National Curriculum and Assessment review publishes interim report
The education expert leading the government’s review of the National Curriculum has published her first report. Prof Becky Francis CBE has outlined what she and her team have discovered so far and what they will be focussing on ahead of the final report for the Department of Education, due this autumn. Prof Francis, who is the Chief Executive Officer of the Education Endowment Foundation, has said four key themes have come through but has repeated her vow that the curriculum shake-up will be an evolution not a revolution. In a newsletter to teachers and education leaders, Prof Francis says: “The Review has considered a wealth of evidence including responses to our Call for Evidence from more than 7,000 young people, parents, teachers, employers, and education experts, alongside polling of young people and parents, extensive roundtables and stakeholder consultation, and analysis of government data. “The work of the Review looks to capitalise on what is working well in schools and colleges to improve the educational experience and outcomes of children and young people, so that all our young people have the opportunity to achieve and thrive.” The Interim Report sets out that many aspects of the curriculum and assessment system are working well and identifies 4 key areas for improvement: To read the report go to the DfE website
Let’s remember to involve families in our discussions around online safety
Last month, schools across the country marked Safer Internet Day, the UK’s biggest celebration of online safety. The theme this year was ‘Too good to be true? Protecting yourself and others from scams online‘. Many tuned into a BBC Teach Live Lesson where pupils became players in a virtual game, Scam Smashers, and were challenged with outsmarting digital tricksters to protect their personal information. When we think of online scams, our thoughts often turn to older family members. And yet, a Censuswide survey of primary teachers commissioned by BBC Teach suggested that primary-aged children were being impacted by online scams. It indicated that 35% of primary teachers felt that the number of children being scammed each year was increasing, and a third said at least one child in their class had reported being a victim of an online scam. I know from my work with primary schools across east London that teaching staff are aware of the issues and are developing ways to weave information about avoiding online scams, and online safety more generally, into the curriculum. Recent research from the UK Safer Internet Centre suggests that almost three-quarters of young people say they would turn to a parent or carer if they were worried about an online scam. I believe that families are an important part of the online safety jigsaw. By including parents or carers, the conversation about online safety can be continued after the school day has ended. I’m aware that schools already work hard to engage parents and carers, and through my own work, I’ve seen some excellent practice. Here are a few practical ideas you may wish to try: • The parent section of the school website is a great starting place for schools to provideup-to-date information about their policies and approaches to online safety. Don’t forget to add useful links to organisations such as BBC Teach and the UK Safer Internet Centre who have collections of online safety resources. • Providing workshops for parents and carers is a great way to develop their confidence in spotting and avoiding scams. Consider a mix of in-person and online meetings. • The school newsletter, or news section of the website, is a good place to share the outcomes of recent online safety lessons. • It is helpful for parents and carers if the school sends home information about high profile scams when they arise either locally or nationally. This will support them to have useful discussions with their children. Remember to add in practical advice such as changing passwords and even how to create a strong password. • Inviting parents and carers into school for shared online safety activities with their children can foster better understanding and develop stronger home-school relationships. • There are many information leaflets, brochures and posters available from organisations such as Childnet and the NSPCC. Place them in shared spaces such as the playgroundand school entrance for parents to pick up. • Encourage pupils to share the BBC Teach Live Lesson with their families as it is a great source of information and advice. Family members might even pick up some new online safety tips themselves! Finally, remember to involve parents and families in your annual calendar of activities forSafer Internet Day next year. Marion Reilly is a former teacher and online safety specialist. To watch the BBC Teach Safer Internet Day 2025 Live Lesson or to access its collection of online safety resources, please visit www.bbc.co.uk/teach
Mum’s campaign to get life saving bleed kits into UK schools
Lynne Baird founded The Daniel Baird Foundation in 2017 after her son was fatally stabbed in Birmingham city centre. Following Daniel’s murder she worked with West Midlands Ambulance Service to create the UK’s first lifesaving bleed control kits. The non-profit has since put almost 30,000 emergency kits on UK streets, and several are used each week to treat people injured at home, school and work and from road traffic accidents as well as violent crime. Lynne writes about why – eight years on – she remains committed to lobbying the government to include bleed control kit awareness and training on the PHSE syllabus. In 2017, my son Daniel Baird was stabbed and murdered outside The Forge Tavern in Digbeth, Birmingham and it saddens me that I can’t say that the knife crime statistics have improved since then. It seems like a week doesn’t go by without me hearing of another young life lost in the news. When we lost Dan, my other son Thomas, who is a qualified doctor said that he could have saved Dan’s life if he had been there with his medical kit. It was at that point I knew we needed to do something to stop lives being needlessly lost. I established The Daniel Baird Foundation and we worked with West Midlands Ambulance Service and the National Trauma Network to develop bleed control kits that could be used by the public to control a severe bleed. If you didn’t know, a person suffering a serious injury can bleed out and die in as little as three minutes. At that time, I couldn’t have imagined where our journey would lead. While the driver for the easy-to-use emergency medical equipment was violent crime, before too long the kits were being praised by ambulance services for their effectiveness in a whole host of situations. Now they are standard across many businesses, such as construction and on public trains, and being used to treat all sorts of injuries. Recently an elderly man was treated with a kit for a head wound after falling. Also, a young boy in Bristol called Ralfie gashed his knee open, severing an artery, while playing out and luckily, he was close to a ju-jitsu club who had a publicly accessible bleed control cabinet installed outside their premises. Hearing these positive stories push the Foundation to do more, and I was especially happy to meet young Ralfie and talk to BBC Breakfast about his story and the Foundation’s work. It’s also not that long ago when someone armed with a knife critically injured a member of the public in Bristol and it was the chest seal device in a nearby Daniel Baird Foundation bleed control kit that saved the person’s life. And in Wolverhampton, just five days after a kit was donated to St Peter’s Collegiate Academy, a teenager was stabbed on the same road and school staff acted fast. Sadly, there wasn’t a kit on the bus in Woolwich to help Kelyan Bokassa or one at All Saints Catholic High in Sheffield to treat Harvey Willgoose, or one close by to save 12-year-old Leo Ross in Birmingham. We still have a lot of work to do. Thankfully – in lieu of significant central government intervention – community non-profits, individuals, local businesses, local authorities, schools and emergency services are joining forces in all parts of the UK to do what they can. But why can’t our country’s leaders commit to action? It was back in May 2018 when I first visited the Home Office and urged then Home Office minister, Victoria Atkins, to help raise awareness of emergency bleed control kits and to include emergency medical training on the curriculum. In September 2024, I was invited to 10 Downing Street for the launch of the Coalition to Tackle Knife Crime by Kier Starmer and Idris Elba. In the period between I have spoken to numerous MPs, lobbied, lettered and even begged. The topic is still not on the PHSE syllabus. To put our fight into context, it was only in 2023 when all state schools received a defibrillator from the government. The campaign to make this happen by The Oliver King Foundation began in 2012, after 12-year-old Oliver died from Sudden Arrhythmic Death Syndrome, a hidden heart condition which is estimated to kill 270 children a year. It took 11 years. Despite all The Daniel Baird Foundation’s best efforts, the government didn’t see fit to provide bleed control kits to schools at the same time as it rolled out defibrillators. And so far, the topic hasn’t been added to the curriculum, even though young people are far more likely to come across a catastrophic bleed injury than they are a cardiac arrest. I guarantee we will continue banging at the government’s door to demand policy changes, but until we see that pledge, I’m afraid it’s down to us. I hope after reading this you will be inspired to write to your education leaders and MPs to ask for changes to the curriculum and for the legal provision of bleed control kits in schools. The more it’s spoken about, the more likely we will be to succeed. I may have even moved you to buy a kit for your school, but we understand that budgets across education are tight. If this is the case, then you’ll be encouraged to hear that some of the biggest successes we’ve seen is when people come together. For example, various police forces, violence reduction units and ambulance services have placed orders of 100 plus kits at a time and they donate these to schools, retailers, pubs and install them in dedicated publicly accessible cabinets. For example, St Cuthbert Catholic School in Birmingham was donated a kit by West Midlands Police quite recently. When registered, it means any 999 callers can be directed to their closest kit and if in a locked cabinet, the code will be given out. You may want to reach out to your local police force and register your school’s interest to have a cabinet on the school’s exterior. What we also see is schools fundraising within their communities, resulting in the installation of one or more cabinets that are accessible 24-7 for local people, as well as having multiple kits for inside the school’s premises. I’ve heard of generous local businesses making large donations, parish councils getting involved, individuals making contributions and even primary school children offering up pocket money change! When people realise that a couple of pounds from everyone means a life in their community could be saved, they wonder why they didn’t do it sooner. If any schools would like to crowdfund for bleed control kits, then we have put together a pack to help them do this which includes posters and digital content. People can visit the blog at www.turtlemedical.co.uk for more information. Of course, there are several schools and PTAs around the country that have chosen to use their funding to purchase bleed control kits and external cabinets to house them in. Kits and cabinets can be ordered online or if you want them branded with the school badge, just call or email our partner Turtle Medical. Some schools that have recently purchased kits are Campion School in Leamington Spa, Busill Jones Primary School in Bloxwich and Prestlands School in Limington – thank you to these schools and to everyone who supports The Daniel Baird Foundation. I’d like to also thank the many other non-profits and individuals who have supported us over the years, and are themselves committed to a range of goals, from taking knives off the streets to focusing on emergency medical training and getting more bleed control kits in public places. In the last month, a lady from Halesowen who was so moved by Leo Ross’ death asked her business customers for donations and she’s placed 23 bleed
Dobbies invites schools to apply for community gardens initiative
Dobbies Garden Centres is welcoming applications for Dobbies Community Gardens, offering local schools, charities and community groups across the country the opportunity to receive support for their green spaces. The garden centre is inviting groups to get in touch with information about the indoor or outdoor green space they are looking to transform, restore or start, and what they would be looking to do with Dobbies’ support. Dobbies is passionate about giving back to the community, and in the last year has supported more than 350 local groups through its local initiatives. Successful groups will get the garden centre’s help through product, tools and plant donations to help bring this community space to life and keep it blooming throughout the year. Dobbies’ Green Team will also offer volunteer hours to support each project. Dobbies’ Operations Director, Nick Anderson, is encouraging groups across the country to apply. He said: “There are so many fantastic local groups near our stores and Dobbies Community Gardens gives us the opportunity to give something back. “We want to hear from all types of groups, whether it’s a school looking to build a sensory garden, a charity group trying to expand their fruit and vegetable growing project or a community group looking to rejuvenate an unused space. “Our store colleagues are looking forward to hearing from local groups who would benefit from their support this year. We’re always looking to inspire the next generation of gardeners or offer a helping hand to those groups looking to freshen up their communal garden areas.” Laura Joyce from Newtongrange Community Garden, which aims to help local community members who might be suffering from food poverty and give those experiencing social isolation a place to come together, received support last year and strongly encourages anyone who has a green project to get involved. She said: “The support from Dobbies last year was invaluable to our community garden. With the product donations and gardening expertise we’ve managed to expand the garden with accessible beds, making it an inclusive space for anyone looking to grow fresh fruits and vegetables. The application process couldn’t have been easier, and it’s given us the boost we needed.” Applications are now open. Those entering must be within 20 miles of a Dobbies’ store. All nominated projects will be invited along to their local store for the free-to-attend Grow How session on Saturday 3 May, 10:30am, where one winning project per store will be announced. To find out more information about Dobbies Community Gardens and to fill out an application form, visit Dobbies Community Gardens | Dobbies Garden Centres
Bradford City Library to host a BBC Teach Live Lesson on World Book Day
BBC Teach will be broadcasting a Live Lesson from the UK City of Culture for 2025 in partnership with World Book Day on Thursday, March 6. The team, including Newsround’s Emma-Louise Amanshia, will be hitting the road in the iconic Bradford Stories Bus from the National Literacy Trust, collecting book recommendations from local children. Schools across the country will join a live reading moment called The Big Live Read, inspired by this year’s theme, ‘Read your way’. At 11am, Live Lesson presenters, Naomi Wilkinson and Joe Tasker, will be joined at Bradford City Library by former Children’s Laureate, Joseph Coelho OBE. Together, they’ll be exploring different book genres, sparking curiosity and sharing the delight of reading for fun. Children will also be encouraged to think about a subject they would like to learn more about and how they like to read. And armed with their chosen book, they will read uninterrupted for 60 seconds alongside thousands of pupils across the country. Alex Harris, Executive Producer at BBC Teach, said: “We’re looking forward to broadcasting from Bradford on World Book Day. This is a huge moment in the school calendar and – together with the World Book Day team – we’ll be celebrating the joy of reading with a 30-minute curriculum-linked lesson for 7-11 year-olds. Roll on 6 March!” Imran Hafeez, Manager of the National Literacy Trust in Bradford, said: “Our Bradford Stories Bus is a beacon of reading for pleasure and storytelling in Bradford, which makes it the perfect setting for a nation-wide celebration of reading. We couldn’t be more thrilled to be part of World Book Day 2025 and invite Bradford’s school children on board to share their favourite stories with us for this year’s BBC Teach Live Lesson, inspiring readers across the country with their recommendations.” Cassie Chadderton, CEO of the charity World Book Day, said: “We’re excited to be in partnership with BBC Teach on this inspiring Live Lesson and the Big Live Read. World Book Day is all about unlocking the fun of reading for all children, encouraging everyone to see it as a sociable and enjoyable hobby. The Live Lesson is going to see children explore books, share recommendations, and find the fun in reading to help to build a lifelong habit of reading enjoyment.” The Live Lesson will be broadcast on BBC Teach and the CBBC channel. It will be available on-demand once the broadcast ends on both BBC Teach and BBC iPlayer. Schools can email their shoutouts to live.lessons@bbc.co.uk with World Book Day in the subject heading or using the hashtag #BBCLiveLessons. A teaching guide and activity sheets are available to download from the BBC Teach website.
HFL Education’s highly-praised Small Schools’ Programme returns for 2025
A widely-praised programme of tailored support for small schools across the country is returning for a second year – including a free bonus session later this month. HFL Education’s Small Schools’ Programme won widespread acclaim when it was launched last year for its mix of half-termly bitesize briefings, case studies, discussion groups and free resources designed to help share best practice among schools with fewer than 150 pupils on roll. Such was the success – including being shortlisted for a prestigious national award and winning a glowing testimonial from the chairman of the National Association of Small Schools – the programme is returning for a second year. The low-cost programme features four webinar sessions – all of which can be rewatched on demand – covering a range of topics including using AI in small schools, navigating the new Ofsted requirements and headteacher wellbeing. A bonus free session looking at the benefits and challenges of engaging in Initial Teacher Training is being staged between 3.30-5pm on February 25. It will include case studies from two headteachers of small schools, who will share their initial considerations and challenges around hosting a training placement, approaches to supporting a trainee within their school, and the subsequent benefits of this work. Anne Peck, leading the programme from HFL Education said: “We were thrilled with the response to the first year of our Small Schools’ Programme and delighted to be returning with new sessions to address some of the ever-evolving needs of leaders of small schools. “Designed specifically with and for leaders in small schools, who may have previously felt underserved by the education sector, the programme is a place where they feel they belong and where they can learn from each other. “Each of the sessions covers a different area each half term. Briefings will cover the main areas for leaders of small schools to consider, followed by case studies delivered by colleagues working in and with small schools. “The sessions are designed to empower school leaders by providing advice, access to helpful, timely blogs and resources to implement for successful outcomes in their setting. “If the feedback from our first year is anything to go by – with many leaders telling us how they felt we really understood the unique challenges they face – this should be a programme not to be missed.” Hannah Trickett, headteacher at Maple Cross JMI and Nursery School in Rickmansworth, praised the programme after taking part in 2024. She said: “The programme has given us access to a goldmine of information, ideas and best practice on a range of small school challenges – there’s little nuggets in every session. “The webinars are well structured and punchy. They don’t take too long and I can watch live – which is ideal as you get to participate in the breakout sessions – or on demand at a time to suit me. “It has given me a lift in so many ways. The HFL Education experts and the schools who share their experiences in the webinars are all really positive about small schools and I feel like I’m not alone on this journey anymore.” The 2024 programme earned a BETT Award nomination for Leadership and Management Solutions and was endorsed by Neil Short, chairman of the National Association of Small Schools. He said: “On behalf of the National Association of Small Schools (NASS) I am delighted to recommend the Small Schools Programme devised and developed by HFL. The sessions which I saw were amongst the best specifically devoted to small schools I have ever seen. “The innovative format, with the subject focus being narrowed by each of the speakers until its development and implementation within the small school by practitioners, provided lessons for all listeners. Indeed, NASS included examples of the first of the sessions in one of our newsletters and passed the word to colleagues whenever possible. “I am delighted the programme will be continuing into the future and will look forward to learning more about the ways in which small schools can prove their value to the wider world of education.” The 2025 programme costs £150 per school, which includes all four webinars and access to recordings, which can be shared in staff meetings and with relevant school staff including governors. Each of the four sessions will take place online on a Wednesday from 3.30-5pm. For more information and to book a place visit https://hub.hfleducation.org/shop/small-schools-2-2024/ To book a place on the free session in February visit https://hub.hfleducation.org/shop/smallschoolsITT/ The 2024 programme is now also available to buy at https://hub.hfleducation.org/shop/SmallSchoolsProgramme%E2%80%93Series1/ with the full suite of six sessions available for £100+VAT per school.
Key air quality and pollution lessons to teach all year round
By Dakota Murphey 2025 could very well represent a year where schools will have to make numerous key decisions that shape the years ahead. With mounting pressure on schools to enforce mobile phone bans and also make smarter long-term recruitment decisions, it would be hard to overlook another prominent issue facing everybody – the environment and climate change. Environmental awareness in schools is hardly a new topic of conversation, but recent data (collated at the end of 2024) suggests that climate understanding among young people is alarmingly poor. As education leaders and decision-makers, we have an opportunity to shape young minds’ understanding, appreciation, and commitment to the environment – and, more specifically, air pollution – throughout the academic year. Embrace teaching students about air quality Poor air quality in schools has been widely discussed, with a recent long-term study conducted by SAMHE concluding that UK schools’ ventilation rates are significantly below UK recommendations for workplaces, particularly in winter where airborne viruses spread more rapidly. Poor ventilation alone has long been attributed to decreased attention and concentration levels, not to mention an increased build-up of pollutants that contribute to a range of health conditions and diseases. One of its key recommendations is for school headteachers, unions, and staff to get clued up on good air quality management practices. The NHS even states that poor air quality is the biggest environmental risk to public health in the UK. It would be fair to say that if the buck has to stop somewhere, it’s arguably got to be in our education sector. Incorporating lessons on air quality throughout the academic year can help schools foster a generation of environmental consciousness while supporting learning objectives in a variety of subjects. Schools also have a moral duty to lead by example, particularly when you consider the fact that air quality and ventilation in their facilities have been pinpointed as a de facto health concern. Therefore, air quality education isn’t just a benefit to students and their academic achievements, it’s imperative to cultivating a better all-round faith in your institution. Essential year-round lessons 1. The science behind air pollution and quality Air pollution, at its core, is a mixture of harmful gases and particles that can negatively affect health and well-being. This can occur outdoors or indoors, with the latter environment being more contagious due to the more condensed containment area. Examples of dangerous air pollutants include: Exposure to air pollution can lead to health problems ranging from breathing difficulties to lung and heart disease, not to mention a reduction in cognitive performance and mental health. Long-term exposure can affect the brain and heart and exacerbate pre-existing conditions like asthma. These concepts can be made engaging for students, by transforming scientific facts and data into hands-on learning experiences. Students can participate in practical air quality monitoring activities that will benefit both their understanding and the school environment. Activities could vary from changing filters in air conditioning units to cleaning ventilators and exploring how different heating and dehumidification products work. Incorporating a practical learning element reinforces scientific concepts whilst giving students real world experience with equipment commonly used in communal buildings such as schools. 2. Seasonal air quality challenges Throughout the school term, pupils will likely experience different sensations depending on the weather and climate. Whether colder, wetter, hotter or dryer, the surroundings present ample opportunities to learn more about air quality and monitoring. Take the list below as a loose guide. Autumn/Winter: Spring/Summer: 3. Understanding indoor air quality management Indoor air quality deserves special attention, as students spend significant time within school buildings in any given week. Lessons could focus on the following topics: While this may be best suited to subjects like science (specifically biology or chemistry), there’s no reason to not discuss this across the board in physical education or PSHE, where relevant. Students have a right to know how at-risk they are, after all, so transparency remains vital. 4. Sustainable transport and air quality Transform the school run into a learning opportunity by exploring the connection between transportation choices and air quality. This lesson naturally integrates with PSHE education while developing students’ analytical and problem-solving skills. 5. Community engagement and action Extend learning beyond the classroom by engaging with the wider community: Strategies for school leaders Successfully embedding air quality education is a challenge befitting any school leader. That said, it requires involvement from several parties and a methodical approach. To begin with, leaders should assess the existing curricula and – where possible – integrate ideas for air pollutant discussions. For example: Headteachers also cannot afford to overlook the development and growth potential of their workforce. Equip classroom teachers and heads of subjects with as much material, support and resources as possible, so they can deploy these considerately to all age-appropriate classes. Encourage open dialogue between departments for collaboration between subjects and departments (for example, geography and science) to offer more insightful and rewarding experiences for students, whether in the form of cross-departmental projects or shared field trips. On a broader level, school leaders have a responsibility to hold themselves accountable for their air quality and pollution prevention efforts. Facilities must be retrofitted with best-in-class equipment to ensure they are in good working order and not an unnecessary risk to students or staff. Maintenance and upkeep must not take a back seat, either, so this must be kept in good stead all year round. Ultimately, involving the school and students in community activities or charity work also goes a long way in cultivating environmental responsibility and transparency at all levels. Looking ahead As environmental challenges evolve, so must our approach to air quality education. School leaders should regularly review and update their air quality curriculum to reflect new scientific breakthroughs, emerging educational technologies, evolving environmental regulations and legislation, and more. Implementing the above year-round lessons and school-wide learning objectives can create meaningful learning experiences that benefit not just the school, but the wider community as well. In turn, students can gain a
Theo Walcott helps Premier League launch children’s self-esteem teaching resource
The Premier League has launched new mental health resources for children focused on how they can build their self-esteem. The Building Self Esteem resource is available to more than 19,000 primary schools across England and Wales through the League’s primary school education programme, Premier League Primary Stars. Available for Children’s Mental Health Week, the free resource contains activities and content that encourage young people to build their resilience, try new things and use positive self-talk. Alongside input from teachers and mental health experts, it features advice from 10 current Premier League players as well as former England football internationals Theo Walcott and Jill Scott MBE. The self-esteem resource launch comes as the Premier League celebrates ‘More Than A Game’, a two-week period showcasing the League’s world-leading investment into all levels of football and community programmes run by clubsthat positively impact millions of people. To help launch the resource, Walcott attended a Premier League Primary Stars session run by his former club Arsenal. There, he surprised schoolchildren, sharing his experiences with them and supporting them during their lesson. He said: “I was delighted to support the launch of this new Premier League Primary Stars education resource and share some of my own story. Football is a brilliant way of connecting with people, so I know the children the League and clubs reach with their range of community programmes will take these lessons forward. “Having spent most of my career in the Premier League, seeing the connection between the on-pitch competition and the support it enables for people throughout the country is inspiring.” Engaging 1.3 million children in 2023/24 alone, Premier League Primary Stars uses the appeal of football to help young people be active and develop essential life skills. There are almost 30 free resource packs for schools centred around wellbeing topics, which have been downloaded more than 75,000 times. Walcott helped to launch the Premier League Primary Stars education programme in 2017. Now, with 87 per cent of all schools in England and Wales engaged, more than 70,000 teachers benefit from its free resources. Premier League Primary Stars provides teachers with free downloadable resources across a range of curriculum subjects at Key Stage 1 (age 5-7) and Key Stage 2 (age 7-11), developed by teachers for teachers, and in collaboration with experts such as the National Literacy Trust and the PSHE Association. Currently 103 professional football club charities from across the leagues receive Premier League funding to deliver Premier League Primary Stars sessions within local schools. With £1.6 billion committed to support communities and football at all levels between 2022-2025, the League has invested £75 million into primary school sport via the Premier League Charitable Fund since 2013. To sign up for the free resource, or to find out more about Premier League Primary Stars, please visit plprimarystars.com
Glasgow schoolgirl, 12, beats 70,000 entrants to win Primary Engineer competition
A 12-year-old girl from Glasgow has designed a solar-powered heated blanket that could one day help address the impact of homelessness in the UK. Rebecca Young, an S2 pupil at Kelvinside Academy, in the city’s West End, created the innovative design as part of the Primary Engineer competition. She triumphed over 70,000 other entrants to take the top prize of the MacRobert Commendation Medal, awarded via a public vote. The Primary Engineer MacRobert Medal is a collaboration between The MacRobert Trust and Primary Engineer, with support from The WEIR Group PLC, and the awards highlight the culmination of the UK Leaders Award competition. Rebecca’s creation – a heated blanket integrated into a backpack and powered by solar panels – was inspired by seeing people sleeping rough on the streets of Glasgow. Rebecca was tasked with designing something to address a social issue and felt homelessness was a pressing problem she could help solve. The talented youngster spent time researching existing products, such as sleeping bags and backpacks, to inform her design. Her efforts earned her the top spot in both the Scottish and UK-wide rounds of the competition. Engineering firm Thales, which supports the Primary Engineer initiative, chose to develop a prototype based on Rebecca’s design. Their engineers produced a blanket that uses copper wiring for heating, flexible frames for portability, and solar panels for power. The first version of the prototype was brought to Kelvinside Academy’s Innovation School, where Rebecca was able to hold the tangible result of her idea. Rebecca said: “To think something I’ve designed could one day help somebody on the streets is amazing. “Unfortunately, you see so many people sleeping rough on the streets of Glasgow, and I always felt bad seeing how cold they were. It was obvious to me that this could help. “It felt amazing to see my drawing turn into something real. I never thought that could happen. Homelessness is a big problem that needs fixing, and if you see a homeless person, help in any way you can.” During the competition, Rebecca’s designs were showcased at events at Barony Hall, the University of Strathclyde, and the University of Glasgow, giving her a glimpse into the possibilities of a future career in STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics). Rebecca’s parents and younger sister, who attended the showcase events, said they were ‘immensely proud’ of her achievements. While Rebecca is also a talented musician – she plays drums in a band called The Girls – she says the experience of seeing her design come to life has inspired her to consider a career in STEM. Leigh Goldie, Rebecca’s teacher and design coach at Kelvinside Academy’s Innovation School, praised her achievement. She said: “Rebecca’s success feels incredible. It’s so unusual to see this level of awareness and creativity at such a young age, and to apply that to a real-world issue is truly special. “Rebecca’s story shows how creativity and compassion can lead to meaningful innovation, even at this stage of life. If she decides to pursue STEM further, who knows how far she could go? “At Kelvinside Academy, we are committed to inspiring young minds through our Innovation School, empowering students like Rebecca to use their creativity to make an impact in the world. Rebecca’s work highlights how young people can contribute to addressing societal challenges through innovation, inspiring others to consider how they too can make a difference.” Thales engineers hope the prototype will be developed further and potentially patented for production. The company’s involvement has given Rebecca a rare insight into the engineering process, sparking her interest in how ideas move from concept to reality. Colin Scouller, Head of Engineering Early Careers, Thales UK: “Thales in the UK is proud to be national sponsors of Primary Engineer. Their mission to get more young people involved in STEM and inspire the next generation of engineers is something we truly value. We’re looking forward to continuing our partnership with Primary Engineer as it continues to grow.”