Children in England will return to schools on 8 March, and the government has pledged £700 million in funding to ensure "no child is left behind" due to the pandemic. But a South West personal development coach warns that the long-term impact on children's mental health is not being addressed.
Jack Russell , a personal development coach with over 30 years' experience supporting young people, urges the government and schools to focus beyond academic catch-up when children return to the classroom.
Jack said: "It is welcome news that schools are reopening and will have...
An incredible 12,000 young Devonians and their families are taking part in a lockdown skipping challenge to keep active and healthy.
Devon School Games Organisers, working with Active Devon, have been stunned by the number of participants taking part and inundated with requests for free skipping ropes. Nearly 7,000 were sent out as part of the National School Games programme.
The event runs throughout the Spring term and offers young people and families the opportunity to compete against themselves and others whilst maintaining social distancing.
This annual event is a great opportunity for children to learn about and celebrate the people who grow so much of our food. This year, the focus is on the climate emergency and how it impacts on producers in the developing world. Former primary school teacher Laura Steele of education resource experts PlanBee has devised some games to make it lots of fun
What is fair trade?
This is when companies in developed countries pay a fair price for products that have been made by producers in developing countries. A ‘fair price’ means...
A Devon education "listening" event will take place on Wednesday 24th February, organised by Cllr Su Aves (St Sidwells and St James) of Devon’s Children’s Scrutiny Committee with Hannah Packham, the National Education Union (NEU)’s Regional Secretary. The discussion will bring together Devon teachers, school staff, parents, students and everyone with an interest in education to focus on priorities and aspirations for the county, both during and after the COVID pandemic.
After brief introductions from the panel, participants will be asked to break out into smaller groups by area...
Parents of 5-12 year old children from Devon who suffer from anxiety are being invited to join a research study looking at the best way to deliver treatment for child anxiety problems when there are social-distancing restrictions in place due to COVID-19.
The Co-CAT study (Child Anxiety Treatment in the context of COVID-19) is being led by Professor Cathy Creswell at the University of Oxford, funded by the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC)/UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) COVID-19 Rapid Response Initiative. The study, being run locally by Devon Partnership Trust , will...
Concerns about child abuse have soared since national lockdown measures were first introduced, the NSPCC has found – with the average monthly number of referrals from the charity’s helpline on the issue increasing by over 100% in the South West.
The NSPCC has analysed its data from April to November and has found that the level of concern about emotional abuse, neglect, and physical abuse remain well above the pre-pandemic average.
Since April, the helpline has received 31,359 contacts from adults across the UK anxious about child abuse or neglect, referring half (50%)...
BARRISTERS at a Westcountry-based law service specialising in family and child law is supporting a new report that calls for parental breakdown to be moved away from a ‘justice’ response.
A 123-page report by the Family Solutions Group said that a legal response to parental disagreements over their children is inappropriate for many, and actively harmful for some.
Family barrister, Elizabeth McCallum, who co-founded Children in the Middle® with fellow Exeter barrister Sarah Evans, says: “The new report from the Family Solutions Group calls for a rethink of society’s...
Publishing house Panoma Press has announced the launch of a new children’s imprint, Panocub, which will focus on publishing important personal development and social themed books for children.
Since the independent publishing company was first launched in 2005 it has been committed to publishing books which have one purpose, to change lives. Having worked with hundreds of authors and negotiated sales and distribution relationships in over 50 countries, Panoma Press has become known for bringing important conversations to life through print, digital and audio. The publisher is also...
EXETER parents wishing to divorce or separate tend to keep their marriages and relationships going to cover specific holiday periods with their children according to family law experts.
Westcountry-based legal service, Children in the Middle® says this term can be a key for parents splitting-up, as it comes after the school holidays and, this year, months of home-schooling.
Family barrister, Elizabeth McCallum a, who co-founded Children in the Middle® with fellow Exeter barrister Sarah Evans, says: “During this longer break, people tend to try and keep it together for their...
A WESTCOUNTRY legal practice which specialises in child-focused family law says a youngster’s education and wellbeing is now more important than ever after the COVID-19 lockdown (September 2020).
It was recently revealed by the Institute of Fiscal Studies (IFS) that children from wealthier families were spending more time studying during the pandemic than poorer children.
Family barrister, Elizabeth McCallum, who co-founded the legal service, Children in the Middle®, with fellow Exeter barrister Sarah Evans, says: “Understandably, parents have had a lot to worry about...
