The Teacher in You
Evadne Bygrave
hosted our recent webinar offering support to parents struggling to home school in what we hope will be one of the last lockdowns that will involve children being kept out of school.
The current pandemic has caused major disruptions to the lives of each and every one of us, not just in the UK, but all over the world. But one of the main casualties of this pandemic is children losing out on education and the increasing pressures imposed on parents to be teachers, often whilst holding down another full time job.
This webinar was created, to empower parents by raising their confidence to enable them to support their children through home schooling. Parents have a natural ability to teach and the key objective was to give parents a safe space to explore and develop this instinctive skill.
To get everyone started on this line of thought, Evadne carried out an exercise with attendees to get them thinking about what things they had already taught their children. This helped raised their awareness of how they had already been teaching their children, in a wide variety of ways already, and drawing attention to the creative ways we teach without even realising it.
Parents then had a chance to talk in smaller breakout rooms about the challenges they had and the ways they had already overcome many of the problems along the way. This gave them a chance to share experiences and fill in the gaps they still had.
Some of the ideas that came out of the discussions were:
Routine is key, everyone agreed on this.
Everyone has different experiences of on-line learning. Some people are working, some people are available all day. Some schools have a daily on-line timetable, other schools don’t.
Home schooling this time round is a little easier than the first time. Parents and schools are more prepared, and have better solutions, such as ‘Live Lessons’.
Social media, gaming time and device management is harder than ever as this is children’s only social connection with their peers and the outside world.
Creative ideas for tackling the curriculum, you know your child best so use you sense of humour when things get tough – for example, interview your phone and write a newspaper article or story about it; create a comprehension based on their favourite film.
Hayley Nicholas then shared her moving story on the challenges of accessing support for SEN children and how parents might get round these challenges and access the support their children desperately need, in order to access education. All local authorities have an obligation to provide information about how you can access SEN information in your area. Here is an example from Hertfordshire below.
Accessing SEN support links:
One of the themes that came out of the discussion was children’s mental health, and the support available to parents and their children. We have shared some links below.
Children’s mental health links:
Schools in Mind is a free network for school staff and allied professionals which shares practical, academic and clinical expertise regarding the wellbeing and mental health issues that affect schools.
This is for you if you volunteer, work or are studying to work with infants, children, teenagers or adults. MindEd has e-learning applicable across the health, social care, education, criminal justice and community settings. It is aimed at anyone from beginner through to specialist.
Wiltshire Early Mental Health Service, run by Barnardo’s. This website has lots of practical tips and advice about supporting children and young people’s mental health focusing on a range of different subjects.
Information about the Anna Freud National Centre for Children and Families
Angelique Vassel founder of Walk With Me gave a short presentation on the work her organisation is doing to rebuild and strengthen family relationships using a non-violent resistant approach.
You can find out more about Angelique Vassel and her work at:
and email her at info@walkwithmeuk.co.uk
You may also find some of these links useful:
We hope you find this summary useful, if you would like to know about other webinars that will help during these times please have a look here:
The Steve Sinnott Foundation • February 9, 2021
The 2026 UNESCO UK ASPnet Seeds of Hope Competition Online Awards Ceremony took place on 30 September 2026 and was attended by over 70 participants, including young people, teachers, the Competition Judges and UNESCO Commission representatives. The ethos of the Competition was ‘ to recognise, value and celebrate the efforts of all young people who entered the Competition, and their contribution towards helping UNESCO realise many of its key objectives, especially with regard to sustainability and climate challenges’. 2026 is the second year that UNESCO UK has undertaken the Seeds of Hope for a Better Future Competition. The Competition featured 50 projects, involving 13 countries across six continents, and representing 67 educational institutions from all sectors (early years, primary, secondary and tertiary). Significantly, this was more than double the participation in the 2025 Competition, with thousands of young people taking part in, or being impacted . Eight winners from Brazil, Ghana, Kenya, Nigeria and Slovenia received Gold Certificates and shared the £5000 prize pot. Seven Kenyan Teacher Training College projects were also collectively recognised for projects that strongly support the sustainability and climate change objectives of UNESCO through ongoing work of local, regional, national and international importance, and received the 2026 UNESCO UK ASPnet Seeds of Hope Legacy Award .
A moment to be proud of and a reminder of why young people’s voices matter. Today, artwork created by students from UNESCO ASPnet UK schools on the theme of peace was presented to Pope Leo XIV at UNESCO Headquarters in Paris, alongside artwork from young people in other countries. What an amazing opportunity for our students to have their creativity, ideas and hopes represented on an international stage. For me, this is what UNESCO ASPnet is about: creating opportunities for young people to connect across cultures, express themselves creatively, learn from one another and imagine a better future together. The power of young people’s creativity: their voices being part of an international conversation about education, peace, culture and our shared future. UNESCO’s programme for Pope Leo XIV’s visit specifically focused on education, artistic creation, AI, information integrity and peace. The work was part of a mural that brings together 80 original creations marking UNESCO’s 80th anniversary, produced as part of the "International Youth for Peace" competition organized by France TV and UNESCO.
Most of us want to leave the world a little better than we found it. Whether that's through the people we love, the values we pass on, or the causes we care about, we all hope our legacy will make a difference. One of the simplest ways to do that is by writing a will. This autumn, we are proud to be taking part in the Change Starts with a Will campaign, allowing our supporters to write or update their will free of charge through our trusted partner, Octopus Legacy. Why writing a will matters Writing a will isn't just about deciding who inherits your possessions. It's about making sure your wishes are respected and providing peace of mind for the people you care about. Having a will means you can: Protect the people you love. Make important decisions about your estate. Reduce uncertainty for your family. Leave a lasting gift to a cause that reflects your values. Many people put off writing a will, believing it's something to think about later in life. In reality, it's one of the most important documents you'll ever create. A legacy that supports education Steve Sinnott dedicated his life to championing education as a fundamental human right. His belief was simple but powerful: every child deserves the opportunity to learn, and every teacher deserves the support they need to inspire future generations. Today, we continue that mission by working with partners across the world to improve access to quality education, strengthen teaching and support communities where education can change lives. When you choose to leave a gift in your will to The Steve Sinnott Foundation, you're helping ensure that this work can continue for years to come. After taking care of family and friends, even a small gift could help provide learning opportunities, strengthen education systems and create brighter futures for generations to come. A gift that lasts beyond a lifetime Legacy gifts play an important role in helping charities plan for the future. Your support could help us continue investing in sustainable education projects, supporting teachers and ensuring more children have access to the education they deserve. It's a powerful way to ensure your values live on long into the future. Write your will for free As part of our Autumn 2026 campaign, we're offering supporters the opportunity to write or update their will free of charge through Octopus Legacy. There is no obligation to leave a gift to The Steve Sinnott Foundation, but we hope you'll consider remembering us after you've taken care of those closest to you. Together, we can continue Steve Sinnott's vision of a world where education changes lives. Find out more If you've been thinking about writing your will, there's never been a better time. Our free will service is available until 31 October 2026 , making it easy to protect the people you love while considering the lasting impact your legacy could have on education worldwide. https://octopuslegacy.com/online-will?channel=partner Change starts with a will. And together, we can help create a future where education is accessible to everyone.
