Posts by Neil Brown
Growing Brains, Guiding Behaviour
Supporting young children can be joyful, rewarding, and at times overwhelming—especially when big feelings take over. In the Early Years, children’s brains are developing at an incredible pace, shaping how they learn, communicate, and respond to the world around them. This rapid growth brings curiosity and opportunity, but it can also lead to behaviours that…
Read MoreSafer Internet Day 2026
On Tuesday 10th February 2026, schools across the UK will once again come together to mark Safer Internet Day. Since 2004 this annual event has been a celebration of digital citizenship, online wellbeing, and a chance to encourage young people to shape a better online world. On Tuesday 10th February 2026, schools across the UK will once again…
Read MoreNorth East Festival of Languages
3 months of free languages activity for schools! Express Yourself: North East Festival of Languages 2026, is live with the biggest festival yet! Over the next three months, until 31 March 2026, schools across the North East of England will be able to access a vibrant mix of live and online FREE events, creative projects, and activities for ages 3-18. Register to create…
Read MoreFIRST LEGO League Challenge Comes to Teesside
On Friday 12th December, the halls of Redcar and Cleveland College will be buzzing with excitement. Sixteen teams of young innovators from across Teesside will gather to showcase their creativity, problem-solving, and teamwork at our FIRST LEGO League Challenge Teesside tournament. Sponsored by Johnson Matthey, the local STEM company, this event promises to be a…
Read MoreA Guide for Parents: Choosing Tech Gifts for Kids This Christmas
As Christmas approaches, tech gifts are often at the top of kids’ wish lists. While these gifts can be fun, educational, and engaging, parents should consider a range of factors to ensure their choices are age-appropriate, safe, and beneficial. Here’s some guidance to help you with choosing great tech gifts for your kids at Christmas.…
Read MoreManaging Emotions in the Early Years
Helping Children with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) Children under five often show lots of different emotions in a short time. This is normal. It happens because the part of the brain that controls emotions and impulses (called the prefrontal cortex) is still growing. Young children feel emotions strongly but don’t yet know how…
Read MoreSupporting EAL learners with maths
Supporting EAL Learners in Mathematics: Understanding the Challenge Mathematics is often perceived as a universal language, but in reality, it is deeply rooted in linguistic understanding. For learners of English as an Additional Language (EAL), the challenge is not always the mathematical concepts themselves, but the language used to express, explain, and apply them. Many…
Read MoreA Parent’s Guide to Keeping Your Children Safe Online
Last week I was delighted to be able to deliver a short online safety session to a school hall packed full of parents and carers at one of our local schools. Family life is so busy and attendance is not always that high at these things, but it was fantastic to be able to share…
Read MoreFIRST LEGO League 2025/26 – Unearthed
We are delighted to be launching another FIRST LEGO League season across the North East, as we dig deep into the new ‘Unearthed’ season. Students will explore this year’s archeological theme as they take on the biggest STEM programmes in the world! Around 1000 young people will put their team work, problem solving, coding and…
Read MoreEffective use of technology to support adaptive teaching
Unlock the full potential of technology in your school. If you’re looking to build staff confidence, introduce new systems or review current practice – we can help. Choose from: Whole-school training – to build a shared foundation and understanding of the use of ICT. Targeted support – for specific year groups, mixed age groups or curriculum…
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