The industry-first campaign sees the retailer donate 0.5% of the value of its customers’ shopping to a primary school of their choice every time they shop using Asda Rewards – with £7.5 million up for grabs in total. Signing up for the initiative is easy with customers simply required to opt into Cashpot for Schools in the app and select their school of choice. As well as encouraging parents to sign up, schools are encouraging their entire community to support them as the initiative is open to all.

An incredible 98% of the 22,000 state-funded primary schools in the UK have signed up to date. 42 schools already have over £1,000 of funding in their cashpots and over 2,000 are boasting cashpots over £500. This cash will go direct to schools for them to spend on whatever they need, to make a genuine difference. The campaign comes on the back of research that some parents are asked to give up to £138 per year to support their children’s schools, with the most significantly underfunded needs being school trips (64 per cent), books and learning materials (52 per cent), and sports equipment (50 per cent).

One of the highest school earners is Kilkeel Primary School in Northern Ireland who have a whopping £2,717.46 in their cashpot.

The Green Innovators primary programme is designed to engage, inspire and educate young people about future career opportunities within the green economy, as well as enhance their confidence and attitudes to learning. It will encourage participants to develop their sustainability knowledge, taking part in projects designed to inspire new and exciting ideas to help the planet.

The programme will bring together 100 educators and more than 120 volunteers from key businesses to inspire and engage over 4,000 primary school students aged 7-11 from 30 different schools across the region. Parental and carer involvement is also highly encouraged to help embed learning throughout the school ecosystem.

Environmental, Social, Governance (ESG) specialist Ahead Partnership has designed this collaborative programme with the West Yorkshire Combined Authority to feed into its wider ‘Growing Talent Greener Futures’ programme, a multi-year scheme which aims to connect secondary school students with the green agenda.

As well as boosting interest in careers that will support a greener future, the aim of the Green Innovators primary initiative is to break down gender and social stereotypes and provide engaging activities which connect young people to opportunities. It will launch this academic year and will run until March 2026.

Ahead Partnership and the Combined Authority are currently encouraging businesses from all areas of West Yorkshire’s sustainability sector to get involved by putting forward volunteers for the programme.

The impact of this latest investment into young people is set to support wider sustainability goals for the region. By promoting skills, interest and understanding of the green economy, the Combined Authority is investing in a stronger future talent pipeline to support it in implementing its net-zero by 2030 goals.

In a 2022 study from the Learning and Work Institute, more than three in five young people said they were passionate about sustainability, but said they had never heard of green jobs.

This underscores the critical need for early education on these topics, ensuring that young people can access opportunities within this vital sector and contribute to the UK’s overall climate change targets. It will also create a huge opportunity for young people to find out about the high-skilled, well-paid careers open to them that fit with their values and interests in sustainability.

Tracy Brabin, Mayor of West Yorkshire, said: “The future is green, so we’re investing now to ensure that young people in West Yorkshire have the skills and the opportunities they need to succeed.

“This collaborative initiative will raise aspirations and build confidence, while showcasing the strength and innovation of our region’s growing green economy.

“As we work to deliver net zero by 2038, we must continue to inspire and open doors for the next generation to thrive in a stronger, brighter West Yorkshire.”

Georgina Johnson, Programme Manager at Ahead Partnership, said: “We are incredibly excited to launch the Green Innovators Primary programme.

“We know it’s important to introduce opportunities to young people early. The OECD has found those as young as seven are having their career aspirations limited by harmful stereotypes. Programmes like this are crucial for helping them to think about their future goals and providing them with inspiring and diverse role models. We are committed to providing each young person with career guidance while they are on their education journey.

“Given the crucial role that green skills will play in all our futures, this brand-new programme couldn’t come at a better time, and is a fantastic way to inspire and provide meaningful opportunities for thousands of young people across West Yorkshire.”

The findings from BookTrust’s family survey data published this week, found that while 33 percent of seven-year-olds say they ‘love’ reading, this drops to 29% at age 10 and further declines to just a quarter (25 percent) by age 11. 

The survey results come shortly after it has been revealed that reading achievement for school pupils in England is higher than the international average but, shockingly, ranks in the bottom third of countries worldwide for childhood reading enjoyment.  

Almost 3000 primary school teachers in England were also surveyed by BookTrust. The survey found that teachers’ concern about levels of reading enjoyment among their pupils increases as children progress through primary school. Around 48% of Early Years Foundation Stage and Key Stage 1 teachers express concern over reading enjoyment levels in their class, this continues to rise to 63% of Key Stage 2 teachers.    

BookTrust research shows that children who enjoy reading tend to read by choice more often, for longer, and become more skilled readers and that focusing solely on functional literacy risks depriving children of the wider benefits of reading. 

Children who read regularly experience a wide range of immediate and lifelong benefits. These include improved speech and language skills, higher academic achievement, better mental well-being, enhanced social skills, and stronger relationships. Reading also fosters imagination, empathy, and creativity, it’s therefore vital that strategies to promote children’s reading enjoyment are prioritised. 

All 22,000 state funded UK primary schools are able to get involved and over £1.1 million has so far been raised, putting pounds back into primary schools.

The industry first campaign sees the retailer donate 0.5% of the value of its customers shopping to a primary school of their choice – every time they shop using Asda Rewards with over £7.5 million set to be raised.

The campaign comes on the back of research which found that parents are asked on average to donate £138 per year to support their children’s schools.

And 95 per cent of educators say a lack of funding has impacted learning at their school.

David Hills, chief customer officer at Asda, said: “I’m absolutely delighted that in just four days we’ve seen hundreds of thousands of customers sign up for the initiative – raising over £1.1 million pounds for primary schools across the UK.

“This money will make a huge difference to millions of children and Asda will continue to donate 0.5% of the value of our customers shopping to the school of their choice, when they shop with Asda Rewards, until the end of November – meaning there are millions more for us to invest.

“Please encourage all your friends and family to sign up to Asda Rewards and shop to support local primary schools in your area.”

Marie Louise Fisher, Chair of the PTA (Friends of St Mary’s) at St Marys Catholic Primary School in Chingford, said: “Our school signed up to Asda’s Cashpot for School initiative so we could help raise funds to purchase new PE equipment. We hope to purchase new football goals and netball posts, which will support our children with their development of physical education and enhance their health and well-being.

Since Monday, we’ve already raised £53.70 just from parents and the local community opting in on the Asda Rewards app. It’s so simple to do and I can’t believe that by people doing their normal weekly shop, our children are going to benefit massively – I would encourage everyone to sign up to a school in your local area, you’ve really nothing to lose.”

Schools and parents can also download assets to help raise more money for schools which includes, letters, newsletters, social cards, letter header, poster and leaflet at Cashpot for Schools toolkit | Parentkind.

ESSENTIALMATHS is a way of rebuilding passion for maths, alongside deep understanding for children and staff at the same time.

The original ESSENTIALMATHS curriculum was launched by HFL Education in 2017 and has been successfully rolled out in over 800 schools.

Following feedback from teachers, ESSENTIALMATHS has been relaunched with a brand-new online platform which features long term curriculum plans, lesson plans and supporting resources including maths games, reasoning and rehearsal sheets and homework – all in one place.

Teachers will also find new diagnostic assessment tools on the platform which use carefully chosen multiple choice questions for end of term or end of year assessments to help them identify gaps in pupils’ knowledge and understanding. Using progress tracking identifiers, all the ESSENTIALMATHS resources are linked so that teachers can quickly refer back to previous learning to go over less secure content.

In addition to separate year group curriculum content for reception up to year 6, ESSENTIALMATHS has also responded to the needs of small schools, with planning specifically designed for mixed aged classes.

Charlie Harber, Primary Maths Lead at HFL Education, said: “Maths shouldn’t be endured. It needs to be loved. Our new ESSENTIALMATHS offers an expanded library of resources for teachers to make planning lessons and follow up learning practical and manageable, saving time and reducing workload. Everything is in complete alignment, from what children do in the classroom and at home, to what they learn as they progress from one year to the next. This small-step, mastery approach reinforces what children are learning, to build their confidence and foster an enjoyment of maths.

“There are also some added extras on the online platform that are unique to ESSENTIALMATHS. For example, we have created a gallery where teachers can share pictures of their pupils’ work and examples of best practice which have worked for their class. To build a community, the online forums allow users to post messages, either for other users with the same class structure or for HFL Education maths advisers. So, there’s a lot of support on the platform to help teachers deliver the best maths curriculum for their children.”

The ESSENTIALMATHS platform will be updated regularly with new content and resources. To gain access to the platform, schools can choose a standard subscription that contains plans, learning sequences, handouts and assessments, or choose the premium package which also features rehearsal and reasoning resources, homework resources, curriculum progressions, ‘tracking back’ booklets and other tools to enhance teachers’ knowledge and confidence. Premium users will also have access termly CPD sessions either live or on demand.

Over 100 schools have already invested in the new version of ESSENTIALMATHS, and feedback has already been very positive:

“We have started using the Rehearsal and Reasoning sheets and it’s a bit like finding the missing piece to the jigsaw,” said Alison Broomfield, Maths Subject Leader, St Andrews C of E Primary School and Nursery, Much Hadham, Hertfordshire.

“I love the links to cognitive science. The links between year groups are great to support growing SEND needs,” said Zoe Hall, Mastery Specialist & Trust Maths Lead, Northampton Primary Academy Trust.

Available via Discovery Education’s award-winning digital learning service Espresso, the carefully curated content – which includes regularly updated news bulletins, videos and interactives – provides high-quality digital content schools can use to engage young people with democracy after the general election and beyond.

In Espresso News Bites – the award-winning news service produced in partnership with ITN Productions – teachers can access daily and weekly news bulletins. From exploring how a general election works to understanding the recent transition of power, Espresso News Bites covers the latest news stories in a dynamic, engaging and age-appropriate way.

In Espresso News in Focus, pupils can take a more in-depth look at news stories and topical events. New government and democracy resources include:

• What Does a Prime Minister Do? – looking at the role of the UK PM
• What Happened in the 2024 General Election? – explaining democracy in action
• New Government Gets to Work – exploring recent events in the UK Parliament

Elsewhere in Espresso, teachers can access a whole raft of videos, activities and interactives on the subject of political process and democracy, supporting the teaching of British Values and Citizenship at KS1 and KS2.

Lizzy Lambley, Discovery Education’s UK Head of Production, said: “In this general election year, many children have become interested in the political process for the first time. We’re proud to provide UK primary schools with these engaging digital resources to nurture their curiosity and teach them about the workings of government and democracy.”

Discovery Education’s resources are available to subscriber schools via Espresso, the daily learning service for primary schools.

NFER’s report The ongoing impact of the cost-of-living crisis on schools is based on a survey of 1,282 teachers and senior leaders across mainstream primary and secondary schools.

It offers insights into how the increased cost of living is contributing to pressures on schools and looks at how staff are responding to these challenges​.

This is a follow-up to a report NFER released last autumn and reinforces the seriousness of schools’ financial positions identified in other recent studies.

This year, 31 percent of primary school respondents said more children were showing up to class hungry, with 40 per cent reporting an increase in pupils arriving without adequate clothing.

Worryingly, 79 per cent of primary school teachers (and 62 per cent of secondary school) said they were spending their own money purchasing items for pupils. Nineteen per cent of primary teachers said they were specifically spending money on pupils’ pastoral needs e.g. clothing or food.

Around one in four primary teachers and over one in five secondary teachers estimated having spent over £100 so far this academic year.

The report also suggests that the financial position of schools is continuing to deteriorate and that most primary schools are cutting spending on targeted learning support (e.g., tutoring) and learning resources to plug holes in budgets. Almost all school senior leaders (93 per cent of primary and 87 per cent of secondary leaders) report making cuts in at least one area in response to cost pressures.

Budget pressures are also hampering school leaders from making much needed improvements to school buildings. Almost half (46 per cent) of primary senior leaders and a third (33 per cent) of secondary senior leaders report making cuts to planned spending on building improvements and new buildings in response to current cost pressures.

NFER’s Co-Head of UK Policy and Practice, Jude Hillary, said: “This report clearly highlights the high level of need among young people, and the risk of it becoming an entrenched and persistent challenge for pupils, families and staff, particularly in more disadvantaged schools.”

“The cost of living is one of a number of significant cost pressures leading to schools having to make incredibly difficult trade-offs in their core provision – including staffing, teaching and learning.

“Teachers are going above and beyond to meet pupils’ pastoral needs using their personal funds. This unrecognised, informal support is being offered at a time when teachers individually continue to face their own financial pressures.”

The report also said that:

• Most schools continue to provide food parcels, subsidised breakfasts and uniform/clothing to pupils[iii].
  32 per cent of primary teachers and school leaders reported an increase in pupils arriving at lessons without the necessary books or equipment.
• The take-up of food parcels/banks and subsidised breakfasts in deprived schools is significantly higher than in more affluent schools​.
• 31 per cent of primary teachers reported an increased in the number of pupils lacking access to a suitable working environment outside of school.
• A lack of access to support from external agencies continues to be a challenge for teachers, particularly around mental health​.
• Schools continue to make cuts to staffing, spending on trips and enrichment activities and building maintenance due to cost pressures​.

The report recommends:

• Extending the current eligibility for free school meals to ensure pupils in need who do not meet the current eligibility criteria can benefit. At the absolute minimum, this should involve uprating the income threshold for eligibility to reflect inflationary pressures since 2018/19[1].
• Providing targeted financial support to help schools address pupil’s well-being needs, alongside meeting the additional direct costs (e.g. salary and running costs) associated with current cost pressures.
• Increasing the capacity and responsiveness of CYPMHS and the wider support around families to ensure pupils can access the appropriate support and specialist services in a timely manner, rather than schools and teachers having to step in to fill those gaps in support. This could include revisiting current levels of welfare support for families.

Vicky Walsh (left) from Monk Fryston C of E Primary School will make the journey to Turku to join hundreds of other primary and secondary school teachers from all over Europe, who will share their most creative STEM ideas at stands, in workshops, and in highlight sessions.

She is one of 450 participants from more than 30 countries who will come together in August after they were specifically chosen because of their contribution to the subject of science within their own schools and trusts.

In addition to attending the event, as the leader of science teaching at Monk Fryston C of E School, Vicky will also host a stand at the 4-day international event showcasing one of the many projects she has delivered since securing a grant from the Ogden Trust that means she can dedicate half a day per week to improving the teaching of physics across the wider STAR Multi Academy Trust.

This includes the now annual Great Science Share event, which last year saw more than 160 children from nine Star Multi Academy Trust primary schools in Yorkshire come together to take part in a live debate to determine which is the greatest invention of all time.

Commenting on the festival Vicky Walsh said: “This is an exciting opportunity, and I am very proud and privileged to have been selected to attend the event and to have the opportunity to showcase the work that is taking place across the Trust to promote and enhance the learning of science.

“The grant has allowed me to really dedicate a significant amount of time to enhancing the science offering across the Trust, particularly focussing on the annual Great School Science Share events, as well as delivering additional physics training and termly meetings for all STARMAT schools.

“The results have been fantastic, and we have seen a real increase in the way that the children engage with their learning of physics. I now hope to share those learnings and look forward to also hearing what the other teachers have to say about their experiences.”

Rick Weights, the executive head teacher at Monk Fryston primary school said, “We are immensely proud of the work Vicky has already been doing to improve the physics and science education we offer our pupils.

“The honour of this invitation only demonstrates what we already knew – that she is becoming a pioneering figure in her field.”

The Ogden Trust is an organisation that supports schools, teachers, projects, and programmes that are committed to enhancing physics teaching and learning.

Star Multi Academy Trust is made up of eleven schools located across West Yorkshire and North Yorkshire.

Established in 2018, the trust’s aim is to create outstanding education within its academies to enable every young person to realise their full potential.

BWCET is a multi-academy trust that spans Northumberland, Gateshead, Sunderland and Durham and includes 48 schools.

The three schools commended include St. Agnes’ Catholic Primary School, St John Boste Primary School and St Patrick’s Catholic Primary School. The schools are located in Crawcrook, Washington and Stanley respectively.

Phonics, a systematic approach to teaching reading, focuses on imparting essential skills to children, laying a robust foundation for literacy development.

The schools have demonstrated exceptional proficiency in phonics, securing their places in the top 4% of schools across the country, with St John Boste securing its place in the top 1%. This achievement underscores the effectiveness of each school’s approaches to phonics education.

The recognition was acknowledged by Education Minister Damian Hinds who extended his appreciation to the three schools through a formal letter. The letter specifically commends the school’s efforts, dedication, and the noteworthy contributions of both teachers and pupils. He added: “Your particular success in teaching phonics and early reading so effectively means your pupils are developing a firm foundation, from which they can become increasingly fluent and develop a lifelong love of reading.”

The school’s commitment to high-quality phonics instruction aligns with a broader mission to improve overall literacy levels among its students. By imparting essential phonetic skills, the schools ensure that children possess a solid foundation for continuous academic progress.

Bishop Wilkinson Catholic Education Trust’s CEO, Nick Hurn OBE, is proud of the schools performance and recognition, “To have three of our schools placed in the top 4% in the country for Phonics Education highlights the dedication and skill of our teachers. We are extremely proud to be recognised by the Education Minister, Damian Hinds who praised the effectiveness of our teachers and how they deliver outstanding results.”

www.bwcet.com

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