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Guidance for Educational Settings
Following a Suicide or Sudden Death
To mark World Suicide Prevention Day on Saturday 10th September, we are proud to be publishing a new resource for schools, written in collaboration with suicide prevention charity, The OLLIE Foundation. This comprehensive guide will provide leadership teams in schools and other educational settings with the detailed guidance needed to coordinate an appropriate, helpful and safe response following the tragic event of a suicide or sudden death in their community.
This invaluable resource is available for free. Simply click button below to view and download the PDF.
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Schools that are part of our Tooled Up Education community can provide their parents and teachers with access to Dr Weston’s exclusive resources, covering areas such as aspiration, resilience, mental health and behaviour.
As a member of the Tooled Up community you will have access to a whole host of evidence-based resources, which will enable you to support your children or students in a way that makes their lives and educational journeys both easier and more enjoyable.
Dr Weston's Wednesday Wisdom
In an ever increasingly busy and demanding world, Wednesday Wisdom provides a reflective 2 minute read every week that readers constantly tell us they look forward to. Full of topical and relatable experiences that help provide reflection, motivation and support in achieving a balanced family life.
Over the years, thousands of people have benefitted from, and continue to enjoy, the parenting and educational talks from Dr Kathy Weston at Tooled Up Education and have subscribed to Wednesday Wisdom. Join now for free to get your own weekly digest of motivating, interesting, and thoughtful parenting advice from Dr Weston herself.
“I just wanted to say how grateful I am to read your Wednesday Wisdom email. Perfect size for the time I have to engage and reflect and think about the topics you touch on. It helps me to evaluate my parenting and take a step back to look at scenarios that play out.”
Parent – October 2020
Learning to Learn
Last week, I delivered a talk about how we can usefully minimise children’s anxiety and stress in the run up to tests, assessments and exams. Years ago, if I had been writing that talk from scratch, I would have likely focused on the range of evidence-based strategies available to optimise children’s learning and attainment, and perhaps have neglected one of the most important aspects of children’s ability to thrive academically; their emotional state. Now, I wouldn’t dream of giving a talk about children’s academic success without first addressing how they feel about themselves, their learning, and their lives in general.
Parenting Question of the Week
My wife suffers with health conditions and has been diagnosed with cancer. The chemotherapy is starting to become difficult for her and I am concerned about the impact this may have on my child’s learning at school. I am also concerned that my son doesn’t bottle things up and that we do all that we can to help him feel supported.
Our Promise: We will answer all questions, and, whilst we may share your question and answer to help others, we will never declare who asked it.
Researcher of the Month
Dr Éadaoin Slattery, Post-doctoral Researcher in the Centre for Assessment Research, Policy and Practice in Education, Dublin City University
Research Interests
Dr Slattery is broadly interested in the measurement and enhancement of cognition and behaviour, with a particular emphasis on attention and memory.
This month, we are highlighting a recent paper by Dr Éadaoin Slattery and co-authors, which systematically reviews the evidence behind three popular sustained attention training approaches widely used in schools with children and teens between the ages of three and 18. These are cognitive attention training (commonly known as brain training), physical activity, and meditation training. Sustained attention refers to the ability to continuously maintain focus on goal-directed activity over time, particularly in conditions of monotony and repetition. In everyday life, we’d commonly refer to ‘sustained attention’ as concentration or focus. Dr Slattery’s paper seeks to establish whether any of these interventions actually improve performance on both sustained attention tasks and other cognitive tasks, as well as their impact on behavioural measures (such as ADHD symptoms).
In the last few years, studies of interventions promoting activities designed to enhance sustained attention and other cognitive functions in children have rapidly increased. Two broad approaches for improving attention have been identified: cognitive attention training (brain training) and state training, which is designed to develop a brain state that is thought to positively influence attention.
Contrary to what we might see in the media, the systematic review showed that, in general, cognitive attention training does not reliably improve performance. Physical activity and meditation interventions (both forms of state training) demonstrated greater potential in enhancing sustained attention, but results were not conclusive.
The potential benefits of physical activity and meditation interventions need to be investigated in further, more rigorous, research.
“We found limited evidence that it is possible to train children’s ability to sustain attention”.
Implications for schools – Given the current evidence, any programme which claims to benefit sustained attention should be treated with caution and educators should be aware that claims of efficacy may not be evidence-based. The findings of this review indicate that school staff should not assume that these three intervention types will reliably improve children’s sustained attention and, in particular, should be wary of cognitive attention training programmes. More research is also required to assess potential benefits of mindfulness and physical activity.
Dr Slattery stresses the importance of being research informed. When evaluating the claims of any intervention, try to establish if there was a control group in the study and check the sample size – generally, the larger, the better. Schools should carefully monitor and evaluate the impact of any intervention they choose to use.
Implications for parents – Remember that all children are different and paying attention to what works for your child is important. More research also needs to be carried out to find out what can improve sustained attention at home. However, there is some evidence that ‘self-alert’ training can have a positive impact on boosting attention in the moment. Listen to our interview with Dr Slattery to find out more!
Tooled Up News
Tooling Up the airwaves with Dr Kathy Weston and Tom Rogers
Did you tune in to hear Tooled Up founder, Dr Kathy Weston, providing expert advice and tips on the Teachers Talk Radio show earlier in September? Don’t worry if you missed the live broadcast as you can listen back now. Before you click, here is some insight into what Dr Weston and host, Tom Rogers, chatted about when they took to the airwaves to discuss evidence-informed approaches to mental health and wellbeing.
‘Guidance for Educational Settings Following a Suicide or Sudden Death’ – Available Now
Our important new resource, co-written with suicide prevention charity, The OLLIE Foundation, is available for free download now on the Tooled Up website homepage.
Excited to be part of the @TooledUpTips community with their extensive resources and great tips. #tooledupeducation #parenting #familylife
Did you know that the Tooled Up library contains a number of resources on various topics relating to #digitalliteracy & resilience? Here’s a broad overview: https://bit.ly/3Ca5wJV
This week's Wednesday Wisdom is out now.
Read the full issue and subscribe to our Wednesday Wisdom mailing list by following the link: https://bit.ly/3xUIe8f
In one week from now, the Tooled Up team will be at the annual HMC/IAPS Conference – Enlightened Education – this year in beautiful Edinburgh!
We're so excited and will keep you updated, so stay tuned.
Then be sure to tune in tomorrow as Tooled Up's Rhonda Ziman and Phil Garner, CEO of USA Study discuss everything students and their families need to know about applying for university in the USA.
Register via the Tooled Up website: https://bit.ly/3y0zTzL
Is your child thinking about studying in the US?
Would you like to know more about the steps ahead in this process?
@HolmeGrange Delighted to have you onboard!
We're thrilled to announce that our Researcher of the Month in September is Dr Éadaoin Slattery! Have a look at her latest research by visiting our website: https://bit.ly/3Cevg7W
Attention Tooled Up school staff, nurses, matrons, parents! Have you got a question for Professor Adam Fox, a leading paediatric allergy expert? Email your questions to us and we will make sure they get answered anonymously: support@tooledupeducation.com
Does your teen fancy attending the USA for college/uni? Perhaps they want to learn more about applying and scholarship opportunities. If so, don't miss this upcoming webinar with Phil Garner of USA Study who can answer any and all questions. Registration open now via our site!
Teens are likely to face scenarios where they feel pressured to try something they don't want to do. This video lays out simple & effective ways to help #teens navigate peer pressure: https://bit.ly/3LWmEGl
School nurses, matrons, teachers, parents! We are hosting an online webinar with Professor Adam Fox on the 11 October eve - a chance to put your questions to a leading paediatric allergist! Registration open on the front of our site.
Understanding one's menstrual cycle is crucial. Help your teen tool up with our list of innovative menstrual cycle tracking apps & sustainable, comfortable, period products: https://bit.ly/3SmNZDk
#parenting #familysupport #education #edtech #learning n #teens #wellbeing
Our new, free suicide postvention guidance for schools is available now.
Watch the video in full and download your copy via the Tooled Up website: https://bit.ly/3AYLvUN
#theother51 #suicideprevention
Want to understand more about why suicide postvention is so vital?
Tooled Up founder Dr Kathy Weston chats to Debi Roberts, CEO of The OLLIE Foundation about our new partnership and why we co-created our vital new resource.
@the_ollie_foundation
@Parentengage
Looking forward to delivering a webinar for staff at @TooledUpTips schools this Thursday at 4.30pm on Leadership for Great Teaching.
This week's Wednesday Wisdom is out now.
Read the full issue and subscribe to our Wednesday Wisdom mailing list by following the link: https://bit.ly/3qSWryH
And how to take next steps based on best practice. During the webinar, you are welcome to ask questions using a Q&A facility.
Listen to the podcast now via the Tooled Up website: https://bit.ly/3eVWzdM
If you enjoyed this interview or would like to know more about the topic, join us for a more in depth exploration of these issues in a live webinar on September 21st at 4.15pm, when Victoria will be focusing on what schools need to do to ensure compliance with the new guidelines.
While the pandemic brought national attention and a sense of urgency to this complex issue, new guidelines on #school attendance have been developed in line with the government’s mission to raise standards in schools across the country.
#teachersoftwitter #teachers #CPD
This important new guide is available now. Click to download your copy: https://bit.ly/3AYLvUN
#theother51 #suicideprevention
@THE_OLLIE_FOUND
*Please note that the content in this guide is intended for readers aged 18 and over.*
We also know that this is not a document that anyone wants to read or need. However, we hope that you’ll consider the advice within it and think about putting a plan in place, so that in the emotional aftermath of a sudden loss, you’ll know what to do.
It can also be used to plan and inform a clear suicide response strategy, just in case it ever happens. We understand that the likelihood of a suicide within your setting may seem small and distant.
It’s packed with reliable information and evidence-based advice to help leadership teams coordinate an appropriate, helpful and safe response following the tragic event of a suicide or sudden death connected to your setting.
We are proud to launch a new resource co-produced with suicide prevention charity, The OLLIE Foundation. ‘Guidance for Educational Settings Following a Suicide or Sudden Death’ is a one-stop guide freely available for all schools.
@SarumHall @Parentengage Looking forward to supporting the whole school community with our evidence-based resources, webinars and weekly nudges!
When things are going ok, remember to 'lean in' and encourage your children or teen to reflect on *why* things might be going well. 'Leaning in' isn't just reserved for the difficult days. It can serve as a means of prompting reflection, which in turn, can cultivate resilience.
@eadaoinslattery @carpe_dcu @DCU_IoE @IrishResearch Lovely working with you! and we shall we telling all our Tooled Up Schools about your research. Thank you for making the education world a little more evidence-based!
Love all that you do Justin, and we have been proud to tell our school communities today about your fantastic series of books that can help children navigate loss. Today's 'Wednesday Wisdom' reflection has mentioned your work. See: http://www.tooledupeducation.com
It was a story I made up to bring my children comfort after their mum died. Now 'their story' is a book and they've got their copies, and I think they're feeling very proud! #healingjourney #specialmoments #grief #bereavement
Supporting pupils with SEND in mainstream schools
NEW EEF animation shows how teachers can use the “Five-a-Day” approach to improve outcomes for all children in their classroom.
Watch here 👇
#SEND #Education
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