LIVERPOOL-BASED HONEY POT DAY NURSERIES TO OPEN A NEW SITE FOLLOWING SIGNIFICANT FUNDING FROM SANTANDER

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Liverpool-based Honey Pot Day Nurseries, which currently runs four highly successful nurseries in the city, has acquired its fifth site following significant funding from Santander Business Banking.

 

Established in 2007 by husband and wife team Julie and Tony Hurst, Honey Pot remains a family run business, with both their daughters, Jenna and Melissa, involved in the day-to-day running of the nurseries. The company currently has nurseries located in Garston, Aigburth and Childwall in South Liverpool, and Bebington on the Wirral. All four are graded Outstanding by Ofsted.

 

With its four current nurseries at full capacity, the funding from Santander Business Banking will enable Honey Pot to purchase its fifth site in Wavertree. The site used to be home to a Church and Presbytery. The Presbytery will be completely renovated into the day nursery. The opening of the new site in September will also enable Honey Pot to hire approximately 18 new employees, while offering a high standard of childcare for up to 91 more children in the area.

 

Julie Hurst, Co-Founder of Honey Pot Nurseries said: “We are thrilled to be able to purchase our new site in Wavertree. Opening our fifth nursery is a great milestone for our business, and it’s great to be in a position to respond to the demand for high quality childcare in and around Liverpool. The support from Santander has been exceptional and really helped us expand and invest for growth.”

 

Danielle Simpson, Relationship Director at Santander Business Banking, said: “Honey Pot is a family run business that really knows the local market. The rapid growth of the business is a testament to the hard work of Julie, Tony and their team, and we are really looking forward to seeing the success of the fifth nursery when it opens.”

Applications open for world-class summer schools

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Applications for Université Paris-Saclay’s varied summer school programme have opened.

Covering multidisciplinary fields, the courses, seminars, workshops, and hackathons are led by world-class research teams from the university.

The summer schools offer the opportunity to learn from associate professors and active researchers, access devices, laboratories, and internationally-recognised speakers in their field, and strengthen students’ experiences and professional careers.

Welcoming international students, Université Paris-Saclay encompasses many institutions and laboratories south-west of Paris. These represent over 15% of France’s research and provide education for over 65,000 graduate and postgraduate students from around the world.

Located at the heart of the French technological valley, the five summer school areas are –

  • Biodiversity, Agriculture and Food, Society and the Environment
  • Biology, Medicine, Pharmacy
  • Engineering, Information Science and Technology
  • Basic sciences; Mathematics, chemistry, physics
  • Economics and Social Sciences

For more information please see this link: https://www.universite-paris-saclay.fr/en/summer-schools

 

The Subway® brand launches new partnership with Sports for Schools

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Enabling primary school children access to inspirational athletes

 

22nd June 2017: The Subway® brand is proud to announce a new two year partnership with Sports for Schools, as it continues its commitment to encourage families and children in the UK and Republic of Ireland to get fit and active.

As the Official Sponsor of Sports for Schools, the Subway® brand will help to enable primary school children to do more physical activity whilst assisting schools in raising money for PE equipment.

Sports for Schools is a Social Enterprise that visits over 1,300 primary schools each year with over 350,000 pupils taking part in fun & exciting fitness events. Thanks to the new partnership, this is set to increase as the scheme expands in ROI.

 

The scheme gives school children direct access to extraordinary GB, ROI and NI Olympic and Paralympic athletes who run fun fitness circuits, suitable for all levels to participate in, and give motivational talks, all of which get the children (and their teachers) engaged and excited about taking part in a sport.

Some of the athletes involved in the training programme were originally inspired themselves by similar sporting events when they were younger so the partnership hopes to unlock a genuine drive for many young school children to pursue a love of sports throughout their lifetime.

 

This new partnership runs alongside the brands Subway Helping Hearts™ Family 5K Series and in-store fundraising with heart health charity Heart Research UK. Both adults and children can take part in a 5K Fun Run with all proceeds raised going towards the Helping Hearts grants scheme.

 

Sacha Clark, Marketing Director for the Subway® brand UK and Ireland commented: “We’re proud to announce our partnership with Sports for Schools and look forward to inspiring children to play more sport, as we continue to demonstrate our commitment to encouraging more families to get active together.”

 

Michel Ledzion, Chief Sportivater at Sports for Schools commented: “It’s great to welcome the Subway® brand in supporting our mission to put physical activity on a par with numeracy and literacy in primary schools, and we look forward to working with them on a number of exciting new initiatives over the coming years.”

 

For more information about the Subway® brand please visit www.subway.com. For further media enquiries please contact: The Subway® stores Press Office team at Good Relations on subway@goodrelations.co.uk / +44 (0)207 932 3686.

 

For more information about Sports for Schools please visit www.sportsforschools.org. For further media enquiries please contact Francesca Laughton, on francesca.laughton@sportsforschools.org / +44 (0)1223 792202.

 

Standing up for creativity in rural communities

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Rural communities face social, geographic and economic challenges that mean people have limited access to professional arts. Pioneering the way forward and setting about to make the arts accessible to all, rural arts charity Settle Stories in the Yorkshire Dales has announced exciting plans. This summer they will run an accessible Summer School and an Arts Freedom Pass for 16-25 year olds.

In rural areas, deprivation is less visible and income and opportunity is reduced. There are often higher levels of fuel poverty, poor access to public transport coupled with distances to urban centres and places of work. Access to local services is far more difficult. In most rural areas there is deprivation caused by a lack of access to services. This of course applies to the arts, especially if there are more practical priorities to consider, the arts often fall to the wayside.

Taking part in the arts gives us a sense of purpose and belonging that roots us. This supports good mental health and wellbeing. It makes us happy. This is critical for all. Established in 2010, Settle Stories works to produce high quality arts in their rural community. The charity has thrived and grown and has a core following with adult audiences. Work is now underway to ensure that the work is accessible to younger audiences. The future attendees of the arts.

Sita Brand, Director of the organisation explains why this is so important:

‘Everybody should have access to great arts. We are particularly interested in engaging families and young people, showing them the power and joy of the arts. Research proves that access to culture in earlier years results in arts participation in adult life. It is critical to engage younger audiences. The question was, how do we achieve this?’

The charity has now launched their Arts Freedom Pass, giving 16-25 year olds access to public performances for just £1. In addition they are running a Creative Summer School for children 8+ over 10 days in July. At just £75 a week, this is highly affordable and days are facilitated by leading artists from a range of creative backgrounds. Furthermore Settle Stories are working closely with the Children & Families Service with their local authority to offer free places to families on lower incomes.

Find out more about Settle Stories work with young people. Visit www.settlestories.org.uk

 

Essential Seminar Announced – Collaborative Thinking: Counter-Terrorism for Professionals

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A one-day seminar focused on counter-terrorism strategies for professionals is to take place on Thursday 5 October, in a Central London location. The day will feature expert speakers including Stuart Hyde QPM, Former Chief Constable of Cumbria Constabulary, who led on the Derrick Bird shooting incident, and former senior police officers, Rob Hoblin and Mark Corder, who are specialists in active shooters.

This interactive workshop will help organisations prepare against the threat of terrorism in a safe and educational environment.

 

  • Discover security essentials for your business; take corporate responsibility for terrorism risks
  • Receive practical advice and support from those with real world experience
  • Protect your employees and visitors; fulfil health and safety duties

 

The event will cover all aspects of counter-terrorism for businesses. With the horror of the UK’s recent terror attacks front of mind, this event will look at protection challenges for those running large venues as well as small operations. A panel of security experts will address the key challenges facing professionals in today’s volatile world, uncovering some of the often-overlooked resilience measures which businesses can implement to stay one step ahead of threats.

 

The recent high profile attacks on the Promenade Des Anglais in Nice, the Christmas Market in Berlin, Westminster Bridge and London Bridge in London, have brought the threat of vehicle attacks into sharp focus. This subject will be covered during the seminar, as well as how to deal with active shooters and knife attacks, and how to return to a state of normality after a major incident.

 

Aimed at any professional that has an interest in protecting office or retail environments, event spaces and tourist areas, this event will provide practical advice and support on physical protection, security management and operational planning.

 

Mark Walker, CEO of Cognitious Ltd, is looking forward to delivering this event on 5 October and comments: “Anyone that is responsible for employees, visitors or a building needs to be up to speed on the latest developments in security and counter-terrorism strategies. In the last decade, our business landscape has changed dramatically and we must all prepare for incidents to reduce risks and mitigate any impact if the worst should happen.”

 

Spaces for ‘Collaborative Thinking: Counter-Terrorism for Professionals’ are limited and are available for £155+VAT early bird until 05/07, £195 +VAT from 06/07 onwards.

 

To register interest in attending, please visit: https://www.cognitiousconsultancy.com/news/collaborative-thinking-seminar-counter-terrorism-professionals/

Once registration is approved, a ticket booking link will be provided. On booking confirmation, central London venue details will be shared with delegates.

 

 

Rise in young people using smartphones leads to ‘safe WiFi’ symbol awareness campaign

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SOARING smartphone use in children and a huge hike in public WiFi hotspots has led to a campaign calling on businesses to let customers know their internet is filtered for inappropriate content.

The ‘It’s Good to Know’ campaign has been launched by Friendly WiFi, the UK Government-initiated certification scheme – the only one of its kind in the world. It supports the Government’s ambition for the UK to become the world’s safest place to go online.

Friendly WiFi was initiated in July 2014 to ensure public WiFi meets minimum filtering standards, particularly in those areas where children are present.

In 2014, there were around 5.6m public WiFi hotspots in Britain and this is estimated to triple by 2018. Last year, figures showed that nearly half the population regularly use public WiFi hotspots.

Currently, it is estimated that more than half of the world’s WiFi remains unfiltered for adult content.

Venues displaying the Friendly WiFi symbol have WiFi filters which deny access to pornography and webpages known by the Internet Watch Foundation to host indecent images of children and advertisements or links to such content.

The service has already been adopted by high street giants Tesco, Starbucks and IKEA as well as hundreds of venues across the country.

Now children’s campaigners and online safety organisations are calling specifically on UK businesses who have children and families regularly using their public WiFi to show they are ‘friendly’.

Friendly WiFi director Bev Smith said: “Just looking at the three years we have been in service is to witness a huge rise in young people owning and using smartphones.

“More than 40% of children aged 5-15 own a smartphone. Ten years ago, that number was effectively zero.

“Now is the right time for all businesses which provide public WiFi to prove they take the same care for their customer’s online safety as they do for their physical wellbeing.”

Friendly WiFi was launched following a speech by then Prime Minister David Cameron to the NSPCC and in partnership with the UK Council for Child Internet Safety (UKCCIS).

NSPCC head of child online safety Claire Lilley said: “The Friendly WiFi symbol can help parents feel confident that their children are protected from harmful content when they are accessing the internet in public spaces.

“We’d encourage all business to sign up to the ‘It’s Good to Know’ campaign to give their customers the reassurance that their WiFi is safe for children to use.”

The awareness campaign will focus on the benefits to specific business sectors but also examine attitudes to public WiFi safety.

Carolyn Bunting, General Manager of Internet Matters, which helps parents keep their children safe online, said it is important that public WiFi plays a role in filtering age-appropriate content.

She said: “Children’s online safety is one of the top concerns facing parents in the digital age and we support anything which can re-enforce the steps they are taking at home to enable young people to explore the internet safely.

“We applaud the work being done by Friendly WiFi and urge businesses to heed the call and back the ‘It’s Good to Know’ campaign by making the symbol visible on their premises.”

Get involved with the campaign by using the hashtag #ItsGoodToKnow.

New resource to support food science teachers across the country

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Teachers across the UK involved in teaching the food science and technology curriculum at secondary school level can take advantage of a new resource that aims to enhance their subject and bring it to life using real-world examples.

 

Re-launched in June 2017 by the Institute of Food Science & Technology (IFST) in collaboration with teachers, Love Food Love Science shows how the scientific method works in practice using food and food related examples. Through the website teachers can access a range of resources designed for them by hands-on food scientists, which include simple explanations of key food science concepts, experiments and practicals, and a directory of other credible materials.

 

In addition, Love Food Love Science website offers teachers the opportunity to seek guidance from IFST mentors who want to inspire both the teaching staff and students about food science and technology and show how the tasks that are set at GCSE match real life circumstances and open up career prospects in this economically significant and vibrant sector.

 

IFST is committed to delivering exciting food science in the classroom within the new GCSE syllabus and using food examples in the science curricula.

 

The food and drink sector employs around 3.5m people and adds £21.5bn to the UK economy; by 2020 the sector will need over 170,000 new recruits.*

 

Professor Carol Phillips, IFST Education and Careers Committee Chair, said, ‘IFST can play a unique role in upholding the quality of food science teaching and encouraging the next generation to think about the exciting and rewarding food science careers which are on offer in our economically significant and vibrant sector.’

 

Professor Phillips added, ‘Creating classroom resources and providing food science mentors who are actively involved in the food industry helps to nurture the next generation of food sector professionals, which falls squarely into our role of safeguarding the public by promoting a strong food science and technology profession for years to come.’

 

For more information about Love Food Love Science and to access the resources, please visit www.ifst.org/lovefoodlovescience.

EXCITING EDUCATION SUPPLIER ON BOARD FOR WORLD PARA ATHLETICS CHAMPIONSHIPS

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NASUWT, the teachers’ union, has been announced as the latest national supplier of the World Para Athletics Championships London 2017.

 

The unique and exciting arrangement means thousands of pupils from across the UK will benefit from both in school activities and by experiencing the action firsthand at the Championships which take place at the London Stadium from 14 to 23 July.

The NASUWT will be supporting the official education programme of the Summer of World Athletics – Starting Blocks – which is designed to inspire, motivate and engage young people.  Starting Blocks provides free, curriculum-linked resources for teachers of pupils aged five to 14 and is available to all schools across the UK.

 

As part of the wider education programme, over 100,000 schoolchildren from across the UK will attend the World Para Athletics Championships.

 

Niels de Vos, Championship Director for the World Para Athletics Championships London 2017, said: “We are delighted to have NASUWT on board to provide this exciting package of activities for children and young people to become involved in the build up to the World Para Athletics Championships London 2017. We want as many pupils as possible to be able to come and experience the world class action taking place in their city. These initiatives all help ensure a lasting legacy from the Championships.”

 

Chris Keates, General Secretary of the NASUWT, said: “The NASUWT is proud to be supporting the Starting Blocks programme which will help further advance the goals of increasing access to sport for children.

“The Union has a long tradition of supporting and increasing access to sport for disabled and able-bodied children and young people and elevating the profile of Para athletics is hugely important.

 

“This programme will help inspire children and young people to get involved in athletics as participants and spectators and by providing creative and practical teaching resources. Starting Blocks is giving teachers invaluable support to help them motivate and encourage pupils to achieve and succeed in this area.”

 

NASUWT represents members in all sectors of education and teachers in all roles including heads and deputies. The NASUWT is the largest union representing teachers and headteachers throughout the UK. The union was previously a supporter of the successful UKA education programmes in the 2000s.

 

This year will bring together more than 3000 world-class athletes from more than 200 countries, who will compete in 30 sessions across 20 jam-packed and action-fueled days as both the World Para Athletics Championships (14-23 July) and IAAF World Championships London 2017 (04-13 August) are hosted in London for the first time ever.

Brexit uncertainty a worry for the education sector

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New research from specialist insurer, Ecclesiastical, has revealed that the impending split from Europe is the second highest concern for the education sector.

When asked how worried they were about a series of emerging risks, 39% of schools, universities and other education establishments cited leaving the European Union as a major concern, just seven per cent below the implications of new technology and above the risk of assaults on staff (37%).

Unsurprisingly, universities and business schools were the most concerned about Brexit, with fears over the impact on student numbers and cuts to EU research funding being highlighted. However, almost a quarter (23%) of all of those educational establishments surveyed were worried about the general rise in costs that may occur following the split.

Angus Roy, niche director for education at Ecclesiastical, said: “There is naturally concern in the education sector regarding the impact of Brexit. The negotiations and the Brexit strategy remain unclear, making it difficult to plan ahead and manage the associated potential risks.”

“Depending on the nature and terms of the eventual agreement with the EU, the fallout could leave many in the sector with recruitment issues, particularly if they are faced with finding replacements for EU staff who may have to leave the country. Changes to the eligibility for EU students to study here and the associated fees could seriously impact student numbers and income. Alongside this, any downturn in the UK’s economy and fears over impending change may also impact UK student applications.”

Angus added: “In particular, independent schools, which generally have a higher proportion of European students may face reductions in school admissions as families relocate to mainland Europe as a reaction to Brexit.  With so much uncertainty, it’s not surprising that Brexit is so high on the sector’s risk radar.”

Contact sports and being oversubscribed were also identified as areas for concern by around a third of those surveyed (34% and 32% respectively).

Industry immersion: teachers get hands-on experience at IBM Computing Summer School

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This July, teachers will have the chance to step out of the classroom setting and into the technology industry with the IBM Computing Summer School, which will take place 3-5 July 2017, at IBM Southbank (one of three Summer Schools that IBM is delivering this summer). The three day course, which will be delivered by IBM professionals, alongside staff from the award winning London Connected Learning Centre, is aimed at primary school teachers with a responsibility for computing in school.

Back by popular demand, teachers will be encouraged to explore effective ways to support colleagues in teaching computing; better understand the computing programmes’ attainment targets; get to grips with assessment and progression; and develop imaginative and creative ways to embed computing across the curriculum. The programme will explore the principles of computational thinking, digital literacy, online safety and information systems within real world contexts, including IBM’s commercial and social programmes.

Julia Lawrence, director, London Connected Learning Centre explained why she is looking forward to working with IBM UK this summer, “Our long-standing partnership with IBM is very significant for the CLC and the schools in which we work.  It enables us to help teachers and their students gain a deep understanding of the computing curriculum using IBM’s industry expertise.  From understanding the computer science behind the Wimbledon Championships to gaining insight into IBM Watson, schools are exploring the curriculum through transformational new technologies, making computing real and relevant to those who have to teach it.  We’re very proud of our work with IBM and look forward to delivering our fourth summer school with them this July.”

Mark Wakefield, Corporate Citizenship & Corporate Affairs Manager at IBM UK, explained why London Connected Learning Centre was the ideal partner for this event: “Education is a longstanding passion for IBM – we rely on a good supply of well-educated, digitally skilled young people entering our workforce, as do our clients. To ensure students effectively develop these skills, those teaching them need to be confident that their IT skills and training are up to date and that they are able to appropriately contextualise the subject that they are teaching. In the digital space, very few organisations have a real understanding of the pedagogy around technology; London Connected Learning Centre is the exception, they are experts in the area and simply have the educational knowledge that we don’t. Their focus is on teachers as much as students, which is crucial for us! Our relationship with London Connected Learning Centre spans over 15 years so we’ve seen first-hand how important they are as an organisation, and we trust them implicitly.”

To find out more about the IBM Computing Summer School, or reserve your space, contact Kim Morrison, kmorrison@londonclc.org.uk or call 0207 720 7514. The course requires a small £25 commitment fee to secure your place.