Thursday 18 February 2016

A New Church School in Paddock Wood By Lou Berwick

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PLANS for a new primary school in Paddock Wood have been revealed by the head of Bennett Memorial School.
Ian Bauckham, head of Bennett and chief executive of Teanax Schools Trust, which is in charge of the schools, is proposing to open a new Church of England and Methodist primary school in the town from 2018.
"This will give Paddock Wood families a genuine choice of local primary schools and will meet growing need for places as new housing comes on stream," Mr Bauckham said.
The primary school will also include nursery provision.
"The proposal is being submitted as a free school this spring, and the outcome of the Department for Education's assessment process is expected in the summer of 2016."
"The new school will be fully inclusive and welcome all local families, regardless of background, who want a school with a focus on high quality teaching and high standards, underpinned by traditional Christian values," he said.
t will be supported by St Andrew's Church
The new school will work in close co-operation with Paddock Wood Primary School, who welcome this plan.
Mrs Ros Tucker, Chair of Governors at Paddock Wood Primary School, said: "We are fully aware of the proposal for a new Church school. We are keen to work with the Tenax Schools Trust to support the development of the school, and welcome the prospect, as the need grows, of more school places and greater choice for parents in the town."
"We are very excited by the prospect of working with the people of Paddock Wood to set up this new school," Mr Bauckham added.
"By insisting on high standards and Christian values, and by working with other local schools, including Paddock Wood School, it will help to raise standards for all children in the town, respond to the rising need for places as the town grows, and give choice to parents in the town."
The Revd Bryan Knapp, vicar of St Andrew's Church, Paddock Wood, said: "The opportunity for Paddock Wood to have a Church school, to complement existing choices, is an important one for us and for the town. We at St Andrew's Church are working closely with the Tenax Schools Trust on this proposal to create a genuinely inclusive but distinctive Church school for current and future families."


Wednesday 17 February 2016

Four Scientific Ways Teachers can Cope with Stress By Dr. Claudia Aguire

Motivational sticky notes
The pressures of teaching can be difficult to manage and it can sometimes feel like you have no time to switch off. So if you ended last year feeling overwhelmed and anxious then the start of the new year is a good time to make some changes. 
But learning to cope better with stress does not happen overnight and takes some effort on your part. Here is a list of some simple, scientifically-proven practices to help you unwind and improve your mental health.

Learn the power of your breath

It may seem intuitive, but so many of us end up holding our breath, especially when we’re stressed. Breathing exercises work with the cardiac muscle to shift our vagal tone toward a parasympathetic balance. In other words, breathing deeply takes our body from a fight-or-flight state towards a calm and balanced one. Being aware of your breath for a few minutes every day, right before your class begins, or even with the students, can have amazing benefits for your health.
Try following the exercise below or if you want a deeper practice, try Pranayama, the art of yoga breathing.
  • Breathe into the diaphragm through the back of the throat for four seconds.
  • Hold for four seconds.
  • Breathe out slowly through the back of the throat for six seconds.
  • Hold empty breath for two or more seconds, then repeat.

Sleep better

Getting more hours of shut-eye is critical for our physical and mental health. Research by the University of Pennsylvania, for example, found that subjects who were limited to just 4.5 hours of sleep a night for one week felt more mentally exhausted and stressed. Their mood improved greatly when their sleep pattern resumed to normal.
Thankfully, there are techniques to try to help you get better sleep. Improving your sleep hygiene is a great way to beat sleeplessness and a few changes can really help. First up, ditch the afternoon coffee. Caffeine stays in the body for several hours after you consume it and new research suggests it may even disrupt the body’s natural circadian rhythm, proving to be almost as bad as bright blue lights (see below). So you may want to limit your coffee to the morning, or switch to catechin-rich green tea.
Another tip is to lose the laptop and smartphone at night. A recent study revealed that the blue screen light can delay the circadian clock, suppress levels of the sleep-promoting hormone melatonin and even lead to groggy mornings. Lastly, new research suggests that sleeping on your side – compared to your back or stomach – can help your brain.

Meditate

Take the simple breathing exercises discussed earlier a bit further by exploring the practice of meditation. This is about training the mind to acknowledge its content without becoming identified with it, and often involves concentrating on the breath – a good way to focus your mind. Choosing to follow your breathing (or concentrate on another object in a sustained fashion) is a form of “focused meditation”. Another form of meditation – open monitoring meditation – involves non-reactively monitoring the content of experience from moment-to-moment, primarily as a means to recognise the nature of our own thoughts and emotions.
Scientific research over the past decade has shown that meditation can have physical and long-lasting effects on the body and brain (pdf). As a more immediate mechanism to reduce stress, meditating can also trigger the body’s relaxation response (the opposite of the fight-or-flight response). With more consistent practice, the brain can even be rewired, resulting in elevated levels of mindfulness, equanimity, compassion and empathy. And these traits can also be shared with your students for a calmer classroom.
The good news is that it doesn’t take decades of sitting cross-legged to benefit from meditation’s effects. Even a short 10-minute meditation practice can help you start your day with a positive attitude, and more resiliency against stress. The Headspace app offers daily 10-minute meditations for 10 days, which is a simple way to give meditation a go. That’s enough time to see if you like it, and experience some of the benefits.
You can also try the following exercise:
  • Scan your body slowly, from the top of your head down to your toes.
  • Become aware of your body’s various sensations, whether that’s pain, tension, warmth or relaxation.
  • Observe, but don’t judge these sensations.
This technique focuses your attention on different parts of your body as you progressively relax each area, while helping you become more aware of your bodily sensations and the thoughts that come and go.

Say no

I can say this from experience – and seeing my mother juggle her own classroom and students – being short on time makes it even harder for us to say no. Perhaps we are too busy to realise our time deprived schedule, but being stressed and tired automates our behaviour, so that we say yes to more and more out of sheer habit. Planning and rehearsing how to say, “I wish I could, but I can’t really take on more responsibilities” (before the task is asked of us) will habituate us to respond this way.
Improvements to your wellbeing doesn’t require monumental change; just getting a little more sleep and a bit less stress on a regular basis will have profound effects. Other simplicities include taking the time to enjoy what you enjoy most, stroking your pets, exercising, or simply laying around listening to music. We must all remember that educators are also caretakers – and caring for the caretaker is just as critical to the wellbeing of our community.

Secondary School Job of the Day

Are you a Science Teacher, looking for a February 2016 start in Tonbridge, Kent?


TimePlan Education, working in partnership with their client school, is looking for a science teacher who has taught successfully across key stage 3 and 4. The position is a part-time contract starting February 2016. The successful candidate must be committed to achieving high standards and able to inspire students across the ability range at KS3 and KS4.

The latest judgement by Ofsted Graded this 11-18 boys academy as "good" with outstanding behaviour. It has a very experienced leadership with the Headteacher and Chief Executive both being National Leaders of Education. The academy places a strong emphasis upon learning, teaching and outstanding behaviour which has been reflected in every Ofsted report since 2000. It is a warm and vibrant community which is first choice for parents partly because of its specialist status for maths and sport. Students are renowned for their success in extra-curricular sporting activities at local and national level.

To be considered for this science teaching vacancy based in Tonbridge , Kent you will need to;
  • show you are an imaginative and forward thinking classroom practitioner.
  • have the willingness to form part of a successful and enthusiastic team.
  • support the school ethos at all times during your working days.
  • possess excellent teaching skills and an ability to lead classes with pace and sufficient challenge.
It is essential that you understand the school's academic standing and have a sincere commitment to sharing long-term aims.
In return we offer:
  • professional classroom support from our team of headteacher consultants throughout the length of your contract.
  • a dedicated key contact at the TimePlan South East office.
  • TimePlan South East teacher socials where you can meet teachers who are teaching at schools in your placement area.
  • opportunities to aid your professional development.
  • pay to scale.
If you are interested in applying for this science teaching position in Tonbridge, Kent, Please apply online today or call on 01732 373340. TimePlan are the number one teaching agency for jobs in the south east.

Primary School Job of the Day

Are you a Qualified Primary School Teacher looking for a PPA role to commence February 2016 in Kent ?

TimePlan Education, working in partnership with their client school, is looking for an exceptional teacher to undertake a PPA cover. The successful candidate must have taught successfully across KS1 and KS2. The position is a full-time contract starting February 2016 and running until the summer term initially. The successful candidate must be committed to achieving high standards and able to inspire students across the ability range at primary level.

This Primary school situated on beautiful grounds was awarded Ofsted Outstanding in 2015. The school was able to achieve this because the students, staff and families work together to ensure there is a lively and nurturing learning environment. This happy school boasts respect, joy, forgiveness and honesty as their core values.

To be considered for this PPA cover vacancy based in Kent you will need to;
  • show you are an imaginative and forward thinking classroom practitioner.
  • have the willingness to form part of a successful and enthusiastic team.
  • support the school ethos at all times during your working days.
  • possess excellent teaching skills and an ability to lead classes with pace and sufficient challenge.
It is essential that you understand the school's academic standing and have a sincere commitment to sharing long-term aims.
In return we offer:
  • professional classroom support from our team of headteacher consultants throughout the length of your contract.
  • a dedicated key contact at the TimePlan South East office.
  • TimePlan South East teacher socials where you can meet teachers who are teaching at schools in your placement area.
  • opportunities to aid your professional development.
  • pay to scale.
If you are interested in applying for this PPA cover position in Kent, please apply online today or call on 01732 373 340.
TimePlan are the number one teaching agency for jobs in the south east.

Thursday 4 February 2016

TimePlan want Me to Teach in the UK- WooHoo!


Hello all that are reading our blog here in TimePlan, South East!
I hope you exist otherwise I am writing to myself :)

I have spoken to a lot of amazing Canadians recently who have gathered information on coming over and working with us.
It is all very exciting especially for me as I am the newest member of the team and so thrilled to meet and greet these wonderful teachers.

I have been asked a lot of questions and I wanted to possibly address some here to help others hoping to make the move.
As you graduate from school I know the anxiousness that can build up in regards travelling across the world to not only travel and experience a new culture but also, take up employment and start a potential life-long career.

I, myself, moved to Kent in November so I am discovering new places all the time. My favourite thing so far is being so close to London and Europe. I have always loved going into the big city of London and exploring the sights, I also love going to the theatre and eating out, who wouldn't ?
Also, Paris is a train ride away from Kent- how amazing is that? direct from Kent in a couple of hours and you could be climbing the Eiffel Tower or seeing Mickey in Disneyland-give me the latter any day ;)

The reason I moved to Kent is because my American husband found work with our office as a Primary Teacher. It was hard finding him work as he had no experience in the UK and lots of other agencies required UK experience before looking at him. When we were in Wales-where I am from- he volunteered in my old Primary school which benefited him greatly.

Aforementioned Piggy and Jimmy

Luckily, I was on google one day and found TimePlan who saw my husband's potential and couldn't wait to speak with him. Within a week he was interviewing in schools and in the same week he got the Year 5 job offer he has now.
Piggy and Jimmy, our cats, got thrown (gently) into the car and 4 hours later we were starting a new chapter.

As I have said I am new in the office but I just love chatting with people who are enthusiastic about exploring the UK and becoming a great, experienced teacher and if anyone has any questions they can contact me any time and I will answer as soon as I can.





 The process may be a little overwhelming and can seem a little too much too early but there are a shortage of Primary teachers and a lot of jobs so, we like to get things moving as soon as we can and we don't miss a beat so the teacher can have the pick of the bunch!

However, it is our job to get you here and it is our job to keep you happy so please take a deep breath and let us know if you don't quite understand anything or need guidance.

How we operate 
First, we will call you to chat, get to know you initially and what you want from your experience. We will also tell you what we offer and how it all works. This is the first time, potentially, that we speak but it is just a chat and nothing formal so ask what you want or tell us to go away -nicely- and call again and we will be more than happy to do so ;)
After this, if all is satisfied that you are seriously considering coming to the UK, that you are a qualified teacher and that you love teaching then we will put you forward for an interview with TimePlan. This will give you the opportunity to shine, we will ask questions based on your actual teaching style and management whether you be qualified or currently still training.
Once the interview is complete and you have answered questions to a satisfactory level then we will begin the process of getting you to the UK and starting your time as a teacher here. Easy, right?

There are a list of documents that we will need and we will gather these over time depending on your availability date but they are all attainable and nothing crazy.

Once you have your visa-if needed- and booked your flight we will collect you from the airport, bring you to our office to check all documents and get bank accounts set up etc etc.
Then we will take you to your hotel and go from there.....

In terms of accommodation we spend a lot of time helping our teachers get the best place for them.
The most affordable and efficient places to stay, especially initially, are in house shares. These are more and more popular especially since they usually include bills, are very economical and have the opportunity of meeting other young professionals that could introduce you to the best galleries, watering holes, restaurants, museums or sights. We will set up a couple of viewings for you so that you are not thrown into only having one choice and you can make your own informed decision.

I will draw a line here and ask for any other questions to be sent my way and maybe I will make this a regular spot if enough people need help!

Don't worry, life is good and it is just a phone call to a wonderful Welsh girl away-that is me!

Ruth

ruth.culbreth@timeplan.net
+44 (0) 1732 373 340