Your child’s online safety education this term

 

This term your child’s class will be studying a unit of work based on using new online technology safely, developing skills in resilience, self-esteem and positive attention seeking behaviour.  It has been produced by the National Crime Agency’s child protection education programme Thinkuknow.

 

About Live Streaming

 

In particular the Thinkuknow educational activities introduce scenario’s and reflection about ‘Live Streaming’. Live streaming is the broadcasting of real-time, live video to an audience over the internet.  All you need to be abl e to live stream is an internet enabled device, like a smart phone or tablet with a camera, and an app that has a ‘Live’ function, such as Instagram Live or Musica.ly.

 

#Live Skills

To help support children to enjoy live streaming safely, if they are currently doing it, or for those that may be introduced to it when they start secondary school, these educational activities focus on building children’s skills to know who to trust online and how to get affirmation in positive ways at home and school. These skills are important for navigating both the online and offline world.

 

How you can get involved

 

• Schedule planned attention: One on one time, doing something together that is largely child-directed.
• Give personal and positive feedback to child: focus on praising good behaviours more than focussing attention on minor bad behaviours. Specific praise to be emphasised and inclusion of emotions: i.e. ‘You are being such as kind sister sharing the toys with your brother. You are playing with him so gently. I’m sure he feels very happy to be playing with you!’ Practicing this daily can demonstrates to a child what they are specifically doing well so that they know what behaviour to show again.
• Try and see the learning in mistakes
• Be involved in your child’s internet use: The best learning and the safest children are those who are able to share what they have been doing online with their parents.
• Be good to yourself: When children see us being critical of ourselves and our appearance or abilities that becomes normative for them to focus on the things they are doing wrong. It can help to notice when we are doing this and try and focus on the positives of our own lives and actions.
• Encouraging choice and consent from an early age: Children are socialised to do as they are told- especially when adults ask. Unfortunately adults can exploit this when chatting to children online. Giving a child a choice from an early age develops their autonomy and good decision making skills. For example not forcing a child to hug a relative etc. Give them the option to be polite in another way.

Today we bid a fond farewell to our Curriculum Coordinator, Claire Neal.

Claire Began working for Skills for Work in 2006 as a tutor and has risen to her current role. Claire is moving onto pastures new in Australia to start a new adventure with her family.

Claire will be missed by the team and we wish her and her family all the best in this amazing adventure.

Steph McGovern of BBC Breakfast

 

BBC Breakfast’s Steph McGovern has teamed up with Internet Matters to offer advice about how to keep children safe online. Click on the link below to find out more!

http://www.bbc.co.uk/guides/zs83tyc

 

The Social Mobility and Child Poverty Commission says the development gap between rich and poor five-year-olds must halve for a more equal society.

Pre school pupils from poor backgrounds  are still lagging behind by the time they take GCSEs,  with those pupils half as likely to get five good GCSEs as their wealthier peers,  according to the commission. This means that those pupils have less chance of going to good universities.

Commission chairman Alan Milburn, calls for more stretching objectives for the early years and a new national definition of school readiness.

“Current signs of progress do not go nearly far or fast enough to address the gulf between the divided Britain of the present and the One Nation Britain we aspire to become.” states Mr Milburn. The commission also calls for a rethink of teacher pay and the funding of teacher training.

The commission also states  “At the very bottom of society there are more than one million children living a life of persistent poverty.

“They are excluded from sharing in the many opportunities that life in modern Britain affords.”

The government has said however it is waging an ‘all out war against poverty’ citing the new minimum wage , the pupil premium and extra cash pumped into schools,  to help pupils from poor backgrounds.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Family Learning Tutor Rachel Twort shows how Family Learning works in Beckfoot School, Bradford

The 2015 Bradford Family Learning Festival has the theme of Colour and Light.

The festival is taking place across the autumn half term break, and promises loads of activities for families across the Bradford District  The Festival is run with our partners at the National Media Museum,   the National Trust and Forster’s Bistro along with the Impressions Gallery and Bradford Council’s library service.

During the 23rd of October  to the 31st October, Bradford libraries along with Bradford’s museums, will be hosting various colourful events readings and craft activities. East Riddlesden Hall will be encouraging visitors to make coloured lanterns in time for Halloween and at Cliffe Castle, create your very own stained  glass to take home! Get your picture taken in a variety of colourful costumes at the Impressions Gallery in Centenary Square. Come to the science events at Forsters Bistro and check out the Media Museum where creative events will be running, throughout the week! There is something for everybody!

Contact your local Bradford library in the first instance, or click the picture above for more information.

See you there!

 

 

 

 

Horton Community Farm, supported by Family Learning, is celebrating its 3rd birthday on Saturday November 14th 2015, by running a drop in volunteer session for families. Come along and join the fun!

There will be activities including playing games, getting creative with natural materials and helping with farm jobs.

Everyone is welcome and no booking is necessary. Activities are aimed at children between the ages of 3 and 11. Horton Community Farm can be found in Great Horton at Cecil Avenue, BD7 3BW.

See you there!

Education secretary Nicky Morgan is teaming up with Little Britain actor and writer David Walliams to promote library membership. The Department for Education will also support the Reading Agency to work with schools to  get more Year 3 pupils (aged 7-8) enrolled at their local library.

Nicky Morgan says: “No matter where they live or what their background, every single child in this country deserves the opportunity to read, to read widely, and to read well – it’s a simple matter of social justice…That’s why I am pleased to team up with David on this national mission to make our young people the most literate in Europe.”

David Walliams adds:”In a world of the constant distractions of television and computer games, it is more important than ever to encourage youngsters to read.”