Category: Advice for Parents
Alastair Fielden 
07.12.17Life Skills For Pupils
Alastair Fielden, Connect’s education consultant discusses how our virtual reality platform C-Live can be used to develop life skills for pupils. For many young people, whether or not they have SEND, the prospect of moving into work and finding a role for themselves beyond the walls of education is a daunting if not, for … Continued
Alastair Fielden 22.11.17Supporting Pupils With SEND – Looking beyond the ‘label’
During my teaching degree a group of us decided to put a pamphlet together about Special Needs. We all had various reasons for our interest in SEN and wanted to inform our colleagues. With input from one of our lecturers, we drafted the content from a mix personal and general experiences. The aim was to … Continued
Alastair Fielden 14.11.17It Takes A Village To Raise A Child
Mental health in schools has been given a lot of consideration with The Prime Minister stating in January that 1,200 secondary schools were to receive Mental Health First Aid training, while Prince William raised the issue of mental health when he talked about his own experiences. The charity Young Minds states, “1 in 10 children and young … Continued
Alastair Fielden 03.11.17Remember, Remember!
Learning relies heavily on our short-term or working memory. Some pupils seem to struggle with carrying out and completing tasks, while other pupils seem to have very few problems. Among the different reasons for struggle, working memory issues are a contributing factor. Picture working memory as a mental ‘note pad’ in which we hold a … Continued
Alastair Fielden 27.10.17Research Supports Writing Ideas
In my articles on encouraging reluctant writers over the past year or so, I have proposed various activities that can stimulate, motivate and assist our young writers with this process. These ideas emerged out of the need to support students of various ages, some with specific difficulties and/or memory issues which affected their writing processes, … Continued
Natalie Preece 25.10.17Theatre in education and the social and emotional development of young people
Kevin & Perry (Enfield, Burke), Lauren Cooper (Catherine Tate), Vicky Pollard (Matt Lucas), any teacher would dread finding any one of these names on their register. TV, film and literature have provided us with some classic teenage archetypes. All of these characters share similar traits; over reactions, a lack of rationality and heaps of attitude. … Continued
Alastair Fielden 04.10.17The Assistive Side Of Ed Tech
We jump in our car, turn it on and expect it to get us from A to B without needing to understand its internal workings, unless one happens to be into vehicle mechanics. Most of us approach the use computing devices in the same way; we turn it on, expect it to work and call … Continued
connect_staff 28.09.17The Importance Of Drama And Theatre In Education
Most people are familiar with the Chinese proverb “tell me and I will forget. Show me and I will remember. Involve me and I will understand. Step back and I will act”. Theatre in education is the embodiment of this sentiment. Embracing the pupil as an active participant in the learning process. This empowers the … Continued
Alastair Fielden 12.09.17Autumn Colours: Seasonal Motivation For Writing
“To everything – turn, turn, turn, there is a season turn, turn, turn…” So sang The Byrds, in their 1965 version of Pete Seeger’s song. Which brings us to the turning of the season, when summer struggles to hold on before gracefully bowing down to the colours of Autumn’s majestic cloak. Words can tickle the … Continued
Kirsty Macfarlane 25.08.17Supporting Pupils In The Transition From Primary To Secondary School
The transition from primary to secondary school can have a considerable impact on pupils’ lives. They will be facing many changes such as navigating their way around a new, often larger building, taking on new subjects and meeting new students. It is therefore unsurprising that 65% of pupils have stated that they feel anxious about … Continued
