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Read all the latest news and blogs from Partnership for Children and our partners around the world

Latest News

6 June 2017
Your summer holiday project… knit a Zippy!

Here’s something to fill those spare hours(!) over the summer… Download our new Zippy knitting pattern and make your very own Zippy!

5 June 2017
Talking to children about terrorism

The attack at the concert in Manchester and the attack in London has, understandably, caused a lot of fear and anxiety amongst children and parents. 

31 May 2017
Using Zippy’s Friends and Apple’s Friends to help with transition

School transitions can be an unsettling time for both teachers and pupils and may bring up difficult feelings. To help your new class or current class with the transition to a new year group and teacher, try these Zippy’s Friends and Apple’s Friends ideas at the end or beginning of term:

23 May 2017
Apple’s Friends – following Zippy across the world

Ever since Zippy’s Friends was first trialled over 17 years ago, teachers have asked, ‘What’s next?’ After many years and stages of development, Apple’s Friends has been launched as the follow-up programme to Zippy. However, children don’t have to have done Zippy to do Apple – it can be run as a programme by itself.

23 May 2017
A Successful Funding Partnership

Zippy’s Friends is now extremely successful and well known in Lithuania, with some 35% of all six to seven year-olds taking part in the programme. But ten years ago, this wasn’t the case at all, and times were tough for our NGO, Vaiko Labui.

23 May 2017
Success Stories

When our partners send us their annual reports, we need to have accurate statistics on school, teacher and children numbers. But the bit we enjoy reading most are the stories which tell us, more than numbers, what Zippy and Apple can do for children. Here are a few of the most recent success stories from around the world.

27 February 2017
Making the most of the Inclusion Supplement

While the main Zippy’s Friends folder has everything you need to teach the programme, don’t forget there are lots of great ideas for extending and enhancing activities in the Inclusion Supplement. These activities have been specially designed to ensure children in your class with special educational needs (SEN) can get the most out of the programme but can be beneficial for the whole class.

27 February 2017
Apple's Friends in action

Lucy Stevens is the SENCO of Berry Hill Primary School in Gloucestershire. She has been running Apple’s Friends with a Year 3 class since November 2016. Read our interview with her.

27 February 2017
How can coping skills help children deal with bullying?

Bullying is not only horrible to experience, but research shows it can have long-term detrimental effects on mental health.

14 September 2016
Engaging Parents with Zippy’s Friends

Involving families in Zippy’s Friends and Apple’s Friends is a great way to help children to use their new skills outside the classroom.

14 September 2016
The Importance of Expressing Feelings

The first modules of Zippy’s Friends and Apple’s Friends focus on feelings. For young children, learning about feelings is a key skill that will help them to manage their emotions and ask for help when needed.

31 August 2016
Getting started with Zippy’s Friends

There are lots of things you can do to set the tone before your first Zippy class. Many schools add an extra session (session 0) to introduce the characters, the rules and show that Zippy classes will be different from other lessons.

1 June 2016
Parents see the benefit of Zippy’s Friends

Parents have told us they really notice a difference in their children when they take part in Zippy’s Friends and Apple’s Friends. These stories from our international partners show what a positive impact our programmes can have for families:

4 November 2014
Norway's forgotten children
Growing up in one of the world’s richest countries is easy, right? Wrong! Randi Talseth, head of Voksne for Barn (Adults for Children), is concerned for Norway’s forgotten children.
2 September 2014
Day 1 in Class 1
In many countries, a new academic year is beginning and millions of children are going to school for the first time.  Jane Tingle reflects on the challenges that they – and their parents and teachers – will face.
9 June 2014
A million reasons to celebrate

Partnership for Children celebrate the enrolment of our one millionth child into Zippy’s Friends.