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OPENING UP SCHOOLS SAFELY Many schools have benefitted in the past by letting out their facilities to the wider community, using the additional revenue raised to invest in new educational resources, buildings and site improvements But lettings are also highly time intensive and, as we return to a ‘new normal’, schools are understandably turning to lettings management solutions for support, to introduce new efficiencies and free up time for other priorities, including helping pupils catch up on what they’ve missed. With a fully managed lettings service such as BookingsGuru or a lettings management system like BookingsPlus, our software, services and experienced specialists are on hand to help power an effective and safe reopening for your school. Practical advice As a first step in restarting lettings, Government guidance suggests that outdoor activities could be a good place to start. Identifying which facilities are suitable for use — including lower-risk spaces such as outdoor MUGA’s and pitches, or areas where separate access can be provided for entrance and exit — and completing risk assessments of how the use of specific areas will affect staff, hirers and users is a crucial first step. A phased reopening beginning with outdoor spaces can also help to test the efficacy of your new procedures and protocols, providing a blueprint for rollout across the site or allowing adjustments to be made at a soft opening stage. Kajima Community is well equipped to support with this, providing expert advice and access to resources like our COVID-19 Site Risk Assessment template and sample COVID-19 Terms & Conditions. Introducing a robust COVID-19 safety plan, with more frequent cleaning, additional products and PPE provision, as well as appropriate training for staff, are both vital steps. However, schools should also be sure to outline expectations for site staff and clients. Compliance with Government guidance, asking hirers to supply a risk assessment for their own activities, restricting or prohibiting use of changing facilities and ensuring that both the school and hirers have a process in place to temporarily collect up-to-date contact details for track and trace processes should all be high on the agenda for reopening. Making sure that your teams are fully briefed with additional training on new COVID-19 protocols, introducing appropriate signage and providing sanitising stations in well-placed locations are all ways to ensure that lettings can be restarted safely and in a way that inspires confidence. Yet there is no denying that all this can be an overwhelming and logistically demanding process. That’s why with over 40 years’ combined knowledge of school lettings, Kajima Community is here to help.
Case Study: BookingsPlus Until this year, The Grange School in Hartford, Cheshire was using a basic and arduous system to manually handle bookings, invoicing and reporting before being introduced to lettings platform BookingsPlus by their new Leisure Duty Manager, who had previously used the platform to manage a portfolio of 12 venues. The system offers a simple way to centralise bookings management, o streamlining the booking and payment process for both the school and clients through its accessible online portal. For The Grange School, this freed up between 15 and 20 hours a week that can now be dedicated to other important areas of focus, including new health and safety planning. BookingsPlus also played an important part in supporting the school prepare for a soft launch and subsequent full reopening of its facilities, with easy tools for contacting and communicating with hirers on new precautions, and solutions for managing space in a COVID secure way, such as blocking out time between bookings for safe entry, exit and cleaning. Automation is key to easing the burden for schools through BookingsPlus, with invoicing, credits, marketing and communication all integrated and automatic functions within the software. An easy-to-use system not only benefits schools, but also those hiring the facilities — who themselves are navigating the impacts of COVID-19. BookingsPlus’ customer support team have been on hand throughout lockdown, helping The Grange School as it navigates the new and unique challenges of COVID-19 for its lettings business. Additional support that’s right for you BookingsPlus is a complete online software solution if you need a helping hand to manage your lettings administration. But if you’re feeling overwhelmed about re-opening your school to community lettings, Kajima Community’s BookingsGuru offering can provide you with a full marketing and administration service, enabling you to focus on the other core functions of your school. Either way, our knowledge, dedication and experience means that we can help schools restart their lettings today, for the benefit of pupils and communities now and in the future. Get in touch with us today To discuss how we can help you return to reality and get your community back together… Call: 01604 677 764 Email: community@kajima.co.uk Visit: www.kajima.co.uk/community Or LinkIn with us at /kajima-community
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Products & Services
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Final term for schools and colleges to order free period products - Nearly 40% of eligible schools and colleges have claimed their free products - phs Direct encourages remaining schools and colleges to order now - Clock is ticking for this year’s final orders Schools and colleges in England are being prompted to order their free period products now to help combat period inequality. Period product supplier phs Direct has announced that nearly 40% of eligible schools and colleges have ordered free products, funded by the Department for Education as part of the scheme to tackle period inequality. However, the clock is ticking for the remaining educational organisations to place their orders for this year’s budget allocation before the end of the autumn term. Warren Edmondson, managing director of phs Direct which is part of facilities services provider phs Group, said: “It is fantastic that nearly 40% of schools and colleges have already ordered their free period products, helping provide access to students who need it and working towards creating period equality for all. This figure is particularly encouraging since there was only a matter of weeks between the scheme launching in January and the mass closures of schools and colleges across the country. Positively, throughout lockdown significant numbers continued to order free products with many of these creating school drop-in points for collection or providing care packages for learners staying at home. “Schools and colleges who have not yet placed their orders are being encouraged to do so ahead of the deadline of the end of the autumn term. Providing free period products to students who need them is a fantastic initiative and is a major stride in the fight against period inequality. Educational organisations must now play their part in claiming their free products and getting them to the frontline, providing the free access which for some is so desperately needed.”
More than 20,000 schools and colleges in England are eligible for the DfE period products scheme, giving free and easy access to young people who need them. There is a choice of free period products available ranging from pads and tampons to environmentally-friendly pads, non-applicator and cardboard-applicator tampons as well as reusable pads and menstrual cups – all designed to reduce plastic waste and limit its environmental impact. Mr Edmondson added: “With all schools and colleges set to open in September, we expect orders to rise considerably and we are prepared for this. We are fully stocked with millions of period products just waiting to be ordered with contactless delivery. The message from us is loud and clear – order now to help ensure no young person suffers because of a lack of access to such a basic necessity as period products.” To access their free products, schools and colleges have had an activation email from phs which includes information on how to log on to the portal and order. For support, schools and colleges can get in touch with phs Direct by emailing periodproducts@phsdirect.co.uk or calling the helpline on 01827 255500. For more information, visit the period equality pages on the phs website. You can also follow @phsGroup on Twitter and phs Group on LinkedIn Release from PHS Group
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Design & Build
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Important questions you should be asking when purchasing a charging solution for your classroom If you are thinking of introducing multiple devices such as laptops, Chromebooks or tablets into the classroom, buying a trolley or cabinet to keep them safe and charged is simple, right! You couldn’t be more wrong. Over the years numerous charging solutions have flooded into the marketplace, so working out which will meet your needs and offer true value for money can be a real headache. Schools often take the easy option and buy the cheapest but as we all know; cheap is not always the best!
So before you rush off and make that mistake, here are a few points to consider: Firstly, think about how your students will use the devices. Do you need to share the devices from one classroom to another? Will the devices need to be taken outdoors? How will you keep them secure when not in use? Are students going to bring in their own devices or would loaning out laptops or tablets be better suited to your students? Give some thought to your ICT Technician, how will he/she manage updates and downloads to these devices. Will tablets need to be synchronised or do you need to add data transfer capability to network laptops? More importantly, who is going to manage these devices?
Across the marketplace there is a wide variety of solutions being offered from mobile trolleys, fixed wall cabinets, desk cabinets and self-service loan lockers. Most offer storage and charging for a range of devices and can cater for multiple devices. For loaning out devices or loaning individual charging bays there are a range of intelligent lockers that can be integrated with your library management system to loan the device similar to that of a library book. This solution can work really well in a library and with very little interaction from the library staff; students can borrow a device for a short period of time.
Once you have decided upon your preferred option, be it mobile or fixed you need obviously to set a budget. When making a decision upon spend, consider the products life cycle and longevity, do you really want to buy cheap and then buy again in a year’s time or is it better to choose a solution that can be upgraded as your needs change i.e. as you refresh your devices. Here are just a few important questions to help make your decision to buy a charging solution easier. 1. Does the laptop/tablet charging solution meet all of the British Health & Safety electrical standards and also meet HSE Safety guidelines? 2. Has the solution been tested for compliance by an independent body in the UK? Is it CE Certified? (Some trolley manufacturers self-certify). 3. Look for a solution that has safe power management as standard. Some trolleys have this as an option; safety should NEVER be an option.
4. Does the laptop/tablet trolley come with load protection (also known as ‘soft-start’ protection) as STANDARD, to ensure that it does not trip circuit breakers when it is fully loaded? 5. Does the laptop/tablet trolley have surge protection, to ensure laptops aren’t damaged by any sudden fluctuations in electricity? 6. If using a data transfer function is there additional cooling provided with the unit to prevent overheating? 7. Consider how you want to charge your devices. A great way to save time in the classroom is to purchase a solution with fully integrated charging. This means it has in-built charging leads made to match your specific make and model of device so there is no need for AC adaptors. Some integrated charging also shuts down the power after devices become fully charged to save energy and reduce carbon footprint. 8. If you need to accommodate several different devices in one trolley or cabinet or let students bring their own then choose one with easy cable management and one where AC adaptor store safely out of the way of students. Some trolleys allow you to ‘mix and match’ devices in one trolley or cabinet. 9. Look for a trolley that charges all devices simultaneously and charge in the fastest possible time. (Some trolleys use ‘round robin’ charging which only charges a few at a time or it limits the amount of charge to each device before moving on to the next). 10. When choosing a solution for tablets such as iPads ensure the solution will accommodate them in their protective cases. 11. For security choose a solution that comes fully assembled and is made of a fully welded steel chassis with no weak points such as plastic mouldings, or wooden panels or doors. 12. Some charging solutions come with enhanced security features such as built-in alarm, twin locking doors, high security keys and anti-drill locks. Additional features can include reinforced steel and anti-jemmy plates at risk points, to help combat against opportunist theft. 13. Does the laptop/tablet trolley have separate keys to unlock the front and back doors, for enhanced security and student safety? 14. Security loops to chain the trolley to the floor can give extra protection or choose a trolley with a docking station. 15. Most trolleys come with various extras ranging from built-in 7 day timers, built in printers, network connectivity and data transfer. 16. If you are thinking of automating your manual device loans then look for lockers which loan the ‘best-charged’ device and simultaneous charging. If the locker system integrates with the library management system, then it can loan the device just like a library book. 17. Lastly, before you buy ask for a demonstration or reference site.
Remember, you can spend a lot of time choosing the right devices for your school or college. So spend just a bit more deciding on how to keep them safe, secure and fully charged. Security is important as the loss of devices due to theft can be heartbreaking to both the school and the students, not to mention the loss of valuable teaching time.
Visit www.lapsafe.com for a full range of storage and charging solutions that meet all of the above criteria. There are a lot of case studies available and LapSafe® can provide reference sites upon request.
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The FLEXâ„¢ Flexible Personal Range Storage & Charging Lockers
Cost Effective Charging Trolleys & Lockers
0800 130 3456
sales@lapsafe.com
lapsafe.com
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Health & Wellbeing
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Kalmer Counselling The Global pandemic of COVID-19 has added another layer or pressure for schools to meet the mental health & emotional wellbeing of all pupils & staff. In essence we’ve all experienced a Trauma, a trauma to society, countries, communities, families & within each of us. Trauma is the response to a deeply distressing or disturbing event that overwhelms an individual's ability to cope. Our previous experiences of trauma may be triggered due to COVID-19 particularly in the most vulnerable pupils. However, even the most resilient families will have been affected as it does not discriminate. Teachers & support staff naturally become attached to, protective of, and concerned for the children/young people they educate. Today's classrooms are filled with pupils who’ve been negatively impacted by COVID-19 & who may have experienced trauma through poverty, abuse, violence, neglect, illness, death, loss and more. After a period of time, daily reminders of the struggles they face, and the human desire to support/relieve them, staff begin to suffer the symptoms of compassion fatigue (Secondary Trauma). We have developed a programme for the PSHE curriculum linked to Social and Emotional Aspects of Learning (SEAL) which will enable schools to address the emerging impact COVID-19 has had on Staff, pupils & families mental wellness & emotional wellbeing.
Set programme covers: • Managing COVID- 19 changes/Transition • Stress & Anxiety • Loss • Growth Mindset • Healing our community This is a 5-week programme, with a lesson plan for an afternoon each day, enabling you to deliver the programme over one half term. Each section will not only include activities to address the needs of pupils but also therapeutic strategies for staff wellbeing.
If you’d like to know more about our programme or service contact us on
0191 2416731
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National Special Education Campaign New provision at Homefield College Homefield College has recently opened an exciting new venture, local coffee shop Breward’s in the heart of Leicestershire. The site also has a bakery and outlet for students’ creative work. Breward’s joins existing café and sweetshop Barrow of Treats as on-site enterprises for Homefield students to gain practical work experience in a friendly and welcoming environment under the guidance of trained staff. Along with a new enterprise, the College is now offering more vocational courses including Digital Media, Motor Vehicle Care and Woodland & Construction, with Hair & Beauty coming 2021. These join existing courses in Catering, Horticulture, Small Animal Care and Woodwork. Start your journey to independence today. Homefield welcomes new students aged 16 - 25 with learning & communication disabilities and difficulties. To find out more about the college and next steps to becoming a Homefield student, book onto one of the upcoming Open Days or contact the admissions department.
At Homefield College, we empower our students to achieve their future goals. As an independent specialist college, we offer: • person-centred educational pathways • innovative learning and development programmes • vocational placements in high street settings • full and varied social opportunities You can now find us in Warwickshire too! We have recently opened a successful new campus in Nuneaton.
Join us for an upcoming Open Day to explore our college sites & learn about the Homefield experience. Sat 26 Sept & Sat 10 Oct
Sat 28 Nov
10am - 2pm
10am - 2pm
Leicestershire sites
Warwickshire site
Contact us to express your interest: www.homefieldcollege.ac.uk/OpenDays 217 Loughborough Road, Mountsorrel, Leicestershire, LE12 7AR contactus@homefieldcollege.ac.uk | 01509815696
Follow us: @HomefieldCol /HomefieldCollege Homefield College
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National Special Education Campaign
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86% of parents of autistic children felt lack of government support during lockdown After conducting a survey with 449 UK-based parents and family carers of autistic children and young people (CYP), academics from University of Bedfordshire, University College London (UCL) and University of East London (UEL) have published their findings to help policy-makers further understand how the Covid19 lockdown has effected autistic people and their families. The results from this collaborative research project have highlighted that despite the relaxed legislation on lockdown measures for autistic people – brought into effect in mid-April – 86% of participants thought that the needs of autistic people and their families were not adequately planned for or addressed by officials during the pandemic. Bedfordshire Institute for Dr Chris Papadopoulos from Bedfordshire’s Health Research, Dr Georgia Pavlopoulou of UCL’s Institute of Education and Dr Rebecca Wood from UEL wanted to understand how the coronavirus pandemic, the Coronavirus Act (2020) and the lockdown had impacted on families of autistic CYP, particularly in relation to their caregiving experiences and wellbeing. They also wanted to consider if parents’ very conceptualisation of care and support (once removed) had somehow shifted and had caused them to re-evaluate their needs and rights. Although many of the 449 participants said that they often struggled to access public services even before lockdown and felt that social distancing was already ‘the norm’ for them, due to negative reactions, rejection and stigma they often face in public, 70% still reported that their daily routines had significantly changed since the pandemic began. Whilst 58% of participants confirmed they still had access to at least one type of specialist support during lockdown, the survey identified a wide range of new worries and challenges that parents and family carers faced. In particular, many experienced difficulty in communicating new behaviours, such as new hand washing techniques and social distancing, and struggled to shop for key foods that their children relied upon for regulation and wellbeing reasons. These struggles, combined with a lack of respite resources and a strong fear of becoming ill themselves – given the impact this might have on their autistic CYP – led to an increase in participant anxiety, sleep difficulties and alcohol consumption. However, many families also reported reduced anxiety and stress due to having to face less stigma and discrimination in their everyday lives whilst in lockdown, highlighting the ongoing need for public education, understanding and acceptance of autism. “We need to make sure that we listen to the voices of our participants so that in a post-Covid-19 world, we are doing much more to protect families from the preventable anxieties, social pressures and discrimination they have endured for too long,” said Dr Chris Papadopoulos, Principal Lecturer in Public Health with University of Bedfordshire’s School of Healthcare Practise.
“What is important is that we leverage our findings going forwards. Our data shows that services can learn to adapt and support carers, so further planning and consideration around service delivery methods that can remotely support disabled people and prime carers is needed. Furthermore, the government needs to request that each NHS Trust have dedicated autism leads who can help coordinate and support such pro cesses for the wider autistic community.” A positive finding was that many participants reported their children had benefitted from reduced anxieties due to them not having to attend school and that, instead, low arousal and low demand routines at home had an overall positive impact on their CYP’s wellbeing. "For many families, after some time passed to allow for transitions and new routines to settle in, the changes will have had a positive impact on their wellbeing and some will feel better than perhaps they felt before,” said Dr Georgia Pavlopoulou, Senior Teaching Fellow in Psychology and Mental Health at UCL and IAPT Module Lead at the Anna Freud Centre. “In some cases families have enjoyed unexpected freedoms by not feeling pressure to conform to pre-Covid19 world expectations. There is a lot of learning that can be had from understanding why exactly there has been some positives, and leveraging that learning to improve educational, health and social services in the future. In order to achieve this, we need to involve autistic people and their families in co-designing and co-delivering services." Dr Rebecca Wood, Senior Lecturer in Special Education at UEL, added: “These preliminary findings provide vital insights into the experiences of families of autistic children and young people during lockdown from which education, health and social service providers could draw important lessons.” Considering the results, Dr Papadopoulos, Dr Pavlopoulou and Dr Wood have provided recommendations for future policy-makers to ensure families of autistic CYP feel confident in the level of support available to them during future public health crises. These include the representation of a diversity of voices in the decision-making process, to make sure that the needs and rights of autistic people and their families are taken into account from the beginning. The full report, including these key learnings and expert recommendations for future planning, can be read online via the UCL Discovery website: https://discovery.ucl.ac.uk/id/eprint/10101297/ Those interested in learning more about how the autistic community and their families have been coping during Covid19 can download The Autism Podcast, a monthly community show co-hosted by Dr Chris Papadopoulos for the London Autism Group Charity Release from University of Bedfordshire
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HOW CAN WE HELP EASE THE TRANSITION BETWEEN HOME AND SCHOOL? play to help Many psychologists are calling for a ‘period of play’ children find their academic feet; allowing students to reengage their social skills and express their emotions more fluidly. Play can be described as a powerful device; not only for relieving back to school anxiety, but for the everyday nurturing of students mental and physical health. One of the most powerful ways to put play first is to create a dedicated space for it. A space that’s separate from the playground and the classroom, and one that’s been specially designed to focus on emotions, calming, and exploration – a Multi-Sensory Room. Sensory rooms are the perfect third space between play and learning for schools. They’re filled with purposely designed gadgets, aids and elements that help children understand themselves and their emotions. Sensory rooms represent a calming and controlled environment that’s safe for children to explore how they’re feeling; it’s neither over or under stimulating, giving them the perfect opportunity to focus on the present. TYPICAL MULTI-SENSORY ROOMS INCLUDE: Mood Lighting: Sight is one our most active senses. Changes in the level and colour of light can easily affect our mood, making lighting an important element of a multi-sensory room. Bubble Columns, Fibre Optics, Solar Projectors and even Colour Changing Eggs can create a wonderful sensory aesthetic to any room.
Comfortable Seating: Sensory rooms are made for relaxation, so we make sure each space is filled with cosy seating. From squishy beanbags to weighted calming Sensit chairs, there are lots of options available. Tactile Gadgets: Whether we’re exploring handheld tactile resources or relaxing in the comfort of a weighted blanket; becoming more familiar with our bodies is an important part of a multi-sensory room. Even if you don’t have the space to create a designated sensory room, incorporating sensory elements into day to day school life will help relieve the burden of back to school anxiety. Calming Weighted Lap Pads will help students sit for longer periods of time; Sensory Hut’s provide the perfect pop-up sensory experience; and handy Sensory Fidget Kits will give distracted fingers the perfect treat to help wandering minds concentrate. There There’s a lot that we can do to battle the back to school blues; it makes sense that sensory is the best place to start!
For more information: Telephone: 01270 766660 Email: sales@rhinouk.com Website: www.rhinouk.com
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Health Education Recruitment
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Independent Education Recruitment
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NEOMA Business School opens the first virtual campus in Europe NEOMA Business School is now the first school in Europe to open a 100% digital campus, developed in partnership with Laval Virtual. The purpose of the digital campus is to create the interactions and atmosphere of a real campus, guaranteeing the most authentic and gratifying academic experience possible from a remote location. A new 100% virtual campus closely mirroring a real campus “Distance learning through Zoom and videoconferences cannot replace the invaluable contributions of in-class experience. This new virtual campus is midway between these two formats and combines the advantages of digital and physical pedagogic approaches by having them work off each other” says Delphine Manceau, dean of NEOMA Business School Through the use of a personalised avatar, students can study and progress in this new space as if they were on a real campus. Once connected, they can access a virtual building to take their courses, meet with a work group, or even attend a conference. As well as this, the school’s services ecosystem, which includes the Talent & Career Centre, the Wellness Centre, the library, and the incubators, can also be accessed on the virtual campus. An environment that preserves collaborative work and discussion
Accessible twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week, this new digital campus will also host seminars and meetings. It can also be used as a collaborative workspace to facilitate discussion between members of the NEOMA community - students, professors and employees. This new digital campus creates a sense of closeness, encourages natural reflexes in group situations and recreates the spontaneous atmosphere that is lacking from videoconference platforms. “The avatar reworks the concept of telepresence by avoiding the tiring aspects of videoconferences. You can open a door, raise your hand, sit down, applaud or even play football on the football pitch. There are many different features that are based on daily, physical gestures and movements, which make the experience natural and enjoyable.” says Alain Goudey, director of NEOMA’s Digital Transformation. The new digital campus had initially been set up for international students who were unable to make it to one of NEOMA’s three physical campuses at NEOM the start of the academic year and it will soon be expanded for everyone’s use. This campus stands as an innovation unprecedented in Europe for its scale and importance in the world of educational technologies, which ultimately shows NEOMA’s commitment to innovative pedagogy through the invention of a new learning environment that blends in-class and distance formats. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7zA0hS3X50Q&feature=youtu.be Release from BlueSky Education
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Learning Outside the Classroom
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SCHOOL VISITS TO GODSTONE FARM Where we have 40 glorious years experience!
40 years ago Godstone Farm opened its doors as an educational farm for school children and over the years it has developed into the farm you see today. With all these years behind us delivering fantastic learning experiences, we are sure everyone, including children, teachers and helpers, will thoroughly enjoy their visit and have a positive learning outside the classroom experience. Our schools program has been specially designed to complement the Statutory framework for the Early Years Foundation Stages & Key Stages 1 & 2 programmes of study that you are covering in the classroom mixed in with a whole heap of fun. Our structured school visits include: • • • • • •
Entrance to the farm for the whole day A morning of activities with one of our dedicated schools team An afternoon of free time to explore the farm One free adult per 5 children Free parking and ample coach parking A picnic barn for lunch
Activities to choose from include: • • • • • • • • •
NEW for 2020: Pond Dipping Tractor Ride Meet the Animals Pig Feeding Horse and Pony Talk Farm Animal Talks Food (April-July, recommended for Year 2 plus) Duck Feeding and Talk Mini Beasts
We’ve also launched a brand new website where you can download resources for continuing the farm fun when back in the classroom. We offer a wide range of fun and educational worksheets from Early Years up to Key Stage 2. With all this wholesome fun packed in we’re confident our school trips offer one of the best value for money days out in the South East. We are super easy to access, being just a stones throw from the M25 at J6, making travel from Surrey, Sussex, Kent and London hassle free. In 2020 school visits cost just £8.76 per child (Inc. VAT) and remember there’s an adult goes FREE for every 5 children. We also offer excellent rates for nurseries, fun days and other groups including those with special education needs. Call us on 01883 742546 or email us at havefun@godstonefarm.co.uk to chat with a friendly member of the team.
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‘Engaging’, ‘brilliant’ and ‘fantastic’: just three of the words teachers have used to describe their school trip experiences at the LEGOLAND® Windsor Resort. The LEGOLAND® Windsor Resort’s ethos is all about allowing pupils of all ages to engage and explore through creative and imaginative play. The Resort’s offer of theme park rides and attractions combined with interactive educational workshops makes it a strong contender for school teachers seeking somewhere engaging to take a school trip. The resort is an exciting venue for learning outside the classroom and most suitable for Key Stage 1 to Key Stage 4 pupils – although there are experiences available for pre-school and younger school pupils (particularly in the DUPLO® Valley area where children can enjoy Brickville, where the landscape is designed for exploring and playing). Schools can use a National Curriculum Map to navigate their way around the resort, making sure they tie in all of their learning objectives whilst they enjoy over 55 rides and attractions. Other top attractions for visiting school groups at the LEGOLAND® Windsor Resort include Miniland, where model scenes feature nearly 40 million LEGO® Bricks, and the LEGO® 4D Movie Theatre – a 4D film with wind, snow, fire and lighting effects. A LEGO® Brick Submarine underwater adventure ride is also bound to attract the attention of pupils, so don’t miss experiencing the Atlantis Submarine Voyage.
Educational offerings Pupils visiting the park can also partake in one of 12 curriculum focused workshops where hands-on learning is key. All of the workshops are led by the LEGO® Education Academy Certified Education Team. This means that all workshops are finely tuned to complement the National Curriculum – with a LEGO® twist. Pupils can learn about STEM, English, Art, Geography and History to name but a few. The LEGOLAND® Windsor Resort also provides a number of resources on its website to help teachers prepare for their school trip. Teachers can download permission slips to send home to parents and access a Risk Assessment form. There is also information regarding Teacher to Student Ratios and Ride Height & Age Restrictions to assist in pre-planning for the day.
What’s in store for pupils? English, Geography History, Histor Business Studies and the STEM subjects (Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths) will be covered in the 12 National Curriculum workshops available to school groups next year. New will be the LEGO® EcoPower workshop, available to Key Stage 1 and 2 pupils. This workshop ties in to Science and Geography. At 45 minutes long, pupils will explore the benefits and negatives of renewable and non-renewable energy sources. Pupils will then get to build a LEGO® Wind Turbine which when activated will actually create electricity!
Also new for 2019 is the Science of Rollercoasters workshop. Bringing Science to life, this session allows students to explore how Gravity, Friction, Air Resistance, Weight and Momentum all work together on a Rollercoaster. In groups pupils will then design and build their own LEGO Rollercoaster ensuring all forces are in balance allowing the rollercoaster to function correctly. Other examples of workshops that are suitable for Primary school pupils include: The Dragon's Tale: A Design & Technology workshop for Key Stage 1 that sees pupils design and construct a LEGO® Brick castle for Ollie the LEGOLAND® Windsor Resort Dragon! Computer Design and Control: Students will build and programme their very own interactive Robot using the state of the art LEGO® Education WeDo 2.0 Sets and Software. LEGO® Robotics: Pupils complete a series of challenges with the LEGO Education MINDSTORMS® robots. LEGO® Forces: This Science workshop investigates how forces such as Gravity and Friction can affect the movement of a Balloon Powered LEGO® model car. LEGO® Gears and Pulleys: This session focuses on how gears and pulleys work together to move objects including fairground themed LEGO® models.
LEGOLAND® Windsor Resort: Jamie Lawrence – Schools Executive
01753 626236
activelearning@legoland.co.uk www.LEGOLAND.co.uk/Schools
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