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Newsletter January 2009
Contents
New year - new term - new start
Primary programme launch
SSAT conference winner
SEAL conference - 3 February
Trouble with teens
KS4 is coming
Register With Us
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New year - new term - new start
 Welcome back and Happy New Year to all!
In these challenging times, we in education can really grasp the importance of children learning the skills of resilience, adaptability, how to deal with change, making good choices, all of which are improved by developing emotional intelligence. Now, more than ever we have the tools to equip our young people to deal with an unpredictable future. |
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Primary programme launch
This month sees the launch of our KS2 programme, My World. This is especially timely for primary schools being asked to focus more on developing social and emotional wellbeing for the children in their care.
"In relation to the curriculum, The Education and Inspections Act 2006 places duties on schools to promote the spiritual, moral, cultural, mental and physical development of pupils and prepare them for the opportunities, responsibilities and experiences of later life. In the light of this Act, and in recognising that "life is more complex than it ever was", the Children's Plan goes on to say that "schools play a vital role in promoting physical and mental health, and emotional wellbeing."
From "The Independent Review of the Primary Curriculum" - Sir Jim Rose - December 2008
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SSAT conference winner
Congratulations to Temple Moor High School in Leeds who won a 2 hour seminar for staff entitled, "The Emotionally Intelligent School". Commiserations to all those who entered the draw and didn't win this time, however for information on all our resources, training sessions and seminars, please visit our website www.vision-works.net or contact one of us here in the office on 01249 409001.
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SEAL conference - 3 February
Sue Allen of VisionWorks for Schools will be presenting a seminar at the Secondary SEAL Conference in Birmingham on 3 February this year. The session is aimed at teachers new to implementing SEAL and is entitled "Auditing your school climate, culture and ethos to prioritise your SEAL development". This will be an excellent opportunity for those in education who are keen to introduce and promote social and emotional wellbeing into their schools and thus improve not only their students' lives, but the whole school culture.
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The trouble with teens
A recent article in the TES tells us about new research into the development of the adolescent brain by neuroscientists at University College London. Questions are being asked about why the teenage brain differs significantly from the adult brain.
"What we do know," says Sarah-Jayne Blakemore of UCL, "is that the adolescent brain is a work in progress. It is developing structurally and functionally and will continue to do so throughout the twenties. So it might not be fair to expect adolescents to behave socially like adults.
"These findings have implications for education and the way we nurture adolescents...Lessons should be tailored to the precise needs of the developing adolescent brain. For example, it might be productive to integrate social and emotional support in the class room and explicitly teach adolescents about social awareness and self-awareness...as well as about their developing brains."
Our experience of teaching It's OK Being Me fully bears this out. |
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KS4 is coming
 It's over six years now since we started writing and trialling VisionWorks for schools. In that time we have completed It's OK Being Me for KS3, Discovering Me for PRUs and other smaller educational units, and My World for KS2.
After writing, reviewing and revising our KS4 programme, we are grateful to John Bentley School in Calne and Wootton Bassett School near Swindon for trialling it. It is the feedback we get from both staff and students that enables us to fine-tune the work; it is always welcome.
Watch this space for when the VisionWorks programme for KS4 will be available.
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__________________________________________________________________________Register With VisionWorks
If
you haven't already registered you're missing out on a host of downloadable
resources, assembly ideas and sample modules from our programmes. Register at www.vision-works.net
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If you'd like to find out how VisionWorks could work for you call Sue Allen or Ruthie Alexander Morgan on 01249 409001, email sue@vision-works net or ruthie@vision-works.net or visit our website www.vision-works.net
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