The Linking Network

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The Linking Network | LinkedIn The Linking Network | 53 followers on LinkedIn. We inspire & equip schools to support children & young people to build meaningful connections across lines of difference | We inspire and equip schools to support children and young people to build meaningful connections across all forms of dif...

The Linking Network is an educational charity that originally emerged as an initiative, in the aftermath of civil disturbances fuelled by Far Right racist violence in Bradford in 2001.

Two deputy head teachers wanted to find ways to support their children to meet, talk and reflect together on what they were experiencing in their communities.

Now, over 20 years later, the need for schools to provide such opportunities, is as strong as ever - in cities and towns across the country, from Kent to Newcastle and London to Bristol, the Schools Linking programme operates to provide children and young people with opportunities to meet and learn together and explore their differences and similarities in a safe and supportive environment.

Explore some of our Case Studies and find out what Schools Linking offers and across the country
If you’re interested in having your school take part in this free programme please contact us

Phone: 01274 439248
Email: [email protected]

https://thelinkingnetwork.org.uk/case-studies/

Are you worried about the impact misinformation and disinformation have on young people?
At The Linking Network, supporting teachers to tackle online misinformation and disinformation, is a vital element of our work. We know that dispelling misinformation is vital to understanding and celebrating difference, creating space for connections to form.
This blog explores the recent report into Countering Online Conspiracies which TLN contributed to.

Commission into Countering Online Conspiracies in Schools - The Linking Network For many years there’s been widespread concern about the impact of online misinformation and disinformation and how this is manifesting in schools and impacting young people. The Commission into Countering Online Conspiracies in Schools grew from this deep concern about the growing prevalence of t...

Social Action is embedded in Phase 2 of as it gives children the opportunity to understand the shared values between themselves and the children in their Link Class. It also supports children to be connected to their communities.

We love seeing the different ideas that children have about taking action to make a difference! Thank you for sharing!

Intergenerational Linking is a programme we are very much committed to here at TLN. It delivers wide-ranging benefits to younger and older people, to schools and care homes, to local organisations and wider communities, enriching lives, fostering understanding, and facilitating a stronger, more integrated society. If you want to know more about how this strand of our work started and how it is still going strong - check out this detailed report

Sustained connections: The lasting impact of Intergenerational Linking between schools and care homes - The Linking Network From 2019-2023, our national social action project Care Home Friends and Neighbours (Care Home FaNs): Intergenerational Linking linked together more than 4,000 young people aged 5–14 from schools and youth groups with over 2,000 older adults living in care homes across England. At least 6,000 in...

As part of our Intergenerational Linking programme, we have been supporting young people to be an ambassador for dementia. Well done to these children from Thornton Road Primary School!

We would like to draw your attention to the 'Portrait EMB' project, and we would greatly appreciate your assistance in promoting the final, crucial, phase of this research: a national student survey. This survey explores secondary school students' existing knowledge and understanding of the British Empire and invites them to share their experiences learning about this history and its legacies, both inside and outside of school.

We are keen for this opportunity to reach people currently working in English secondary schools.
A short advertisement with further details is attached to this email.
Interested participants are encouraged to contact [email protected] as soon as possible to learn more, as the survey will close on Friday, 28th February.

This year we are beginning to explore and expand ‘Pupil Advisory Groups’ to better inform and shape our work. Our aim is that children and young people will bring their expertise and gain a stronger sense of ownership over the programme.

Pupil Advisory Groups: A step towards empowerment and collaboration - The Linking Network Article 12 of The United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child states that ‘Children have the right to give their opinions freely on issues that affect them. Adults should listen and take children seriously.’ Schools Linking was initially developed alongside children and young people and...

Link classes meeting face to face are an integral part of our programme. In our latest News article discover what neutral venue visits look like in Rochdale and why they are so important and something many of our 25 local area facilitators would love to incorporate into their projects.
Whether they are held in museums, art galleries, historical sites, community spaces or theatres, neutral venue visits provide a shared space for learning & create an environment where children can interact as equals.
In Rochdale classes get to visit M6 Theatre and this year they are sharing the experience of A Tiger’s Tale - a true story of a travelling troupe of acrobats and their adopted tiger cub on their adventure into a world where ‘all the best stories end with a surprise.’

Seeing the world through each other’s eyes: Neutral Venue Visits in Rochdale - The Linking Network A blog by Erica Field, Schools Linking Facilitator in Rochdale Have you ever heard the tale of the Holmfirth tiger?  It’s the true story of a family of acrobats who travelled the world with their circus act. When WW2 broke out, they returned home, back to their small Yorkshire village, with an ad...

What are the benefits of Intergenerational Linking?
We often hear comments afterward older and younger people have 'linked' such as, 'it was lovely' or 'it was great' but there is really so much more to it than that......
Meeting and engaging in shared activities has a wide range of benefits for all involved; the children, the elders, the school and the care home/day setting.
We have highlighted all the benefits, in a poster, free to download along with lots more resources to help you connect across generations and understand the benefits of this project.
Please get in contact if you would like to know more or are interested in getting involved.
Find the poster and many other useful resources here
https://thelinkingnetwork.org.uk/intergenerational-linking/intergenerational-linking-resources/getting-started/

The Centre of Literacy in Primary Education (CLPE) has recently released the 2024 Reflecting Realities report which unfortunately showed a decrease in books published with characters from racially-minoritised backgrounds….the first time they percentage has gone down since the survey began in 2017.

We often use the metaphor of books being like mirrors, windows and doors attributed to Dr Rudine Sims Bishop
- mirrors’ where we can see ourselves and
- windows or doors where we can experience lives different to our own

Books therefore both validate a child’s own identity and expand their understanding of the world beyond their immediate experience.
Below is our latest blog post on this theme:
“Diversity in Children’s Books: Why representation matters”.

Diversity in Children’s Books: Why representation matters - The Linking Network “Representation and inclusion should thread through the body of books because books should reflect realities and the reality is that there is a world of stories waiting to be told.” CLPE Reflecting Realities, 2024 Mirrors Windows and Sliding Glass Doors: Books are often described as being like ....

Local area facilitators up and down the country are busy working to coordinate the arrangements for 2024-25
Matching classes, confirming with schools and organising training sessions for teachers to attend together to ensure a successful yearlong partnership.
The smooth running of this depends on all the wonderful teachers like you, who commit their time and effort to the project.
Thank you so much for your support and we look forward to welcoming you into our network and working together on this important work
Don’t forget to check out our website to learn more about our work

Home - The Linking Network Who am I? Who are we? Where do we live? How can we all live well together? These are vital questions for children and young people in the UK who are negotiating an increasingly complex society. A key driver of stereotyping, misunderstanding, fear and prejudice is lack of contact with people differen...

Want a quick look at some of the things we do?
Here are some short case studies that show some of the different ways we connect local schools and communities using our Schools Linking and Intergenerational Linking programmes.
Explore our website below & get in touch for more information

https://thelinkingnetwork.org.uk/case-studies/

We would like all the wonderful funders who make it possible for us to deliver our work to know how much we appreciate them!
So, as we bring our Celebration Week to a close, we'd like to say a huge thank you to these organisations; Pears Foundation, The Dulverton Trust, Garfield Weston Foundation, A & B Sainsburys Charitable Fund, Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities Bradford Council and The National Lottery Community Fund
We also want to thank all our local area facilitators and of course the most important people, the teachers who deliver the lessons, exchange all the work, and arrange the visits and trips! We could not do this without any of you
THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH

Rochdale Schools Linking has been celebrating Celebration Week in a wonderful way this week