People across Wales have until Thursday 30 November to nominate outstanding teachers in Wales for the Professional Teaching Awards Cymru and with three extra categories, there are even more opportunities to celebrate the very best in Welsh education.

Nominations have already been flooding in from across Wales for the Professional Teaching Awards Cymru 2018 but there is still one month to give an excellent educational professional the recognition they deserve. Organisers are especially looking for teachers leading the way in digital learning.

If you know a school that has made technological leaps and bounds in the past few years or months, then you can nominate them for the Best use of Digital Learning category. Judges are specifically looking for a school that is ahead of the curve and uses digital resources to fuel creativity. Whether your school is producing their own news reports, trying out the latest gadgets or exploring new programmes to help with learning, this could be the category for you.

New categories also include Outstanding New Teacher and Inspirational use of the Welsh Language and aim to celebrate staff that think outside of the box to make sure their teaching methods are innovative, stimulating and original.

Education Secretary, Kirsty Williams said: “Some truly fantastic teachers have been nominated already but we want to make sure the news of the Professional Teaching Awards Cymru reaches every corner of Wales.

“In our constantly changing environment, the use of technology is all the more important in education. Hearing that teachers are really getting under the skin of new advances and using them to inspire students is fantastic and is something we want to reward.

“If there is someone amazing that teaches your children, a member of support staff that goes the extra mile, a headteacher that is making strides for your school or a new teacher that has made a brilliant impression, take the time to nominate them and help us celebrate the very best Wales has to offer.”

To nominate a teaching professional doing great work in your area, visit: gov.wales/teachingawardscymru Nominations close 30 November 2017.

Join the conversation with #TeachingAwardsCymru  

 

 

 

The Professional Teaching Awards Cymru 2018 categories:

Supporting Teachers and Learners

School Business Manager/Bursar

Promoting Collaboration to Improve Learning Opportunities

Promoting Wellbeing, Inclusion and Relationships with the Community

Teacher of the Year

Headteacher of the Year

NEW Outstanding New Teacher

NEW Best use of Digital Learning

NEW Inspirational use of the Welsh Language

 

Teachers from primary schools across the UK joined science, nutrition and health experts at a national pupil wellbeing summit in London this week.

Hosted by Discovery Education and Alimentarium Foundation, Food For Thought saw educators and specialists meet for a day of dynamic workshops, experiments and seminars exploring healthy eating and body image in primary school age pupils.

Over 50 teachers attended the conference at London’s Coin Street Conference Centre on Tuesday 17^th October. With sessions led by nutrition experts and body image specialists, the event offered ideas, support and resources to boost pupil wellbeing.

Drawing upon the latest research into child mental health, body image specialists Nicky Hutchinson and Chris Calland showed teachers how they can help pupils feel happy in their own skin, with positive strategies to build self-esteem and confidence.

Speaker Jenny Tschiesche, also known as The Lunchbox Doctor, shared tips and tricks for teaching children about healthy eating, and highlighted the importance of building interest in nutrition at an early age.

And children’s author Chris Lloyd, best-selling author of the ‘What on Earth’ history books, explored how nutrition can be taught across the primary curriculum, with an energetic and interactive tour of food through the ages.

Sandra Bartley, a teacher at Marjorie McClure School in Chislehurst said:

“I found the day really interesting and it really made me think about how we teach children about healthy eating and body image. The practical sessions which included science experiments and a healthy lunchbox session were very useful.”

Mihaela Chowdhury, a teacher at William Morris School in Walthamstow, East London said:

“The day was absolutely amazing. The presentations and activities were really impressive and I know that my students will enjoy seeing all of this in the classroom.”

Myriam Al-Abbas from Al Sadiq and Al Zahra Schools in Brent, North London said:

“Food for Thought exceeded my expectations and inspired me to love teaching even more. I wanted to rush back to school and start planning my next lesson!”

Laura Turner Laing, Director of Educational Partnerships at Discovery Education said:

“We were delighted to welcome so many primary teachers to Food for Thought. It’s never been more important for schools to focus upon pupil wellbeing and this event was a great opportunity for teachers to share knowledge and classroom inspiration, helping them to approach these issues with confidence.”

The Food for Thought event launched a 3-year partnership between Discovery Education and Switzerland’s Alimentarium Foundation. The collaboration includes the creation of exciting new Key Stage 2 digital classroom resources – Eating, Moving and Growing – available to schools now through Discovery Education Espresso’s award-winning digital learning service.

It’s recently been confirmed in headlines, that we’re a nation of financial strugglers but instead of battening down the hatches ahead of Christmas, it would appear that parents are continuing to break the rules (fueling the unauthorised leave debate), in a bid to get more bang for their buck and share some affordable quality family time with their loved ones ahead of the pre-Christmas pinch.

 

Oliver Bell from Oliver’s Travels commented, “This is clearly a very controversial subject and with the looming threats of rising interest rates before the year is out, coupled with the ever increasing costs of living, it comes as no surprise that parents are opting to break the rules to take their children on affordable holidays before Christmas.”

 

It is unknown the percentage of bookings that have actually been signed off as authorised leave, however the award winning travel company have confirmed that 18% of all holidays reserved with them between August 2016 – August 2017 actually involved taking children on holiday during term time.

 

Julie, (mother of two) from London comments, “As a parent I believe that taking a week out during terms time will not negatively impact my son’s education. As kids, our parents used to take us out a week before the end of term and bring us back a few days after school started. If they hadn’t done this, our family would never have had a holiday. We didn’t suffer at all during this process.”

 

Oliver Bell from Oliver’s Travels concludes, “Quality family time has a profound impact on children’s mental health and their adjustment to life but the harsh reality is that 66% of us (according to a UK wide survey conducted by Oliver’s Travels) wish we had taken our kids on more holidays when they were younger but didn’t because of lack of time or money.”

 

On 9 October 2017, charity Coram Life Education, the leading provider of Personal, Social, Health and Economic (PSHE) education in one in eight UK primary schools, launches its new primary school Relationships Education programme.

The programme was developed from insight through the charity’s research with primary school head teachers, which found that two-thirds of schools need more guidance on statutory Relationships and Sex Education (RSE) requirements and a third need more help with identifying children’s RSE needs.* It will help primary schools meet their statutory requirements to deliver RSE (currently known as Sex and Relationships Education) from 2019.

Funded by specialist insurer Ecclesiastical and aligned with recommended content set by the Department for Education, the programme will be available in over 2,000 schools currently working with Coram Life Education, and accessible to all primary schools through online subscription to its ‘SCARF’ teacher resources.

The programme will be delivered to Year 1-6 (Key Stage 1 and 2) pupils with age-appropriate lesson themes reflecting the needs and requirements of young people themselves** including healthy relationships, body ownership, consent, puberty and reproduction. It comprises lesson plans identifying the key skills, attitudes and values children need to develop healthy relationships with their peers, the information they need to keep themselves safe, and how to ask for help when they need it.

Coram Life Education is proud to introduce the programme in children’s early primary school years, as evidence shows that the teaching of safety, body ownership, private parts of the body, distinguishing types of touch and types of secrets helps to protect children and may increase the likelihood of disclosure of abuse.***

The programme features:

• A range of interactive teaching materials, including sorting cards, engaging scenarios, true or false statements, storyboards and drama techniques
• A series of short training film clips to support teachers in their delivery of RSE
• An interactive booklet providing teachers with supporting guidance including how to answer difficult questions, approaches to promoting positive social norms, safeguarding and working with parents.

In addition, Coram Life Education can provide educators to lead workshops for years 4, 5 and 6, with content adapted to suit schools varying RSE needs.

In piloting the programme, one teacher commented: “It was really well suited to my class. The lesson plans were easy to follow and I liked the video clips. I would definitely use it again.”

Harriet Gill, Managing Director of Coram’s education programmes said: “When taught well by confident and trained practitioners, RSE is an enriching and engaging learning experience for children, and can contribute to building empathy, wellbeing and self-confidence.

“Our new programme has been developed in an age-appropriate way, taking account of pupils’ maturity and understanding, helping to protect children and keep them safe. We believe the programme is an important step forward in preparing children with essential skills for life and giving them the best possible chance of achieving their potential.”

Chris Pitt, corporate responsibility manager at Ecclesiastical said: “We know that the mental health and wellbeing of young people is hugely influenced by their ability to form healthy and respectful relationships. Our own research showed that two thirds of educational establishments are concerned about the mental health of pupils, with 80% saying these issues are becoming more prevalent and three quarters saying that they hinder future success.**** We are delighted to be able to play our part in helping to tackle this by funding this new programme.”

 

The Relationships Education programme is now available in over 2,000 schools currently working with Coram Life Education, reaching 200,000 pupils, and is accessible to any primary school that subscribes to ‘SCARF’, the charity’s online wellbeing resource.

To find out more and to sign up, please visit coramlifeeducation.org.uk/relationships-education.

Primary school children are being invited to put an end to the World’s Wettest School Run – and help other children get an education – through a new appeal and accompanying assembly resources from international maritime charity Sailors’ Society.

The World’s Wettest School Run Appeal aims to collect enough coins to stretch 2km when they are lined up edge to edge – the distance children at Sulangan Integrated School in the Philippines had to wade, or even swim, to school before Sailors’ Society provided them with two motorised boats.

Sailors’ Society is dedicated to supporting seafarers and their families in need around the world. It wants to raise money for its education programme to help more children in seafaring communities around the world – including another school run boat and a library boat in the Philippines, funding a school in Ghana, education grants for children whose parents are in poverty and more.

Sailors’ Society launched the appeal this week and is encouraging schools to get involved by downloading its assembly resources – a PowerPoint, video and engagement tools to tell the story of the World’s Wettest School Run and explain how seafarers transport 90 per cent of everything we use to the UK.

Sailors’ Society’s director of advocacy Melanie Warman said: “The World’s Wettest School Run shows British schoolchildren how different life can be for other children around the world.

“Through the resources, we also help children understand where most of the things they use every day – like toys, clothes and food – come from and find out how they get here.

“Children are invited to donate during the assembly, which will help other children to have a brighter future.”

The Wettest School Run video features children from Bransgore Church of England Primary School, talking about how they get to school as well as telling the story of Filipino schoolboy Ramie Aronales, who used to wade or swim before the school boat arrived.

Bransgore’s head teacher Paul Brown said: “We’re very proud of our screen stars and looking forward to showing the film during our assembly.

“We’re always looking for ways to help children gain a better awareness of the world around them and the World’s Wettest School Run helps them feel connected to their peers thousands of miles away.”

Sailors’ Society is planning to develop its school partnerships further, through competitions and twinning opportunities that will enable children to communicate with and learn from pupils elsewhere in the world.

To download the resources, go to www.sailors-society.org/schoolconnect