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In brief
Birchfield winners
medical
The winners of SecEd’s £10,000
ICT giveaway have been drawn.
The two winners of Birchfield’s
support
Games Pack and Question Editor
Suite, worth £3,549 each, are
St Mary Redcliffe and Temple
improves
School in Bristol and Evelina
Hospital School at St Thomas’s
Hospital in London. The 10
runners-up win a subject-specific
Schools have become more adept games pack of their choice
at supplying life-saving and vital worth £249. They are: Prince
support to pupils with medical con- William School in Peterborough;
ditions, a new study claims. Carnoustie High School; The
Eight out of 10 have amended or Winston Churchill School
created new policies since receiving in Woking; Ashlawn School
an advice pack from four major Science and Leadership College
healthcare charities. in Rugby; Harris School in
The Medical Conditions at Rugby; Ellesmere Port Catholic
School: Policy Pack, released by High School; Holly Lodge
Asthma UK, the Anaphylaxis High School in Smethwick;
Campaign, Diabetes UK, and Prenton High School for Girls in
Epilepsy Action, aims to help Birkenhead; Magnus Church of
schools to create an overall policy England School in Newark; and
to ensure children who have medical Eltham Hill Technology College
conditions are supported. in London. Well done to you all!
The pack contains comprehen-
sive information on awareness of
all four conditions and how these
sign up to VQ day
can impact on a young person’s The third annual day to celebrate
life. It also includes templates for vocational achievement will
healthcare plans, out-of-school vis- take place on June 23, 2010.
its forms, and staff training records. Vocational Qualifications Day,
The charities joined to devel- which kicked off in 2008, will
op the information two years ago see more than 200 colleges,
because existing legislation does not employers and learning providers
currently require schools to have a Time to act? Max Weaver-Lavers, 6th-form student at Hills Road Sixth Form College, Cambridge, scooped top prize in joining in the celebrations. The
designated policy in place. a competition to find young political cartoonists. He won the under-18 category of the Cambridge Festival of Ideas’ organisers, led by education
The four are now part of an alli- contest with his cartoon about climate change, We’re not too late, are we? Visit www.cambridgefestivalofideas.org charity Edge, is calling on
ance of 30 charities lobbying min- schools, colleges, and employers
isters for better support for children to join the festivities and sign up
with medical conditions in schools. to this year’s event. Visit: www.
They want all schools to have medi- vqday.org
cal policies in place, which should be
subject to Ofsted checks, to monitor
the support being given to students.
Heads given extra
Functional skills
A separate pack for healthcare Ofqual, along with its regulatory
professionals, such as nurses work- partners in Wales and Northern
ing in schools, was produced in Ireland, has published the criteria
2007. for Functional Skills assessments
The study, of almost 300 schools in English, maths and ICT.
revealed that heads believed the Awarding bodies wishing to offer
pack and revised policies had had a
power to punish
Functional Skills qualifications
positive impact on staff, pupils and must submit their proposals
parents. to Ofqual to demonstrate how
One head said the policy pack they comply with the criteria.
“saved my life” because the school Organisations that are fully
had nothing like it in place, while a compliant with the criteria will
secondary school nurse said that
pupils out of school
be approved to offer teaching by
prior to using the pack, “the major- September 2010. Visit: www.
ity of staff were absolutely scared of ofqual.gov.uk/2578.aspx
these conditions”.
Jenny Parry, from Asthma UK, However, she said some mem-
said the fact that so many schools
by Greg Lewis
The code will be incorporated the National Association of Head
into all schools’ existing behaviour Teachers Cymru, told SecEd she bers were concerned about the
Film winners
were relying on the pack “high- policies, and gives headteachers a welcomed the new code, and said implications of the new statutory Ten 6th-formers from Kesteven
lights a clear lack of guidance on Headteachers in Wales have been statutory right to take action against the WAG had been through a responsibility to act on instances and Grantham Girls’ School
how schools should be supporting given new powers which allow learners – even if they are not on “model consultation” on the pro- of bad behaviour, and hoped guid- will don the producers’ cap
children with medical conditions”. them to punish pupils who misbe- school premises. posal. ance on the code would include after winning a national media
She added: “The resource will have on their way to school. Pupils could even be excluded “The Assembly government information on levels of proof about competition. The Global Student
help them to ensure that pupils with From January 2010, schools and from school for their bad behaviour consulted with trade unions, instances of bad behaviour. Forum urged schools to come up
medical conditions feel supported local authorities will be able to take off-site. bus operators and pupils from The WAG said guidance for with an idea for a short film on
at school, parents feel their children action to stop misbehaviour on all An awareness campaign will the very start and we believe the the new code will be published in child mortality. The winning 6th-
are safe, and staff feel confident modes of transport, including buses start in January to encourage new code will give clarity as to due course, and will require closer formers will now be teamed up
about how to deal with medical and trains, for all pupils up to the children and young people to who is responsible for these situ- working between schools, pupils, with a professional scriptwriter,
conditions on a day-to-day basis age of 19. behave responsibly and will ations and what can be done,” she parents, transport operators, and director, camera crew and editor
and in an emergency.” Pupils who walk or cycle to help headteachers, teachers, stated. local authorities to ensure that any to make a three-minute film.
Sue Clarke, a nurse advisor with school will also be subject to the parents and transport operators to “It sets out what standards of incident relating to learner travel is Teacher at the school, Pam
the Anaphylaxis Campaign, said the new rules. The policy, called the understand their role and spread behaviour are expected and how dealt with in the “most appropriate Hood, said: “They worked really
number of children with the condi- All Wales Travel Behaviour Code, the message. pupils should feel safe on their manner”. hard and are so excited about
tion was rising so it was important has been developed by the Welsh Learners will be encouraged to school transport. It is important as It said operators and drivers have becoming film producers.” Visit:
that staff had confidence to support Assembly government (WAG) fol- “tell a teacher, parent or driver” we know that when there are prob- a responsibility to report any inci- www.globalstudentforum.org/
them. Download the pack and other lowing consultation with teachers’ about any bad behaviour they see lems on school transport the fall- dents of poor, disruptive or unsafe mediapartnership
medical resources at www.medical unions, transport operators, police, when travelling. out often continues into the school behaviour to local authorities and/or
conditionsatschool.org.uk and local authorities. Anna Brychan, director of itself.” schools.
International award
Schools urged to throw away ‘cotton wool culture’
A UK teacher picked up the Best
Practice Award at this year’s
Worldwide Innovative Teacher
Awards in Brazil. Mandeep
Schools should be “throwing away The Department for Children, Badge, launched in February, which opportunities that learning outside litigation in the “unlikely event of Atwal from Shireland Collegiate
the cotton wool” and taking more Schools and Families is calling on is awarded to suitable school trip the classroom can provide. an accident”. Academy in the West Midlands
students on school trips, according teachers to take part in an online locations across England. “The support and help will Despite this, the Alliance found was one of 14 winners, chosen
to the Health and Safety Executive consultation, which opened on Diana Johnson, parliamentary hopefully give teachers the confi- that only 364 legal claims regard- from 250 nominees from more
(HSE). Friday (November 6) and will run under-secretary of state for schools, dence to organise school trips for ing school trips had been made than 60 countries, and picked
Speaking at the launch of a for 12 weeks. said she hoped the new guidance the benefit and enjoyment of their against local authorities in the last up the award for Innovation in
government consultation to cut the The consultation will aim to would make life easier for teach- pupils,” she continued. decade. On average, each authority the Community. The awards
red tape that can deter schools revise the current guidance for ers, and “break down some of the In September, a survey of had paid out less than £300 per year recognise teachers who display
from taking students off site, Judith teachers by providing clear infor- myths about being sued”. 1,500 teachers by the Countryside in compensation between 1998 and exemplary use of technology in
Hackitt, chairwoman of the HSE, mation on their duties and respon- She added: “Most people Alliance found that although 97 2008. the classroom to boost student
said: “Life is full of risks which sibilities, creating ready-made remember their school trips as fun per cent of teachers thought it was To take part in the consulta- learning. Regional competitions
cannot be eliminated. School trips checklists to make organising trips and valuable experiences. They are important to teach pupils about the tion, visit www.dcsf.gov.uk/consul for next year’s award take place
and activities are the ideal way for less burdensome, and highlighting an important part of a child’s edu- countryside, three quarters felt that tations from this month. Visit: www.
children to learn about risk and schemes already in place to assist cation and personal development, health and safety concerns were a For more on the Quality Badge microsoft.com/education/pil/
how to deal with it while also hav- teachers. and I want to see schools, and barrier to them doing so. Scheme, visit www.lotcquality partnersInLearning.aspx
ing fun.” One such scheme is the Quality youth groups, taking advantage of Just under half said they feared badge.org.uk
SecEd • November 12 2009 
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