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A simple to use online service for the delivery of staff training.

According to recent figures released by the DfE, teacher training is shifting further away from universities, with school-based teacher training places rising from 58% in 2015 to 64% in 2017

But with the ever-expanding list of training requirements set out by the DfE and a lack of budgets to fund all the additional training, it’s not uncommon for schools to train just one member of staff on a chosen subject. It then falls on that teacher to disseminate the information to the rest of their colleagues.

Getting all the relevant members of staff in one place at one time to conduct the training is no mean feat and is invariably going to impact on the teachers already packed timetable. So, could online training provide the most cost effective and time saving solution?

Imagine a system where you can quickly and easily convert your training material into an online course. In just a couple of clicks, send out your training to all the relevant staff who can then complete the training at a time to suit them and you can sit back and watch the results come in.

No need to imagine – TrainingToolz does just that.

This simple to use online service can be mastered in minutes, allowing you to take your content and create an online training course in a very short space of time.

When your material is ready, simply choose your candidates and send out a link directly to them from the system.

You can then monitor the activity, check responses and send out reminders all from the straight-forward dashboard.

Get started for free

Whether you need to deliver just one training course, or are responsible for delivering staff training throughout the year, TrainingToolz can help. But first you need to create your course.

To make things easy, TrainingToolz allows you to do this for free. So, you can try out the system with absolutely no obligation. You only begin paying for membership when you start implementing your training and at only £25 per month, with no contracts or tie-ins it’s a cost-effective way to create and deliver internal staff training.

To find out more and to get started with a free account visit TrainingToolz.com

Whilst it feels as if we’ve come a long way when it comes to tackling cyber bullying, events of previous weeks show there is still much to be done.

Only days ago, another victim took their own life as a result of being persecuted on the Internet. Yorkshire teenager, George Hessay had just turned 15 on May 10th when he was found to have hung himself after receiving insulting comments online. Surprisingly, the comments were not posted on one of the mainstream social media sites but on Sayat.me, an Estonian site created as an anonymous feedback tool for business users seeking “constructive, honest feedback” from colleagues and clients. The site clearly states that it is for use by people over 18, yet amongst its 30 million users, many are believed to be teenagers.

The Sayat.me site apologised with a statement that it deplores bullying of any kind and was taken offline by its administrators, however removing the site fails to address the crux of the problem. For every site that is removed, there are always hundreds of other ‘anonymous’ sites that can be willingly accessed by teenagers. These are often unmoderated and lack the adequate tools to report and block offensive comments.

The problem of anonymity
Anonymous sites pose particular dangers for young people. Whilst they state their purpose is to give people the freedom to express themselves without fear or prejudice, giving irresponsible people a virtual curtain to hide behind often means giving them the means to torment others without the fear of reproach. Strong opinions that wouldn’t normally be vented in the real world can easily be typed in just a few seconds, online arguments can escalate and people quickly become victims of insult or abuse. For younger people, their bullies are often people they know in the real world; frustrated or jealous school mates who reveal a nastier side when they have the opportunity to conceal their identities. Bullied adolescents and teenagers are left hurt and agonised, not knowing which of their ‘friends’ has turned against them.

One of the ways online bullying differs so much from personal bullying is that the perpetrator is able to psychologically disconnect themselves from the damage they are causing. Whilst bullying once took place in the playground, the ownership of digital devices by young people means that bullying can take place on a 24 hour basis. For the victim there is no escape, even when they’re at home. Younger people who have experienced online bullying suffer from lower self-esteem, fear, frustration, anger and depression and increased suicidal ideation, with the psychological damage of online bullying often taking years to heal. The impact is long lasting.

Let’s start talking
With no real way to enforce an over 18s restriction on anonymous websites (most young people will falsify information to sign up anyway) the only way to prevent online bullying is to encourage victims to speak out and raise awareness of the damage they’ve suffered at the hands of other young people. Whilst technology has evolved at a tremendous pace, some of the social aspects of bullying remain the same. Young people still experience tremendous pressure to be accepted. Action for Children reported that one in seven (15%) children has bullied others online, with nearly 60% of children responding that they bullied to fit in with a certain social group.

The need for proper education, openness and discussion of the matter has been supported by the NSPCC who, in the wake of George Hessay’s death stated that “Children and teenagers must be reassured that it’s perfectly okay to refuse to take part in crazes that either make themselves or other people upset, hurt and scared and that parents should talk with their children and emphasise that they can still be accepted even if they don’t go along with the crowd.”

Having these types of conversations can be difficult, but opening up the subject carries huge benefits. Those who are being bullied find it incredibly isolating and fear discussing the types of comments they’ve been receiving, particularly with their parents. Making it clear to them that it’s ok to bring things into the open without creating anger, criticism or upset means that the problem can explored, options discussed and any further bullying eliminated, giving the child a much happier outcome.

How parents can get involved
With half term almost upon us, Internet Matters has taken the perfect opportunity to drive these conversations through its #Pledge2Talk campaign. Working alongside the Anti-Bullying Alliance, they have created guides for parents, providing advice on how to discuss the subject of cyber bullying with their children and the steps they can take if they feel they are being threatened online. The week-long holiday means that parents are more likely to be with their children at home, with many children using their mobile devices and social media, giving a natural situation in which the topic can be raised and discussed.

Talking about cyber bullying in the school environment
Education about the cyber bullying shouldn’t just stop at home, and 'Stop Cyberbullying Day' on 16th June gives schools a chance to create a themed day around the topic. This could include assemblies, lessons and workshops about why young people are drawn into online bullying, how to say ‘no’ when encouraged by peers to bully others and how young people can reduce the risk of attracting online bullies, such as not using anonymous forums and websites. Most importantly, it’s a perfect time to discuss the responsible use of the Internet, meaning adolescents understand how their online behaviour impacts others and how it can leave behind lasting and harmful consequences.

Free cyber bullying webinar
To learn more about teaching children about cyber bullying, why not join us for one of our three seminars taking place throughout Thursday 8th June?

Presented by Tim Pinto, e-safety consultant and member of the Educational Advisory Board for CEOP, each webinar will give you a 20 minute refresher on the topic, quickly updating you on all you need to know about this increasingly worrying trend of behaviour amongst young people.

The webinars will address the following:

Definitions of cyber bullying - different names e.g. trash talk

Research - how many young people are being affected?

The signs to look out for and the consequences of cyber bullying

Ways to counter cyber bullying

There will also be a section on tips for teaching cyber bullying awareness and prevention.

To register for the 10am cyber bullying webinar, click here
To register for the 2pm cyber bullying webinar, click here
To register for the 4pm cyber bullying webinar, click here

All E-safety Support members can also download a cyber bullying assembly plan to use on 'Stop Cyberbullying Day'. To download the assembly, log into your E-safety Support dashboard or register for free membership

Further webinars taking place include 'Digital Reputation' and 'Public WiFi' - find out more

Support the cause in creating a diverse and inclusive Internet for all

With this year’s 'Stop Cyberbullying Day', there’s no better opportunity to teach your students about using the Internet respectfully and responsibly.

'Stop Cyberbullying Day' was founded by The Cybersmile Foundation on June 17th 2012, to promote online positivity and good digital citizenship. Since then, every year on the third Friday in June, 'Stop Cyberbullying Day' has become a growing force of positivity

The day brings together the entire global community in demonstrating our mutual commitment towards making the Internet a safer place for young people to enjoy. The aim is for all young people to have the freedom to use the Internet for learning, gaming and being social without the fear of threats or harassment.

The facts
Cyber bullying and online abuse can lead to social isolation, depression, eating disorders self-harm and suicide. Statistics from PEW Research and iSafe Foundation state that:

40% of Internet users say they have personally experienced digital abuse

20% of those who experienced online harassment said they feared for their lives

50% of teens have been bullied online

How to get involved
Whether you choose to be involved on the day itself or whether you choose to tackle cyber bullying all year round, there are a number of ways you can get involved.

Twitter - ask students to come up with advice they would give a victim of cyber bullying or come up with an anti-cyber bullying slogan and Tweet it to @CybersmileHQ using the hashtag #stopcyberbullyingday

Fundraise - hold a non-uniform day, tackle a sponsored challenge or hold a cyber bullying awareness event in your school

Become a Partner - join the Cybersmile Foundation, 'Stop Cyberbullying Day' campaign as an official school partner.

As part of our commitment in helping schools educate children about safer Internet usage we are pleased to offer you our cyber bullying assembly plan, which can be downloaded by both Free and Premium Plus E-safety Support members

“'Stop Cyberbullying Day' has grown to become something very special. Engagement numbers each year are in the millions, yet the event is still in its relative infancy. Although Cybersmile will continue to coordinate 'Stop Cyberbullying Day', providing a designated platform for the event to continue to grow at its own speed makes complete sense.” – Dan Raisbeck, Co-Founder, The Cybersmile Foundation.