Throughout my career working at a special school, I got to know many young SEND learners who opened my mind to the wonderful ideas and goals they possessed. These learners barely differed at all from their peers at mainstream schools when it came to their hopes and plans. Yet, those who didn’t know them frequently perceived them as ‘too different’.

People with SEND are disproportionately passed over for employment opportunities. This is often due to a lack of work experience that would enable them to gain relevant skills. Sometimes it’s because of recruiters’ internal biases.

According to the Department for Work and Pensions, the employment gap for disabled persons reached 28.4% in 2021. This indicates that neurodivergent minds are sadly offered fewer opportunities than their neurotypical peers.

Now, we could chalk this up to simple unfamiliarity. Some employers perhaps worry they don’t have the provisions in place that they need to support an individual with SEND. But if so, what’s stopping them from being put in place?

Opening doors

Imagine instead a world in which these young learners have multiple work experience opportunities outside of school for building their confidence and developing their skills. Well, it exists.

My personal journey in special education led me to realise that we needed to open doors and minds for individuals with SEND. To that end, I embarked on opening a high street shop, The Plane Tree, in Beeston, Nottingham, with the aim of providing internship opportunities to local pupils with SEND.

As a community interest company, we’re able to support young people with SEND and adults alike with workplace training on a bespoke basis. Participating pupils work within the shop to develop their interpersonal skillsets. They gain practical work experience and develop their confidence in social situations.

A further goal of the shop is to inspire others within the wider business community to follow suit, by offering employment opportunities of their own to neurodivergent young people.

Opening the shop

The decision to open the shop was a big one. But I was confident that the outcomes would benefit the young people I’d already had the pleasure of working with across my career.

I wanted to build a business that the community genuinely valued. Not one that was simply seen as that ‘good deed’ shop.

It was also vital that the shop gain increasing exposure over time. It needed to be situated in a fully accessible, commercially advantageous area that could deliver high footfall.

Doing so has enabled the shop to occupy a highly visible, central place within in the local community. And with it, our interns have the chance to see a real, positive impact on their levels of social engagement.

We wanted the shop to actively benefit the community in some way, so we chose to stock it with artwork from 25 local artists, with hopes to continue to grow this number.

The aim was to boost their exposure and shine a spotlight on the talents of our local arts community. At the same time we were selling some lovely pieces for people’s homes.

Before the shop opened we recruited four pupils from Nethergate Academy – a local SEND school, and my former workplace, to help us set up. This gave the young people valuable space and time to adjust to the new environment. They could also practise some of their skills before we opened up to the public.

During this preparation phase, our talented interns worked tirelessly to move furniture, assist with setting up displays, learn how to work the till and complete their health and safety training. In the event, our opening day was wonderfully busy, and the pupils acquitted themselves in their new roles spectacularly.

Impacts and benefits of work experience

Since opening, our interns’ duties have expanded to include serving customers, counting stock, monitoring the shop’s pavement signage and cleaning up. We’ve also expanded the team to include another volunteer with SEND who has already finished school.

Logistically, the shop is open five days a week. The four interns work in pairs to cover shifts. Two come in on Tuesdays and Wednesdays and the others on Thursdays and Fridays. Our volunteer covers Saturdays.

On days when the pupils aren’t working at the shop they’ll be attending school or else completing their studies at home.

The shop is still only a few months old, but our interns have already been able to benefit from the experience in some clear and significant ways.

When we first opened, most were shy and anxious in social situations. We’ve since seen them blossom through their regular interactions with customers.

Giving them a chance to engage with the wider community outside of school has done a huge amount to build up their social confidence.

The shop has also given our interns a glimpse as to what the expectations and demands of working life might look like. In the process, they’ve learnt important skills around work readiness, professional behaviour and responsibility. They’re all held to a high standard and expected to clock in and out, arriving on time each day ready to begin.

The impact this has had on them is incredible. I’ve seen all of them work hard and dedicate considerable effort to up building their skills. They’re taking their roles in the shop very seriously.

High hopes

In turn, I now have high hopes that by seeing how the skillsets of our interns are developing, other employers in the local community will be encouraged and empowered to offer more opportunities of their own to individuals with SEND.

Indeed, this is starting already. We’re currently in the process of partnering with other local businesses to organise ‘mini secondments’ for the pupils. This amounts to around half an hour each week.

This will allow our young people to gain useful work experience in other professional environments. They’ll get a sense of how businesses operate in different ways, as well as helping to guide those businesses on how they can support workers with SEND.

What’s more, it’s not just our interns who have benefited from our journey thus far. Our shoppers have too! The shop has given individuals who haven’t previously spent much time around people with SEND an approachable way of bridging their gaps in understanding by taking part in meaningful interactions.

Above all, their experiences in the shop have served to showcase how pupils with SEND can very much thrive within, and add value to any community.

Key reflections

• The process of Opening The Plane Tree has given me the privilege of watching bright young minds flourish within their local community.
• It’s also presented a wonderful opportunity to boost the visibility and success of local artists. And hopefully pave the way for serious social change.
• Stigmas only serve to hold us back from achieving the kind of social harmony that can encourage all young people – neurotypical or neurodivergent – to dream big.
• We must do whatever we can to break down the barriers preventing SEND learners from realising their goals and participating in their communities. We’ve seen for ourselves the immense impact this can have.

Shelly Woods is the founder of The Plane Tree shop in Beeston, Nottingham

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The production’s acclaimed cultural learning programme, Wicked Active Learning, promotes curriculum enrichment, personal development, wellbeing, diversity and inclusion, self-confidence, career pathways, and the delivery of cultural capital.

The programme supports classroom-based learning through a range of free resources and lesson plans, and learning outside the classroom with ticket discounts, exclusive benefits, official workshops, Q&As, and free resources to assist in the organisation of school trips.

A venue preview video and school trip guide provide everything needed to complete a risk assessment and book an enriching school trip.

Tickets, workshops, and Q&As can be booked directly with the production’s in-house education team, who can be contacted via telephone, email, or live chat for expert advice and support.

Classroom-based learning

Free downloadable lesson plans, script extracts, production images, and theatre-maker career videos support the delivery of SMSC, PSHE and citizenship, literacy, and oracy teaching, as well as English, music, drama, and art and design programmes of study.

Lesson plans inspired by, and themed to, the production include:

• Anti-Bullying (KS2-4) lesson pack

• Diversity + Inclusion (LKS2, UKS2) lesson pack

• Fake News + Propaganda (Primary) lesson pack

• Self-Confidence (Primary) lesson plan

• English (KS2-4) lesson packs

• ESOL/EFL English (Intermediate) lesson pack

• Drama (KS3-4) lesson plans

In support of English and Art + Design teaching, there are also free written and visual resource packs for teachers, designed to inspire further lesson ideas.

The 26-page English Teacher resource pack looks at the literary inspirations behind the musical, other famous prequels and sequels, the witches and wizards of myth and legend, the magical worlds of fantasy fiction, the history of magic, and the enduring legacy of Baum’s ‘Oz’.

The Art + Design Teacher resource pack looks at the production’s acclaimed design elements, including set, costume and lighting. 

Music learners can watch a free video of composer and lyricist Stephen Schwartz discussing the musical themes and inspirations of his score, including the song ‘Defying Gravity’, which is a set work for Pearson Edexcel GCSE music and included (together with ‘The Wizard & I’ and ‘No Good Deed’) in the repertoire of the ABRSM’s new ‘Singing for Musical Theatre ARSM’ diploma.

Learning outside the classroom

A class or year group trip to Wicked provides an enriching live London theatre experience, supporting cultural and social education, personal development, self–confidence, the capacity to think imaginatively and creatively, and the delivery of cultural capital.

Benefits provided to schools/colleges include:

• Book directly with the in-house education team

• Save over 60% on school class and year group tickets

• Free teacher ratios (10:1 secondary / 5:1 primary)

• Extra tickets purchasable at the applicable school group rate

• Official workshops (Wellbeing, Anti-Bullying, and Musical Theatre)

• Post-show Q&As

• Free venue preview video

• Free school trip guide including risk assessment supporting resources

• Coach/minibus set down/pick up directly outside the venue

• One minute from National Rail and London Underground stations

A school trip to Wicked also provides the opportunity to visit one of London’s most unique theatres and heritage buildings, originally built as a ‘Super-Cinema’ in 1930.

A detailed history of this 2,328-seat Art Deco venue is included in the free resources.

For more information, call 020 7183 5109, email Hello@WickedActiveLearning.co.uk or visit www.WickedActiveLearning.co.uk

Savings and Benefits featured may not apply when booking through third party agents, and only apply to the London production. See website for details and T&Cs. ©2023 WLPL. All rights reserved.

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What is National Pet Month?

National Pet Month raises awareness of responsible pet ownership and celebrates the many benefits of our cherished companions. Find education resources on the official National Pet Month website.

When is National Pet Month?

National Pet Month 2023 runs throughout the month of April.

EYFS ideas for National Pet Month

Looking after pets activity pack

Learn all about pets and how to take care of them with this simple matching activity from Plazoom. Children will explore images of pets and match the equipment that is needed to look after them.

There are lots of chances to talk about pets, plus use the included worksheet to draw and write about your own pet (or dream pet!).

Mog the Forgetful Cat lesson and assembly pack

Judith Kerr’s forgetful cat is over 50 years old! This free assembly plan and teaching pack will help you explore this classic story with your class. Children will:

• Link the story to their own experiences
• Explain why events in the story may have taken place
• Recognise and join in with familiar phrases
• Retell the story
• Sequence sentences and ideas
• Discuss the positive impact of pets on our lives

KS1 and KS2 ideas for National Pet Month

Animals and us

These lesson plans will help your class explore the topic of animal welfare and the importance of responsible pet ownership. Pupils will also look at the work of the RSPCA and what they do to help animals in need.

MFL lesson plan

Use flashcards, mime and song to teach your class the vocabulary of pets in French, with this free KS2 lesson plan from Dr Amanda Barton.

Pets

Over 58.4 millions animals are kept as pets in the UK so it’s important to understand what they need to be happy and healthy. Does your class know how to care for their pets?

These free teaching resources will help children to understand pets as living animals with needs and feelings.

They’ll learn about the five welfare needs of animals kept as pets, how different pets have specific needs and what our responsibilities are to our pets.

Persuasive writing for KS1

Teach your class how to write persuasively with this KS1 text types resource pack from Plazoom. The resources are based on a model text persuading a teacher to allow a pet dragon.

The pack includes a model text, a writing sheet, idea cards, a writing plan and special themed writing paper.

Comprehension and writing for KS2

Download this free unit of work about how pets communicate with their owners. Pupils will explore pet ownership, including how to care for animals.

The included non-fiction article will develop students’ comprehension skills and inspire writing about which animals make suitable pets, an explanation of how to look after pets and a diary entry from a pet’s point of view.

KS3 ideas

Dogs and the law

In this free activity, students consider different laws relating to dogs and other pets.

Rights and responsibilities

Use roleplay to explore responsible pet ownership with this lesson plan which focuses on non-domestic exotic animals.

KS4 ideas

Debating animal welfare

In this free lesson from the RSPCA students will take part in debating a motion regarding animals and the law.

Find more great resources from the RSPCA at education.rspca.org.uk/education and follow @RSPCA_official on Twitter.

Pets in the classroom

• Danielle O’Connell, headteacher at Belchamp St Paul CofE Primary in Suffolk, shares how animals in school can support pupils’ emotional wellbeing…
• Adele Devine, a teacher at Portesbery School & director of SEN Assist, explains how your early learners with SEN can benefit from pet therapy…
• Cheryl Drabble, assistant head at Highfurlong School in Blackpool, explores how a therapy dog can boost behaviour and wellbeing in your school…

The post National Pet Month – Great lesson plans to try from Early Years to KS4 appeared first on Teachwire.

What is Red Nose Day?

Comic Relief was founded in 1985 by comedy scriptwriter Richard Curtis and comedian Lenny Henry in response to the famine in Ethiopia. Its purpose is to get the nation laughing, while raising money to help people around the world and in the UK.

Red Nose Day is an annual telethon event. In 2022, the event raised more than 42 million pounds.

When is Red Nose Day?

Red Nose Day 2023 is on Friday 17th March.

KS2 urban slums lesson plan

In this active, creative KS2 lesson from Red Nose Day’s Kerry Deacon, pupils will learn about urban slums and the materials used to build them, before working in teams to plan, design and build a model structure of an urban slum home.

Comic Relief has supported people who live in urban slums in Africa and this lesson will bring a new sense of meaning to children’s fundraising efforts.

Official Red Nose Day resources

Sign up for your free fundraising pack at the official Red Nose Day website. You can also set up your school’s JustGiving page and receive exclusive digital tools to help you raise money.

There’s plenty of fundraising ideas on the website, whether you’re teaching Early Years, primary or secondary. Some of our favourite ideas include:

• Dressing up in red from head to toe
• Selling tickets for a teachers vs pupils quiz
• Guessing the singer behind the mask
• Hosting a bake sale
• Doing a Bluey keepy uppy challenge with balloons
• Building a LEGO habitat for your red nose

You’ll find heaps of resources on the website, including assemblies, topic maps, tutor time sessions and more.

Assembly PowerPoint

This handy 15-minute assembly presentation comes with topic maps for KS1 and KS2 showing how you can link Red Nose Day to different curriculum areas.

There are also nose templates which you can challenge children to decorate, and recipes ideas for tasty treats to sell to raise money.

It’s a laughing matter

In this article Laura Wilson from Comic Relief offers some ideas for using laughter to boost student wellbeing while also raising vital funds.

As part of that there are 10 comedy-themed ideas for you to try, from setting up a weekly lunchtime comedy club for budding writers and performers have an opportunity to watch comedy classics and write and try out their own materials, open mic sessions, or hosting your own school comedy show with sketches and stand-up.

Dare teachers even put themselves in the firing line of a comedy roast? You will have to lay some very clear ground-rules to stop anyone overstepping the mark, but if you’re brave enough it could be fun, and the students will love it.

Comedy classroom

Sticking with the comedy theme, this BBC video from Doc Brown gives secondary students the opportunity to learn about comedy writing through a variety of literary activities.

You can download a resource booklet that features three 60-minute lessons, and handy notes such as this comedy toolbox and this glossary of terms.

Red Nose Day facepainting tutorial

See who can come up with the best and most creative facepainting idea. Simply watch this tutorial video and let your imaginations soar.

See more at blog.partydelights.co.uk.

Games and activities

If you’re after some great and easy-to-play games for young learners, find a host of ideas here. Try a nose and spoon race, go bobbing for noses and of course there’s one called ‘pick your nose’.

The post Red Nose Day activities – Best school resources and ideas for Comic Relief appeared first on Teachwire.

30 Second Briefing

1. Options for everybody

Made up of seven museums and galleries, National Museums Liverpool offers sessions for EYFS to post-16 students on topics ranging from Ancient Egypt and Transatlantic Slavery to fine art and wellbeing.

One of their venues, World Museum, has a planetarium and aquarium too, so there are even workshops where students can explore outer space or come face to face with live animals! 

2. Linked to the curriculum

All of National Museums Liverpool’s sessions are linked to the curriculum and have clear learning outcomes. These are clearly presented on their website for you to review prior to booking and align to your lesson plans.

3. Supported by resources

Many of National Museums Liverpool’s workshops are accompanied by resources and activities which you can complete before and after your session.

They will help to prepare your students for what they will experience at the museum or gallery, and post-workshop, will help to consolidate what they have learned during the session.

“National Museums Liverpool offers sessions on topics ranging from Ancient Egypt and Transatlantic Slavery to fine art and wellbeing.”

4. Affordable and accessible

For its core workshops for schools and groups, prices range from £49 to £99 per class. Each session can cater up to 30 or 32 students, meaning your workshop could cost as little as £1.54 per student. Booking is easy too, with the option to choose your slot on the website and pay online.  

For those who find the price of school trips prohibitive, National Museums Liverpool offers a schools bursary scheme for primary and secondary schools located in the Liverpool City Region, which can cover the costs of a workshop and associated travel up to £300. This is currently available for workshops at International Slavery Museum.

5. Flexible and adaptable delivery

Some of National Museums Liverpool’s most popular sessions for schools and groups can be delivered virtually, if you aren’t able to travel to its museums and galleries.

There are two virtual classrooms available to book directly on their website, or you can contact the team about adapting your in-venue session if you can’t find what you’re looking for. 

Sessions can also be adapted for students with additional needs and you can discuss your requirements with the team in advance.

All of National Museums Liverpool’s venues are accessible and their website is full of helpful information which you can look at before you visit.

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LGBT History Month takes place every February.

What is LGBT+ History Month?

The overall aim of LGBT+ History month is to promote equality and diversity. The theme in 2023 is Behind the Lens – concentrating on LGBT+ people’s contributions to cinema from behind the camera.

This year the charity is encouraging people to look ‘behind the lens’ and listen to LGBT+ peoples’ lived experiences.

On the LGBT+ History Month website you’ll find downloadable primary and secondary activity packs.

Glossary of terms

Promote shared understanding and mutual respect by helping staff get to grips with these simple, universal terms for trans and gender questioning individuals.

Educational Action Challenging Homophobia (EACH) created the glossary, which features clear definitions for 13 gender identity and sexuality terms.

Free primary LGBT+ History Month resources

LGBT+ young people’s charity Just Like Us has created free downloadable profiles of historical icons.

Suitable for KS1 and KS2, they cover a range of people, including lesbian astronaut Sally Ride, transgender pilot Roberta Cowell, bisexual singer Josephine Baker and gay artist Keith Haring.

British Army LGBTQ+ resources

Help secondary students aged 11–16 build their understanding of the LGBTQ+ community with these resources all about the contributions of LGBTQ+ Army personnel past and present.

LGBTQ+ Voices – The Army Today from Army Jobs on Vimeo.

In the pack you’ll find an assembly and lesson plan. The assembly profiles six LGBTQ+ service people from the First and Second World Wars. There’s also video reflections from current LGBTQ+ Army personnel.

Families KS2 discussion and writing pack

Explore how all families are founded in love, no matter what they look like, with this KS2 resource pack from Plazoom.

The activities will teach pupils that family units can vary. This includes blended and single-parent families, families where parents are the same sex or that have a mum and dad.

Pupils will draw pictures or create family trees showing who they live with and discuss images that challenge stereotypes of what a family should look like.

The Proud Trust

Happily Ever After 2017 from Action Transport Theatre on Vimeo.

The Proud Trust is a charity providing education, support and advocacy for LGBT+ young people and their communities.

In its primary education toolkit you’ll find Happily Ever After. This is a KS2 resource that explores same gender relationships and equal marriage.

Also on offer for UKS2 is a Trans Positive Education for Primary Schools Pack. It consists of five resourced lessons that can be delivered as part of a PSHE KS2 programme.

Every year, The Proud Trust creates a resource pack for LGBT+ History Month. Download the free pack for 2023 as well as packs from previous years.

LGBT-inclusive primary curriculum

Whether you’re just getting started on LGBT+ inclusion or developing your best practice even further, this free Stonewall guide can help.

You may also find these guides to working with parents useful. These resources for framing inclusion through rights and schools with faith values are also extremely helpful.

5 books to support LGBTQ+ diversity in primary schools

Reading material in your school library should reflect everyone’s reality. Here, teacher and English consultant Ian Eagleton suggests books that will help you to rejoice in love in all its forms…

As a young gay man, I struggled to find books that I could truly identify with. I wanted to read something that highlighted my experiences and made me feel less alone.

This has made me aware of how important it is to have books in school that mirror everyone’s realities.

None of the books chosen here aim to indoctrinate children into the LGBTQ+ community, but simply rejoice in love in all its different forms by recognising, normalising and honouring every relationship.

It is of course vital you read these books before sharing them with your class and ensure they are appropriate and suitable for your children.

But if teachers can sensitively direct children’s reading then they will have the compassion and understanding they need to challenge inequality and replace the ‘what is’ with ‘what ifs’ and ‘what could be’.

Emmett and Caleb

Emmett and Caleb explores the relationship between the two main characters as they journey through birthdays, hard times and the beauty of the changing seasons.

The two friends share precious moments together such as watching a stunning sunset or waving goodbye to summer as autumnal leaves fall.

Their relationship is never defined, leaving it open to interpretation, but it’s lovely to share in their quiet, tender friendship.

Julian is a Mermaid

Julian’s life is changed when he sees three enthralling women dressed as mermaids. Swishes of coral blue and intricately illustrated underwater scenes depict Julian’s daydream of becoming a mermaid.

When Nana sees Julian proudly transformed into his version of a mermaid, the empty space surrounding him and Nana’s furious face suggest a devastating reaction.

Many children will recognise the notions of rejection and invisibility, but Nana gifts Julian a pearl necklace to complete his glamorous outfit.

They join a procession of mermaids “like you, honey” and a riot of colour reflects Julian’s feelings of joy as he finds his true place in the world.

Red: A Crayon’s Story

Red crayon is not very good at being red. Every time he tries to draw strawberries, hearts and cherries, everything turns out blue!

His teacher thinks he needs more practice, his parents feel he needs to mix with other colours and many berate him for his lack of effort – after all, his label says ‘red’ and that’s the way he came from the factory!

Eventually, a new friend offers Red the chance to be himself and Red discovers that he is, of course, Blue!

A colourful, charming, witty picture book about the damage of forcing labels onto others and the freedom and delight that being yourself brings.

Heather Has Two Mommies

Heather Has Two Mummies was first published in 1989. While many lesbian mums were thrilled to see themselves in a children’s book, there were a number of people who were disgusted by the inclusion of a different family unit.

The book is a colourful, gentle exploration of what it means to be a family.

Heather and her two mums picnic, play and bake together. When Ms Molly asks the class to paint a picture of their families, we see, through beautiful, child-like watercolour illustrations, how different every family is.

It’s a message that still needs to be acknowledged.

Jerome By Heart

This vivid picture book shows us the beauty of true friendship and the feeling of safety it engenders.

Told simply in the first person, young Raphael shares with us his feelings of tender affection for his best friend, Jerome.

With echoes of Walt Whitman’s We Two Boys Together Clinging and Josh Gilgun’s The Way They Are, the book sensitively considers how the day-to-day rhythm of life can be enriched by love.

Despite his parents’ disapproval, the story ends on a life-affirming note. Raphael’s spirit cannot be vanquished and the boys’ love remains “strong as a fortress”.

Why inclusive education is vital

Most people (sadly, not everyone) know that it’s important for children to learn about LGBTIQ+ issues and identities. We can always learn more, though, and improve what we pass on to children. These expert opinion pieces are a great place to start.

First Amie Taylor explains why LGBTQ+ resources for primary schools are vital, and how her teachers weren’t allowed to talk about same-sex relationships and so she didn’t even realise she was gay.

Simon James Green explains why books containing portrayals of LGBTQ+ characters deserve a place in every school.

If you’re looking to expand your school library, Barbara Band picks out 10 inclusive, empowering and empathetic reads.

Nicola Adams KS1 reading and writing resources pack

Introduce KS1 pupils to sportswoman Nicola Adams, using this KS1 resources pack from Plazoom. It looks at her achievements and how she is an inspirational person within and beyond the LBGTQ+ community.

Pupils will have the opportunity to develop comprehension skills using the questions linked to the biographical text about the boxer. They’ll also consider how she has inspired others.

Children will go on to discuss who inspires them, with opportunities to write about who is inspirational in their own lives.

How to make your school LGBTIQ+ inclusive

So, how exactly can you improve the culture of your school to be more inclusive? There are, of course, many ways, as covered by the following brilliant articles.

Elly Barnes argues that true LGBT+ inclusivity means more than a few rainbow posters along school corridors, and starts with a serious commitment to training.

Dr Anna Llewellyn explains that if we want true LGBT+ inclusivity in schools, we need to address our heteronormative society.

Andrew Coe talks about bringing LGBTIQ+ role models into the classroom.

Shaun Dellenty argues that you should make every month LGBT+ History Month, by using February as the jewel in your crown to showcase the amazing work you do each and every day, all year round.

Explore LGBT+ History Month through film

Into Film invites schools to host a themed assembly this February. Use movies like The Imitation Game, Carol and Milk as the centre of lessons on PSHE, SMSC and citizenship.

Schools Out resources

If you’re after advice on things like tackling homophobic bullying or how to use language effectively then Schools Out has a whole host of resources for you to use. Check out the full selection.

Gender identity lesson plans for primary school

The Gender Identity Research and Education Society has produced two different age-related lesson plans on gender identity for primary school. There’s one for ages 3-6, and one for 7-11.

Browse more similar resources themed around Pride Month 2023.

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The Learning Programme, available to all primary schools across England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales, is part of UNBOXED: Creativity in the UK – 10 projects bringing together scientists, technicians, engineers, mathematicians and artists in creative collaboration. 

Unique learning experiences

Throughout the course of the year, 1.7 million young people took part as UNBOXED Learning toured the country in a roadshow, delivered in-person workshops, created online learning experiences and gave them the opportunity to visit an UNBOXED project. 

Each learning experience is designed to engage young people in immersive, real-world learning, open their minds to careers combining STEM and the arts, and inspire them in using their creativity to affect more positive futures. 

Adel Al-Salloum, who heads up the UNBOXED Learning Programme, said: “The learning programme presented inspired and inquiry-driven opportunities to unlock learning, fuel curiosity and develop new skills in relation to STEM and the arts. It’s been a joy to witness what happens when young people have the space to engage creatively with real-world experiences.”

Here are some of the highlights from the 10 projects: 

• About Us – a spectacular multimedia show exploring 13.8 billion years of history, inviting school pupils aged 4–18 to write a poem and/or create an animation project on the theme of ‘connectivity and the universe’. The team is now creating a series of free educational videos for GCSE students inspired by poems commissioned for About Us, with each video exploring a different aspect of the project. 
• Our Place in Space – a scale model of the solar system, over more than 8km, that young people will soon be able to visit at Ulster Transport Museum. It has just launched a Minecraft Education Adventure, enabling pupils to journey through the solar system, stopping off at each of the planets and exploring historical events back on Earth. 
• Dandelion – a ground-breaking programme involving growing cube: metre-squared vertical farms designed especially for the project. Almost 90,000 children from 468 schools got their hands dirty and got growing this year. 
• SEE MONSTER – a North Sea rig transformed into an art installation. It welcomed hundreds of children on board and continues to welcome those who couldn’t make it to Weston-super-Mare through its 360 tour and learning resources. 
• GALWAD has resources for schools on its website and has delivered a full week of live lessons that invited pupils to consider a question central to their story: “If we can’t imagine a positive future, how are we going to build one?” 

One particularly innovative project is Dreamachine’s Life’s Big Questions, an interactive series of five questions that can be answered by classes in one part of the UK and compared to the answers of classes in other parts. These intriguing questions – including ‘Can I believe everything I see?’, ‘How do I know time is passing?’ and ‘Are people the same all over the world?’ – explore how the brain and senses work together to help you understand the world.

Teachers can find Life’s Big Questions and other resources at Dreamachine schools. 

“We champion opportunities for our pupils to learn in creative environments. The UNBOXED Learning Programme’s learning resources allowed us to delve into key topics such as climate change and allow our pupils to sit back and understand what it means for them while still allowing them to express their creativity. 

“It’s an ideal combination of taking a real-life issue and considering how creativity can be a solution to the problem at hand – the kids loved it.” 

Sarah Jenkins, Year 4 teacher, Expressive Arts and Eco Lead at Raglan Primary School

Primary school teachers across the UK can find the full suite of UNBOXED Learning resources, perfect for inspiring pupils on the power of combining STEM and the Arts, at Tes Teaching Resources or by searching for “UNBOXED Learning” on TES. 

The post How UNBOXED inspired primary pupils UK-wide by combining the arts and STEM appeared first on Teachwire.

We teach a wide range of children aged five to 19, from those with the most complex needs, right up to those that could potentially have made it in mainstream if the environment and curriculum had been right, so it’s a real mix.

At the moment we have 211 children on roll across three sites, all with moderate learning difficulties – predominantly autism, but also children with social and emotional needs and PDA.

When I joined Abbey eight years ago, the school was in special measures and due for closure. When we achieved Outstanding three years ago, instead of feeling elation I remember feeling deflated. It sounds silly, but I was mindful of the fact that although we were giving children this wonderful educational experience, once they left us at age 19, the majority of them would end up sitting at home because there were no opportunities for employment.

Can you really be called Outstanding if your kids aren’t going to do anything after they’ve left you? It felt almost like offering children a trip to Disney World, then taking it away from them at the last minute.

Walking down STEAM Street

The world outside of school is harsh – it’s cruel. We’re passionate about getting these kids into employment, and the way we’ve done that is not by putting young people into mainstream experiences, but by bringing the mainstream into our world.

We pondered for a long time about setting up a play centre – similar to the ones where Foundation Stage children can go and play as a hairdresser, or pretend to be a pilot. I thought that if we could mimic that in school we could better prepare children for adulthood and employment, so off we went. We decided that the school’s specialist classrooms, which run right down the middle of the building, would all become related to employment.

STEAM Street, as we call it, features an actual road down the middle with lines on. It’s got traffic lights (to teach road safety to our youngest children) and there’s even traffic noise. We asked local companies to sponsor our specialist rooms, and a local restaurant agreed to sponsor our food technology room. The younger children would wear restaurant uniforms, and the older children would have work experience.

We’ve since started approaching larger businesses – our shop is sponsored by Asda, for example.

Breaking down barriers

In their annual review, students think about what they ultimately want to become and we work back from there. Every young person in school has a job – whether it’s sweeping the corridors, or being in charge of our school radio station. This breaks down barriers, especially for students whose parents have never worked. If that’s your experience, why on Earth would you think it’s great to have a job?

When the students are working in the shop, it feels like they’re really working at Asda – they wear the uniform, and all the branding is there. They get paid in Abbey credits to spend at the shop, so there’s a purpose to what they’re doing.
We want our young people to become familiar with that sense of belonging within a particular company.

A good example is one of our autistic students with moderate learning difficulties. Our street corridor is sponsored by a local refuge company so he was, in theory, working in school for them. He’d clean all the rubbish out, sweep the floors and clean up any messes. When he was older, he went on a placement work experience with the company, after which he actually gained full-time employment with them and is still working there now.

Another young man who had an internship with our IT team is now working for Amazon and drives a better car than I do! It’s about talent spotting – what can this young person really offer? – and then exploring that within the safety and security provided by school.

Purposeful education

On Friday afternoons we take part in the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award. As part of this, we have a real pet grooming service and a horticulture service, both related to real qualifications. Students have to apply for these jobs by going through an interview stage; they have to request time off; they get bonus pay. There’s also a finance team – students have bank accounts, and can apply for loans if they want to.

If you’ve got autism, find it hard to make sense of the world around you and haven’t made it in a mainstream environment because there’s too much to comprehend, then having the structure of knowing, ‘On a Friday afternoon I go and earn money at my job’, makes things much easier. They can translate their learning in school into an employment setting.

The kids here have a purpose for being educated; they know where they’re going. When I asked my 16-year-old, who goes to an Outstanding secondary school and does really well, what they were going to do, they didn’t have a clue.
That’s the difference. All of our students know what they want to become, and they know the stages to get there.

We’re making a difference in kids’ lives and boosting their self-esteem. When a young person who struggles with their speech and language hears themselves back on the radio, it motivates them to go to their speech therapy sessions, even if they don’t like them, because they desperately want to have a job on our radio station. It’s a behaviour incentive in lots of ways.

Pushing expectations

Also, just as in real life, if you don’t rock up to school, you don’t get paid. We try, wherever possible to mimic real life in order to prepare young people right from the word go.

Our entire curriculum is geared towards explaining to students that they will have to get a job – they don’t have a choice about that. Benefits aren’t an option for them. The only choice they have is what job they want to have. It’s about pushing expectations.

It’s great when shops and cinemas have things like quiet autism sessions, but that’s not the real world, is it? Kids need to learn to be in the real world. Unless we really challenge young people to think about the future and about their careers, then as teachers, we’re not really doing anything for them apart from temporarily occupying them.

Last year, 85% of our young people went into employment – either full-time employment or apprenticeships – with the rest going on to further education at college. If you look at the national statistics around young people with disabilities, about 6% of them end up in employment at the moment, so we must be doing something right.

Luci Windle (@luci_windle) is executive headteacher at Abbey School, part of Nexus Academy Trust; for more information, follow @AbbeyLearning

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Peter Pan’s Neverland is not just the place where you can be young forever, but also the place where the adults who order you around can, in the shape of Captain Hook, be mocked, outwitted and eventually fed to a crocodile.

When Roald Dahl’s Matilda uses her brain-power to get the better of Miss Trunchbull, the fantasy is irresistible.

Not every child has been menaced by an authority-figure as monstrous as the Trunchbull, but children are expected, every day and everywhere, to submit to the decisions of others about what they ought to do and how they ought to be.

No wonder that when we’re small we want stories in which things are different…

Use these resources to explore the idea of challenging authority with your pupils. These can be used in conjunction with a study of Sam Thompson’s chapter book The Fox’s Tower, or on their own.

Sam Thompson lives in Belfast with his wife, three children, and their dog and cat. His latest book, The Fox’s Tower (£9.99, Little Island) is out now. 

Sue Drury is literacy lead at Plazoom, the expert literacy resources website.

The post Challenge authority examples — worksheets, teaching notes, writing plans and more appeared first on Teachwire.

Are you struggling to find a new angle or approach to the Advent or Christmas season? Same carols, same story? Same shepherds, same donkey?

This year the international media charity SAT-7 has teamed up with TV presenter Gemma Hunt to challenge schools to record a version of the popular Christmas carol ‘Silent Night’. There’s definitely a fun music and community element to this, but there’s also a strong educational component behind the message: namely that some Christians, especially in the Middle East, are not free to celebrate Advent or Christmas as we can.

“At a time of year when Christians in the Middle East can feel isolated, we hope that this special recording of ‘Silent Night’ will help everyone feel more connected together across the world. I’d love you to get involved and the top three most creative school videos will also get a FREE online visit from me to their school assembly or class. Thanks for raising your voice!”

Gemma Hunt, TV presenter

Religious freedom

Article 18 of the UN’s Universal Declaration of Human Rights states that “Everyone has the right to freedom of thought, conscience, and religion”, yet this right is denied to many across the Middle East and North Africa, where Christians are silenced, just because of their faith.

Having worked in the international voluntary sector for 30 years, I’ve seen how our lives can be made all the richer through learning from the real stories of people from other parts of the world. Take Iran, for example – it’s been in the news a lot recently, but have you considered using stories from Iran in your classrooms this Christmas?

Here’s a short extract from an article by Omeed Jouyandé from SAT-7’s Persian channel, SAT-7 PARS, who starts by sharing a message from Keyvan, a viewer from Iran:

If you’re as fascinated and challenged as I am by the above glimpse into a very different context, why not consider celebrating Advent at your school this year through the eyes and stories of Christians in places like Iran, Turkey, Algeria and Egypt? And whilst you do, why not get involved in a special international recording of ‘Silent Night’ at the same time?

Four ways to get involved

• MUSIC: record and film your own version of the ‘Silent Night’ Christmas carol.
• ENGLISH: challenge your class with a special ‘Silent Night’ poetry slam activity.
• GEOGRAPHY/CITIZENSHIP: learn key facts about four Middle Eastern countries and the different ways people celebrate Christmas.
• RELIGIOUS STUDIES: discover more about the worldwide Christian faith through Advent stories and reflections from people across the region.

Martin Thomas is a director at SAT-7 UK and a published children’s author. Find out more here or by calling 01249 765 86.

The post Share the stories of those unable to celebrate Christmas with SAT-7 appeared first on Teachwire.