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Qfqual to call time on extra time?

Exam regulator Ofqual has raised concerns abount the amount of schools requesting extra time for exams, saying that some GCSE candidates may be at an unfair advantage due to access arrangements which give up to 25 per cent extra time to students who ‘may not’ be disabled, says the regulator.

And the great GCSE marking debate rumbles on, with an alliance of schools, pupils, unions and local councils serving legal papers on Ofqual, exam boards AQA and Edexcel. The papers challenge the regulators steadfast refusal to regrade.

Ofqual says it will ‘rigoursly defend’ the action, but the exam boards have kept quiet thus far. In other news, tougher tests are on the way for trainee teachers from next September, with the banning of calculators. Read more on page 87.

As author Adrienne Katz points out on page 17, Cyberbullying is a gamechanger and has the potential to hurt people in new and deeper ways than traditional bullying, partly due to the proliferation of mobile devices and 24/7 internet connectivity.

The results of a survey which questioned 9,000 young people throw up some thought provoking facts which could lead to progress in tackling the issue.

Staying with technology, BETT 2013 will be a bigger, better experience for educators next year, as the world leading education technology event moves to the more spacious confines of the ExCeL in the Docklands. See page 35 for a preview of what’s happening.

Finally, for the sixth consecutive year, the 2012 Education Business Awards will take place in December and will once again aim to recognise the achievements of schools from all sectors. The shortlists will be announced after the 5th of November, so keep your eyes on the website at ebawards.co.uk to see which schools will be involved.

Danny Wright

P ONLINE P IN PRINT P MOBILE P FACE TO FACE If you would like to receive 6 issues of Education Business magazine for £45 a year, please contact Public Sector Information Limited, 226 High Road, Loughton, Essex IG10 1ET. Tel: 020 8532 0055, Fax: 020 8532 0066, or visit the Education Business website at:

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226 High Rd, Loughton, Essex IG10 1ET. Tel: 020 8532 0055 Fax: 020 8532 0066 Web: www.psi-media.co.uk EDITORIAL DIRECTOR Danny Wright ASSISTANT EDITOR Angela Pisanu PRODUCTION EDITOR Karl O’Sullivan PRODUCTION CONTROL Jacqueline Lawford ONLINE PRODUCTION Reiss Malone ADVERTISEMENT SALES Carol Symons, Paul Beech, Kylie Glover Jake Deadman, Carl Skinner, Joanne Allen, Oz Mustapha PUBLISHER Karen Hopps ADMINISTRATION Victoria Leftwich, Lucy Carter GROUP PUBLISHER Barry Doyle REPRODUCTION & PRINT Argent Media

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Contents

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CONTENTS 55 ENERGY

Ofqual raises concerns over extra exam time; Lord Adonis urges private schools to support more academies

81 OUTDOOR LEARNING

Understanding the pattern of energy use in a building remains the fundamental insight upon which energy management strategies are built, explains ESTA’s Alan Aldridge.

Plus a look at the UK winners of the European U4energy competition, and a new Passivhaus school in Leeds

13 CONFLICT MANAGEMENT

A whole-school approach to conflict resolution is the best approach, argues Cheryl Smart from charity CRESST

The Duke of Edinburgh Award strengthens the school community by encouraging pupils, teachers and parents to work together in different settings

87 TRAINING

The Department for Education has announced a shakeup of teacher training, following complaints current tests were too easy

65 DESIGN & BUILD

17 ICT

Standardised Designs reaction to the Education Funding Agency’s much anticipated design guidance for the schools that will be built under the Government’s Priority School Building Programme

Mobile devices and 24/7 internet connectivity has exacerbated the problem of cyberbullying, writes Adrienne Katz, who reveals the results of an online questionnaire of 9,000 young people on the problem. Plus BCS, The Chartered Institute for IT, is looking for would-be computer science teachers to take up the new scholarship scheme announced recently by Michael Gove, and Jon Skinner, mathematics teacher at Hele’s school in Plymouth, talks about his recent visit to the T3 annual conference to brush up on his classroom technology skills

89 EB AWARDS

Primary and Secondary Schools from all sectors will be competing for a coveted Education Business Award on 6 December at the Emirates Stadium, London

71 CATERING

97 MUSIC

Jo Walker from the The Children’s Food Trust explains how to get more pupils claiming their free school meal

Bette Gray-Fow shares practical strategies for creating ‘a musical school’

107 SPECIAL EDUCATIONAL NEEDS

75 SPORT AND PLAY

With budgets so tight, how can a school provide sport facilities for the next generation of Olympians? SAPCA’S Chris Trickey reports. Plus Jon Dalton from the Register of Play Inspectors International, gives us the lowdown on the latest safety standards in play

35 BETT 2013

A spotlight is thrown on next year’s major technology event, which moves to London ExCeL to keep up with demand

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07 NEWS

Dr Kate Saunders explains the characteristics of dyslexia and the importance of adapting a different teaching approach so the child can flourish

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EDU TRIPSCATIONA L BUSINESS MAGAZINE Volume 17.6 | EDUCATION Open in to ne g young w po ssibili minds ties

EDUC ATIO N SH OW 20 11 - pr eview of the UK’s

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Wellington Academy, Tidworth Lloyds TSB Commercial customer

WE’VE HELPED MORE SCHOOLS CONVERT TO A NEW STYLE ACADEMY THAN ANY OTHER BANK. The journey to becoming an academy can be a daunting one.

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We’ve also created the Lloyds TSB Guide to Academy Status which is full of helpful information on the key considerations to becoming an academy, the process involved and useful case studies, to help you on your way.

And when you bank with us you will get free day-to-day banking* as well as interest paid on every penny of your balance, so you can make the most of your resources.

To find out how your school can benefit from our help call 0800 681 6078 or visit www.lloydstsb.com/bankingforschools

New style academies refers to academies created under the 2010 Academies Act. †Figure as at 31 December 2011. *Free day-to-day banking applies to state schools only and includes day-to-day tariff transactions such as cheques, standing orders, cash, UK Sterling Direct Debits, deposits and withdrawals. All we ask is that you operate your account in credit or within agreed limits. Note that charges for other services may apply. Calls may be monitored or recorded. Lloyds TSB Commercial is a trading name of Lloyds TSB Bank plc and Lloyds TSB Scotland plc and serves customers with an annual turnover of up to £15m.

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EXAMS

NEWS IN BRIEF

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Fall in five GCSE pupils

Ofqual figures show a rise in penalties and requests for extra exam time The latest figures from exam regular Ofqual show a rise in the number of schools and colleges facing written warnings or being penalised for malpractice, and an increase in the amount of schools requesting extra time, which has raised concerns. During the 2012 exam season, the regulator issued 130 penalties for malpractice, compared with just 56 the previous year. In most cases (119) they were given a written warning, but in five cases, exam boards withdrew permission for the schools to act as exam centres. Ofqual’s figures reveal the main reasons for issuing penalties to schools were breaches of security (exam papers being opened too early, or giving inappropriate assistance to candidates). Other reasons included allowing candidates to sit the exam at the wrong time or a lack of supervision during it.

The rise was attributed to Edexcel toughening up its procedures for dealing with allegations of malpractice and insisting on delivering written warnings to all schools and colleges found guilty of malpractice. In the past, many had received a more informal ticking off.

Student Malpractice The report also reveals a total of 2,550 students were penalised for malpractice during this year’s exams - with the largest number being for bringing mobile telephones or other electronic gadgets into the exam room.

The penalties varied, with 728 receiving a warning, 1,279 having marks deducted and 543 being either disqualified from the unit being examined or the overall qualification.

“Candidates who bring a mobile phone into an exam room but do not have their phone at their desk might receive a warning whereas candidates found using a mobile phone during an exam might be disqualified from the unit or the qualification in that exam series,” the report adds.

Other common forms of malpractice include plagiarism, copying or collusion (415 cases) and writing obscene or offensive comments on the exam paper (250). In addition, 60 teachers were penalised - with 23 of them suspended from any further involvement in exams or assessments, mostly for giving “inappropriate”

assistance to candidates during the exam.

The regulator has expressed concern over a rise in the number of candidates granted extra time to finish their exams with a separate report saying Ofqual is “concerned that in some cases extra time is being given to candidates to help them improve their grades rather than to address a significant disadvantage”.

The statistics also show the number of requests for candidates to be given extra time (up to 25 per cent more) went up from 122,214 to 128,744 this year. The regulator acknowledged the increase could be down to better diagnosis of disability but warned against allowing to help candidates achieve a higher grade.

Extra time concerns Fiona Pethick, director of regulation at Ofqual, said: “We are concerned that some centres have given extra time to candidates who are not disabled. Many candidates may achieve better results in their exams if they had more time in which to complete them.

“If the system of timed exams and other assessments is to be fair, extra time must only be given to disabled candidates or in a limited number of cases, to candidates who have a short-term injury or illness which affects the speed with which they can complete their exams.”

Examiners granted around 93 per cent of requests made for special consideration during the summer. Pupils can apply for additional marks worth up to five per cent of their total score for illnesses, injuries, family deaths or other unforeseen incidents on the day of the exam that may have affected their performance.

The most common reasons (typically worth two per cent) include hay fever, a recent virus and a broken limb on the mend. Pupils can also gain additional points worth one per cent for noise outside the exam hall, a headache, stress or minor upset caused by administrative problems.

Ofqual said that 365,900 requests for additional marks and 93.3 per cent were approved.

THE LATEST REPORT... www.ofqual.gov.uk

Fewer teenagers scored at least five Cs at GCSE this year - the first time drop in almost a decade. Figures show that 58.6 per cent of pupils in England gained five A*-C grades, including English and maths - down almost half a percent on 2011. Statisticians said the drop was down to fewer English entries from private schools. But concerns were also raised that the fall was linked to the widely publicised problems with the grading of some GCSE English papers.

Sixth formers to be offered courses in real life maths The Department for Education is funding the development of new-style lessons designed to teach teenagers about the practical application of maths at home and the workplace.

The courses, for sixth-formers and college students in England, will focus on spreadsheets, risk, estimation, statistics, interpretation of graphs and exponential growth and decay.

GCSE legal action launched

A total of 150 schools, 42 councils, six professional bodies and 167 pupils have formed an alliance to launch legal action against exam regulator Ofqual and exam boards AQA and Edexcel.

The papers challenge the examiners’ decision to raise the marks needed to get a C grade between January and June. They also challenge Ofqual’s refusal to reverse that decision.

An Ofqual spokesperson said the regulator would “rigorously defend” its decisions. AQA and Edexcel said they would not be making further comment.

Heseltine calls on employers to play education role A report by Lord Heseltine marks out a much greater role for employers in educating young people. The report, No stone unturned in pursuit of growth, challenges the Government to take bolder action to stimulate economic growth, and suggests as to how employers can work more closely with training providers and schools. tinyurl.com/cfp93hs

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For more information call, click or come and meet our friendly team at the BETT Show.

Schools Broadband Suite 4, Dalesway House, Ilkley, Leeds LS29 9LA t. 01133 222 333 e. info@schoolsbroadband.co.uk w. www.schoolsbroadband.co.uk Schools Broadband is a specialist division of Talk Straight

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SCHOOL UNIFORM

OFT asks schools to bring down the cost of uniforms The Office of Fair Trading (OFT) has written to 29,500 state schools asking them to review their uniform policies. The OFT says parents are paying £50m a year too much for school uniform according to a survey of state schools across the UK, which found that when uniform items can only be purchased from certain retailers or suppliers selected by the school, prices can be as much as £5 to £10 higher than if families were able to freely shop around. Schools were warned back in 2009 to ensure that their uniforms were available from a number of suppliers and were not prohibitively expensive.

The survey also found that 74 per cent of state schools continue to place restrictions on where some uniform items can be bought. In one example, the average price for a sweatshirt for

a secondary school boy was £12 under a restricted arrangement, whereas an indicative price when sold by competing retailers is £8 and £5 from a supermarket..

Survey results show that schools use a single supplier for a number of reasons, but the OFT believes schools can still have smart school uniform policies without appointing a single supplier. Susan Oxley, assistant director in the OFT’s Goods and Consumer Group, said: ‘When schools require that uniforms are bought from a preferred supplier or shop it can act as a ‘tax’ on families, which mostly goes to the chosen retailers. However, when families are able to shop around it can drive competition and bring down prices for all.”

NEWS IN BRIEF Welsh school acts on asbestos Plans to move 900 pupils from a high school where asbsestos was discovered have been approved. Pupils of Cwmcarn High School near Caerphilly, which closed on October 12, will move to Coleg Gwent’s campus in Ebbw Vale while the issue is resolved. The move will cost up to £1.4m.

Meanwhile, unions are calling on Westminster to follow the lead of the Welsh Government and order a national audit of the asbestos in UK schools. The government claims to be working with the Health and Safety Executive to make sure asbestos is managed properly by schools.

Stratford Academy head issues fine for strikers Andrew Seager, head of the Stratford Academy in east London, has become the first to fine teachers for taking part in a nationwide work-to-rule, prompting a strike at the school.

Seager said industrial action was jeopardising four years of improved GCSE exam results at the school. The academy operated a reduced timetable when NUT and NASUWT union members walked out after the Academy threatened to dock teachers’ pay by 15 per cent if they took part in the work-to-rule, insisting that it represented a breach of contract.

tinyurl.com/botdag6

Boris Johnson unveils plans to boost education in the capital

ACADEMY BUILDING

Queen stays for dinner at new Drapers’ Academy The Queen was served a special school dinner as she officialy opened the new £24m Drapers Academy in Romford.

Her Majesty took an extensive tour of the Academy, which included enjoying lunch with some of the children and staff in the school canteen. The catering team rose to the challenge of preparing a meal fit for The Queen, led by community chef Mark Borrell, that included ham hock terrine, canon of lamb and roasted rhubarb and ginger crème brulee. The Queen also watched science experiments

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and pupils performing a scene from the musical Little Shop Of Horrors, which was put on to rave reviews last summer.

Her tour of the new building took in the sports hall where she watched pupils using the climbing wall, cricket nets and trampolines. The visit concluded with the Queen unveiling a foundation stone in the main entrance to mark occasion.

Year 10 pupil Grace Taylor presented a posy of flowers.

The Queen commented that the Academy “is a great asset to the community.”

These include securing new sites for more free schools, the establishment of a new fund to boost teaching and the creation of a new ‘London Curriculum’ aimed at inspiring young Londoners to develop deeper learning in their fields of study.

The announcement coincides with the publication of a report from the Education Inquiry, which the Mayor commissioned to examine the challenges facing London’s schools.

Charlie Dimmock kickstarts Lambeth’s first green schools recycling programme at St. Bede’s Recyclebank together with Lambeth Council launched Lambeth’s first Green Schools programme at St. Bede’s Roman Catholic Infant & Nursery School with the help of gardening expert and broadcaster, Charlie Dimmock. As part of the Green Schools programme, St. Bede’s is asking local residents and parents to donate the Recyclebank points they have accumulated in return for recycling responsibly. Dimmock said: “Children’s interests and perceptions are formed early on in life and I think it is vital that we educate them on the environment at a grassroots level.”

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ACADEMIES

Lord Adonis urges private schools to back academies Many private schools are failing to fulfil their original charitable purpose, according to Lord Adonis. The former schools minister said the independent sector must not separate itself from state education and called on private schools to become more active in academies.

Speaking ahead of the London Festival of Education, Lord Adonis said: “To those in the private school world who are reluctant to embrace academies, I appeal to their professionalism and their charitable missions.

“With the academies programme, supported across the political spectrum, they have an opportunity to engage in state-funded education without compromising their independence, renewing for the 21st century their essential moral and charitable purposes.”

Lord Adonis said leading private schools, such as Harrow and Eton, were all set up for charitable reasons: “I could go on through the founding charters of hundreds of private schools. It shouldn’t take the Charity Commission to challenge private school foundations about their charitable missions.

“With each passing decade many of these schools have become more not less exclusive, and for generations now, few of them have done anything radical to reconnect with their charitable purposes. Most of them are seeking to provide a few more bursaries. But this is hardly enough when they could also be running academies whose central purpose is

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the very mission for which their assets were originally intended.”

The Independent Schools Council said its schools showed their responsibility in a rich variety of ways. Matthew Burgess, general secretary, said: “Lord Adonis draws attention to our sector’s longevity and, in so doing, demonstrates why many are right to be wary of government-sponsored, totemic policies particularly when they are painted as moral duties.The courts recognised last year, in upholding our judicial review of the Charity Commission, that there is no ‘one size fits all’ model of charitable engagement.

ACADEMY FUNDING Councils should have more power over academies, says LGA Councils should be given back powers to monitor the performance of academies in areas where they form more than half of all secondary schools in order to prevent standards in education from slipping, according to the Local Government Association. Council leaders are concerned that as the number of academies grows, it will become impossible for the performance of such a large number of schools to be monitored from the centre. They fear that without local oversight, standards in schools may fall.

Speaking ahead of a debate on the future role of councils in education at the National Children and Adult Services Conference, Councillor David Simmonds, chairman of the LGA’s Children and Young People Board, said: “Once the majority of secondary schools in an area have converted to academies, does the Secretary of State have the capacity to monitor the performance of, and provide support to individual schools? We are concerned that by sheer weight of numbers some academies may be left to fall through the cracks.”

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Speak to Technogym today about ways to include fitness and wellbeing into your school and the curriculum. Drive community links and develop a secondary income through our FREE GYM OFFER.

These excellent new facilities will help boost the general health and well being of fee paying local residents living within a 10 mile radius of the school.

This initiative will ensure students benefit from state-of-the-art fitness facilities while schools are able to drive secondary income from the facilities through members of the local community. Technogym has joined forces with its partners to be able to offer schools this opportunity with zero capital outlay for the school.

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BEHAVIOUR MANAGEMENT

It is vital to give young people the training they need to resolve conflict and the opportunity to practise the skills they’ve learned.

Children fighting on the playground, teachers struggling to control a difficult class, parents arguing about the time their teenager should be home, neighbour disputes over land boundaries or anti social behaviours, protests against tyrannical leaders – conflict happens.

Wherever people interact there will be conflict: it’s a dynamic and normal part of everyday life. Usually our disagreements and problems are quickly sorted out but some are not resolved quite so easily: situations can become fraught and tensions can quickly escalate and result in negative consequences for the disputants and for the whole community.

CONFLICT RESOLUTION SKILLS We all have to deal with conflict and the skill lies in how we deal with it to transform the conflict into an opportunity to make lives better and build positive relationships.

These conflict resolution skills can work just as effectively in our families, classrooms and communities as they do in situations of extreme violence and war. They also work within ourselves which is where peace begins.

Conflict Resolution Education (CRE) is about learning to deal with conflict in a positive way: it is not about conflict avoidance or making light of complex and difficult situations.

It is about understanding the nature of conflict and how human beings react to it.

It is about learning that verbal and physical violence, while sometimes understandable, are abuses of power and a failure to respect the dignity of another human being.

UNDERSTANDING THE CONTEXT Additional leadership skills may be required to deal with conflict where one party has ‘the right’ to control and manage the behaviour of others, such as parents, teachers, employers, the police and the law courts. Getting cooperation and making your intentions and values clear are essential skills for leaders and those that impose discipline.

Sometimes people assume power, like bullies and tyrants, and dealing with this form of conflict, may require different strategies.

Behaviours will not change until the causes of conflict are dealt with or until it is realised that a change of behaviour will meet the need without the associated costs. Whatever the

type of conflict the cause is always to do with unmet needs such as security, respect, justice, recognition, inclusion and control. Behaviour is always governed by our own attitudes, thoughts, feelings and perceptions. It is important to remind ourselves and teach out children that people will see things differently.

Many people enjoy the excitement and drama of conflict and do not understand when others fear and avoid it.

“There can be few tasks more important to our society than teaching young people creative and non-violent ways of handling conflict,” Lampen and Lampen (1997).

SKILLS TO DEAL WITH CONFLICT Start with yourself: develop your thinking skills. As Gandhi said: “Be the change you want to see in the World.”

If you want a compassionate, caring community then you have to be compassionate and care for yourself and others. It is important to understand that the only person you can really control is yourself and that can be very difficult when you are in emotional turmoil.

NON ALIENATING COMMUNICATION Watch out for any aggressive body language: towering over someone, arms folded, hands on hips, finger wagging, angry facial expressions. Speak only in the first person, express the facts of the situation, what you are feeling, what you need and why. Avoid accusing, blaming, judgements or arguments.

Recognise the problem and ask to talk for a while without getting into rights or wrongs.

Listen in such a way as to really get what is being said. Take in body language and tone of voice. Concentrate on what is being said with compassion and empathy. Listen for the feelings behind the words. Don’t interrupt. Don’t fill your mind with what you are going to say next. If the other person is rude, accuses or blames try to avoid reacting.

Reflect back what you think you heard.

Check out that you have got this right.

Invite the other person to check out what they have heard from you.

Written by Cheryl Smart, CRESST

SHARPEN YOUR SKILLS TO DEAL WITH CONFLICT

thoughtful choice as to how to behave.

Is it OK to hurt someone who hurts you first? Do two wrongs make a right? These are fundamental questions that need to be considered if people are to move away from techniques to deal with conflict that so blatantly do not work in the long term.

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WORK TOGETHER Work together to identify the problem and ideas to solve it. Leave aside your position and check out the interests and needs of both sides. Try to find some common ground and build on this. Acknowledge the differences. Creatively brain storm and use solution focussed ideas to find a winwin agreement where nobody feels like the loser or leaves feeling humiliated.

There are a number of models for introducing and embedding CRE within the school. The most effective programmes combine action to support the whole school population, including adults, with specific targeted support for those with or at risk of developing problems in relation to conflict.

So step back, breathe, and observe your emotional reactions to the threats to your well being, property or status, and the very human desire to be ‘right’ and to punish the ‘wrong’. Understand that there are always two sides to every story and that people are very different in all sorts of ways for all sorts of reasons. Picture the consequences of the conflict escalating and imagine the lasting damage it could do to your life and the lives of those involved.

Decide if this situation needs to be confronted or ignored, consider your options. Don’t just react but make a

Plan how this can be practically implemented and plan what to do if things don’t work out.

Find as least one quality in the other that you respect and appreciate and find the words to convey that. Many of the world’s worst conflicts and continued suffering have been caused by our inability to recognise others as human beings with feelings and needs just like our own. Forgive yourself and others when you don’t get it right and your best intentions result in failure to find a resolution. We are only human: few of us are saintly and these skills can take a lot to practise and perfect. E

Volume 17.6 | EDUCATION BUSINESS MAGAZINE

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BEHAVIOUR MANAGEMENT

E A WHOLE SCHOOL APPROACH There are a number of models for introducing and embedding CRE within the school.

The most effective programmes combine action to support the whole school population, including adults, with specific targeted support for those with or at risk of developing problems in relation to conflict.

Schools adopting this approach become places where resolution techniques are modelled by adults and older pupils, where pupils are encouraged to talk things over and get problems sorted and where mediation and restorative support by adults or older pupils is on offer.

The challenge for schools then is to ensure that all their stakeholders, be they parents, governors, staff or students, all develop a shared understanding of conflict and identify the priority actions needed to develop a culture where people are not afraid to speak out if they have concerns.

Problems are discussed and resolved rather than treated as personal insults. Everyone is taught to recognise bullying behaviour and how to deal with it assertively and where to seek the support they may need.

This whole school approach cannot afford to stop at the classroom door or the school gate. Parents, youth leaders and members of the community must be involved if the work in schools is to have a transformational impact. Our children’s education is not limited to the school curriculum and, just as schools cannot be left out of community projects, so the community should not be left out of school projects.

PEER SUPPORT Sorting out conflicts in schools can take up a lot of valuable teaching time and pupils and teachers who are upset by conflict find it difficult to concentrate and focus. More

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This whole school approach cannot afford to stop at the classroom. Parents, youth leaders and members of the community must be involved. often than not, when conflict occurs between pupils, adults will intervene and make quick decisions that don’t allow young people the chance to sort things out themselves.

Young people themselves may even invite this intervention by adults because it’s easier than practising challenging skills or because they feel threatened by the situation they’re in. It’s important however that we give young people the training they need to resolve conflict and also the opportunity to practise the skills they’ve learned.

Peer mediation schemes are particularly important in supporting pupils with relationship difficulties and the peer mediators act as good role models for others. An active peer mediation scheme allows disputants to practise the skills of conflict resolution as mediators do not tell people what they must do but support people through the resolution process. Peer mediators are not expected to put themselves in danger, break up fights or deal with angry difficult people.

Pupils who are trained as peer supporters and who then volunteer their services and help others are engaged in Active Citizenship, a requirement of the Citizenship programme of study. A peer mediation scheme is a highly regarded Active Citizen Project and can be incorporated into Youth Achievement and Duke of Edinburgh Awards.

Employers are seeking workers who have a degree of emotional maturity and abilities to work well with colleagues and as part of a team. A certificate that shows someone has volunteered as a mediator will be an invaluable part of a CV.

We all have an identity in which to express ourselves and a social niche in which to succeed. Even the dunce, joker, bully or victim enjoys success of sorts. Providing children with positive roles, through student involvement and peer support schemes which are well supported by staff and pupils reduces the need to take on negative roles or belong to exclusive groups or gangs. A peer support service could include peer coaching, peer mentoring, peer tutoring as well as peer mediation. Many of the skills are transferable.

There are no easy, quick-fix answers to conflict resolution: a few conflict resolution lessons and a peer mediation scheme will not, on their own, transform the school environment into one of peace and harmony.

But if we want to start creating a world with less suffering and happier relationships then we had best start somewhere.

ABOUT CRESST CRESST is a small local charity based in Sheffield. It is dedicated to helping children and young people learn conflict resolution skills that can be used in their schools and communities. Case studies and further information can be found on the website.

Cheryl Smart, the coordinator for nine years, also has a lead role in the Peer Mediation Network. L FOR MORE INFORMATION website: www.cresst.org.uk facebook: www.facebook. com/cresstsheffield email: admin@cresst.org.uk

Volume 17.6 | EDUCATION BUSINESS MAGAZINE

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The first ebook solution specifically designed for schools RM Books makes it easy for schools to use ebooks.

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CYBERBULLYING AND E-SAFETY: NEW APPROACHES Cyberbullying hurts people in new and deeper ways than traditional bullying, and the proliferation of mobile devices and 24/7 internet connectivity exacerbates the problem.

Adrienne Katz, author of a new book entitled Cyberbullying and e-safety: what educators need to know, presents the findings of The Cybersurvey, an online questionnaire which gathered responses from 9000 young people.

‘I’d die without my BlackBerry’ said a girl in the Cybersurvey project. Last week her addiction to her phone was echoed by others who displayed ‘nomophobia’: the word coined to describe the fear of being without your trusty mobile. One fifth of young adults would rather starve for 24 hours than go without their mobile and one in ten even wake at night to check their phone. Almost half said looking at their phone was the first thing they did in the morning, according to a report from O2’s insurance arm.

This need to conduct life through the handset is a driving force for teenagers culminating in a peak at age 14-15 when cyberbullying is at its height. It can lead to lack of sleep and anxiety, depression and even tragically, suicide for a few who are severely victimised.

GREATER POTENTIAL FOR HURT Cyberbullying, though originating with the same motivation as bullying in the real world has a greater impact. There is no doubt that for young people and adults alike, Cyberbullying is a gamechanger. It hurts people in new and deeper ways than traditional bullying and there is a relationship between the two types of bullying that is reinforcing and mutually sustaining.

Smartphones have taken matters to a new dimension. Mobile phones with cameras had already produced a major change in cyberbullying behaviour when they became widespread a few years ago, but now we are moving on to a world of constant internet access, GPS location devices, Bluetooth and Apps which even allow companies to harvest personal information from a children’s game.

The recent tragic death of Amanda Todd in Canada with her YouTube video caused shock waves, while the loss of Clara Pugsley, a E

Volume 17.6 | EDUCATION BUSINESS MAGAZINE

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LearnPad A look at ways to fit ICT into different areas of the curriculum

We know that ICT is already effectively being used in many conventional ways within classrooms to support learning, using equipment such as laptops or desktops. So what about looking at using different and innovative technology solutions and the ways in which we can integrate them into different areas of learning and the curriculum?

European Electronique a leading technology company with over twenty years’ experience delivering ICT solutions to the education sector, have been working closely with recognised education pioneer Marc Faulder, primary teacher at John Davies Primary School in Nottinghamshire, and one of the pioneers of ‘games based learning’, to showcase how tablet devices can be used to transform teaching and learning in schools.

Marc comments; ‘At John Davies we are extending our work with tablets in classrooms through a LearnPad venture with Toshiba.

Using their software and AT300 tablets, we are looking at using a group of 4 tablets between 2 key stages in school. Foundation Stage, Year 4 and Year 6 will be sharing 4 devices and making use of the LearnPad management profiles from. This will enable teachers to launch configured profiles of age related apps for their class by ‘checking in’ each device to their classroom, using QR codes.

Teachers will be creating profiles of Apps which have been designed by education specialists. These profiles are created online, via the staff’s laptop. When the teacher collects the tablets and checks them in using a QR code, their profile is launched on the tablet. This eases the management of several devices and means class sets of tablets may not be necessary’.

European Electronique’s team will work closely with Marc to provide training and support, ensuring that the devices are used effectively.

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E-SAFETY E young woman in Ireland in the same month, brings it nearer to home. A series of suicides have been linked to cyber homophobic bullying among boys. There is no doubt that the long term impacts for those who are victimised, mobbed and isolated can be devastating, but for many it is a way of life to which they have adapted and we see how resilient and competent many young people are as they micro manage their social lives, reputations and romantic relationships via their mobile handsets.

CHALLENGES FOR EDUCATORS Smartphones, games consoles and tablets present new challenges for educators as a child can access the internet in the palm of his hand at any time of the day or night. If one family has set the filter on their child’s handset you can bet there is another that has not. In the UK, providers offer cheap ‘all the data you can eat’ packages, allowing young people to stay connected 24/7.

This changing scene demanded that we consider how well we were educating young people to stay safe and what new steps might be needed. While there is extensive research on approaches to address traditional bullying, research on cyberbullying is merely a decade old. If we are to give advice that is future proof, relevant and which young people ‘own’, it seemed we should ask their views first and evaluate how well we are doing now.

YOUNG PEOPLE’S VIEWS The Cybersurvey, an online questionnaire and series of workshops, was devised to hear from young people – to explore their experiences online and via mobiles, and to ask about the e-safety education they had received.

Developed in the Midlands with a strong youth participation approach, I sought advice from e-safety champions, local safeguarding boards, anti-bullying co-ordinators and young shadow safeguarding boards such as in Dudley Metropolitan Borough Council. The development phase took nine months as we trialled and tested the questions and discussed them with young people. Essex County Council then kindly piloted it further. The final online questionnaire was first used in 2009 and has been run every year since then often several times a year in different areas. It revealed peaks in cyberbullying at age 10-11 and 1415; different patterns of behaviour experienced by boys and girls; some very vulnerable groups of young people who need extra support.

The survey also revealed that e-safety education is reaching an ever-wider range of young people who stated that although the quality of the e-safety education was good or quite good, and generally given at the right age, too few actually follow it. Age 14-15 are the age group least likely to follow the advice when compared to all other age groups. Only 26 per centalways follow it.

A series of workshops was undertaken to explore the data with young people and

Smartphones, games consoles and tablets present new challenges for educators as a child can access the internet in the palm of his hand at any time of the day or night. If one family has set the filter on their child’s handset you can bet there is another that has not. develop ideas for new ways to deliver e-safety advice and to prevent cyberbullying as well as improve how to respond if it occurs.

Young people were unanimous in rejecting assemblies about e-safety, they preferred practical demonstration in small groups and workshops - information given in ‘bite size chunks’ and re-visited from time to time.

A series of lesson plans and short activities was developed with the aim of instilling a sense of ownership among them. By asking them to pitch their ideas, Dragons’ Den style, the whole room was energised and several innovative suggestions were given.

Drama, art, English, History. ICT and film are some of the curriculum areas in which this work can be embedded, while older pupils can be supported to train younger ones.

In a series of training events with teachers we looked at school procedures. At the heart of school policy there were some important

messages. Firstly the schools’ Anti-Bullying Policy did not always interact successfully with their policy on ‘Acceptable Use of ICT’, or work seamlessly with Safeguarding and Child Protection policy. Some messages were commonly required in all of them while every member of staff needed to know what to do in case of a serious incident. Very often ICT managers were digitally skilled but lacked training in effective listening and mediation for example, while front line teachers had effective listening skills but might lack the digital skills to deal with a cyberbullying or threatening case. Many teachers could not identify a report abuse button. Few knew how to tell when a website was secure.

GOOD PRACTICE But some schools have excellent practice. In a recent report for the Office of the Children’s Commissioner on safeguarding in E

Survey question: If you were taught about how to stay safe online, would you follow this advice?

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Universal education on e-safety and cyberbullying works for the majority. It is joined by a targeted level for people known to be vulnerable or to have difficulties understanding such as those with special needs or those in care.

E primary schools, ‘You have Someone To Trust’ the author worked alongside a team from the NSPCC. In the best examples, schools displayed a seamless strategy in which every member of staff had responsibility for safeguarding. No concern was too small to be worth reporting. Communication was excellent involving teaching and support staff, external agencies, parents and pupils. The ethos and culture of the school was given wholehearted attention, while underscoring this were effective procedures and training. This could be seen as a blueprint for also addressing cyberbullying and e-safety. We need an integrated approach in which every aspect of safeguarding is working together rather than a raft of policies gathering dust on a shelf.

URBAN PHENOMENON But in too many primary schools there is a tendency to think that cyberbullying does not affect their pupil community, especially

in rural areas where some explained to the Cybersurvey that they saw ‘Cyberbullying as an urban phenomenon’. Teachers need to address it early with age appropriate materials and pre-empt the ‘scary threatening messages and chainletters’ received by the ten year olds on their mobiles, before they reach that stage.

Furthermore for young people, especially teens to take any notice of the advice, it needs to be relevant to their lives. The first question of many workshops is ‘What do you do online?’ Followed by ‘What risks might there be? And ‘How do/would you avoid harm?’ This route to exploring their story in which they feature as the key player makes it real to teenagers and together educator and pupils can enter a dialogue and an exploration of how to keep safe rather than handing down some rigid rules in a top down model. Short activities which reinforce the messages should be repeatedly tried along with some longer sessions in which ways to keep safe are explored and demonstrated.

Looking to the future it is time for a new appraisal of how we deliver e-safety messages, and the content of the messages.

The model of e-safety education developed in this book, ‘Cyberbullying and e-safety: what educators and other professionals need to know’ is a 3 tier one. Universal education on e-safety and cyberbullying works for the majority. It is joined by a targeted level for people known to be vulnerable or to have difficulties understanding such as those with special needs or those in care.

At the top of this triangle is intensive work with a few particularly needy students who may have reported complex or severe cyberbullying, they may be bullied in school, suffer a personal loss or have other personal difficulties which might lead to them searching online for intimacy or friendship or taking risks with people they do not know.

YOUTH PARTICIPATION This is a call for a youth participation approach rather than a top down model in which rules are given from on high and obedience is expected. The most creative sessions explore whether certain actions are ‘safe in some circumstances’ and what those circumstance could be. Alongside this concept of ‘ownership’ is ‘support’ for those for whom the universal level of advice and support is simply not sufficient.

Finally, without evaluation we cannot know whether any approach is successful. L ABOUT THE AUTHOR Adrienne Katz is the author of Cyberbullying and e-safety: what educators need to know’ published

by Jessica Kingsley Publishers, London and Philadelphia www.jkp.com. The Cybersurvey is run by Youthworks Consulting - www.youthworksconsulting. co.uk. ‘You have someone to trust’, a report on safeguarding in primary schools by NSPCC and Youthworks for the Office of the Children’s Commissioner was published in September 2012.

Popular Hollyoaks soap storyline addresses cyber bullying Channel 4 soap Hollyoaks is set to explore the issue of cyberbullying as part of an ongoing storyline. Viewers have recently seen sixth form student Esther bullied by her group of friends, in particular Queen Bee Maddie, and the bullying is set to get much worse over the coming weeks, leaving Esther in a lonely place.

When fellow student Dylan creates a new microblogging site, ‘DocYou‘ to enter a filmmaking competition, the other sixth formers misuse it and it becomes a platform to broadcast humiliating content about Esther leaving her unable to escape the torment.

DocYou was created by Lime Pictures’ digital team and commissioned by Channel 4 Education, it will explore the issues raised in the main TV drama, taking the lives of its sixth form characters online, with a range of compelling and exclusive content, building on the in-show

storylines and released in the form of videos, photos and text posts, highlighting major challenges faced by British teenagers including cyber bullying, relationships, privacy and the dangers and pitfalls of revealing too much online. The project is supported by BeatBullying.

Advice and support will be provided on the official Hollyoaks website (www.e4.com/hollyoaks), including behind the scenes videos of the cast talking about the issues raised and their own experiences of beating the bullies, as well as a dedicated Facebook page which allows the audience to get involved by expressing their views on the events taking place and sharing their own experiences.

Hollyoaks will also work with BeatBullying offline in a series of events and initiatives that will see some of the Hollyoaks cast train and shadow as cyber mentors to raise awareness of the issues of bullying.

Volume 17.6 | EDUCATION BUSINESS MAGAZINE

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The Little Green Button is a software panic alarm that is perfect for organisations of all sizes that face the public. It appears as a discreet, positionable icon that floats on-top of your other applications; simply double-click to request assistance.

Launched in 2004, the Little Green Button now supports many thousands of educational, healthcare, governmental, and commercial sites around the globe. The low price, simple installation and low maintenance continue to make it the number one choice for computer based panic alarms.

With an average of 878 children taken out of class per day on the grounds of abuse or assault, there has never been a more pressing need to be able to summon assistance quickly and discreetly. With the increasing availability of computers in the classroom and the prohibitive cost of a hard-wired system, the Little Green Button is the perfect solution. Some of the key features include: • It’s a server-less system, buttons communicate peer to peer.

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What our customers say about the Little Green Button “…We have used the little green button for quite a while now and have found it brilliant. We are a very spread out school and classrooms are well spaced, but to have the security of the little green button available for incidents and emergencies has made all staff feel much safer with help closely at hand. We had our Ofsted visit last year and they were looking at safeguarding issues amongst other areas and the inspectors were extremely impressed by our little green button and this went a good way to our excellent report. We would recommend this to all schools, we ourselves would not like to be without it.’.” “ We found it very easy to install and use.

It required minimal staff training.” “…gave us the perfect security tool. It is always there, we know someone will always be available to see and respond. Basically, it is perfect! Thank you for such a well thought out and useful, simple tool!!’

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ICT CURRICULUM

TEACHERS REQUIRED TO RING THE ICT CHANGES

Recently we have seen some tremendous changes to the ICT curriculum, leaving some teachers confused, others excited and many simply in need of support so they can meet the new requirements. One of the biggest changes is the disapplication of the ICT curriculum which came into effect in September and follows an earlier announcement by Michael Gove endorsing the importance of computer science as part of the school curriculum. This was followed by the much respected Royal Society report Shut down or restart; the way forward for Computing in UK schools to which BCS made a substantial contribution.

The report echoed Gove’s announcement and identified three strands to ICT education: Digital Literacy is the ability to access, use, and express oneself using digital technology, including a critical understanding of technology’s impact on the individual and society.

Information Technology covers the use and application of digital systems to develop technological solutions purposefully

and creatively.

Computer Science is the subject discipline that explains how computer systems work, how they are designed and programmed, and the fundamental principles of information and computation.

Written by Bill Mitchell, director of BCS Academy of Computing

BCS, The Chartered Institute for IT, is looking for would-be computer science teachers to take up the new scholarship scheme announced recently by Michael Gove. The scheme, which has the backing of major industry names including Microsoft, IBM, BT, Facebook, Meta Switch Networks and Ocado, aims to help meet the urgent need for computer science teachers. Bill Mitchell, director of BCS Academy of Computing, explains the latest developments in the aim to change the ICT curriculum.

sion Our vi very is for ey school ar g secondoutstandin e e to hav uter scienc comp ers. At the teach nt there is mome k of such a lac chers tea

A NEW PROGRAMME OF STUDY In late August 2012 the Department for Education invited BCS and the Royal Academy of Engineering to coordinate the drafting of a new Programme of Study for ICT. In discussion with the DfE, BCS and the Royal Academy of Engineering, it was decided to form a small working party to write a first draft, and publish this in late October, seeking broad comment and feedback. The draft will be revised during November and December in the light of that feedback, which will then be published, along with the Programmes of Study for other

subjects, for full public consultation in the Spring of 2013. The working party included several school teachers, together with representation from Naace, CAS, ITTE, Vital, and Next Gen Skills. It met for the first time on 19 September, and completed the draft by 22 October as required by DfE. We all believe that it’s vital that right from primary school to secondary school, pupils are taught how our digital world works and how to invent new digital worlds for themselves. With the new ICT programme of study we will be looking to follow through on the recommendations of the Royal Society’s Shut down or re-start report to create a balanced curriculum that gives students the opportunities to study digital skills and literacy, information technology and computer science. E

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ICT CURRICULUM E FREEDOM TO SUIT PUPILS The draft programme of study will allow schools the freedom to apply it in a way that suits their pupils while ensuring that children have the opportunities to experience real computing, gain the skills they need to operate in today’s digital society, understand the application of IT in the workplace and learn the essentials of computer science. Our aim is to ensure students have an intellectually rigorous, inspiring and excellent computer science education that equips them for progression into further education and a professional career.

To do this, we need teachers who can teach computer science. Our vision is for every secondary school to have outstanding computer science teachers. At the moment there is a real lack of such teachers.

To overcome this, the Department for Education has introduced a new scholarship scheme which BCS will administer on their behalf. The scheme will see around 50 scholarships a year awarded. Each will be worth £20,000 for those engaged in an initial teacher training course with the funding supplied by the Department for Education. We will also broker mentoring and development opportunities for those who take up the scholarship with schools, universities and major employers.

MASTER TEACHERS The scheme is intended to be part of a range of activities that nurture future computer science ‘Master Teachers’ who will lead innovation both within their own school and in collaboration with other schools.

Collaboration is one of the key things that we believe will help teachers gain confidence in their teaching of computer science. It is also one of the quickest ways to share best practice, expertise and knowledge. Therefore together with Computing At School, we have also been busy developing a variety of initiatives that aim to connect more teachers and support our belief that computer science should form an important part of a broad and balanced new ICT curriculum.

The aim is to build teaching capacity in our schools so that the UK can remain at the forefront of excellence in computer science.

One such initiative is the launch of our Network of Teaching Excellence in Computer Science; a joint initiative with Computing At School. The Network has received a £150,000 grant from the Department for Education in addition to generous support from Microsoft, the Council of Professors and Heads of Computing (CPHC), OCR, AQA and Google. The aim is to co-ordinate and provide training opportunities for existing teachers and trainee teachers.

OVERWHELMING RESPONSE What’s been so encouraging about this initiative is how many people across industry, universities and schools have been keen to volunteer and make this work. We initially set out to find 250 schools that wanted to

be involved, and were overwhelmed by the response which has now see 500 schools and 17 universities register their interest. This is very much about a bottom up approach, but at the same time the intention is to make computer science business as usual in as many schools as we can within three years.

Once the Network is live, each school in it will be expected to help other schools to teach computer science on a pro-bono basis.

We intend centres of excellence to become part of a national network for establishing best practice and spearheading innovative teaching in computer science, with ongoing support from the Computing at School group, the universities in the Network and BCS. Schools that are members of the network will be offered enhanced CPD for a teacher in their school that provides a comprehensive grounding in foundational computer science, expertise to train other teachers and is supported by universities in the Network.

REGIONAL GOOD PRACTICE HUBS Those involved will be part of a regional teaching hub for sharing good practice, offering grassroots, organised CPD and regular contact with university computer science departments to aid and inspire teaching material.

The schools will be expected to teach computer science at Key Stage 3 or 4 as a catalyst for a renewed computing curriculum as recommended by the Royal Society, which is benchmarked against the Computing At School (CAS) curriculum. They will have opportunities for showcasing their teaching practices and experiences at national conferences, through online media and multi-media case studies, as well as through a range of other promotional material, and be proactively consulted for their views and opinions for campaigns related to education policy.

To conclude, it is essential children are taught how to create digital technology and software for themselves, starting at primary school. However, we must not forget children also need to be digitally literate in just the

The scheme will see around 50 scholarships a year awarded. Each will be worth £20,000 for those engaged in an initial teacher training course with the funding supplied by the Department for Education same way that they can read and write. Digital literacy encompasses vital skills that teach children how to be effective users of IT, but those are distinct from the academic subject of computer science that includes learning how computers work and how to create software.

As the Chartered Institute for IT our interest in education is part of our Royal Charter to promote the study and practice of computing, and to advance knowledge and education therein for the benefit of the public. Putting this into practice means that we believe that digital literacy skills, computer science and computational thinking should all be part of every child’s education. School children need to be taught not only how to use technology, but should also be given the opportunity to be the entrepreneurs of the future by having the opportunity to study computer science. L FURTHER INFORMATION The CAS curriculum can be downloaded at tinyurl.com/7hr6lnv Full details of the criteria including how to register an interest for the scholarships can be found at: www.bcs.org/teachingscholarships www.education.gov.uk/get-into-teaching www.bcs.org/CSteachingexcellence

Volume 17.6 | EDUCATION BUSINESS MAGAZINE

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VIRTUALISATION

PUTTING AN END TO SERVER DOWNTIME

Lanway partnered up with Hugh Baird College to replace 45 physical servers with cutting edge technology, reducing downtime and freeing up teachers’ time to spend with pupils

With its origins dating back to 1891, Hugh Baird College consists of three main buildings on its one campus (Balliol, Pembroke Centre and the Sixth Form Academy). The college offers hundreds of courses for over 7,000 students, supported by over 500 staff. It continues to be top of the government league tables for further education colleges (2011) and provides education for a wide range of levels, from entry through to higher education.

Hugh Baird College has consistently invested in its facilities, with a new extension opening in 2009 to house the latest workshops for construction, motor vehicle and electrical installation students. State of the art technology is used in the music technology, media and graphics studios and the college is also home to a restaurant, beauty salon and florist – all providing realistic working environments for students.

platform was based on a standard VMware platform. There was also a single site storage area network provided by Dell EqualLogic storage appliances using iSCSI (Internet Small Computer System Interface) technology.

Hugh Baird College wanted to take the next important step in growing its IT systems by use of virtualisation. The college was running an IT system totally dependent on a number of physical servers. It had concerns that if any of the servers ceased to be operational for a period of time, then business critical processes would be significantly affected. This virtualisation was to be rolled out into the production environment and also to elevate the VMware platform to the latest enterprise level technology. It also wished to re-use freed up equipment and licenses to improve and enhance (where possible) the disaster recovery capability within the college.

THE CHALLENGE With this growth and expansion Hugh Baird College had to establish a partly virtualised environment for its production servers. It also had a basic disaster recovery facility in one building that was used to further protect its MIS (Management Information Systems) server. The existing virtualisation

ENTER LANWAY “We didn’t want a company to come in and do all the work for us – we wanted a company to help and guide us through the installation.

Lanway achieved this and surpassed all our expectations,” said John Billington, network manager at Hugh Baird College.

The specialist education team at Lanway

partnered up with Hugh Baird College to overhaul its existing server infrastructure and replace 45 physical servers with cutting edge technology. This would reduce downtime and single points of failure in the event of a disaster.

Lanway designed a fully virtualised server and storage environment based on Dell Equallogic Storage, VMware and Microsoft technologies that delivered a high availability solution and minimised downtime in the event of a failure.

“Lanway’s knowledge of VMware – particularly in high availability mode – was essential to the success of the deployment,” commented John.

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THE RESULTS Hugh Baird College’s IT team previously spent time maintaining operations and keeping the network online, but it now has more time to engage with students and teach them about technology. Today, the college enjoys a seemless, secure and uninterrupted flow of data throughout the new infrastructure.

The system has also taken into consideration future growth and can accommodate additional virtual servers to underpin the growth of the college.

John said: “Since we’ve deployed the VMware servers, the new system lets us move workloads between physical servers, and the inbuilt resilience has meant we’ve had no unplanned downtime in the datacentre.

The staff and students now have more time to devote to developing the use of ICT in the classroom and helping the students learn” As many of the existing servers were now surplus to requirement, Hugh Baird chose to re-configure and re-use four of the servers in the ‘disaster recovery’ site which also kept costs to a minimum.

The virtualisation of approximately 45 physical servers and the migration of all virtual machines from five existing standalone ESX servers has given the college huge savings in space and energy costs. John explains: “From implementing the new server infrastructures we are hopeful for a 50 per cent reduction in load on the servers and we have reduced our A/C usage by a third.”

Hugh Baird College and the Lanway team have built up a strong bond, based on close personal relationships. John and his team are in regular contact with Lanway account managers and technicians and have always found that Lanway will ‘go the extra mile’. John said: “Lanway worked closely with us to ensure the solution met our needs exactly, whilst uncovering additional cost savings in the process.

“The relationship has now grown to the extent that we are confident in obtaining any further IT requirements through Lanway – they are a company that we can truly trust with our IT.” L FURTHER INFORMATION www.lanway.co.uk

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SECURITY

KEEP VIGILANT ABOUT SECURITY

When securing an education facility, a long-term view must be taken in order to maximise budgets, writes G4S Technology Security concerns within education continue to remain paramount, however with budgets stretched, it is an ever-increasing challenge faced by the sector to ensure the safety and security of students, staff, premises and assets is not compromised.

Securing an education facility is a significant long-term investment and requires an efficient partner, with the expertise to help when considering the long-term costs of the system in place, rather than just the initial investment, in order to maximise the budget available.

SECURING SCHOOLS G4S Technology works with schools, colleges and over 40 universities to seamlessly integrate a range of technologies including access control, video management, and alarm management, delivering and supporting solutions to protect students, staff, premises and assets, providing tailored systems to meet specific site requirements.

The company specialises in migrating existing systems into one centrally managed infrastructure to seamlessly link unlimited campus sites, card readers and users, to meet specifications within budget. Increasingly this migration involves the IT department too, to create a centrally managed security system across the IP network infrastructure.

The service team of over 70 engineers is distributed across the UK to ensure we are never more than 30 minutes away from 95 per cent of the UK population – critical for single or multi site support.

GS4 Technology is the only building security company to be accredited to ISO 27001, the internationally recognised standard for

information security management systems –showing that it is serious about managing risk. In addition, it complies with ISO 14001 Standard for Environmental Management Systems, delivering all goods and services in a socially and environmentally responsible way.

STUDENT AND STAFF SAFETY Student safeguarding is a critical criteria within Ofsted. The company’s Symmetry Security Management System takes the safety of the students and staff as priority and, using the tightly integrated access control and video management solution, the system can monitor any situation before an incident occurs.

The company’s solutions are fully scalable,

SECURE AREA CONTROL Increasingly within the higher education sector, businesses are leasing property and access rights can be granted and managed locally or through the central system.

With Symmetry, users can be assigned different levels of access to faculties and departments. A chemistry student for example can be assigned 24/7 access to the laboratories but may have restricted access to the chemical storage area.

Outside of normal working hours, for example, the student must use the biometric fingerprint readers which will add an extra layer of security.

Complex campus environments and weak perimeters provide opportunities for antisocial behaviour including theft, vandalism and arson. Symmetry reduces the risk by making sure non-authorised staff and visitors are unable to access key areas. Using cutting edge video technology, antisocial behaviour is captured and in some cases pre-empts the crime actually taking place. The ability to obtain instant video from anywhere to anything can act as a real deterrent.

Symmetry software provides a platform for off-line locks to expand existing accommodation block access control system without a costly and time consuming installation process as no wiring is required. Card access rights can be updated at the touch of a button.

When students leave, there are no keys to return, simply cancel the card on the system; if their card is mislaid, cancelling the lost card addresses any potential security risk.

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MANAGEMENT OF STUDENT DATA Managing student records is a fundamental challenge. Symmetry seamlessly links into the existing student record system to remove data duplication. To address the UK Border Agency legislation, Symmetry has a number of reporting features to monitor foreign students.

As the market leading provider of integrated security solutions within the education sector, G4S Technology is ideally suited to help protect

G4S Technology works with schools, colleges and over 40 universities to seamlessly integrate a range of building security technologies ranging from simple access control systems, through to fully integrated security solutions that can control and monitor numerous remote sites and campuses. The Symmetry System can evolve as requirements develop and be extended or upgraded in line with the users needs with minimal disruption to daily life.

By implementing Symmetry it ensures immediate cost and efficiency savings through a single card solution. Several technologies can be managed by the user across the campus using just one card including our GiroVend cashless payment system, which allows students to pay for food, beverages, transportation and library charges.

and secure your school, college or university against a variety of threats. Its extensive experience within education includes complex installations in schools throughout the UK. In addition it protects over 40 universities including Coventry and Southampton. L

All readers of Education Business are entitled to free Symmetry software and upgrades for life.

FOR MORE INFORMATION Tel: 01684 277425 technologyenquiries@uk.g4s.com www.g4stechnology.co.uk Twitter: @G4S_Technology

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ICT

Sponsored by

CLASSROOM TECHNOLOGY

TEACHERS, TEACHING WITH TECHNOLOGY Technology has the power to engage even the most reluctant of learners, finds Jon Skinner, mathematics teacher at Hele’s school in Plymouth, who recently attended the T³ annual conference to brush up on his classroom technology skills It goes without saying that technology is an increasingly powerful tool for motivating students in the classroom due to its ability to captivate a wide range of learners. However, with new teaching and learning methods comes a need for continuing professional development (CPD); T³ (Teachers Teaching with Technology™), a professional development network of mathematics and science teachers was formed nearly 20 years ago with this need in mind.

Within the classroom I have always been keen to make the most of technology, finding it to be a tool that has the power to engage even the most reluctant

T³ ers (Teach with ng Teachi logy) is Technoessional a prof ent network pm s develomathematic of ience and schers teac

of learners. Handheld graphing calculators are a resource that I recently introduced to my class and the technology was met with instant appreciation, not the least because it allowed the students to feel that they were working independently. More importantly, by presenting data in a range of ways it helps students develop their relational understanding and consequently I found such technology to enhance their overall understanding of mathematical concepts.

THE NEED FOR CPD When it comes to using new teaching methods, professional development opportunities play an important role in ensuring that we make the very best of our resources and create an enhanced E

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ICT

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CLASSROOM TECHNOLOGY E learning experience for our students.

However, professional development is not always available or feasible for all members of staff, due to both time and cost factors.

It was not long after I began using the TI-Nspire handhelds that I was invited to attend the T³ Annual Conference. The event offers an opportunity for maths teachers to come together, attend workshops, share best practice and expand knowledge on how to use technology in the classroom to make maths more accessible for learners.

In my classroom I have been doing an increasing amount of A-level mechanics so I knew in advance that I wanted to use the weekend to find out about more forces and motion activities to do with my class. I also wanted to find out what else I can do using probes such as the CBR2 ranging tool. The conference had a good selection of workshops that were relevant to what I was looking for.

Each workshop that I attended was very interactive, this was an extremely positive factor as it is fast becoming the most recognised style of learning to best engage our students. What better way to see how much benefit interactive activities can offer than by sitting in the learner’s shoes?

In fact, many of the sessions involved undertaking mathematical experiments from scratch – something that can help with a learners understanding of a concept.

REINFORCING CONCEPTS Throughout the weekend, I witnessed many activities provided by teachers that can help reinforce mathematical concepts and help the students to see them in a practical light. Too often, students learn the theory behind a mathematical concept, but they have difficulty seeing how this relates to the real world, this can often hinder their understanding. When teaching mechanics for example, the students can do the maths, but until they start undertaking practical activities and collecting data themselves using the various probes and sensors, they might not see the real-life application. It is a more tactile, kinaesthetic style of learning that reaps the most benefit. T³ showed me that there are many simple experiments that don’t take a huge amount of time to prepare, but that create an exciting hook for the students and gets them involved.

Since going to T³, I have seen many simple techniques and lesson activities that are more interactive in nature. Many of the people that lead the workshops are teachers themselves; they are our peers so you can relate to them.

I especially like the fact that the teachers have taken the time to come and share their

best practice and knowledge with others.

It has given me a real buzz to come back to the classroom after my weekend at T³ and take what I have learned from others to enhance my teaching practices and make my learning environment more interactive. I have seen first-hand how the dynamics in the class can change when

ideas to the Nspiring Learning website were in attendance at the conference; it was excellent to be able to put a name to a face. Learning from your peers is known as one of the best forms of professional development, so swapping e-mail addresses and continuing to share ideas even after you have left the conference is extremely positive.

I have seen first-hand how the dynamics in the class can change when technology is used. By giving the pupils a handheld graphing calculator for example, they get their heads down and are much more likely to buy in to the task. technology is used to construct a lesson.

By giving the pupils a handheld graphing calculator for example, they get their heads down and are much more likely to buy in to the task.

A HIT WITH STUDENTS I recently gave a survey out to one of my classes after a lesson on graphing calculators.

24 pupils out of 28 responded in saying that they favoured the independence that such technology offers, that they enjoyed the fact that I would walk around and tell them how to use the calculator, but the students were actually doing, exploring and telling me the maths. Four particular young boys that I have trouble motivating were more engaged in the lesson when using the handhelds.

A useful element of the T³ weekend is that it is supported

by Nspiring Learning (www.nspiringlearning. org.uk), a free online mathematics resource centre. This means that even after the physical event has ended, the support continues. Many of the activities that were discussed at T³ can be found on this website, and the content is continually expanding. Teachers can upload their own lesson plans, download others for free and leave feedback. Best of all, the quality of the resources is monitored to ensure that all are of a high calibre and many of those who spend time uploading their resources were in attendance at T³ themselves, some even holding workshops. I saw some familiar names and it created a nice community environment.

Four ung lar yo ave u c i t r a p hat I h boys t motivating d e troubl ore engage were mthe lesson e in ing th s u n e wh dhelds han

NETWORKING OPPORTUNITIES One of the fantastic features of T³ is the fact that you can make connections with other teachers who are there looking to share best practice. Many of the teachers who would regularly upload lesson activity

I went to the T³ conference feeling like a novice, and I have returned feeling confident in my use of technology in the classroom.

We place great importance on disseminating professional development events at our school, and I plan to share all that I have learned with my colleagues on our first non-pupil day in September. I have to say that my only criticism of the conference was that there was so much going on, and so much that I wanted to see that there were not enough hours in the day to see it all.”

WHAT IS T3?

T³ is teachers teaching teachers to provide the best professional development programme for the appropriate use of educational technology in the teaching and learning of mathematics and science worldwide. There are now T³ courses covering mathematics and science topics from primary school through high school and university. Today the T³ programme operates in more than 25 countries around the world.

The principle of teachers teaching teachers is the cornerstone of this programme. T³ Instructors have been trained to teach others how to use calculators and computers in appropriate ways to enhance the teaching and learning of mathematics and science.

T³ was founded at The Ohio State University

by Professors Frank Demana and Bert Waits.

In the summer of 1988 they offered three one-week courses for teachers to learn how to use the power of computer and graphing calculator visualisations to enhance the teaching and learning of pre-calculus mathematics (pre-calculus is the course in US high schools typically preceding a calculus course). Beginning in the summer of 1995, Demana and Waits invited interested educators to participate in their annual T³ summer institute week at Ohio State. That experience and participation in other T³ conferences created the need to expand the T³ programme to countries outside the US. L FOR MORE INFORMATION www.t3ww.org

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EVERY PAGE COUNTS TO MANAGE RESOURCES AND FINANCES BETTER

With budgets constantly under pressure, small costs soon add up. If you could reduce the cost of routine activities like printing, you would have more to spend on the equipment you really need. So next time you buy a printer, consider KYOCERA. Our unique consumables system means fewer components to replace, so every page costs less to print. And by avoiding needless waste, our technology reduces environmental impact, too.

Visit www.everypagecounts.co.uk/education to find out more.

KYOCERA. COUNT ON US. KYOCERA Document Solutions (U.K.) Limited – Phone 08457 103 104 – www.kyoceradocumentsolutions.co.uk

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BETT 2013 PREVIEW

ICT: Bett 2013

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LEARNING TECHNOLOGY – BIGGER ON THE INSIDE

The leading event for learning technology takes place from 30 January to 2 February 2013 at ExCeL London, bringing together more than 700 exhibitors and more than 30,000 visitors.

As schools move away from local authority control and the government gives them an increasing amount of autonomy to spend their budgets as they see fit the need for teachers, the reason for ICT heads and school leaders to visit Bett strengthens.

Because of the increasing increasing interest in the event, bot from visitors and exhibitors, Bett 2013 makes the move to the much larger ExCeL in London’s docklands, which boasts unrivalled facilities and plenty of floor space.

For those weighing up whether to attend the show it is worth considering the value that it offers. The beauty of Bett is that in one day visitors can meet with all suppliers of a specific product or service, evaluate each and ask all the questions needed to make an informed decision. When considering the ‘cost’ of making the wrong decision, spending a day at Bett is invaluable.

LEARN LIVE On top of this, each year an escalating number of visitors also take time to attend the high level CPD accredited ‘Learn Live’ workshop sessions that are designed to inspire visitors with inspirational ideas to take back to their classroom or learning environment. These sessions are free of charge and only last 45 minutes, therefore visitors can fit one or two sessions in to their day. More about these on page 43.

Education leaders may also want to consider attending the conferences held at Bett each year. As more responsibility is placed on leaders to run their school as a successful business events where thoughts and ideas can be shared and debated become increasingly valuable.

The School Leaders Summit, for example offers two days of impactful presentations, robust discussions and insightful master class sessions. This summit gives education leaders the opportunity to meet, learn from and enter discussions with leading figures in UK education and from education systems around the world.

visitors with thought-leading speakers from around the globe and will host free to attend sessions, where visitors will benefit from Microsoft’s strong experience in the learning technology sector; an experience that ICT leaders are unlikely to have the opportunity to experience elsewhere. Throughout the four days of the show, each will present insights and share thoughts into the latest trends and research in technology and learning.

For those visitors supporting students with special educational needs, the SEN Zone and range of workshops are sure to support educators working with a breadth of needs.

More information on this on page 43.

BETT ARENA The new Bett Arena is a 1000-seat amphitheatre in the centre of the exhibitor area. In partnership with Microsoft, the Arena will host internationally renowned expert speakers, including ministers, politicians, media figureheads and recognised educationalists.

The Bett Arena is designed to connect

BESA Whatever your area of interest in learning, trade association, the British Educational Suppliers Association (BESA) will once again be manning the Central Information Point.

Whether your question is about booking a workshop or finding an exhibitor that supplies KS2 modern foreign language resources, BESA is the stand to visit. L

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BETT 2013 PREVIEW

BESA: THE STATE OF THE EDUCATION ICT SECTOR

ICT: Bett 2013

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A year on from Bett 2012, Caroline Wright, director of the British Educational Suppliers Association (BESA), the trade association representing education resources, examines the state of the sector.

This time last year, we were a sector that felt its budgets had been cut. However a year on, we are seeing increasing confidence in the market and school leaders who realise budgets are still strong and are starting to invest again, particularly in technology.

Up until 2010, schools had experienced 15 years of budget increases averaging 3.5 per cent per annum. Suddenly schools were being hit with a cut rather than a budget increase, which caused a certain level of panic to set in. However, looking at this objectively, while BESA’s recent Resources in English Maintained Schools research shows that 2011/12 saw budget cuts of 1.8 per cent in primary education and a 2.7 per cent drop in secondary education, schools realise they still have significant funds to spend, particularly when compared with budgets ten, five or even two years ago.

MARKET CONFIDENCE Soon after Bett last year, BESA’s regular sector insight research showed a return of market confidence as procurement across UK primary and secondary schools increased by 8.6 per cent in the first quarter, compared to the same quarter in 2011.

The good news continues. Michael Gove, secretary of state for education addressed an audience of educators at Bett 2012 who, at the time, questioned his commitment to classroom technology. During his presentation he stressed his principle of putting budgets and procurement decisions in the hands of individual schools. He stated that schools have their own specific needs and therefore it is not the government’s place to prescribe what they should invest in.

Thankfully schools appear to have taken his advice as our recent ICT in schools research showed that schools are setting aside an increasing amount of their budget for classroom technology, with a 2.1% rise (2.3 per cent in primary and 1.8 per cent in secondary). Looking ahead, this trend looks set to continue with 2013/4 ICT budgets forecast to rise by 3.3 per cent in primary and 2.8 per cent in secondary schools.

PREPARING FOR WORK This is not only good news for the education sector but for the nation as a whole. Children need to learn in a way that will prepare them for the world they are going to live and work in.

During last year’s presentation, Michael Gove stressed his principle of putting procurement decisions in the hands of individual schools. He stated that schools have their own specific needs and therefore it is not the government’s place to prescribe what they should invest in.

Referring back to the freedom that Gove has given to schools to invest their own budget in a way they see fit, we are also seeing an increasing number of educators visiting Bett each year as an integral part of the school development process.

our BESA member organisations; buy from trusted suppliers who offer good value for money, fit-for-purpose products with a high level of service and support, all of which will ultimately have an impact on budgets and improving education standards.

PRODUCT CHOICE Making the right choice about the wide range of products on the market can only be done by comparing all the technologies available whilst being able to communicate with suppliers to make an informed decision.

Educators have also found that attending one of the free CPD sessions can assist in their own learning and development. It is clear that this autonomy is being taken seriously by schools. They are spending cautiously but are investing more wisely.

This reflects the code of practice offered by

BESA’S CODE OF PRACTICE Details of all our members who adhere to our code of practice are available on the BESA website at www.besa.org.uk or we will be on the BESA Information Point in the centre of the hall at Bett 2013 where we are available to answer all your questions. Whether you want advice on best practice procurement or to be pointed in the right direction of the broad range of outstanding and free seminar presentations we look forward to meeting you at Bett 2013. L

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BETT 2013 PREVIEW

THEATRE OF EDUCATIONAL DREAMS ARRIVES AT BETT

ICT: Bett 2013

Sponsored by

The Microsoft-sponsored Bett Arena will be the fulcrum of educational seminars at the 2013 event As a brand new feature to the Bett show in 2013, the Arena, in partnership with Microsoft, is a 1000-seat amphitheatre connecting visitors with thought-leading speakers from around the world. The inclusive space will allow thousands of people, both in the arena and around the show floor to collaborate and learn together.

The Bett Arena will be hosting free sessions led by internationally renowned expert speakers including ministers, politicians, media figureheads and recognised educationalists.

Throughout the four days of the show, the speakers will present insights and share thoughts into the latest trends and research in technology and learning.

To give visitors an idea of speakers they can expect to see in the Arena, here’s a snapshot: BRIAN COX Professor of Particle Physics, Manchester University Brian’s talks inspire audiences around the globe, from TED in America to the World Economic Forum in Davos and China.

With staggering images, his presentations show that science breaks down barriers and can both shock and excite.

Whilst also playing keyboard with D’Ream, Brian obtained a first class degree and a PhD. He is now Professor of Particle Physics at Manchester University and one of the leaders on the ATLAS experiment at the Large Hadron Collider at CERN in Geneva. He has also become a hugely popular TV presenter and author. Brian’s television credits include the blockbusters Wonders of the Solar System and Wonders of the Universe, with a further series going into production. He has also fronted Space Hoppers, Stargazing, The Big Bang and numerous specials for Horizon and his book Why Does E=mc2? quickly became a bestseller.

SUGATA MITRA Professor of Educational Technology Sugata is a Professor of Educational Technology at Newcastle University, whose work inspired the book ‘Slumdog Millionaire’ which went on to become the Oscar winning film of 2009.

Sugata is also a neuroscientist, writer, broadcaster and a Visiting Professor at MIT in the US; his contributions include a number of inventions and first-time applications. He is credited with having started the database publishing industry in India and Bangladesh, as well as having implemented the first

applications of digital multimedia and internet based education in India in the late 1980s.

In 1999, Sugata dug a hole in a wall bordering an urban slum in New Delhi, installed an internet-connected PC, and left it there (with a hidden camera filming the area). It resulted in children from the slum playing with the computer and in the process learning how to use it and how to go online, and then teaching each other.

In the following years Sugata replicated the experiment in other parts of India with similar results, challenging some of the key assumptions of formal education. This became known as the ‘Hole in the Wall’ project.

Sugata is building on this discovery through the design of hardware and software that enable children to reach the intermediate to expert level entirely on their own. His current research is leading towards an alternative primary education using self organised learning, mediation and assessment environments.

LUCIAN TARNOWSKI Founder and ceo of BraveNewTalent.com Lucian is on a mission to create a new model of professional education. He has been honoured as a Young Global Leader (YGL) by the World Economic Forum and was also winner of the Global Enterprising Young Brit of 2009 as well as being on the UKTI Global Entrepreneur Program with BraveNewTalent being described by the UK Government as a ‘technology company of exceptional potential’.

In his spare time Lucian runs Take Heart India, a no overheads charity that provides blind and handicapped students in rural India with the IT and employment skills

that guarantee them a job for life. Lucian speaks to audiences around the world about the convergence of talent and technology and its impact on the future of the global workforce and education.

SUSAN GREENFIELD Professor of Pharmacology at Oxford University As well as being a Professor of Pharmacology at Oxford University, Susan is also a neuroscientist, writer, and broadcaster. She has been awarded 30 honorary degrees from British and foreign universities, and heads a multi-disciplinary research group exploring novel brain mechanisms linked to neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s.

Susan has published a neuroscientific theory of consciousness, The Private Life of the Brain (2003) and developed an interest in the impact of 21st Century technologies on how young people think and feel, as discussed in her book ID, the Quest for Identity in the 21st Century (2008).

In 1998 Susan received the Michael Faraday Medal from the Royal Society and she was awarded a CBE in the Millennium New Year’s Honours List, and granted a non-political Life Peerage in 2001. In 2000 she was elected to an Honorary Fellowship of the Royal College of Physicians and in 2007 to an Honorary Fellowship of the Royal Society of Edinburgh. L HIGH DEMAND – BOOK EARLY All Bett Arena sessions are free of charge, but due to high demand places should be booked online in advance. Visit www.bettshow.com for more information.

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BE V N TT is o. 2 it G 01 us 20 3 a 0/ st t G an 20 d 1

PAROTEC – IT Parotec-IT is a trading name of Parotec Solutions Ltd and is the name for the division specializing in IT related products. We are based in Greater Manchester, from where we deliver to clients throughout the UK and Europe, and as far away as the Middle East, Far East, the USA, Africa and Australia.

Our I.T Division delivers various ranges from mobile protective portable cases, desktop docks, stations, floor standing mobile carts and storage products to charge and sync multiple iPad, iPhone, iPod and other Apple devices throughout the UK, Europe and other countries around the world.

The specialised solutions that we manufacturer are supplied through are highly knowledgeable channel partners, are Ideal for Education establishments, Museums and B2B Business’s that require transporting, storing and charging units for multiple hand held devices inside classrooms, exhibitions, meeting rooms, training area’s or day to day business working environments.

Additional to our main range of solutions we have the skills and abilities to build and supply B-Spoke solutions for clients where a requirement is needed.

BETT 2013 will see a new direction from Parotec offering a new more versatile range of solutions being released not only aimed at the Apple iOS mobile devices market but also the Android Tablet markets expanding our range for new and up and coming devices, so please come and view the new additions to our range where we hope to have something for everyone. Parotec Solutions Ltd are located on Stand No. G200/G201.

Call our sales team now on 01204 868630 or email: sales@parotecsolutions.co.uk

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BETT 2013 PREVIEW

ICT: Bett 2013

Sponsored by

Speakers taking part in the School Leaders Summit Christine Ryan, chief inspector, Independent Schools Inspectorate Ken Muir, HM chief inspector of education, Education Scotland

LEADING FIGURES REACH THE SUMMIT High profile policy leaders and educators to debate and discuss at the School Leaders Summit In light of the changing face of education both in the UK and worldwide, Bett 2013 will host a School Leaders Summit, which aims to give education leaders the chance to learn from and enter discussions with leading figures in UK education and from around the world.

For school leadership teams, local government representatives, and key education association delegates, the summit provides an opportunity to get stuck into robust discussion.

Over two days, presentations will explore key strategic concerns in education today. Topics will include the curriculum, assessment, finance, autonomy and responsibility, academisation, improved leadership, staff development and capital projects for technology.

A large number of renowned names have already been confirmed as speaking on these crucial topics during the summit, each bringing their own areas of expertise to contribute ideas, inspiration and guidance. These include: HEATH MONK Chief executive, Future Leaders Charitable Trust Heath Monk has been chief executive of the Future Leaders Charitable Trust since 2007. During this time the organisation has expanded six regions across England, ensuring that more children have access to excellent leaders dedicated to closing the achievement gap.

Originally a secondary school teacher, Heath joined Future Leaders from the Department for Children, Schools and Families (DCSF) where he was Deputy Schools Commissioner. He is also an adviser to the New Schools Network, a Teach First National Advisory Council Member and a member of the Teaching Leaders board.

With his strong experience in understanding

just what makes a good school leader, Heath will share his thoughts during the Summit.

MICHAEL LEVINE Founding executive director, Joan Ganz Cooney Center Dr Michael Levine is the founding executive director of the Joan Ganz Cooney Center at Sesame Workshop, an action research and innovation centre devoted to harnessing the potential of digital media to advance young children’s learning and development.

The centre conducts experimental and national survey research, develops and funds breakthrough prototypes and design challenges, informs practice, and convenes leaders to promote investments in high quality media experiences for vulnerable children.

Previously, Michael oversaw Carnegie Corporation of New York’s work in early childhood, educational media and primary grades reform, including a groundbreaking national campaign to prioritize early learning and brain development. Dr. Levine has also served as an adviser to the White House, the US Department of Education, and the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. Michael is a valuable addition, with his understanding of the place for technology in learning.

GLENYS STACEY Chief regulator, Ofqual Glenys Stacey is a solicitor by profession, and has been a public sector chief executive for 12 years. Currently holding the role of chief regulator at examinations body Ofqual, she is experienced in both start-up and growth strategies, in working in complex casework environments, and in the role of regulation and of strategic regulators. Glenys joined Ofqual as its chief executive in March 2011 and became chief regulator in April 2012.

During the Summit, Glenys will draw on her valuable experience to explore the future of the examinations system. L

Jacquie Spatcher, head of national curriculum review division, Department for Education Russell Hobby, general secretary, NAHT Marie-Hélène Ahnborg, chief inspector, Swedish Schools Inspectorate Professor Peter Tymms, head of school of education, Durham University Pasi Sahlberg, director general, CIMO (Centre for International Mobility and Cooperation) David Carter, executive principal, Cabot Learning Federation Jo Lopes, head of technical excellence, Jaguar Land Rover Matthew Lutz, resourcing specialist – Attraction and Channel Management, Human Resources, Network Rail Lord Baker, chairman, Baker Dearing Educational Dr Tony Sewell, managing director, Generating Genius Tony Ryan, head teacher, Chiswick High School Nick Jones, principal, Twickenham Academy Nabil Chaaban, principal, Burnham Park E-Act Academy Nigel Mountford, head teacher, Harwich and Dover Court High School Sarah Ridley, head teacher, Willowbrook Primary School Marie McMahon, head teacher, Hodge Hill Sports and Enterprise College Jeremy Rowe, head teacher, Sir John Leman High School Mark Perry, head teacher, New Waltham Primary Academy Joe Brian, head teacher, Conisbrough Ivanhoe Primary Academy Justine Berkeley, school business manager, Harwich and Dover Court High School Ian Bryant, school business manager, Sir Henry Floyd Grammar School Micon Metcalfe, school business director, Dunraven School

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BETT 2013 PREVIEW

LEARN LIVE STAYS FREE Bett 2013 welcomes back the popular Learn Live programme of free workshops, seminars, training and discussion events Running across purpose-built theatres at the heart of the exhibition floor, the 45 minute sessions are grouped into four themes in the K-12 space: Learning and Teaching, designed for teachers to leverage the power of technology in the classroom; School Leadership, to inspire leaders with new strategies; Buying and Integrating, set to give insight into best practice models of procurement and integration; and Special Educational Needs, giving guidance in the use of technology to leverage improved outcomes.

In addition, visitors from the higher education sector will be inspired by the level of presenters in their Learn Live sessions and the Learning at Work Learn Live theatre will host professionals sharing their experiences of harnessing talent in the work place.

On the first day of Bett 2013, Wednesday 30 January, at 1:15pm in the Learning and Teaching theatre, Andrew Hutt, teaching fellow at the University of Bath, will be giving delegates some practical ICT approaches to help support the development of a more reflective professional practice. The session is based on the belief that very good and outstanding teachers are able to independently reflect, evaluate and change what they do in order to improve. Enabling all teachers to fully develop, this self-critical faculty is a challenge facing school leadership teams which this session will help to address.

INTERNATIONAL FLAVOUR On the following day, at 4.15pm in the Buying and Integrating theatre, visitors will learn how schools in Abu Dhabi are setting up an integrated e-learning strategy to ensure effective ICT deployment. Ahmed Al Hammadi, senior analyst, Abu Dhabi Education Council and Richard Leif, program manager, Abu Dhabi Education Council will be sharing

ICT: Bett 2013

Sponsored by

their experiences and offering their advice.

Visitors from school leadership teams will benefit from the huge range of sessions, designed to inspire them and introduce new ways of thinking. The Bett organisers have invited the inspirational Eva Wetterstrand, director of ProAros from the City of Vasteras, Sweden to share her advice on driving change in the education sector. The session, which will be held at 1.15pm in the School Leadership theatre, will provide visitors with an overview of the three-year program running in more than 80 ProAros schools in the City of Vasteras.

The lecture includes a presentation of a wellstructured model for change management.

Based on a model of joining up the journey from nursery to high school, Eva will share her ideas on how to cooperate with and involve politicians, staff unions as well as students, parents, teachers, press and other groups. L FREE OF CHARGE All sessions are free of charge but arrive early for a place. Visit www.bettshow.com

NASEN’S INFORMATION POINT Bett’s SEN Information Point is once again hosted by nasen, the leading UK professional association embracing all special and additional educational needs and disabilities. Lorraine Petersen (OBE), ceo of nasen, outlines what recent policy changes mean for schools and the pupils they support The recent introduction of the new Ofsted framework and the new Teachers’ Standards focus on teachers supporting the most vulnerable pupils to ensure that they are making significant progress. Meanwhile, the inclusion agenda, SENCO regulations and the National Award have all led to significant changes in the role of the SENCO over the past decade. The recent announcement of a sizeable fall in the number of pupils identified as having a special educational need believes the simple fact that there are many more children with special and additional needs within mainstream schools. The new Teacher Standards, effective from September 2012, place a greater emphasis on supporting pupils with special educational needs than ever before. The standards are calls on professionals to adapt teaching to respond to the strengths and needs of all pupils, the Standards also call on teachers to use and evaluate distinctive approaches to engage and support them.

Last year’s Green Paper set out the vision for a new system to support the many children and young people currently identified with

special educational needs and disabilities.

In response to the consultation document published in May 2012, the government set out the next steps towards the changing of legislation by 2014. The Queen’s Speech on 9 May announced a Children and Families Bill that will offer the biggest reform in 30 years, building on the reforms to the health service and draw on recommendations of the Children and young People’s Health Outcomes Forum.

TRAINING The changes also highlight the importance of training for improving outcomes for children with special educational needs and disabilities.

In fact, one of the key messages within the Green Paper and reinforced in the new Ofsted framework is the need for high quality professional development opportunities for the school workforce and those who work with schools supporting children and young people.

The nasen training was developed for secondary and primary school SENCOs and is part of a nationwide programme to support schools across the country in

meeting the needs of all learners. The oneday sessions provide a high quality SEND training package for SENCOs in order to equip them with the tools to disseminate training to their school workforce as whole school professional development.

In addition to the nasen training, Bett 2013 features the Learn Live SEN seminar programme, with targeted sessions addressing the different areas of SEN offering practitioners an invaluable source of free, certified CPD. The comprehensive programme offers educationalists the opportunity to listen and learn from expert practitioners in order to gain understanding of the innovative teaching styles and practices being developed today for SEN. FIRST PORT OF CALL The SEN Information Point should be the first port of call for visitors with an SEN focus, who wish to plan their most effective route around the show and its seminars. Experts on the nasen stand can provide advice to school leaders on the implications of changing policy for their schools and pupils. Visitors can also find details on all SEN resources, gain practical advice and meet with experts to discuss the latest inclusive practice and specialist SEN teaching techniques. L FURTHER INFORMATION www.nasen.org.uk

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EDUCATION BUSINESS MAGAZINE | Volume 17.6

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BETT 2013 PREVIEW

WHAT’S ON SHOW?

A selection of the educational technology products to be presented at the 2013 event 10LANE LEARNING Stock Market Challenge helps students apply their maths and business know-how in time-pressured and competitive team games. Three simulations - Global Investor, Dealing Room and Trading Floor - simulate trading on the financial markets. It can be used in the classroom to support maths, business studies and Eeconomics, and to develop financial capability and work-related learning skills. Schools taking part appear on a leaderboard, published on the application’s website at www.stockmarketchallenge.co.uk Stand: A245

ACER Acer’s multi-brand approach effectively integrates Acer, Gateway, Packard Bell, and eMachines brands. The company preloads its Classroom Manager software on products dedicated to the education sector, which allows teachers to instruct, monitor and interact with students individually, in groups or with the whole class. The teacher can perform advanced monitoring and management of the classroom computers, such as darkening the students’ screens or locking their mice and keyboards when they are introducing new topics.

The software complements a series of devices (netbook, interactive whiteboard, personal computer and projector) that Acer has developed to provide a single, integrated solution for schools. Automatic creation of lesson plans, printer management, instant messaging control, monitoring and protecting the desktops are made easy thanks to intuitive icons and controls. Technical support is covered, courtesy of a suite of tools specifically designed for computer technicians and network administrators.

Stand: E100 AIRWATCH AirWatch provides an integrated, real-time view of an entire fleet of student-owned Apple iOS, Android, Windows, BlackBerry and Symbian devices. As the largest MDM provider with over 750 employees, 300 focused on R&D, AirWatch provides mobile security, device management, application

management including integration with the Apple Volume Purchase Program (VPP), secure content management, and advanced mobile integration - a single source for mobility management.

Stand: C255 ASSISTIVEWARE AssistiveWare produces innovative assistive technology software for Mac OS X and iOS. This includes the Proloquo2Go augmentative and alternative communication solution for iPhone, iPod touch and iPad. This includes the award-winning KeyStrokes virtual keyboard, SwitchXS scanning on-screen keyboard, LayoutKitchen panel editor, VisioVoice access solution for vision impaired Mac users, and Proloquo multi-purpose speech solution. The ConvenienceWare product line, with the wellknown GhostReader text-to-speech software, makes the advanced technologies developed by AssistiveWare available in cool and convenient applications that can make life easier.

Stand: C110 AXLESOFT Axlesoft specialises in interactive software for KS5 maths. Its Mavis resources for A Level maths and further maths are now available online. mavisresources.com is a free website offering 100s of animated, interactive resources for Core, Statistics, Mechanics, Decision and Further Pure Maths.

With no software to install, and no financial outlay, teachers are free to incorporate the resources into lessons in any way they choose. They can be used at the whiteboard to illustrate concepts through animation, or used by students to revise topics. The resources are also suitable for maths support in universities, business and industry.

Stand: A351 BRETFORD MANUFACTURING Bretford Manufacturing has been supplying schools, colleges and universities with storing & recharging solutions for over 20 years.

All products are fully

tested and CE certified to ensuring the highest levels of electrical/build safety and comply with the latest HSE manufacturing guidelines on electrical safety.

The EcoCart™ range from Bretford features a built-in timer which can be set to take advantage of off-peak energy supply hours as well as automatically turning the cart off when

ICT: Bett 2013

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Stand: F56 CLASSROOM MONITOR Classroom Monitor is an interactive online markbook that can record evidence of assessment throughout the year. Linked to government frameworks, it builds an accurate picture of pupil progress and helps with informed lesson planning and personalised target setting. Users can instantly download data on pupil, cohort and whole school performance - an invaluable tool for when Ofsted arrives. An online ‘parent portal’ can share examples of pupil achievement.

Supports Key Stages 1-5 plus EYFS Stand: B210 CRESTRON Crestron has been serving the educational market for more than three decades. Offering integrated solutions to control all AV and environmental systems, Crestron streamlines technology and encourages interaction and multimedia in schools, improving the learning and teaching experience and streamlining the execution of support services.

Crestron Mobile Pro® G transforms iPads or Android devices into a virtual Crestron touch panel. This allows control of climate and security anywhere using 3G or WiFi. Stand: B274 DAYDREAM EDUCATION Educational Wall Chart specialist Daydream is back at BETT, demonstrating its Interactive Content Packs, suitable for all classroom technologies including whiteboards, slates, tablets and VLEs. The software combines curriculum-based content and the latest technology to deliver a comprehensive and easy-to-use interactive package for both teacher and learner.

Packed full of presentations, games and assessments, the software is suitable for starter, plenary and summary activities, providing for students of all learning styles. Visitors to the Daydream stand can get a preview of its software and receive £250 worth of free resources. E Stand: A210

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BETT 2013 PREVIEW E ERGO COMPUTING New to BETT, the Ergo Elite 171 Ultrabook™ features a blend of responsiveness, smart capabilities, portability and style that allows users to experience powerful performance.

The Elite 171 Ultrabook™ is only 19mm thick, and features fast start up with Intel’s® Rapid Start Technology, longer battery life, and built-in security. The key features are its aluminium construction and a robust SSD, meaning no moving parts. Multiple ports and slots include a VGA output port.

Stand: F241 FOLIO Folio’s Compu Desks are used in schools, universities, libraries and training rooms across the UK. Pull the desk panel forward, push the silver pad, and a self-filling air canister smoothly and silently raises the PC monitor from inside the desk itself.

Lift out the keyboard, slot the panel back and a writing desk has transformed to a PC workstation in seconds.

The hideaway computer desk works with any flat panel monitor and keeps all wires neatly stored away. Desks can be configured to include drawers, a dual screen set up, two seats to a single screen and even a rise and fall model to accommodate wheelchairs or to allow use whilst standing. The whole PC can be locked inside the desk for added security.

Stand: D22 HUE ANIMATION/ASCENT IT The Hue camera, widely used in schools as a multipurpose camera and visualiser, has now been combined with easy-to-use stop motion animation software in the Hue Animation Studio kit. The camera’s flexible neck makes it perfect for animating and comes in bright, vibrant colours. Both the camera and software can be used with Windows or Mac OS X Stand: B114 GROUPCALL In the 2012 BETT Awards, Groupcall was named ICT Company of the Year (Between £1m and £3m turnover category). It provides communication and data solutions to the education, public and private sectors and is one of the market leaders with its parental communication system, Groupcall Messenger, used in more than 2,500 schools across the country. Co-founded by Sir Bob Geldof, Groupcall’s product portfolio comprises of Messenger, Xporter, Alert and Emerge – a powerful yet intuitive App which enables schools to have an up-to-the-minute copy of their MIS data instantly and securely.

Registration can be taken simply with Emerge and written directly back to the schools MIS. Student information including timetables, attendance, medical information and behavioural data can be accessed

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EDUCATION BUSINESS MAGAZINE | Volume 17.6

wherever the Emerge user is located without the need to rely on a desktop PC. In last years BETT Awards, Groupcall was named ICT Company of the Year (between £1m and £3m turnover category).

Stand: C234 HILLS COMPONENTS Hills is the home of the ‘unbreakable Headphones’ and customised Keydrives that have proved a hit at last years’ Bett. The company celebrates 40 years experience in selling into the education market and supplies nearly 8000 different products, with more added to its ranges on a weekly basis. This year, Hills launches its biggest and best dedicated education catalogue. New for 2013, Hills is introducing a large range of competitively priced musical accessories to complement its range of computer / networking and audio-visual equipment.

LANGEROO Langeroo English is an online subscription service dedicated to supporting the teaching and learning of English to EAL (English as an Additional Language), Early Years and SEN children age 3 to 11. Over 320 interactive activities and games, 27 popular topics, 3 levels of learning, lesson plans, assessment, printable resources and songs are all included. The company offers a free 14 day trial and will show its new Langeroo Apps for Windows 8 at the event.

Stand: A6

Stand: C122 IANSYST iansyst will be launching azzapt – a new cloud-based service for accessing books, learning materials and text on the move. iansyst will also show a line-up of new products including CapturaTalk for AndroidTM - a literacy support tool that helps build reading, writing and note taking skills; and the Earlbright eLearning Portal, specifically designed to work as a companion for students who receive one on one training from iansyst.

The azzapt service makes text content suitable for learner’s needs whether it be larger font, coloured background, different font styles or an audio version. It is available on desktops, mobiles and tablets. Using cloud syncing technology, azzapt automatically applies an individual’s reading preferences to their files whilst transferring it between different mobile devices. The azzapt service has been developed as part of the MyDocStore project, which was awarded Small Business Research Initiative funding from the Department of Business Innovation and Skills.

The CapturaTalk for Android™ app provides literacy support to improve reading and writing skills on Android mobile phones and tablet devices. Utilising Optical Character Recognition (OCR) to capture text from a photograph or digital document, users can have the text read aloud via text-to-speech, translate the words into over 20 languages, check spellings and meanings using the integrated dictionary, add voice notes and save text as audio, providing added assistance for anyone requiring reading and writing support.

The Earlbright eLearning Portal offers a range of multi-media resources that allow students to re-visit the information from their training sessions, particularly useful for those with dyslexia or poor memory retrieval.

Stand: B130

PAROTECH SOLUTIONS Parotech’s new flagship iNsyc C-44 “Manual” Case for iPad offers new wider spacing to fit all generations of iPad’s in that can be housed with jackets fitted to them. The new wider spacings have been made to house Apple iPad 2 and new iPad models fitted with the rugged cases such as the Griffin ‘Survivor’ and Otter box ‘Defender’. Other third party cases will fit comfortably. Another new entry in to Parotec’s line up is the a Manual 32 Bay which increases storage up to 32 iPad devices.

Stand: G200-G201 TRIBUNE Over the last five years Tribune has focused on infrastructure and desktop technology and has become a world leader in the application of virtual desktop infrastructure (VDI), particularly in education where increased sustainability and reduced budgets are hot topics.

Launched at BETT 2012, SchoolPack is a cloud based educational portal providing a range of services including email, calendar, 100s of education applications, secure social networking, e-catalogue and integration with Active Directory for less than £500 for the year to any UK primary school. L Stand: F72

SOUND, LIGHTING, AUDIO VISUAL Latest technology for your school plus our free 3 year warranty

We design, supply, install and maintain: › High performance sound to hear every word spoken and every note sung. › Stage lighting systems to help your star performers really shine. › Big screen projection for education or after school entertainment. › School wide public address, music and class change systems for perfect communication. › Digital signage systems to really get your message across. › Classroom sound reinforcement to improve the listening and learning environment.

We stand by our systems and our customers, providing you with long term technical support, training and assistance.

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RealSound... We listen T: 0845 812 1122 E: info@realsound.co.uk W: www.realsound.co.uk RealSound and Vision Ltd, Ludbridge Mill, East Hendred, Oxfordshire, OX12 8LN

There’s a LapCabby for everyone LapCabby is the market leading laptop trolley for charging, storing and moving classroom ICT equipment. And because we know that every school has different needs we’ve designed a whole range of innovative trolleys so teachers can choose the one that’s right for them.

LapCabby horizontal

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Stores up to 32 laptops

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Trolleys for enhancing WiFi access and connectivity

A multimedia trolley that stores classroom media equipment such as amplifiers, DVD players and projectors.

Find your LapCabby See our full range at www.lapcabby.com and find a supplier by calling us on 0115 982 1771 or send us an email at sales@monarchuk.com

New thinking in ICT storage

ICT

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ICT

WHAT’S NEW IN EDUCATION TECHNOLOGY? ICT has changed at an incredible pace and revolutionised the way education is delivered. RM Education can help schools safely and effectively transition to a brave new ‘mobile-world’ You don’t need to cast your mind back far to remember a time when Smartphones were shiny executive toys, not for general use, and ICT in schools meant a bookable room of computers. The IT industry has developed at an incredible pace and is continuing to do so. In a changing, competitive environment how can schools stay up-to-date, let alone set students up for the future when so much is unknown.

For many schools their ICT systems – servers, routers and networks, may have been procured less than five years ago, but at a time when today’s requirements were undreamt of.

To highlight the pace of change, on Christmas day 22 years ago Sir Tim BernersLee, created the first communication between an HTTP client and server via the Internet. Since then the Internet has become a standardised commodity that’s changing the way we work, teach and learn. We’ve moved through Web 1.0 – viewing with no user interaction, to Web 2.0, a platform for sharing. Now commenting on others’ content and uploading our own is the norm, with users managing multiple online profiles.

CHANGING EDUCATION A revolution is taking place with schools embracing a new world of Cloud-based

computing, one to one device ratios, and anytime, anywhere access. The benefits for teaching and learning are huge – but so are the demands on the network, infrastructure and staff.

One challenge facing a school’s move to the new world is providing enough devices, affordably. A solution might be an Apple Class set from RM Education, which provides iPads, storage and other essential items such as expert support. And for schools who can’t afford the capital outlay, there’s RM Rentals, allowing the costs to be spread.

It’s not only devices that are mobile.

Services and storage are increasingly moving to the Cloud. Cloud-based storage and software such as Microsoft’s Office 365 (which comes in a variety of free and low-cost options for education) are becoming increasingly relevant for schools.

Schools will be able to make the most of an ever-expanding universe of Cloud applications; it’s an exciting new world but there is potential for chaos. RM Unify is a new platform that allows schools to unify cloud services under a single username and password for each user. You can launch your Cloud applications, such as Office 365, your Learning Platform, RM Easimaths

you name it, with one single logon. It also lets staff manage services with seamless and secure provisioning of accounts.

E-BOOKS One other fast-evolving area is the world of ebooks with more and more adults reading books in digital format. Over three times as many fiction ebooks were sold in 2011 compared to 2010. The explosion in ebook publishing has accompanied the growth in popularity of e-readers and tablet devices – and now more and more children are using these, fuelling an upswing in digital bookbuying in the children’s publishing market.

Traditionally schools have avoided using digital books due to cost, ease of management and a lack of suitable devices. RM Books, www.rmbookshelf.com, the first ebook solution designed specifically for schools, overcomes these barriers enabling schools to participate in this exciting digital revolution.

It’s free to use, provides access to high quality curriculum textbook titles from leading education publishers and free use of hundreds of classic literature ebooks. Textbooks can be rented for flexible time periods, with the overall cost comparable to that of a printed copy. The ebooks can be viewed on, or downloaded to, virtually any internet enabled device (iOS, Windows, Mac, Android).

This world demands a non-stop connection – devices need to work anywhere, so high-quality WiFi is important. With this in mind, schools will need to revisit their infrastructure to ensure it meets the demands of the changing classroom.

Whether its updating infrastructure, implementing a new range of technologies or embedding whole school ICT policies, RM Education can help schools safely and effectively transition to a brave new ‘mobile-world’. L FOR MORE INFORMATION www.rm.com/unify/business

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IT SECURITY

CLOSE THE DOOR ON IT ATTACKS

Advertisement Feature

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Today’s students are increasingly computer savvy, downloading programmes, sharing files or checking social networking sites – actions that can pose the greatest risk to school IT security As computers become an increasingly important part of the educational process, IT administrators are faced with the growing challenge of ensuring networks are safe and secure. Today’s students are increasingly computer savvy, often downloading programmes, sharing files or checking social networking sites – and it is these actions that can pose the greatest risk to IT security.

With a plethora of laptops, PCs, and even mobile devices being used on a daily basis, critical changes to the system are made both intentionally and unintentionally. Cyber attacks are hardly new, yet the speed and reach of them has been magnified enormously with the growing dependence on the internet, email and social media. In schools, the proliferation of computer based learning has not only facilitated education development, but it has opened a door to substantial security threats.

UNDER PRESSURE Indeed, as cyber threats continue to become more sophisticated, increasingly relying on students ‘innocently’ downloading malwarelaced attachments or clicking on infected links, it’s no wonder that administrators are under significant pressure to protect both the students and network from these dangers – and all without stretching budgets, resources or placing unnecessary restrictions on the learning environment.

With a typical IT support staff and computer ratio of 1:500, it is not surprising that IT departments are frequently pushed to the limit – often spending the majority of their time ensuring the computers are operating as they should. Computers have essentially become the sole medium of instruction, therefore it is critical to have 100 percent computer uptime at all times. Having to monitor and amend these on a weekly or even daily basis can be extremely time consuming, leaving little or no time to make additional necessary updates or work on troubleshooting more minor issues.

As a result, technological demand can end up outpacing technological support, leading to a considerably higher number of helpdesk calls.

MALICIOUS MALWARE The high volume of multiple users on classroom computers means students and teachers are continuously accessing websites or using removable media that could potentially invite malware into a system.

Viruses, Trojans, and spyware have all become a pervasive and increasingly unmanageable problem which threatens the whole security of the student network. As students gain more computer knowhow, the likelihood of them downloading programmes onto the network – intentionally or not – becomes greater, which can effectively damage the computer and subsequently affect the efficiency of the classroom.

What makes cyber attacks on educational networks even easier to plan and execute is the surge of ‘innocent clickers’, who are unaware of the consequences of their actions. Students are increasingly using and trusting social networking sites; however Facebook, Twitter and other photo sharing

full potential. Furthermore, this approach can still lead to general IT degeneration, with temporary file build-ups, slowness and deterioration still significant issues.

CREATIVE IT BUDGETS In order to combat these threats, schools must become more creative with their IT budgets.

Rather than rely solely on traditional security solutions, such as anti-virus, they must look

In schools, the proliferation of computer based learning has not only facilitated education development, but it has opened a door to substantial security threats websites are being utilised more and more by cyber criminals to propagate malware.

All it takes is for one student to unwittingly click on a malicious link or a malware-laced attachment on one of these sites for the entire school’s network to be in jeopardy.

COMBATING CLICKERS As a result, IT administrators are continually fighting user ‘sabotage’ and changes made to operating systems that cause computer configurations to be inconsistent. This not only makes things difficult for teachers who need a uniform environment to educate their classes, but the amount of time and resources used to manage this problem can end up being considerable, as well as financially draining.

Previously, IT administrators chose to simply lock down the computers, ensuring no malware can get in and protecting themselves from student clickers. However, this solution can be extremely restrictive.

By preventing students from taking full advantage of the computers it can also end up with schools wasting huge sums of money on IT technology that will simply not be used to its

at more efficient and economical solutions, such as restore-to-reboot methods. Ideal for large-scale networked environments, system restore technology automatically restores workstations with every reboot, preventing unwanted changes or additions students make from sticking. Essentially this provides an extra layer of defence by allowing the IT department to delete any unwanted or malicious malware that may have slipped past other security tools, at the touch of a button.

With cyber crime becoming top of mind for schools relying on computer based learning, this technology not only allows students to learn in an unrestricted environment, but it reduces timely IT support and callout costs, providing ultimate peace of mind for IT managers. L FURTHER INFORMATION www.faronics.com

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Voltage Power Optimisation is saving universities over £1.61 million every year in energy costs Fifty of the country’s universities have now installed powerPerfector’s Voltage Power Optimisation.

A total of 178 higher education buildings are using the technology which improves the quality of power and reduces the voltage within the building from the supply average of 242V to the optimum voltage for electrical equipment, which is 220V. Among the key installations to date is Keble College, one of the largest constituent colleges of the University of Oxford, with 410 undergraduate and 235 graduate students.

A 420kVA powerPerfector unit was installed at Keble College in December 2010. The college saw an 8.5 per cent reduction in electricity costs, equating to carbon dioxide emissions savings of at least 65.7 tonnes and annual financial savings of at least £7,900.

Roger Boden, college bursar, said: “With payback of less than four years, the decision to invest in a powerPerfector unit was an easy one to make on financial grounds, and the prospect of higher

electricity costs and carbon taxes in the future only strengthened the case.

“The college is equally committed to a responsible approach to carbon emissions. The combination of financial and environmental benefits looked on paper, to be overwhelming. The reality has turned out to be as good as predicted.” powerPerfector director of sales, Wayne Muncaster said: “Higher education has really embraced the technology. In total we are saving universities over £1.61million every year in energy costs, this equates to nearly 8,000 tonnes of CO2. “powerPerfector is the UK’s leading provider of Voltage Optimisation technology.

The embedded power conditioning benefits

Streamline your recruitment process with ITN Mark Education With over 15 years’ experience, ITN Mark Education is the leading education specialist who works in partnership with your school or academy to help ease your recruitment challenges.

Fully appreciating that one size certainly doesn’t fit all, ITN Mark believes in working closely with its clients to provide unique and sustainable solutions to help shape the future of your workforce.

The company’s portfolio of services includes: complete recruitment services – day-today, long term and permanent assignments; bespoke partnership packages; SEN specialists; training & CPD opportunities; leadership & advisory services; and academy conversion support.

Operating through a network of national and international offices, ITN Mark is able to find and attract top quality

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candidates. While recruiting is only the first step, retaining them is just as important. ITN Mark provides a support network for its candidates, which includes: free CPD training, half-term reviews, career advice, as well as regular networking and social events.

ITN Mark’s services allow schools and academies to free up time to focus on what matters most: a quality learning experience.

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EDUCATION BUSINESS MAGAZINE | Volume 17.6

make powerPerfector’s VPO® unique, increasing the cost and CO2 savings you make.”

The technology was developed in Japan in 1993 to combat rising energy costs due to increasing demand and a lack of natural energy resources.

Manufacture of the powerPerfector began in the UK in February 2012.

Quite apart from the energy savings the technology generates, there are a number of power quality benefits embedded within the technology, which distinguish VPO® from the wider voltage optimisation market.

Wayne Muncaster said: “Perhaps most pertinent is the protection from common transients that our technology affords.

“It is our view that most businesses will need this protection from spikes as we move towards the energy gap and the number of generation methods increases.”

FOR MORE INFORMATION Tel: 0845 6014723 enquiries@powerperfector.com www.powerperfector.com

Light up the streets again with energy saving LEDs The increasing energy costs seen over the past few years has seen councils turning off lights to save energy costs.

This however can cause issues with health and safety and create a ‘locked in society’ that will not venture out into a dark environment. This in turn adds to the already fragile economy, as they do not interact with the high street and spend.

This need not be the case with LED technology. Using this technology to run street lighting instead of conventional lighting sources sees an increase in output but not energy consumption – it would appear the LED is truly coming of age.

You can wait to see what the future of LEDs will bring, but the more time you take to decide the more money you waste unnecessarily; with prices as low as they are, the pay back

on converting to LED is 12 months and in some cases less.

The increase in energy costs is not far from everyone thoughts, so why are we still keen to waste money? The LED replacement lamps on the market show an 80 per cent energy saving over their more conventional counterparts. This can lead to a significant reduction in energy bills, with little or no compromise on the performance of the lighting scheme.

FOR MORE INFORMATION www.dalilite.com/ get-turned-on

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LapCabby makes classroom ICT far simpler and more productive LapCabby is the market leading solution for storing, charging and moving latops, netbooks and tablets in the classroom. Their remarkable success has been built on a commitment to understanding the needs of teachers and pupils and acclaimed levels of service, value and quality.

LapCabby’s popularity and reputation has reached such levels that its list of stockists is growing at an incredible rate. Not only does the company supply many stockists all across the UK, it is also building a burgeoning international reputation; its laptop trolleys are now used in classrooms in over 30 countries worldwide.

LapCabbys come in a range of sizes and functions including horizontal and vertical laptop units, netbook trolleys, TabCabby (a trolley designed for storing and charging tablets) and Media AVCabby for storing a

range of media equipment.

And with a wide range of innovative design features to provide safety, security and efficiency, a LapCabby helps protect children, teachers and the school building while making classroom ICT use far simpler and more productive.

FOR MORE INFORMATION www.lapcabby.com

Parotec-IT launches new range at BETT 2013 Parotec-IT is a trading name of Parotec Solutions Ltd and is the name for the division specialising in IT related products. The company is based in Greater Manchester, from where it delivers to clients throughout the UK and Europe, and as far away as the Middle East, Far East, the USA, Africa and Australia.

The company’s IT division delivers various ranges from mobile protective portable cases, desktop docks, stations, floor standing mobile carts and storage products to charge and sync multiple iPad, iPhone, iPod and other Apple devices throughout the UK and beyond.

The solutions Parotec-IT manufacturers and supplies are ideal for schools, museums and businesses that require transporting, storing and charging of multiple devices inside classrooms, exhibitions, meeting rooms, training areas or

day to day working environments.

BETT 2013 will see a new direction from Parotec, offering a more versatile range of solutions, not only aimed at the Apple iOS mobile devices market but also the Android Tablet markets.

Come and view the new additions to the range which has something for everyone.

FOR MORE INFORMATION Tel: 01204 868630 sales@parotecsolutions.co.uk

Simple voice-controlled lesson capture has arrived The new Juno system from FrontRow has it all. Effortlessly voicecontrolled lesson capture records entire classes, presentations, exam revision and even helps set assignments.

In fact, just one voice command is all it takes to capture any visual displayed on your active whiteboard and sync it seamlessly with the teacher’s voice.

As well as recording through the teacher’s microphone, Juno provides voice and multimedia amplification within the classroom, improving the learning environment. This voice reinforcement means students hear the teacher with a clarity that’s proven to raise results and reduce stress and vocal strain. Wireless student microphones also support ‘flipped’ classrooms by always keeping the students involved.

Once recorded, lessons are automatically saved for convenient access or editing.

Then, one button press uploads them for review by students and parents in their home.

Already a hit in the US, Juno is upgradeable and is fully compatible with existing ICT installations, including all active whiteboards. Plus, as a completely portable system, you can use Juno when and where it’s needed most.

FOR MORE INFORMATION www.soundforschools.co.uk 020 8772 2700 juno@pcwerth.co.uk Visit BETT (stand G180 or Learn Live – search for PC Werth)

A free online resource to help boost maths grades ConquerMaths is the most effective way to help students who have missed lessons or who need to raise their grades in upcoming exams and is now available as a free classroom resource.

Every student is different so it’s difficult to know where they each need help. ConquerMaths diagnostic tests adapt to each student’s ability and point out the specific areas where students have gaps in their knowledge and will even suggest which lessons to take to correct those problems.

With over 1,000 professional, animated and narrated lessons covering from Reception through to A-Level, ConquerMaths provides complete coverage of the curriculum. Each tutorial is clear and concise and lasts around five minutes – perfect for keeping students engaged, right to the end.

To ensure a rock-solid understanding, students are tested after every lesson. Results

and achievements are stored in each individual student’s on-going progress report.

Every teacher can login to view or print a range of student or class reports, set independent learning tasks and fully control the curriculum and what is available to their students.

Parents can also login to view their children’s progress or to set up weekly email reports helping to encourage greater involvement in their children’s learning.

FOR MORE INFORMATION Tel: 0191 240 1990 info@conquermaths.com www.conquermaths.com

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ENERGY MONITORING AND TARGETING

Alan Aldridge, executive director, Energy Services and Technology Association

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Understanding the pattern of energy use in a building remains the fundamental insight upon which energy management strategies are built, as Alan Aldridge, executive director of the Energy Services and Technology Association (ESTA) explains It is an often quoted maxim, ascribed to that eminent Victorian scientist Lord Kelvin, that if you can’t measure something then you can’t manage it. While not wishing to get into a philosophical discussion about whether it applies in every situation, it is certainly true in the case of energy use in buildings. And that is why Monitoring & Targeting is such a fundamental part of energy management. M&T is the process of gathering data in order to understand how and where it is being consumed and then, armed with that information, devising strategies to improve the efficiency with which it is being used. As with all iterative processes, the sequence is continually repeated to further improve efficiency.

Gathering data and manually inputting it to the computer so that it can be analysed can be a time-consuming process though – and pretty tedious as well. But about a decade ago, the energy management industry applied some of the lessons learnt earlier in office administration systems and came up with automatic Monitoring & Targeting (aM&T). It seems hard to imagine

There is little difference in functionality between ‘smart’ and ‘advanced’ meters but a big difference in their ability to interface with energy management systems. After March 2014 all gas and electricity supplies to ‘larger customers’ have to be via advanced meters. a world without Microsoft or Apple today.

But it is not so long ago when letters were all individually typed with a hard copy often stored in an archive. Mass mailings were difficult to achieve and ‘standard’ letters still had to be re-typed each time.

But in the 1980s and 1990s, all that changed. Standard formats and templates could be accessed to speed up repetitive or bulk mailings, copies could be stored electronically and ‘cutting and pasting’ revolutionised office productivity.

Applying similar computer processing to repetitive but simple energy management

tasks like data collection and analysis has had a similar impact. And it has done more than just eliminate the slow, manual traditional process of meter data analysis. Because of the speed with which these operations can now be done, the volume of data processed can be substantially increased too. This means that the analysis is more robust and faults picked up more quickly. Standard report formats can be used to present information to senior colleagues and these new systems – built with the same ‘building blocks’ as office admin systems – can be integrated with other office systems. That means they can also be E

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ENERGY MONITORING AND TARGETING E used to check the accuracy of bills presented to the accounts department for example.

While the potential benefits of aM&T may have been obvious, it needed someone to agree to trial the system. In the event, it was first applied by some of the largest energy users in the country who had the resources to test this new technology. This was fortuitous as the results were robust and extensive. That encouraged others to take up the technique, including a number of universities and larger educational institutions who had substantial energy bills and often quite complex building portfolios of different configurations and ages.

Crucially, it also convinced Government that here was an innovation that could make a real difference to energy performance across the built environment. It introduced incentives to encourage take-up, notably within the Building Regulations and the CRC Energy Efficiency Scheme.

The rest, as they say, is history – or not quite. This sector has seen dramatic growth across all parts of the economy.

This is partly due to economies of scale as it has taken off, but also because the price of electrical components and computing power has dropped over the years.

But one of the key factors for its success is that the companies developing these systems are largely small, innovative businesses and this allows them to adapt quickly to new market requirements and opportunities. So while the early offerings were designed for large, multi-site operations, these have now been joined by others that are focussed on smaller, single site applications.

Indeed, it is probably fair to say that there is an aM&T system for just about every application. Schools, colleges and other educational bodies can all benefit from this technology. And now is the time to make decisions. The Government’s ‘smart meter’ programme is shortly to be rolled out across the country. Larger energy users have the right to opt for advanced metering – including aM&T. There is little difference in functionality between ‘smart’ and ‘advanced’ meters but a big difference in their ability to interface with energy management systems. After March 2014 all gas and electricity supplies to ‘larger customers’ have to be via advanced meters, for example. ESTA recommends that users adopt the ‘advanced’ option now.

For one thing, the metering is likely to be installed earlier (the smart meter programme will not be completed until 2020) and advanced metering will enable multi-site operations where buildings have different energy consumptions (and therefore different

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While the potential benefits of aM&T may have been obvious, it needed someone to agree to trial the system. In the event, it was first applied by some of the largest energy users in the country who had the resources to test this new technology.

electricity ‘profiles’) to be integrated within a single energy management programme.

And speaking of innovation, that is continuing in the aM&T marketplace. Gas metering has traditionally lagged a long way behind electricity, but consumers need to be able to implement energy efficiency programmes here too. And today, there are new meter-related developments being launched. ASPCoP is an ESTA-managed industry code of practice helping to regularise the provision of automatic meter reading (AMR) services for fiscal gas data collection. About 90 per cent of all meter readings are made by ASPCoP-accredited service providers. To further support this initiative ESTA is launching ASPCONNECT. This new ESTA system identifies each automatic meter reading installation. Contractors who need to make changes and additions can check the details before visiting site, minimising wasted visits and customer site disruption.

This should make the operation of gas metering much more effective and efficient.

The industry has come a long way in a short time. But there is plenty of momentum to develop still more applications. And the introduction of new international energy management standards like ISO 50001 and the International Performance Measurement

“Gas has ing meter lly lagged ona y, traditi d electricit ed behin sumers ne n but coee efficiency to s rammes prog too” here

and Verification Protocol (IPMVP), which rely heavily on verifiable and robust data collection are opening up new avenues for further innovation and development of aM&T. Many of these new developments will be discussed at ESTA’s free aM&T conference next February.

The technology of automatic Monitoring & Targeting has brought a step-change to the business of managing energy. It is a young technology but one which has great promise and can be applied across the built environment. It is already making an impact in the education sector. Come to the conference in February and find out more. L FURTHER INFORMATION The Energy Services and Technology Association (ESTA) represents over 100 major providers of energy management equipment and services across the UK. For more details visit the website at: www.esta.org.uk

Monitoring and targeting conference ESTA aM&T conference automatic Monitoring & Targeting: the 11th Annual Conference and Exhibition will be held on Thursday 28 February 2013 at the Ricoh Arena, Coventry. To register for this free conference, visit the ESTA website at: tinyurl.com/9976qd7

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N o b o d y k n ow s D a i k i n b e t t e r

24/10/2012 17:11

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U4ENERGY WINNERS

EU commissioner for energy, Mr. Günther Oettinger,

ENERGY AWARE SCHOOL PROJECTS RECOGNISED

The National winners of the European Commission’s U4energy competition share their experiences in energy monitoring and management as they strive to reduce their carbon footprint Promoting energy awareness in schools and inspiring changes in daily behaviour relates to many aspects of the formal educational curriculum. It can be incorporated into lessons in human, social and physical sciences as well as aspects of ethics. The UK winners of the three categories in U4energy, the first pan-European competition on energy education organised by the European Commission, have been announced.

Schools from all over Europe competed, sharing the results beyond national boundaries on the project’s website, which is becoming a handy reference tool for other schools embraking on their own energy saving endeavours.

The European U4energy competition was an opportunity for teachers and pupils to learn about energy efficiency by performing short and long term actions to help reduce daily consumption.

Making better decisions about the way they used energy helped them save on bills and reduce their carbon footprint.

winning project entitled ‘If you can measure it you can manage it’ won the best energy efficiency measure category. The project aimed to reduce the colleges’ energy consumption by encouraging behaviour change by making energy use visible to all. Major energy efficiency measures including use of an extensive monitoring system and installation of new windows, insulation, thermostatic radiator valves and PV solar panels.

As a result the college reduced its gas and electricity consumption by 50 per cent since the project began in 2006.

Further plans are currently under way to completely eliminate their energy bill with the installation of more renewable energy sources; wind and biomass.

All these measures are reinforced through student participation in the monitoring and curriculum linked activities related to energy and sustainability. This has greatly heightened student awareness of energy efficiency and has been extended into the community through student led visits to feeder primary schools.

The is ive initiat lowed by fol er closely commission r e the EU ergy Günth for en tinger, who Oet nched lau gy in r U4ene 10 20

SECOND YEAR The initiative is closely followed by the EU commissioner for energy, Mr. Günther Oettinger, who launched U4energy in 2010.

After a successful first year with hundreds of schools from nearly 30 countries participating, the Executive Agency for Competitiveness and Innovation (EACI) launch the second season.

Günther Oettinger will personally welcome the winners at the European award ceremony in Brussels on 26 November to receive their awards. Out of the national winners, a grand European jury will select six European finalists.

The competition consists of three categories: Energy efficiency measures at school; Best pedagogical actions to raise awareness on efficient energy use, and; Best awareness raising campaign on energy efficiency Okehampton College in Devons submitted a

BEST TEACHING ACTIONS Ashley C of E Primary School in in Waltonon-Thames won the best teaching actions on efficient energy use category. The ‘energy matters’ project stemmed from the weekly school energy assessments carried out by the children. Using computer software linked to energy monitors the children are able to assess where and when the school is using the most energy and these findings are then shared with the school during weekly assemblies. This developed into a lesson linked to the curriculum where pupils used their maths skills to calculate the amount of electricity used by specific appliances and the cost of this on a daily and annual basis.

The project has resulted in more detailed work monitoring energy use in the school, and work on energy monitoring has been extended out of school in to the community through the development of the 100

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club challenge. This encourages pupils to engage their household in reducing energy consumption to 100 kWh per week.

The best awareness raising campaign on energy efficiency was won by Landscove C of E Primary School in Devon. The school launched their campaign with the slogan ‘Join us in making a difference- it’s easy!

Be aware and care’ and the main objectives included raising awareness of energy efficiency and its importance globally and to share their learning via the internet.

USING THE POD Much of the work carried out was based around the campaigns and resources available from the Pod (EDF Energy’s resource for greener schools). Using the Pod’s campaigns as a starting point the pupils created a number of video’s highlighting what can be done to reduce energy consumption.

‘The children’s awareness about the need for energy saving and the threat of climate change has been increased by doing fun activities.’ Hillary Gibbard, Landscove’s ecocoordinator. As well as producing a number of videos the pupils regularly update their Pod blog uploading updates about all the work they have been carrying including photos and power point presentations.”

“As a result they have received one silver and three gold Pod medals.”

U4energy is funded through the Intelligent Energy Europe programme which aims to make Europe more competitive and innovative. L

Read more about the winning projects Okehampton Community College If you can measure it you can manage it! - tinyurl.com/d3uc4on Landscove Cof E Primary Landscove children can make a difference - tinyurl.com/c5zlcpg Ashley CofE Primary School Measuring Matters tinyurl.com/ckazejg

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ENERGY NEWS

Leeds Passivhaus school uses 80 per cent less energy A school for 630 pupils completed in Leeds by Interserve, the international support services and construction group, has not only achieved Passivhaus certification, but has smashed the air tightness target of the Passivhaus Institute.

Richmond Hill Primary School, built on behalf of Leeds City Council, will use up to 80 per cent less energy than a conventionally built facility, reducing carbon emissions by 60 per cent without the use of renewable energy.

The new school was given a Passivhaus air tightness target of 0.6 ACH (Air Changes Per Hour), which means the building must not leak more than 0.6 times its volume of air per hour at 50 pascals. This level of air tightness is well over ten times better than the current building regulations’ requirement of 10m3/m2/hour at 50 pascals. However, tests have revealed the school has achieved an enormously impressive 0.25 ACH, which is just 1/20 of the ACH level required by British Building Regulations.

Superb levels of insulation, coupled with a highly efficient mechanical ventilation heat recovery (MVHR) system have all contributed to achieving its Passivhaus certification.

HIGH STRENGTH INSULATION Helping to achieve superior levels of thermal insulation is Interserve’s solution for the eradication of cold bridging between the building’s piled foundations and steelwork frame, using high-strength insulation normally used in industrial process plant installations.

The walls and roof of Richmond Hill School achieve excellent thermal insulation performance, with U-Values far exceeding the requirements of the current building regulations. Structural Insulated Panels (SIPs) manufactured off-site featuring polyurethane insulation have been used to form the structural fabric of the walls, and further SIPs panels with extra mineral wool insulation from the roof of the new building.

The materials enable an impressive U-Value of 0.1W/m2K to be achieved for the walls.

Triple glazed timber windows, certified by the Passivhaus Institute, facilitate excellent standards of thermal insulation, whilst also

helping to keep air leakage to a minimum. The specific heat demand of the building is 11kWh/ m2/year (well under the target of 15kWh/ m2/year) and the Primary Energy Demand is 112kWh/m2/year (again, well below the target set of 120 kWh/m2/year); therefore the school will benefit from lower energy costs.

The school also features a twenty-six place nursery and an integral sixteen-place Autistic Spectrum Condition facility.

Commenting on the build, the school’s chair of governors Tommy Hall, said: “Throughout the development of the new build, our builders have been outstandingly kind, considerate and professional. From development to the finish they have communicated and taken on board ideas and discussions. Our head teacher has nothing but praise for the team and stresses to the Governors that what could have been a difficult couple of years has been a delightful experience in working with Interserve.”

Richmond Hill Primary School is the third non-domestic Passivhaus-certified building constructed by Interserve, and is thought to be the largest Passivhaus-certified building in the UK. Swillington Primary School, one of these Passivhaus schemes, is also located in Leeds, and has also recently been completed

by Interserve in partnership with Leeds City Council. Richmond Hill Primary School has recently won the Yorkshire and Humberside Constructing Excellence Innovation Award.

Passivhaus is the fastest growing energy performance standard in the world with 30,000 buildings realised to date. The standard was developed in Germany in the early 1990s by Professors Bo Adamson of Sweden and Wolfgang Feist of Germany and the first dwellings to be completed to the Passivhaus Standard were constructed in Darmstadt in 1991. Although it is mostly applied to new buildings, it has also been used for refurbishments. L FURTHER INFORMATION www.passivhaustrust.org.uk www.passivhaus.org.uk www.ukpassivhausconference.org.uk

New Forest schools pioneer energy saving Ten New Forest schools are taking part in a pioneering project that aims to cut their energy consumption by ten per cent. Over the next two years the schools will monitor their energy usage and attempt to achieve a major reduction in consumption of gas, electricity and fuel oil.

Hampshire County Council and the New Forest National Park Authority are helping fund the project, which has been devised by New Forest Transition - an organisation which highlights the need to create a more sustainable way of living. Project coordinator Cathy Cook commented: “This is a fantastic opportunity for children to be involved in kick-starting a major energy saving initiative across the New Forest.”

The ten schools taking part will exchange ideas and information.

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Switch-Off Fortnight 19 Nov - 2 Dec

Schools across the UK are being urged to register for SwitchOff Fornight, which kicks off on November 19 and aims to raise awareness about energy use in schools. Last year’s campaign was an overwhelming success, with more than 4,400 schools taking part, cutting their energy use and becoming more aware of how much energy and money they could potentially save.

The Pod, which has been created in collaboration with Eco-Schools, runs national environmental campaigns each year to help get the whole school, parents and the local community to engage in a more sustainable lifestyle. Feedback from teachers suggests its hugely popular; not only with students as it gives them the opportunity to be involved with something that thousands of other children across the country are doing at the same time; but they are also a great way of getting the whole school working together on a green project and a channel through which to engage parents and the local community in their work.

Schools that register to take part in campaignsget packs full of posters, stickers, worksheets and other tools. The Pod has lots of additional materials on the website, such as templates to create posters, leaflets, bunting, tracking and award charts, certificates etc. All the resources can be downloaded for free once a school is registered, and the Pod’s energy activities fit in with many areas of the National Curriculum including Math’s, Numeracy, PHSE, Citizenship, English/literacy, ICT and Geography.

The Pod also operates medals league table for member schools.

For further information visit www.jointhepod.org

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CARBON REDUCTION

Energy

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AN EDUCATION IN ENERGY MANAGEMENT

King Edward VI School has reduced its annual energy bills by £12,300 and carbon footprint by 50 tonnes of CO2 after following the Carbon Trust’s energy saving recommendations In January 2009 King Edward VI School in Stratford-upon-Avon was surveyed by the Carbon Trust. The survey established a baseline for energy consumption at the school and identified and prioritised a series of energy and carbon saving measures. Since then the school has transformed its approach to energy management, and after carrying out a number of the Carbon Trust energy saving recommendations, King Edward VI School has reduced its carbon footprint by over 12 per cent and its costs by over 15 per cent. This equates to 50 tonnes of carbon and £12,300 annual savings (based on comparable 2008/09 prices) against a capital outlay of £20,000 on improvement projects.

MAKING THE MOVE TO EFFICIENCY King Edward VI School is over 450 years old and caters for boys in the age range of 11 – 18 years. There are some 560 pupils and 90 staff and the grounds cover an area of around 9,400m2, with the school including a number of Grade 1 listed buildings. Like many schools, it had never made energy consumption a priority until applying to the Carbon Trust for assistance.

The Carbon Trust survey took place in January 2009, with the aim of identifying the ten most important activities the school could undertake in order to save both carbon emissions and energy costs. The school was benchmarked against similarly sized schools, which showed the school’s total energy performance to be reasonable in general but with electricity consumption highlighted as an area with high potential for improvement.

The total annual energy spend for the School pre-survey was approximately £80,000 with a carbon footprint of 410 tonnes per year. The survey identified a number of areas for savings with recommendations ranging from raising awareness around energy consumption and management issues, through to technical improvements to the schools energy consuming systems.

TAKING ACTION Specific measures with short paybacks and long-term benefits were focussed on after the survey. Energy management and awareness actions were taken immediately while technical measures were addressed during the school summer holiday period.

The school firstly addressed their

approach to energy management and energy monitoring and set about drafting an energy policy for the school.

Shortly after, an energy awareness campaign was initiated with the aim of helping staff and students understand the importance of switching off equipment.

The initial campaign was well received and was fully embraced by students. Like many energy awareness campaigns, momentum needs to be maintained (especially from one school year to the next) and with significant potential for savings still available through improved student and staff awareness, a new push on this area is planned.

The school then focused on electricity consumption and the costs and carbon savings available in this area. The existing tungsten filament lighting at the school was particularly energy-intensive, and these lights were replaced with energy efficient, high frequency T5 fluorescent models, dramatically reducing the amount of electricity being used for lighting.

ELECTRIC SAVINGS The school is heated by natural gas, but prior to the school’s energy improvement project, many areas were supplemented by inefficient stand-alone electrical heaters. Mike Hawley, the School Bursar who ran the King Edward

when it got too hot, or use supplementary electrical heating when it was too cold, wasting a lot of energy in the process.

Demand on the boiler was further reduced by insulating hot water pipes and valves and ensuring optimum combustion efficiency.

The effect is a more comfortable study environment, with significantly better control. Whilst natural gas consumption has increased slightly at the school, overall costs, consumption and carbon emissions associated with heating the school have dramatically decreased.

SIGNIFICANT RESULTS Since implementing these measures, King Edward VI School has reduced its carbon footprint by over 12 per cent and its costs by over 15 per cent against the 2008/09 baseline. This equates to 50 tonnes of carbon and £12,300 annual savings (based on comparable 2008/09 prices) against a capital outlay of £20,000 on improvement projects. Additional cost savings have been achieved through procuring energy through the Eastern Shires Purchasing Organisation (ESPO).

The school plans to continue its drive to reduce energy costs and carbon emissions by commencing a new and more focussed awareness campaign and by investigating

The survey identified a number of areas for savings, with recommendations ranging from raising awareness around energy consumption and management issues, through to technical improvements to the schools energy systems.

VI energy project, identified this as an area for significant cost and carbon savings – electricity being much more expensive per unit than natural gas and almost three times as carbon intensive. All electrical heaters were removed and the school set about increasing both the effectiveness and the efficiency of the natural gas heating system.

Low cost measures included installing heating controls such as thermostatic radiator valves (TRVs) and room thermostats. Before installation, teachers had to open windows

longer term carbon reduction measures such as improving building fabric insulation.

Mike Hawley, bursar at King Edward VI School, said: “The Carbon Trust survey was one of my first initiatives and it presented a number of straightforward recommendations. Having pursued several of these, it has been very satisfying to be able to make such a difference, so quickly.” L FOR MORE INFORMATION www.carbontrust.com

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construction & property consultants

A FOCUS ON EDUCATION EARLY YEARS, SCHOOLS, COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES

Our professional team has extensive experience working directly for primary and secondary schools, colleges, universities and city academies as well as via local education authorities, trustees and school boards. calfordseaden's design, project management, cost consultancy, engineering and sustainability expertise has been successfully engaged on an extensive portfolio of education and related sector projects. This portfolio includes: Nurseries, Sure Start and Children Centres Academies, Primary and Secondary Schools Colleges, Universities and Further Education Foyers, Community and Youth Facilities Student Halls of Residence and Keyworker Accommodation As experts in the sector, we seek to deliver schemes that meet all stakeholders' needs and embody the principles of inclusive design. We focus in delivering a service that captures the passion, expertise and quality required by our clients. We achieve this through close consultation and solid communication.

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STANDARDISED DESIGNS

KEEPING IT SIMPLE

In early October, the Education Funding Agency issued the much anticipated design guidance for the schools that will be built under the Government’s Priority School Building Programme (PSBP). Referred to as ‘Austerity Schools’ by some, the plans aim to reduce the cost of new school buildings by 30 per cent and will help local authorities cut capital spending.

Secondary School type 2 design section AA from the Education Funding Agency

The baseline designs, currently not required for schools procured by other means, will be used to finalise briefs. Contractors can develop them into detailed schemes, or propose alternatives.

They are not mandatory, but schools will not be able to spend more than what it would cost to construct a school to those specifications.

The baseline designs were commissioned as response to the James Review, which advocated a set of standardised plans for education establishments. The Review, launched in July 2010, reported to ministers in April last year and examined how education capital is spent in England, specifically at the allocation and distribution of capital funds, the design and build process and maximising value for money.

Projects completed under the previous Building Schools for the Future framework were criticised by Michael Gove for being too costly. In a conference last year, the education secretary said: ”We won’t be getting Richard Rogers to design your school, we won’t be getting any award-winning architects to design it, because no one in this room is here to make architects richer.”

As well as reducing costs, The Education Funding Agency’s (EFA) new plans will look to ensure buildings are fit for purpose and sport improved environmental standards. Revised classroom and facility designs will look to deliver savings of around £6m for an average secondary school in comparison to a BSF project.

The ‘baseline’ templates place restrictions on room sizes, storey heights and building shapes for 261 replacement school buildings planned across the country.

SPACE REDUCTIONS Space in secondary schools will see reductions of 15 per cent, with primary schools being around five per cent smaller than their BSF equivalent. Guidelines for teaching areas, classrooms, staffrooms and sporting facilities will remain the same size.

Mike Green, director of capital at the

Design & Build

Sponsored by

best for schools. Charles Johnston, property director at Sport England, said: “Our experts on facilities have been working closely with the Education Funding Agency on the development of these designs. Getting the design right is essential in securing maximum value out of indoor school sports facilities, both for pupils and the local community.”

SPECIALIST SCIENCE ADVICE Following the announcement of the guidelines, the Association for Science Education (ASE), which celebrates its 50th anniversary next year, is stressing the importance of specialist advice when building science laboratories.

ASE broadly endorses the guidelines, having provided detailed feedback via its Safeguards in Science Committee to the DfE as the designs were being developed.

John Lawrence, deputy CEO at the Association of Science Education and a member of the Safeguards in Science Committee, said: “The ASE welcomes the opportunity to work with the Government on these designs and endorses them with regards to science labs as a minimum specification for new build schools. The success of such designs in practice will depend on the detailed design of individual projects.”

The ASE was keen to point out that seeking specialist advice will help schools ensure labs are safe and provide a suitable learning environment. This means taking into consideration details like whether teachers can engage effectively if workbenches are set out so that students do not face the front.

Safeguards Committee member Peter Borrows said: “These designs should lead to functional buildings, if not a very inspiring learning environment.

“More will now depend on having sufficient, well-trained, qualified science teachers whose on-going professional development will enable them to provide that inspiration to our young people.”

Seven new school buildings planned for Coventry in the Midlands are expected follow

Space in secondary schools will see reductions of 15 per cent, with primary school around 5 per cent smaller than their BSF equivalent. Guidelines for teaching areas, classrooms, staffrooms and sporting facilities will remain the same size.

EFA, said: “These designs will ensure that new schools can be built to effective designs and specifications, be simple to maintain and energy efficient. And they can be built far faster than many have previously and for far less money.”

Advisory groups for the teaching of science, art, design and technology, the performing arts, ICT and libraries advised the EFA on the design of classrooms and facilities that work

the guidelines. This is in contrast the previous new schools such as the Sidney Stringer Academy, in Hillfields, which was designed by architects and completed under BSF in 2009.

Coun David Kershaw, Coventry City Council’s cabinet member for education, said: “We are the only authority in the country to get all the schools we asked for.

“Unique designs such as the Sidney Stringer building (completed in 2009) are E

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速

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STANDARDISED DESIGNS E fearfully expensive. This saves an enormous amount of money. These buildings will be practical and valuefor-money, and we will insist on high-quality materials.

“I was government adviser to a school in Lancashire which had a magnificent atrium. In a time of financial constraints I would say that is not an essential.”

RIBA CONCERNS These restrictions will put an end to designs such as the curved timber Langley Academy by Foster + Partners, and Zaha Hadid’s zig-zagging steel and glass Evelyn Grace Academy, which was awarded the Stirling Prize last year by the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA). The Institute is concerned that what it refers to as the ‘flat-pack’ approach is inflexible and will deprive students and teachers of quality environments that are proven to support teaching and learning.

President Angela Brady said: “Our students, teachers and local communities deserve great schools – environments that are beneficial to the best-quality teaching and learning. In these times of austerity of course we need to cut our cloth on all spending; however, the government’s proposals for the design and construction of future schools are far too restrictive with too much focus on short-term savings.”

“Improvements must be made to the proposals to make sure that the schools we build now will suit the future generations of children that will learn in them, and deliver what the community needs in the longer term.”

RIBA has further warned that the design guidelines set could be bad for student discipline. Its response to the plans states: “The minimal circulation spaces have the potential for serious congestion, with the consequential impact on behaviour and wellbeing,” it says. “The designs for secondary schools include narrow corridors and concealed stairs that are difficult to supervise; in many schools this is likely to result in the need for additional staff supervision to maintain good behaviour and avoid bullying.” Read the full RIBA response here - tinyurl.com/blneqjr Contractors including Laing O’Rourke, Willmott Dixon, Bam and Wates have all entered the standardised schools market.

Stephen Hockaday, director of education infrastructure at Laing O’Rourke, said: “We are targeting the new funding rates and are confident in achieving them, making every effort to drive efficiencies through the use of Building Information Modelling (BIM) technology and Design for Manufacture and Assembly to produce schools that perform to the new environmental standards.”

Design & Build

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Secondary School type 2 design Exploded Axo from the Education Funding Agency

SUNESIS Oakfield Primary School is the first school to have benefited from a suite of new standardised designs called Sunesis, developed

by Willmott Dixon and local authority controlled company Scape. The 50s-built Oakfield needed to expand as many classes were already using additional temporary accommodation. By procuring a pre-designed Sunesis school through Scape, Warwickshire County Council reduced procurement time and fees associated with legal issues, feasibility studies, design and time spent at planning and procurement meetings. The school was also built in 32 weeks, and traditional design

and learning space, which minimises its impact on the environment both now and in the future. And we got it quickly too which saved money.”

Mark Robinson, chief executive officer at Scape says: “This is a real milestone – not just for Oakfield Primary and Warwickshire County Council, but also for the construction and education sectors. In partnership with Willmott Dixon, we’re pioneering a new approach to delivering high quality and affordable schools across the UK. We look forward to seeing how the pupils and teachers alike reach their full potential in

These restrictions will put an end to designs such as the curved timber Langley Academy and Zaha Hadid’s zig-zagging steel and glass Evelyn Grace Academy, which was awarded the Stirling Prize last year by the RIBA. and build costs were reduced by 30 per cent.

John Harmon, assets strategy manager at Warwickshire County Council said: “With the original budget, we were looking at extending and altering the current building, but analysis showed it wouldn’t be suitable for conversion into a 21st century school premises – a refurbishment option would have meant a poor learning space and the running costs would have been high.

“Rather than try and ‘make do and mend’, for a little bit more we got something much better – a modern flexible teaching

this fantastic learning environment.”

Since Oakfield started on site, Southampton City Council and Isle of Wight have also opted for Sunesis schools and more are going through planning.

COMMUNITY PLUS In August, Morgan Sindall became the latest contractor to officially launch standardised designs. The company, which has built 261 primary schools, 64 secondary schools and seven academies in the last three years, announced the Community Plus range E

Volume 17.6 | EDUCATION BUSINESS MAGAZINE

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based on a shell and core approach and built around a steel frame. The designs were created in partnership with Atkins, an architectural practice which has a long and successful track record in education.

Managing director Graham Shennan said: “We’ve taken the time to look at what’s really important in education and settled upon a two-tier approach, where we can offer development solutions through Community Plus alongside a new range of model schools.”

truly inspirational learning environments, many of which have won international architecture and design awards. But the education sector needs to cut its financial cloth accordingly, and these plans aim to ensure that BSF’s interim replacement, which only has £2.4bn at its immediate disposal, delivers as much bang for buck as possible. Many have welcomed the pareddown approach, saying that millions of pounds were wasted under the previous programme on unnecessary consultant fees and extravagant design statements that could have been spent on teaching. Mike Green of the EFA concludes: “Ultimately they will enable as many schools as possible to receive investment from the funding available and deliver an excellent environment for the children and communities they serve.” L

CUTTING THE CLOTH The Building Schools for the Future programme was responsible for some

FURTHER INFORMATION Baseline designs for schools tinyurl.com/8cgrkku

y ing Agenc through ation Fund m the Educ fro n tio op the school years.

Classroom e rg La ) ls pi 2 (420 pu The secondary schools are hool Type Primary Sc

E which is supported by Morgan Sindall Investments, urban regeneration firm Muse Developments, and affordable housing provider Lovell. Director of education Jayne Hettle discussed them at the Building Future Education conference in May. The primary school designs employ a simple grid system and timber-engineered solutions. The Morgan Sindall approach splits Key Stage 1 and 2 with separate entrances and exits for children in the respective age groups. There is also a classroom flow that means pupils physically move through the building as they progress

Can temporary buildings address the urgent need for more space in educational establishments?

Stephen Twigg, the shadow education secretary, called on George Osborne, the chancellor, to address this “urgent crisis” in his budget. He predicts that pupils will have to be taught in temporary buildings because schools will soon run out of space. In a recent article in The Guardian, Twigg claimed that, over the next few years, the government has promised to fund only an extra 100 schools. These are likely to be free schools – one of the coalition’s education reforms.

Official figures show the number of primaryage children in the capital is set to soar from 595,000 to 701,000 over the next three to four years, raising the spectre of children having to be taught in school halls, hired buildings and temporary mobile classrooms.

Education Secretary Michael Gove hit back by blaming Labour for the crisis, saying that warnings were ignored by the last government until it was too late to avert the problem. Several education authorities are already looking at emergency school accommodation.

New Forest Log Cabins has built school classrooms for many years to meet a whole variety of teaching needs. The company would like to ask readers to consider if the typical example of a temporary classroom is still an acceptable alternative to a purpose

build, or custom designed classroom, ICT suite, canteen, sports pavilion or outdoor education centre?

If the cost of hiring a temporary log classroom over five years was equivalent to owning outright a classroom that was designed to meet the key needs of your school, we have to ask if this could be considered a better use of the limited funds being given to schools to cope with the ever expanding needs for extra teaching space.

To find more about how New Forest’s log classrooms and buildings can offer a cost effective solution for school’s needs, log on to www.newforestlogcabins.co.uk to receive a Log Schools Information Pack and Schools Designs Brochure.

FOR MORE INFORMATION john1@newforestlogcabins.co.uk Tel: 01202 888108 www.newforestlogcabins.co.uk

Volume 17.6 | EDUCATION BUSINESS MAGAZINE

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FOR PRIMARY SCHOOLS

Register by February 2013

Launched in 2005, Grow Your Own Potatoes was one of the first primary school-based growing projects. Since then, it has become the largest of its kind with more and more children taking part every year.

Plant by

Linked to the UK curricula, the project’s main aim is to help children learn about:

March 2013

Harvest by June 2013

• Register to receive a FREE potato growing kit • Download free curriculum resources including lesson ideas, worksheets, games and colouring sheets for interactive classroom activities. Cross-curricular idea to support other lessons are also available • The project can count towards your Eco-Schools status • Great prizes to be won!

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WWW.GYOP.POTATO.ORG.UK FOR SECONDARY SCHOOLS

New Secondary School website supporting Food Technology Teachers Following the huge success of Grow Your Own Potatoes in primary schools, Potato Council has identified the need to support children in their education as they progress from primary through to secondary school. While the primary school project teaches children all about growing potatoes, Cook Your Own Potatoes provides a library of resources to help teachers educate children about the cooking of potatoes, alongside healthy eating and a balanced diet.

Potato Council has worked in partnership with secondary school food technology teachers to produce the perfect library of downloadable resources to support key stage three. The exciting new website features useful recipes, images, farmer interviews and lesson activities. There are also skills videos, puzzles and games, as well as detailed lesson plans and worksheets, covering key information about: - Healthy eating and nutrition - Sustainability

- Taste & versatility (NEW module)

All resources are modular and can be used on their own or in conjunction with the other resources on the site. Activities are divided into three categories to help you plan your lessons more effectively: starters, core activities and plenaries.

www.cyop.potato.org.uk

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FREE SCHOOL MEALS

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MORE THAN JUST NUTRITION

Of the 3.3 million children that eat school meals in England each day, just over one million of these have free school meals.

However, it’s estimated that 200,000 children who would qualify for free school meals aren’t registered to have one. 215,000 children are registered but don’t eat them.

Without a free school meal, these children may not be getting the energy and nutrients they need to learn, or in some cases, not enough of the right types of food, to meet their basic needs.

They make sure that children from low-income homes have the opportunity to eat a nutritionally balanced lunch at school that fuels them up for learning and saves their families money. School meals are typically healthier than packed lunches, which tend to be less varied and higher in salt, sugar and saturated fat.

WIDER BENEFITS But free school meals are about more than just nutrition for these children. They are the trigger for Pupil Premium funding to your school, and can help to close the gap between rich and poor. In a pilot scheme where every child at primary schools in Newham and Durham was offered a free meal, they were more likely to eat a better diet at school, do significantly better in class – with an average of two months more progress by pupils at key stages 1 and 2 – and be less fussy about what they ate at home. The improvements in attainment tended to be strongest amongst pupils from less affluent families and amongst those with lower prior attainment.

So how do you get more of your pupils claiming and eating their free school meals if they qualify?

There isn’t a one-size-fits-all solution that will boost take up, but there are a few key areas to look at. A recent study from the

Institute for Social and Economic Research was a reminder that increasing the number of children who normally pay to eat in your canteen is also likely to increase the number of children taking up their free school meals.

So, focus on the experience of school meals for all children. The food, the hustle and bustle of your dining room, having enough time to eat, perceived stigma and being allowed to leave the school site at lunchtime are all factors that influence the take up of both free and paid-for school meals.

Feeling embarrassed about having free school meals can be the reason why some pupils choose not to claim them. Think about the way you organise your lunchtime to make sure free school meal pupils can’t be identified by others. For secondary schools, cashless systems are a great way to do this.

At primary schools, try and be discreet as possible about payment. For example, organise paying for meals away from the classroom. E

Free school meals are about more than just nutrition for these children. They are the trigger for Pupil Premium funding to your school, and can help to close the gap between rich and poor

Volume 17.6 | EDUCATION BUSINESS MAGAZINE

Written by Jo Walker, Children’s Food Advisor, Children’s Food Trust

Hands up if you think there are pupils at your school who should be registered for free school meals, but aren’t? Jo Walker shares advice on how to get more pupils claiming their free school meal if they qualify

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FREE SCHOOL MEALS E Be knowledgeable about the application process for free school meals. Get the contact details of the person at your local authority in charge of free school meals and keep a stock of application forms. If it’s an online application in your area, you could arrange to have a computer available in a quiet room during parents evening for people that don’t have a computer at home or need help to fill in the form.

We know many schools are working with parents who can’t speak or read English.

We’ve got a range of free school meals information resources in a number of other different languages commonly used throughout the UK on our website, which you can download and distribute. Posters, flyers and letters will all help you promote the savings and health benefits of free school meals and how to apply for them.

GETTING THE MESSAGE ACROSS Change the way parents perceive free school meals. For most people over the age of 25 who grew up in England, their experiences of school meals aren’t memorable for the right reasons. Invite parents into school to try a meal for themselves and show them how far school food has come.

Reach out to community and religious centres – or even local shops – to promote free school meals to those parents who may not come into school often.

We’ve been trying this recently in busy supermarkets - a great place to reach parents.

ASDA stores have a community board where they display all sorts of information to customers, like local news and events. Most stores also have a Community Life Champion; apart from working in store, they also go out into the community and meet different people – sometimes even visiting schools and teaching pupils about healthy eating.

ASDA kindly agreed to put up our multi-language free school meals posters in every store in the country and the Community Life Champions were sent information so they could tell customers where to apply for free school meals and how to find out if they were eligible.

After just one week Lynn, a Community Life Champion at one of the Sheffield ASDA

Jo Walker

messages aren’t always getting through to those who need to hear them – and that no matter how well you promote free school meals at your school, some parents still miss out because they don’t come in.

Think about whether you could approach local businesses in your area – perhaps your local Post Office, shop or doctor’s surgery – and ask them if they’ll put up a poster and stock some flyers, if you provide them. You could try community centres and places of worship too. Some of our resources are available in several different languages, which will help those parents who may not read English.

VALUABLE FEEDBACK Back in school, find out what pupils really think about school food – you may find there are some simple changes you could make straight away that encourage more pupils to give free school meals a try. If a new menu is being introduced, let pupils sample the recipes and involve them in the decision making.

Understanding the dietary needs of your pupils is essential. For cultural and religious reasons, or due to special dietary requirements, some children entitled to free school meals may feel that the food on offer isn’t suitable for them. Clearly labelling food and taking care when naming your dishes can help pupils to feel more confident about what’s on the menu. For children with specific dietary needs, consider inviting their parents to chat with a member of your catering team to explore possible menu options.

Invite packed lunch pupils and new pupils to try a meal. A good way to do this is to organise a themed meal linked to the curriculum or a current popular event.

Remember that it’s not just about the food. Make your dining room a calm and welcoming place to come and eat. Changes to lighting, layout or just a fresh coat of paint can work wonders. For best results, get your pupils involved in the design.

ENCOURAGING PARENTS For every child registered for free school meals, your school will receive £600 in Pupil Premium funding to support their specific needs. Promote this to parents to encourage

For most people over the age of 25 who grew up in England, their experiences of school meals aren’t memorable for the right reasons. Invite parents into school to try a meal for themselves and show them how far school food has come. stores, told us that 30 customers had already asked how they find out if they’re eligible for free school meals and how to register.

The fact that people are asking more questions shows that free school meals

registration, but remember to emphasise the importance of claiming the meal too.

If you’re looking for extra help, try one of our courses on increasing free school meal take up at your school. You’ll take

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Tips for increasing your free school meal take up Avoid a communication breakdown and nominate one member of staff to be the go-to person on free school meals for pupils and parents. Arm them with up to date information about how to apply, the eligibility criteria and current school menus.

Get our Free School Meals Matter pack. It’s full of practical materials that you can use to plan your free school meals strategy and promote free school meals and it’s easy to pick and choose resources to suit your school’s needs.

Visit our website at www.childrensfoodtrust.org.uk for lots of practical resources and interviews with schools doing innovative things to boost free school meal numbers. away practical resources and a range of examples of how you can do this. The day is also a chance to share your experiences with others facing similar challenges, and to learn from best practice from schools and local authorities across the country.

With the direct link between Pupil Premium funding for your school and registration for free school meals, this course is invaluable if you want to secure additional funding for your pupils who most need it, but more fundamentally, to make sure they also get the benefits of good school food.

With the arrival of Universal Credit, it’s possible that the eligibility criteria for free school meals will change. We don’t yet know how eligibility will be affected, but keep checking the Children’s Food Trust website for news at www.childrensfoodtrust.org.uk L FOR MORE INFORMATION www.childrensfoodtrust.org.uk

Volume 17.6 | EDUCATION BUSINESS MAGAZINE

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Gerflor’s Fast Track Sports Hall Flooring Refurbishment Solutions that don’t cost the earth!

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n the days of austerity, indoor sports floors that have ‘seen better days’ don’t always have to be uplifted and replaced. You can save money, down time and environmental impact by leaving the old floor in place and over laying it.

Gerflor, a leading manufacturer of Taraflex™ Sports Floors, have recently launched a number of product solutions that can be installed directly over the old sports surface. This can save a small fortune in costs and can be quickly installed minimising facility downtime.

A RECENT SUCCESSES: GILLINGHAM LEISURE CENTRE During the recent facility refurbishment it was decided that the sports floor was in need of replacement. Gerflor delivered a specification and a solution that made a huge difference to the local community. The new floor was installed on top of an existing Granwood floor in only 3 days!

John Havill, Chairman of Three Rivers Partnership comments: “To think how bad the floor looked before and how it looks now is quite remarkable. Gerflor assisted in the project management of the scheme hugely and the sports hall floor refurbishment came in on time and on budget”.

John Havill also added “Our customers love it, in particular the badminton club, some even hinting this is the best sports hall they have ever played in”.

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SPORTS FACILITIES

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Written by Chris Trickey, SAPCA (The Sports and Play Construction Association)

Image courtesy of Gerflor

SPORT-HALL MAKEOVER

With the Olympics fresh in the minds of pupils, now is a good time to develop sports facilities that will help the next generation of Olympians. But how can this be done on a budget?

School sports have been thrust into the spotlight as a result of the success of London 2012 and an announcement by Prime Minister David Cameron that competitive team sports within schools will be made compulsory for all primary school children.

These plans are to be included in a revised national curriculum, to be published in the Autumn, that will make it compulsory to take part in what Downing Street called ‘recognised and recognisable sports’, such as football, hockey and netball. It will also prescribe ‘team outdoor and adventurous activity’.

LEGACY PLAN The Olympics success is fresh in the minds of schoolchildren and the enthusiasm for sports in general couldn’t be greater. Government statistics claim that 1.3 million more people are playing sport every week in England than when we won the bid in 2005. That is why it has put into place a ten-point plan to ensure that London 2012’s lasting legacy will be a commitment to ‘Inspire a Generation’.

The ten-point legacy plan includes a £300 million investment into world-class

sports facilities that will support community and elite sport for future generations.

It also includes a recognition that more needs to be done to ensure that all children have the chance to enjoy sport in school, to compete against their peers and to promote and celebrate sporting excellence.

The plan will reintroduce the school games programme, which is a four level – intra-school, inter-school, county festivals and national finals – competition for school children.

It will also include an investment of £50 million in over 700 community sports projects with a focus on making it easier for local community and volunteer groups to improve and refurbish sports clubs or transform no-sporting venues into modern grass roots sport facilities.

FINDING FUNDING The issue for many schools is that whilst competitive team sports are to be actively encouraged there are yet no details on how this will be supported or funded by the government and there are no plans in place for secondary schools.

NEW FACILITIES, LOW BUDGET So, with budgets so tight, how can a school provide sport facilities for the next generation of Olympians? Firstly, they can look at new, shared facilities with the community as seen at Winchcombe School in Cheltenham. Here the school worked with community groups to get joint funding for a synthetic turf pitch that is used by the school, the local community and local sports clubs. The government’s Places People Play programme has specifically earmarked funds for such shared facilities.

Karen Woolland of wctd, an expert on sports project funding says: “In order to make your project a reality it is advisable to move away from the thinking of a traditional project of synthetic pitch and changing rooms for one main user group, the key is to work in partnership and link with as many community partners as viable. This partnership approach will help reduce running costs for core services, increase sustainability and profitability and will allow each partner to identify an achievable funding target to bring to the project.”

MAKE DO AND MEND An alternative option is upgrade the facilities already in place – resurface or rejuvenate sports surfaces, add new fencing, replace the lighting or upgrade sports equipment such as goals and nets. E

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Herculan have the most comprehensive range of systems on the market including Mul -Func on, Area Elas c, Mixed Elas c and Roller Hockey/wheel chair usage, all systems comply with the EN14904 requirements and a full range of line marking to suit all requirements.

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Central Flooring Services are one of the UK’s premier indoor sports floor installers offering a na onwide service throughout the UK with a free site survey and quota on.

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SPORTS FACILITIES

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E Darren Wood of indoor flooring specialist Gerflor is shocked at the quality of school sports facilities: “With the majority of education stock pre-dating the 1980s, many facilities are looking tired and dated. Many sports halls have old traditional type floors in situ; hard surfaces that are uncomfortable to run on and painful to fall or dive on, especially for children.

“It is universally accepted that playing sport on hard, solid floors can lead to a higher risk of injury for players. These injuries usually manifest themselves as foot, knee, hip and back problems. It is also acknowledged that if a player sustains a major injury early on in their sporting life, then more set backs will quickly follow - just look at the blighted playing career of footballer Michael Owen.”

CASE STUDY Cardinal Heanon School in Liverpool had its sports hall repainted, the lighting repaired and the existing wooden floor over laid with a Taraflex Sports System.

“We wanted to provide the pupils, staff and local community with a new and modern sports facility and we looked at a number of solutions that would enable us to do that,” said Jake Collin, director of community support.

“The walls were re-painted, repairs to the lighting system were undertaken and a brand new sports floor was installed. This has given us what looks like a million pound venue for a fraction of the price. In fact we spent just £45k and the feedback has been fantastic.

A football pitch in need of an upgrade. Image courtesy of Materials Science Consultants Ltd

The same football pitch after the upgrade. Image courtesy of Materials Science Consultants Ltd

GETTING STARTED For those wanting to get more information on developing school sports facilities, the SAPCA website is a great starting point. It includes guidance, information sheets and copies of recent presentations including: Funding Sources for Sports Facilities; Cost-Effective Upgrading of Existing Sports Facilities; Performance Specifications for Sports Surfaces; Understanding Indoor Sports Surfaces; and Safety Standards for Sports Equipment. Visit www.sapca.org. uk and go to the Technical Guidance page.

The Sports and Play Construction Association (SAPCA) represents specialist constructors, manufacturers and suppliers of sports and play surfaces (and related products) and plays an important role in the promotion of high standards for sports and play facilities.

SAPCA offers specifiers and buyers free advice on what to look for when buying sports facilities, surfaces or equipment; peace of mind when choosing a supplier that is a SAPCA member (all our members are credit scored annually and have to adhere to strict codes of practice); access to its membership database to source providers of quality installations; a technical mediation service (in case it is ever needed); access to free seminars and exhibitions. L FOR MORE INFORMATION www.sapca.org.uk Tel: 024 7641 6316 info@sapca.org.uk

A resurfaced tennis court. Image courtesy of Materials Science Consultants Ltd

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Since 1972 Blakedown Landscapes Operations has been among the leading commercial landscaping contractors in the UK. Recognised for its strong emphasis on safety and quality, Blakedown is the contractor of choice for many clients from the education and local authority sectors, and has received many industry awards for its work.

Blakedown has grown to be more than a soft landscape contractor, encompassing varied disciplines from the construction of sports pitches and play areas to hard landscaping, civil engineering and grounds maintenance. As an expert contractor, Blakedown is experienced in constructing or refurbishing high-quality synthetic and natural sports pitches for your facility. Its full

design service seeks to deliver schemes that meet the needs of the client and stakeholders.

Offering a personal approach to all projects, Blakedown allocates a manager based in the client’s region, ensuring continuity and utilising local knowledge and supply chains.

You can trust Blakedown to coordinate and deliver every aspect of the external environment safely and on programme as a single company solution.

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PLAY FACILITIES

PLAY AND RISK GO HAND IN HAND

Jon Dalton from the Register of Play Inspectors International, gives us the lowdown on the latest safety standards in play Playground inspectors are employed by a variety of clients, including local authorities, playground equipment manufacturers, schools, housing associations and holiday parks to check that the play equipment provided is both safe and fit for purpose.

They carry out different types of inspections but mainly ‘Post Installation’ and ‘Annual’ Inspections. Post Installation Inspections are very important because they check newly-installed playground equipment to ensure that the equipment has been designed and installed in compliance with the guidelines detailed in the British and European Standards (BS EN 1176).

Annual Inspections are carried out every year to check the condition of play equipment throughout its lifespan. Annual Inspections are again very important because as well as checking the condition of the equipment, and commenting on any compliance defects that may have arisen since the equipment has been installed, they are also a very good way of checking any maintenance works that have been undertaken throughout the course of the year.

What is the most important aspect of making playgrounds fun as well as safe?

Fundamentally, good design. By choosing the right equipment for the intended age group and providing an interesting area that children will have fun exploring the challenges provided for them. The use of landscaping features can greatly enhance the ‘fun’ element of any playground if it is created thoughtfully and with future maintenance in mind.

How important is risk in play?

I prefer to use the word ‘challenge’ than risk, but it is very important. A lot of people think that standards and playground inspectors are out to try and stifle good design and make sure everything is as safe as possible, but this is not the case at all. Interestingly, the introduction to BS EN 1176 actually states the following: ‘Risk-taking is an essential feature of play provision and of all environments in which children legitimately spend time playing. Play provision aims to offer children the chance to encounter acceptable risks as part of a stimulating, challenging and controlled learning environment. Play provision should aim at managing the balance between the need to offer risk and the need to keep children safe from serious harm.

The principles of safety management are applicable both to workplaces in general as well as to play provision. However, the balance between safety and benefits is likely to be different in the two environments.

In play provision exposure to some degree of risk may be of benefit because it satisfies a basic human need and gives children the chance to learn about risk and consequences in a controlled environment.

Respecting the characteristics of children’s play and the way children benefit from playing on the playground with regard to development, children need to learn to cope with risk and this may lead to bumps and bruises and even occasionally

Sport & Play

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well worth investing another few hundred just to make sure that everything has been completed to the correct standard.

How can RPII help me find an inspector?

Anyone interested in finding a playground inspector can visit the RPII website (www. playinspectors.com) and click on the relevant area that they are interested in.

A list of qualified inspectors is available on each page. Alternatively you can click on the ‘Find Nearest Inspector’ link and type in their postcode to see if there is an inspector nearby, although it should be noted that most playground inspectors or inspection companies operate nationwide, so the closest might not necessarily offer the best or most competitive service.

What is the RPII? The Register of Play Inspectors International (RPII) examines, accredits and certificates individual inspectors; it also accredits courses so people can train inspectors. RPII is an OFQUAL recognised awarding body.

The RPII provides different levels of qualifications for indoor, outdoor and

Play provision aims to offer children the chance to encounter acceptable risks as part of a stimulating, challenging and controlled learning environment. Play provision should aim at managing the balance between the need to offer risk and the need to keep children safe a broken limb. The aim of this standard is first and foremost to prevent accidents with a disabling or fatal consequence, and secondly to lessen serious consequences caused by the occasional mishap that inevitably will occur in children’s pursuit of expanding their level of competence, be it socially, intellectually or physically.” (Source: BSEN 1176, 2008) – to find out more visit the British Standards Institute website.

What safety research should schools carry-out when creating a new playground?

Anyone looking to buy a playground should start by looking at the API website where they will find a list of reputable manufacturers that provide a good service. There are lots of companies out there and they all offer something slightly different, so it is important to shop around in order to try and find the manufacturers that can meet your brief as well as possible. One thing they should stipulate is that a Post Installation Inspection must be carried out by an RPII Registered Annual Inspector prior to the playground being opened for use. A playground can cost tens of thousands of pounds so it is

inflatable playground equipment inspectors.

With outdoor inspectors, the RPII has three levels of qualification: Routine, Operational and Annual. The Routine qualification is aimed mainly towards local authority staff that inspect playground equipment on a daily or weekly basis. The Operational qualification again is aimed towards local authority staff and maintenance companies that carry out monthly and quarterly inspections and carry-out repairs on playground equipment, and the Annual qualification is aimed at individuals or companies that provide annual and post installation inspection services to a variety of clients. It should be noted that there is big difference between the levels of knowledge & experience required to be an Operational and an Annual Inspector, and the RPII are working hard to ensure that the market is aware of what each particular qualification means. The RPII has recently introduced some special ‘seals’ that can only be used by Annual Inspectors to help clients establish whether they are using appropriately qualified inspectors. L FOR MORE INFORMATION www.playinspectors.com

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PUPIL WELLBEING

CREATING GOOD CITIZENS OF THE FUTURE

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Schools and academies up and down the country are raving about the positive effect the Duke of Edinburgh Award has on pupils and teachers alike The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award is a charity that has been working with young people from all backgrounds for more than half a century.

The dynamic programme of activities, including outdoor learning, develops young people’s self-esteem whilst building confidence, social interaction and teamworking. The DofE’s Guiding Principles are in line with schools’ and academies’ missions and PSHE programmes.

The DofE is the nationally and internationally recognised award favoured by employers and universities alike. It was established in 1956 by HRH The Duke of Edinburgh and has been growing steadily ever since.

This renowned programme builds young people’s interpersonal skills including confidence, leadership and commitment; attributes we all want to see in our young people in school, life and in the workplace.

ACHIEVABLE BY ALL The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award is achievable by any young person who chooses to take up its challenge, regardless of ability, gender, background or location. A DofE programme is a personal challenge which can be tailored to suit personal circumstances and the non-competitive nature of a programme means that participants from different and diverse starting points can be equally proud of achieving a certificate based on their own journey.

DofE manager at Ealing Council, Linda Brown, has seen these benefits first hand for those with additional needs and NEETs: “Often we make sure the walk encompasses some climb with a viewpoint. It doesn’t need to be particularly high but the sense of achievement the young people feel when they reach the top is remarkable. They are able to appreciate the beauty of the scenery around them – for some it could be the first time they’ve ever been out in the countryside.”

The DofE works with and through the most comprehensive network of youth and community organisations in the UK. Today over 280,000 young people take part in DofE programmes each year in groups which are run in 10,874 DofE centres. Centres range from youth clubs, voluntary organisations and businesses to young offender institutions, schools, universities and academies.

St. John Plessington Catholic College is a comprehensive school on the Wirral.

Until last September around 20 students were doing their DofE, however, this has now all changed. Today every Year E

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PUPIL WELLBEING

Facts and figures The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award was founded in 1956 by its Patron HRH The Duke of Edinburgh. HRH The Earl of Wessex is a Trustee.

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Over 300,000 young people were taking part in DofE programmes in the UK, supported by over 500 partner organisations and over 43,000 adult volunteers from all walks of life.

Last year 211,900 young people started a DofE programme.

92,194 achieved a Bronze, Silver or Gold Duke of Edinburgh’s Award, an increase of 13% from last year: Bronze: 61,139, Silver: 22,033, Gold: 9,022.

In total, over 4.4 million people have participated in DofE programmes and achieved over 2 million Awards in the UK since 1956.

Through the volunteering part of their programme, young people give their free time to society with a value of over £22.8 million per year and volunteers contribute over £14.7 million per year.

E 9 student is automatically enrolled.

“We made it part of the curriculum,” says Corinne Pearson, a science teacher and DofE Leader at the school. “All 240 of the students have all the provisions they need for Bronze.

If they can’t afford hiking boots, we will provide them and if transport is a problem, we sort something out. The parent’s response was overwhelmingly positive. There’s such a willingness, such initiative, which wasn’t expected. The school took a small step in setting the programme up and the students have taken a massive leap in return.”

The biggest surprise was that the pupils Corinne wouldn’t have labelled ‘enthusiasts’ were the ones who took the lead. “They are the ones who showed up on time with all their kit, asking fantastic questions. There was one boy in particular who really struggled on the expedition, but his group pulled together and they all got through. He’s now joined the cadets and is showing real commitment.

These skills – leadership, initiative, planning – are so transferable. I was desperate for this non-academic, skills-based teaching at my last school. It’s the perfect parallel curriculum.”

DEVELOPING EMPLOYABILITY SKILLS It’s a difficult time for young people in the UK at the moment. The current economy means many are held back by a lack of jobs or affordable university places as well as a lack of confidence or experience. Employers and the CBI constantly report that young people do not have work ready skills. At the

most critical stage of life’s journey, young people need some help to develop their employability skills. The DofE works with young people in every background to provide a solution. It is recognised by employers and universities alike as a mark of excellence.

Independent research shows that employers value the DofE on a young person’s CV and often actively look for it when recruiting.

Completing a DofE Award can significantly improve a young person’s employment prospects and many identify this as one of the main benefits of doing a DofE programme.

For decades businesses have recognised the value of a Duke of Edinburgh’s Award in young job applicants, and now for thousands of apprentices and young employees the opportunity to do their DofE doesn’t stop at school. The Charity has developed rewarding partnerships with leading businesses allowing their employees, trainees and apprentices to benefit from an award-winning, lifechanging DofE programme. The DofE works with leading organisations including Amey, Tesco, British Gas, John Lewis (Peter Jones), VINCI Constructions UK, ScotRail and Lloyds Banking Group with astounding success.

Amey currently offers Gold DofE programmes to all its younger staff, chief executive Mel Ewell says: “We believe the DofE is incredibly important, offering young people the opportunity to experience fresh challenges and achieve new skills, whilst contributing to their local community. We are very proud to be a Gold Partner of the DofE and look forward

A survey, commissioned by the United Learning Trust, with major employers, found that a Duke of Edinburgh’s Award is the most highly valued experience when selecting employees.

The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award is a Registered Charity No 1072490 and in Scotland No SC038254 and a Royal Charter Corporation RC000806.

There are over 890,000 young people participating worldwide in 136 countries.

Since 1956, over 7 million people have taken part across the world, highlighting how the DofE can truly transcend boundaries of race, language, ethnicity and culture.

to continuing our partnership in future.”

The DofE is available at three levels: Bronze, Silver and Gold for young people aged 14-25 years. Participants undertake activities for a set period of time in each of the four sections – Volunteering, Physical, Skills and Expedition – with a fifth section, Residential, for those going for Gold. The DofE counts towards ‘out of hours’ learning.

THE EXPEDITION SECTION The Expedition section can be one of the most challenging, but also the most rewarding, sections of a young person’s programme as participants are required to plan, train E

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PUPIL WELLBEING E for and complete an adventurous journey in the UK or abroad. It helps to develop initiative and leadership, and challenges young people beyond their expectations.

Aside from these personal gains, the participants also increase their appreciation of and respect for, the outdoor environment.

They are encouraged by their leaders to think about the sustainability of their natural surroundings. It offers young people a rare opportunity to really separate and isolate themselves from their daily lives and modern mass media, learning to be completely self-sufficient.

VOLUNTEERING IN THE COMMUNITY For many these new experiences come in the form of the Volunteering section, an area that not many will have been involved in previously. Participants are able to learn about and engage with their communities and feel a sense of belonging and purpose.

These opportunities also help to develop social interaction and confidence, increasing their employability and work experience.

Every year participants give their free time to society, with an estimated value of around £23 million. This commitment doesn’t stop once the young people have completed their programmes; research shows that 82 per cent of young people said that their DofE has made them want to continue with volunteering activities in the future.

DofE participant Seb set up an IT course with his two friends for their community as part of their Volunteering section: “We had to design and prepare a complete computer course from scratch. This proved to be challenging but rewarding, and people have really enjoyed what we have done, and it has been great to see that benefit and satisfaction directly. It has been nice for us to give something back to the community.

It’s what all volunteering should be about.”

IMPROVED FITNESS AND NEW TALENTS Huge benefits are also gained from the other three sections of the programme. The Physical element allows young people to improve their fitness by undertaking an activity on a regular basis, whilst the Skills section helps participants to develop a new talent.

The Residential section is a fundamental part of Gold DofE programmes. It may well be the first time a young person has spent time away from home without their family or friends. This experience develops selfsufficiency and the confidence to thrive in an unfamiliar environment. It also helps participants to develop team-working skills and become more tolerant of others.

BENEFITS FOR SCHOOLS DofE programmes play a vital part in meeting the vocational elements of curricula across the UK. Many academies and schools have already recognised the benefits of the DofE and are running popular and growing

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DofE programmes programmes. The DofE’s guiding principles are in line with schools’ and academies’ missions and PSHE programmes and the DofE actively supports these establishments to set up and run the DofE ensuring as many young people as possible have access to it.

Linda Halbert, Principle at Freebrough Academy, Cleveland, says: “The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award is a key part of our strategy as a new Academy to develop a ‘can do’ culture. The opportunities offered to our students are an essential part of the curriculum. Students bring the skills and qualities they learn as part of their programme back into school and apply them in lessons and in improving the school community.”

Students feel the benefit of achieving their DofE Award for the rest of their lives. It provides a prestigious certificate recognising their achievement and an improved chance of getting into university, college or a job. It gives them the opportunity to create their own individual learning programme and a chance to explore new and unfamiliar environments.

The DofE helps to create a positive ethos and supportive relationships in educational establishments. It strengthens the school community by encouraging pupils, teachers and parents to work together in different settings. Young people are able to contribute to the life and work of the school, exercise responsibility as members of communities and offer support to others through the Volunteering section and DofE leadership.

Through the DofE, teachers are able to form far better relationships with their students outside of school which transfer directly into class; the more that young people can relate to their teachers outside of the classroom, the more comfortable the learning environment can be inside the classroom.

Young people also become better at dealing with all adults as a result of working with teachers outside the classroom, and this will come across in job and FE/ HE interviews.

COMMUNITY BENEFITS The school’s DofE groups can forge extremely valuable relationships within the local community. Participants will carry out activities for their DofE programmes in local charity shops, charitable organisations, outdoor centres, care homes and all kinds of other places.

The DofE is a programme that runs seamlessly alongside an establishment’s academic curriculum and will encourage new students.

To deliver the DofE an organisation must hold a licence from the DofE Charity or work with an organisation that does so.

The organisation will become either a Directly Licenced Centre (DLC), ie. directly licenced through the local DofE regional or country office, or works through the local authority’s youth service. Running a structured DofE programme alongside an establishment’s academic curriculum counts

Anyone aged between 14 and 24 can do a programme at one of the three progressive levels which, when successfully completed, lead to a Bronze, Silver or Gold Duke of Edinburgh’s Award.

There are four sections at Bronze and Silver level and five at Gold: Volunteering: undertaking service to individuals or the community.

Physical: improving in an area of sport, dance or fitness activities.

Skills: developing practical and social skills and personal interests.

Expedition: planning, training for and completion of an adventurous journey in the UK or abroad.

At Gold level, participants must do an additional fifth Residential section, which involves staying and working away from home doing shared activity.

DofE programmes are delivered under licence by over 500 partners (Licensed Organisations) who offer it in 10,874 DofE groups run in centres such as youth clubs, voluntary organisations, schools, colleges, young offender institutions and businesses, which are run and supported by over 43,000 adult volunteers.

towards out of hours learning – and it helps create the good citizens of the future.

The DofE is keen to increase the number of educational establishments they work with to give more young people the chance to do their DofE and lead successful and fulfilling lives. The charity offers an abundance of support to make running DofE programmes easier. Their regional teams ensure that all local authorities, schools, academies and colleges understand the benefits that offering DofE programmes brings to their young residents and students – and work to make certain that they have all the support they need to implement and expand the DofE groups in their area and schools.

The DofE has provided a structure to encourage, facilitate and recognise young people’s achievements for over 50 years and has proven itself to be resilient to political change, financial constraints and fashion.

It has built a reputation as a badge of high achievement by a young person. It is that recognition that gives the DofE real currency and credibility for the young person. It is trusted and valued by employers, higher education establishments and parents alike. L FOR MORE INFORMATION www.DofE.org

SUSTAINABILITY

GLH OPENS NATURE RESERVE AT TOTTERIDGE ACADEMY

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Greater London Hire, one of London’s largest private hire, minicab and courier companies has been helping schools to get active and tackle their carbon footprint Greater London Hire (GLH) was established in 1967 when John Scott took over the site in East Finchley – where the company is still based today – and is celebrating 45 years on the road this year. GLH still remains to this day a family run and independent business based in the London Borough of Barnet, dedicated to providing its clients with a green and sustainable transport option. It operates in the private hire market, specialising in passenger car and courier transportation.

Through its fleet of over 350 vehicles, including London’s largest fleet of Hybrid Toyota Prius, the company is able to offer a one stop solution for all its customers’ private hire and despatch needs. Starting with a much appreciated local customer base, the company has expanded to cover the whole of London and Greater London, servicing some well-known household names and blue chip companies. The company has grown year on year since its inception in 1967; this is in part down to its ability to respond effectively to its clients’ needs, but it is also down to the hard work of its staff and their genuine commitment to delivering the highest quality service at all times.

For Greater London Hire (GLH) sustainability is considered a serious and complex issue. For one of London’s biggest private hire and fleet companies, sustainability is about ensuring it is still in business now and twenty-five years in the future. This is central to how the company views itself, how it plans, strategises, operates and, of course, behaves.

STARTING YOUNG As part of GLH’S sustainability strategy, it has been heavily involved in developing and delivering two Sustainability Education Programmes, one aimed at primary school children and the other secondary. The former was called Carbon Busters; this programme provided fun and interactive workshops to over 200 young people with the aim of ensuring they understood the facts about climate change, food miles and importantly what they and their families could do to reduce their impact on the environment. The schools themselves also received essential resources and materials to continue the Carbon Busters Programme.

The Eco-Mission Programme was later designed for secondary school children.

GLH enabled the full development of this programme, including garnering support

from key Central Government agencies – Government Office London, Greater London Authority and Partnership for Schools. This innovative and award-driven programme ensures the next generation of leaders and decision makers are equipped with the necessary skills and knowledge for the emerging low carbon economy. The programme importantly actively engages the school in reducing its carbon footprint and becoming a true hub of sustainability in the community.

GREEN PROJECTS GLH has been working with the Totteridge Academy, formerly The Ravenscroft Secondary School, located approximately four miles from its head office for almost three years. A series of interactive sustainability and climate change themed workshops have been delivered and a number of engaging projects have been both completed and started, including a full integrated recycling system and the establishment of a Nature Area and outside classroom facility, which has recently been opened and dedicated to the memory of John Scott, the former managing director of GLH. The school has achieved both the coveted Bronze and Silver Flags Eco-Schools Awards and are completely on course for the Green Flag.

Mrs. Christodoulou, the teacher leading on the programme within Totteridge Academy says: “The support of C-Change and the financial backing of GLH to enable the huge level of support and training which has been available for the school’s development

of Sustainability and Environmental projects have been second to none. “ “In total, the Eco-Mission Action Team has seen over 50 students from across all school years join the programme for at least a term and in the majority for at least one full academic school year or longer. There has been a great impact on the school community in terms of not only the knowledge that students have but in creating awareness and understanding of how all members of the school community alike have a role to play in ensuring the school operates sustainably.”

Zoe Powers, sales and environmental director of GLH added: “It has been an absolute pleasure to support Totteridge Academy in the delivery of Eco-Mission. It’s not only the students who have benefitted but the staff here at GLH who have engaged in the project and learned first-hand how GLH contributes to the community through its sustainability programme. We are delighted with the development of the nature reserve and outside classroom and that it will be enjoyed for many years to come.” L FOR MORE INFORMATION Tel: 020 8815 5499 zoe@glh.co.uk www.glh.co.uk

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Implementing solar panels within your school encourages positive thinking towards the environment. For example lights are switched off and monitors do not get left on. This is because the effects are graphical and you can see the savings daily in your display system.

Environmental learning in conjunction with solar energy can be a fun subject for all.

Visit: www.nak-displays.com/schools for more details Email: info@nak-displays.com 86

EDUCATION BUSINESS MAGAZINE | Volume 17.6

Tel:

0800 334 5730

ENTRY TESTS

Teacher training tests get tougher The Department for Education has announced a shakeup of teacher training, following complaints current tests were too easy. Education Secretary Michael Gove says the “rigorous selection” of trainees is key to raising standards.

The new entry tests, developed by a review panel, will see calculators banned from the new mathematics tests and pass marks in English and mathematics raised.

Currently, tests are taken towards the end of teacher training, with the figures showing that 98 per cent of candidates pass. From this autumn, trainees have been limited to two re-sits for each paper and the pass mark has been raised for the first time.

In the new proposals, candidates will have to achieve separate passes in English, mathematics and reasoning in order to be able to start teacher training. The review panel also proposed that the new tests could be used alongside degree class as a factor in determining the level of bursary to which a trainee teacher would be entitled.

Review panel chairman, Sally Coates, said: “We believe that the whole selection process needs to be sufficiently rigorous to ensure that anyone who gains a place on a course of initial teacher training would

be highly likely to succeed in that training, and go on to make an excellent teacher.”

Alison Ryan, from the Association of Teachers and Lecturers, accused Gove of “muddled thinking” and said the revised tests “betray an alarming lack of trust in the national exam system”. She added: “The government needs to recognise that other qualities are equally important in becoming an excellent teacher”.

Christine Blower, general secretary of the National Union of Teachers, said: “All teachers need strong literacy skills and also a good grasp of mathematics. It is however surprising that Michael Gove is showing such interest in the entry requirements for teacher training courses, while at the same time advocating that schools should be free to employ unqualified teachers.”

“The real issue is the training and support that teachers are given once they have entered into teaching training. All too often the government is looking at ever shorter routes to qualifying as a teacher, including on the job training in schools.”

Liberal Democrat education minister David Laws told the Telegraph: “Teachers, colleges, careers advisers have a role and a responsibility to aim for the stars and to encourage people to believe they can reach

Proposed question

(no calculator allowed) 1.

The cost, £C, of advertising in a newspaper is worked out using the formula: C = 0.4n + 0.75 where n is the number of words in the advertisement.

a) The cost of an advertisement is £11.55. How many words are in the advertisement? b) If I have only £9.00, how many words can I afford? the top in education and employment”.

Susan Elkin, an education journalist, author and former secondary school teacher of English, said in her blog for the Independent: “Teaching in Britain has, for many, always tended to be something you do if you can’t do anything else.

It no longer attracts enough of the very best graduates. That’s the problem Gove and his colleagues should really be seeking solutions for. The new tests are the equivalent of trying to cure measles by scratching off the spots.” L DOWNLOAD THE SKILL TESTS REVIEW REPORT - tinyurl.com/8wdswgc

Activating a healthy voice in the classroom

National College of Music offers exams in 40 subjects

Teachers understand the need to communicate well, but often lack the awareness and skill base to make this happen for themselves. Most teachers do not have access to vocal training, yet it is a key tool of the trade.

Teachers are already in a high risk profession vocally and yet have little information about where to turn when the voice starts to fail them.

Talking Voice is run by Janet Shell, a former teacher who has been an opera singer for over 20 years, and who has developed workshops dedicated for teachers, highlighting all things vocal. Her expertise is already valued by many universities and training

The National College of Music & Arts, London, was founded in 1894 and, 100 years later in 1994, its syllabuses were authorised for use in schools by the then Secretary of State for Education and approved by the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority.

When the college building was destroyed in the second world war it was decided to concentrate on the many UK examination centres, and establish centres overseas.

The NCM offers examinations in over 40 subjects. As well as piano, organ, brass, strings, woodwind and singing, there are grade and diploma examinations available in musical theatre, thesis/dissertation, conducting, composition, electronic keyboard, speech and drama, theory of music – and so on.

The college is managed by an Academical Board which includes the General Secretary,

providers around the country.

The highly interactive and lively workshops highlight how to keep the voice healthy and show how powerfully body and voice are connected.

The results allow teachers to review how effectively they are communicating and grow in confidence about the way they use their voice.

Become voice aware before you are forced to become aware of your voice.

FOR MORE INFORMATION Tel: 01932 242805 Mobile: 07730 409648 www.talkingvoice.net janet@talkingvoice.net

Training

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Director of Studies and Media Liaison Director and meets a number of times annually. For really major decisions there is also an Advisory Council.

The NCM Patron is Huw Edwards, the well-known TV presenter – and also an organist and oboist.

FOR MORE INFORMATION Tel: 01245 354596 nat.col@btopenworld.com www.nat-col-music.org.uk

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Inspiration & innovation

Explore new ways to use ICT to engage students We’re launching our brand new RM Educational Seminars in November 2012, and we’d love to see you there.

Proud sponsors of

RM Education Seminar Options

Tempt your technicians…

Choose the interactive subject stream that interests you the most.

Education Workshop

Don’t forget, we’re also running RM Technical Seminars, aimed at network managers. Be sure to mention them to your colleagues.

Practical sessions, focusing on embedding new and existing technologies, including: • Best practice for keeping students safe online • Making and sharing educational podcasts • Introducing ICT creativity in the curriculum

Technical Seminar sessions include: • Optimal hardware diagnostics • Getting the most out of OS X Server • Enhancing classroom control • Benefiting from cloud services

Apple in Education Workshop

Visit www.rm.com/techseminars

• Preparing your network for BYOD

A day long hands-on workshop focusing on bringing learning to life in the classroom with Apple devices.

Dates and venues

Newcastle

Birmingham

Ashford

Stansted

London

5 November

9 November

19 November

21 November

23 November

Marriott Gosforth Park

The National Motorcycle Museum

Ashford International Hotel

Radisson SAS Hotel

Novotel West Hotel

It’s free for all school leaders and teaching professionals to attend – so reserve your place today at www.rm.com/educationalseminars © RM Education 2012.

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EDUCATION BUSINESS AWARDS

EB AWARDS RETURNS TO EMIRATES IN DECEMBER

EB Awards 2012

Sponsored by

For the last six years, the Education Business Awards have been recognising the outstanding achievements of primary and secondary schools from all sectors. The 2012 event, sponsored

by RM Education, will once again take place at the Emirates Stadium, London, and will look to identify examples of best practice and uncover evidence of the hard word and dedication taking place every day in schools across the UK. The winners in 20 different categories will be announced on December 6 at the Emirates Stadium in London, where the shortlisted entrants will enjoy a champagne drinks reception before sitting down to a four course luncheon. The organisers are delighted that these winners will announced by Newsnight presenter, author and award winning journalist Gavin Esler. Born in Glasgow, Esler was educated at the independent George Heriot’s School, Edinburgh, and gained a BA in English and American literature from the University of Kent and a MA in Anglo-Irish literature with distinction from the University of Leeds. He entered journalism via the Belfast Telegraph and has two honorary degrees, including a Doctorate in Civil Law from the University of Kent at Canterbury.

Esler joined the BBC in 1977 as a Northern Ireland reporter, and extended his role after

but with plenty of established Academies to be held as examples of best practice, the 2012 sector categories are sure to be hotly contested. The Outstanding Academy Award, this year sponsored by Smoothwall web filtering and security, is presented to the specialist academy that can demonstrate outstanding progress both in its specialisms and in general education. In 2011, it went to the Globe Academy in London, which joining Newsnight in 1982. Esler was then over three years has successively improved appointed Washington correspondent and its GCSE grades, including during the period later chief North America correspondent for of adjustment from its predecessor school the BBC, in charge of shaping coverage across into the Academy in September 2010. In the whole continent for the corporation, 2009 grades for five-plus GCSE’s at A*-C, and covering both the earlier George H. including English and Mathematics, stood W. Bush and Clinton administrations. at 35 percent; that increased to 45 per cent Once again, the organisers have been hugely in 2011. For any combination of five GCSE’s encouraged by the efforts of schools in all at A*-C, a more significant 50 rising to 84 sectors in what has been a challenging percent in 2011. The broader picture revealed year, with several policy commercial potential in the recent Design changes and funding Museum’s Virtual Ventura Award to issues occupying students, while the Academy was he T plenty of time. the only UK school to host a visit s r se from President Obama and Prime organighted i l ACADEMIES Minister David Cameron. e d are nners i The Academy The Academy Partnership w e h that t ounced by r Award, sponsored by ESPO, explosion has given food for thought last year went to Manchester ill ann t presente w h g for next year’s Communication Academy, a new i n News d journalist categories, high school and community E

an Esler Gavin

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EDUCATION BUSINESS AWARDS

E facility with three principal partners – BT, Manchester College and the City Council. All contribute to the school’s strategy, aimed at dramatically reshaping educational and real world business opportunities. Collaborative arrangements are forming through social media, innovative technology, science and engineering, sport and leisure which, in combination with key partners, will open up a broad range of possibilities for learning advancement and employment. The Academy is involved in the Community Reports’ Programme, focus groups on new technology, coordinating youth activity across North Manchester, working with a junior warden programme, including projects to highlight science, engineering, mathematics and ICT. Ambitiousness for such an array of educational action is exemplified by engineering: students know its national weight – backed by the Royal Academy of Engineering; and can see its exciting potential – creating a car that travels at 1,050 mph.

Winning enthusiasm, locally applied.

INDEPENDENT SECTOR In the independent sector, the Award for Outstanding Progress, sponsored by Espresso Education and Channel 4 Learning, will be presented to the UK Independent school that has made outstanding progress in the management of its facilities, finances and human resources and can demonstrate an increase in the educational performance of the school. Examples of collaboration between independent and state schools will feature in the shortlist. Last year, St. Joseph’s School in Cornwall came out top of this category. From impressive exam results and sporting prowess to national music and ballet success, alongside community fundraising, the school is increasingly sought after. With a substantial increase in pupil numbers, the school’s continued commitment to maintaining small classes remains a bedrock priority.

St Joseph’s combines broad, challenging, quality education with excellent pastoral care and extra-curricular opportunities. High in self-esteem, pupils respect others and their school environment, underlining the school’s aim to provide ‘a firm foundation for life’.

The School Recruitment Award, sponsored

by Eteach, will recognise an educational establishment which has invested in its recruitment methods and processes to ensure

EB Awards 2012

Sponsored by

Long before Jamie Oliver’s inspirational TV series highlighted the need for significant improvement in the UK, Crondall were already embarking on their own school meals crusade a timely intake of appropriate teaching and support staff. The James Brindley school in Birmingham picked up last year’s trophy for its excellent recruitment practice where every applicant is seen teaching, they are shortlisted, observed in the candidates’ home school environment and, most importantly, in their relationship with pupils and colleagues. Once satisfied, their skills and ideas for adapting current knowledge are examined. A pupil panel, with support, astutely formulates questions and is encouraged to explore answers further if they do not understand when deciding on a preferred candidate.

SPECIAL EDUCATIONAL NEEDS Two awards are presented to schools for SEN, both sponsored by sensory development resource company Mike Ayres Designs. The SEN Inclusion Award is presented to the UK mainstream school that can demonstrate an increase in the quality of care and education services provided to students with SEN. Last year, the award was presented by Mike Ayres to Baxter College in Worcestershire. Since 2004, the College has relentlessly reshaped itself and directed its educational principles to eradicating the ‘crisis school’ image that arose in a ward considered the seventh most deprived in England. Baxter College’s equal opportunities, attitudes and values, cohesive school life, curriculum flexibility and proactive community perspectives, have a critical impact. Such is the resolve and creative teaching expertise the school also runs nurturing sessions for five local primaries.

The SEN Provision Award is for specialist SEN establishments, In 2011, it went to James Brindley School in Birmingham as a result of the outstanding care, guidance and support that the school provides its students. Parents readily explain their view of the exceptional assistance they gain in helping them understand and manage their children’s needs, especially when children are returning to mainstream schools or are moving to the next stage of their education.

OUTSTANDING PROGRESS The Outstanding Progress Award for Secondary schools, sponsored by NEC Display Solutions, went to an extremely worth recipient last year - Bethnal Green Technology College (BGTC) in London. Four years on from ‘special measures’, BGTC has made another leap in GCSE results, achieving 80 percent five-plus A*-C grades, including English and Mathematics. That took them from 27 percent in 2007 and on to 57 percent in 2010. Much of that has been guided through strong, long-term management, carefully targeted resources and high retention of committed teachers. Creating a tightly structured environment and staff development programme, assisted by Teach First, BGTC transformed other schools’ excluded students and created a new culture of expectation.

The Educational Visits Award, sponsored by WST Travel, went to South Bromsgrove High School in Worcester, which has operated the Duke of Edinburgh Award for over 25 years. The scheme’s success led to them becoming the largest school-based centre for the Award in the country, with over 500 students taking part annually. Volunteering, physical activity, skills, and an expedition form the core programme.

ICT AWARDS Among many recent changes in education, ICT is an area where schools continue to innovate in the way they apply technology to the curriculum. This year, both the ICT Innovation and ICT Facility categories will be presented by the headline sponsor RM Education, and will reveal UK schools that have delivered engaging ICT projects, and have invested in first class facilities in which to teach.

Last years’ Innovation winner, Costello College in Basingstoke developed an online curriculum with learning content created using screen recording software. This enables pupils to access learning resources outside of lessons, both in and outside school, and provides consistency of learning. Teachers use the Virtual Learning Environment to give pupils access E

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EDUCATION BUSINESS AWARDS E to materials ‘on-demand’. Teachers create screencasts by recording activity on their computer screens, simultaneously recording their voice explaining what is happening on screen. Pupils can review lessons that took place months previously with exam and test advantages. Screencast videos are made available online for pupils to review during the lesson or as part of homework assignments.

FIRST IPAD SCHOOL The ICT Facility Award went to Longfield Academy in Kent - the first in England to venture school-wide use of the iPad, aiming to revolutionising learning by giving students an improved learning flexibility - anytime, any place. The ability to access up-to-date interactive information and easy links to their work will help students achieve better results through such a different learning style.

Network access will be monitored while pupils are at school, with a ‘staffed cloakroom’ for storage. This is ICT as an essential skill for life, encompassing the mastery of technical skills and techniques. But Longfield also aims to engender this understanding to be applied to such kills purposefully, everyday life and employment. The school’s ICT capability is fundamental to that participation and engagement in modern society.

The Sports Award, sponsored by Collinson, is presented to schools that show committment to developing the sporting skills of its students through the provision of excellent facilities and coaching programmes. In 2011, The Oratory School came out on top for its commitment to promote a ‘sport for all’ ethos.

Pupils at Oratory School reach out to pupils from around the Thames Valley and beyond, bringing together young people from different countries enriching their experiences.

The School Catering Award, sponsored by Bernard Matthews, always attracts many examples of best practice, both in healthy foods and in sustainable catering. Last year, Crondall Primary School had a policy to use as much organic produce and seasonal fruit and vegetables as possible, including poultry and meats from local organic farms.

Long before Jamie Oliver’s inspirational TV series highlighted the need for significant improvement in the UK, Crondall were already embarking on their own school meals crusade: nothing fried or processed enters their kitchen.

In 2011, Crocketts Community Primary School in the West Midlands received the Department of Education Award for Sustainable Schools by creating a school they all wanted through a commitment to the highest possible levels of sustainable construction and innovation. Since environmentalism runs throughout the school

curriculum and their everyday activities, it was only natural that pupils would work closely with architects on the new designs for the school building from the very outset. Last year, Crockets also picked up the Environmental Building Award, sponsored by Big Green Book.

The Science Award, sponsored by Lab Systems Furniture, will be presented to an educational establishment that has excelled in the providing innovative methods in teaching science subjects including biology, chemistry and physics. Pate’s Grammar School in Cheltenham, last years’ winner, runs Science Festival events for both visiting students and the school’s younger students, showcasing achievement. In Science and Engineering week – from bridge building to rat dissection – science thereby becomes more popular and engaging. That limitless attainment ethos is took the Physics Department to Cern in Switzerland, to discover the excitement of fundamental research and to take a look behind the scenes of the world’s largest particle physics laboratory. L FURTHER INFORMATION The Education Business Awards is supported by the British Educational Suppliers Association, Naace and nasen.

The shortlist will be announced on ebawards.co.uk from November 8th.

Multi-sensory spaces for those with special needs

Display solutions for education from NEC

Mike Ayres Design is an independent company that specialises in the design, manufacture, installation, training and maintenance of multi-sensory environments, studios, soft play rooms and equipment for anyone with special and additional needs.

The company offers a complete service from start to finish.

The design can be for existing spaces, new buildings, complete environments, areas within rooms or individual pieces of equipment.

A substantial proportion of the equipment is designed and manufactured in the company’s own workshops.

This gives them complete control of the production quality of its equipment.

Installation is carried out by its own experienced teams, to the highest standards and will accommodate your timetable and working practices.

What’s more, Mike Ayres Design has its own dedicated

NEC Display Solutions is acclaimed as Manufacturer of the Year for the second year running at the 2012 AV Awards, praised by the judges as an excellent example of the AV company of the future.

A preferred supplier of ICT equipment for education, trusted NEC quality promises reference standard performance and reliability backed by a robust warranty service. With Ultra Short Throw, 3D and Interactive Whiteboard Projection solutions for the class room environment; Multi-Touch LCD Displays for small group learning areas; High Bright Stacking Projection solutions for lecture theatres and intelligent Digital Signage networks connecting the entire school or campus – NEC offers a comprehensive portfolio of display products and solutions.

NEC’s product innovation is well placed to meet the requirements of education users by offering easy to adopt eco products, solutions and tools

maintenance personnel who provide an ongoing service for your rooms and equipment.

As well as creating complete sensory environments, studios, safe areas and soft play rooms, Mike Ayres Design specialises in designing and manufacturing many related products, including Switch2 and Switch4 control systems, Switches, Tactile murals and panels, Bubble tubes and Bubble walls and LED colourchange lights.

All these and many more products are in the company’s Sensory Resource catalogue 5.

FOR MORE INFORMATION Tel: 01359 251551 enquires@mikeayresdesign.co.uk

EB Awards 2012

Sponsored by

to extend product lifecycles, minimise power consumption and provide the means to quantify cost savings. Setting the highest eco-design standards in projection technology, NEC is the first manufacturer in the world to receive a TCO certificate for projectors verifying their ergonomic and ecological characteristics.

NEC Display Solutions can provide a total display solution to harness technology for educational advantage whilst minimising costs both to your budget and to the environment.

FOR MORE INFORMATION Tel: 08701 201160 infomail@nec-displays.com www.education-nec.com

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Streetlife Collection 2012-2013 3 online brochures / 30 new products View the brochures on our website or request a hardcopy

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Learning comes to life with Espresso Education

Students create campaign to find Teaching Heroes

Espresso Education is the UK market leader in the provision of video-based digital curriculum services to primary and secondary schools, featuring Espresso Primary, Clipbank and Channel 4 Learning.

Espresso Primary – now in its 15th year – is a cross-curricular learning service combining video clips, multimedia activities, planning tools, printable resources and a ‘News Bites’ service. Covering all subjects across Foundation, KS1 and KS2, Espresso Primary is aligned to curriculum objectives and updated weekly with news items and fresh resources; used in 8,000+ schools.

To sample Espresso Primary resources in your classroom please visit www.espresso.co.uk/testdrive

Help a group of sixth form students complete their mission by nominating your Teaching Heroes.

This term saw the launch of an exciting campaign to find a Teaching Hero in every school, created by a group of talented sixth formers.

Eteach, the UK’s leading education job board, commissioned students from St Wilfrid’s School in Crawley to create a campaign to celebrate teachers’ hard work.

The mission: Headteachers everywhere are looking to recruit the best teachers.

Mission accepted: Eteach hired an elite team of secret agents with the right skills, talent and ambition to create a campaign with a real difference.

Agents at work: Eteach put the secret agents through a tough training programme covering radio, web, social media and offline marketing.

Their campaign: Finding

Channel 4 Learning’s Clipbank – launched in October 2007 – is a unique resource for secondary schools offering a unique ‘learning service’ approach. Thousands of video clips, weekly topical ‘News Bites’ and a daily ‘News Blast’ bulletin, exam board links to AQA, Edexcel and OCR, student quizzes, teachers’ resources and in-school training, are packaged together in an updating, cross-curricular service; used in 550+ schools.

To preview Clipbank please visit www.channel4learning. com/clipbank FOR MORE INFORMATION Tel: 0800 6 527 527 (Option 2) info@espresso.co.uk www.espresso.co.uk www.channel4learning. com/clipbank

Teaching Heroes to save the world one class at a time.

Now our agents need your help to complete their mission.

Your mission: to nominate a teaching hero – visit teachingheroes.eteach.com; hear and share our radio advert; like our Facebook page – www. facebook.com/teachingheroes; and follow us on Twitter – twitter.com/teachingheroes.

Great prizes for your school, for people who nominate and for our Teaching Hero winners.

I suppose that mission wasn’t impossible after all!

FOR MORE INFORMATION info@eteach.com Tel: 0845 226 1906

Bespoke, high quality Let the games go on, furniture from Lab Systems whatever the weather As Lab Systems Furniture approaches its fifth decade in business, it continues to be successful for one consistent reason; its clients in education recognise that it supplies superior products that are designed, manufactured and installed to exacting standards.

With the company’s wealth of specialist knowledge and experience, Lab Systems Furniture has the flexibility to offer bespoke and off the shelf systems to suit any project, no matter how large or small.

After years of experience working with both conventional and specialised material, Lab Systems’ design team is acknowledged across the industry as experts in their field. Supported by the latest techniques and state of the art technology, its manufacturing team prides itself on its traditional craftsmanship and attention to detail.

Lab Systems Furniture is committed to protecting the environment by using materials from a sustainable source.

The recently completed Kelvin Hall School is one of the first schools in Hull to benefit from having a completely new building under Hull’s Building Schools for the Future (BSF) programme.

The Lab Systems team worked closely with Balfour Beatty and Hull BSF to achieve the modern look with the fixed and loose furniture internally to compliment the external build.

FOR MORE INFORMATION Tel: 01482 444650 DDI: 01482 467286 www.labsystemsfurniture.co.uk sales@lab-systems.co.uk

Collinson understands that one size doesn’t necessarily fit all. Its MUGACOVA™ sports facilities are customised to each client’s specifications, so whether you are creating an entirely new recreational space or simply want to cover an existing outdoor games area, Collinson offers a full design and build service to tailor the facility to your unique needs and budget.

Collinson MUGACOVA™ structures can cover areas from 10m up to 100m clear span – large enough to cover a full-size football pitch.MUGACOVA™ is the ideal undercover solution for multiuse or sport specific facilities.

Providing a cover for a multi use games area is a sure way of guaranteeing all year round use of the facility.

Charter School in London chose this option to create an additional sports space.

Constructed on an existing playground, the area was covered with a Collinson MUGACOVA; consisting of a sturdy steel framed superstructure with a

heavy duty tensile membrane cover to keep the rain at bay and allow natural daylight to penetrate without glare, resulting in perfect sporting conditions.

David Sheppard, head of Charter said: “It is a fantastic facility, value for money and extremely functional.” David continued: “Not only does it allow sport to carry on whatever the weather, it really takes the pressure off when indoor facilities are being utilised for exams, as sports lessons and activities can continue as normal.”

Whatever your sport, Collinson can help you transform your sports space.

FOR MORE INFORMATION Tel: 01995 606 451 www.collinson.co.uk

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Mount Industries have been manufacturing high quality furniture and storage solutions for schools, colleges and offices for over 30 years Let us work with you to provide storage solutions for your projects

Manufacturing Solutions

From concept to delivery, we specialise in manufacturing the perfect solution to suit your design. With a range of finishes, including white, our flexibility and expertise built up over the past 30 years means that almost all our furniture can be customised to fit the space required.

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Ergonomically designed and manufactured to the highest specification from top quality Austrian timber – supplied by Kaindl-Egger UK - and state of the art machinery. Mount use efficiently strong cam and dowel construction and 2mm PVC/ABS edging on table tops and desks.

Hot Desk Unit Eastleigh College

Jane Dyke, Founder of Yellow Dot Nurseries, has worked with Mount Industries for 15 years and is thrilled to be working with them on two more new premises opening this year.

Jane says, “They seem to bend over backwards to make sure that the furniture meets our requirements. In the beginning it was the locality of the business and the fact that they are a social enterprise that appealed to me, but I can genuinely say that it’s the quality of the furniture and the price that has stood the test of time”.

Yellow Dot Nurseries

Newly built, award winning Forest Edge Special School near Southampton are also delighted. Mount Industries versatility enabled them to manufacture and install units as each building became available.

Barton Park Industrial Estate, Chickenhall Lane Eastleigh, Hampshire SO50 6RR

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Call us on 023 8061 2841 or visit our website for the complete product range and details of our custom design & build service:

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MUSIC IN THE CURRICULUM

ACTIVATE YOUR VISION

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You have a vision for a musical school, but how do you make it a reality? Start by engaging your staff, says Bette Gray-Fow As many of you will be aware, the Secretary of State for Education, Michael Gove, has recently announced a major change in the secondary education curriculum. From 2015 pupils in England will begin studying for a new qualification in place of the traditional GCSEs. The new English Baccalaureate qualification (EBacc) – which emphasises a range of ‘core’ academic subjects – has caused widespread concern amongst the musical community, including fears this will lead to a decline in the creative arts and technology. At its most extreme, some fear that Music will drop out of the 14-16 secondary school curriculum altogether, with repercussions for staffing and for the viability of school music at secondary level.

At this point only the broad outlines of the EBacc are known. And it is certainly worrying to think that the breadth and inclusivity (and sheer enjoyment) involved in GCSE Music may be replaced by the narrowness of ‘graded music exams’ provided outside the curriculum. My own view is that school music will survive, alongside art and design, technology and RE, as part of a balanced curriculum. The creative subjects have a firm place in the well-established International Baccalaureate (iBacc) curriculum [link]; and the government’s own website states clearly in its English Baccalaureate (EBacc) FAQs: ‘Other qualifications remain valuable in their own right and we encourage all pupils to study non-English Baccalaureate subjects and qualifications, alongside the core English Baccalaureate in order to benefit from a well-rounded education.’

Furthermore the Government’s own National Plan for Music Education makes it clear that schools are expected to continue to support music education for all children.

MOTIVATING AND DEVELOPING STAFF Most head teachers will agree that leadership posts in music can be hard to fill, and that developing and encouraging existing staff can also present challenges.

In primary schools, a crowded curriculum and an increased emphasis on time spent in ‘on the job’ training in schools have meant that students who hope to become music coordinators in primary schools have much less training in actual musical skills. The government has recently added a new optional module for primary school Initial Teacher Training, aimed at boosting new teachers’ confidence E

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MUSIC IN THE CURRICULUM E and skills in teaching music, and enabling them to network and get support from the developing music education hubs. Although this is a very welcome development, it doesn’t address the issue of purely musical skills such as performing, training and developing musical ensembles, and so on.

Far too often, the rehearsal for a primary school performance involves youngsters seated for long periods in the school hall, clutching pieces of paper with words to songs, as they ‘sing along’ to a CD. Quite apart from the fact that some cannot read fluently enough to participate effectively, singing for long periods while seated is desperately unhealthy for vocal development. The most capable music coordinators are those who have had the opportunity to develop their own musical skills by attending summer schools and purely musical courses, where they participate in music making and learn at first-hand from musicians skills such as running an effective rehearsal, choosing appropriate music, and techniques for laying the groundwork for a lifetime of healthy singing and playing.

A LOOK BACK In the 1970s students who planned to teach music in primary schools had individual tuition in both a ‘first’ and a ‘second’ instrument on a weekly basis when they were not on teaching practice. Nowadays a music coordinator is likely to be someone who perhaps had piano lessons as a youngster, but little further training in music. These teachers would benefit greatly from a school leadership which allowed them time and encouraged their development as musicians – perhaps by funding attendance at music courses which are not solely focused on music education.

There are some excellent summer schools for musicians of all levels, eg at Sherborne, Dartington, and a host of other venues.

Both primary and secondary school music teachers will benefit from these opportunities.

By nurturing them as musicians, and providing opportunities for them to ‘network’ informally with other musicians and music teachers, the quality of music making in your school will improve out of all recognition. And if they are ‘filled up’ and excited by their own music making, they will have more to share with their pupils.

SECONDARY SCHOOLS Most secondary school music teachers will have followed a music course at university, and may well be accomplished performers; but often they come with a great deal of ‘baggage’ which produces the unconscious elitism we discussed in Part One of this feature which appeared in EB 17.5. Often they come from ‘musical families’, and don’t realise how much of their musical development (and ‘talent’) comes from being in a nurturing home environment where the long process of learning an instrument (with its inevitable peaks and

troughs) was well understood, and where the expectation was that if you didn’t ‘take’ to one instrument you would simply try another.

For these teachers an important issue can be a lack of understanding of the nature of musical talent. They may also have unrealistic expectations about what can be achieved on a musical level with secondary school pupils.

Often this means having low expectations of pupils in classroom lessons, but overly high expectations for extra-curricular groups.

As a result they can easily fall into two camps: the elitist and the discouraged.

Take time to share with your music staff your vision for music in the school. Make it clear how much you value music in the school, and how much you appreciate the work they do.

One of my most happy and productive head of music posts was in a school where the head was not ‘musical’ but wanted music to be ‘at the heart of the school’. I still treasure the notes of appreciation he wrote after major concerts and events such as the school carol service, and his presence at so many musical events was a great encouragement both to the staff and to the pupils involved.

If you can win them over to your vision,

allocating pupils to teachers, monitoring health and safety issues (including Child Protection), replacing equipment and consumables, and so on. Some flexibility in timetabling (does your Head of Music really need to have a tutor group?) can make all the difference between an exhausted and ‘burnt out’ teacher, and one who can mobilise and inspire students.

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LIAISING WITH OUTSIDE AGENCIES The new Music Education Hubs can be a terrific resource for those seeking to expand and develop music in their school, offering: Instrumental music lessons; large group instrumental teaching; workshops; a range of extra-curricular groups; and Saturday morning music schools and after school clubs.

How can you work effectively with the hubs?

Make sure they share your inclusive vision.

They may have policies, eg with regard to auditions, progression through groups, etc which undermine that vision. If so, discuss this with them. In my experience they are only too happy to talk over any issues which arise with schools.

In some areas an active Music Service Hub can undermine school activities. It may be

By nurturing music teachers as musicians, and providing opportunities for them to ‘network’ informally with other musicians and music teachers, the quality of music making in your school will improve out of all recognition. the music department can move forward with a commonality of purpose. And make sure they have the time and the resources to network with other music teachers, sharing repertoire, ‘tips’ and experiences. Joining a professional organisation such as the Schools Music Association can provide practical ideas and a network of colleagues for a teacher who is delivering a full academic programme, managing an instrumental tuition programme, purchasing and maintaining a range of equipment, and spending hours of out of school time rehearsing groups, practising with individuals for school events, taking groups out into the community, and so on.

TECHNICAL SUPPORT Since music departments are often small, some administrative support is vital. These days, Music is also one of the largest departments in terms of IT. This means that technical support for music technology is also essential. And whether your instrumental tuition programme is run through a system of self-employed individual teachers, or is contracted through a Music Education Hub, make sure you allow for the management of this within the music leader’s timetable. Many hours can be taken up with queries and complaints from parents, problems with lost or misplaced instruments,

that pupils prefer to be in the Hub’s groups, since they are larger, or have a wider range of instruments. Make sure you have an agreement with the hub that school activities take precedence, eg if there is a clash of concert dates. Most hubs will be happy to work with you, since it is in everyone’s interest to have an agreed protocol on such matters. It is also useful to have a schoolhub dialogue in place, to avoid youngsters (particularly at secondary school level) being placed under too much stress from competing groups, with an unmanageable number of rehearsals, trips, and performances.

THE HUBS AND CLASSROOM TEACHING For several years now there has been a steady growth in the practice of ‘buying in’ classroom teaching services from Music Education Hubs (formerly Music Services), both in primary and secondary schools. While this can seem to be a convenient solution to staffing problems and staff turnover, be aware that without a member of staff ‘in house’ with music as their responsibility, it may prove difficult to do certain things. For example, recruit pupils for extra-curricular groups; arrange extra rehearsals; follow up on interests shown in the classroom (eg finding a child who is learning the E

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CURRICULUM TM

E guitar at home, informally, and getting them involved in a school group); produce a programme for the school concert which includes every child’s name; liaise with other staff members (eg with the Art Department to provide a cover for said programme); organise refreshments; run a Parent Support Group for music; arrange for matching T-shirts for the jazz band or school choir; deliver a ‘sponsored sing’ for charity; visit an old people’s home to perform for the residents; and a host of other things which make for ‘a musical school’.

The expertise of the Music Education Hub is invaluable, but remember: their staff are busy professionals who generally work in a number of different schools. This may make it difficult to find the support you need at busy times of the year (eg that all important end-of-term concert, or that Year 7 Parents’ Evening), since they may well have commitments elsewhere.

And while they will generally be capable musicians, some may lack classroom skills and experience. In my view it is enormously valuable to have a teacher within the school itself to coordinate rehearsals and events, liaise with other staff, follow up on children who have missed lessons (finding out if there is an underlying financial or family problem of some sort), meet with parents at the regular parents’ evenings, arrange for permission slips for an event, work with the drama specialist/enthusiast on plans for a musical.

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ENGAGING PUPILS AND PARENTS What do we mean by ‘engaging pupils and parents’? In ‘a musical school’, parents and pupils are aware of the school’s reputation for music, and take pride in pupils’ accomplishments and in their own child’s involvement in concerts, competitions, trips, and community events. Pupils feel that as a subject, ‘music is for them’, and look forward to their music classes and extra-curricular musical groups. Those with an artistic flair will feel proud that their design has been chosen for the concert programme, or as a poster for the school musical.

An important element in this is communication. Make sure that musical activities are celebrated in the school newsletter, alongside sporting and academic accomplishments. Create a Parent Support Group to help the busy music coordinator by organising refreshments for concerts (both in the interval for the audience, and for the performers during the final, long rehearsal).

Have respect for all types of music. A musical school includes groups and individuals with all manner of musical tastes – classical, jazz, popular music, folk and traditional music, rap, music theatre, barbershop. There is no ‘us and them’ attitude: all genres of music are equally valued; and youngsters are encouraged to participate in more than one area, eg a classical guitarist will also play electric guitar in the jazz band, and sing in the chorus of the school musical.

Involve large numbers of pupils, eg by including an entire year group in a concert or other event. This will bring along large numbers of parents to hear their youngsters perform. (Hint: place this item last in the concert, to make sure they stay to the end!) In one school I was able to finance the entire extracurricular programme on the proceeds of school concerts.

Reward the types of behaviour you want to encourage. Does the prima donna who never attends orchestra rehearsals get to perform at Speech Day? What message are you sending to those who attend regularly? Is there an assumption that parents will only want to hear ‘serious’ music at school events? Or that they will only listen to popular music?

INCLUSIVITY AND QUALITY Keep returning to the vision: high levels of participation, coupled with the highest possible standards of music making.

And remember: Science is telling us that to be human is to be innately musical.

Whether or not our own school fulfils all the criteria for ‘a musical school’, it is an exciting privilege and an important responsibility to help all our pupils to develop their musicality to the full. L

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Advertisement Feature Written by Graham Lowes, marketing director, OKI Systems UK

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PRINTING EFFICIENCIES

MANAGED PRINT SERVICES: A NEW APPROACH TO EDUCATIONAL PRINTING

Most organisations are taking steps to become more efficient, often closely monitoring outgoings such as phone bills. However, there is still one cost that often goes unchecked – print Public sector spending cuts are a constant source of concern for schools and colleges.

Recently, the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) announced that the UK government must make deeper cuts to keep public finances in check. With this in mind, it is expected that by 2017/18 the OBR will further reduce public spending by another £17bn per annum.

In light of the increasing cuts, it is vital that schools and colleges are evaluating and streamlining operations wherever possible. Of course, most organisations have already taken steps to become more efficient over the last few difficult years – often closely monitoring outgoings such as phone bills. However, there is still one cost that often goes unchecked – print.

GET A CLEAR VIEW The challenge is that most departments do not have a clear view of print spend or how to streamline the process to make it more cost effective. Yet, given the considerable amount of budget that is dedicated to print, any opportunity to reduce costs and drive efficiency needs to be carefully considered.

To manage print effectively, all it takes is a change in approach, such as a move to a managed print service. On the surface, this may seem like a complex task, given that most departments don’t have a clear view of their current print environment but it doesn’t need to be, not if the services of an expert printer vendor such as OKI are deployed.

Established in 1881, print communications specialist, OKI has built up an extensive amount of print and business communications knowledge. OKI has worked with educational institutions for many years and as such has expert understanding of the sector’s needs. With a vast portfolio of innovative products, OKI can help improve existing print operations and even bring printing in-house, which will ultimately reduce outsourcing costs and improve the bottom line.

MAKING THE RIGHT CHOICES The first step to driving print efficiencies is to assess the current print landscape, in order to identify the most appropriate long-term print strategy. In fact, when looking to deploy more efficient in-house printing, choosing the right printer is just as important as adopting smarter

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printing practices. The printer landscape can seem complicated to the untrained eye, which is why working with an expert print provider not only speeds up the implementation of a new strategy, but ensures that only the most innovative solutions are used. OKI offers the perfect solution for this need, in the form of managed print services (MPS).

Typically, MPS is associated with mainstream businesses as it unifies and manages all business print processes, while ensuring printing operations are more closely matched to a company’s workflow to help meet specific business goals. However, working with a professional print vendor such as OKI, which

After gaining a transparent view across all print practices, a consultation is held between the print vendor and the school. Working closely with an organisation it becomes possible to create a flexible print programme and the best print strategies are often those that are tailor made. However, this is not a one off meeting. Expert print vendors understand the importance of building up a long-term relationship with customers to ensure print practices are consistently reevaluated to meet changing requirements.

Working with schools and colleges to streamline print, OKI not only transforms practices but removes the burden of printer

OKI introduced ‘Deep Sleep’ mode – a setting that reduces power consumption to the bare minimum (often less than one watt) yet, the machine is still able to ‘wake up’ instantly when a new job is needed. understands the education sector, there is no reason why the benefits of improved efficiency and reduced costs, can’t be transferred to schools and colleges during this time of austerity.

First an audit is undertaken, one which assesses existing output volumes, types of printing and paper sizes used so that the best printing recommendations and implementation plan can be devised. OKI uses advanced techniques to ensure that an all-inclusive analysis of an organisation’s print environment is performed.

LONG TERM SOLUTIONS The results of the assessment are then used to design a long-term print solution – one which ensures print devices are used in the most resourceful manner and printing practices can be controlled and managed more closely.

The assessment also highlights any unseen overheads, such as the need for storage space for consumables and the cost of man-hours spent supporting disparate systems. In fact, MPS can ensure that printing operations are more closely matched to each schools unique workflow to help meet their specific goals.

ownership, which instantly frees up staff to focus on core educational needs. Purchasing printers, supplies, maintenance and support with one all-inclusive contract, can also reduce capital investment and on-going printing costs.

A GREEN STATE OF MIND Moving to MPS, many schools and colleges will not only be able to streamline their printer fleet but also improve their green credentials, which can further reduce costs.

The initial MPS assessment highlights print procedures which can be improved, such as the amount of energy wasted powering outdated equipment, particularly when it is not in use.

To solve this problem OKI introduced ‘Deep Sleep’ mode – a setting that reduces power consumption to the bare minimum (often less than one watt) yet, the machine is still able to ‘wake up’ instantly when a new job is needed.

Today this function is standard on all new ranges.

In fact, deploying the most advance technology can be beneficial. Taking green IT to the next level, OKI is now building ‘AutoPower Off’ technology into many devices, saving hundreds of watts of power and

reducing CO2 emissions to the minimum. The setting automatically powers down the printer after extended periods of non-usage, which can be determined by the user and, this in turn, delivers big savings in power usage over the product’s life. Among OKI’s new range of products, the C800 series includes added green benefits. Not only does it have Deep Sleep and Auto-Power Off settings, but it also features a new engine design with advanced cooling technology, low operating noise and it can print its first page out in nine seconds.

However, becoming more efficient is not just about deploying the most innovative printers. Schools and colleges can also adopt smarter in-house printing practices. Simply by setting the devices up to print in mono as standard, which reduces unnecessary colour printing, while enabling schools to use colour only when required. In addition, changing settings to automatically print double-sided can cut paper wastage by up to 50 per cent.

Another cost saving and more importantly, security feature that can be added is secure release which is an optional interface that allows you to connect a Secure Print release card solution. This makes it possible to manage printing within your organisation through the use of smart cards which are swiped by a user to release the print job.

REAPING THE BENEFITS OF MPS One school, which is already realising the benefits of MPS, is Parrs Wood High School, a specialist Technology college in Manchester, which caters for nearly

2000 students including Sixth Formers.

As a Technology College, the organisation is always keen to deploy the most innovative solutions to streamline the administration and management of the school, while driving efficiencies.

As a result, Parrs Wood High decided to look at a managed service to carry out the printing. The school’s IT team approached several independent providers of equipment finance solutions for the education sector for their recommendations. The school quickly decided on the most innovative and cost effective MPS solution from OKI. Prior to implementation, Parrs Wood High carried out a printing audit to establish printing volumes on existing devices. The aim was to rationalise the number of printers it required around the school and to find out what printers would be the best fit.

Now the school has two different models of OKI printer devices installed across the site: the OKI ES4131 and the OKI ES7120dn, both of which are A4 mono printers.

In the classrooms the printers are widely used for printing coursework, homework and material for projects. The fast print speeds available with the OKI devices help teachers to overcome the end-of-class printing rush and ensure that pupils don’t delay the start of the next lesson, waiting for work to appear.

The most significant impact of deploying MPS has been the implementation of highquality printers, which streamlined the teaching and learning experience for staff and pupils, igniting their creativity. Teachers

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can now be more flexible in the way they create and deliver content in-house.

For example, OKI has pioneered the development of free ‘in-the-box’ utilities, which enable schools and colleges to easily customise their material. Using this solution it is easy to print media for events like sports days and parents’ evenings or other marketing collateral such as school prospectuses and newsletters as well as standard office stationery and administrative documents.

Previously, print was considered by Parrs Wood High as an expensive necessity that was difficult to manage and control. By deploying MPS, the school now regards printing as a cost-effective enabler, helping pupils to produce high-quality work and streamlining the whole administrative process, while delivering value for money and a significant reduction in costs.

Moving print in-house with MPS has a range of benefits that cannot be overlooked, particularly given this time of austerity – it enables organisations to monitor, regulate and cut printing costs, while improving an organisation’s green credentials. L

FURTHER INFORMATION www.oki.co.uk

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EVENT PREVIEW

HYGIENE TAKES CENTRE STAGE The Cleaning Show, taking place 19-21 March next year at the NEC, promises to throw a spotlight on hygiene in the education sector

Effective measures to maintain high levels of hygiene in education establishments will take centre-stage at next year’s Cleaning Show.

Exhibitors at the Cleaning Show 2013 will present a range of products designed to maintain a clean environment – helping to improve pupil and student attendance rates and keep staff healthy and at work.

On display at the show will be the very latest developments in surface cleaning and hand hygiene, along with others that address a range of challenges faced by cleaners in education establishments, including solutions for waste disposal.

The focus will be on effective products that offer excellent levels of cost in use.

Among the exhibitors at the Cleaning Show 2013 will be Connect Hygiene Products, which offers a range of innovative

flushable paper hand towels which do not cause blockages if they are disposed of in the toilet, rather than the bin. The towels are dispensed one at a time from the company’s Leonardo dispenser, discouraging users from taking excessive amounts.

Jonathan Hooper, marketing manager at Connect Hygiene Products Ltd, said: “The towels have proven a big hit with schools.

One in particular, York High School, has saved 30 per cent on the cost of running its washrooms because the towels have increased hygiene levels and reduced damage caused by vandalism and carelessness.”

THE LATEST PRODUCTS AND SERVICES Taking place from 19-21 March 2013 at Birmingham’s NEC, the Cleaning Show is the leading showcase for all products and services

The Cleaning Show 2013 will offer cleaners in the education sector the opportunity to view and try out a huge range of innovative solutions created to improve hygiene standards while making their operations more cost-efficient

used in the cleaning and support services industry. Next year’s event is set to be the largest so far, with more than 200 exhibitors expected to take stand space, of which at least 50 will be at the show for the first time.

Visitor registration numbers for next year’s Cleaning Show are up 61 per cent over comparable figures the same time two years ago, ahead of the 2011 event. Only visitors who pre-register to attend The Cleaning Show 2013 will receive free parking at the NEC (with a value of £10) plus a free priority pass allowing a quick and easy entrance to the show. Fast and also free, it takes just a few minutes to sign up on the homepage of the show’s website at: www.cleaningshow.co.uk.

Exhibitors at the Cleaning Show 2013 will be showcasing a broad range of equipment and services, including cleaning machinery of all kinds, janitorial supplies, pest control products, waste equipment and services, washroom products, window cleaning equipment and work-wear. A full list of the products and services at the show is available at www.cleaningshow.co.uk.

Exhibition director Martin Scott said: “The Cleaning Show 2013 will offer cleaners in the education sector the opportunity to view and try out a huge range of innovative solutions created to improve hygiene standards while making their operations more cost-efficient.”

A survey of exhibitors at the 2011 Cleaning Show found that an amazing 100 per cent of them were either very or fairly successful in achieving their objectives at the show. A similar amount – 97 per cent – said they were happy with the calibre of visitors, while 65 per cent said they took between 51 and 250 quality sales leads during the event. Further, more than half of exhibitors – 53 per cent – actually sold cleaning and maintenance products and services during the show itself.

Last year’s show brought in more than 7,600 individual visitors and, importantly, 70 per cent of them were responsible for purchasing equipment and services. Of the 7,652 people who attended in 2011, almost a quarter had more than £500,000 to spend annually on cleaning equipment and services. Another 21 per cent had an annual budget of between £51,000 and £500,000.

Martin Scott said: “We’re promising prospective visitors best show yet, with more than 200 exhibitors expected, and it’s not too late to be among them. If you’d like to reserve a stand at the Cleaning Show 2013, there’s still time to make a booking. Space costs from just £243 per square metre, while shell schemes are available from only £293. But act fast, because time and space is running out!”

The Cleaning Show is organised every two years on behalf of the cleaning industry by BCCE Ltd, a company jointly owned by the British Cleaning Council and Quartz Business Media. L

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DYSLEXIA

Special Educational Needs

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Written by Dr Kate Saunders, the British Dyslexia Association

CHILD DYSLEXICS: THE MYTHS AND THE REALITIES

Could you identify a dyslexic child? And could you confidently teach one? Dr Kate Saunders from the British Dyslexia Association explains what to look out for and how to get support Dyslexia affects around 10 per cent of the population and is a Specific Learning Difficulty (SpLD). It not only concerns reading and writing, but can also impact on maths, spelling, memory and organisational skills.

Dyslexia is one of an array of Specific Learning Difficulties (SpLDs). Others included under this general term include Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD)/ Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) – this condition includes difficulty sustaining attention, ADD can exist with or without hyperactivity.

Dyscalculia involves specific difficulty with aspects of mathematics.

Dyspraxia/Developmental Coordination Disorder involves difficulty with motor co-ordination and organising some cognitive skills.

Dysgraphia involves difficulty with fine motor skills, especially for handwriting.

Aspergers syndrome includes difficulty with

certain interpersonal skills and may be seen as the mild end of the autistic spectrum; Dyslexia can also involve a specific language impairment.

CHARACTERISTICS The Rose Review (2009), commissioned by the government in England, ‘Identifying and Teaching Children and Young People with Dyslexia and Literacy Difficulties’, provided the following working definition of dyslexia and its characteristics: ‘A learning difficulty that primarily affects the skill involved in accurate and fluent word reading and spelling’.

Characteristic features of dyslexia are difficulties in phonological awareness, verbal memory and verbal processing speed. It occurs across the range of intellectual abilities and is best thought of as a continuum, not a distinct category, with no clear cut-off points.

Co-occurring difficulties may be seen in

aspects of language, motor co-ordination, mental calculation, concentration and personal organisation, but these are not, by themselves, markers of dyslexia.

A good indication of the severity and persistence of dyslexic difficulties can be gained by examining how the individual responds, or has responded, to well founded intervention.

Acknowledged by the BDA, some dyslexic individuals also experience visual processing difficulties. These can include visual stress, visual tracking problems, binocular visual dysfunction and difficulty with visual-motor perception. They may reverse letters or numbers or mis-sequence, report that letters ‘move’, lose their place more frequently reading across lines of print, be sensitive to the ‘glare’ from the white page/board/ screen and their eyes can tire more easily when reading. These difficulties can also affect reading musical notation. Visual stress symptoms can also sometimes be suffered by non-dyslexic individuals.

Furthermore, dyslexic learners can show a combination of abilities and difficulties that affect the learning process.

Some may have strengths in areas such as problem solving, design, creative skills, interactive and oral skills.

Phonological processing problems are widely accepted to be a key difficulty for many dyslexics. Connecting letter shapes to letter sounds, breaking words down into sounds, or building strings of sounds up into words and understanding of the way sounds work within words can be a struggle E

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DYSLEXIA E and can undermine the early acquisition of written language skills. Hearing the difference between certain letter sounds, word retrieval and speed of processing can also be problematic for some dyslexic individuals.

These issues can impact on musical skills.

OTHER ISSUES Some dyslexic individuals also experience elements of another SpLD. These are referred to as ‘co-morbid’ or ‘co-occurring’ difficulties, though in families where dyslexia is evident there can be a higher amount of individuals with other SpLDs that the dyslexic individual may not have personally as co-occurring.

The present statistic of one in five children leaving primary school unable to read or write is contributed to by those who fall behind in their reading at school, not being correctly identified if they are dyslexic and given appropriate intervention programmes until they are two or more years behind their expected levels. This can make the transition to senior school traumatic for them. It is during this time that the child may begin to become anti-social and their behaviour may deteriorate dramatically. For these young people, the future is potentially blighted and they are at serious risk of becoming disaffected and in some cases involved with the criminal justice system.

Of course there are exceptions and there are schools which are very good at recognising dyslexic children and who can provide the appropriate support and assistance. Students who have had their dyslexia recognised at school find their learning development less troublesome and tutors are more knowledgeable as to their learning difficulties and possible strengths.

POSSIBLE SIGNS OF DYSLEXIA Throughout their school career a dyslexic child may display certain tell-tale signs.

These may include appearing to be bright and able, but unable to write their thoughts down on paper; having areas in which they excel, particularly in drama, art and debating; be clumsy; act as the ‘class clown’ to mask what they see as their academic failure; become withdrawn and isolated, sitting at the back and not participating; be able to do one thing at a time very well but can’t remember an entire list; look ‘glazed’ when language is spoken too quickly; go home exhausted at the end of a normal day because they have had to put so much effort into learning, and succeptibility to being bullied.

There are also more age-specific signs.

Pre-school children may show: Persistent difficulty in learning nursery rhymes or the name for things, like ‘table’ or ‘chair’; difficulty with clapping a simple rhythm; enjoyment of being read to but no interest in words or letters; delayed speech development; primary school children may show a poor sense of direction and confusion between left and right; pronounced reading

difficulties, specifically hesitant or laboured reading, omitted lines or repetition of the same line or loss of place in the text and difficulties in saying multi-syllabic words.

They may also confuse similar letters, like ‘b’ and ‘d’, ‘p’ and ‘q’ and ‘w’ and ‘m’– resulting in some bizarre spelling.

Secondary school pupils may continue to experience the same problems as at primary school, such as continuing to read inaccurately; confusing places, times and dates; have difficulty planning and writing essays, and suffering poor confidence and low self esteem.

FURTHER CHALLENGES In addition, secondary school offers a new set of challenges which place a huge amount of pressure on dyslexic pupils, who already have problems with their shortterm memory and organisational skills.

These may demonstrate themselves through difficulty organising life around a timetable; failing to remember which books to bring to class; misunderstanding complex instructions; problems making notes at speed and completing work on time; having memory impediments which affect

writing and spelling improved by two years.

There is not a cure for dyslexia but by using appropriate coping strategies dyslexics can overcome their difficulties, as Ben has, allowing them to achieve good qualifications and suitable employment in the future. dyslexia training Overloading pupils with instructions or criticisms can have a negative impact. Dyslexic pupils benefit from multi-sensory teaching methods that are clear and broken into brief sections. This principle is central to the course, which teaches that difficulties with reading and writing need not lead to dyslexic pupils feeling alienated from school if teachers use an approach that recognises that dyslexic individuals process information differently.

Keys to a ‘dyslexia friendly’ classroom include the removal of any necessary barriers to learning and enhancement of strengths; the determination of all individual learning needs, and teaching in such a way that these individuals can learn from.

Teachers often comment that what works well for dyslexia pupils also benefits other pupils as well. This is an important point as being ‘dyslexia friendly’ actually means being learner friendly for everyone.

Special Educational Needs

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When ICT is used effectively, many of the barriers to and differences in learning can be reduced or overcome. Assistive technology, used in conjunction with multi sensory teaching, can enable the dyslexic child to access the curriculum and learn more successfully the marshalling of learned facts in exams.

One area that needs to be addressed is how school and colleges spend their Special Education Needs budget. A dyslexic student may be allocated time with a learning support teacher and some may receive targeted assistive technology. More often, if support is provided within state schools, it may well be from a teaching assistant (supporting in the classroom and/or delivering a recommended written language programme, such as in a small group). It is crucial that all of these staff have appropriate levels of dyslexia training, but often this is not the case.

The BDA accredits courses for teachers and teaching assistants working in this field (see www.bdadyslexia.org.uk for details).

REACHING A CHILD’S POTENTIAL A prime example of how dyslexia specialist support can allow a child to reach their potential is the case of Ben. Ben is a 12 year old dyslexic boy who had been given learning assistant support for the past six years yet made no improvement in his reading, writing or spelling. Ben was then given 20 hours of dyslexia specialist support and his reading,

Crucial to a child’s education is appropriate use of ICT and assistive technology. Some of the popular computer programmes used in today’s classrooms were originally designed for dyslexic children. When ICT is used effectively, many of the barriers to and differences in learning can be reduced or overcome. Assistive technology, used in conjunction with multi sensory teaching, can enable the dyslexic child to access the curriculum and learn more successfully.

DYSLEXIA FRIENDLY CLASSROOMS As part of the mission to achieve ‘dyslexia friendly’ classrooms, the BDA runs a certification scheme, the Dyslexia Friendly Quality Mark, which encourages schools to make themselves more responsive to the needs of dyslexic pupils; the BDA’s training courses can form a part of the process for achieving this status. Several local authorities and many schools have achieved the Dyslexia Friendly Quality Mark certificate, benefiting their pupils. L FOR MORE INFORMATION www.bdadyslexia.org.uk

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Advertisers Index

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28

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EDUCATION BUSINESS MAGAZINE | Volume 17.6

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Copyright 2012 NEC Display Solution Europe GmbH. All rights are reserved in favour of their respective owners. This document is provided “as is� without warranty of any kind whatsoever, either express or implied. * Terms and conditions apply.