Walking is one of the easiest ways to improve our health and stay connected to our community, in turn helping us feel less lonely and isolated. This year’s aim is to discover the #MagicOfWalking and celebrate the many health and happiness benefits of walking and wheeling.

Research shows that even a small amount of physical activity can make a significant difference to our health. Just 11 minutes of daily activity has been found to potentially prevent 1 in 10 premature deaths!

Exercise releases feel-good hormones, so walking can:

• Improve your mood,
• Reduce stress and anxiety,
• Help you sleep better,
• Increase your energy,
• Improve memory and problem-solving skills.

Do you walk enough?

It is recommended that adults aged 19-64 should exercise for 150 minutes per week. To achieve this, you could take a brisk walk for 30 minutes a day, for 5 days per week.

However, if you can’t manage 30 minutes per day then taking a 10 minute brisk walk has lots of health benefits and counts towards your 150 minutes per week.  You could build this up over a few weeks until you can walk for 30 minutes.

It can be easy to increase the amount you walk by making small changes such as going for a walk during your lunch break or perhaps you could take your meetings outside and walk whilst you talk. A small change can make a big difference.

How does walking improve your physical health?

• It increases cardiovascular and pulmonary (heart and lung) fitness,
• Reduces the risk of heart disease and other cardiovascular diseases,
• Helps to manage and improve conditions such as high blood pressure, diabetes and high cholesterol,
• Reduces body fat,
• Increases muscle strength and endurance.

With summer fast approaching and warmer weather starting to come through, there is no better time to start walking more often and reap the physical and mental benefits that come alongside it. A small change such as walking to school or work, will have a positive impact. If it is too far to walk to school or work, then you could park further away and benefit from increased energy for the rest of the day. There is no better time, why not start today!

How well do you sleep?

Friday 15th March is World Sleep Day. The aim is to bring people together to discuss sleep problems, help to find solutions and prevent sleep problems for those who don’t yet have them. World Sleep Day has been held every year, since 2008, on the Friday before the March Equinox, which marks when day and night are roughly the same length. After the equinox, the day will be longer than the night.

The theme this year is Sleep Equity for Global Health. Sleep is essential to health but measurable differences in sleep health persist across populations across the world, creating additional burdens and reinforcing health inequities.

World Sleep Day is useful for educating people all over the world about the importance of sleep, as well as changing the way people view and experience sleep by giving them valuable resources to help them in their daily lives.

How long should you be sleeping per night?

It is recommended that adults up to the age of 64, need 7-9 hours of sleep per night. However, almost 1 in 5 people in the UK aren’t getting enough sleep!

Signs and symptoms of sleep problems:

• Finding it difficult to fall asleep.
• Lying awake for long periods at night.
• Waking up several times during the night.
• Waking up early and being unable to get back to sleep.
• Feeling down or having a lower mood.
• Having difficulty concentrating.
• Being more irritable than usual.

Longer term sleep problems can have many negative affects such as on our relationships and social life, and it can have us feeling tired all the time, eating more and not being able to do daily tasks.

Humans spend 1/3 of their life sleeping so how can you improve your sleep?

• Go to sleep and wake up at similar times every day.
• Sleep in a calm and restful environment such as a cool, dark and quiet room.
• Avoid drinking caffeine and alcohol before bed.
• Regularly exercise every day.
• If you worry a lot about life before falling asleep, write your worries down.
• Try not to watch TV or use electronic devices before sleeping.

Sleep is so important to all aspects of our lives which is why it is vital to have good sleep health.

Do you have any sleep tips? Let us know!

Today is Pancake Day so get your eggs, butter, sugar, and lemon juice at the ready! Pancake Day (or Shrove Tuesday) has fallen around a week earlier than last year and it falls exactly 47 days before Easter Sunday.

Pancakes have become such a popular tradition on Shrove Tuesday, that on this day 52 million eggs are used in the UK! That’s 22 million more than the average day!

The history of Pancake Day:

Shrove Tuesday occurs the day before Ash Wednesday, and it comes from the word ‘shrive’ which means to listen to someone’s sins and forgive them. In preparation for Lent centuries ago, those observing the fast would use Shrove Tuesday to also purify and remove any of the items that they were foregoing for the 40 days from their home. Traditionally this included meat, fish, eggs, fats, milk and sugar therefore Pancake Day was developed out of the practical need to use up all the remaining eggs, butter, milk or other animal products that were in the house before Lent began.

How is Pancake Day celebrated today?

Whilst lots of people still eat pancakes on Shrove Tuesday, there are also a few other traditions that still take place.

Pancake Races:

Pancake races are held on Shrove Tuesday, with the most famous one taking place in Olney, Buckinghamshire. It is said that pancake races started after a housewife in the village of Olney was in the process of frying pancakes when she heard the church bell summoning the congregation. So she didn’t miss the service, she ran down the street with her frying pan, tossing the pancake to prevent it from burning. Thus, the tradition of pancake racing began.

Shrovetide Football:

Another popular tradition that still takes place is Ashbourne’s Royal Shrovetide Football. Played in the Derbyshire town of Ashbourne every Shrove Tuesday and Ash Wednesday, this exciting and dramatic game is thought to be one of the oldest forms of football in the world. Unlike a conventional football match, Shrovetide Football is much longer and is played over two eight-hour periods. The goals are three miles apart and there are very few rules. The ball is rarely kicked but instead moves through a giant ‘hug’. There is no set pitch, and the game is played throughout the entire town, so shops and businesses board up their windows in preparation!

Will you be eating pancakes today? Send us your pictures of your pancakes!

Today is Christmas Jumper Day! It is the day to put on Christmas jumpers and help children in the UK and around the world get the best future possible.

Every December, millions of people across the UK and beyond put on a festive jumper at their workplace, school or with friends and make a donation to help give children the future they deserve.

Since the first Christmas Jumper Day in 2012, over £35 million has been raised for children in the UK and across the world. In 2022, £5 million was raised, including £2 million of match funding from the UK Government and over 2 million school children and 24,000 workplaces took part.

What do Save the Children do?

 There is more to Christmas Jumper Day than wearing a festive jumper, you’ll be helping children facing serious issues like war, hunger, and poverty. This year, with so many children having a really tough time, getting involved matters more than ever! In the UK and around the world, Save the Children make sure children are kept safe, healthy and in learning.

Who have Save the Children helped?

Save the Children have helped 45 million children across the world get medicine, good food and the education they need.

How have Save the Children made a difference?

Around the world:

• As a children’s rights charity, the movement operates in 115 countries, providing unique care to children, based on their specific needs including:
• Vaccinating children in remote regions.
• Providing antibiotics for pneumonia treatment.
• Setting up learning centres after disasters.
• Working to bring British children home from Syria.

In the UK:

• Save the Children work in homes, nurseries, schools, and communities to narrow the gap between children living in poverty and their better off classmates.
• When COVID hit, children’s lives were turned upside down. To help, Save the Children started an Emergency Grant for the worst affected families. So far Save the Children has helped over 10,000 children with early learning packs, food vouchers and other essentials.

Will you be taking part this year? Send us your pictures! 

Today is BBC Children in Need! BBC Children in Need believes every child deserves the chance to thrive, and together we can make this happen! This year’s theme is The Great SPOTacular Appeal Night, which is encouraging you to be SPOTacular with lots of fun ways to raise money and take part in the appeal. Will you be raising money in your school today?

BBC Children in Need work with organisations across the UK to support children and young people as they overcome challenges. They exist to change the lives of disadvantaged children and young people across the UK and their vision is that every child in the UK has a safe, happy and secure childhood and the chance to reach their potential.

Mental health challenges in children have increased by 50% and ¾ of children that are struggling with mental health are not getting the help they need.

However, with your ongoing support, Children in Need are continuing to fund thousands of project workers across the UK. These individuals provide the positive relationships needed to help children tackle the challenges that affect them daily.

How will you be raising money?

There are so many ways to raise money for BBC Children in Need. Whatever you love to do, from sport to crafts to baking, it can become a challenge ready to be tackled. Not only can fundraising activities be fun and challenging but they also do a huge amount of good! The donations that you raise really can change lives.

Lat year, a massive £35 million was raised on the night of BBC Children in Need’s TV Appeal and since the very first telethon televised in 1980 over £1 billion has been raised in donations and fundraising! Also, for the first time, every pound you give or raise will be matched pound for pound by Postcode Education Trust, supported through People’s Postcode Lottery. How much do you think can be raised this year?

Everyone here at Teacher Absence will be taking part in the Great SPOTacular Appeal, let us know how you will be too!

Approximately 13 million women in the UK are either peri or post-menopausal.

Since 2009, the IMS (International Menopause Society) alongside the World Health Organisation, designated October as World Menopause Awareness Month. The purpose is to raise awareness of the menopause and the support options available for improving health and wellbeing.

Menopause occurs when women stop menstruating for 12 months which is due to reduced oestrogen levels. Most women reach menopause when they are around 50 but the lead up can take up to 10 years!

Whilst there are lots of symptoms, every woman will experience menopause differently, they can include but are not limited to:

• Memory loss
• Hot flushes
• Headaches
• Sleep problems

Have you or your staff had to take time off due to the symptoms of menopause?

Around two thirds of women say there is a general lack of support and understanding around menopause. That’s why we have we have partnered with award winning health and wellbeing provider, Smart Clinic, in order to provide staff with support and guidance if they are going through the process of menopause.

A decline in oestrogen levels during menopause can increase cardiovascular risk factors such as high blood pressure highlighting why it is so important that we raise awareness of other risk factors to the menopause, on top of the day to day symptoms that women can suffer from. Did you know that the menopause can affect cardiovascular health?

Ways to manage symptoms:

• Hormone replacement therapy (HRT) – tablets, skin patches or gels and implants that relieve menopausal symptoms by replacing oestrogen.
• Cut down on caffeine, alcohol, and spicy food as these have all been known to be a trigger for hot flushes
• Practicing mindfulness or counselling may help with mood changes
• Cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) – a type of talking therapy that can help with low mood and anxiety
• Eating a healthy, well-balanced diet and exercising regularly
• Getting plenty of sleep

It’s time to end the stigma that is often associated with menopause by supporting and improving the lives of women across the world.

In a recent study conducted by the World Health Organization, it was found that one in four children in the UK don’t get enough sleep.

Children who don’t get enough sleep can have problems with attention, memory and problem solving making focusing at school even more challenging.

So how much sleep should children be getting? It is recommended primary school aged children should get between 10 -11 hours of sleep a night, and secondary school children should get between 9-10 hours of sleep per night.

Factors of good sleep for children:

• Exercise

Exercise is important for everyone, especially children. Exercising during the day helps children to feel sleepier at bedtime, in turn helping them fall asleep quicker and then stay asleep during the night making those PE lessons and after schools sports clubs even more important.

• Diet

A healthy, well-balanced diet helps to promote good sleep. It is recommended that children do not have a heavy meal close to bedtime however if they do have a snack, foods such as bread and cereal are best for a good night sleep. Do you feel your school provides healthy nutritious lunch options?

• Environment

A child’s bedroom should be calm, quiet, dark and cool to ensure the best conditions for sleep. Some children may also feel safer with a night light.

So, what happens when children don’t get enough sleep? The effects that a lack of sleep have on children at school can be massive. On average, it is believed children need two to four more hours sleep a night than adults to have the same level of concentration. Therefore, if a child has poor concentration, they are more likely to struggle in school and recall less from previous lessons they have been taught. This could then link to poor grades and exam results.

Furthermore, bad behaviour may also be linked to poor sleep quality. Children are more likely to misbehave or become aggressive as a result of bad sleep as well as this, impulsivity and hyperactivity are two further effects of not getting enough sleep. Subsequently, if children are less likely to achieve and succeed in school due to poor sleep quality, then they are even less likely if they also have poor behave as a consequence of poor sleep.

Do you think children are getting enough sleep? Let us know!

The last 12 months has been a difficult time to say the least.

Almost everyone has been affected by the on-going Covid-19 pandemic. Whether dealing with the loss of someone close or simply worrying about when things will return to normal, many have been struggling to maintain a good state of mental health.

The level of awareness about the importance of mental health has improved over the last few years, which is obviously great news. But whilst there are still millions of people suffering in silence, we must all strive to do more. And you don’t have to do anything extravagant to make a difference. When it comes to supporting people with their mental health, the small things really do count.

If someone you know seems to be struggling and you want to help, simply pick up the phone or pop over for a chat (socially distanced and outdoors of course). This can make a huge difference – demonstrating that you care and reassuring them that they have a place to turn and someone to talk to.

Talking is key. As the saying goes, a problem shared is a problem halved. Very cliché, but never truer. Just being listened to can help someone feel supported and less alone. And it works both ways. If they open up to you, it might encourage you to do the same.

Another great strategy for improving mental wellbeing is through nature – the theme of this year’s Mental Health Awareness week.

During the long months of the pandemic, millions of us turned to the outdoors. Speaking from experience, it really does help. Fresh air, the change of scenery, and a momentary release of any worries or anxiety.

We all have different experiences of nature, and different reasons for wanting to connect with it more. You might find you get something completely different from one activity compared to someone else. But whatever it is, get outdoors.

Capitalise on the benefits nature unquestionable provides to your mental (and physical) wellbeing. And why not share your stories with us others. After all, the best way to raise awareness is by telling others!

Join the discussion on how you’re connecting with nature by using the hashtags #ConnectWithNature #MentalHealthAwarenessWeek

Boris Johnson’s government is considering extending its schools breakfast programme beyond the current deadline of July, the children’s ministers has confirmed.

Funded by the Department for Education, the programme aims to support children in disadvantaged communities by providing access to free healthy breakfasts during the on-going Covid-19 pandemic.

Vicky Ford confirmed that the government is “considering options” when pressed on the issue by Labour’s Emma Lewell-Buck in the House of Commons yesterday.

Lewell-Buck, MP for South Shields, asked: “The Government’s current school breakfast programme only provides for 7% of schools that meet the Government’s deprivation criteria and it ends in July.

“Pre-pandemic, up to two million children were starting their school day without a breakfast.

“My School Breakfast Bill would extend and scale up provision via funds from the soft drinks levy – please can she ask the Chancellor to implement my Bill and get breakfast in the Budget?”

In response, Ms Ford said: I completely agree that a healthy and nutritious breakfast sets a child up for a learning day. We have extended the programme until July of this year and are considering options for breakfast provision beyond that date.

“We are engaging with the market to help develop those options and we expect to be able to say more very soon.”

The school’s breakfasts programme was revised in Autumn 2020 to ensure that more disadvantaged pupils, across both primary and secondary schools, have access to a free and nutritious breakfast.

Schools are offered breakfast delivery grants and deliveries of healthy food to ensure all children who need it can access breakfast, at home or at school.

The programme is run by Family Action and Magic Breakfast, two UK based charities focused on providing practical, emotional and financial support to those who are experiencing poverty, disadvantage and social isolation across the country.

More than one million people have signed a petition from Marcus Rashford’s Child Food Poverty Taskforce calling on the government to extend the free school meals scheme.

The online petition, titled “End child food poverty – no child should be going hungry”, was set up by the Manchester United forward on the eve of a Commons opposition debate on the extension of free school meals over all holiday periods.

Tory MPs voted against the motion, leading to a huge swing in public support behind the England footballer – with the petition passing the million mark shortly before 5pm on Wednesday. It is one of only five parliamentary petitions to attract a million signatures and the first since the last general election.

Rashford wants the scheme to cover future school holidays after he successfully forced a government U-turn in the summer holidays, a feat which received wide public acclaim and led to him being awarded an MBE in the Queen’s Birthday Honours list.

The scheme would cost about £20 million per week and an estimated £260 million a year if it was applied to all 13 weeks of school holidays. It would provide meals for an additional 1.5 million children aged seven to 16, who come from households on Universal Credit or equivalent.

Rashford has been open about the challenges of families struggling through the coronavirus pandemic, having “lived through” similar financial circumstances when growing up in Manchester. Speaking about the campaign, the 22-year-old footballer said: ‘as long as they don’t have a voice, they will have mine.’

More than 2,000 volunteers and small businesses, including takeaways, restaurants and pubs, have been inspired by the campaign and are now offering free food to children over the half-term.

In response, the government has insisted it is in the process of examining how holiday clubs could be used to feed hungry children. Yet it’s decision to vote against the proposal of providing free school meals throughout the summer has provoked an ugly backlash against MPs from many of their constituents.

Despite the widespread public condemnation, Boris Johnson has not backed down, and the Chancellor Rishi Sunak has recently followed suit, saying he does not ‘think it’s always the right answer that central government comes in and dictates things’.