Updating the primary level educational curriculum is perhaps overdue. The world has changed significantly since the last review and our schooling standards need to reflect the social and technological changes incorporated in these updates. Background reading for interested parents.

From The Department of Children Schools and Families

The curriculum lies at the heart of the government’s policies to raise standards and help every school to improve all of the time. Our curriculum should help children become the very best they can be. We live in a changing world, and our curriculum has to evolve to prepare our children for the opportunities and challenges of life in the 21st century.

Following a review by Sir Jim Rose and consultation by QCDA, a new primary curriculum from September 2011 was announced on 19 November.

This new curriculum will be organised around six broad areas of learning to help schools and children make coherent links across all their learning. It is a model that advocates direct subject teaching, complemented by serious and challenging cross-curricular studies which provide ample opportunities for children to use and apply their subject knowledge in order to deepen understanding. The next step is to implement the new curriculum by creating the new areas of learning in law through the Children, Schools and Families Bill, currently before Parliament.

Religious Education, though not part of the National Curriculum, remains a statutory subject and part of the basic Primary Curriculum. An illustrative programme of learning will be published in January.
Related downloads

Areas of Learning

* Essentials for learning and life (doc, 70kb)
* Understanding the arts  (doc, 108kb)
* Understanding English (doc, 108kb)
* Historical geographical and social understanding (doc, 91kb)
* Mathematical understanding (doc, 105kb)
* Understanding physical development (doc, 32kb)
* Scientific and technological understanding (doc, 107kb)

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UK tea drinkers consume 165 million cups a day. And 66% of UK tea consumers buy Fairtrade or would be in favour of their preferred tea brand converting to Fairtrade, according to a poll commissioned by international development charity Traidcraft.

The poll is published on International Tea Day, and tea drinkers are already making their views known, having sent over 20,000 postcards to the five brands that dominate the market – PG Tips, Tetleys, Twinings, Typhoo and Yorkshire Tea – calling for them to go Fairtrade.

The call is backed by the Women’s Institute and by Traidcraft, both of whom helped set up the Fairtrade Foundation, which awards the Fairtrade Mark.

An estimated 20 million people in the developing world rely on tea for their livelihoods and UK tea lovers understand the importance of giving tea producers a fair deal with 64% of tea buyers willing to pay more for Fairtrade tea.

The poll also revealed that Welsh tea drinkers top the survey with 25% of Welsh adults drinking five or more cups of tea per day, compared to only 11% of Scots.

The Network of Asian Producers, which includes tea producers in India and Sri Lanka, recently passed a resolution at their General Assembly in Chenai, recognising the unique benefits of Fairtrade: “While there are many labels in the market, Fairtrade is the only scheme which is producer owned, has a good track record on development and is best equipped to provide a better deal for producers via the assurance of a minimum guaranteed price and premium for our development.”

Camilla Porter, Traidcraft head of campaigns, said: “The big tea brands are lagging behind popular consumer brands like Starbucks, Tate & Lyle, Cadbury’s Dairy Milk and Nestlé’s KitKat, which have all made a commitment to Fairtrade.

“Right now there are 80 registered Fairtrade tea producers with spare Fairtrade tea to sell. PG Tips, Tetleys, Twinings, Typhoo and Yorkshire Tea have 72% of the market. Their commitment to Fairtrade would make a lasting difference to the lives of millions of tea workers. 

“The UK is truly a nation of tea lovers and the massive response by consumers calling for Fairtrade shows that they care about the people in the developing world who grow and pick the tea leaves to make our daily cuppas.” 

NFWI Chair Ruth Bond said “As founder members of the Fairtrade Foundation, the WI has long campaigned for many of our household goods to be produced to the Fairtrade standard, which ensures that producers in the developing world get a fair deal.

“This campaign gives tea companies a great opportunity to build on any ethical commitments they already have and show consumers that they are truly committed to giving their tea producers a fair deal.

Ordinary shoppers will really benefit from having a clearly recognisable standard on their favourite tea brand, which can help inform their choices when they do their weekly shopping.”

Eileen Oraputi is a tea picker at an estate in Kenya that is not currently benefitting from Fairtrade. She is 50 years old, and has seven children. She relies on loans to pay for school fees, and feels sick with worry about money. Photo: Traidcraft/David Ngetich 

Adriano benefits from Fairtrade and is a tea plucker at Kibena in Tanzania. Kibena have used the Fairtrade premium to invest in improvements at the primary school, cycle tracks to benefit the tea workers and wider community and a maternity ward. Photo: Traidcraft/Richard Else

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It’s the final week of free Xmas offers from Life²…

Another FREE booklet – for one week only!
Throughout December we have been posting some offers and goodies on our website, and this is the final week of these offers!  This week we are giving away free downloads of ‘How to live ethically’ (worth £5) – our guide to help you think about your values and how you can live in line with them – including developing your own ‘ethical action plan’ – visit our shop to download it.

Xmas²
Our booklet ‘Xmas² – how to have a better Xmas’ is still available to download for FREE from www.lifesquared.org.uk until Xmas.

The beautifully designed, 44-page Xmas² booklet provides a range of ideas and practical tips on how you can have a truly memorable festive experience – one with less consumerism, pressure and waste, and with more of the things that make festive celebrations great, including people, fun, relaxation, generosity, compassion and the opportunity to reflect.  It also promotes a sustainable approach to Xmas.  Ultimately, it’s about remembering what’s important, in both Xmas and life generally.  Critically, in these financially stretched times, it involves spending less – rather than more – money.

We are giving away free downloads of the booklet from the shop at www.lifesquared.org.uk until Xmas.  These booklets normally cost £5 each, so this is a real bargain!

Xmas gift ideas
Looking to buy something useful and personal for a friend or relative this Xmas?  Why not buy them a place on our just think… course – it could be the best present they’ve ever had!  Also, have a look through our Life² Library for some recommended books or our publications section to buy a selection of some books or booklets!

That’s it for now!  Do keep visiting us at www.lifesquared.org.uk to check out our other publications, courses and consultancy and please do help us to spread the word about Life² to anyone else who you think might be interested in our work!
 
All the best,
 
Richard Docwra
Director
Life²
www.lifesquared.org.uk
info@lifesquared.org.uk
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Over the last few weeks the MoreEco team have been gathering information on Winter eco-getaways … we’ve scoured the web so you don’t have to!

Whether you’re trying to find a romantic holiday, a family trip, or just some eco bits and pieces for your suitcase, the MoreEco team have everything to make your winter holiday eco-perfect!

• Eco Winter Holidays: For Couples
• Eco Winter Holidays: For Families
• Eco Winter Products: For Your WashBag
• Eco Winter Products: To Keep You Warm
• Eco Winter Products: Holiday Gadgets

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Below we have listed 10 way to keep yourself Eco-Healthy these holidays.

1. Take Your Vitamins! Keeping healthy on the inside is one of the best ways to feel healthy on the outside. Make sure to get your supplements from eco-friendly stores such as Higher Nature or Holland and Barrett. Keeping your body healthy stops you from craving extra foods and therefore creating surplus waste!

2. Use Natural Skin Products There are plenty of eco-stores selling amazing green skin products that use only natural ingredients and haven’t been tested on animals. These products are kinder on your skin and produced more sustainably than other commercial cosmetic products. Once you’ve finished your current foundation or body lotion replace it with more natural products and reap the benefits.

3. Organic, Unbleached Clothing and Bedding Products Kinder on your skin and good for the environment try to buy un-dyed and un-bleached clothing and bedding wherever possible.

4. Exercise Outside Avoid the gym and exercise outside instead! Running, yoga, power-walking, swimming… a lot of these activities can be done outdoors saving you money and lowering your carbon footprint!

5. Eat ‘Green’ Foods Try to eat organic, fairtrade, natural, un-processed and local foods. Not only are these better for the environment but cutting out processed foods has been proven to be better for your health and your body! Drink plenty of water instead of carbonated drinks and try to snack on natural plants, seeds and products.

6. Turn It Off Turn off your electronic products. Try to avoid charging your phone or laptop unnecessarily and avoid some of the health risks that can come with using a computer or phone too much. Cut out those headaches, save on your energy bill and reduce your carbon footprint all in one!

7. Spend Time Outside Get some fresh air! Spending more time outdoors is better for your body and helps avoid spending hours in front of the Tv.

8. Go Vintage! Shopping at thrift stores saves you money and can revamp your wardrobe to bring you into the fashion-forward lane! Look amazing whilst recycling old clothes, what a great excuse to go shopping.

9. Plan Ahead! Sticking to your goals and plans without being distracted by the commercialisation of the world can help keep you focused and happy. You can save money simply by sticking to your shopping list and not being taken in by the fancy displays! Never get the post-shopping blues again!

10. Walk the Dog Walking the dog combines exercise, fresh air and bonding with your special pet! Getting outside of the house for a set amount of time each day can reduce stress and help keep you (and your pooch) trim… what an eco treat!

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Learn about green roofs and how to build them.

24-25 April 2010

www.brightonpermaculture.org.uk

Brighton Permaculture Trust is an active member of Ethical Junction, learn more

Learn how to propagate fruit trees by grafting on this practical course.
14 August 2010

Brighton Permaculture Trust is an active member of Ethical Junction, learn more

How to grow fruit, nuts, salads and perennial vegetables as a low maintenance, highly productive garden ecosystem. Includes a site visit.
Course 1: 26-27 June 2010
Course 2: 3-4 July 2010

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YouGen is calling on people who already generate renewable energy in their home to share their experience so others can learn from it. As a reward, everyone who rates their their supplier on the website will be entered into a monthly draw to win a GEO Minim Home Energy Hub.

“Prices for renewable energy installations such as biomass boilers or solar hot water panels vary enormously,” said YouGen founder Cathy Debenham. “ I know from experience that it’s really difficult to evaluate quotes that can vary by over £10,000. Many people give up and stay with conventional products.

“Most people who have installed renewable energy at home have a story to tell. The YouGen website aims to capture what they’ve learned to make it easier for the next wave of microgenerators. At the heart of the site is the ability to rate your installer, so people new to the market can find one they can trust.”

The need for a service such as this has just been confirmed by research from Oxford University (http://bit.ly/5yFYHg) which shows prices for wood-fuelled boilers varying from just over £3k to £16.5k, and solar hot water systems prices varying from £1,000 to £8,000.

From December 2008 YouGen will enter everyone who rates their installer / supplier on the site into a draw at the end of each month. The winner will be sent a GEO Minim Home Energy Hub worth £39.50.

“We’re delighted to be able to offer a Minim as the prize in our monthly draw,” added Cathy. “One of the difficulties that most of us have with our energy use is that we don’t understand it. We chose to work with GEO as their energy meter was found the most effective and easy to use in recent research by the Centre for Sustainable Energy.”

“The Minim Home Energy Monitor makes energy relevant to you,” said James Rankin, marketing and UK sales manager at Green Energy Options. “It makes energy visible by showing you, in a snapshot, how much electricity you are using currently and over time, and it displays this in an easy to understand way. It will also indicate when you are using more electricity than normal alerting you to potential wastage so that you can take action to stop it. The Minim uses a ‘speedometer’ to indicate how much electricity is being used as well as showing consumption in £’s, KG’s of carbon and kWh’s.”

Rating a supplier on YouGen is quick and easy. Companies are scored out of five in five categories: service, product knowledge, explanation of how to use the product, value for money and whether the product meets expectations.  They can add comments and are asked if they would use the company again.

“In such a new market, it’s often not possible to ask a friend or colleague for recommendations,” said Cathy Debenham. “Recommendations on YouGen aim to plug that gap, and help people to choose their supplier.”

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Good Green Gifts is offering all ethical pulse readers a special 12 days of christmas discount. When shopping at Good Green Gifts, readers can enter the code 12DAYS when they reach checkout and they will receive a random discount ranging from 5% to 40% on their Christmas shopping. The offer runs until 19th December (last pre Christmas shopping day).

This year’s hot Christmas buys are:

  1) A fairly traded safari animal

2) Sustainably produced solitaire

3) A deer garden kneeler

4) Mr Robothead (wind up flashing toy)

5) A lovely handmade cosy tea cosy

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