In our final year of study and in the weeks prior to dissertation hand in, we are signing this petition to make our voices heard and request a deadline extension for our undergraduate dissertations. We understand that the UCU strikes and the weather is out of the control of the department, however not only have we not been able to access the books necessary for our dissertation research, but the availability of our tutors has been significantly affected. We have had to work around their striking schedules, which has disrupted our feedback schedules and formative feedback for our other course specific essays. Over the past week especially and over the up and coming weeks of striking, we feel our work has been, and will be greatly affected. With no teaching time, no library, the partial closure of Minto House along with the adverse weather making getting to University difficult, our essays and work schedule will be further disrupted. The School of History, Classics and Archaeology have had their dissertation deadline extended from the 5th of April to the 16th of April 2018, and we very much hope that the History of Art department could do the same. This would allow us more time to continue writing our dissertations, along with the other course specific essays that are due before our dissertation deadline. We understand that these disruptions are not the fault of the History of Art staff, however we have been directed to you as our point of contact regarding this issue. Though many of us wholeheartedly support the UCU industrial action, the disruption this has caused in the weeks leading up to our dissertation hand-in must be acknowledged and taken into consideration. Thank you in advance for your help and we hope for your cooperation and understanding.

Teachers already know exactly who needs support in learning times tables. Some children are naturally great at remembering facts, whilst some children will agonise over it. We do not want maths to become fearful for some children. This test is unnecessary. To introduce another test that will need rehearsal, will add to our children's stress. At a time when we are more and more concerned about our children's mental well-being this is a test too far. Staff who already are under pressure to perform, will continue to leave the profession. The Government say that they need evidence so that they can put in place more support. Is this really going to happen when we know funding is tight? Will there be more funding for extra staff or will school resources be stretched even thinner? Schools will be forced to over-learn times tables and so something again on the curriculum will have to go. More time chanting tables, less time on creative subjects such as arts, dance, drama. We want our children to have skills ready for the 21st Century. We need collaborators, entrepreneurs, free thinkers. We do not need our children to have the skills that were needed for the Victorian Industrial Revolution - which is what our system is currently based on. So in conclusion, please say no to these times table tests for 8 and 9 year olds. They are not needed. They are not relevant to modern England. They will cause more stress and anguish. Contact [email protected]

Because schools funds have been cut 6 percent but the council don't mind wasting our money on electric.

Many schools don't have a recycling budget and can't afford to recycle. Even batteries end up in landfill. Recycling is important to reduce environmental and habitat damage and global warming. It also helps to reuse resources and materials that are valuable and take a lot of energy to produce and are in limited supply. The school curriculum teaches students environmental protection, global warming, recycling and sustainable use of resources. Yet this is not seen in practice. Schools are not setting a good example to students.

Booker Park is a School for children with special needs and as such, almost every child there is driven to school in the morning and picked up inthe afternoon. This means that here is a huge number of vehicles trying to get into and out of the site at the same time. If any cars at all are parked on the road at the entrance, the entire school site gets gridlocked and staff or parents have to oversee directing traffic to ease this. Often the only option is to reverse many, many vehicles back out onto the road. This not only constitutes a huge danger to the few children whose parents walk them into and out of the school site, but it also causes delays for those parents who have to pick up siblings from mainstream schools. There is no one at the school who should have to come and direct traffic. Parents should not have to leave their cars with children in, to negotiate moving other vehicles so that everyone can leave the site.

Primary school children are having to take chances crossing the road in order to get into school on time. Vehicles regularly stop on the crossing causing difficultly for pedestrians Numerous accidents have caused lights and bollards to be knocked down - next time it could be one of our children. Greenbank School parents have commented how they need to set off earlier due to the additional time it takes to cross Smithdown road from all directions.

The government are introducing compulsory testing for children in reception. The tests will be in numeracy, literacy and behaviour. A £10m trial will begin in September, with the aim of introducing it to all infant schools in 2020. This must be stopped. Though early assessments are important, baseline testing is not the way to approach this. Different ways of assessing children were explored in 2015, and the most popular was based solely on observation of children. The approach of baseline testing came under scrutiny from teaching unions and parents, and the Department for Education quickly put an end to the tests, claiming the different approaches were too hard to compare. However, here we are again, and this time compulsory baseline tests are being pushed through. The only way to stop this is to speak up. The tests are unreliable. Many factors are thought to 'scew' the results, including 'whether the child was summer born, spoke English as a first language, or had settled happily into school.' The tests are also risking making social inequality worse. 'Parents with high expectations will prepare their children, which could mean these infants have a higher score and that higher expectations will follow them throughout their school careers. The opposite could be true for children from disadvantaged homes.' So the disadvantaged, the youngest, those who do not speak English as a first language, even those who are shy and not settling as well as others could have their education seriously damaged by these tests. Is this not discrimination? This approach being pushed through seems to be based on a November OFSTED report that 'highlighted that a third of five-year-olds, and half of disadvantaged ones, were not reaching expected standards of development in their reception year. The inspectors recommended more focus on reading, including phonics.' It suggested that reception pupils need to be 'pushed harder in reading and maths'. However, this is being challenged by parents, teachers and other education experts, who claim the OFSTED report was biased because 'the schools used as good examples by the inspectorate were chosen for their more formal approach.' The evidence suggests that baseline testing will be extremely damaging. Please sign and share this petition to show Damian Hinds that it is not supported. A good summary of everything you need to know about this issue: https://www.theguardian.com/education/2018/jan/16/tests-reception-children-immoral-england-play

We believe there is a genuine risk to children. Having to walk 30 metres down a busy road to the recommend parking place. This seems completely unnecessary when a footpath clearly is the answer.

Lea Village park is an important resource for the whole community to share and to be proud of. We have tried to do our own bit to make it better but we can’t do it alone. Having pupils in our school that rely on wheelchairs, it is important to us that the park is accessible to all of us and that they aren’t excluded from trips to the park. We would like to see the park used to its full extent by all local people. We are happy to do some fundraising of our own to help with this cause.

This service supports families all over Renfrewshire but closer to home for me is the foxbar team. The girls re so supportive and have done a lot for my family and others

To improve the well-being of students, prepare them for self-responsibility and to know how to help other people in need.

Libraries are important to all age groups in the County. They a focal points for local communities and in the modern era provide a large range of essential services. These include the loan of books, careers advice, IT training, Newspaper Reading Rooms, Group Activities for Young parents and children, Access to Computers and photocopiers, archives for researchers, local information. Libraries are important hubs in local communities providing information on local services, activities and groups. Closing local libraries will isolate communities and individuals, especially the elderly and disabled.