Products/resources


A ‘break time’ abroad


Primary school teachers and education managers across the UK are being challenged to take up their most demanding but rewarding career move yet as international development charity VSO (Voluntary Service Overseas) launches its recruitment campaign for skilled educational professionals to volunteer in some of the world’s poorest countries in 2012. VSO is the world’s leading


independent international development charity that works through volunteers helping to tackle global poverty by sharing their professional skills. Educationalists who take up the VSO challenge will fi nd themselves working with schools, colleges or ministries of education helping tens of thousands of children to get a better start in life by improving the quality of education and teaching practice in countries from Cameroon to Nepal, Ethiopia to Uganda. The charity urgently needs to recruit 50 primary school teachers and


education managers who can start vital volunteering posts in January 2012. VSO also needs to enlist a further 100 primary teachers and


education managers for challenging and rewarding positions throughout 2012 which will help make a difference to children’s lives and help fi ght poverty and disadvantage. Previously, most volunteers needed to commit between 18 months


to two years in their post. However, VSO can offer 12 month positions, which the charity hopes will make volunteering more accessible to interested educationalists.


• For further information, visit www.vso.org.uk/volunteer A heads up on head lice


Approximately one in 10 UK school children have head lice at any one time – but are parents armed with the information they need to tackle the problem effi ciently? Head lice are an established part of childhood and have long been


a topic of discussion at school gates around the country. However, when a small problem turns into a persistent issue it can become a source of frustration for parents as well as a distressing experience for children. Contrary to popular belief, head lice are easy to treat. Now


that effective, clinically proven treatments are continuing to replace traditional pesticide products (to which head lice have now developed a resistance1


) – an informed, proactive parents can


overcome an outbreak with a minimum amount of fuss. The issue of repeat infection arises when knowledge gaps exist


among parents or if it is their fi rst experience of the lice. A lack of awareness about the need for regular weekly checks can lead to infestations going unnoticed and spreading, while confusion about what action to take can lead to ineffective treatments being used. Recent research revealed just how under-informed some parents are in the battle against head lice2


. While 46 per cent did not


understand the need to check their child’s hair regularly, a third admitted to not knowing what to look for, and one in four actually thought the school was checking for them. Despite national guidelines highlighting that school checking for


head lice was an ineffective approach, 85 per cent of parents would like to see the return of the “nit nurse”, believing they would check their child’s hair more thoroughly than they could themselves and that infestations would be identifi ed earlier. To do this effectively throughout the all of the UK’s primary


schools, school nurses would have to check approximately fi ve million heads a week – an unfeasible task. The key to combating head lice is for all parents to take responsibility, acting as their families


8


Creating an outdoor extension of the classroom


Educational Play Environments understand that play is a fundamental element in improving a child’s development and understanding of the world. Using the outdoors as an extension of the classroom and creating an environment in which children can play and learn together, or independently, can signifi cantly benefi t their physical and mental ability, health and their social interaction. They offer a range of


equipment and services suited to early years, primary, secondary and special schools throughout the UK. The range of equipment includes adventure trails, multi-level


play units, imaginative play, outdoor musical instruments, sand and water play, outdoor classrooms and storage offering opportunities to improve your school grounds and make the most of the outdoor environment. “Having seen the products within Educational Play Environment’s


range for myself, I believe that they can all be of a benefi t to children at different stages of their educational development, from early years to key stage 1 and key stage 2,” says Philippa Apthorp, nursery manager at Rainbow Nursery. Look out for our 2011/12 brochure in this issue of Headteacher


Update (England and Wales only). If you have not received your copy please get in contact with a member of the team.


• For more information, visit www.educationalplayenvironments.com or contact 0808 168 2032.


very own nit nurse, checking regularly and taking swift action if lice are found.


The school’s role


Although the responsibility for managing head lice lies with parents, it is ultimately a community issue. Schools can play an important supportive role by helping educate


parents on the need to check for lice on a weekly basis and providing easy to follow, best practice advice materials.


Educating parents The ‘Once a week, Take a Peek’ campaign was set up to help educate parents on the need to check their children’s hair regularly as a normal part of their family’s


personal hygiene routine. Written in conjunction with the Medical Entomology Centre, and approved by the School and Public Health Nurses Association, the initiative provides free, instructional leafl ets which schools are invited to send out to parents.


• For more information or to order free parent advice leafl ets, visit www.onceaweektakeapeek.co.uk.


1: Downs AM. Managing Head Lice in an Era of Increasing Resistance to Insecticides. AM J Clin Dermatol 2004; 5 (3): 169-77


2: Survey of 4,000 UK parents conducted by Hedrin, 2009


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