The annual programme awards grants of up to £25,000, along with dedicated support, to help teachers across England develop innovative projects that enhance educational outcomes, especially for children and young people from low-income backgrounds in northern England.

Let Teachers SHINE has a proven track record of helping teachers to make a lasting impact. Over the past decade, more than £4 million in grants has been awarded to teachers, nurturing groundbreaking projects such as Bruno Reddy’s Times Tables Rock Stars and Colin Hegarty’s Hegarty Maths.

The programme has also supported countless smaller projects which have also had a major impact on students’ outcomes.

The latest round of the competition is open to practising teachers across England, including those in early years settings, schools, and colleges.

Judges are seeking fresh ideas with the potential to boost attainment, particularly in core subjects like English, maths, and science.

They are particularly interested in projects that use creative approaches to engage students and ignite their passion for learning, and initiatives that specifically benefit children from disadvantaged backgrounds.

2024’s winning ideas included a reading fluency project for primary pupils, a student feedback website, an app for tracking student progress in science and online video resources for maths teachers.

Fiona Spellman, CEO of SHINE, said: “We believe the best solutions for closing the attainment gap come from the classroom. Teachers are the people who truly understand how to unleash their students’ potential.

“Year after year, we see how teachers’ ideas drive change. Every project, large or small, has the potential to make a real impact. If you’re a teacher with a creative new idea, I urge you to apply.”

Applications are open until Wednesday January 15 2025. Winners will be announced in the spring of next year.

Further details and the application form can be found here: https://shinetrust.org.uk/what-we-do/let-teachers-shine/

Pupils around the globe will walk to school to celebrate International Walk to School Month. In the UK, children in certain schools are enjoying the benefits of active travel year-round because they take part in WOW – the walk to school challenge from Living Streets.

WOW sees pupils record how they get to school using the interactive WOW Travel Tracker with those who walk, wheel, cycle, scoot to school being awarded a monthly WOW badge. Pupils can also earn a badge by using ‘Park and Stride’, parking at least 10 minutes from their school and walking the rest of the way.

The latest national data shows that less than half of primary school children in England walk to school, but that is not the case in schools taking part in WOW with Living Streets. New analysis of WOW Travel Tracker data shows that WOW schools in England typically see an increase in walking and wheeling rates of 17 per cent with 60 per cent fewer cars driving to the school gates compared to before the schools started WOW.

Walking to school helps contribute to the 60 active minutes a day recommended by health experts to keep children healthy and happy. Similarly, parents/carers accompanying them benefit from reduced risk of long-term chronic health conditions such as certain cancers, type 2 diabetes, and heart disease.

Active Travel England funds some schools in England to take part in WOW through Living Streets’ Walk to School Outreach programme.

Former Olympian, Chris Boardman OBE, is the National Active Travel Commissioner. He said: “The majority of kids have told us they want to walk, wheel, scoot and cycle to school – it’s what they want, and it’s what we want for them. Walk to School Month offers us an opportunity to try travelling differently, and if it sticks, we can give a new generation the transport independence they deserve.

“I encourage all parents and pupils to give it a go to help reduce congestion around the school gates and kick start the greener, healthier school run we need.”

Catherine Woodhead, Chief Executive, Living Streets, said: “International Walk to School Month is a great opportunity for families to try walking to school. We hope that the benefits they experience will see them choosing to walk or wheel more all year-round.

“Recent National Travel Survey data revealed that over a fifth (22 percent) of parents of children who do not currently walk to school said that safer roads would encourage them to walk to school more often. Nearly one in ten (9 per cent) said more safer crossing points would help them choose to walk more.

“We’re campaigning to make Britain’s streets child friendly by tackling deterrents like pavement parking and dangerous crossings. But we need support to be able to continue this work. Visit our website to donate to our urgent appeal and help secure a future where streets work for everyone.”

For more information about WOW and how to get the scheme in your school, visit https://www.livingstreets.org.uk/walk-to-school/

Teaching staff can make a pledge on the website on behalf of their school, and they will receive access to a set of free lesson plans and teaching resources for EYFS to KS2. These curriculum-led activities are designed to help teachers talk to and encourage their students to find out more about cycling and the benefits it brings.

Pledging is for everyone, and there are a range of ways to take part. Adults and children can pledge to cycle to school every day for the week, discover somewhere new on their cycle, or swap just one car journey for a trip by cycle. Everyone who makes an individual pledge will be entered into a prize draw to win a brand new cycle from Squish.

Emily Cherry, Chief Executive at The Bikeability Trust, said: “Cycling is a fantastic way for children, parents, and teachers to get to school. Choosing cycling is the cleaner, greener and healthier choice, plus it’s a great way to set children up for a day of engaged learning, as well as incorporating some fun activity into their day.

“We have already had hundreds of schools signing up to make a pledge to share Cycle to School Week with their students, and we can’t wait to see children across the country bring the fun to the school run with pedal power!”

Cycle to School Week runs from Monday 23 – Friday 27 September and is supported by NatWest Rooster Money.

To make your pledge and receive your free set of teaching resources, visit the website: Cycle to School Week – Bikeability

The RSPCA’s scheme is accessible for all ages and can now form part of a young person’s Bronze or Silver Award.

The scheme is aimed at helping young people engage with wildlife and animal welfare issues, as well as the wider work of the RSPCA. It has been designed so those taking part can undertake tasks and activities from their homes either by themselves or in a group.

There are 15 tasks to choose from, including litter picking, building a hedgehog house and making a PAWS Pack for an RSPCA pet food bank. The young people taking part will also be able to use their online and social media skills by taking part in some of the animal charity’s campaigning work.

Activity workbooks are being provided that can be downloaded from the RSPCA website and participants can pick the tasks they wish to complete to make up the number of required hours to attain their DofE Award.

They will provide evidence of their work to hand to an assessor and all of the activities have been chosen so those taking part can have the maximum amount of impact on animal welfare while volunteering remotely.

Sophie Keaveney, AAP Operations Manager at The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award, said: “We are delighted that the RSPCA is now an Approved Activity Provider for The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award, opening the door to more fantastic opportunities for young people to gain new skills outside of the classroom. We know that many of our DofE participants are passionate about wildlife and animal welfare and it’s brilliant that they will have the chance to follow this passion through their DofE Award.

“Thanks to our network of volunteering partners, like the RSPCA, young people can find a whole range of meaningful ways to achieve their DofE. Last year, DofE volunteers gave over four million hours of their time to their communities – equivalent to over £24 million in paid hours – which is something we’re hugely proud of, and we look forward to growing further with the support of this new partnership.”

RSPCA Head of Volunteer Experience Brian Reeves said: “We’re delighted to have become an Approved Activity Provider for The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award. By completing their volunteering activity with the RSPCA young people will learn about animal welfare and put their new-found knowledge into practice.

“We’ve a whole workbook packed with practical actions and research tasks to pick and choose from. There’s something for everyone regardless of ability or where you live.

“We’re excited about our new partnership with The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award, which will inspire a new audience of young volunteers to make a positive difference to the welfare of animals. ”

In June this year the RSPCA celebrated its 200th birthday, marking two centuries of its work improving the lives of millions of animals through changing laws, industries and minds. Volunteers make a massive contribution to the RSPCA’s work preventing cruelty and promoting kindness to animals and the charity offers a wide range of volunteering roles across its animal and wildlife centres, as well its network of branches.

These volunteering roles include pet fosterers, who look after and care for animals until they are found permanent homes; Animal Rescue Volunteers (ARVs), who help RSPCA officers rescue and transport animals to animal centres, vets and hospitals; and Wildlife Friends who take action around their own homes to nurture wildlife by creating habitats and environments where they can thrive.

To do their DofE, young people aged 14-24 choose activities in four sections: improving a Physical and Skills activity, Volunteering for a cause of their choice, and completing a demanding Expedition. Along the way they have fun, grow in resilience and self-belief, discover new talents and passions, and learn practical skills to help them in future – while working towards a highly respected award.

A record-breaking number of young people started their Duke of Edinburgh’s Award across the UK in 2023-24 – with more than 330,000 starting their DofE and more than 545,000 participating. Young people contributed an astonishing 4.7 million hours of volunteering as part of their DofE.

The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award wants to see 1.6 million young people start their DofE by Spring 2026. It has launched ambitious projects to fund schools and community organisations in the UK’s most deprived areas to start offering the DofE, to expand into more prisons and young offender institutions, and to support more young people with additional needs and disabilities to achieve their DofE Awards.

The #ChampionsForChildren campaign is designed to address low literacy rates across London, where funds raised will enable volunteers to run shared reading sessions with over 900 children in the boroughs of Westminster, Lambeth, Hammersmith & Fulham, Camden and Kensington & Chelsea.

Doorstep Library relies on funds to deliver high-quality training and safeguarding, to recruit dedicated volunteers, and to purchase new and diverse children’s books. They offer a free service and rely on the generosity of their supporters to keep their weekly reading sessions running.

Support with literacy is needed now more than ever, as children in the UK face significant gaps in learning post-pandemic. Adding to this, the cost-of-living crisis has made access to affordable literature increasingly difficult, with 1 in 5 children in the UK not owning a single book (National Literacy Trust).

Doorstep Library’s volunteers work as ‘reading buddies’ for families, who arrive on the doorstep or online with books for children and read with them. Parents are encouraged to join in, building a foundation for enthusiastic reading from childhood.

The charity is hoping to raise £25,000 towards their reading projects which will be doubled to £50,000 under ‘The Big Give’ with all donations to be matched. So, for every £10 donated, £20 will be given to support Doorstep Library’s work. They are also asking the public to engage with the campaign via social media and spread the word to friends and family.

CEO Katie Bareham, one of Doorstep Library’s first volunteers, says: “We know that low literacy carries life-long implications for children. We believe all children should be able to access books with ease outside the classroom, and are committed to closing the disadvantage gap which has unfortunately widened post-pandemic. Instilling a love of reading increases opportunities not just in school, but in later life too.

“We want to take this opportunity to thank our community, whose generous support has allowed us to deliver books to over 2,000 children across the UK to date. We truly believe that every story read is a story changed. This year’s Champions for Children Campaign will mean our volunteers can reach new families in London and continue to bring the magic of reading to those who need it the most.”

Christian Aid has several initiatives already running in classrooms around the UK – including its Global Neighbours scheme (left) and Creative for Climate Justice – thousands of pupils have taken part, achieving awards, holding exhibitions and even having artwork on display in the Houses of Parliament.

Christian Aid teachers help with these programmes, as well as talking about particular aspects of global injustice.

The charity’s schools team explained volunteers don’t need to be qualified teachers, though experience of teaching or working with children is required.

Christian Aid’s Schools Programme Officer, Alison Brown, said: “It also helps to have engaging presentation skills, some knowledge of technology like Zoom, an enthusiasm for the work of Christian Aid and a willingness to attend training. We run remote training sessions twice a year, we have a wide range of resources for our volunteers to use, and we hope they’ll do at least two school visits a term.

“Our volunteers are amazing – they really understand how to get across the idea we live in an unequal world with so many communities living in extreme poverty. We want to get across the idea people are not in any way to blame for this poverty and to challenge any misconceptions children might hold, and we know there’s not a simple answer. It’s important our volunteer teachers can help children understand the world is complex but there are things they can do to help challenge injustice.

“We want children to start asking questions and speak up about injustice, to challenge the causes of poverty as well as support people to find ways to transform their lives.”

Ruth Norris is a volunteer teacher in Berkshire.

She said: “As a retired teacher, I miss being with children and the buzz of a school. My sister suggested Christian Aid’s volunteer teacher programme – and the rest, as they say, is history.

“You get out at least as much as you put in to this role – it’s very rewarding. The teachers and pupils have all been so very friendly; they love having a different face and a different voice in school to talk to them. It’s always been a good experience. It’s all about using our voices, working together and making things happen.”

Anyone interested can find out more through the Christian Aid website or by emailing schools@christian-aid.org.

The Exeter-based business’s charitable organisation, the Class People Foundation, supports the welfare, wellbeing and aspirations of children and young people in early foundation stage, primary and secondary education. The deadline for its current round of funding is Friday, 5th April.

Nominations are open for schools and nurseries to put themselves in the frame to receive funding of up to £1,500 per establishment to support a wide range of projects. The Foundation annually dedicates funds to eligible establishments generated from the recruitment business’s profits and through the fundraising and voluntary time of its staff.

Officially launched in 2021, the annual grant has so far supported a dozen schools with various projects worth around £10,000 and is hoping to fund at least ten more this year. The grant fund is accessible to all schools and nurseries across both regions, who can use the funds to support running or capital costs, for sports kits, residential trips, events and other activities.

Lynis Bassett, Founder and Trustee of Class People Foundation (pictured left), said: “As a former education professional, I along with the team understand only too well the increasing financial challenges faced within the education sector. We also know that the relationships between schools and the families in their communities extend beyond the classroom. Through The Foundation’s grant giving, we are able to support projects which improve the lives and learning of school-aged children and young people. In the 2018/19 academic year alone, we put aside £10,000 in support of our local schools and nurseries.

“Our funding also addresses another growing need, as more families experience poverty in the face of rising living costs. A grant from The Foundation can, for instance, provide school uniforms for families who are struggling or offer schools a little extra to support meals for hungry children. Alternatively, a bursary from us can alleviate the pressure on a student to leave school and start earning. Our aim is to significantly grow this funding pot through increased fundraising support over the next few years, to ensure as many schoolchildren and local communities as possible get to benefit from a grant.”

If you’d like to apply for a grant, tell us about your project and how it will help to improve the lives and learning opportunities of the children and young people in your school community, using the online application form found here.

www.classpeople.co.uk

The funds raised came from a successful art exhibition at Highfield and Brookham Schools in Liphook.

It featured work from 29 artists and four galleries as well as eight Old Highfieldians who also showcased their work at the popular three-day event.

The money has gone to the Highfield School Centenary Bursaries Fund, which was set up in 2007 with an aim to support children who would not otherwise have the opportunity to attend an independent school such as Highfield and Brookham. Typical candidates are children who are experiencing social or educational difficulties or children who have the ability to succeed academically if given the right support.

Artists and galleries exhibited an impressive range of artwork, including watercolour paintings, sculptures and drawings.

Suzannah Cryer, Head of Highfield, was in awe of the success of the art exhibition and paid tribute to parent Kaye Burke and her dedicated team of organisers.

She said: “The curation of the exhibition was nothing short of phenomenal, which was underlined by the number of pieces sold and the amazing amount of money raised for the Bursary Fund.
“But none of this would have been possible without the continuing extraordinary efforts of our parent fundraising committee and the generosity of the artists.”

Every exhibiting artist agreed to donate 25% of their sales and the Highfield art scholars donated 50% to the Bursary Fund in order to ensure that the school can continue to offer bursaries to children who, for many reasons, may not get the chance to access a private education.

Mrs Cryer also extended her warmest thanks to Knight Frank, Coolhurst Vineyards, Minnow and Wolf and Howden Group Holdings for their sponsorship and support as well as the supportive school community who attended the exhibition and purchased the works of art.

Highfield and Brookham Schools has awarded 20 bursaries since the fund’s inception in 2007.

The bursaries are funded jointly by the Fund and the school, covering all school fees, and also provides additional support for music lessons, sports equipment, school trips and uniform.
“The purpose of the bursary is to make a difference in a child’s life, not just academically but also physically, emotionally and socially. Ours are awarded to children we believe will gain the most from attending, ensuring they reach their full potential,” explained Mrs Cryer.

“These are the children we believe will engage with all of the opportunities Highfield and Brookham has to offer – ensuring they build life-long skills and develop long-lasting positive experiences and relationships.

The record-breaking numbers, published today, show that 537,759 young people are currently working towards their Award across the UK – up more than 10% on 2021/22.

The figures mark the end of the second year of the DofE’s ambitious five-year strategy to reach one million young people by 2026 – with a focus on breaking down barriers for marginalised young people and reaching more schools in deprived areas, community organisations, further education colleges, organisations supporting young people with additional needs, and prisons and young offender institutions.

The annual statistics show that:
• Participants gave 3,541,707 hours of volunteering in their communities – up 64 per cent on the previous year and equivalent to £17,035,611 in paid working hours.
• 29.9 per cent of 14-year-olds in the UK started their Bronze DofE.
• 262 secondary schools offered the DofE for the first time, including 98 in the most deprived areas of England.
• 19 secure settings started running the DofE, including prisons, young offender institutions, secure units, youth offending and youth intervention teams – with 79 now offering it overall.
• DofE was offered for the first time in 72 community organisations, 15 further education colleges, 126 centres for young people with additional needs and 36 alternative provision centres, supporting students who cannot attend mainstream school.

Ruth Marvel, CEO of The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award, said: “Young people are taking up the DofE in record numbers – showing they value opportunities like this more than ever. As they find themselves stuck between a brutal past few years and an uncertain future, chances to develop and grow outside the classroom are vital to help level the playing field and give them the skills and capabilities they need to succeed in future.

“Young people need our support more than ever if they’re going to have the same chances previous generations had – which is why we’re determined to keep breaking down barriers to participation and reaching as many young people as possible.”

https://www.dofe.org/

This agreement allows Into Film to broaden the range of streamable content that teachers are able to easily access and use for educational purposes, whilst retaining a distinct curatorial voice and purpose. ERA Recordings embrace a wide array of powerful stories, storytellers and life experiences on screen, which will resonate with young people, broaden their horizons and enrich teaching and learning across the curriculum.

Paul Reeve, CEO, Into Film, said: “We’re delighted to be working with ERA and its members to enhance the range of fantastic content we’re able to make available on Into Film+ to support classroom teaching and learning across a broad range of curriculum subjects and important topics such as online safety. ERA Recordings will also enable us to increase the content we’re able to make available in languages such as Welsh and Scottish Gaelic”.

Helena Djurkovic, CEO, Educational Recording Agency, added: “ERA has a long-established commitment to providing educators and students access to the highest-quality broadcast materials for teaching and learning and we could not be more delighted to be working with Into Film to enable ERA-licensed schools to easily access some of the best content TV has to offer through its excellent streaming service”.

With a new academic year now in full swing, a wide range of ERA Recordings will be available to primary and secondary school educators across the UK through Into Film+. Each month, new content will be added, aligning to the academic calendar and curriculum. The content can only be used by ERA licensees under the terms of the ERA Licence.
ERA brings together creative parties who own rights in broadcasts and the included material within broadcasts and offers a simple and efficient way for schools, colleges, and universities to make educational use of recordings of TV and Radio broadcasts.

The new ERA content complements the hundreds of new and classic films, shorts and documentary titles currently available to schools on Into Film+, which also features a wealth of curriculum-linked film guides, teaching resources and exclusive wrap-around content.

The first selection of new ERA Recordings were curated for schools ahead of Black History Month and included Steve McQueen’s award-winning Small Axe series; Rogan Productions’ Stephen: The Murder That Changed a Nation; Raoul Peck’s documentary I Am Not Your Negro based on James Baldwin’s unfinished manuscript; and three BBC Arts Inside Cinema: Black History Month documentaries featuring Ryan Coogler, Ava DuVernay and Jordan Peele respectively. All of these offered teachers exploring October’s Black History Month and the topic throughout the year as part of Black History 365 access to invaluable teaching tools.

Supporting themes of mental wellbeing, further ERA titles include Nadiya: Anxiety and Me; Stabbed: Britain’s Knife Crime Crisis; Our Borough: Love & Hustle; and both David Harewood’s Psychosis and Me and Killed By My Debt.

Forthcoming ERA titles to be launched in support of February’s LGBTQ+ History Month include the documentaries Jamie: Drag Queen at 16, Olly Alexander: Growing Up Gay and Transitioning Teens.

For information about the film catalogue (including a full list of titles): www.intofilm.org/films

Into Film and the Into Film+ streaming platform is supported by the UK film industry through Cinema First and the BFI through National Lottery Funding, thanks to National Lottery players.
www.intofilm.org