Since the publication of the book in 2019, and the 2022 animated film adaptation, Charlie has received messages, pictures, hand-made books and drawing from teachers and children who have engaged with the story in classrooms and online platforms. In response, a collection of resources has been produced to assist teachers with their lesson plans, assemblies, and performances providing an opportunity for children to explore the messages of the book.

Together with writer and musician Charlotte Freud, Charlie has produced a musical for schools adapted from the Oscar winning animated short film currently available on BBC iPlayer. Written to be performed in schools by children from Years 1-6. A playscript, sheet music, sing-along learning videos, performance tracks and backdrop artworks will all be available for free on the BBC Teach platform from 3 November 2023. The musical play has six easy-to-learn new songs for children to perform both as soloists and ensembles – allowing groups of all sizes and ages to take part. The performance-based resource pack engages children in the book’s messages through interactive sessions.

Charlie Mackesy says “I hope perhaps it opens up the world a bit more to children, giving them a deeper understanding of the messages of the book. I hope learning the lines as simple mantras will allow them to repeat them all their lives, and stay in their hearts. I hope it gives teachers and children alike, permission to explore – feel free to do what they like – perform every word faithfully; or change some lines as they see best; leave out whole scenes or just rehearse and perform one of them; workshop it, make it different or even find themselves creating a while new play all of their own. I hope they enjoy it.”

In partnership with the National Literacy Trust and Penguin Random House UK, a resource pack including Assembly Plans and Activity Packs for KS1 and KS2 has been made available in celebration of World Kindness Day (13th November). These resources link directly to the National Curriculum, in particular the PSHE Association’s programme of study, and explore ways we can show kindness to one another and invite children to think about their own wellbeing.

Partner and publisher of The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse, Penguin Random House UK, will also donate books to over 64 primary schools for a World Kindness Day “kindness drive”. A gesture followed by Puffin’s World of Stories team, who will be gifting over 450 copies of The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse: The Animated Story (published to accompany the animated short film) to teachers and librarians attending their regional networking sessions during November.

Paul Slater, who goes by the name Fabric Lenny, creates a wide range of pieces ranging from sculpture and digital work to public art projects and collaborative schemes with young children.

Fabric Lenny visited the school and shared some of his work with Year 3 pupils, who expressed they were ‘impressed’ and ‘inspired’.

Over a five week period, he taught the pupils how to use various skills within their artwork, from continuous line drawings to digital art.

By the end of the five weeks, the year group, split into two groups, had created a final piece which was a combination of all the work they had created.

The project formed part of the year group’s PSHE learning, as they completed a booklet alongside the project entitled ‘Staying Safe’ as part of the Arts Award Discover certificate by the Tameside Council Cultural Services and Tameside Council Community Safety Department.

The Arts Award project supports individual creative development by working with young people of all interests, ages and abilities.

Thomas Keegan, Year 3 teacher at Manor Green Primary Academy, said: “The experience provided by Fabric Lenny was an invaluable experience for all pupils.

“They all loved his weekly sessions, and he really encouraged an overall love of art; everybody at Manor Green is extremely proud of their learning.”

Launched in 2017 and available to every primary school in England and Wales, Premier League Primary Stars uses the appeal of the Premier League and professional football clubs to support pupils in the classroom, the playground and on the sports field.

Premier League Primary Stars’ range of more than 640 curriculum-linked activities support teachers to build their pupils’ confidence in key areas from Maths and English to PSHE and Physical Education and can be used off-the-shelf or tailored to suit teachers’ needs. More than 58,000 teachers have downloaded and used the free curriculum-linked resources since the programme began.

To mark the five-year anniversary, the Premier League is launching the Active Summer Challenge. This brand new initiative will challenge pupils to find five ways to keep active during the summer holidays, a time when fitness levels can drop. The new resources are now available for teachers to download for free on the Premier League Primary Stars website.

Exclusive content featuring Premier League players, club coaches and experts has been created to support teachers to inspire pupils deliver impactful PE lessons. Nine out of 10 teachers believe that they have seen an increase in pupils’ enjoyment of sport and physical activity linked to the programme.

In addition to PE, English and Maths resources, Premier League Primary Stars also supports teachers to deliver classroom-based discussions and activities on important societal topics such as anti-discrimination, mental health and gender stereotypes linked to No Room for Racism, Wellbeing Stars, and Rainbow Laces. After using the PSHE resources, 72% said that their pupils understand more about how to challenge prejudice and discrimination and 79% of teachers said their pupils have a better understanding of how to look after their own wellbeing.

Natalie Sutton, School Manager at Sandfield Close Primary School, said: “The Premier League Primary Stars programme has opened up so many opportunities and doors to us that we wouldn’t have been able to open on our own. We’ve had such a positive experience since joining back in 2018. It is important to measure progress but for me, it is also important to see our pupils expand their thinking and learn about key subjects in a fun and engaging way. It has all been so positive for us as teachers, but more importantly beneficial to the learning of our pupils.”

www.PLPrimaryStars.com

LGBTQ+ Voices has been downloaded more than 2,000 times since it launched last year and provides teachers with curriculum links to PSHE or Health and Wellbeing, Citizenship and History. It features both a lesson plan and an assembly with interactive tasks. Together, they aim to challenge perceptions of the LGBTQ+ community and help students aged 11–16 understand the importance of diversity and inclusion.

The award-winning resource enables students to explore the contributions of LGBTQ+ Army personnel past and present. It features four fascinating case studies, including Deborah Penny, the first trans soldier in the British Army.

Many teachers feel ill-equipped to answer any questions that students may have around trans rights. It is hoped that LGBTQ+ Voices will play an important contribution to the current debate. By giving students the tools that they need, they can play their part in addressing the inequality and discrimination felt by the trans community. Students will understand why being an LGBTQ+ ally is so very important, even if they don’t identify as LGBTQ+.

LGBTQ+ Voices was developed with teachers and support from the Army LGBTQ+ network. Teachers have remarked how the resources are “rich in information”. They offer “powerful” learning, are “self-contained” and are “simple to use”, especially for non-specialists and those less confident in discussing LGBTQ+ topics.

Teachers can download LGBTQ+ Voices for free at: https://apply.army.mod.uk/base/lessons/lgbtq-voices

A recent independent evaluation by the NSPCC confirmed an ongoing need for Speak out Stay safe (SOSS). Whilst most primary children have a good understanding of what abusive behaviour looks like and which trusted adults they can speak to, the children’s charity safeguarding programme is designed to boost schools’ relationships and sex education (RSE) teaching. Headteacher Sarah Oliver from Rowledge C of E Primary in Farnham shares how her pupils have engaged with the online assembly.

My sixth year in post also marks the sixth year we’ve rolled out the Speak out Stay safe (SOSS) programme. At Rowledge C of E Primary we feel incredibly grateful to have had the opportunity to have the NSPCC in to speak with our children. Tapping into their expertise and resources has been hugely beneficial in enabling our pupils to understand abuse in all its forms. Their team made the initial outreach and the process of bringing them into the school was seamless. More recently due to COVID-19 restrictions we’ve taken advantage of their brilliant online assembly.

Just this term we ran our first online offering with our children to support them in feeling empowered – knowing how they can speak out and stay safe with the support of classroom resources. Making sure that pupils then have sufficient time to reflect on these sessions is a key priority for our teachers. Tapping into thought books that they use every morning, pupils are encouraged to write down any thoughts or feelings that they may want to share with their teacher. Having this tool available means they really took the content of the assembly seriously.

The SOSS online assembly is well-made, and the introduction of Ant and Dec is genius. The children absolutely love them, and it makes the film very current. With the programme’s goal of ensuring children know how to access support, if they need it, it wouldn’t be everyone who can deliver such difficult content. However, Ant and Dec and their co-presenter manage it with just the right level of sensitivity. At primary level if you don’t grab the pupils’ attention from the get-go you’ve lost them before you’ve even begun. So, the delivery being engaging and entertaining without trivialising the seriousness of the topic means the children really want to listen.

One of the pupils’ main takeaways from SOSS is that they are supported in telling someone if they think there’s a problem. Teachers encourage students to critically think about if something doesn’t feel right and listen to any butterflies in their tummy which might indicate that they need to confide in someone. From experience we know that a child is more likely to first disclose to a close friend than an adult, especially if they feel the grown-ups in their life are too busy. So, leveraging the NSPCC’s content, we have also developed extra materials around keeping friends safe.

It’s likely a friend may not know what to do or where to go with such information. As such we’re aiming to upskill the children as to next steps if they heard something that makes them uncomfortable. On top of my role, I am working with the Hampshire Safeguarding Children Partnership (HSCP) which prioritises keeping young people safe and ensuring their wellbeing in the local area. One of our focuses is how children can keep their friends safe, so collectively with the NSPCC’s resources, we’ve spearheaded the idea of upskilling into Rowledge’s classrooms. The overarching message we are trying to put across is that it is okay to talk. However big or small the problem is, there are adults they can approach who are available to listen and help.

SOSS has also helped support our safeguarding duties while linking directly to the curriculum. Working in the education sector you’re often told to deliver a subject but aren’t given the right resources to do so. For example, when it comes to PHSE subjects such as abuse or sex education, teachers naturally worry about getting it right. It’s critical that resources can either be delivered by external organisations or are made available for teachers, so SOSS is pivotal for tackling an issue that’s close to my heart. Other NSPCC resources such as Talk PANTS have been invaluable. With the help of the friendly dinosaur Pantosaurus, children understand that their body belongs to them, and they should tell someone they trust if anything worries them.

Given that some of the abuse that can be experienced as you get older isn’t always obvious, the impact of nuances in relationships is important for pupils to be aware of early on. Despite the sensitive nature of the topic the SOSS online assembly manages it superbly. Not shying away from difficult subject matters and approaching them in a way that is accessible for children is crucial, so they’ve really hit the nail on the head in my eyes. Available to every primary school at no cost I’d highly recommend SOSS to all. Unless you’re specifically teaching this in your own way, and you have a clear programme of study it should be 100% compulsory. It’s a non-negotiable that children know that abuse is never their fault and that they have the right to be safe.

Interested in the NSPCC’s online safeguarding programme? Receive their online assembly and supporting resources to use in your classroom discussions by signing up your primary school today.

The R-Generation resources provide curriculum links to PSHE, Citizenship, Science and Geography, and offer a whole-school approach to being more actively sustainable. The resources for primary students include a range of interactive activities that can easily fit into day-to-day lesson planning such as an assembly presentation, school launch guide and four workshops focused on key topics such as reusing, recycling and being an active citizen. The aim of the programme is to empower students to take recycling into their own hands, by creating school surveys, interviews and analysis that help students better understand what recycling means for their school and how they can build better habits for the future. To make this a manageable goal for primary school students, the resources showcase simple tips on understanding labels, checking your bins and knowing how to recycle in your local area.

The programme also offers resources for secondary students, which focus on creating a team of R-Generation Ambassadors who create an Action Plan to make their school community more sustainable. Through a series of workshops, students will learn how to lead by example, exploring other young influential sustainability ambassadors to inspire their thinking. These R-Generation Ambassadors will then create a 10-week sustainability plan for their school, featuring school recycling challenges and ideas about how to include their wider school community of parents, councillors and local press to make a difference in their local community.

Emma Barker, Teacher at Grampian Primary said: “The R-Generation programme has equipped my class with important skills to be able to drive a lasting change within the school. It’s helped them to realise they have a voice and are able to communicate their newfound knowledge about recycling and sustainability with confidence. They are immensely proud of the projects they have implemented across the school, and they have helped to inspire others to make small changes to help the environment.”

Hayley Lloyd House, Head of Sustainability at Nestlé Water UK said: “Thinking beyond sustainability and reducing our impact on the environment are at the heart of everything we do, and the world needs everyone to take action and do their bit now, more than ever before. By relaunching the R-Generation programme in a new way, we hope to showcase the variety of simple actions children, schools and local communities can take to create circularity in their organisations that can help reduce their impact. These small changes can have an impact on a global scale and we can all be part of the change our planet needs for tomorrow and the future.”

The R-Generation primary and secondary resource packs are now available to be downloaded for free at: http://r-generation.co.uk/. Nestle Waters UK has been working with RECOUP, which instigates and develops plastics and plastics packaging recycling opportunities, since 2010.

Every weekend, families up and down the country travel to watch their favourite football team. It’s a ritual that unites generations, providing a lifetime of memorable matches, amazing goals as well as fantastic displays of great teamwork and sportsmanship. But have you thought about how the power of football can be woven into not only PE lessons, but can also inspire pupils to engage with Maths, PSHE and English classes too?

Today marks the start of Schools’ Football Week. Premier League Primary Stars – a totally free programme created by the Premier League to use the power of football to inspire pupils to learn, be active and develop important life skills – features a wealth of resources that can be used across the curriculum. Already used by more than three-quarters of schools across England & Wales, the interactive lesson plans include worksheets, videos and goodies for your classroom such as wall charts and posters, which all serve to bring key curriculum subjects to life in a way that captures pupils’ attention.

All of the free resources are centred around the four key Premier League Values: be ambitious, be inspiring, be connected and be fair.

The Premier League Primary Stars website is not just for schools. Parents and carers who are homeschooling their children can also download an array of resources by visiting the home learning section, filled with resource packs specifically curated for a home environment. It’s also a great way for families to sustain the attention of children who are self-isolating at home, away from their friends and you, their favourite teacher.

So, have you thought about using football as a tool to inspire? Let’s delve deeper into the Premier League Primary Stars website.

#MathsIsFun

Have you thought about embedding your Maths lesson with a bit of football magic? Pupils can access the Premier League Primary Stars Season Stats Dashboard, a first-of-its-kind Maths resource which uses real-life Premier League data to help get the classroom bursting with energy. It features Premier League players and is updated every week with the latest statistics from the weekend’s fixtures covering everything from goals scored to tackles made on the pitch. It enables pupils to increase their understanding of statistics, practise the use of mathematical symbols as well as mental and written calculations.

Activities can be played against an online timer where individuals or teams compete to win and score goals. And if that’s not enough, maths legend and friend of the programme, Bobby Seagull, shares his tips and tricks of how football plus maths equals a whole lot of fun.

Back to you in the studio…

For those budding reporters in your English class. With the Premier League Primary Stars programme, pupils are able to master their literacy and writing skills while finding out just what it takes to make a great journalist. The Roving Reporter resources feature insight from experts at Sky Sports News as well as the Daily and Sunday Telegraph. Pupils can use the accompanying activity sheet to plan and draft a report that brings every twist and turn of a match to life.

If you’re looking for something to keep pupils’ literacy skills sharp, there are plenty of activities to keep them busy. Why not see how many football related words they can spell with a bespoke, fun and football-based spelling challenge that has accompanying videos of players and pupils taking part.

Train like your heroes

PE has come a long way since the days of endless attempts on the climbing walls and cross-country runs in the pouring rain. The Premier League Primary Stars programme is packed full of activities and teaching methods that will have pupils looking forward to their PE lessons.

Using a series of PE training films designed by teachers for teachers, you can create a lesson that meets the needs of individual pupils. The PE Planning Toolkit sits perfectly alongside the video. The values-based way of learning allows you to learn more about how to create an inclusive environment that works for everyone, and how to incorporate the three learning domains, differentiation, modelling and demonstrations, questioning and discussion, and assessment for learning into your PE lessons.

Thousands of girls and boys dream of training like their footballing heroes and Premier League Primary Stars enables dreams to come true with its Train like a Footballer resource, enabling pupils to practise different movements and improve their technique, just like the pros.

Play the Right Way gets pupils to think about how they can demonstrate positive behaviour traits when playing football.

Diversity makes our society stronger

Giving pupils insight on the importance of equality, diversity and inclusion is vital. Tackling issues surrounding anti-discrimination in the classroom has also become a priority for teachers who look to create a positive and inclusive environment for pupils to learn. The Premier League is committed to creating an inclusive atmosphere for all – from fans and players, to young people and those in the community.

Why not facilitate classroom discussion with a set of films featuring young people talking to Crystal Palace FC and Liverpool FC football players about the impact and consequences of racism. They are great for demonstrating to pupils how to be an ally and support their friends. The most recent No Room For Racism – Youth Voices is where you will find this empowering resource.

At the end of last year, Premier League Primary Stars launched a new resource titled ‘Rainbow Laces – This is everyone’s game’. It features an educational film, and supporting resources, that celebrates LGBTQ+ football fans and showcases the power of football to bring people together.

Author Terry Pratchett once said: “The thing about football – the important thing about football – is that it is not just about football.” This Schools’ Football Week, head over to the Premier League Primary Stars website where you can find an abundance of brilliant resources using the power of football that will ignite your pupils imagination.

Professional football club staff work with teachers to deliver fun, educational sessions across a range of subjects within local partner schools. For more information about Premier League Primary Stars, and to sign up for free, please visit www.plprimarystars.com

The programme, which launched in January 2020, aims to make sure girls can access period products when they are needed, reducing stigma and keeping young people attending school and college and engaged in education, when they might have otherwise missed out.

A study by PHS Group with 250 young people suggests 35% of girls aged 13-18 have taken time off school or college because of their period, with 11% of those claiming they missed school due to lack of affordability of period products.

The scheme helps young people make the most of every possible day in the classroom, particularly following the pandemic when most young people spent time learning from home rather than in class.

Will Quince, Minister for Children and Families, said: “I’m delighted that the incredibly important scheme providing free period products for schools and colleges across England is to continue running.

“Nothing should get in the way of students spending every possible moment in class, and no girl should ever be ashamed of being on their period.

“Any school or college that has not yet ordered through the scheme should do so at the first possible opportunity.”

State funded organisations in England can order free period products for the remainder of the academic year, from supplier PHS Group. Each school or college has a budget that will remain intact until the end of the calendar year, after which it will be renewed with a new spend cap in January 2022.

Gemma Abbott, Director of #FreePeriods, said: “Young people have already had so many hours away from the classroom – this scheme is an amazing opportunity for all schools and colleges to ensure that no young person has to miss out on their education for lack of access to period products.

“We want to urge every school and college in England to place orders for free period supplies as soon as they can. We’re glad to see the scheme has been extended to the end of the academic year – let’s take the chance to show just how valuable it is, so we can secure its continuation well into the future.”

Sharon Common, Head of Portland Academy, said: “Having access to free period products with no questions asked has made our female students feel more comfortable and confident, and as the products are visible around school, boys have also increased their understanding of menstruation.

“Some of our autistic young ladies have sensory difficulties and find wearing sanitary protection a challenge which can lead to absence from school each month. Using school supplies means staff can work with students to work on improving this.

“Having free stock also means parents and carers do not have to ration what they send in to school with their daughter which reduces impact on low-income families and increases personal hygiene.”

The Every Mind Matters resources are NHS-approved and designed to support student mental wellbeing through a range of PSHE topics, featuring videos co-created by young people. The new activities encourage students to find self-care actions that work for them, and allow them to reflect on how they feel.

Analysis shows that some children and young people’s mental wellbeing has been substantially impacted due to the pandemic. Children with a probable mental disorder were twice as likely to have missed 15 or more days of school in Autumn term 2020 school (18.2%) as those unlikely to have a mental disorder (8.8%).

Alongside the new self-care activities, the Every Mind Matters resources cover important topics such as Social media, Building connections, and Dealing with change that can be used to support wellbeing across the whole school and link to Relationships and Sex Education (RSE) and Health Education. Lessons are flexible, ready-to-use and co-created by teachers and young people to encourage students to take part in peer-to-peer discussions.

The Department for Education recently confirmed that eligible schools and colleges will be able to apply for a grant of £1,200 each, which can be used by senior leaders to gain the knowledge and skills they need to roll out an effective ‘whole school or college approach’ to mental health and wellbeing, embedding it into their culture and making it a priority alongside academic recovery.

Children and Families Minister, Will Quince, said: “It’s absolutely vital that every child has access to the support they need and deserve, which is exactly why we’re prioritising children’s mental health alongside education recovery. These resources from Every Mind Matters will help support teachers to engage their students in important discussions around mental health and provide them with an additional set of resources to support their wellbeing.”

Louise Clarkson, Strategic Change Lead at Mind said: “We know that the past eighteen months has been an extremely challenging time for young people across the country, especially for those with pre-existing mental health problems. Even before the coronavirus pandemic, there was growing recognition of the scale of mental health challenges among students and increased demand for service. If a young person is experiencing a mental health issue, it’s vital that they know they’re not alone, and they deserve support. So it’s good to see that through a range of activities, Every Mind Matters is helping teachers find the right tools to help them facilitate healthy discussions in the classroom, which could empower students to find additional ways to improve their mental health, and ask for support if and when it is needed.”

The free resources from Better Health have been specifically designed to cater for all abilities and the activities are suitable for KS3 / KS4 including SEND students. Some of the resources are also suitable for KS2 pupils.

Whilst supporting students through mental health issues, it is important that teachers also look after their own mental wellness. The Every Mind Matters Mind Tool, available on the School Zone, provides additional support for teachers. By answering a short series of questions, the Mind Tool provides teachers with personalised, practical tips so they can find out what works for them.

Samantha Rosehill, an Assistant Head Teacher who worked on the project said; “The mental wellness of students is one of the biggest priorities in education right now. With so much confusion, stigma and apprehension surrounding the topic, having these short and time-efficient resources is invaluable.”

Speaking of the flexibility the activities offer, Rosehill continued to say, “What’s so impressive is how adaptable they are for the different levels of ability and age groups teachers often face. The self-care based activities come with great guidance giving teachers the confidence to deliver a very important topic to their students. I can see them being well-received with teachers and pupils”

To enter the competition and access the inclusive new resources simply sign up to the School Zone by 30 November 2021. Like all teacher resources from Better Health access is completely free.

After recovering her health and happiness, Jade (now 14) has dedicated herself to fighting the tween & teen mental health crisis. She has reached out to young people by visiting schools, telling her story and inspiring and empowering students to believe in themselves and follow their dreams, whatever they may be.

Jade has now delivered her inspirational assembly presentation at over 60 primary and secondary schools. Her message of hope, resilience, persistence and being brave to follow our dreams has been heard by over 20,000 students to date. Jade has been endorsed by and become an ambassador for Plymouth & District MIND and was shortlisted (top 8 out of 25,000 nominations) for a National Diversity Award as a Positive Role Model for young people.

Jade is now receiving invitations from more schools in the UK then she can possibly visit. The need for schools to support student mental health is so pressing and critical, that she has decided to create BRIGHT PROGRAM.

BRIGHT PROGRAM is a stand-alone resource for schools, that teachers can use to build tween/teen mental health resilience. It contains videos of Jade’s inspirational speeches which destigmatize tween/teen mental health and inspire positivity and self-worth. A workshop guide, quizzes and other resources then support teachers to further explore and develop these themes. Jade’s inspirational story and her ability to connect to young people to develop mental health resilience is now available to all schools in the UK.

www.BrightProgram.org