Teach-Primary-Issue-19.2

Say it withme: Kindness The Oxford Children’s Word of the Year for 2024 is ‘Kindness’, with 61 per cent of children surveyed by Oxford University Press (OUP) choosing the word. OUP’s research, which surveyed over 6,000 children aged 6-14 across the UK, showed that mental health was a reason for some children selecting ‘kindness’, as well as the ongoing global conflicts. Some of the children commented: It’s always important to be kind as a lot of people struggle with their mental health , while others noted: At the moment with all the conflict and the issues the world faces, kindness is a good way to go . To read the full Oxford Children’s Word of the Year report, head to tinyurl.com/tp-WotY24 www.teachwire.net | 9 I N EVERY I SSUE Look ahead | Book ahead Q & A Barking up the right tree The UK’s first-ever School Dog of the Year Award is here! Now open for nominations, the award has been launched by the All-Party Parliamentary Dog Advisory Welfare Group (APDAWG) and the National School Dog Alliance (NSDA), and invites schools across the country to recognise their canine companion’s extraordinary achievements. Schools are encouraged to nominate their dog for the award, which will be presented at a special ceremony at the Palace of Westminster in summer 2025. The winning school will receive a trophy, together with a fantastic prize pack for their dog, including treats and a bespoke training package. Runners-up attending the awards ceremony will receive goodie bags for their school and their dog. Nominations are open until 30 April 2025, and can be submitted via the National School Dog Alliance website at tinyurl.com/tp-SDotYA TimPeake Retired test pilot and astronaut 1.What was primary school like? I remember it as a fun experience. It’s obviously about planting the seeds of interest in education, but it’s also about growing as a person, and building friendships. 2.Whendid you first decide you wanted to go into space? I think of my two Italian colleagues, and Luca, in particular, wanted to be an astronaut since the age of four. Samantha had had her sights set on it since at least her early teens. And I think that’s because in Italy they had role models – astronauts who were members of the Human Flight Programme – whereas in the UK we didn’t have that. Helen Sharman had flown to the [Soviet space station] Mir in 1991, but that was very much a one-off, commercially sponsored flight. So I didn’t think of travelling to space until I saw an advert in my 30s. Luckily, I was already a test pilot, so I wasn’t completely unfamiliar with what was going on in space. 3. Tell usmore about theBBC’s Live Lesson for ScienceWeek Being able to show pupils a fun lesson that includes professionals sharing their knowledge is a great resource. Teachers have so much to pack in, and it can be hard to link everything to real-world examples, but being able to understand why you’re learning this maths, and how to solve problems in a world where the answers aren’t in the back of the book, is essential. Tim Peake is taking part in a KS2 BBC Live Lesson for British Science Week on 10 March 2025. Visit tinyurl.com/ tp-TimPeake for more info. *BookTrust of seven-year-olds say they enjoy reading * 33% WORLD BOOK DAY Everyone’s favourite excuse to dress up and parade their love for books is back! Falling on 6 March 2025, World Book Day has loads of resources for schools. Visit tinyurl.com/tp-WBD2025 WORLD MATHS DAY Help shift pupils’ perceptions of maths to more positive thoughts by getting them all involved in World Maths Day on 26 March 2025. Visit tinyurl.com/tp-WMD ©BBC Only