< Previous30 Time Out UAE Kids Education 2020/21 ON THE FLIP SIDE: THE PRAGMATIC PARENT Trudi Drake, mum to Ethan (ten), Lana (eight) and Oshy (six) I have mixed feelings on homework, certainly at a primary level. While I completely understand the need to nurture certain skills (daily reading for example), when the need to complete certain assignments creates tension and eats into valuable family time on the weekend, I do start to question its value. Trying to accomplish most homework during the week for busy (and tired) children – and working parents – is not always realistic. Having said that I think our children’s school has tried to get the balance right by setting optional extension exercises on top of compulsory tasks. As long as the tasks set are meaningful, enhance learning at school and not too onerous, I am supportive. Our kids do need the opportunity to get into good habits and to be able to organise their time at home, but only as long as we allow them to remain children who also have plenty of time to rest and play. The STUDIOUS STUDENT Alistair Murray, 14 I don’t really mind doing my homework, but I – and most of my friends – do think we get rather a lot of it. I play various sports such as rugby and football and training and match fixtures take up a so much of my time, which in turn means that fitting in my home learning assignments always tends to be quite tricky. But that said, I do understand the benefits of homework and why teachers set us things to work on after school. I actually do try to get my homework done as early as possible and as soon as I am given it as possible, that way it’s not hanging over me for the rest of the week. Instead I can carry on with all my extra- curricular activities safe in the knowledge that I’ve done all of the tasks set. At the end of the day, it’s like anything, it’s about managing our time. The homework is going to keep getting set regardless of whether we like it or not, so in my opinion, I believe that you just need to accept it, deal with it and get it done as best you can.Your ultimate guide to family life in the UAE. Prepare to be blown away. Dhs15. Time Out UAE Kids. On sale from the first of every month.32 Time Out UAE Kids Education 2020/21 T he list is endless from hip hop and dance fusion classes to football, rugby and cricket – oh, and have they considered parkour? We naturally want to expose our energetic little darlings to as many activities as possible... After all, what is the alternative? iPads, PlayStations and endless YouTube videos of surprise eggs being unwrapped. But at what point do we, as parents, say “enough is enough”? My Sports Academy (MSA), winners of the best fitness organisation category at the Time Out Kids Awards 2019, provide swimming, football, netball and Tri-club for kids. The organisation’s sport development coach, Kyle Brady, believes that it is important for children to have a manageable variety of different interests from an early age. “It’s a natural and positive thing for anyone to want to experience new things,” he says. “Giving them different avenues to develop will raise their base athleticism and fitness. Plus it is positive for a child to experience a new sport and to be successful at it. But equally, I think it is important for them to experience a sport that may present more of a challenge because their reaction to that can be of greater use to their character maturation than a sport that comes naturally to them.” Ben Parnell, MSA’s head of triathlon believes that it is about finding a balance. “Children should make the most of any sporting and physical activity that is made available to them. However, it is important that this is balanced with school work, socialising, home life and relaxation time,” Parnell says. Brady explains that skills are transferable between sports, for example, learning to Extra- curricular Living in the UAE means our children have access to a wonderful world of extra-curricular activities at school, as well as plenty of external sports clubs to join. But are they too busy? “Children should make the most of any sporting activity”Time Out UAE Kids Education 2020/21 33 find the space when carrying the ball in rugby is a similar skill to keeping their head up and attacking space when dribbling a football. Perhaps more importantly though, Brady says that: “It is crucial to take up contrasting activities that can help keep young athletes from physically burning out. Swimming is a great sport on its own, but it is also great for recovery to be in a pool where kids remain active, but put less stress on their muscles while still developing their fitness levels.” However Brady is quick to point out that there does come a point when a young athlete has to choose what sport to pursue. “As children age, programmes tend to become more intensive, require more time and become more expensive. Just as you have to declare a focus at university to refine educational development, at some point the same should be done with sports,” Brady explains. “There is a certain level within each sport where the focus changes from learning basics and core skills to working on techniques and the details of the sport.” Parnell agrees. “This is usually around 15 years of age for team sports such as football, netball and rugby. Other sports such as gymnastics and swimming require a lot more time commitment so children often make their choice younger than this.” But Parnell’s advice does come with a word of warning. “As children age, programmes become more intensive” “Something to be mindful about in these situations is burnout. Children become overloaded and injured, or bored of the repetition,” he says. So how does a child, with parental support, make a decision about which sport to stick with? 34 Time Out UAE Kids Education 2020/21 “That’s easy,” Brady says. “Just go with whatever makes them happy. Let them enjoy what they do. Absolutely, let them try new things, but at some point let them follow their joy.They will be more successful and take more pride in what they do if it means something to them.” It’s imperative that children are invested in the sports they’re doing. It’s not going to benefit anyone if your child is attending a programme that they aren’t interested in because they won’t get the most out of it. “In the UAE the spectrum of extra-curricular activities is vast, so it’s important to make sure children are fully involved in the sports programmes they attend and are absorbing the information being delivered to them,” Brady points out. And while Parnell agrees with Brady that there are transferable skills between sports, he says that it is important to try a variety of disciplines to develop different skill sets. “In my 14 years of teaching PE I have seen a number of ex-gymnasts become very good physically strong athletes, but not necessarily great team players. The point here is that children need both physical prowess and game awareness,” he explains. And Brady’s advice for parents whose kids want to do everything? “Encourage their enthusiasm, but also remember you’re the parent, you’re in charge and you need to protect your child. So much is offered to children here and the benefits to their growth can be limitless, but the time you both have is not.” “In the UAE the spectrum of extra- curricula activities is vast”Time Out UAE Kids Education 2020/21 35 CONCUSSION RISKS IN SPORT Concussion Concussion is an emotive subject that has recently been linked to rugby amid growing concern for player safety and welfare. Whilst there is no doubt that rugby involves a large element of physical contact, it is still an evasion game whereby the outcome is to move the ball to space rather than merely smash to create space. However, the threat of concussion must be debated and we must strive to keep our children safe through a focus on both education and awareness. Prevention The first step to making the game safe must be the tackle. Every coach has the responsibility to ensure that young players under their care learn to tackle correctly for both their own and their opponent’s safety. The basic tackling techniques need to be clarified so that the player can learn where to place their head in the safest place according to the situation they face. Learning to tackle is not a quick-fix, one session lesson, but is a skill that is learnt and evolved as players’ progress with experience. Nonetheless, as 50 percent of the game is defending, coaches need to ensure that all players practise this essential skill regularly to remove the fear factor that inevitably comes with collision and contact. Education It is essential that parents and coaches fully understand what needs to happen if a player sustains a blow to the head or any other head injury as a result of a high tackle, strong tackle or dump on the ground. World Rugby, the game’s governing body, has been working tirelessly to create an easy-to-understand process that must be followed for the player’s welfare. If a player is suspected of having a concussion, they need to be removed from the field of play in order to be assessed by a suitably qualified medical officer who should be present at all games played in the UAE. There is a clear procedure that must be followed, which is known as the SCAT 5. Some of the key areas assessed with this procedure are: • Visible clues such as disorientation, unsteady on their feet, dazed • Signs and Symptoms such as nausea, headache, dizziness, blurred vision • Memory Function – Failure to ask questions such as “What venue are we at today?” • Red Flags such as neck pain, deteriorating conscious state, repeated vomiting The guiding safety and common sense principle is: “If in doubt, sit them out.” Good practice Many schools and clubs in the UAE are now adopting Baseline Concussion Testing which assists doctors in accurately assessing a player’s recovery in the event of a concussion. This online test is administered to measure a player’s thinking processes at the beginning of the season and can then be used to compare a player’s results following a concussion All clinical tests, including the Computerised Concussion Test must return to baseline before return to play. This is now mandatory for all players at our school and is thankfully becoming common practice elsewhere. Andy Jones Director of Sport at Dubai College gives us the lowdown on rugby safety36 Time Out UAE Kids Education 2020/21 T here’s no glossing over it, exams are horrible. The revision, the testing and then the agonising wait for the results, the whole process is stomach-churning. However, they are a reality of every child’s school life, so what can be done to make them just that little less scary? Natassja Williams, deputy head of wellbeing and Eizabeth Kelleher, head of careers and futures at Cranleigh, Abu Dhabi have some stress-busting advice. How can parents recognise if their kids are stressed? Stress comes in a variety of forms and it’s important to highlight the difference between healthy and unhealthy stress. When managed correctly, a healthy level of stress can aid exam performance, but if a child is experiencing unhealthy levels of stress, they can become apathetic, lose their appetite and withdraw themselves from family and friendship groups. What can parents do to help their kids beat exam stress? Parents are crucial in all aspects of their child’s development, socially, emotionally, physically and academically. But with exams, parents should encourage positive conversations around the subject, ensure their child continues doing a range of activities and make sure they get enough sleep. It’s also important parents don’t make a big deal about results. A child who is feeling pressurised and unhappy at home, won’t be able to learn. Can stress affect exam performance? In a word – yes. It’s not the only factor to impact results but it can play a big part. How to cope with exam stress Are certain children more prone to stress than others? Children are all individual and unique. But if a child is lacking a solid support system at home and is prone to feeding off the stress of others, then this will cause higher levels of stress and anxiety. Where does the pressure come from? Home, teachers, both? This very much depends on the child’s personal circumstances. It can be a mixture of both. But going back to our earlier point, an unhappy child can’t learn. Don’t sweat it! Natassja WilliamsTime Out UAE Kids Education 2020/21 37 What does Cranleigh do to minimise the stress for children around exam time? It is a collective effort. We talk about time management, strategies to deal with stress and organise plenty of social events such as house breakfasts and inter-house sports competitions. We talk to our senior students about transitioning to places of higher education such as college and university and just try to maintain an open dialogue with all of our children and their parents so they know they have the full support of the school. Do you think exams accurately demonstrate a child’s ability or do you think coursework is a better indicator? It does depend on the child and their learning style. Some children have the capacity to retain information and knowledge much quicker than others. Some children will experience inhibiting factors such as lack of time management, environmental factors and will ultimately have a different approach to the way they learn most effectively. It’s important for any school to ensure that children can be assessed both by coursework and exams. “Children are all individual and unique” 10 TOP TIPS How they can learn to deal with the stress of exams Manage your time efficiently to ensure purposeful studying. Get enough zzzzz’s (sleep). Ensure screen time is balanced. Allow for time to socialise and get away from the books. Ensure your child is getting a balanced diet and is well hydrated. Allow time for exercise and reflection. Family time is a must! Utilise support networks and do not underestimate the power of conversations. Seek professional support if needed, organise one- on-one time with tutors or subject teachers. View components of courses in manageable chunks – you don’t need to know it all in one day, week or even term. Keep a PMA – positive mental attitude.38 Time Out UAE Kids Education 2020/21 I t is the educational buzz word of the moment, but what is STEM and why is it so beneficial for our kids? STEM is a curriculum based on the idea of educating students in four specific disciplines — science, technology, engineering and mathematics — in an interdisciplinary and applied approach. Rather than teach the four disciplines as separate and discrete subjects, STEM integrates them into a cohesive learning paradigm based on actual real-world applications. Horizon English School has further developed this method of teaching having pioneered a first-of-its-kind primary focused facility that focuses on STEAM, which also includes art. In the state-of-the-art amphitheatre, children have access to all the latest technology such as robotics, hydrophonics and artificial intelligence, at their fingertips as well as access to a curriculum that allows them to develop their confidence, critical thinking and problem solving skills. The skills they garner are then transferable to various different facets of their lives. But that’s not all, Ian Wallace, headteacher at Horizon English School says: “We have also developed a All about STEM STEMM programme where we have included an additional M, which stands for morality.” “The morality aspect of our curriculum has been written to include facets of purpose,” he explains. “The idea behind this is to develop the understanding that all learning has a moral requirement where knowledge is used for the benefit of others and not just for personal gain. A firm believer in the benefits of a STEM education, Wallace outlines the fact that STEM enables learning across multiple contexts and requires a deeper level of understanding in a student’s A new way of looking at important disciplines is taking schools across the UAE by storm “STEM enables learning across multiple contexts”Time Out UAE Kids Education 2020/21 39 approach to learning in addition to the skills and knowledge they gain. He believes that traditional lessons in isolation do not have the requirement to transfer learning in various different contexts. STEM requires the application of differing learning skills such as, innovation, creativity or resilience. These learning skills require a depth in understanding of how they can be applied to facilitate their learning. And it’s important that children from primary school are introduced to STEM. “It replicates and enables the lifelong skills that children will most certainly require in the future,” says Wallace. “Careers will require these transferable learning skills that can be applied in differing contexts and enables a greater approach to independent and self-driven learning. It develops children’s metacognition and their ability to consider the type of learning skill required to approach a task.” Commenting specifically on Horizon’s new STEAM facility, Wallace says that the main takeaways for pupils are its uniqueness and its purpose written curriculum that is relevant to the school. “The curriculum supports the school’s ethos and purpose in developing the whole child and recognising that our knowledge is a tool that can be used to support and benefit others,” he concludes. Ian Wallace FOUR STEM BENEFITS Students learn how to hone and apply their knowledge to new tasks, which broadens their ability to apply skills to jobs of the future. They develop learning skills such as creativity, collaboration, critical thinking and communication. When students are in a safe and welcoming environment, they do not fear failure and view each opportunity to explore and try new things, valuing failure as a learning opportunity. Students discover the power of technology and innovation and so embrace the new technologies they encounter instead of being hesitant and fearful of change.Next >