What is the easiest way to solve the issues raised by the Childhood Obesity Strategy.

The new Childhood Obesity Strategy, which was made compulsory this term in England and is voluntary in the rest of the UK, has now been introduced by many schools, according to the latest research.

This new directive requires all primary schools in England to provide 30 minutes of physical activity on a daily basis to all children in the school, in addition to 2 hours of PE.

Research undertaken in November suggests that there are two main reasons as to why some schools have delayed implementation; these relate both to funding and to how the compulsory 30 minutes a day activity can practically be introduced into lessons.

Fortunately, since the announcement of the new strategy solutions have been found to both the issue of funding and to the issue of the practicality of introducing the activity to all pupils every day, no matter what the weather.

In terms of the funding, the PE and Sport Premium funding is being provided jointly by the Departments for Education, Health and Culture, Media and Sport, and has been allocated to heads of primary schools in England.

By way of example, the average primary school with 250 children will receive £18,500 Obesity Strategy funding this academic year.  The release is in tranches with the 1st  7/12ths already taking place in November and the 2nd 5/12ths in May.  As for the additional activity, there are a growing range of resources that can be used in class as part of each lesson.  This means that children don’t require specialist PE activities each day nor do they have to go outside; the funding can instead be used to provide resources to use in the classroom as part of their lessons.

The government has also confirmed that these activities within lessons are to be counted as physical activity – which is extremely helpful during the winter.  This also avoids putting undue pressure on colleagues who take PE lessons.

Free trials of the lessons are available on the Free Trial Lesson page of our website. And if you have any questions please do phone 0114 2661061 or email enquiries@imoves.com.

‘IF YOU ARE NOT PART OF THE SOLUTION;  YOU ARE PART OF THE PROBLEM!’

Whilst pupils are continuously instructed not to bully, and given advice about what to do and who to tell if they are being bullied, it seems that there is much less advice for pupils who are neither the bully nor the bullied – the witnesses.

Yet, the witnesses are in perhaps the most powerful position of all when it comes to eradicating bullying, not least because their account of a situation is likely to be unbiased and can put ‘he said, she said, he did, she did’ situations to rest.

With this in mind, we are giving away a copy of one of the assembly stories from the volume, More Brilliant Stories for Assemblies, which touches on said theme.

In short: Ranpresh is terrified of ‘The Gang’ and gets attacked on the way home from school. Hannah is a witness but she is afraid to do anything about it. At last she finds the courage to be part of the solution rather than being part of the problem.

CLICK HERE to get a FREE COPY of the assembly story: THE WITNESS  

For more information or to order More Brilliant Stories for Assemblies for £17.99 as a printed book, £12.99 as an e-book, or both for £21.89, please visit: www.brilliantpublications.co.uk/book/more-brilliant-stories-for-assemblies-248

Alternatively, you can place an order:

  • over the phone on 01449 766629
  • by email to orders@tradecounter.co.uk
  • by fax on 01449 767122
  • by post to Brilliant Publications, Mendlesham Industrial Estate, Norwich Road, Mendlesham, Suffolk, IP14 5ND.

Debate Chamber 2018

Debate chamber

Debate Chamber courses offer students the opportunity to find out more about some fascinating subjects, prepare for university applications, meet like-minded peers and get to grips with some tough intellectual challenges.

In addition to our usual summer schools, we are pleased to announce a small number of one- and two-day courses, taking place in late February 2018. These will cover some of the most popular subject options, and offer a chance for students to get a taste of their chosen discipline in advance of our main summer school programme.

Click on the individual event details below for details and to book your place:

PPE (Philosophy, Politics and Economics) Weekend – 24th – 25th February

Medicine Weekend – 24th – 25th February

History Masterclass – 24th February

Mathematics Masterclass – 24th February

Physics Masterclass – 25th February

International Relations Masterclass – 25th February

English Literature Masterclass – 25th February

Practical Details

These courses are all suitable for students aged 15-18, and will be held at Student Central, University of London, Bloomsbury Campus.

You can find full details of all our courses – schedules, costs, student reviews and tutors at www.debatechamber.com.

There is a limited amount of bursary funding available for students who would otherwise have financial difficulty in attending – please see our here for details.

To book a place on any course please visit www.debatechamber.com call us on 0845 519 4827, or email info@debatechamber.com. Places will be allocated on a first come first served basis.

What are the most effective ways of addressing the underachievement of boys?

There is a significant amount of evidence concerning the various ways in which different schools have looked at addressing the problem of the underachievement of boys.

Curiously the research finds that some of the more popular approaches to dealing with this problem are actually among the least effective.

Certainly many teachers would agree where the problems lie, with issues such as male learning styles, and the whole issue of boys’ participation in education.

There are also such areas as addressing literacy concerns, a male-inclusive classroom, and the importance of creating a whole-school strategy.

It is with these concerns in mind that the one day evidence based experiential workshop “The Boy Problem: Raising boys’ achievement” which can take place in your school at a time to suite you and your colleagues.

This three hour course was described as An engaging and thought-provoking session that was a great way to start the new academic year” by  Bob Owers, Headteacher, Churston Ferrers Grammar School, Brixham, Devon in September 2017

There are more details about the course on our website at The Boy Problem: Raising Boys Achievement

For more information or to discuss a booking, you can contact Liam by email at liam@mengage.co.uk or by phone on 07788725318.

Alternatively, you can visit our website at www.mengage.co.uk to see what else we offer with regards to mental health and accredited mentoring.

FREE SITE SURVEY to see if your school is overpaying for the upkeep of its CCTV system

90% of secondary schools have a CCTV system, yet a high proportion of schools are paying £7K+ a year on the support and maintenance of an analogue CCTV system or CCTV using an early IP type system, when they needn’t have to.

Which is why, if you believe that your school might be overpaying for the support and maintenance of its current CCTV system, Gaia Security would love to undertake a FREE SITE SURVEY to a) confirm or deny your suspicion, and b) to see if a CCTV system upgrade would cost the same or less to maintain than what you are currently paying.

To discuss your current CCTV maintenance and support contract with a member of our team, and/or to book a FREE SITE SURVEY, please do get in touch by:

Alternatively, you can visit our website for more information.

If you’re wondering how an upgraded system could potentially cost the same or less than your current system, the answer is: due to advancements in technology. Indeed, due to advancements in technology, some CCTV system maintenance can be carried out remotely and CCTV hardware costs less now than it once did.

Creatures we can’t understand doing things we can just about fathom

A young girl giant strolling across the sky saw an orange and decided to lick it.  She found it was nice and so licked it more and more, and gradually she began to lick the orange away.

Slowly she ate more and more of it, until her father saw what she was doing and said, “You mustn’t eat that in daytime.  All the little people on the world below use that orange as a way of staying warm.  Put it back at once.”

The young giant was unhappy to have caused a problem, and besides she didn’t like to be told off by her dad.  But she couldn’t put the orange back because she had already licked some of it.  So she asked her dad to help.

“Come on,” said the giant dad, seeing his daughter was worried.  “We can put it back bit by bit, so those funny little people on the planet will hardly notice.

For the next five minutes the giant and his daughter rebuilt the orange bit by bit until it was back to the round orange that it was before.

When the job was done the giant and his daughter looked at the orange giving out its light for the little people below, and they were happy that the problem had been resolved.  “Now promise me you won’t do that again,” said the giant, and his daughter agreed.

“And one more thing, go and tell all your brothers and sisters about this and make them promise that they won’t ever lick the orange in the sky.”

Dutifully the giant’s daughter did this, and eventually she told everyone except one of her brothers as he was away on holiday.  He never got the message not to eat the big orange in the sky, and two years later he came back and the problem started again.

Of course, that story isn’t a classic myth but it has some of the basic ingredients of something taken from our life and then creatures we can’t understand doing very human like things while living up in the sky (or sometimes underground).

Myths and legends are part of our heritage; tales of strange creatures doing human like things.  Which is why we have produced the book Understanding Myths and Legends containing 27 stories from countries around the World.  Stories that can be used to support topic work in history and RE or used as part of a unit of work in literacy.

For more information or to order Understanding Myths and Legends for £19.99 as a printed book, £12.99 as an e-pdf, or both for £24.19, please visit:

 https://www.brilliantpublications.co.uk/book/understanding-myths-and-legends-415

Alternatively, you can place an order:

  • over the phone on 01449 766629
  • by email to orders@tradecounter.co.uk
  • by fax on 01449 767122
  • by post to Brilliant Publications, Mendlesham Industrial Estate, Norwich Road, Mendlesham, Suffolk, IP14 5ND.

French Theatre Fun! Pinot The Musical 2018 Tour!

We have exciting news for you about Pinot! The Musical.

Following its four star run at the New Wimbledon Studios in 2017, Pinot! The Musical is going on tour in 2018!

PINOT! THE MUSICAL 2018 TOUR

04 MAY SOUTHEND PALACE THEATRE TBC shortly on www.singinfrench.com
09 – 11 MAY BATTLE MEMORIAL HALL E-MAIL info@singinfrench.com
15 – 25 MAY NEW WIMBLEDON STUDIO THEATRE 0844 871 7646 | atgtickets.com/Wimbledon

TICKETS & TOUR DATES

SOUTHEND PALACE THEATRE – 600 seats

FRIDAY 04 MAY – 13:30

BOOK TICKETS: TBC

600 seats @£5.00 per seat (all seats payable at the same rate whether pupil or adult)

BATTLE MEMORIAL HALL – 220 seats per performance

WEDNESDAY 09 MAY – 10:30 (SOLD OUT) and 13:30 (SOLD OUT)

THURSDAY 10 MAY – 13:30

FRIDAY 11 MAY – 10:30 and 13:30

School groups pay £12.00 per pupil place (1 adult free with every 10 pupils)

BOOK TICKETS: E-MAIL info@singinfrench.com

NEW WIMBLEDON STUDIO THEATRE – 80 seats per performance

TUESDAY 15 – FRIDAY 25 MAY

Monday – Friday 10:30, 13:30

Full Price: £14. Concession: £13. Family Ticket (Book in 4s): £12.00. Under 16: £12.

Schools: e-mail info@singinfrench.com if you have any queries.

BOOK TICKETS: 0844 871 7646 | atgtickets.com/Wimbledon

ABOUT

Set in Paris, the story of Pinot! The Musical follows the adventures of Pinot, a young Russian cyclist with a dream – to win the Tour de France! Follow him and his Cossack dancing friends on their thrilling journey! On his way, Pinot meets colourful characters, including a beggar and a bag lady and a clumsy policeman who keeps chasing him. He wins over two rival gangs, procures a racing bike, endures a spell in jail and undergoes gruelling training – learning French along the way! The show’s catchy songs make learning French easy for children of all ages – and you won’t be able to resist singing along!

The story is told in English and there are four English songs in addition to the French songs. French song topics include: the days of the week, the alphabet, the numbers, or the months of the year. The show is designed for anyone with an interest in French, to brush up their skills or learn a few basics from scratch – while having a great time singing along!

The one hour show is written and produced by Marie Atallah, whose inspiration for Pinot! The Musical came from the belief that learning languages enriches lives and should be fun.

The international cast, whose credits include West End theatre shows, international and UK tours and TV and feature film appearances, are led by directors and choreographers Deborah Swain and recent RADA graduate Adrian Klein.

The 2017 run was praised by critics: ★★★★ ‘Teaches basic French in a fun way’ (Musical Theatre Review), and received phenomenal feedback from schools: ‘Beautifully produced, perfect for our age group’ (Willington School), ‘By far the best theatre production for children in terms of language learning’ (Hollymount School).

If you have any queries at all about the above please email info@singinfrench.com asap.   Based on our 2017 experience, we expect shows to book up very quickly.

 

What is the biggest mistake most students make, when applying for a job or a course?

One of the biggest problems teenagers face as they prepare to leave school is that they think they know how the world works.  And when it comes to the issue of what employers and universities are looking for, unfortunately their thinking can be flawed.

As a result, the way in which the applicant presents him/herself is one which can lead to rejection.  But then, instead of correcting their approach, applicants may come to see the problem as resting with the universities and employers – so they still don’t change.

At the heart of the matter is what are often called “emotional and social competencies” – more commonly known as “people skills”.  Many employers have come to realise that generally only about one third of the difference between an excellent employee and an average employee relates to technical skills and cognitive ability.

The rest of the difference between a highly effective employee and an average employee comes in the form of these emotional and social competencies.

Which raises the question: how can we show students who are starting on the journey to employment, what employers are looking for?  In effect, how can they express their social and emotional competencies to those who might give them a job?

The first step must be for the student to understand his/her own social and emotional competencies. Which is why Belbin has produced GetSet – a way of helping students find out about themselves in relation to what employers tend to look for.

Belbin GetSet is a set of questionnaires that school students can complete online and which generate a detailed set of reports revealing the student’s strengths.  As a result, the students can best present themselves in applications to higher education and to employers.

To find out more, and to arrange for one or more students to take the online test and receive a full report, please do visit our website where you will find full details.  Or if you have any questions, please email getset@belbin.com or phone 01223 264975.

There is one issue that is at the very heart of most job applications. 

 Unfortunately, most students don’t know what it is.

Many young people preparing to enter a workplace for the first time assume they know which skills and attributes employers are looking for.   Unfortunately, in making this assumption, those young people make a grave mistake.

As a result, the way in which the applicant presents him/herself is one which is likely to lead to a rejection.  As a result, applicants can come to see employers as out of touch with the modern world, while the employers see applicants as out of touch with the needs of business.

At the heart of the matter is what are often called “emotional and social competencies”; what are more commonly known as “people skills”.  For many employers have come to realise that generally only about one third of the difference between an excellent employee and an average employee relates to technical skills and cognitive ability.

The rest of the difference between a highly effective employee and an average employee comes in the form of these emotional and social competencies.

Which raises the question, how can we show students who are starting on the journey to employment, what employers are looking for?  In effect, how can they express their social and emotional competencies to those who might give them a job?

The first step must be for the student to understand his/her own social and emotional competencies. Which is why Belbin has produced GetSet – a way of helping students find out about themselves in relation to what employers tend to look for.

GetSet is a set of questionnaires that school students can complete on-line and which generate a detailed set of reports revealing the student’s strengths.  As a result, the students can best present themselves in applications to higher education and to employers.

To help you see how GetSet works, we are happy to offer you or one of your students the chance to take the GetSet questionnaire yourself at no cost or obligation. Then if you feel it would be helpful, you can arrange for the questionnaire to be made available to those students whom you nominate.

To find out more, and to arrange for one or more students to take the on line test and receive a full report, please do visit our website where you will find full details.

Or if you have any questions, please email getset@belbin.com or phone 01223 264975.

What is the most effective way of ensuring that the children at your nursery are getting the most out of their learning?

Information overload is experienced by everyone and can lead to forgetfulness, confusion and misunderstandings, among a few. But information overload is perhaps more of an issue for young children, not least because they lack a knowledge-base which aids the understanding of a new topic or concept.

With this in mind, it is important for children to regularly revise their new-found knowledge, which is something that can be achieved through creative activities. And this is why we have produced: Creative Activities for the Early Years. 

Creative Activities for the Early Years contains a wealth of creative activities covering a number of themes, such as The Sea, Autumn, Night-time, Rain, Insects, Clocks, and the Farmyard. So when the children at your nursery return from a trip to the farm, their new knowledge can be confirmed and any misunderstanding can be brought to your attention.

What’s more, this resource is not only an effective tool for revision, but is also a great way to introduce new topics and concepts, and can be used as a reference for activity ideas to celebrate Christmas, Easter, Halloween, Valentine’s Day and Chinese New Year.

For more information or to order Creative Activities for the Early Years for £17.99 as a printed book, £12.99 as an e-pdf, or both for £21.89, please visit:

http://www.brilliantpublications.co.uk/book/creative-activities-for-the-early-years-64

Alternatively, you can place an order:

  • over the phone on 01449 766629
  • by email to orders@tradecounter.co.uk
  • by fax on 01449 767122
  • by post to Brilliant Publications, Mendlesham Industrial Estate, Norwich Road, Mendlesham, Suffolk, IP14 5ND.

The advantage of live performance: MACBETH and ROMEO AND JULIET

Here’s what just a few students have to say about Fred Theatre’s current touring production of A CHRISTMAS CAROL:

It was real wonderful thank you (smiley face) (Elisha, year 10)

The happy vibe and great actors/actresses! (Emily, year 10)

The superb acting, everything was excellent, I enjoyed this performance (thumbs up, smiley face)(Baker, year 11)

After the Christmas break, Fred Theatre is touring with two Shakespearean classics, MACBETH and ROMEO AND JULIET, and we’re confident both shows will get an equally great response.

Our 90 minute adaptations are fresh and exciting re-tellings of familiar and much-loved stories. Each features a cast of six professional actors, and we concentrate on the text and producing a faithful representation of the original—just a little shorter!

Both productions can be performed in your school, all we need is a space approximately 5m x 5m with room for the audience.

To find out more, simply e-mail Helen in our office, helen@fred-theatre.co.uk, or call us on 01789 777612. We’ll collect a few details from you and respond with potential dates and a quote.

Both shows also have in-theatre public performances. We are at:

The Cockpit, Marylebone, LONDON 20-21 February

The Bear Pit, STRATFORD-UPON-AVON, 5-9 February

Helen can provide more information on these performances, or you can reserve tickets with the venues.

We look forward to hearing from you. In the meantime…

Fred Fact #2

Every student at a Fred Theatre schools’ performance receives their own copy of the programme for the show as well as a feedback card. Once we’ve had a look through the cards, we return these to schools so you may use them as a tool in class when discussing the play and/or the production.

Fred Theatre Limited

classic drama, contemporary theatre

www.fred-theatre.co.uk

 

Alleviating pupils’ social, emotional, behaviour and mental health issues.

Detailed results of a large study available for primary school staff for the first time

The outcomes of over 46,000 observations by parents and referrers (mostly teachers) are being published in detail on 12th December in the International Journal of Play and Creative Arts Therapies Research.  These are based upon a quantified clinical evidence base (CEB) related to a standardised model of play therapy.

The overall conclusion is that 77% to 84% of children show a positive change after receiving therapy provided according to the standards of the Register of Play and Creative Arts Therapists accredited by the Professional Standards Authority. The amount of change varies according to gender, age, presenting condition, severity of the issue and country. As an example, when the population of children with a greater severity of a particular problem was examined, 93% observed by referrers and 87% by parents showed a positive change.

The CEB enables many factors to be analysed with confidence for the first time, some of which have been demonstrated in the paper. Answers on the effectiveness of play therapy, for a specific presenting condition such as relationship and attachment problems, anger management, loss and bereavement, ADHD, ASD anxiety and some 40 others can now be obtained.  These include the creative arts media chosen by the children, the number of sessions and client attributes as well as the outcomes themselves.

If you would like a copy of the paper or the results for a specific condition email Jeff Thomas, Registrar Play Therapy UK: jefferyht@majemail.com