PREM AWARE
Spring 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
Meadows First School
Messingham Primary school
Milford School
Mill Hill Nursery School and Houghton Community Nursery School
Mobberley Primary School
Monkhouse Primary School
Mrs Puddleducks Day Nursery
North Fawdon Primary School
North Rigton CE Primary School
Our Lady of Mount Carmel RC Primary School
Outwood Primary Academy
Pardes House Primary School
Park Mead Primary School
Poulton Lancelyn Primary School
Redscope Primary School
Rye Park Nursery School
Scotton Lingerfield Primary School
Smiles Montessori Bushfair
Smiles Montessori Newhall
South Wigston High School, Leciester
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 Patrick's PS, Armagh
St Paul's Infant School
St Teresa's Catholic Primary School
Stivichall Primary School
Storrington Primary School
The Clifton Children's House
Treeton C of E Primary School
Underwood West Academy (Aspire Academy Trust)
Usworth Colliery Primary School
Wath Central Primary School
Wath Victoria Primary School
Watton Junior School
Watton Westfield Infant & Nursery School
Westgate C.P. School
Whitley Lodge First School
Windlesham Village Infant School
Writtle Infant School
Aberhill Primary School
Abacus primary
Acorn Day Nursery
Acre Rigg Infant School
Alyth Kindergarten
Anston Hillcrest
Ashby Willesley Primary School
Aughton Early Years Centre
Bentley West Primary
Bowker Vale Primary School
Bramley Sunnyside Junior School
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
Burradon Community Primary School
Burton-upon-Stather Primary School
Byerley Park Primary School
Carleton Nursery School
Capcoch Primary School
Church Drive Primary School
Clifton Methodist playgroup
Daubeney Primary School
Dream Catchers Day Nursery Parkgate
Dream Catchers Day Nursery Stag
Enniskillen Integrated Primary School and Nursery Unit
Eton End School
Fawbert & Barnard's Primary School
Gatten and Lake Primary
Gayton Primary Academy
Harlowbury Primary
Harnham Infants
Harthill Primary
Headlands Primary School
Henleaze Infant School
Holbrook Primary School
Immans Primary School
Kettlefield Primary School
Kiddlywinks
Kiveton Park Infant School
Ladybird Family Nurture Centre
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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