top of page

The Year of the Fire Horse- Monday News Issue 195

  • Matthew Paminter
  • 5 days ago
  • 7 min read

“Failure is not the opposite of success; it is a stepping stone towards it."


Events this week:

February 1st- February 28th- LGBT History Month 2025

February 17th- February 22nd- Cancer Prevention Week 2026

February 17th- March 2nd - Chinese New Year 2026

February 17th- Random Acts of Kindness Day 2026

February 19th- February 22nd- Emotional Health Week 2026

February 21st- Care Day 2026

 

Videos of the week

Chinese New Year: The Biggest Celebration on Earth

A three-part series featuring Kate Humble, the Hairy Bikers, and Jing Lusi. It covers the massive migration, preparations in Beijing, the Harbin Ice Festival, and traditional, fireworks in Hong Kong.

(Watching this can be counted towards your 20% off the Job learning – Approx. 90 mins)

 

Event of the week/month

Chinese New Year 2026

Chinese Lunar New Year — also known as Lunar New Year or Spring Festival — begins on Tuesday, Feb. 17 and marks the start of the Year of the Fire Horse, last seen in 1966.

Celebrated by millions around the world, the holiday follows the lunisolar calendar and always begins on the date of the second new moon after the winter solstice each December. In 2026, that new moon coincides with both a rare “ring of fire” annular solar eclipse and the first sighting of the Ramadan crescent moon, making it one of the most significant celestial and cultural days of the year.

(Reading this can be counted towards your 20% off the Job learning if it links to the knowledge, skills, and behaviours in your apprenticeship standard – Approx. 30 mins)


Safeguarding & ED & I


The Children’s Commissioner’s new guide, “What I wish my parents or carers knew…” (December 2025)

The Children’s Commissioner’s new guide offers practical, child-centred advice to help parents and carers better understand and support children’s digital lives. 

Drawing on children’s real experiences, the guide highlights the pressures young people face online, from social media and gaming to group chats and online safety worries. It encourages open, judgement-free conversations at home, helping adults feel more confident talking about boundaries, wellbeing and online risks. 

Alongside the main guide, an accompanying activity pack supports families in having meaningful discussions together, making it easier for parents and carers to stay connected to what their children experience in the digital world.

(Reading this can be counted towards your 20% off the Job learning if it links to the knowledge, skills, and behaviours in your apprenticeship standard – Approx. 40 mins)

 

Behind the Screen | The Hidden Safeguarding Threats of AI- Webinar

Join our FREE 25‑minute webinar, AI Risks Uncovered: Protecting People in a Digital World, where we explore the rapidly growing safeguarding threats linked to artificial intelligence, including deepfakes, nudification apps, blackmail, image misuse, and unhealthy online relationships.

Taking place on Tuesday 10th February 2026 at 12:00 noon and Thursday 12th February 2026 at 13:00 pm, this webinar is designed for anyone working with children, young people, or adults who needs to recognise early warning signs and respond effectively.

(Reading this can be counted towards your 20% off the Job learning if it links to the knowledge, skills, and behaviours in your apprenticeship standard – Approx. 30 mins)

 

Supporting Online Safety Awareness

Safer Internet Week offers a valuable opportunity to highlight early digital safety messages with children, staff, and families. For younger children, this may simply mean exploring safe use of technology in play, modelling healthy screen habits, or sharing simple messages about asking an adult for help. 

For parents, consider providing a short reminder about supervising internet use at home and being aware of age‑appropriate content. Signposting families to reputable resources can strengthen partnership working and empower parents to keep children safe online.

 (Reading this can be counted towards your 20% off the Job learning if it links to the knowledge, skills, and behaviours in your apprenticeship standard – Approx. 20 mins)

 

Why Safeguarding Risks Can Be Overlooked, and How Reflective Practice Helps

Across Further Education provisions, many teams are feeling the impact of rising pressures. High staff turnover, increasingly complex learner needs and the emotional demands of supporting young people and adults are placing significant strain on staff. These pressures can affect well-being and make it harder to maintain the confidence and clarity needed to identify early signs of harm.

Reflective practice is becoming essential in Further Education. Taking time to pause and think about challenging situations helps staff understand their responses, recognise patterns and make safer decisions. Supervision, mentoring and peer discussions provide valuable space to explore concerns, reduce emotional fatigue and strengthen professional judgement.

 (Reading this can be counted towards your 20% off the Job learning if it links to the knowledge, skills, and behaviours in your apprenticeship standard – Approx. 20 mins)

 

Health & Safety


Why sitting ruins our health - and how 22 minutes of exercise could help

For many of us, a working day involves spending several hours at a time sitting in front of a computer - and it's having a serious effect on our health. But research suggests that 22 minutes of moderate to vigorous exercise per day may reduce the negative health impacts of a sedentary lifestyle.

 (Reading this can be counted towards your 20% off the Job learning if it links to the knowledge, skills, and behaviours in your apprenticeship standard – Approx. 20 mins)

 

Road safety changes to protect young drivers (UK)

A new UK Government Road Safety Strategy aims to reduce deaths and serious injuries by 65% by 2035, with specific goals to make roads safer for young people and children too. This includes wider talks on improving learner driver training and reducing drink driving.

 (Reading this can be counted towards your 20% off the Job learning if it links to the knowledge, skills, and behaviours in your apprenticeship standard – Approx. 20 mins)

 

Anticipated Youth Mental Health Trends in 2026

As we enter 2026, young people are growing up in systems that are fragmenting, automating, and, in some cases, withdrawing human care. Technology is accelerating while human connection and social support erode. Social connection is increasingly mediated as in-person spaces disappear. Economic and policy instability collide with developmental needs for belonging, stability, and guidance. 

 (Watching this can be counted towards your 20% off the Job learning if it links to the knowledge, skills, and behaviours in your apprenticeship standard – Approx. 30 mins)

 

Wider Curriculum


Martyn’s Law Is Coming | Are You Prepared for the New Legal Duties?

Martyn’s Law (Terrorism Protection of Premises Act 2025) introduces major new duties for organisations to take “reasonably practicable steps” to keep the public safe from terrorism-related risks. Our latest briefing breaks down what the Standard and Enhanced

Duties mean for venues of all sizes, across education, leisure, hospitality, retail, visitor attractions, and more, and the practical steps leaders should take now ahead of phased implementation

 (Reading this can be counted towards your 20% off the Job learning if it links to the knowledge, skills, and behaviours in your apprenticeship standard – Approx. 20 mins)

 

Professional Curiosity Spotlight- Workshop

February is a great month to reflect on professional curiosity, especially where practitioners are building relationships with new families. 

Encourage teams to ask open questions, check assumptions, and notice when information doesn’t quite add up. Curiosity is never about being intrusive - it’s about creating the space for families to talk and ensuring children are at the centre of our thinking. A short refresher in a team meeting or supervision session can be a helpful way to reinforce this essential safeguarding mindset.

 

 (Watching this can be counted towards your 20% off the Job learning if it links to the knowledge, skills, and behaviours in your apprenticeship standard – Approx. 60 mins)

 

Research Highlights How Children’s Online Experiences Differ by Gender

New research from Internet Matters (January 2026) highlights important similarities and differences in how girls and boys experience life online. Based on a UK survey of 1,000 children aged 9–16 and their parents, the report finds that boys and girls now spend similar amounts of time online, particularly chatting with friends and using social media, and most feel positive about their digital lives. 

 

However, online harm remains common, with 69% of girls and 66% of boys reporting at least one negative experience. Girls are more likely to be contacted by strangers and to receive upsetting or abusive messages, while boys are more likely to take action directly on platforms when something goes wrong. 

 

The report calls for stronger age assurance measures and greater support for schools in delivering media and digital literacy education to help all children stay safe online.

(Reading this can be counted towards your 20% off the Job learning if it links to the knowledge, skills, and behaviours in your apprenticeship standard – Approx. 40 mins)

 

 

Sustainability

 

What are the Global Goals?- Videos

The 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), or Global Goals, are a universal call to action adopted by all United Nations Member States in 2015 to end poverty, protect the planet, and ensure prosperity for all by 2030. They address interconnected global challenges including climate change, inequality, education, and health.

 (Watching this can be counted towards your 20% off the Job learning if it links to the knowledge, skills, and behaviours in your apprenticeship standard – Approx. 20 mins)

 

These Olympic Athletes Are Taking Climate Action

As athletes from around the world arrive in Italy for the 2026 Winter Olympics, they’ll be greeted with snow blanketing the mountaintops—a relief following earlier concerns from the International Ski Federation over snow levels ahead of the competition. But these favorable conditions don’t ease the minds of many athletes who believe climate action is paramount to keeping the Games alive.

The Italian Alps faced unusually warm weather around the holidays, as the region is being affected by warmer average winter temperatures overall. February temperatures in Cortina have warmed 6.4°F since the town first hosted the Winter Olympics in 1956, according to research from Climate Central. 

(Reading this can be counted towards your 20% off the Job learning if it links to the knowledge, skills, and behaviours in your apprenticeship standard – Approx. 10 mins)`


 
 
 

Comments

News

Quest Training
bottom of page