Change4Life has launched a new Be Food Smart campaign to help children and their families discover how much sugar, saturated fat and salt is in their everyday food and drink. To support the campaign, Change4Life has created a new set of resources to help Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2 pupils understand what’s in their food and how to make healthier choices.

There are many ways to promote gender equality nowadays: running awareness campaigns to strengthen people’s understanding, broadcasting news stories on inequality to highlight injustice, writing papers to inform and educate, creating equal opportunity in the workplace... The list goes on.

A kind act is one of the most valuable human transactions that doesn’t cost anything. It cultivates an environment of care, nurture and warmth. The optimum environment for any learner.

“There is nothing either good or bad, but thinking makes it so” - William Shakespeare

At some point in our lives most of us, for one reason or another, will suffer from anxiety, which affects our ability to function as we usually would. For some young people, anxiety-based problems can be long term, debilitating and leaving them in need of outside intervention. The National Institute for Clinical Excellence (2012) estimates that as many as one in 33 children and one in eight adolescents are suffering from depression at any one time. Young people often find it helpful to talk through problems with a friend or family member, but sometimes talking to a trained professional may be a more appropriate course of action.

In 2000-2001 I was carrying out action research for my PhD, investigating why some pupils got excluded and others didn’t and what schools could do about it. I introduced meditation and sharing circles to Year 7 drama at a time when it seemed new and radical, and it had a positive impact on the pupils I was working with. I combined meditation with a ‘check in’ or listening circle which allowed pupils to:

World Values Day (20th October 2016) epitomises how people everywhere, including teachers, are passionate about doing something to make the world a better place. The conscious use of inspiring values is the transformative agent. As Aristotle said, “Educating the mind without educating the heart is no education at all.” Educationalists, who want to help children and young people live their lives to the fullest, are prioritising their pupils’ social, emotional, physical and spiritual wellbeing because they understand that learners’ welfare underpins their personal development and academic and other achievements.

To celebrate the first international World Values Day on the 20th October 2016, the Human Values Foundation is inviting children aged from 7 to 11 years to take part in its global story-writing competition. All stories must be submitted by 14th October 2016. Schools and other organisations throughout the world can take part. The stories must be original and centred around one chosen value (a list of values can be found on the HVF website). Each entry should be no more than 300 words long and can be illustrated, though this is not mandatory.

More than ever, our Primary and Secondary school children are feeling the pressures of everyday life spilling over into the classroom. This could be peer pressure from friends about having the latest phone or the coolest clothes, or the pressure children are putting on themselves by setting such high standards, or maybe conflict amongst friends which is creating ill-feeling at school.

Teenage romantic relationships can often be short-lived but powerful, with adolescents experiencing high-intensity feelings and emotions. Sometimes, a young person’s lack of experience in adult relationships can result in abusive behaviour being overlooked or ignored should it occur.

My previous articles on advice for writing personal statements have touched on the importance of students developing their social skills, as well as proving their ability to be responsible by working on community or charity related projects.