RS_Unthread_Guidance_Book_Digital

A how-to guide for teaching staff

Unthread is an app for teachers to use as a resource in classrooms, focusing on fashion and its impact on the environment, in a fun and engaging way.

This guidance book will take you through the different aspects of the app, both for teachers and students. Examples are shown throughout, alongside detailed instructions, to allow you to feel confident in integrating Unthread into your teaching.

Lesson Planning Signing Up

04 06

For Teachers

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Home

Tasks

Class

Settings

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For Students

Home

Tasks

Closing Statement Contact Information Important Notes

Resources

Profile

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Lesson Planning There are a wide range of different benefits that can be gained from integrating Unthread into your lesson plans. These pages summarise the benefits, and offer advice regarding how to use Unthread in your classroom, in order to allow the students to benefit as much as possible.

You will have additional time This is a luxury in teaching - using this resource reduces the time taken to plan lessons, allowing you more time for other important jobs like marking. Because the tasks and resources are pre-programmed into the app, and are updated frequently with additional work, it is unlikely that you will run out of lesson topics. The bulk of the planning work is done for you - all that’s left to decide is what topic the students will learn about in that session!

You can meet objectives English, Maths, and Science are woven into various activities on the app. This is to ensure that the students are practicing their core skills at the same time as learning about fashion and sustainability. By doing this, Unthread creates a holistic learning environment, integrating different subjects in one place, whilst offering you the ability to keep a record of students’ progress.

You are in control The structure of Unthread gives teachers the authority to set and hide tasks as and when it is appropriate. The time scale for completion is also completely up to you. You are able to check the progress of the students in your class, and the areas that they find challenging, as well as their personal profile, to ensure that they are using the app responsibly and appropriately.

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Lesson Planning Using Unthread as part of lesson planning is a simple process. The main bulk of the work is deciding what topic the students will learn about, and setting a relevant task. This process is explained in detail below. You are able to refer back to this at any time, and practice the steps, to improve your confidence in using the app.

Choosing a topic There are a growing number of available topics to choose from on Unthread, including: different types of pollution, ethics and equality, and the United Nations. These are all related to fashion, and can be found under the ‘Tasks’ section. Because of this, you can choose a topic that is relevant to other areas of the curriculum. This feature allows you to still have control over the lesson, with minimal planning!

Setting a task After deciding on a topic for the session, there are a number of tasks to choose from, within that topic. They may include: match up tasks, math-related games, spelling and word memorisation, as well as other activities with Unthread’s characters, designed to make learning fun! You are able to set these tasks for your class at any time, and choose a time frame for completion. This process is explained in more detail in the ‘Tasks’ section of this book.

Monitoring progress As the students in your class begin to complete the tasks that have been set, you are able to monitor their progress in real-time, see what they are picking up easily, or what they are struggling with. Again, this is documented in more detail under the ‘Class’ section of this book. Progress monitoring will allow you to see if any intervention is needed early on.

Signing Up (Teachers) The signing up process for teachers is simple and intuitive. It requires just a few pieces of information. This can be done by each teacher individually, or in bulk by a member of the school’s administration team. The following information is needed: Teacher’s Name (including the teacher’s title, first name, and surname) Teacher’s School Email Address (this is where a confirmation email is sent) Teacher’s Class Name (a unique and secure PIN will be created using this information) Password As well as the three pieces of information, detailed above, for privacy and security reasons, each teacher will need a password for their account. This is to ensure that other people, or students, are not able to access the teacher functions of Unthread.

If the account is created by a school administrator, they will need to inform each teacher of the chosen password, which can be changed at any time to something more memorable.

Re-registering As classes change yearly, teacher accounts will need to re-register a new class PIN each year. This can be done at the end of the academic year, or just before the beginning of the new academic year in September. An email reminder will be sent with instructions.

By re-registering, a new class PIN will be generated, which allows students to access the ‘class’. Changing this PIN every year means that classes are secure, and older students cannot still access previous year’s classes. Students will keep their account, and will move to the new class via the PIN, to ensure that progress reports are still available.

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Signing Up (Teachers)

Once the app has loaded there will be two options: log in or sign up. Click ‘sign up’.

The ‘sign up’ screen will show on the device.

Fill in the relevant information.

Ensure that all of the information is correct before submitting, as this cannot be altered.

Make a note of the password chosen for future reference, as this will be input every time the app is used.

Copy the confirmation code sent to the email address, and paste it into the app. This is a layer of security.

You will be asked to log in using the information that was used during the sign up process.

Signing Up (Students) The signing up process for students is also very simple. It requires only a few pieces of information. This can be done by each student individually (this is recommended, as it reduces the workload for staff), or all at once by a teacher, or member of the school’s administration team. The following information is needed: Student’s Name (first name and surname, in the appropriate case) Student’s Date of Birth (to differentiate between students with the same name) Class PIN (teachers can find this on their ‘Settings’ page) Password As well as the three pieces of information, detailed above, for privacy and security reasons, each student will need a password for their account. This is to ensure that other people are not able to access the student’s profile, or edit any aspect. It is advised that the teacher, or school administrator, notes down each student’s password, so that if a student is locked out, they can be reminded of the password.

Re-registering Students will not be required to re-register each year. Instead, they will be asked to amend their class, using their new teacher’s class PIN. This PIN can be found on the teacher’s ‘Settings’ page on Unthread, after they have re-registered.

Amending the class PIN on their ‘Profile’ will allow students to access the new ‘class’.

Changing this PIN every year means that classes are secure, and older students cannot still access previous year’s classes. Students will keep their account, and will move to the new class via the PIN, to ensure that progress reports are still available.

An email reminder will be sent to teachers, along with ‘moving class’ instructions.

Signing Up (Students)

Once the app has loaded there will be two options: log in or sign up. Students should click ‘sign up’.

The ‘sign up’ screen will show on the device.

Students fill in the relevant information.

Ensure that all of the information is correct before submitting, as this cannot be altered without permission.

Note the passwords chosen by students for future reference, as this will be input every time the app is used.

Students will be prompted to confirm the class PIN. Ensure this is correct before they submit.

Students will be asked to log in using the information that was used during the sign up process.

For Teachers: Home Page

This section will take you through the app’s landing page: ‘Home’. The ‘Home’ page can be navigated back to at any time, by pressing ‘Home’ on the bar at the bottom of the screen.

There are a variety of sections on this area of the app: Fun Fact Friday, News & New Features, Weekly Success Stories, and Special Mentions. These are updated frequently, to inform you of any new tasks or resources that have been released. It is also a great way to see how other students are enjoying using the app!

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Home Updated on a weekly basis, your ‘Home’ page is the main area for all Unthread news and updates. These pages explain the four main areas,their purpose, and how you can get involved with your students.

Fun Fact Friday This area is updated on Fridays, and is a great conversation starter for you and your students. There are usually three main headings within in this area: a fact about the fashion industry, a fact about pollution, and a new term. Asking students their opinions on these facts can get them warmed up and ready for the lesson!

News & New Features Any updates or news stories can be found here. Examples of different information that can appear here are: design competitions, new topic launches, and workshops or events. It is advised that this area is checked regularly, each time Unthread is used, so that you can stay up to date with the platform.

Weekly Success Stories Here, you will be able to read success stories from schools who are using Unthread. This is a great way to get your students excited about learning: if they work well, they could feature on the home page! Historical stories can be seen if this area is clicked on.

Special Mentions Each week, one or two ‘Special Mentions’ are published for schools who are using Unthread for the first time. This is a great way to encourage students to work hard.

Contact Us We love to see what the students have been getting up to! If you would like to submit any stories, please send them to: info@unthreadforschools.co.uk

Home

Fun Fact Friday is updated every week.

Students can see this page, so it is a great conversation starter.

News & New Features is where you can see any planned updates or competitions for the students.

Each week, there will be a Weekly Success Story.

Clicking on the section will show previous week’s stories.

You can submit Special Mentions to our email address. To see previous mentions, simply click on the section.

Your ‘Home’ will look similar to the image above. There are four main sections of the home page that are updated weekly.

The key sections are: Fun Fact Friday, News & New Features, Weekly Success Stories, and Special Mentions. You can send submissions to these different sections using Unthread’s email address.

For Teachers: Tasks Page

This section will take you through the place where your class’s activities are set and monitored. The ‘Tasks’ page can be navigated back to at any time, by pressing ‘Tasks’ on the bar at the bottom of the screen.

The ‘Tasks’ section of Unthread allows you to set new activities for your class, and monitor what tasks are currently live, at any time.

As the teacher, you will also have the authority set resources, which further enhance learning.

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Tasks Tasks and Resources work in tandem to enhance your students’ learning. You are able to set Tasks and release Resources separately, or at the same time. This is completely up to you.

Tasks Overview There are a range of different topics for Tasks, that are updated frequently. To ensure that you always have access to the latest version of Unthread, turn on automatic app updates for tablets and computers.

Setting Tasks Before choosing a Task, you will select a topic. This is a simple way of categorising different activities, that can fit well into the rest of the curriculum. After selecting a topic, you will see a screen that is divided into Tasks and Resources. The Tasks are split into further categories: spelling, maths, reading, match up, and bingo. Again, these are updated and added to frequently. Clicking ‘Set New Task’ at the top of the screen will show all available Tasks (in orange). Select a Task or Resource, set a completion date, and it will be live.

Setting Resources Resources give students extra context behind Tasks. They consist of clearly laid-out information, along with infographics and tables, for ease of reading and understanding.

It is recommended that students read through the Resources before completing Tasks; however, this is, again, up to you. Unthread is a resource to use in lessons in a way you think works best for your students.

If students complete a Task before the rest of the class, it is a good idea to ask them to re-read the Resource, or offer to release a new Resource for them to read. This creates time for information re-iteration, and offers space for additional learning.

Tasks

After clicking on the ‘Tasks’ tab at the bottom of the screen, you will see the page, above, appear.

From here, you can click on a specific topic.

Tasks and Resources are shown once a topic has been selected. In green are Tasks and Resources that have been set. Ones in orange are available.

You will be able to navigate around the ‘Tasks’ section easily, by clicking on the return button at the top of the screen at any time.

After selecting a topic and task, you will be shown a task overview, the topic, the task type, and the set and completion dates.

Clicking the ‘set new task’ button on the topic page (here, water pollution) will show available tasks in orange. Simply click a task and set a completion date.

Once a task has successfully been set, the screen above will show. You can return to the main ‘Tasks’ screen by clicking the blue button, or tab at the bottom.

For Teachers: Class Page

This section will walk through all of the available functions related to your class. The ‘Class’ page can be navigated back to at any time, by pressing ‘Class’ on the bar at the bottom of the screen.

On this area of Unthread, you will be able to: see the students who are currently enrolled in your class, accept or decline new join requests, and monitor the progress of each student.

The ‘Class’ page is an important area to monitor frequently.

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Class Class Overview To view every student that is enrolled in your Unthread class, click on the ‘Class’ tab at the bottom of the screen. You will see a list of all students that have joined, and been approved by you, using the class PIN. Student Profiles It is important to keep track of your students’ progress. On Unthread, this is very simple. To view a specific student’s profile page, click on their name on the class list.

You will then be shown the following details: the student’s name, their date of birth, their current working grade, their target working grade, and the percentage of tasks that have been completed.

Unthread calculates each student’s current grade automatically, from the tasks that have been completed. A target, or ‘aspirational’, grade is created using historical data from tasks that have been completed, as well. This process removes multiple admin tasks, related to the student’s progress reports. It is easy to view and track who is on, above, or below, target. Grades are not visible to students from their accounts, but you are welcome to share these details if you wish.

New Member Requests By clicking on the ‘New Member Requests’ button at the top of the screen, you will see a list of students who have input your class PIN in order to join the class. To the left, there is a green ‘Approve’ button, and to the right is a red ‘Decline’ button.

Simply click on the correct button to the left or right of the student’s name to either accept or deny their joining request.

If a mistake is made, this can be rectified by clicking the yellow button on the right.

This will immediately undo the action; you will be able to accept or deny the request.

Class

Your ‘Class’ screen will show all students that are currently enrolled in your Unthread class, via your class PIN. They are organised by surname.

Clicking on a student’s name will bring up their profile, including their date of birth, current grade, target grade, and current task completion.

The student profiles allow you to see who is working at, or above, their target grade, and who needs further help. You can also monitor task progress.

Clicking the ‘new member requests’ button will show students that are trying to join with the class PIN. You can accept or decline these requests.

Once approved, the page above will appear on your screen. If the student has been accepted in error, you can undo this, clicking the button at the top.

If declined, the page above will appear on your screen. If the student has been declined in error, you can undo this, by clicking the button at the top.

For Teachers: Settings Page

This section will show you how to navigate around the ‘Settings’ page on the app. The ‘Settings’ page can be navigated back to at any time, by pressing ‘Settings’ on the bar at the bottom of the screen.

Accessing this page will allow you to view a range of important pieces of information, including: your teacher profile (character and name), and your class’s unique PIN. Understanding how this page works, and becoming familiar with the layout, will improve your confidence when using the app.

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Settings Main Page The main ‘Settings’ page is the hub for all information related to your profile and your class. There are three buttons that can be clicked on this page: ‘Reveal Class PIN’, ‘Show My Profile’, and ‘Change Password’. These are explained below.

Reveal Class PIN When clicking on this button, the class PIN will show on the screen immediately. Students use this PIN to join your online ‘class’. Because of this, there is a warning in orange next to the button, informing you that only those who are authorised to see the PIN (school staff and your class) should be able to see your screen. This is so that unauthorised people cannot attempt to access the Unthread class. This PIN is unique to you and your class, and, therefore, changes each year after you have re-registered.

Show My Profile To view your registered name, email address, and class, you can click this button.

Here, you are also able to edit your details. Any edits will need to be approved by the school’s ‘senior contact’, which means that an email verification code will be sent (in a similar way to the signing up process), and you will need to confirm this code on the Unthread app, before changes can be made.

Annual re-registering also takes place in this section. Instructions will be sent to you and your school via email, prior to the re-registering process.

Change My Password If you need to amend your password, you can do this in your profile. Again, a change needs to be authorised by the ‘senior contact’ via an email verification code. It is advised that you make a note of your password, as changing it frequently may be time-consuming, depending on the level of work your ‘senior contact’ has.

Settings

The main ‘Settings’ page has the following buttons: ‘Reveal Class PIN’, ‘Show My Profile’, and ‘Change Password’.

Next to each button is a short description to remind you of the page that each button will lead you to, as well as a reminder about keeping the PIN secure.

Once you have clicked on the ‘Reveal Class PIN’ button, the PIN will be shown immediately. This PIN is for school staff and your students only.

Your profile includes your name, email address, and class. You are able to edit these details at any time by clicking the ‘Edit Details or Re-register’ button.

Re-registering occurs once a year, with instructions sent to your email address.

Editing details requires a verification code, emailed to the ‘senior contact’.

Like editing details, changing your password requires authorisation from the school’s ‘senior contact’ via a verification code sent by email.

For Students: Home Page

This section will take you through the students’ ‘Home’ page on the app. The ‘Home’ page can be navigated back to at any time, by pressing ‘Home’ on the bar at the bottom of the screen.

This page will look the same for students as it does for you. It includes the following sections that are frequently updated: Fun Fact Friday, News & New Features, Weekly Success Stories, and Special Mentions.

Teachers can submit stories for this page through the email address.

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Home Like on the teachers’ accounts, the ‘Home’ page for students is the main area for all Unthread news and updates. These pages reiterate the four main areas,their purpose, and explain how students can get involved.

Fun Fact Friday Updated every Friday, this area is the place where interesting facts and new terms can be discovered by students. There are usually three main headings within in this area: a fact about the fashion industry, a fact about pollution, and a new term. A great tip is to ask students for their opinions on these facts, so that they are eased into the lesson.

We also welcome suggestions from students about fun facts, or new words, they have recently been taught. During the week, the Unthread team reads through these submissions, checks the validity, and decides what will be listed that week. These can be sent to our email address: info@unthreadforschools.co.uk News & New Features In this section, students can get involved in competitions, like new character design competitions. It is advised that this area is checked regularly for any updates.

Weekly Success Stories Here, students will be able to read success stories from schools who are using Unthread.

This is a great way for students to get excited about learning: if they work well, they could feature on the home page! Historical stories can be seen if this area is clicked on.

Special Mentions Each week, one or two ‘Special Mentions’ are published for schools who are using Unthread for the first time. We welcome submissions for this area, too!

Home

Fun Fact Friday is updated every week.

Giving students time to read these can prepare them for the lesson!

News & New Features is where students can see any planned updates or upcoming competitions.

Each week, there will be a Weekly Success Story.

Clicking on the section will show previous week’s stories.

Special Mentions can be submitted to our email address. To see previous mentions, simply click on the section.

Students’ ‘Home’ will look similar to the image above. There are four main sections of the home page that are updated weekly.

These sections include: Fun Fact Friday, News & New Features, Weekly Success Stories, Special Mentions. Teachers are able to send submissions using Unthread’s email address, shown on the ‘Home’ page.

For Students: Tasks Page

This section will walk you through navigating around the students’ ‘Tasks’ page on the app. The ‘Tasks’ page can be navigated back to at any time, by pressing ‘Tasks’ on the bar at the bottom of the screen.

This page looks a little different for the students, as they do not have the authority to set their own tasks.

Instead, they are shown what tasks have currently been set for them, along with important information, such as the date set, progress percentage, and completion date.

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Tasks Tasks and Resources work in tandem to enhance students’ learning. They can be set separately, or at the same time. This is completely up to you.

Tasks Overview There are a range of different topics for Tasks, that are updated frequently. To ensure that students always have access to the latest version of Unthread, turn on automatic app updates for tablets and computers.

Accessing Tasks Students can access the set Tasks by clicking on the ‘Tasks’ button at the bottom of the screen. Immediately, the screen will display each activity that has been set, along with the current completion score. This enables students to easily keep track of their progress. The set and completion dates are also listed here.

Completing Tasks To access a Task, students simply need to click on the title, as this acts as a button. The activity can be navigated through using the arrow buttons towards the bottom of the screen. Each question, or part of the Task, is shown on a separate screen, so that students can focus on one part at a time.

After completing each page, a correct or incorrect screen will show. The latter screen includes the option for the student to re-try the question. After all questions have been answered, the student will see the ‘completion’ screen, along with the Unthread characters.

Tasks

Students can navigate to the ‘Tasks’ section, by clicking on the button at the bottom of the screen at any time.

The main ‘Tasks’ screen will immediately show, giving students the ability to see what the set Tasks are, the important dates, and progress status.

With guidance from the teacher, the student can select that lesson’s set Task from the list. Tasks go live for students as soon as the teacher sets them.

Clicking on a Task will reveal the information for the Task that has been set by the teacher, and then the questions. The student will begin to answer one by one.

Answering a question correctly will allow the student to move on. If it is answered incorrectly, they will be offered the chance to amend their answer.

Once completed, the student will see a ‘completion screen’, including the Unthread characters.

For Students: Resources Page

This section will show you the structure of the students’ ‘Resources’ page on the app. The ‘Resources’ page can be navigated back to at any time, by pressing ‘Resources’ on the bar at the bottom of the screen.

Extra resources are available for students on this page if they need further guidance when completing tasks, or if they have finished a task, and would like to remain occupied whilst the rest of the class is completing the task. These resources can be added by you via the ‘Tasks’ page.

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Resources This page explains in further detail the Resources that can be set for students. This information can enhance students’ learning, either before, or after completing Tasks.

Resources Overview There are a range of different topics for Resources, that are updated frequently. To ensure that students always have access to the latest version of Unthread, turn on automatic app updates for tablets and computers.

Accessing Resources Students can access the set Resources by clicking on the ‘Resources’ button at the bottom of the screen. After clicking on this button, the screen will display each Resource that has been set. They are split into the following categories: ‘New’, ‘In Progress’, and ‘Complete’. This enables students to easily keep track of their progress.

Students are welcome to re-visit Resources as many times as needed.

Completing Resources To view a Resource, students simply need to click on the title, as this acts as a button.

For ease of reading and understanding, the specific Resource is shown one page at a time. Students can navigate through the pages, using the arrows at the bottom.

After all of the Resource has been read, the student will see the ‘completion’ screen, along with the Unthread characters. They will also have the opportunity to re-read the material, to consolidate their learning, or self-test.

Resources

Students can navigate to the ‘Resources’ section, by clicking on the button at the bottom of the screen at any time.

The initial ‘Resources’ page will show, allowing students to see what Resources their teacher has set for them.

With guidance from the teacher, the student can select a Resource for the lesson. Resources go live for students as soon as the teacher sets them.

Clicking on a Resource will reveal the first page of the Resource that has been set by the teacher. The student will begin to read through the material.

The student is able to navigate through the set Resource, using the forwards and backwards arrows at the bottom of the page.

Once the Resource has been fully read, the student will see a ‘completion screen’, including the Unthread characters.

For Students: Profile Page

This section will walk you through navigating around the students’ ‘Profile’ page on the app. The ‘Profile’ page can be navigated back to at any time, by pressing ‘Profile’ on the bar at the bottom of the screen.

Here, the students can add some personality to their profile, by choosing one of Unthread’s characters as their icon, and adding some of their hobbies and interests.

Under the ‘Class’ page, these profiles can be seen and monitored by you.

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Profile The ‘Profile’ section of the students’ accounts is similar to the ‘Settings’ page that is viewable when logged in as a teacher. Here, students can amend their profile image (chosen from one of the six Unthread characters), as well as their hobbies and interests.

Profile Image To make their accounts more personal, students are able to choose an Unthread character to use as the display picture on their profile. This is allocated at sign-up, and can be changed under the ‘Profile’ page.

Hobbies and Interests Students can list a few different hobbies and interests on their profile to further personalise their account. These options are pre-programmed into the app, and can be selected by clicking on the button.

Safety and Monitoring To avoid students becoming distracted by their profile during lessons, there is a limit of three amendments per year, for both the profile image, and hobbies and interests.

Any amendments after this will not be allowed, unless overridden by you. If this occurs, an automated email will be sent to your registered email address informing you of the student that would like to make changes, and what those changes are. You are able to approve or decline the student’s amendments.

The hobbies and interests are pre-programmed into Unthread, instead of a text input section. This is to avoid the possibility of any inappropriate words, phrases, or comments being listed here.

Profile

The students’ ‘Profiles’ can be reached by clicking the ‘Profile’ button at the bottom of the screen at any point.

Here, students can look at their current details (chosen character icon, hobbies, and interests), and amend them if they wish.

Clicking on the character icon will bring up all six Unthread characters on the screen. These are used as the students profile image.

The student can change their chosen character by selecting a different one.

A ‘success’ screen will show once the change has been made.

After navigating back to the main ‘Profile’ page via the button at the top or bottom of the screen, students can amend their hobbies and interests.

These are pre-set, to avoid the possibility of any inappropriate inputs.

Again, a ‘success’ screen will show if the student makes any amendments.

Closing Statement

Unthread is made up of a team of people who are passionate about fashion, the environment, and the next generation of change-makers.

We aim to equip students with the skills, knowledge, and confidence to stand up for the planet, and make informed purchasing choices.

By using Unthread in your school, we hope that your students are given a well-rounded sustainability and environmental education that feeds into all areas of the curriculum.

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Contact Information

We have taken many steps to ensure that the information in this guidance book is helpful and accurate.

However, if you believe that something is not right, or needs further clarification, we are always open to feedback. If you would like to get in contact with us, please do so in writing, via email.

If you would like to submit comments, our contact details are available in this section. Our team will work hard to respond in a timely manner.

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Contact Information

Information Accuracy editor@unthreadforschools.co.uk Design and Layout design@unthreadforschools.co.uk Accessibility accessibility@unthreadforschools.co.uk Safety Concerns safeguarding@unthreadforschools.co.uk General Enquiries info@unthreadforschools.co.uk

Important Notes

We understand that this can be a lot of information for you to take in. This is why we have dedicated a few pages of this guidance book to writing important notes.

Maybe you will use this space to note down your class PIN? Maybe you can add reminders of how to navigate sections that you have found a little trickier than others?

It’s completely up to you. This is a space for you to note down, or draw, whatever you find useful!

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Important Notes

Important Notes

Important Notes