Safe social networking

A new national programme to help primary-age pupils use social networking sites safely will launch next month. “Safe” has been created by social enterprise company DigitalME and features advice and resources on internet safety, including workshops on privacy and legal issues for teachers, plus activities to use in class. The programme will be free for schools, although there is a charge for optional elements, including badges and certificates for children who complete the activities successfully. For more details, go to www.digitalme.co.uksafe

The art of giving

An online tool is giving schools the opportunity to create personalised gifts as part of fundraising campaigns. Schoolfundraiser.org.uk features tools to create and design a range of printed products, from yearbooks and greetings cards to calendars. The site, created by e-publisher Printondemand-worldwide, also provides marketing tools, including posters, adverts and a template letter to parents promoting the fundraising.

Improve reading skills

A software package to improve reading skills has been launched after a trial involving 30 primary schools. Fluency Tutor V2 features a range of exercises designed to encourage children to read out loud and measure their success. Users can listen to passages being read aloud, record themselves reading and submit assessments to their teacher for marking. The software, developed by Texthelp Systems, also has comprehension exercises to test how much children have understood, and is aimed at pupils from age five onwards. For more information, go to www.texthelp.comfluencytutor.