge students.

What are your thoughts on education today?

We are at a very interesting time in education and I hope that the new Government frameworks are there to truly support teachers and the education sector in general to deliver the best possible outcomes for all students.

Tell me about yourself in 30 seconds Hard working person who is very sociable and likes to work in teams. I am a good leader and personally think I am always willing to help people when they need it.

What are your strengths?

Being sociable, but academically I feel like I am a good listener and always willing to learn new things.

What are your weaknesses?

Recalling my information that I have taken in. It comes to tests and I can panic and struggle to remember it. So, memorisation is a key area of development for me.

Give one example of something you enjoy, respect or have achieved at Priory School One thing that I enjoy is coming to school and learning every day.

One thing that I respect is how hard teachers work to help me and one thing that I have achieved is working above my target grade in a lot of subjects. I’m proud of myself for what I am currently achieving.

What or who inspires you?

Ronaldinho - he is such a humble person despite his huge talent who does a lot for several communities. He does a lot of charity work; he has helped in the area he grew up in and he is an inspiration to a lot of people for the way he is and what he has achieved.

What are your plans after leaving school?

I want to go to college and study law and hopefully have a career around this working in the criminal justice system.

What is your favourite line from a film/song/book?

My favourite line from a book is from Charlie and the Chocolate Factory when the Oompa Loompa’s sing about Augustus Gloop ‘if you’re not greedy, you will go far, you will live in happiness too.’ It is something that I always remember from reading the book when I was younger, and it is quite funny seeing it in the film!

What one thing would you change about school life?

I’d like to make the school a cleaner and greener place so that people respect and are proud of the school environment.

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BETTER TIMES

SCHOOL HIGHLIGHT: QUEEN DELIVERS POSITIVE MESSAGE AT CITY ACADEMY NORWICH The assembly theme for the first week of February at City Academy Norwich was LBGT ‘Be Proud of Yourself’. It began with guest speaker, and award-winning drag queen Miss Dee Licious, who delivered a positive and uplifting assembly which captivated students and staff.

She talked about her early life, and the bullying she experienced at school, and her belief that one day she would be proud of who she was no matter what others thought, and how she built strength and resilience through life because of her negative experiences.

She encouraged students and staff to look around every day to see how the world can be made better. Her mantra was, ‘treat others as you would want to be treated’, and she stressed that kindness to yourself and others is the key to happiness – and

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that we all deserve to be loved, no matter our background, whether we are rich or poor, or which country we are from.

She challenged everyone in the assembly to find someone, look them in the eye and tell them ‘you are amazing’; that one day when you feel lost, confused or alone to remember this moment.

Her message of acceptance, kindness and positive diversity was an inspiration, with students saying: “It made me realise that we all have to see each other as equal, as we don’t know what goes on in the world around us and what’s happening with other people.”

“Your talk made a positive impression on a lot of people who really needed to hear what you have to say.”

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BET YOU DIDN’T KNOW… CITY ACADEMY NORWICH INTERVIEW ROHAN MASON, DIRECTOR OF CREATIVE ARTS AND TECHNOLOGY AND ESTHER CLARKE, HEAD OF PEFORMING ARTS – AND ALEX, Y9 ALEX TO MISS MASON AND MISS CLARKE What inspired you to become a teacher?

Miss Mason: I wanted to work with young people specifically in the Arts. I am also really interested in how people learn and develop creatively.

If you weren’t a teacher what would you be?

Miss Clarke: I would have loved to have worked in the theatre as a musician in the pit or as a performer, but I always knew I’d be a teacher.

What’s the best part of your job?

Miss Mason: Seeing students achieve something they are proud of, whether a piece of artwork, a performance, show or a dish they have cooked. I love it when a student masters a new skill and then applies that knowledge to create something new and original. I also really love taking students out on trips, building their cultural capital. We feel a lot of pride when we take CAN students out and about. They are always such good ambassadors for the school.

Who are your heroes/heroines?

Miss Clarke: Andrew Lloyd Webber is a big hero of mine due to the number of amazing musicals he has written. I’m also really inspired

by Sigrid now; I saw her at Latitude and her performance was so energetic and unexpected.

Why did you choose to teach at CAN?

Miss Mason: I was working as a Head of Art at another school in Norwich and saw the advert for the Director of Creative Arts at CAN. I jumped at the opportunity to manage the creative subjects together as I believe that they share a lot of transferrable skills. Being able to shape and develop several subjects together with a shared vision is fantastic.

What are you most proud of achieving at CAN?

Miss Clarke: Since I started at CAN we have worked really hard to grow the performing arts department and I am so proud of the shows and production we put on here, we have some really talented actors, dancers and musicians and I love giving them an opportunity to showcase their talent. I also ran a trip where I took 106 children to Disneyland and we had an amazing time.

What is one exciting teaching method you use?

Miss Mason: All the creativity and tech teachers have been focusing on their modelling skills and we are developing these skills further by creating a YouTube channel with tutorial videos so students can access support at home or re-cap a demonstration during the lesson.

TEACHERS TO ALEX Tell me about yourself in 30 seconds.

I’m Alex and I’m 14. I am very creative student when it comes to school. I like acting and my Drama classes.

What are your strengths?

I am a very supportive person. I take care of my friends. I like to be a brotherly figure to other students.

What are your weaknesses?

Sometimes I can lack confidence. Although I love being on stage, sometimes I struggle with public speaking, but I am working on developing my confidence levels.

Give an example of something you enjoy, respect or have achieved at CAN

Panto! I was the lead in Aladdin last year and I was also one of the Spice Babes in this year’s Panto. I have also become a student council member and a prefect on the Head Teacher’s Council. I communicate between the council and the prefects.

What or who inspires you?

My Dad inspires me the most. He has always been so supportive of me. My Panto family has also encouraged me to be more confident.

I have made friends for life through the different shows we have put on.

What are your plans after leaving school?

I want to go to sixth form form and hopefully go to university perhaps to study Drama. I would like to become an actor.

What one thing would you change about school life?

I want to encourage people to be the best version of themselves and to be kind. I am really pleased with the new clubs such as UCAN Drama.

What can pupils look forward to next from the Creativity Department?

Miss Mason: We have had a fully packed year so far with the Panto, the Circus trip and the Music Showcase in February. We are really looking forward to CAN’s Got Talent in March. This is always an enjoyable event where students can share their talents with other students, their families and the wider community. It is always inspiring to discover a new talent. We are also looking forward to our year 9 public Art and Photography exhibition later in the year which will also include performances and will be catered by the Hospitality students.

What do you miss about being at school?

Miss Clarke: I used to be really involved with Duke of Edinburgh when I was at school and I miss going away walking with friends. I really enjoyed a DofE training weekend we had a while ago with colleagues from school where we all got to go camping together.

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BETTER TIMES

SCHOOL HIGHLIGHT: A FABULOUS FINISH TO ‘FAME’! AT TPS Early February saw sell-out performances of this year’s major TPS musical – “Fame” – at the New Theatre Royal Portsmouth. With a cast, band and crew of over 100 students from Years 7 to 11, “Fame” was a smash-hit success, following in the paths of previous productions of “Oliver!”, “Cats” and “Evita”.

interaction between budding band members Schlomo (Will); Lambchops (Tilly) and Goody (Leo) was amusing and well judged.

As Carmen, Katelin brought to mind a young Gloria Estefan, and she owned the tragic character of the girl who wanted fame and to live forever. Megan’s belting performance as Mabel Washington, the dancer who was constantly hungry, was comic genius, and Tyler brought to life the barely suppressed anger and frustration of Jack Zakowski, the gifted dancer from the wrong side of the tracks who was hiding his dyslexia. Georgia’s beautifully mature voice as English teacher Miss Sherman was touching, and the vocal combat between her and Maddison’s dance teacher Miss Bell was electrifying.

Producer and Head of Drama & Dance, Lucy Reah, said, “We couldn’t be prouder of our students. Everyone has given their very best and it has been a privilege to work alongside them.

We look forward to our next big production in 2022!”

The energy and enthusiasm of the large supporting company which filled the stage was infectious and the musical calibre of the 9-strong student band was phenomenal.

Annabelle and Charlie brought both poignancy and comedy as “star-crossed lovers” Serena and Nick; India’s dance and drama ability was showcased in her role as ambitious and gifted dancer Iris; Ross and Christian showed both gravitas and comedy as Drama and Music teachers Mr Myers and Mr Schienkopf; Zac’s cheeky but misguided Joe Vegas was a joy to behold, and the

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BET YOU DIDN’T KNOW… TPS INTERVIEW Y9 AND TESS WARREN, MATHS TEACHER MAX TO TESS

TESS TO MAX

What inspired you to be a teacher?

I was looking for a change of career from management at John Lewis and wanted to spend more time with children. I wanted to continue training people, and so teaching hit those criteria.

Tell me about yourself in 30 seconds?

There are four in my family – me, my mum and dad and my sister who is in Year 7. Mum joined TPS in Admin in January. I do lots of extra-curricular clubs, both in and out of school, such as football, Explorer Scouts, table tennis.

What are your strengths?

I can retain and use information well, but I am open to learning.

I am good at explaining and I can smile well!

What are your weaknesses?

I find changes in routine quite difficult, especially if I think something works and I must change it. In some respects, I can be quite controlling.

Can you give me one example of Enjoy Respect and Achieve?

When we had the Ofsted inspection, I walked past Mr Marande and one of the Ofsted inspectors, and I said, “Good luck, Sir”, and apparently that was noted in the report.

What or who inspires you?

Having read Malala Yousaifzai’s book, she stood up for what she believed in and never gave up, despite everything that was thrown at her and people trying to silence her.

What plans do you have?

I aim to experience everything that life has to offer. I am getting more involved in lots of extra-curricular activities. Then I want to travel the world and see other cultures and other lives.

What is your favourite saying from a song or book?

The line in “The End of The Line” by The Traveling Wilburys – “Well it’s alright, even when they say you’re wrong.”

What one thing would you change about school life?

It’s important to use less paper and more recycled paper.

Raising awareness of the environmental emergency should be a top priority.

If you were not a teacher, what would you be?

I would be saving animals and saving the planet, taking my own dogs with me! I would like to be able to bring my dogs to school.

Who are your heroes?

My parents. My late father was the most intelligent man I have ever known, and if I could be half the lady my mother is, I would be very proud.

What is the best part of your job?

Helping students find their “Eureka” moments. I hope you have had a few!

Why did you choose to teach at TPS? It was my local state secondary school. I thought it would be excellent, and it is.

Tell me about the teacher who inspired you the most?

My Chemistry teacher, Dr Huxley. She made lessons exciting and genuinely cared about students.

What is the one exciting teaching method you use?

I like to get students out of the classroom so that they can explore how Maths can be discovered and applied. I also like the odd game of Bingo!

What are your thoughts on education today?

It is a huge improvement on my own grammar school experience where we feared half the teachers. We had to work through textbooks in silence and asking questions was actively discouraged. Now there are positive relationships, varied learning opportunities, a wider curriculum and support for students to achieve anything they wish for.

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BETTER TIMES

SCHOOL HIGHLIGHT: BOHUNT WOKINGHAM PSHE DAY During late February, year 7 students from Bohunt Wokingham participated in several workshops focused around healthy lifestyle.

Students were able to dive into the research and understanding behind why certain foods are good for you but also why a balance is required.

There were sessions throughout the day, including producing a “fakeaway” to promote healthy eating. This task involved students making a twist on a KFC inspired dish whilst looking at small changes in diet that can make a BIG difference. Miss Whitfield, the teacher, split the class into groups of six and two students, each responsible for making the bread, potato wedges and chicken. One of the best bits was covering the chicken in Doritos and realising that the food tasted just as good!

Students commented, Yasmin: “The food was really nice - and even better, it was really healthy!”

Zack: “The day was so collaborative and very fun. It was nice to do teamwork tasks in your tutor groups.”

Students then switched around a carousel of activities in PE based around health and fitness. This included a chance to brush up on their anatomy skills whilst enduring a ‘World’s Strongest’ challenge-style event. Again, working in teams students had to tackle obstacles before reaching a model where they were asked to label as many body parts and bones as possible. Miss Bartle and Mr Meek were on hand to check students’ models and if they were missing any crucial parts the tag team process began with everyone working together to complete the task.

The longer it took the more calories burnt!

The final part of the day saw students explore the dangers and potential consequences of not eating healthy. Students were able to discuss the importance of breakfast and what things to eat to promote a productive day.

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BET YOU DIDN’T KNOW… BOHUNT WOKINGHAM INTERVIEW SAM LONDON, MATHS TEACHER AND JAMES, Y7 JAMES TO SAM

What are your weaknesses?

What inspired you to be a teacher?

When I was at university, I spoke to lots of professionals about careers in accountancy and finance, and it seemed to me that a lot of this work would be repetitive and not very challenging.

Then I spoke to some secondary school teachers and they said how fulfilling the profession was and how they felt that they were helping people every day.

If you weren’t a teacher, what would you be?

I would have loved to study astrophysics and pursue a career in research.

What’s the best part of your job?

When I am explaining something mathematical to a student, and their facial expression changes from that of bewilderment to that of understanding – this “light bulb moment” is easily the best part of my working day.

Who are your heroines/heroes?

My girlfriend, Nicole, is my hero. She is inspirational – she raised her two daughters to be such beautiful people, all while working multiple jobs to provide for them. She is kind and caring towards everyone around her.

Why did you choose to teach at Bohunt Wokingham?

At first glance, the facilities looked fantastic and even on the interview day I realised that the overall learning environment at Bohunt Wokingham was a fantastic fit for my teaching. The school really cares about its students and I love working here.

Tell me a little about a teacher that inspired you.

Mr Evans, my French teacher and Head of Sixth Form. He helped give me confidence when I was at a very low point academically. At Sixth Form, he made sure he knew all the students on a personal level and supported me in getting into my first choice University.

What is one exciting teaching method you use?

I like to make deliberate (most of the time) mistakes when going through a worked example on the board. The students seem to love correcting their teacher and it certainly makes the maths more interesting!

What are your thoughts on education today?

I think that education workers all do such a fantastic job at supporting young people in their learning.

Give one example of something you enjoy, respect or have achieved at Bohunt Wokingham.

Sometimes I get nervous when meeting new people.

I was awarded the school’s Game-changer Award. This was for numerous reasons like presenting in front of an audience, creating the one-way system and working with SLT. I was the second person to achieve this award (the first was my older sister!)

What or who inspires you?

Sir David Attenborough – I love his documentaries and books.

His action for climate change is truly inspirational. The amount of experience he has working with wildlife is amazing and his message is powerful. My sister inspires me – I was sad when she went to Bohunt and I was still in year 5. She does so much for the school – events; netball fixtures; deputy head girl; house captain are all reasons she inspires me. I aim to get a Head Boy role so I can get one up on her!

What are your plans after leaving school?

I want to go to Sixth Form (preferably here) and then progress to university. I would like to become an architect. I would love to get to a position of leadership, but I would still want to focus on designing. I aim to be the person who designs the first flying car!

What is your favourite line from a film/song/book?

“I don’t argue, I explain.” Maggie Smith - Downton Abbey film. I like saying this when my parents catch me ‘arguing’ with my sister. “May the force be with you” Various – Star Wars. I like this line because it gives a dramatic effect in the movie and makes you feel a part of the Star Wars family.

What one thing would you change about school life?

I would like to see all students achieving their full potential!

SAM TO JAMES Tell me about yourself in 30 seconds

I was the only person in year 7 on the student council and I pioneered the creation of the school’s one-way system. I love making sure projects and pieces of work get finished. I have four dogs and one cat (and I used to have a tortoise). I have moved house about 12 times.

Most of my current neighbours are year 8 Bohunt Students.

What are your strengths?

I think I’m a good leader. I can talk to people and tell them how to do things without being bossy. I like to help people. I have a strong growth mindset – a digestive will melt if you dip it in tea, but I think I’m more of a Hob Nob.

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BETTER TIMES

SCHOOL HIGHLIGHT: BOHUNT WORTHING ERA DAYS the dangers of gambling and online safety, and a thoroughly entertaining drama performance called The Alphabet of a Teenager.

An upbeat Mr Bateup had the following to say about the successful day at the Science Museum: “All students made the most of the day and gave some really good feedback about how much they have learnt from the experience.”

The ERA day and ERA week model was conceived by Headteacher Adam Whitehead five years ago, with three days set aside through the school year to deliver a wide range of activities that help develop students’ cultural capital. The ERA week in the summer term sees this concept delivered across a whole week of exciting trips and opportunities for all the year groups left in school.

The underlying philosophy is of course to celebrate the Bohunt ethos of Enjoy, Respect and Achieve, using a wide range of activities to enhance pupil experience of school.

The final ERA Day took place in March, including a day out for year 8 pupils at Marwell Zoo and year 9 visiting Lodge Hill Outdoor Centre for a programme of challenging physical activities. In school, activities include an exciting ‘Exploring Languages’ programme coupled with a Performing Arts Showcase for year 7 and years 10 and 11 involved in Science and STEM sessions aimed at diversifying their curriculum experience of these subjects.

The second ERA Day of the academic year took place at Bohunt Worthing in January, with the whole school taking part in a broad programme of activities.

Year 7 the Science Museum in London, year 8 exploring the world of career possibilities to help with their upcoming option choices, the Alphabet of a Teenager sessions delivered to our year 9 cohort, a day of interactive Macbeth for year 10 and year 11 developing their Maths skills.

Some of the highlights from the January ERA day were: The Shakespeare Performance Company delivering an afternoon of Macbeth that developed the year 10 students’ understanding of this important text.

The HMRC, Enterprise Skills and Careers Advisory Service teams all delivering exciting sessions to our year 8 students, helping them understand the requirements for the careers that they are considering. They also took part in basic First Aid training, preparing them for emergency situations. One student commented, “the sessions have given me a much better idea about what I want to do and what I need to choose for my options in March.”

The Personal Safety and Drugs Awareness Day was well received by year 9 pupils, with a range of subjects explored including emergency first aid training, a workshop on homelessness delivered by the local charity Turning Tides, sessions on

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SPOTLIGHT ON… MERCEDES WILLARD, TEACHER OF SCIENCE AND KS3 SCIENCE COORDINATOR, BOHUNT WORTHING

What gets you out of bed in the morning?

The thought that knowing every day is different. Every morning is the start of a new adventure. Good or bad, I embrace the adventure, there is always something to learn.

How would you describe your day job to a child?

My general day job is about consistently delivering engaging, exciting lessons full of new knowledge. But throughout the day I will work with students and encourage them, console those who are stressed or worried about exams, celebrate with those who are succeeding in things and laugh with those who share their stories with me. I am not only a teacher I am a support system.

What is your biggest achievement to date, personal or professional?

Achieving my Masters in Education, whilst balancing full time teaching and running STEM Co-ordination in my school after only three years in the career, university alone has always been a high achievement no-one in my family had yet to achieve.

I worked tirelessly and it was exhausting but I continued to inspire students from my own experiences and later received nominations for Inspirational Teacher of the Year – I was so moved by my students.

What does a typical day look like to you and what are you currently working on?

I don’t think there is ever a typical day in teaching! My day starts with problem solving most mornings. My lessons are

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energetic trying to pass my passion for Science onto my students and instil autonomy and curiosity. I am working on developing STEM and outreach initiatives at BSW, having previously been a STEM co-ordinator I have many ideas to work with combined with my research group looking at “Increasing engagement and achievement in girls’ education”. I hope to start getting involved with some exciting projects. I am currently preparing a lecture/ workshop for the South East ASE Conference as a presenter to deliver a talk on ‘Girls in STEM - The Successes and Challenges’.

What 3 words would you use to describe your role?

Challenging, creative, innovative.

What is on your wish list for the next five years at BET? To lead new and exciting STEM initiatives, developing girls’ engagement in STEM subjects starting at BSW and hopefully trust-wide.

What’s your favourite line from a film?

“What we do in this life, echoes in eternity” - Gladiator What do you like most about your job?

Having the opportunities day in day out to inspire, encourage and support teenagers. Where else would you have so many opportunities in ONE DAY. What are your biggest professional challenges?

Trying to prioritise my projects and workload. My class teaching and KS3 role are always a priority but I struggle to say no to new opportunities which means my workload is sometimes very high.

What’s your personal mantra?

“You can achieve what you put your mind to!” Growing up, we’re surrounded by people who tell us what we are capable of, I believe having an open mind, setting my own goals and striving towards them transformed my mind-set and suddenly anything seemed possible. It just depends how hard you’re willing to work to get it.

BETTER TIMES

BET HR TEAM – UPDATE! The central BET Hr team has grown from one to a team of five to support our seven schools. Under the leadership of Isabel Stirling, Director of HR, the Trust has been split into two to provide focussed HR support for each school.

Angela Blandford (HR Officer) and Bridget Whiley (HR Administrator) focus their attention on Horsham, Petersfield, Liphook and Worthing, while for Elizabeth Plumb (HR Officer) and Aurelija Stobbart (HR Administrator) it is Costello, Wokingham and Priory.

What are we here for?

We ran a session at a recent Inset Day to focus on why we exist and we reckon this sums it up:

So, really, who are we? Well, last term – taking coronavirus restrictions into consideration - we mostly enjoyed... …with the days getting longer and brighter, making the most of getting outdoors (within government guidelines) (Aurelija) …forcing myself out of bed to embrace the lighter mornings and go for a run as permitted exercise (Isabel)

…the 40 minutes to myself along the A3 corridor from Liphook to home (Angela) …that the cellar isn’t flooded; and checking the contents are in good condition! Hic!! (Bridget) The HR team are here to support all staff, and we thought it might be prudent to include information on working from home – given the current circumstances for many.

…helping my twins with their homework and seeing how happy they are at their new school (Elizabeth)

CORONAVIRUS: EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT WORKING FROM HOME After two weeks of teaching or working remotely, reality hits. You know every floorboard creak, students may appear to have forgotten everything you taught them about your e-learning platform and friends and family are asking whether you’re ‘enjoying it’.

Teaching and working from home poses a wide range of challenges, both logistical and mental, which should not be underestimated. Cabin fever, whether you are a teacher or support staff, is a real threat.

Loss of routine, lack of direct contact with others, the creeping monotony of another day spent indoors, alongside the multitude of societal pressures; all this builds up to have a real impact.

Adapted slightly from a TES article, and augmented with advice from the brilliant BET HR team, here are five rules for teachers working from home that may improve your life: 1. SEPARATE WORK AND PLAY Easier said than done, but possibly the most important one to follow for the sake of your mental health. If you have set working hours, or if you have set yourself a working day, stick to it. Work within your school’s guidance to ensure students and parents are aware of when you will be contactable.

In education, it is difficult enough to do this under normal circumstances. Without the structure of the normal school day to support your barriers between work and play, the lines will blur very quickly so try and maintain a division.

2. GET OUT MORE – IF YOU CAN Having an excuse to stay inside for a day or two may sound fantastic at first, but it gets very old very quickly. With the pressures of the new working environment, it also begins to get harder to motivate yourself to get out. However, if you can, follow government guidance (correct at the time of going to press) and get outside at least once a day during

daylight hours. Go to the shops for essential supplies, take exercise, do some gardening if you are lucky enough to have a garden, or just open windows and feel the breeze on your face. Obviously, the importance of keeping your distance from others must be maintained at all times, but if circumstances allow it then do what you can to see some green spaces.

3. WORK UP A SWEAT We all know exercise is good for us, yet it rarely sounds like a good idea. With the early mornings, late evenings and sacred weekends of teaching it can be especially hard to find the time and the energy to get physical. However, if you get your working hours in order, use your free time to do some exercise. You could do yoga in the garden, follow an exercise class on YouTube, or go for a run – again, though, ensure you keep away from others you see out by at least two metres.

the internet, set each other a challenge to paint something or write a poem. Many schools are fully embracing weekly online challenges and quizzes: give them a go. It’s easy to feel like you’re alone when working remotely, but we are all in this together, so keep in touch whenever possible.

WHAT’S EXPECTED: • During school closures, schools will only ask you to work and produce work that you would normally be contracted to do.

• Senior leaders will ensure, wherever possible, that the information and ideas asked of you will be shared with colleagues as you would normally do so.

• You won’t be asked to produce work that is more onerous than is normally expected of you.

4. PRACTISE SOCIAL MEDIA HYGIENE This is a difficult one to follow. All around us, there is a media furore that verges on hysteria, reporting on the daily implications of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Add to that the Whatsapp and Twitter rumours and memes, it becomes almost impossible to keep a clear head. As such, trying to limit social media at this time is vital. Follow the official channels for news announcements, mute those Whatsapp groups (you know the ones) and focus on what you can verify.

• If you are working at home on behalf of BET we understand that this is an unusual, temporary situation and adjustments and allowances are made for this interruption to your home life. For example, if a member of staff is asked to work from home and their children are also at home due to school closures, we accept that there may be some child-generated distractions. Personal circumstances and availability will be factored into our understanding of how long and when staff can be contacted or asked to work on behalf of BET throughout the day.

5. SPREAD THE LOVE If you are finding today difficult, you can be sure that someone you work with is in the same boat. Your frustrations and the pressures that cause them are universal for your colleagues, so don’t go it alone.

• Guidance from your team leader will be established immediately upon the commencement of your work beginning at home and we will be in regular communication with you as to the amount and length of work that may be expected from you.

Check in with your work friends - is there someone who has fallen off the radar over the past couple of days? Have a phone chat, a video call, organise a remote film night together, play a game over

For more information, contact your HR representative or the BET HR team on 01428 724324 email hr@bohunt.hants.sch.uk

FUTURE ISSUES OF BETTER TIMES We want to ensure you enjoy BETTER Times and find it a useful and engaging platform. If you have any suggestions for future content, please email Polly Sharpe, BET Director of Communications, at: psharpe@bohunt.hants.sch.uk

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E D U C AT I O N T RU S T

www.bohunttrust.com Longmoor Road Liphook Hampshire GU30 7NY t: 01428 724324 e: psharpe@bohunt.hants.sch.uk : @Bohunt_Trust

Enjoy. Respect. Achieve.