School goes global
A leading private school has announced plans to open up to 12 overseas branches in what would be the biggest expansion of its kind. Brighton College said it wanted to open its first two schools in Abu Dhabi and has plans to open further schools in Mauritius, Oman, Romania and India. Richard Cairns, the headteacher, said that the projects would generate funds for Brighton College to pay for bursaries and new buildings without having to raise fees, which currently cost up to Pounds 16,500 a year for day pupils.
First aid lessons
St John Ambulance has launched an initiative to ensure all pupils have access to first aid training. The aim is to offer support on improving communication skills, teamwork and confidence. The charity provides new resources for schools, including a DVD, potential scenarios and 25 lesson plans. More information on www.sja.org.ukschools or visit the St John Ambulance stall at the Education Show next week.
Money on their minds
Barry Sheerman MP visited the Torriano Junior School in Camden, north London, on Tuesday to see how primary children are learning to manage money. The What Money Means programme, developed by pfeg (Personal Finance Education Group), gives children across England a better understanding of how money works. “It’s great to see the grasp that these children have on financial issues at such a young age,” said Mr Sheerman. “It is vital that we help young people to prepare for their future and, thanks to schemes such as this, we are seeing real results.”
Birdwatch takes flight
The number of children and teachers taking part in the RSPB’s Big Schools’ Birdwatch almost doubled this year: almost 90,000 pupils and teachers from more than 2,000 schools watched the birds in their school grounds between January 19-30. Laura Osborne, manager of Birdwatch, said: “The amount of people taking part in the birdwatch this year smashed all targets and means that lots more children enjoyed the wildlife they share their school grounds with.”
For information and details about next year’s event, visit www.rspb.org.ukschoolswatch.
