Issue No. 6 Autumn Term 2007 / Produced by the World Education Centre
on behalf of the North-West Wales ESDGC Forum
Is your school doing something interesting? Do you know of any new resources or special events? Please send contributions for the Spring newsletter to Sheila Bennell at the World Education Centre
Is your school doing something interesting? Do you know of any new resources or special events? Please send contributions for the Spring newsletter to Sheila Bennell at the World Education Centre
Opportunities for schools – don’t delay!
There are still several opportunities for schools to develop ESDGC this year:
- three £500 grants for schools to develop ESDGC.
- opportunities for 2 schools to work with ESDGC peer mentors.
- 4 places on the Philosophy for Global Citizenship course on 2nd and 3rd October
- 9 places on the HIV/AIDs course in November.
To secure your places please contact Sheila Bennell without delay.
Would you like to become a FairtradeSchool?
From September, the World Education Centre will have a dedicated teacher available to support you towards becoming a Fairtrade school. Contact Angie Roberts at or on 01248 671214to arrange a visit to your school.
Find out all about how to become a Fair-trade school in Wales at
The first issue of the Fairtrade Schools newsletter (July 2007) is available from the UK Fairtrade website, fur along with further inspiration and resources.
DFID Global Schools Partnerships
DFID Global School Partnerships promotes partnerships between schools in the UK and schools in Africa, Asia, Latin America and the Caribbean.For those schools interested in applying for funding, DFID are running a free Grant Preparation Seminar in LlandrindodWells on 24th September. This seminar will look at the principles of good partnerships and the application process.Two types of grant are available:
Reciprocal Visit grants (Next application deadline: 1 November 2007) andGlobal Curriculum Project grants(Next application deadline: 1 March 2008)
If your school is interested in this programme but unable to attend you can contact our team direct for advice on developing your partnership and preparing a grant application. Tel: 0131 524 5780Email:
See also the on-line guide at:
Good Practice Presentation
Ysgol Llanllechid, Gwynedd was awarded a DFID Reciprocal Visit Grant for 2006-7 by the British Council to strengthen its educational links with MavisvillePreparatory School in Kingston, Jamaica and has since been awarded a Curriculum Development Grant to develop the project further. In June 2007 the school was invited to present an overview of their link to the British Council’s Good Practice Network at the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff, where there were delegates from all over the UK as well as from the Southern Hemisphere countries.
China, Ghana Visits
Teachers from several schools in North Wales were fortunate to visit other countries, including China and Ghana, over the summer. There will be a full report in the next newsletter
‘Un Ewrop’, Caernarfon, 29 November – 1 December 2007
Un Ewrop’ (from the Welsh Ewrop – meaning Europe- and pawb – meaning everyone) is an international project for all those involved in teaching history in Europe today.
It aims to establish a multilingual web site on European history for use in schools across Europe. The web site will offer a common overview of European history while also appreciating the diversity of Europe’s peoples, nations and regions. It will be a permanent international teaching and learning aid which can be used as an independent resource, available in each community’s language. In conjunction with the development of the web site participants in the project will receive in-service training and will participate in history projects with schools across Europe. A planning conference will be held as part of the annual conference held by CAER (Cymdeithas Addysg Ewrop y Rhanbarthau – Education Society of the European Regions). For further details contact: Robin Evans, Ysgol Uwchradd Bodedern (01407 741000)
Green Schools
There are 70% of Schools on Anglesey involved in this project and nearly 50% of all schools in Gwynedd. These figures include 19 new Schools in Anglesey and Gwynedd, which will be turning ‘green’ this year!!! The Project helps the schools to look after their environment by:reducing waste; save energy and natural resources; reducing and preventing pollution; look after the local environment; travelling wisely.
Recycling and Sustainable Development
We know our planet’s resources are limited. What can we do about it in our schools? As Estyn expects us all to teach ESDGC, and the new Common Standards include Health, Climate Change, Consumption and Waste, and the Natural Environment, we need a lot of help! A Welsh based organisation is proposing to offer a large wormery and online teaching resources to support this new element in our curriculum. The wormery is 1 metre wide and can be filled with apple cores, tea bags and paper, feeding the worms and recycling school waste. The children build the wormery, tend to the worms, and collect the compost at the end of the year! A bank of online bilingual lesson plans will cover many topical issues and are delivered on a cross curricular basis, i.e. through maths, science, music, ICT. For further information contact Owen Rogers at:
Debate for Wales!
Organised by CEWC-Cymru, and sponsored by Julian Hodge Bank, the 2007 Wales Schools Debating Championships is open to every secondary school in Wales, with the regional rounds being held between 1-19 October. Contact CEWC-Cymru on 029 2022 8549; e-mail
Careers Wales – Education Business Partnership
Activities raising awareness of ESDGC amongst teachers and pupils will be offered again this term.
In September, a number of primary schools will receive their Spring Bulbs for School pack fromthe NationalMuseum. By planting their own bulbs, each pupil will take part in collecting and comparing information on nature and climate change.
Over the next few months, primary and secondary schools will have the opportunity to familiarise with the Moelyci Environmental Centre, Tregarth. Anita Daimond, Education Officer says that projects such as the allotments and market garden contribute to the ecological, environmental and ESDGC elements of the curriculum.
SnowdoniaNational Park will be offering days to promote the Interactive Jigsaw for Meirion Dwyfor teachers. The project looks at sustainability of ruralareas, the need for jobs, affordable housing, the types of planning allowed and their location, and the need for alternative energy.
Nia Haf Jones form the North Wales Wildlife Trust will be raising awareness of our rich marine environment, and the need to protect it for future generations.
Remember also that teachers will soon be invited to spend a day at the new RSPB Centre at Conwy.
Free copies of Shompa Lives in India!
The World Education Centre has a limitednumber of free copies of Christian Aid’s Shompa Lives in India, a big book suitable for KS1 and KS2. If you would like one of these books, which tell the daily life of a girl in India through superb photographs, please contact Sheila Bennell at The World Education Centre on 01248 383728 or by email
Welsh Baccalaureate resource guide
Robin Evans of Ysgol Uwchradd Bodedern has completed a resource guide for the unitWales, Europe and the World. It will shortly be available on the Cynnal website.
Is your school doing something interesting? Do you know of any new resources or special events? Please send contributions for the Spring newsletter to Sheila Bennell at the World Education Centre
NEW RESOURCES
Oxfam
Oxfam has a series of new education resources available for teachers to tackle issues that are in the news. And FREE ONLINE NOW!
G8 teaching materials
If you or your pupils were involved in Make Poverty History and want to know how world leaders are doing on keeping their promises to reduce debt ,make trade fair, and increase aid, these resources will help you. Link your teaching to the latest G8 summitand explore the issues behind the headlines
Climate Chaos: Exploring the Human Cost of Climate Change Bring this hugely important global issue to life using our series of lesson plans that are designed to work as a week of cross-curricular themed activities, but can also be used separately. Aimed at 9-11 year olds, Climate Chaos investigates the causes of climate change,the impacts - particularly on those in developing countries, and how youngpeople's own choices can make a difference.
Oxfam are currently developing a new website for teachers that will replace the existing Cool Planet site.
Be the first to find out about new teaching resources from Oxfam – sign up to their termly e-newsletter:
News think!
News think! Is a free secondary educational resource from the Red Cross which is available by subscribing at
Four news stories and discussion points are emailed to subscribers - citizenship and PSHE teachers, form tutors and headteachers - every fortnight during term time. A recent comment from a PSHE teacher was "Really well thought out education materials - easy to use but not simple or facile".
New Christian Aid learning website
Get Real
Together TV, with Christian Aid have produced this Global Citizenship DVD-rom teaching pack for students aged 11-14. It contains films, video stories and teaching activities exploring five issues: peace and conflict, HIV, climate change, children’s rights and gender equality. For enquiries contact
Newsademic – young readers' newspaper
Newsademic is an international newspaper for readers aged 9 – 16. It is carefully written and edited in an accessible style. Many subscribers say that Newsademic is ideal for implementing the global awareness element of Citizenship. The newspaper carries no advertising. Neither does it feature articles about television, sport, computer games, pop music or celebrity culture. The focus is on international news events – the ones which shape and affect the world that we all live in today.Newsademicis accompanied by optional foundation and core classroom activities. For more information phone 0208 816 8781, email or see their website
The Sustainability Handbook for D&T Teachers
This brand new book from Practical Action contains lots of suggestions to incorporate sustainability and global issues into design and technology teaching. Copies are £10 from
Is your school doing something interesting? Do you know of any new resources or special events? Please send contributions for the Spring newsletter to Sheila Bennell at the World Education Centre