FILM EDUCATION


There is still time to get entries in for Film Education’s


Be Creative challenge, which asks students to produce a radio, poster or filmed campaign themed around the film industry and issues such as copyright. Emma Bull explains


emails full of carefully executed student production pieces cheering up even the darkestmonday mornings. The competition, which first ran in 2007, is open to


a


UK students aged 11 to 19 and aims to stimulate and recognise young people’s creative talent and improve understanding of the creative industries in the UK. To enter, students produce a radio or poster


campaign or filmed advert that encourages young people to support, value and respect the UK film and television industries.


The competition not only offers a chance to engage


with industry, it offers students and their schools rewards for their creativity and originality. winning entrants in each of the 11 to 14 and 15 to 19 age categories receive the latest iPad, with the winners’ school or college receiving £5,000 to spend at their discretion. Runners-


Moral support: Teacher Support Network Accused


After seeing an increase in teachers seeking


help after being falsely accused by their pupils, Julian Stanley says the support must be there for victims


Simon waS suspended from the secondary school where he had taught since he had qualified after a female pupil made an allegation of inappropriate conduct against him. Four weeks later, the allegation was dropped when the girl admitted she had lied because she had not liked a mark Simon had given her. it took another 12 weeks before he could go back to school. mr a was questioned by the police after he was


accused of beating a child in his class. The police let mr a go when they realised the allegation was false and the student “had planned with mates which teacher he would target”. mr a went back to school, but resigned a week later, because “life is just too short”. annie was so distressed when she found out that


she was under investigation after another member of staff had made an allegation against her that she could not work. She lost her confidence and trust in all her colleagues and now faces a formal meeting with the head, despite being adamant that the abuse she was accused of never happened. These are just a few of the stories from teachers


who have contacted the Teacher Support network after an allegation has been made against them. These are not their real names. Unfortunately, Simon, mr a and annie are not


alone. in 2010, there were 20 incidents (calls or emails) of teachers asking the charity for support. in 2011, this figure rose to 78. why there has been such a significant increase in


these kinds of allegations is not immediately clear. in 2010, the majority of incidents (six) related to allegations by a manager, with just three incidents linked to pupils. in 2011 though, the number of incidents of teachers facing an allegation by a pupil


rises to 31, with allegations by managers rising to 10. Yet, this does not explain why there has been


an increase. one teacher, commenting on one of our behaviour forums suggests that it could be that pupils are more aware of their rights thanks to government policy that “favours the rights of pupils” and high profile cases such as that of Peter Harvey. “no wonder then we have pupils coming to


school with an attitude of ‘i know what my rights are’ and you teachers are here to dance and jump to my whims,” he comments on the forum. while the cause for the increase may be unclear,


the impact of these allegations on teachers’ lives is clear.we know from teachers we speak to through our support lines that these kinds of allegations not only cause severe emotional distress and anxiety, but also undermine confidence, have long-term mental health implications, and may drive some teachers from the profession entirely. Simon, for instance, has returned to work, but


is looking for a new job as he feels let down by his school. mrs H, another teacher, who was “kicked and punched” by her pupil, then the next day shouted at and blamed by the pupil’s parent, told us: “i am now ready to leave the profession.” Yet, these allegations do not just wreck careers,


but also the lives of the teachers, their families and the reputation of the schools where they work. This is why 93 per cent of respondents to our 2010 Behaviour Survey felt that anonymity for teachers was important or essential – it is such a crucial part of the government’s Educationact. i am not saying we would advocate a system


where parents and children could not raise their concerns about teachers. nor am i saying that it is not appropriate for mPs such as Graham Stuart, chairman of the Education Select Committee, to question why teachers should not be treated in the same way as other professionals, but any complaints process must also protect the innocence and reputation of teachers at risk of malicious and unfounded allegations if it is to be fair. Until these new protections come into force and


while allegations are on the increase, teachers need to know that they can turn to organisations like ours to get support if an allegation is made against them. we know from the teachers that we talk to that


those who seek emotional support as well as the appropriate union support are far better equipped to deal with the emotional fallout from allegations.


• Julian Stanley is chief executive of the Teacher Support Network. Visit www.teachersupport.info or call 08000 562 561 (England), 08000 855088 (Wales).


up prizes will also be awarded when the winners are announced later this term. For the past two years we have run the activity in


partnership with ScreenThing, a social networking site created in 2008 with the aim of educating 11 to 15-year- olds about films, television, copyright and protecting creativity.with a brief that addresses live issues in the film and television industries and a judging panel made up of industry experts, the real-world context is one of the main factors that draws teachers and students to the competition. we found out more about those all- important motivating factors from two teachers whose students are taking part this year. David Rees, a lead practitioner in media production


atnorton College inmalton, recognises the importance of a live industry brief to his students’ work.with more than 30 BTEC students in the 6th form working on video submissions for Be ©reative, David was looking for a client for students to pitch their ideas to in person. David explained: “i can act as the client but from


previous experience, i have found that the students get much more out of the process if they present to someone from outside the college.” David got in touch with Film Education to see if


we could help. making contact with industry bodies can make all the difference to student motivation and fortunately, we were able to put David in touch with Katy Carter, marketing manager at The industry Trust for iP (intellectual property)awareness. The Trust arranged for two locally based


professionals to attend the students’ pitch – Katie Lee, a television art director whose creative credits include Emmerdale, Spooks and This is England ‘86, and Chris wood, creative director of video production company w3KTS. Both were both highly impressed with the students’


creative ideas. David continued: “They’ve come up with some great campaigning ideas to protect the future of the UK’s film and television industries, encouraging other young people like them to make the right decision and choose official film and television rather than pirating online content.” meanwhile, alyson Spencer, creative media


production tutor at Blackpool Sixth Form College has encouraged her students to take part in Be ©reative since it first launched. Though the competition brief has evolved year on year, alyson has found it a good


Be Creative: Students from Clounagh Junior High School (above) and Chloe Wynne from Bolton School celebrate their 2011 awards


fit for her BTEC teaching: “The students are well underway with their submissions for later this month and i’m emphasising that this year’s competition isn’t about criticising those who illegally download. They’re coming up with some really good ideas for celebrating the creative industries instead.” Three groups of alyson’s students made it onto


last year’s shortlist, receiving special mention for their campaigns which judges said were “very well filmed and edited, with appeal to peer audiences and effective cross-industry messaging”. while vocational students stand to gain particular


benefits from taking part, this competition also helps hone critical and creative skills relevant to media, film, iCT, English, art and design and related subjects. Last year, students from Clounagh Junior High


School in Portadown and Bolton School Girls’ Division took the top prizes in the 11 to 14 and 15 to 19 categories respectively, with Homefield Prep School and Stalban’s Girls’ School runners-up. There is a full range of supporting resources online,


and Film Education’s aim is for Be ©reative to slot into teachers’ long-term plans with a challenging and sustained activity that offers an insight into industry issues and industry practice. as former teachers ourselves, our education team is


always excited to see the fruition of students’ hard work and creativity and we are hoping this year’s crop of entries will be as impressive as the last. if they are, the expert judging panel will certainly have a tough time picking the overall winners.


SecEd


• Emma Bull is head of digital education at Film Education.


Further information


Be ©reative closes on January 20. The brief and supporting resources are available online. Film Education is a charity supported by the film industry in the UK. its remit is to promote and support the use of film within the curriculum, offering a wide range of resources and cinema events free of charge to teachers. Visit www.filmeducation.org/becreative


T THiS time of year, inspiration can seem a little thin on the ground. Luckily for us at the Film Education office, the January blues are helped along by the arrival of submissions to our Be ©reative competition, with envelopes and


Be ©reative


14


SecEd • January 12 2012


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