Tag: teaching resources

YOU, ME, TOGETHER: Educating young people about abuse and coercive control in their relationships

Police Scotland and Education Scotland have come together to deliver YOU, ME, TOGETHER, a resource for secondary school pupils to make them aware of domestic abuse and the wider issue of violence against women and girls.

A video has been released on our social media channels after an event on Thursday, 28 November, 2024, when teachers at Loudoun Academy in Galston and officers provided young people with information about domestic abuse, including themes of coercive control, inappropriate relationships and peer pressure.

Teachers have a number of a resources to work with to help facilitate open and safe discussions about what can be an emotive subject for young men and women. The package includes a short film (add hyperlink to trailer) which follows a story line of coercive control between young people in a school setting and shows the warning signs to look out for.

YOU, ME, TOGETHER demonstrates that if we all work together, we can tackle domestic abuse. The emphasis being on victims, friends, family, supporters, partner agencies, professionals and police all working together.

Detective Inspector Phillip Kennedy said: “This programme is aimed at young people at an age when they are starting to form relationships.

“Domestic abuse can be a problem at any age but You Me Together aims to address any issues and promote positive behaviours.

“The programme talks about healthy relationships but also about the warning signs when things are not right. It is about empowering young people, giving them advice and information, and helping them make a choice and take action when something doesn’t feel right.

“By helping to educate young people, we hope that in the longer term this will reduce the likelihood of abusive behaviour developing and reduce incidents of domestic abuse.”

Councillor Jim McMahon, East Ayrshire Council’s Spokesperson for Housing, Transport and Communities said: “I was very pleased to join with Police Scotland and Head Teacher David Falconer for the launch of the new resource You, Me, Together at Loudoun Academy.

“East Ayrshire schools were involved in the development of the resource through the pilot project in 2022 and are proud to have had a role in shaping its development.

“I am also pleased that this took place during the 16 Days of Action campaign, which continues to be so important. It brings people together to work towards eliminating gender-based violence and encourages us all to take action to support women and girls in our communities.

“Last year, the Police recorded 1552 reported incidents of domestic abuse in East Ayrshire. There is no doubt that action is required to reduce the number of women and children affected by domestic violence, but we all understand that there is also no quick fix. Education is essential and resources like You, Me, Together take a long-term approach with the aim of encouraging positive behaviours among our young people that they will take into adulthood.”

The resource was initially piloted in 2022 in schools across Scotland reaching more than 1000 pupils, with feedback supporting the enhancement of the resource to meet the needs of students.

In 2023 all high schools in Ayrshire supported the delivery of the resource which has now been developed into a more accessible online interactive format to support national delivery to students in all areas of Scotland. It will be delivered within the existing personal and social education curriculum (PSE).

Police Scotland is committed to tackling gender-based violence and abuse, as highlighted in our prevention campaigns including the recent That Guy campaign and our support for the annual 16 Day of Activism campaign.

A key part of this work is building relationships with partners and working with them on a regular basis to highlight and make people aware of their messages too.

Rural education charity launches schools ‘Snack Attack Challenge 2023’

RHET challenge Scottish Schools to discover the power of the superhero Scottish seeds and grains. 

Four new superheroes, “Awesome Oats”, “Brilliant Barley”, “Wicked Wheat” and “Omazing Oil Seed Rape”, will be embarking on a sustainable healthy eating campaign during the 2023 school summer term. 

Have you ever wondered how these super seeds, the staple of our diet, are grown in Scotland, and incorporated into so many of our everyday foods? Join the Snack Attack challenge to find out. 

Rural education charities, The Royal Highland Education Trust (RHET) and Royal Northern Countryside Initiative (RNCI) have been working to create a super powered journey of discovery of our sustainable Scottish seeds and grains.

As part of the year-long spotlight on arable crops, RHET have produced a number of focused teaching resources for all age levels, linked to the Curriculum. Journey of Food – Seeds and Grains is now entering the final few months of the project and with the summer approaching, why not have some fun with our Super Heroes!? 

“Food production in Scotland is as wide and varied as our landscape” explains Katrina Barclay RHET Executive Officer.

“Our ‘Journey of Food…’ activity offers an opportunity to spotlight a different sector within Scottish agriculture (each year,) which demonstrates local food production, careers, nutritional information, environment and land use, data gathering and meeting the people behind the sector, to name a few areas.

“This makes it fully interdisciplinary, accessible to all and based on current practices. We pride ourselves on working in collaboration with a variety of businesses and organisations to bring the facts so pupils can investigate further, enquire, and use their curiosity to make informed choices.

“With support from organisations such as the Royal Highland and Agricultural Society of Scotland, James Hutton Institute and Scottish Agronomy, we are able to access not only research data but also people in the food sector using cutting edge technology who can explain the ‘how’ the ‘what’ and the ‘why’.” 

Scottish companies Nairns and Hamlyns are both generously supporting the Snack Attack challenge. A spokesperson from Nairns commented: “Oats are one of the earliest known superfoods and the Scots have been eating them for hundreds of years, usually in porridge and oatcakes.

“At Nairn’s, we’ve been baking oatcakes since 1896 and, whilst we have made a few small changes over the years and expanded our range of products, we still insist on the very best oats and only a few natural, simple ingredients.

“Our aim is to make it easy for everyone to find tasty, versatile oat snacks which are healthy, low in sugar and full of natural goodness.”

Hamlyns have been working with RNCI and RHET on projects over the years and support from industry is an excellent opportunity to follow the Journey of Food. 

If you are a teacher, or have children in school this challenge is now live and after a school is signed up for the ‘Snack Attack’ they will be entered into a draw to have a real tractor visit their School!

Pupils will be encouraged to help find these Super Heroes in their snack and vote for their favourite.

Competition is heating up, so be sure to visit https://www.rhet.org.uk/teachers/the-ghret-snack-attack/ or see our social media posts for more information. 

Barnardo’s resources to help teachers talk to pupils about grief

At the start of Children’s Grief Awareness Week, Barnardo’s is releasing resources for teachers to help children cope with bereavement. 

Before Covid-19, official stats showed one in 29 five-16 year olds had been bereaved of a parent or sibling – that’s at least one child in every average class. 

With more than 165,000 deaths from Covid-19 in the UK (deaths with Covid-19 on the death certificate), Barnardo’s says many more children and young people will be experiencing bereavement. 

Black people and men of Pakistani and Bangladeshi heritage are almost twice as likely to die from Covid-19 as White people, meaning children from these communities are more likely to experience loss. 

The free resources about grief are available on the Barnardo’s Education Community (BEC) website (https://www.educators-barnardos.org.uk/). 

They include an introductory worksheet which explores what grief is and a volcano-making activity that focuses on how grief impacts us. 

They also include some suggestions and advice about how to cope and who children can talk to when going back to school after someone special has died. 

Also in the resources are some coping techniques teachers can tell children about to use when times are difficult, exercises to help ground children and regulate their breathing. 

The resources will also be posted throughout Children’s Grief Awareness Week (November 18 to 24) on the Barnardo’s Education Community Twitter page (@BarnardosEduCom). 

Barnardo’s Interim Co-CEO Michelle Lee-Izu said: “Sadly the raw feelings of grief and loss will be familiar to thousands of children and families across the UK, especially during the Covid-19 pandemic. 

“Children have suffered a huge amount of loss in the last year. For most this has meant missing out on school and playing with their friends, but for too many children it has meant the loss of parents, grandparents and members of their family or community. 

“I hope that teachers who are discussing the issue of grief with their pupils during Children’s Grief Awareness Week will find our tips and resources useful – and that they will be used to assist schools and colleges to support children who are struggling in the future.” 

Home schooling again? Here’s how

Many parents enjoyed teaching their children at home during the first lockdown, but for others, the prospect of having to dust off their teaching skills again fills them with dread.

What programme of work should they follow? Should the children guide the learning or should it be imposed, with the parent in the role of a conventional teacher? How can they keep their child engaged in learning? What should they do when concentration fades?

A group of former primary school teachers have come to the rescue with Learn at Home Packs. Each one contains eight lessons with teacher-led teaching input videos, parent-friendly friendly lesson plans, slideshow presentations and printable worksheets.
 

Oli Ryan of educational resource gurus PlanBee said: ‘We hope these packs will take some of the pressure off parents who are new to home schooling.

“They’re designed specifically for mums and dads, so there’s no educational jargon. Educating your children at home can seem a pretty daunting prospect, but with these packs, we think we’re helping with the heavy lifting.’

The packs cover interesting and unusual topics such as forensic science, Italian culture, women’s suffrage and even include simple easy-to-follow cookery lessons.

‘We wanted to make sure that the lesson packs were educational, but interesting and fun, too,’ says Oli. ‘We’ve made sure they cover topics that children are unlikely to have learnt about in school previously – hopefully it’ll all be new to them!’

PlanBee have put one of the lesson videos up online for FREE, so you can get a taste of what’s included in the packs. And there are lots of free teaching resources for parents here.

Earth Day: UK government supports global action to fight illegal wildlife trade

There has been progress in key areas in the six months since the UK government staged the largest-ever Illegal Wildlife Trade conference in October 2018 including the launch of education packs. Continue reading Earth Day: UK government supports global action to fight illegal wildlife trade