De-escalation Strategies: 7 Ways To Diffuse Difficult Situations
Reading time: 3 minutesEffective classroom management is a cornerstone of successful teaching, and...
Read More
Pupils
Safeguarding Policies in Alternative Provision: 3 Things The Best Educators Need to Know
Reading time: 2 minutes
Alternative provision (AP) settings often support young people with complex needs, making safeguarding a paramount consideration. While sharing many similarities with mainstream schools, the unique challenges of AP require a tailored approach.
Read More
The Power of Positive Intervention: Discover Confidence and Motivation
Reading time: 2 minutesPositive intervention in schools is a powerful tool for enhancing...
Read More
5 reasons early intervention is important for student well-being
Reading time: 3 minutes
Supporting students’ well-being is crucial if they are to have the best educational experiences and outcomes. We all know how difficult it can be to overcome mental health challenges, particularly for children in their developmental stages of life. But, we must support them as best as possible so they benefit long term.
Read More
3 reasons reading is essential for development
Reading time: 3 minutes
The pandemic caused a massive loss in learning, particularly reading. Pupil’s mental health and well-being were also impacted and improving this will still take time. It’s crucial to support children’s development and aspirations and this can be initiated by implementing fundamental reading skills.
Read More
How to offer solutions to medically absent students
Reading time: 3 minutes
Students who are medically absent or have suffered a brain injury that prohibits them from accessing mainstream education need to have a variety of options to support their education. One option is to offer online learning that can supplement their education so they don’t fall behind.
Read More
How to encourage vulnerable children to engage in education
Reading time: 2 minutes
Finding a suitable solution for vulnerable children can be a difficult route to navigate on some occasions. Certain barriers can prevent them from engaging with their education, but what if there were strategies or methods you could implement to help foster a positive learning environment and drive engagement?
Read More
5 ways to support a child involved in county lines
Reading time: 3 minutes
Safeguarding children should be of paramount importance, but spotting the signs of why a child might be in danger of being involved in county lines can be tricky.
In this blog, we’ll explore what county lines are, the dangers and what you can do to effectively support your students who desperately need support.
Read More
How to build effective relationships with students
Reading time: 3 minutes
Building meaningful relationships can play a fundamental role in ensuring a student feels more confident in their academic ability and well-being. We must find common ground with students, parents and families so everyone involved can have better experiences in education.
How can we achieve this? In this blog, we’ll delve into strategies you can look at implementing to build effective relationships with your students.
Read More
A way to support pathological demand avoidance (PDA)
Reading time: 3 minutes
Pathological demand avoidance (PDA) describes the notion of children’s reluctance to complete a task or attend school. PDA is prevalent with autistic children or those who are very pressure-sensitive or anxious.
Children with PDA may find it difficult to undertake a task, not because they do not want to, but because they find the demand overwhelming. How can we support these children and what strategies can we implement to overcome these challenges?
Read More
What to do if you are worried about your students
Reading time: 3 minutes
Caring for your students will come naturally as a teacher and you will only want the best for them and their educational experience. But, you also want to ensure that their home life is also steady so that they are safe and secure when they are not in school.
Everyone has the responsibility to safeguard a child and accommodate their needs. If you are worried about your students, for whatever reason, then you must find the core root as to why they might be behaving in a certain way or why they are absent on specific occasions.
Read More
3 Tips when supporting transgender students in school
Reading time: 3 minutes
In 2023, more young people are exploring their sexual identity than ever before. In this blog, we explore three ways in which school staff can best support transgender students and create an environment in which they feel safe, and respected and will thrive both personally and academically.
Read More
5 ways a pastoral wraparound approach can help those with mental health issues
Reading time: 3 minutes
Pastoral care is an essential part of school life and aims to meet the needs of a pupil’s happiness, safety, well-being, and ultimately future success. How a school offers this pastoral wraparound care has to be personalized to meet the individual needs of the students in their setting, however, in this article, we discuss 5 ways in which pastoral support can help those students with mental health issues.
Read More
Why early intervention leads to better results
Reading time: 3 minutes
Students can experience many challenges throughout their school life, but an early intervention could help them. Finding the right solution for them is imperative so they can work in an environment that is most suited to their needs.
The 2022 SEND Review, Right Support, Right Place, Right Time highlighted how there has been:
“A vicious cycle of late intervention, low confidence and inefficient resource allocation”
The best ways to raise students’ confidence
Reading time: 3 minutes
A lack of confidence can become a heavy weight on student performance. It makes them feel unsure about the topic at hand, prevents them from reaching their potential and leads to unnecessary stress and disruption.
Boosting student confidence can have a significant impact on a class or an individual, they are more likely to speak up and give an opinion and is well worth the effort. Here are the best ways you can help instil confidence in your students.
Create active rolls for your students
Perhaps the very best way to give your students confidence in the classroom is to have them actively involved in the learning process. Have your students take turns to lead discussions or activities, give them the freedom to share their knowledge on a subject and encourage participation from every person, and you will be surprised at the results.
Read More
Importance of positively reintegrating students back into school
Reading time: 4 minutes
Whether returning to early childhood programs or school for the first time or beginning them for the first time at all may provide additional hurdles for students, especially during times of increased stress. Adults and children feel greater anxiety because of the risk to their lives. This is an experience of communal trauma on a scale that has never been seen before. Children have simultaneously seen a rise in the stress levels of adults and the community as they have lost their routines, structures, and social networks. During this lockdown period, families have lived through various experiences. While some of these experiences may have been relatively positive, others may have experienced bereavement, ill health, elevated stress and anxiety, increased mental health difficulties, domestic abuse, or other forms of abuse.
Read More
Understanding the learners with mental health needs
Reading time: 3 minutes
Many students experience increased levels of anxiety throughout their time spent in school. Some students have to cope with the unpleasant chores of separating and individuating from their biological families.
In contrast, others may have to attend to many employment and family commitments in addition to their academic strain. You, as teachers, have a special connection with young people. As a result, you are often privy to or made aware of when kids are going through a difficult time emotionally.
This is because you have a unique relationship with them. To create a supportive learning environment, you must be aware of ways to assist both your mental health and well-being as well as that of your students. You must be able to deal with these circumstances appropriately, not only for your wellness but also for the well-being of the kids who require support.
Read More
Safeguarding standards need improving
Reading time: 4 minutes
Safeguarding procedures now must be scrutinised following several high-profile incidents. On Childhood Day, it is vital to highlight such an important issue and open a conversation discussing how the situation can improve.
There has been a significant increase in the number of incidents over the past year. A study from Tes found:
“There was a 77% increase in the number of safeguarding incidents in schools within the past 12 months.”
Why has there been an increase in the number of incidents? Have you seen an increase in the number of safeguarding incidents within your establishment?
Read More
Students can benefit from online learning for recovery
Reading time: 3 minutes
Students struggling to access mainstream education have lost an enormous amount of learning; how can those students be supported? A recent report from the Government has highlighted how educational recovery for students is an important issue that needs addressing. Read more to see the discussion of online learning and educational recovery for students.
Read More
Safeguarding importance in an ever-growing online education world
Reading time: 4 minutes
With the introduction of the digital age, online safety for children has become subject to an influx of threats from a whole host of intimidatory factors.
Read More
Masks are mandatory in school communal areas
Reading time: 2 minutes
Masks are now compulsory in school and communal areas – but could the new rule lead to further behavioural disruption.
The rules coincide with a new national lockdown in England, where non-essential businesses will close but schools will stay open.
Since schools reopened to all students in September there has been concern that behaviour had worsened. What could this mask rule mean for schools?
Read More
Hardest hit pupils can now enrol for catch-up tuition
Reading time: 2 minutes
The National Tutoring Programme for catch-up tuition begins in England next week.
The scheme is aimed at disadvantaged pupils that the Government says were hardest hit when schools closed.
“This is about levelling up those opportunities,” said Education Secretary, Gavin Williamson. How does it work? This blog post explains.
Read More
What has children’s mental health been like on return?
Reading time: 4 minutes
Everyone’s mental health has been affected during lockdown and with more students being referred to counselling services, the impact on children’s mental health should not be underestimated.
Primary and high school teachers have said children had “become more vulnerable in lockdown“, according to the BBC.
75% of mental problems in adult life (excluding dementia) start under 18. What has been the impact on children’s mental health?
Read More
It’s National Skills Day
Reading time: 2 minutes
Today is National Skills Day (#NationalSkillsDay) – an important day for building confidence and connections.
At EDClass our motto is ‘education for all’, because we believe that everyone has a skill they can showcase.
The event is part of National Careers Week. How are you planning to use and develop your skills today? Let us know in the comments below.
Read More
Rural delivery to students
Reading time: 2 minutes
Students in rural education deserve the same great opportunities as students in denser city centres and urban areas.
An article in The Atlantic calls a “divergence in fortunes” around higher education “coincided with another divergence – between growing cities and struggling rural regions.” This coincided with the rise of computers, which made certain people in the economy more productive and desirable than others. Whereas, prior to 1980, the supply of workers was a larger. In short, the rise of computers left a portion of the economy behind.
At EDClass we believe in education for all. This blog post takes a look at the support available to rural groups.
Read More
Safeguarding learners with mental health issues
Reading time: 3 minutes
Today is Suicide Prevention Day – and this year more than most, mental health has taken centre stage.
Safeguarding learners during lockdown has been a challenge – and now schools have reopened experts are predicting a surge in cases, which some teachers are finding overwhelming.
This blog post explains the challenges faced and the solutions available to safeguard mental health students.
Read More
Students experiencing separation anxiety
Reading time: 3 minutes
Separation anxiety could pose challenges for schools returning this autumn.
“It can be hard to recognise an anxiety disorder. Kids who worry are often quietly worried,” says Dr Michelle Curtin, developmental-behavioural pediatrician at Riley Hospital for Children at Indiana University Health.
What are the signs of separation anxiety disorder, why might it occur and what can be done about it? This blog post explains.
Read More
Some pupils in England need to wear face masks
Reading time: 3 minutes
The new academic year will begin in England next week – and secondary school pupils in local lockdown areas will need to wear face masks.
Across the country, headteachers will have flexibility to introduce face masks in their school.
What do you think to the new rules? Let us know in the comments below.
Read More
Separation anxiety could pose challenges for return to school
Reading time: 4 minutes
“Separation anxiety is a normal developmental phenomenon” says Judith A Crowell, professor and interim division director of adolescent psychiatry at Stony Brook University.
But with the absence of school for some pupils of over six months, separation anxiety could be on the rise when schools return in September. “I think anything that is associated with uncertainty or change has the potential to trigger anxiety in kids,” says Crowell.
This blog post takes a look at separation anxiety disorder and why it could worsen in the new academic year.
Read More
Why is primary education important?
Reading time: 3 minutes
Primary education fulfils the needs students due the first few years of school life.
It aims to ensure the development of children – in order to develop their social, cognitive, cultural, emotional and physical skills to the best of their abilities.
Primary education overall improves children’s awareness, opens opportunities and reduces inter-generational poverty. Ultimately access to higher standards of education has more of an impact on academic progress than other factors, including social/economic family background and gender.
Read More
Safeguarding apprentices – what are my obligations?
Reading time: 2 minutes
According to Apprenticeship statistics for England, in the 2017/18 academic year, 814,800 young people joined an apprenticeship scheme, nearly a quarter of whom were under 19. Any organisation educating young people under the age of 18 has statutory responsibilities under current legislation such as ‘Keeping Children in Education’ KCSIE. Your safeguarding responsibilities are no different than that of a school.
Due to their relative inexperience in the workplace apprentices may be particularly vulnerable to anxiety or struggle to cope with the transition. Systems can help staff recognise this and offer suitable support to those who need it. Organisations offering any kind of apprenticeship or traineeship to young people need to put processes in place to protect their learners.
Read More
Transition to Year 7: Don’t let pupils fall behind
Reading time: 3 minutes
The catch up process for students who have been missing from education is now underway – and focus must turn to pupils on the transition from Year 6 to Year 7.
The Telegraph has reported that “children in Year 7 might need to be retaught parts of the English and maths syllabus from their final year at primary school“.
Your tutoring is at the heart of producing a catch up programme which enables KS3 pupils reach their potential. But when should it start and what can be done to help? This blog post explains.
Read More
Safeguarding Week: Report finds huge spike in stress and safety due to lockdown
Reading time: 3 minutes
The impact of the lockdown on safeguarding is starting to show – with a number of reports showing a rise on phycological stress and safety concerns among young people.
EDLounge reported in June that schools were braced for a “tsunami of safeguarding disclosures” when schools reopened.
Safeguarding Week 2020 has taken extra significance due to the unprecedented circumstances, according to the Chair of North Yorkshire’s Safeguarding Adults Board (NYSAB).
Read More
It’s #BestFriendsDay – a look at children’s mental health
Reading time: 2 minutes
Today is #BestFriendsDay, at a time when huge numbers of young people haven’t seen their best friend in a number of weeks. Children’s mental health is in freefall as a result of the lockdown.
According to Dr Maria Loades, a clinical psychologist, says “There is evidence that it’s the duration of loneliness as opposed to the intensity which seems to have the biggest impact on depression rates in young people.”
Read More
How many primary school pupils are attending school?
Reading time: 3 minutes
Primary school pupils in England returned on Monday with social distancing and limited class sizes.
However some councils guarded against reopening – with 90% of schools in some areas remaining closed.
What are the current requirements of pupils returning? What is preventing parents sending their children back? And how can blended learning support pupils?
Read More
Safeguarding is making teachers “feel overwhelmed & helpless”
Reading time: 2 minutes
Teachers feel overwhelmed and helpless due to a large number of safeguarding concerns caused by the coronavirus pandemic.
A “tsumani of safeguarding disclosures” is feared when pupils do return to the classroom, according to one safeguarding lead. It has been reported that schools and PRUs may struggle to cope with the huge rise in cases.
When learning from home, schools remain responsible for safeguarding students. But are schools doing everything to safeguard their students and can they do more?
Read More
Is your virtual learning platform safe?
Reading time: 2 minutes
Since school closures were announced 18 March, schools have turned to various forms of virtual learning to ensure education can still be achieved.
From specialist remote learning platforms to a do-it-yourself-style teaching with help from video conference software, the difference in learning experience can be stark.
But how safe is your online teaching mechanism?
Read More
Do schools understand vulnerable pupils
Reading time: 2 minutes
It had been the case that some vulnerable pupils are deemed not suitable for mainstream classroom, relying on platforms such as EDLounge for their education.
Vulnerable children are now being encouraged to attend schools. Along with children of key workers, schools are taking in a small number of pupils. The majority stay at home isolated with their families.
But what do schools know of vulnerable pupils that have been off-site all year and how does this impact their education?
Read More
Why safeguarding trumps GDPR
Reading time: 3 minutes
Safeguarding trumps GDPR.
The General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) came into force in May 2018. Yet, there is still some confusion within education about whether it takes priority over safeguarding – leaving some vulnerable young people at risk.
According to the Government, “Information sharing is essential for effective safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people. It is a key factor identified in many serious case reviews (SCRs), where poor information sharing has resulted in missed opportunities to take action that keeps young people safe.”
But how do safeguarding and GDPR fit together? What should you do if both options contradict?
Read More
Coronavirus in schools: schools prepare for online classes
Reading time: 3 minutes
Headteachers of UK schools are preparing contingency plans for the coronavirus crisis in schools. Further closures are expected, with the impact felt around the world. The Daily Mail reported this morning that 290 million children are facing weeks at home as 13 countries have shut schools.
Iran have announced the decision to close schools until Persian New Year. This event is followed by national holidays, which means classroom will remain empty in April. This follows decisions to close schools across Italy and Japan.
Headteachers in the UK are liaising with educational professionals in the worst hit countries, with schools in Hong Kong and China currently educating students through online learning. In this blog post we’ll explain the latest on coronavirus in schools.
Read More
Coronavirus in schools: everything you need to know
Reading time: 6 minutes
The coronavirus is dominating news headlines around the world. In China alone more than 2,600 people have died, more than 30 countries have reported cases and cities in northern Italy are now in lockdown, as the crisis hit Europe this week.
As a result, Britain is finalising contingency plans. As well as warning Britons against travelling to certain places, ministers have also announced plans to test 600 people per week.
But should the education sector be preparing and adapting? What has happened already in UK schools and around the world?
Read More
Mental health in schools: how education can help
Reading time: 5 minutes
The news in recent days has been dominated by the death of Caroline Flack, with the presenter previously opening up on her battles with depression and anxieties in the public eye.
The topic has reinvigorated conversations about mental health. The issue heavily affects teenagers, with 98% of teachers and school leaders admitting to coming into contact with pupils experiencing mental health problems in 2017.
But what is the current practice for addressing mental health in schools? What else can be done?
Read More
Prevent: schools are ‘missing opportunity’ to address extremism
Reading time: 4 minutes
Some schools are missing the opportunity to address extremism, due to a minority of schools not designating incidents of bullying as racist. The report suggests that school leaders do not see extremism as relevant to their school or area.
This article explains Prevent Referral, and how it should be used when dealing with cases of extremism in schools.
Read More
Behaviour improvement: praise rather than punish pupils according to new research
Reading time: 4 minutes
Sometimes as a teacher, situations can arise where it can be difficult to determine whether to use praise or punishment to motivate pupils. But research reported in the Times today could reveal secrets to behaviour improvement.
When do you use praise and punishment to motivate pupils? Do you have examples of where praise has been effective?
Read More
EDVille: our educational games app is free for the duration of the BETT Show
Reading time: 3 minutes
Our educational games app, EDVille, is free for the duration of the BETT Show which takes place on 22-25 January 2020.
Read More
Safeguarding and disclosure in education – make the most of your training
Reading time: 2 minutes
We know that building our professional relationships with students is a cornerstone to the responses we receive from children and young people through their learning.
We also know that the reliability and trust we build with our students forms the basis of the social and emotional support we provide.
Read More
Support our children as they tackle the climate crisis
Reading time: 2 minutes
Many of you will have seen pupils participate in climate crisis strike activities last Friday, deciding to get their education that day from a source other than the classroom.
Dropping into the Sheffield rally, I remarked to myself what a live educational experience this was.
Read More
Teaching SEND pupils in mainstream classes
Reading time: 4 minutes
Managing the education of SEND pupils has always been a difficult topic.
In the past these children have been ignored, moved into specialist SEND schools, moved back into mainstream schooling with or without additional support, provided with additional funding, had funding removed, taught in isolation units or excluded altogether.
Read More
5 simple strategies…to teach children how to spot fake news
Reading time: 2 minutes
Fake news is everywhere and, if adults are susceptible, children are even more vulnerable to being hoodwinked by it.
A report delivered by the Commission on Fake News and the Teaching of Critical Literacy Skills found that half of children are worried about being unable to spot fake news while only 2% of them have the critical literacy skills to assess whether a story is fake or not.
Read More
Student activism – should it be encouraged?
Reading time: 2 minutes
The 15th of February marked a turning point in modern student activism, with an estimated 15,000 pupils skipping school to attend climate protests across the UK.
And thousands of children across the world are expected to walk out of their classrooms today to bring more attention to the global climate crisis.
Read More
5 simple strategies…to encourage students to use their local library
Reading time: 3 minutes
With the advances in technology and the capabilities that the internet has introduced, many traditional learning tools and resources have started to decrease in popularity.
As students prefer to do online research from the comfort of their room, there is a noticeable difference in approach to studying and research methods compared to 20 years ago.
Read More
Using constructive criticism to improve learning outcomes
Reading time: 2 minutes
Constructive feedback (whether formative or summative) is an important part of development, throughout different levels of education and into careers and even general life and social skills.
As a teacher, being able to provide constructive criticism is a very beneficial skill and can be very important in improving learning outcomes.
Read More
5 simple strategies….to help build emotional and academic resilience
Reading time: 2 minutes
Resilience – you might think that it’s every bit as important as academic aptitude, talent on the sports field or being an exceptionally skilled musician. But is it perhaps the most important learned characteristic of all?
Read More
How to discuss violent crime in school
Reading time: 2 minutes
Students across the UK find themselves confronted with violent crime reports and imagery every day.
Even if they don’t actively follow mainstream news, their presence on social media often results in passing knowledge of what’s going on and, equally, schools themselves are compelled to discuss crime when it becomes an issue in local areas or, indeed, with the school itself.
Read More
What can teachers do to increase the number of school leavers taking up apprenticeships?
Reading time: 2 minutes
Despite the introduction of the Apprenticeship Levy in April 2017, there have been four successive quarters of decline in the number of reported apprenticeship starts.
If all parties have a role to play in increasing the uptake of apprenticeships, what can teachers do to help facilitate this?
Read More
Can virtual classrooms offer support for students with mental health issues?
Reading time: 2 minutes
Mental health is increasingly recognised as a problem for pupils of any age. A 2015 report by the Mental Health Foundation highlighted figures from previous ONS research that suggested 10% of children and young people between 5 and 16 have a diagnosable mental health problem.
Read More
5 simple strategies…to encourage gender neutrality in schools
Reading time: 3 minutes
Gender neutrality in schools can have an impact on the wellbeing and attainment of all pupils.
The idea has shot to prominence due to press panic about the implications when, really, a growing body of experts from around the world are highlighting the benefits of gender neutrality not just on transgender pupils but on the wider student body.
Read More
How trying and failing can teach students to overcome problems
Reading time: 3 minutes
Over time there have been more than few vocal commentators who relish an opportunity to criticise the ways in which students are seemingly wrapped in cotton wool. In some environments, children are not taught about failing and every attempt to achieve is considered a success.
Yet amongst all the hyperbole and media bias, there’s an important question at the centre of it all – do they have a point? And more importantly, should we allow our children to try and fail?
Read More
Teaching children about the dangers of carrying a knife
Reading time: 2 minutes
Knife crime is endemic in the UK, with barely a week going by without another stabbing resulting in death or critical injuries.
Recent Ministry of Justice figures highlighted that, in the year to September 2017, 4,439 knife crimes were committed by a perpetrator between 10 and 17 years old with 582 of these perpetrators immediately taken into custody.
Read More
A brief guide to different learning styles
Reading time: 2 minutes
The average classroom is home to wonderfully diverse students – each with their own personality, abilities, strengths and weaknesses. Students have a variety of learning styles that influence how effectively they can understand and analyse the topic at hand.
Read More
Help your students improve their emotional and academic resilience
Reading time: 3 minutes
Emotional and academic resilience is an integral aspect of students reaching their potential. Innate talent and application can only help pupils reach their targets if resilience is built up alongside them.
Read More
How can you help overcome ethnic segregation in your school?
Reading time: 3 minutes
Last year, The Challenge published research that showed that more than 25% of primary schools and 40% of secondary schools face problems with ethnic segregation.
In response to these findings, they then set up the Equal Not Divided campaign to promote an integrated society.
Read More
Safeguarding: teacher and student interaction via social media
Reading time: 3 minutes
The majority of schools now have in place safeguarding rules for acceptable behaviour and teacher-student interaction on social media.
These focus on the safety and security of the children but sometimes don’t cover in as much detail what teachers should do to ensure that their own online interaction (even with friends and family) does not conflict with school policies.
Read More
How to stop your students from arriving late to lessons
Reading time: 3 minutes
Some of your students are arriving late to lessons. Again. You run through the usual lecture. You hear yourself repeating words you’ve said one hundred times already this term, and it’s only the end of October.
The late student misses out, you face playing catch-up with them, and your punctual students must suffer too. No one benefits from this situation. So what can you do to stop them arriving late?
Read More
Educating children about drugs and addiction
Reading time: 2 minutes
Drugs and addiction are one of the many issues that need to be addressed cooperatively between schools and parents. Without one half of that puzzle, children are more at risk of falling into dangerous patterns of behaviour.
However, in order to effectively address drug use among their students, teachers and schools must first know what they’re up against and then identify methods to educate pupils in ways that are accessible.
Read More
Why your school needs a craft club
Reading time: 2 minutes
Crafting has all kinds of mental and educational benefits. So if you want to improve your students’ behaviour, wellbeing and more, it’s time to start a craft club.
You can hardly have missed the rise in popularity of traditional activities – we have the Great British Sewing Bee, Channel 4 paying millions to take over the broadcasting of a baking show, and you probably know at least one person who knits or crochets. Crafting is big news.
Read More
How to set up a nature club at your school
Reading time: 3 minutes
Wildlife is good for us, but how do we introduce more of it into students’ lives? We look at how to set up a nature club.
Recently we discussed how nature can have a positive impact on academic performance. Just 20 minutes in a natural setting can improve kids’ mood, perception and cognitive ability.
Read More
Using nature to boost academic performance
Reading time: 2 minutes
Nature may not be a universal panacea, but it does bring a whole host of rewards. Here we look at how it might improve students’ learning achievements.
Spending time in nature has been shown to have mental and physical benefits for children and adults alike. So it’s worrying that children are spending ever less time in nature.
Read More
Has racism in the classroom become more prevalent since the Brexit referendum?
Reading time: 2 minutes
In the immediate months following the EU referendum occurrences of racially or religiously aggravated crimes soared – in July 2016 alone police witnessed a 41% increase as compared to the year before.
If racist crimes (including assault and arson) continue to take place on the streets of Britain, seemingly perpetrated by individuals against complete strangers, it’s more than relevant to question whether racism in the classroom is also on the rise.
Read More
Teaching creative problem solving
Reading time: 2 minutes
Teaching facts and concepts could be said to be relatively easy when compared to helping pupils to develop skillsets such as creativity, critical thinking and problem solving.
Students must be nurtured to become independent learners – capable and able to solve any given problem or obstacle placed before them.
Read More
Should we document our children’s lives on social media?
Reading time: 3 minutes
In 2011 Mark Zuckerberg stated that, at some point, the minimum 13 year age rule would be lowered.
55% of parents of 12-year-olds said their child was on Facebook and 76% said they helped them gain access.
Whilst, at the time, he came under fire from child safety experts for this comment, the stat above goes to show that there is a demand for this course of action.
Read More
How can you help prepare students for university life?
Reading time: 4 minutes
For many students, university life can be an experience that is both exciting and terrifying, as many young people find themselves completely unprepared for this new step in their education, both in terms of the learning style and the way of life.
Often, going to university is the first time that students have lived away from home, and the lack of parental oversight can be both liberating and a shock to the system.
Read More
5 Simple strategies…to encourage reading for pleasure
Reading time: 3 minutes
Reading for pleasure is starting to feel like a lost art. It is something that every primary school student is encouraged to do but they often find other pastimes more appealing as they grow up.
Whether this is due to lack of motivation at home or at school is often down to individual cases. Reading is an important tool for every child and adult, as it keeps the imagination active and also helps to further learning in general – deepening cognitive ability.
Read More
Can you stop children from adopting racist and sexist attitudes from their parents?
Reading time: 3 minutes
Children are easily impressionable, and the opinions of others can impact the way they see the world and the people around them.
While young children are the most impressionable, teenagers and young adults can still be influenced to behave in a certain way or to hold particular beliefs.
The question of whether or not you can prevent children from adopting beliefs like racist and sexist attitudes from their parents is one that is frequently asked, and debated.
Read More
The difference between game-based learning and gamification
Reading time: 2 minutes
How can we identify the ways in which game-based learning and gamification differ and the ways in which they share commonalities?
It seems for many in education, these two terms are frequently mixed up and used interchangeably. Let’s clearly define what each are, and how they can play an important role in the classrooms of today.
Read More
Should the school day start later?
Reading time: 3 minutes
If you’re a teacher reading this through tired eyes, the chances are that you would be thankful for an extra hour in bed.
As it turns out, it seems that your corner is being backed by a number of UK research groups who have laid the groundwork for starting the school day later. One of the most recent reports has even stated that schools should begin at 10am.
Read More
How diet can affect learning and memory
Reading time: 2 minutes
You have more than likely heard that there is a correlation between the diet of a child (and even an adult) and their ability to learn as well as retain information. In fact, it is this very correlation, along with the rise in childhood obesity, that led to many school lunches being completely revamped and made that much healthier for children.
Since then, there have been many positive effects observed – such as better concentration and improved learning abilities. But how can diet affect learning and memory, and which foods are best to eat?
Read More
How to engage a kinaesthetic learner
Reading time: 2 minutes
If you have a kinaesthetic learner in your class, gaining a solid understanding of their learning styles can be the difference between a motivated, engaged child, and a completely disinterested pupil. The latter can leave you with nothing short of a battle of wills between them and you – which isn’t helpful for anyone.
By crafting your lesson plans to allow your students to play to their learning strengths, you can establish a productive learning environment within which they can flourish.
Read More
How music can help with learning and studying
Reading time: 2 minutes
It’s common knowledge that music has amazing effects on the brain, such as altering our mood, improving our speech and even enhancing our quality of life.
Yet it’s only been recently that studies have delved into the potential effects of music on our ability to learn and study.
Read More
Is the six-week summer holiday too long?
Reading time: 3 minutes
The summer holidays are either a time that parents are excited for or one that they cannot wait to be over. For many working parents, it can be the latter as care has to be arranged during the week while they are working unless one is able to save up holiday time at work over the year.
Activities need to be planned, and friends hosted or visited. After working hard at school, the kids deserve a break, but is the six-week holiday a bit long? Should it be shortened down, or maybe even extended?
Read More
Should students spend less time in the classroom?
Reading time: 3 minutes
It has been a belief of many, for a great deal of time, that more time in the classroom means better grades.
However, this is not necessarily true, and there are plenty of examples to show that it is not true. For instance, compare private schools and state schools in the UK; as a whole, private schools have much better results compared to state schools, but they spend a lot less time in school.
Read More
How exercise can affect a student’s academic performance
Reading time: 2 minutes
You’re undoubtedly aware that exercise can have huge impacts on our general health, but what you may not realise is that physical activity can have a dramatic impact on the academic performance of students.
There is a whole host of research that shows that students who participate in an adequate amount of physical activity during the school day, perform significantly better than those who do not, with the bonus that obesity-related issues are also less likely to take root.
Read More
5 ways to improve self-esteem in girls
Reading time: 2 minutes
Marking its 30th anniversary in January, ChildLine warned that young people are “plagued by low self-esteem”, their confidence “destroyed by a constant onslaught from cyber-bullying, social media and the desire to copy celebrities as they strive to achieve the ‘perfect’ image.”
Indeed, in 2014-15 there were 35,244 counselling sessions for low self-esteem, up 9% on the previous year. Here’s how you can help.
Read More
How to use colour in your learning
Reading time: 2 minutes
Everyone is looking for a way to improve their learning – especially when it comes to remembering and recalling information. There are so many ways you can do this, with flash cards, memory games, even with friends.
However, one of the most effective ways of learning and recalling new information is with the use of colour. If you haven’t tried it yet, you should definitely give it a go.
Read More
Zzzzzzzz: Tired students, worn out grades
Reading time: 3 minutes
For any teacher who’s standing in front of a classroom of weekend weary students come Monday morning, the impact of tiredness on learning doesn’t need to be explained at length.
Yet despite lack of sleep being just about the most well understood of all lifestyle habits to affect learning, it remains an ever more concerning blight on the educational landscape.
Read More
5 Simple Ways to Manage Coursework
Reading time: 2 minutes
Coursework can be one of the most stressful parts of your education. You have a strict deadline, and a lot of work to do within that period of time. As a result, many students end up feeling stressed and overwhelmed by the workload.
Feeling overwhelmed often leads to procrastination and a lack of enthusiasm for your work. However, it does not have to be that way.
Read More
Seven steps to coping with stress
Reading time: 3 minutes
It’s no secret that students of UK schools, colleges and universities are under more pressure than ever before. The educational industry now must report back on how students are progressing at every level – and you likely feel as though you’ve never faced more exams, tests and assessments.
Against this backdrop of continual pressure, is the rise and rise of social media – with young lives now lived out on online platforms it seems there’s nowhere to hide from the burden to achieve.
Read More
Don’t like your new school or class?
Reading time: 2 minutes
Moving up a school or entering a new class is tough and, although it probably doesn’t feel like it, even the most confident, outgoing of people can feel as though they’re well out of their depth during this time.
If you’re struggling with this process, then first realise that you’re not alone. Then read on and find out how you can adapt to your new surroundings.
Read More
Transition from Primary to Secondary
Reading time: 2 minutes
For most of us, the first day in a new school was so long ago we have almost entirely forgotten the anxiety and fear of taking the leap from primary to secondary.
As each summer term draws to a close, we must try to sympathise with the children experiencing a whirlwind of emotions in order to support and guide the transition of taking the next step in their lives.
Read More
Under Pressure: Supporting Catch up Students
Reading time: < 1 minute
Last week at the Festival of Education held at Wellington College, Dame Stella Rimington, former head of MI5, ‘criticised the pressure put on children to perform in school and the rivalry this breeds between them’ (The Independent).
Read More
In-House Alternative Provisions
Reading time: 3 minutes
For pupils with emotional and behavioural issues who find they are at threat of exclusion from their school, there are now a number of in-house alternative provisions which have been set up. These look to work with pupils and parents as a support mechanism without the need to move the pupil offsite.
The initial goal is to pinpoint the central problems if not already known and to then work over a period of time with the end target being the move back into their previous ‘mainstream’ year group.
Read More
Tackling gang culture in and out of school
Reading time: 3 minutes
In previous years, gang culture was an issue which was a part of only inner-city life. Things have changed though and now schools in all environments; cities, towns and rural locations are looking to find ways to tackle gang culture. It’s an issue which can affect pupils whilst both in and out of school and whilst gang prevention work is happening, it’s more often than not a series of short term programmes rather than an ongoing realignment of the wider school environment.
Read More
Introducing and implementing group work in the classroom
Reading time: 2 minutes
Group work is an integral part of encouraging learning and motivating pupils to engage in activities which can help with the developing of thinking skills, ways of communicating and how to arrive at and make decisions. It’s an aspect of any lesson though which needs considered planning and careful facilitating to ensure that multiple factors are monitored so that pupils achieve the best outcome possible.
Read More
5 Simple Strategies…for Active Learning
Reading time: 3 minutes
Active Learning has been defined in a number of different ways, varying from specialism to specialism. It has been related to several well-known educational theories and is based on research.
So what is it?
Read More
Bring Your Own Device
Reading time: 3 minutes
For many classroom situations, students producing a phone in a lesson is obviously not required and shows that they are not engaging in the lesson itself. However, there are a number of benefits to asking them to ‘Bring Your Own Device’ (BYOD) as a way of accessing learning information and to be used as tools for engagement and increased technology awareness.
More and more schools and colleges are now setting up dedicated IT provisions so student devices will connect to the in-house network.
Read More
Hearing the Student Voice
Reading time: 2 minutes
The role of the student voice in any school is an important element. It means that those take part in some way can offer their ideas, thoughts and opinions on what matters the most. The enhancement and development of life at school should always be upper most in the objectives of any school voice project or council.
A student voice engenders empowerment, self-confidence and a feeling of self-worth in the school they attend and it offers life skill learning and community issue awareness.
Read More
Supporting Pupils with Medical Conditions
Reading time: 3 minutes
Many children experience debilitating illnesses that allow them to attend school, but find it difficult to participate fully in classroom activities such as excursions. Over one million children suffer from long term medical conditions such as asthma, heart disease, cancer, Type 1 diabetes, stroke, celiac disease and anaphylaxis.
Read More
5 Simple Strategies…to Manage Low-Level Behaviour Issues
Reading time: 3 minutes
Low-level behaviour issues are a daily occurrence in schools, with pupils causing disruptions through chair rocking, talking out of turn, note passing and pen tapping. One reason this behaviour should be taken seriously and intercepted is that ‘low-level disruption is what pupils do instead of learning’ (Bennett, 2009).
In the Continental Research Survey 2004, 71% of teachers and 62% of support staff identified constant low-level behaviour, such as chatting and leaving seats without permission, to be a factor that is most detrimental to a child’s learning. Here are our simple tips for managing this type of behaviour in the classroom.
Read More