The funds raised came from a successful art exhibition at Highfield and Brookham Schools in Liphook.

It featured work from 29 artists and four galleries as well as eight Old Highfieldians who also showcased their work at the popular three-day event.

The money has gone to the Highfield School Centenary Bursaries Fund, which was set up in 2007 with an aim to support children who would not otherwise have the opportunity to attend an independent school such as Highfield and Brookham. Typical candidates are children who are experiencing social or educational difficulties or children who have the ability to succeed academically if given the right support.

Artists and galleries exhibited an impressive range of artwork, including watercolour paintings, sculptures and drawings.

Suzannah Cryer, Head of Highfield, was in awe of the success of the art exhibition and paid tribute to parent Kaye Burke and her dedicated team of organisers.

She said: “The curation of the exhibition was nothing short of phenomenal, which was underlined by the number of pieces sold and the amazing amount of money raised for the Bursary Fund.
“But none of this would have been possible without the continuing extraordinary efforts of our parent fundraising committee and the generosity of the artists.”

Every exhibiting artist agreed to donate 25% of their sales and the Highfield art scholars donated 50% to the Bursary Fund in order to ensure that the school can continue to offer bursaries to children who, for many reasons, may not get the chance to access a private education.

Mrs Cryer also extended her warmest thanks to Knight Frank, Coolhurst Vineyards, Minnow and Wolf and Howden Group Holdings for their sponsorship and support as well as the supportive school community who attended the exhibition and purchased the works of art.

Highfield and Brookham Schools has awarded 20 bursaries since the fund’s inception in 2007.

The bursaries are funded jointly by the Fund and the school, covering all school fees, and also provides additional support for music lessons, sports equipment, school trips and uniform.
“The purpose of the bursary is to make a difference in a child’s life, not just academically but also physically, emotionally and socially. Ours are awarded to children we believe will gain the most from attending, ensuring they reach their full potential,” explained Mrs Cryer.

“These are the children we believe will engage with all of the opportunities Highfield and Brookham has to offer – ensuring they build life-long skills and develop long-lasting positive experiences and relationships.

The record-breaking numbers, published today, show that 537,759 young people are currently working towards their Award across the UK – up more than 10% on 2021/22.

The figures mark the end of the second year of the DofE’s ambitious five-year strategy to reach one million young people by 2026 – with a focus on breaking down barriers for marginalised young people and reaching more schools in deprived areas, community organisations, further education colleges, organisations supporting young people with additional needs, and prisons and young offender institutions.

The annual statistics show that:
• Participants gave 3,541,707 hours of volunteering in their communities – up 64 per cent on the previous year and equivalent to £17,035,611 in paid working hours.
• 29.9 per cent of 14-year-olds in the UK started their Bronze DofE.
• 262 secondary schools offered the DofE for the first time, including 98 in the most deprived areas of England.
• 19 secure settings started running the DofE, including prisons, young offender institutions, secure units, youth offending and youth intervention teams – with 79 now offering it overall.
• DofE was offered for the first time in 72 community organisations, 15 further education colleges, 126 centres for young people with additional needs and 36 alternative provision centres, supporting students who cannot attend mainstream school.

Ruth Marvel, CEO of The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award, said: “Young people are taking up the DofE in record numbers – showing they value opportunities like this more than ever. As they find themselves stuck between a brutal past few years and an uncertain future, chances to develop and grow outside the classroom are vital to help level the playing field and give them the skills and capabilities they need to succeed in future.

“Young people need our support more than ever if they’re going to have the same chances previous generations had – which is why we’re determined to keep breaking down barriers to participation and reaching as many young people as possible.”

https://www.dofe.org/

This agreement allows Into Film to broaden the range of streamable content that teachers are able to easily access and use for educational purposes, whilst retaining a distinct curatorial voice and purpose. ERA Recordings embrace a wide array of powerful stories, storytellers and life experiences on screen, which will resonate with young people, broaden their horizons and enrich teaching and learning across the curriculum.

Paul Reeve, CEO, Into Film, said: “We’re delighted to be working with ERA and its members to enhance the range of fantastic content we’re able to make available on Into Film+ to support classroom teaching and learning across a broad range of curriculum subjects and important topics such as online safety. ERA Recordings will also enable us to increase the content we’re able to make available in languages such as Welsh and Scottish Gaelic”.

Helena Djurkovic, CEO, Educational Recording Agency, added: “ERA has a long-established commitment to providing educators and students access to the highest-quality broadcast materials for teaching and learning and we could not be more delighted to be working with Into Film to enable ERA-licensed schools to easily access some of the best content TV has to offer through its excellent streaming service”.

With a new academic year now in full swing, a wide range of ERA Recordings will be available to primary and secondary school educators across the UK through Into Film+. Each month, new content will be added, aligning to the academic calendar and curriculum. The content can only be used by ERA licensees under the terms of the ERA Licence.
ERA brings together creative parties who own rights in broadcasts and the included material within broadcasts and offers a simple and efficient way for schools, colleges, and universities to make educational use of recordings of TV and Radio broadcasts.

The new ERA content complements the hundreds of new and classic films, shorts and documentary titles currently available to schools on Into Film+, which also features a wealth of curriculum-linked film guides, teaching resources and exclusive wrap-around content.

The first selection of new ERA Recordings were curated for schools ahead of Black History Month and included Steve McQueen’s award-winning Small Axe series; Rogan Productions’ Stephen: The Murder That Changed a Nation; Raoul Peck’s documentary I Am Not Your Negro based on James Baldwin’s unfinished manuscript; and three BBC Arts Inside Cinema: Black History Month documentaries featuring Ryan Coogler, Ava DuVernay and Jordan Peele respectively. All of these offered teachers exploring October’s Black History Month and the topic throughout the year as part of Black History 365 access to invaluable teaching tools.

Supporting themes of mental wellbeing, further ERA titles include Nadiya: Anxiety and Me; Stabbed: Britain’s Knife Crime Crisis; Our Borough: Love & Hustle; and both David Harewood’s Psychosis and Me and Killed By My Debt.

Forthcoming ERA titles to be launched in support of February’s LGBTQ+ History Month include the documentaries Jamie: Drag Queen at 16, Olly Alexander: Growing Up Gay and Transitioning Teens.

For information about the film catalogue (including a full list of titles): www.intofilm.org/films

Into Film and the Into Film+ streaming platform is supported by the UK film industry through Cinema First and the BFI through National Lottery Funding, thanks to National Lottery players.
www.intofilm.org

The charities were nominated by members of the public as part of the specialist financial services group’s annual 12 days of giving Christmas campaign.

Charities including Friends of Rickleton Primary School, Medic to Medic, Friends of Harberton, Bradley Barton Primary School PTFA and ACE IT Scotland SCIO each received £1,000 following the public nominations.

More than 219,000 people around the UK nominated a cause close to their heart, with over 9,600 charitable causes up and down the country receiving votes. The 120 winning charities were picked at random from those nominated.

Thanking supporters of charities Mark Hews, Group CEO at Benefact Group, said: “Charitable giving is at the heart of our business at the Benefact Group. We are delighted to be giving back to deserving charitable causes once more with our annual 12 days of giving Christmas campaign, part of our Movement for Good Awards. In these challenging times, we know that £1,000 can make a real difference and we’re looking forward to seeing how this festive financial boost will changes lives for the better and bring a positive start to 2023.

“Out of some five million companies in the UK, Benefact Group is the fourth largest corporate donor and has an ambition to be the largest. As a Group of financial service businesses, uniquely owned by a charity, all available profits go to good causes, and the more our loyal customers support us to grow, the more the Group can give. Our purpose is to contribute to the greater good of society and, together, we can help many good causes to continue their support for those who need it most in these difficult times.”

A full list of winners can be found at movementforgood.com.

The company is donating £100,000 to support the charity’s work in combatting hunger, as part of its commitment to support local communities in which it operates and help ensure young people from all backgrounds can achieve their full potential.

Magic Breakfast’s research shows that when a child has a breakfast, they have more energy and can concentrate better in the classroom. The money from BAE Systems will help to provide the equivalent of over 350,000 breakfasts, ensuring that more than 1,800 children get a nutritional start to the school day for a whole year.

Director of Fundraising and Development at Magic Breakfast, Emily Wilkie, said: “Sadly the scale of food insecurity is now soaring and there are more than four million children at risk of arriving to school hungry, providing a significant barrier to their education. We know a hungry child cannot concentrate, putting them at risk of missing vital hours of morning learning.

“This extremely generous donation from BAE Systems will enable us to carry on supporting children and young people in some of the most disadvantaged areas of England and Scotland and help set them up for the day.”

Tania Gandamihardja, Group Human Resource Director at BAE Systems, said: “With more than 50 sites across the UK, we’re committed to investing in the cities, towns, and villages where our people live and work.

“We operate in some of the most disadvantaged areas of the country and as a major employer of young people through our extensive graduate and apprentice programmes, we want to help give children the best chance of success at school and beyond.”

In December, BAE Systems also pledged £160,000 to foodbanks across the UK to help with the increased demand these services are experiencing this winter. In 2021, BAE Systems contributed more than £11m to organisations across the world through charitable sponsorships, donations, employee fundraising and volunteering.

Learn more about Magic Breakfast here.

Only 45% of young people are meeting the Chief Medical Officer’s guidelines which recommend taking part in sports or physical activity for an average of 60 minutes or more every day (Sport England, 2021). Alarmingly, one in seven children is obese by the time they start school, increasing to one in four by year six (NHS, 2021).

The new partnership builds on Inspiring Learning and Youth Sport Trust’s previous collaborative work when Inspiring Learning sponsored the charity’s 2022 Conference. Going forwards, all Inspiring Learning centres will have a fundraising target where the Inspiring Learning teams can devise their own ways to raise money for the charity. In addition, Inspiring Learning will continue to develop their own content and ideas to share with the Youth Sports Trust to help broaden and build the development and adaptability of young people. With some children struggling socially and emotionally following the COVID-19 pandemic, providing pathways to enable positive adaptability and the tools to overcome challenges is an important goal that Inspiring Learning and the Youth Sport Trust share.

Alex Williamson, Chief Executive Officer of Inspiring Learning has said: “Our long-standing relationship with the Youth Sport Trust has been further substantiated through our new partnership. Inspiring Learning embodies the importance of being active in the outdoors across all our educational programmes and we’re delighted to be fundraising for such a life-changing organisation.

“Our diverse range of active residential, holiday camp and apprenticeship programmes, are designed to modify individuals’ behaviour, equipping them with the skills to rise to challenges, to become more adaptable, and to work collaboratively, enabling them to thrive in a changing world.”

Jen Rouse, Commercial and Fundraising Director at the Youth Sport Trust, said: “Following the impact of the pandemic and at a time when 18% of children aged 7-16 have a probable mental health disorder, these are difficult times facing young people and the challenge for charities like ours is great. This fantastic partnership with Inspiring Learning will be a huge boost to support our work post pandemic and to take urgent action to support young people most in need.

“We strongly believe sport has the power to change young lives, we are proud to be chosen as Kingswood’s charity partner for 2023.”

Inspiring Learning launched its fundraising efforts this autumn and will continue fundraising efforts at its various centres throughout the UK for the next year. For more information on Inspiring Learning and its centres, please visit www.inspiring-learning.com and www.youthsporttrust.org to see more on the YST.

Commercial activity that takes place in the Millennium Point building feeds back into the Millennium Point Charitable Trust. This enables the charity to donate to, invest in, and facilitate STEM-related projects, events and initiatives in the West Midlands. This has included over £360,000 in STEM grants to schools, not-for-profits and charities in Greater Birmingham and the Wider West Midlands.

In addition, the trust funds £16,650 in STEM degree scholarships annually, in partnership with Birmingham City University. The 2023 Scholarship programme launches on January 9th next year.

Abbie Vlahakis, CEO of Millennium Point (pictured above with Hatem Kesseir from Yardley in Birmingham who won the 2022 Scholarship) said: “Promoting STEM education across the region is what we do – increasing the opportunities for the next generation via some of the most exciting career paths available.

“As a meeting and events space, it’s fantastic to have had such a busy year of activity, including hosting Luke Jerram’s Gaia in February, Kenya House for The Commonwealth Games in August, St Basils Big Sleepout, and an amazing SciSport Show.”

Opened in 2001, Millennium Point is a landmark public building in the Eastside of Birmingham city centre. Inside, it is home to 17 versatile event spaces including a 354-capacity auditorium, meeting rooms and offices, and tenants, including ThinkTank and Birmingham City University (BCU).

Year 5 pupils at St Gregory’s Catholic Primary School, part of the Romero Catholic Academy, have created 32 prayer bags to provide comfort to people suffering from illness in the Wyken area.

The packages, which include a prayer hand-written by pupils, a hand-decorated prayer stone, a small wooden cross and a pack of tissues, are set to be distributed as a show of support for families affected by Covid-19.

The initiative was inspired by the Year 5 pupils’ studies around the Anointing of the Sick – the sacrament given to people who are suffering from illness – as well as pupil’s own experiences with family members who have been affected by the virus, in a bid to provide comfort through faith.

Emily Stirling, Year 5 Teacher at St Gregory’s Catholic Primary School, said: “The Year 5s have taken a real interest in creating their prayer bags as they know the difference that small comforts and supportive words can make to people who are suffering from illness and are potentially separated from their families.

“Many of our pupils have personal experience of supporting family members who have suffered from Covid-19, so to have the opportunity to reach out to members of the public with a show of good faith is very rewarding from their perspective.

“We hope that the recipients of the prayer bags get as much positivity and comfort from them as we did in creating them.”

St John Fisher Parish Priest Fr Des Devenney, who is helping to distribute the prayer bags to the community, said: “I joined the parish during Covid-19 so have witnessed the community’s response throughout, and it’s brilliant that the younger generation are so keen to support others living in the area.

“It’s a lovely thought and a project that will provide a lift to people and parishioners living in the local area. It’s a privilege and joy to be involved.”

A new initiative designed to showcase the impactful and essential work of Teaching Assistants has been launched by one of the UK’s foremost educational charities.

The campaign All I Do, created by the leader in vocational and technical learning NCFE, features real Teaching Assistants reading out public opinions about the role, before challenging the misconceptions and celebrating everything they do for children, young people and schools.

It comes as increasing pressure on school budgets means this vital role is at risk, potentially leaving some of the most vulnerable children without the support they need.  

Angie Rogers, Subject Specialist in Teaching and Learning at NCFE, said: “Teaching Assistants deliver a wealth of value for schools, yet often don’t receive the recognition their role deserves. We want to raise awareness of the impact Teaching Assistants are having every single day in supporting the needs of children and young people.

 “Teaching Assistants make up over a quarter of the workforce in schools, including up to 35% of the primary workforce. As a specialist role, they support some of the most vulnerable children and young people, including students with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND).

“Despite the essential work they do, Teaching Assistants are often the first role to be made redundant or have hours reduced when budgets get stretched. That’s despite most teachers across primary and secondary schools saying they don’t have everything they need to support students with SEND.

“This is why we’re on a mission to champion everything Teaching Assistants do and the difference they make to so many. We’re also focused on supporting Teaching Assistants directly and helping them to develop their skills by improving access to specialised development and training opportunities.”

In a poll earlier this year by the research organisation Teacher Tapp, 88% of primary teachers and 81% of secondary teachers felt they didn’t have all the help they needed to support students with SEND.  

A recent National Association of Head Teachers survey also highlighted that, because of increasing pressure on budgets, 66% of school leaders believe they will need to consider making Teaching Assistants redundant or reducing their hours.

Lindy Orchard’s son is on the autistic spectrum and she has experienced first-hand the ways Teaching Assistants have supported him through the education system.

She said: “We knew he had problems from about the age of two, so we’ve had quite a lot of interactions over the years with a wide range of Teaching Assistants. It was an assistant in a nursery who was one of the first professionals to spot that things weren’t quite right, and that it wasn’t just me as a mummy being overbearing or overprotective.

“Towards the end of primary school there was a Higher Level Teaching Assistant who came in and was put one-to-one with my son for a while. She introduced things like a visual timetable for him at school, using time out cards for him, and was able to change the onus from he’s giving us a hard time, to he’s having a hard time.”

As part of the campaign, NCFE is looking for people to take a short survey so they can better understand perceptions around the role, both from Teaching Assistants themselves and others. Whether you’re currently working as a Teaching Assistant, work in education, or just interested in learning more, you can get involved.

To find out more about the campaign and to complete the survey, visit https://www.ncfe.org.uk/celebrating-teaching-assistants  

Many children experience puberty whilst they are still in primary school, with some girls starting their periods as young as eight. Esteem will not only offer quality lessons and resources to help build their understanding and give them confidence whilst their bodies change, but also crucially offer training to teachers, many of whom say they don’t feel equipped to deliver statutory relationships education and have not received enough training in this area.

Over the next 3 years, Esteem schools’ workers will develop a new relationships curriculum to complement their acclaimed secondary school Esteem programme and will research, pilot and deliver relationships education training to over 300 educators who, in turn, will reach 23,000 children. The course will be accredited by the Open College Network.

As a result of Esteem sessions, acet UK expects the children to have increased confidence to build positive friendships, set and respect boundaries, and recognise what an unhealthy friendship or relationship looks like and what to do in that situation. The sessions will also give them a better understanding about body changes during puberty, the differences between appropriate and inappropriate, or unsafe, contact, and how to stay safe online and recognise bullying and abuse and how to seek help.

acet UK CEO Catherine Healey said: “This grant will enable us to develop and deliver a much-needed primary school relationships curriculum which will have a significant impact on children across the UK – increasing their self-esteem, knowledge and confidence so they can understand their worth.”

Patrick Haverty, Head of Year 9 and Head of Citizenship at Compass School in Bermondsey, where Esteem have been teaching secondary students for many years, said: “Their knowledge and skills in this area have been nothing short of vital for all students.”

Usman Saeed, Grants Officer for Benefact Trust, said: “We’re delighted to support acet with the development of the new relationship curriculum for primary schools. We realise the importance of setting foundations for healthy self-esteem and relationships at an early age, as children are becoming more exposed to a variety of influences. It’s also vital that teachers feel they have the training and resources they need to discuss sensitive and complex topics.”

Benefact Trust is one of the UK’s largest grant-making charities and awarded more than £23 million to churches, charities and communities in 2020. Its funds come from its ownership of the Benefact Group.

If you would like your primary school to be involved, please contact info@acet-uk.com.

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