Suicide Prevention: Everybody's Business
There are delegate places still available for the final conference in the three part Social, Emotional & Mental Health (SEMH) series, Suicide Prevention: Everybody’s Business, which will be held at Leeds Civic Hall on the 8th May 2019. The conference series is a partnership between the Health & Wellbeing Service, Northpoint Wellbeing and NHS CCG Partnership.
The aim of the event is to increase knowledge around local and national services that provide support around suicide ideation and suicide bereavement, exploring prevention strategies that can be employed in schools to create a whole-school approach to mental health and the importance of the school’s response to suicide. We would like to emphasise that this conference is relevant for primary settings, both for children at risk of suicide and those bereaved by suicide.
Our keynote speaker will be Raminder Aujla from the Education & Early Years Safeguarding Team who will be speaking about local and national guidance regarding suicide (including PAPYRUS Safer Schools Guide), suicide ideation and why school suicide prevention is vital. Andrew Greenway from Andy's Man Club will also be speaking about the work they do in the community to prevent male suicide.
The MindMate Ambassadors will host a discussion with Chloe Bellerby around their experiences and we will have carousel sessions on topics including creating a strong bereavement policy and the Leeds suicide prevention action plan.
Delegates will get the opportunity to attend two of the following workshops (CAMHs workshops must be taken together):
- Suicidal thoughts and acts: assessing risk (CAMHs)
- Suicidal thoughts and acts: managing risk (CAMHs)
- Supporting children, young people and families after a suicide (Leeds Suicide Bereavement Service)
- Suicide prevention: a waved approach (Educational Psychologist Service)
MindMate registered settings can attend the event at the subsidised rate of £20 per delegate, making it an opportunity not to be missed. Alternatively, if you would like to share the best practise of your setting regarding suicide within a carousel session, you can get two free delegate places for the conference. If this interests you, please contact school.wellbeing@leeds.gov.uk.
To book onto the conference, click here.
Leeds for Learning Directory 2019-20
We are delighted to launch the new and improved Leeds for Learning Service Directory 2019-20. Many of the services will be familiar to you but there are also updates to existing services and information about a number of new ones. We hope that this helps you find information about the services you wish to purchase in the new financial year.
Changes to Teaching Relationships Education – Frequently Asked Questions
Further to recent changes in legislation, from September 2020, all primary schools in England will be required to teach Relationships Education, and all secondary schools in England will be required to teach Relationships and Sex Education.
At primary level, all schools will be required to teach about different families, which can include LGBT families, and at secondary level all schools will be required to teach about sexual orientation and gender identity.
We’re aware that some MATs and schools have received enquiries from some parents and carers who are concerned about the introduction of these statutory subjects, and about LGBT-inclusive teaching more broadly.
Stonewall Equality have produced some useful guidance ‘FAQs Responding to Queries on RSE and LGBT inclusion in schools’ to help you to respond to these enquiries. Please feel free to adapt these answers to support your engagement with parents and carers. You may also find useful the Leeds City Council ‘Gender Identity Guidance for Schools and Children and Families Services’ which was published in December 2018. (You will find downloadable versions of both documents attached to this article.)
For any further advice, support and guidance relating to Relationships Education, Relationships and Sex Education (RSE) and Health Education please contact the Health & Wellbeing Service at Schoolwellbeing@leeds.gov.uk
Leeds Primary Schools' Singing Support Pack
The Leeds Primary Schools’ Singing Support Pack has been developed as part of Leeds Music Education Partnership’s city-wide Singing Strategy 2018-2020, and a copy has been presented to every School in Leeds.
The pack is designed to help schools put singing at the heart of school life and contains six carefully chosen songs. There is something for younger voices, older children, assembly singing, opportunities for improvisation, learning musical vocabulary… the list is endless. With plenty of tips to help teach the songs and lots of activities (both musical and cross-curricular), the Leeds Primary Schools' singing pack is a must-have resource for every music leader. Each song is also available to digitally download – just follow the instructions at the back of the book.
If you have not yet received your free copy, please contact Paula Brookes on paula.brookes@leeds.gov.uk or 0113 3782850
Music Centres Can Complement Classroom Learning
If you are a Head Teacher or Music Co-ordinator in Leeds, you will already be aware of the various music education services that ArtForms can offer for your school here on Leeds for Learning, but did you know that we also have offers within the community in the form of our Music Centres? They run on Saturday mornings during term time, hosted in seven schools across the city and are open to the whole community, regardless of age, as a place to learn to play and make music together.
The benefits of music on learning and education are well documented, including in this study from March, where researchers from the VU University of Amsterdam found that "children who received music lessons showed improved language-based reasoning and the ability to plan, organize and complete tasks, as well as improved academic achievement."
Another study from the University of Arizona found that “young men and women who shared musical experiences with their parents during childhood - and especially during adolescence - report having better relationships with [their parents] as they enter young adulthood.” The majority of Music Centre classes are based on ability rather than age group, so this allows parents and their children to learn and make music together which can benefit their social development and wellbeing.
ArtForms’ Music Centres offer a wonderful opportunity for your pupils to expand the knowledge they gain through their National Curriculum learning and complement their instrumental or vocal lessons in schools, as well as giving them the skills and confidence to reach their potential both inside and out of the classroom.
Our Music Centres will be enrolling from 9am on Saturday 8th September – why not encourage your pupils and their parents to go along to their closest centre! For more information, including what is on offer, and to find your nearest music centre, you can also visit our website.
