Tools and ideas to empower schools learning and development
SFC Brighton have met with various schools and gathered insights on some of the wonderful initiative's schools are putting in place for their pupils and parents. Through these discussions, we encountered a wealth of innovative ideas and collaborative strategies that we feel would be great in all our schools and would like to share some of them with you.
Charity cost effective partnerships that provide parent and/or pupil workshops
ygam
Contact details
Contact: JoAnn Sproule
Title: Training & Engagement Manager: Gaming and Esports
Email: [email protected]
Website: www.ygam.org
What is Ygam?
Our mission is clear: to prevent children and young people from experiencing gaming and gambling harms through awareness raising, education and research. Prevention of these harms may not always be at the top of the pile of public health priorities; nevertheless, they are an increasingly essential part of protecting young people growing up in a digital world. And we know that prevention is always better than cure.
Training & Resources
Through our portfolio of education programmes, we provide free training and resources for teachers, youth workers, practitioners, universities, faith leaders and health professionals. All of our resources, training and education programmes have been independently scrutinised, challenged, evaluated and quality marked by a wide range of organisations. A critical part of all these evaluations is being able to demonstrate clear independence and an evidenced-based approach.
Naked Truth
Contact details
Contact: Mandy Marshall-Taylor
Title: Educator and presenter
Email: [email protected]
Website: www.nakedtruthproject.com
What is Naked Truth?
Naked Truth has been providing awareness, education and recovery programmes and is one of the few charities in the world that are tackling the issue of pornography both upstream and downstream. (Read more about this upstream/downstream strategy here.)
We saw our education work in schools and communities continue to grow in reach and our recovery programmes have been accessed by thousands of individuals who report significant life change, hope and healing.
Lessons for children
Our sessions have been written, developed and piloted alongside educators and Headteachers to ensure that the content is age-appropriate, engaging and relevant for young people, and that it fits with RSE & PSHE principles and guidelines. Each session is delivered by one of our trained educators, who are confident and experienced in delivering engaging, informative and thought-provoking sessions about the issues surrounding sex and p0rn.
NT sessions can be presented in the following ways:
- Classroom-based sessions
- Assembly-style presentations to whole year groups
- Live-streamed “virtual” sessions
Parent workshops
Our parent workshop can be delivered in person or streamed directly to parents in their homes via a webinar platform. The workshop is roughly 1 hour long and is aimed at parents of 11-18s. A longer 2 hour workshop can provide additional content for parents of younger children.
Topics covered include:
- How to monitor devices while giving some freedom.
- Understand apps like WhatsApp, Snapchat & TikTok.
- Help your teenagers think about and question what they choose to see and share online.
- Parents are also given FREE access to an online parent pack containing videos, resources and tips.
School Consent Project
Contact details
Contact: Sara
Email: [email protected]
Website: https://www.schoolsconsentproject.com/
Who we are
We normalise conversations about consent in order to encourage safe, healthy interactions and reduce the likelihood of young people experiencing - or perpetrating - sexual harm.
Working with schools
Our workshops cover the legal definition of consent under the Sexual Offences Act 2003, the age of consent, key sexual offences (including rape, sexual assault & assault by penetration), online offences under the Protection of Children Act 1978 and the Online Safety Act 2023, how to check for and communicate consent, bystander intervention, how to support a friend's disclosure and options in the event of an assault.
They are delivered through a series of fun, interactive games and exercises aimed at challenging students’ misconceptions, empowering them to identify and articulate their boundaries, and respect those boundaries in others.
By adopting a legal approach, we are able to address subjects that can feel challenging, sensitive or taboo. Our workshops give young people agency, enabling them to fully understand the law around sex and consent in order to make informed and sensible decisions
Free tools and ideas
Internet safety day: helping parents stay secure online
The school's technology department can host interactive sessions where parents can learn how to check their devices and adjust security sessions to better protect their families online. Topics covered are:
- Setting up parental controls on devices and apps.
- Managing privacy settings on social media and online accounts.
- Identifying and avoiding pontine scams.
- Ensuring devices are updated with the latest security software.
Parents have the chance to bring their own devices and get hands on guidance from the tech team to make sure everything is set up safely and securely. By working together, they can ensure that children and families have the tools they need to navigate the online world with confidence.
Student-led campaigns - digital ambassadors: helping year 5 pupils navigate the smartphone dilema
Digital ambassadors are older pupils who serve as positive role models that guide the younger students through discussion about the benefits of waiting before getting a Smartphone. These ambassadors are trained to lead peer-to-peer workshops, where they share advice about staying connected without devices, enjoying screen free activities and understanding the challenges that come with Smartphones, such as online distractions and social pressures.
Together, creating a supportive environment where pupils can grow, learn and thrive without the rush to get a Smartphone. One of the schools we went too also provided these pupils with a ’Digital ambassador’ badge.
Engage parents in student learning: online safety lessons
Some schools in B&H have involved parents into the children's online safety lessons. In today's digital world, children are growing up with unprecedented access to the internet and its crucial for parents to stay informed to help guide their children toward safe and responsible behaviour,
To support this, some schools are inviting parents to join their children in watching specially designed lessons about online safety. By having parents participate, parents will not only gain valuable insights into the challenges children face online but also learn strategies to reinforce safe online practices at home. The shared learning experience will spark important conversations at home and strengthens the partnership between home and school on online safety.
Year 11 students inspire year 5 pupils
A group of year 11 students from Vardean Secondary school visited one of their feeder Primary schools to deliver an engaging and thought-provoking presentation to year 5 pupils about the reasons to why they wished they had delayed getting a smartphone.
The session focused on the benefits of waiting to own a Smartphone, including avoiding distractions and spending more time on hobbies and outdoor play. The Year 11 students shared personal stories about their experience and the presentation also encouraged an open discussion, where pupils shared thoughts and asked questions. The older students handled questions with maturity and gave good practical advice.
It was inspiring to see the Year 11s acting as role models, showing leadership whilst engaging younger minds that they could really relate too. This collaboration was a wonderful example of peer-led learning and the positive impact older students can have on younger pupils. The workshop was closed off with nominating two Year 5 students who didn't own a Smartphone and would act as a ‘Digital Ambassador’ for their class and both awarded with a badge to wear at school.
If you are currently working with another partner or have a great initiative that could benefit other schools, please email us at [email protected] and we can include it in this paper.