Coronavirus: STEM Students Join Forces With Companies To Make Hospital Equipment

Students at a Trust in Warrington have combined with local companies to make desperately needed masks and shields for the NHS. Chris Hillidge, Director of STEM at The Challenge Academy Trust, talks about how rising to the Coronavirus challenge could change the way D&T is viewed by politicians.

Make – Almost – Anything is our slogan at Fab Lab in Warrington. I manage the STEM strategy for 8000 students aged 4 -19. A major part of my job is to work with local industry and SMEs so together we can develop unique opportunities for students in the science and technology sectors. Right now, we are making masks and shields for the NHS and this could be a game changer for the status of D&T in schools.

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      string(5787) "they don’t do quite as well as the rest of our students, they are still gaining more than two grades in two years.All of our students do GCSEs: English language, English literature, maths, chemistry, biology, physics and one option, which might be geography, history, sport, ICT or business studies. Unlike most mainstream schools, our curriculum includes regular lessons in employability and our students also do three engineering qualifications: level 2 Design Engineer Construct (DEC), a level 2 BTEC in Engineering and a level 2 practical apprenticeship diploma in Performing Engineering Operations (PEO). This might include preparing and using CNC lathes and milling machines, assembling pipework systems, preparing and using manual Oxy/fuel gas welding equipment, etc.We were delighted by Ofsted’s comments in June 2019: ‘The school’s culture engenders in pupils very positive attitudes to learning. By the end of Year 11, pupils are literate and numerate. They have had first-rate careers guidance and many excellent opportunities to develop high-quality skills, which makes them very employable.’Safeguarding We recruited some excellent people from further education, some good staff from industry, including time-served welders and machinists, but in the early days, some of the vocational staff did not appreciate the difference between working in a school and working in industry. We found that external doors were left open, and on occasions a minority of staff left a group unattended, which was a serious health and safety issue. We set the basic safeguarding procedures in place very quickly. I have to say it took longer to embed them, but we are 100 per cent there now.Social media is another issue. Our learners don’t just get a safeguarding talk from a teacher: they also get young apprentices coming in and talking to them. These are young people who are just a couple of years older than our students. We have had a project management apprentice and others from civil and electrical engineering. They are good role models and young people are more likely to respond to them than to teachers, so when they say, ‘I would lose my job if I put this on my Facebook page’, our students listen.We made sure that young people were involved in developing behaviour policies. We took all the students in small groups into the hall for a session about reasonable expectations. We wanted them to be involved in setting codes of behaviour and reward systems. Then employers came in and talked about their expectations for behaviour in the workplace. Some students were quite shocked to find out how draconian their discipline measures can be, but obviously in the nuclear energy sector there isn’t much leeway for negotiation!Industry LinksAfter a wobbly start, employers have started to engage with us more and we now have about a dozen companies advising us, providing extensive work experience and offering that employer perspective that our students need. They invest heavily in our young people. When students start in Year 10, they all work for an employer for at least an hour every week on a real project and the amount of time they spend in industry increases each year.Morgan Sindall Infrastructure have stood by the UTC through thick and thin. They pay for every student’s uniform, which includes polo shirts, fleeces and safety boots. They also recently took a group for a week’s Outward Bound course. They are closely involved with the school and get to know the students well, so it is not surprising that their last cohort of degree-level apprentices all came from Energy Coast.Employers also provide guidance on local skills shortages and vocational areas we could concentrate on. They may ask us to teach particular CADCAM packages, Autodesk and Health and safety modules so our students are trained in industry-standard skills.Their presence has had an impact on the atmosphere at Energy Coast. Behaviour was poor when I joined, but now students know that they must behave as if they were at work. For example, when they meet somebody for the first time they need to look them in the eye and shake hands. Their behaviour around the college is now exemplary.Employers are familiar faces in the school. One student told me: ‘I have just been for an interview with the man who was in the canteen with you last week’. They know if they are fooling around in the corridor an employer is likely to see them and that it could have a detrimental effect on their future employment. They are also aware that attendance and punctuality are important: 95 per cent is not high enough. Measures of SuccessWe have made huge progress. A new Business Director has taken up post and we have some great new support staff. The school now has 297 students from years 10 to 13 and recently we have started a group for gifted and talented learners from other schools. Now, 20 students come to us at the end of Year 8 for an intensive summer course where they study bridging units in STEM and then join our Year 10s in September. It is pressurised and hard work and they quickly learn that we have high expectations at Energy Coast. 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Leadership

A Strict but Immersive Careers Model is Improving Outcomes for a Cumbrian School

3 Mar 2020

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      string(5628) "Online learning at home became the new normSo here we are at the end of 2020, an unforgettable year. When I joined TeachingTimes  as  Commissioning Editor of Digital Learning magazine in March we were just beginning to go into lockdown. At that stage we were expecting it to be a temporary measure. No one could foresee that exams would be cancelled, that online learning would be the main method of teaching for so many months, that we would have online schools such as Oak National Academy or that so many companies would generously offer their resources and services free of charge.We have received hundreds of emails and press releases that use the adjective ‘unprecedented’. That word needs to be banned in 2021 because everything is unprecedented. All the old ways have disappeared and, while it has been a shock to the educational system, it is not entirely bad news.Facing up to inequalitiesWe have been forced to confront realities that we have ignored for so long. 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Thisyear it has often been used to describe pupils refusing to turn on thecomputer, refusing to do work.Following their own interests, instead of the National CurriculumHowever, while the government threatens parents withfines and talks repeatedly about ‘Learning Loss’ and ‘Catch Up’, a new breed oflearning is evolving.Pupils are using the technology to learn new skills andto find out about topics that have nothing to do with the National Curriculum.They have been exploring Black History in greater depth,  becoming more informed about environmentalissues and taking back a measure of control over their own learning.Gamification of learning has been  a frequent theme as software developers adapt their products to ensure that  they can be used by families, assess prior learning and set suitable and meaningful challenges.Some pupils are making better progress through not attending school. 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Blogs

2020: The Year When Digital Learning Came Into Its Own

2 Dec 2020

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      string(5648) "Could you do your homework on a Pay As You Go mobile? Why should she?In early April 2020, the Good Law project started a crowdfunding campaign. They cited evidence from Institute for Public Policy Research that one million children do not have adequate access to a device at home.According to a survey from Teach First  only 2% of teachers working in the UK’s most disadvantaged schools believed their pupils have adequate access to online learning. This breaches the Human Rights Act and the United Nations’ convention on the rights of the child which establishes access to education as a legal right.On 19th of April The Department for Education announced that care leavers, children with social work support and ‘some disadvantaged pupils in Year 10’ would receive laptops. They also promised that 4G routers would be distributed to families without mobile or broadband internet so that children could access education online. Education Secretary Gavin Williamson said the scheme would ‘take the pressure’, off parents with children at home.No specified number of laptopsHowever, there was no specified number of laptops available. Some authorities soon realised they could not meet needs as they had high numbers of children who could qualify for the scheme and would be forced to prioritise.While the scheme has been welcomed as an attempt to redress the balance,  it is too little too late. It will not reach enough vulnerable pupils and many will not get their computer pre-loaded with the right software until June.On 7th May Clare Jennings, a solicitor at the law firm Matthew Gold, claimed that the Department for Education’s scheme to provide laptops and internet access  was restricted to only a small number of pupils. This would leave many others without reliable access to online lessons. The firm is bringing a case against the government on behalf of four families.Why families don’t have laptops and broadbandMany homes depend on a mobile phone to access the internet, so there is no device for children to use. Families who cannot afford broadband contracts are prioritising food and heating over data. Any internet access they might have had through schools, libraries or cafes has been cut off by the coronavirus crisis. Children who are offline cannot access lessons. They also cannot stay in touch with friends and teachers and so are becoming more socially isolated during lockdown.Research published by Ofcom in 2018 suggested that around a million children  did not have access to a device or connectivity. One academy trust, AET, has already bought 9,000 laptops and devices. It has given a computer to all pupils in its 58 schools eligible for free school meals, so that they can stay connected.Disparities in Ed Tech at schoolBefore coronavirus, some schools and teachers were behind the curve when it came to technology. The NASUWT conducted a survey of members just after lockdown. 36% said they not been provided with the IT equipment they needed to work from home. This made it difficult for them to prepare lessons and deliver the curriculum. Even more importantly many of them had had no training.Teacher Tapp is an app which surveys contributing teachers from all sectors at 4pm every day. It provides a telling snapshot of the state of play in schools. Just before lockdown on 3 March a survey of 6,372 teachers showed the gulf between secondary and primary digital provision.Further surveys in April show the inequalities between private and state educationMainstream and social media are full of stories about Zoom and Microsoft Teams. But many schools are not using this technology for lessons. In the private sector 52% of primary and 66% secondary schools are using the technology. It is a lower percentage. in the state sector. Here they seem either to be making worksheets or not using technology to any great degree at all.A further survey looks at the use of online resources. Literacy and numeracy resources in primary and MFL and maths resources in secondary score highly. However, again it is teacher produced worksheets that come out on top.More recently, schools have been made aware of Oak National Academy which is providing 180 video lessons each week from reception to GCSE level. It is an online business set up by teachers funded by the Department for Education. The BBC has launched 14 weeks of curriculum-based learning with BBC bite-size daily on iPlayer. It has six 20 minute programs each day aimed at different age groups and features celebrities such as Professor Brian Cox, Danny Dyer Jodi Whitaker from Doctor Who, David Attenborough and sundry footballers.Plans for disadvantaged children when schools returnA study by the Centre for Economic Performance at the LSE suggests that a four-week closure could have an impact on students’ achievement equivalent to moving an average child down to the bottom 30 per cent of children. The effect is greater for children in low-income families.There are concerns about the widening gap between pupil premium students and others and there is talk of extra tuition. Four charities – Education Endowment Foundation, Nesta, Impetus and the Sutton Trust – have confirmed they are ‘exploring ways to deliver high-quality tuition to pupils who are falling behind. ‘ while other proposals include using university students, volunteers retired teachers to tutor and mentor pupils at risk of falling behind.’Inequalities between the north and south of England There is also a north /south divide. Official statistics show the North"
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Digital Learning

Coronavirus: Digital Divide Far Worse Than Previously Thought

12 May 2020

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      string(5659) "placed away from home (in care, hospital orcustody, for example), they have the right to a regular check oftheir treatment and conditions of care.Article 26    (social security)Governments must provide extra money for the children offamilies in need.Article 27    (adequate standard of living)Every child has the right to a standard of living that is goodenough to meet their physical, social and mental needs.Governments must help families who cannot afford to provide this.Article 28    (right to education)Every child has the right to an education. Primary education mustbe free. Secondary education must be available to every child.Discipline in schools must respect children’s human dignity.Wealthy countries must help poorer countries achieve this.Article 29    (goals of education)Education must develop every child’s personality, talents andabilities to the full. It must encourage the child’s respect forhuman rights, as well as respect for their parents, their own andother cultures, and the environment.Article 30    (children of minorities)Every child has the right to learn and use the language,customs and religion of their family whether or not theseare shared by the majority of the people in the countrywhere they live.Article 31    (leisure, play and culture)Every child has the right to relax, play and join in a wide range ofcultural and artistic activities.Article 32    (child labour)Governments must protect children from work that is dangerousor might harm their health or education.Article 33    (drug abuse)Governments must protect children from the use of illegal drugs.Article 34    (sexual exploitation)Governments must protect children from sexual abuse andexploitation.Article 35    (abduction)Governments must ensure that children are not abducted or sold.Article 36    (other forms of exploitation)Governments must protect children from all other forms ofexploitation that might harm them.Article 37    (detention)No child shall be tortured or suffer other cruel treatment orpunishment. A child shall only ever be arrested or put in prison asa last resort and for the shortest possible time. Children must notbe put in a prison with adults and they must be able to keep incontact with their family.Article 38    (war and armed conflicts – see ‘Optional protocols’)Governments must do everything they can to protect and care forchildren affected by war. Governments must not allow childrenunder the age of 15 to take part in war or join the armed forces.Article 39    (rehabilitation of child victims)Children neglected, abused, exploited, tortured or who are victimsof war must receive special help to help them recover their health,dignity and self-respect.Article 40    (juvenile justice)A child accused or guilty of breaking the law must be treated withdignity and respect. They have the right to help from a lawyer anda fair trial that takes account of their age or situation. The child’sprivacy must be respected at all times.Article 41    (respect for better national standards)If the laws of a particular country protect children better than thearticles of the Convention, then those laws must stay.Article 42    (knowledge of rights)Governments must make the Convention known to childrenand adults.The Convention has 54 articles in total. Articles 43–54 areabout how adults and governments must work together tomake sure all children get all their rights, including:Article 45UNICEF can provide expert advice and assistance onchildren’s rights.Optional protocolsIn 2000, the UN General Assembly adopted two optional additionsto strengthen the Convention. One protocol required governmentsto increase the minimum age for recruitment into the armed forcesfrom 15 years and to ensure that members of their armed forcesunder the age of 18 do not take a direct part in armed conflict. The other protocol provides detailed requirements forgovernments to end the sexual exploitation andabuse of children. It also protects children frombeing sold for non-sexual purposes –such as other forms of forced labour,illegal adoption and organ donation.R RActivity 13b – Rights of the child P4C enquiry.docActivity 13b instructionsThe VictoriansActivity 13b: Rights of the child P4C enquiryKey words: P4C, Philosophy for Children, philosophical enquiry, critical thinking, creative thinking, collaboration, collaborative enquiry, PSHE, empathy, social issues, global education, history, Victorians, child labour, workhousesKey stages 2-4DescriptionStudents discuss the plight of children in Victorian times and compare the way in which they lived to the rights and protection children have today.Curriculum focusHistory, critical thinking, creative thinking, PSHE, philosophical enquiry (P4C)MaterialsA summary of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (Available in this activity’s ZIP file, courtesy of Unicef)Included in this resource pack:Activity sheet 13b – The workhouseActivity sheet 13c – Child labourActivity sheet 13d – The plight of climbing boys, 1818Activity sheet 13e – The Huskar Pit disaster, 1838Activity sheet 13f – Evidence of child labour (Images and children’s testimonies)GroupingsWhole-class enquiryProcedureNB: This activity is best conducted after having completed Activity 13a. If students have not completed the activity, Activity sheets 13b-13f will give them some background on life as a Victorian child.Start the enquiry by asking the pupils what they know about the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child. Do they know what rights children have? Can they name any?Now ask"
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Creative Teaching & Learning

Activity 13b: Rights of the child P4C enquiry

10 Dec 2014