Informer Issue 17 Summer 2011
“KCS – offering you quality, variety and best value, all summer and beyond”
KCS Customer Care Survey
New KCS Webshop
Academy Update
Furniture
Competitions
And Much More...
2 In This Edition
Dear Customer,
KCS Own Brand
More Choice!
Welcome to the Summer 2011 Edition of the KCS Informer. This new financial year presents many challenges for all our customers. Please rest assured that our main focus for the new 2011/12 KCS Catalogue has been on offering you best value. This edition of Informer focuses on how we can help. We are once again very proud of the results of our autumn 2010 Schools Customer Care Survey and we have published the results in this edition of the KCS Informer. You continue to value our range, pricing, delivery and customer care excellence. From May, our pilot groups will start to use our new www.kcswebshop.co.uk to place their orders directly via SIMS/FMS. More detail is included in this edition and we hope to roll out the system to a wider audience from September this year. With the aim of providing customers with even more choice, Kent County Supplies (KCS) and Hertfordshire Supplies (HS) have agreed to produce a joint catalogue, featuring a harmonised product range from April 2012. The new, harmonised product range will enhance your choice of best value products, featuring a range of branded and own brand lines, all from a supplier you can trust.
See pages 4 - 28 of the KCS Main Catalogue
Once again, thank you for you continued support and, if you have any further ideas or suggestions in relation to KCS, please do not hesitate to contact me.
Ultrawhite Competition 2010/11
Best regards,
Every time you purchased KCS Ultrawhite copier paper (01 977 075), you were entered into a monthly prize draw to win a ÂŁ100 voucher to be redeemed on KCS stock products of your choice.
Steven Munday KCS General Manager T: 01622 605485 E: steven.munday@kent.gov.uk
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14
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Oct winner: Stansted CP School, Sevenoaks Nov winner: St Matthew Academy, Blackheath Dec winner: Hampden Park CPI School, Eastbourne Jan winner: Plat Douet School, Jersey Feb winner: Dover Christchurch Academy, Dover Mar winner: The Mead CP School, Surrey
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This edition contains articles on: KCS Schools Customer Care Survey NEW KCS Contracts & Services
Cleaning Promotions NEW www.kcswebshop.co.uk
3-11 14-15 16 18-21
Classroom Seating
29-31
School Shout
33-35
KCS Customer Care Pledge
WIN
36
Your DPN or Account Number
? ? ? ? ? ? Please quote this on every order to ensure that it is processed speedily every time!
Competitions 3
Schools Customer Care Survey 2010 - best response ever! The KCS Customer Care Survey has now been running for 6 years and 2010 was one of our best responses ever.
PRIZE
KCS appreciates the effort that customers made to complete the questionnaire and the following pages outline the results. This questionnaire is immensely important to us, as it gives KCS the opportunity to find out what you require from us and how you believe we actually perform against those expectations. We hope that next year even more schools will participate, it is your chance to comment on your KCS experience. This year, 20 of the schools who completed the questionnaire will receive a Swordfish Laminator. The lucky schools are shown opposite. In 2011, the KCS Schools Customer Care Survey will be launched at the start of September so, please remember, when you receive your survey to complete it and get your chance to give us your thoughts and suggestions.
469 014 390 RRP £19.95
Lucky Winners of the Swordfish A4 Home-Office Laminator: Balfour Junior School - Medway St Augustine’s School - Lewisham St Peters C of E Primary School - Surrey Discovery School - West Malling St Albans Road Infant School - Dartford Brentwood County High School - Essex Parkside County Primary School - East Sussex Balgowan Primary School - Bromley Woodhill Primary School - Woolwich Cuxton Infant School - Medway
Elmhurst Primary School - Newham Petchey Academy - Hackney Windlesham School - Essex Danson Primary School - Bexley Harris Academy - Purley Thriftwood School - Essex West Minster Primary School - Kent Lympne Primary School - Kent Brockhill Park Performing Arts College - Kent Knock Hall CP School - Kent
Your chance to win a dymo label maker for your school! How can you win one of these great and versatile label makers? No office or school should be without one!
WIN
x10
All we need is your e-mail address. KCS now sends e-shots directly to you the customer, but for us to make our e-shots more relevant, we also need to know what you do (job title will be fine).
TO GIVE AWAY!
So, for a chance to win these fantastic prizes just e-mail karen.webber@kent.gov.uk
04 788 051 RRP £20.95
469 015 104 - £65.95
469 015 126 - £125.25
Contact Hayley Arnold on 01622 605334 for more details, or email: hayley.arnold@kent.gov.uk or speak to your KCS sales executive
04 788 050 - £34.69
04 788 065 - £34.69
04 788 051 - £20.95
Customer Care Survey 5
What you think about KCS...
99% 97% 96% said KCS is an organisation they trust!
of next day deliveries were successful!
thought it was easy to place their order!
Last autumn we asked for your thoughts about KCS. The great news is that we had a record response and, even better than that, was the positive way you rated our whole package. As normal, we have published the results of the tick box questions together with a KCS Action List for 2011/12 to try to improve further our service package.
Take a look at all the results
6 Customer Care Survey - 2010/11 KCS Catalogue
96% of you agreed it was easy to place an order!
96% 4% Easy
On the fence
0% Nightmare
Q. Ease of placing your order?
2010/11 KCS Catalogue In respect of your most recent ordering experience, please tell us how satisfied you are with the following aspects. Q. Layout of catalogue? A. 46% - Very satisfied 45% - Fairly satisfied 9% - Neither satisfied nor dissatisfied 0% - Fairly dissatisfied 0% - Very dissatisfied Q. Index? A. 48% - Very satisfied 38% - Fairly satisfied 12% - Neither satisfied nor dissatisfied 2% - Fairly dissatisfied 0% - Very dissatisfied
Q. Ease of use of the catalogue? A. 45% - Very satisfied 41% - Fairly satisfied 12% - Neither satisfied nor dissatisfied 2% - Fairly dissatisfied 0% - Very dissatisfied Q. Product choice within the catalogue? A. 38% - Very satisfied 48% - Fairly satisfied 14% - Neither satisfied nor dissatisfied 0% - Fairly dissatisfied 0% - Very dissatisfied Q. Product pricing in respect of competition? A. 41% - Very satisfied 43% - Fairly satisfied 14% - Neither satisfied nor dissatisfied 1% - Fairly dissatisfied 1% - Very dissatisfied
KCS Action List for 2011/12 1 Expand the KCS Own Brand section at the front of the catalogue – More Choice, Better Value! 2 Simplify the KCS Main Catalogue index to allow speedier product location. 3 Add over 400 new products to increase your choice. 4 Reduce or hold 1000’s of prices in the KCS Main Catalogue. 5 Introduce our new KCS Contracts & Services Directory to provide further reasons for using KCS.
Sales Office Contact - Customer Care Survey 7
93% were completely satisfied with the sales office!
55%
38%
5%
1%
1%
Strongly Agree
Agree
On the fence
Disagree
Strongly Disagree
Q. I felt completely satisfied with the experience?
Sales Office Contact In respect of your most recent experience, please tell us how much you agree/disagree with the following descriptions about the member of staff with whom you had your main discussion. Q. The telephone was answered speedily and politely? A. 56% - Strongly Agree 39% - Agree 4% - Neither Agree nor Disagree 0% - Disagree 1% - Strongly Disagree Q. They gave me their full attention throughout? A. 63% - Strongly Agree 32% - Agree 3% - Neither Agree nor Disagree 1% - Disagree 1% - Strongly Disagree
Q. They had a good knowledge of the products? A. 50% - Strongly Agree 43% - Agree 5% - Neither Agree nor Disagree 1% - Disagree 1% - Strongly Disagree Q. They explained everything clearly? A. 53% - Strongly Agree 40% - Agree 5% - Neither Agree nor Disagree 1% - Disagree 1% - Strongly Disagree
KCS Action List for 2011/12 1 Ensure that our dedicated fax lines are always free for your orders. 2 Continue to answer our telephones within 3 rings. 3 Continue to ensure that our telephones are answered by our well trained and friendly staff as apposed to machines! 4 Introduce www.kcswebshop.co.uk which is SIMS/FMS compatible providing you with time and efficiency savings.
8 Customer Care Survey - KCS Customer Care Pledge
93% said our professionalism is important to them!
39% 54% 4% 1% Critical
Important
On the fence
Unimportant
2% Very Unimportant
Q. Professionalism of the KCS sales office?
The KCS Customer Care Pledge KCS is very proud of its ‘Customer Care Pledge’. How would you rate it in your decision to use KCS as a supplier? Q. Free next day delivery service? A. 59% 35% 3% 1% 2%
- Critical - Important - Neither Important nor Unimportant - Unimportant - Very Unimportant
Q. Free KCS order conversion service? A. 22% 41% 27% 7% 3%
- Critical - Important - Neither Important nor Unimportant - Unimportant - Very Unimportant
Q. No telephone queues? A. 43% 47% 9% 0% 1%
- Critical - Important - Neither Important nor Unimportant - Unimportant - Very Unimportant
Q. No quibble 30 day stock returns? A. 60% - Critical 26% - Important 6% - Neither Important nor Unimportant 6% - Unimportant 2% - Very Unimportant Q. 24 hour response to telephone and email queries? A. 45% - Critical 43% - Important 9% - Neither Important nor Unimportant 1% - Unimportant 2% - Very Unimportant Q. KCS ‘Own Brand’ range? A. 18% - Critical 50% - Important 29% - Neither Important nor Unimportant 3% - Unimportant 0% - Very Unimportant Q. 5 day response to written queries? A. 21% - Critical 52% - Important 22% - Neither Important nor Unimportant 3% - Unimportant 2% - Very Unimportant
KCS Action List for 2011/12 1 Continue to deliver against the KCS Customer Care Pledge. 2 Continue to refine the KCS Customer Care Pledge with the aim of enhancing your experience of dealing with KCS. 3 Add to and further develop our external KCS sales team to ensure that you feel the benefits of linking with your ‘local’ KCS sales executive. 4 Build on the excellent progress made by our Discrepancies Team to ensure that if things do go wrong, the matter is dealt with speedily.
Deliveries - Customer Care Survey 9
94% said KCS free next day delivery was great!
61%
33%
5%
1%
0%
Excellent
Good
Average
Below Average
Poor
Q. How would you rate your deliveries in terms of next day success?
Deliveries, Discrepancies & Returns We have been working hard this year to ensure that our in-house and out-sourced deliveries are all conducted to the same high standard.
How would you rate the KCS discrepancies and returns process in terms of: Q. Speed of resolution?
How would you rate your deliveries in terms of: Q. Labelling? A. 44% - Excellent 43% - Good 11% - Average 2% - Below Average 0% - Poor Q. Packaging? A. 44% - Excellent 44% - Good 10% - Average 2% - Below Average 0% - Poor
A. 35% - Excellent 53% - Good 11% - Average 1% - Below Average 0% - Poor Q. Accuracy of resolution? A. 38% - Excellent 52% - Good 8% - Average 1% - Below Average 1% - Poor
KCS Action List for 2011/12 1 Continue to deliver our market leading FREE Next Day Delivery Service for all stock items at a level of 97%+. 2 Work with our customers to try to spread orders throughout the day to avoid the highly popular 11:00 - 12:00 slot, where “late” orders can miss the Free Next Day Delivery cut off. 3 Ensure that all “FAO” instructions are transcribed from customer orders, resulting in them appearing on our labelling 100% of the time.
10 Customer Care Survey - KCS Own Brand
90% thought KCS Own Brand was good value!
90% 10% 0% Good
Average
Poor
Q. How would you rate KCS Own Brand in terms of price?
2010/11 KCS Catalogue With over 300 products, the KCS Own Brand range is aimed at creating a value brand, offering you good quality products at a competitive price from a supplier you can trust. Q. Have you ever purchased a KCS Own Brand product? A. 96% - Yes 4% - No If yes, how would you rate the KCS Own Brand products in terms of: Q. Quality? A. 18% - Excellent 55% - Good 23% - Average 4% - Below Average 0% - Poor
Q. Range? A. 17% - Excellent 62% - Good 20% - Average 1% - Below Average 0% - Poor Q. Lifecycle? A. 11% - Excellent 59% - Good 23% - Average 6% - Below Average 1% - Poor
KCS Action List for 2011/12 1 Enlarge the KCS Own Brand range with new best value education products. 2 Create a new KCS Own Brand Cleaning Chemicals and Paper Hygiene range, aimed at offering our customers a Best Value alternative. 3 Continue to publicise the benefits to our customers of switching to KCS Own Brand. 4 Provide a KCS Conversion Service to aid you in switching your orders to KCS - Ask your sales executive for details and how you can benefit.
Your feelings about us - Customer Care Survey 11
96% of you would recommend us!
96% 4% 0% Agree
On the fence
Disagree
Q. I would recommend KCS to other schools/colleges?
Your Feelings About Us To what extent do you agree/disagree with the following statements:
KCS Action List for 2011/12
Q. KCS is an organisation I trust?
1 Add over 400 new products to our 2011/12 KCS Main Catalogue.
A. 72% - Strongly Agree 27% - Agree 1% - Neither Agree nor Disagree 0% - Disagree 0% - Strongly Disagree Q. KCS has improved as a supplier over the last year? A. 35% - Strongly Agree 44% - Agree 20% - Neither Agree nor Disagree 1% - Disagree 0% - Strongly Disagree
2 Reduce or hold 1000’s of prices to provide you with best value. 3 Further invest in KCS in terms of people, IT and training. 4 Continue to run an annual Schools Customer Care Survey to ensure that we understand your views. The 2011 Schools Customer Care Survey will take place in September.
Thank you for taking the time to complete the survey. Your assistance is much appreciated and it really does help us improve our service package.
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14 KCS Contracts & Services
“Our solution for your needs” As we all know, there is an increasing number of maintained schools who are either considering becoming an academy, or who have already made the switch.
Although KCS cannot help with that discussion or decision, please rest assured that if your school becomes an academy, KCS can help in many ways. KCS, together with its parent organisation Commercial Services, can offer a spectrum of products, services and access to OJEU compliant contracts, that offer a “complete solution” to the needs of every academy. The summary table opposite lists some of the areas covered. For a full list, please see our KCS Contracts and Services Directory.
Services & Contracts Educational Consumables Specialist Educational Products Basic Education Furniture New Build or Refurbishment Projects Building Materials FF&E Washroom Services IT Consumables IT Hardware & Software IT-Ubiquitous Desktop Solutions Network Solutions Telecommunications Photocopiers, Copy Printers & AV Hard & Soft Landscaping Playground Markings Fire Inspection Services & PAT Testing Food & Vending School Prospectus, Printed Literature & Payroll Slips Coach, Bus & Minibus Hire Electricity, Gas & Heating Oil Purchase Air Conditioning Supply Teachers & Translators Support Line Counselling & Occupational Health
KCS Contracts & Services 15
Commercial Services KCS
Facilities Management
Inspection Services
Technical Services
Landscape Services
CP&D
Kent Top Travel
Laser
Kent Top Temps
Staff Care Services
4 4 4
4 4
4 4 4 4
4
4
4 4
4 4
4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4
4 4 4
16 Cleaning
Box Clever ‘buy a little more and save a load’
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2
3
This is where KCS can really help. Using our close relationship with suppliers, we regularly negotiate great discounts on everyday products. Detailed below is our latest cleaning products offer. Catalogue Price
Offer Price
Saving
Fabric Care Buy any two packs of Ariel 90 wash powder and get a 5L bottle of Lenor Concentrate Free – worth £10.99 1
2 x Ariel Bio + 1 Free Lenor concentrate
06 985 400
£50.98
£39.99
£10.99
2
2 x Ariel Non Bio + 1 Free Lenor concentrate
06 985 600
£50.98
£39.99
£10.99
3
1 x Ariel Bio + 1 x Ariel Non Bio + 1 Free Lenor concentrate
06 985 700
£50.98
£39.99
£10.99
5
6
4
Buy 3 boxes of Ariel tablets, Daz or Lenor dilute and save up to 30% 4
3 x Ariel tablets 84 wash
06 985 000
£68.97
£48.97
£20.00
5
3 x Daz Power 90 wash
06 985 110
£50.97
£34.97
£16.00
6
3 x Lenor Spring Awakening dilute 5L
06 966 400
£13.77
£9.27
£4.50
7
8
9
10
11
12
Flash All Purpose Cleaners Buy 2 bottles of 2L or 5L Flash and save up to 33% 7
2 x Flash Lemon 2L
06 100 480
£8.78
£5.78
£3.00
8
2 x Flash Pine 5L
06 100 590
£19.98
£13.98
£6.00
9
2 x Flash Lemon 5L
60 100 580
£19.98
£13.98
£6.00
10
2 x Flash Sea minerals 5L
06 990 480
£19.98
£13.98
£6.00
11
2 x Flash Cotton Fresh with Febreeze 5L
06 987 880
£19.98
£13.98
£6.00
Dish Washing Buy 3 bottles of 5L Fairy washing-up liquid or 3 x 64pk of Dishwasher tablets and save up to 30% 12
3 x Fairy Dishwasher tablets pk 64
06 100 030
£29.37
£20.37
£9.00
13
3 x Fairy Original 5L
06 996 500
£26.99
£18.49
£8.50
14
3 x Fairy Lemon Zest
06 987 900
£26.99
£18.49
£8.50
15
3 x Fairy Expert Anti-bac
06 974 330
£35.97
£26.97
£9.00
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To place your order call 0845 270 8811, freefax 0800 243732 or visit www.kcswebshop.co.uk Promotion ends 2 September 2011
18 KCS Webshop
The New KCS Webshop - Brief Guides: May 2011 sees the official launch of our allnew KCS Webshop, www.kcswebshop.co.uk, giving access, with just a click of the mouse. But before you start... All users, regardless of whether or not they have had a previous Webshop account, will need to contact the KCS Web Team in order to have their accounts set up. For the process to be as painless as possible, please ensure that you have the following details to hand: • A contact email address: this will be used as your Username. • The level of access required by the user Administrator, Can Order or Enquiries Only. • Any override addresses required on the account: These will be set up for you. And, for FMS users only... • Your establishment’s DUNS number – if you do not already know this then Capita can give it to you. With this information in hand, get in touch with the KCS web team by emailing: webaccount@kcswebshop.co.uk to set up your account today.
B rowsing & Ordering - The Webshop is divided into the same categories as the KCS main catalogue itself. Products can be sorted alphabetically, or by price, and can be ordered directly from the Product Listing page by entering a quantity and clicking the Shopping Cart icon.For more details on the product, clicking on either the Product Name or image opens the Product Details page. My Account - ‘My Account’, allows users to view account details, previous orders and their status, quotes and profile information. The information available is related to the user rights which are given to a particular user. Quotes - For those familiar with the ‘Favourites’ option on many online shopping sites, the concept of ‘Quotes’ will be easy to pick up. It allows regularly ordered products (general stationery items and paper, for example) to be re-ordered with just a few clicks.
KCS Webshop 19
Login - After you have been set up as a user of the system it is here that you enter your e-mail address and password. The your password will initially be provided by us but you will then be able to change that to one that is more memorable for you. Should your establishment have more than one account with us you can use the same logons but you will be prompted for the DPN of the account you wish to access.
Checkout - At the checkout, an alternate delivery address can be selected (the addresses can only be added and edited by the KCS Web Team – email webmaster@kcswebshop.co.uk ), and order references, delivery dates and delivery instructions. On a non-FMS account, ‘Submit Order’ will send the order directly to KCS, for delivery the next day (when placed before 12:00). On an FMS account, ‘Submit Order’ will send the order to the establishment’s FMS system, to await approval by the appropriate party. Until this approval is given, KCS will not receive the order to process.
Search - The search bar in the top right allows either product codes (without spaces) or keywords to be entered. This works in exactly the same way as any search engine (like Google) but only searches the KCSwebshop site. The results are returned with the items that match the search criteria most closely at the top.
Our Best Deals - Every month KCS sends out details vis the e-mail of special offers and promotions. If you would like to receive these then please send us your e-mail address. Promotions - KCS works closely with its suppliers to seek out best value for you the customer. If you have not requested these to be sent to your inbox you will be able to access the latest offers through the buttons on the home page.
20 KCS Webshop
KCS Contracts & Services Directory New for 2011/12 is the KCS Contracts and Services Directory, which details a wide range of contractual and service arrangements, specifically for use by public sector bodies & UK registered charities. Working in conjunction with our CBC and Pro 5 partners, has ensured that all of the contracts within the directory have been subject to a fully compliant procurement process. The service arrangements offered within the directory cater for a wide range of public sector requirements, including facilities management, a managed electricity and gas service and many more. All of these service arrangements are founded on expert knowledge and experience gained from many years of successful trading.
Download Contracts & Services Click here to access further details about this new directory.
Services Each of the business units within Commercial Services offers a range of services, details of which are available here.
Contract Download If you find a contract which is of interest, you will be able to download the full details of the contract here.
Directory If you have not received a paper copy, you can download the PDF and read at your leisure.
KCS Webshop 21
SIMS, FMS, Management Systems & Informer
SIMS, FMS, & Management System info - You can download electronic versions of the KCS main catalogue from this page. We currently provide the SIMS and RM downloads. If you require a CSV file for other management systems than please contact us. For those of you who do use SIMS/FMS, if you sign up for an account then you do not need to upload the data into your system as the new webshop is compliant meaning that you have access to the live online catalogue: meaning that the data is always upto date and accurate.
KCS Informer - By clicking here you can have access to the last 6 KCS Informers. The Informer is our termly magazine, keeping customers up-to-date with the latest news, contracts information and product guides.
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24 Promotion - Interactive Whiteboards
Promethean offer range of new pen & touchboard Promethean has launched the next generation multi-touch interactive whiteboard that brings popular everyday technology experiences, familiar to users of iPhone, iPad and Windows 7 products, into whole-class teaching and learning. Designed to maximise the potential of new and emerging multi-touch content and applications for education, the ActivBoard 500 Pro series is a large format interactive whiteboard that can be operated simultaneously by both pen and touch. The new ActivBoard 500 provides a more intuitive way of performing tasks; real world hand gestures (tap, flick, swipe, pinch, rotate) can be used to interact with content and media, while the signature ActivPen is provided for writing actions that require greater accuracy. This development means that rather than teachers being offered a choice between pen or touch operated systems, they can now choose a dual mode board and select the most intuitive input method according to the task in hand. Jon Audain, a Year 4 teacher at Titchfield Primary School in Hampshire and an Advanced Skills Teacher for Primary ICT, adds: “The pen and touch capability of the ActivBoard 500 offers the best of both worlds and provides a more natural and fluid way of working. I can uphold the pace of lessons and the truly interactive experience enhances the pupils’ learning and engagement. As the ActivBoard 500 mirrors ‘gestures’ that the learners are used to using with other technologies, it improves their confidence of using the board, as they are already familiar with manipulating objects in this way. I can use the pen to write and my finger to resize or move images around the screen simultaneously which means I have more time to face and connect with the students.”
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Contact David Perfett on 01622 605325 for more details, or email: david.perfett@kent.gov.uk or speak to your KCS sales executive
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d i e s d t i u b bie K of beautiful des e n g n e r a i r g d l n i A er tub chairs for ch
Choose from 9 colours
Wipe-clean, water resistant PU fabric covering
Super strong wood sub frame construction
Removable ‘zipped’ double sided cushions
Manufactured using only CRIB 5 foams & coverings
Order your Designer Kiddietubbies now!
79.95
£
Only
+vat
includes free delivery
Call our sales team on 01622 605304 or email furniture@kent.gov.uk
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Furniture 29
Children spend 15,000 hours sitting at school. Are you sitting comfortably? Then I will begin… About 22% of 16-year olds and 12% of 12-year olds experience recurrent back pain leading to almost 1 in 6 children between the age of 12 and 16 to seek medical care for their symptoms, so reports the 2004 Health Education Research study undertaken in NW England to look at the prevalence and consequences of back pain in children1.
This underscores similar findings reported by the Lancet in 2003 that “school chair design, with its impact on low back pain, has less legislation than those set for chair design for adults2” and again by The Chartered Institute of Physiotherapy who lays some of the blame at the door of over-laden school bags, the general lack of physical exercise and ill-fitting furniture3. So uncomfortable and ill-fitting furniture wears the bad press badge with ease. It forces children to adopt postures where their abdomens and chests can become compressed thus reducing their oxygen intake. This in turn restricts the supply of properly oxygenated blood to their muscles and brain, which can make limbs feel tired and reduce
overall alertness. Reduced concentration levels and attention spans, as we all know, are the prime cause of inhibited learning. The problem back of course doesn’t stop there as children become less and less mobile through increased time sitting at computers. Children grow into teenagers and then adults and those who suffer back pain when they are young are more likely to develop a problem back as adults. The Health & Safety Executive has plenty to say here too; that chronic back pain adversely impacts learning at school, reduces efficiency at work and impacts the enjoyment of life. It goes on to report that back pain affects almost 80% of the adult
10˚
42˚
25˚
42˚
72cm
72cm
Bad
72cm
25˚
10˚
25˚
82cm
Better
82cm
92cm
82cm
Best
10
30 Furniture
working population at some time in their lives and accounts for 1 in 6 of the working days lost to sickness.4 The added cost to the NHS bill is clearly substantial, if only some of that could find its way back into school furniture budgets! So why are we doing this to our children and what can we do about it? Help is at hand from the new European Standard BS EN 1729 5 that was introduced for furniture in schools in December 2006. This defines and checks functional dimensions and ensures correct seating posture for children’s back care and all the benefits that may bring.Whilst the standard is not currently mandatory in the UK, many responsible and enlightened manufacturers are incorporating BS EN 1729 into their designs. We all know that the classroom environment has an impact and a key role to play in inspiring, motivating and aiding really effective learning. It is this psychological driver that is sometimes overlooked during classroom refurbishments and new build as budgets allocated to furniture are often close to last on the list. But isn’t getting the physiology and furniture ergonomics right the least we can do to for our children? To enable children of all shapes, sizes and age to sit up straight and adopt a comfortable posture during your lessons?
Having both chairs and tables of the correct height helps comfort and concentration to deliver an ideal learning environment, see KCS Furniture Directory pp 94 and ??
Here KCS Furniture can help you, we know the temptation will be either to continue using the old unattractive ill-fitting and less ergonomic furniture or to purchase new chairs and tables with the product decision based solely on price. You know cheap furniture is cheap for a reason and that you will be revisiting your budget for repairs or replacements sooner than you think. Ask yourself about problem backs and what you wish for your children. Is it now “onwards and upwards” for sound advice from us and totally appropriate chairs and tables? Children spend 15,000 hours sitting at school. Are you still sitting comfortably… if so, then I will finish here…
When seated for long periods, it is important to have the right posture to permit plentiful oxygen intake and help sustain attention span and concentration sitting for long periods it is important to have the right posture.
Furniture 31
Children are getting taller, wider and heavier so... If you want truly ergonomic furniture which genuinely promotes the wellbeing of children and raises learning capability and academic achievement, you should look for furniture that:
I s the right size for each child during each stage of their growth
Is easily and quickly adjustable
Are your desks the right height, have you looked for the new adjustable height desks 1. Jones MA, Stratton G, Reilly T & Unnithan VB (2004) A school-based survey of recurrent non-specific low-back pain prevalence and consequences in children Health Education Research Vol 19 Issue 3 pp284-289 2. Dudler J & Nordin, M Desk (2003) Table and chair design dimensions for Taiwanese High School children and its affect on Low-back pain in children. Lancet, 361(9367), 1403–1404
Promotes dynamic postures and allows movement
3. Balagué, F. 1998: Low back pain in schoolchildren. Scandinavian Journal of Rehabilitation Medicine 20, 175179.
Is comfortable for all to use
4. Health and Safety Executive (2006) HSE tackles back pain with supermarket workout. http://www.hse.gov.uk/press/2006/e06107.htm 5. BESA (2008) FactFile: BSEN-1729 - The new standard for classroom furniture in all UK schools. http://www.besa.org.uk/besa/documents/view. jsp?item=1051
Allows flexibility in teaching and learning styles
Is aesthetically pleasing
Contact your KCS Sales executive or speak to our furniture team on:
Is easy to maintain and has a suitable warranty
Is BS EN-1729 accredited
Are all your children’s chairs the right height… the right width… and strong enough?
The new Aalborg Ergonomic Chair and Desk… see KCS Furniture Directory page 87
Call: 01622 605304 Email: furniture@kent.gov.uk
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School Shout 33
Brookfield School Class 4G come back to a surprise! Class 4G at Brookfield Junior School in Larkfield, returned from the Christmas break to a new year and a new classroom! During the Christmas break, the classroom was re-decorated and new furniture installed. Class 4G’s Teacher, Miss Goodson, commented that “the classroom is much brighter and easier for staff and pupils to move about during lessons.” She also said “it has had a positive effect on the children whilst in class.” Our thanks go to Adam Short, our Account Manager, for handling the order from start to finish, handling any queries that arose and liaising with suppliers to ensure that delivery was completed before the children returned to school. Brookfield Junior School
34 School Shout
Shiver me timbers - pirates invade school! When nine-year-old Beatrice Delap wanted to organise a mutiny against her teachers, she knew who to call on. It took just one letter to enlist the aid of the world’s most famous pirate, captain Jack Sparrow. With only 10 minutes warning, Johnny Depp arrived at Meridian Primary School, in Greenwich, in full high-seas regalia with four other cast members. Beatrice sent her appeal when she found out he was filming the latest instalment of Pirates Of The Caribbean at the Old Royal Naval College nearby. The letter said: “Captain Jack Sparrow, at Meridian Primary School we are a bunch of budding young pirates. Normally we’re a right handful but we’re having trouble mutinying against the teachers. We’d love it if you could come and help. From Beatrice Delap, aged nine, a budding pirate.” Depp strode into the school hall, brandished the letter and called her to the front. She said: “It was the most exciting school day ever. I had the idea to write the letter last week after me and a friend went to see the film set. Pat from the school office delivered it.” Depp, 47, spent 15 minutes performing for pupils and dancing with fellow cast members. “He said the pirates were going to take over the school and only eat candy and our teeth would turn black and fall out,” added Beatrice. “But he said we shouldn’t mutiny against the teachers because there were police outside and we might get into trouble.” Meridian School
School Shout 35
A big thank you from Uganda
Heathfield Community College made a trip to Kabbubu in Uganda in February of this year. Students and staff travelled the 4000 miles to visit two schools, Trust High School and Kabbubu Primary School. The party from the UK took a selection of education consumables donated by KCS which were distributed between the schools. “We are always pleased to support ventures like these” commented Steven Munday, General Manager of KCS “The pictures of the two schools show how much our donation was appreciated.” Heathfield Community College
Customer Care Pledge 36
The 2011/12 KCS Customer Care Pledge We Pledge... • Telephones are answered within 3 rings. • Telephones are answered not by a machine but by our friendly, well trained sales staff. • No telephone or fax queues.
Free Delivery
• No quibble stock returns up to 30 days after purchase. • Your own KCS sales rep to advise you on all purchase decisions in the comfort of your school. • Enquiries are resolved speedily: – Telephone: either during the call or within 24 hours.
Best Value
– Fax/Email: within 24 hours. – Post: within 5 working days. • We will provide ongoing training for all our staff to ensure that they are polite, respectful, knowledgeable and able to help. • We have informed all of our suppliers of our pledge and have received their support to ensure success.
Huge Range
• We will deliver, on the following day all stock orders over £30 ex VAT placed with us by 12:00 noon (an industry leading 97% success rate in 2010/11). • We will involve customers in new product selection through focus and testing groups.
Easy Ordering
• We will expand our KCS Own Brand range to ensure that we can guarantee you ‘a quality product at a competitive price from a supplier that you can trust!’
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