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, 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/Consultants across the UK:

All of these Trainers/Consultants 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.

R time is no longer the sole supplier for the R time resources. Since January 2009 we have been in partnership with Incentive Plus, the major provider of resources to promote social, emotional and behavioural skills in children. Their catalogues contain most of the UK R time materials and are sent to the majority of schools in the UK. To order from them you should visit: www.incentiveplus.co.uk

News from around the Country

Cornwall has a well-developed model for promoting the take up of R time across the County. R time, in conjunction with Pyramid Kernow and Healthy Schools, has been involved in a number of very exciting initiatives:

Cornish Regional R time Network, set up to share good practice and monitor support, development and expansion of R time.
Investment to provide local accredited trainers & support facilitators.
Quality Training & support for schools, staff and other organisations.
Support for the Healthy Schools Plus award.
A special R time accreditation process developed as an award for schools.
Young People’s involvement with on-going development, training and delivery of R time & T Time.
Close partnership working with Parent Support Advisors.
Up ahead – forging new links with Early Years.

www.cornwallhealthyschools.org/r-time

Derby City Council invited R time to participate in a four year project called “Safe, Healthy and Positive Schools” (SHAP for short). R time was one of a number of initiatives that schools used. The aims of this project were:

To raise the self esteem of individual pupils and staff in the participating schools
To establish emotionally literate communities of learners

Results: Attainment and / or progress has improved in all SHAP schools during the lifetime of the project.

Exclusions were reduced drastically, to the extent that, in the final year only one school recorded a permanent exclusion.

R time is very proud of the impact it has made. All the schools involved commented very positively about R time. A couple of their statements follow: “It is certainly a very powerful strategy in dealing with many aspects of emotional and relationship development”. “Using R time on a regular basis has resulted in less aggressive and inappropriate behaviour throughout the school”.