Pupils

How to encourage vulnerable children to engage in education

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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?

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5 ways to support a child involved in county lines

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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.

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How to build effective relationships with students

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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.

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A way to support pathological demand avoidance (PDA)

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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?

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What to do if you are worried about your students

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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.

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3 Tips when supporting transgender students in school

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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.

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5 ways a pastoral wraparound approach can help those with mental health issues

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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.

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Why Tracking Students’ Progress Remotely Is Vital

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Tracking students’ progress, whether during physical classes or remote classes, is vital for determining their potential and how effective learning and teaching methods have been for them. Tracking students’ progress is not only important for teachers but also vital for students themselves and their parents.

Furthermore, numerous other reasons make it important for educators and teachers to keep a track of a student’s progress remotely. Here are the various other reasons that make tracking students’ progress remotely important.

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Why early intervention leads to better results

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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”

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The best ways to raise students’ confidence

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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.

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Importance of positively reintegrating students back into school

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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.

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Understanding the learners with mental health needs

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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.

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Safeguarding standards need improving

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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?

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Students can benefit from online learning for recovery

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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.

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What has children’s mental health been like on return?

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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?

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It’s National Skills Day

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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.

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Rural delivery to students

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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.

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Safeguarding learners with mental health issues

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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.

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Students experiencing separation anxiety

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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.

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Separation anxiety could pose challenges for return to school

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“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.

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Why is primary education important?

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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.

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Safeguarding apprentices – what are my obligations?

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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.

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Transition to Year 7: Don’t let pupils fall behind

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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.

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Safeguarding Week: Report finds huge spike in stress and safety due to lockdown

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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).

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It’s #BestFriendsDay – a look at children’s mental health

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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.”

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Safeguarding is making teachers “feel overwhelmed & helpless”

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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?

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Do schools understand vulnerable pupils

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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?

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Why safeguarding trumps GDPR

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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?

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Coronavirus in schools: schools prepare for online classes

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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.

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Coronavirus in schools: everything you need to know

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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?

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Mental health in schools: how education can help

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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?

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Prevent: schools are ‘missing opportunity’ to address extremism

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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.

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Behaviour improvement: praise rather than punish pupils according to new research

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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?

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Teaching SEND pupils in mainstream classes

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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.

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5 simple strategies…to teach children how to spot fake news

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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.

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5 simple strategies…to encourage students to use their local library

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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.

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How to discuss violent crime in school

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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.

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5 simple strategies…to encourage gender neutrality in schools

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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.

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How trying and failing can teach students to overcome problems

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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?

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A brief guide to different learning styles

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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.

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Safeguarding: teacher and student interaction via social media

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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.

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How to stop your students from arriving late to lessons

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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?

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Educating children about drugs and addiction

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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.

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Why your school needs a craft club

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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.

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Using nature to boost academic performance

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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.

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Has racism in the classroom become more prevalent since the Brexit referendum?

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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.

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Teaching creative problem solving

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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.

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Should we document our children’s lives on social media?

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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.

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How can you help prepare students for university life?

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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.

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5 Simple strategies…to encourage reading for pleasure

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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.

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Can you stop children from adopting racist and sexist attitudes from their parents?

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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.

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The difference between game-based learning and gamification

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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.

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Should the school day start later?

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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.

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How diet can affect learning and memory

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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?

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How to engage a kinaesthetic learner

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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.

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Is the six-week summer holiday too long?

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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?

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Should students spend less time in the classroom?

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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.

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How exercise can affect a student’s academic performance

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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.

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5 ways to improve self-esteem in girls

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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.

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How to use colour in your learning

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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.

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Zzzzzzzz: Tired students, worn out grades

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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.

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5 Simple Ways to Manage Coursework

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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. 

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Seven steps to coping with stress

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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.

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Don’t like your new school or class?

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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.

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Transition from Primary to Secondary

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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.

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In-House Alternative Provisions

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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.

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Tackling gang culture in and out of school

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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.

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Introducing and implementing group work in the classroom

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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.

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Bring Your Own Device

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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.

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Hearing the Student Voice

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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.

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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.

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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.

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