NEWS
Creative Learning Day helps
pupils tackle difficult issues
by Chris Parr
“They recreated traditional South
African dances, and looked at the
role that things like street dancing
Teaching timetables were suspend- play in the UK.”
ed for a day at Beaconsfield school The participants also got involved
in Buckinghamshire last week as in a Question Time-style event,
students took part in a Creative where four people from the local
Learning Day. community, including a local police-
The pupils were separated into man, were quizzed by the students.
five houses, and tackled a range of Mr Dudding added: “They looked
issues and tasks with an internation- at what was and wasn’t acceptable
al theme, from running an ethical for young adults, covering topics
jewellery business to investigating including the booze culture.”
the differences between the rights Another group produced jewel-
of passages for young people in the lery, described as a “huge part of
UK and South Africa. South African rights of passage” by
The school has set aside five Mr Dudding. The team had to take
Creative Learning Days this aca- into consideration the ethical issues
demic year, allowing all students of production, and ensure that their
to participate in each of the themes. product was marketed in a range of
Nigel Dudding, deputy head and different languages.
co-ordinator of the days, said that Mr Dudding said he hoped the
the idea is to encourage students day would be “fun, offer a differ-
to tackle issues that they might not ent learning experience, and give
otherwise come into contact with. departments that don’t usually have
He said: “The students in the too much crossover a chance to
culture group, who looked at what work together”.
is involved in the rights of passage
for young people in South Africa, Creative: Students get to
really got involved with what was work during the latest
being discussed. Creative Learning Day
Reading campaign
Sweden shows the way
Teachers urged to
launches in Wales
Teachers in Northern Ireland have means a more productive class-
been handed a Swedish solution room and we believe our pupils
to improving pupil performance and teachers benefit enormously
be FRANK with
A major new campaign to encourage uncles, grandfathers and others in a and cutting indiscipline. from this human rights approach
boys to embrace the joy of reading caring capacity. Gunilla Larsson, Sweden’s to education.”
has been launched in Wales. The campaign was launched on director of education, addressed The event was organised
drugs education
Read A Million Words Together Tuesday (November 11) by deputy around 100 teachers, policy-mak- by the Irish National Teachers’
has been developed by the Welsh minister for skills John Griffiths, ers and education professionals at Organisation, Ulster Teachers’
Assembly government’s Basic Skills and a copy of Me Read No Way!, the Mainstreaming Human Rights Union, Amnesty International,
Cymru team with the aim of ensuring – based on Dr Booth’s and other Education in Schools conference and the Northern Ireland and Irish
that more boys achieve the levels of experts’ research – has been sent to in Belfast last week. Human Rights Commissions.
literacy necessary to succeed. all schools in Wales. She urged schools to put the Patrick Corrigan, Northern
Building on the success of Read The book promotes teaching rights of pupils and teachers at Ireland programme director for
A Million Words in 2007, the cam- methods which have already been the heart of classroom teaching, Amnesty, said: “There is a grow-
paign focuses on making reading proven to work with boys. The and called for human rights to be ing body of evidence locally
more accessible to boys, extending guide focuses on 13 key strategies to brought into the mainstream of and internationally that bringing
the range of reading materials in the encourage boys to become readers the school system, as it has in her human rights education fully into
curriculum to include more non-fic- and to motivate them to read inside country. the school environment, as they
tion titles, short stories, and books and outside of the classroom. Before the event, Ms Larsson are doing in Sweden, can improve
which appeal to boys’ tastes. A £500,000 literacy resource told SecEd: “In Sweden we have pupil behaviour and create an
The campaign is based on grant distributed among schools in placed human rights and demo- atmosphere of respect where aca-
research into boys’ literacy by edu- Wales will allow them to purchase cratic values at the heart of our demic performance can flourish.
cation expert Dr David Booth from more resources to support the devel- school system. This means pupils This is about the rights of chil-
Ontario in Canada, and targets boys opment of boys’ literacy. A comic are more empowered to shape dren, but it makes common sense
between nine and 14 who are reluc- called Time Troopers will also be their education and to stand up for everyone.” Drug traffic: Year 10 pupils at Churston Ferrers Grammar
tant readers. developed to encourage boys to rel- against problems such as bullying For more, visit the Northern School in Torbay had a visit from the FRANK bus last week
It encourages boys to read with ish reading. and classroom violence. Ireland Human Rights
other boys and with male family For more information, visit “A more respectful classroom Commission at www.nihrc.org Teachers who have successfully The bus contains a range of
members such as fathers, brothers, www.basic-skills-wales.org raised awareness of drug issues activities designed to discourage
among young people are being drug use among 11 to 18-year-olds.
Are you ready to Make Your Mark?
urged to put themselves forward for Ms Volante continued: “One
a government award. of the most popular activities is
The FRANK Awards, run by a piece of software called Drugs
the Department for Health’s nation- Mugs. It takes a photograph of a
Schools across the UK are preparing The likes of TV dragon Peter the launch of the One Water Project al drugs information service, are pupil and shows them exactly what
for Global Entrepreneurship Week, Jones, Sir Alan Sugar, Sir Richard competition. Teams of pupils will designed to recognise and reward they would look like if they took
which involves a range of school- Branson, and Peter Mandelson MP be challenged to come up with individuals that have made a posi- cocaine, ecstasy, or crystal meth.
based initiatives, and kicks off on are all throwing their weight behind enterprising ways to sell One Water tive impact on drug use among “The kids are shocked by what
Monday (November 17). the week-long event. bottles, with all profits made going youngsters. they see, but we hope that by show-
As part of the week, which runs A range of other events are also to help those who need clean drink- Alan Campbell, Home Office ing them the consequences of their
until November 23, the Make Your hoping to get secondary school stu- ing water in Africa. minister, said: “We want to reward actions, they’ll learn to be respon-
Mark Challenge will be hoping to dents involved. Elsewhere, 6th formers from St people working in communities sible.”
beat last year’s success, which saw The week includes Women’s Angela’s Ursuline School in London who are at the heart of the effort to Children, young people and
almost 40,000 young people come Enterprise Day, on Wednesday will be working with 500 local pri- educate and support young people families minister Delyth Morgan,
up with new products and services (November 19), when the Pocket mary school pupils on the Covent with drug issues.” who is to visit the bus soon, said:
to tackle local and global problems. the Problem exhibition will be Garden Enterprise Challenge. The FRANK also operates a bus, “We know from feedback that the
Catherine Ritman Smith, head launched at City Hall, London, youngsters will be asked to come which tours the UK giving drug interactive way in which the tours
of education at Make Your Mark, showcasing entries to a competition up with an idea for a new Covent information and advice to second- demonstrate advice proves to be of
said: “The challenge is a fun way for year 9 and 10 schoolgirls across Garden market stall, and three win- Business sense: A pupil ary school pupils. real interest to young people.
to encourage young people to think the capital. ning teams will present their ideas from Wickersley School Lisa Volante, tour manager of “It is really encouraging to
big and come up with solutions to The girls were asked to cus- at the head office. taking part in last year’s the bus, says schools should keep hear that 85 per cent of pupils say
global problems, be they economic, tomise bags, which had been Meanwhile, students aged five Make Your Mark Challenge an eye out for information when the they would tell a friend to talk
social or environmental.” designed by young entrepreneur to 19 from schools and colleges bus comes to town. to FRANK if they needed advice
A whole host of business lead- Calypso Rose, to highlight issues across Eastbourne and Hailsham are set to make as much profit She said: “We send an email to about drugs.”
ers, high-profile entrepreneurs, and that matter to them. Themes will broadcast on local radio for as they can with a £20 start-up all secondary schools in the area to For more on the FRANK
celebrities are backing the initiative, include knife crime, the elderly, 50 hours between Wednesday and grant from the Yarborough Young let them know we are coming, but Awards, the bus, and a range of free
which is hoping to instil financial and forced marriages. Friday (November 19 to 21), and Chamber Council. we can’t visit all schools, and its drugs education materials, visit:
literacy and a passion for ideas and Social Enterprise Day, next tutor groups in years 7 and 8 at To get involved, visit administered on a first-come, first- http://drugs.homeoffice.gov.uk/
innovations in young people. Thursday (November 20), will see Yarborough School, Lincolnshire, www.enterpriseweek.org.uk served basis.” communications-and-campaigns/
 SecEd • November 13 2008
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