The government-funded project was inspired by His Majesty The King’s love of nature and aims to encourage children to learn about and improve the biodiversity of school’s green spaces, while making them nicer places to work and learn. Improving children’s connection to nature and spending time outdoors will also help to support their mental and physical wellbeing.

In a collaboration between the Department for Education and the Eden Project, over 200,000 seeds packets will be sent to schools, representing 40 hectares of new wildflower areas being planted up across England to support our pollinators. If planted together that would create around 40 rugby pitch sized wildflowers meadows – a small but vital step in boosting biodiversity.

To support schools to celebrate the Coronation, the Department for Education has also commissioned a series of lesson plans and other teaching materials for primary and secondary schools to explain the significance of this historical moment.

The charity Living Paintings has also designed, created and published a pack of tactile and audio resources that will enable blind and partially sighted children to learn about the Coronation, and the Eden Project has also created free lesson resources for schools and families to learn how to make eco-decorations for their Coronation celebrations using natural objects found in their surrounding green spaces.

Schools and other education providers can continue to improve biodiversity in the months and years to come through the National Education Nature Park – which brings together schools, colleges and other education settings into a vast virtual park. It enables children and young people to get involved in taking practical action to improve the biodiversity of their green spaces, then mapping it online to see over time how the virtual park changes. The National Education Nature Park and Climate Action Award are open for registration from 18 May 2023.

Schools minister Nick Gibb said: “Giving children the opportunity to plant wildflowers will not only make school grounds more attractive, it will also help the next generation understand the importance of improving our biodiversity, while celebrating His Majesty The King’s love of nature.
“To help young people understand the historical significance of the Coronation, we have also asked two history teachers and curriculum experts to produce lesson plans and other materials about the coronation and the history of the monarchy, which we are sending to schools.”

Dan James, Development Director for the Eden Project said: “It is crucial that we replenish our biodiversity across the UK – and even small steps can make a difference.
“Through the work of National Wildflower Centre, Eden Project works with organisations across the UK with projects to make new wildflower habitats that support wildlife and connect people to the natural world. This is a fantastic opportunity for the next generation to see the impact that wildflowers can have, even in small spaces.
“By encouraging our children to plant wildflower seeds we can work towards reversing the decline of pollinators that we are seeing across the UK which is so important for our future.”

The packets of seeds include native annual wildflower species; cornflower, corn poppy, corn chamomile, corncockle, corn marigold and night-flowering catchfly, which if sown this Spring, will be in bloom this Summer.

The wildflowers will provide food for a wide range of insects including bees, butterflies and other pollinators in school grounds across England. Each seed packet covers around 2square metres of blue, white, purple, red and yellow flowers that can be planted in pots, beds or borders to boost colour and biodiversity in school grounds across England.

The Department for Culture, Media and Sport has commissioned a film for primary school-aged children, explaining the history and significance of the Coronation. This can be played in classrooms or assemblies and gives children the opportunity to discover the history and importance of the Coronation, the role of His Majesty The King, and the significance of the Monarchy around the world.

The National Education Nature Park is just one of many initiatives in the DfE’s strategy for Sustainability and Climate Change that will provide learners with the resources to live, learn, work and participate in a contemporary global society. Through climate education, green skills and careers, the Department is helping to create a sustainable future through education, developing the skills needed for a green economy, and supporting our sectors to reach net zero targets.

For further information please go to https://www.edenproject.com/learn/schools/wildflowers-in-schools and
https://coronation.gov.uk/learning-materials-for-schools/

Alongside their studies and through the new Scholarship, students will work on a wide range of creative projects in response to client commissions and develop key technical skills, whilst using the newly-opened TV studio space on site at the College, designed specifically with the Scholarship in mind. The Scholarship programme will challenge students and stretch their problem-solving, critical thinking, technical understanding and professional practice skills.

Bob Coates, Director, Cambridge TV, said: “Cambridge TV is delighted to be working in partnership with Impington International College to create a unique scholarship programme which delivers both academic and practical skills. Students will work on real projects, learn alongside industry professionals and build a portfolio of broadcast quality video output second to none.”

Accessible to all students, the Scholarship is designed to complement the IB Diploma Programme (DP) and Career-related Programme (CP) on offer at the College. Impington International College has been offering the IB for 30 years and was recently crowned the UK’s top non-selective provider of the IB by the Sunday Times Parent Power list 2020.

Jo Sale, Vice Principal, Impington International College, said: “We are thrilled to be partnering with Cambridge TV for our new Film and Media Scholarship, which will give our students such an incredible opportunity to gain first-hand experience and insider knowledge in order to grow their passions and understanding of film, media and production; giving them the very best chance at achieving their dreams. We are excited that students will also benefit from the new on-site TV studio, which will stimulate our students’ creativity and allow them to refine their skills while working and studying independently so that they are ready to progress to their chosen career.”

The new Film and Media Scholarship is available alongside the College’s other well-established Scholarships, including: The Performance School and a number of Sports Scholarships in partnership with a range of professional teams. If you’re interested in finding out more about post-16 options at Impington International College, you can book a 1:1 meeting with a senior member of staff to ask any questions that you may have. To do so, please get in touch via: international@ivc.tmet.org.uk.

Initially admitting up to 40 students in Years 3 to 7, intake at the school will grow year on year, to a maximum capacity of 80 students from Year 3 to 13. The Cavendish School will be accessible and available to many families who cannot be catered for within current state provision in the county.

Ryan Kelsall, Deputy CEO of The Learning Alliance – a new multi-academy trust of which The Cavendish School is a member – said: “We are absolutely thrilled to be able to announce the plans for The Cavendish School to the public. Through our bespoke curriculum and teaching methodology, we will provide the educational environment that young people with autism need to thrive and succeed when their needs cannot be met in a mainstream school.

“The Cavendish School will celebrate diversity and accept, respect and recognise neurological and developmental differences to support each individual student through a differentiated programme that builds and focuses on their skills. Through the knowledge and expertise of The Learning Alliance, The Cavendish School will deliver exemplary education provision for students with Educational Health Care Plans.”

The first of its kind, The Cavendish School will be an IB World School, which means that it will follow the IB programmes and accredited qualifications, alongside specific therapies or interventions as appropriate for individuals. In an ever-changing world, the IB equips students with the skills, confidence and lifelong learning needed to thrive and make a difference. Each of the programme frameworks allows teachers to personalise learning to the unique abilities of their students.

Leah Cooper, Assistant Principal for SEND/PP and SENCo at the co-located Impington Village College, currently seconded to The Cavendish School, said: “Through our IB offering, we will provide our students with the skills and knowledge they need to become globally aware citizens, achieve a range of accredited qualifications and make measurable progress towards their own personal outcomes. Our individualised approach will ensure that we are offering the support and guidance needed to all who study with us, as well as helping families throughout the process. We will be drawing upon the success of our co-located mainstream schools (Impington Village College and Impington International College) to provide excellent opportunities for the students, through shared use of support staff and bespoke extra-curricular activities.”

At the heart of The Cavendish School will be relationships and the important ways in which they can support the growth of each student. Throughout the planning stages for the school, the team has drawn on the latest research into autism and used its expertise in education and experience of working with young people with autism and their families. Beyond high-quality teaching, therapeutic support will be offered, so that all students have full access to the curriculum, to learn and to achieve. The Cavendish School will offer students the opportunity for multidisciplinary support, which will be carefully matched to the explicit needs of the individual student.

Julie Bailey, Chair of Governors at The Cavendish School and doctoral researcher at the Faculty of Education within the University of Cambridge, said: “The Cavendish School aspires to remove the barriers to inclusion and achievement that many young people with autism face in their education. We’ve built on the best of current provision and the very latest research throughout the design and planning stages. The Cavendish School is set to have a transformative impact, giving its pupils an educational environment in which they will thrive.”

In this time of need, many UK schools are continuing to provide emergency learning and support for children who have no other place to go. In recognition of the incredible work that these schools and teachers are carrying out, The Smallpeice Trust and the RAF have partnered to provide engaging science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) activities for groups of students.

The Think Kits include all the materials and tools necessary for groups of students to work in teams and build an electrically powered glider, supporting the development of their creativity and engineering skills while having fun in the classroom.

The RAF has generously purchased 50 Think Kits at a cost of £250 per kit and The Smallpeice Trust will match this with an additional 50. The Think Kits will be donated to non-selective state schools across nine regions in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

The goal of the Think Kit challenge is to see which group’s glider can travel the furthest over two flights made within 10 minutes of each other. Students are involved with the complete design and construction process, enabling them to experience a hands-on approach to STEM.

The project will last up to a total of nine weeks; 20 students, split into five teams of four, will work on their own powered gliders. All students that finish their gliders will be eligible for a CREST Discovery Award and will receive a personalised certificate.

Dr Kevin P Stenson, chief executive of The Smallpeice Trust, said; “Giving students that are still in school, the opportunity to continue their STEM learning and develop a passion for engineering is a key priority for The Smallpeice Trust.

“We would like to show our gratitude and thanks to all schools and teachers for all of their efforts during this uncertain period, which is why we are donating Think Kits to all schools that remain open.”

Russell Barnes, Wing Commander at the RAF said, “In these difficult times we wish to support teachers by providing interesting and challenging activities that will offer a real educational benefit to students.”

The RAF, as well as The Smallpeice Trust, recognise the dedication and hard work being done by schools to support the nation’s response to COVID-19. Throughout these unprecedented times, teachers have shown their commitment to allowing students to continue their STEM education at school.

For more information on the Think Kits, please see https://www.smallpeicetrust.org.uk/think-kits

Sacred Heart Catholic Primary School, in Brays Lane, has been given the top grading from Ofsted inspectors.

The rating was celebrated with a non-uniform day where everyone was treated to ice creams and a bouncy castle.

The school, which is part of the Romero Catholic Academy, was judged to be Outstanding in all areas including outcomes for pupils; teaching, learning and assessment; personal development, behaviour and welfare as well as leadership and management.

The quality of the children’s reading and writing is particularly praised in the newly-released report, which says: “Pupils’ progress and the quality of their writing are Outstanding. Over the last five years, pupils’ attainment at the end of Key Stage 2 in writing has been above, or well above, the levels seen nationally.”

The report refers to Principal Paul Madia as ‘inspirational’ and says that there are high-quality processes in place to continually improve teaching and excellent training for new leaders.

Parents are described as having ‘unwavering’ praise for the staff and leadership, commenting to inspectors that ‘the school is superb’ and ‘the teaching is strong’.

The pupils themselves are also described as a credit to the school, with the report stating that they are ‘polite, well-mannered and mature’ and that their ‘work ethic in lessons is terrific’.

Paul Madia said: “We are extremely proud to be rated as Outstanding for the second consecutive time.

“We have been through a number of Ofsted framework changes and each time the bar has been raised making it even harder to achieve outstanding, which makes the outcome of our latest inspection even more rewarding.

“The report praises everyone from across the school, including our incredible staff and senior leadership team, our Local Academy Committee and of course our excellent children.

“We are a united team working towards the same goal, and at the end of the day it’s all about the children so we are delighted to provide them with a school they can be proud of.

“Myself and Executive Principal Helen Quinn would like to thank everyone for their support in helping us achieve this Outstanding success.

“One of the school’s main strap lines is where memories are made – so of course we celebrated in style by holding a non-uniform day where we had a bouncy castle and a visit from an ice cream van.

“We now look forward to the next exciting stage at Sacred Heart as work on our new nursery building has begun.”

Parents and children created a massive star formation in a field at Wheelbirks Farm on Sunday 25th March. Drone footage of the human formation was captured by FlyPro-UK Limited.

“We filmed on a lovely sunny day at Wheelbirks, where families from schools across the area came together to celebrate our wonderful rural schools,” said Sarah Dick, spokesperson for STARS. “We decided to create the star formation as a symbol of our unity and strength as a school system that works for rural communities.”

The rest of the week has been spent “star showering” all 16 of the rural schools that could close across West Northumberland under unpopular proposals put forward by the Northumberland County Council (NCC).

The parents and children of the schools, representing nearly half of all those in this part of the region, were greeted as they entered the school gates with displays of stars, one for every student at the school.

Several volunteers from the STARS campaign were involved in “Operation Starry Night”, travelling over 100 miles in an effort to ensure that every child in every school received his or her own unique star.

Helen Hunter, a Broomley First School parent and keen craftswoman, made thousands of stars by hand, with help from some of her friends. The delicate crochet, felt and pipe cleaner star garlands were left with a special note for each school, including the following message:

“Like the dark skies of rural Northumberland, each school in the Haydon Bridge and Hexham Partnerships contain a galaxy of the brightest stars – our children. Some galaxies are small, some are larger, but all shine brightly in their individual, unique and wonderful settings.”

“Each school is unique and special, and working together they provide a wonderful educational experience for the children of West Northumberland.”

“The current consultation seems to neglect how well these schools fit their purpose, and their environments. It also appears to devalue the education that our children already receive. We think your pupils are amazing and we’ve left a star for each of them.”

It ended with a plea that NCC councillors would “realise that the consultation into education in the west of Northumberland is not about the movement of units from one place to another, but is about providing our children with the best place for them to shine.”

In Hexham, the Hadrian Learning Trust consultation on whether to move to a two-tier (primary and secondary) model closes to the public on Thursday 29 March.

The academy is outside of the control of Northumberland County Council, but its decisions are expected to have a significant impact on the outcome of the council’s broader consultation.

Northumberland County Council’s schools consultation ends on the 9th April 2018. STARS is planning a protest outside County Hall to mark that day. It will hand over petitions signed by over 10,000 parents calling for rural schools to be saved and the unpopular proposals to be scrapped.

www.facebook.com/starsnorthumberland

@STARS_Tynedale

starsnorthumberland.org

enquiries.stars@gmail.com

As an accredited Tim Henman Foundation BECSLink Community, the school works alongside national and local businesses, education charities, and sports and arts organisations to provide resources and learning opportunities for young people. This offers students and teachers not only from the school, but also other local schools the opportunity to develop new skills.

On Friday 16^th March, the school hosted 400 schoolchildren from other local schools who participated in a range of activities. These included music workshops with Tenors Unlimited, the international operatic trio, Pi-Top computer workshop and a catering challenge. Sporting activities were led by Wimbledon Hockey, Fulham Football and Performance Plus.

Kirsten Heard, head teacher, Raynes Park High School, said “We are proud to become the first state school accredited as a BECSLink community. This has all been made possible through the vision of BECSLink and the Tim Henman Foundation and my team at our school. BECSLink’s role as the social mobility network, together with their partners from national and local businesses, education charities, and sports and arts organisations are helping us supply outstanding resources and learning opportunities for students and teachers not only from our school, but also from other local schools.”

Tim Henman, OBE, retired tennis champion, said “This day was all about the children – it was wonderful to see their enthusiasm in such a range of activities. I like to think they can achieve great things in the future. It’s important for youngsters to seize every opportunity and I’m pleased through my Foundation to give back in such a wonderful way in association with not only the scholarships but also in supporting further enrichment programmes with Raynes Park High School in the areas of science, technology, engineering and maths, computer coding, through sport and helping the growth of a community tennis programme.”

Crista Cullen, MBE, Olympic gold medal field hockey player: “It’s great to see the children engaging in a realm of different things from singing to tennis. It’s all part of creating well rounded individuals and giving opportunities to children who wouldn’t otherwise have them.”

BECSLink encourages collaboration at a local and national level to create exciting learning opportunities for young people.

Richard Garrett, CEO of BECSLink says: ““Raynes Park High School will be the leading model for us in the state sector. Any other schools which want to become BECSLink Community hosts should get in touch with us. There are compelling reasons to do so.  Accredited BECSLink Communities have improved reputation and school rolls and greater access to external funding. The model unlocks talent and fulfils the potential for all involved in the associated schools and most particularly for students who face adversity.  Accredited BECSLink Communities become the heartbeat of an integrated community of business, education, charity and sports and arts organisations that want to address social mobility issues through creating opportunities for young people.”

As part of this initiative, the school was given Tim Henman Scholarships, in association with the Tim Henman Foundation, for talented youngsters prevented from pursuing their talents due to a lack of financial means. Mr Henman presented these students with their scholarships on the same day. The school has been awarded a grant over three years by the Foundation to be awarded as scholarships to students.

Millennium Point hosted HRH Prince Harry and his fiancée Meghan Markle at a major event to coincide with International Women’s Day and brought together 90 female students from secondary schools to inspire women to work in STEM. Female leaders in STEM fields told their life-stories to students as part of an event in conjunction with STEMettes, the award-winning social initiative.

In their first visit to Birmingham, Prince Harry and Ms. Markle spoke extensively to the young women from secondary schools in the Midlands as they took part in building apps and touchpads, before hearing more about their motivations to pursue STEM subjects.

Later the students described their discussions with Prince Harry and Ms. Markle as “brilliant”.

“They were very friendly and wanted to know what we wanted to do – and were very encouraging,” said one student who said that Prince Harry in particular was interested in VR technology. Another said she would have liked Prince Harry as her brother.

Judith Armstrong, CEO of Millennium Point – an accountant by profession – told the Royal visitors and students of her own story, being inspired by her mother who at one point had never enjoyed maths but then took an interest that encouraged her daughter.

“Everyone was captivated by Prince Harry and Meghan and delighted they spent so much time meeting and chatting to the students. It was very relaxed and I have no doubt that they and our female leaders in STEM sectors were a great inspiration.

“But this was not just a photo opportunity. Working with Stemettes, we have helped demonstrate both the needs of business and the opportunities for females in STEM.

“Just 21% of those working in core STEM occupations in 2016 are women. That is 13,000 more than the previous year – but there are 218,000 more men in Core STEM – resulting in a 1% drop in the percentage of women.

“The estimated STEM worker shortfall is now around 70,000 a year. Encouraging young women to pursue careers in STEM is vital.”

During the past four years, Millennium Point’s commercial activity has enabled Millennium Point Trust to donate more than £4m to organisations, projects and initiatives that support access to STEM related education in the Midlands including working with Birmingham City University’s Faculty of Computing, Engineering and The Built Environment to offer a free undergraduate STEM degree. The Millennium Point scholarship is now in its fourth year.

“Millennium Point is the West Midlands’ focal point for promoting STEM and is committed to providing the young people of the region with the opportunities to be the pioneers of the future. Being able to showcase the Stemettes event and the work of Millennium Point and its Trust to Prince Harry and Meghan Markle on International Women’s day was a great honour.

“We’re dedicated to supporting equal opportunities and encouraging girls in these sectors and are delighted that our activities are helping to give the important issues around women in STEM such a high profile.”

The event at Millennium Point included interactive activities, a panel discussion, speed networking opportunities with local businesses, and information on work experience, apprenticeships, A-level choices, and university degrees in STEM.

The programme, run by the education charity Future First and funded by the government’s Careers and Enterprise Company, has been backed by the TV and radio broadcaster Nick Grimshaw who went to Our Lady’s RC High School in Royton, now known as Blessed John Henry Newman Catholic College.

Future First is urging alumni of the participating schools and colleges to sign up online at https://networks.futurefirst.org.uk/register to support the programme, which could change young people’s lives.

The initiative will encourage more schools to see alumni as a valuable resource in broadening the jobs horizons of the current generation and preparing them to navigate the difficult transition from school to work. Private schools and universities have long seen the value of keeping alumni in close contact after they have left.

Oldham schools taking part are Failsworth School, Oasis Academy Oldham, Royton and Crompton School, The Radclyffe School, Oldham Sixth Form College and Blessed John Henry Newman Roman Catholic College which Nick attended from 1995 to 2000 when it was known as Our Lady’s RC High School.

Nick said, “It’s great to show the students of Oldham that the world is their oyster. You can do whatever you want in your life and career – you just need to figure out how to do it and how to make it happen. By taking former students back into the classroom, Future First is doing a fantastic job of showing young people the huge range of jobs out there which will broaden their horizons. ”

Christine Gilbert, Executive Chair of Future First and a former Ofsted Chief Inspector said, “Every state school student should have the opportunity to succeed in life after school, regardless of their background. Alumni help give them a better start in life.  If students see ‘people like me’ have succeeded, they are more likely to believe they can too. They work harder and have higher expectations of success. We want more schools to see the benefits of using their alumni as a powerful resource.”

Future First has worked with more than a thousand schools and colleges up and down the country to set up alumni networks. These harness the wealth of talent and experience from former students in a range of jobs, from law and banking to plumbing and catering. More than 220,000 former students nationwide are already registered to support their old school.