Education Magazine No 61

Edition 1, 2015

It was the worst of schools Talking to Jane Brown the Head at New College Leicester

Behaviour tracking software helps schools prepare for unannounced Ofsted visits p10

Hear from the new Education Secretary at Bett 2015 p20

Training & developments within the cleaning Industry p18

Education Show 2015 p26

It’s not just Cricket! p22

Adolescence and exams – Reflexology? p34

www.education-magazine.co.uk - for ar ticles news and pr oducts

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Education Magazine Edition 61 Annual Subscription £10 Free to qualifying individuals

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Contents 2 News 10 Behaviour

tracking software helps schools prepare for unannounced Ofsted visits

18 Training &

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20 Hear from the

28 News

developments within the cleaning Industry

new Education Secretary at Bett 2015

12 A man in a coffee shop offered me a job.

Talking to Jane Brown, the Head at New College Leicester

16 Sedentary

behaviour associated with an unhealthy diet in young people, review concludes

Education Show 2015: The home of inspiration!

34 Adolescence and exams – Reflexology?

22 It’s not just Cricket!

By Ali Jaffer, Founder of AJ Coaching, Performance Coach and former Professional Cricketer

If you are building, developing new ideas or have some excellent examples of ‘good practice’, spread the word about them and contact PIR Education Magazine on

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The Magazine for Heads and Financial Directors of Academies, Independent and Free Schools

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The Publisher holds all copyright and any items within may not be reproduced in any way, for any purpose, without the written permission of the Publisher. While every care has been taken to ensure accuracy, the information contained within this publication is based on submissions to the Publishers who cannot be held responsible for errors and omissions. The publisher does not necessarily agree with the views expressed by contributors and cannot except responsibility for claims made by manufacturers and authors, nor do they accept any responsibility for any errors in the subject matter of this publication.

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Schools across the UK are being given the chance to become world record breakers, and to raise money to transform the lives of deaf children.

The challenge is to sing a song and perform it in sign language at the same time as part of the sing2sing fundraising event run by the Deaf Health Charity SignHealth. Last year they set the existing world record of 144,503 people taking part in schools and choirs around the country.

The event raised tens of thousands of pounds, to help give Deaf children the same healthy future as their hearing friends.

SignHealth’s research has shown that Deaf children’s health is badly affected by problems communicating at doctor’s surgeries and hospitals.

Isolation is a real problem too. It means that Deaf children have double the chance of mental illness and life-threatening illnesses in adult life.

SignHealth’s Chief Executive, Steve Powell, says: “We want more people than ever to take part in sign2sing. The money raised is making a real difference to the life expectancy of Deaf children. It also enables SignHealth to provide essential services and projects to help Deaf adults who have grown up in a world of inequality.

“Learning some basic sign language through music brings Deaf and hearing children together and breaks down communication barriers.”

To take part, change lives and help break the World Record, simply register online via the sign2sing website www.sign2sing.org.uk

New epilepsy training course for schools launches UK-wide charity Epilepsy Action launched a free online learning course for schools in Nov 2014. The new course is designed to help teachers, SENCOs and school support staff learn more about epilepsy and how they can support pupils with the condition.

The interactive, online training covers several topics including first aid for seizures

and information about epilepsy and how it impacts on education. It provides guidance on how to develop an epilepsy policy and Individual Healthcare Plan with links to statutory guidance on managing medical conditions in schools. Other features include films showing different seizure types, pupil stories and quizzes.

The resources are spilt into sections for different school staff. There are interactive modules and short films for all school staff, and a more detailed course for teachers and SENCOs. They have been developed in conjunction with healthcare and education professionals to ensure they include the information that people working in schools need.

Georgina Matson-Phippard, electronic learning officer at Epilepsy Action said: “In the UK epilepsy affects one in every 242 young people under the age of 18. Epilepsy can affect an individual’s ability to reach their full potential. For children and young people with the condition, there can be educational impacts, both from the condition and the medication used to control it.

The epilepsy awareness in schools online course can be accessed by visiting epilepsy.org.uk/schools For more information about epilepsy visit epilepsy. org.uk or call the Epilepsy Helpline on Freephone 0808 800 5050.

Revolutionary school improvement programmes hit secondary schools, thanks to £1m grant from The JJ Charitable Trust The National Literacy Trust announced the launch of brand new school improvement programmes which take a revolutionary whole-school approach, aiming to improve secondary school attainment by changing school culture and embedding literacy throughout the curriculum.

The National Literacy Trust’s new set of programmes, has been designed by the charity in response to the growing need for literacy support in secondary schools nationally:

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A significantly lower proportion of children reach the expected level in their GCSEs than at the end of primary school (55.9%[1] vs. 78%[2] in 2014)

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National Literacy Trust research shows that children’s attitudes to literacy become more negative when they reach secondary school.

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that 52.6% of pupils in England gained five A*-C grades this year, down from the 59.2% last year.

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Disadvantaged pupils were hit the hardest, with just 34% of pupils gaining five good GCSEs in deprived boroughs of the UK.

To address these issues, The JJ Charitable Trust has granted £1m over 3 years to the National Literacy Trust to implement the “Academies Programme” with the Aldridge Foundation and Ormiston Academies Trust academy chains. The Programme will provide a framework to improve literacy by working through five steps from diagnostic to leadership and skills assessment, and the approach will draw on community resources, families and students’ passions and interests.

The National Literacy Trust has also been commissioned by Oxfordshire County Council to work with a cluster of secondary schools over two years, as the “Oxfordshire Gaining Momentum Campaign”. The Campaign seeks to address the county’s above average gap in attainment between disadvantaged and other pupils, with a focus on students in Years 7 and 8.

Jonathan Douglas, Director of the National Literacy Trust says: “We are delighted to be launching our new school improvement programmes which will enable us to achieve our ambitious vision for secondary school improvement. Thanks to The JJ Charitable Trust and Oxfordshire County Council we will work with secondary schools to embed literacy as the driver for improving attainment at GCSE level.”

Mark Woodruff, Executive of The JJ Charitable Trust says: “Literacy is one of The JJ Charitable Trust’s main concerns and for years we have worked with charities to prevent and overcome poor access to literacy that too often sees children and young people fall prey to low educational attainment, low employment chances and even homelessness and prison.

We have turned to the National Literacy Trust for a creative new approach to young people’s inclusion in literacy that gives them a powerful place at the heart of their own education. With schools able to provide bespoke literacy support they will be making the most of all that teachers and their skills, with young people’s families and peers have to offer.

We are delighted to be working to develop this new capacity with National Literacy Trust, its extensive school networks, and their partners in the Aldridge Foundation and Ormiston Academies Trust groups of academies.”

To find out more visit www.literacytrust. org.uk/schoolimprovement.

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3D printing at top of Royal Institution’s tree

Europe in harmony

A student from Clevedon has won a competition to design a science-themed decoration for the Royal Institution’s Christmas tree.

This year’s challenge, organised in partnership with the Latvian Presidency of the Council of the European Union, is called Europe in Harmony and is open to amateur video-makers, choirs and singing groups from all 28 EU Member States.

Anna Parry, 16, won first prize with a design that combined a snowflake with a neuron, or brain cell. On Tuesday 16th December she watched as her design was mounted at the top of the tree in the historic Royal Institution (Ri) building in Albemarle Street, London.

The judges also chose two runners-up from the competition entries. 12 year-old Mackenzie Tchoudi of Cardinal Wiseman school in Coventry won second prize with her festive star featuring the symbols of 13 chemical elements. 16 year-old Michael Hoang of Bridge Academy, London won third prize for a decoration that incorporates the iconic warning symbol for radioactivity.

Education technology company You Invent organised the competition in collaboration with the Ri. The three winners were made Faraday Members of the Ri, which allows them privileged access to many of the Ri’s events over the next year. They also enjoyed a tour of the Ri, and a look behind the scenes during filming of the Ri’s famous Christmas lectures.

Ri chief executive Chris Rofe said, “We are very proud to be featuring Anna’s 3D printed design on our Christmas tree. The Ri has been at the forefront of pioneering scientific discovery and promoting the benefits of science and engineering to the public for over 200 years. 3D printing is an important new technology that scientists and engineers are already using in all sorts of innovative ways and we’re excited to see where it can take us in the future.”

In August, You Invent ran a series of summer schools at the Ri, where students learned how to design and create 3D printed objects. In January, You Invent and the Ri will run a series of 3D printing masterclasses for gifted students.

3D printers are now becoming more common in many areas of business.

Engineers routinely use 3D printers to make parts for cars, aircraft and buildings.

Surgeons can now implant 3D printed replacement body parts, such as bones.

Designers 3D print intricate items of jewellery that cannot be manufactured in any other way. Aid agencies and military personnel are using 3D printers to provide shelter and medical equipment to people in war zones.

For more information and photographs of the event, please contact Iain Major, CEO of You Invent, at Info@youinvent.co

The European Economic and Social Committee launches its annual online video competition for the third time

Unlike the previous editions of the competition, this year’s EESC video challenge has an additional element to it – music. A combined music and video competition, the 2015 challenge is an invitation to all amateur video-makers and singers to take part in a visual and musical dialogue on Europe. Entrants are required to perform an interpretation of “Ode to Joy” accompanied by a video clip, which can be devoted to a European topic of their choice.

The submission period runs until 20 February 2015 and will be followed by a public vote.

The top ten entries according to the public vote will be sent to an expert jury for the final selection. Submissions will be judged on the quality and originality of the video produced as well as the novelty value of the approach to the song, the singing and the musical content.

The award ceremony will take place in May 2015 in Brussels.

For more information visit Europe in Harmony www.eesc.europa.eu/video-challenge/2015/

Eden Project launches first-ever degree courses The Eden Project has announced that it will offer degree courses for the first time. The degrees will be delivered in partnership with the Cornwall College Group and awarded by Plymouth University.

Eden has a strong pedigree in formal education with more than half a million children visiting the site on school visits since it opened in March 2001. Eden and Cornwall College have also recently launched the project’s biggest-ever apprenticeship programme.

From September 2015, students on a range of courses including horticulture, event management and small-scale theatre will be able to put their skills into action at Eden.

Announcing the initiative, Sir Tim Smit, Co-founder of the Eden Project, said: “The future will belong to those who have real dirt-under-the-fingernails skills allied to an intellect that enjoys problem solving.

“Our friendship with Cornwall College led us to work together on shaping some new courses that will create a benchmark higher than any available elsewhere.

Eden is holding an open day on Saturday February 7 for people who are interested in Eden’s degree programme to come and find out more about the courses on offer.

New advice for schools on how to teach children about HIV.

New advice for schools on how to provide good quality sex and relationships education (SRE) which offers factual information about HIV and challenges the stigma associated with the virus, is published by the Sex Education Forum, based at leading children's charity the National Children's Bureau (NCB).

The advice, set out in the latest edition of the Sex Education Forum’s e-magazine, is being published to mark World AIDS Day. It provides teachers with facts about HIV transmission, prevention, testing and treatment and lesson ideas that ensure myths and prejudice are challenged.

This practical information for teachers is issued by the Sex Education Forum at a time when a third of UK teenagers are unaware that HIV is a sexually transmitted infection. Although HIV, AIDS and STIs have been added to the draft Key Stage 4 National Curriculum for science, the Sex Education Forum encourages schools to integrate learning about HIV into a planned programme of SRE in primary and secondary schools.

Lucy Emmerson, Coordinator of the Sex Education Forum said: “The key facts about HIV prevention and transmission have not changed in three decades but there remains no consistent level of education about the science of the virus. Our ‘SRE – It’s my right’ campaign continues to call for commitment to make SRE statutory as part of an entitlement to personal, social, health and economic (PSHE) education.”

The HIV Issue of the Sex Education Forum’s e-magazine is available from: www. sexeducationforum.org.uk/sex-educational-supplement 6

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NEWS News News News NEWS News NEWS News Nick MacKenzie, education partner at Browne Jacobson and author of the School Leaders Survey 2014, said: “The growing financial pressure placed on the shoulders of thousands of school leaders up and down the country is palpable, leading to an environment of growing uncertainty and falling morale. The decision not to proceed with a fairer national funding formula for schools for the time being will have only added to the growing frustration felt by many school leaders.

Making a Jelly Baby scream Over 100 schools from across the North East have signed up to take part in an innovation challenge to find the regions best developers and inventors using the revolutionary Raspberry Pi computer. 8-18 year olds will take part in 2 competitions, which will challenge them to use a basic computer device and coding languages to develop their own games, gadgets or inventions.

The challenge is called ‘Can you make a Jelly Baby Scream?’ and is based on a very simple piece of computer code and using a Raspberry Pi, 2 wires and some paperclips to develop a programme. Thousands of pupils will be taking part in the challenge which officially launched at Excelsior Academy in Newcastle Upon Tyne.

Pupils using the Raspberry Pi will be coming up with their own ideas and inventions over the next 3 months and 106 schools have registered to take part in the challenge with schools from Hexham, Morpeth, North Tyneside, South Tyneside, Newcastle, Gateshead, Darlington, Sunderland and Teesside all registering to run after school or lunch time clubs to encourage new developers and designers.

This project is backed by University of Newcastle and Computers at School (CAS) Hub network, and organised by regional IT consultancy Aegis IT, and Huawei.

Hundreds of Raspberry Pi’s have now been distributed free to schools across the region so pupils can take part in teams. A showcase final will take place in early 2015 to find the overall best designer/coders/inventors from our region.

David McPherson, Managing Director of Aegis IT commented: ‘We want to work with schools more closely to help develop the skilled IT developers of the future here in the North East. This challenge will enable hundreds of young people to take an early

step into computer coding and developing IT applications. They will have fun while learning, and using the Raspberry Pi’s we have distributed free to participating schools, we will be able to develop direct contacts across the region.’

Aegis IT is a leading UK based technology consultancy. They help customers from all sectors with the procurement, provision and support of their business IT requirements.

They work with customers based nationwide providing cutting edge solutions to their individual technology needs. They help customers gain competitive advantage, improve return on investment and allow them to concentrate on what they do best, running their core business in the most effective, efficient and secure way.

“Whilst the survey shows school leaders are increasingly exploring more avenues to balance the books, there is a real and growing concern over the impact on schools’ finances. In addition to the government’s funding policy there will be employer contribution increases to the Teachers Pensions Scheme next September, followed in 2016 by changes to National Insurance contributions which will heap more pressure on squeezed budgets. With an election next year, schools will be looking closely to see how the parties propose to help the system address these challenges.

“However, it is clear that dissatisfaction amongst school leaders extends well beyond school budgets. The deep concerns expressed by school leaders in delivering the new SEN framework and assessments should also act as a further wake-up call.

However with the slowing down in the pace of reform, we are sensing encouraging signs of optimism in some key areas.”

Other findings from the survey of almost 470 school leaders revealed:

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Half of schools looking to cut costs to balance budgets More than half (55 per cent) of school leaders are looking to reduce costs over the coming year, with the government’s funding policy and recent changes to Special Educational Needs (SEN) provision cited for the growing pressure on school budgets by senior school staff.

The findings in the annual survey of headteachers, principals, deputies, finance directors and school business managers by Browne Jacobson in partnership with the Association of School and College Leaders (ASCL), is likely to lead to growing calls for a review of school funding policy.

Overall two – thirds of school leaders were concerned about the extra pressure the new SEN framework would place on schools; of these around one-third (31 per cent) are very concerned. As a result the majority (82 per cent) are preparing to divert funds from their overall budgets in order to meet the pressures placed by the new SEN framework.

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More than one – third (38 per cent) of schools have increased the number of fines issued to parents for taking their children on unauthorised leave 42 per cent of school leaders have reported a fall in the number of applications made by parents since the new rules on unauthorised leave came into force Two-thirds (64 per cent) report that staff morale has remained broadly the same or has improved over the last twelve months.

Around one – third (31 per cent) are seriously looking at carrying out a staff restructuring programme in the next twelve months One in four school leaders (27 per cent) would like to borrow funds from the private sector Eighty per cent of school leaders say the introduction of performance related pay (PRP) has had no effect on pupil outcomes with 78 per cent saying it has had no effect on recruitment and retention of staff

If you would like to discuss the findings with the author please contact Nick MacKenzie, Partner – Education Tel : 0121 237 4564 E : nick.mackenzie@brownejacobson.com

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Employers have created a new industry standard for workplace experiences inspired

by HRH The Prince of Wales, with funding from UKCES. Following a successful pilot, Industrial Cadets is set to motivate large numbers of young people to consider careers in the engineering and manufacturing industries, thanks to funding from the UK Commission for Employment and Skills (UKCES).

Many industrial sectors have some of the highest levels of skills shortage vacancies in the UK economy, according to research amongst 90,000 employers. Mechanical engineers, machine setters and engineering professionals in particular are the most difficult to recruit.

Industrial Cadets is a structured framework, which gives 11-19 year olds the opportunity to participate in industry-based activities, develop their personal skills and raise awareness of career opportunities.

Employers delivering accredited programmes are able to develop a structured approach to their talent pipeline.

The programme was inspired by HRH The Prince of Wales and officially launched at Tata Steel in Redcar in 2011. A group of 24 students from 5 local schools – all aged 13-14 years old – took part in the pilot. Since then, over 1400 students have benefited.

Pilot results so far:

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students learnt more about careers in manufacturing and industry 65% said they were more likely to go into a career in manufacturing and industry 60% of the initial Cadet cohort at Tata Steel have gone on to choose to pursue engineering as a career

HRH The Prince of Wales, who first inspired the initiative, spoke to employees at Airbus, one of the employers taking part: ‘I want to say how encouraging it is that you concentrate so much on the apprenticeships side of the equation. Most of the engineering firms that I speak to tell me that there’s a large black hole appearing because so much of the older generation are disappearing.

The problem is to make sure we can actually encourage enough young people to learn the skills to revitalise our manufacturing sector because this country’s always been so famous for that.

Thank you, Airbus, for taking such a lead and adopting the Industrial Cadets programme.

I hope that this will lead to more young

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people seeing that they may have a possible career in this sort of industry.’

Over £4.7 million of funding is being made available to enable the programme to reach an additional 4200 young people through over 300 employers across the UK over the next three years.

The funding comes from a co-investment model, with £1.8 million provided by UKCES and the remainder as a mix of cash and in-kind contributions from the employers involved.

Over two-thirds (69%) of employers involved in the pilot programme already had school engagement/workplace experience programmes in place. However the ability to offer a nationally recognised accreditation and to share best practice attracted them to the Industrial Cadets programme.

HRH The Prince of Wales addressed Airbus employees at a recent celebration event to mark the Broughton plant’s 75th anniversary on 12 September 2014, where he showed his support for the Industrial Cadets initiative.

National Space Academy puts teaching resources into space Five educational films created by the National Space Centre based National Space Academy, have returned from their mission to the International Space Station and are already supporting classroom teaching.

On 29 July 2014 when the European Space Agency’s unmanned cargo resupply spacecraft; Georges Lemaître ATV, or Automated Transfer Vehicle 5 (ATV-5) lifted off for the ISS, it had aboard five films created by the National Space Academy team, based at the National Space Centre in Leicester.

The European Space Agencies (ESA) Education team released the teaching films, aimed at an international A-Level student audience or equivalent, which were written and presented by the National Space Academy with graphics produced by ESA. The master copies of each film, along with a commemorative box, were taken to the International Space Station and have now been returned to Earth, thanks to ESA astronaut Alexander Gerst.

Anu Ojha, the Director of Education and Space Communications for the National Space Centre, said; “Each ATV is named after a scientist or individual who fundamentally changed the way in which we understand the universe. This series of films aims to examine the scientific breakthroughs and visionary concepts that made history.”

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The themes are:

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ATV1 Jules Verne – gravity, ballistics, gravity, multistage rocketry

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ATV-2 Johannes Kepler – orbits, Kepler’s Laws, simplified orbital mechanics, orbital reboost of ISS

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ATV-3 Edoardo Amaldi – cosmic rays, solar weather and challenges of operating ATV in the space environment

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ATV-4 Albert Einstein – special relativity, general relativity, time dilation, GPS and relativity

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ATV-5 Georges Lemaitre – Doppler effect, spectroscopy, the expansion of the Universe, dark energy

Judith Green, ESERO Space Ambassador and Physics teacher at Robert Smyth Academy, Leicestershire, has already used the films at a teaching aid with her students; “I used the ATV Jules Verne film in my A2 physics lesson today. It was great, fitted the specification well and was very clearly explained - it’s now in the scheme of work for all future lessons.”

The films are available directly on ESA’s youtube channels and in the ESERO-UK collection: The National Space Academy programme of student masterclasses, teacher CPD and careers events is delivered by a network of outstanding teachers and project scientists that use the context of space to teach physics, chemistry, biology, mathematics, geography and applied science to GCSE, A-level and BTEC students and their teachers Its purpose is to materially enhance the size and quality of the UK science and engineering skills pool. Government, Industry and Academia have all expressed concern about student progression on to both academic and vocational pathways in STEM areas and the impact this will have on future economic growth and prosperity.

A three year pilot Space Academy programme has proved successful in boosting student attainment, teacher effectiveness and influencing course choices at A-level. The National Space Academy will extend its reach throughout England from 2011 and the UK from 2015. Led by the National Space Centre, the programme is funded by the UK Space Agency, ESA (European Space Agency), STFC (Science and Technology Facilities Council) and industrial/ academic partners from the UK Space Sector. Information about National Space Academy funding bodies can be found here.

The National Space Academy is run from a Head Office at the National Space Centre in Leicester (responsible for delivery in the Midlands and North) and a regional office in Harwell, Oxfordshire (responsible for delivery in the South).

Behaviour tracking software helps schools prepare for unannounced Ofsted visits

formal discussion) will also be considered as will any specific issues raised in the previous inspection report about pupils’ behaviour and whether these have been tackled effectively and are showing clear signs of improvement.

Source - Unannounced behaviour inspections: guidance for inspectors - http://www.ofsted.gov.uk/resources/unannounced-behaviourinspections-guidance-for-inspectors

Stephen Clarke, discusses unannounced behaviour inspections

by Ofsted.

Stephen Clarke is the Managing Director of Contact Group Who are a leading provider of best in class communication and data services to thousands of schools.

Behaviour is once again top of the agenda further to the announcement by Ofsted that impromptu behaviour inspections will take place in schools deemed a ‘cause for concern’ by Ofsted itself, parents, the local authority and as a result of reports on exclusions or attendance. It’s an issue that must be taken seriously by schools.

Its range of solutions cover parental communication and payment, school attendance, looked after children, anti-bullying systems, term time holiday tracking, mentoring and personalised apps. Contact Group is also able to provide registration apps, seating charts, behaviour management and information gathering tools for teachers.

For more information www.the-contactgroup.com.

Research shows that when carefully crafted seating charts are in effect, teachers are twice as successful at reaching students and the attainment of lower ability students is doubled. It’s also important that all school utilising online points-based behaviour tracking and reward systems ensure behaviour policy focuses on positivity.

Why are UK teenagers skipping school?

Analysis of the results of a large-scale survey reveals the extent of truancy in English secondary schools and sheds light on the mental health of the country’s teens.

The new behaviour inspections will focus sharply on evaluating students’ attitudes to learning and their conduct around the school and in lessons, both during the inspection and over time, how well, and how consistently, pupils’ behaviour is managed on a day-to-day basis and the extent to which the school’s culture promotes and supports good behaviour. The inspector will then make a judgement on the behaviour and safety of pupils at the school, stating whether behaviour and safety are outstanding, good or require improvement.

In their article “Truancy and well-being among secondary school pupils in England” published in a special issue of the journal Educational Studies on School Attendance and Behaviour, Gaynor Attwood and Paul Croll reflect on thousands of responses from the seven-year Longitudinal Study of Young People in England.

They discovered that ‘problems of truancy and mental well-being are both features of the lives of many young people’, although happily, ‘neither is characteristic of the majority’.

If the evidence gathered and scrutinised during the inspection indicates that behaviour and safety may be inadequate, inspectors will consider whether the effectiveness of the provision as a whole is inadequate and in such circumstances inform the school that it is likely to require a full inspection.

One in five of the year-10 pupils surveyed admitted to being truant the ‘odd day’ or ‘just for certain lessons’, with boys and girls having very similar levels. High levels of truancy – days or weeks at a time – were much less common. Of those who did admit to playing truant, more than half gave a dislike of an aspect of school, teachers or lessons as the reason; just over 20% said they were bored and just over 5% said they were bullied. Interestingly, most truants acknowledged the importance of doing well at school, even though truancy is associated with the very opposite.

In making the judgement inspectors will evaluate pupils’ behaviour, the management of behaviour, and the culture of the school, taking account observations of pupils’ behaviour and their attitudes to learning in lessons (including where relevant, with new, temporary or less experienced teachers), with a particular focus on low-level disruption such as pupils chatting when they are supposed to be working or listening to the teacher. Arriving late to lessons will also be taken into consideration as will general ‘horseplay’, using mobile phones in lessons, time wasted through teachers having to deal with inappropriate uniform, pupils lacking equipment or not having done their homework and packing up well before the end of the lesson.

Attwood and Croll tease out the complex associations between truancy, socio-economic status, exam results and future employment. Truancy of all types was associated with a variety of negative outcomes. Even truanting ‘for the odd day or lesson’ is associated with ‘much poorer outcomes than those of the nontruants’. By way of example, the authors found that low-level truants were twice as likely to be unemployed at age 20 than non-truants, and high-level truants four times. Well over half the higher-level truants studied failed to get even one C grade.

Observations will be made of pupils’ behaviour throughout the day, including informal discussion with pupils, any system of ‘internal exclusion’ the school uses to manage behaviour, at least one formal discussion with a group of pupils whose behaviour the school has helped to improve over time, scrutiny of documentary evidence and discussions with leaders and staff.

Attwood and Croll also discovered a strong association between truancy and wellbeing, demonstrating that ‘for many young people these problems are cumulative’. Serious levels of distress and inability to cope were experienced by perhaps as many as one in five of the young people under study.

Inspectors must take account of pupils’ attitudes to learning and their conduct in lessons, pupils’ conduct around the school, including the way in which they speak to each other and to staff, how well leaders and staff model good behaviour to pupils and also model good behaviour management techniques to staff.

The authors were particularly struck by the fact the young women were ‘much more likely’ to report negative feelings than their male counterparts, with the gender difference even more pronounced at the extreme end of the scale.

The effectiveness of the management of pupils’ behaviour will be reviewed, including how well leaders and managers analyse and use documentary evidence to improve the way behaviour is managed.

Also observed will be the impact of exclusion on improving behaviour and if fixed term exclusion overall or for any group is above the national average, the extent to which its use is reducing over time.

How well that school is developing the use of alternative strategies to exclusion will also be reviewed.

This article is essential reading for anyone responsible for the education or mental wellbeing of teenagers, because, as the authors conclude, ‘truancy needs to be seen in the context of the many difficulties facing young people and as part of wider issues of social adjustment.’

Read the full article published by Taylor & Francis online: http:// www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/03055698.2014.955725

Pupils’ views about behaviour and bullying (these views must be gathered from a range of pupils at informal times, not just from a 10

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nora provides exceptional comfort underfoot for school of excellence

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Originally founded in 1573, the Queen Elizabeth Grammar School for boys in Barnet, has expanded over the years to create facilities of excellence for its students, aged 11 to 18 years, by adding several new buildings to its 30-acre campus.

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Flooring from rubber flooring specialist, nora was specified by architects, Bisset Adams for the new Refectory which houses the school canteen as well as offering communal space for extra school activities. A popular choice for educational facilities worldwide, nora flooring is tremendously hard wearing, offers excellent acoustic performance, has great slip resistance properties and is extremely easy to maintain. Norament tiles with a hammer surface were chosen for this highly frequented area, providing exceptional comfort underfoot.

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To this day the Queen Elizabeth Grammar School maintains exceptionally high standards as research reveals that it sends a greater proportion of its students to Oxford and Cambridge than any other state school in England.

For more information contact nora flooring systems Tel. 01788 513 160 email. info-uk@nora.com www.nora.com/uk Education Magazine

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A man in a coffee shop offered me a job Jane Brown was born and educated in Stirling and trained to be a teacher in Scotland. She married and moved to England in 1994 when her husband took up a job in Birmingham.

She applied for a teaching job in Coventry at Finham Park School as a Business Studies teacher and after 18 months she was promoted and took on the role of Head of Business and IT at the President Kennedy School.

Four years later she took up a Deputy Heads job at Smith’s Wood School, a challenging school in North Solihull.

The job at New College Leicester came up a few years later and she has been the Head for 9 years.

Education Magazine How and why did you become the Head of New College Leicester?

Jane Brown In 2005 it was a failing school and was in Special Measures. A very successful school head, David Kershaw, was asked by the DfE to return to the fold and become involved in this school as an Executive Head. He rapidly realised that turning it around it was not a job for one person and looked for other people to bring in as part of the turnaround team. I knew David as we had already met in Coventry and a mutual friend told him I was looking for a Headship as the next step in my career.

David and I subsequently met in the Costa Coffee in Cawley Services on the M6 near Coventry and he sounded me out for the role. He was very straightforward with me about what we faced and that what the school needed was some TLC. I visited the school and took a walk abound, it was the only school I have felt genuinely scared to be in as at one stage pupils were trying to trip me up in the corridor!

I was about to head for the nearest exit when David introduced me to two members of staff who convinced me that it was not as bad as it seemed and that it was a lack of good management that was the most pressing reason for the issues the school had. David suggested a two year secondment.

After consulting my family and with my existing Head attempting to put me off the move by refusing to release me and saying that I ‘wasn’t up to the job’ I decided that it really was the role for me. The phrase ‘You are not up to that’ is one of my ‘buttons’ as it generates the response of ‘Just watch

me then’. The initial proposed two year secondment wasn’t really an option so I resigned my role at Smith’s Wood School and accepted the New College role. My reaction on the first day was ‘What have I done?’

ones with them. The school had also had a succession of Heads, the longest prior to me had stayed in the post for only 18 months and I am the 7th head since the school was formed in 1999.

EM What was really wrong with this school and how had it become like it?

There were unqualified teachers trying to do their best, a lot of supply teachers, a lot of teachers who had fought for as long as they could and were then at the end of their tether. There was a major problem between the school management and the unions and with the LA. There was also an attitude prevailing here of ‘Well what do you expect from THESE kids’ and a lack of effective systems to manage the school.

JB If you could compile a list of ‘What not to do at a school’ then this one had almost all of them in abundance, however the biggest problem was that nobody cared.

The information I had been given by David Kershaw was correct, the school needed some love and attention. Nobody cared that there wasn’t an attitude about doing a good job and only a few people cared passionately about making a difference to the kids.

The problems had started a long time before as this school came about in 1999 from the amalgamation of three schools into this one. Two were physically next to one another on this site and they hated each other. Of the three schools two were already in special measures and the other had serious weaknesses.

There was also a lot of reorganisation in the LA at the time and all teachers had been made to reapply for their jobs. This led to a situation where many teachers who came to work in the newly amalgamated school had not worked in its predecessors. Systems and procedures were not put in place because they had not been adequately thought through, so people brought their own 12

EM How did you go about solving these problems?

JB David Kershaw had joined the school in Nov 2005, I joined it in January 2006 and we brought in other people who we knew had the ability to turn the situation around on a day or week ‘consultancy basis’.

The big ticket issues, like the relationship with the unions and the LA, needed to be tackled head on and this is where David’s abilities to take things on really came to the fore. A new head would find it very difficult to take on the unions and the LA and do everything else. He took on the role of sorting the external problems and I took on the internal ones. He sold the vision of what we were going to do and gained the essential support of the external agencies. I rolled my sleeves up and put in the internal processes and procedures that were so badly needed; this took us about 18 months to do.

The main concern of the Unions was their member’s safety, something that was a very valid concern. In addition there was conflict Education Magazine

between the school management and the unions because of claims that members of staff were not doing their jobs properly. The unions were right in opposing this because very often the staff were unable to do their jobs because of the failings of the school management in other areas.

To resolve this we put in additional support where teachers were struggling and it became a cooperative effort between us to resolve both the underling and the obvious problems. The previous management team had seemed to deny that there was a problem, whereas we looked at the problem and decided what we were going to do about it. This was the case with the LA too and we worked with them to resolve the issues. This process involved a complete change of management. My predecessor had left in Nov 2005 and virtually the whole management team were replaced quite quickly after I joined in early 2006.

EM A failing school needs the best staff that is available, it cannot be easy to recruit them when the reception they are likely to get involves being assaulted in the corridor! And changing the attitude of people who were just going through the motions of doing their job is just as difficult. How did you go about recruiting good staff and changing attitudes?

JB The only method I could use was the same rationale and sales pitch that David Kershaw used on me. I contacted everyone I’d ever met, knew were great at their jobs and looked up to and explained to them the opportunity that existed here. I was making phone calls day and night and explaining that the kids here were being let down. When you say those words to people who came into the profession to make a difference then it has an amazing effect on them and these are the ones that came on board. One of the people who have made a real contribution to the turnaround of the school is Rose Angus who is now the Associate Principal, I knew her from my previous school where she was an Assistant Head. Rose is an inspirational leader. She tackled one set of problems while I tackled another set. Without her, we would not be where we are today.

A widespread problem with the prevailing attitude at the time can be best explained by recounting the story of an NQT who had just qualified and had a very bad absence record. In a meeting they explained that they needed a promotion to receive a salary increase; the attitude that was expressed was one of knowledge that I would have to agree to this as the school had such a bad reputation they could not be replaced! I don’t give into such pressure and explained that it wasn’t going to happen. In Easter term 2006 I was able to introduce all the new recruits we had managed to persuade to come here. That first staff briefing was a seminal moment in the turnaround of the school. As I introduced the new people I could almost hear the pennies drop as the existing staff realised that I could replace them.

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EM The locals, the parents who send their children here, how did you go about changing their impressions and attracting pupils to what must have been a sink school and bottom of the list of people’s choices? The Heads of the Primary feeder schools must also have been a group that needed convincing?

This made the second part of the process possible, this being asking people to do their job properly. The Special Measures Inspection in March 2006 by HMI said that if staff didn’t mind the lack of pupil discipline and wanted to just coast along then this had been an ideal place to be, because of the lack of planning, preparation and marking that was required. Changing this involved insisting those things being done and holding to people to account. This had a dramatic effect on some people and they went and found jobs elsewhere. Several of the professionals that were doing the job properly in 2006 are still here, but there were only a handful of them.

EM What about recruitment now?

When we advertise we are very straightforward in saying we are looking for people who really want to make a difference to youngsters.

We now have to shortlist, even in the specialisms that are considered in high demand. This is because we tell applicants exactly how it is in our recruitment pack.

We say this is not an easy school but if you think you are good enough then come and talk to us. People apply and when they visit we tell them we are looking for specific pieces to fit into our jigsaw and that they are either going to love us or hate us. At interview we watch them teaching in a classroom and we know within 30 seconds if they are right for the school and will fit in. In interviews I look for a specific reaction when they talk about teaching the kids. I look for that burst of flame to come on as they talk as it’s those people with that passion that we want to employ.

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JB I did it by using the same level of honesty that I had used in recruiting new staff. The first parents meeting I attended as the Head in waiting was in December 2005. I found that parents were frustrated and after David and I had spoken our piece one parent summed it with the phrase, ‘I don’t doubt you are good well-meaning people, but we have heard all this before’.

This was due to a succession of managers promising outcomes they could not deliver. This was a valuable lesson to both David and I, thereafter we never promised something we were not 100% sure we could deliver. So we didn’t promise anything, we just got on with the job, announced nothing and asked people to wait for the action. The Primary Heads were quite rightly concerned about sending their children here as they too had heard a lot of broken promises. We said to them, yes, we know its rubbish at the moment but work with us to sort it. They are marvellous people and did just that.

EM Reputation is now key for a school, it takes years to build it and it can be easily destroyed, in your opinion when did the school get its chin over the bar of being recognised as a ‘Good school’?

JB Tough question for me to answer.

However a milestone was in 2012 when the HMI recorded us as being good; but that doesn’t give the full story. The parents whose children have been with us for most of their school life know what we are like and are happy with the school. Those who only know the historic reputation and have never been here mentally retained the bad reputation and this holds us back.

Those who have visited leave with a very positive impression and seem genuinely surprised at the changes we have brought about. We do not yet have the reputation continues overleaf u

A man in a coffee shop offered me a job continued that we want but we are moving a long way in the right direction.

EM Pupil numbers are often a good sign of a school’s reputation, what are your intake numbers like?

JB They are fine and growing, in the first year I was here we had an intake of 70 in 2006 with a capacity of twice that, we now have 170 in year 7. The youngsters that do come to us are happy with what we are doing, some parents still show concerns but that’s healthy and is something we are working on. We still have a few spaces across all the year groups and our present headcount is 870.

EM What are the major issues that get in the way of you doing what needs to be done now?

JB Politicians deciding what and how we should teach, how we should run exams and when. The curriculum is taking us back to where I was when I was at school. We have spent years getting the curriculum right for pupils to enable them to go on and do what they want to do in life and the workplace. It’s now becoming very challenging for some of the kids to try to achieve their goals when they are being often told they are failing at subjects they will not need anyway. I feel we have moved away from what is best for the kids to what looks best for the politicians.

EM You are a Trust School, were the changes possible because of the freedoms this gave you or where they just helpful?

JB Under the Labour government we were turned into a National Challenge Trust school, this has changed and we are now a Trust school with a board of Trustees which sit above the board of Governors. The Trustees hold the land and building in trust and set the strategic direction of the school.

We are still under the Local Authority delegated budget but I can do what I feel is necessary to bring the best outcome for the kids. The LA still take a slice off the top however I have a great relationship with them and if I think the service I get from them is good then I stay with them, if it isn’t then I contract out. To be fair to them they do adapt to deliver what I ask for most of the time. We are all in this for the kids, so if they cannot provide the best services such as welfare or psychology then we are all letting the kids down and none of us are prepared to put up with that.

EM There is a lot of building going on right next to this one, what’s happening to that part of the school?

LA decided against this. We were put into the BSF programme and were awarded £9.2 million for expansion; this was reduced from the £22 million that we originally promised. £2 million of this had to be spent on IT, the balance was spent to re-link to old building with the new with the reasons for this being two fold. The first being that the old building had concrete cancer and had to come down, the second was that we wanted to create a bold front to face the local area. This is a part of creating a pride in the school so that people realise we are here and we are proud of what we have achieved and do. There is a little of the building work left to do, one piece being 1.5 meter high letters right across the front that say ‘NEW COLLEGE LEICESTER’ . The building will provide more facilities, not an increase in full school headcount.

JB That is one of the old school buildings thats being adapted under the Building Schools for the Future programme. In 2005 we were on track to become an academy however when the turnaround started the

We also want to grow our 6th form, it was paired back when we arrived and when we realised that the set up was wrong and the pupils in it were not of all the academic calibre required to take advantage of the 14

6th form facilities available. For example we found that the most experienced teacher in the Maths Dept. was teaching five 6th form pupils, some of whom did not have GCSE maths whilst year 11 maths next door were being taught by a supply teacher.

We reduced the 6th form right down so we could get years 7-11 right. We retained a facility for vocational courses and a couple of associated ‘A’ levels. Now we want to expand our 6th form to a capacity of about 200 and with this the full school headcount will be 1050. There is already very good 6th form provision in Leicester, QE do mainly ‘A’ levels, Regent College do ‘A’ levels and vocational courses and Leicester College who offer a very wide range of qualifications.

So our youngsters have mainly been going to QE and to Regent. What we are hoping to do is grow slowly into more ‘A’ levels and vocational subjects.

EM Thank you for talking to Education Magazine.

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Sedentary behaviour associated with an unhealthy diet in young people, review concludes

Results from a social impact report show teachers see huge benefits to students from outdoor adventure learning The Outward Bound Trust, the experiential outdoor learning charity which exists to unlock the potential in young people through discovery and adventure in wilderness environments, has just published its third Social Impact Report. The Trust, which has a 70 year heritage, is leading the way in impact evaluation and is currently the only outdoor learning and development organisation in the UK which reports on teachers’ feedback as well as that of students.

A review led by researchers at Leeds Beckett University and Loughborough University has concluded that sedentary behaviour (‘sitting’) amongst young people is associated with unhealthy diets and a higher consumption of unhealthy snacks and drinks.

In 2012-13, almost 25,000 young people took part in Outward Bound Trust courses, 88% of whom were in education. Over 2,000 teachers from 386 schools participated alongside their students and the results of the Report demonstrate the huge impact participation had on students’ confidence, effort and perseverance. An unexpected bonus of the courses is that teachers’ relationships with students and their own teaching skills also improved. 80% of teachers said they gained in some way themselves from the course.

The systematic review, published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine, set out to assess the associations between sedentary behaviour and dietary intake across the lifespan from pre-school children through to adults.

The researchers found that trends were evident for higher levels of sedentary behaviour, especially TV viewing, to be associated with a less healthy diet, such as lower intakes of fruit and vegetables and greater consumption of energy-dense snacks and sugar-sweetened beverages amongst children and adolescents. However, the studies involving adults analysed were less conclusive mainly due to the lack of data.

Studies increasingly emphasise the crucial nature of non-cognitive skills in young people. Persistence and effort are as much predictors of success as ability and gaining such skills can help young people to avoid risky behaviours and increase earnings in the long-term. Educationalists and employers are calling for greater emphasis on a skills-based curriculum, while the Confederation of British Industry highlights determination, optimism and emotional intelligence as the top three skills.

The academics assessed a total of 27 papers published worldwide between January 2010 and October 2013. The publication updated a previous systematic review conducted by Dr Natalie Pearson and Professor Stuart Biddle at Loughborough University which drew similar conclusions in regards to television habits and consumption of unhealthy snacks and drinks. Their paper, ‘Sedentary behaviour and dietary intake in children, adolescents and adults’, was published in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine in 2011 and found a clear association between screen time and an unhealthy diet in children, adolescents and adults.

Teaching staff who were surveyed reported high levels of student improvement after taking an Outward Bound® course. 97% of teachers reported improvements to pupils’ relationships with others, 85% reported improved attitude towards learning and 68% reported improved performance in the classroom.

Speaking about the findings, researcher at Leeds Beckett, Matthew Hobbs said: “Sedentary behaviour is usually assessed as screen-based behaviours such as TV and computer use and has been associated with numerous measures of ill-health, including cardiovascular disease, poor cardio-metabolic health and obesity. This updated review has enabled us to assess the weight of research evidence linking sedentary behaviour with diet and draw a number of conclusions.”

Teachers also reported that through observing their students’ progress and achievements during the course, they gained a better understanding of students’ abilities. By standing back and allowing students to learn from experience, teachers saw that being over-directive can hinder learning and that targeted support includes knowing when not to direct or help.

A distinguishing hallmark of all Outward Bound courses is that, in addition to undertaking exciting and challenging activities, participants are carefully guided to reflect on these experiences, contextualising their own personal development back into their everyday existence. In this way, the full value and impact of each individual’s ‘distance travelled’ can be consolidated and transferred into other aspects of their lives, including school and college.

The Report found that this reflection is as significant for teachers as for students, revealing unexpected benefits.

“Existing research does suggest that there is a positive association between TV viewing and energy-dense food in both pre-school and school children. However, further research needs to be carried out amongst adolescents and adults using different measures of sedentary behaviour which reflects technological advances in viewing habits.”

The systematic review also enabled the researchers to understand more about the implications of sedentary time on obesity, due to its association with increased energy intake.

Both short-term and longer-term benefits are measured by the Social Impact Report.

Dr Natalie Pearson, School of Sport, Exercise and Health Sciences at Loughborough University explains: “This systematic review updates our knowledge on associations between sedentary behaviour and dietary intake. These updated findings corroborate our previous conclusions as well as highlight a need for future research in this area. Of particular importance is a need for work looking at factors associated with this ‘coupling of behaviours’ which would allow for the development of targeted interventions. In addition, future research examining associations between screen-media (other than television viewing and computer use) and diet is warranted to allow researchers to get a better idea of the contextual factors that drive the coupling of these behaviours.

95% of teaching staff who participated, agreed that students were more likely to persevere when facing difficulties in the future, 92% said that students had improved their skills in setting personal goals and 85% said students were likely to set themselves higher goals in future.

Longer-term benefits were reported by teachers with 85% observing improvements in students’ attitudes and behaviour in class and 80% reporting improvements in attitudes towards learning and in personal and thinking skills. The most consistent improvements reported by teachers were those of confidence, motivation and enthusiasm for learning.

Classroom relationships showed considerable improvement with 95% of teachers observing improved teacher/students relationships and 97% observing continuing improvements in relationships between students after the course.

Professor Stuart Biddle, Institute of Sport, and Exercise & Active Living at Victoria University in Australia, said: “The recognition that too much sitting is a health problem is growing fast. Our paper adds to these concerns by showing that it is not just the sitting that is bad but also some of the behaviours that seem to be coupled with some types of sitting, such as TV viewing. Solutions need to be found for reducing sitting time.”

The Report findings highlight the importance of the role that each individual teacher plays during Trust courses. There are benefits for them as well as the pupils, and the shared experience and knowledge gained helps make sure that key areas of learning do not get forgotten when pupils return to school.

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Training & developments within the cleaning Industry Training and career development are crucial in any professional company or organisation that seeks to progress within its industry sector. The term training simply refers to the process of acquiring the necessary skills required for a certain job. It targets specific goals, for example understanding a process and operating a certain machine, system or set of tools.

In order to highlight the need for training within the cleaning industry further, BICSc invites you to take a look at the Institute’s mission statement. BICSc believe that education and accredited training by a trusted awarding body is imperative for:

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Protecting the cleaning operative Providing a clean and safe environment Preserving assets Promoting sustainability Producing best practice

Protecting the cleaning operative Cleaning operatives are regularly exposed to a number of activities that may be hazardous to their health. Without adequate training, these can become high-risk activities. Tasks such as handling potentially dangerous chemicals, exposure to dangerous or sharp items, exposure to infections, walking

The responsibility of employers Bearing the potential hazards in mind, it’s alarming to think that there are employers who continue to neglect and provide their cleaning operatives with the proper education and standardised skills training that they require when performing their duties safely.

Responsible organisations that look after their cleaning operative’s needs, not only fulfill their corporate social responsibility quota for their staff, but also protect themselves legally in the event of an unfortunate incident or accident occurring.

Protecting the health and safety of the cleaning operative is a cause that the Institute feels extremely strongly about, we strive to build awareness amongst cleaning operatives and organisations alike via our marketing campaigns and our internationally renowned best practice cleaning standards.

Making the health and safety of cleaning operatives a mandatory requirement BICSc best practice standards are detailed within the Institute’s Cleaning Professional’s Skills Suite (CPSS 2.0). The successful Licence to Practice (PBICSc) qualification is the first qualification that a BICSc learner will undertake on their learner journey. It covers the health and safety aspects involved with undertaking various cleaning tasks. This section of the suite is mandatory, meaning that no cleaning operative can commence

them with the knowledge required to work safely whilst performing cleaning tasks.

This limits the potential for damage or risk to the cleaning operative. This qualification promotes the importance of some of the following areas:

• • • • • • • • • • •

Using personal protective equipment (PPE) Correct procedures for using warning signs Correct measuring dosing and dilution of chemicals First aid measures Cross contamination and colour coding Infection control Safe disposal Safe use and care of equipment Hand hygiene Health and safety procedures Storing equipment correctly and safely

Operatives are then free to move on from proficient (PBICSc) skills to learn further skills known as competent skills (CBICSc). These are available from the recently updated Cleaning Professionals Skills Suite (CPSS 2.0).

on wet and slippery floors, climbing or stretching to reach high/ low areas and frequent repetitive movements that can be damaging to the body, are just a few of the tasks that cleaning operatives can be faced with on a daily basis. It is therefore vital that sufficient support is provided to enable cleaning operatives to work safely, limiting the potential for harm not only to themselves, but to others that may be using the cleaned facility.

undertaking any of the subsequent skills without successfully completing their Licence to Practice (PBICSc) assessment.

On successful completion of this assessment the cleaning operative will receive a photographic card to show that they have achieved the necessary standard to perform cleaning tasks safely.

The Licence to Practice (PBICSc) assessment supports cleaning operatives by providing 18

Providing a clean and safe environment The earlier points address the safety of the cleaning operative but another primary concern for BICSc is the safety of the users of the cleaned facility. As with the safety of the operative, training ensures that the environment is free from hazards and reduces the risk of infections that could be potentially harmful to the individual or others using the facility. Knowledge of infection control and hygienic cleaning methods are vital to ensure an environment is clean and safe, unfortunately this is something that cannot be achieved by poorly trained cleaning operatives.

Appropriate skills training provide the cleaning operative with a clear idea of the desired final cleaning outcome. This ensures that the surface is continuously cleaned to a high standard and gives a clear indication of the expected standard. Standards required on completion of service delivery are set Education Magazine

out in the BICSc Best Value document.

This is designed to remove ambiguity from output-based specifications. Remember, an ambiguous view of the final cleaning outcome will always lead to inferior results.

Training reduces client dissatisfaction and eliminates the need for “rework” (and hidden costs associated with time originally spent on tasks or original materials and equipment costs), by addressing the most common reason for poor service delivery: - method failure or the application of incorrect techniques to the cleaning of elements within a facility.

Training provides support to the cleaning operative for dealing with difficult elements and finishes within a facility. CPSS 2.0 provides a variety of specific ‘pick and mix’ skills that provide the operative with the knowledge to ensure a consistent, high standard across cleaning tasks. This includes ensuring that the operative is using the right cleaning materials for the task in question.

The on-going protection of assets The on-going protection of assets is an essential requirement of the built environment and one that extends beyond “hard” FM disciplines including maintenance of a facility’s systems and external fabric, to cleaning and other “soft” services that focus on creating a pleasant indoor atmosphere for building occupants and visitors. Using the wrong choice of cleaning equipment or materials can damage the surface area; this

can prove to be an expensive mistake. Whilst accidents do happen, cleaning operatives that have had the correct training provide a much lower risk solution.

Promoting sustainability The sustainable business agenda has never been more important for both individuals and corporate organisations. The opportunities for those that understand sustainable practices and for organisations that take an expansive view of their role in the world have never been greater. BICSc provides learners with the opportunity to understand:

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How to dispose of materials in line with environmental policy and procedure.

How to use dilution rates correctly: Correct application to ensure less chemical products is being used so surfaces will be less likely to be damaged.

Correct use and care will prolong the life span of equipment and materials meaning that fewer materials are used for creating new products.

The ability to correctly identify and segregate waste materials.

Producing best practice BICSc are proud to be recognised for producing and promoting best practice for the cleaning industry for over 53 years. BICSc are continuously developing BICSc standards to reflect changes in the industry and the needs of the cleaning operative.

BICSc recently announced the latest update to the internationally recognised qualification, The Cleaning Professional’s Skills Suite (CPSS 2.0). Certain skills from the original CPSS have been removed completely whilst other new skills that are now a requirement within the industry have been included.

Head of Education and Standards Maureen Kelso commented on the update “CPSS 2.0 has been written taking into account practices in the cleaning industry that have changed overtime reflecting both the cleaning skill and the cleaning operative.

The changes are based on health and safety and best practice which are reflected in how we should be carrying out the skills with the welfare and safety of the cleaning operative and others being the main concern as well as the preservation of assets.”

Opportunity within the cleaning industry The cleaning industry is worth over 10.5 billion pounds and holds a mass of opportunities for those that are willing to invest in developing themselves, their organisations and their staff through standardised education and appropriate accredited training. Effective training for cleaning operatives and supervisors alongside skills refreshment are essential to progressing within the cleaning industry, particularly as agreed standards of service delivery are a pre-requirement of successful contract fulfillment.

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Hear from the new Education Secretary at Bett 2015 and opening Bett 2015. We should all be proud that the largest and best attended educational technology event in the world happens in London and I hope that many schools and colleges will come along.

Events like Bett are a great opportunity for teachers to keep up to date with the latest developments and learn how they can be used to maximise educational benefits in schools.”

Morgan’s ministerial address will outline her vision across critical educational policy areas, the school curriculum, school improvement and the establishment of academies and free schools. How will reform in these areas be achieved or enhanced through education technology?

The Rt Hon Education Secretary and Minister for Women and Equalities to speak at Bett 2015.

Jan 21st to 24th at Excel, London.

At Bett 2015, the world’s largest education technology event, Rt Hon Nicky Morgan will be giving visitors an insight into her impassioned themes for change that she has planned for UK schools and colleges.

Nicky Morgan, Secretary of State, Department for Education (DfE) comments: “I am really looking forward to visiting

Thames pupils go MAD in Tanzania A team of 14 pupils from Thames Christian College spent the last two weeks on a life changing trip to Musoma, Tanzania, on the shore of Lake Victoria. The pupils were invited there by the charity, Go Make A Difference (MAD) in Tanzania, to attend the opening of a health clinic built with £6,000 raised at one of the school’s cross country sponsorship events.

In an action packed two weeks our pupils assisted the local villagers with building two water tanks and completed a goat shed for a lady called Agnes. They also had the opportunity to help take sick villagers to hospital, visit local primary and secondary schools, a market garden project and an orphanage.

The pupils were very touched by the whole experience and it gave them a greater understanding of the challenges faced in third world countries with non-existent infrastructure, no access to clean water and many associated health issues.

Her opening address will be given at Bett 2015 on Wednesday 21 January 2015 at 11am, ExCeL London. Morgan will also be doing a tour of the mile-long exhibition, featuring more than 600 exhibitors.

With the UK General Election pending in May 2015, Bett is also offering UK and international visitors the opportunity to hear alternate policy approaches with Tristram Hunt MP, Shadow Secretary of State for Education, UK, also confirmed to speak at the show.

Please visit www.bettshow.com to find out more and to pre-register for free attendance. We’d love to hear more about Bett visitor’s experiences at the show and what you’re expecting from Bett 2015. Join

Kathleen, a pupil in Year 10, commented: “Our visit to Tanzania is one which I will never forget. It was a really moving experience and taught me a lot about life in Tanzania and how we can really make a difference to people’s lives.”

The team also learned the differences in Tanzanian culture, becoming proficient in Swahili greetings. The pupils were particularly impressed and humbled by how content and happy the villagers are, even though they have nothing. They were also struck by the school children’s positive attitude to learning in classes of up to 180 pupils with just one teacher. The team also had time to appreciate the surroundings and had a lot of fun rock climbing, relaxing and playing games on the beach. The trip ended with a short safari in nearby Serengeti National Park before their return to London.

Set up by Graham McClure, a foundation parent of Thames Christian College, Go MAD (Make A Difference) works in partnership with the Anglican Church of Tanzania in Musoma. Tasked with choosing the projects for this year’s Sponsored Cross Country in No20

the conversation on Twitter, using #Bett2015 or #BettChat and get a head start on all that networking!

Technology and innovation hothouse at Bett 2015 Futures, a new platform to nurture innovative education technology start-up companies is announced by Bett and run in association with leading education thinktank, the Education Foundation.

The project, which is supported by non-profit associations such as the British Educational Suppliers Association (BESA), aims to showcase budding businesses that promise to have a significant impact on education.

Following a call for entries, a panel of educators will select the 30 new businesses with the solutions that will have the most impact in education. The 30 selected edtech businesses will benefit from a choice of two bespoke packages based on their market status, involvement in a range of Bett fringe events, specialist business support and extensive marketing resources. The new zone will then take centre stage at Bett, which attracts over 40,000 educators, ministers and education stakeholders.

Over its thirty years, Bett has evolved into the world’s largest technology in education event. With more than 35,000 visitors and over 600 exhibitors, it continues to inspire learning excellence worldwide. Bett 2015 will run over four days from Wednesday 21 to Saturday 24 January 2015 at ExCeL, London.

vember, the team have decided to support five projects which they saw first hand:

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Paying school fees for three village teenage girls so they can go to secondary school - £1,000 per year. Education is the means by which girls can escape abuse and earn a better living. The pupils met one of these girls called Gati during the trip and she was an inspiration.

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100 mosquito nets – cost £450.

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£3,000 will re-roof a girls boarding school dining hall, enabling them to get accreditation with the Education Department to accept new pupils.

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4 goats, one per family for 4 families, including a year’s medical bills - cost £520 (£130 each). Owning a goat provides a family with much needed income.

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Additional funds raised beyond the above will go towards building a water tank for the primary school visited by the team who have no clean water at all.

Because of the school’s personal contact through Graham, we know that every pound Education Magazine

Heckmondwike FB’s Supacord carpet or had the option of 75sqm of Supacord carpet tiles, with free installation, plus a bespoke logo design to be integrated within the carpet, as well as a commercial Sebo twin motored upright vacuum cleaner.

Second prize of a free bespoke logo design within a carpet to a maximum of 2m x 2m, a Sebo vacuum cleaner and £250 went to Bonners CE Primary School in Maresfield, East Sussex and Danetree Junior School in Surrey and three third prizes of £100 vouchers were awarded to St Laurence’s CE Primary School in Coventry, St Thomas a Beckett Primary School in Salisbury and Black Horse Hill Junior School in West Kirby. raised goes directly to those it is intended to help and in Africa a little goes a very long way.

All Thames pupils will take part in the Cross Country on Wednesday 12 November, with up to 10 laps of 1 kilometre each. If every pupil raises only £60 – not hard at 12 sponsors giving £5 each – that would raise £7,500 in total which would be amazing.

To find out more about the charity visit: http://www.gomakeadifference.co.uk About Thames Christian College: Thames Christian College is a small independent, co-educational secondary school based in Battersea, South London. It has a strong Christian ethos, small well-behaved classes and dedicated highly qualified staff. The

school provides a positive and challenging environment, where learning is tailored to accommodate individual pupils’ abilities.

Brighton school wins Supacord carpet competition St John’s School & College in Brighton is the lucky winner of Heckmondwike FB’s 2014 ‘Carpet for Schools’ competition.

The competition received a huge response this year with hundreds of entries from schools and colleges across the country.

St John’s School & College won 100sqm of

Sharni Verity, Marketing Executive for Heckmondwike FB, explains: “We have had an overwhelming response to our competition from schools this year and would like to congratulate St John’s School & College on being the lucky winners. We hope that all the schools really enjoy their prizes!”

St John’s School & College chose to have their colourful logo integrated within Heckmondwike FB’s matting at the entrance to the college, where it will be used every day by learners and visitors.

They also chose to use their prize within their business centre’s communal area, corridors and stairs, as well as three of the offices, selecting moonlight from Heckmondwike’s Supacord range.

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It’s not just Cricket!

Last year the England and Wales Cricket Board released the findings of a survey of recreational cricketers which revealed that the number of players aged between 14 and 65 dropped from 908,000 in 2013 to 844,000 last summer and five per cent of matches were forfeited because at least one team was unable to pull together 11 players. The survey also showed a seven per cent decline in cricket participation among children aged 14 and under.

Former England captain Michael Vaughan has expressed that “the amateur game has lost its buzz.” In fact a quick Google search reveals plenty of stories from local papers of cricket clubs that are folding as the sport faces challenges from modern life to keep players interested.

Children here in the UK used to discover cricket naturally; it was all around them; at school, in the park and on TV. Now with the decline in television coverage, the reduced capacity of state schools to offer cricket within the curriculum and the lack of funding for local facilities, this spells worrying times for a sport that offers myriad benefits beyond the sheer enjoyment of the game.

for the game but also to engender qualities such as confidence, self motivation and sportsmanship that will be invaluable to them in later life.

Sports Psychologists and Performance Coaches have increasingly come to recognise that intrinsic, or self - motivation is a powerful driver of learning and achievement.

The philosophy at AJ Coaching is about making a difference in young people’s lives rather than simply focusing on winning a

These children are learning important life lessons about taking part, fair play and self - motivation. They will of course experience the disappointment of losing a match and the reward of winning but it is much more important that we provide a non – threatening environment where mistakes are viewed as opportunities to learn and we eliminate the fear of failure. As former American football player, Homer Rice, famously said “You can motivate by fear and you can motivate by reward. But both these methods are only temporary. The only lasting thing is self – motivation.”

In addition to the positive learning outcomes and values that the children will embrace, there is now significant evidence that suggests that the earlier a child is exposed to various athletic challenges, the quicker they will develop their motor skills and lay a foundation for their future physical and emotional wellbeing.

The hand to eye coordination, strength and fitness skills they are learning are transferable. If children start playing young, the disciplines they will learn will enrich their lives now and help develop their character for later in life.

During the last decade, the way we coach and educate our children through sport has undergone a huge transformation.

Educators and sports alumni have observed that there is far more to being involved in a team sport like cricket than meets the eye.

For me, the challenge is not only to keep the spirit of cricket alive by nurturing children as young as five to develop a lifelong passion

cricket match. The fundamental principle is that every individual can add value regardless of background or ability. Of course every sport has its star athletes and role models but grass roots Coaches are succeeding at this level if young players are developing a passion for the sport, growing in motivation and arriving at practice sessions with enthusiasm.

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Performance Coaches instil a sense of belonging to the group and forge competence and mastery through careful use of praise related to progress and effort rather than focussing purely on winning matches and accumulating silverware.

This approach empowers children and allows them to take responsibility and ultimately have ownership of their learning. They come to appreciate that increased effort enhances performance and crucially, that the whole process can be a lot of fun. continues overleaf u

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It’s not just Cricket! continued

There is no doubt that competitive sports play a vital role in every aspect of a child’s education and personal development.

Cricket is special because it is the ultimate team game that demands both individual and collective responsibility.

It is OUR collective responsibility to ensure that this beautiful game is available to future generations. If we don’t raise the funds

for local facilities; if we don’t lobby the government to debate the value of including cricket in the school curriculum, then the demise of cricket is certain.

The future of cricket and to some extent, the emotional and physical wellbeing of our children depends on the actions we take now to safeguard their potential to learn essential life skills through sport.

Keep Britain tidy and Universal Pictures announce the first ever Big Boxtrolls Recycling Week Challenge

When all is said and done; It’s not just cricket!

For more information please contact Ali Jaffer on coachcricket@ajcoaching.co.uk or visit www.ajcoaching.co.uk Written by Ali Jaffer, Founder of AJ Coaching, Performance Coach and former Professional Cricketer

importance of recycling with the family in a fun and engaging way.

Natasha said: “I’m thrilled to be a part of The Big Boxtrolls Recycling Week Challenge. After Christmas, there’s always so many leftover boxes, discarded wrapping paper and Christmas cards lying around.

We’re asking schools, families and friends to come together to reuse and recycle this material in the New Year by getting crafty together with the super cute and rubbish collecting boxtroll characters!”

Schools can enter by simply registering at the Keep Britain Tidy website www.keepbritaintidy.org/bigboxtrolls. Once signed up, participating schools will receive fun and easy to use downloadable resource packs, which include engaging activity sheets and taking part certificates, to encourage learning and creative activity in the classroom.

Universal Pictures (UK) and environmental charity Keep Britain Tidy have partnered to create The Big Boxtrolls Recycling Week Challenge with the adorable rubbish collecting movie superstars, The Boxtrolls.

Schools nationwide are being challenged to sign-up and make a fresh start to the New Year and to de-clutter post-Christmas by entering the quirky underground world of The Boxtrolls.

The school that follows in the footsteps of the thrifty ways of the Boxtroll characters and create the most impressive Boxtroll will win a money can’t buy prize of an amazing class trip to Universal Pictures (UK) in London for a special screening of The Boxtrolls, plus a meet and greet with the movie star Boxtrolls themselves.

To enter into the draw for this, registered schools should email an image of their crafty creation along with their school name to boxtrolls@keepbritaintidy.org

The Big Boxtrolls Recycling Week Challenge, which will take place from Monday 26th – Friday 30th January 2015, tasks teachers and pupils to collect recycling throughout January, beginning by bringing a cardboard box of rubbish collected over the Christmas period into the school classroom. The children then get crafty with the cardboard box and left over materials to create their very own Boxtroll, whilst learning how to correctly recycle and care for their own communities.

And that’s not all, every school that takes part will also be in the running to receive one of five visits from the exciting and giant Boxtrolls bin.

The Big Boxtrolls Recycling Week Challenge is being supported by Celebrity Campaign Ambassador, Natasha Hamilton, a mum of four who understands the

To find out more about the Recycling Week Challenge visit www. keepbritaintidy.org.uk/bigboxtrolls

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Education Show 2015: The home of inspiration!

The Education Show 2015 will be returning to the NEC, Birmingham on 19th to 21st March for another exciting year and this time, it’s taking a different approach to help visitors tackle educational challenges head on.

A rich offering of new content, inspiring training and development, and access to pioneering educational suppliers will be available throughout the show. The Education Show 2015 will be providing all the insight you need for a successful career in the world of education, from innovative teaching resources and practices to educational

charities and organisations.

Each year, the show attracts professionals with backgrounds in primary, secondary and higher education, all offering a wealth of knowledge and experience in their field.

of the UK’s leading education consultancy and teacher training organisations focusing solely on the use of tablets in schools. The Tablet Academy will host the ‘Tablets in Education’ feature, an area devoted to mobile learning at the Education Show 2015.

With mobile learning high on the agenda in schools, the show will be joining forces with The Tablet Academy, one

UK schools tackle tooth decay with innovative free oral health education programme With the recent Public Health England research showing that 12% of three year olds in England already have tooth decay, and with a dramatic variation ranging from 2% to 34% across the country, Colgate has launched Bright Smiles, Bright Futures, a free educational programme to encourage children across the UK to look after their oral health from an early age. The programme will run in 2,573 schools across the reaching 302,820 children aged between five and seven. 9,000 dental practices are also supporting the programme by handing out Bright Smiles, Bright Futures educational material to help engage children and their families.

Andrew’s Lane Primary School in Waltham Cross is just one of the schools that has been learning all about how to keep teeth healthy using the Oral Health Education Kits provided by Colgate.

Colgate have partnered with Tesco to create awareness of the programme and drive key oral

To help exhibitors plan their route around the show, the British Educational Supplier’s

health messages, to both parents and children.

Colgate and Tesco representatives visited the school to take part in a class helping to deliver one of these fun and engaging oral health lessons.

Studies have shown that: • Tooth decay is the most common chronic disease on the planet despite the fact that it’s completely preventable • Children affected by poor oral health are 12 times more likely to have restricted-activity days including missing school • More than 50 million school hours are lost annually because of oral health problems which affect children’s performance at school and success in later life • Tooth decay can negatively affect the growth and weight increase of young children Bright Smiles, Bright Futures provides teachers, children and families with the tools they need to make good oral health a permanent part of their lives. Focusing on prevention, this programme builds self-esteem and teaches good oral health practice to create lifelong habits, and most importantly, Bright Smiles, Bright Futures inspires children to take control of their own oral health. It has already reached more than half a billion children and their 26

Association (BESA) will be on hand at the BESA Show Information Point. The association’s knowledge and experience will help visitors plan their time at the event.

The Education Show 2015 takes place from 19 to 21 March at the NEC, Birmingham. To register for your free, fast-track pass, visit www.education-show.com.

families across 80 countries around the world.

Colgate have partnered with Tesco to create awareness of the programme and drive key oral health messages, to both parents and children.

The engaging activity based programme is mapped to the school curriculum with clear learning objectives; as well as learning good oral health habits, children also learn the importance of a healthy diet for strong teeth and gums.

Teachers receive starter kits including oral health lesson plans, a ‘how to brush’ wall chart, take home information for parents, a free toothbrush and a sample of Colgate’s ground-breaking new innovation; Colgate® Maximum Cavity Protection plus Sugar Acid Neutraliser™ toothpaste for every child taking part. It gives close to double the protection against cavities and a regular fluoride toothpaste, actively neutralises the cavity causing sugar acids we all consume in drinks & food through the day.

Colgate’s Dr Rabbit and his trusted team of Tooth Defenders bring the campaign to life, undertaking a mission to protect Tooth city from the sugary villain Placulus and his sticky schemes! With engaging videos, brushing charts, stickers and online games including ‘plaque attack’, ‘snack tastostophe’, ‘toothpaste tower’ and ‘tell the tooth’.

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NEWS News News News NEWS News NEWS News Guidance on promoting British values in schools published Strengthened guidance on improving the spiritual, moral, social and cultural development of pupils.

The Department for Education on 27th November 2014 published guidance on promoting British values in schools to ensure young people leave school prepared for life in modern Britain.

The guidance aims to help both independent and state-maintained schools understand their responsibilities in this area.

All have a duty to ‘actively promote’ the fundamental British values of democracy, the rule of law, individual liberty, and mutual respect and tolerance of those with different faiths and beliefs. These values were first set out by the government in the ‘Prevent’ strategy in 2011.

Until now schools have been required to ‘respect’ these values, but as a result of changes brought in earlier in the year all schools must now have a clear strategy for embedding these values and show how their work with pupils has been effective in doing so. In a letter to the Education Select Committee in March, the Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Schools Lord Nash explained the changes were designed to “tighten up the standards on pupil welfare to improve safeguarding, and the standards on spiritual, moral, social and cultural development of pupils to strengthen the barriers to extremism”.

Ofsted and the independent inspectorates now take the work of schools in this area into account during inspections.

Publishing the guidance, Lord Nash said: A key part of our plan for education is to ensure children become valuable and fully rounded members of society who treat others with respect and tolerance, regardless of background.

We want every school to promote the basic British values of democracy, the rule of law, individual liberty, and mutual respect and tolerance for those of different faiths and beliefs.

This ensures young people understand the importance of respect and leave school fully prepared for life in modern Britain.

Examples of the understanding and knowledge pupils are expected to learn include:

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an understanding of how citizens can influence decision-making through the democratic process

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an understanding that the freedom to hold other faiths and beliefs is protected in law

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an acceptance that people having different faiths or beliefs to oneself (or having none) should be accepted and tolerated, and should not be the cause of prejudicial or discriminatory behaviour

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an understanding of the importance of identifying and combatting discrimination

Examples of actions schools can take to promote British values are to:

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include in suitable parts of the curriculum - as appropriate for the age of pupils - material on the strengths, advantages and disadvantages of democracy, and how democracy and the law works in Britain, in contrast to other forms of government in other countries ensure all pupils within the school have a voice that is listened to, and demonstrate how democracy works by actively promoting democratic processes such as a school council whose members are voted for by the pupils use opportunities such as general or local elections to hold mock elections to promote fundamental British values and provide pupils with the opportunity to learn how to argue and defend points of view consider the role of extra-curricular activity, including any run directly by pupils, in promoting fundamental British values

The government also published its interim response to a consultation of the revised Independent Schools Standards (ISS). The revised standards cover independent schools, academies and free schools, ensuring they along with local authority-maintained schools - must promote British values.

£31.7 million boost for ‘life-changing’ SEND reforms A multi-million pound injection will help local authorities continue to implement new special educational needs system.

The Department for Education on 17th December 2014 announced it will invest a further £31.7 million in 2015 to 2016 to help local authorities in England continue to meet the costs of implementing the special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) reforms.

Children and Families Minister, Edward Timpson, said: 28

Our reforms put children and parents right at the heart of the system. We’re on the beginning of a journey to provide simpler, improved and consistent help.

Local councils have made a strong start in implementing these life-changing reforms, but we want to give them more help to take delivery to the next level.

The timescale has always been for them to bring children into the new system over the next 3 years - this extra money will help them to do that.

Edward Timpson has also invited Ofsted to formally inspect local areas on their effectiveness in fulfilling their new duties.

They will do this along with the Care Quality Commission and a local authority officer.

It is hoped that robust and rigorous inspections will ensure that parents and young people receive as much information as possible about what is being offered.

In England 1 in 5 children has SEND, ranging from dyslexia to a physical impairment. The government’s reforms will enable them and their parents to have a role in shaping the support they receive.

The SEND code of practice requires local authorities, health bodies, schools, maintained early education settings and colleges to carry out statutory duties for children and young people with SEND. The reforms extend provision from birth to 25 years of age. This will give families greater choice in decisions and ensure needs are properly met.

The new system extends rights and protections to young people by introducing a new Education, Health and Care plan.

Professionals will also provide more tailored support to families, giving them the help and assistance they need.

The Department for Education has also worked with Mencap to publish for the first time easy-read guides for young people with SEND and their parents that explain the reforms to the system.

Dean Meuleman, who works for Mencap and has a learning difficulty, said: Easy-read is one way of making information easier to understand and use. It uses simple words, short sentences, bullet points and pictures. All these things help people with a learning disability understand important information. It can make a real difference to people’s lives.

The changes to the law on SEND will affect parents and young people with a learning disability. They have a right to understand these changes and how they will impact them directly.

I hope that these new easy-read guides will help people with a learning disability to make the best choices and decisions for themselves.

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News News NEWS News

News Further information and links to the guides are available on the Mencap website.

430 primary schools win in the Pupil Premium Awards 2015 Schools Minister David Laws announced key stage 2 qualifiers alongside infant and key stage 3 finalists in the 2015 Pupil Premium Awards.

David Laws congratulated 430 schools which have qualified for the 2015 Pupil Premium Awards following key stage 2 results published earlier. Their results showed that they have made or continue to make impressive improvements in the attainment of their disadvantaged pupils. Every school has won £1,000 and eligible schools will now be invited to apply for the prizes worth up to £100,000. Final prizes will be awarded at a ceremony hosted by Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg in March.

Four schools have also been named as national finalists in the infant and key stage 3 school category for next year’s Pupil Premium Awards, in recognition of their effective use of the pupil premium in raising the attainment of disadvantaged pupils and improving their outcomes.

All finalists in the infant and key stage 3 school category will win at least £2,000, with the winning school to be awarded a total prize of £10,000.

The Pupil Premium Awards reward schools which are able to provide evidence of effective strategies to improve the achievement of disadvantaged pupils and show sustained improvement in raising their attainment. The pupil premium is extra funding schools receive for every disadvantaged pupil they teach and is worth £2.5 billion this year alone.

Schools Minister David Laws said: The pupil premium is building a fairer society with opportunity for everyone.

I would encourage all of the primary schools who have received a £1,000 prize to share their achievements with other schools so they can learn from their strengths and experience.

I hope all schools will continue to learn from this excellent practice and ensure they are using their pupil premium effectively, so that they too may be in the running for a prize in 2016.

A further £4 million prize money will also be awarded in the 2016 awards, and schools are being encouraged to act now to review what they are doing in their school and ensure they are using the pupil premium effectively - using tools such as the evidence-based Education Endowment Foundation toolkit or by undertaking a pupil premium review.

England to become a global leader of teaching character Education Secretary Nicky Morgan announces multi-million pound push to improve character education in England.

A multi-million pound push to place England as a “global leader” in teaching character, resilience and grit to pupils was announced

by Education Secretary Nicky Morgan on 16 December 2014.

Schools and organisations that offer activities promoting character in pupils will see these programmes expanded through a new £3.5 million fund, designed to place character education on a par with academic learning for pupils across the country.

NEWS NEWS News

Announced as a “milestone in preparing young people more than ever before for life in modern Britain”, the move will see new and existing projects encouraged to develop the virtues in pupils that are vital to fulfil their potential and realise their aspirations.

Today, the abilities and traits that help young people persevere with setbacks, confidently engage in debates, and contribute to the wider community have been recognised

by Education Secretary Nicky Morgan as “equally important” to young people as securing good grades.

Nicky Morgan said: This announcement of a £3.5 million grant scheme for character education projects is a milestone in preparing young people more than ever before for life in modern Britain. It will provide a boost to those already doing great work, while also helping excellent projects get off the ground.

Excellent teachers already produce wellrounded pupils, and today’s news will give more schools the support, inspiration and resources to go even further.

The move is a landmark step for our education system. It will cement our position as a global leader in teaching character and resilience, and will send a clear signal that our young people are being better prepared than ever before to lead tomorrow’s Britain.

Examples of existing character efforts include those by London’s King Solomon Academy, which fosters commitment, endeavour and resilience, as well as scholarship, in its inner-city pupils. Inspired by the US Knowledge is Power programme (KIPP), the headteacher has introduced character-based rewards for pupils, while unabridged Shakespeare plays are produced from year 7 onwards.

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NEWS News News News NEWS News NEWS News

22,000 pupils improve their reading, writing and maths since 2013

This year, a more challenging floor standard has been introduced - with the proportion of pupils required to reach the expected level rising by 5% (from 60% to 65%).

Attainment rises and gap between disadvantaged pupils and peers continues to close in primary schools.

Despite this higher target, there are 768 schools below the floor - equivalent to 6% of state-funded mainstream schools - the same proportion as in 2013.

Attainment in primary schools has risen in every subject and disadvantaged pupils continue to close the gap on their peers figures for primary tests show.

If primary schools were judged against last year’s floor standard only 469 schools would have been below the threshold - a reduction of almost 300 schools.

The results for more than half a million 11-year-olds (key stage 2) show the percentage achieving the expected level (level 4) in reading, writing and maths (3Rs) has risen by 3 percentage points to 79% while the proportion achieving the more challenging level 4b is also up - from 63% to 67%.

New careers and enterprise company for schools

The figures also show the number of primaries below the floor has remained stable even though schools have been judged on a new tougher threshold.

Education Secretary Nicky Morgan has announced the creation of a new careers and enterprise company for schools, to transform the provision of careers education and advice for young people and inspire them about the opportunities offered by the world of work.

Schools Minister David Laws said: I am pleased to see that primaries have responded to the challenge of a higher floor standard - we have raised the bar and schools have raised their game.

It is also encouraging to see the attainment gap between disadvantaged children and their peers continue to narrow and parents, teachers and pupils deserve to be congratulated for their efforts.

But we know there is more to do and there are still too many areas with simply unacceptable levels of attainment for disadvantaged pupils.

We are committed to helping schools do more and have increased the pupil premium they receive per pupil to £1,300 so they have the resources they need.

While attainment has increased overall, disadvantaged pupils continue to close the gap on their peers:

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the proportion of disadvantaged pupils achieving the expected level in reading, writing and maths combined has risen 6 percentage points between 2012 and 2014 - from 61% to 67%

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the attainment gap between disadvantaged pupils and their peers has narrowed by 2 percentage points over the same period.

This year, primary schools where fewer than 65% of pupils achieved at least the expected level (level 4) in the reading test, the maths test and teacher assessment of writing, and which were below the progress measures in all these subjects, are below the floor standard.

Employer-backed body to provide inspiration and education to pupils.

The new company is designed to support the government’s long-term economic plan by helping young people consider all the options available to them when they leave school and ensure they leave school fully prepared for life in modern Britain. The government is determined that schools, colleges and employers should work in partnership to spread outstanding careers advice, guidance and inspiration to every young person across the country, regardless of their background or location.

Nicky Morgan also announced that the current Chair of Capgemini UK, Christine Hodgson, has agreed to chair the new company which will be employer-led and independent of government. Ms Hodgson has a strong track record of developing young talent at Capgemini, where she has embraced apprentices as a source of future talent and made interactions with schools a priority. She is also on the Business in the Community board of Trustee Directors and a board member for MacIntyre Care, a leading charity providing services for individuals with learning disabilities.

The careers and enterprise company will focus on young people aged 12 to 18, helping them access the best advice and inspiration about the world of work by encouraging greater collaboration between schools and colleges and employers.

It will help to broker relationships between employers on one hand and schools and colleges on the other. This will ensure employers are supporting young people with decision-making and career development

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at every stage of school life. The brokerage arrangement will enable employers to talk directly to pupils about the opportunities available and ensure they are able to consider all the options as they move through school.

The need for greater support and brokerage in this area has emerged following extensive discussions with teacher representatives, employers and business organisations involved in careers advice and inspiration.

The government has also published new research and announced it will proceed with measures that will give students more information on the outcomes of previous students, including what they earn following their course, to help them make informed decisions about their future.

Top-quality technical and vocational qualifications announced The range and quality of options is better than ever as new subjects are revealed.

Pupils will have better access than ever before to high-quality vocational and technical education after a raft of new subjects was announced .

A wide range of careers, including engineering, hospitality, construction and social care are included in the lists of qualifications.

The publication (10 December 2014) is the final step of the major reform to vocational education that followed a ground breaking report in 2011 from Professor Alison Wolf, which found that thousands of 16- to 19-year-olds were doing vocational courses of little value.

Skills Minister Nick Boles said: ‘For education to really matter, young people must leave school with the skills and qualifications that employers want.

That’s why I’m proud to announce this government has stripped out every single poor-quality course and made sure that qualifications are of the highest standard.

This is a sweeping change to vocational education that, combined with the 2 million new apprentices, will make sure that every young person has the best possible chance to really make a go of things.

The lists, which are updated annually, for the first time cover the full range of technical and vocational qualifications taught up to the age of 19.

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For more information please contact info@ supply2schools.co.uk where one of our account managers will be happy to talk you through how simple and inexpensive our services are.

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NEWS News News News NEWS News NEWS News new ‘technical certificates’, which help 16- to 19-year-olds into skilled trades.

The other categories are ‘technical awards’ for 14- to 16-year-olds and the A levelequivalent ‘tech levels’.

The latest qualifications will count in league tables from 2017 and have the backing of employers, industry bodies and higher education institutions.

Professor Wolf’s report highlighted a system in which some schools put pupils on courses that might boost their league table positions but which were not in the best interest of the pupils.

As a result, thousands of qualifications have been stripped away, and the number of qualifications that can be reported in the performance tables has fallen from over 5,000 to just 625.

Examples of qualifications that have not been approved for the new lists include study skills, induction to college, and employment and personal learning at work.

The qualifications that have been announced are designed with, or approved by, employers and help to meet the skills gap.

They lead to some of the fastest-growing and most rewarding jobs of the future, in areas ranging from construction to business and finance.

There are clear pathways young people can take through the vocational and technical route. For example, someone interested in construction could:

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between the ages of 14 and 16, alongside their GCSEs, take a certificate in designing, engineering and constructing a sustainable built environment

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at the age of 16 develop skills in a trade such as carpentry or plumbing by studying a technical certificate

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develop more specialist skills through a tech level course and an apprenticeship

The UK Commission for Employment and Skills published its Careers of the Future guide. Today’s technical and vocational qualifications lead to jobs in all ten of the highlighted sectors in this guide.

More pupils succeeding in school adds £1.3 billion to economy Research highlights the value of educational performance to the national economy.

The boost in the number of pupils getting good GCSE grades since 2010 is estimated to add around £1.3 billion to the country’s

economy, as a The boost in the number of pupils getting good GCSE grades since 2010 is estimated to add around £1.3 billion to the country’s economy, as a landmark study reveals the extent to which GCSE achievement has a wider financial impact.

the best education possible. Since 2010, 800,000 more pupils are studying in good or outstanding schools - the highest number on record - helping thousands more pupils to fulfil their potential and realise their aspirations.

The study found that reaching 5 A* to C grade GCSEs, including the valuable English and maths qualifications, is worth £60,000 to an individual’s lifetime productivity. When scaled up to reflect the large increase in pupils getting these grades since 2010, this represents an estimated £1.3 billion boost to the country’s economy.

The plan includes:

The research has revealed the extent to which improved educational outcomes are benefitting the country, as well as pupils themselves. It is based on the detailed analysis led by the Department for Education, and reviewed by the Institute for Fiscal Studies, which analysed the higher wages and better job prospects associated with doing well at school.

Since 2010 the proportion of pupils leaving school with 5 A* to C GCSEs, including English and maths, has risen from 44.1% to 47.8%. This increase is equivalent to 21,600 more pupils fulfilling their potential. This increase represents a long-term boost of £1.297 billion to the country’s economy.

Education Secretary Nicky Morgan hailed the findings, saying:

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Our plan for education is working - the boost in pupils achieving good grades since 2010 is adding more than £1.3 billion to the country’s economy. This confirms the rise in pupil success is not only benefitting young people themselves but is also a valuable part of our long-term economic plan.

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800,000 more pupils are in good or outstanding schools and thousands more are getting solid GCSE grades - a testament to the hard work of schools and teachers.

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But we won’t stop here - our plan is determined to raise standards further, help teachers to push our young people to do even better and help even more to fulfil their potential.

The £1.3 billion boost is equivalent to more than 400 new primary schools across the country.

A large proportion of the increased performance is among disadvantaged pupils.

Since 2010 the proportion of these pupils leaving school with this good package of qualifications has risen from 27.5% to 32.9%.

This is equivalent to 7,150 additional pupils and represents a substantial economic benefit of £430 million.

The government’s plan for education is designed to ensure pupils are receiving 32

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increasing the quality and value of qualifications by raising standards and toughening up exams

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intervening in more than 1,000 failing schools, pairing them up with excellent sponsor groups with track records of turning around schools

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approving an unprecedented number of new schools - more than 400 amounting to upwards of 200,000 new school places

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toughening up on behaviour and attendance, allowing teachers to focus on teaching

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investing billions in helping our most disadvantaged pupils succeed through the pupil premium

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increasing teaching standards by helping the most talented people to enter the profession - resulting in the highest number of teachers on record

The estimates in this report are based on pupils achieving full-course academic GCSEs - and therefore only include more robust qualifications. The improvements in achievement since 2010 are significant and will be influenced by a number of factors including better-quality teaching, improved school leadership and management, and investing in our most disadvantaged pupils through the pupil premium. the extent to which GCSE achievement has a wider financial impact.

The study found that reaching 5 A* to C grade GCSEs, including the valuable English and maths qualifications, is worth £60,000 to an individual’s lifetime productivity. When scaled up to reflect the large increase in pupils getting these grades since 2010, this represents an estimated £1.3 billion boost to the country’s economy.

The research has revealed the extent to which improved educational outcomes are benefitting the country, as well as pupils themselves. It is based on the detailed analysis led by the Department for Education, and reviewed by the Institute for Fiscal Studies, which analysed the higher wages and better job prospects associated with doing well at school.

Since 2010 the proportion of pupils leaving school with 5 A* to C GCSEs, including English and maths, has risen from 44.1% to 47.8%. This increase is equivalent to 21,600 more pupils fulfilling their potential. This increase represents a long-term boost of £1.297 billion to the country’s economy.

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Launch of new highquality post-16 maths qualifications School Reform Minister Nick Gibb announced 6 new core maths qualifications to encourage more pupils to study maths post-16 New high-quality maths qualifications, which teach pupils how to use and apply maths in real situations, are designed to encourage thousands more pupils to continue studying maths beyond age 16, School Reform Minister Nick Gibb announced on 5th December.

As part of the government’s commitment to raising standards in the subject, 6 new core maths qualifications will be included in school and college performance tables from 2017 and as part of the TechBacc (Technical Baccalaureate) measure from 2016.

The government has outlined the ambition that, by 2020, the great majority of young people will continue to study maths to age 18. Core maths offers a way for students who achieve at least a C in GCSE maths to continue to study the subject, allowing them to maintain and develop their mathematics even if they do not wish to pursue a full A level.

Students who reach the end of secondary school without achieving a grade C in GCSE maths now have to continue to work towards the qualification within their post16 education.

School Reform Minister Nick Gibb said: Strong maths skills are an essential part of our plan for education and are also vitally important to our economy.

England has been falling behind other countries’ maths performance, which is why we have launched a new maths curriculum to match the best in the world and are introducing rigorous new GCSE and A level maths qualifications.

Only a fifth of pupils in England continue to study maths at any level after achieving a GCSE - the lowest of 24 developed countries.

These new core maths qualifications will help address a 16 to 18 ‘maths gap’ whereby students who achieve a good maths grade at GCSE currently drop the subject and start to lose their confidence and skills.

Thanks to these new high-quality courses more pupils will be able to continue their study of maths, ensuring more young people leave education properly prepared for the demands of university, work and life in modern Britain.

The new courses will allow pupils to build on their maths skills using more advanced

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methods and techniques. They have been developed with the support of employers, universities and professional bodies to ensure they offer pupils the relevant knowledge and skills to progress to further study and the world of work.

Pupils will learn how to apply maths to analyse situations, giving them the confidence they need to tackle problems in their adult lives. Examples of topics to be covered include using different data sources to determine changes to average house prices over the course of a year and how to calculate the value of a mortgage loan in any given future year.

Students will also develop a more advanced understanding of statistics, financial maths and modelling - for example, understanding investments, analysing trends in population growth or calculating new ways to improve a process. There will also be an emphasis on using maths in business settings, with pupils asked, for example, to calculate costs, estimate demand and set a selling price for products in order to maximise profits.

Raising the overall standard of maths skills in England is an important part of the government’s long-term economic plan.

The government is prioritising an overhaul of maths education because it commands the highest earnings, provides the best protection against unemployment and opens doors to dozens of careers Six qualifications submitted by awarding organisations have been accredited by independent exam regulator Ofqual and will be counted as core maths qualifications in a level 3 maths measure in 16 to 19 performance tables from 2017.

The following qualifications will be counted as core maths qualifications:

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City & Guilds - level 3 certificate in using and applying mathematics

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OCR - level 3 certificates in quantitative problem solving and quantitative reasoning

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Pearson Edexcel - level 3 certificate in mathematics in context

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AQA - level 3 certificate in mathematical studies

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WJEC Eduqas - level 3 certificate in mathematics for work and life

An expert panel has reviewed the qualifications to ensure they meet the high standards in content for core maths set out by DfE. Students successfully completing core maths along with at least one tech level qualification and the extended project will be recognised as having achieved the TechBacc measure from 2016. It was introduced for courses starting in September 2014, and will first be reported in the 16 to 19 performance tables from 2016.

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NEWS NEWS News

The TechBacc is a new 16 to 19 school and college performance measure, introduced to recognise excellence in the provision of technical education.

Measures to help schools instil character in pupils announced Millions in funding for former armed services projects and awards for schools announced.

Education Secretary Nicky Morgan has announced a package of measures to help schools instil character in pupils - including extra funding for projects run by former armed service personnel which help turn around the lives of disadvantaged children.

Eight projects will be given almost £5 million to work with schools - using the values and expertise of the armed services to help young people do better at school and develop their character, including values such as selfconfidence, respect and leadership.

Schools that develop and build character, resilience and grit in their pupils will also be recognised for the first time through the new character awards - so that more schools focus on developing well rounded pupils prepared for life in modern Britain.

Applicants will be judged on their approaches and practices to develop character by a panel of education experts, with awards including:

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£15,000 each for up to 27 schools in all 9 regions of the country, to be announced in February

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A further national prize of £20,000 to 1 winner, to be announced at an awards ceremony in March Education Secretary Nicky Morgan said:

Delivering the best schools and skills is a key part of our long-term economic plan that is turning Britain around.

As well as high academic standards, this means providing opportunities for all young people to develop the character and resilience they need to succeed in modern Britain.

For pupils who may have faced challenges or difficulties in their personal life, these initiatives run by former armed services personnel can offer a sense of greater aspiration and can help build the skills and confidence they need to go on to good jobs and successful futures.

Coupled with the new character awards schools will now have the tools and support they need to ensure they develop well rounded pupils ready to go onto an apprenticeship, university or the world of work.

Adolescence and exams - Reflexology?

Are you or your children feeling the strain? If so try these simple hand reflexology self help techniques.

Adolescence can be a tricky time for teenagers (and indeed parents as well).

Common concerns frequently expressed include conflicts with parents and siblings, concerns about peer relationships, and perhaps most of all at this time of year concerns about school and not performing well in exams. Parents may also feel concerned about their child’s behaviour at this time especially if there is rebelliousness, time wasting, mood swings, drug experimentation and issues with school attendance.

These worries are not unfounded, the Office of National Statistics have looked at adolescents and found that:

10% of teenagers are diagnosed with an emotional disorder Number of teenagers on anti-depressants is increasing Depression is more likely to occur if high stress levels are present Girls are twice as likely to suffer from depression Depression in adolescence frequently co-occurs with other disorders: • • • •

anxiety, disruptive behaviour, eating disorders, self harming,

Combine this with the way our teenagers are leading their lives; Exercise – 15 % met the daily recommended physical activity Fruit and vegetables – average intake 3 portions per day Weight - 37% are overweight or obese Smoking - one in five of those aged 16-24 smoke.

Alcohol - 29% of 15 years olds report drinking in the previous week Sleep - A quarter of secondary school children report they do not get enough sleep.

Yet it is believed that exercise improves mood, eating regular meals help lower cortisol levels (a stress hormone), and alcohol and smoking can exacerbate the stress cycle.

General recommendations for teenagers are to increase exercise, eat regular meals, eat 5-7 portions of fruit and vegetables, build in a regular sleep routine, partake in hobbies and consider meditation/mindfulness or yoga for optimising mental health. However this is easy to say but not always easy to encourage teenagers to take this advice; as they struggle

with teenage emotions, a party may always seems more appealing than a run.

The Association of Reflexologists (AoR) has been promoting the use of hand reflexology as a means of self help and have shared a few techniques for you to try on your own hands or even better still to do on your childs hand; use this time to teach them some of the points so they can work them on their own hands when anxiety and stress builds.

Reflexology works by massaging and stimulating specific points (usually on the feet or as in this case on the hands) called reflex points. These points correspond to different parts of the body. Reflexologists believe that through working these points or areas, aids relaxation and helps improve wellbeing and can help ease the stresses of modern life.

Hand reflexology is best carried out for 5 minutes a day (also when we feel pressure building up), find a time when you regularly sit down so it can be built into your daily routine.

If this is something you can do together, use the time to talk to your child, giving them a time every day when they know they have your undivided attention, and opens up a channel for communication It is easier to carry out hand reflexology using a little cream although it can be done without.

There are also some free videos produced by the AoR (visit www.aor.org.uk and click on free videos) showing a few simple sequences to help you learn.

Hand Reflexology for exam stress and adolescent tension: Perform these moves on both hands: Place your thumbs on the solar plexus reflex point which is good for calming, this is situated in the centre of the palm, take 3 deep breaths in through your nose and out through your mouth. As you breathe in push gently into the reflex point.

N.B. If you are doing this on yourself do one hand at a time Spend time massaging all over each thumb, this is the head reflex which can help ease tension, and the base of the thumb is the neck reflex to help promote relaxation Rub over the tip of each thumb, this is the brain reflex, to help calm the mind Next rub along the spine reflex to help calm the nervous system. Use one thumb to rub along the edge of the other thumb from the wrist all the way to the top, then swap hands The adrenal gland reflex is particularly good to work for anxiety. This reflex can be found easily by pinching at the base of the ‘V’ at the base of the thumb and first finger. Place your thumb and finger on the top (dorsal) and bottom 34

(palm) and squeeze gently together.

Finish with solar plexus reflex again.

Where can I find out more about reflexology?

For more information on reflexology have a look at the Association of Reflexologists website. There are interactive hand and foot maps you can look at, plus YouTube videos on how to carry out hand reflexology and plenty more useful information on Reflexology.

If you feel like trying a full Reflexology treatment, there is a ‘find a reflexologist’ search, where you can put in your postcode to find a well trained and insured reflexologist local to you at www.aor.org.uk

Jacqueline Wilson asks schools to take a big step towards girls’ education Best-selling children’s author Jacqueline Wilson has teamed up with Dr Helen Pankhurst, women’s activist and direct descendant of the leaders of the suffragette movement, to encourage UK schools to support girls’ education in developing countries.

Wilson and Pankhurst are taking part in Walk In Her Shoes, an initiative to raise awareness about the struggles faced by girls in poor communities around the world – girls who are missing out on school because they have to walk miles every day to fetch water for their families.

“Without access to water girls across the world are left with no choice,” says Dr Helen Pankhurst. “Instead of going to school, they have to spend their days walking for water.”

Walk In Her Shoes encourages schools to take part in a sponsored walk, odd shoe day or whatever imaginative idea they like, to raise funds to help girls in some of the poorest communities around the world. Funds raised can allow charity CARE International to provide access to water closer to girls’ homes, freeing them up to go to school and get the education they need to reach their potential in life.

“I’m pleased to lend my support to a campaign which aims to free girls from the same sense of domestic servitude that the suffragettes struggled against 100 years ago,” says Jacqueline Wilson.

Schools taking part in Walk In Her Shoes will be entered into a prize draw – giving primary schools the chance to win an assembly led by Jacqueline Wilson, and secondary schools the opportunity for a visit from Dr Helen Pankhurst. All schools will also be sent educational packs filled with lesson activities, fundraising ideas and tips.

To sign up, visit walkinhershoes.org.uk/ schools or contact 020 7091 6100.

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