The Alcohol Education Trust - Teacher Newsletter
Autumn Term, December 2016, Ed 30
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We can’t quite believe there are only a few weeks to the end of term. It’s been a busy Autumn here with our first conference on alcohol and drugs education for schools at Middlesex University and with Alcohol Awareness Week 14th – 20th November.
We’ve also been busy completing our new resource pack which includes the updated Talk About Alcohol workbook 5th edition, 60 full colour laminates of pictures, activities and scenarios, an updated version of the BAFTA award winning Just a Few Drinks DVD and our guidance for those working with children with moderate learning difficulties. The complete learning resources for 11-18 year olds will be available for the Spring Term for a one off cost of £90. To reserve your copy or to learn more email kate@alcoholeducationtrust.org
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We’re thrilled to announce that we have a stream of funding to support our work with looked after children. We already support ‘talking to kids about alcohol’ carer support sessions for foster carers across England, but this grant will enable us to support Virtual schools and those working face to face with looked after children with our resources across England. Please contact kate@alcoholeducationtrust.org to learn more or to see if you qualify for resources, training and support.
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Extended funding for children with moderate learning difficulties
Following on from the development of our picture and story led resources for children with moderate learning difficulties we’re very pleased to confirm that we have new funding to support 110 schools across the UK with our new £90 suite of resources, plus training and advice. Each of our regional coordinators will work locally to identify the mainstream schools, PRU’s, special schools or organisations who could most benefit from our support. Please email kathyrn@alcoholeducationtrust.org in the North West, hdougan@alcoholeducationtrust.org in the South and East and sandra@alcoholeducationtrust.org in the North East or kate@alcoholeducationtrust.org for other areas of the UK if you would like to apply.
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‘A wonderful opportunity to update my skills and plan my scheme of work on drugs and alcohol education’
A full house of teachers, PSHE leads, local authorities, public health, school nurses and academics attended our conference and choice of 8 workshops on evidence based school programmes on drugs and alcohol on the 19th October. You can view a short youtube taster about the day at. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rm4DvCLm2FE
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Alcohol Awareness Week, November 14th – 20th 2016
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A fantastic array of events to mark Alcohol Awareness Week took place using the Alcohol Education Trust's Talk About Alcohol programme over the week. From school assemblies, to parent awareness sessions and peer to peer work using talkaboutalcohol.com to design engaging campaigns for younger age groups, it was full on! Our work in schools and in communities was featured on Wessex FM, BBC Radio Oxford and BBC Radio Northamptonshire during the week, helping to raise awareness and understanding. This activity resulted in 3,000 impressions from our tweets @talkalcohol, 1,600 post reach from our facebook page, 1,800 unique visits to alcoholeducationtrust.org and 980 to talkaboutalcohol.com! Do please tell us what you’re up to and remember you can upload projects and activities to: talkaboutalcohol.com/news-projects/
Some wonderful groups raised funds during the week on our behalf from the Rotary Club, speakers donating their fees, cake bakes, book club book swaps and ‘curry on’ fund raising events. Thank you so much to those who took part.
We received the following write up from Dorchester Poundbury Rotary Club who held a members supper in aid of our work.
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Dorchester Poundbury Rotary Club Fundraising meal in Alcohol Awareness Week
On Friday, 18th November, to mark Alcohol Awareness Week, members and friends of Dorchester Poundbury Rotary with their spouses met for an evening meal to acknowledge the Club’s awareness of the problems and difficulties which are caused to young people by alcohol abuse, and the need to work together with young people, their parents, teachers and community “champions” to help keep youngsters safe around alcohol.
This followed as a direct consequence of a lively and informative address given to the club at a meeting in September by Helena Conibear, founder of the Alcohol Education Trust. Thanks to the generosity of our Hosts, Peter and Wendy Grassby (SENco), members were able to combine resources to prepare and enjoy a delicious meal (including alcohol)! A most convivial evening resulted in a donation of £145.00 towards the continuing work of the Alcohol Education Trust, enough to support our local secondary school with resources for their Year 9 age group for the year.
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News from the North West during Alcohol awareness week
The AET worked once again in partnership with Manchester Healthy Schools during Alcohol Awareness Week and visited Abraham Moss Community School and Park View Primary School, with bookings taken during the week for parent sessions in December and early in the new year. We ran the ‘Design Your Mocktail’ competition again and 1 lucky parent from each school won a juicer, courtesy of Manchester Healthy Schools.
We also attended a fabulous Happy Healthy Families Event at Abraham Moss Community School, where parents were invited in throughout the day to meet different agencies and get the chance to chat on a 1-1 basis and raise any concerns they had. A parent who usually feels quite isolated said, “it was a nice opportunity to come in, get some advice in a very nice atmosphere.”
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I was also delighted to visit Christ the King Catholic High School in Preston, during Alcohol Awareness week, to discuss how we can support their parents with our ‘Talk About Alcohol’ sessions and how we can support them with their new alcohol curriculum for year 9. I’m looking forward to visiting again in December to deliver CPD training to the staff.
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The busy period continues into December, with staff training and 3 parent sessions booked in the run up to Christmas. Please do get in touch if you’d like to book in any staff training or parent engagement events.
Kathryn Arnott-Gent, North West Schools & Parent Coordinator
Tel: 07886 532254 kathryn@alcoholeducationtrust.org
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Revised costs for the AET resources applicable from January 1st 2017
Due to a huge increase in demand for our services and printed resources (80,000 Alcohol and You guides and 69,000 parent guides this year) we will be introducing charges from January 2017 for some organisations, charities and companies using our resources. Our teacher workbook, lesson plans, games, planning advice and all resources via www.alcoholeducationtrust.org and www.talkaboutalcohol.com will remain free to view, download and print off, but modest costs will be charged to cover postage and printing costs of our information leaflets, Teacher Workbooks, SEN guidance and Just A Few Drinks DVD.
We will circulate the revised offer at the end of the month. A wonderful new hardbacked pack including 60 full colour discussion cards, scenarios and quiz, the revised Just A Few Drinks BAFTA award winning DVD of four true stories, full SEN teacher guidance and lesson plans and the 100 page highly evaluation and CAYT/PSHE quality assured Talk About Alcohol workbooks are available to pre order for £90 for distribution in January. Please email Kate for full details via kate@alcoholeducationtrust.org
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Useful resources and news from other organisations:
Cyberbulling Toolkit launched
To support schools develop effective strategies to understand, prevent and respond to cyberbullying, Childnet have launched their new cyberbullying guidance along with a practical online safety toolkit for teachers to use in PSHE lessons. This work has been funded by the Government Equalities Office and European Union as part of their work as one of three charities in the UK Safer Internet Centre. childnet.com/new-for-schools/cyberbullying-guidance-and-practical-toolkit
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UK Youth Parliament chooses a 'curriculum for life' as priority campaigning issue
The UK Youth Parliament voted to make a ‘curriculum for life’ – including comprehensive, statutory PSHE education – its main campaign priority in England for 2017. Young Parliamentarians held a debate in the Commons before voting overwhelmingly to focus on campaigning for an education that provides young people with the skills, knowledge and attributes to make the most of a challenging world.
A ballot of over 978,000 young people decided what topics were to be debated, with a ‘curriculum for life’ the most popular. The UK Youth Parliament has also campaigned on other PSHE related topics including mental health and reducing racism and religious discrimination in recent years.
New PSHE Association Chief Executive Jonathan Baggaley said:
“Young people are struggling with the pressures and anxieties of today’s world. With this vote they are telling us they want schools to prepare them to meet these challenges through PSHE education and citizenship education. The fact that this is a continuing priority for the UK Youth Parliament tells us once again that not enough has been done to improve the status of PSHE education. As a result, the subject is getting less time on the curriculum even though young people, parents and teachers know it’s needed more than ever.
We hope that the Government listens and strengthens the status of PSHE education in all schools for the good of our young people, and our society. We look forward to supporting the UK Youth Parliament and British Youth Council with their campaign.“
Adding further weight to the call for statutory PSHE – the annual survey of top priorities of its Director members by the Association of Directors of Public Health, put the introduction of compulsory PSHE lessons in all schools (including academies) in their top 10 priorities for 2017 – 46% said this was in their top 5 priorities, and 36% said it was important.
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AET resources comprise of www.alcoholeducationtrust.org and www.talkaboutalcohol.com a Teacher Workbook, booklets ‘Alcohol and You’ for 15yrs+ and ‘Talking to Your Kids About Alcohol’ parent and carer guide.
We also offer teacher CPD workshops and parent information talks.
For further information on any of the above please contact
Helena Conibear, Founder, Director helena@alcoholeducationtrust.org
Sandra Saint, Parent and Schools Coordinator NE sandra@alcoholeducationtrust.org
Kathryn Arnott-Gent, Parent and Schools Coordinator NW kathryn@alcoholeducationtrust.org
Kate Hooper, Schools Coordinator kate@alcoholeducationtrust.org
Helen Dougan, Project Manager hdougan@alcoholeducationtrust.org
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Trustees
Gordon Redley BEd (Cantab) LPSH, Chair of Trustees
Christina Benjamin BSc (Hons) PGCE
Patricia Garven Cert Ed.
Kate Larard MSc, HV, RM, SRN
Victoria Mc Donaugh MA (Hons) PGCE
Keith Newton ACA
Alison Winsborough BMus, PGCE
The Alcohol Education Trust, Frampton House, Frampton, Dorset, DT2 9NH
01300 320 869
Registered Charity Number 1138775
www.alcoholeducationtrust.org
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