Primary Teacher UK

Less paperwork for school trips

Teachers will find it easier to take pupils on school trips with more help and advice, less bureaucracy and quality badges for popular destinations, according to the new 'Staying Safe' Action plan launched today.

The new guidance makes it much easier for teachers to take their pupils out of the classroom. Organisations that host school or other youth group visits such as museums, historic houses, field study centres and farms will be encouraged to qualify for quality ‘badges’, which will help teachers identify places that provide high quality learning outside of the classroom, and are managing safety effectively. This will help reduce the bureaucratic burden of risk assessment on teachers.

Ed Balls said:

“Learning outside the classroom helps pupils understand their subjects better and increases their self-confidence. School trips also help young people explore and learn about risk and how to manage it. I hope that by making it easier for teachers to take their students outside the classroom we will help a generation of pupils develop their independence and raise their attainment.

We should not let a fear of a compensation culture prevent pupils from learning outside the classroom. On school trips - as in other areas covered in our staying safe action plan - we need to help parents and teachers strike the right balance between protecting our children and allowing them the freedom to develop and enjoy childhood."

Children’s Minister Kevin Brennan said:

“If children are not safe, they cannot be happy, healthy, or reach their full potential. But we can’t wrap them up – they need to learn about taking risks so they can protect themselves.”

Tom Mullarkey, Chief Executive of the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA), said:

"This is a major step in the right direction towards simplifying regulation and reducing bureaucracy. The important thing is that children have a safe and excellent learning experience and any impediment to that objective needs to be revisited. Teachers need support and guidance, not endless, unnecessary form-filling and this initiative will be widely welcomed in staff rooms throughout the country."

The Out and About guidance on school visits will be available from May 2008 and the quality badge in September 2008.

National Schools Films Week

National Schools Film Week takes place on 15th - 19th October.  This gives school children 1,750 free screening and events in cinemas throughout the UK.  The central theme of this year's NSFW is The World We Live In.  This is reflected through a range of current and forthcoming films that focus on the environment, social and racial injustice, bullying, politics and more broadly, the world as shown from a variety of different perspectives.

With the only cost being transport to the cinema this is well worth looking into.  The website (http://www.nsfw.org/) allows you to choose your area, pick a film and book it, or you can ring NSFW booking line on 0207 439 4880.

Growing Schools Garden

The £250,000 government-funded Growing Schools Garden project which has involved 500 young people from more than 30 schools has been built with the help of garden designer, Chris Beardshaw. The garden contains 3,000 plants, many of which were grown by schools taking part in the project.

The Growing Schools Garden, launched at Hampton Court Palace Flower Show, is promoting the government's Learning Outside the Classroom Manifesto, which is intended to promote the benefits of school trips and outdoor activities.

The garden on show in Hampton Court contains examples of 11 different types of habitat, which are designed to address different parts of the curriculum - such as a dedicated "poetry garden".Designer Chris Beardshaw said that there was "no area of learning that can't be improved by being out in the fresh air, getting your hands dirty or getting closer to nature."

The Growing Schools Garden will be rebuilt at the Birmingham Botanical Gardens in spring 2008 - where it is anticipated it will be visited by 20,000 school children each year.

Your local superstore

I took my Year 6 out for another trip today - to the local ASDA superstore.  The theme of the day was planning a future career.  We started by interviewing members of staff within ASDA before coming back into the training room and presenting the information.  In the afternoon we looked at the different skills each job requires and linked that into our jobs for the future.  Finally (and this was the most exciting part for the children) we went for a walk 'behind the scenes' at ASDA including the bakery.

What was great about this trip is that it was free, in walking distance and ASDA have a number of 'themed days' for schools.  We looked at presentations and interviewing, but there was also healthy food, packaging which we could have focused on.

So if you haven't already been to your local supermarket - get in touch with the Event's Co-ordinator and pay them a visit.

Walkodile Wins

Congratulations to Elaine Stephen, a teacher at Buchanhaven Primary School in Peterhead, Aberdeenshire, who won the female innovator/inventor category and came out on top in the product developer of the year category for her Walkodile child-safety device.

Elaine was short-listed along with 13 other women in the 9^th annual British Female Inventors & Innovators Awards for 2007 at the Café Royal in London.She said:

“It’s all still a blur. I couldn’t believe that I had won, especially as the competition was so fierce. But this has been the result of five years of hard work in our efforts to have Walkodile recognised throughout the UK.  As a teacher, child safety is a subject close to my heart and I wanted to contribute something tangible to ensure children were safe and secure when out on walks from nursery or primary school.”

You can find out more about the eye-catching device which links children to a flexible central spine by harness, allowing them to walk safely together on the website.

Link: www.walkodile.com

Free for All Tour

Yesterday we went to Liverpool Cathedral to take part in the Free for All tour marking the 200th anniversary of the abolition of the slave trade. Using drama, dance, music and creative workshops, we will explore the story of the Abolitionist movement and the continuing story of slavery in the world The event encourages young people in Years 5 – 8 to engage with issues raised by the Citizenship curriculum (human rights, justice, freedom and democracy, active citizenship) and will culminate in a full scale public performance working with professional actors.

They are touring around the country so if you've not yet had the chance see if you can get involved.  There is no cost other than the transport to and from the location of the event.  Full details are available on the Free for All page, including (hopefully) pictures of our session.

You can also here interviews with some children that took part on podcast at Trax16, a monthly podcast with some of the free for all team.

Link: www.freeforalltour.info

Walkodile up for award

I've mentioned this before and think it deserves another mention with all the hard work that's been put in.  A fantastic resource for all Foundation and KS1 teachers!

A Scottish primary school teacher who launched an innovative child safety walker, has been short-listed for a major UK award. Elaine Stephen, a teacher at Buchanhaven Primary School in Peterhead, Aberdeenshire, was so passionate about child safety that she created Walkodile, an eye-catching gadget that links children to a flexible central spine by harnesses.

Now, her invention has put her in contention for the British Female Inventors & Innovators Award for 2007. Mother-of-two Elaine, whose family company, Red Island, has spent more than £150,000 on research and development costs, has been named on the shortlist for the award which will be presented at a gala dinner at the Café Royal in London on April 24.  She said:

“I am delighted to get this far in such a prestigious event. We have worked long and hard developing Walkodile and we have had a tremendous response to the product from the many nurseries and schools who have bought it and who see it as an extremely safe and must-have device.

When parents drop their children off at the school in the morning they are leaving teachers like me with the most precious things in their lives. Sometimes it is so hard to protect children because they blend in with the crowd. That’s why I invented Walkodile, in order that they will stand out and be safe and secure.”

Elaine will not know if she has won the award until after a validation process before the judges at the Department of Trade and Industry earlier on the day of the dinner.

Good luck from all here at Primary-Teacher-UK.

Link: http://www.walkodile.com/

Airtricity visits in Scotland

Education Minister Hugh Henry launched a schools education programme about wind farms at Stanley Primary School, Ardrossan today.  The interactive educational programme has been devised by Airtricity, the leading renewables company with several wind farm projects in Scotland, and includes a CD Rom and a pupils’ workbook, featuring a cartoon character called “Tommy Turbine”

The schools programme is focussed on primary schools, especially P5 – P7. It covers climate change and the environment, how electricity is produced and used, and the importance of renewables, especially wind power. According to Alan Baker, Airtricity’s chief executive in Scotland:

“Our programme has been developed in Ardrossan where we have involved the local schools and community in our first wind farm in Scotland. Many school classes have visited the wind farm and have seen at first hand how the wind farm operates. The CD and workbook we’ve drawn up can be used by pupils and teachers as part of their class work and will complement planned visits by school classes to our wind farms, which we are delighted to arrange.”

Later this year it will be offered to schools in Dumfries and Galloway where Airtricity is currently building wind farms at Minsca near Lockerbie and Dalswinton.

Don't forget to visit their Greenzone for children.  There are lots of resources for teachers and the children.

Link: http://greenzone.airtricity.com/

New Speed limit for Minibuses

This is something that I've just picked up from the Hi-Way driving site which may be important for anyone that drives a minbus for school:

From 1^st January 2007 virtually all goods vehicles over 3.5 tonnes GVW (Gross Vehicle Weight) and all minibuses with eight or more passenger seats, irrespective of weight, need speed limiters. Van & light trucks are limited to 90 kph (56mph) while minibuses are limited to 100 kph (62mph).

Specifically, those first registered between 1^st October 2001 and 31^st December 2004, have Euro 3 engines and are used on national operations in this country are now covered by the speed limiter legislation introduced in January 2005.

All new minibuses (registered since 1^st January 2005) will require a speed limiter either from new or by 1^st January 2008.

And from 1^st January 2007 any van, light truck, minibus or coach fitted with a speed limiter is banned from the outside lane of a three or more lane motorway.

Full details are available at www.speedlimiter.co.uk.

More school trips needed

£2.7 million has been announced today by Alan Johnson to encourage schools 'to use the wealth of educational opportunities on their doorsteps and further afield, to inspire and motivate every pupil'.  The money will go towards an ‘Out and About’ support package for schools.  This includes guidance on planning, funding and evaluating learning outside the classroom. 

I think that the reason a large number of trips don't go ahead is the cost of the coach.  On a recent visit to Manchester Museum just over half the cost was on the coach to get us there!  We already fill in enough paperwork - providing more paper is not going to help.

There is however also going to be a new overarching safety badge for educational providers which I do think will be useful.  If the educational provider has the badge it will be a pretty safe bet for a trip.