News
Campaign launched to save lives in schools and colleges S
afety campaigners have launched a hard- hitting campaign in a bid to save toddlers, schoolchildren and students from a potentially fatal danger in nurseries, schools, colleges and universities this spring.
Spearheaded by specialist safety firm Jackloc, the drive is spreading the message ‘Spring should be called Fall’ as the season’s warmer weather prompts youngsters to throw open windows for some fresh air after a cold, wet winter. The campaign aims to raise awareness of the increased risk of falls from unrestricted open windows at this time of year, when people are keen to enjoy the finer weather. A number of children die – and the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA) estimates that around 4,000 youngsters under the age of 15 are injured – in falls from windows each year in the UK.
To prevent such incidents, Jackloc is campaigning to make restrictors compulsory on all windows above ground floor level. The British family-run company, which created its unique original universal window restrictor in 2003, has been campaigning for more than 10 years to educate people about the dangers of open windows.
Jackloc works with clients and organisations such as RoSPA to raise awareness of the risks posed by unrestricted windows and the steps that can be taken to reduce such hazards. This includes the need for risk assessments, installation of safety measures and regular checks to ensure they are maintained in settings such as schools, colleges, universities and student accommodation.
Emma Wells, Director of Jackloc, said: “As the spring finally arrives, it is natural that young people are keen to make the most of the warmer, dryer weather and let some fresh air into their classroom, lecture theatre or student flat by throwing open some windows.
“But it is a tragic fact that a number of children and teenagers die needlessly each year – and thousands are injured – due to falls from unrestricted windows or where a restrictor has not been maintained properly.
“So it is vital that nurseries, schools, colleges and universities are alert to this often overlooked danger in their buildings and that they take action to prevent such tragedies.”
Emma’s father, technical building consultant Derek Horne, originally designed the Jackloc after he saw a young child hanging out of a hotel window, screaming for help. He named the invention after his grandson, Jack.
Emma and her sister, the late Deborah Jennings, took up his pioneering creation and set up the family company. It has since gone from strength to strength, achieving record sales as it celebrated its 10th anniversary in 2013. Jacklocs are used to improve safety and security in buildings such as nurseries, schools, colleges, universities, student accommodation, private homes, hospitals, care homes, hotels and high- rise flats all over the world, including Arabia, Russia, South Africa, Mexico, Australia, the USA, Singapore and Malaysia.
The lock comprises a flexible cable between a window or door and its frame, restricting how far it can be opened to 10cm. Jacklocs can be fitted to any type of window or door, whether wooden, metal or uPVC.
Young migrant learners helped to access learning
promote intercultural dialogue and social cohesion.
Co-funded by the European fund for the integration of third country nationals (TCN), the programme plans to directly engage with almost 600 teachers and 450 TCN learners across the country with an overall aim to indirectly reach 17,700 learners and teachers.
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new initiative is helping young migrants access learning in schools, in the community and in society.
The EAL Nexus programme which benefits from the expertise of a partnership between the British Council, The Bell Foundation and National Association for Language Development in the Curriculum (NALDIC) provides opportunities to enhance the learning of English to
Working with children and young people who speak English as an Additional Language, their parents and families, and their teachers, the programme will aim to better understand the complexities associated with EAL learning to help improve the experience of learners and teachers in the EAL setting. As part of the programme, a unique website with a searchable database of quality assured materials for teachers to use with EAL learners will be developed whilst partnerships with EAL experts will support and create platforms for discussions around EAL in the
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www.education-today.co.uk
UK. It is also hoped that the programme will build capacity in the EAL sector, as well as help to provide better support to parents and families of EAL learners within the wider community.
Commenting on the project, Anna Searle, Director English at the British Council said: “With over one million EAL learners in UK schools, it is important that projects like EAL Nexus are in place to ensure these learners and their teachers are well supported in their learning. “It is fantastic to be combining our expertise in English Language Teaching with that of The Bell Foundation and NALDIC to bring this programme to EAL learners and their teachers across the UK. We hope that this unique partnership will allow us to make strong progress in developing the EAL sector and will ultimately ensure that young migrant learners feel included within the educational setting, as well as in the wider community.”
Diana Sutton, Director of The Bell Foundation said: “We are pleased to be working in partnership to deliver much needed training, resources and expertise to support children with English as an additional language. This project comes at a time when numbers of children are rising, resources are declining and some children are not achieving to their full potential.” Yvonne Foley, NALDIC Chair said: “We welcome this opportunity to work with colleagues to promote the quality of the educational provision for pupils with English as an additional language. The nature of EAL is constantly changing because of the dynamic nature of the language and cultural developments across different communities served by schools. We are proud to offer our expertise.”
April 2014
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