ADHD 360, in collaboration with leading educators and neurodiversity specialists, is excited to announce the launch of the ‘Neurodiversity in Schools Toolkit‘. Set to debut on May 1, 2024, this innovative educational resource is tailored to enhance the learning environment for neurodiverse students throughout the UK. Founded on the principle that “Every child deserves the opportunity to succeed, especially those within often neglected neurodiverse groups”, this toolkit delivers practical strategies and insights. Drawing from the latest research and ADHD 360’s extensive experience with ADH ..read more

Chris Lovell has worked in computing education for five years and is on a mission to encourage more primary teachers to try out the BBC micro:bit to help them build their confidence. For those of you that haven’t yet discovered its power, a micro:bit is a tiny, pocket-sized computer that you can program and physically interact with. I have found it’s a great tool to engage and excite children as young as eight with creative coding.  I support primary teachers in my local community to use the micro:bit in their classroom and often teachers share with me ..read more

Leading door hardware supplier, ZEROplus has recently added a new finger protection product to their finger protection range. Along with the popular Finprotect Plus, which fits to the hinge side of doors, ZEROplus now supplies a patented anti-slam device that prevents fingers from being crushed in the closing side of a door.   The Salvadita anti-slam safety system stops a door from slamming shut when force is used. Ideal for use in nurseries, schools, supermarkets, restaurants, hotels, hospitals, and any public building, it protects against po ..read more

Persuading job seekers to pay for a non-existent DBS check is a tactic being used by fraudsters to extract cash from their victims.    Typically referenced as ‘advanced fee scams’, victims are encouraged to pay upfront for ‘recruitment administration’ – including a supposed DBS check to progress with the recruitment offer. Text and WhatsApp messages can be cleverly designed to get jobseekers to part with their details.    Coinciding with the Home Office’s Stop! Think Fraud campaign, the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) has compiled a list of top tips for job seekers to ..read more

Safeguarding experts from The Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) and Better Hiring Institute have joined forces to launch a best practice recruitment resource for the local authority sector. The Local Authority Better Hiring Toolkit provides an essential guide for local authority employers to make informed, safer recruitment decisions. The best practice toolkit – which can be accessed for free here – provides accessible guidance to support employers with both obtaining and providing effective references, supporting information to navigate effective pre-employment vetting, and ..read more

New research on Wolrd Book Day shows that 1 in 5 kids feel judged for what they read, while a quarter are made to read things they don’t want to The sad truth is that fewer children than ever are choosing to read. So, because reading for pleasure improves life chances and World Book Day is all about children, this year we have heard from them – in their own voices. World Book Day conducted research with funding from The Mercers’ Company, and partnered with Beano Brain, to speak directly to children aged 7-14 about their feelings around reading for pleasure. The feedback is loud and clear ..read more

This Easter, Loud Speaker, in collaboration with the National Citizen Service (NCS), is set to redefine youth development with a pioneering residential programme, offered entirely free of charge for teens between 15 and 17-year-olds. With a legacy of impacting over 150,000 young lives through dynamic workshops, Loud Speaker, founded by best friends turned entrepreneurs, is at the forefront of innovative youth engagement. This programme is a testament to their belief that with the right mindset and skills, every young person can carve out their own path to success. From Friday 29th March to Tue ..read more

Are some schools more likely to get better Ofsted scores, based solely on their student intake and school characteristics? Ofsted ratings are very prevalent in the media and are often under scrutiny. As recently as 29th January 2024, a cross party group of MPs recommended a complete overhaul of the grading system, in light of the tragic death of headteacher Ruth Perry in 2023. Nonetheless, parents continue to use them as a method for selecting schools for their children and they are held up as a way of holding senior leaders within schools to account. A lot is known about the ch ..read more

Micro:bit Educational Foundation and BBC Children’s and Education has launched a new school project. Primary school children from across the country are encouraged to survey their playground using the power of the micro:bit – a pocket sized computer. The national, citizen science project follows the free giveaway of hundreds of thousands of BBC micro:bit devices in the 2023 autumn term to primary schools, generously funded by Nominet. Now, with the help of their teachers, children aged 7 to 11 years old have an opportunity to use the micro:bit in a unique data science project to investigate ..read more

The UK government has issued new guidance to schools amid a call for a total ban of mobile phones in schools. Research has found that almost all secondary age pupils have a mobile phone. The Department for Education says 97% of 12-year-olds carry a smart phone and they are concerned that they can be a distraction in the classroom. A pupil using a phone The DfE has today (February 19) said it is encouraging all schools to prohibit children from accessing phones when they are at school so they can focus on their education. The negative side of phones in schools The impact of mobile phones in sch ..read more