Delivering subject content through nine life themes
Play has huge benefits for children and families. We have repeatedly highlighted on the Forum website its benefits for children’s intellectual, emotional, social and physical development. It helps maintain physical and mental health. It develops self-awareness and social interaction skills. It also promotes key… Continue Reading “Children need to be able to safely enjoy and learn through play”
Former Olympic swimming gold medallist Duncan Goodhew has been in the news this week urging parents to prioritise swimming lessons for their children now that swimming pools are able to reopen. His intervention is a timely reminder of the importance that swimming plays not… Continue Reading “All young children should be receiving free swimming lessons”
Concerns about the damage to children’s wellbeing caused by a relentless focus on academic achievement and an unforgiving accountability-by-results culture — a 2019 survey of primary school heads included the comment “For those children in year 6 […] it’s intense, it’s grotty. It’s just… Continue Reading “Free play is an important ingredient in the learning mix”
Hurray! At last, some good news about the impact of lockdown on children! Apparently, they have not only been reading more during lockdown but also tackling more challenging texts as well. Alas, the positive headlines masked what is actually a rather less encouraging situation.… Continue Reading “Why we must do more to promote reading for pleasure”
Ahead of the COP26 climate change conference in Glasgow in November, Glasgow City Region has announced a plan to plant 18m trees — 10 for every resident — over the coming decade, part of a new urban ‘forest’ to tackle climate change. The announcement… Continue Reading “The BBC’s Plant Britain scheme is a great way to promote nature education”
As pressure continues to build on the government over its post-Covid education recovery programme — to ensure that it is not just adequately funded but also sufficiently ambitious in its aims, scope and timescale — a campaign is underway to encourage as many people… Continue Reading “The Summer of Play campaign promotes children’s wellbeing and development”
A report published today by the Children’s Society provides additional evidence that young people’s mental health and wellbeing is in “an alarming state of decline”. The charity warns of a trend that stretches back at least ten years and that has been exacerbated over… Continue Reading ““Alarming state of decline”, says new children’s wellbeing report”
The children’s commissioner for England, Dame Rachel de Souza, has just published the results of the ‘Big Ask’, the biggest ever survey of children anywhere in the world, with over half a million responses. In her foreword she talks of a “heroic generation …… Continue Reading “Children’s commissioner’s stirring call for a new settlement for children”
