Life Education Wessex & Thames Valley | Group Funding
"Life Education Wessex & Thames Valley are very grateful to the Netley Abbey & Butlocks Heath Educational Trust Fund for the grant we have received towards the shortfall in funding required to deliver our workshops to Netley Abbey Infants and Junior Schools in 2023. This vital support this year and in previous years will help local children to make healthy choices and avoid risky behaviours to enable them to lead safe, healthy and happy lives and reach their potential.
During our workshops specialist Educators facilitate fun, interactive sessions to whole classes from Nursery to Year 6 (aged 3-11). We use puppets including ‘Harold’ our famous giraffe puppet who is adored by the children, together with music and the latest digital technology to explore children's attitudes, stretch their thinking, role play real-life dilemmas and clarify values and emotions. Because we visit every year, children reflect, review and build on knowledge from previous years, building skills and self-confidence to form positive attitudes, avoid risky behaviours and make healthy choices for themselves in life, so it is important that we visit the school each year to build on previous learning. We have adapted our programmes to meet the needs of the children along with our method of delivery. We deliver our programmes inside school classrooms, as well as being able to offer SCARF Live Online where our Educators using digital technology, zoom directly into individual classrooms. Children learn and practice life skills and we make every minute count.
Topics include:
• healthy eating, including the problems of obesity
• the importance of exercise, sleep, personal hygiene
• correcting the misperceptions and dangers about alcohol, tobacco and drugs
• dealing with feelings of sadness, loneliness, anger and conflict
• friendship skills and coping strategies- respect of themselves and others
• build confidence and self esteem
• build resilience to risk, assertiveness and decision-making skills
• tackling peer group pressure and bullying
In addition, the schools we visit can access our online award winning SCARF resources which consist of 360 lesson plans that teachers can download free of charge providing a whole-school approach to children’s physical/mental and emotional wellbeing, including planning and assessment tools."
By Victoria Pattison
