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What's happening in the UK?

R time began in Coventry and Leicestershire in 2002, where it still has a very strong base.  As a national programme R time has been operating in various regions since September 2003. It is now being taught in thousands of schools up and down the country – with especially strong ‘pockets’ in Cornwall, Berkshire, Tyneside, Nottinghamshire, Derbyshire,  Merseyside, Norfolk and South Devon.

Because of the demand for training R time has expanded its training base with a network or R time Trainers across the UK:

All of these Trainers have lots of experience of taking the programme into schools, to help schools to maximise the potential of R time. They work in a variety of ways from teaching demonstration lessons, to observing classroom practice, to running in-school staff training events and out-of-school training conferences.

For more information on how to implement R time click here.

News from R time

A new partner in the USA

R time Ltd is very pleased to announce that we have entered into a partnership with Rainbow Days Inc., an American organisation, and their training division the Trans4M Centre to help spread the R time program across the United States. The Trans4M Centre is known for transforming schools, organizations, and communities through innovation, education and training.

Rainbow Days Inc. will be responsible for implementing the R time programme in the USA and will provide front of office functionality and training staff to ensure that R time is available to an ever growing customer base of schools.

We are also investigating the possibility of introducing the Trans4M Centre Curriculum Based Support Groups programme in the UK. We will publish further information as plans develop.

You can take a look at the Rainbow Days Inc. and Trans4M websites by clicking below:

www.rainbowdays.org
www.trans4mcenter.org

The new Early Years Framework

In three of the R time books where Early Years activities occur, each of the R time activities has been matched to the requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) curriculum, to demonstrate how the activities support the children’s learning. These books are: the main R time Manual, R time Activities for Early Years Foundation Stage and Key Stage One and R time for Independent Nurseries.

Soon after we had completed this exercise Dame Clare Tickell announced recommendations that the Early Years Foundation Stage should be simplified, radically slimmed down, made less bureaucratic and more focussed on making sure children start school ready to learn. The previous EYFS had 6 areas of learning and 69 learning goals, the new recommendations significantly reduce the number of early learning goals children are assessed against at age five from 69 to 17.

Dame Clare’s recommendations for change were as follows:

  • To focus on three prime areas as the foundations for children’s ability to learn and develop healthily:
    • Communication and Language
    • Physical Development and
    • Personal, Social and Emotional Development
  • With these three new prime areas of learning, there is a greater emphasis on making sure children have the basic social, emotional communication and language skills they need to learn and thrive at school – this includes skills such as being able to make friends (R time’s number one purpose) and to listen effectively.
  • The new framework specifies four areas of learning where these skills are applied in practice:
    • Literacy
    • Mathematics
    • Expressive Arts and Design
    • Understanding the World

These changes came into effect on 1st September 2012. We have, therefore, revised all 60 of R time’s Early Years’ activities and matched them to the new EYFS requirements. We have used the new 7 learning areas, the 17 learning goals and the 76 sub points which explain the learning goals and have re-matched all the activities to these. We are very encouraged to see that R time’s contribution continues to be a very positive one – especially in the areas of Communication and Language and Personal, Social and Emotional Development.

You can download the document “Matching the R time Activities to the new Early Years Framework” at the Downloads Page (click here) .

Introducing R time Accreditation

Hopefully you are already finding the benefits of having R time in place in your school:

  • Good manners, respect and care are in evidence throughout the school
  • Improved behaviour
  • Reduction in bullying
  • Improved teaching and learning

Now you could go to the next stage and become accredited for the excellence of your R time practice. Click here to go to Accreditation

Introducing Showcase Schools

Schools which have achieved Accreditation may wish to consider becoming a Showcase School. Click here to go to Showcase Schools

Wrist Bands

These silicone wrist bands support the three diamond rules used in both R time and Simply Behave:

  • Show Respect and Good Manners at All Times
  • Care for Everyone and Everything.
  • Follow Instructions with Thought and Care.

The wrist bands can be worn with pride as children achieve and demonstrate the required expectations of behaviour.  There are 4 wristbands.  The first three carry the individual diamond rules while the fourth, multi-coloured band, carries all three.

Click here for further information

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