Text your nurse
Four and a half thousand young people in Leicestershire are among the first in the country to be able to text message their school nurse. The government’s School Nurse Development Programme wants to see the use of email, texts and apps to help students make appointments or ask questions more easily. Leicestershire Partnership NHS Trust has launched a project for students aged 11 to 19 at three schools. Posters are advertising the new service and an app will be launched soon.
Career prospects
Teaching has come eighth in a league table showing how happy different professions are with their career prospects. However, only 38.4 per cent of teachers said they were happy with their career prospects – just above the national average of 37.6 per cent. Teaching is ahead of careers such as social care and media but behind law and health. Insurance tops the list from Randstad Education.
TV inspiration
Almost four in 10 pupils (37 per cent) use television programmes to decide what jobs they might like to do after leaving school. A study for Pearson also found that one in 10 girls look to celebrities for careers inspiration. Pearson is undertaking research into how careers advice in schools could be better supported in the run up to the launch of its Think Future careers service in the autumn. Visit: www.thinkfuture.pearson.com
Maths challenge
Year 12 students are being challenged to use their maths skills to solve a real-world problem and win £1,000. The challenge has been developed by academics in the University of Bristol’s Department of Engineering Mathematics. It focuses on mathematical modelling and group work and is based around maximising car-parking within residential buildings. The deadline is July 12. Visit: www.bris.ac.uk/engineering/departments/engineering-mathematics/competition.html
School trips
Teachers have pointed to red tape as the biggest burden when organising study trips. A study by the School Travel Forum (STF) of 1,000 schools found that many teachers require help completing risk assessments. Teachers listed 24-hour emergency support and using companies which facilitate good learning experiences as priorities for trips. However, many were unaware of the STF Assured Members and the Learning Outside the Classroom Quality Badge, two schemes that independently verify the quality of company’s services.
Sun survey
Teachers are being asked to take part in a short sun-safety survey. More than 2,000 teens are diagnosed with cancer every year and the Teenage Cancer Trust’s Shunburn campaign wants to find out to what extent schools have sun protection policies in place. Visit: www.surveymonkey.com/s/heatofthemoment