WorldSkills London 2011 took place from 5-8th October at ExCeL London. Almost 1,000 young people from more than 50 Member countries and regions competed in 46 skill areas including Mobile Robotics, Landscape Gardening, Mechatronics, Cooking, and Automobile Technology.
Speaking as the event closed at a glittering Ceremony at The O2, organisers said the event had showed how skills can deliver innovation, economic growth and engage young people.
The forthcoming NEC Solutions Showcase, now in its third year, enjoys an established reputation as a unique forum to exchange ideas and to experience a vast range of innovative technology solutions. The event focuses on application rather than product for a truly beneficial experience for anyone buying, installing or specifying within the dynamic Education Technology environment.
The Inside Out Festival is set to return this month in association with New Statesman with an even bigger and better programme of talks, debates, exhibitions and performances.
The BOSS Federation has announced the winners of its 2010 Industry Awards, which saw over 500 industry guests and invitees enjoy a glittering gala black tie evening at London’s Lancaster Hotel, in a night which celebrated and rewarded the best in industry.
To highlight the achievements of inspirational individuals and organisations that provide extraordinary support in energising STEM learning to captivate and capture the next generation of engineers, scientists, technologists and mathematicians, a national awards ceremony is being held on:
Hosted by award-winning education technology specialists Frog (www.frogtrade.com), secondary school leaders across the country are invited to attend The National Learning Platforms Conference 2010 – Frog’s most inspirational educational event of the year. This free one-day event will feature workshops and keynotes including ‘From intranet and failed VLEs to outstanding success’ by Cramlington Learning Village to ‘Parents and schools: learning platforms supporting a new partnership’ by Simon Shaw from Becta. Every workshop is intended to give forward-thinking school leaders the inspiration to maximise the impact of their Virtual Learning Environment (VLE) and achieve excellence through creativity.
MAD Mentors, one of the most pioneering schemes for mentoring disadvantaged, London-based youth in the fields of media, art and design, is hosting a unique performance and fashion show event to showcase the talent of some of the young people currently enrolled in their innovative mentoring programme. Nurturing and celebrating the talent of tomorrow, the event will take place on Friday 30th April at Sheraton Park Lane Hotel, Piccadilly, London, W1. The most promising talent of the night will be selected for work placements with top media, art and design industry professionals such as world-famous make-up artist, Daniel Sandler, and Art Director Murielle Bourdais from Urban Retreat, Harrods.
Tuesday 30th March sees the launch of Lab 13 at Peele Community College. Peele Community College in Long Sutton, Lincolnshire will be unveiling its new dedicated science space, where experiments are driven by imagination and curiosity, independently of the curriculum.
The college will be host to one of the six Lab 13s created across the East Midlands, designed as a ‘space for creative science learning’ managed by young people for young people. The first Lab opened last April (2009) at Dovecote Primary School, Nottingham.
The Training and Development Agency for Schools (TDA) is holding a policy seminar on 25th March, entitled, “Challenging schools: the fact and fiction.” Chaired by Alison Goddard, Britain correspondent for The Economist, the morning seminar will feature three debates that aim to uncover the myths about so-called challenging schools, and discuss how to encourage more teachers to consider working in them. Delegates will include educators and headteachers, children’s advocacy organisations, and policy makers.
Young people not in education, employment or training (NEETs) will quiz politicians on Wednesday 24 February about their policies for education. The youngsters, who will be travelling to Westminster from around the country, will take part in a question and answer session with spokespeople from Labour, the Liberal Democrats and Conservatives.
The event, which is at Westminster Central Hall (see notes for directions) from 3pm, is being organised by the University and College Union (UCU). The UK has over one million NEETs and each of the young people attending has written a letter about their situation that will be delivered to Gordon Brown, David Cameron and Nick Clegg.
People in the field of education are beginning to question the use of ‘carrots and sticks’ to motivate young people to behave in pro-social ways and to make the most of their school experience. This ‘behaviourist’ strategy is at odds with attempts to develop social and emotional skills and responsible citizenship amongst young people. Many educationalists and practitioners believe it is time to adopt a new approach. In response to this, a growing number of schools and residential homes in the UK are changing their culture and adopting a restorative approach to relationships and behaviour.
The Excellence in Forestry Awards 2010, run by the Royal Forestry Society, opens its doors for entries in January 2010.
RFS Competition Co-ordinator, Trefor Thompson, said: "Schools do not need to own or manage their own woodlands to take part. There is huge variety of work being undertaken in primary and secondary schools across the curriculum, in the form of classroom projects, art work, story telling or in hands-on field study work, relating to the very many different aspects of woodland management and to the uses that wood can play in our lives. This is an opportunity for schools to showcase the work of their teachers and their pupils and to develop stronger links to forestry and woodland management."
Achieving educational excellence through creativity and innovation
Event: The National Learning Platforms Conference 2009 Date: Wednesday 10th June 2009 Time: 09:00 -16:30. Informal Drinks Reception: 16:30 - Late Venue: Radisson Edwardian Hotel, Peter Street, Manchester M2 5GP
Khipu's Secure and Flexible Network Management Seminar will inform school IT managers of how to effectively provide a secure, fast and flexible network for students and staff, ensuring much needed piece of mind for IT departments, while increasing the efficiency of the network and improving the student experience.
