Latest news with #primaryschools
Telegraph
11 hours ago
- General
- Telegraph
Primary school children taught about the 300 flags of Pride
Schoolchildren are being taught about 300 different LGBT pride flags and the sexualities and gender identities behind each of them. Leaflets handed out at primary schools by the charity Swindon and Wiltshire Pride claim there are more flags representing sexuality and gender identity than there are for countries. The material, signposted by the local council on social media, goes into detail about a 'small selection' of 29 varieties. It says: 'While some might think [300] is too many, it's all part of a drive to be more inclusive of the expansive breadth of identity within the community'. Along with the rainbow LGBT Pride flag are a variety of offshoots, from the 'intersex-inclusive Pride flag' to the 'polyamory Pride flag' and even a black and white 'heterosexual flag' for straight people, which it says can include transgender people. The materials make up part of a free annual support guide produced by the charity, which also points to websites providing advice on controversial practices such as wearing a 'binder to reduce apparent size of breasts', the use of cross-sex hormones in under-18s, and information on 'fetish spectrums'. Parents of children at the primary schools told The Telegraph their concerns had been ignored by the local Labour council. The three double-page spreads about Pride flags describe the identity each is meant to represent, what the colours mean and when the flag was created, if known. For example, beneath the pink, purple and green 'trigender Pride flag', the charity explains that 'trigender is a gender identity in which a person switches between or among several genders, including a third gender', which may change depending 'on the individual's mood or environment'. The 'omnisexual' flag explainer says the term refers to someone attracted to all genders and sexualities, and that it was created in 2015, but that the creator 'never explained the exact meaning of the colours'. The polyamory flag, which represents people who engage in multiple romantic and sexual relationships at once, is described as being comprised of 'blue for openness and honesty, magenta for desire, love, and attraction; purple represents a united non-monogamous community. Gold represents the energy and perseverance and the white represents possibility'. One mother, a former teacher, said the guide being given out in primary schools was 'really concerning'. 'Obviously the polyamory one, encouraging children to have multiple sex partners, they shouldn't be sexualising children,' she said. 'In the guide itself, under education, it states it is 'for schools, teachers, and students'. 'A couple of sentences down, for example, it says 'raise awareness of the lesser known identities across the fetish spectrum',' she added, saying that was 'inappropriate'. Among the other Pride flags are 'genderqueer', 'demiboy' and 'demigirl', 'pangender', 'abrosexual' and the 'straight ally flag', which places the rainbow colours in the shape of an 'A' on top of the black and white heterosexual flag. Helen Joyce, the director of advocacy at human rights charity Sex Matters, said the flags 'draw children in' and 'suggest that children need to find themselves on the list'. 'They recruit children into the world of sexual orientation and gender identity, which is inappropriate and unnecessary. Encouraging very young children to wonder about their gender or sexual orientation in this reckless way creates safeguarding risks,' she added. 'Some of these flags promote the false belief that a child can be born in the wrong body, which is deeply unsettling for young people. They should be protected from such misguided and harmful ideas, but instead, adult concepts are being pushed at them, disguised as harmless fun.' The controversial material has been the subject of complaints for ignoring the Cass Review, which has resulted in changes to the NHS's treatment of gender-questioning children, but schools have not been bound by the same rules. Despite being published almost a year after Baroness Cass, a paediatrician, published her final recommendations and raised concerns about the use of cross-sex drugs in children, the guide continues to point towards resources promoting them. The guide also includes a page on 'top tips for gender equality in the classroom' with advice on mixing up he/she/they pronouns in books, jumbling up toys so all genders have an equal opportunity' to play with them, and allowing children to change their gender identity in class. 'Be inclusive of a child who identifies as another gender to the one they were assigned at birth,' it says. 'Refer to the child in the gender they prefer. Your modelling of how this child is included and referred to will be paramount to the attitudes of the other children and their families.' It also says: 'Use gender-neutral language when referring to children, e.g. instead of saying 'Choose a boy', say 'Choose a friend'.' Another page has a diagram of the 'genderbread person', a gingerbread figure, which says: 'Gender is one of those things everyone thinks they understand, but most people don't. Gender isn't binary. It's not either/or. In many cases it's both/and. A bit of this, a dash of that,' it reads. Under identity, it tells children that identity 'is how you, in your head, experience and define your gender, based on how much you align (or don't align) with what you understand the options for gender to be.' The mother and former teacher, who wished to remain anonymous, claimed her concerns had been waved away by Jim Robbins, the council's chairman. She said she had also met local MP, Heidi Alexander, the Transport Secretary, who has made enquiries to the council and is awaiting a response. The mother said: 'My question was, why are schools and public health not in line with the Cass Review? How can school policy be so divorced? 'She [Ms Alexander] said I was 'the only person in my constituency that has raised these issues',' the mother said. 'I know there are more, but even if [it was just me], we are talking about child safeguarding, child safety needs to be investigated.' A spokesman for Swindon and Wiltshire Pride said: 'We believe in 'Pride 365': a year-round commitment to celebrating identity, raising awareness, and supporting LGBTQIA+ people in our community. Throughout the year, we engage with a wide range of local events, organisations, and educational settings to build understanding and foster inclusion. 'During this Pride Month, we were invited into a small number of local schools to support their curriculum-led work around diversity and LGBTQIA+ relationships. Our support guide includes helpful information, links to support organisations, and content written for all audiences – it contains no sexual content whatsoever. 'It is disheartening, though sadly not surprising, to face unfounded attacks or misrepresentations of our work. As a visible LGBTQIA+ charity, we know that some individuals may seek to undermine the progress we are making in fostering a more compassionate, inclusive society. 'We remain proud of our mission and grateful to the many people, schools, and communities who continue to stand with us.'
RNZ News
4 days ago
- General
- RNZ News
Schools not ready to grade reports against new curriculums
Schools are taking a cautious approach to reporting with the change in curriculum. File photo. Photo: Unsplash/ Taylor Flowe Some primary schools warn they are not ready to grade children against the new English and maths curriculums in mid-year reports to parents. The curriculums were introduced this year and the Education Ministry has proposed a new four-point scale to standardise the way schools describe children's achievement. It suggested four descriptors: needs support, progressing towards, proficient, and excelling. "Needs support" would apply to children who were not meeting the level of achievement expected of their year group and needed significant guidance and assistance, Pupils who were "progressing towards" could complete tasks with some guidance and needed targeted support while those who were "proficient" would be meeting expectations for their year level. The draft said "exceeding" could apply to students who consistently showed advanced understanding, knowledge and skills for their year level. The ministry told schools they could use the descriptors if they wanted to, but there was no requirement to do so this year. Testing several years ago suggested the new maths curriculum would be more challenging, but the children who sat those tests had not been taught the curriculum. Principals spoken to by RNZ were reluctant to say children who met curriculum expectations last year might not meet expectations under the new curriculum this year. Auckland Primary Principals Association president Lucy Naylor said families should regard the mid-year reports as setting a new baseline for their children's achievement against the new curriculum. "We're no longer reporting against the old curriculum. So there might be a shift for parents, it's a new curriculum, it's a tighter curriculum," she said. "What parents might see is variation. So where a child might have been proficient against the old curriculum there might be a little bit of a change to that because we have more indicators within the new curriculum to report against." However, Naylor said this year was a transition year for introducing the new curriculums and schools would be at different stages of readiness to report on children's progress. Dunedin North Intermediate principal Heidi Hayward said it was too early to know if fewer children were meeting the new maths requirements. "Schools are really just scratching the surface in understanding the new maths curriculum so I think it's imprudent to try and report against a curriculum that schools have actually not had enough time to learn and use properly," she said. "We'll be taking a very cautious approach to reporting." Hayward said teachers would rely heavily on test results this year, but needed to use their overall judgement when deciding how well their pupils' were doing. She said reports should ideally show parents how well children were achieving against expectations for their age group, and how much progress they had made. "As a parent what I really want to know is has my child made progress and where do they sit in relation to the expectation for age and they're two quite different things," she said. She said it was important to know whether high-achievers had improved or progressed much during the year, and also whether pupils performing below expectations had made progress in catching up to their peers. Hayward said the ministry's proposed descriptors would not provide that information and her school would this year use its old reporting templates. The principal of Douglas Park School in Masterton, Gareth Sinton, said his school's mid-year reports would not use the ministry's proposed terminology because there was not enough detail to help schools decide which of the four descriptors to use. "If I pick Year 6 writing, there are 53 what they call sequence statements, so 53 skills that the kids are expected to be taught and pick up across their Year 6 year in writing. So to be proficient it says you need to be meeting the expectations. It doesn't say if you need to have all of those, all 53. If you need to have 90 percent of those, 80 percent of those, 75 percent... So the descriptor is so vague that we don't feel confident enough yet to make a judgement against this new curriculum," he said. Sinton said greater national consistency was possible, but currently different schools had different ideas about where the cut-off points lay for each level of achievement. For example, one of his staff was talking with staff from five other schools about the curriculum expectations and all five had different ideas about where the cut-off points should be drawn. "All five schools had different thoughts. So if you translate that across the whole system of 2000 primary schools, there's an issue and it's not even an issue on the horizon, it's an issue right here in front of us," he said. Sinton said his teachers would explain to parents in mid-year reports what their children could do in maths and English, but would not make an overall judgement about their performance. The Education Ministry said the new curriculums had a different approach to learning and school leaders and teachers had asked for clarity on how they should assess and report student progress and achievement against the new curriculum. "Progress descriptors provide consistent language for how each child's progress is tracking against the new curriculum expectations. The descriptors are in draft and we're consulting on these until 30 June," it said. "National consistency in how progress is assessed and described will support teachers to meet students' needs and support a common understanding of when additional support or extension needs to be considered. It will also support continuity in teaching, learning and support as students move to the next year level or school." The ministry said national consistency would ensure parents would not have to interpret different approaches for describing how their children were doing as they moved to the next year level or school. Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero , a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
RNZ News
28-05-2025
- General
- RNZ News
Government plans three new primary schools in Canterbury
Education Minister Erica Stanford says all Kiwi kids deserve to thrive at school, "that starts with warm, safe and dry classrooms". Photo: RNZ / Marika Khabazi The government is planning three new primary schools in Canterbury. Two of the schools are planned for the rapidly expanding Selwyn District, while another is planned for the suburb of Halswell in Christchurch. At an announcement in Lincoln, Education Minister Erica Stanford said the $161 million investment in school property in the region would deliver a new 12-classroom primary school at Prebbleton, 52 classrooms at existing schools in Selwyn and the purchase of land for another primary school in Lincoln. There was also funding for 51 new classrooms in Canterbury and the school in Halswell. "The Selwyn community has been loud and clear, they don't have enough classroom space to keep up with demand. We are acting decisively to address this through a comprehensive growth plan to provide certainty and ensure more children can flourish," Stanford said. "Delivering this scale of projects in Canterbury was made possible by the government driving efficiencies in school property delivery. The use of standardised building designs, offsite manufacturing, and streamlining procurement have lowered the average cost of a classroom by 28 per cent. This has allowed 30 per cent more classrooms to be delivered last year compared to the year before. "All Kiwi kids deserve to thrive at school, that starts with warm, safe and dry classrooms. Our priority is getting spades in the ground as soon as possible so schools, families and communities have certainty and benefit sooner." The full list of projects:
Telegraph
21-05-2025
- Politics
- Telegraph
Don't let the zealots ‘decolonise' British history in our schools
The idea that history needs to be 'relevant' is total nonsense. But many teachers seem to disagree. This week, it transpired that a book used by many English primary schools claims that Stonehenge was built by black Britons 7,000 years ago. That assertion is not only inaccurate, but betrays the problem with cack-handed attempts to 'decolonise' the subject. By turning the study of the past into a moral Top 40 in which identity and relevance trump all else, what you are left with is a reflection of 'here today, gone tomorrow' prejudices. It's less history, more a platform for activism. Educational theories trickling down from universities to schools increasingly prioritise relevance – which in today's terms means that history must reflect diversity and be inclusive, whatever that actually means. This is an imposition of values as biased as the imposition of Victorian jingoism 150 years earlier. Decolonisation – the programme to dismantle 'colonial' structures of knowledge – puts cultural orthodoxy above learning. 'The essential tool for studying history is to inhabit the minds of people who think differently to us and understand why they think differently,' says Paul Lay, the author and former editor of History Today. 'The idea of relevance is incredibly anachronistic, because what obsesses us will not obsess future generations and didn't obsess those from the past.' I recall my daughter telling me three years ago how a Year 6 teacher explained that artefacts found at Hadrian's Wall suggested that people from north Africa had made it to Cumbria. All very interesting, except it transpired that her reason for divulging this was to make learning about the Romans 'relevant' to her non-white pupils, since she considered Romans and Britons had a whiteness that did not reflect her classroom. The teacher, who was white herself, explained this to me in these exact terms during a parents' evening. This facile approach was a missed opportunity to show the children something useful: namely that empires are always diverse, that the north Africans travelled as part of a brutal conquering army alongside a system of Roman slavery that existed 2,000 years ago. Instead it was taught as if the pots and pans appeared as the result of a short break for some holidaying Moroccans. All this potential learning was lost in the cause of 'relevancy'. This may explain why the teaching of themes such as the Napoleonic Wars and the Middle Ages is declining in secondary schools. The World Wars and the Norman Conquest, on the other hand, are still popular topics, and there's no shame in that given their formative importance. The teaching of English history is not something to shy away from as if it were an expression of nationalism. The Normans are hardly a celebratory subject (spoiler alert, the English lost). And the suggestion that English children should not learn a majority of English history would be laughed at in other countries. The Policy Exchange report that unearthed the Stonehenge example in the book Brilliant Black British History shows the most popular historical theme taught to 11- to 14-year-olds is the transatlantic slave trade, with 99 per cent of secondary schools covering it, while 96 per cent include the abolition of slavery in their offering. There's great value in teaching the narrative and legacy of Empire, but only if it equips pupils with the ability to put their learning in context, rather than an exercise in a specifically anti-British and anti-West agenda. It's hard to have any trust in the good intentions of the educational elite on that score. While the Policy Exchange report is optimistic about the popularity of the subject, it also cautions that three quarters of training courses for specialist teachers include a module on decolonising the curriculum, suggesting an almost coercive conformity. When you couple that with the priorities of the National Education Union (NEU), which this week announced a workshop to train members how to 'advocate for Palestine in our schools', which will provide 'foundational knowledge on key issues like the Nakba [the Arabic term used to refer to the displacement of Palestinians], settler colonialism, imperialism, and apartheid', the risks of a high degree of politicisation are obvious, not to say worrying. Nothing says 'our priority is the schoolchildren' like holding a day of action at work to highlight the Palestinian struggle for freedom. The NEU website's 'decolonisation' page contains many sweeping and unprovable statements that illustrate the extent to which learning has been subsumed by fuzzy logic, such as: 'Domestic debates about migration would be completely different if they were informed by a shared understanding of Empire.' How could it possibly know the truth of this statement and what exactly is a 'shared understanding of Empire'? The enquiring mind must acknowledge there can be no such thing. It is mere indoctrination. 'Part of the success of podcasts such as The Rest Is History is that they tell these stories in a really exciting way and do not concentrate on relevance and identity,' says Lay. 'The best history is great storytelling and then you leave it to the reader or the listener to decide what is important about them. History is already relevant.' Studying history is the best way of equipping a young person for a lifetime of enlightenment. It is not neutral – it is a succession of choices – which is why it is so important to be conscious of those choices and to step back from ideology wherever possible, especially ideology that is so overtly of the 'now'. If you tell people what to think, you make them unthinking. You tell them what to think, but not how. If you approach history as a way to apply the moral judgments of today as if this were some kind of long-overdue reckoning, you end up doing exactly the thing you profess to oppose: equating your values with 'progress' as if they were set in stone and everything that preceded it was a mistake. History should be the tool of a skilled worker, not a blunt instrument. And even Neolithic people managed to build Stonehenge.
The Sun
20-05-2025
- Health
- The Sun
Major change to primary school dinners for millions of kids with key lunch staples facing BAN to promote healthy eating
A MAJOR change to school dinners for millions of primary-age kids will see key foods banned, new plans reveal. To promote healthy eating, big changes have been proposed to primary school menus in Wales. 2 2 The Welsh Government is proposing changes on what food can be served in schools from 2026-27 in a consultation launched on Monday. Fruit juice, white bread, and sugary cereals are among the food and drink to be binned. The proposed plans will also see limits on sugary puddings, cheese and processed meats such as gammon. However, red meat and fish must be served once a week. The mooted changes will also see more fruit and vegetables on primary school menus. This is in an effort to reduce saturated fats and sugars and help pupils meet their five fruit-and-veg a day. Fried chips can also only be served once a week under the plans and bread, pasta and noodles must be at least 50 per cent wholegrain. There would also be changes to portion sizes, moving away from the current one-size-fits-all approach for primary-aged children. Smaller meals will be served to infants with larger portions for those of junior age. The junior portions will be approximately three-quarters of an adult portion while an infant portion is roughly half of an adult portion. Pizza and macaroni cheese, where cheese is the primary source of protein, will only be served twice a week. These changes have been proposed in line with UK dietary guidelines, the Welsh Government have said. The plans come amid health risk concerns over rising obesity levels in children. In Wales, a quarter of children aged four and five are now categorised as overweight or obese. Kids look horrified as they eat school dinners that British over-50s miss most A quarter of children also start primary school overweight and experts say "many children aren't getting the balanced nutrition they need to thrive." At least two portions of vegetables (not including potatoes), one of which can be a salad, must be provided each day with six varieties provided each week. At least one portion of fruit/fruit salad must also be provided to children each day with at least four varieties per week. There must also be three different types of starchy carbs provided each week and no more than three portions of sweetened baked products and desserts. Further food and drink changes have also been proposed to primary school breakfasts. This also includes changes to primary school breakfasts such as cereals as well as the type of milk they can drink with fruit juice set to be banned. A spokesperson for the Welsh Government outlined the changes, saying: "The new proposals will ensure children are offered nutritionally-balanced school food and drink and that healthy eating is promoted in schools with the aim of improving health, wellbeing, and attainment. "The evidence shows that, on average, children eat too much sugar and don't eat the recommended amounts of fruit, vegetables, and wholegrains. "This contributes to health issues such as childhood obesity and currently one in four reception-aged children are categorised as overweight or obese." The Welsh Government has reviewed regulations on school food nutrition, which applies in all Welsh maintained schools, according to The Healthy Weight: Healthy Wales strategy. With the rollout of universal primary free school meals in Wales, they said they are fulfilling their commitment to the strategy starting with primary schools. I'm a school dinner lady - people ask us the weirdest questions They added that it was a more complex issue in secondary schools, however, with "more information" required before any changes are made for older children. The spokesman added: "The eating patterns in secondary schools are more complex due to the popularity of grab-and-go options and the wide variety of foods being available during both morning and lunch breaks. "We're gathering data on consumption habits and issuing a call for evidence as part of this consultation to better understand these settings." The plans have been welcomed by Public Health Wales. Consultant in public health, Rachel Bath, said that the regulations were a "vital step" in ensuring school food supports children's lifelong eating habits. She added: "We know there is work to do to give all children access to nutritious meals alongside food education and positive dining experiences. Key proposals for primary school menus in Wales: Vegetables, fruit, and starchy carbohydrates Currently at least one portion of vegetables or salad must be provided each day and at least one portion of fruit, fruit salad, or fruit juice must be provided each day and there is no regulation on wholegrain carbs and white bread. If proposals are agreed the following bans and changes would be enforced: At least two portions of vegetables (excluding potatoes), one of which can be a salad, must be provided each day. At least six varieties must be provided each week. At least one portion of fruit/fruit salad must be provided each day. At least four varieties must be provided each week. At least three different types of starchy carbs must be provided each week. At least one portion of pasta, noodles, or rice serving which must contain at least 50% wholegrain. All bread must contain at least 50% wholegrain. Meat, processed meat, and fish: Under current regulations meat cuts must be provided on at least two days each week. Processed meat products (like sausages or burgers) must not be served more than twice a week while a portion of fish must be provided at least once each week and a portion of oily fish must be provided at least twice during any four-week period If proposals are agreed the following bans and changes would be enforced: Red meat (like beef or lamb) must be served at least once a week but not more than twice a week. White meat would be unlimited in the amount it can be served. Processed meat products must not be served more than once a week with ham and bacon to be counted as processed meat products, which they weren't before. At least one portion of fish must be provided each week. A portion of oily fish must be provided at least once every four weeks. All fish must be sustainably caught. Meat and fish alternatives and cheese-based meals for non-meat options: There are no regulations for these currently but if proposals are agreed the following changes and bans would be enforced: No more than two portions of processed alternatives to meat and fish can be provided each week. Meals where cheese is the main protein source (like cheese pizza, macaroni cheese, or cheese bake) cannot be served more than twice per week. Potato and potato products and deep-fried and flash-fried food: Currently a portion of potato or potato product which is cooked in fat or oil must not be provided more than twice each week while a portion of food (excluding potato and potato products) including prepared, coated, battered and breaded food products, deep-fried or flash-fried on school premises or during the manufacturing process, must not be provided more than twice each week. If proposals are agreed the following changes and bans would be enforced: No more than two portions of potato or potato products cooked in fat or oil can be provided each week. Of these two portions only one can be deep fried each week. No more than one portion of deep-fried or flash-fried food (excluding potato and potato products) can be provided each week. Sweetened baked products and desserts, fruit and veg in desserts, and pastry or pastry products: Currently there is no regulation on how many portions of sweetened baked products and desserts can be provided each week or how often pastry and pastry products are served although a fruit-based pudding must be provided at least twice each week. If proposals are agreed the following changes and bans would be enforced: No more than three portions of sweetened baked products and desserts can be provided each week. All desserts must contain or be accompanied by a minimum of 20g /40g (infant/junior) of fruit/veg or minimum of 10g/15g (infant junior) of dried fruit. No more than one portion of pastry and pastry products must be provided each week. Drinks: Currently fruit juice is allowed and nursery-aged children can have semi-skimmed or whole milk while primary-aged learners must have semi-skimmed or skimmed milk. Still or carbonated water can be served. If proposals are agreed the following drinks can and can't be served: Plain water (still or carbonated) is in while fruit juice is out. Nursery-aged children can have semi-skimmed or whole milk but primary aged children must have semi-skimmed, 1% fat, or skimmed milk. Plant-based drinks must contain added calcium but no other added substances. Fruit juice is no longer classified as portion of fruit and is not permitted. Breakfast: Under current regulations milk-based drinks or yoghurts are served but cereals coated or flavoured either alone or in combination with sugar or chocolate or cocoa powder are already banned so the changes would be to bread. If proposals are agreed the following menus would be enforced: Milk and plain plant-based drinks to be served. Cereals can be served but not those coated or flavoured with sugar, chocolate, or cocoa powder or in any combination of those ingredients. Breads (at least 50% wholegrain) and toppings can be served. Portion sizes: Currently there is only one meal portion size for all primary pupils aged from nursery/reception to year six If the changes are agreed two separate portion sizes – juniors and infants - would be served: Junior portions will be approximately three-quarters of an adult portion and infant portions approximately half of an adult portion. "These changes not only support children's health but also contribute to a more sustainable food system and local economy. "With continued collaboration and clear oversight, school food can be a powerful driver of long-term health and wellbeing in Wales.' The plans will help both the NHS and children, according to Education secretary Lynne Neagle, saying good nutrition is crucial in helping young people "perform at their best". She said: "Our evidence-based changes to school food rules will help give Welsh children the best start in life while supporting Welsh producers and nurturing a generation of healthy eaters to safeguard the future of our NHS." The consultation on proposed changes to the Healthy Eating in Schools (Nutritional Standards and Requirements) (Wales) Regulations 2013 will last for ten weeks, starting from May 20. Neagle added: "We want to build on the good work already happening to further ensure every child in Wales has access to healthy food. "This is why I want to hear from parents, teachers, suppliers, and young people. "By working together we can create school food standards that work for everyone – supporting our children's health today and for their future.'
