The Kit Scheme, run in partnership with Nike, aims to encourage more young girls across England and Wales to participate in football and builds upon the 7,000 free football kits that have already been given away via the Premier League Primary Stars schools programme since 2017.

Premier League Primary Stars uses the appeal of the Premier League and professional football clubs to inspire children to be active and develop essential life skills. It is available to every primary school in England and Wales, inspiring girls and boys aged 5-11 in the classroom, the playground and on the sports field.

The programme supports teachers with free, downloadable, curriculum-linked resource packs and activities across PE, PSHE, Maths and English. More than 18,700 primary schools across England and Wales have taken part in Premier League Primary Stars to date.

Nick Perchard, Head of Community and Football Policy at the Premier League said: “We are pleased to be able to launch the Premier League Primary Stars Kit Scheme again in partnership with Nike, this time specifically to support and encourage more young girls to get involved in football.

“The Kit Scheme builds on the League’s ongoing support of women’s and girls’ football, having provided funding to aid the expansion of The FA’s Emerging Talent Centres and pathways for girls aged eight to 16. We hope as many schools as possible take up this opportunity.”

All teaching staff registered to Premier League Primary Stars, and who work with primary school pupils aged 5-11 in England and Wales, can apply for the Kit Scheme. Applications will need to include details on each school’s commitment to girls’ football and how the new kit will support an increase in girls’ participation in the sport.

Dan Burrows, Senior Director of Social & Community Impact at Nike said: “Nike is delighted to partner with the Premier League to launch the Premier League Primary Stars Kit Scheme. Our work with partners like the Premier League is vital to removing cultural, social and economic barriers to participation, so all kids, especially girls, have an opportunity to benefit from play and sport. Together, we can create an active next generation and a healthier and more equitable future for all.”
Successful applicants for the Premier League Primary Stars Kit Scheme will receive a set of Nike Park Short Sleeve shirts, shorts and socks (13 x outfield sets and x 1 goalkeeper set) – with a range of colours available.

The playing kit will be embellished with Premier League on the front of the shirt, No Room For Racism on the sleeve and will be numbered between one and 14 on the back, with Nike 2.0 hijabs also available as required.

Teachers can register for the Premier League Primary Stars Kit Scheme on www.PLPrimaryStars.com ahead of the application window closing on Friday 9 June 2023. Successful applicants will receive their kit during the Spring term 2024.

The Hub features a host of engaging resources varying from videos to lesson guides, assembly plans and handbooks, organised under six categories: ‘the journey of waste’, ‘food’, ‘clothing’, ‘plastic’, ‘composting’, and ‘take action for the environment’.

The Hub was launched in response to NLWA’s research project in 2022 with Keep Britain Tidy which set out to identify priority areas of interest and gaps relating to waste prevention education in north London. Users are invited to share their feedback about the Hub online, to help NLWA keep pace with schools’ needs and resource gaps.

To celebrate the launch of the Education Hub, NLWA is inviting schools to submit posters around the theme ‘Reduce, Reuse and Recycle’. The top 30 entries will be professionally printed to form part of the construction fencing leading up to the brand new Reuse and Recycling Centre at the redeveloped Eco Park in Edmonton. Schools will also be entered into a prize draw with a chance to win either a £200 voucher or an interactive assembly and Q&A on what happens to north London’s rubbish and recycling once it’s been collected. Details on how to take part in the competition can be found on NLWA’s Schools Competition page.

Councillor Clyde Loakes, NLWA Chair, said: “There’s great opportunity to teach children about their community and how the waste we produce impacts climate change – the objective of the Education Hub is to support local teachers and make waste reduction behaviours part of every north London school’s bread and butter, from a young age.

“The Hub is a fantastic directory that brings together some of the best educational resources out there and promotes interactivity. If every north London school integrated consumption and waste prevention into their curriculum, we’d be looking at a generation who see this as the norm and is empowered by their potential to mitigate climate impacts.”

Resources on the Hub have links to the national curriculum, including English, Science, Geography, Citizenship, and Art and Design, making it easy for teachers and home school tutors to integrate environmental and waste prevention education into the syllabus.

For further information about the Hub, please go to the North London Waste Education Hub.

Please note: the competition is only open to primary schools in the seven member boroughs of the North London Waste Authority: Barnet, Camden, Enfield, Hackney, Haringey, Islington, and Waltham Forest.

The Department for Education (DfE) has released further details of its National Education Nature Park, created to teach children about climate change and improve biodiversity across the country. Esri UK is providing a digital mapping platform and expertise in biodiversity mapping to help underpin this exciting initiative, first announced at COP26 by the Education Secretary.

The National Education Nature Park will engage young people and teachers with nature, supporting them to play a driving role in mapping and monitoring biodiversity on their grounds using citizen science and, critically, taking action to enhance it. The DfE believe this could play an important part in increasing biodiversity across the education estate and have a real impact on halting the decline of nature in England.

Anna Richards (left), who has worked in ITT since September 2014 and been a NASBTT Trustee since December 2017, will lead the Board of highly experienced ITT, education and commercial professionals whose core remit is to review and agree NASBTT’s strategic direction. She succeeds former Chair Ian Hollingsworth, who stepped down in October after five years in post.

“In my view teaching is the best job in the world – and now more than ever we need inspirational teachers joining our profession to inspire and support the next generation,” Anna said. “Working for a SCITT, and previously as a Headteacher for five years, I have seen first-hand the positive impact that trainee teachers can have on a school community and children’s lives. I am honoured to be appointed Chair of NASBTT’s Board of Trustees to both represent and further develop school-led ITT, and in turn support school improvement.”

Recognising the challenges brought by the recent ITT market review and accreditation process, Anna explained what she sees as the core role of NASBTT and the Board of Trustees. “Firstly, whilst needing to remain agile, it is important that the organisation does not stray from its core mission,” she said. “That means providing member support and reassurance, representing our members at the highest level and passing information on to them as much as possible, and delivering more focused services that can help with the requirements of accreditation. The opportunity to come together is also really important. As a NASBTT member I have recently attended Espresso Shot Networking Events on accreditation, Ofsted and curriculum design, and by sharing our experiences we become much stronger.”

Anna continued: “As Trustees we exist, by definition, to hold the organisation and Emma Hollis (Executive Director) to account. However, the nature of education is far more collegiate and supportive, and so I see our role as shaping the direction of NASBTT. Our Board has professionals drawn from both within and outside of the ITT sector, which means we can provide more robust challenge and supporting thinking to ensure we are giving Emma what she needs to facilitate the development of school-led initial teacher training provision, whilst navigating an extremely challenging political landscape.”

When Anna joined Suffolk and Norfolk SCITT, which is one of the biggest SCITTs in the country with 200 primary and secondary trainees every year, she immediately turned to NASBTT for support. “Knowing that the organisation is there is a huge comfort, it always has been, and actually when I started in ITT the first thing I did was sign up to NASBTT membership,” she said. “The organisation has shifted and developed dramatically over the past five years. Initially it was more of an advice/support service to members. Now we have a wide range of products and services, all of which are designed to help the sector to develop. Accessing our online CPD modules and video resources for teacher educators, mentors and early career teachers, for example, is hugely valuable as we are giving people content they had either not thought about creating or had the time to develop themselves.”

Anna spoke about her pride in working for Suffolk and Norfolk SCITT and challenged schools to “do everything you can to support the future of the profession”. She explained: “We are proud of our profession and privileged to be able to work with so many inspirational trainees as they start their journey to become excellent teachers and future school leaders. The depth and strength of our partnership with schools across Suffolk and Norfolk means that we train our trainees to be part of the whole teaching profession rather than training them to teach in just one type of school. But we know nationally that some schools do not engage in ITT at all. If everyone took that approach we would not have teachers.”

NASBTT Executive Director Emma Hollis added: “I would like to formally welcome Anna as our Chair of Trustees. Our Trustees provide incredibly valuable support and challenge, as Anna herself has for over five years’ now, and I am really looking forward to working with Anna in her new role. I would also like to take this opportunity to once again thank Ian Hollingsworth who offered unerring support during his time as Chair. Professionally, he has been my guide and my supportive challenger as I have grown in my role leading NASBTT. He has also directly helped our team to grow the organisation to what it is today.”

Launched in 2017 and available to every primary school in England and Wales, Premier League Primary Stars uses the appeal of the Premier League and professional football clubs to support pupils in the classroom, the playground and on the sports field.

Premier League Primary Stars’ range of more than 640 curriculum-linked activities support teachers to build their pupils’ confidence in key areas from Maths and English to PSHE and Physical Education and can be used off-the-shelf or tailored to suit teachers’ needs. More than 58,000 teachers have downloaded and used the free curriculum-linked resources since the programme began.

To mark the five-year anniversary, the Premier League is launching the Active Summer Challenge. This brand new initiative will challenge pupils to find five ways to keep active during the summer holidays, a time when fitness levels can drop. The new resources are now available for teachers to download for free on the Premier League Primary Stars website.

Exclusive content featuring Premier League players, club coaches and experts has been created to support teachers to inspire pupils deliver impactful PE lessons. Nine out of 10 teachers believe that they have seen an increase in pupils’ enjoyment of sport and physical activity linked to the programme.

In addition to PE, English and Maths resources, Premier League Primary Stars also supports teachers to deliver classroom-based discussions and activities on important societal topics such as anti-discrimination, mental health and gender stereotypes linked to No Room for Racism, Wellbeing Stars, and Rainbow Laces. After using the PSHE resources, 72% said that their pupils understand more about how to challenge prejudice and discrimination and 79% of teachers said their pupils have a better understanding of how to look after their own wellbeing.

Natalie Sutton, School Manager at Sandfield Close Primary School, said: “The Premier League Primary Stars programme has opened up so many opportunities and doors to us that we wouldn’t have been able to open on our own. We’ve had such a positive experience since joining back in 2018. It is important to measure progress but for me, it is also important to see our pupils expand their thinking and learn about key subjects in a fun and engaging way. It has all been so positive for us as teachers, but more importantly beneficial to the learning of our pupils.”

www.PLPrimaryStars.com

LGBTQ+ Voices has been downloaded more than 2,000 times since it launched last year and provides teachers with curriculum links to PSHE or Health and Wellbeing, Citizenship and History. It features both a lesson plan and an assembly with interactive tasks. Together, they aim to challenge perceptions of the LGBTQ+ community and help students aged 11–16 understand the importance of diversity and inclusion.

The award-winning resource enables students to explore the contributions of LGBTQ+ Army personnel past and present. It features four fascinating case studies, including Deborah Penny, the first trans soldier in the British Army.

Many teachers feel ill-equipped to answer any questions that students may have around trans rights. It is hoped that LGBTQ+ Voices will play an important contribution to the current debate. By giving students the tools that they need, they can play their part in addressing the inequality and discrimination felt by the trans community. Students will understand why being an LGBTQ+ ally is so very important, even if they don’t identify as LGBTQ+.

LGBTQ+ Voices was developed with teachers and support from the Army LGBTQ+ network. Teachers have remarked how the resources are “rich in information”. They offer “powerful” learning, are “self-contained” and are “simple to use”, especially for non-specialists and those less confident in discussing LGBTQ+ topics.

Teachers can download LGBTQ+ Voices for free at: https://apply.army.mod.uk/base/lessons/lgbtq-voices

Desk planners

You may already use a diary, journal, or online calendar to store all your meetings, deadlines, and appointments but a traditional daily planner that can fit on your desk is likely to improve your productivity. Putting your to-do list on paper and having it easily visible from your desk is a great way to help you prioritise all your tasks and work better throughout the day.

Laptop stand

A foldable laptop stand or portable table can be very useful, both for working from your desk and can also allow you to work from anywhere. Many of them are collapsible and easy to store which means that you can continue working from different rooms and even from the sofa for easier tasks!

A mini desk vacuum

It’s not hard to imagine why this item is one of the top trends in stationery products. Working from your desk, you probably find yourself sneaking in a few snacks throughout the day, or even working through your lunch break so crumbs are usually inevitable. This small device can help you eliminate dust and debris that end up on your computer, desk, and the surrounding area so you’ll always have a clean workspace, plus it hardly takes up any space and can easily be stored away in a desk drawer. Some of them are USB chargeable and come in cute animal shapes too!

A Mini Wheelie Bin

These small bins are a great way to keep your desk are tidy. Having bits of paper or trash lying around can be a distraction and can sometimes be annoying. If you have to get up and leave the room every time you need to throw something away, it’s just not practical. The perfect solution is a cute wheelie bin that fits under your desk and you can choose the colour of your choice. Hint: it’s also ideal for emptying that desk vacuum too!

Post-it notes

These are a true classic when it comes to desk and office supplies and they have a million different uses. If you always have a block on your desk, you’ll be able to jot down any important notes at the drop of a hat and leave yourself helpful reminders and even motivational quotes to keep you on track. They are also available in a huge range of different colours so they can add an element of fun and creativity to your work.

Plants

Flowers or plants are obviously not an item of stationery but having one on or near your desk can make a huge difference. They will brighten up your day, add some inspiration to your work, and boost your creativity. They also offer a lot of health benefits including the ability to reduce stress, clean the air around you, and can even reduce noise by absorbing sound. It’s a good idea to choose a plant that does not involve a lot of maintenance and will survive in the position of your workplace. If you want to learn more about the science behind this, take a look at these findings from the Royal Horticultural Society. 

Led by Sam Moinet – former teacher and founder of Student Breakthrough and the new Educators Coaching Academy – the workshop comes at a crucial time in the academic calendar, with many teachers feeling the strain of mock exams and supporting their students to transition into higher year groups and new schools.

Sam said: “I’ve been a teacher and worked in education since 2013, so I understand the pressures and frustrations they face and the lack of support available. Through my own experiences and listening to the teachers I work with now, a lack of time, knowledge and relevant training makes it extremely difficult to help young people manage their emotions. There are also common barriers that stop students reaching their full potential such as anxiety, low motivation and self-esteem and this is why effective mental health coaching can have such a profound impact.

“My mission is to make lasting change in the education system by supporting, empowering and inspiring educators and teaching them valuable skills and techniques to become confident mental health coaches. I therefore hope this free workshop provides some valuable advice and support at a critical time in their teaching careers.”

The mental health and wellbeing of staff working in education has never been more important following the intense pressure and strain of the last two years. The latest 2021 report by Education Support into Teacher wellbeing found that 77% experienced symptoms of poor mental health due to their work, 72% are stressed and 42% think their working environment has a negative impact on their mental health.

In a more recent survey by the NEU, 44% of teachers in England said they had plans to quit within five years, siting workloads and pay as key significant factors and for those who had thought about stress at work, two-thirds reported they were stressed at least 60% of the time.

Sam added: “This workshop is just the beginning. We need to radically transform mental health support in schools – not just for children but for teachers too. I feel very passionately that this is something that’s been missing in the industry, and I aim to change that.

“We are planning to officially launch the new Educators Coaching Academy in June which will be aimed entirely at school leaders, teachers and educators themselves. There really is nothing else like it.”

To find out more about the workshop and to book your free place visit: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/education-evolution-life-changing-coach-training-for-teachers-tickets-337055952427

The unique poetry and nature resource pack is available nationally, yet also forms part of the Young Poets project from the National Literacy Trust, which aims to improve pupils’ enjoyment of writing, their motivation to write and their attitudes to poetry. It also encompasses the RSPB Wild Challenge, an award scheme encapsulating a suite of specially-developed activities to support schools to engage children with nature and provide practical learning opportunities.

The creative activities developed by the National Literacy Trust and the RSPB will support and guide teachers to inspire their pupils to write and perform poetry through outdoor exploration of nature.  The resource includes a series of lesson plans, encouraging students to be inquisitive about the natural world and provide them with meaningful experiences of the outdoors, whilst also meeting national curriculum requirements for writing.

This resource has been written with school grounds in mind, and the poetry-based lesson plans created by the National Literacy Trust enable pupils to draw on their sensory experiences to describe nature’s beauty, empathise with wildlife to write and perform poetry. These activities build on the five pathways to nature connection – senses, emotion, beauty, meaning and compassion – and promote creativity and literacy skills through a poetic use of language.

Sean Cumming, Young Writers Project Manager at the National Literacy Trust, said: “We are delighted to offer our new poetry and nature resource to schools, created in collaboration with the RSPB. Engaging students in poetry helps to promote enjoyment of writing, inspiring feelings of creativity and provides an outlet for self-expression. As poets and writers have always looked to nature as a source of inspiration, we are confident that the focus on nature in the resource pack and the opportunities it provides for classes to explore the outdoors will deepen students’ knowledge and appreciation of nature and improve mental wellbeing.”

Suzanne Welch, RSPB UK Education & Families Manager, said: “We are very proud to be working with the National Literacy Trust on this inspirational resource. It is exciting to be part of something that joins creativity and the environment together in a powerful way. Using nature as stimulation for writing allows children to reflect on what they experience in nature so they can hold on to those moments and use them as inspiration and establish strong connections to wildlife and community. We hope that teachers and children across the country enjoy these activities and explore the great outdoors with all their new skills!”

To access the resources, please visit: https://literacytrust.org.uk/resources/writing-from-nature-a-poetry-resource/

Suitable for upper KS2 pupils (aged nine to 11), the series of lessons goes beyond the classroom and inspires children to connect with the biodiversity discoverable on their own school grounds, whilst deepening their understanding of scientific enquiry.

Students are introduced to the ‘Whatifs’, fictional characters who make Paradise Pastures their home. They begin their work learning about ‘The Invisible Overworld’ by completing a microhike outside and investigating the vegetation and creatures found on the ground of their Paradise Pasture. ‘The Invisible Underworld’ will then explore the world of soil by collecting samples and examining this using hand lenses and microscopes.

Robbie Kirkman, Education Team lead at the Eden Project, designed the Paradise Pastures resource and said: “At Eden we use stories as starting points – hooks – and play on children’s natural curiosity to engage our learners. The human brain is hardwired for storytelling and Paradise Pastures is a great example of how we take a narrative-led approach and apply this to scientific enquiry.

“Launching this new in-school programme is especially timely since children have recently marked a full year back in the classroom since disruptions caused by the pandemic.”

Paradise Pastures has been created to seamlessly link with the curriculum of KS2 Science, Geography, English and Maths and is comprised of three 1.5-hour lessons with the option to extend this with ‘Writing Across the Curriculum’ and ‘Developing an Authentic Scientific Enquiry.’

The tried-and-tested programme was developed with the help of Roche Community Primary School, based near St Austell, whose Year 5 class took part in the early stages of the programme in summer 2021.

The resources are available for schools to access online now and a free webinar, taking place on Wednesday 27 April at 15.45, will allow education professionals to find out more about the lesson series.

“We know from research that deepening our connection with nature encourages pro-environmental behaviours,” said Robbie. “This programme aims to support the development of this understanding while linking with key curriculum requirements.

“Our educational programmes and resources mirror the Department for Education’s plans, announced at COP26, to introduce new measures that will deliver enhanced climate change education to children.”

As well as exploring an existing Paradise Pasture already on the school grounds, schools will have the option of building on the programme by taking part in the Pollinator Pathmaker project and planting their own pollinator-friendly garden.

Pollinator Pathmaker is a 55-metre-long climate positive living artwork at the Eden Project that was created by artist Alexandra Daisy Ginsberg. Designed to showcase the vital role that pollinators play, the artwork aims to encourage individuals, communities and schools to create their own Pollinator Pathmaker garden – no matter the size of area available – by visiting pollinator.art and inputting their dimensions.

As an education charity and social enterprise, Eden provides learning programmes, experiences and resources for students and teachers onsite and in the classroom, from early learning all the way through to degree level and professional development.

The impact of the pandemic has seen Eden expand its learning programmes to include virtual learning, providing an even more global and accessible approach to vital environmental education. This year, Eden Project Learning is expected to reach 40,000 people on site, in the classroom and online.

For more information, to access the lesson plans and sign-up to the webinar visit: www.edenproject.com/learn/schools/school-lesson-plans/paradise-pastures.