Equality, Diversity and Prevent
European Day of Languages
If someone came up to you and said “Snak med mig”, what would you do? a) Run? b) Eat what they offered you? c) Be offended? d) Answer “Jeg ville elske at” and continue with a conversation in Danish? “Snak med mig” means “talk to me” in Danish,...
Eid al-Adha – The Greater Eid
This month sees Muslims around the world celebrating the end of Hajj (pilgrimage) with one of the main festivals in the Muslim calendar, Eid al-Adha, also known as The Greater Eid.Islam has many feast days and festivals, as do most of the...
World Humanitarian Day
“You must not lose faith in humanity. Humanity is like an ocean, if a few drops of the ocean are dirty, the ocean does not become dirty.” - Mahatma GandhiWhat does it mean to be human? Do we define our humanity by our DNA,reportedly 99.9% the...
Activities to help children understand equality and diversity
When it comes to teaching the early years, we don’t “do” equality and diversity - it’s more about how as practitioners, we set a good example with the ethos adopted in our settings. It’s our responsibility to ensure we are being inclusive, that...
World day for Cultural Diversity
The United Nations (UN) was formed in 1945 after the second world war as a political avenue for solving differences to avoid future conflicts. A year later, UNESCO - the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation – was set...
Talking about difference: profound disability
In our settings, we explore many differences with the children we support: we talk about the changing seasons, we explore different cultures and ethnicities, we celebrate festivals and we talk about growing up and growing old. Difference is a...
LGBT History Month
Winston Churchill famously said: “History is written by the victors” and some historians have proved him right by writing somewhat biased accounts about people in power, sometimes ignoring various social sectors and marginalising whole...
Dyslexia Awareness Week
Richard Branson is one of the UK’s most successful entrepreneurs: his Virgin brand operates over 60 companies in 35 countries; he has written 8 books and has over 41 million followers on social networks, and his net worth in 2019 was reported at...
Black History Month
Why celebrate Black History Month? When we think about British history, most of us remember what we were taught in schools – Roman Britain, the Magna Carta, Henry VIII, the sinking of the Titanic and the impact on Britain of the World Wars. It’s...
Cyber security tips
‘Cyber security’ is the technology, processes, and practices designed and put in place to protect networks, devices, computer programmes and data from attack, damage, or unauthorised access. It can also be referred to as ‘information technology...
International Friendship Day
July 30th is the United Nation’s International Friendship Day. Officially proclaimed in 2011, it is aimed at promoting friendships between peoples, countries, cultures and individuals to “inspire peace efforts and build bridges between...
7 tips for nystagmus success in the classroom
Having just released my book “Can I Tell You About Nystagmus?” I jumped at the chance of being able to raise the awareness around the condition, in support of Nystagmus Awareness Day, 20th June 2019. For those who don’t know, nystagmus is an...
Drowning Prevention Week
Drowning is one of the leading causes of accidental death in children in the UK, and every year, over 700 people drown in the UK and Ireland; approximately one person every 10 hours. According to the Royal Life Saving Society’s Director of...
Diabetes Week
What comes to mind when you think of diabetes? Older and more obese people? Insulin injections? Poor eyesight? A life without chocolate?All these things have been associated with diabetes in the past, and some still are today; but is this all...
Learning Disability Week
Can you imagine how your life would be different if you had a learning disability? How would it affect you and the lives of the people you love? Maybe you’d find it more difficult to live independently? Perhaps everyday tasks that we all take...
People who help us
In the UK, there are over eight million ‘999’ calls made every year? That’s approximately one every 4 seconds! And millions of other calls are made to the non-emergency police number, 101. But it’s not just the police, fire and ambulance service...
The importance of fostering
Every year, around 30,000 children enter the British care system – imagine the intake of 30, average-sized comprehensive schools – all children needing to live with people other than their parents, in surroundings that may, or may not be...
Deaf Awareness Week
In the UK, it is estimated that 1 in 6 people (approximately 11 million people) are deaf or hard of hearing. Deafness is the third most common disability in the world, but you would be hard-pressed to spot a deaf person in a crowd. Most deaf...
Viral Meningitis Awareness Week
The first full week in May (6th – 12th) is Viral Meningitis Awareness Week. It’s run by the charity, Meningitis Now, as an annual event aimed at “stopping lives being lost through meningitis and to make sure that sufferers and survivors get...
Ways to celebrate St George’s Day
On Tuesday 23rd April, England will celebrate their Patron Saint Day and the heroic figure of St George will be remembered up and down the country. Flags bearing the familiar red cross on a white background, will be flown from many a windowsill...
Book review: “Voyage to Arghan”
“Voyage to Arghan” is a new sensory story, conceived and written by Joanna Grace, (an international sensory engagement and inclusion specialist), and beautifully illustrated by Helen Lanzrein. It tells the story of Nila, who excitedly wins a...
Sensory Nature Adventures and Play with the Sensory Trust
written by Madeleine Amos For children with disabilities and their families, going out and being in nature can seem a daunting prospect. In response, Sensory Trust, a charity that creates accessible and engaging outdoor experiences, have...
National Autism Awareness Month
April is National Autism Awareness Month and the first week, (1–7th), is World Autism Awareness Week. Across the globe, people who have autism, carers, parents, teachers, family and friends will come together to raise money for research and...
Celebrate St Patrick’s Day
Sunday 17th March is St Patrick’s Day – the patron saint of Ireland, but it is not only in the ‘emerald isle’ that this day is cherished and celebrated as it’s reported that St Patrick’s Day is celebrated in more countries than any other...
Join the celebration – International Women’s Day 2019
On March 8th, millions of people will come together to honour and celebrate the achievements of women around the world on International Women’s Day. People from all walks of life will recognise and pay tribute to the contribution that women make...
Hanukkah – Festival of lights
Hanukkah or sometimes spelled ‘Chanukah’, is known as the ‘Festival of Lights’ and is an eight-day Jewish holiday commemorating the rededication of the Holy Temple in Jerusalem (known as the Second Temple). The United Kingdom is estimated to...
Remembrance Day in Your Setting
"They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old: Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn. At the going down of the sun and in the morning We will remember them." From "For the Fallen" by Laurence Binyon Remembrance Day,...
Celebrating Diwali in your setting
Diwali, also known as the Festival of Lights, is celebrated by millions all over the world. Although the date of the festival normally falls in October, this year it will be held on the 7th November. It is India’s most important holiday and can...
International Stammering Awareness Day
October 22nd is International Stammering Awareness Day. It aims to raise awareness about the seventy million people across the globe who suffer with stammering*. It could be on certain words, in certain situations, or in general, but the impact...
October is ADHD Awareness Month
In recent years, there has been an increase in publicity about ADHD and most people have now heard of it at least, although there are still a lot of misconceptions about what it is, and even more about the people who suffer with it. Many...