17th March 2023
Stand up for Turkey and Syria Day at All Saints
All Saints CofE Academy, Bedworth held a ‘Stand up for Turkey and Syria’ day on Monday. The children were ‘spurred into action’ after a recent worship session linked to the earthquakes, and the ideas for what they could do to raise money and raise awareness all came from the children. The day included ‘creative’ coin collection and writing lovely letters to the children who have been affected in Turkey and Syria .
Classroom Worship for Spring Term from ISingPop
You should have received notification from ISingPop about access for this half term’s ‘Creativity and the Bible’ sessions. If you haven’t, the supporting documents can be found on the DBE website under collective worship resources and the passcode to access is Education. The showcase link for the iSingPop session is: https://vimeo.com/showcase/9998748 Please contact alison.watson@coventrydbe.org for the password.
‘Experience Pentecost’ for Primary Pupils at Coventry Cathedral
Through story, activities, and reflection, journey along the story of Pentecost and the beginning of the church. Covering aspects of the Pentecost story, the school’s team will take your pupils through the spaces and create a kind of walking pilgrimage. At each station they stop, tell the story and relate the key theme to our lives using an activity and a moment of reflection. Originally created for EYFS and ages 5-8 this event is now offered to all Primary School ages. £5 per pupil for a half day of activity. 22 May – 26 May 2023 – Morning and Afternoon sessions available. Book here.
Discovering Sacred Texts
Free Key Stage 2 Teaching Resources from the British Library
Bring sacred texts into your classroom with a set of Religious Education lessons for upper Key Stage 2 (years 5–6). Drawing on the British Library’s collections of sacred texts, students will learn and gather rich knowledge through a range of observation, enquiry and creative activities. The resources introduce students to a diverse range of sacred texts and worldview traditions from the following six religions: Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Islam, Judaism and Sikhism. Find them on the British Library website here.
Collective Worship for Shakespeare Week – 20 – 26 March
Shakespeare Week is a national annual celebration giving primary school aged children opportunities for enriching and enjoyable early experiences of Shakespeare. Jen Jenkins has prepared collective worship to support you in joining in. This act of collective worship could be done as a whole school gathering or as a smaller class-based collective worship. Find it on the collective worship section of the DBE website and use the passcode Education. Shakespeare week is organised by the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust for people of all ages and stages of interest. You can access hundreds of free resources including online workshops, storytelling and cross curricular resources linked to Shakespeare’s works, life and times. Find this all on the Shakespeare Week website here.
Looking for a Celebratory Artwork for the King’s Coronation?
Mary Taylor is a local textile artist and has worked as a visiting artist in many Midlands schools over the last 10-12 years, including many Church of England schools. She is a former primary school classroom teacher, having taught in Solihull and Warwickshire. If you are interested in creating a celebratory and/or commemorative piece, whether related to national events such as the Coronation or with a more local school-based focus look at her website: www.crazymarycrafts.co.uk
TES – 2023 Wellbeing Report
One year on from Covid, have things improved for UK schools?
The TES 2023 school wellbeing report includes responses from nearly 6,000 school staff sharing their highs, lows and everything in-between for their annual check-in on how the profession is doing. Download the report here.
Education in Emergencies: Let My Friends Learn
Free Teacher’s Pack for Primary and Secondary
Conflict, climate change, food crises, forced displacement and the aftermath of COVID-19 are preventing children from learning all over the world. From 2023-2025, Send My Friend to School is running a two-year campaign focused on education in emergencies. Send My Friend to School reaches around 250,000 children a year, who come together to demand that every child, everywhere has the right to a quality education, a right that does not end in times of emergencies. We hope you will join them in calling on the UK Government to Let My Friends Learn, and protect children’s education during emergencies. This free primary or secondary campaign pack gives you everything you need to run the campaign in your school, whether you are running a 20-minute assembly, or an entire scheme of work! They invite you to join one of the UK’s largest and most established school campaigns, and give your students the opportunity to affect genuine change. By taking part in this campaign your students will:
- participate in a diverse and inclusive global movement
- develop an argument, voice their opinions and make a genuine difference
- develop the skills and knowledge to democratically influence their MP
- develop moral and ethical values through investigating the rights-based topic of education
- apply creativity and imagination in persuasively expressing their opinions and values
Above all, the SMF campaign shows young people that they have a voice, and that they are the most powerful advocates there are for the rights of all children to a quality education.
Supporting Refugee Pupils – New Guidance Published
Schools are being offered guidance and research-based ideas and approaches to help develop sustainable education and pastoral provision for refugee pupils. The Bell Foundation, a charity offering resources for schools to support the education of children who use English as an additional language, has published new guidance ‘Recommendations for sustainable provision in schools, for children who are refugees. The new guidance has been drawn up to help schools create environments in which refugee children feel safe, feel they belong, and have opportunities to succeed academically and beyond. You can download it here. The National Education Union also has a resource on welcoming refugee children to your school. Find it here.
The Long-Term Impact of Keeping Children Busy with Screens
Maybe a useful one link for your parent newsletter, this article from InnerDrive explores how using screens as a distraction may be handy for keeping children quiet in the short-term. But in the long run, could it cause more trouble than good? They investigate the research, and explore three alternative techniques to help calm and occupy children.
Transforming Education Report – The Views of 37,000 Children Worldwide
The World’s Largest Lesson asked students their thoughts on education and what they would like to see change. The Transforming Education Report shares the views of over 37,000 of the world’s students from 150 countries. Explore the report to find out how including young people in conversations about education can help to achieve the UN Global Goal 4 and prepare this generation of learners for their future.