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Dear Reader, A school where 90 per cent of pupils once failed to achieve good GCSEs recently received a perfect Ofsted score, the first school in England to do so. The principal of Harris Academy Crystal Palace put the excellent scores down to the holistic approach the school takes to education, while the inspectors praised the school’s work ethic and strict discipline and pupils’ strong moral values.

BETT 2010

Acknowledging outstanding achievement of primary and secondary schools in a range of curriculum and business areas is what we do at the Education Business Awards. E INSIDE & SAFETY | PLUS MOR | FINANCE | HEALTH FIRE SAFETY | ENERGY Taking place 19 November and supported by the British Educational Suppliers Association, the event will recognise successful schools and projects that demonstrate how the dedication of teaching and management staff, coupled with sound investment, has delivered better learning environments. If you didn’t make the shortlist this year – as presented on page 11 – I hope you’ll enter next year (entry opens in January). Those of you that did, I look forward to seeing you at the Awards.

09/11/2009 07:34

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editor@psp-media.co.uk

EDUCATION BUSINESS MAGAZINE If you would like to receive 6 issues of Education Business magazine for £45 a year, please contact Public Sector Publishing, 226 High Road, Loughton, Essex IG10 1ET. Tel: 020 8532 0055, Fax: 020 8532 0066, or visit the Education Business website at: P NEWS P FEATURES P PROFILES P CASE STUDIES P EVENTS P AND MORE

8 www.educationbusinessuk.com EDUCATION BUSINESS MAGAZINE PUBLISHED BY PUBLIC SECTOR PUBLISHING LTD 226 High Rd, Loughton, Essex IG10 1ET. Tel: 020 8532 0055 Fax: 020 8532 0066 EDITOR Sofie Lidefjard ASSISTANT EDITOR Angela Pisanu PRODUCTION EDITOR Karl O’Sullivan DESIGN Jacqueline Grist

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© 2009 Public Sector Publishing Limited. No part of this publication can be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any other means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise) without the prior written permission of the publisher. Whilst every care has been taken to ensure the accuracy of the editorial content the publisher cannot be held responsible for errors or omissions. The views expressed are not necessarily those of the publisher. ISSN 1362 - 2541 THE BUSINESS MAGAZINE FOR EDUCATION

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CONTENTS EDUCATION BUSINESS VOLUME 14.6

07 NEWS 11 EB AWARDS The 2009 Education Business Awards will celebrate outstanding achievements of primary and secondary schools in a range of curriculum and business areas

13 BETT 2010 We preview BETT 2010 – the world’s largest educational technology event BESA’s Ray Barker outlines what’s in store for visitors to BETT 2010

63 ENERGY The Carbon Trust Standard allows organisations to prove they are making genuine reductions in their carbon emissions

73 SUSTAINABILITY The Eco-Schools programme is supporting most of the schools in England on their sustainable journey

75 FACILITIES MANAGEMENT An overview of facilities management in the education sector

81 HEALTH & SAFETY

37 ICT Education is changing fast, and one consequence is a potential increase in its carbon footprint. Socitm discusses what can be done about this The BASDA Green Charter sets out four steps signatories will take to help lead the UK towards achieving a 20 per cent reduction in greenhouse emissions by 2020

46 EXTENDED SCHOOL SERVICES We look at the National Healthy Schools Programe’s extended services

49 FINANCE It is vital that personal finance is taught at schools if children are to grow up financially capable, says the FSA Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy takes a look at resource allocation models

57 DESIGN & BUILD The benefits of incorporating sustainability principles in educational construction projects go far beyond ‘green’ issues, says BRE

Acoustics have a very real impact on teaching and learning standards, says IOSH

85 FIRE SAFETY The FIA looks at what solutions are available to prevent fires or mitigate the impact of a fire BAFE discusses why independent evaluation and certification are important when it comes to fire safety Without certificated fire doors, the potential consequences of any fire could be catastrophic, says the British Woodworking Federation

94 SECURITY The Perpetuity Group looks at what areas of crime have an impact on the education sector

97 CONFLICT MANAGEMENT

100 STAFF TRAINING A look at how Kent County Council schools tackle wellness management

103 CONFERENCES & EVENTS Academic venues make a great choice for conferences and events in the education sector

106 RECRUITMENT The Training and Development Agency for Schools gives the lowdown on the new One-to-One Tutition Programme

109 CATERING The pull of the high street is a serious challenge for schools when it comes to selling a healthy lunchtime offer, says the School Food Trust

115 EDUCATIONAL TRIPS The legal requirements of operating a minibus are far more complex than most people realise, says The Community Transport Association

119 TES EDUCATION A review of the TES Education show

120 SCHOOL CURRICULUM A new initiative has been set up to increase the take up of science, technology, engineering and maths subjects

The Institute of Conflict Management explains how to reduce and manage conflict in schools

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New campaign to give schools free sports and play equipment riple Olympian and former Javelin World Record Holder Steve Backley OBE has launched a campaign to provide schools across the country the opportunity to receive much needed school sports equipment. Childsure has teamed up with Aviva to bring parents affordable private medical insurance designed specifically for children for just 45p per day. All schools need to do is register for the equipment,

then when a parent from the school purchases a Child Health Solutions policy from Childsure, the school will receive £15 of vouchers to spend at DaviesSports. co.uk on any of their 8,000 items. There is no limit to the amount of vouchers school’s can receive to spend on sports equipment. There is plenty of time to collect and save up as the closing date is not until 29 July 2011.

NEWSINBRIEF Help at hand for pupils and parents A new national campaign in Scotland has been launched to encourage and empower parents to find out about the help available to support children through difficult periods in life. The Just Ask campaign aims to raise awareness of the rights of parents to ask for additional support when something is affecting their child’s learning. The initiative seeks to highlight the help available, from issues arising through bullying and dyslexia through to family bereavement and coping with divorce or any other situation that might impact on a pupil’s learning. The campaign encourages parents to ‘just ask’ either their local school or Enquire, the national advice line on additional support issues. Adam Ingram, Minister for Children and Early Years, said: “Sometimes children are not able to ask for help themselves. That’s why the Just Ask campaign is encouraging parents to stop and think about what issues might be affecting their child’s learning and the key role that they, as parents, have in helping their child to get the extra help they need.

“Tell a teacher, driver, or parent”

Careers education strategy fit for the 21st century launches radical change in careers information, advice and guidance (IAG) has been launched. The new IAG strategy will modernise careers education to make it accessible for young people and to keep pace with a rapidly changing economy – and make sure every young person, whatever their background, can aim for the top. Ed Balls, Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families, said: “A radical change is needed in the way careers advice and education is delivered. This strategy aims to do just that with schools and parents at the centre. I want this generation of young people to be able to look back and say their careers advice and guidance was relevant and gave them informed options.”

The strategy sets out the government’s ambition that every young person will get careers education up to the age of 18 in line with raising the participation age. The Quality, Choice and Aspiration strategy has been informed and influenced by the report ‘Fair Access to the Professions’ by Alan Milburn and his panel. The plans outlined in the strategy build on Alan Milburn’s report and take forward the majority of the recommendations relevant to IAG. It also builds on the Schools White Paper, which stated that it was both a moral and an economic imperative to ensure every young person turns 18 with the knowledge, skills and qualifications to give them the best chance of success in adult life in the 21st century.

The first ever All Wales Travel Behaviour Code has been published and aims to promote positive behaviour and improve the safety of pupils travelling to school and college. The Code comes into force at the beginning of the school term in January next year and covers all modes of transport, including bus, train, walking and cycling for all learners aged 5 to 19. Schools and local authorities will now have the power to take action against learners who misbehave on their way to and from school or college. The Code will be incorporated into all schools existing behaviour policies. Head teachers will now have a statutory right to take action against learners even if they are not on school premises.

Outstanding winners at book design awards The British Printing Industries Federation (BPIF) has announced the winners of the British Book Design and Production Awards 2009. The accolade for Book of the Year went to ‘The Wizard of Oz’, published by Atlantic Books, whilst Walker Books’ ‘My Secret War Diary’ won the Children’s Trade Award. The Primary, Secondary and Tertiary Education Award went to ‘Level 2 (NVQ/SVQ) Diploma in Hairdressing’, and the ‘2009 Guide to Specification’ was given the Scholarly, Academic and Reference Books Award.

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The Really Good School Dinner joins fight against world hunger he School Food Trust, the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP), the Schools Minister and the International Development Secretary are all supporting registration for the Really Good School Dinner, inviting school children to buy one, give one free. The unique campaign gives UK schools the chance to help children in some of the world’s poorest countries by adding just 10p extra to the price of their usual school meal. Every extra 10p donated goes to the WFP and is enough to pay for a meal for a child who might otherwise go hungry. Schools Minister Diana Johnson said: “The Really Good School Dinner means that pupils here will not only be benefiting from a healthy school lunch, but they will also be giving at the

same time, and that’s why I encourage schools to register and get involved.” Once registered, pupils create on the Really Good School Dinner website their own school’s virtual dinner table complete with personalised characters. They receive an information pack including lesson plans, information about world hunger, a hunger map, international recipes, case studies, posters to help spread the word and a collection bucket wrap. The first Really Good School Dinner in January 2009 saw more than 118,000 school dinners eaten by children in schools around the country, raising a total of £11,855 for the WFP. Schools are invited to register now for January 2010 at www.getreal. uk.com/really-good-school-dinner

NEWSINBRIEF Students mix mechanics and imagination For the pupils of Stockley Academy, in Middlesex, building robots is about to become an everyday part of school life. The academy has become the first school in the UK to purchase a LEGO® Education Centre (LEC). The LEC is designed to develop essential skills built around the key areas of science: technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM subjects) and create a hub of innovation and creativity that interacts with the local community. The LEC consists of several key components: the unique LEGO Education kits, teacher and pupil learning resources, a regular training framework, a community website and specially designed furniture. Students can build their own solutions and use education material that supports a process of learning that includes four phases: Connect, Construct, Contemplate and Continue. “With a specialism of science and technology, we have established a reputation for being at the cutting edge of education and the LEGO Education products will further reinforce our position as an innovative and forward-thinking establishment. We believe that gaining competencies in certain technologies is key for our students’ future success,” said Aftab Ahmed at Stockley Academy.

Kids put their hands up for hygiene

£6M super-school completed in Merseyside ne of the country’s most high tech sustainable primary schools, All Saints Catholic Primary School in Bootle, has been handed over by Nobles Construction following a 69-week build process. The government funded 420-place school has eco-friendly features to not only reduce carbon footprint but also create an environment to maintain optimum performance levels during the school day. Its sustainable features include solar panels, ground source heating and

grass roof sedum insulation to generate power and conserve energy. The school is efficient in terms of space and land usage and its position reduces seasonal heating and the cooling impact. Equipped with all the latest technology, the school has 14 classrooms each containing four PCs with personal laptops for every pupil. Facilities also include a multi-use hall, retractable classroom walls, a new purpose built playing field, a nursery and a one stop shop children’s centre offering the community anything from job to health care advice.

Thousands of children in schools across the country will soon be putting their ‘Hands Up For Hygiene’ as part of a campaign to promote hand washing amongst youngsters and encourage healthy habits for life. The campaign has already reached 931,057 children and 12,324 schools and nurseries since its inception in 2003. This year the educational initiative, run by Carex, has been extended to include older children, up to the age of 14. The Hands Up for Hygiene activity packs include curriculum-linked activities covering key stages in Science, Design & Technology, English, History, Mathematics and PSHCE, as well as assembly suggestions that will engage pupils in a variety of creative activities and role play scenarios to help children understand and share serious messages about the impact of poor hygiene both in school and in the home. Practising basic hygiene habits is an important step to stop the spread of common infections and diseases such as colds and flu. However, a recent report discovered 17 per cent of women, 30 per cent of men and 50 per cent of children still do not wash their hands after going to the toilet or eating. The Hands up for Hygiene activity packs are available online at www.carex.co.uk/hands-up-for-hygiene

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EB AWARDS

EB AWARDS 2009 SHORTLIST ANNOUNCED The 2009 Education Business Awards will look back at the outstanding achievements of primary and secondary schools in a range of curriculum and business areas SUPPORTED BY THE BRITISH Educational Suppliers Association, the EB Awards will take place 19 November, once again at Arsenal’s Emirates Stadium. This year’s celebrity presenter is BBC Newscaster Bill Turnbull. The following organisations have been shortlisted for the 16 awards. OUTSTANDING PROGRESS AWARD sponsored by Sony Castleford High School Technology & Sports College, West Yorkshire Loxford School of Science and Technology, Essex Nottingham Academy (formerly Greenwood Dale School), Nottingham Avon Valley School and Performing Arts College, Rugby Feltham Community College, Middlesex OUTSTANDING ACADEMY AWARD sponsored by Towergate Partnership The Harefield Academy, Middlesex Barnfield West Academy, Bedfordshire Manchester Academy, Manchester The Petchey Academy, London Thomas Deacon Academy, Peterborough ACADEMY DEVELOPMENT AWARD sponsored by Capital Finance Solutions Group The Chelsea Academy, London St.Aidan’s Church of England Academy, Darlington Bede Academy, Northumberland ACADEMY PARTNERSHIP AWARD John Cabot Academy, Bristol Manchester Academy, Manchester Swindon Academy, Wlitshire SPORTS AWARD sponsored by Aviva Oakham School, Rutland The Canterbury High School, Kent Bartley Green School, Birmingham SEN PROVISION AWARD sponsored by Mike Ayres Design Treloar School, Hampshire Percy Hedley School, Newcastle upon Tyne Tuke School, London Hatton School and Special Needs Centre, Essex The Birches School, Manchester ICT INNOVATION AWARD Monkseaton High School, Tyne & Wear James Brindley Hospital Special School, West Midlands Stockley Academy, Middlesex

EDUCATIONAL VISITS AWARD High Tunstall College of Science, Hartlepool The Downs School, Newbury Castlechurch Primary School, Staffordshire SCHOOL CATERING AWARD sponsored by Eatz4U Boston Spa School, West Yorkshire Todmorden High School, West Yorkshire The Kings School, Lincolnshire St. Katherine’s School, Bristol St Bernadette’s Catholic Primary School, Cheshire ART & CRAFT AWARD Isambard Community School, Swindon Woodcroft First School, Staffordshire The John Fielding Community Special School, Lincolnshire SCIENCE AWARD Alexandra Park School, London Macmillan Academy, Middlesbrough Rose Bridge High School, Wigan High Tunstall College of Science, Hartlepool MUSIC AWARD Coventry Blue Coat Church of England School & Music College, Warwickshire The Purcell School, Hertfordshire Christ’s Hospital School, West Sussex SCHOOL BUILDING AWARD Cardinal Hume Catholic School, Gateshead The Minster School, Nottinghamshire St. Mary Magdalene Academy, London Gorton Education Village, Manchester ENVIRONMENTAL BUILDING AWARD sponsored by Ocip Energy Old Park Primary School, Telford Queen Elizabeth School, Dorset Taylor Road Primary School, Leicester ICT FACILITY AWARD Eaton Valley Primary School, West Midlands Belgrave CE Primary School, Staffordshire South Rise Primary School, London SCHOOL SECURITY AWARD sponsored by STI Stockwell Park High School, London Bede Academy, Northumberland St. David’s School, Pembrokeshire

FOR MORE INFORMATION Web: www.ebawards.co.uk

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BETT 2010

WHEN YOU CAN’T SEE THE WOOD FOR THE TREES Richard Joslin, exhibition director at EMAP Connect, explains what is new for BETT 2010, the world’s largest education in technology show, and why now is the ideal time to plan out what you want to spend your time seeing

WHETHER E-MAILS, MAIL SHOT LETTERS or telephone calls, teachers are targeted daily with information on new products, resources and services. It can be easy to lose sight of what is important to your school or class when you can’t ‘see the wood for the trees’. While you want to know what is new, what you really need is time to see what is appropriate to your teaching requirements for the next year or two on your terms. LEADER OF THE PACK After 26 years, BETT is still the world’s largest education in technology show for one simple reason: it never stands still. The show dedicates itself to pushing the boundaries of education by showcasing the very best educational technology products, by demonstrating brilliant examples of best practice and by developing forward-thinking feature areas that present education at its most innovative.

Free to attend and running over four days from Wednesday 13 to Saturday 16 of January 2010, BETT can once again be found at London’s Olympia. NEW FOR 2010 The headline feature area for BETT 2010 is Playful Learning, developed by education guru, Prof. Stephen Heppell. As someone who has been involved in education in the UK and internationally for many years, Stephen is exploring games based learning and is demonstrating how games can encourage engagement and motivate children to learn. Students from Lampton School in Hounslow are on hand to challenge visitors to a game or two that have been provided by leading educational suppliers. Computer based learning in secondary schools is a seminar presented at midday on 14 January by Ollie Bray, Learning and Teaching Scotland.

It is often argued that making games based learning happen in a secondary school is more of a challenge than it is in the primary setting. Ollie states that this is partly because of the boundaries created by discrete subject areas and the confines of timetabling. This presentation will focus on how the management team and teachers at Musselburgh Grammar School have taken games based learning forward in an innovative yet strategic manner. On the Saturday of BETT (16 January) Andy Fisher, director, Middlesborough City Learning, is sharing his experiences of bringing computer games into our classrooms, to engage, challenge and motivate learners. There are over 100 seminars to choose from during the four days of BETT, and information on each is provided on the www.bettshow.com website. Visitors are encouraged to pre-book seminars (£15 + VAT) on the BETT website to ensure a seat as they are going fast!

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BETT 2010

POLICY MADE EASY If you are keen to keep up with the latest changes in education policy I would recommend that you add the Supporting Next Generation Learning area to your list for the day. Formally known as the Policy in Practice zone, here you can find Becta, DCSF, the Training and Development Agency for Schools, the National College for Leadership of Schools and Children’s Services, the National Education Network, Qualification and Curriculum Development Agency, Naace and the Specialist Schools and Academies Trust all under one roof. Also new for 2010 is Future Learning Spaces which is where visitors can discover more about the Building Schools for the Future (BSF) programme and the Primary Capital Programme (PCP) at BETT. Developed in collaboration with us at Emap and Partnerships for Schools, the body responsible for BSF, Future Learning Spaces brings together organisations and practitioners that have been involved in BSF projects to demonstrate to visitors the new face of 21st century learning environments. Visitors can see some of the latest designs for the learning spaces of the future and meet exhibitors in the Future Learning Spaces pods who are providing information and advice on the BSF process. The Local Authority Lounge and the brand new Network Managers Lounge can also be found within the Future Learning Spaces zone. Anyone involved with BSF may want to schedule time to see one of the exceptional range of seminars. At 10.45 until 11.30 on the first day of BETT, 13 January, and at midday on the 14 January, Steve Moss, director, Partnerships for Schools is presenting ‘Power Up: How ICT is transforming BSF in schools. Whether your area of interest is primary or secondary education, a large proportion of visitors to BETT have a particular curriculum area that they represent. Taking just a few key curriculum areas in turn let’s look at some of the new products that are on show at BETT 2010: MATHEMATICS Maths-Whizz Tutoring Plus, from Whizz Education, stand R34, is an online one-to-one personalised tutoring service in maths. Each student benefits from tutoring tailored exactly to their abilities and maths profile. It is used in the presence or absence of a teacher, at home or in school or wherever they have internet access. Visitors to Eastmond Publishing on stand SW1, recognised for its Autograph product to support the teaching of statistics and 2D/3D Coordinate Geometry, are set to see its brand new multi-lingual interface. The products are designed for KS3 students and above. At 12.00 on 13 January, QCDA will discuss the development of functional skills in English, mathematics and ICT in the curriculum and 14-19 qualifications. At the same time on 15 January in the Special Educational Needs Seminar Theatre, Di Hillage from the British

After 26 years, BETT is still the world’s largest education in technology show for one simple reason: it never stands still. The show dedicates itself to pushing the boundaries of education by showcasing the very best educational technology products, by demonstrating brilliant examples of best practice and by developing forward-thinking feature areas that present education at its most innovative Dyslexia Association is outlining the possible sources of difficulty in learning maths for dyslexic people and others. He will suggest some strategies, including computer activities, to aid learners. For any teachers who need to support learning for children with dyslexia this could be a good investment of an hour out of their day. LITERACY On stand S51, Wishtrac launches its brand new literacy software for primary schools branded ‘Keywords for Literacy’. The new program simplifies the assessment and tracking of pupils’ ability to read and spell high and

medium frequency words. Designed for use in primary schools, Keywords for Literacy also supports SEN pupils at secondary level. Meanwhile, on stand SN20 Smart Kids is showing visitors how its ‘5 Advanced Interactive Literacy Games’ have been designed to practice and reinforce key skills. Students are challenged to pick the correct meaning for abbreviations; decipher where an apostrophe should belong in a selection of sentences; pick the correct spelling for irregularly spelt words; pick a verb tense to make a grammatically correct sentence. At 13.45 on the first day of BETT, consultant Sally McKeown is presenting a seminar entitled

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BETT 2010

‘Reading for Pleasure, Technology and the Future of Literacy’. The seminar will draw on the findings of the Niace book Screens and Pages – Technology and Reading for Pleasure. During the seminar, delegates can develop their thoughts on whether children would read more or less if the internet wasn’t available and whether the iPod has had a negative impact on reading for pleasure. At 15.45 on the second day of BETT, primary teachers should schedule a visit to the Innovation Theatre where a seminar entitled ‘Reading into Technology’ is set to give teachers new ideas of how to enrich the experience of the printed book and support emerging readers. Delegates can discover how content can be brought to life using interactive tools. SCIENCE Visitors looking for new innovative resources to support the teaching of science at Key Stage 2 should take time to visit Channel 4 Learning on stand C30. Its new DVD, entitled Life Processes and Habitats, includes three series; Growing Plants, The Four Seasons and Natural Inventions with embedded support material, a teacher’s guide and four activity books. For Key Stages 3 and 4, it is showcasing its complete learning service Clipbank, with brand new science clips and activities including a biology module on competition, natural selection and Darwin to celebrate Darwin’s bicentennial. Similarly on stand S46 BrainPop is demonstrating its engaging website which contains 100s of animated explanations and

interactive quizzes for Key Stages 2 and 3. There are seven main categories across the curriculum with one focusing on science. Pasco Scientific on stand N56 is proudly showing its new SPARKscience family of products created to provide simple datalogging solutions for advancing science literacy. SPARKscience includes dedicated handheld dataloggers as well as technology that is optimised for use with interactive whiteboards and software for use with netbooks. Understanding how SPARKlabs and SPARKvue can support science in your school is enough reason to add Pasco Scientific to your schedule. GEOGRAPHY Visitors to BETT are well advised to visit the Seminar section of the BETT website to find a presentation that is undoubtedly going to fill you with new ideas and inspire your teaching. Anthony Barlow, Geographical Association and Year 3 teacher and Geography and ICT Subject Leader, St. Peter’s Smithills Dean C.E Primary School, Bolton is presenting ‘Geography through ICT: Mapping childrens’ feelings through Photostories’. Anthony is sharing his class experiences of walking, and talking about journeys they took, deciding what they liked, discussing why and making maps using digital photographs. In summary, the presentation explains how key stage two children used digital photos to structure their thoughts about their personal geographies.

ICT Comprising of a Teacher’s Book, Student’s Book and CD-ROM and created for Key Stage 3 learners, Smart Skills ICT Builder from Smart Learning on stand C90 promises to bring the renewed ICT Framework to life. Students tackle issues including e-safety, game design, spreadsheets, databases and web design through engaging, fun topics which provide lots of opportunities to perfect their skills in new technologies such as wikis, blogs and podcasting. The resource caters for students of all abilities. For 2010, Smart Learning is producing this popular range of resources as SCORM Compliant VLE Packs. BLI Education is another interesting exhibitor worth a visit. On stand C50 BLI is demonstrating a range of resources to support the ICT framework. These include Logicator Universal which empowers pupils to create a control program by simply dragging commands onto the screen and drawing lines between them. Their Red Pen Tool allows students and teachers to annotate over and mark any digital file. The majority of seminars at BETT are focused on the use of ICT across the curriculum and a visit to the seminar page of the BETT website (www.bettshow.com) is recommended.

FOR MORE INFORMATION This is a just a taster of what visitors to BETT 2010 can expect to see. For more information or to register, visit the website www.bettshow. com/IQED. We look forward to seeing you there.

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BETT 2010

COST CONTROL FOR YOUR SOFTWARE ASSETS With Licence Dashboard™, educational institutions of all sizes can take control of their software assets. Here’s a look at the benefits reaped by Longcroft School LONGCROFT SCHOOL FIRST WELCOMED young people in September 1949. In the intervening years the school has gone from strengthto strength, including the achievement of performing arts specialist college status in 2001. While this is a great bonus of opportunity and character to the school, it is not allowed to detract from other curriculum areas which have their own challenges and excitement. Longcroft aims to develop excellence in all, always looking ahead, working in partnership with families and investing in the future. It was this desire to invest in the future which led Longcroft School to take a look at its software estate. THE CHALLENGE In all aspects of ICT, Longcroft School strives to adopt recommended best practices, ensuring that suggested processes and procedures are implemented and adhered to when appropriate. Thus, with software taking up an ever-increasing share of the school’s ICT budget, it had become even more important to manage, control and protect software assets. In addition to the budgetary challenges, there was also the pressure from software vendors to remain compliant with the terms of their software licence agreements. It was clear to Longcroft School, therefore, that what they needed was to have a greater understanding of

JOIN US AT BETT 2010 Licence Dashboard™, Europe’s leading Software Licence Management tool, is now within easy reach of the education sector. In working with a number of Schools, Colleges, Universities and Eduserv, we have developed a Schools Edition and a simple subscription model for education organisations – both solutions dramatically reduce the cost of the software. BETT 2010 is Licence Dashboard’s first visit to this prestigious event – so when you’re on your way to BETT’s Café Grand, please come and say hello to our team on Stand G122. While visiting our stand you will learn how much time and money our product could save your organisation and, if you have your badge scanned, you will be entered into our free prize draw!

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their software licence position and to be able to track exactly what software they had deployed. Not only would this enable them to avoid unnecessary expenditure, it would also mean that they could safely say they were compliant! THE SOLUTION Having reviewed a number of different products and solutions, Longcroft School decided to utilise Licence Dashboard™ Schools Edition. Until now, Licence Dashboard has been out of the reach of most schools due to its corporate price tag. Following increased demand and continued requests from education institutions, however, Licence Dashboard Ltd has now published a special edition allowing schools to acquire Europe’s leading licence management tool at a more affordable price. Not only that, Licence Dashboard Schools Edition also provides a trustworthy and reliable software licence support service that responds to the school’s growing needs. Longcroft School felt this edition and the product’s functionality would deliver a cost effective solution, which would fully align with the school’s ICT objectives and financial commitments. As experienced by most schools, managing software licences can be an extremely daunting task one which schools are not particularly prepared for or trained to administer. Longcroft School fully understands the importance of licensing, however, they did not always have all the relevant information available prior to making a purchasing decision. This meant that the school could be subjected to the following risks: • Purchasing incorrect licences • Not purchasing enough licences • Purchasing too many licences With this in mind, therefore, the school wanted to ensure that all past purchases were added to a comprehensive licence inventory, thereby establishing a true and fair representation of the school’s licence position. To do this, the school employed the services of Software Asset Management specialists, Phoenix Software, to record and file all software licence evidence. Thereafter, Phoenix Software also verified the organisation’s compliance position by implementing Licence Dashboard and Dashboard Discovery™. Dashboard Discovery is designed to find hardware and installed software deployed across the network and is primarily used during the

verification and compliance stages of a Software Asset Management (SAM) programme. This application connects seamlessly with Licence Dashboard and together, from a single interface, provides Longcroft School with complete visibility of its compliance status. Without this comprehensive licence management tool, the function of managing Longcroft School’s licences would have essentially become a manual process, one which would be prone to error, complacency and eventually lead to regression. Like Longcroft School, most schools end up using a number of spreadsheets to manage and track their entitlement. These documents become difficult to summarise, however, and make it almost impossible for head teachers and other staff to make informed decisions. Using Licence Dashboard removes this complexity and makes it simple for staff to manage, control and protect one of the school’s most expensive ICT resources – software! THE BENEFITS Following the implementation of Licence Dashboard, Longcroft School can now effectively and automatically control the

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BETT 2010

After completing the implementation of Licence Dashboard and Dashboard Discovery, we are now in full control of one of our most expensive of IT resources – our software! – Anne Day, IT manager, Longcroft School entire lifecycle of its software assets from purchase, to upgrade and beyond. The school can now easily report on the following: • What software it is allowed to install • Determine how many licences have been allocated • Verify how many licences are still available • Be alerted to any maintenance renewals which are due This unique product, and the supporting support service offered by Phoenix Software, enables the school to manage the day-to-day licensing chores without having to employ the services of a software licensing expert. It also provides greater clarity, which puts the school in a much better negotiating position and promotes more informed purchasing decisions. With its easy to-use interface, users

such as network managers, business administrators, head teachers and all other authorised members of staff can gain access to software inventory, licence inventory and purchasing information at any time. Using this information can ensure that all purchases of software are correctly specified and procured using the most cost effective agreements, while ensuring that all licence evidence is correctly recorded and loss of entitlement is significantly reduced. By continuing to aggregate the school’s installation rights, more informed purchasing decisions can be made – thus reducing the risk of overspend. Gartner informs us that organisations which do not utilise this information during the purchasing stage overbuy software licences for 60 per cent of their portfolio. “After attending the East Riding Network Managers’ meeting, I was introduced to

Phoenix Software and they proposed the use of Licence Dashboard to manage the full lifecycle of our software and licences. After completing the implementation of Licence Dashboard and Dashboard Discovery, we are now in full control of one of our most expensive of IT resources – our software!” Anne Day, IT manager, Longcroft School

FOR MORE INFORMATION Whatever the size of your school/ college, Licence Dashboard has an edition to suit your needs and budget. To see for yourself how easy Software Asset Management can be, watch the online demo at www.licencedashboard.co.uk/ demo. For further information and pricing, contact the Licence Dashboard Team on: Tel: 0845 265 1217 E-mail: info@licencedashboard.co.uk Web: www.licencedashboard.co.uk

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“I use it everyday and I love it!”

* Teacher, Bulwell Academy, Nottinghamshire

Thats how good using a Visualiser from AVerMedia makes you feel. Visualisers make learning fun, memorable, spontanteous and engaging. Our award winning visualisers can connect to virtually any projector or whiteboard to provide a striking visual element to your lessons. Be the first to try out our new range by visiting stand D65 at BETT 2010 and find out for yourself why a Visualiser from AVerMedia is the essential tool in the modern classroom.

Stand D65, Grand Hall For further information contact on 0190814:28 371772Page sales.ukppd@avermedia.com Lumens Ad 21_10_09:Layout 1 us 23/10/09 1

5 year lamp and hardware warranty

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See more, clearly The future of education …visual presenters All Lumens visual presenters have: • Five year lamp and hardware warranty • Crystal clear image reproduction • Beautiful ergonomic design • Multiple features Visual presenters are the modern replacement to the OHP and can be easily integrated with projectors and interactive whiteboards. “I have been hugely impressed by Lumens’ digital visualisers. The picture quality is tremendous and this helps to engage the class and keep them focused. I was also pleasantly surprised to discover just how easy the visualisers are to use.” Gemma Smith, Year 5 and 6 Leader, Gusford Primary School. August 2009.

If you would like to book a demonstration or training on these products e-mail info@lumensuk.com or visit www.lumensuk.com for more information All trademarks are the property of their respective manufacturers. Your calls may be recorded for training purposes. Copyright © Lumens. Lumens, 4116 Clipper Court, Fremont, CA 94538 USA. NM-0206-Q4-09.

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BETT 2010

EFFECTIVE MANAGEMENT OF YOUR SCHOOL’S IT RESOURCES With technology now impacting on every aspect of school life there are a growing number of solutions designed to help with school management and communication outside the class WITH TECHNOLOGY NOW IMPACTING on every aspect of school life there are a growing number of solutions designed to help with school management and communication outside the class. Software suppliers have always worked closely with educationalists to provide tools that support teaching and learning but as a school’s IT infrastructure becomes increasingly sophisticated, so does the need for IT staff, even managers and administrators to get to grips with the new technology that surrounds them. NetSupport is one such vendor who, through their partnership with BESA and the research they conduct with their education customers, have been able to identify some key areas where simple, cost effective solutions can make a big impact on day-to-day school management. CHALLENGES According to Chris Lovesey, NetSupport’s Marketing Manager, while the emphasis is rightly on providing solutions that facilitate effective computer-led learning, the access that schools now have to a wide range of hardware, networks and web resources present different challenges; “Classroom Management is an obvious starting point; after all, computer-led instruction is now commonplace across many subject areas from traditional ICT to language teaching and it is vital that teachers are armed with the appropriate tools to provide a focused computer learning environment. However, NetSupport’s objective in recent years has been to offer complementary solutions that help schools address the more general support needs of their IT infrastructure.” As well as continuing to evolve their popular Classroom Management solution, NetSupport School, the company has

recently brought to market tools that focus on Desktop Security and Instant Alerting. The latest update to NetSupport School, version 10.5, adds to the product’s Internet and Application monitoring capabilities by including Audio Monitoring. A useful addition in this multimedia age where visual monitoring isn’t always enough to gauge what students are doing whilst sat at their PC! With computerled language teaching becoming common place, this new feature will prove very useful for highlighting to the teacher where audio is in use, enabling them to remotely interact with the student without disrupting the class. Audible output, either spoken or background sounds, can be recorded and replayed, to the rest of the class if needed, to reaffirm key learning points and lesson content. SECURITY PC security is high on the agenda and we would all like to think that our machines are suitably protected. However, with ICT labs having to cater for a continual stream of students, it is no easy task to ensure the permanent availability of a consistent and secure configuration across your school PCs. Planned system downtime is one thing but how do you cope with the unexpected? Desktop Security tools such as NetSupport Protect provide a simple, inexpensive and easyto-implement answer. A proactive solution that negates the need to purchase expensive repair-based products, NetSupport Protect ensures your PCs can’t be harmed by unwanted or malicious changes to the configuration or content. Presented in a simple and intuitive interface, system control can be configured in minutes and allows either individual or central control of security settings. NetSupport Protect prevents users from deleting critical files and

applications, making unauthorised changes to the desktop, saving or using unauthorised programs and harming the operating system. As an added fail-safe measure, the product also includes an integrated hard disk protection and rollback option so you can always recover your system to a specific point in time. While recent high profile incidents at campuses in the US and Germany are the extreme, there is heightened awareness across educational sites of the need for adequate internal alerting and messaging systems. NetSupport has again picked up on this with their recently launched Instant Alerting and Notification tool, NetSupport Notify. Getting round the immediacy issues of more traditional options such as e-mail, Instant Messenger and Intranets, NetSupport Notify delivers attentiongrabbing alerts straight to a user’s desktop that can’t be skipped, ignored or saved for later. Administrators can deliver within seconds a clear and concise message and instruction to all connected computers or specific departments across the school’s network. Each message can carry a priority level and a request for acknowledgement. The delivered message automatically takes screen focus on recipient computers and can be accompanied by an audible alert. Messages can be fully branded to include the logo and colours of your school to ensure immediate recognition by staff and students. As the use of technology in education expands it’s nice to see suppliers like NetSupport isn’t resting on its laurels.

FOR MORE INFORMATION To find out more about the NetSupport range and to download free product trials, visit www.netsupportsoftware.com

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With fast and reliable colour printing, no-one will be left waiting around after class.

The bell’s about to go. And the whole class needs to print out their work. So you need a fast printer. At up to 20 pages per minute, Brother colour lasers won’t keep anyone behind. Plus with features such as A4 double-sided and booklet printing, the school’s print costs could be reduced in no time too – especially with our £100 cashback* or 3 year on-site warranty offer before December 31st.

To find out more come and see us at BETT 2010 on stand G116, contact your supplier or visit www.brother.co.uk/education * Terms and conditions apply. See www.brother.co.uk for details. Cashback on Brother colour printers is £50 or £100 dependent on model. ^ Brother has the best selling A4 colour all-in-one products of 2009 in the 16ppm and over market. Source: Context UK June 2009.

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BETT 2010

MORE THAN A ONE-HIT WONDER Ray Barker, director of the British Educational Suppliers Association, discusses why technology is intrinsically linked to the education of today’s learners, and how it is helping schools to improve IN THE LEAD UP TO CHRISTMAS, the presents that tend to top the wish-lists are more often than not technology; this year we’ll see the Nintendo Wii and DS, DJ Hero and Xbox 360 featuring prominently under Christmas trees. At this time of year, it isn’t just young people lusting after new technology. With BETT, the world’s biggest educational technology event falling two and a half weeks after Christmas, educators the world over are now thinking about their ICT needs and imagining what could be in store for them at the 2010 show. Love it or loathe it, there is little escape from technology in this modern world. With two thirds of the world’s population using a mobile phone and the UK Government striving to provide a computer for every child under the Home Access programme, technology really is a vital part of modern life. Now, with the advent of social networking sites like Facebook, Twitter and Linked In, even our way of socialising with friends and colleagues

is influenced by the way we connect on a local and global level using technology. THE GROWTH OF ICT IN EDUCATION As BESA is a trade association for educational suppliers, we have been at the forefront of witnessing the growth in the role of educational technology in many different ways. On a most basic level, even our member companies reflect the increasing role of ICT in education; ICT-focused member companies such as RM, Viglen, LJ and Widget were at the first BETT over 25 years ago and over 30 per cent of our members are now companies whose business relies on technology in some part. We certainly wouldn’t see so many ICT educational suppliers within the sector if there weren’t a demand for technology resources by educators. A prime example of this is the success of BETT; the show has continued to expand year after year, growing from 112 stands in 1985 to nearly 700 exhibitors 25 years later at BETT 2009

and with a record-breaking 30,000 visitors. For the last 12 years, BESA has been conducting annual research into the ICT provision and use in UK state schools to measure the relevance and role of technology in our school system. Each year, we have witnessed the level of ICT in UK classrooms grow. By next year, the average primary school will have 47 internet-connected computers, and 313 in secondary schools. There are 6.9 pupils per computer in primary schools, and 7.4 pupils per computer in secondary schools, which has dropped significantly since 2005. And it’s not just computers where we are seeing growth in technology; by 2009 there were 282,000 interactive whiteboards being used in schools. BEST VALUE However, with the end of ring-fenced funding in 2008 and uncertainty about future school funding after next year’s election, educators are treading carefully when procuring new

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BETT 2010

ABOUT BESA BESA, the British Educational Suppliers Association, is the trade association representing over 300 educational suppliers in the UK, including manufacturers and distributors of equipment, materials, books, consumables, furniture, technology, ICT hardware and digital-content related services to the education market. With 75 years of experience, BESA offers unparalleled support, research, events and advice on both UK and International markets, and the future of the education supplies industry. BESA is focused on promoting and providing support and advice to their members, the industry and to schools. BESA has a Code of Practice to which all members must adhere, along with a stringent membership process, both of which assure buyers of a high standard of quality in both product and customer service. resources and we expect to see a marginal decline in ICT spend over the next year. This does not suggest a lack of interest by educators in ICT, in fact the research found the opposite with many saying they still desired more ICT in their schools. Rightly so, educators understand the need to spend wisely and find the best value when making procurement decisions. There is no argument that education funding is in place until 2011, and the funding is there to be spent appropriately. BETT plays a very important role in bringing together educational suppliers and educators, so decision makers and practitioners can explore the many options and solutions that are now available to them in order to improve standards. As a co-founder of BETT and a partner in the show, BESA continues to support the event and assist both UK and international visitors to ensure they get the most from their BETT experience in several key areas.

BETT plays a very important role in bringing together educational suppliers and educators, so decision makers and practitioners can explore the many options and solutions that are now available to them in order to improve standards

PLAN YOUR VISIT WITH BESA At the BESA Information Point (stand D46), visitors can use the free interactive search facility to select the most suitable exhibitors, seminars and the best feature areas depending on their particular interests or procurement requirements. The facility allows visitors to plan their route around the busy exhibition floor, ensuring that each visitor takes in the most relevant aspects of the event. BESA staff can also offer personal industry experience and knowledge to help visitors find exactly what they are looking for, to make sure they donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t spend the day walking around in circles! Given the huge size of the show, BETT can sometimes be an intimidating experience which is why we always encourage people to preplan their visit; have some idea of the issues you would like to find solutions to, look at the seminar programme for CPD opportunities and

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A new minibus could be more affordable than you think... Castle Minibus can source and provide the ideal transport solution for your school on easy payment finance options.

Interactive - Immersive - Innovative We believe that learning should be exciting and engaging as well as educational. De-LTA software will transform your videos into interactive re-usable learning objects Embedding images, text, questions, video clips, audio files and slides couldn’t be easier with De-LTA. Editing is easy, De-LTA allows you to make changes without having to re-film a scenario. How often can students become immersed in their learning and see the consequences of decisions they make without coming to any harm? With De-LTA’s unique auto-branching feature this can be achieved. Would you like to save time marking assessments? With De-LTA’s random question generating ability and report exporting feature you can. De-LTA can be used in a classroom using interactive keypad technology or as an e-learning resource.

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Particularly in the last decade, technology in education has continued to play a more important role in both classrooms and at home. Now, ICT has a place in every curriculum area, from English through to maths and MFL explore one or two of the feature areas. BESA can help you come up with a suitable list of exhibitors depending on your specific needs. BETT attendees can collect a free copy of the new BESAbook: The Directory of Products and Suppliers at the BESA Information Point, containing invaluable information and contact details for the 300 plus BESA members. All BESA members, many of whom also exhibit at BETT, adhere to a strict code of practice ensuring educators of a quality product and service making the BESAbook a handy reference for your desk throughout the school year. EVENT HIGHLIGHTS At BETT 2009 nearly 20 per cent of visitors came from overseas; not just from Europe but from every corner of the globe. BESA, along with UK Trade & Investment (UKTI), is this year sponsoring the International Lounge to provide our overseas guests with assistance and support for meeting with British

educational suppliers, and to share ideas and experiences with educators from the UK. Particularly in the last decade, technology in education has continued to play a more important role in both classrooms and at home. Now, ICT has a place in every curriculum area, from English through to maths and MFL. Along with show organisers Emap and government ICT body Becta, BESA feels it is important to recognise the achievements of ICT educational suppliers, educational institutions and individuals. This is exactly why the BETT Awards were introduced 12 years ago with winners announced during the show. Now, the BETT Awards are the most coveted award in the industry and each year we are inundated with entries. CAN’T MAKE IT TO BETT? For those that aren’t able to make the journey to London in January to attend BETT, the Education Show is taking place at the NEC

Birmingham in March. In celebration of its 20th anniversary, the show is embracing a brand new format that divides it into two key areas. The Education Show makes it easier for visitors to find exactly what they are looking for by encompassing a ‘For Your Classroom’ area with features for practitioners and classroom staff, alongside ‘For Your School’, the area specifically for school decision makers. Each area has theatres, exhibitors and features that meet each visitor’s specific interests. Also new to the Education Show this year is BETT Boulevard, where visitors can meet with a select range of ICT suppliers and providers, which is very handy for those that are unable to attend BETT 2010. BESA has been a strong supporter of new developments in education, and we invest in research into the use of both ICT and nonICT resources, along with the opinions of educators. Over the years, we have witnessed first-hand the increasing relevance and importance of technology in today’s learning environments, not just to make lessons more innovative, but to improve standards and bring personalisation to the core of every class. We hope to see you in the new year at either BETT or the Education Show, to help you explore the world of ICT in education.

FOR MORE INFORMATION Web: www.besa.org.uk

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Association of School and College Leaders

A unique way to view interactive content

HE ASSOCIATION OF School and College Leaders is the only professional association and trade union in Britain to speak exclusively for secondary school/college leaders – we understand the issues of 11-14 and 14-19 education. When you become an ASCL member, you will join a network of nearly 15,000 senior leadership team colleagues with whole school/college responsibility. ASCL is constantly working on members’ behalf for reduced bureaucracy, better conditions of service and fairer funding. Our membership numbers continue to grow as more leaders recognise the benefits of joining an association that so clearly addresses their needs. Why should you join ASCL? As a

MAZING INTERACTIVES Limited believes in producing the very best quality solutions for our customers, delivering every project on time and to the highest standard of excellence. Our team has over 20 years of experience in 3D development, installation and training. The ‘Reach Out’ 3D interactive system is in over 150 education/ training establishments. This unique way of viewing interactive educational content gives the illusion of objects flying out of the screen and ‘hovering’ above your head. The system comes with fully developed software in all subjects. New developments include the diplomas, functional maths and SEN software. It also allows the use of 1000’s of 3D webbased models and animations, viewable in this unique way. E.g. Google Earth and Second Life The 3D camera system lets you video in 3D using our HD 3D

senior leader responsible for business management, you have a key role in the running of your school. You will need to keep abreast of the latest education initiatives as well as changes affecting your field, such as employment law and health and safety. ASCL gives you access to all the latest guidance and information relevant to your role – and provides excellent legal support should you ever need it in your working life. All for one membership fee. Isn’t it time for a change?

FOR MORE INFORMATION Join ASCL – half price membership* from 1 January 2010. Further details: www.ascl.org.uk/offers e-mail: jointheleaders@ascl.org.uk * Terms and conditions apply

camera system; it’s allows you to video in 3D, edit and then play back through the 3D system. • It is proven to increase knowledge retention and improve grades • Fits perfectly with VAK learning (visual, auditory, kinathsetic) • Interactivity allows enhancing brain based learning/ thinking skills • Complex objects can be visualised and understood easily • Interaction can be tailored or controlled using any input device

FOR MORE INFORMATION Web: www.amazing-int.com E-mail: p.jethwa@amazingint.com Tel: 01642 226693

Giving you the freedom to work without wires... Quest are pleased to be exhibiting at the BETT show 2010. We offer a wide range of solutions in the education sector including wireless networks and mobile classroom technologies, such as laptops and laptop trolleys. Come and visit us on stand W42 in the national gallery or visit our website at www.questwirelessnetworks.com to see how we can help your school today! Alternatively contact our dedicated customer account managers on 01942 71 88 22

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Education Business | Volume 14.6

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BETT 2010

SAFE DATA STORAGE SOLUTIONS Secure cost effective data backup for schools FACT: ONE IN FOUR SCHOOLS SUFFER data loss on a regular basis – many people think that for data loss to affect a school it has to be major. This is an obvious assumption but also the loss of a single e-mail or pupils work in some circumstances can be embarrassing for the school and distressing for the pupil. You should be asking yourself, How vital is the data held on our computer system to the continued operation of the school, and its reputation? You can simply say yes it is vital, but the steps you take to protect the data is the real answer. We find it troubling when schools lose large quantities of data and then get very upset, talking about how important that data was! If it’s so important, why isn’t it backed up properly in the first place? It is not necessarily a major disaster that causes the loss of important data. Apart from hardware failure, fire, flood etc there is also a risk from virus attacks, accidental deletion and even disgruntled staff have been known to delete important information prior to them leaving. Also if your equipment was severely damaged or stolen, what good is any form of tape/disk without a drive to put it in? Imagine losing your accounts data or SIMS information and then having to rely on staff to re key in the missing information or asking pupils to have to recreate their school work…unthinkable. Reliability of modern computer systems and IT staff time are the main reason given for schools not taking a great deal of care in their data backup procedures, but many do not realise the implications should a major data loss occur. The pain of recovering from a disaster is almost always very high, and the cost is primarily in the time required to recreate the lost data. For even a small school, this can run into thousands of pounds very quickly. Recovering from data loss can be a very traumatic event, much more than most computer users realise. This is true even if backups exist so when they don’t exist the situation is much, much worse. There are many benefits to be gained from using a secure, well established company like Safe Data Storage. We take away the uncertainty and worry by providing a daily, managed off site data backup service. If IT matters enough to get upset over losing, it’s worth protecting. Some schools do at least try to perform some kind of data backup but unless it is

done daily and follows strict procedures it is as bad as having no data backups at all. WHAT SHOULD HAPPEN An elected a member of staff (normally an IT manager’s junior assistant) is given the responsibility of changing some form of magnetic media in the server on a daily basis. The person responsible is meant to read through the backup report from

to ensure it has been performed successfully and completely. Should we see from the report that something is amiss, we will inform you within hours and either run another backup or advise you to investigate any files/folders etc that are missing or shown to be corrupt. Data encryption and password protection is used to ensure your data is unreadable at all times. WHAT DOES IT COST?

Reliability of modern computer systems and IT staff time are the main reason given for schools not taking a great deal of care in their data backup procedures, but many do not realise the implications should a major data loss occur. The pain of recovering from a disaster is almost always very high, and the cost is primarily in the time required to recreate the lost data. For even a small school, this can run into thousands of pounds very quickly the previous event, then take action if a problem is found. The media should then be removed, labelled and stored safely somewhere (preferably away from the building housing the system) in a fire proof safe. WHAT ACTUALLY HAPPENS Very often the designated member of staff is too busy to change the tape daily due to time constraints. In some cases, due to limited IT knowledge they rarely, if at all, check the backup log files to ensure the backup has been successful and is complete. Many admit once the tape has been removed from the server, it is left on a shelf or simply “slung” in the draw in their desk to be dealt with later. During periods of school holidays and sickness the backup is often not performed. Not a secure or reliable procedure at all really. HOW DOES IT WORK? Your system is set to select and send data to our remote servers, normally during the night. This data is fully encrypted and password protected prior to leaving your system so no one, unless authorised, can access it. It is stored remotely on our servers in highly secure data centres. The next business day we check your backup report

Dependant upon data size but on average a primary school pays around £350.00 + vat per annum whilst a secondary school is paying just £975.00 + vat per annum. A small price to pay for guaranteed daily backup. Provided that you have Internet access, we can do the rest.

FOR MORE INFORMATION For a no obligation quotation or to discuss the service in more detail, please do not hesitate to contact us on 0844 4068094 or e-mail peter@safedatastorage.co.uk. Alternatively, visit www.safedatastorage.co.uk

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Brother to showcase its range of printers to the education sector at BETT 2010 ROTHER IS EXCITED to be exhibiting at BETT ’10 and demonstrating its commitment to the education sector. Come and visit us at Stand G116 and find out about our tailored print solutions for the schools market. There’ll also be some special surprises on the stand to help keep you entertained throughout the show! Brother is passionate about education – it’s at the heart of everything the company does. As a leading technology business, we are always trying new ideas and improving the performance of our printers and multifunction machines – which are used in thousands of primary, secondary and higher education organisations across the UK. At BETT you can find out more about our: • Colour and mono laser printers and all-in one machines – fast, effective machines for both classroom and admin offices, which means no one has to stay behind after class. • Visitor ID software and badge printing – a professional and secure way to keep a record of all external visitors onsite. The software can be combined with a webcam and label printer to produce high quality visitor badges to help create an excellent first impression. • A3 all-in-one inkjets – perfect for printing posters and design layouts, copying and scanning pupils’ work.

We have close links with partners across the education sector and play a proactive part in promoting ICT excellence and best practice across the UK. One example is our co-sponsorship of the SSAT’s ICT Register Awards with Toshiba, which highlight some of the most exciting and rewarding IT projects currently underway in education. As well as celebrating the success achieved by individual organisations, the awards will provide guidance for other schools and colleges considering ways of improving current procedures and activities. We’re also extremely proud of our longstanding reputation for environmental excellence – from achieving the rigorous ISO 14001:2004 standard for environmental management, to the green credentials

such as EnergyStar and Blue Angel that our products achieve. Brother has also achieved a top score of 100 out of 100 by the Ethical Company Organisation, for the third year running, which endorses our commitment to minimising our environmental impact in the way we work, the products we produce and our ethically driven approach. Our recent partnership with Cool Earth, a pioneering rainforest sustainability charity, further demonstrates our commitment to reducing climate change and protect biodiversity.

FOR MORE INFORMATION For more information about any of our education products, please go to www.brother.co.uk/education

Licence and software management made easy with Licence Dashboard™ OOKING TO REDUCE your IT costs? Here’s a product that will have a great impact; with Licence Dashboard™, you can effectively and automatically control the entire lifecycle of your software assets from purchase, to upgrade and beyond. With its easyto-use interface, users such as SAM managers, licence administrators, IT managers and all other authorised members of staff can gain access to software inventory, licence inventory and purchasing information at anytime. As Europe’s leading software licence management tool, Licence Dashboard is facilitating and driving more Software Asset Management (SAM) programmes than any other application on today’s market. Uniquely, its Data Cleanse module extends the software recognition process of your audit tool to further distil the scanned software, highlighting the associated licence liability of all installed products. This type of transparency and control will not only prevent over deployment of software, but can also help reduce the overhead required to track and monitor its usage and liability. Licence Dashboard has connectors to over 150 different audit tools including SMS/ SCCM, Altiris, LANDesk, Centennial, Visual Audit Pro to name but a few. Plus, if you do not have your own audit tool then Dashboard

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Discovery™ from Licence Dashboard Ltd may be just the product for you. Licence Dashboard’s comprehensive functionality removes the complexity of licensing and really allows an organisation to manage fully the software and licence entitlement lifecycle - thereby reducing operational risk and excessive spend within the organisation. So, with cost reduction order of the day, there has never been a better time to start realising the true benefits associated with effective management of your software assets. Gartner, the world’s leading information technology research and advisory company, estimates that organisations that begin an IT and Software Asset Management (IT&SAM) programme experience up to a 30 per cent reduction in cost per asset in the first year and continued savings of five to ten percent annually over the next five years.

With software taking up an ever increasing share of your IT budget, it has become even more important to manage, control and protect your software assets. As a Licence Dashboard user you will gain a greater understanding of your licence position and be able to track what software you have deployed; helping you avoid unnecessary expenditure. Not only does Licence Dashboard allow you to archive effectively but it also allows you to publish this information when required and clearly balance the equation between what you have installed and what you are allowed to install.

FOR MORE INFORMATION Tel: 0845 265 1217 Fax: 0845 265 1219 E-mail: info@licencedashboard.co.uk Web: www.licencedashboard.co.uk

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Give your school or college a professional and eye-catching profile by leasing a new minibus

ITH LEASING OR CONTRACT hiring your next vehicle, you will have the use of your minibus without all the problems of owning it and you could be getting a higher standard of minibus within your budget. Financially, it allows you to budget long term and avoid the risks of variable funding by having a low deposit at a fixed rate so that your costs are now predictable for the next three, four or five years. By not having the worry of selling your vehicle, the risk of depreciation is avoided as well because you simply return your minibus at the end of the set period, Operationally, if you currently purchase your vehicles, do you have the time and knowledge to really challenge the costs of maintaining your minibus for servicing, replacement tyres, annual MOT, breakdown recovery, warranty issues and quarterly safety checks plus any other bills your local garage can think of? At Castle Minibus, most of our customers have these services included within their fixed rental and with one call; we take care of this for them. For example, we arrange for the tyres to be changed at your premises at a time to suit you! Since 1995, Castle Vehicle Leasing has offered a choice of vehicle finance packages and a quality service to businesses throughout the UK. Castle Minibus was launched in

response to the needs of schools, colleges, universities and academies also requiring a high level of service and expertise in providing solutions for their transport needs. We pride ourselves on being an efficient and dependable supplier, and firmly believe in keeping traditional business values whilst embracing the latest technology to deliver a flexible service. You can expect impartial advice and constructive recommendations to ensure a solution tailor made for your needs. One call gives you access to our dedicated account

managers who take time to understand your requirements and are supported by an experienced in-house customer services team.

FOR MORE INFORMATION So the next time you take a look at your minibus, if you are not proud to have your name and logo on the side of it, please give me a call, Chris Maynard, at Castle Minibus on 01869 253744 or e-mail me at chris@castleminibus.co.uk or visit our website www.castleminibus.co.uk

BioStore – high quality, secure biometric systems for the education market

IOSTORE WAS FORMED in 2005 with the goal of creating a fast and secure Identification Management Solution to streamline administration and radically improve data integrity for schools. The aim has been to give schools the freedom to choose applications which best suit their needs. Four years later, and after installation in almost one thousand schools, BioStore has become the Identifcation Management system of choice for exactly these reasons. At Whitburn Church of England School, BioStore integrates the electronic registration system (supplied by BioStore Platinum Partner DRS), the cashless catering system (supplied by BioStore Platinum Partner CRB Solutions) and the library solution (supplied by BioStore Partner MLS). Joyce Gibson, deputy head at Whitburn C of E School, says: “BioStore provides an integrated solution to our registration, library and cashless catering systems. It has been very useful because it acts as a live database and not as a spreadsheet which requires manual updates”. Modern schools provide an increasingly complex array of services for their students and staff. They rely on technology to manage and run applications ranging from cashless catering and library management to door access control, print queue

management and electronic registration. The BioStore Identification Management Solution integrates these applications by providing a simple interface to manage users across all the systems run within a school. A single enrolment is required for each person being registered, irrespective of the number of applications the person will be using. It can use any combination of biometrics, smartcards, PIN codes and passwords, and there is only ever one central database of identification data to maintain. BioStore links to the school Management Information System (MIS) so that student

and staff records are all kept up-todate with consistent and accurate data; not only is data integrity improved, but control over sensitive data is increased. BioStore solutions are now used by many leading application providers, allowing schools to select a variety of top quality systems from different vendors to be integrated seamlessly.

FOR MORE INFORMATION More details and a full list of suppliers can be found on the BioStore website at www.biostore.co.uk or by e-mailing info@biostore.co.uk

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IDNS – suppling the very best products and services for the interactive classroom

STABLISHED IN 1988, IDN Supplies Ltd has become a leading national distributor of IT and AV products to end users in the UK. IDN has built a product portfolio spanning the whole audio visual spectrum ranging from data projectors, interactive whiteboards and voting systems to plasma screens and source equipment through to control systems, network products, digital signage, peripherals and related products. IDN’s specialist education team offers the very best products and services for interactive classroom and lecture theatre teaching aids. From initial survey to final high quality installation, each project is managed and tailored to your needs. Having worked with thousands of schools to provide them with interactive teaching tools IDN is confident we can bring a high level of experience and quality to bear on any AV project. IDN adopts a focused approach to both product range and customer account management. The increasing emphasis on these two issues has enabled the company to enjoy constant growth, and IDN is now the UK’s no 1 channel reseller of Promethean equipment. The UK leads the field in implementing interactive technologies in education and BETT 2010 (13-16th January, Olympia,

London) will be no exception. IDN will be showcasing the latest technologies from Promethean. Interactive whiteboards are already widely featured in many schools, however, it is Promethean’s latest release of its motorised, height-adjustable ActivBoard+2 solution that will help improve interactivity in the classroom. To further enhance collaboration, ActivArena allows two users to interact with the ActivBoard at the same time, creating new levels of interaction and shared learning in the classroom. Digital signage has seen a huge growth in the UK education market. Many schools in the UK are now using digital signage for a variety of purposes, from displaying students’ work, welcoming visitors to the school or showing the latest video of the school’s

football team. Digital signage is being used as a vibrant and modern way for schools to share information and promote their services. IDN is a leading supplier of Samsung’s Magicinfo digital signage technology, and with its user friendly software it couldn’t be more simple to have custom built signage in your school. With over 20 years of experience, our dedicated team offer the very best in product, price and delivery on all your AV needs.

FOR MORE INFORMATION For more information, a quotation or to arrange a free demonstration contact IDNS, Prometheans number one UK reseller partner call 01204 363 530, e-mail: info@idns.co.uk

De-LTA leads the way in innovative technology enhanced learning

REATING RE-USABLE learning objects from video material is now possible using the latest software from Empowering Confidence Limited. 40 per cent of students have a visual learning preference. Most teachers use videos to satisfy this preference but are they used effectively? Students and teachers everywhere know the dangers of showing videos in large classrooms. Back of the room boredom. Attention spans designed to last between one commercial break and the next. The natives get restless. Videos are still an essential part of teaching and learning but how can we make them interactive and engaging as well as educational? Sue Palmer has been wrestling with this problem for several years. After taking early retirement from Higher Education, she teamed up with a programmer and together, they designed the De-LTA software programme. De-LTA software transforms videos into interactive re-usable learning objects. Embedding images, text, questions, video clips, audio files and slides couldn’t be easier with De-LTA. Editing is easy, De-LTA allows you to make changes without having to re-film a scenario saving time and money.

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How often can students become immersed in learning seeing the consequences of decisions without coming to any harm? With De-LTA’s unique auto-branching feature this can be achieved. Imagine if students could be shown people’s reactions to inappropriate behaviour without anyone getting hurt. Or if they could choose the right equipment in a science experiment without making expensive mistakes. Would you like to save time marking assessments? With De-LTA’s random question generating ability and report exporting feature you can. Embedding questions into the video allows teachers to ask a range of questions including those with weighted answers that gauge attitudes or behaviours. Skills knowledge and understanding can easily be assessed with

students getting immediate feedback in the form of bar charts, pi charts or scattergrams. Reports are generated allowing audit trails for comparing individuals with groups, past and present performance or pre-and postteaching results. Multiple responses are also possible allowing perception and reality judgements to be made. End of course assessment couldn’t be easier. De-LTA’s random question generator allows you to use question banks for multiple assessment points, whilst the programme marks the answers immediately giving staff and students the immediate feedback they need. De-LTA ‘s potential as a learning tool is not restricted to pupils. Staff training such as health and safety, equality and diversity, classroom management can be enhanced through transforming training videos, or self filmed material, into interactive, immersive learning programmes.

FOR MORE INFORMATION For further details, a demonstration or free 30-day trial copy contact us on 01908 332699 or e-mail suepalmer@empoweringconfidence.com See us at BETT stand SW144

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PSA Parts Ltd – top of the class for rechargeable batteries and portable power solution

HE COMPLEXITIES OF maintaining a fully functioning IT portfolio have never been more challenging, with ever tightening budgets and higher technological demands in the classroom. PSA Parts understand this, and is committed to supplying cost effective solutions to prolong your IT investments. For 21 years PSA has been supplying a wide range of IT spares. Amongst our leading products is our extensive array of laptop and netbook batteries and adapters. Our comprehensive range supports over 15,000 models, encompassing all major manufacturers, as well as the smaller less well known brands. With the ever growing demand of smaller, lighter, more cost effective devices, we have focused heavily on our range of netbook adapters and batteries, including the popular Asus EEEPC machines. Manufacturers often supply the device with the lowest capacity battery possible, as this keeps the cost down. However this does impact on battery run times in the classroom. PSA offer a range of extended life batteries for netbooks, enabling many models to run a full day in the classroom on a single charge. We also supply the replacement AC Adapters.

PSA are also one of the UK’s leading distributors of printer spares supporting all major manufacturers, as well as being a fully authorised replacement parts distributor for HP/Compaq, for all spares including, printers, laptops, desktops and servers. One of our proudest moments was being awarded the Sole European Licensee for Duracell’s digital camera and camcorder replacement battery packs. We also stock the full range of Duracell Alkaline and rechargeable batteries, ensuring we can fulfil all your battery requirements. With the increasing focus on ‘Sustainable procurement in schools’ more and more establishments are contacting us to

• • • • • •

investigate ways of keeping their existing investments running. Through minimising expenditure on consumables such as printer spares and power accessories, we are able to offer considerable savings. Being a customer of ours has many benefits. We provide a school specific log in for our web site which allows our customers to quickly identify and procure the spares they require. Once logged in you can find and purchase parts quickly and efficiently all shipped on a next day service. We also offer an instant credit facility to schools, colleges and universities and a dedicated account manager. Secure online fast ordering Instant credit facility Unique discounts for schools Access to dedicated account manager Same day despatch No minimum order quantity

FOR MORE INFORMATION To find out more or discuss your individual requirements contact us today at schools@psaparts.co.uk – quoting ED4Business or visit us at stand G127 at BETT 2010. Alternatively visit: www.psaparts.co.uk

Lumens innovative digital visualisers – the next big thing for education ECHNOLOGY IS NO SUBSTITUTE for a good teacher. But when you put the latest technology in the hands of a innovative teacher, incredible things can happen. The days of blackboards and chalk are now a distant memory. In today’s technologyled society, teachers need to integrate as many multimedia and visual elements into their lessons as possible. One way to do this is with a Lumens digital visualiser. A digital visualiser is probably the most versatile tool that a teacher can use in the classroom. It can be used to display 3D objects, artwork, transparencies, printed materials or live subjects in real time to the entire class. The applications for classroom use are virtually unlimited. For example, a science teacher could use the microscope mode on certain Lumens visualisers to show petri dish samples or experiments through a projector for the whole class to see. Using the time lapse feature on the Lumens DC260 or PS660, it would also be possible for the class to get creative. To record the decaying process for instance, a teacher could simply set the timings and leave the visualiser to take pictures at regular intervals in the corner of the room. Once the item has decayed, the images can be imported into something like Windows

Movie Maker and streamed into a movie. Maths is another subject where students could really benefit from learning through visual imagery. In this situation, a Lumens visualiser could be used in conjunction with an interactive whiteboard to demonstrate equations and annotate instructions. A Lumens visualiser could also be used to produce stop frame animation for art classes or media studies. To do this, the teacher or pupil would simply place an item under the visualiser and take an image, move it and take another series of images. The class could then stream the complete sequence using Windows Movie Maker. As a leader in the visual presenter market, Lumens offers a full five-year unlimited

swap-out warranty with all of its digital visualisers that covers all parts and labour, including the lamp and gooseneck. To find out more about Lumens digital visualisers, visit the website www.lumensuk.com. “I have been hugely impressed by Lumens’ digital visualisers. The picture quality is tremendous and this helps to engage the class and keep them focused. I was also pleasantly surprised to discover just how easy the visualisers was to use.” – Gemma Smith, Year 5 and 6 Leader, Gusford Primary School, Ipswich – August 2009.

FOR MORE INFORMATION E-mail: info@lumensuk.com Web: www.lumensuk.com

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Discover how AVerMedia’s high quality visualisers can improve your learning environment

EADING EDUCATIONAL visualiser manufacturer AVerMedia has welcomed the recent publication of the Futuresource report focused on the UK visualiser market. AVerMedia Marketing Manager Nigel Roberts comments “It’s great to see that the popularity of visualisers is on the increase and the findings support our own phenomenal sales growth. The report makes it clear that visualisers are becoming the ‘must-have’ tool in the classroom.” Visualisers are certainly becoming accepted in the classroom and recently BECTA included them in their ‘Next Generation Learning’ initiative. Their findings outlined visualisers as ideal for using in school to:• Show all types of text, pictures and objects on a whiteboard • Zoom in and out on specific areas of interest • Allow the whole class to see the same thing at the same time. One of the big benefits of visualisers is for presenting and discussing pupils’ work. With the work up on the screen, the teacher or the student can talk with the rest of the class about what’s good and what could be better. Visualisers have many other benefits too, including: • Saving the teacher time on demonstrations • Enlarging visuals for children

with impaired sight • Making lessons more hands-on • Motivating all children of all abilities. AVerMedia is one of the world’s largest manufacturers of visualiser technology and over the past 10 years have been paving

the way in gaining the acceptance of visualisers in the UK and Europe. Working closely with specialist Educational Products Distributor, Steljes, together with a national network of dedicated resellers, they have established excellent working relationships with ICT Specialists and LEA’s around the country. This has allowed AVerMedia to understand the unique requirements of the Education sector and incorporate this feedback into their visualiser range. ‘Following feedback from visualiser users up and down the country, we have completely revised our product portfolio for 2010 in line with our ethos of offering easy to use, practical, user friendly products. We have a few surprises in store for visitors too and I’d encourage anyone interested in the next generation of visualisers to visit our stand. Our 2010 product line up is second to none and is supported by our countrywide network of reseller partners. In addition, we offer full on-site support and advice, as well as a market leading warranty and in-house technical support for total peace of mind. The complete package which we offer will further strengthen our position as the true market leaders,” Roberts concluded.

FOR MORE INFORMATION Web: www.averm.co.uk

Jacqueline Wilson and Anthony Browne headline 2010 National Conference on Accelerating Learning

N 18-19 MARCH 2010 leading provider of software and hardware educational solutions, Renaissance Learning UK, will be hosting their third National Conference, which is set to be the biggest and best yet. Taking place in picturesque Stratford-uponAvon at the 4-star Holiday Inn hotel, which boasts an indoor swimming pool, spa and gym that overlook the hotel grounds and River Avon, this unique literacy and numeracy event will be officially opened by Professor David Jesson – a visiting Professor at the University of York and Associate Director of the Centre for Performance Evaluation and Resource Management. Over two days, the Conference will also feature keynote speeches and a wide selection of workshop sessions from leading Authors – such as current Children’s Laureate Anthony Browne and one of the ‘most borrowed Authors’ in Britain, Jacqueline Wilson, who held the post from 2005-2007. New York Times best-selling Author GP Taylor is back by popular demand, together with leading figures from the recent ‘Trapped by AR Monsters’ and ‘Write2Excite’ reading, writing and poster campaigns – such as Scream Street Author Tommy Donbavand. One of the most popular aspects of the Conference are the workshop sessions, and this

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from these individual sessions led by nationally recognised experts and teaching professionals, delegates are also invited to attend a Gala Dinner with the Authors on Thursday evening. Ideally suited to senior education professionals, such as Head Teachers, LA Advisors, Bursars, English, Maths and ICT Coordinators, the National Conference on Accelerating Learning presents an excellent opportunity to share best practices with colleagues and learn the hints and tips that help truly accelerate learning. At a cost of just £399, delegates can attend the two full days of the Conference, access all the sessions, and enjoy an evening of entertainment with the Authors at the Gala Dinner. The price also includes an overnight stay at the 4-star Holiday Inn hotel (additional nights can be booked at a special rate), as well as meals and refreshments – other ticketing options are available, but delegates that book for two-day tickets now will also receive a FREE robust, portable NEO 2 writing tool – worth £169. For more information, and to book your place, visit www.renlearn.co.uk. time there will be more than ever covering a variety of topics, including: ‘Using Technology to Improve Literacy’, ‘Making Maths Magic’, ‘Literacy Across the Curriculum’, ‘Creating a Classroom of Creative Writers’ and ‘What Makes a Model School’. In addition to benefiting

FOR MORE INFORMATION Tel: +44 (0)20 7184 4000 Fax: +44 (0)20 7538 2625 E-mail: info@renlearn.co.uk Web: www.renlearn.co.uk

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The one-stop-shop for all your IT needs

Putting the ‘active’ into interactive

UEST WIRELESS NETWORKS is pleased to announce that it will be exhibiting at BETT 2010. Quest provides wireless networking services and ICT solutions to schools, colleges and universities throughout the UK. At Quest we strive to make life easier for those in need of efficient and reliable systems through great customer service and within a specified budget. As we are an independent company, we seek to provide our customers with a tailor-made solution from a spectrum of suppliers to meet your individual needs. Although we are able to provide a variety of services and solutions within the education sector we will be focusing on two of our primary services at BETT 2010 – wireless networks and mobile classroom technology such as laptop trolleys. During the four-day exhibition

IS W ILDKNOWLEDGE a mobile community

we will be based at stand W42 in the national gallery. Our expert staff will be on hand to provide friendly guidance and support, and talk through possible solutions for your particular needs. Whether your interests are purely inquisitive, fact finding, or commercial in nature, we look forward to seeing you there.

FOR MORE INFORMATION For more information about Quest and its solutions, contact the sales team on 01942 71 88 22 or e-mail sales@ questwirelessnetworks.com

sQuid’s cashless payment solution QUID’S CASHLESS payment solution for schools, colleges, universities and campus environments is the new convenient way to pay for catering, printing, schools trips, photocopying and online payments. sQuid payments are made through biometric identification or contactless smart cards, which can be branded to your own design. sQuid is low cost and easy to use, money is held securely and parents can protect their account balance if a card is lost or stolen. They simply register their details online, where they can also top up their account with money, check their balance and view their transactions. sQuid is a pre-pay payments network, users can’t get in to debt, and can be set up either

stand alone with terminals and readers provided, or linked to your existing till system. sQuid is easy for children to use and for parents to manage, while providing administrators with reports and visibility of all transactions on campus. Free school meal beneficiaries are catered for as are duty staff and visitors. As parents can top up online, there is no need for cash on campus, which removes the need for cash handling with all of its associated costs.

FOR MORE INFORMATION Tel: 020 8339 2111 Fax: 020 8398 8785 E-mail: education@squidcard.com Web: www.squidcard. com/education

that allows users to create and share interactive forms, keys, maps or images. This content can be accessed on PCs, laptops, netbooks, fizzbooks or mobile devices* and exploits their full functionality (GPS, text, camera, audio, video and internet access). WildKnowlege enables educational institutions, organisations and individuals to capture quality data at the point of inspiration. Gathered information can then be shared on the portal with members of the Community to promote greater knowledge. The WildKnowledge Portal enables users to: • Create and share keys, maps, forms and images • Upload, store and share collated data on collaborative projects • Visualise data as a reports, charts or within Google Maps WildKnowledge’s suite of applications are used from primary to university, across the curriculum, enabling users to: gather field data in geography and biology exercises; conduct surveys for

citizenship and maths; undertake interactive history trails and create instructional learning objects for literacy and foreign languages. WildKnowledge is perfect for undertaking collaborative projects on a global scale and is also used in commercial fields beyond education. Register for a free trial today. *Operates on any device with a web browser, functionality will vary according to choice of browser and device.

FOR MORE INFORMATION Tel: 01865 250251 Fax: 0871 250 0021 E-mail: gowild@ wildknowledge.co.uk Web: www. wildknowledge.co.uk Twitter: http://twitter. com/wild_knowledge

VeriCool – biometric cashless catering and registration solutions HE VERICOOL suite of software uses Biometric fingertip verification to uniquely identify students and staff. Our software offers Multi-Lesson Registration, Cashless Catering and School Reception solutions to schools in the UK. As a premier partner to Capita and a partner to Serco we pride ourselves on our seamless links to the SIMS. net and SERCO Facility platforms. VeriCool software ensures that swipe cards are not required, no-one can steal your student’s identity and it can reduce the school administration of FSM’s and identification of absent students. The VeriCool Biometric software verifies a student’s identity in less than one second. VeriCool Cashless Catering now links to Nutritional software suppliers to enable full analysis of the food items sold, and student’s can now check there balance from any PC on the school network. Multi Lesson Registraion –

utilises the VeriCool biometric software to sign student’s in to every lesson. At a glance teachers can see who as registered and who hasn’t as well as identifying students that were present but not arrived for the current lesson School Reception is VeriCool’s biometric electronic late book. It can be used to sign in/out and late students, sign in/out staff and visitors, automatically printing a visitors badge.

FOR MORE INFORMATION Tel: 08458 382 410 Fax: 01733 891 918 E-mail: sales@vericool.co.uk Web: www.vericool.co.uk

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Most cost-saving proposals arenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t this far-reaching.

MLL Telecom brings you far-reaching communications networks, purpose-designed for the education sector. Challenge MLL to achieve the most from your next network upgrade at the lowest possible cost: contact us today at enquiries@mlltelecom.com

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ICT

A GREENER APPROACH TO EDUCATION ICT A green ICT strategy needs to sit within an overall sustainability agenda, says Terry Street, green ICT procurement product manager, Socitm Consulting ALL OVER THE COUNTRY, NEW SCHOOLS are being built under the Building Schools for the Future initiative. Several of my colleagues advise LEAs on their BSF programmes, and they frequently comment on the irony that new schools typically have extensive air conditioning, necessary in part to carry away the heat generated by all the new computer equipment. Education is changing fast, and one consequence is a potential increase in its carbon footprint, despite modern buildings being inherently more energy-efficient. So what can be done to minimise the environmental impact of increased ICT usage? Of course, some people may say, why do anything? If the planet saving arguments

can’t sway them, then perhaps they should consider the potential savings in energy costs, longer equipment life, improved services and, finally, the fact that funding will increasingly be linked to your green performance. Schools will come under pressure via the local authorities, and FE colleges will find capital spending limits linked to carbon reduction targets. WHAT CAN BE DONE? The most generally applicable green ICT initiatives are: • Introducing an environmental sustainability policy and strategy • Purchasing environmentally-friendly equipment • Server virtualisation,

consolidation and utilisation • Using alternative computing provision models such as thin client • Creating more energy-efficient data centres and sharing these among institutions • Improving power management including power-down policies • Making buildings more ‘intelligent’ • Minimising paper use • Reducing travel and the environmental overhead of face-to-face meetings and examining the potential for staff and pupils to work remotely. HOW BIG IS THE PROBLEM? National and international targets for carbon

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Choosing LapSafe® SmartLine™ ... is the Ultra-Safe solution by ensuring that no student comes into contact with 240 volt power. ... saves time by charging all laptop or netbooks simultaneously, using no time switches or priority charging. All this whilst charging all laptops in the minimum possible time, without over charging or tripping fuses and providing surge and load protection as standard.

Call us or visit our website today. Try the NEW Configurator Tool! www.lapsafe.com/Products/BuildCabinet

... greatly

speeds up the process of managing laptop ‘setup’ and ‘breakdown’ at each end of the lesson. The user simply plugs the low voltage DC connector directly into the laptop’s own power socket. ... is the ’greener’ option to charge laptops or netbooks as SmartLine™ proves much more energy efficient than the traditional use of AC Adaptors.

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All LapSafe® Mentor™ laptop/netbook storage and charging cabinets and trolleys are fully CE certified.

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ICT

reduction recognise ICT as potentially a major factor, since its carbon footprint is conservatively estimated as 35 per cent of public sector emissions and rising. It is rising for three reasons: 1. The demand for processing and storage of electronic information is rising, and this is being accelerated by more use of digital images and high-quality video, especially in education. 2. As the carbon reduction commitment takes effect other causes of carbon will reduce. 3. ICT has a key role to play in enabling carbon reductions in other areas such as flexible working/distance learning and reduced travel to meetings. The extended school initiative is bringing more activities into schools over longer hours, including holidays, and many of these are dependent on ICT. What creates ICT’s carbon impact? There’s the initial carbon footprint of the manufacturing process. Then there’s the primary energy consumption of the ICT equipment in use. And finally there

is the secondary impact of removing the heat generated by electronic equipment. Once upon a time computers were mainly deployed in a specialist area where the heating effect was localised and its removal straightforward. Nowadays computers and switches are found throughout the buildings; the heat is dispersed and more difficult to extract, making bigger demands on the whole environmental control system. As well as desktop and other classroom and office equipment, there will be a

network connecting it to various services including e-mail and internet access, learning resources, administration systems and information storage. These all require servers and storage networks with their own carbon impact which depends directly on desktop usage and contributes to the carbon footprint of the establishment, whether they are located on or off site. DEVELOPING A GREEN ICT STRATEGY As a starting point, a Green ICT strategy needs

Given that institutions’ ICT-related electricity bills in 2009 are estimated to be in the order of £116 million and that institutional ICT will, indirectly, be responsible for the production of more than 500,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide in that time, it’s clear action needs to be taken (source: JISC)

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Whether your challenge is reducing costs or increasing productivity or efficiency, we can help.

“Our SLA performance has always been extremely high — better than 99 percent. The LANDesk solution helps us maintain this high level of customer satisfaction, while considerably improving our ability to analyse and report on our own internal processes.” — Daryl Barber Customer Service Manager, Derwent Shared Services

“I recommend LANDesk® Service Desk over any of the other leading service desk products out there. It has increased our productivity, decreased our time of call closure, minimized our down time, and has saved us significant time and money.” — Jimmy Misenheimer Information Systems Project Leader, Baptist Health

“Our second and third-line people now have the headroom to undertake more strategic roles. That has allowed us to develop our in-house skills even more. As a result, we’ve been able to dramatically reduce our reliance on outside consultants, saving us about £50,000 in the first 12 months.” — Roger Bearpark Assistant Head of ICT, London Borough of Hillingdon

Visit http://itsm.landesk.com/ or call 01483 744444 to discover how we are helping our customers deliver excellent service management. Copyright © 2009, Avocent Corporation. All rights reserved. Avocent, LANDesk and Touchpaper and their respective logos are among the registered trademarks or trademarks of Avocent Corporation, its subsidiaries or its affiliated companies in the United States and/or other countries.

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ICT

to audit current energy consumption and chart ways of making ICT more energy efficient. It needs to lay down policy and track a programme of actions. It will need investment, but many initiatives can be self financed and energy savings can be clawed back to finance further investment. The strategy needs to recognise the full lifecycle of ICT equipment: starting from the environmental impact of its manufacture, delivery and installation, right through its useful life (including repair and upgrade) and ending only with disposal, the recovery of recyclable materials and the safe removal of toxic elements (in line with WEEE, the EU directive on the disposal of waste electronic and electrical equipment). Printing is a key area for improvement. Targets need to be set for reducing paper and ink consumption as well as energy consumption. It’s no longer acceptable to leave devices switched on all day, overnight and during holidays – but ‘switch it off’ campaigns can still help. The green ICT strategy should also promote migrating from many small or personal print devices to more cost effective multifunction devices. These offer reduced power consumption when idle, double-sided printing and other paper-saving features. Many education establishments have introduced charges for student printing and departmental printing budgets, with targets for year on year reductions. This has encouraged responses such as photography classes printing mainly contact sheets and reserving full size and high quality only for exhibition material. Similarly electronic (as opposed to hard copy) student records are becoming increasingly acceptable. MOVING FORWARD So how should an approach to green ICT be organised? • Establish a baseline by measuring and/or modelling current carbon footprint, taking into account all desktop equipment – PCs, screens, printers, scanners, white boards – and back office equipment such as servers and storage, plus the carbon footprint of ICT services bought-in. • Promote greener behaviour via an awareness campaign for staff and students, making sure staff set a good example. • Review equipment procurement to ensure environmental factors are being used to select suppliers and in the specification and evaluation of products. • Take advice on migrating to lower energy desktop technology. Some manufacturers offer solutions designed for education which combine low energy usages, reduced downtime, and high levels of security and flexibility to support workstation sharing. Such devices promise lower heat and noise levels and contribute to a better working environment. • Talk to the provider of external ICT services about what they are doing or can do to help reduce carbon impact; for example, data centres can sign up to the EU code of conduct. Datacentres can be benchmarked for their efficiency • Ensure that ICT’s potential to reduce environmental impact is maximised wherever possible; for example, deploying distance learning via video conferencing or collaborative working; allowing self service on-line in place of paper forms; electronic ordering and payments rather than paper-based. • Look for sources of advice and potential funding. For example, JISC has just launched a three-year programme of activity to support colleges and universities with their decision making process in green and environmental technology. My colleagues and I have a broad range of experience in the education sector (particularly BSF) and in green ICT generally as well as ICT strategy development. If you would like to discuss any aspect of reen ICT in an educational context, I would be pleased to hear from you.

FOR MORE INFORMATION Web: www.socitmconsulting.co.uk E-mail: terry.street@socitmconsulting.co.uk

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ClearViewFE™ – Easy and Effective Performance Management and Quality Improvement ClearViewFE™ centralises your data creating a single version of the truth concept for your business reporting requirements. The solution presents all users with simple and intuitive dashboards, user defined reports, performance management KPIs and Targets. Through Self Assessment course review forms and an intelligent Individual Leaner Planner (iILP) a user can create reports, recommendations and action plans including learner target setting and individual learner progress reports. ClearViewFE™ features and benefits: ● Performance Management KPIs ● Course Review/ Self Assessment ● iILPs – Driven by a learners particular aims and circumstances - Learner Courses including Work Based Learning and Train to Gain - Government Safe Guarding Metrics - Equal Opportunities - Domestic History - Special Needs ● Resource usage ● Ad-hoc reporting and publishing ● In-built forecasting facilities ● Improved data accuracy ● Fast response to information requests

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04 DM Range_Education Business:Layout 1

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Page 1

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ICT

REDUCE COSTS AND IMPROVE EFFICIENCY Jairo Rojas, director general of BASDA, highlights the role of green ICT in meeting government targets for reduction in carbon emissions and shares the views of BASDA members on software priorities within the education sector THE CHALLENGE FOR THE EDUCATION sector, as with the public sector in general, is to keep IT investment low, while continuing to provide a high quality of service delivery. Particularly with the current government directives on reducing carbon emissions and squeeze on IT budgets, there is a desire for all organisations to make more from the systems they already have to improve efficiencies. It is now becoming widely recognised that the software development industry is the key enabler to achieve the aggressive targets our government has committed to. Ignoring the environmental benefits, being green also makes excellent sense in terms of reducing costs. BASDA is working closely with its members through its BASDA Green Charter, which includes signatories from over 30 BASDA members of all sizes who are already working with their customers to provide real benefits for customers in terms of measuring and managing their green credentials as well as reducing costs and improving efficiency. LEADING THE WAY The BASDA Green Charter sets out four steps signatories will take to help lead the UK towards achieving a 20 per cent reduction in greenhouse emissions by 2020: • Take pro-active steps to increase their own carbon efficiency. • Enhance their software solutions to help customers become part of a carbon efficient economy. • Engage in the debate around green technology, including measurement, reporting, data requirements and standards. • Work as an industry through BASDA to educate and increase awareness of green issues as they relate to ICT and business software. Some of our BASDA members have firsthand experience in working with the education sector to deliver tangible benefits in streamlining processes and working to meet government directives. Bernard Snowe, director of Corero’s Business Systems Division, comments: ”The current high level of investment in Financial Management Software for the schools sector stems from both the growing number of academies and from an increasing trend in all schools to look at more efficient ways of transaction processing and devolving information to various levels of staff and the management team.”

REAL-TIME INFORMATION In addition to a wide range of standard accounting modules, there’s increasing demand for having real-time information at the click of a button, so we’re seeing rapidly growing demand for web-based delivery of key financial and management information to senior school managers, departmental budget holders and governors. This process along with web transaction processing e.g. Web Requisitions, staff absence requests, expenses and approvals reduces the need to print, send documents by mail and store a large number of files on site which, in addition to increasing efficiency also fits in perfectly with the schools’ current emphasis on ‘green’ policies. Dinesh Upadhyaya, director of finance and resources at the West London Academy, a user of Corero’s Resource software, says: “From every point of view, the implementation of our Resource system has significantly improved the efficiency of our financial management. In addition to being able to make much more effective use of the budgets available through tighter control, the web portal will

ABOUT BASDA Jairo Rojas is Director General of BASDA, the Business Application Software Developers Association, a UK-based, member-driven organisation that represents business software organisations of all sizes from the world’s largest business software suppliers through to UK headquartered medium and small sized businesses. enable us to achieve considerable savings through more streamlined purchasing.” Ronald Duncan, Chairman of @UK PLC comments: “e-Procurement within schools and higher education face many of the same challenges seen across other public sector organisations, such as the need to deliver a return on investment and the increasing requirement to be able to track and audit their spend effectively. We have found that some of the best software developments and innovative solutions to these challenges have arisen from working closely with our customers.” For example, Bristol City Council developed a pro-active approach to support their local

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ICT

From every point of view, the implementation of our Resource system has significantly improved the efficiency of our financial management – Dinesh Upadhyaya, director of finance and resources at the West London Academy schools in managing their budgets and accounts. They have recently launched ‘EZPay’, a simple solution providing a fully hosted electronic purchasing system using @UK PLC’s software to all their local schools. It provides an end to end online process for ordering from a selection of goods and services sold by the school and enables online payments. Russell Darling from Bristol City Council adds: “Not only will the system remove the need for pupils to carry cash in school, it will make it easier for parents to pay directly online for school items such as books, trips and uniforms.” MAIN DRIVERS FOR INVESTMENT PS Financials supplies accounting and purchasing software to the education sector supplying the core financial, purchasing and budgetary control systems to all of the academy federations, currently 10; to over 70 individual academies and some 40 independent schools throughout the UK. Their recent experience indicates that the main drivers for the schools sector for investing in new Financial Management Software are: improving reporting capabilities, budgetary control, analysis by teaching department, increase efficiency of the finance staff, easier processing of different income stream’s e.g. school trips, hire of facilities etc. and automation of regular routine tasks such as automatic bank reconciliation and automating input. In addition, schools are also looking to evaluate their ‘carbon emissions’ by recording and monitoring information in order to provide a control for carbon emission reduction. COA Solutions provides extended financial

management solutions to the education sector incorporating integrated budgeting and forecasting and document management. Mark Thompson, managing director at COA Solutions, comments: “Achieving cost and efficiency savings whilst ensuring greater financial control have always been driving factors behind a school’s decision to invest in financial management software. However, as a result of the government-led drive to reduce organisations’ carbon emissions, the green credentials of financial software systems is another key consideration which is currently driving investment into the more environmentally-friendly solutions. Finance systems with integrated electronic document management, for example, are proving especially appealing to the schools sector as these systems cut paper consumption as well as carbon emissions generated during the printing, photocopying and postage of paper documents.” As an example, COA Solutions supplies the Version One document imaging system, which supports Lincoln College’s green agenda in line with government targets. Paul Allison, finance manager at the college, says: “Colleges are under increasing pressure from the government to cut carbon emissions and make significant efficiency savings and so this was an important consideration when choosing Version One. Since implementing DbArchive, staff no longer have to print out and photocopy invoices several times over, which has dramatically reduced our environmental impact.”

STREAMLINING PROCESSES Dataflow (UK) Limited supplies financial solutions for the bursar’s office where the greatest demand has been for the ability to access data anywhere, anytime through streamlining all management processes and system data. Martin Axon, head of accounts at Wellington School, comments on the Dataflow system for schools: “The main benefit of the system is practical in terms of the huge reduction in the amount of paperwork generated”. Unit 4 Agresso is a major supplier of Finance and Accountancy systems to the education sector, through its Agresso and CODA product lines. Their IntegrisG2 product helps to maximise efficiency for schools, is easy to use, requires little IT administration time and is cost effective as it can be hosted by the local education authority or as a hosted service to groups of schools, who can access the system via the internet. David Turner, group marketing director for Unit 4 Agresso: “In our experience the key drivers in deploying education systems are low cost of ownership, ease of use, self-service (for budget holders, staff and students) and ease of deployment across the organisaton (including outside the finance department) and across multiple locations. “In practice this requires finance systems that are web based, can be incorporated into existing campus or authority portals, with customisable screens and fieldnames, and with online help to assist non-finance or infrequent users.”

FOR MORE INFORMATION Tel: 01494 868 030 Web: www.basda.org

The virtualisation and shared storage specialist DA TECHNOLOGY Services specialises in deploying virtualisation, ‘Green IT’ and shared storage solutions within the education sector. From web based secure desktop technologies to multimedia optimised virtual environments, ADA fully understands the demands of today’s media rich curricula. A vendor independent systems integrator, ADA’s consultative approach ensures learning institutions receive advice they can trust. By remaining impartial, ADA ensures its clients within the education sector invest in reliable, readily expandable infrastructure with a guaranteed service life. ADA provides onsite demonstrations or longer

term ‘proof of concept’ programmes to assist schools, colleges and universities in choosing the right technology prior to contracted investment. Furthermore, ADA’s solutions are built around an innovative zero per cent finance payment model which allows institutions to reduce initial

capital expenditure by paying over time. To find out how ADA’s strategic methodology can help accelerate learning in your environment, call one of our specialists today. Alternatively, why not attend one of ADA’s education focused events. These sessions provide an ideal opportunity for schools, colleges and universities to share ideas and learn from deployed solutions within the education sector.

FOR MORE INFORMATION Tel: +44 (0)1444 232 000 E-mail: enquiries@ada.co.uk Web: www.ada.co.uk

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EXTENDED SCHOOL SERVICES

PARTNERING FOR A STRONGER FUTURE FOR SCHOOLS Earlier this year Secretary of State, Ed Balls and head of the National Healthy Schools Programme, Richard Sangster unveiled plans for the next phase of Healthy Schools RICHARD SANGSTER, HEAD OF THE

National Healthy Schools Programme explains: “This year Healthy Schools celebrates its 10th anniversary year, having established itself as one of the most popular, non-statutory government initiatives in English schools today. “I think a major part of the reason for the success of Healthy Schools is that its ethos sits at ease with the reason why teachers, head teachers, nurses, and the broader school workforce do what they do. People go into education because they care about children and young people and want them to succeed in all aspects of their lives – and that includes them being healthy. I think that there is now a greater appetite for this agenda from schools, and the fact that we have achieved 99 per cent participation in the programme against our 100 per cent target, more than six months early is a clear testament to that.” OF GROWING IMPORTANCE

Richard continues: “The health and wellbeing agenda is a big presence in every aspect of school life today, and a major part of the programme’s legacy to date, is that activities which were once pioneering good practice – such as integrated PSHE education or water bottles on desks – are now common place within schools.” “And this agenda is still growing. The publication of the recent Child Health Strategy highlights the government’s growing commitment to health and wellbeing in the school setting. If you add the recent ministerial pushes on healthy eating, the publication of the 21st Century School system, statutory PSHE education, (personal, social, health and economic education) and the introduction of the Ofsted pupil wellbeing indicators from autumn, you see a wider policy landscape that helps more than ever before what schools can achieve in tackling health and wellbeing issues. “Achieving the Children’s Plan absolutely depends on creating a school system that prepares every young person to make a success of their life and although we’ve already achieved an enormous amount through the commitment of many schools and health care professionals. Long term behavioural change around major public health issues is not something that can be changed overnight. It’s a constant challenge

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and one in which I believe schools will play an increasingly important role in the future.” Helen Williams, director of Curriculum and Pupil Wellbeing at Department for Children, Schools and Families, explains the government’s future plans: “As the government has begun to place an increasing emphasis on the health and wellbeing of children and young people, I think Healthy Schools has offered an invaluable framework of standards, good practice and tools to help schools evaluate what they are doing – its true legacy is that the overall offering in our schools has been vastly improved. “The next stage is to make good schools into really great schools, by engaging more closely with parents, personalising children’s learning, opening up school services to the wider community and increasing capacity through greater collaboration as we build towards our vision of the 21st Century School. “The vision of the 21st Century School is really about recognising this growing role played by schools in supporting a range of children’s outcomes. In the future, schools will still be about education in the traditional sense, but will also focus on

developing the whole child by offering; more personalised education, a stronger focus on improving health and wellbeing, and will provide a wider community resource to support whole families and communities.” BEST PRACTICE

As Nina Hughes, from the Extended Services programme for schools, explains: “A 21st Century School is a vision that is a continuation and evolution of a lot of good practice that is already taking place in many schools, especially those that are already working with the Healthy Schools and Extended Services programmes. “Schools that have already achieved National Healthy School Status and are working towards the provision of Extended Services are acknowledged as already contributing to the wider role which schools will play in the future. Key to this vision is our commitment that all schools will be providing access to a core offer of extended services by 2010, and already well over 80 per cent of maintained schools are partnering closely with their local authority and other local private and voluntary sector organisations to provide access to these

Education Business | Volume 14.6

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EXTENDED SCHOOL SERVICES

services. These include: before and after school activities such as study support, sport, music and arts opportunities; childcare in primary schools; parenting and family support including parenting programmes; swift and easy access to specialist health and social care services; and community facilities including adult and family learning and ICT provision.” She continues: “Of course, schools are not being asked to deliver these improvements alone. Shared visions and local partnerships have always been at the heart of our work with schools – whether that’s in partnership with local authorities, other schools, or local services in the private and voluntary sector, health and social care services or community organisations.” Richard Sangster adds: “In the future, as both programmes continue to evolve, I believe that these partnerships will become even more crucial as channels for better supporting and guiding schools in achieving health outcomes for children and young people, and enhancing the core offer available to the whole school community. “Our next step is to strengthen this partnership approach and to continue to build upon the good practice already in schools in order to translate the government’s vision of the 21st Century School into a reality. We want to use the reach, trust and expertise we have gained over the last ten years to help schools make sense of this changing agenda, and to put in the systems, processes and interventions to be able to make a real and long term difference.” As part of this commitment, from September 2009 all schools that have already achieved National Healthy School Status will be invited to move on to the next stage of development as part of an enhanced Healthy Schools programme. This will help schools to be better equipped to promote universal health improvement for all pupils, as well as providing additional support targeted specifically towards those identified as most at risk. Through Healthy Schools and Extended Services, we want to continue to create school environments where every child and young person has access to the health and education support they need to reach their full potential in learning and life, and provide the mechanism to translate the government’s vision of the 21st Century School System into a reality. FOR MORE INFORMATION For more information about Healthy Schools, please visit: www.healthyschools. gov.uk and for more information about extended services please visit: www.tda. gov.uk/remodelling/extendedschools

I think that there is now a greater appetite for this agenda from schools, and the fact that we have achieved 99 per cent participation in the programme against our 100 per cent target, more than six months early is a clear testament to that - Richard Sangster, NHSP THE BUSINESS MAGAZINE FOR EDUCATION

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FINANCE

MONEY MATTERS The classroom is vital for personal finance education, says the Financial Services Authority

BEING FINANCIALLY CAPABLE MEANS being able to manage money, keep track of finances, plan ahead, make informed decisions about financial products, and to stay up to date about financial matters. In the current economic climate, being financially capable is more important than ever. It is crucial that everyone understands their rights and responsibilities, where to go for help if they need it, and that they are wary of any offers that look ‘too good to be true’. Financial capability is embedded in the government’s Every Child Matters outcomes, with the expectation that all young people ‘achieve economic wellbeing’. It is a key part of the secondary curriculum in schools through the ‘economic wellbeing and financial capability’ programme of study, and through the PSHE element that becomes statutory in September 2011. And it has a place in topics

such as Mathematics, Citizenship, Business and Enterprise education. Being financially capable increases motivation, confidence and self-esteem, empowering young people to make informed choices and to become active citizens who can go on to make a positive contribution to society. PERSONAL FINANCE EDUCATION Starting this process in school is vital. Schools provide a unique opportunity to reach all sections of society when we are at our most receptive to learn, and can develop positive attitudes to money early. Young people will then grow up in a culture of asking informed questions about money, and developing positive attitudes to money. The case for personal finance education in the classroom is overwhelming. The National Strategy for Financial Capability is led and funded by the FSA to help people in the UK manage their

money and feel more confident with money matters. It provides money guidance that reflect key life stages – at school, in further and higher education, for young people when not in education, employment or training, in the workplace, and when starting a family. The programme provides completely free and impartial resources and support to equip people with the skills and knowledge they need, through working in partnership with those organisations that already have a relationship with them. For our schools project, we have linked with educational organisations across the UK to provide support to schools to enable them to provide a high standard of financial education that meets the needs of their learners. The projects aim to improve teachers’ confidence in the subject and help them bring it alive in the classroom: In England, we have funded

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who are not in education, employment or training, our ‘Young People and Money’ training programme helps them support young people with money matters. And we are working with key organisations and government to encourage the embedding of financial capability into their policies and programmes.

for the generations to come the key will lie in beginning financial education at school, growing up with personal finance in their day-to-day lives, so that they are better placed to avoid making money mistakes later in life. the education charity pfeg (Personal Finance Education Group) to deliver support to teachers via ‘Learning Money Matters’ in 3,500 secondary schools (pfeg has since been asked to take forward the My Money financial education programme in England funded by the DCSF); and we are funding posts at the Welsh Financial Education Unit, Scottish Centre for Financial Education, and the Northern Ireland Council for the Curriculum, Examinations and Assessment. OTHER RESOURCES It doesn’t, however, stop there. Our programme offers teaching and school staff the chance to increase their own financial capability through our ‘Making the Most of Your Money’ seminars and information delivered direct to people in their place of work. This is completely free of charge, and delivered by trained, impartial presenters. The programme provides an important personal development opportunity to learn tips that will be useful on a day-to-day basis, as well as adding to Continuing Professional Development in delivering personal finance in the classroom.

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Our ‘Moneymadeclear’ website, online tools and guides provide clear and impartial financial information for everyone to access whenever they need it. And our ‘What About Money?’ website contains a host of information for young people aged 16 to 24, helping them understand different financial products, basic budgeting tips, and where to go for help if they need it. ‘Parent’s Guide to Money’ is our practical resource to help expectant and new parents covering the financial aspects of a new baby. It is important to provide a comprehensive approach through education, and our ‘Money for LiFE’ project helps student services and curriculum staff in Further Education colleges plan activities to enhance the financial capability of their learners, and also provides a resource ‘Money for LiFE’ of teaching materials to help them do this. On into higher education, our Money Doctors programme helps student money advisers help students to avoid money troubles and what to do when things don’t go to plan. For practitioners working with young people

SOCIAL BENEFITS The Every Child Matters approach may be aimed at the younger generation, but its element of ‘economic wellbeing’ is something we can all benefit from. Economic wellbeing is about making the most of the money you do have: Being financially capable can mean the stark difference between getting by and not being able to afford the basics. For young people in poorer households learning to be financially capable as early as possible can help them avoid a cycle of deprivation. And it is never too late to learn. Being financially capable has wide social benefits. Research the FSA conducted earlier this year found that an improvement in an individual’s financial capability leads to an improvement in their psychological wellbeing. Even moving from low to average levels of financial capability decreases anxiety and depression by 15 per cent. It increases life satisfaction 12 times more than earning an extra £1,000 a year. In 2008 the government asked the FSA to plan and pilot a national money guidance service for everyone in the UK. During 2009 we have delivered the resulting Moneymadeclear service in the North East and North West of England, helping people with their money issues via telephone, online and face-to-face, with a view to rolling this out across the UK. So our National Strategy reaches people with a combination of learning, enabling young people to develop positive attitudes towards money early in life, supplemented later by effective information and guidance. But for the generations to come the key will lie in beginning financial education at school, growing up with personal finance in their dayto-day lives, so that they are better placed to avoid making money mistakes later in life. The FSA (Financial Services Authority) is the independent regulator for the UK’s financial services industry.

FOR MORE INFORMATION • To find out more about the National Strategy for Financial Capability and the free resources available visit www.fsa.gov.uk/financial_capability • For clear impartial information from the UK’s financial watchdog www.moneymadeclear.fsa.gov.uk • Impartial financial information for young adults www.whataboutmoney.info • To find out more about pfeg’s work in schools visit www.pfeg.org/

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LIFE SKILLS BUILD THE FUTURE Nationwide Education’s free, award-winning resources help teachers’ bridge the gap THE ARGUMENT FOR MORE FORMAL

teaching of life skills in schools has been raging for years. Following the announcement of the DCSF white paper Every Child Matters, schools have been under increased pressure to incorporate key life skills (e.g. staying safe, achieving economic wellbeing, making a positive contribution to society) into their already bursting curricula. Subjects that address these areas, such as Personal, Social, Health and Economic Education, have been given a higher profile in the revised secondary curriculum; and have also been included in suggestions made by Jim Rose’s Independent Review of the Primary Curriculum. Many schools have responded by beginning to move away from a rigid, subject-based approach to their curriculum and developing themes like money management and sustainability. This is sometimes problematic for busy teachers who, despite being well versed in the subjects they teach, may not have the time to research and create lesson plans for a new topic or theme. An innovative approach has been taken by Nationwide Education; it has worked with teachers, pupils, parents and field experts to create a number of comprehensive crosscurricular resources that build life skills in financial capability, sustainable living and road safety. The resources were developed to offer practical support to teachers, being easy to use and effective in getting serious messages across in a fun and engaging way. Nationwide Education, part of Nationwide Building Society’s commitment to the community, is a free online resource designed for use on interactive whiteboards and PCs, so it can be used in school and at home. Key to the programme’s success are specific sections for pupils/students (from age four to young adults), teachers/professionals and parents. SUPPORTING PUPILS

Nationwide Education provides lively interactive games and story books with quizzes, skill-building activities, case studies, film clips and music to stimulate and engage pupils and young adults. There are also downloadable fact and work sheets that are both educationally sound and highly enjoyable. Most personality traits, lifelong habits and attitudes develop from an early age, so Nationwide Education provides tailored, progressive resources for children and young people from the age of four through to adulthood. The programmes are centred on three key themes:

• Financial Capability – The Financial Capability programmes help children build the necessary knowledge and skills to lead the life they want. ‘Counting on Money’ and ‘The Cost of Money’ build children’s understanding of budgeting, the value of money, saving and different forms of money. ‘Savings and Lifeskills’ and ‘Finance World’ further develop young people’s understanding of all aspects of personal finance, and helps them put it into practice in real life. • Sustainable Living - The Sustainable Living programmes help pupils understand the importance of living sustainably and what they and their family can do to make a difference. ‘Sustainable Houses’ helps pupils understand how we use energy and what families can do to save it, as well as the importance of reducing, reusing and recycling. ‘Sustainable Communities’ for ages 12 to 16 will launch in February 2010. • Road Safety – The Road Safety programmes teach children about risk, and the causes and consequences of their decisions. They help young children develop the skills they’ll need as they begin to travel independently. ‘Be Safe, Be Seen’ emphasises the importance of being clearly visible to drivers, while ‘Safer Travel’ teaches children about the Green Cross Code and how to use different crossings to cross the road safely. SUPPORTING TEACHERS

Nationwide Education is designed to be a comprehensive ‘one stop shop’ of readymade cross-curricular resources. A dedicated

teachers’ section provides professionals with a range of guidance on how to use the interactive games and story books, as well as ideas for discussions, extension activities, links to the UK curricula and glossaries explaining key words in ageappropriate language. Care has been taken to recognise that individual teaching and learning styles differ hugely and also that teachers are busy people, so all resources have been designed to be quick and easy to use. The modules build pupils’ key skills progressively and teachers can use them to draw out elements to suit the specific abilities and needs of their students. There’s also guidance for parents, showing how they can support teachers’ work at home, consolidating their child’s learning by putting it into real life. Programmes such as Nationwide Education that assist teachers in developing children and young people’s life skills can help schools achieve the goal of providing a ‘broad and balanced’ curriculum and empower pupils to make a positive impact on their own and others’ futures. New programmes on Sustainable Living and Home Safety will be launched in Spring 2010. FOR MORE INFORMATION All programmes are freely available on www.NationwideEducation.co.uk

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TEACHING CHILDREN ABOUT FINANCE Our children’s financial future is in our hands – pfeg can help GIVING A WHOLE GENERATION of consumers the skills to manage their money isn’t something that can happen overnight. Financial learning is as much about attitudes and behaviours as it is about practical skills, so it pays to start early. Young people should be able to leave school able to save, borrow responsibly and make informed decisions about financial services and products. They need to be able to manage risk and understand the financial implications of career and other personal life choices. To give young people a better future, we need to invest in making sure that they are given personal finance education at school. pfeg is the leading independent charity working with over 8,000 primary and secondary schools to develop personal finance education. It works collaboratively with teachers and school leadership teams to provide bespoke support that meets the needs of both teachers and learners. Nearly 10 years’ experience has taught pfeg that one size does definitely not fit all. “A faith-based, primary school in inner city London will be facing very different challenges to an Academy in Cheshire,” says pfeg chief executive, Wendy van den Hende. “Providing an off-the-peg solution might be a quick fix, but it won’t be sustainable in the long-run. pfeg works collaboratively with schools, to assess what really fits the needs of its pupils and helps them integrate financial learning into every part of the curriculum, on their own terms.” pfeg’s What Money Means programme supports primary teachers in developing finance lessons, activities and resources for pupils aged 4+. Its Learning Money Matters initiative, already in over 3,500 English secondary schools, enables teachers to give students vital money skills. Since 2008 pfeg has run the Department for Children Schools and Families’ My Money project. This helps local authorities support the schools in their area in delivering personal finance, disseminate best practice and bridge gaps in provision with teaching tools that take children and young people through the financial dilemmas they will meet throughout life. 2009 saw the first ever My Money week, celebrating financial education in schools throughout the country. There is still a lot to do if financial education is going to become truly embedded in the school curriculum. pfeg will continue to press its cause with government, education and business to ensure that the next generation of adults is more financially aware and responsible than

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PERSONAL FINANCE EDUCATION IN ACTION Sixth form students in West Sussex created a budget for their future lives at university, balancing the needs and wants of academic life, social life, and trying to maintain a healthy lifestyle. They then tested the value of their plans by going shopping at the local supermarket

to see if they could stay within their budget. Primary pupils in North London linked money activities to their study of ancient Greek history and mythology. The eight year olds created ancient Greek menus for breakfast, lunch and dinner, calculating

the current buy-now-pay-later generation. pfeg provides: • Free classroom materials and lesson plans in financial education from reception to leaving school; • Free training from a team of talented consultants with a wealth of experience and educational expertise; • The pfeg Quality Mark giving teachers confidence that materials meet the highest educational standards, are fit for purpose and are not simply disguised sales materials; • 24 hour resources and information at www.pfeg.org • A volunteer programme that matches

the overall costs for each menu. The budding entrepreneurs then set up an Ancient Greece café to sell the meals. Budgeting, shopping and balancing income against expenditure were eased seamlessly into the curriculum, making finance fun.

those with a background and expertise in finance with the specific needs of schools.

FOR MORE INFORMATION To find out more visit our website www.pfeg.org or call us on 020 7330 9470.

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FINDING THE RIGHT TOOLS Kerry Ace of the Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy takes a look at resource allocation models in further and higher education IN FUTURE YEARS, THE PUBLIC services will be dealing with the aftermath of the economic downturn as it impacts on public funding. For finance professionals working in public service organisations, these will be challenging times. One of the main roles of the Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy (CIPFA) is to provide its members and other senior finance staff in the public services with high quality and responsive support. For the further and higher education sector, such support is provided by CIPFA’s Further and Higher Education Panel, which is made up of volunteers who have a particular interest and expertise in further and higher education. It is constituted in such a way that members are representative of the sectors and the various interests concerned: funding bodies, major audit firms, representative bodies and senior finance practitioners. THE ALLOCATION CHALLENGE As the UK emerges from recession it is likely that unemployment will continue to increase.

For further and higher education institutions, it is likely that student numbers and expectations will continue to rise, along with competition for the best staff and resources in a global market. Finance professionals in further and higher education institutions will need to look at the tools available to them to influence change and to help position their institution to best effect – a key tool to do this is resource allocation. CIPFA’s Further and Higher Education Panel has responded to these challenges by compiling a compendium of resource allocation models in use in the further and higher education sector. The results are documented in CIPFA’s forthcoming publication Resource Allocation Models in Further and Higher Education: A Compendium which will be published at the end of November. The compendium describes a selection of existing resource allocation models from seven diverse institutions spread across the UK. To do this, the Panel used a questionnaire as the basis for discussion with a representative from each institution. Resource allocation is essentially a planning

and management tool that provides a means of apportioning resources on a methodological basis to various activities of an organisation. In considering the case studies, the Panel found that there were three distinct but related steps. Firstly, resource identification – where the resources devoted to a particular activity are identified and set into some sort of context. The calculations that do this are often referred to as the resource allocation model. Secondly, budget setting – where delegated budgets are calculated and delegated. Finally, budget management – whereby rules concerning virements, spending limits and the treatment of over and under spend are implemented. Whilst the income in further and higher education institutions relates broadly to activities, the cost base is not linked directly with the income. Indeed, the strategic decisions for senior managers often centre on the levels and reasons for cross-subsidy between different activities at different times. The Further and Higher Education Panel, in compiling the compendium agreed that

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in allocating resources to budgetary units, institutions need to ensure that the process complements their academic, staffing, ICT, commercial, financial and estates strategies. The approach they take to resource allocation will be determined by different factors, and result in their own distinctive method. The Panel identified a range of factors that influence the design of the model. The size of the institution is crucial. A large university may wish to adopt a more wide-ranging and complex model than a small college. Secondly, institutional objectives and the strategic plan have an impact as it depends upon whether an institution is seeking expansion or to maintain the status quo and a consideration of its investment priorities. The complexity of the institution is also key as a number of separate campuses spread geographically across an area may require a different approach to that adopted for a single campus institution. Management structures are an influence too as the model will take into account the extent to which the governing body or senior management is prepared to delegate budgetary responsibility. This will link to the institution’s approach to financial risk. Finally, government policy and/ or funding council methodology must be considered as some institutions may wish to mirror government initiatives or the ways in which funding councils allocate their funds. THE PROCESS The resource allocation process may serve a number of purposes. It can support the strategic direction and operational priorities of the institution. It may empower managers to make local decisions close to the point of service delivery by identifying the resources to be managed by them. It might also show how individual departments or units are performing and the contribution each makes to the overall financial position of the institution. Some institutions may therefore use a resource allocation model as a means of driving in structural or managerial change. Such change

might result from a decision to decentralise much of the financial decision-making process, taking apart a highly centralised power base and empowering local managers to make decisions themselves, albeit often within a well defined scheme of budgetary delegation. Even with the same overall level of institutional funding, this change in financial management may bring a more effective use of resources as local managers take ownership of the process and seek to make the funding stretch further. In this context, the ability for managers

improved equity in resource allocation may be outweighed by the suspicion that something is being hidden from budget holders. Clearly, each educational institution is likely to have an approach which best fits its profile, organisation and objectives and no two approaches are likely to be identical. It is also unlikely that any institution will get it right first time. Most of the issues considered by the Panel occur to a greater or lesser extent at each institution and a successful resource allocation model is likely to be one

For further and higher education institutions, it is likely that student numbers and expectations will continue to rise, along with competition for the best staff and resources in a global market. Finance professionals in further and higher education institutions will need to look at the tools available to them to influence change and to help position their institution to best effect – a key tool to do this is resource allocation to implement their own proposals in place of continued reference to a higher level of authority can become a powerful motivator. The Panel agreed that the most effective methodologies are those that are both open and equitable. In part, this concerns the availability of timely and accurate information and ease of access to it for budget-holders. It may also involve a degree of ‘expectation management’ to avoid one party generating demands which another is unable to fulfil. Meetings with budget holders are an important part of the resource allocation process, helping to promote management commitment across the board and to explain why, despite substantial delegation, there remains a need for adherence to common policies. If a resource allocation model is seen as complex any benefits that might accrue from

which is ‘about right, not precisely wrong’. CIPFA first published Resource Allocation Models in Further and Higher Education: A Compendium in 1997. This new version includes four institutions that took part in the original study and three that were new to the process. The compendium also contains a section that explores key themes and provides guidance and advice to be considered alongside the examples shown. The compendium illustrates that universities and colleges have continued to adopt a wide variety of approaches to resource allocation and provides an excellent opportunity for practitioners to learn from each others experiences.

FOR MORE INFORMATION Web: www.cipfa.org.uk/panels/fehe

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Office and other government bodies, it also partners on ground-breaking education research with the Institute for Public Policy Research and Campaign for Learning. As a result the company has pioneered many aspects of educational staffing, from quality controls and systems through to introducing new services for SEN and Teaching Assistants. Select Education, soon to be Randstad

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FOR MORE INFORMATION Tel: 0845 600 1234 Fax: 01582 406866 Web: www.selecteducation.co.uk E-mail: education@selecteducation.co.uk

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DESIGN & BUILD

BENEFITS BEYOND BEING GREEN The benefits of incorporating sustainability principles in educational construction projects go far beyond ‘green’ issues, as Jon Mussett of BRE explains SUSTAINABLE SCHOOLS ARE NO LONGER optional these days. Under the Building Schools for the Future (BSF) programme, for example, all new educational developments should achieve a 60 per cent reduction in carbon emissions compared to 2002 Building Regulations, while the 2007 Children’s Plan ‘Building Brighter Futures’ established a goal of all new school buildings being net zero carbon by 2016. ADDITIONAL BENEFITS But sustainable schools are not just about being ‘green’. As well as the immediate and longer-term environmental impacts like the reduction of carbon emissions, schools should optimise and enhance the learning and teaching experience of occupants. They should also stand the test of time and continue to perform efficiently and adapt to the new demands of a dynamic and changing society. They should also be cost effective. The new government emphasis on developing schools that not only act as educational delivery facilities but also as community hubs where a range of activities take place means that they have greater importance than ever. Getting the sustainable design of schools right is therefore crucial. Despite mainstream opinion, achieving a sustainable school doesn’t need to incur significant extra capital costs as the BRE/Faithful & Gould report ‘Putting a price on sustainable schools’ demonstrated. It can actually bring operational savings in areas such as energy (with fossil fuel now at such a premium) water use, and waste reduction. These benefits are not achieved by bolting on a few green features as an afterthought – sustainability must be integral to the entire process. BEGIN AT THE BEGINNING Achieving a sustainable school starts at the outset of the development process. One way of achieving this is to ask all of the stakeholders – teachers, pupils, governors, community groups, local government – what they want from the project and feed this directly into the development process. BRE would recommend that clients hold a design charrette – a series of meetings, presentations and workshops, during which the design team puts together a development strategy while getting feedback from all involved parties, including the community. Charettes are increasingly used in the UK, particularly where developments will have a big community impact, as is often the case with schools, hospitals and other major projects. The focus on sustainability must persist through the design, selection of materials,

construction and building operation processes. The design must ensure, for example, that the building is well insulated and properly airtight, makes the best use of natural daylighting and has year-round comfortable temperatures. AIRTIGHTNESS Gaps left in buildings cause heat loss to the outside, which results in unnecessary over-sizing of boilers to heat the extra incoming cold air, and in uncomfortable cold draughts. A good standard of airtightness brings improved energy performance, lower heating costs, reduced CO2 emissions and greater comfort for occupants. Experience shows that simple designs are easier to make airtight, as are large panel construction systems with few joints. The form of a building may cause problems – curves for example can be difficult to seal for

airtightness, and large roof spaces can also make achieving good airtightness more tricky. Achieving low permeability on site can be difficult and needs to be considered at the planning stage. It is important that site contractors and supervisors are well briefed about airtightness jointing and integrity, and that check points are planned in. With good design and simple detailing, desired levels of airtightness can be cost effectively achieved. INSULATION AND THERMAL BRIDGING A high standard of building insulation – giving a building fabric with excellent U-values – is also a key factor in sustainability, and one that is often compromised by ‘thermal bridging’. This occurs where there is a break in a building’s insulation, mainly at the junctions between panels, through and around window and door

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DESIGN & BUILD

frames, and penetrations through the fabric – for example for balconies and services. Thermal bridging reduces the effectiveness of the insulation, which can lead to increased energy use, greater condensation risks and occupant discomfort. Special attention must be given to minimising the potential thermal bridging at the design stage, and throughout the building’s construction. THE INTERNAL ENVIRONMENT The quality of the internal environment is key to the success of a building – for example, it can aid learning in schools where lighting and acoustic levels are particularly important. Potentially conflicting issues such as having large windows to admit daylight while avoiding excessive solar heating, perhaps by designing in solar shading features, need close attention. At the Stockwell Park High School redevelopment, there was particular focus on daylighting and window design, lighting levels, thermal comfort and natural ventilation. These aspects are fundamental to creating an environment that promotes pupil attainment, and to providing high quality working conditions that will help the school to attract and retain staff. MATERIALS The sustainability credentials of building materials and components contribute to the sustainability of the development itself. Windows and doors for example, should be specified and installed for airtightness, daylighting and solar gain as well as thermal performance and environmental impact. Establishing environmental credentials can be difficult when selecting building materials, and whilst standards exist there is no single right way to do it. The ‘Green Guide to Specification’ is based on ISO methodologies for life cycle assessment from extraction to end of life, and supports BREEAM Education. The Guide considers 13 different criteria, including global warming potential, water consumption and resource extraction, which are weighted and added up to give a relative impact score expressed as EcoPoints. However, it needs to be remembered that the embodied environmental impacts of the building materials used are only part of the lifetime impacts of a building and therefore need to be considered in the context of overall building energy, performance and durability. The extraction of materials and the manufacture of construction products also have local implications for quality of life and the natural environment. For timber and forest products, there are recognised certification schemes such as the FSC, which guarantee minimum production standards and a chain of custody to assure consumers. The new BRE Environmental & Sustainability Standard (BES) 6001:2008 provides a general

framework for assessing the responsible sourcing of construction products.

with biomass boilers can lend themselves to energy generation for larger developments.

WASTE Currently over 100 million tonnes of construction and demolition waste is produced annually, of which only around half is recycled in some way. Industry and government have signed up to halving construction waste to landfill by 2012. In England the Site Waste Management Plan (SWMP) Regulations now require all projects over £300,000 are required to have a SWMP in place. This involves forecasting the amount and type of waste that is likely to be produced and how it will be managed, and then monitoring it throughout the project. This should encourage clients, designers and contractors to start thinking about their waste and how it can be managed better. Waste management options should follow the waste hierarchy with preference given to waste reduction. This can be achieved by considering the design of buildings and use of materials (for example, designing to standard sizes or reducing complex forms), procurement and ordering procedures (wastage rates can be up to 50 per cent for certain products) and the better management of materials onsite through storage, distribution and installation. If waste cannot be eliminated then it should either be reused or recycled. Sustainable construction does not end with the completion of the building. The operation of buildings makes a very significant contribution to the UK’s carbon footprint and to other environmental impacts, energy and water use being just two of many examples.

WATER Reducing water consumption is often given low priority in sustainability plans, but the government has signalled its intent in this area. Effective water conservation often combines three basic strategies: • Minimising water use – for example, fitting aerated taps and showers to increase perceived flow rate without increasing consumption, and low water-use white goods. • Using rainwater – collecting and using water from surfaces such as the roof. All surfaces used to collect rain for harvesting systems need to be colourfast, non rusting and free draining to prevent possible discolouration of the water, and staining and deterioration of the surface. • Recycling greywater – greywater recycling systems are an excellent way of reducing consumption but need a degree of specialist maintenance.

ENERGY Reducing carbon emissions depends on combining energy efficiency measures – such as constructing airtight, well-insulated buildings installed with energy efficient systems such as combined heat and power (CHP) and mechanical ventilation and heat recovery (MVHR) – with low or zero carbon sources of energy, such as renewables. The available renewable energy technologies include photovoltaics, which are effective but relatively expensive, solar thermal panels which are relatively cost effective, and heat pumps that can offer low-energy heating and hot water provision if matched to appropriate building types and heating strategies. In all cases care must be taken to keep systems simple to install, maintain and use. BRE currently manages two community renewable energy grants schemes that educational projects could take advantage of – the Government’s Low Carbon Buildings Programme and the Big Lottery’s Community Sustainable Energy Programme (www.lowarbonbuildingsprogramme.org.uk and www.communitysustainable.org.uk). Micro-wind turbines are ineffective in many urban locations, but bigger wind turbines, along

INTELLIGENT BUILDINGS ‘Intelligent’ technologies can now allow a building’s internal environment, security and safety systems to be remotely monitored and regulated. Such technologies facilitate the cost effective control of the building environment – its heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems, lighting and electrical equipment. These intelligent management systems can make the provision of comfortable working and living conditions highly efficient and cost effective, with the potential to make considerable energy, carbon and cost savings. It is far easier to fit them during construction than to add them to existing buildings. MEASURING SUSTAINABILITY Many building developers elect to use an environmental assessment method to help them achieve greater sustainability and then measure the overall level of sustainability achieved. This assessment can be used to publicise the building’s sustainability credentials. The most widely used and longest established assessment scheme is BREEAM. In the UK more than buildings have now been certified under the BREEAM Education scheme.

FOR MORE INFORMATION • BRE provides a full range of sustainability consultancy services for schools and educational facilities. For more information, contact: buildingdesignconsultancy@bre.co.uk 01923 664290. • The Green Guide can be viewed at: www.thegreenguide.org.uk • Full details of the BREEAM schemes are available at: www.BREEAM.org • BRE’s free-to-use SWMP tools are available at www.smartwaste.co.uk

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Setting the tone for acoustics in education

InterFocus – the experts in classroom furniture

COUSTICS DESIGN and consultancy for music and drama facilities and general classrooms, new buildings and renovations. There is now substantial research documenting the reduced quality of learning due to poor acoustics. Through creative design and practical recommendations we can improve the speech intelligibility in classrooms, the connection between student and teacher. We work collaboratively to find novel design solutions to meet the requirements of BB-93 acoustics guidelines for schools and BREEAM Education 2008, delivering results more valuable than these minimum standards. Our tools are sound reflection and absorption, sound insulation between rooms and control of mechanical and electrical systems noise. We put our clients’ money where it matters most, working closely with each school to achieve their functional goals for performance facilities and classrooms. Our leadership on concert hall and

NTERFOCUS LTD IS one of the UK’s leading manufacturers, supplier and installer of educational furniture for schools and colleges across the UK. We offer complete turnkey solutions from single classroom solutions to PPP, PFI and Building Schools for the Future projects. Our specialist areas are in the manufacture and installation of school laboratory furniture, food technology furniture and ICT classrooms. Our experienced project management teams will liaise with you to ensure the refurbishment project is smooth and fulfils your requirements; this service is offered free on all projects, providing the client with a considerable cost saving by using a single company for the entire project.

theatre projects sets each project apart. Our recent successes include music and drama facilities for the Yehudi Menuhin School, Royal Conservatory of Music in Toronto, Uppingham School, St Marys Ascot, Sherborne School and St Catherine’s Bramley and a new wing at Lowther Primary School, Barnes.

FOR MORE INFORMATION Sound Space Design Address: 2 St. George’s Court, 131 Putney Bridge Road, London SW15 2PA Tel: +44 0208 877 5868 Fax: +44 0208 875 9385 E-mail: acoustics@ soundspacedesign.co.uk Web: www.soundspace design.co.uk

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Say goodbye to managing multiple contractors for one project. With InterFocus, you have single point of contact for the entire duration of the project and beyond, and with our new demonstration facilities on-site at our factory in Linton, Cambridge, clients can make an appointment to view the furniture and facilities and discuss their requirements face to face with our project management teams. Our aim is make the client confident they have made the right choice when choosing InterFocus as their solution provider.

FOR MORE INFORMATION For further information go to www.schoolfurniture.co.uk or call us on 01223 894833.

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McGee – trusted civil, structural, demolition and decontamination specialists for over 50 years

cGee Group is one of Europe’s leading civil, structural, demolition and decontamination specialists. The Group was founded in 1958 by Tom McGee and has grown dramatically in size and reputation. McGee continues to pioneer innovative techniques and methods, enabling them to deliver projects quicker, cheaper and with reduced environmental impact. McGee Group has been safely removing asbestos from buildings for over 20 years. With its range of in-house resources, the Group has an unrivalled track record undertaking projects of all sizes, from individual private properties through to the most complex and prestigious developments for which it is renowned. McGee has the capacity to take your project from early phase works, for example; site enabling, decontamination, demolition, groundworks and deep foundation construction, through to construction of permanent structures of all kinds. McGee works across the industry in delivering building and infrastructure projects, working with main contractors and clients in the private/commercial, public, education and military sectors. McGee Group services fall under four

divisions which can be employed independently or as part of integrated works packages. Decontamination & Decommissioning inc. Asbestos Services – This division specialises in asbestos decontamination including; asbestos surveys of all types, removal, encapsulation, transport and safe disposal. McGee Group is UKAS and ATAC accredited and has been removing asbestos from buildings, ranging from schools to power stations, since the 1970s accumulating vast experience in this sector. McGee Group has been a member of ARCA since 1999. UKAS accreditation is a safeguard for clients to ensure McGee is working to the highest standards, in line with current guidance and legislation. Demolition & Deconstruction – McGee

spearheaded the development of the industry with its innovative approach to the demolition and deconstruction of large structures. The Group is a leading specialist in this area and is renowned for its work on complex projects such as Wembley Stadium, Camden Market and Battersea Power Station. Civil & Structural Services – McGee carries out all works relating to the excavation and construction of deep foundations, basements and underground structures. There is also a specialist team dedicated to the construction of concrete and steel frames and super structures such as those recently implemented at Stables Market, Camden. Transport, Recycling & Waste Management – McGee Group has a specialist division undertaking the transport, recycling and disposal of all materials. The Group also owns and operates a concrete crushing and recycling depot in Canning Town.

FOR MORE INFORMATION For more information please contact Chris Wright on 020 8998 1101 E-mail: chris.wright@mcgee.co.uk or visit our website www.mcgee.co.uk

Reduce your energy consumption and cut CO2 emissions with Sunpipe from Monodraught

LDER SCHOOLS FEATURED classrooms with large windows, but as designs have advanced, space constraints and the need for flexibility have conflicted with ‘daylight design’ in many schools. In addition, daylight and thermal comfort sometimes conflict as larger windows allows a greater amount of daylight to penetrate the space, which leads to greater heat gains and heat losses through the glazing. Small wonder then, that when Monodraught launched Sunpipes in the UK 14 years ago they proved an immediate success with schools, being easily incorporated into new designs for schools and for refurbishing existing buildings. Architects and consultants were quick to recognise the advantages of Sunpipes over conventional rooflights in eliminating heat gain and heat loss and the glare that is often present. The reduction in energy consumption – by eliminating the need for electric lighting during daytime use – is also a significant factor. However, another major advantage that cannot be overlooked

is the health beneﬁt associated with piping natural daylight into the classroom. Sunpipes maximise the concept of renewable energy by reflecting and intensifying sunlight and daylight down through the mirror-finish aluminium tube to the room below. A UV stabilised diamond shaped dome seals the Sunpipe at roof level and a clear, stipple finish, polycarbonate diffuser at ceiling level evenly

spreads light into the room or space below. The Sunpipe system is highly effective in both sunny and overcast conditions and even when it is raining the efficiency of the Sunpipe still allows daylight to be piped through. Sunpipes have the distinct advantage of providing soft, soothing natural light to virtually any part of the schoolroom or classroom. Sunpipes are known to have a calming and soothing effect on children and by eliminating the need for constant electric lighting, they are not only energy saving but contributing to both the children and the teacher’s health and wellbeing. They are vandal-resistant, require no maintenance, and are compatible with any building design, although special finishes and ceiling trims are available.

FOR MORE INFORMATION Tel: 01494 897700 Fax: 01494 532465 E-mail: info@monodraught.com Web: www.monodraught.com

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ENERGY

STEPS FOR A GREEN AND SAFE FUTURE London Fire Brigade is one of 12 organisations across England and Scotland to achieve the new Carbon Trust Standard, the only way for organisations to prove they are tackling climate change and have made genuine reductions in their carbon emissions THE STANDARD IS THE WORLD’S FIRST carbon award that requires an organisation to measure, manage and reduce its carbon footprint and actually make real reductions year-on-year. It requires organisations to take action themselves by cutting carbon across their own operations and in their supply chain. By making many of its 112 fire stations and its vehicle fleet greener, the Brigade, which is run by the London Fire and Emergency Planning Authority (LFEPA), has cut its carbon emissions by 8 per cent over the last three years and by 17 per cent from 1990 levels – well ahead of a London-wide target of 15 per cent by 2010. The reduction in emissions has saved the Brigade in excess of £350,000 on energy costs, money that is ploughed back into energy efficiency projects. “We are delighted to be one of the first organisations to receive the new Carbon Trust Standard. Being recognised in this way is a real endorsement of the hard work that has gone into cutting the Brigade’s carbon footprint,” said Ian Shaw, LFB energy manager. “In 2005, LFB became the first UK fire and rescue service to have a solar powered fire station and now at least 40 of our 112 buildings are fitted with sustainable energy sources such as wind turbines and solar panels. Our fleet of 600 vehicles is also greener and meets Low Emission Zone directives on exhaust emissions. “With the support of more than 7,000 staff across London, the Brigade is cutting energy use and recycling more, including disused fire hose being turned into clothing accessories and furniture. Added to this, the Brigade’s procurement practices are rubbing off on suppliers, who are encouraged to meet the highest environmental standards.” THE STANDARD The Carbon Trust Standard was developed by the Carbon Trust in 2007/08 to encourage good practice in carbon measurement, management and reduction by businesses and public sector organisations. It is designed to provide a robust, objective and consistent methodology for assessing corporate carbon performance. The Standard specifies requirements in three key areas – carbon footprint measurement, carbon management, and carbon reduction performance. Assessment against the Standard is undertaken by independent third-party assessors. The assessment process is managed by the Carbon Trust Standard Company – a

SAVING WITH THE CARBON TRUST In 2008/09, organisations participating in the Carbon Trust’s annual Public Sector Carbon Management Programme committed to reduce their carbon emissions by an average of 25 per cent over a five-year period. The Carbon Trust’s Public Sector Carbon Management Programme guides organisations through a peer-supported process of building a team, measuring the carbon footprint, defining carbon reduction targets and projects, and compiling a compelling case for action. Projects implemented as a direct result of the Public Sector Carbon Management Programme since it was established are already saving over 500,000 tonnes of CO2 per year and generating annual savings of £36m on energy bills. In 2008/09, 109 organisations participated

in the programme – including 71 local authorities, 17 universities, 19 NHS Trusts as well as central government estate. As a result, they developed new plans that will cut their collective carbon emissions by a further 500,000 tonnes a year and save over £90 million per year on their energy bills. Richard Rugg, head of public sector at the Carbon Trust, said: “Organisations that participate in our Carbon Management Programme learn from the experiences and achievements of others in the public sector who have already embarked on the carbon reduction journey. This gives them the confidence, knowledge and inspiration to set themselves increasingly stretching targets.” Looking ahead, Rugg predicts increasing collaboration between

public sector bodies on carbon reduction in local areas, a trend driven by National Indicator NI186, which puts the onus on local authorities to reduce emissions within their area. To meet this need, the Carbon Trust is set to launch a new bespoke service called Carbon Management Leadership which will help local authorities engage local public sector and business stakeholders in area wide carbon reduction. An example of a successful collaborative pilot project is a Carbon Trust supported working group in Bristol that includes Bristol City Council, local universities and NHS Trusts. Among the initiatives it has developed is a programme to calculate Bristol’s ICT carbon footprint and develop a database of solutions to help organisations bring down their ICT emissions.

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ENERGY

The London Fire Brigade is an award-winning organisation for its work on sustainability. In 2007 the organisation won the overall City of London Corporation’s Sustainable City Award and earlier in 2008 won an award at the Heating and Ventilation News awards. Over the last five years over 90 per cent of the Brigade’s frontline operational fleet has been replaced with new, less polluting vehicle subsidiary of the Carbon Trust. The Carbon Trust Standard was launched in June 2008. It builds on other existing international Standards for the measurement of corporate carbon emissions: • Greenhouse Gas Protocol Corporate Standard from the World Resources Institute (WRI) and the World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD). • ISO14064-1 :2006, which provides a specification (at the organisation level) for quantification and reporting of greenhouse gas emissions and removals. The Standard was developed in consultation with leading businesses and public sector organisations. The Standard

also incorporates qualitative criteria developed by a predecessor scheme – the Energy Efficiency Accreditation Scheme. GREEN INIVITAIVES AT LFB The London Fire Brigade is an award-winning organisation for its work on sustainability. In 2007 the organisation won the overall City of London Corporation’s Sustainable City Award and earlier in 2008 won an award at the Heating and Ventilation News awards. Over the last five years over 90 per cent of the Brigade’s frontline operational fleet has been replaced with new, less polluting vehicles. This includes

209 pumping appliances, 20 Fire Rescue Units, 15 Aerial Appliances, nine Command Support Units, six Operational Support Units, six Water Carriers, two Scientific Support Units and six Fire Investigation Units. The Brigade has also been fitting out fire stations with on site energy generation technology such as Photovoltaic (PV) systems, wind turbines, solar thermal and combined heat and power. To date, nine Photovoltaic, eight Solar Thermal, two wind turbines, 12 CHP schemes, and 18 high efficiency lighting installations are now in place at London fire stations. Improvements are also being made to heating systems and sustainable wool insulation is being used in lofts. Added to this, the Brigade’s buildings are fuelled by a 100 per cent supply of green electricity and a staff motivation campaign – entitled LFB Green – designed to further reduce energy and water usage and recruit green champions at each site to spread the green message to staff.

FOR MORE INFORMATION For more information about the Carbon Trust Standard visit www.carbontruststandard.com

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ENERGY

IT PAYS TO BE GREEN A well-managed programme of energy efficiency can have multiple benefits, from reducing energy costs to educating staff and pupils alike about environmental issues WITH THE RECENT ANNOUNCEMENT from the Office of National Statistics that the UK is in the midst of the longest recession in recorded history after six consecutive quarters of negative growth, public sector organisations are understandably considering new ways of becoming leaner. While energy may not at first sight appear the obvious route for schools that are being compelled to balance the books, it actually makes perfect sense. A well-managed programme of energy efficiency can have multiple benefits, from reducing energy costs to educating staff and pupils alike about environmental issues. Crucially, tackling energy bills is an effective strategy to reduce expenditure while ensuring that quality of education is not at risk. In addition, many schools fall under the 2002 Energy Performance of Buildings Directive (EPBD), which since 1 October 2008 has required that all public buildings of more than 1,000 sq m exhibit a Display Energy Certificate (DEC). These documents provide an energy rating for buildings and are designed to help encourage energy efficiency and meet the government’s targets for carbon reduction. Moreover, the European Parliament is currently debating a change to the legislation which would require all buildings of over 250 sq m to hold a DEC, so early action makes sense on a number of levels. The certificates, being publicly displayed, have the capacity to name and shame and schools will want to show parents they are not spending hard-earned funding on energy instead of education. CUTTING DOWN ON CASH AND CARBON Southwold Primary School, in East London, is a great example of the cost savings that can be realised by pursuing an effective programme of energy efficiency, spurred on by the requirements of the EPBD. As Southwold’s energy supplier, we’ve been working with the school since 2008 to help reduce its carbon footprint through a series of straightforward steps. The project began with a thorough assessment of the school’s energy usage and the award of a DEC. While this is a mandatory document, schools can really make the most of the recommendations contained within the document to improve the rating and so cut energy bills. Head teacher Gary Boyd was keen to take action but was concerned that the constraints of the building, built in 1863, would prevent real improvements being made. We helped the school to install a Building Management System (BMS) to help monitor and reduce consumption. This allows

Southwold School’s Display Energy Certificates show an improvement from an F to a C in just one year

We helped the school to install a Building Management System (BMS) to help monitor and reduce consumption. This allows parents, children and the wider community to look at the school’s energy use but more importantly means that the management team at Southwold can centrally control consumption and turn off energy outside of core opening hours parents, children and the wider community to look at the school’s energy use but more importantly means that the management team at Southwold can centrally control consumption and turn off energy outside of core opening hours. Our team also developed bespoke software dashboards for the school’s computers to help engage the children and involve them in reducing energy consumption. SIMPLE CHANGES, DRAMATIC RESULTS Following these simple changes, the results have been dramatic; Southwold has reduced its energy bills by an astounding 35 per cent in less than ten months while improving its DEC rating from an F to a C, above the current national average of a D. In addition, the cost savings have already funded two extra full-time teachers, making a demonstrable difference to the children’s education. Gary Boyd comments: “We’ve been delighted with the progress made at the school; EDF Energy has helped us in hugely reducing our energy bills and therefore saving enough money to fund front-line resources.

An important point to make is that an old building is no barrier; despite the age of Southwold, real improvements have been made. Funding is available for schemes such as this, so we would urge all schools to follow our lead and take the plunge; energy efficiency schemes are a win-win way to cut costs and help the environment at the same time.” TAKING THE PLUNGE We’re very proud of what has been achieved at Southwold and would urge any school to take the plunge, as the smallest changes can have a huge impact. It’s a great way to teach the kids about energy efficiency using real-life examples that are relevant to them, while also complying with legislation and all-important cost-cutting.

FOR MORE INFORMATION If you would like to make your school more energy efficient, contact the Energy Services team at EDF Energy by e-mailing energyexperts@edfenergy.com for tailored advice.

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Sustainable Futures is taking a new approach in tackling the problems of carbon emissions and climate change. With the combination of Eco Architecture and Renewable Fuel Consultancy we are able to advise our clientâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s as to the most efficient methods to reduce their carbon footprint. Our clients include national and local government, educational, health and leisure/recreational institutions. Fuel Cell Research Hydrogen Fuelling Station Waste to Energy Hydro-Electric Photo Voltaic

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ENERGY

A LEADING LIGHT IN RENEWABLE ENERGY ocip energy leads the way in delivering energy conservation solutions

THE CONCEPT IS SIMPLE – combine the potential for creation of renewable energy with use of the latest technology in lighting. This is at the heart of ocip energy’s philosophy. The company is one of a new breed of alternative energy champions but one that is successfully driving forward the adoption of commercial LED lighting as well as the acceptance of Vertical Axis Wind Turbines (VAWTs). OCIP ENERGY The company was born out of a longstanding interest in the renewable energy field by a group of individuals who had spent the majority of their working life in the mobile telecommunications sector. As the economic downturn started to bite at the beginning of 2008, like many other companies, we turned our thoughts to exploring other sectors where we might be able to apply our existing professional skills. The obvious choice, was the alternative energy market and specifically wind turbines. WHY WIND TURBINES? Our roots in the mobile telecommunications industry have provided us with the essential skills to respond to the challenges of the alternative energy market. The urban environment, in which we had traditionally operated for many years, was a perfect platform for the new generation of VAWTs. We quickly moved to secure a Distributor agreement with the leading British developer and manufacturer, the Quiet Revolution. The VAWTs have major advantages over traditional horizontal axis turbines in an urban environment. Indeed, many of the main factors

that tend to be cited against conventional wind turbine developments, do not apply to the VAWTs. Among their major advantages is that they are virtually silent, as well as a consensus that the designs are more aesthetically pleasing. The VAWTs, offer a very demonstrable statement of a business’s green credentials, as well as being an asset and an investment. It is for that reason that we are now distributors of the widest range of VAWTs in the United Kingdom. With wind being the fastest growing energy source worldwide, we will continue to add to our product range. The VAWT products are constantly evolving and we are working closely with our suppliers in this area, furthermore our turbines are sourced from UK, US and European manufacturers. The main advantages of the VAWT are: • Virtually silent • Suitable to urban and rural sites • Collects wind from all directions • Low visual impact, noise and vibration • Low Maintenance • Sell surplus energy to grid • More aesthetically appealing LOW CARBON FUTURE The initial investment into the company started long before the political agenda was set for a Low Carbon Future, however the company was very keen to respond to the demand for products that would not only generate renewable energy but also conserve energy. We firmly believed that the country could not simply continue to consume energy at the rate it currently is doing and that as much emphasis needed to be devoted to energy conservation, as to energy creation.

Commercial LED lighting was identified as a key product to address this imbalance. Despite the fact that LED lights have been around since the 1960’s, they have not been available until recently as a direct replacement for conventional lighting systems and at a commercial scale. In the energy conservation sector, the use of LED lighting is compelling. Technology now permits the LED’s mechanical robustness, long lifetime and low power qualities to deliver significant cost savings to businesses with high energy costs. LED’s can offer immediate savings in electricity consumption, where between 50-75 per cent savings can be achieved. The range is both for indoor and outdoor lighting, from the small down-lighters to the very large floodlights, spotlights, streetlights and High bay lights. One of the key advantages of LEDbased lighting is its high efficiency, as measured by its light output per unit power input. This makes them suitable in both outdoor and indoor scenarios. Some places where they are being used currently: • Car parks • Urban street lighting • Security lighting • Offices • Government buildings • Warehouses and factories • Hospitals and schools • Recreation centres and grounds LED lights are the perfect solution to reduce energy consumption without deterioration in the quality and brightness of the lighting. Indeed, the white light from LED bulbs even enhances CCTV images making it ideal for carparks and streetlighting. With the cost of electricity set to rise dramatically over the coming years, investment in LED lighting will be one of the best investments a business can make. Any building with high electricity consumption, such as academic institutions, government buildings, car parks, distribution depots, factories, underground transport hubs and museums to name but a few, could see enormous savings being made through the direct replacement of the existing incandescent or halogen lighting. WHERE NOW FOR THE BUSINESS? The company has been investing for over a year now, with new offices, staff and a storage unit. In July 2009, Ed Miliband MP announced the government’s Transition Plan for a Low Carbon Britain. The Government White Paper outlines a comprehensive plan for how the UK to become a low carbon country and we firmly believe that ocip energy is in a perfect position to help to deliver the targets for reducing emissions.

FOR MORE INFORMATION Tel: 0800 917 9360 E-mail: info@ocipenergy.com Web: www.ocipenergy.com

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A complex case for a simple solution? Smarter Automated Meter Reading?

UTOMATED METER READING (AMR) is now a topic that has reached even the furthest corners of the UK plc. The main driver of recent months has been the Carbon Reduction Commitment, or CRC Energy Efficiency Scheme, as it is now to be known. As recently as last week the Environment Agency has had a climb down on the requirement to buy two years carbon allowances in July 2011, essentially halving the cash flow impact of the CRC energy efficiency scheme on qualifying businesses. The CRC Energy Efficiency Scheme’s impact on your business (should it qualify) will in 2011 entirely depend upon what are called the Early Action Metrics, whereby a league table is drawn up and your companies relative performance to others is gauged by these metrics. In the first year, a successful installation of AMR across 90 per cent of your portfolio should see you avoid the associated financial penalties as AMR accounts for 50 per cent of these metrics. The other metric is to achieve the Carbon Trust Standard or other similar scheme. In the second and third year the impact of

AMR has doubled, now delivering 40 per cent in the second year and 20 per cent in the third year. This now gives higher emphasis to Early Action changes and reducing more slowly to better recognise your investment in AMR. Of course your company’s ability to reduce its consumption weighs heaviest after the first year, with the difficulties of doing this from estimated invoices, AMR is the best way to prove exactly what you have used. AMR covers a range of technologies, all of which provide users with timely and accurate access to their utility usage. AMR is available for electricity, gas and water meters, however in the case of gas and water, a data logger or

other similar device needs to be connected to your meter via a pulse output, should a working pulse output be present on your meter. “It is important that your AMR solution is independently verified, financial and consumption benefits clearly detailed, and that the same company will support you in a year or two’s time when you are asked to prove the results,” says Jonathan Akers, head of Technical Energy Services at BIU, who provides metering services to RBS, Tesco, One Stop Stores, NCP, Pets at Home, Café Rouge, Poundland, Pret-a-Manger and the 2012 Olympics’ Athletes Village.

FOR MORE INFORMATION British Independent Utilities St Annes House, Wood St Lytham St Annes Lancashire FY8 1QG Tel: 01253 789816 Fax: 01253 714131 E-mail: amr@biu.com Web: www.biu.com

Energy management equipment for schools

Pioneering heating solutions since 1905

LAUDE LYONS has been designing and manufacturing electrical energy saving and power quality management equipment in the UK for over 60 years. Their range covers energy saving voltage regulators, stabilisers, harmonic mitigation products, fixed and variable transformers, power resistors, rheostats and UPS systems. These products are complemented by Claude Lyons’ expertise in solving power problems and reducing energy costs, and range of professional on site surveying and monitoring services. By reducing the often unnecessarily high UK mains voltage, Claude Lyons’ PowerSave Energy Saving Regulators can directly reduce electricity costs by up to 25 per cent. Further savings also arise from extended equipment lifetime and reduced maintenance. As the quality of the UK mains supply becomes increasingly uncertain, the PowerSave regulators also secures

DEAL STELRAD possesses a rich and continuous history of innovation which dates back more than 100 years. Amongst the first to design boilers specifically tailored to meet the needs of the British market, the company remains one of only two per cent of all sites in the UK today manufacturing boilers. Offering a range of domestic and commercial boilers, including heat-only and combination, as well as standard and high efficiency products, the company offers something to suit every specification. Take for instance, Ideal’s marketleading Imax W range of wallhung condensing boilers, well known for ease of installation, reliability and service, and which

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users against mains supply dips. PowerSave’s tightly phase balanced output can prevent equipment overheating and reduce maintenance costs, without adding harmonics. A Carbon Trust loan may be available for its purchase. This voltage regulation and stabilisation range is found in all sectors of industry. Users include Tesco, Hilton Hotels, Mitchells and Butlers, London Underground, the MOD, Mothercare and similar organisations.

even includes an impressive 100kW output model. In order to develop the higher output model Ideal refined the operation of the already successful 80kW version and from this created, in the same casing dimensions, the new Imax W100. This new model has been developed to meet the demand for higher output wall hung boilers and allows the Imax W range to cover an even greater number of applications.

FOR MORE INFORMATION Tel: 01482 498690 Fax: 01482 498621 E-mail: commercial_heating@ idealboilers.com Web: www. idealcommercialboilers.com

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Carton recycling scheme helps schools and businesses get to grips with green Cartons have a great environmental story to tell.

1.5billion cartons

Tetra Pak recently announced that over in the UK will soon carry the certification of the Forest Stewardship Council, which confirms that the paperboard is sourced from responsibly managed forests and other controlled sources. And that’s not all.

low carbon, lightweight

Cartons are also a choice, made from a renewable resource and they are recyclable, which is great news for the nation’s schools and businesses who get through millions every year.

200 million

England’s primary schools alone used a whopping milk and juice cartons last year – and now, thanks to the carton manufacturer Tetra Pak, and the carton industry body ACE UK (Alliance for Beverage Cartons and the Environment), there is a scheme in place to help schools and businesses across the country to recycle them.

Tetra Pak’s new service enables schools and businesses to contact their local carton recycling contractors through an easy to use web portal. Here, you can get a quote and follow the step-by-step instructions online to set up collection. The scheme is now available to schools and businesses across more than half of the UK, and Tetra Pak is working with contractors on an ongoing basis to extend it further. For more information on local contractors and service coverage, and to set up collection, visit:

www.tetrapakrecycling.co.uk/recyclable_business_map.asp

Education Business | Volume 14.6

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SUSTAINABILITY

WINTER INSPIRATION As the winter term sets in the Eco-Schools team have lots of ideas to help your school through the awards process IT MAY BE DARK AND GLOOMY outside but November is the perfect time to re-energise pupils and colleagues and get planning for the year ahead. Planning the school garden should be a fun and interesting time for the school – and not a chore for staff! Get pupils to take control of the process by researching and choosing their own crops. For more ideas look at the case studies on the EcoSchools website www.eco-schools.org.uk Bad habits return as the cold sets in. Use the lesson plans found on the Pod to energise lessons on conserving energy to remind your school of key messages. Shutting doors and windows also saves money and keeps rooms warm. As Christmas approaches think about reducing waste – edible Christmas cards and decorations made from foliage and winter berries are some of the ways that paper rubbish can be avoided. NEW AWARD FOR ECO-SCHOOLS Over 58 per cent of schools in England are registered Eco-Schools and many have achieved the prestigious Green Flag award. To celebrate this quality and help support newcomers to the programme we are launching the Green Flag Ambassador Schools Award in 2010. We are looking for a school that currently holds a Green Flag, and lives and breathes the programme’s nine topics, to the extent that they are embedded in the curriculum and the culture of the school. Ideally, Ambassador Schools will be working with the wider community and supporting local authorities by promoting the programme in the surrounding areas. As a result of their experience the ideal candidates will be in a position to help and advise other schools looking to emulate them. Andrew Suter, manager of the EcoSchools programme, says: “The idea behind Green Flag Ambassador Schools is to utilise the skills of schools that are at a more advanced stage of the programme, to help those schools that have just registered, and give them confidence to succeed.” GET NEW IDEAS AND SUPPORT Online resources provide fast, fun and new ideas about how to teach green issues. Developed with Eco-Schools, the Pod provides lesson plans, online games and information packs for many Eco-Schools topics. Pupils can also upload their own photos to the site to share their news as well as create their own blog. Activities carried out on the Pod also count towards awards, so pupils can explore the site and meet some of the programme’s criteria at the same time.

As Christmas approaches think about reducing waste – edible Christmas cards and decorations made from foliage and winter berries are some of the ways that paper rubbish can be avoided The website has helped many schools progress and it isn’t just the pupils who have been logging on: “The activities are great and really do help improve the school. It’s a great place to store evidence for The Green Flag or other accreditations – plus once parents could see their children’s work they were going on there too!” said Tracy from Aragon Primary School, recently awarded the Green Flag. Mark Chappelhow from the Eco-Schools team adds: “The Pod provides a fantastic support to Eco-Schools. It has fresh ideas about how to relate sustainability and climate change to young people’s lives and practical advice on how to deliver these. “It also has lots of interactive features such as the gallery showing pictures sent in from different schools, that encourages camaraderie within the programme, and also spurs on some healthy competition!” Over 7,000 schools are now registered with the Pod so don’t be left behind – join today! www.jointhepod.org TRAINING OPPORTUNITY The Eco-Schools programme is supporting most of the schools in England on their sustainable journey – but how does it really work? If

you’re a teacher and want to find out how to implement the Eco-Schools programme in your school or a local authority looking to use Eco-Schools to help achieve national targets for sustainability and climate change then book a training day. Two courses are currently available. Becoming an Eco-School – This one-day course offers an excellent opportunity for newcomers to the Eco-Schools programme to equip themselves with the knowledge and confidence required to introduce the programme into their schools. Meeting National Targets for Sustainability and Climate Change with Eco-Schools – This one-day training course offers an opportunity for local authorities investigate how they can more effectively support schools participating in the Eco-Schools programme, and how doing so can help them to improve performance against relevant targets such as the Energy and Climate Change DSO, NI186, and NI 192 Household Waste recycled and composted.

FOR MORE INFORMATION Places for 2009/2010 are limited. To find out more and book visit www.keepbritaintidy.org/training

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Education Business | Volume 14.6

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FACILITIES MANAGMENT

LIVING UP TO EXPECTATIONS Facilities management encompasses multi-disciplinary activities within the built environment and the management of their impact upon people and the workplace THE FM ACTIVITIES THAT WOULD typically be expected in a school include fabric maintenance for the walls, roofs, floors, windows etc., and building services (M&E) maintenance which includes the boilers, radiators, pipework, air-conditioning, lighting, power. Together this is often referred to as ‘hard FM’. Other FM services, including cleaning, security, catering, grounds maintenance, portering and caretaking – albeit caretaking often involves basic maintenance or handyman tasks – is referred to as ‘soft FM’. Another way of looking at FM in schools can be to consider it in terms of ‘day to day services’ and ‘asset maintenance’ that is to say services required to support the day to day functioning of the school – is it hot/cold, clean/ dirty, is there enough light/power etc and those which relate to the long term maintenance of the buildings. Take for example a boiler, asset maintenance questions which may arise included when will it need to be replaced? Can its existing life span be extended? How can it best be maintained until then to meet statutory requirements? Would it be better to replace it earlier with a more energy efficient boiler? FM also needs to be considered at three levels; strategy, management and service delivery. Strategy typically relates to procurement routes (e.g. what to outsource and how to fund procurement , property (e.g. the consolidation of premises onto one campus or the development of a new science block), and asset maintenance (e.g. condition based or planned preventative maintenance regimes). LEGAL COMPLIANCE The management of FM is of great importance. At its most basic it ensures that there is compliance with health and safety, and other relevant legislation, regulation and policy e.g. CRB clearance. At the next level it ensures that the school develops and keeps to a budget for its FM. Management of FM also seeks to understand and meet the short and long term needs of the facility users (the teachers and pupils), implements the selected procurement routes for services, and manages the delivery of services – either by directly employed labour or by sub-contractors. Service delivery covers what you would expect; the carrying out of the activities to the agreed service levels and to the budget specified by management i.e. cleaning, maintaining, and catering. It is worth also recognising that, in most types of facility, if not all, a significant element of facilities management involves reacting to day to day issues, and sometimes 70 per cent of a

The management of FM is of great importance. At its most basic it ensures that there is compliance with health and safety, and other relevant legislation, regulation and policy e.g. CRB clearance. At the next level it ensures that the school develops and keeps to a budget for its FM THE BUSINESS MAGAZINE FOR EDUCATION

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Education Business | Volume 14.6

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FACILITIES MANAGMENT

facilities manager’s time can go on this. This should be expected in any dynamic environment – and particularly in a school where hundreds of pupils are moving around all day. If you find a lot of time is taken up responding to issues then don’t think this is unusual. However, reacting to such pressures must not prevent attention being paid to activities that should be structured, planned and programmed, such as complying with statutory maintenance requirements. KEY ISSUES So what are the issues that are facing those with responsibility for FM in schools? One key issue is that FM in schools, like in most other types of facility and in most other sectors, has either already moved, or is in the process of moving, from being almost solely focused on the ‘service delivery’ level, to paying more attention to management and strategy – partly in recognition of ‘best practice’ and partly in response to government policy – such as PFI. Rather than focus on

strategic choice and government policy, which is a huge subject in its own, the rest of this article will cover issues of management that those responsible for FM should address, largely irrespective of the FM strategy they adopt. The first consideration should be who will be made responsible and accountable for facilities management? Whilst there may be a committee that this person reports to and/or consults with, best practice FM does not involve management by committee. This individual then needs to be given appropriate training. At the very least this should be an awareness of relevant health and safety matters, which as mentioned is the base minimum management requirement. This does not mean this person then needs to audit health and safety or become an expert; this can be outsourced to an appropriately trained person from within the local authority or from a private firm. It does mean that this person has a basic awareness of what is required and ensures that somebody monitors

compliance, and deals with non-compliance. Training in budget preparation and management may also be required – although as this role often seems to be fulfilled by the bursar, this may not be necessary. The school should then have a facilities management regime that is safe and whose cost it can control. The basics are in place. The next part of the management jigsaw is to gain an understanding of the actual needs of the users, and the asset, to be able to specify what services are required and to what standard – this is an iterative process as it also involves assessing what is affordable. The base minimum level of service is to meet statutory requirements for H&S. At the end of this process the facilities manager should have an understanding of the services and service levels that are sought to balance needs, aspirations and budgets. WHICH PROCUREMENT ROUTE? These services then need to be procured and managed. This will involve some

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Shower-Safe – the most successful way to reduce the risk of infection from showers

OMEONE CATCHING legionnaires’ disease from your water system could result in manslaughter charges being brought. With an estimated 9000 cases a year, many from showers, it is worth spending £30 to help avoid a case for you. Shower-Safe is a simple, economic, natural and sustainable product that kills legionella bacteria in the stagnant water of a shower. It comes as a very simple retro fit kit requiring no power and does not waste water. The standard recommended method of controlling legionella bacteria is with temperature. By keeping cold water below 20oC the omnipresent bacteria will not multiply and become a problem. By passing hot water through a phase at 60oC the water will be sterilised and the legionella bacteria killed off. However, there are two places on a water system where temperatures suitable for the bacteria to grow are unavoidable. In the middle of a calorifier the water is inevitably lukewarm hence the bacteria can multiply. This is not normally a problem because the bacteria will be killed by the high temperatures at the top, through which the water passes, on its way into the system. Only under fault or overload

conditions could the bacteria survive the sterilisation at the top of the calorifier. The other location is after a mixer valve. In a mixer valve the sterile hot water mixes with the cold water containing the ubiquitous legionella bacteria. The result is water at an ideal temperature for the bacteria to multiply and given time it will multiply to dangerous numbers. Sink and bath mixer valves are recommended to have minimum lengths of pipe work to minimise this risk. Showers, however, have longer lengths, often with internal plastic surfaces. Biofilm can form on these plastic surfaces giving the

bacteria nutrients and a hiding place. It is also easy to breathe in contaminated water droplets from a shower. Current health and safety recommendation are for a weekly flush. Flushing only dilutes the problem, particularly with the biofilm’s tenacity to stay put. Shower-Safe attacks this problem of the bacteria developing and hiding in the shower. Shower-Safe uses the proven technology of silver being a natural biocide and copper a natural destroyer of biofilm. Together the silver and copper do not allow the legionella bacteria to develop. Shower-Safe is a natural, sustainable, economic method of preventing legionella bacteria developing in the stagnant water of a shower. It comes as a kit containing mesh beads of silver and copper. Half the beads are put in the shower head and half in the hose. Silvered filter washers retain the beads in their appropriate locations. The beads then give off ions into the water to do the required work. Don’t be exposed in your showers, fit Shower-Safe

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Education Business | Volume 14.6

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FACILITIES MANAGMENT

Having asked yourself the question, “are our facilities safe and compliant?” and been satisfied with the answer, consider whether you are managing the facilities as opposed to whether the facilities are clean or well maintained, and develop your approach from there.In this way, facilities management, along side the provision of enhanced facilities, can assist the delivery of the government’s goals for education and support the desired transformation by providing a positive impact on the staff and students and their place of education strategic decisions but basically boil down to whether services will be directly provided by the school or local authority, or will be outsourced either via PFI or a standard contract. The manager should be an integral part of whatever procurement route is followed. Irrespective of the sourcing route, the next element of the management jigsaw is a performance measurement system; i.e. a way for the facilities manager to tell whether the school is getting the service it has specified and is paying for – whether from, for example, its own directly employed caretakers or from an external cleaning company. This need not be complex, but must be robust, easy to use and understand and be relevant. It could, for example be as simple as a series of inspection sheets. The final part of the jigsaw is a performance management regime. Fundamentally this will either involve a ‘Contract Management’ approach for outsourced services (up to and including PFI) or an ‘Operational/Line Management’ regime for directly employed staff. A MANAGEMENT DISCIPLINE The important message here is to think of FM as a management discipline, not a technical discipline, and to seek expert help – be that procurement advice, maintenance advice, management consultancy, health and safety advice or financial advice from experts. It is also important to remember that even if all of service delivery is outsourced, day to day management is outsourced and that the strategic decisions have been made, such as under a PFI contract, that the school will still need to manage its FM provider, as an ‘intelligent client. PFI does not involve not having to manage the facility, it just changes the way the school has to manage the facility. Having asked yourself the question, “are our facilities safe and compliant?” and been satisfied with the answer, consider whether you are managing the facilities as opposed to whether the facilities are clean or well maintained, and develop your approach from there. In this way, facilities management, along side the provision of enhanced facilities, can assist the delivery of the government’s goals for education and support the desired transformation by providing a positive impact on the staff and students and their place of education. The Facilities Management Association is a registered trade association and CBI member. Its members supply FM and support services to a wide variety of premises both in the Public and Private Sector. Their combined turnover is £4bn and they employ over half a million people. This article was written by Andrew Manning, a lawyer experienced in the support services education sector.

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“For me, acoustics in my class is all about better speech intelligibility” Call to book your free trial

020 8772 2700 The UK’s No.1 in Soundfield

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Education Business | Volume 14.6

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HEALTH & SAFETY

SEEN BUT NOT HEARD Good classroom acoustics are vital to communicating with pupils and protecting teachers, says the Institution of Occupational Safety and Health FOR SOME TEACHERS, the old saying

that ‘children should be seen and not heard’ denotes a depressing reality. The classroom places high acoustic demands on both teachers and pupils, and sound quality has a very real impact on teaching and learning standards. VOICING THE ISSUES

Classroom acoustics can play a vital role in both the education of pupils and the health of their teachers. Poor classroom acoustics can prevent children from learning by making it difficult for them to concentrate or to distinguish speech against background noise. And some teachers are literally shouting themselves hoarse in an attempt to be heard, with the risk of long-term damage to their voices. In fact, according to the Association of Teachers and Lecturers, workers in this profession are eight times more likely to suffer voice problems than any other worker, with one in 10 longserving teachers and lecturers becoming a patient at a voice clinic during their career. Then there are the risks associated with too much noise. Prolonged exposure to loud noises from musical instruments or machinery in subjects like music or design technology means that some teachers face a real possibility of long-term damage to their hearing. Under the Control of Noise at Work Regulations 2005, the first action level for noise in the workplace is 80 decibels. At this level, employers must assess the risk to workers’ health and provide them with information and training. Hearing protection becomes compulsory at 85 decibels, based on an average figure for daily or weekly exposure. Noise levels in schools and colleges can exceed these levels – for example, in carpentry and joinery workshops when machinery is being used. In some cases, noise levels are high enough to make hearing protection mandatory, but in others, it might be worn on a voluntary basis. This, in turn, presents challenges – there are accounts of disposable ear plugs being difficult to fit and muffling sound so that lecturers have to shout to be heard, once more raising those voice problems. To resolve the issues, some colleges have provided ear defenders with intercoms, but these come at considerable cost. “Acoustics can pose a significant problem if classrooms are not purpose-built,” says David James of the Industrial Noise and Vibration Centre, who runs IOSH professional development courses in noise and vibration at work. “Reflections of sound off walls can increase noise and reduce the quality of

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School acoustics – the hidden influence on teaching and learning

IRTUALLY ALL PUPILS and teachers would agree with a definition of ‘good’ acoustics that meant ‘best speechintelligibility within the classroom’. Good understanding of speech must be the key ambition within any classroom. Soundfield systems have been designed to achieve this. Unfortunately, for architects, engineers and builders, the meaning can be different. They would define ‘good’ acoustics as the prevention of noise transfer between rooms and floors, or the reduction of reverberation to reduce echo and distortion. The fact is that three things affect speech-intelligibility in the classroom: reverberation, noise and distance. In a well-designed classroom reverberation and external noise can be managed. But no amount of design can eliminate the internal noise generated by moving children, clothing, furniture, computers, etc. And no design can eliminate distance between teacher and pupils – in big rooms the kids at the back won’t get the same amount of information as the ones at the front. Another factor affecting the achievement

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of good classroom speech-intelligibility is the imperfection of the occupants themselves. Teachers’ voices can vary enormously. More crucially, children have undeveloped hearing and listening abilities. They don’t develop an adult’s listening abilities until at least 14-15 years of age. What’s more they are likely to suffer from temporary, but educationally-significant, hearing loss several times during their school careers due to colds, glue-ear and other ENT infections. So what is needed is for the teacher’s voice to be close to every child’s ear – overcoming

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distance, noise and hearing loss. Achieve this and pupils will hear speech clearly, without the stress of the teacher shouting to be heard and without constant repetition. This is what a soundfield system does, by equipping the teacher with a wireless microphone, linked to a base-station that sends their voice to speakers around the classroom. It’s a concept so powerful and so simple to implement that it’s surprising soundfield isn’t installed in every classroom. Soundfield is a proven concept in UK schools with over 15,000 systems in daily use. Pupils get better academic results, teachers get less voice-strain and schools get better league-table positions. Steve Mitchell, product manager for PC Werth, specialists in improving the acoustics of schools classrooms, says that the cost per system is modest (about the same as two PCs) and the financial returns for schools are quick to realise.

FOR MORE INFORMATION Contact PC Werth Soundfield systems on 020 8772 2700 E-mail: soundfield@soundfield.info Web: www.soundfield.info

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HEALTH & SAFETY

sound, making it both difficult to hear and potentially damaging to the ears. Echoing classrooms – where sound reverberates for a long time – can also reduce the clarity of speech, while poor wall insulation, such as folding room dividers or partitions that extend only to the false ceiling, allow in noise from adjacent classrooms. If that’s a loud noise – say from a music lesson – it can have quite a disruptive effect on the lesson, and on pupils’ concentration.” BUILDING BLOCKS

To an extent, classroom noise is unavoidable. Students can be loud, and subjects like music, design technology, or joinery naturally involve high noise levels. But there are ways to improve classroom acoustics if you know where to look, says James, who teaches a course on the music and entertainment industry, including music tuition. Many of the issues are part of the fabric of school buildings, and regulations are now in place to address these issues. James explains that Section 1 of Building Bulletin 93 gives the performance targets for compliance with Requirement E4 from Part E of the Building Regulations 2000 (as amended): “Each room or other space in a school building shall have the acoustic conditions and the insulation against disturbance by noise appropriate to its normal use.” Building Bulletin 93 has applied to the building of new school classrooms since 2003, providing guidance and a regulatory framework for the acoustic design of schools. But it doesn’t only apply to new buildings. Many of the UK’s schools are much older, and were built with little attention to acoustic quality. Even modern school buildings that predate Building Bulletin 93 are often constructed of lightweight materials that don’t stop sound getting in from outside. “All school buildings are now subject to detailed design checks and on-site inspections by building control officers,” explains James, adding that the Control of Noise at Work Regulations are there to protect teachers, while general duties under the Health and Safety at Work Act will safeguard pupils. “If measures are correctly applied according to the regulations, there should be no risk to students’ hearing.” ASSESSING THE RISK

The sheer variety of classrooms in terms of age, dimensions, materials and use can make acoustic assessment seem a daunting task. Not so, says James: “Taking a music classroom as an example, issues such as room size, room acoustics and the spacing of pupils will make similar music sources have a different noise level according to the environment.” Music is a prime example of a class that is guaranteed to involve high noise levels,

and music teachers are recognised as being at risk of sustaining hearing damage. The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) stresses that the length of exposure to noise (dose) is as important as the decibel level. “Risk assessments are performed with a combination of hand-held instruments and personal dosimetry,” says James. “In a music room, you’d assess each instrument or group of instruments and relate level to dose based on typical practice/performance times for students and teachers. However, there is already published information on indicative noise exposures, so a combination of limited measurements, published values and a log of typical exposure times for staff and students should provide the basis for a risk assessment.” TURNING NOISE OFF

Improving classroom acoustics can be a costly business – but not necessarily so. While purpose-built classrooms will involve a significant amount of money, modifications to existing classrooms can be surprisingly straightforward and cost-effective. “Carpets, drapes, acoustic screens, redesign of speaker layouts and amplifier volumes are some of the measures that schools can take,” says James. “Craft departments could make some of the improvements using standard, low-cost noise control materials.” There are also a number of ways that students and teachers can help themselves. “In the music room, noisy and quiet pieces could be mixed, so there isn’t prolonged exposure to high noise levels,” says James. “Musicians’ plugs can be used to reduce noise exposure without cutting out sound, and practice mutes and drummers’ practice pads should be used. Teachers can safeguard themselves by standing offline from directional instruments such as brass, and acoustic screening can be used to separate teachers from students.” Careful monitoring will also help to identify any issues that arise, and resolve them before they cause problems. “Teachers should log their exposure times for a typical week and correlate that with noise dose, with the help of a safety advisor,” said James. A SOUND EDUCATION

Effective prevention of classroom acoustic problems begins, fittingly, in the classroom. From the MP3 players they listen to now, to the working environments they’ll find themselves in as they get older, noise is a key area for the development of hazard awareness in young people. In fact, teachers of several subjects, including music and design technology, have a responsibility to make noise awareness part of their students’ education. “Teachers and students should have noise awareness training,” says James. “Teachers should be aware of the risks presented by long-term exposure to high levels of sound

A WORD IN YOUR EAR With an estimated 50-100 million people listening to portable music players across Europe every day, it’s perhaps unsurprising that many students – and teachers, too – spend long periods every day with an MP3 player or mobile phone plugged into their ears. Many of them could be putting their hearing at risk. Alarmingly, the Sound Advice website says that at half volume, the noise levels inside in-ear headphones for personal devices like MP3 players can reach 94 decibels, with peaks of 110-130 decibels. Even at this volume, just over 45 minutes of listening to an MP3 player could expose users to the maximum levels allowed by law in the workplace. It’s important to include portable devices in educating students about noise risk. WHAC’s noise module helps to make students aware of the damage they could do to their hearing by turning their portable devices up too loud.

and present noise awareness sessions to each new group of students. This advice could include the message that noiseinduced hearing loss is caused by excessive exposure to sound from any source, and the hearing mechanism doesn’t differentiate between pleasant sources such as music and less appealing sounds such as industrial machinery producing the same noise level. “The students should also carry this awareness to out-of-school activities such as performing in bands and the added risks from using personal stereos at high volume.” Noise is just one of the risks covered by IOSH’s Workplace Hazard Awareness Course (WHAC), an accessible and interactive course designed to help teachers prepare their students for the real world. WHAC supports the delivery of an entry-level qualification from the British Safety Council Awards, and it’s free to download for teachers or anyone who delivers free or publicly-funded training – just go to www.wiseup2work.co.uk/whac. FOR MORE INFORMATION IOSH: www.iosh.co.uk Association of Teachers and Lecturers: www.atl.org.uk Control of Noise at Work Regulations 2005: www.hse.gov.uk/noise/regulations.htm Building Bulletin 93: www.bb93.co.uk/pdf/Section1a.pdf Industrial Noise and Vibration Centre: www.invc.co.uk Workplace Hazard Awareness Course: www.wiseup2work.co.uk/whac Sound Advice website: www.soundadvice.info

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Education Business | Volume 14.6

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FIRE SAFETY

CLOSE THE DOOR ON FIRE... NOW! Tom Welland, Fireco’s fire safety manager looks at ways of reducing the risk of fire ACCORDING TO THE LATEST AVAILABLE

estimates made by the Department for Communities and Local Government the average cost of school fires for 2000-04 was £58 million per year. Over this period there was an annual average of approximately 1,300 fires in schools attended by fire and rescue services. This gives a crude estimate of £43,000 per fire-damaged school. Large school fires devastate. Their aftermath lingers for years. The long-term disruption that follows puts staff and pupils under stress and imposes large financial, educational and administrative costs. However, recent research by the Arson Prevention Bureau has found that more than half of all school fires are very small and often the result of poor fire safety practices. Fireco’s Fire Safety Manager Tom Welland says that whilst no school is immune from the risk of fire there are certainly ways you can reduce the chances of it happening and if the worst does occur, you can keep losses to a minimum. Q. Where does responsibility for fire safety rest?

To ensure there is no doubt as to where the responsibility for fire safety rests, and to enable consistency of approach, it is important that each establishment appoints a designated Fire Safety Manager. This should be a senior appointment preferably at head or deputy-head level. However it may be possible to appoint a professional to take on this role but that will depend on the size of the premises, costs, etc. Q. How can I realistically minimise the cost of compliance?

Tom reminds us that… ‘there’s often more than one solution to the complex issue of fire safety, but it is important to remember that the best solution is not necessarily the most complex and expensive. In fact, embedded within the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 (RRFSO) is more than one piece of guidance on a proportionate response to compliance’. Q. What is proportionate response to compliance?

Organisations so often fall into the trap of taking advice that over-prescribes fire safety measures, at prohibitive cost to the business. So it’s important to realise that there is often more than one way to achieve an acceptable level of fire safety in premises. One example is fire doors. These tend to be heavy and cumbersome, so it’s very tempting to wedge them open to help free

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movement around a busy building like a school or college. In the event of a fire, fire doors are designed to stop smoke and flames from rapidly spreading through a building. This illegal practice is highly dangerous that in the event of a fire allow smoke and flames to rapidly spread through a building with the risk of life-threatening injuries. Yet there are simple, recognised and cost-effective solutions such as wireless, fire door release devices designed to help access whilst protecting the building and its occupants against the effects of fire. One example of this is Fireco’s System X

the wireless, legal and cost-effective solution for legally holding open fire doors in any position and releasing them when the fire alarm sounds. System X is a fully fail-safe, compliant fire safety system that can be easily installed, meeting all commissioning criteria, yet still keeping costs to a minimum. FOR MORE INFORMATION For more information contact Fireco on 0845 241 7474 e-mail sales@firecoltd.com or visit www.firecoltd.com

Written by Robert Thilthorpe, technical manager, Fire Industry Association

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FIRE SAFETY

EDUCATION, EDUCATION, EDUCATION, EDUCATION With more than 1,300 UK schools suffering fires large enough to require attendance by the fire and rescue service each year, it is clear that the education environment remains a major challenge for those involved in fire safety

Each year more than 1,300 UK schools suffer fires large enough to require attendance by the fire and rescue service

ESTIMATES SUGGEST THAT MORE THAN half of those fires are non-accidental, with government statistics indicating that as many as one in eight schools nationally suffer some form of arson attack each year. The odds of a school experiencing a fire also make uncomfortable reading – an estimated 1 in 20 – but that is certainly not the whole picture. The government recognises that the fire and rescue service is not called out to every fire, with many being relatively small and causing little damage due to prompt intervention with first aid fire fighting equipment. Prior to the formation of the Fire Industry Association, FETA, the association that represented the fire extinguisher side of the industry, conducted a number of surveys into the use of portable extinguishers, demonstrating just how important extinguishers are in the fight against fire. The most recent survey showed that some 80 per cent of fires are dealt with by a portable fire extinguisher without the need for fire service intervention – these fires go largely unreported. While the FETA study related to the use of extinguishers in general, research by the Arson Prevention Bureau (APB) demonstrates a similar situation in the education sector, with more than half of all school fires being put out by staff or self extinguishing and therefore not being recorded within the official figures. Other stats from the APB help to further clarify the extent of the problem – 20 schools a week suffer an arson attack in the

UK, affecting some 90,000 children a year. Disruption and consequential loss becomes significant when a fire spreads beyond the room of origin. Returning to statistics, some 40-50 of fires in schools are termed serious fires, involving insured building losses in excess of £50,000, with some 20 of these involving losses of more than £250,000. So, having outlined what we face in terms of financial loss, what about the other consequences? Life safety is, of course, an issue, particularly given that some fires are set when pupils are in class (the APB estimates a third of arson attacks occur during normal school hours). But, as with fire in general, the consequential losses can be devastating – in terms of a school this could include many hours of course work, teacher’s aids and childrens’ records, plus there is the psychological impact on pupils which should not be under estimated, particularly in the case of young children. NOT JUST FIRE SAFETY So, having painted the problem faced, what is the solution? The fire and rescue services undoubtedly have a role to play in the process. In 2003, Communities and Local Government (then ODPM) published a report on the findings of a review into ‘The Fire Service working with young people in the community’. Through analysing questionnaires completed by all fire brigades in the UK and additional qualitative research, the report

concluded that 90 per cent of all fire and rescue services now work within schools, providing fire safety and fire prevention education. But, despite these efforts, the incidences of arson in schools continue to rise so what to do to help prevent it? There is no single fix and it is impossible to guarantee that a fire will not occur in a school. However, there are ways in which preventative measures can significantly reduce the risk, as well as means of protecting the building to minimise the impact in the event of an incident. Dealing with prevention first, it is important to appreciate that not only fire prevention, detection and suppression have roles to play. Security is a vital part of the equation. The very nature of a school, with often large numbers of pupils, teachers, support staff and visitors needing access to various areas of a site, means that a ‘lock down’ mentality is not feasible. However, security measures can be put in place that can significantly reduce opportunities for arson. This is usually a combination of physical security, such as perimeter fencing to deter trespass on the site and locks to cupboards containing flammable materials, with electronic systems such as CCTV or access control. A risk assessment will identify the problem areas and the measures can then be implemented accordingly. So how do we protect our schools and what fire protection solutions are there to prevent fires in the first place and to mitigate the impact of a fire? This can be achieved in two steps: firstly in the design of the premises (Building Regulations) and then in their management (Fire Safety Order). In order to get to the answers we want, the questions we should be asking are: 1. What can be done to prevent fires starting 2. If a fire starts a. How do we detect it, provide a warning and effect safe escape? b. How do we restrict the spread of fire and smoke? c. What can be done to suppress/ extinguish the fire? To give full answers to these questions would take a book rather than a short article but I will attempt to give some suggestions as to what will help in getting the right answers. PREVENT FIRES STARTING The simplest answer to this is to remove the sources of fire, but, as pupils, teachers and equipment are essential to schools, we’ll have to settle for minimising them. This is probably

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FIRE SAFETY

easier to manage after construction and when the building is occupied – this is all covered under the risk assessment which has to be done under the Fire Safety Order. Key aspects are control and proper storage of flammable materials, which is particularly important with science labs; arson mitigation as discussed earlier in this article, as well as management of any temporary facilities and on-site work. DETECT & WARN School construction is important in effecting means of escape. Building Regulations Approved Document B and BB 100 both give guidance on what measures to put in place to design schools in a fire safe manner. The design of a school, much like any other building, should take into account life safety, provision of adequate means of escape and then protection of those escape routes via structural protection and active protection measures. The trick here is to get the right balance of measures without getting caught too much in the “trade offs” game, that is “if I do this then I don’t have to do that”.

contained, but how do we know it’s there? People are wonderful fire detectors, but they are not always there to detect the fire and sometimes, even if they do, they don’t always react how you would expect. Some might not be that bothered that the school is on fire, or they know full well as they started it. So automatic fire detection and alarm systems come to the rescue. Systems installed to grade L1 of BS 5839-1 provide the highest level of protection and early warning. Modern fire panels and detectors are extremely reliable and offer a wide range of configuration options to allow you to tailor the system to your particular needs. False alarms or unwanted fire signals are an issue but with proper management of the system they can be reduced to an insignificant level. Simple actions such as putting the right detector in the right place, minimising malicious activations through the use of suitably protected manual call points, use of staff alarms and search times will all significantly reduce the number of unwanted signals. Oh, and don’t forget, if you’ve got an

Sprinklers have been proved to be a valuable tool in protecting schools from fires and in particular those caused by arson. Taking this into account, UK Government policy is that all new build schools, unless deemed low risk, should be sprinkler protected, with various tools available to schools to assist them in coming to the decision of whether to fit sprinklers The decision should always be based on what is the best package of protection measures (passive and active) I can have. Then, of course, in these days of financial constraints, we move to what’s the best I can get within the budget. BB100 identifies the main objectives of fire resistant construction as: • to prevent fire and smoke from spreading into protected routes, i.e., protected corridors and stairways; • to isolate areas where the risk assessment has identified hazardous areas or areas identified as critical to the functioning of the school; • to restrict disproportionate damage to the school as a result of a fire by means of compartmentation, thus limiting the fire to the room of origin. This is all achieved with the right combinations of fire/smoke resisting walls, floors, ceilings and windows. The use of fire resistant ductwork and/or the installation of fire resistant dampers where ductwork passes through fire rated walls will also ensure that any fire is confined to the room of origin. Of course if any breaks in the fire compartments are made subsequent to installation, they should be restored to the same level of protection. So we’ve now built the school to limit the spread of fire and smoke so the fire is

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escape route don’t fill it with barriers, such as lockers, bins, desks, chairs and waste. RESTRICT THE SPREAD OF FIRE I’ve covered a lot of this above when discussing the protection of escape routes. Good fire compartmentation is the key. If you can keep the fire in the room of origin you will limit the spread of smoke and hot gas. Smoke and fire resisting duct work can then take the fire gases and smoke away and out of the building, thus keeping the escape routes free and clear. This is a subject for an article in itself and for people with far greater knowledge of fire resisting construction than mine. Suffice to say, a lot of guidance is available in BB100 and the Education guide to the Fire Safety Order. SUPPRESS & EXTINGUISH FIRE? If you have a fire, the best way to protect the means of escape is, of course, to put it out or at least keep it under control until the Fire and Rescue Service arrives. But, how do you do that? Sprinklers have been proved to be a valuable tool in protecting schools from fires and in particular those caused by arson. Taking this into account, UK Government policy is that all new build schools, unless deemed low risk, should be sprinkler protected, with various

Robert Thrithorpe

tools available to schools to assist them in coming to the decision of whether to fit sprinklers. You can go though the same cost benefit analysis to retrofit a sprinkler system. As I said sprinklers are important but what else can you do? Portable fire extinguishers have an equally long and distinguished track record as sprinklers and the right extinguisher used at the right time by a suitably trained person can extinguish a small fire well before it would be detected by the sprinklers and possibly before the fire alarm system. I must emphasise the type of extinguisher must be matched to the right risk – the competent person employed to install and maintain the extinguishers will be able to assist. Training is vitally important. A portable extinguisher is a costly doorstop. It is also helpful to know that a CO2 extinguisher makes a loud noise when you use it – that way you won’t drop it when it is activated. You also get a good understanding of the size of fire an extinguisher can be successfully used on. I know there are issues with the malicious use of extinguishers. However, the recently published revisions to BS 53063 provide guidance on this. The standard recommends that “where practicable” extinguishers should be placed in recessed housings or cabinets to limit this. If you have a specific risk in a specific area, for example large computer rooms in larger schools, you can consider other suppression systems such as fixed gas extinguishing systems. In kitchens where you have deep fat fryers – no matter what Jamie Oliver says there will still be chips in schools – you can use watermist or small fixed kitchen suppression systems to protect them. A key factor in all the measures mentioned above is the right product for the right use and the best way to ensure that you have the right product is to use Third Party Approved products.

FOR MORE INFORMATION Web: www.fia.uk.com

Visit the website to view the categorised product finder

Is your fire alarm properly maintained? Are you leaving yourself open to a fine or litigation?

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Thameside Fire – the complete fire protection company HAMESIDE FIRE PROTECTION started trading in 1985 and therefore has nearly 25 years of industry experience. We have provided various fire protection services to the education sector and borough councils for many years and pride ourselves on our professional and courteous service. We are able to offer our clients a complete fire protection package, which means they only have to deal with one company rather than a multitude of different companies. Our services include the design, installation and maintenance of sprinkler and fire alarm systems and the supply, installation and maintenance of portable fire appliances. Our consultancy

The introduction of the Regulatory Reform Order (RRO) means Fire certificates are no longer issued by the Fire Brigade. Instead, the onus is on the person responsible for a building’s fire safety to reduce its risk from fire by carrying out a risk assessment and acting upon its findings. Failure to do so could result in a fine or litigation. An effective fire alarm system is key to the fire risk management of any site and the best way to prove your fire alarm is fit for purpose is to use a third-party certificated contractor. Enter Solid State - the first company in the North West of England to be awarded the National Security Inspectorate’s Gold medal for the design, installation, commissioning, handover, verification and maintenance of fire detection and alarm systems.

division also offers tailored fire awareness and fire marshal courses and carry out fire risk assessments on our client’s behalf. We have acquired all appropriate accreditations including LPS 1048, LPS1014 and BAFE ST104 scheme and all engineers are CRB checked to ‘enhanced disclosure’. We are one of the largest independent fire protection companies within the UK which enables us to offer competitive prices. All surveys required are carried out free of charge.

FOR MORE INFORMATION E-mail: enquiries@ thamesidefire.co.uk or call 0800 9754888 for your free surveys/quotations or visit our website on www.thamesidefire.co.uk

For peace of mind, look no further than Solid State.

To find out more call our RRO Action Team now on 01257 463018 or visit www.solidstatesecurity.co.uk

HR Prof – eco-friendly fire retardant for wood S

ALES AT FIRE Retardant UK for its Eco Friendly fire retardant HR Prof have increased dramatically during the last 12 months, due in part to the acceptance of HR Prof by Building Control Officers, and to it being specified on a great many large projects by architects and specifiers throughout the UK, on schools, universities, airports, shopping complexes and many other public and private building projects. HR Prof is a remarkable water based and Eco Friendly product, it is certificated “Euro-Class B-s1-d0” (UK “Class O”) for Spread of Flame on wood and is easily applied by brush, low pressure spray, or roller. Unique and patented HR Prof does not require a protective finishing coat, however if required, it can be over-coated with wood stains, varnishes and paints. It will not wash out from the substrate once dry, it is not

Exova – fire safety consultancy services XOVA WARRINGTONFIRE is one of the leading players in the fire safety industry with over forty years experience, leading many developments in the areas of fire testing and product certification. We also specialise in providing quality fire safety consultancy services ranging from fire safety engineering of new buildings to fire risk assessments of occupied buildings sufficient to comply with the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005. Having a reputation for the highest quality and expertise, Exova Warringtonfire consultants and fire risk assessors have substantial experience of working in the education sector and have recently worked on a number of high profile projects involving innovative fire safety designs for BSF projects. We have also been involved with the development of fire safety procedures including fire safety management plans for a number of schools. All of our risk assessors hold professional fire safety

converted into smoke when exposed to high temperatures, does not leach and carbon char is restricted to the immediate area. Protect your wooden structures from vandals and accidental fires with an eco friendly fire retardant, HR Prof. The ideal protection for all timber projects.

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qualifications and have considerable experience in undertaking the fire risk assessments and working as a team member on, or heading up fire safety engineering projects. They are all members of the Fire Ricks Assessors Certification Scheme (FRACS) which is the only third party certification scheme accredited by the United Kingdom Accreditation Service.

FOR MORE INFORMATION Tel: 01925 655116 Fax: 01925 655419 E-mail: neil.woods@exova.com Web: www.warringtonfire. net/www.exova.com

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S-QUAD: DetectS extrA cUrricUlAr ActivitieS

Gent by Honeywellâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s S-Quad patented dual angle optical sensing technology increases effectiveness of detecting fires while reducing the risk of false alarms.

Flexible programming offered by Gentâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Vigilon system allows switching between sensitivity states by pre-determined time schedules or by managing at your own discretion.

Each S-Quad sensor can be set to a number of different sensitivity states matching the changing environments of the school building throughout the week.

S-Quad integrated voice enhanced sounder provides safe and effective evacuation in an emergency while compatible with class change signals with bell tone.

Offering the most advanced solution for early detection and signalling of fires, S-Quad is a ground breaker in fire sensing expertise. S-Quad incorporates sensor, sounder, speech and strobe functionalities all in a single housing and with Vigilon it is the ideal system to combat the increasing risk of arson and meet the demands of varying environments in school buildings. For peace of mind ensuring that your Vigilon system with S-Quad is operating at peak performance contact one of our Gent Approved System Integrators.

+ [ SENSOR ]

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= [ STROBE ]

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by Honeywell

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FIRE SAFETY

LOOK FOR THE TICK IN FIRE SAFETY Stephen Adams, general manager of BAFE, outlines why independent evaluation and certification is equally important when it comes to fire safety EDUCATION HAS LONG EMBRACED

the principle of independent assessment of procedures and processes. The national curriculum provides the framework within which schools operate, the examination boards ensure that national, independently evaluated and assessed benchmarks are provided for exams while Ofsted provides the means through which educational establishments themselves are inspected and regulated. Fire safety is an important consideration in the construction and ongoing use of any building. In terms of the education sector it has an even higher profile than many general business premises. This is due not only to the emotive factor of providing a safe environment for children but also because of the sheer numbers that need to be protected in many schools, colleges and universities. Add to that the significantly enhanced risk of arson (an estimated 20 schools suffer an arson attack in the UK every week) and it is easy to see why education remains high on the fire safety agenda. FIRE SAFETY ORDER

The world of commerce is currently getting to grips with the concept of the ‘responsible person’, a fundamental aspect of the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order. This legislation, introduced some three years ago, sought to consolidate all existing fire safety legislation for non-domestic premises into a single Order. It replaced the Fire Precautions Act, 1971, meaning that any fire certificate issued under the Act no longer had any relevance. Under the Order, those with the responsibility for premises, (usually the owner, employer or occupier) are required to actively pursue and maintain fire safety and take responsibility for staff and others visiting their premises. The Order applies to virtually all nondomestic premises, including those that provide education in its many forms. The main requirements of the Order are to: • Carry out a fire risk assessment, identifying potential risks and hazards. • Consider who may be especially at risk. • Eliminate or reduce the risk from fire as far as is reasonably practical and provide general fire precautions to deal with any residual risk. • Take additional measures to ensure fire safety where flammable or explosive materials are used or stored. • Create a plan to deal with any emergency and, in most cases, document the findings.

Fire safety is an important consideration in the construction and ongoing use of any building. In terms of the education sector it has an even higher profile than many general business premises • Review the findings as necessary. A series of Guides produced by the government’s Department for Communities and Local Government (CLG) is available to support the Order, including one specifically aimed at Educational Premises. It is for employers, head teachers, governors, vice-chancellors, occupiers and owners of educational premises. ASSESSING & MANAGING RISK

Returning to the Responsible Person (who may be drawn from any one of the above list), they must assess the fire risks in their premises and take steps to eliminate, reduce or otherwise manage those risks. In practical terms that means installing and maintaining fire safety systems and equipment. The responsible person is probably not an expert on fire safety or any of its technical aspects but nevertheless is ultimately legally responsible for any failure or inadequacy in any fire safety system installed in their premises.

Fire detection and alarm systems are often complex installations, particularly on large sites and campuses, which may involve the protection of a number of separate buildings. They will typically include smoke alarms and heat detectors, sounders, voice alarms and manual call points, all of which should be third party certified. This means that an assessment has been carried out by an independent, third party organisation that is qualified and licensed to issue certificates to ensure compliance with the relevant standards. Likewise, though not as complex, fire extinguishers should also be third party certified to ensure that they are safe to use. That deals with the product side of things but it is equally important that those employed to install and maintain such products and systems are competent to do so. To draw on a school analogy – the lesson plan may well be perfect but if the teacher that is giving the lesson is not the right person to teach, then

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FIRE SAFETY

the value of that plan is significantly compromised. Implementation is key. From 1 September 2008 the Chief Fire Officers Association (CFOA) introduced new guidelines that recommend to its members that all those involved in the design, installation, commissioning and maintenance of fire detection and alarm systems are members of third party certification bodies who are UKAS (United Kngdom Accreditation Service) compliant. The guidance to the Fire Safety Order for Educational Premises already alluded to also says that where contractors are used, for alarm systems or fire extinguishers, third party certification is one method of achieving a reasonable assurance of quality of work and competence, and a means of demonstrating that the responsible person has complied with the law. This includes the design, installation and maintenance of any systems. The consequences of failing to meet the requirements of the Fire Safety Order can be serious, with court cases relating to breaches of the Order becoming increasingly frequent. With such legal responsibilities, in

addition to their general duty of care, the responsible person who uses contractors to install or maintain their fire safety systems, needs to know that she or he is getting the right advice, the right fire safety systems and the right service and maintenance. CERTIFIED COMPETENCE

BAFE is the non-profit making independent 3rd party approvals organisation that ensures quality for the fire protection industry across a range of schemes. Celebrating its 25th anniversary in 2009, BAFE is supported by government and agencies, certification bodies and trade associations and its great strengths are the inclusive national membership and its level of independence. This independence was further strengthened in April of this year when BAFE officially started operating from its new offices on the campus of the Fire Services College in Moreton-in-Marsh. I was appointed as the new general manager for BAFE, along with a new management team. We operate a number of schemes, either our own or adopted from other bodies, from the servicing of portable fire extinguishers through to a modular scheme for fire detection and alarm systems.

The latest development is a new scheme for companies operating in the design, installation, commissioning and maintenance of emergency lighting systems. All of the schemes are designed to demonstrate the competence of the companies registered to BAFE, providing those who employ fire safety systems and equipment with the knowledge and peace of mind that they are carrying our their duty of care under the Fire Safety Order. FOR MORE INFORMATION For more information and to find a complete list of BAFE approved companies, please visit www.bafe.org. uk or contact BAFE on info@bafe.org.uk

Wedging open fire doors is illegal and dangerous. Donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t be held reponsible! System X is your wireless, legal and cost-effective solution for legally holding open fire doors in any position and releasing them when the fire alarm sounds. 0845 241 7474 sales@firecoltd.com www.firecoltd.com

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DEFENSOR ‘INSPIRES’ FUTURE SCHOOLS FIRE DETECTION Fire and security specialists Defensor have been awarded a £250,000 contract to supply and install Gent by Honeywell’s innovative fire detection system in three Nottingham schools NOTTINGHAM HAS SEEN THE start of a program which will result in over ten 21st century learning centres that will improve or replace the city’s existing schools over a six year period. The first phase, valued at up to £90 million was awarded to inspiredspaces under the Building Schools for the Future programme and will see the rebuild of eight secondary schools by 2012. The schools will deliver a learning environment that meets the demands of a 21st century education, offering better accessibility for pupils with disabilities, flexible working environments and natural ventilation. Fire and security specialist Defensor, part of Gent’s network of approved system integrators (SIs), was awarded the £250,000 contract to supply and install the fire detection and alarm and the Public address systems in the first three projects at Hadden Park, Oakfield and Bigwood Schools. All of these projects are under way and the Oakfield project is due to complete in November this year. Initial phases of the two other schools are finished and are due to be fully completed by mid 2010. ADVANCED DETECTION TECHNOLOGY Defensor designed a common system template using Gent by Honeywell’s Vigilon System along with Vigilon Compact Voice (VCV), and this has been replicated in each of the three schools. Vigilon Compact provides the advanced detection technology which is ideal for the school application and its integration with Vigilon Compact Voice delivers a very efficient solution to Public Address. The projects will involve the installation of over 500 S-Quad sensors in multi-panel networks an architecture that suits the modern layout of schools with a number of individual buildings. Gent’s Vigilon Compact Voice System is an industry first integrating fire detection, voice alarm and public address in one offering. This innovation combines the powerful analogue addressable fire detection of S-Quad with the very latest voice alarm and public address technology delivering efficiencies in installation and maintenance. The VCV system was selected by Defensor for its public address capabilities and it proved competitive when compared to the alternative of providing separate systems for both applications. Since its selection, the additional need to provide a class change signal throughout the school was easily solved without the need to change the design. The standard voice alarm functionality of Compact Voice includes a pre-recorded class change message as standard. This allows a

synchronised notification to the whole school with a message that is clearly understood and avoiding confusion with any other signals. It is hoped that in future phases of the program the Vigilon Compact Voice will be managing the Evacuation with Voice Alarm as well as the PA. REDUCTION IN FALSE ALARMS Defensor’s project manager, Alistair Ogden, said: “inspiredspaces needed a fire alarm system that offered reliable fire detection and that offered effective control and reduction of false alarms as well as a site wide Public Address system. The Vigilon system’s sensing technology and flexibility in configuration means it is an ideal system for public buildings like schools. Combined with it PA functionality keeping students and staff safe and informed is simply achieved.” Alistair said: “The schools also needed a fire alarm system sensitive to the different activities in the school environment as well as reducing the risk of false alarms interrupting lessons. The advanced technology of the S-Quad sensors delivers early detection and signalling of fires. The flexibility of the system means that the sensors can be individually programmed to different levels of sensitivity to suit the potential risks of a particular location, and this can be set permanently or changed according to use of an area at different times of the day. “The combination of the sensing technology and the intelligence in the Vigilon Compact Voice control panel means that the system offers a superior level of false alarm

management whilst providing fast, accurate means of detecting a real fire.” The Vigilon Compact and Compact Voice control panels have a simple user interface with LCD screen providing accurate and simple information in an emergency. Every loop device has a unique address assigned to the software which allows fires to be located quickly and assists in troubleshooting when servicing and maintaining the system. Inspiredspaces had a further need in addition to meeting the requirements of BS5839 part 1 for fire detection and alarm. Compliance with the Disability Discrimination Act Part III was necessary. Visual indication of alarm using the integrated strobe functionality within S-Quad means that this requirement was easily met. The Building Schools for the Future (BSF) programme is a major government initiative aimed at rebuilding and renewing school facilities so that every secondary school in England has 21st century facilities. This transformation programme is aimed at improving every aspect of teaching and learning, as well as providing integrated services to families and pupils so they can take full advantage of the educational opportunities on offer. Defensor is a Gent Approved System Integrator, one of over 60 independent fire specialists around the UK and Ireland that work as part of the Gent 24 Approved Network.

FOR MORE INFORMATION E-mail: gentenquiry@honeywell.com Web: www.gent.co.uk

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Top of the class for PWP – the specialists in the design and installation of fire systems in schools

TUDENTS AT NORTH Leamington School (NLS) have started the new term in style thanks to a £30 million investment. The new single site development has brought together North Leamington Community School and Arts College which were previously on two separate sites. The university type campus boasts three faculty blocks, a sports centre and a main building hub. With the school’s capacity at 1,500 and five buildings across the complex an extensive and networked fire alarm safety system was required, provided by PWP Building Services Ltd specialist division PWP Fire & Security. PWP, part of Gent’s network of Approved System Integrators (SIs), won the contract to provide and install a complete suite of mechanical, electrical and specialist services which included a reliable and capable fire alarm system for the entire North Leamington School campus. They completed the installation in time for the college’s September opening. Five Vigilon control panels are networked throughout the buildings with over 600 Gent innovative multi-functional S-Quad Sensors and S-Cubed Sounders. The advanced technology of the S-Quad Sensors make them capable of early detection and signalling of fires and the

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advanced technology allows the level of sensitivity to be set automatically according to the time of day or to suit potential risks of a particular education facility. Gavin Clarke, Senior Project Engineer at PWP, said: “North Leamington School required an intelligent and extensive fire alarm system that not only provided fire safety but phased evacuation between blocks, an alarm for class changes and reduced the risk of false alarms in sensitive areas, such as the kitchens and science laboratories. “The Gent Vigilon system meets these needs due to its flexibility and intelligent sensing technology as well as being reliable,

cost-effective and simple to install.” With varying activities taking place throughout the blocks, such as chemistry and technology, the S-Quad can be programmed to ensure that the type of detection in the sensor best meets the environment in which it is operating. The loop powered sounders and strobes save on cabling and costs whilst ensuring compliance with the Disability Discrimination Act 1995. The combination of the sensing technology and the intelligence in the Vigilon control panel means the system offers a superior level of false alarm management whilst providing fast, accurate means of detecting a real fire. PWP Fire & Security division are an independent fire specialist within UK and Ireland who work as part of the Gent 24 Approved Network. PWP Fire & Security division have successfully designed, installed and maintain intelligent Gent fire alarm systems in many other educational facilities throughout the UK, including Avon Valley School – Rugby, Queen Elizabeth’s Grammar School – Ashbourne, Mill Hill School – Ripley, The Dronfield School & Clowne College.

FOR MORE INFORMATION Tel: 0115 964 7781 Fax: 0115 964 7787 Web: www.pwp-ltd.co.uk

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Education Business | Volume 14.6

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FIRE SAFETY

NEVER COMPROMISE ON FIRE DOORS IN SCHOOLS The BWF-CERTIFIRE Fire Door and Doorset Scheme is working hard to eliminate all dangerous practices associated with fire doors, particularly in schools, says Richard Lambert, chief executive of the British Woodworking Federation, which administers the Scheme THE BWF-CERTIFIRE FIRE DOOR AND Doorset Scheme has been consistently promoting the importance of specifying, installing and maintaining third party certificated and approved fire doors and doorsets for many years. But, in the current economic climate, the temptation is for contractors, installers and specifiers to reduce costs, often by installing non-certified or non-compliant fire doors. A SAFETY DEVICE Fire doors are the unsung heroes of fire safety because for most of their working lives they work just like any other door. However, if a fire breaks out, a fire door must fulfill its role as an engineered safety device, with all its components working together in order to hold back the spread of fire and

known, often with devastating results. The British Woodworking Federation (BWF) stresses that if everyone involved in the specification, purchase, installation and inspection process recognised the potential consequences of their choices and actions, every fire door would do its job in protecting property and human life. We also believe that third party certification, involving independent testing, certification and auditing, should be the minimum standard demanded for fire doors in every building. EVERYONE’S RESPONSIBLE We call it the Circle of Responsibility – a neat way of describing everyone’s responsibility for specifying, installing and maintaining fire doors. Without a definitive specification

There are few places where fire safety is as important as in our schools. The thought of a fire taking hold during a school day does not bear thinking about, and without the specification, correct installation and proper maintenance of certificated fire doors, the potential consequences of any fire could be catastrophic smoke and to save lives and property. There are few places where fire safety is as important as in our schools. The thought of a fire taking hold during a school day does not bear thinking about, and without the specification, correct installation and proper maintenance of certificated fire doors, the potential consequences of any fire could be catastrophic. However, research undertaken by the BWF-CERTIFIRE Fire Door & Doorset Scheme has identified a surprising lack of awareness and understanding of fire doors and how they work, even amongst those who have dealt with and checked them for many years. Worryingly, those responsible for specifying, buying, installing, inspecting and maintaining fire doors are not always aware that if the wrong components are used, the door cannot be relied upon to fulfill its performance requirement in the event of a fire. This lack of understanding can lead to compromise and cost cutting. And unfortunately, it is only when a fire breaks out that the potentially lethal consequences of this will really be

or recommendation right at the start, cost considerations, ignorance and quick fix solutions could override safety when it comes to decisions about fire doors. All points in the Circle are crucial, but the role of the specifier is perhaps the most critical in the life and performance of a fire door. While cost will always be a consideration, for a specifier, safety should always come first, particularly in a school environment. At this point the specifier should insist upon third party certificated fire doors using the correct and compatible components to prevent decisions which might be based on cost, rather than safety, from being taken further down the line. With a wide range of third party certificated designs at competitive prices there is really no good reason not to set the standard by specifying a third party certificated product at this allimportant point in the decision-making process. Where a clear and uncompromising decision is not made at the specification stage, then often the wrong decision will be taken further down the line by contractors, held to a price for the

BWF-CERTIFIRE Certification is the cornerstone of the BWF-CERTIFIRE Fire Door and Doorset Scheme, which was established by the fire door manufacturing industry itself. Our certification partner, CERTIFIRE, is the product certification arm of Exova Warringtonfire. It audits, tests and verifies a fire door design, performance, manufacturing processes and associate procedures, quality assurance and the audit trail from manufacture to installation and identification marking. job, inevitably looking for ways to reduce costs for their client. And if there is one area where cost cutting could have serious consequences, it is in the choice and purchase of fire doors. A lack of commitment to safety, cost reductions or even ignorance of the available options all play their part in the ‘Circle of Responsibility’, with fire officers all too often having to deal with the aftermath of a fire that could have devastating consequences – something which will no doubt strike fear into the hearts of parents across the country, whose children’s safety is largely in the hands of their schools. EDUCATION, EDUCATION, EDUCATION By specifying a third party certificated fire door right from the start, all the key players can have confidence that the door will work in the event of a fire. For the BWF, this is an education process, and we are working with specifiers, architects, builders and builders’ merchants to increase understanding about specification, supply, installation and maintenance. The BWF-CERTIFIRE Fire Door & Doorset Scheme provides various resources that are downloadable from its website. Streamed onto the website is a film which highlights the role of fire doors and the consequence of installing substandard fire doors is a fire breaks out. The film also highlights the responsibilities which need to be undertaken by all those involved in the specification, installation and use of fire doors.

FOR MORE INFORMATION Tel: 0844 209 2610 E-mail: firedoors@bwf.org.uk Web: www.bwf.org.uk/firedoors

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Written by Perpetuity Group

SECURITY

TAKING CRIME SERIOUSLY How can schools improve their existing security measures? IN THE APRIL ISSUE OF EDUCATION Business we discussed some of the emerging issues that impact on crime and schools. Given that crime is likely to remain at the forefront of public – and head teacher – concern we have been asked to re-iterate some points from last time and take the opportunity to make some additional points. First, a little about us. Perpetuity is a research and consultancy company specialising in security, community safety and crime, working at the forefront of identifying and understanding the problems facing education providers. As a company we are unique; a spin out from the University of Leicester with feet in two camps; education and business. But our specialism is the prevention of crime. Although many predict that crime is

making the offence less attractive. Shop thieves, contrary to popular belief, are not deterred by cameras, and rarely caught with images that are good enough to prosecute them. GANGS We have been examining the scale, nature, and seriousness of gang issues in and around urban schools. The good news is that there is no widespread problem of gangs in schools in urban areas; but that does not mean to say that there are not problems, and some schools in some communities suffer significant problems. A number of initial recommendations have been made: • There is a need for greater awareness of the problems gangs pose and the best types of remedies for tackling different

Research has found that many schools do not have a good understanding of the prevalence and nature of crime and disorder within their schools. Without this it is impossible to target security measures effectively going to increase, there are few experts predicting that the large scale and fairly consistent decreases we have witnessed across the developed world will continue. Educational institutions can benefit from the general advice offered to everyone; that it is good to be advanced in one’s approach to crime prevention. And being advanced does not just mean having something in place, it means having the right things, properly managed and regularly reviewed, and that is easier said than done. First though in this paper we would like to just summarise some key findings from recent research that either directly or indirectly impact on schools. SHOP THEFT Some retailers object to the word ‘shoplifting’ because it understates the offence, it is theft after all and should be called that they argue. We have been working with former shoplifters to understand their motivations and techniques. What is striking is that they find it easy, lucrative and, the younger ones in particular, say it is fun. Shop theft is often the introduction to a criminal career and there is every reason to take it seriously. We cannot do justice to the range of findings here, but we will do in later issues, but key is that, retailers, schools and police amongst others have a role to play in

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types of problems. As is so often the case in security matters, schools need to be given confidence that it is acceptable, indeed desirable, to admit to problems. • There are a range of existing policies and practice that schools can make use of. For example, school policies designed to address poor behaviour, bullying, discrimination, and promote community cohesion can help to prevent any escalation of emerging or developing problems with gangs. • Pupil education is key. Young people need to be shown that being part of a gang is not glamorous; some schools take pupils into prison to demonstrate the realities of serving a prison sentence. Others have invited well prepared ex offenders to talk to pupils and staff to generate real insights and facilitate informed discussion. • Overall, dealing with gangs is a multi agency responsibility, schools should not be left to tackle this alone, it is neither fair nor practical. Currently we are exploring the value of current interventions in and around schools to prevent and tackle gangs. From this it will be possible to develop an interactive toolkit for schools incorporating an information bank of effective practice1. THE PHYSICAL ENVIRONMENT In 2005 the Steer report recognised that

‘the surroundings in which we work and learn have a major impact on our behaviour’2. A new report by Perpetuity, One More Broken Window: The Impact of the Physical Environment on Schools, provided further confirmation that schools are affected by their immediate physical environment. Using a case study approach we explored three schools with a physical blight near to the school, such as a disused funfair, substandard housing and a footpath dissecting the school grounds3. Pupils and teachers agreed that problems outside the school grounds had the potential to negatively impact upon pupil behaviour, truancy and staff morale (indeed, research we were involved in several years ago confirmed that many problems on school grounds were caused by outsiders, including former pupils and others who should not have been on the school premises). One remedy, and there are many, is to become more engaged with the local community, for example, by sitting on local regeneration committees, or becoming part of local community projects such as clearing graffiti. In a slightly different way, inviting a neighbourhood warden to an assembly can identify links that can be helpful. Violent crime, fraud, forgery, burglary, robbery, theft, and arson have all been linked to recession and unemployment4.

Education Business | Volume 14.6

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SECURITY

Safety and security can play an important role in parents and students decisions about which educational establishment to attend. The accreditation provides a range of benefits, not least demonstrating to prospective students and parents that security is taken seriously. Indeed the Secured Environments accreditation has received excellent feedback from those that have been through the process, as the head of accommodation and hospitality services at the University of Bath commented: “Leading up to the assessment was a very good journey to be able to review how well we are doing and to improve our processes to reinforce the message to the university community about the importance of providing a secure campus and everyone’s role in this.” Footnotes: 1. Sponsored by the NASUWT 2. Steer, A. (2005) Learning Behaviour: The Report of the Practitioners Group on School Behaviour and Discipline. 3. Sponsored by the NASUWT 4. Cook, P. and Zarkin, G. (1985) Crime and the Business Cycle in Journal of Legal Studies, vol XIV January 1985; Neustrom, M. and Norton, W. (1995) Economic Dislocation and Property Crime in Journal of Criminal Justice, Vol 23, No1, pp29 - 39

FOR MORE INFORMATION Visit: www.securedenvironments.com or e-mail securedenvironments@perpetuitygroup.com For a copy of any of the reports mentioned in this article please go to http://www.perpetuityresearch.com/publications.html

Therefore, in the current climate leaders need to do all they can to improve existing security measures. Here are just two ways that education providers can improve their existing security measures: Understanding the problem: Research, including some we have conducted, has found that many schools do not have a good understanding of the prevalence and nature of crime and disorder within their schools. Without this it is impossible to target security measures effectively. To respond, with the support of the NASUWT, we are developing an Incident Monitoring and Assessment Tool (IMAT), a unique web hosted tool for schools to systematically collect, store and interpret data on crime and anti social behaviour. IMAT aims to provide schools with a tool to: • Evaluate and monitor trends in incidents over time • Identify the type and scale of risks • Assess the efficiency of security measures currently in operation • Benchmark performance against other schools • Enhance compliance with national Health and Safety requirements • Successfully and meaningfully present school safety and security data within winning marketing materials • Provide practical guidance and good practice on low cost/ no costs solutions to tackle crime and disorder delivered via IMAT’s home page and monthly newsletter, as well as access to an ongoing help and enquiry service via phone/email. A Security Framework and Police Accreditation: ‘Secured Environments’ is a police accreditation which has been developed by Perpetuity in conjunction with the Association of Chief Police Officers Crime Prevention Initiatives (ACPO CPI). It provides organisations with a best practice framework on which to develop, or gauge their existing, security management systems. There is access to expert support and advice throughout. A number of schools and universities are working towards the three year accreditation and several have already been accredited.

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Keeping the peace by being in the middle HAPPENED W HATEVER to the ‘quiet word’ as a means of sorting out staff disputes? In increasingly litigious times, employees have become all too inclined to resort to formal measures, including legal action, when they have concerns about a colleague’s behaviour. Mediation offers an alternative. By enlisting the expert help of an impartial mediator, around 80 per cent of workplace disputes can now be nipped in the bud, and need not proceed beyond a private, structured, and voluntary mediation session. UK Mediation is the UK’s foremost provider of mediation and mediation training. Working principally with universities and colleges, local authorities and NHS Trusts, the organisation is now in its 11th year and continues to go from strength to strength. More and more organisations are realising that the early and informal resolution of workplace disputes can dramatically reduce

Keypoint – for all your training requirements

EYPOINT IS A SECURITY/ training consultancy based in the North West that provides services across the UK, Ireland and Europe to a variety of clients. Whether you and your staff are at risk from violence and aggression in the workplace or need first aid training, we have a variety of services that can be tailored to meet your needs. Environmental Health, to develop the number of grievances and We aim to provide all our clients staff and build confidence. Courses harassment & discrimination with professional, credible and available are: health & safety in claims. Working relationships realistic solutions, and our training the workplace; manual handling; that have taken years to build up days are fun, interactive and stress awareness; COSHH; risk can be maintained and restored enjoyable. First aid courses include assessments; conflict resolution by offering mediation at all Emergency First Aid at Work (one and personal safety; violent levels within the organisation. day) and First Aid at Work (three crime/armed crime awareness. The company can provide days), approved by the Health & If you feel that you and your mediators for one-off cases, or can Safety Executive and delivered in organisation could benefit train a body of internal workplace accordance with the Approved from our services, then Education Magazine Oct 2009:. mediators. In education,Business you Code of Practice L74. These 21/10/2009 please14:18 call us to Page discuss1your courses meet the new October particular requirements. expect the best. As the mediation 1st 2009 guidelines. We also specialists, we provide it. FOR MORE INFORMATION provide Paediatric and Early Years FOR MORE INFORMATION First Aid (OFSTED recognised) Tel: 01204 306611 or and Basic Life Support courses. 07930 631 340 Tel: 01773 822222 We offer a variety of Certificated Fax: 07092 868610 Fax: 01773 827155 Health & Safety Courses accredited E-mail: info@keypointsecurity.com E-mail: admin@ukmediation.net by the Chartered Institute of Web: www.keypointsecurity.co.uk Web: www.ukmediation.net

In workplace disputes…

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Written by Deborah Dugdall, director, Institute of Conflict Management

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CONFLICT MANAGEMENT

LESSENING THE IMPACT OF BULLYING The long-term impact of bullying of pupils and teachers is hard to measure with accuracy as it is impossible to record and analyse every incident MANY PUPILS AND TEACHERS WHO face bullying don’t mention anything to those in authority and consequently suffer in silence. Within the educational setting the opportunities for bullying are many and complex, such as cyber bullying through social networking sites and e-mails; mobile phone bullying through text messaging, malicious calls and misuse of the camera; on the route travelled by pupils and teachers to and from school; pupil to pupil; gang to pupil; pupil to teacher; teacher to teacher; gang to teacher; teacher to pupil; and parent to teacher. CASE STUDY 1 Davros works in a community college in a country town. One November afternoon around 4.30pm he left the pile of marking in his classroom to go to the staffroom and collect a cup of tea before carrying on with his work. As he went outside his room a parent of one of his pupils stepped out of the shadows, caught hold of Davros’ jacket front and pushed him against the wall, pressing against his chest and upwards towards his chin until his head was pinned against the wall. The parent, face right in front, shouted aggressive abuse to Davros, threatening him and his family. This had come about because Davros had given an after school detention to the man’s son for repeatedly failing to complete his GCSE homework, and for abuse and aggression towards Davros when challenged. Davros had used the detention time to work with the pupil and to give him further teaching input. This incident went unreported and came to light during a counselling session two years later when Davros was on a six week period of sick leave caused by occupational stress. Davros had felt unable to share his experience with staff or managers as he felt it showed him as being a weak person and he feared being judged. CASE STUDY 2 Heidi was excluded from school for the third time – she punched a girl who had spoken abusively about her mum. Heidi is prone to frequent angry and aggressive outbursts and admits she has a ‘very short fuse’. Throughout her school life, she has been correctly told that her behaviour is unacceptable, but the message that Heidi has understood is that she is a bad person. When Heidi developed panic attacks, she was sent for counselling where it was discovered that she is chronically depressed, self-harms,

Behaviour is best changed for the better by incorporating as many people who are involved in that behaviour as possible into the process of finding solutions. It is the combination of process and outcomes that ensure that results are long lasting and effective THE BUSINESS MAGAZINE FOR EDUCATION

Education Business | Volume 14.6

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CONFLICT MANAGEMENT

is bulimic and has attempted suicide three times. As Heidi began to trust her counsellor, she disclosed that she was sexually abused as a child, that she had experienced years of domestic violence between her father, mother and an uncle and that a year ago, whilst under the influence of alcohol and drugs, she was raped and had a subsequent abortion. WHAT HELP IS THERE? An organisation providing rehabilitative and counselling services to young people aged between 14 and 19 asked clients the question “Can you say whether bullying affected you in any way in your secondary school(s)?” Those who answered in the affirmative were asked the follow-up question “Who did you go to for help and what happened next?” Most people stated that they had felt that they might be targeted more and fare worse if they asked for help. Some had asked for help but there had been no effective improvements. The Government SEAL initiative, which targets Social and Emotional Aspects of Learning and is delivered through PSHE, circle time and school asssemblies is a vehicle through which bullying can be addressed. Core to the programme is an emphasis on people’s emotional needs and the ability of individuals to de-centre and look at situations from a range of different viewpoints. This programme has worked well within primary education where children have a less complex staff/pupil structure, where there is a more straightforward movement between lessons and a different classroom management structure. Within the primary setting staff have more opportunity to get to know children at a deeper level and are consequently better equipped to differentiate both classroom management and learning to meet the needs of the individual more effectively. However, this type of programme alone is insufficient as there is haemorrhaging from several areas to include families and the social structure. THREE LEVELS OF INTERVENTION The Institute of Conflict Management describes three levels of intervention designed to lessen and manage conflict, including bullying. Management: An immediate response with a short-term solution to address and minimise risk from potentially dangerous or escalating situations. Management does not purport to take any responsibility for the long term care, education, treatment or justice for the perpetrators of that conflict or bullying situation. Resolution: Focusing on the development of skills that can be used to enable people who are in active or potential conflict with each other to find workable solutions that allow for compromise and some mutual benefits. Examples are bullying interventions, mediation, negotiation, policy making, corrective education and criminal justice issues, and strategy. Transformation: This is designed to change conceptions, together with educating and

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facilitating appropriate responses and responsible thought processes. The concept of transformation is one of complete change; it is a paradigm shift that moves away from chaos, conflict, bullying and runaway emotions towards the enablement and facilitation of • taking responsibility for oneself • determination to gain self-control • rational thought • emotional control • solution-focused thoughts, words and actions • working collaboratively with others. Nurture, education and, pivotally, the involvement of family groups are at the forefront of achieving responses of this type. Popular culture and media also play a great part in influencing outcomes. CROSS-DICIPLINE APPROACH Society has customarily tackled management and resolution, but the concept of transformation from root level remains largely unaddressed. The Institute recognises the need for far-reaching social change. Currently, funding for health, education and social interventions come from separate streams. Government is now encouraging cross-agency working and this is commendable, but there is a way to go before there is complete trust and understanding between disciplines. What is currently largely carried out in schools, requires an integrated approach to training and funding through education, health, justice and social welfare would facilitate sustainable long term solutions. This requires a foundational change at government level, to be able to facilitate a cross-agency needs-led approach. Behaviour is best changed for the better by incorporating as many people who are involved in that behaviour as possible into the process of finding solutions. It is the combination of process and outcomes that ensure that results are long lasting and effective. Many children and young people know what they should be saying and doing, but the reality is that they do not have the inner resources to fulfil good behavioural ideals in their lives.

CAUSES AND EFFECTS EXTERNAL ISSUES • Circumstantial • Environmental • Demographic • Occupational • Financial • Education • Care • Trauma • Change PERSONAL ISSUES • Physical, emotional and mental health • Substance abuse • Relationships • Behaviour • Personality • Learning styles and learning acquisition • Motivation, life vision & expectations • Achievements • Qualifications and employment skills • Stress management • Leisure and pleasure • Core beliefs • Critical incidents • Life and change management Bullying is exerting power through intimidation – a rule of fear. The harshest type of bullying results from those whose desire is to harm and who actually enjoy the process of harm. Bearing in mind that for any behaviour there is a reason, we cannot progress as a nation until we help individuals to overcome the barriers in their lives and to work holistically with families. The Institute of Conflict Management believes that there is a way. We are currently working on an All Party Parliamentary Group for the Management of Work Related Violence and Bullying with the aim of working with government to look at sustainable solutions. On a personal level we can all do our part towards changing cultures.

FOR MORE INFORMATION Web: www.conflictmanagement.org

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JDS Training Ltd – specialist training

Get the skills to deal with workplace conflict

DS TRAINING LTD IS a training company that has provided down to earth, realistic, enjoyable and affordable training to various NHS trusts, PCT’s, nursing/ recruitment agencies, social care companies, registered charities, primary and secondary schools, security companies, retail and leisure industry plus licensed and food retail establishments for many years. The training team have been delivering specialist sector specific training for over 23 years. JDS Training Ltd can provide training in: • Level 2, (1884) Conflict Management • One day Emergency First Aid at Work, Three day First Aid at Work, Paediatric First Aid, AED (Defib), Oxygen Therapy and Airway Management, plus Medical Gases.

S THE UK AND European specialist provider of conflict risk management and personal safety training coupled with our national award winning cultural awareness and diversity aspects we only provide very high standards utilising the latest proven techniques including NLP, Neuro-Associative Learning and Quantum Thinking. We also deliver courses consistent with NHS Promoting Safe Services standards and offer a range of BTEC Level 2 Intermediate awards in Conflict Resolution & Breakaway and Physical Restraint Practice (Care & Control), a Nationally Recognised Level 2 vocationally specific qualification. Training has also been designed for NHS staff, including care, security, education/teaching and social services staff. This training is for realistically safeguarding all levels of customer facing staff, who encounter the potential for verbal abuse and violence in the workplace by empowering staff with the latest legislative

• Moving and Handling of People and Loads. • Level 2, Foundation in Food Hygiene. • Level 2, in Health & Safety • All care induction training to meet CQC, HSE, NHS and PASA requirements. • Level 2, Physical Intervention and Disengagement Techniques, Control and Restraint. (MAYBO, NHS, BILD and Skills for Security Approved) • Bespoke training courses tailored to meet your requirements.

FOR MORE INFORMATION E-mail: daveash@ jdstraining.co.uk or info@jdstraining.co.uk Web: www.jdstraining.co.uk Mobile: 07788 594110 (Dave Ash) or Lo-Call: 0845 643 4842

knowledge and confidence in the skills to assess the risk of conflict and violence at the workplace and if necessary, in serious circumstances reducing injuries by justified and confident application of intervention skills and techniques.

FOR MORE INFORMATION Tel: 07743 417 180 E-mail: info@nofearltd.com Web: www.nofearltd.com

Prevent and manage challenging behaviour

Professional training services from Parkhill

ECURICARE HAS been at the forefront of training in the prevention and management of challenging, aggressive and violent behaviour since the early 90s. The training is accredited and can be externally certificated. SecuriCare is an Institute of Conflict Management Quality Award Centre ICMQAC. The training covers the following core learning objectives and meets the requirements of the NHS National Conflict Resolution Training Programme: Describe the common causes of conflict; Describe different forms of communication; Give examples of communication breakdown; Explain three examples of communication models that can assist in conflict resolution; Describe patterns of behaviour they may encounter during different interactions; Explain the different warning and danger signs; Give examples of impact factors; Describe the

INCE 1992, Parkhill has seen dynamic growth and developed an all-encompassing range of services led by customer needs. From our origins as an internal audit provider, we now support clients in areas as diverse as counter fraud, security management, recruitment, digital forensics and since 2006, training. Parkhill’s Professional Training Services provide tailored and refresher courses specialising in personal safety skills, health and safety, equality and diversity and risk management. Our training is delivered to an exceptional standard by our accredited and experienced staff. Delegates benefit from interactive teaching methods to optimise their learning and enjoyment and will receive detailed course materials and a certificate of attendance upon completion of their course. Some of the popular courses within our portfolio include: • Conflict resolution • Control and restraint (BTEC Level 2)

use of distance when dealing with conflict; Explain the use of “reasonable force” as it applies to conflict resolution; and Describe different methods of dealing with possible conflict situations. The training also includes; disengagement skills; and physical intervention/restraint skills where necessary and is part of the organisations policy and staff guidelines. Train the Trainer packages are available for in-house training personnel and can including NVQ Level 3 Direct Training & Support (QTLS).

FOR MORE INFORMATION For more information please visit www.securicare.com

• Breakaway techniques (BTEC Level 2) • Manual handling • Fire awareness • Root cause analysis Parkhill’s many training clients include NHS and healthcare organisations, schools, retailers, local authorities and housing associations. Please contact us today to discuss how our courses can develop and safeguard your workforce.

FOR MORE INFORMATION Contact Stephen Lamley on 0208 869 7456, e-mail: stephen.lamely@parkhill. org.uk or visit our website www.parkhill.org.uk

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STAFF TRAINING

THE RIGHT APPROACH TO WELLNESS How well are teachers and all people working in schools? We take a look at wellness management in Kent County Council schools WHAT CAN YOU DO TO ENGAGE EACH person in personal wellness? How can you personalise wellness developmental suggestions to an individual? What is impacting on the wellness of people in schools positively and negatively from people management and school management points of view? Kent County Council Schools recognised some years ago that enabling head teachers; central county support functions; trade unions and other stakeholders to have answers to these questions would be of great benefit to all of these stakeholders as well as, of course, for all the people

wellness service had to be provide high value for the time being devoted to it • Cost effective and flexible – with 600 schools in Kent an approach was needed which didn’t rely on external providers but could be delivered by trained LEA staff • Provide management information to individual schools as well as across schools in a way that could be used flexibly to look at many different types of issues: recruitment; retention; ways/hours of working; succession planning; engagement levels etc. Three years ago, Kent Schools chose, having tried another approach for some

This qualification has been recently nationally recognised as a vocational qualification and Kent Schools will be some of the first people to gain this new qualification employed in schools. Given, well people have the ability to sustain high performance as well as enjoy life even more, the overall school performance, like in all other types of organisations, would be improved by investing proactively and positively in wellness. PHYSICAL & MENTAL WELLNESS In schools there are additional advantages, as well people are not only great brand ambassadors for the school but are also powerful role models for children in terms of wellness. The UK has recognised for a good number of years that children need to understand the benefits of being physically and mentally well and be encouraged in many ways to adopt well habits in terms of exercise; diet; getting outdoors; thinking positively etc. The probability of children adopting these wellness habits can be significantly increased through positive role models in schools – children seeing these wellness behaviours in the adults working in the schools. So wellness becomes even more important to schools. The wellness solution that Kent schools wanted had to be: • Engaging – a challenge given the many different types of people working in schools • Practical – provide solutions which people could do easily for themselves • Smart – time is scarce in schools so the

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years, the WellKom Wellness Profiling, Development and Reporting Package which is backed up by a Skills Transfer Programme. The Skills Transfer Programme enables Kent people to be accredited as Wellness Champions so that they can run Wellness Engagement Sessions as well as administer the Wellness Profiling and feedback Wellness Reports. This qualification has been recently nationally recognised as a vocational qualification and Kent Schools will be some of the first people to gain this new qualification. WELLNESS SOFTWARE The Wellness Profiling, Development and Reporting Package has, at its heart, wellness software that covers wellness – importantly both outside of work as well as at work. Every person explores for themselves how well they are for about 20 to 25 minutes by completing a private and confidential online wellness questionnaire. Based on this, each individual receives their own Personal Wellness Profile, which measures their wellness levels in many different ways (focussing on their current wellness strengths) and then provides highly personalised and practical recommendations on development activities to further improve their wellness levels. The school receives an anonymous Wellness Report that covers over 60 different wellness aspects compares how the school compares

against the latest norms. There are also Job Quality and Performance/Productivity Indexes produced for each school. For the central team and other stakeholders, the Kent schools team has built up one of the most comprehensive wellness management information systems in the UK. This is being continually added to as more schools invest in the programme and as the data grows, the more insights can be gained. For example, how well developed

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STAFF TRAINING

A well-being programme to transform your school HE HEALTH AND wellbeing of staff and pupils is essential for the development of a positive learning community. Schools have an unenviable reputation for absence through sickness which greatly increases staffing, recruitment and training costs, as well as causing operational disruption and lost productivity. Issues such as classroom sizes and performance targets have a high impact on staff well-being and their desire/ability to optimise performance. There is also a resulting impact on the way pupils feel about their work and school. Being able to assess, scientifically, the effects that work has on teaching staff has been a challenge. Working with Bridget Juniper, mahl has developed a programme that identifies levels

of wellbeing. A clinicallybased instrument ‘Work and Well-Being Assessment for Schools’ – based on proven methodologies – used for the past 25 years to measure patient wellbeing during clinical trials, is used. The results analysis allows school leaders to identify areas where they can improve the well being of their staff. With mahl’s support, they develop a values based, whole school approach that promotes the health and wellbeing of staff and thus their pupils. The Learning Community thrives and prospers and the improvement can be measured.

FOR MORE INFORMATION Tel: 023 92 783388 E-mail: admin@ mooreassociateshampshire.com Web: www. mooreassociateshampshire.com

are the capabilities of Personal Wellness Management in the potential successors to head teachers? This is a highly critical issue given the national shortage of head teachers.

FOR MORE INFORMATION For further information please contact Steve Wood, recruitment and retention manager, Kent County Council schools Tel: 01622694824 E-mail: Steve.Wood2@kent.gov.uk Anthony Phillips, MD, WellKom (www.wellkom.co.uk) Tel: 07785367543 E-mail: Anthony@wellkom.co.uk

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Written by Kirstie Danzey, marketing manager, Nottingham Conferences

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CONFERENCES & EVENTS

THE RISE OF ACADEMIC VENUES Universities and colleges have made major improvements to their conference and meeting facilities THE UK IS HOME TO SOME OF THE world’s best universities, located in inspiring locations, featuring impressive architecture and providing home to some of the country’s greatest minds. For the event organiser, they offer a venue choice that has been designed to educate, inform and enlighten an audience in any chosen field, which is fundamentally what meetings and events are all about. Despite accounting for a significant percentage of the £22 billion UK meetings, conference and events industry, traditionally, the academic venue has been the venue of choice almost solely for the academic and association sector. A negative perception of a lower standard of facilities and a lower quality of service has meant it has often been snubbed by wider industries. CHANGING MINDS It seems, however, that with an increasing investment in facilities, strong communications campaigns from venues and industry bodies and the changes in certain mindsets brought about by difficult economic conditions, people are increasingly changing their ideas about academic venues and conference and event organisers are beginning to realise their potential as a credible venue option. Their lecture theatres are no longer shabby, nor are residential facilities reminiscent of old student digs. They are in fact high quality, well furnished spaces, with state of the art technology and impressive AV infrastructures. Large capacity availability is another major advantage in choosing an academic venue. For big scale conferences and conventions, universities offer large, often flexible spaces with many room options within close proximity to one another. This is all supported by a wide choice of accommodation – something for everyone seeking to meet a budget. And with close links with local accommodation providers, helping universities to source beds from neighbouring hotels during term time, bookings and demand is now being spread out much more evenly across the year. Significant improvements have also been made in the catering department, with award winning chefs now a common feature in university kitchens and high quality menu choices that focus heavily on local produce and sustainable practices. AFFORDABLE VENUES It is not just the investment and realisation of the venues’ quality and the actions of industry bodies that are changing these perceptions. Current market conditions have meant that many event organisers have been

Jubilee Campus, Nottingham

Current market conditions have meant that many event organisers have been forced to ‘tighten their belts’ and this has meant them opening their eyes to affordable venues and discovering that a lot can still be achieved with an academic venue

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Only in Scotland will your conference be truly inspiring. Scotland provides a stimulating environment to give new perspective to your own ideas and spur you on to greater heights. Some of the world’s oldest universities and modern research institutes nurture fresh talent to follow in the famous footsteps of alumni, who have changed the world as we know it. Given Scotland’s reputation as a leading light in the fields of science, medicine, finance, energy and technology, it’s no surprise we have conference facilities to match. And it’s never been easier to get here. So to find out more about hosting an event in Scotland, log onto conventionscotland.com Or perhaps that should be unconventional Scotland.

Only in Scotland

Hi-tech conference centres in stimulating surroundings. You can’t help but be inventive.

Education Business | Volume 14.6

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CONFERENCES & EVENTS

East Midlands Conference Centre

Kirstie Danzey

forced to ‘tighten their belts’ and this has meant them opening their eyes to affordable venues and discovering that a lot can still be achieved with an academic venue. It is particularly because of this factor that many universities have seen an increase in the conference bookings from healthcare professionals and the pharmaceutical industry, who have been put under increased pressure recently from the addition of Clause 19 of the ABPI (Association of British Pharmaceutical Industry) Code of Practice 2008. The clause has placed stringent rules on the costs that the industry spends on meetings and hospitality, restricting them to opt for meeting venues that are conducive to the main purpose of the meeting and do not incur any lavish costs.

The same increase in popularity has been seen from governmental departments opting for academic venues more and more, since facing increasing scrutiny to be more transparent in the public eye with their spending. Regardless of their great facilities, universities are also a great source of speakers and support material for any event, often linking with research and development that is being undertaken by the students, to help bring an event to life. It is not only the event organiser and venue that benefits. Profits that are generated are reinvested into the universities and therefore students benefit from a welcome injection. Buildings can be updated, whilst research programmes and other learning facilities benefit from a boost in resources and this helps to pave the way for the country’s next generation of business and thought leaders. CASE STUDY The Nottingham Healthcare Trust, the county’s mental health and learning disability service returned to the East Midlands Conference Centre in September for a third year to host its ‘Foundation for the Future’ exhibition and Annual General Meeting 2009. The event, aimed to provide an opportunity for the service’s users, their carers, partner organisations and members of the public to find out how the trust is making improvements to its services, with a review of the past year and to present its plans for the future.

The event had exclusive use of the whole of the EMCC and attracted nearly 600 attendees, aided largely by its easily accessible central Midlands location and ample free car parking spaces. The day began with an interactive exhibition featuring over 60 stalls and a variety of performances. Stalls were placed along the EMCC’s concourse area and also set out in the light and impressive Atrium. After lunch, which was held in the recently refurbished conference theatre, guests retreated to the banqueting hall where the formal AGM took place. The EMCC also had to provide a live link of the AGM in an adjacent overflow room Conference Room 3 for additional people to watch the proceedings. NOTTINGHAM CONFERENCES With over 20 years’ experience in the provision of conference and event facilities, the ‘Nottingham Conferences’ brand was launched in 2008, to represent the entire portfolio of conference venues at The University of Nottingham. Encompassing the East Midlands Conference Centre, Jubilee Campus, University Park and Sutton Bonington, Nottingham Conferences can accommodate delegates across three unique locations, provide dedicated event co-ordinators, award winning chefs, on-site AV support and the ability to arrange accommodation either during student vacations or all year round via its Hotel Reservation Service.

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Education Business | Volume 14.6

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RECRUITMENT

SUPPORTING CHILDREN TO RAISE STANDARDS Graham Holley from the Training and Development Agency for Schools gives the lowdown on the new One to One Tutition Programme and encourages schools to get involved THE NEW ONE TO ONE TUTITION Programme is a government-funded initiative to help children gain more confidence and understanding in English and maths. Designed for the estimated 600,000 pupils who would benefit the most, it complements classroom teaching by addressing barriers to learning that are personal and particular to each child. Key stage 2, 3 and 4 pupils will benefit from the programme. One-to-one tuition will be used to help pupils who face academic barriers in English and/or mathematics. Schools will identify children who are behind in mathematics and/or English, and/or are not on course to make two levels of progress. THE RIGHT SUPPORT The programme is designed to ensure that the right support is in place for all pupils, regardless of class or social background, in order to improve pupil achievement and close the attainment gap. Support in the form of one-to-one tuition can also be highly effective in boosting the confidence and motivation of pupils who may be falling behind. While mainstream classroom teaching is effective for many pupils, we know that there are some who will not make the progress they need to in a whole-class setting. These pupils would benefit from additional tuition, on a one-to-one basis, that addresses their particular skills gaps. Without an individualised approach it will be very hard for this group to make the progress necessary to achieve their full potential. One-to-one tuition will be personalised and address areas of development particular to the pupil. BECOMING A TUTOR In terms of becoming a one-to-one tutor, the programme is open to newly qualified, current, former, retired teachers, overseas teacher qualified to teach in schools in England, trainee teachers in the summer before they gain QTS, or those with teaching and subject-specific qualifications from the higher education or further education sectors. We are urging teachers to sign up for the programme – we need to sign up 100,000 tutors by October 2010 in order to ensure we reach all the children that would benefit from this scheme. We are making great progress, with over 30,000 tutors registered to date, but we need others to follow suit to make this programme a real success.

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There are many benefits to becoming a tutor on the One to One Tuition Programme. It is highly flexible: the tutor decides how many pupils to tutor, and when and where to give tuition (for example, it can take place at the child’s school or in a town centre location such as a library). Tutors on the programme will get paid a typical rate of £25 per hour for 12 hours per pupil – 10 hours tuition and two hours planning and liaison time with the pupil’s teacher.

To help ensure that teachers feel comfortable with the role, tuition training is available. The format of the training will vary from one local authority to another. If teachers register an interest in being a tutor on the programme, their local authority will get in touch to discuss personalised training options. There are also a number of tools that tutors can use to support them in the role, including practical tips and support.

Education Business | Volume 14.6

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RECRUITMENT

INCREASE ACADEMIC PROGRESS So what is the expected outcome of the programe? Trials of one-to-one tuition have already taken place as part of the Making Good Progress pilot and early evidence from the pilot suggests that pupils receiving one-to-one tuition are making

faster academic progress than those who are not. This is despite the fact that many of the pupils selected for tuition were making slow progress beforehand. However, while this early evidence is welcome, even more compelling is the experience of those schools that have been

The programme is designed to ensure that the right support is in place for all pupils, regardless of class or social background, in order to improve pupil achievement and close the attainment gap. Support in the form of one-to-one tuition can also be highly effective in boosting the confidence and motivation of pupils who may be falling behind

early adopters of the initiative. Below Jude Hanner, principal of Sir Charles Lucas Arts College in Colchester, a National Challenge school, outlines the benefits her school has seen thanks to the programme: “I’ve been at Sir Charles Lucas Arts College for five years now – we’re a large school, with the 1,000 strong student population coming largely from the surrounding estate. The school was recently involved in the ‘Making Good Progress’ (MGP) pilot, a key part of which was the One to One Tuition Programme. At the outset, we were somewhat cynical about the idea and weren’t sure whether it would work, in particular whether students would buy in to the idea. However, my team leader for maths at the time was passionate about the scheme and worked hard to recruit a network of tutors who ran a programme of one-to-one tuition for those children we identified as needing it most. “It’s not an overstatement to say that the results have been nothing less than astonishing. We have seen a significant improvement in the maths skills of those students who received one-to-one tuition. More surprisingly, we have also seen a dramatic improvement in terms of these students’ attitude towards learning. These students were some of the most switched off, hard to reach individuals in the school and yet they were actively excited about attending tuition sessions and really put a lot of effort into them. This enthusiasm has subsequently extended to other aspects of their school career and has led to many of these students really turning their prospects around. “For many of these children, one-to-one tuition has been the first time ever that any adult has sat down with them and given them personalised help and support. These are the students whose parents don’t help them with their homework at home, who aren’t receiving support and attention – as such, one-to-one tuition not only helps these children reach academic standards, but it also gives them the confidence and self-esteem they need to succeed. “We are delighted in the success of our one-to-one tuition pilot and it’s fair to say that rolling this out across all of our Key Stage 3 and 4 students that would benefit is one of our key priorities going forward. It’s great that other schools will get the opportunity to benefit from one-to-one tutors, with the programme now going nationwide and I would encourage other principals and head teachers to look into how the initiative could help their school.”

FOR MORE INFORMATION For more information or to register your interest, visit www.tda.gov. uk/teachers/onetoonetuition

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VeriCool for Schools Biometric Multi-Lesson Registration, Cashless Catering and School Reception Software VeriCool for Schools are the leading provider of Biometric cashless catering, multi-lesson registration and school reception software.

The VeriCool suite of software uses Biometric fingertip verification to uniquely identify students. Our software offers Multi-Lesson Registration, Cashless Catering and School Reception solutions to schools in the UK. As a premier partner to Capita and partner to Serco we pride ourselves on our seamless links to the SIMS.net and SERCO Facility platforms. VeriCool software ensures that swipe cards are not required, no-one can steal your student’s identity and it can reduce the school administration of FSM’s and identification of absent students. The VeriCool Biometric software verifies a student’s identity in less than one second.

Call the VeriCool Sales Team today on 08458 382 410 or email us on sales@vericool.co.uk or visit our website www.vericool.co.uk

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Written by the School Food Trust

CATERING

MAKING SCHOOL FOOD SELL Marketing know-how helps school meals compete with the high street WITH ITS SLICK MARKETING campaigns, offers and promotions, the pull of the high street is a serious challenge for schools when it comes to selling a healthy lunchtime offer. Add to that recent research showing that around half (48 per cent) of school caterers have had their marketing budgets cut due to the current economic climate1 and the task becomes even greater. Schools need to find clever, new and - most importantly - costeffective ways to make sure school food is desirable and ‘on the menu’ for students. Schools can learn a lot from the high street when it comes to marketing; teenagers are increasingly savvy customers and understandably respond to the sophisticated marketing techniques employed by brands trying to appeal to them. Harnessing some relatively simple marketing know-how can make all the difference to a schools ability to drive take-up of school meals. PROMOTING SCHOOL MEALS In answer to reduced budgets, and as part of its remit to promote the transformation of the quality of food supplied and consumed in

schools, the School Food Trust has launched a marketing and design tool for schools and caterers to help them to promote school meals. MADGe (Marketing and Design Generator) is a free to use package developed to help schools market their food more professionally. “School food is competing with high street stores and food outlets to get children’s attention,” says Chris Wainwright, director of communications for the School Food Trust. “School and local authorities have told us that they want to up their game and professionalise how they market healthy

food so it’s a more attractive option”. Providing an online library of industrydesigned marketing materials including posters, letters, imagery, stickers, themed events, logos and even online adverts, MADGe gives schools and caterers the chance to harness professional skills at the click of a button. The ready-made toolkit of marketing products allow schools to learn creative techniques for promoting their food, including templates that can be adapted and personalised to suit the needs of each individual school. Cherie-Ann Hart from Luton Council has

Schools can learn a lot from the high street when it comes to marketing; teenagers are increasingly savvy customers and understandably respond to the sophisticated marketing techniques employed by brands trying to appeal to them. Harnessing some relatively simple marketing know-how can make all the difference to a schools ability to drive take-up of school meals THE BUSINESS MAGAZINE FOR EDUCATION

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Induced Energy launches its invisible keep hot iPlate K INDUCTION hob manufacturer Induced Energy has introduced a new induction keep hot system, the iPlate. Invisible under a Swanstone counter, a food preparation area can become a hot servery at the flick of a switch when using inductionfriendly containers. Ideal for small kitchens or long servery counters, the iPlate remains cool except where the container is in contact with the surface. Children and staff alike are at much less risk of burns and scalds compared with traditional keep hot systems. With seven power settings there is no problem in keeping food hot. At the end of service the iPlate is easy to clean and once again can revert to a food preparation area. The iPlate is also available as a visible keep hot unit under Ceran glass or Swanstone. This new addition continues

Induced Energy’s commitment to energy saving technology. With no waiting for the surface to heat up and power only used when the hot food container is placed on the iPlate, energy use is kept to a minimum. Keeping hot while keeping cool, iPlate leads to happier staff and pupils in a more comfortable environment.

FOR MORE INFORMATION Tel: 01280 705900 Fax: 01280 705270 E-mail: rosie@inducenergy.com Web: www.inducedenergy.com

Amadeus ASSOCIATES LTD

Improving Quality & Reducing Cost

Amadeus is a well established Catering & Soft Services Consultancy dedicated to improving quality and service standards in the State and Independent Education Sectors. Our Associate Consultants are time served professionals with extensive experience in helping clients in In-House and Outsourced situations. In the majority of cases our input achieves significant cost efficiency. The Amadeus Service: • Tendering • In-House Transition • Design, Equipment Specification and Project Management • BSF Projects • Nutritional and Healthy Eating Support • Food Safety Audits & Performance Monitoring Please visit our website for more information and to arrange a FREE MEETING to discuss how we can best help your School.

Tel: 01827 880317 E-mail: tburholt-amadeus@uwclub.net Web: www.amadeus-associates.co.uk

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Professional training services from Parkhill INCE 1992, Parkhill has seen dynamic growth and developed an all-encompassing range of services led by customer needs. From our origins as an internal audit provider, we now support clients in areas as diverse as counter fraud, security management, recruitment, digital forensics and since 2006, training. Parkhill’s Professional Training Services provides tailored and refresher courses specialising in personal safety skills, health and safety, equality and diversity and risk management. Our training is delivered to an exceptional standard by our accredited and experienced staff. Delegates benefit from interactive teaching methods to optimise their learning and enjoyment and will receive detailed course materials and a certificate of attendance upon completion of their course. Some of the popular courses within our portfolio include: • Conflict resolution • Control and restraint

(BTEC Level 2) • Breakaway techniques (BTEC Level 2) • Manual handling • Fire awareness • Root cause analysis Parkhill’s many training clients include NHS and healthcare organisations, schools, retailers, local authorities and housing associations. Please contact us today to discuss how our courses can develop and safeguard your workforce.

FOR MORE INFORMATION Contact Stephen Lamley on 0208 869 7456, e-mail: stephen.lamely@parkhill. org.uk or visit our website www.parkhill.org.uk

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been testing MADGe. “We’ve found it to be incredibly easy to use,” she says. “Before, if we wanted a poster for a new promotion, we had to get a designer to come into our office, which was expensive and took up a lot of our time. Now we can just log-in, personalise one of the templates and we’re ready to go. “We will be able to promote so much more, starting with our new Meal Deal and Grab & Go ranges. We think this will really help to generate higher sales.” UNDERSTANDING PUPIL BEHAVIOUR To help schools and caterers understand their customers, the School Food Trust has developed some top tips and advice, which if used alongside the toolkits on MADGe, could help schools and caterers start to see a difference in pupil behaviour and an increase in take up of school food. Understanding the customer journey is the first step. All customers go on a “journey” before they make a purchase. Pupils will go from being aware of what’s on offer to being interested in a school meal. This interest will then turn into a desire to buy a school meal before they take action and make a purchase. Finding out more about your audience is crucial. Marketing is really just effective communication with your customers. If schools can learn to understand how their pupils think, it will allow them to communicate with them more successfully. Talk directly to parents about school food. E-mail, the school website, newsletters, leaflets, stickers, even patents tasting sessions, can all be used to remind parents what’s on offer. Pupils can sometimes be hard to impress. Chatting with pupils can be a great way to find out what appeals to them – it’s important to spread the word that your school meals make a quick, tasty and inexpensive choice for lunch. But remember to keep messaging simple. Be single minded; a golden rule in marketing is to keep your message short, simple and single-minded. Repeat a short message that advertises an offer or a meal around the school. If students see the same thing a few times, they are more likely to remember it. APPEALING TO PUPILS’ TASTE BUDS It’s hard to resist free food; food samples are a quick way to entice hungry stomachs and spread the word about the quality and breadth of your menu. It’s important to present a menu that’s exciting and up-to-date; ask pupils about their favourite places to eat and what dishes they like – if its fast food, you could always create similar, yet healthy, options: • Circulate sample dishes around the school to tempt pupils. • Make sure your samples are well presented so they look appetising. • Make sure samples are easy to eat on the go.

• Promote samples of dishes to pupils waiting to be served. • Be clever with your timing; offer samples at break times, before pupils decide what to eat for lunch. Promoting value for money is key to your campaign. Good value is important to parents and pupils alike. For primary school pupils, parents will be the decision makers for lunch choices. But in secondary schools, it’s the pupils themselves that you will need to convince. You also need to make sure that everyone knows about any promotions you have before they enter the dining room. Providing pupils with the feeling that they are getting good value or something free (even something small that costs very little to produce) can often be enough to convince them to enter the dining area. PROMOTING YOUR OFFERS • Make changes – have a board outside the canteen that you update regularly with offers. • Show off – advertise meal deals and promotions such as ‘buy 1 get 1 free’ around the school. • Follow their lead – centre promotions on pupils’ favourite healthy items. • Communicate effectively – if younger children love fruit, put a poster about an offer on fruit in the part of the school they

use. If you have a ‘grab and go’ option, advertise it in the school changing rooms or where drama and music lessons take place. Begin advertising any new promotion in advance to give pupils time to ask their parents for school lunch money or discuss having a school lunch with their friends: • Meal deals – offer a package of food such as a sandwich, piece of fruit and a drink, and advertise them in the place that pupils eat packed lunches. • Link to the curriculum – promote your food when food topics are covered in class. • Follow the weather – if it’s wet, advertise your dry, comfortable canteen. If it’s cold, advertise warming foods like soup. When it’s hot, promote drinks like fruit smoothies. • Keep things interesting – use events such as the World Cup to inspire fun new ideas. • Think ahead – begin advertising any new promotion in advance to give pupils time to ask their parents for school lunch money or discuss having a school lunch with their friends. Reference: 1 School Food Trust, September 2009

FOR MORE INFORMATION Web: www.schoolfoodtrust.org.uk/madge

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UNDERSTANDING WHAT IS POSSIBLE For many contemplating the introduction of cashless catering, one of the major obstacles to overcome is the understanding of the technologies used. Indeed, in the overall scheme of things, this is perhaps the most significant question to deal with IT IS NOT A QUESTION OF understanding the technical aspects of the operation of smartcards or biometrics – the most common identification technologies used in cashless catering systems – but of gaining a real understanding of what is possible through the use of these methods of efficiently organising payment for the delivery of food in busy places, which have so many other benefits. Often, lack of information, or alternatively the acceptance of mis-information, can lead to the introduction of systems which end up not doing the job they were bought for; or end up using only a fraction of the functions available. Therefore it is worth the effort – and time – to discover the full extent of the technology’s operational value, possibly even before approaching vendors. SMARTCARDS Smartcards are by far the most used of the automatic identification technologies employed in this application area. Usually, these operate in ‘closed systems’ (within a school, group of schools, or across a campus) and so the cash values concerned are stored on a central database, accessed through

• contactless reading • medium to reasonably high data storage capabilities • relatively low cost cards and reading technology • better and more selective security capabilities – including encryption – than other card-based technologies Therefore smartcards have roles within education institutions beyond catering – and this should be put into the equation when considering investment. BIOMETRICS Biometrics are also used, matching mainly finger and thumb prints against versions stored in the database; in more secure situations, iris scans are used. Interest has been renewed in this technology as systems are developed which can cope with the natural variations in fingerprint reading, especially among younger, growing individuals. What many users do not understand is that this is a different technique from forensic fingerprinting; cashless catering uses digital representations of the patterns and systems cannot re-engineer fingerprint pictures for comparison with, say, crime scene

Often, lack of information, or alternatively the acceptance of mis-information, can lead to the introduction of systems which end up not doing the job they were bought for; or end up using only a fraction of the functions available the reading of the card and identifying the individual through a unique number. Increasingly, the cards themselves store a monetary value, which is altered by each transaction – either the purchase of food or the topping up at specially designed terminals. Systems offering “electronic purses” are now mature. The cards therefore carry a cash value independent of the central system. This method of payment opens up a host of complementary applications including transport, and buying low-value items in local shops. Smartcards are particularly suited to applications where a relatively large amount of data has to be stored in a portable, user-acceptable, read-writable form, or in a form that can be easily updated. Other features include: • substantial support base for applications

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“dabs”. Currently, biometric recognition techniques are being developed that rely on the reading of blood vessel patterns within the figures rather than the more common use of external patterns. In biometrics, the funds from which food is bought are, of course, always located in the database. Biometric ID covers a range of techniques and technologies that achieve unique identification of an individual, using features such as faces, hands, eyes and fingerprints. Handwriting recognition is another area of biometrics that, in recent years, has seen significant improvements in recognition techniques for data entry into hand-held terminal and computer systems. Healthcare identification cards, patient identification, passports and identification cards are considered prime potential uses though the earliest

ABOUT THE AUTHOR Ian Byfield has been a writer, consultant and evangelist for AIDC (Automatic Identification and Data Capture) technologies for 20 years. He works with the European Centre of Excellence for AIDC in Yorkshire – a non-profit distribution company in Barnsley (originally funded by Yorkshire Forward, the regional development agency) – which has a mission to be an authoritative and independent source of information about what is possible with AIDC technologies such as bar coding, RFID, smartcards and biometrics. It also offers technical and commercial consultancy, particularly to SMEs as well as managed smartcard incubation services to a wide range of organisations. common applications are in access control to secure areas and computer equipment. Biometrics can replace traditional personal identification numbers (PINs), passwords or others symbols used to establish identity. Other features include: • range of techniques and products to satisfy a wide variety of application needs. • costs reducing as more applications are identified and accommodated by available products • performance ratings improving as systems are further developed • biometric templates may be used in conjunction with data on cards So, once again there may be additional uses for the technology. MANAGING OPERATIONS The next big barrier is contemplating the introduction of technology to be operated by existing staff. Though obviously any supplier worth its salt would provide effective training for all those involved – it should be noted that it is not only front-line catering staff who would need to manage the system. There are issues relating to issuing cards, at the same time authenticating the user, replacing lost cards and maintaining the databases on which the cards rely. There are a number of companies experienced in providing cashless catering for education that have tried and tested models and methodologies for the implementation of systems. An alternative method of operation, particularly

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with smartcards, is emerging: the managed service. The European Centre of Excellence for AIDC – a not for profit organisation – has much experience in the management of smartcards. The Centre concentrates on services to the public sector, particularly in relation to ‘incubation’ managed smart card services which allow first time users to ‘test-drive’ a fully managed service before committing to bigger expenditure. Services offered include: • a full card management database service including the maintenance of accurate cardholder information; this would be a web based application accessible by authorised staff • issuing of cards based on application forms – plus issuing of replacement for lost cards and the changing of details, renewal of applications; adding and deleting applications on cards. • hot listing and action listing of cards which have been misused lost or stolen. • a Service Desk providing first line support to staff and users and the processing of complaints and queries • maintenance of readers. GIVING CONFIDENCE The Centre generally promotes confidence in the technology by helping people understand the intrinsic safeguards designed into smartcard use and by providing strategic guidance and an understanding of how the technological theory can be delivered in effective practice. For instance it is increasingly working in the standards and authentication area, particularly where the cards carry more than one application. For instance the same card could be used for meals at college, on transport, at the local authority leisure facilities and in the library. To ensure that such multi-application cards work properly AIDC UK has developed its LASSeO (Local Authority Smartcards Standards e-Organisation) smartcard compliance tool to help card encoders, scheme operators and local authorities ensure compliance with necessary specifications. Cashless catering offers many advantages and these can be enhanced and maximised through taking the time to learn about all that can be achieved with the technologies.

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Techniquest – engaging children with science

The perfect sporting environment

XPLORE OVER 130 interactive exhibits at Techniquest Science Discovery Centre in Cardiff Bay. Among the fun activities, visitors have the chance to fire a rocket, launch a hot air balloon or play a giant keyboard. There are fascinating shows in the Science Theatre, where you can discover a range of topics from dinosaurs to slime! If the mysteries of space intrigue you, then Techniquest’s Planetarium is not to be missed. Experience an amazing space presentation and enjoy a tour of some of the stars, planets and

HE PETER ASHLEY Activity Centres – Fort Purbrook and Fort Widley – provide a unique and exciting environment for a wide range of sporting and leisure activities. Situated on Portsdown Hill with magnificent views over Portsmouth and Southsea and the many local tourist attractions, the forts can offer residential packages with dormitory accomodation and a choice of meal arrangements, or camping on the large grassed parade ground areas. Activities available, either individually or as part of a package with qualified supervision where required, include air rifle shooting, archery, indoor climbing, horse riding, initiative tests and much, much more. These, together with our childrens holiday activities, corporate days, special events and weekly clubs, provide a varied and enjoyable programme of

constellations in the night sky. As well as offering a great family day out, Techniquest also runs an extensive programme of events for school groups throughout term time. Schools can take part in Planetarium and Science Theatre shows or, experience a hands-on workshop in the Laboratory as well as having time to get stuck into activities in the main exhibition.

FOR MORE INFORMATION For more information, please telephone 029 20 475 475 visit www.techniquest.org or e-mail marketing@techniquest.org

Thriftwood

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activities for all. At scheduled times throughout the year, tours are available giving visitors the opportunity to soak up the history of these 19th century forts whilst making their way through the barrack rooms and the underground maze of tunnels – followed by a relaxing stop in the cafe. The centres are open all year to welcome schools, colleges, clubs, youth groups and individuals of all ages. We invite you to come and experience the unique atmosphere at Fort Purbrook and Fort Widley.

FOR MORE INFORMATION Contact: Mr.D.R.Horne, General Manager Address: Portsdown Hill Road, Portsmouth, Hants. PO6 1BJ. Tel: 02392 321223 E-mail: purbrook10@hotmail.com Web: www. peterashleyactivitycentres.co.uk

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Education Business | Volume 14.6

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EDUCATIONAL TRIPS

SAFE AND LEGAL EDUCATION TRANSPORT Bill Hyde from the Community Transport Association clears the confusion surrounding the legal requirements of driving a school minibus THE LEGAL REQUIREMENTS OF operating a minibus (a vehicle capable of carrying nine to 16 passengers in addition to the driver) are far more complex than most people realise. Who can drive it? Can the driver be paid? What happens when pupils and parents contribute towards transport costs? These are some of the regular questions. Below, we will summarise some of the important legal issues you may need to consider and also signpost you to where you can find more information on the implications of running a minibus. WHO CAN DRIVE IT? In the UK, drivers passing their car driving tests have also gained an entitlement to drive a minibus, a situation at odds with the rest of the EU, where drivers have to take an additional test to gain a Passenger Carrying Vehicle (PCV) entitlement. The UK’s approach has resulted in minibuses being a common sight, used by a wide range of organisations such as charities, local authorities, community groups and, of course, educational establishments. Car drivers passing their driving test before January 1st 1997 gained a D1 (101) ‘not for hire and reward’ entitlement, that allows them to drive a minibus of any weight and be paid whilst doing so. From January 1st 1997 the UK harmonised its driver licensing entitlements with those of other member states in the EU, with the result that UK drivers passing their driving test from this date gain only a B entitlement (car only) and can only drive a minibus if they are able to meet all of the following: • the driver has held a full B licence for an aggregate of at least two years • the driver receives no payment or other consideration for driving the vehicle other than out-of-pocket expenses • the vehicle weighs no more than 3500kg Gross Vehicle Weight (GVW) or 4250 kg if adapted to carry disabled passengers • there is no trailer of any weight attached • the driver is aged 21 or over, but under 70 (unless driver has passed PCV Medical and gained code 120). For many organisations, particularly schools, the second requirement raised doubts as to whether or not a paid teacher (with a post 01/01/97 licence), could meet this criteria when driving a minibus. With increasing numbers of younger teachers entering the profession and in the absence of any case law, the question of ‘Who was going to

With increasing numbers of younger teachers entering the profession and in the absence of any case law, the question of ‘Who was going to drive the school minibus in the future?’ is a common one on the CTA advice line drive the school minibus in the future?’ is a common one on the CTA advice line. GOVERNMENT GUIDELINES Something had to be done and in April 2006 both the Department for Transport (DfT) and Department for Education and Skills (DfES), after reviewing the situation, issued guidelines for teachers and school employees who undertake incidental minibus driving and have passed their B entitlement on or after 1 January 1997. The guidance comes with a health warning that it isn’t legal advice nor is it a ruling on the law. The basis of the guidance is that so long as teachers and school employees don’t have any driving duties in their job description, do not receive any extra pay as a result of driving and cannot be compelled to drive, they are allowed to claim to meet volunteer requirement above. Staff who gained their car driving licence after 1 January 1997 are then able to drive the school

minibus as long as they meet all of the other criteria set out for new drivers as shown above. The guidance does state that best practice would be for these drivers to hold a full PCV D1 vocational entitlement, gained by passing a second test and that other driver training, such as the Minibus and Driver Awareness Scheme (MiDAS), will mitigate the risks to staff and pupils. For more details on this guidance and assistance with gaining PCV driving licences call the CTA (details below). MINIBUS WEIGHT With a post-1997 licence restricting the driver to a minibus weighing no more than 3500 kg GVW or 4250 kg for a minibus adapted for carrying passengers with a disability, many of the new 16 passenger seat minibuses available new today are too heavy. Minibus weights have risen in recent years due to improvements in engines to reduce pollution as well as stronger

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crash structures. This has necessitated using smaller minibuses with a reduced passenger capacity to keep within the weight limits. Educational establishments are recommended to pay particular attention to the weight of new and replacement minibuses or they could find that some of their staff may not be able to drive them. If they do drive a minibus without the correct entitlement on their licence they could invalidate the insurance and both the driver and the school/college could face prosecution. The gross vehicle weight should be displayed on a chassis plate usually fixed in the driver/passenger footwell. DRIVER TRAINING Driving a minibus, with up to sixteen passengers on board, is a very different proposition to driving a car. It is for this reason that a number of organisations, including local authorities, provide minibus familiarisation training for

SECTION 19 PERMITS Section 19 (10B permits in Northern Ireland) are in effect an operator’s licence that provides the legal framework that allows eligible bodies, including education establishments, to operate minibuses for hire and reward, on a not for profit basis, and be driven by drivers who do not hold a PCV driving licence. Operating a minibus without a permit could invalidate the vehicle’s insurance cover and also result in a school or college risking prosecution for operating an unlicensed Public Service Vehicle (PSV). The teacher driving could also face prosecution, because without the legal protection the permit provides, they would need to have a PCV D1 entitlement. Section 19 and 10B permits are straightforward to obtain. The CTA provides support to its members in applying for permits and is authorised to issue them for a nominal fee. Section 19 permits last up to five

By becoming involved in the Community Transport Association and the MiDAS training and assessment programme you will be able to learn and understand all aspects of operating a minibus legally and safely – including drivers’ hours, seat belt rules, maintenance schedules and MOT testing, driver licence checks, the role for passenger assistants, taking a minibus to Europe, towing trailers and school bus signs non PCV trained drivers and it is essential that teachers and school staff. receive such training before they drive to help ensure the safety of their passengers and other road users. Minibus Driver Awareness Scheme (MiDAS) provides a structured programme for the assessment and training of drivers. Further information can be found on the CTA’s web site at www.ctauk.org. OPERATOR LICENSING We’ve discussed the licence that the driver requires; now we need to consider whether or not the school/college requires some form of operator’s licence as well. To determine this we need to establish whether or not ‘hire and reward’ exists. Any payment (including not for profit) that gives a passenger the right to be carried is classed as being for hire and reward, the payment can be direct such as a fare e.g. a contribution towards the transport costs of a school trip, or indirect such as with the payment of tuition fees or donations to school funds. It is hire and reward that triggers the need for an operator’s licence. However, a school/ college will be eligible to operate minibuses under the permit regime below, providing they are a non commercial organisation and are not operating the transport for a profit.

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years and we expect Section 10B permits to be similarly time restricted shortly. The permit also comes with a disc that must be displayed on the vehicle’s windscreen. Commercially operated schools and colleges running minibus transport, will need to operate with a PSV Operator’s licence (only issued by the Vehicle and Operator Services Agency (VOSA) and all the drivers will be required to hold a full PCV D1 entitlement, which as stated earlier can only be obtained by passing a second test in a minibus. To cover everything you need to know about permits would fill a book, but the main points are that if you are eligible to hold one – a non commercial body concerned with education, operating a minibus for ‘hire and reward’ as defined above, you need one. Give the CTA a call or e-mail us and we can provide you with all that you need to know. S19 PERMIT CHANGES For those schools and colleges already operating minibuses under S19 permits some changes were introduced on 6th April 2009 by the Local Transport Act 2008. The Act changes Section 19 Small Bus Permits to Section 19 Standard Permits. This was to allow them to be used on vehicles with fewer than nine passenger seats for the first time, but only on the basis of separate fares. This is

good news for many organisations who wish to operate people carriers, but found that these vehicles didn’t really fit into previous legislation. If your school or college operates vehicles with up to eight passenger seats, then Standard Permits should be obtained. For more information about operating smaller vehicles under the permit regime contact the CTA. All Standard Permits will now be issued for up to a maximum of five years. All existing Small Bus Permits still in circulation will need to be replaced by a date yet to be set, but this will be no later than April 2014. WHAT ELSE DO YOU NEED TO KNOW? By becoming involved in the Community Transport Association and the MiDAS training and assessment programme you will be able to learn and understand all aspects of operating a minibus legally and safely – including drivers’ hours, seat belt rules, maintenance

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schedules and MOT testing, driver licence checks, the role for passenger assistants, taking a minibus to Europe, towing trailers and school bus signs. Membership of the CTA provides access to preferential rates for minibus insurance, discounts on training and events, and access via the members’ area on our web site to information about grants and funding together with the latest news from other not-for-profit transport operators.

FOR MORE INFORMATION To go with this feature the CTA has produced a Frequently Asked Questions for Schools, Colleges, and Universities operating minibuses which can be downloaded for free from www.ctauk.org. Whilst you are there you can download other leaflets on the topics above.

ABOUT THE CTA The Community Transport Association (CTA) is a UK wide charity giving voice and providing leadership, learning and enterprise support to a wide range of third sector member organisations many of them delivering innovative and flexible transport solutions to achieve social change. The CTA’s UK wide advice service is partly funded by the Department for Transport and by the Welsh Assembly. Bill Hyde is part of the advice team which regularly deals with technical and legal

enquiries including those from schools, colleges and universities that are using minibuses to provide transport for their pupils and students. The CTA is pre-eminent in the field of advising noncommercial organisations using vehicles, including minibuses and MPVs, to carry passengers. Many educational establishments have become members of the CTA for advice and guidance, the issuing of Section 19 permits, cheaper insurance and other member benefits.

The CTA has recently focused its attention of how it can better meet the needs of schools and colleges with the introduction of the Safe and Legal Education Transport Network with CTA membership costing only £49 a year. This offer is currently not shown on the CTA web site. Contact the CTA directly for membership enquiries on 0161 351 1475 or if you have any legal or technical enquiries you can contact our Advice team on 0845 130 6195 or advice@ctauk.org.

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Develop hidden talent with Graffiti Workshop ONSTRUCTIVE, engaging and educational. Graffiti Workshop is a company run throughout the UK with the aim of developing hidden talent and nurturing creativity in a positive and unique environment. We run specific workshops and learning programmes designed for schools or youth groups. Graffiti Workshop has teamed up with the police, youth offending teams, schools, youth clubs and churches to name a few. Attending such lessons is not simply about learning how to paint and draw, its about team work, channelling creativity, ownership, and installing self confidence that makes attendees realise achieving other goals is possible. In light of our commitment to engage local communities, our workshops can be used as part of GCSE course work. Our aim is to offer a unique, engaging and truly positive approach to learning. Established in 2004, Graffiti Workshop grew from youth local clubs in the Devon area

Award winning resources for primary schools and SEN LAY TO Z LTD presents Playscope® – quality playful learning resources for children aged six months to six years plus and children with SEN. This award-winning range of resources includes handmade Treasure Baskets each containing environmentally-friendly and unique objects made by adults with learning difficulties and physical disabilities; innovative Activity Cards linked to the EYFS, KS1 and 2, Fidget Mats and other seating and positioning solutions – helping children to sit still and concentrate. Great for freeplay, observation and planning in primary schools and nurseries these extensively trialled, environmentally friendly, cross-curricular resources inspire exploration, critical thinking and creativity, in a fun and inclusive way. Finalists in eight UK Awards in 2008/9 and winners of four coveted awards, including a Practical Pre-school Gold Award and Nursery World Trainer of the Year, UKTI is showcasing

into the fantastic success story it is today. Today we have countless customers throughout the UK offering tailor made programmes to both the public and private enterprises. Our results really do speak for themselves, from satisfied customers through to ecstatic kids. For all further enquiries on our range of programmes and workshops on offer please call the Graffiti Workshop today!

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Wow, wow, wow! What a brilliant product, definitely the all singing all dancing sensory tool. All settings should have one Practical Pre-School Awards

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Playscope internationally for its expertise in Education for Sustainable Development. Play to Z also offers award winning training helping practitioners embed sensory play experiences in the learning environment and is shaping policy and practice through national Sensory Play research. Whether a class teacher, SENCO, speech and language therapist or OT, the quality, multi-purpose design and proven success of Playscope products make these essential to any classroom.

symbols are suitable for sports halls, changing rooms and many more facilities. Mungai Mirrors can be used as basic functional mirrors, decoration and learning tools. At the more creative end we have bendy distortion mirrors and height charts along with our bespoke service where we will do our best to accommodate any specific requests. Mungai Mirrors look great in the home and are suitable for all areas especially bathrooms and children’s bedrooms. We constantly develop new designs and are increasing the range over the coming months.

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TES EDUCATION

THE ULTIMATE SHOW Antonia Mitchell found ideas, educational resources and inspiring CPD training for early years, primary and secondary educators at TES Education 2009 IT STARTED IN EARNEST, for me, with the squealing girls. Three giggling, squealing teenage girls, grabbing my arm and daring to ask the question, “Is that the lady from Big Brother?” I’d been at TES Education for a short time that morning; the two-day 2009 London show was in full swing, and so far the attendees had been remarkably well behaved. Not that you’d really expect any less from crowds of teachers, school heads and classroom assistants. But it was the small gaggle of students, training to become the teachers of tomorrow, who’d broken with the ranks and really thrown their composure to the winds. And it was a television celebrity that caused it. Yes, I told them. That was indeed Rula Lenska, actress turned conservationist, of Celebrity Big Brother fame. The woman who had gotten Respect MP George Gallloway to pretend he was a giant, dressing gown and lycra-clad cat. She was at TES Education for the launch of Elephant Parade. The new initiative was set to release hundreds of fibreglass elephants onto the streets of London next April. 100 of the beasts will be delivered to schools in January to be painted by the children. A further 150 elephants will be decorated by artists and celebrities, including Stephen Fry, Joanna Lumley, and the Duchess of York. The project by Wild in Art (which works with schools to promote conservation) was being launched with the help of Mark Shand, conservationist brother of the Duchess of Cornwall and founder of Elephant Family. I soon noticed that the students were not quite the outliers I’d thought. Yes, there were 100s of exhibitors featuring everything from large canopies and playground equipment, to ICT suites in the Classroom of the Future, to vast displays of books, puppets and stickers. But amid all the serious shopping (and I love a bit of serious shopping as much as the next girl), there was an awful lot of fun to be had. HEALTHY SCHOOLS ZONE Round the corner from the press launch of the Elephant Parade, the Healthy Schools zone had lots to catch my eye. I eventually got roped in to helping with a first aid demonstration, along with several other passersby. I got one of the easier jobs, putting an unconscious woman (played with disturbing dedication by a British Red Cross trainer) into the recovery position. Other volunteers had to bandage imaginary wounds, with much gurning and imaginary blood loss. I was glad my lifesaving role was simpler – I get imaginary queasy. The demonstrations were part of Life. Live It, a new project designed to show how easy it is to teach basic lifesaving skills to students in Key Stage 3 and 4.

of them looked more like fun than work. Educational consultant and author Penny Tassoni demonstrated the many ways a sand tray could be used to teach simple mathematical concepts. Jennie Lindon of People Consulting Ltd explored using the power of play to support child-initiated learning, a key element of the Early Years Foundation Stage guidance. And for all of those that had lain awake at night wondering, Laura Henry and Neil Farmer explained how crocodiles clean their teeth (in aid of supporting children’s creative thought and active learning). On my way back from the café, I dropped a couple of pounds into the bucket of the Jeans for Genes fundraiser (it was Jeans for Genes day and, appropriately enough, Jeans for Genes had been chosen as the official show charity for 2009).

Not to be outdone by Celebrity Big Brother guests, the Healthy Schools zone hosted a few celebrities of its own. Coming from a country that doesn’t play a lot of cricket, I can’t make any claims to understand the game nor the fascination it holds for a large percentage of the world. But based on the excited faces of the family standing next to me, I was in the minority. Captain of the England Woman’s Cricket Team Charlotte Edwards, MBE, and former fast bowler Devon Malcolm took to the stage to discuss playing cricket in schools, and answer questions from their fans. Meanwhile one of the sporting types from Johnjac Cricket Supplies invited the children to play a quick game with him involving a concertina net, designed for playing where space is an issue. By this point I was really getting relaxed, so I grabbed Duncan Goodhew, the Olympic gold medallist swimmer, for a quick autograph (claiming it was for my non-existent niece, who by remarkable coincidence happens to have the same name as me). Duncan won gold in the 100m breaststroke at the 1980 Moscow Olympic Games and helped create the Youth Sport Trust in 1994, and is one of the UK’s most recognisable Olympic heroes. CPD SEMINARS Passing by the seminar rooms on my way to the café, I was distracted by peals of laughter coming out of the seminar rooms. There were 28 CPD seminars available each day, across six streams (early years and primary teaching; inspiration; creativity; leadership; science, and ICT). Some of them were serious (managing defiant children, improving the transition from early years to primary school, and strategies for ADHD) but a lot

DAYS OUT Later, I watched grinning teachers getting their photos taken next to a waxwork of Morgan Freeman, borrowed from Madame Tussauds by Thorpe Park. The nice people on the stand offered to take my picture standing next to him, but I chickened out, and instead hurried off to other side of the hall, where I found a crowd of rather excited young women. Turns out the cast of the award-winning West End musical Hairspray were at the show to promote a school appearance competition for Tickets for Schools and answer questions about life in the footlights. I would have posed a few questions myself, but I couldn’t get near the actors in the scrum. Then there was just a little time left to do some more shopping. Everywhere I looked, I saw people discovering fun new resources. I watched a group of three women laugh delightedly as the staff of Puppets by Post demonstrated a fuzzy grey rabbit that hides in a felt cabbage. Nearby a crowd of children played with Snug, a range of flexible outdoor play equipment made from heavy duty plastic in bright purples, blues and greens, on the Sutcliffe Play stand. Soon it was time to go home, and as the crowds spilled out of London Olympia onto the Hammersmith road, the teachers laden down with bags, I reflected on what a vibrant and dynamic education community we have in this country. Can’t wait to see what they come up with next time!

TES EDUCATION NORTH 2010 The next show, TES Education North 2010 will take place at Manchester Central 23-24 April. The 2010 London show returns to Olympia next October.

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SCHOOL CURRICULUM

NEXT GENERATION OF SCIENTISTS AND ENGINEERS New nationwide network will empower teachers and enthuse pupils in STEM subjects At a time when the UK risks lagging behind the rest of the world in the science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM) arena, a new education initiative is set to tackle this problem head-on and inspire the next generation of British scientists and engineers. A new network of after school STEM Clubs is springing up across the country. The clubs are not about writing, tests or exams, but instead will allow students to explore, investigate and discover STEM subjects in a fun, stimulating learning environment.

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The aim is to enthuse young people about STEM subjects outside the constraints of the curriculum. The clubs will provide an excellent opportunity for pupils to get involved with any area of STEM that they are interested in and will also motivate and build confidence in students who struggle with these subjects. STEM Clubs are primarily aimed at 11-14 year olds, but the model on which they are founded has been designed to be flexible so that every school can run one in a way that suits its resources and other commitments.

IN THE BEGINNING The STEM Clubs Network has grown out of a highly-successful After School Science and Engineering Clubs (ASSECs) pilot, funded by the Department for Children Schools and Families (DCSF), which began in 2006 and has involved more than 10,000 students in 500 schools. STEMNET (the Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths Network) is spearheading the network, which was officially announced in July this year by former Science Minister and President of STEMNET

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Lord Sainsbury, and is leading a drive to ensure every secondary school and college in the UK has a STEM Club by 2012. Schools and colleges will be able to join the network either by affiliating an established extracurricular club or by starting a new one. The network caters for both pupils and teachers, and will hopefully revolutionise how both these groups interact with STEM subjects. For teachers the network will act as a one-stop shop where they can find everything they need to run their club successfully. For example, they will be able to log on and browse through hundreds of ‘off-the-shelf’ inspirational activities which are categorised by topic tags, such as forensics, chemistry and engineering. They will also able to get professional advice from a central support coordinator as well as personal support from a local STEMNET contact about how they might run their club and what activities they might engage with.

HARNESSING WEB 2.0 The most exciting aspect of the new STEM Clubs Network is the way in which it has harnessed Web 2.0 technology. As well as arming teachers with a wealth of online resources for teaching STEM subjects, the Network will act as an online platform to connect clubs all over the UK with each other so they can discuss everything from projects, experiments and activities they have worked on to the big science stories that are making the headlines. Each club will have the opportunity to create their own online public profile as part of the STEM Clubs Network. They will be able to update other schools about what they are working on and what they have planned for the future. The Network will utilise the whole spectrum of Web 2.0 technology and allow clubs to upload images, vodcasts and podcasts to their profile. The content of these will be completely up to the clubs and could range from a film showing an experiment they have done or a podcast about a trip they went on. They will even be able to put together a step-by-step guide for other clubs about how to run a project they enjoyed working on. Every club will also have a blog that pupils are encouraged to update themselves. This is a really important aspect of the network and will give pupils a chance to convey their interest in what they are learning to other clubs and the general public, including parents and other

Run by STEMNET in conjunction with the London Organising Committee of the Olympic Games (LOCOG), each challenge will take approximately one term to complete and could be to do with anything from sustainability to the design of athletes’ clothing. Throughout each term updates on the Challenges will be sent to STEM Clubs via vodcast, podcast and e-mail. Each challenge will look at real life issues that the STEM professionals behind the Olympics face. The first STEM Challenge launched at the end of September and is based on the theme of ‘Construction’. A panel of STEM Ambassadors will choose a shortlist of challenge entries and STEM Clubs themselves will be able to vote for the overall winner. The 10 overall winning teams will win ‘experience’ prizes related to the Olympics.

pupils. The blog, along with the other media that the clubs might wish to employ, will really make each club accessible to others and will hopefully inspire other pupils and indeed other schools to get involved with the Network. The possibilities are endless, and club leaders will be supported so that they are able to take full advantage of these new avenues.

and 40 per cent are women. Their dayjobs range from astrophysics to materials technology, web design to sustainability. Many STEM Ambassadors design and run new experiments for clubs and can often help organise trips both to their workplace and to museums or other venues.

THE 10 STEM CHALLENGES Any school that joins the STEM Clubs Network will also be invited to take part in 10 STEM Challenges that will see students tackling a range of issues relating to the London 2012 Games each term over the next two years.

REAL-LIFE ROLE MODELS Another valuable resource available to clubs through the STEM Clubs Network is the STEM Ambassadors programme, a group of 19,000 people working in STEM across the UK who work with local schools and colleges on a voluntary basis to run workshops, activities and experiments, give careers talks and mentor promising students. The STEM Ambassadors reflect the diversity of the STEM sector and challenges misperceptions about the kind of people who work in science and engineering. Over half the STEM Ambassadors are under 35

FOR MORE INFORMATION Teachers interested in setting up a STEM Club for their school or college should e-mail support@stemclubs.net to register their interest, or go to www.stemclubs. net to find out more information.

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