Al Kingsley has spent the last 30 years in the Educational Technology space and almost 20 of those as a school trustee and governor. He is Group CEO of NetSupport Ltd, an internationally acclaimed EdTech vendor, and Chair of Hampton Academies Trust and the Richard Barnes (AP) Academy, all in the East of England. He also chairs his region’s Governor Leadership Group.Alongside these roles, Al also sits on the DfE’s Regional Schools Directorate Advisory Board for the East of England and is the Independent Chair of the County’s SEND Board. As a firm supporter of lifelong learning, he is also a regional Apprenticeship Ambassador and Chair of the Employment and Skills Board for his region’ s combined authority.An active writer about all things Education, Al is a member of the Forbes Technology Council and sits on the advisory council for the Foundation for Education Development.Websitewww.alkingsley.comNAPE is the long term sponsor of Education on Fire. This episode is repurposed for NAPE from the Education on Fire podcast hosted by Mark Taylor - NAPE, Vice Chairwww.nape.org.ukwww.educationonfire.comWatch Mark Taylor interview Al Kingsley – ‘Creating Digital Strategies for Schools’ from the Primary Education Summit – ‘Visions for the Future’ – 2023

ONVU Learning is a 360-degree video lesson capture system that helps teachers reflect, collaborate and analyse their entire teaching and learning process. It creates a community space where teachers can share best practice and learn easily with their coaches and peers.When Matt Tiplin was an Ofsted inspector, he decided that something drastic needed to change in the way we both judged and developed teachers.Teacher CPD was always something that was ‘done to’ teachers and not ‘done by’ them. And lesson observations were disruptive, costly and ineffective.He set about creating a more supportive, teacher-led CPD programme as a senior leader in a multi-academy trust and has brought that passion and experience to his role at ONVU Learning.Matt is a founding fellow of the Chartered College of Teaching, has a master’s degree in Education and a National Professional Qualification for Executive Leadership. He is also passionate about music and literature and is a fellow of the Royal Society of Arts.Websitewww.onvulearning.comNAPE is the long term sponsor of Education on Fire. This episode is repurposed for NAPE from the Education on Fire podcast hosted by Mark Taylor - NAPE, Vice Chairwww.nape.org.ukwww.educationonfire.com

Ally Sousa has worked in education for more than 16 years and has a longstanding interest in teachers’ CPD and supporting ECTs. She’s a former teacher and currently leads the content creation at BlueSky Education where she works with a wide range of teachers to create professional development resources.Prior to joining BlueSky, Ally taught in secondary education. While teaching physical education at Gosport and Fareham MAT, she took on the role of Initial Teacher Training manager and professional mentor, supporting primary, secondary and special phase trainees across a range of training pathways, and developing continued professional development programmes for trainees, ECTs and experienced members of the school community.Ally is keen to help teachers to have more constructive conversations about professional development with those who support them. She would love to discuss how teachers can take more ownership of professional development, how PD can happen throughout the year, the approaches early career teachers take to CPD. Websitewww.blueskyeducation.co.ukNAPE is the long term sponsor of Education on Fire. This episode is repurposed for NAPE from the Education on Fire podcast hosted by Mark Taylor - NAPE, Vice Chairwww.nape.org.ukwww.educationonfire.com

Professor Stephen Heppell's “eyes on the horizon, feet on the ground” approach, coupled with a vast portfolio of effective large scale projects over three decades, have established him internationally as a widely and fondly recognized leader in the fields of learning, new media and technology.He was a school teacher for more than a decade, and has been a professor since 1989. Stephen has worked, and is working, with learner led projects, with governments around the world, with international agencies, Fortune 500 companies, with schools and communities, with his PhD students and with many influential trusts and organizations.In June 2006 Stephen was awarded the Royal Television Society’s Judges Award for Lifelong Services to Educational Broadcasting. In 2008 he received the prestigious BETT Award for Outstanding Achievement in ICT Education. In 2014 he was honoured to receive the UK’s NAACE Award for Lifetime Achievement in educational technology.Websitewww.heppell.netNAPE is the long term sponsor of Education on Fire. This episode is repurposed for NAPE from the Education on Fire podcast hosted by Mark Taylor - NAPE, Vice Chairwww.nape.org.ukwww.educationonfire.com

Sam Kendall leads all of Eden’s work with schools, young people and their teachers and has done so since 2010. Eden’s Schools Team design and deliver programmes and projects for children and young people and offer training, consultancy and resources to schools towards Eden’s vision for children and young people who are motivated and equipped to create, and flourish in, a better future in which all living things thrive within planetary boundaries.Sam has been a member of Eden’s Education Team since the project opened in 2001, establishing Eden as a must-go school visit destination for schools across the UK and maintaining a focus on high quality teaching and learning across Eden’s learning programmes – at Eden and online. Following a first degree in Natural Science at Jesus College, Cambridge, she qualified as a primary school teacher, with science specialism, in 1997 and worked in schools in Bristol, Cornwall, Karachi and South Africa prior to joining Eden in 2001. In 2021 she completed an MSc in Environment and Human Health.Websitewww.edenproject.com/learn/schoolsNAPE is the long term sponsor of Education on Fire. This episode is repurposed for NAPE from the Education on Fire podcast hosted by Mark Taylor - NAPE, Vice Chairwww.nape.org.ukwww.educationonfire.com

Voice 21 is the UK’s oracy education charity. They work with schools to transform the learning and life chances of young people through talk. They campaign for oracy to have a higher status in the education system.Oracy skills are vital to success in school and in life. And yet, for many children, especially those growing up in poverty, opportunities to develop these vital skills are missed. Only a minority of schools have consistent, coherent or adequately resourced provision to develop these skills in their students.Voice 21’s sustained approach weaves oracy into a school’s DNA, ensuring current and future students have access to a high-quality oracy education. This means that students in Voice 21 Oracy Schools, including those who would otherwise miss out, develop the oracy skills they need for success in school and in life. Websitewww.voice21.orgNAPE is the long term sponsor of Education on Fire. This episode is repurposed for NAPE from the Education on Fire podcast hosted by Mark Taylor - NAPE, Vice Chairwww.nape.org.ukwww.educationonfire.com

Little Troopers is a registered charity supporting service children who have parent(s) serving in our British Armed Forces, regular or reserve. These children often face unique challenges including frequent house and school moves, as well as regular periods of separation from their serving parent(s) for varying lengths of time due to exercises, training, operations and other service commitments.As a charity, Little Troopers ensures our British Armed Forces children and their families have access to child-focused support wherever they are in the world and whatever community they live in. They provide fundamental resources and initiatives to help ease repeated separation periods and keep parent and child connected even when miles apart. They are the only charity in the UK dedicated to celebrating just how special all our Little Troopers out there really are.Louise Fetigan, founder, is a British Army veteran who saw active service in Kosovo. Her husband was also a serving soldier for 24 years, and undertook seven operational tours of duty. Together they have a daughter who spent her whole childhood as a military child and is the inspiration behind the charity, Little Troopers.Websitewww.littletroopers.netNAPE is the long term sponsor of Education on Fire. This episode is repurposed for NAPE from the Education on Fire podcast hosted by Mark Taylor - NAPE, Vice Chairwww.nape.org.ukwww.educationonfire.com

A Gobblegark’s Guide To Your Brilliant Neurodivergent Brain is Suzanne Robertshaw’s new book.Suzanne has been a teacher for 23 years. She has worked as a SENCO, supporting students with learning differences since 2015. She feels passionate about the positives of being neurodivergent which she regularly promotes on her Instagram page – @teachingwithadifference.A Gobblegark’s Guide To Your Brilliant Neurodivergent Brain is quite a magical book. You’ll meet caterpillars and gobblegarks and best of all? You’ll see how fantastic being neurodivergent is! Win keys by completing some challenges along the way, each one leading you closer to the treasure and to knowing a bit more about yourself and your brain. Built-in breaktimes ensure that you won’t get overwhelmed.Afterall, it can be tiring investigating your brain, making your way through a maze, and finding out how to use the strengths of your brain and understand yourself!Downloadable worksheets let you truly make this book your own because you can go back to activities as many times as you need, or do them in different ways, (and of course skip the ones you don’t!). Let’s make our brilliant brains even more amazing with this Gobblegark Guide!Websitewww.suzannerobertshawauthor.my.canva.siteNAPE is the long term sponsor of Education on Fire. This episode is repurposed for NAPE from the Education on Fire podcast hosted by Mark Taylor - NAPE, Vice Chairwww.nape.org.ukwww.educationonfire.com

Join BBC Teach on a journey through Musical Storyland, where children’s fairy tales and traditional folktales are re-imagined with music performed by the BBC Philharmonic Orchestra. The stories are narrated by a host of stars; BBC Radio 5 Live presenter, Nihal Arthanayake; international storyteller, Jan Blake; and CBBC and Eastenders actor, Molly Rainford.There are currently five short films: Three Billy Goats Gruff; Jack and the Beanstalk; Ananse and the Monkeys; the Great Race; and The Little Fir Tree. A further five will be available on Monday 25 March. The films feature an array of guest musicians, including multi-instrumentalist, Sidiki Dembélé; Guzheng player, Zi Lan Liao; and DeaF trumpeter, Sean Chandler.  On the BBC Teach website, the classroom videos are accompanied by comprehensive activities and listening guides, exploring musical skills and cross-curricula connections for non-specialist early years and primary-level teachers.Websitewww.bbc.co.uk/teach/class-clips-video/articles/zqg2s82NAPE is the long term sponsor of Education on Fire. This episode is repurposed for NAPE from the Education on Fire podcast hosted by Mark Taylor - NAPE, Vice Chairwww.nape.org.ukwww.educationonfire.com

Deaf Choices UK support parents of deaf children to make the best CHOICE(S) for Language, Literacy and Communication. ​They believe that every deaf child and every family has a unique set of needs and DCUK is here to help you navigate and explore the choices that are available to you, so that you can make an informed choice.​Deaf Choices UK is the only charity in the UK that provide training in Cued Speech.Kathy Kenny works as a family advisor for Deaf Choices UK. She has a background in education and has a Deaf daughter who is now in her 20s.Websitewww.deafchoicesuk.comNAPE is the long term sponsor of Education on Fire. This episode is repurposed for NAPE from the Education on Fire podcast hosted by Mark Taylor - NAPE, Vice Chairwww.educationonfire.com

More Than A Score:It’s time to fundamentally change the high-stakes, high-pressure assessment system in primary schools and make good mental health the basis for good learning.Primary pupils in England now face SATs and other government tests in five out of seven school years – that’s more formal assessments than in almost any other country.But the evidence against the current system is growing. Parents, teachers and heads are united in calling for change.In 2022, only 3% of heads wanted SATs to go ahead. 89% of parents say they would support an alternative. And 1 in 10 year 6 pupils didn’t sleep well in the run-up to the tests.SATs and other government tests don’t help learning and cause unnecessary stress and pressure.Let’s speak out for children.Alison Ali Director/Owner Can Can CampaignsAlison began her career in journalism, moving into international consumer publishing. Her experience runs from human rights and global finance reporting, to launching premium multi-language magazines and digital platforms for household brand names. She has run her own successful creative agency Can Can Creative since 2006 and, in 2019, launched sister agency Can Can Campaigns to harness the collective’s exceptional skills for greater good.www.morethanascore.org.uk/FB @morethanascoreT @MoreThanScoreInsta @morethanascoreTikTok @morethanascore_

Written by Claire Banks and Mick Waters, A Curious Curriculum: Teaching foundation subjects well details the insightful and transformational steps that a school can take towards designing and delivering a rich, rigorous and wide-ranging curriculum. Before becoming Director of Education for The Olympus Academy Trust, a cross-phase multi-academy trust in north Bristol, Claire Banks was a head teacher for nine years in an inner-city primary school. Throughout her career she has been interested in social and emotional learning and school climate, which has led to her work on leadership culture. Claire now works on curriculum design and school improvement in a system leadership capacity, offering school-to-school support to school trusts. Her passion for succession planning for the profession has led to her coaching and mentoring on aspiring heads and women in leadership programmes.Websitewww.crownhouse.co.ukwww.crownhouse.co.uk/a-curious-curriculumSocial Media InformationTwitter and Instagram: @CrownHousePubFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/CrownHousePubDetails of the Primary Education Summit can be found at www.nape.org.uk/summit

CHRISTIAN SCHILLER LECTURE PRESENTED BY DR. NEIL HAWKESThis presentation will aim to inspire listeners to understand why Values-based Education (VbE) is now being considered as the foundation of school culture worldwide. He will explain the key elements of the VbE model and why practitioners love it so much. He will draw on good practice from Primary Schools that find it to be the 'beating heart of their education'. Neil will describe the impact that VbE is having on developing what he describes as ethical leadership and why this concept should be central in the Primary School curriculum. Dr. Neil Hawkes is well known as an educator, motivational speaker, broadcaster, writer and social commentator. He first gained international recognition when he was a Headteacher in Oxfordshire, where he worked with a school community to devise and implement a pedagogical system that would give children a transformational ethical vocabulary, based on values such as respect, tolerance, humility and justice. Pupils were empowered to be self-leaders, with an active moral compass that affected behaviour, their thinking and the quality of their school work. Values-based Education (VbE) is now recognised internationally as a key dimension in school improvement and enhancing the nature of pupil experience and many schools have now gained accreditation for the quality of their values-based education, including Bannockburn Primary School where the Schiller lecture is being hosted.Get notified about the Christian Schiller Lecture here https://www.youtube.com/live/aFGja5aYNfM?feature=shareNAPE YouTube Channel www.youtube.com/@nationalassociationforprim834/Primary Education Summithttps://nape.org.uk/summit

National Association for Primary Education is proud to present a Primary Education Summit 'Visions for the Future' over two weeks starting on 15th March 2023. This is intended to promote discussion about the type of rich and engaging primary education which will enable all our children to meet the challenges they face now and in the future. This will include the annual Christian Schiller Lecture 'Values-based Education - the beating heart of Primary Education' presented by Dr. Neil Hawkes, eleven pre-recorded guest presentations and four live panel discussions led by prominent figures in primary education. Full details of these are given below. We very much hope that you will wish to join us for some or all of these sessions - and let other people in your school or organization know.nape.org.uk/summitwww.youtube.com/@nationalassociationforprim834/

Jon Severs is editor of Tes. He was previously commissioning editor at Tes, responsible for the teaching and learning content, as well as policy, leadership and pastoral articles. Before that, he wrote and edited for both trade and consumer titles. Jon explains the journey of taking the traditional Tes magazine, which was established in 1910, to their new online delivery which can be more reactive in our modern age. If you want to contribute to Tes in the way mentioned in the show here are the 2 [email protected]@tes.com

Prepared for life, not just exams360 are a dynamic social enterprise developing essential skills for life in young people through an interactive learning approach we call discuss, decide and do. 360 Skills For Life provide scenario-based educational experiences that equip learners with the skills, knowledge and confidence to live active, fulfilling and safer lives in stronger and more sustainable communities.Experience Skill City, their unique VR environment, bringing to life real world safeguarding dilemmas in realistic but safe scenarios.Their valuesWe listen in order to continually learn and improveWe connect and collaborate because partnerships achieve more for lessWe put the learner and their needs firstWe empower and challenge rather than instructWe engage and involve learners in our developmentWe adapt and are flexible when encountering new situations and knowledgeWe include all learners regardless of age, disability, gender, relationship or parental status, race, belief, sex or sexual orientationWe seek the best in everyone to realise individual and collective potentialTheir approachHolistic, cross-curricular education that delivers transferable skills for 21st century lifeImmersive, practical and interactive learning in which users discuss, make decisions and then do, rather than simply learning factsAwareness of surroundings to make good risk assessments, confidently make better decisions and deal with individual and collective challengesBlended learning where online, in-school and outdoor strands are closely integratedProvision of a realistic dilemma-based virtual Skill City as the core resourcePartnership with other organisations to maximise impact and valueFull details available at www.360skillsforlife.org

The Nature Premium campaign is being led by the Forest School Association (FSA). With around 2000 practicing members the Forest School Association is the professional body and UK wide voice for Forest School, promoting and supporting best practice, cohesion and ‘quality Forest School for all.  Guidance is being provided by a campaign steering group comprising representatives of key organisations within the outdoors learning industry and conservation sector (campaign partners). In addition, the campaign will seek support from allies across multiple sectors. The private sector will be particularly important in terms of sponsoring the campaign and achieving our goal. The campaign has been developed and managed on an entirely voluntary basis with the FSA underwriting the costs and FSA directors contributing a huge amount of their time. We recognise that the campaign is more likely to be successful if it has additional voluntary and financial resources. The campaign is deliberately independent and simply seeks to increase children’s engagement with nature and realise the huge number of associated benefits. Supporters within the outdoors learning industry will, on their own terms, lay-out and make their ‘offer’ for how the nature premium could be used to support school communities, young people, and families. Each will use their own networks to support the campaign.Dr Sara Collins is a biologist who completed her doctorate at Imperial College, London while working with the Forestry Commission. Post research she worked for a Palo Alto biotech company focusing on European sales, expanding into Poland, Lithuania, and Belarus. At the same time, she completed her MBA. She took a career break when her son was born and worked as a Visiting Teaching Fellow at Bath University where she wrote and taught a course on developing entrepreneurial skills in biotechnology. Sara qualified as a Forest School practitioner because it took her back to nature and fitted in with her son’s academic year. She is deputy-chair of a national charity and FRSA. Sara has worked in urban, multi-ethnic primary schools in Portsmouth for over ten years and developed the volunteer led Nature Premium campaign during Lockdown I. She continues to combine campaigning with her self-employed work in local [email protected]/Click to watch NAPE's Christian Schiller Lecture presented by Nancy Stewart 'Cherishing the growth of young children: what early years education can be' 2 online events for the summer term Mental Health/Wellbeing - How to support pupils with transition to secondary school with Sam Moinet from Student Breakthrough (May 16th)Ocean Plastic & Climate Change - Join Ellie Jackson author of the Wild Tribe Heroes book series as we invite pupils to write a story based on this topic in a writing festival (June 13th) For full details and booking forms please visit nape.org.uk/online-events

The National Association for Primary Education are delighted to announce that Nancy Stewart will present our Christian Schiller Lecture 2022.'Cherishing the growth of young children: what early years education can be'.Nancy Stewart is a consultant and writer with wide experience across early years sectors in schools, nurseries, local authority advisory service, and National Strategies where she was Senior Early Years Adviser with a central role in Every Child a Talker. Nancy provided expert advice to the 2012 review of the Early Years Foundation Stage, drawing on her interest in communication and language for thinking, as well as children’s development as self-regulating learners. Nancy co-authored Development Matters 2012, and wrote How children learn – The characteristics of effective early learning. She led development of Birth to Five Matters (2021) as Project Lead for the Early Years Coalition, and is a Vice President of Early Education.Nancy has earned the reputation as one of the most insightful speakers in the UK, specialising in the field of early years. This event will be of great interest to teachers, tutors, students, parents.The lecture is free and will be held on Monday 14th March 2022 at 4.45pm.It is being hosted by Windmill Primary School in Oxford and will be live streamed via zoom.To book please visit:https://nape.org.uk/schiller-online-booking orhttps://nape.org.uk/schiller-in-person-booking 

The National Association for Primary Education works in many ways to provide help and support for those involved with schools. One of those ways has been to sponsor and support Education on Fire.Here are links to the 5 episodes mentioned in this show.https://www.educationonfire.com/education-on-fire/243-astro-pi-challenge-from-raspberry-pi-foundation/https://www.educationonfire.com/education-on-fire/212-reading-writing-and-spelling-with-jane-considine/https://www.educationonfire.com/education-on-fire/177-how-to-improve-teacher-observations-with-craig-randall/https://www.educationonfire.com/education-on-fire/152-yoginis-yoga-training-with-susan-hartley/https://www.educationonfire.com/education-on-fire/021-online-safety/Details of the NAPE YouTube channel and the Christian Schiller Lecture with Nancy Stewart can be found at https://nape.org.uk/

New Edurio research reveals half of children feel stressed and a quarter feel lonely.Edurio has published their latest research examining pupil wellbeing, support systems in school and how pupils feel about school. The study drew on responses from 45,000 children of which 15,000 were from primary. Children feel progressively less well as the move through primary school – 76% in year 1 feel well but this drops by 17 percentage points in Y6 when 59% report feeling well.Children feel more stressed in Y6 (36%) than in Y1 (22%)More primary aged children feel overworked in Y2 and Y3 than at any other time during primary school.The research shows that the transition to secondary school has a negative impact on children’s wellbeing and the drop is greater than at other times during school.Children’s overall wellbeing drops from 59% feeling well in Y6 to 46% in Y7.More students often feel stressed - rising from 36% in Y6 to 43% in Y7More children report not sleeping well in Y7 (30%) than in Y6 (28%)Mark Taylor chats to Iona Jackson co-author of the Edurio report about her findings.Full details can be found at:https://home.edurio.com/pupil-learning-experience-and-wellbeing-reportTo keep up to date with all the work by National Association for Primary Education please visit:https://nape.org.uk/

‘MarvellousMe is a game-changer for parent engagement.’MarvellousMe engages parents by telling them about their children’s learning and success. It enriches family conversations about school and makes it easy for parents to help their children’s education and say: ‘Well done!’Delivering a positive teacher-parent partnership, MarvellousMe makes it easy for schools to implement the best practice prescribed by experts like the Education Endowment Foundation. To build and sustain excellent parent engagement and positive behaviour school-wide.Designed by a once disengaged dad, MarvellousMe is different from messaging systems, social media and solo teacher apps. It involves and equips parents with personal, positive and progress-led news, and gives leaders the ability to focus parent engagement on essential topics and school values, analytics to ensure whole school consistency and peace-of-mind that data is managed centrally, securely and in the UK under the GDPR.Inspire, involve and empower parents.www.marvellousme.comSocial Media Information@MarvellousMeAppThis conversation was previously recorded for the Education on Fire Podcast of which NAPE is a sponsor.

Here at the National Association for Primary Education are looking for educators to help us 'Pay It Forward'.We see hundreds of questions asked on social media every week. What if we could collate the answers, get your views and experiences in a way that could support thousands of others?If you are an educator and have ever asked a question and received a great answer - online or in person - we invite you to Pay It Forward.Please be a guest on the NAPE podcast with Mark Taylor (NAPE vice chair) and spend 10 minutes discussing these 5 things.How are you currently involved in education?What question did you ask?What was the answer?Who gave it to you?What advice can you share from your own experiences?That is it! To get involved and find out all the details please visit nape.org.uk

National Association for Primary Education presents:Special Educational Needs CPDMonday 6th December 2021 4:30 PM - 5:30 PMThis online zoom event will cover 3 areas of Special Educational Needs to help you support your pupils:- English as an Additional Language (EAL)- How to identify children who may also have dyslexia or another SPLD- Common speech, language and communication needsCo-occurring challengesDo you ever worry that a child in your class is not making the progress you were expecting? There may be many reasons for this – and some will overlap. In this interactive session, we will look at some of the causes of underachievement, and try to find some solutions that could benefit the whole class.We will start by looking at how all teachers can effectively support those learners who are using English as an Additional Language (EAL), and then move on to what we should be alert to in order to identify any children who also may have dyslexia or another SPLD. Finally, we will look at some common speech, language and communication needs, and how they could be met in the classroom.Please feel free to bring your questions and share your experiences, so that, as a group, we can empower each other to support our learners. HostMark Taylor (Vice Chair NAPE) - Mark has been a professional percussionist for 25 years and performed with some of the major orchestras and arts organisations in the UK. Mark combines his performing career with teaching drums/percussion in schools and providing whole class rhythm workshops.Mark is the creator and host of the Education on Fire podcast. He interviews educators from around the world so that he can enable his listeners to support children to live, learn and grow to their full potential. He has recorded over 300 episodes which have been downloaded in over 135 countries.PresenterDr. Anne Margaret Smith started her career as a teacher of English as a foreign / additional language around 30 years ago. Alongside her language teaching, she also works as a dyslexia assessor and specialist tutor, and has designed an assessment tool to allow us to identify SpLDs in multilingual people. She founded ELT well in 2005, to combine these two fields of education, and offers professional development and resources to language teachers in all contexts. She is currently also training to be a Speech and Language Therapist.If you can not join us live a replay will be available.Event Fee£12.50 per person FREE to NAPE members (use promotional code at checkout)To book please visit https://nape.org.uk/sen

Primary Music CPD Monday 18th October 202117.30-18.30 Live via Zoom (+ recording)Full details and booking at nape.org.uk/primary-musicWe will cover:Top 10 resources, organisations, work schemes 3 starting points for compositionWhen, what, how of listening to musicMusic AssembliesMusic across the curriculumTo keep up to date with all the events and download a FREE copy of our professional journal Primary First please visit:https://nape.org.uk/journal

Following the success of our online conference in March 2021 'Towards a balanced and broadly based curriculum' The National Association for Primary Education have planned 6 new online CPD events for the new academic year.5 starting points for Primary MusicSpecial Education NeedsEdTechEYFS Mental Health/WellbeingClimate & Ocean PlasticTo keep up to date with all the events and download a FREE copy of our professional journal Primary First please visit: https://nape.org.uk/journal

Ellie Jackson is the bestselling children's author of the Wild Tribe Heroes series of true environmental books for primary children. Each book follows a well loved animal as it gets into trouble due to an environmental issue such as ocean plastic, deforestation or climate change. Free teaching resources and curriculum maps support the books for each key stage. Ellie is a teacher and mother of four from Cornwall who is passionate about inspiring the next generation to protect our planet.Websitewww.wildtribeheroes.comSocial Media InformationFb, Insta & Twitter@wildtribeheroesThe National Association for Primary Education speaks for young children and all who live and work with them. Get a FREE e-copy of their professional journal at nape.org.uk/journal

Following the success of our conference on 6th March 2021 - Towards a Balanced and Broadly Based Curriculum - Dr. Tony Eaude has a follow up conversation with presenter Clare Whyles (Deputy Head) and Tina Farr (Headteacher) of St Ebb's C of E (Aided) Primary School.St Ebb's have been on a journey which has seen their curriculum transformed. We get to hear the ideas, aims, successes and struggles involved in doing this which we hope can provide insight, inspiration and understanding of what is possible.https://st-ebbes.oxon.sch.uk/You can listen to Dr. Tony Eaude's Schiller Lecture and the follow up Q&A on episodes 65 & 66 of the nape podcast: https://nape.org.uk/nape-podcastTo keep up to date with all of our events and get a FREE e-copy of our professional journal Primary First please visit: https://nape.org.uk/journal

Described as having a breathtaking understanding of how to engage even the hardest to reach of children, Jonathan has established a reputation for delivering inspiring and creative inset both in the U.K. and internationally.He has worked for many years on the kind of compelling and inspirational teaching strategies that lead to incredible outcomes and is still in the thick of it as the deputy head at a large inner city primary school in Sheffield. Jonathan has also shared his passion for learning through his role as an Advanced Skills Teacher, Lead Teacher for Sheffield Local Authority, and associate of Ian Gilbert’s Independent Thinking company.Jonathan is passionate about working with schools to create learning opportunities that are designed not just to impart knowledge, but also to engage, inspire, and most importantly, make children think.http://guerrillaeducation.co.uk/https://www.independentthinking.co.uk/The National Association for Primary Education speaks for young children and all who live and work with them. Get a FREE e-copy of their professional journal at nape.org.uk/journal

Leonor Stjepic, is an award-winning social enterprise entrepreneur, whose career has spanned both the private and NGO sectors. She is Chief Executive of the Montessori Group as well as Chair of the Board of Directors of Montessori Centre International.James Archer is the Centre Director of the International Montessori Institute. Prior to this he was the Course Director of the BA Primary Education Accelerated (2 Year) degree. He has worked on and written various validations of innovative programmes in the Carnegie School of Education.The International Montessori Institute, a centre within the Carnegie School of Education at Leeds Beckett University (LBU), has launched a scholarship programme to support the next generation of Montessori educators. The Institute was established in August 2020 and will provide the UK’s first dedicated undergraduate and postgraduate courses in Montessori education.Funded by the Montessori Group, the first scholarships of £2,000 each will be awarded to 25 students who are studying on the BA (Hons) Primary Education Accelerated Degree (Montessori) in the 2021/22 academic year. The relationship between the Carnegie School of Education and the Montessori Group means that further scholarships will be awarded in the future years of the partnership.This scholarship will be first awarded in the next academic year, with applicants to LBU able to apply for the scholarship as part of their application to the university.Websitehttps://www.leedsbeckett.ac.uk/research/the-international-montessori-institute/Social Media InformationLeonor StjepicTwitter: @LeonorStjepicLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/leonorstjepic/James ArcherTwitter: @mrjamesarcherInternational Montessori InstituteTwitter: @Montessori_LBUThe Montessori GroupTwitter: @MontessoriUkLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/montessori-uk/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/montessoriUKInstagram: @MontessoriUkTo get your FREE e-copy of the professional journal Primary First please visit https://nape.org.uk/journal

Mark Taylor chats to NAPE patron Ian Gilbert.Since founding Independent Thinking in 1994, Ian has built a global reputation as an educational thinker, innovator, entrepreneur, speaker and award-winning editor and writer. He was listed by the IB magazine as one of their top 15 ‘educational visionaries’. Never happier than when he is making children’s brains hurt, he has a unique first-hand perspective on the world of education having lived and worked in schools and universities in the UK, the Middle East, South America and Asia.He is now sharing his time between Rotterdam, where his wife is an international school principal, and their home in the middle of nowhere deep in West Wales.He wasn’t always interested in exotic foreign travel and meeting interesting people from different countries, as he started off his educational career teaching French in Northampton. He didn't really want to be a French teacher and, while you would think not wanting to teach French to people who didn't want to learn it might be a match made in heaven, it was only ever really a stepping stone. His main ambition was to work with young people in the areas that most fascinated him then and in which he has become such an important figure today – thinking, learning, motivation, creativity and helping all members of the school community be the best they can be.Through his many books including the ever-popular Thunks collection, his ongoing classroom work with children and young people, his keynotes and workshops at conferences around the world and his continuous work with teachers and leaders in schools, Ian has shown a whole generation of educators that there is always another way. Following a chance meeting in the staff room, Ian was encouraged to set up Independent Thinking in 1994 and, since then, has built up a unique educational organisation that acts as a platform for some of the UK’s leading innovative educators and school leaders as well as serving as a ‘lighthouse’ for so many practitioners who might otherwise fall prey to the idea that silence is respect, obedience is behaviour, grades measure education and teaching and learning are the same thing.Websitewww.independentthinking.co.ukSocial Media Information@ITLWorldwide on Twitterindependentthinkingworldwide on InstagramThe National Association for Primary Education speaks for young children and all who live and work with them. Get a FREE e-copy of their professional journal at nape.org.uk/journal

Towards a balanced and broadly-based curriculum was the theme of the National Association for Primary Education conference in March 2021. The keynote lecture was given by Dr. Tony Eaude.This is a follow up Q&A taken from a subsequent Facebook live event.Tony suggested four main arguments for a balanced and broadly-based primary curriculum:that the law states that schools must offer this (as it does) and that Ofsted expect this (at least from 7 years old);one based on how children create coherent, robust and flexible identities, enhancing their well-being and founded on a sense of agency;one based on a conception of democratic citizenship in which children are increasingly enabled to deal with complex ideas right from the start; anda social justice one that such a curriculum will open up opportunities from which many children, especially those from disadvantaged backgrounds, will otherwise be excluded.Questions & comments from our delegatesRetired HeadteacherDr Eaude's argument for a balanced and broadly based curriculum is compelling. Moving forwards, is it possible for schools to work with the current National Curriculum Framework to achieve this? Do Academies, rather than Local Authority schools, have the most potential and freedom to develop such curriculum experiences?Where (in England) is curriculum innovation to be found at present?What is the National Association of Primary Education's role in this argument?As a student in my final year of an undergraduate course, I am currently working on an assignment about my own educational philosophy which very much aligns with Dr. Eaude’s Schiller speech. Embarking into my NQT year in September I know the best way to change this is starting in my own classroom. However big questions arise with that:What can I do beyond that? If there is not enough support or like-minded colleagues,How can I reach out to ensure this way of teaching the curriculum is opened up on to all the children in the community?Where can I find more support?For more information about Dr. Tony Eaude please visit his website https://edperspectives.org.uk/More information about NAPE is available at https://nape.org.uk/To find out more about Christian Schiller HMI please click on the link belowhttps://nape.org.uk/publications​The Schiller Book, published by NAPE, 'In His Own Words', can be purchased for only £5.

Towards a balanced and broadly-based curriculum was the theme of the National Association for Primary Education conference in March 2021. The keynote lecture was given by Dr. Tony Eaude.He suggested four main arguments for a balanced and broadly-based primary curriculum: that the law states that schools must offer this (as it does) and that Ofsted expect this (at least from 7 years old); one based on how children create coherent, robust and flexible identities, enhancing their well-being and founded on a sense of agency; one based on a conception of democratic citizenship in which children are increasingly enabled to deal with complex ideas right from the start; and a social justice one that such a curriculum will open up opportunities from which many children, especially those from disadvantaged backgrounds, will otherwise be excluded.Schiller was an inspector in Liverpool in the 1920s, a role very different from that of inspectors now – more to advise and encourage than to evaluate. Schiller’s concern at the desperate squalor and poverty which he witnessed there - his humanity – and the narrow and inappropriate curriculum on offer comes through very strongly in what he said and wrote (Schiller, 1979). His main concern was for children’s basic needs to be met, in terms of being properly fed, clothed and cared-for but he also believed passionately that children in the elementary schools he saw should have a broader, richer and more suitable range of experiences - with his emphasis being on physical activity and the arts. While Schiller 2 went on to work in other roles, supporting primary headteachers and teachers, this early experience was formative and remained with him for the next fifty years or so.In his lecture Tony suggests that the humanities should be seen fluidly as including history, geography, religion, philosophy, literature, languages and culture, more generally; and fulfil a central role in how children construct and weave together their multiple identities into a coherent identity. The Humanities 20:20 manifesto (www.humanities2020.org.uk) summarizes why the humanities matter, arguing that they enable children to: 1. consider questions about the meaning and purpose of their lives; 2. explore their own identities, values and beliefs and concepts such as time, space and faith; 3. develop skills and habits associated with critical and creative thinking; 4. extend their cultural and imaginative horizons; 5. learn to empathise with people who are different, as well as those who are similar, thereby celebrating diversity and challenging stereotypes; 6. learn about democracy, global citizenship and sustainability; 7. strengthen a sense of care for themselves, each other and the planet in line with the UN Sustainable Development Goals.To find out more please visit Dr. Tony Eaude's website https://edperspectives.org.uk/More information about NAPE is available at https://nape.org.uk/Other interviews between Dr. Tony Eaude and Mark Taylor can be found at:https://www.educationonfire.com/education-on-fire/066-re-humanising-primary-education-dr-tony-eaude/https://www.educationonfire.com/national-association-for-primary-education/nape033/

Teach the Future is an inclusive, well organised and persistent campaign by secondary and tertiary education students to greatly improve education on the climate emergency and ecological crisis in the UK.In this episode Robson Augusta chats to Mark Taylor about how it is never too early to start learning about how the climate emergency can be positively affected by our primary aged children.Teach the Future are campaigning for change across the whole of the UK, but education in the UK is a devolved matter, meaning there are different education ministers and education laws in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. A lot of our work is relevant across the UK, but we also have specific campaign branches in Scotland, Wales and England:A student lead organisation who believe our education system needs to be reformed to reflect the urgency of the climate crisis.https://www.teachthefuture.uk/Twitter @_TeachtheFutureNational Association for Primary Education publish their professional journal 'Primary First' 3 times a year.If you would like read a past issue of the Primary First journal you can receive a FREE e-copy by visiting nape.org.uk/journal

Mark Taylor (Vice Chair of National Association for Primary Education) talks to Penny Borkett. Penny wrote an article for the Primary First Journal issue 29 entitled:Who are you? - The importance of building identity in the early years and the place of culture within this.Penny has spent many years working as a teaching assistant in a variety of schools. She decided to study as a mature student for a degree which focused on children in the early years. After completing that degree she decided to continue studying and completed her MA. At the time she was working as a Portage worker in a Children's Centre in a multi-cultural area so became very interested in inclusion and working with communities from other parts of the world.She then worked for a while as a Children's Centre Co-ordinator before moving to Sheffield Hallam University to teach.Penny's book Cultural Diversity and Inclusion in Early Years Education reveals how cultural diversity can be celebrated in every early years setting. Acknowledging the impact of culture on a child’s development and identity, the book demonstrates the need for practitioners to appreciate cultural difference, value diversity and ensure inclusive practices.Alongside comprehensive discussion of current and historical policy relating to multiculturalism and relevant sociocultural theory, the book provides practical guidance and resources to support practitioners in responding to the challenges of working with families and children from diverse cultural backgrounds. Chapters focus on topics such as:policy and the role of the practitionersociocultural theories relating to child developmentbuilding working relationships with familiesthe impact of culture on a child's identityenabling environments and inclusive strategies.Including case studies, reflective questions and suggestions for further reading and research, this essential book will help early years practitioners and students to embrace the varied cultural heritages of the children in their care.National Association for Primary Education publish a professional journal called Primary First 3 times a year. It is FREE to NAPE members or can be purchased for £5 from the National Office.NAPE are creating a series of podcasts from Primary First contributors to hear from the people and organisations behind the written word.If you would like read a past issue of the Primary First journal you can receive a FREE e-copy by visiting nape.org.uk/journalTo purchase issue 29 and read Penny's article please contact https://nape.org.uk/

National Association for Primary Education publish a professional journal called Primary First 3 times a year. It is FREE to NAPE members or can be purchased for £5 from the National Office.In this episode Mark Taylor (Vice Chair of NAPE) talks to Seraphina Simmons-Bah who wrote an article for issue 29 entitled:Exploring the limits of representative literature in the primary classroom?Seraphina works as a supply teacher and practitioner in Initial Teacher Education (ITE). Her main area of interest is the representation of racially monoritised groups in children's literature and the ways in which children's literature can be used to explore racialised issues in the classroom.Twitter: @BahSimmonsNAPE are creating a series of podcasts from Primary First contributors to hear from the people and organisations behind the written word.If you would like read a past issue of the Primary First journal you can receive a FREE e-copy by visiting nape.org.uk/journalTo purchase issue 29 and read Seraphina's article please contact https://nape.org.uk/The National Association for Primary Education has an online conference on 8th March 2021 entitled:TOWARDS A BALANCED AND BROADLY-BASED CURRICULUMVirtual Conference – Monday 8th March 2021, 4.15pm-6.45pmThe Conference, embracing a theme which has always been central to debate about children’s entitlements, has been highlighted by OfSTED as critical in curriculum development and its central importance has been further accentuated by the pressures under which primary schools are working in the post-lockdown phase as they prioritise what is perceived as essential in educational recovery.The impact of the coronavirus pandemic on children’s education may be perceived as a justification for narrowing the curriculum at the expense of the arts and the humanities, but this conference will explore the case for preserving young children’s entitlement to as rich and diverse a curriculum as possible. Dr. Eaude’s keynote lecture will set the scene, highlighting some key issues and considering some lessons to be learnt from the period of lockdown. The subsequent presentations will focus on classroom practice, providing a spotlight on innovations which have been implemented in school and offering guidance for the future.All are most welcome at this event, including teachers, teacher assistants, governors and students and it’s our hope that the conference will play its part in bringing together a range of stakeholders in primary education, all with a commitment to enhancing children’s entitlement to a balanced and broadly-based curriculum.To book or find out more https://nape.org.uk/conference

National Association for Primary Education publish a professional journal called Primary First 3 times a year. It is FREE to NAPE members or can be purchased for £5 from the National Office.In this episode Mark Taylor (Vice Chair of NAPE) talks to Penny Rabiger who wrote an article for issue 29 entitled: Does teaching racial justice and equity have a place in our primary schools?NAPE are creating a series of podcasts from Primary First contributors to hear from the people and organisations behind the written word.Penny Rabiger is Director of Engagement at Lyfta Education and co-founder and trustee of the BAMEed Network. She is a school governor and MAT Trustee, and a coach for the Leeds Beckett University Anti-Racist Schools Award.www.bameednetwork.com/www.lyfta.com/Social Media Information@Penny_Ten@BAMEedNetworkIf you would like read a past issue of the Primary First journal you can receive a FREE e-copy by visiting nape.org.uk/journalTo purchase issue 29 and read Penny's article please contact https://nape.org.uk/The National Association for Primary Education has an online conference on 8th March 2021 entitled:TOWARDS A BALANCED AND BROADLY-BASED CURRICULUMVirtual Conference – Monday 8th March 2021, 4.15pm-6.45pmThe Conference, embracing a theme which has always been central to debate about children’s entitlements, has been highlighted by OfSTED as critical in curriculum development and its central importance has been further accentuated by the pressures under which primary schools are working in the post-lockdown phase as they prioritise what is perceived as essential in educational recovery.The impact of the coronavirus pandemic on children’s education may be perceived as a justification for narrowing the curriculum at the expense of the arts and the humanities, but this conference will explore the case for preserving young children’s entitlement to as rich and diverse a curriculum as possible. Dr. Eaude’s keynote lecture will set the scene, highlighting some key issues and considering some lessons to be learnt from the period of lockdown. The subsequent presentations will focus on classroom practice, providing a spotlight on innovations which have been implemented in school and offering guidance for the future.All are most welcome at this event, including teachers, teacher assistants, governors and students and it’s our hope that the conference will play its part in bringing together a range of stakeholders in primary education, all with a commitment to enhancing children’s entitlement to a balanced and broadly-based curriculum.To book or find out more https://nape.org.uk/conference

NATIONAL ASSOCIATION FOR PRIMARY EDUCATION in collaboration with HUMANITIES 20:20 Project and PRIMARY UMBRELLA GROUP present a virtual twilight conference: TOWARDS A BALANCED AND BROADLY-BASED CURRICULUMVirtual Conference - Monday 8th March 2021, 4.15pm-6.45pmThe Conference, embracing a theme which has always been central to debate about children’s entitlements, has been highlighted by OfSTED as critical in curriculum development and its central importance has been further accentuated by the pressures under which primary schools are working in the post-lockdown phase as they prioritise what is perceived as essential in educational recovery.The impact of the coronavirus pandemic on children's education may be perceived as a justification for narrowing the curriculum at the expense of the arts and the humanities, but this conference will explore the case for preserving young children's entitlement to as rich and diverse a curriculum as possible. Dr. Eaude's keynote lecture will set the scene, highlighting some key issues and considering some lessons to be learnt from the period of lockdown. The subsequent presentations will focus on classroom practice, providing a spotlight on innovations which have been implemented in school and offering guidance for the future.All are most welcome at this event, including teachers, teacher assistants, governors and students and it's our hope that the conference will play its part in bringing together a range of stakeholders in primary education, all with a commitment to enhancing children's entitlement to a balanced and broadly-based curriculum. SCHEDULE: 4.15PM - 6.45PM4.15pm - Welcome followed byKeynote lecture - Dr Tony EaudeWhy a balanced and broadly-based curriculum matters - particularly for young children and those from disadvantaged backgrounds  Dr. Eaude has published widely on a range of educational topics extending from pedagogy in the classroom to children's moral, social and cultural development, earning himself the reputation as one of the most articulate and enlightened voices in the primary sector. His most recent book (2020), Identity, Culture and Belonging: Educating Young Children for a Changing World, characteristically draws on his wealth of teaching experience in the primary school, including headship and his insights into the changing contexts for schooling and children's development. 5.15pm -  Presentations A & B (Attendees will be ask to choose A or B when booking)A. Social action in the Primary School - Envisioning a better future for all:  The presentation will address the variety of ways in which social action is embedded in the curriculum and how the children are encouraged to become critical,...

Essity is a global leader in hygiene and health. Since 2017 they have been actively working to improve hygiene and health standards and education within UK schools.National Association for Primary Education started working in collaboration with Essity in 2018 to highlight and support this venture.'With our partners we collaborate in gathering knowledge and insights, using our different perspectives, collective competences and resources, to find solutions to societal challenges and drive global change in for example raising hygiene and health standards, thereby improving well-being and the lives of millions worldwide.In 2018 we educated about 2.5 million people about hygiene and health, including teaching children the importance of hand hygiene, young women about puberty as well as educating people and staff at nursing homes about incontinence.'The National Association for Primary Education has an online conference on 8th March 2021 entitled:TOWARDS A BALANCED AND BROADLY-BASED CURRICULUMVirtual Conference – Monday 8th March 2021, 4.15pm-6.45pmThe Conference, embracing a theme which has always been central to debate about children’s entitlements, has been highlighted by OfSTED as critical in curriculum development and its central importance has been further accentuated by the pressures under which primary schools are working in the post-lockdown phase as they prioritise what is perceived as essential in educational recovery.The impact of the coronavirus pandemic on children’s education may be perceived as a justification for narrowing the curriculum at the expense of the arts and the humanities, but this conference will explore the case for preserving young children’s entitlement to as rich and diverse a curriculum as possible. Dr. Eaude’s keynote lecture will set the scene, highlighting some key issues and considering some lessons to be learnt from the period of lockdown. The subsequent presentations will focus on classroom practice, providing a spotlight on innovations which have been implemented in school and offering guidance for the future.All are most welcome at this event, including teachers, teacher assistants, governors and students and it’s our hope that the conference will play its part in bringing together a range of stakeholders in primary education, all with a commitment to enhancing children’s entitlement to a balanced and broadly-based curriculum.To book or find out more https://nape.org.uk/conference

The National Association for Primary Education (NAPE) brings together everyone who has a concern for the learning of children from birth to 13 years. Members and affiliated schools work to improve education through the Early, Primary and Middle Years.Today we share the top 5 ways we are supporting YOU. Some resources are FREE and one award could give you £400.Virtual Conference - Monday 8th March 2021Podcasts & YouTube FREE e-copy of our professional journal Primary FirstRosemary Evans Bequest AwardTEACHING HANDWRITING BY CHRISTOPHER JARMANThe Conference, embracing a theme which has always been central to debate about children’s entitlements, has been highlighted by OfSTED as critical in curriculum development and its central importance has been further accentuated by the pressures under which primary schools are working in the post-lockdown phase as they prioritise what is perceived as essential in educational recovery.The impact of the coronavirus pandemic on children's education may be perceived as a justification for narrowing the curriculum at the expense of the arts and the humanities, but this conference will explore the case for preserving young children's entitlement to as rich and diverse a curriculum as possible. Dr. Eaude's keynote lecture will set the scene, highlighting some key issues and considering some lessons to be learnt from the period of lockdown. The subsequent presentations will focus on classroom practice, providing a spotlight on innovations which have been implemented in school and offering guidance for the future.All are most welcome at this event, including teachers, teacher assistants, governors and students and it's our hope that the conference will play its part in bringing together a range of stakeholders in primary education, all with a commitment to enhancing children's entitlement to a balanced and broadly-based curriculum.https://nape.org.uk/conferenceAre you a recently qualified early years or primary teacher (QTS gained since June 2019)? Are you keen to reflect on your professional development as a classroom practitioner? Are you keen to get something published in an educational journal and add it to your CV? If so, we hope you will be interested in the Rosemary Evans Bequest Award to be given on an annual basis to the best article received for publication in Primary First from a recently qualified teacher (who is currently in their first or second year of teaching). The award is for £400 and EITHER the theme can be selected from one of the following: • The highlights and challenges of taking on your own class • What do you see as the key principles and/or values which inform your approach to learning and teaching? • How can teacher retention be improved? • The global teacher for the 21st century. OR you can identify your own issue for exploration which draws directly on your experience of teaching in the classroom and your developing professional awareness as a primary practitioner. This could, for example, relate to an area of responsibility you are taking on or might be linked to a masters level unit or might simply be an issue about which you feel passionate. The article should be between 1500 and 2000 words and you are encouraged to select your own focus and title, irrespective of whether you select...

This week we look back at what the National Association for Primary Education has achieved in 2020 and take a glimpse into 2021.Our FREE resources have expanded for you in forms of:PodcastsYouTubee-copies of our journal Primary FirstTEACHING HANDWRITING BY CHRISTOPHER JARMANThere is now a new, 3rd Edition Teachers' Handwriting Book, containing the; teaching and practice handwriting pages to copy, children's development chart and the history of handwriting.Our 2021 virtual conference is called 'TOWARDS A BALANCED AND BROADLY-BASED CURRICULUM'The Conference, embracing a theme which has always been central to debate about children’s entitlements, has been highlighted by OfSTED as critical in curriculum development and its central importance has been further accentuated by the pressures under which primary schools are working in the post-lockdown phase as they prioritise what is perceived as essential in educational recovery.Full details of how to get tickets coming in January 2021.To find out more about NAPE please visit https://nape.org.uk/

Dr Hilary Leevers, Chief Executive at EngineeringUK talks to Mark Taylor about Neon. Neon brings together the UK's best engineering experiences and inspiring careers resources to help teachers bring STEM to life with real-world examples of engineering. Finding engaging activities to show where engineering is used in the real world can take time. So, we do the hard work for you, curating the most brilliant experiences so you know they are engaging for your students, are linked to up-to-date careers information and highlight real-world applications of engineering. Hilary joined EngineeringUK as CEO in January 2019 and leads the organisation in its ambition to inform and inspire young people and grow the number and diversity of those coming into engineering. Previously she has been: Head of Education and Learning at Wellcome, building a team to improve science education through research, advocacy, funding and interventions; Assistant/Interim Director at Campaign for Science & Engineering working on a breadth of policy issues; and Assistant Professor at the Centre for Molecular and Behavioural Neuroscience, Rutgers. She is a governor of a 5 to 16 comprehensive school.www.neonfutures.org.ukSocial Media Informationhttps://twitter.com/Neon_Futureshttps://www.facebook.com/NeonFuturesYou can get a FREE e-copy of the NAPE professional journal Primary First by clicking here

EdTech has been central to our lives in education during the current pandemic. Today I chat to Al Kinglsey and explore how our old and current thinking can support us in planning a strategy for the future of your school.Al Kingsley (MD of NetSupport) has been a school governor for the last 15 years and is currently Chair of Hampton Academies Trust in Peterborough and KWEST Trust in Norfolk. Al was appointed the Chair of the Cambridge & Peterborough county SEND panel in 2018 to steer focused improvements across the Local Authorities Special Educational needs and Disabilities support provisions. Al sits on the Regional Schools Commissioners Headteacher board for North London and the South East, and works closely with the local authority and all schools across the region to help improve standards of leadership, governance and develop greater levels of challenge and accountability in our schools.About NetSupportWith 31 years’ experience and 18 million users, NetSupport’s market-leading solutions have been providing a complete solution to managing school technology, safeguarding students and boosting learning outcomes via a comprehensive range of teaching tools – all across mixed learning environments.www.netsupportsoftware.com or classroom.cloud@AlKingsley_Edu@NetSupportGroup@classroomcloud_To get a FREE e-copy of Primary First, NAPE's professional journal please visit:https://nape.org.uk/journal

Please welcome our new National Council member Edd Moore.Edd is a teacher and Eco Coordinator at Damers First School, Dorchester, Dorset. Edd has built up the eco work at Damers over the last 8 years from a blank canvas. Under his leadership, achieved the Eco Schools Green Flag three times in 2016, 2018, 2020, won Eco Schools Primary Eco School of the Year, Surfers Against Sewage Plastic Free Schools Champion and Jane Goodall Roots and Shoots Best Group in 2019.With the help of volunteers Edd started a school garden from scratch including a bottle greenhouse so children can garden every afternoon planting vegetables which are then used by them to produce meals. The school gained RHS 5* status in 2017.For three years running the school won the Young Enterprise Fiver Challenge with their environmentally friendly products including: Garden Grenades – recycled school paper mixed with wild flower seeds; Spick n Span – a multipurpose cleaning product; Waxtastic No Plastic – an alternative to cling film raising a total of £7500 in the process which was used to fund a nature area with pond and a giant solar powered stopwatch for the playground.Edd has made Damers into one of the top Eco Schools in the country embedding the environment into the school’s curriculum. He started the Plastic Free Dorchester campaign with the Damers children who have made the school single use plastic free and help the town to achieve Surfers Against Sewage Plastic Free Community Status in July 2019.The children and Edd took their “All in” Deposit Return Campaign to Westminster and met Michael Gove and the children appeared on Newsround. They have also inspired the community and people further afield to collect items that normally cannot be recycled at the curb side such as crisp packets, biscuit wrappers toothpaste tubes to raise money for the school’s eco projects and outside area, saving 100s of kg of waste going into land fill. The community has collected so much of this recycling that the local WI now sort and pack it up on a regular basis. They also formed part of the team to make “Boomerang Bags” an idea Edd discovered in Australia where groups make material bags for people to borrow from shops and so reduce the use of plastic bags. Prince Charles launched this initiative in May 2019 in Dorchester, even providing material for some of the bags.Read Edd's article in Primary First here.http://www.damers.dorset.sch.uk/curriculum/eco-schools/eco-news/https://www.linkedin.com/in/edd-moore-a0369b86/https://www.facebook.com/groups/plasticfreedorchester/

Since September 2015, Mark Lacey has served as Chief Executive of the Diocese of Salisbury Academy Trust. The trust comprises of eighteen academies, across Wiltshire and Dorset. The Trust serves 3,500 pupils and has a clear and active growth strategy as it seeks to drive forward improvement of its academies, the vast majority of which entered the Trust under sponsored arrangements.The Diocese of Salisbury Academy Trust has a vision for the growth of thriving learning communities, that provide everyone with the opportunity to achieve more than they ever thought possible. Christian values and service are at the heart of all we do, as we help young people to develop excitement in learning.Mark served as Headteacher in a large challenging primary school in South Bristol. Appointed to headship at the age of 30, Mark led the school from inadequate to good. Key to the success of the school was the relentless focus on creating and maintaining an empowering vision for all members of the school community. Alongside this, development of people was key, and the school developed its own programme of coaching for all staff as well as being recognised as a Gold Level Investor in People.Mark also led the development of the Malago Learning Partnership, a collaboration of 9 local schools. As Chair of the group he guided the development of a highly successful school improvement strategy, an in-depth joint practice development programme and a range of curriculum and assessment programmes. In 2012 he led his school through the academy conversion process. He has also served for a number of years as a governor at a secondary school within the partnership. which achieved its first ever ‘good’ inspection outcome during this time.In addition to his work in school, Mark was very much involved in the development of the Local Leader of Education of education programme in Bristol through the National College, working in a coaching role with Headteachers to support them in the development and growth of leadership capacity; working with Headteachers to find solutions and ways forward within their own organisations.Mark has a Business Degree from the University of Bath as well as a Masters, with distinction, in Educational Leadership and Management from the University of Worcester, the latter of which focused on the effective features of collaborative partnerships between schools. Mark has four children of his own and is very active in the work of his local church.www.dsat.org.ukTwitter: @thedsatLinked In: Mark LaceyMark was involved with new research produced by PrimarySite. It questions how easy it is for multi academy trusts (MATS) to grow and how Covid-19 has made expansion harder. Sustainable Growth in Multi Academy Trusts interviewed and surveyed MAT leaders and experts to get their insight on how MAT could grow. It identifies five important challenges: lack of available schools wanting to join MATs, a risk averse culture, competition from other MATs, a shortage of senior leaders with the right expertise, and limited access to funding to support growth. The research also found that managing immediate issues linked to the pandemic needed to take priority and would slow the growth of MATs plans for growth.You can view the report by clicking here.

As Britain’s greatest ever-female gymnast, Beth’s impressive achievements include being an Olympic Bronze Medalist, a triple World Champion, a six-time European Champion, a Commonwealth Champion and seven-times consecutive National Champion.Along with her unrivalled success Beth has competed at three Olympic Games; Athens 2004, Beijing 2008 and London 2012 - where she won Bronze in the Uneven Bars.In recent years Beth has shared her passion for learning and education through her business Beth Tweddle Gymnastics. Following the success of these in person classes Beth has now created an online resource for schools.PHYSICAL LITERACY PROGRAMMEBeth and the team are passionate about ensuring all children are still given the opportunity to have fun and stay active in school. Following government guidelines, we are launching a brand new Beth Tweddle Physical literacy programme.This is a 10 week scheme of work, aligned to Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2 outcomes across Science, PHSE and Physical Education, and is centred around the development of physical literacy and our Beth Tweddle Values. The complete 10 week programme can be used for the whole school and each week is centred around one of our Beth Tweddle Values, such as Teamwork, Determination, Aspiration and Bravery. Your weekly pack will consist of videos and resources provided exclusively from Olympic Medallist and World Champion Gymnast, Beth Tweddle MBE.https://www.bethtweddlegymnastics.co.uk/For more information email [email protected]

Today I chat to Lisa-Maria Müller about her recent report for The Chartered College of Teaching -Education in times of crisis: The potential implications of school closures for teachers and students. A review of research evidence on school closures and international approaches to education during the COVID-19 pandemic by Lisa-Maria Müller and Gemma GoldenbergFull report is here. Lisa-Maria is the Education Research Manager at the Chartered College of Teaching, where she works on linking research and practice. She works on various research projects, member consultations and evidence reviews on a range of topics such as teachers' levels of research engagement, CPD and career progression or the potential implications of school closures on teachers and students, and regularly contributes content to the member platform MyCollege. Before joining the Chartered College of Teaching, Lisa-Maria worked as a postdoctoral research associate at the Universities of Cambridge and York on two projects relating to foreign language learning. She is a qualified teacher and has worked in secondary schools in Austria and England.www.chartered.college@CharteredColl@limamue 

'Teacher training in England and Wales - The potential impact of curriculum 2022 on QTS' was an article written by Dr. Jane Dorrian for NAPE's professional journal - Primary First.On this podcast we discuss the themes of this article in more depth.Jane worked as a Year 5/6 primary teacher in south Wales before specialising in early years. She then became an LEA Advisory Teacher and during this time she completed her doctorate which explored the professional identify of early years practitioners. She joined University of Wales, Newport as a lecturer in 2005 and moved to Cardiff Metropolitan University in 2012. During this time she taught on Childhood Studies and Teacher Education programmes as well as undertaking research. She is currently a Staff Tutor in the School of Education, Childhood and Sport at the Open University.Twitter @DrJaneDorrianFor more information about the Wales curriculum https://hwb.gov.wales/curriculum-for-walesThe National Association for Primary Education speaks for young children and all who live and work with them. This includes parents, teachers, governors and all those interested in primary education. NAPE is a non-political charity and works tirelessly to support teachers in the classroom. NAPE leads the Primary Umbrella Group of thirty primary subject associations and unions and gives teachers and schools a voice at governmental level at consultative meetings with ministers for schools.For full details of how they can support you please visit their website at nape.org.uk 

Marcus Orlovsky is a financier turned tech turned education facilitator: host of TEDx conferences around Europe, working with students across UK and a National Association for Primary Education patron.'At Bryanston Square, I am combining my skills and knowledge to make a difference in education, from the facilities to what goes on in them, and it’s something I’m passionate about. I built a small organisation to work on bidding for large Government contracts under what was then the Building Schools for the Future programme. We bid for some 48 projects, all highly sought after contracts, and won 42. Later, I also assisted some Local Government procurement directors on around £1.5Bn of contracts from the private sector. In addition to my speaking engagements, I now work in and around schools and their students, although I still get involved in a few building or renovation projects. I fund the work we do with students around the country through commercial work for private sector clients.My time is taken up with projects and with helping drive change. I am often asked to speak at conferences and seminars, where my main focus is on achievement and removing blockers. Some call it motivational speaking. I also get asked to speak to commercial organisations at conferences and seminars where the matters are remarkably similar. I’ve been lucky enough to have received great reviews.'www.bryanstonsquare.co.ukYouTube channel: inspiring resources Marcus Orlovsky