NEWS
Puffin responds to national school closures
The much-loved and biggest UK children’s book publisher, Puffin, which in 2020 celebrates its 80th birthday, is now re- planning events to take authors, illustrators and stories directly into children’s homes. Initiatives include a daily Puffin
Knowsley Safari launches Home School Safari during lockdown
Well-seasoned at hosting school visits and community groups, Knowsley Safari in Merseyside is continuing to satisfy children’s curiosity during lockdown, with its ‘Home School Safari’ – a new online learning hub packed with education, wildlife and conservation resources. Children, parents and teachers can access free learning aids, including
engaging educational videos, downloadable worksheets and fun animal facts and talks, covering topics including classification, Africa, food and feeding, veterinary animal care and exploring different species. Visitors to the Home School Safari can see the Knowsley Safari vet conduct an x-ray on a male African Lion to diagnose an injured paw; get up close to watch Kuzma the Amur Tiger having a root canal and learn how giraffes are fed through the seasons. Do all birds fly? How does Elsa the Royal Python keep warm? And what is
metamorphosis? These are just some of the questions answered in the video series, alongside Q&A sheets and a growing photo gallery, which the animal keepers are updating regularly. Rachel Scott, Head of Marketing, Knowsley Safari says: “It’s business as
usual for our keepers as they look after the animals at the Safari and we’re happy that they can share their daily activities by providing engaging resources which we can all learn from and be inspired and entertained by, while the majority of us are having to stay at home. “We hope parents and teachers enjoy the resources as much as the
children. We’ll be updating the Home School Safari on a regular basis during lockdown, so there’ll always be something new to discover.” .
uwww.knowsleysafariexperience.co.uk
Storytime, a Puffin Podcast series, an online book festival - the Puffin Festival of Big Dreams - as well as updated Puffin Schools resources to facilitate home-learning. They are also working with numerous partners to ensure children can continue to dream big and engage with reading and the power of storytelling from their homes. Puffin’s range of activities and free
initiatives across the coming months for children and families to enjoy from indoors, includes: • Puffin Storytime: From Monday 6th April, Puffin will be bringing 20 minutes of storytime magic to homes daily at 3.30pm on weekdays.
• The Puffin Podcast: A new 3-part Puffin Podcast series will launch on Sunday 19th April (via Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Acast and YouTube Kids)
• The Big Dreams on Screen: In partnership with Into Film, Puffin’s The Big Dreams on Screen competition has now launched, and children have until 2nd August to send in their big dreams for a chance to have them turned into a film.
• ‘The Puffin Festival of Big Dreams’: To celebrate its 80th birthday and to mark the publication of The Puffin Book of Big Dreams, Puffin will be launching an online seven-day Puffin Festival of Big Dreams in May.
• Puffin Schools: To support teachers, parents and caregivers now tackling home-learning, the Puffin Schools website has been restructured to make Puffin books and resources accessible to children who need them.
• Partnership with TWINKL: Puffin is providing resources from their authors and illustrators to Twinkl’s home learning hub, which offers daily educational activities and a range of free materials to use at home.
• Working with the BBC: Puffin has also signed up to offer content and activities for both a BBC Bitesize Daily broadcast and BBC Bitesize Online.
• Teach Primary’s ‘Author in Your Classroom Podcast’: Puffin authors, including Robin Stevens, Sam Copeland, Hana Tooke and Jamie Littler, will feature within Teach Primary’s ‘Author in Your Classroom Podcast’ series to inspire the next generation.
• YA Book Club: Launching soon on teen and YA channel: Penguin Platform - teenage and young adult reading will also be supported by a new weekly LIVE Online YA Book Club, connecting readers with their favourite YA authors.
uwww.puffin.co.uk/DreamBig Leeds City College students engage online
Leeds City College has rolled out a detailed schedule of positive personal development, behaviours and attitudes (PDBA) activities in order to support the structure of daily learning routines. The Student Life Enrichment team and Leeds
City College Students’ Union have developed six themes for the activities to engage a wide range of learners. The exercise and physical activity includes fitness tips and workouts to ensure students maintain a good level of health while at home. Various sports groups have also been created to encourage regular conversations where students can discuss their sports interests and interact with others who have similar passions. Due to the unsettling nature of current
circumstances, wellbeing and mental health activities have been introduced to provide students with advice for reducing stress, including
breathing techniques. Mindfulness exercises are taught to help reduce panic and improve focus. Learners are encouraged to participate in digital social groups which provide a regular staple of communication. A balanced diet is encouraged through
activities focused on healthy eating. Cooking advice is provided, showing students how to cook on a budget and include key nutrients in their daily intake. This exercise has been created to improve students’ mood and develop key cooking skills. A range of current affairs activities has been
designed to ignite discussion amongst learners and improve critical thinking skills. Students are invited to express their views on various topics such as the government’s daily updates and Question Time.
uwww.leedscitycollege.ac.uk
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www.education-today.co.uk April 2020
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