PREM AWARE
Summer Report 2024
Prem Aware Award Logo
Our Prem Aware Award Scheme continues to go from strength to strength, with the number of Prem Aware Schools growing rapidly across the UK.
We have a long way to go before reaching our ambitious goal of all UK schools becoming Prem Aware by 2030, but with the help of educators, parents and our passionate Prem Aware Ambassadors, we are certainly on our way!
We know that children born extremely prematurely (before 28 weeks’ gestation) are most likely to need extra support in school, but research tells us that children born just a few weeks early may face difficulties with learning too. In every average-sized classroom two to three children may have been born prematurely, meaning that teachers have a crucial role to play in supporting children in their journey after neonatal care.
All these settings have made our A* list of UK Prem Aware Schools or Nurseries, and we say a massive thank you to them for leading the way. Having trained teachers who know what to look out for and how to help will have such a positive impact on children’s educational journeys and we continue to receive brilliant feedback from parents and school staff.
Little Acorns Childcare
Little Bicks Mill Hill
Meadows First School
Meadow View Primary
Messingham Primary school
Mexborough St John's the Baptist C of E Primary school
Milford School
Mill Hill Nursery School and Houghton Community Nursery School
Mobberley Primary School
Mo Mowlam Academy
Monkhouse Primary School
Mrs Puddleducks Day Nursery
Newton Hall Infants' School
North Fawdon Primary School
North Leigh CE Primary School
North Rigton CE Primary School
Number 9 The Nursery
Our Lady of Mount Carmel RC Primary School
Outwood Primary Academy
Pardes House Primary School
Park Mead Primary School
Play Out Children's Nursery Ipswich
Poulton Lancelyn Primary School
Rawmarsh Nursery School & Children's Centre
Redscope Primary School
Rye Park Nursery School
School of Science and Technology Maidstone
Scotton Lingerfield Primary School
Smiles Montessori Bushfair
Smiles Montessori Newhall
South Wigston High School, Leicester
St Agnes Academy
St Augustine's C of E Primary School
St Bede's Catholic Primary
St Elizabeth’s Catholic Voluntary Academy
St Joseph's Catholic Primary School
St Mawes Primary School and Nursery (Skol Gynsa Lannvowsedh)
St Michael's Nursery
St Patrick's PS, Armagh
St Paul's Infant School
St Stephen Churchtown Academy and Nursery (Akademi Eglosstefan)
St Teresa's Catholic Primary School
Stanton Road Primary School.
Stambridge Primary School
Stivichall Primary School
Storrington Primary School
Tansley Primary School
The Clifton Children's House
The Wickford Church of England School
Thingwall Primary School
Todmorden CE J,I and N School
Treeton C of E Primary School
Underwood West Academy
Usworth Colliery Primary School
Waterman Primary School
Wath Central Primary School
Wath Victoria Primary School
Watton Junior School
Watton Westfield Infant & Nursery School
Westgate C.P. School
Whatfield Primary School
Whinstone Primary School
Whitley Lodge First School
Windlesham Village Infant School
Writtle Infant School
Ysgol Gynradd Coed-y-Garn Primary School
Ysgol Maes Owen
Ysgol Y Foryd Infant School
Abacus primary
Aberhill Primary School
Acorn Day Nursery
Acre Rigg Infant School
Alyth Kindergarten
Anston Hillcrest
Arnold Nursery School and Children's Centre
Ashby Willesley Primary School
Aughton Early Years Centre
Avondale Preparatory School
Benison Day Nursery
Bentley West Primary
Bowker Vale Primary School
Bramley Sunnyside Junior School
Breage C of E Primary School and Nursery (Skol Gynsa EPS Eglosbrek)
Bright little stars Barnet
Bright little stars Harrow
Bright little stars Mill Hill
Bright little stars Stanmore
Bright little stars Stratford
Bright little stars Watford
Brinsworth Whitehill Primary School
Briscoe Primary School
Burradon Community Primary School
Bugle School and Nursery (Skol Karnrosveur)
Burton-upon-Stather Primary School
Byerley Park Primary School
Capcoch Primary School
Carleton Nursery School
Child First Bicester
Church Drive Primary School
Clifton Methodist playgroup
Corner House Frodsham
Corner House Perth
Corner House Wistaston
Daubeney Primary School
Donhead Preparatory School
Donibristle Primary School
Dream Catchers Day Nursery Parkgate
Dream Catchers Day Nursery Stag
Dunmore Nursery School
Enniskillen Integrated Primary School and Nursery Unit
Eton End School
Fawbert & Barnard's Primary School
Ferham Primary School
Gatten and Lake Primary
Gayton Primary Academy
Godmanchester Bridge Academy
Happitots Boddam Nursery
Harlowbury Primary
Harnham Infants
Harthill Primary
Haxby Little Green Rascals
Headlands Primary School
Henleaze Infant School
Heswall Primary School
Highfield Farm Primary
Holbrook Primary School
Holyrood Nursery Warrington
Holyrood Nursery Salford
Immans Primary School
Incredible Kids Day Nursery
Kettlefield Primary School
Kiddlywinks
Kiveton Park Infant School
Ladybird Family Nurture Centre
Ladywood Primary school
Langley First School
Supporting parents and children
“84% of parents felt more awareness of the long term needs of children born prematurely was needed.”
Families often describe a lasting journey after bringing their baby or babies home from Neonatal Intensive Care (NICU) and are now starting to ask - is my school Prem Aware?
Becoming Prem Aware
The Smallest Things launched the Prem Aware Award scheme in 2020 to raise awareness, to support parents and carers, and to support schools to recognise and meet the needs of children born prematurely in a timely manner.
The Prem Aware Award promotes use of the ‘Preterm Birth Information for Educational Professionals’, a free online training resource developed by Professor Samantha Johnson and her collegues in the PRISM (Premature Infants’ Skills in Mathematics) Study Team, funded by the charity Action Medical Research. The online resources outlines the impact premature birth can have on a child’s development and learning, and in addition offers practical ways to support children born prematurely at school.
“Until listening to one of my teachers talk about her own experiences with premature babies, I had not thought in great depth about this, despite having had prematurely born children in my classes previously. Hearing and learning more about premature babies and the impact of this on physical, emotional, social and learning development opened my eyes to a type of pupil I do not believe we had considered enough previously or even knew we had. For a school that constantly wants to do its best by every child in our care, it has been invaluable for us to learn more and it will impact on our strategies moving forwards.
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