Primary Times Oxfordshire Winter 2017

news & views
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Egg-citing News!
The official launch event for The Adventures of Egg Box
Dragon at The Story Museum in Oxford was something of
a sad and joyous affair. The book was the last written by
Richard Adams before he died last year, but its launch was
a reminder of how wonderful his writing is. As the author
of Watership Down (amongst others) Adams has delighted
children with his tales for years and at the event Mr Adams’
daughters Rosamond and Juliet who lives in Oxford pledged
£5,000 to the museum’s funds so that children can continue
to enjoy the work that the Story Museum does.
Tish Francis co-director of Story Museum said, ‘Richard
Adams is a literary hero and he and his family have been
great supporters of the Story Museum from the outset. We
were delighted to host the christening of his last book”, The
Egg Box Dragon and hope lots of children will enjoy reading
this beautifully illustrated story.
Rare baby White Rhino born at Cotswold
Wildlife Park & Gardens
The adorable male
is the newest arrival
at the Park. At
one-week old, he
weighed around
eleven stone and
is proving to be
a high-spirited
and boisterous
youngster.
The calf, named
Alan, is only the
fourth White Rhino
to be born at the
Burford collection
since it opened in
1970. Births in captivity are considered extremely
rare, with only thirteen White Rhinos being born in
European zoos in the last twelve months.
The White Rhino is living proof of conservation
PHOTO: JACKIE THOMAS
success. They were
once the rarest
subspecies of any
Rhino and were on the
verge of extinction in
the early 1900s when
it was believed some
fifty animals remained
in the wild. However,
poaching for their horn
remains their biggest
threat. The false belief
that Rhino horn can
cure cancer and
other life-threatening
diseases has resulted
in a population slaughter of 1054 Rhinos in South
Africa alone in 2016. Three of the five Rhino species
- the Black, Javan and Sumatran - are critically
endangered.
Friends of the Earth launch
free primary school resource
to help tackle air pollution
97% of teachers & parents recommend
Friends of the Earth’s Clean Air
Schools Pack
Environmental charity Friends of the Earth
launched a Clean Air Schools Pack on 1st
November - a free educational resource to help
primary school students learn about air pollution.
The launch of the pack, endorsed by the National
Union of Teachers, coincides with new guidance
from the National Education Union which urges
schools to monitor air pollution and learn about
pollution in lessons.
Children are particularly vulnerable to the
effects of air pollution. Dirty air can cause and
worsen asthma, impact brain development and
even lead to smaller lung development. There
are currently over 2000 schools, colleges and
nurseries located in places with illegal levels of
dirty air.
The packs contain three lesson plans to
help transform pupils into budding scientists;
including air monitoring tubes which allow
students to test for the harmful gas nitrogen
dioxide. The pupils then get the opportunity to
learn campaigning skills to make their voices
heard; including how to write a persuasive letter
to local politicians and how to run a poster
competition to raise awareness in their school.
Also included is a fun and active assembly plan,
colourful posters and materials, and ‘I love Clean
Air’ stickers.
The launch follows a successful pilot with 200
primary schools in which 97% of teachers and
parents said they would recommend the pack.
To order a Clean Air Schools Pack go to:
https://act.foe.co.uk/act/order-your-clean-airschools-pack
Oxfordshire Hospital School is a special
school that provides education for children of
school age who are admitted to hospital and
also educates children at home and at Helen
& Douglas House. Last year, the school was rated
inadequate after inspectors said it was not doing
enough to ensure pupils were safe.
Over the course of the last 9 months, the school
has worked hard with Oxford County Council and
has really turned things around, resulting in an
Outstanding rating in all areas from Ofsted.
In her statement on the school’s website,
Headteacher Angela Ransby said “Today feels like
a rebirth for the OHS; a reawakening of the whole
school, now working as one highly effective body
of outstanding teaching. Ofsted’s judgement has
liberated us. It means we can now move on as a
unified school, to do the things we believe in as one
of the most successful providers of education for
children with medical needs in the UK.”
The Heat Goes On
South Oxfordshire Heat, basketball club for
children of all ages and abilities recently hosted
an Under 10 tournament at Didcot Girls School.
With 32 points from the current league topscorer
Reeve Mahalingham, The Heat were the
most successful team on the day.
About 70 girls and boys from seven primary
schools competed, and there will be three
further under 10s tournaments during the
season before the league winners are crowned
in May. Although the club always play to win,
they retain a family atmosphere and put fun and
laughter above everything.
The Heat also welcomed Oxford Eagles
the long running wheelchair basketball
club for children based in Oxford into their
ranks recently. The Eagles has re-branded as
Oxfordshire Heat The decision to change the
club name and logo has been taken to reinforce
the close working ties between the basketball
clubs and to continue to foster growth of
wheelchair basketball opportunities for youth
and adult players in Oxford. South Oxfordshire
Heat Club Trustee Shiv Mahalingham added:
“The unification of the clubs will open up
basketball to many restricted mobility children
and adults in Oxford and we plan to enter a
league next season for those all-important
competition opportunities.”
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Primary Times WINTER Issue | www.primarytimes.net/oxfordshire