Teach Primary Issue 19.6

Schools go from grey to green Thousands of young people across England are taking part in the National Education Nature Park programme, and supporting global biodiversity research by mapping out the habitats on their school sites. The National Education Nature Park, commissioned by the Department for Education and led by the Natural History Museumworking with the Royal Horticultural Society and other partners, sees young people turning areas in their schools from ‘grey to green’ through creating new habitats such as ponds, green walls and grasslands. More than 1,000 schools are now creating a map of the habitats on their site, recording an area of over 11 million square metres, (equating to around 8,800 Olympic-size swimming pools!), working alongside the Natural History Museum to help inform decisions on how to improve biodiversity. Sign up at educationnaturepark.org.uk www.teachwire.net | 9 I N EVERY I SSUE Look ahead | Book ahead Q & A What a good boy Achilles, a Norwich Terrier from Danson Primary School in Welling, Kent, has just been crowned the UK’s very first School Dog of the Year, receiving his award at a ceremony in the Palace of Westminster. The four-year-old terrier has been a much-loved presence and integral part of the school community at Danson Primary for the past three years. His responsibilities include taking centre stage at the school’s weekly attendance assembly, where he hands out his very own ‘Achilles Attendance’ awards and other certificates. He also meets pupils at the school gate, helping children who find it difficult to attend school by accompanying them to their classroom. Throughout the day, he supports individual pupils, observing them as they play or read, offering a comforting, non-judgemental presence. Read more at tinyurl.com/tp-SchoolDog2025 Danny Robins Writer, broadcaster and journalist 1.Why did youdecide towrite a children’s book? It’s something I’ve been thinking about for a while – we found we have lots of young fans of the Uncanny podcast and show, so it seemed like the natural next step. Ghost stories are almost universal, too; you could ask anyone of any age, anywhere in the world, and start an interesting conversation. 2. Aren’t ghost stories a bit scary? Absolutely not – as I explain in the book, there’s a big difference between something being scary and being spooky . The book is definitely spooky – it encourages the reader to lean into that sort of tingly feeling you get when something is unknown, but it’s not scary in that it’d make you want to close the book and run away. 3.What will children learn from this book? There are so many teaching points in ghost stories – we look into the science of certain phenomena, and explain things like how human hearing works, and why we’re afraid of the dark. We also learn about historical figures, from Queen Victoria I to Tupak Shakur, but all within the framework of ghost stories. Children can become detectives and investigate the evidence on both sides of the debate, and learn that disagreeing with someone doesn’t mean we need to be enemies, so there’s a critical thinking element too. Do You Believe in Ghosts? (£8.99, Puffin) by Danny Robins, illustrated by Ellen Walker, is out on 25 September 2025 . * IMP Software’s 2025 MAT CFO Insights Survey ©Helen Oxenbury of MATs report that they don’t have enough funding for the SEND provision they need to provide.* 80% CHRISTMAS JUMPER DAY! To celebrate Save the Children’s annual Christmas Jumper Day on 11 Dec, ‘Head of Wool’ Shaun the Sheep is running a prize draw for schools to win model workshops with Aardman. Sign up at christmasjumperday.org ON A BEAR HUNT Run, don’t walk, to Helen Oxenbury’s first solo exhibition, opening 4 October at the Harley Gallery. Work includes her classic illustrations from We’re Going on a Bear Hunt . Visit Harleyfoundation .org.uk © Rich Lakos