Education Business 18.6

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VOLUME 18.6

DESIGN & BUILD

IT & COMPUTING

EDUCATIONAL PLAY

FINANCE

ACADEMY AUDITS Avoiding the common pitfalls

SPORT & FITNESS

THE ‘INACTIVITY TIME BOMB’

Play your part in getting the UK’s youth active and see your school benefit ERGONOMICS

HEALTHY BODIES AND MINDS

The need for ergonomics in a pupil’s ‘workplace’ LEASING

AVOIDING THE SCAMS

Why BESA is calling for revised leasing guidances

PLUS: BETT PREVIEW | OUTDOOR LEARNING | ASBESTOS MANAGEMENT | CATERING

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VOLUME 18.6

DESIGN & BUILD

IT & COMPUTING

EDUCATIONAL PLAY

FINANCE

ACADEMY AUDITS Avoiding the common pitfalls

SPORT & FITNESS

THE ‘INACTIVITY TIME BOMB’

Play your part in getting the UK’s youth active and see your school benefit ERGONOMICS

HEALTHY BODIES AND MINDS

The need for ergonomics in a pupil’s ‘workplace’ LEASING

AVOIDING THE SCAMS

Why BESA is calling for revised leasing guidances

PLUS: BETT PREVIEW | OUTDOOR LEARNING | ASBESTOS MANAGEMENT | CATERING

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Comment

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MORE STRIKE ACTION PLANNED According to a spokesperson for the Department for Education, only around a quarter of schools in the targeted regions were closed during strike action on October 17.

This compares with 60 per cent who walked out in the national strikes of November 2011, but NUT and NASWUT plans another national one-day walkout before Christmas.

NUT secretary Christine Blower said: “Make no mistake Michael Gove’s reforms to teachers’ pay are about paying teachers less, not more. A YouGov poll commissioned by the NUT showed that only a quarter of parents (25%) thought schools should set their own pay system with 60% supporting the continuation of a national pay system for teachers.”

Schools Minister Lord Nash wants more businesses to get involved and help raise standards of education in Yorkshire and the Humber.

Three events hosted by the Department for Education, the Diocese of Wakefield and the Gorse Academies Trust were held this month in Leeds, aiming to attract businesses, schools, community leaders and others to become academy sponsors. See page 7 for details.

Career Colleges for 14-19 year olds are the latest attempt to combine the curriculum with hands-on, vocational learning. Local employers will help shape what is taught. Read more on page 9. And the past two years have seen fair success in reducing truancy.

According to the latest figures, almost 140,000 less children missed 15 per cent or more of school than two years ago. This is attributed to the reduced definition of ‘persistent absence’ but could also be down to the use of technology. Read more on page 7.

Danny Wright

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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 Richard Gooding PRODUCTION CONTROL Jacqueline Lawford ONLINE PRODUCTION Reiss Malone ADVERTISEMENT SALES Carol Symons, Paul Beech, Jake Deadman, PUBLISHER Karen Hopps ADMINISTRATION Victoria Leftwich REPRODUCTION & PRINT Argent Media

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Contents

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CONTENTS EDUCATION BUSINESS 18.6 07 EDUCATION BRIEFER

63 EDUCATION ESTATES

Education Estates on 26-27 November is a new event that focuses on the complex issues facing those designing, building, maintaining and managing schools

Career colleges planned for teens; slang words banned in Croydon academy; persistent pupil absence falls by a third

13 FINANCE: LEASING

71 ENERGY

Why BESA is calling on the government to revise the current leasing guidance to schools

17 57

Global Action Plan’s Trewin Restorick explores the benefits of energy efficiency in schools

17 FINANCE: ACCOUNTING As we are in the run up to Christmas, now is a good time to look at some of the common pitfalls in academy audits

77 SECURITY

The BSIA’s James Kelly investigates the merit in having on-site security guards

23 HUMAN RESOURCES

81 OBESITY

A look at the challenge of managing human resources within an academy

Obesity expert Tam Fry examines the government’s School Food Plan and its efforts to improve PE in schools

27 LEADERSHIP

85 CATERING

The National College for Teaching and Leadership supports leadership development

31 IT & COMPUTING: FUNDING What areas of technology schools are putting money into?

89 OUTDOOR LEARNING

Carolyn Place highlights the importance of the ‘risk’ when it comes to educational play

35 IT & COMPUTING: APPS

103 SPORT & FITNESS

The potential that smartphones, tablets and apps have on improving education

71

LACA’s Anne Bull believes schools face a serious health crisis

The benefits of physical activity in schools

39 INTERACTIVE LEARNING

107 EB AWARDS 2013

45 BETT 2014 PREVIEW

111 ERGONOMICS

Bett is the global meeting place for the education technology community

A school is essentially a child’s ‘workplace’, so the application of ergonomics should be applied to fulfil health and safety obligations

57 DESIGN & BUILD

116 PRODUCTS & SERVICES

The eighth Education Business Awards will take place on 5 December

Overcoming the challenges of rural locations by using HD video conferencing

Modular buildings are helping the education sector provide much-needed pupil places

89

www.educationbusinessuk.net

A round-up of the latest products and services for the education sector

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VOCATIONAL COLLEGE

Career colleges planned to get teenagers ready for work

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NEWS IN BRIEF Frank Green appointed new schools commissioner

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Frank Green, academy chief executive and former headteacher, has been appointed as schools commissioner.

Green will play a key role in the government’s education reforms, in particular promoting the benefits of the academies and free schools programmes; recruiting highquality academy sponsors; and encouraging school-to-school collaboration and support.

Frank Green has enjoyed a highly successful 40-year career in education. From starting as a science teacher he rose to become a headteacher of two schools and then chief executive of a successful academy chain.

READ MORE:

tinyurl.com/kqkx8we

The government has outlined plans to create 40 ‘career colleges’, a new type of vocational college intended to prepare young people for jobs in the service sector.

‘Career colleges’, which are modelled on New York’s technical high schools, will cater to 14- to 19-year olds and combine core curriculum subjects with hands-on vocational learning.

Each will teach between 600 and 800 students and have its own specialism reflecting the needs of the local economy, for example hospitality, finance, or construction.

Pupils will be prepared for the real world by attending classes in business clothes, taking part in work experience and working a full day from 8.30am to 5pm.

The colleges will also be sponsored by further education (FE) colleges and located

on the sites of existing colleges, but run as standalone units. Local employers will help design and deliver the curriculum, too.

Former Tory education secretary Lord Kenneth Baker, whose Edge Foundation charity is behind the idea, said the colleges would give youngsters a head start in the world of work.

“With a million young people unemployed it is a disgrace that we have a skill shortage,” he said. “By starting at 14, youngsters have a head start in preparing for the world of work as they do in Austria, Denmark and the Netherlands, where young unemployment is much lower.”

The first career college is scheduled to open in Oldham next year and will focus on giving its students the skills to work in the digital economy. Another in Oxford will cover ‘human health’, such as care and social care.

ATTENDANCE

Persistent pupil absence falls by a third

The number of schoolchildren regularly missing school has fallen by almost 140,000 over the past two years.

The figures for the first two terms of the 2012-to-2013 academic year show that 139,750 fewer children missed 15 per cent or

more of school compared to two years ago (450,330 in the 2010‑to‑2011 academic year to 310,580 in the 2012-to-2013 academic year). 65,540 fewer children missed 20 per cent or more of school – compared to two years ago (down from 199,370 in the 2010-to-2011 academic year to 133,830 in the 2012-to-2013 academic year).

In October 2011 the government reduced the definition of ‘persistent absence’ used to hold schools to account from 20 per cent to 15 per cent, in order to encourage schools to address the problem at an earlier stage.

Education Minister Elizabeth Truss said: “We know that poor attendance can have a damaging effect on a READ MORE: child’s tinyurl.com/p6ete66 education.”

Gardening success for Birches Head Academy As finalists in Morrisons Young Gardener of the Year Awards, Birches Head Academy in Stoke-On-Trent has won 10,000 vouchers to spend on gardening resources.

The school’s gardening programme has been immensely successful and the produce is now being used to supply the school kitchen.

Using the gardening equipment provided by the Morrisons scheme, the Academy’s Grow It group has worked alongside the school’s Personalised Learning Centre to cultivate a small plot of land on school grounds. The produce is given to its members and often used to supply the school cafeteria.

READ MORE:

www.bircheshead.org.uk

Training plan for support staff in Welsh schools Welsh Education Minister Huw Lewis has launched an action plan to give school support staff in Wales the skills and training to deliver the Welsh Government’s ambitious school improvement agenda. The action plan is designed to deliver a highly skilled workforce to support teaching and learning within schools. It makes a commitment to improving areas such as induction, performance management and training and development.

Volume 18.6 | EDUCATION BUSINESS MAGAZINE

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EDUCATION STANDARDS

ACADEMIES

Scheme to drive educational standards in London schools underway

Lord Nash calls for more academy sponsors in Yorkshire and the Humber

The first successful applicants to receive funding from the London Schools Excellence Fund (LSEF) have been announced by the Mayor of London, Boris Johnson.

The LSEF aims to improve teaching in schools across the capital using evidence-based, school-to-school and peer-led activities, for example sharing ideas and approaches to teaching, planning lessons and interventions together, observing classroom teaching, working with outside subject specialists and regularly updating professional knowledge.

Awards worth almost seven million pounds out of a total £24 million are being made available to 30 high performing schools and education organisations under the new scheme.

The London Schools Excellence Fund (LSEF), which is part-funded by the Department for Education, will focus on raising the quality of teaching in more primary and secondary schools in order to improve pupils’ attainment in core subjects – literacy, numeracy, STEM subjects (Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths) and languages.

The fund will enable collaboration between schools and other partners, such as universities, independent schools, businesses and charities. They may work with schools across several boroughs, focusing on specific academic disciplines and targeting support where it is most needed.

Schools Minister Lord Nash is calling on leading schools, businesses and enterprising groups and individuals to step in and raise standards of education in Yorkshire and the Humber.

Many schools in the region are performing well, and there are some brilliant sponsors turning around underperformance, but there are still a number of primary and secondary schools where children are not getting the standard of education they need.

Lord Nash said businesses, and others had the power and ability to change the current situation. He said: “I want to see all schools in the area achieving the very best for their pupils. There are some great schools here – but equally there are cases where children are not getting the start in life they deserve.”

“I would urge businesses and public-spirited individuals and groups to come forward and sponsor an academy, become a governor or get involved in another way in helping young people realise their potential.”

To this effect, three events have been held in the local areas to show businesses how they can get involved in sponsoring academies.

Round 2 funding opportunities for smaller grants reopens on Monday 14 October 2013 until 5pm, Friday 15 November 2013, for projects starting delivery early in the Spring Term 2014. See more at http:// www.rocketsciencelab.co.uk/lsef2/ For a list of the 30 schemes receiving funding, visit http:// READ MORE: tinyurl.com/ tinyurl.com/d8ohypv d8ohypv

READ MORE:

tinyurl.com/pdslaap

Halton Borough Council gets pupils on their bikes British Cycling has teamed up with Halton Borough Council to get school children across the area riding their bikes. The council has been awarded funding from the Department for Transport to develop the cycling skills of 600 primary school pupils and 50 secondary school pupils. To achieve this, British Cycling will deliver Level 1, Level 2 and Level 3 Bikeability in schools across Halton throughout the academic year.

Instructors will work with pupils aged between 10 and 14, to give them the skills and confidence to ride their bikes in a variety of on-road environments. The first Bikeability course of 2013 took place at Lunts Heath Primary School.

Education Briefer

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WORK EXPERIENCE

New work experience guidance for schools The Department for Education has published advice to colleges and school sixth forms to help ensure students get the high-quality, relevant work experience needed for good jobs.

The advice is published following the findings of an evaluation of a work experience pilot for 16-to‑18‑year‑olds in 25 further education colleges over the last two years.

The guidance says each college and school sixth form should consider either appointing an existing member of staff as a specialist work experience co-ordinator, or recruiting one. The trials found co-ordinators raised the status of work experience in institutions, were a cost-effective way of ensuring work experience became a priority and were vital in developing relationships with employers so they offer placements.

The guidance says colleges and school sixth forms should ensure that students who have completed work experience get some form of feedback from employers and also give feedback to the companies to improve the quality of future placements.

The guidance also says that students should be matched to placement opportunities by looking at their existing skills and the qualifications they are taking, and that the placements should be flexible in terms of timing and READ MORE: length of tinyurl.com/p8hawo4 placements.

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Advertisement Feature Written by Ian Buss, head of education, Lloyds Bank

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FINANCE

CASH IS NO LONGER KING

Ian Buss, head of education at Lloyds Bank, examines the imminent phase of how school environments choose to manage the transaction between the giving and receiving of money using various forms of payment other than in cash form dual authorisation on payments but many strive to make their lives easier by keeping a supply of pre-signed cheques in their safe.

Managing school finances has never been easy. There are hundreds of financial transactions of varying sizes between suppliers, other organisations, parents and pupils.

At the smaller end of the scale, most schools still deal in cash – for lunches, trips and so on. But, let’s be honest, this is a huge administrative resource drain and pupils aren’t always the most reliable financial couriers.

CHASING PAYMENTS This means even more time chasing up payments at a time when schools are desperately trying to become as efficient and cost-effective as possible.

However, going totally cashless might seem unrealistic at first but, with really careful management and good communication, particularly with parents and pupils, it is increasingly achievable.

COMFORT BLANKET For many schools, it can be difficult removing the comfort blanket of a tried-and-tested system of taking payments from parents and pupils in the form of cash and cheques and to pay invoices through physical cheques.

I always find it fascinating that schools, rightly, want the protection and security of

ELECTRONIC BANKING For those that don’t already embrace it, electronic banking is the future. The security and flexibility offered by on-line banking is a huge benefit over cash and cheques.

The ability to have dual authorisation on payments without the approvers needing to be in the building ensures that payments can be made at times convenient to you.

Switching to electronic banking for the school is one thing – prising your pupils and parents away from using cash and cheques to pay you is a different matter, altogether.

EASILY ACHIEVABLE One of the often used arguments about removing cash from the school environment

parents to pay on-line or by PayPoint cards, comes at a cost, it can also save a huge amount of time on administration.

I recall a conversation with a school recently that spent a day looking for an imbalance of £20 in its cash banking – it was right to spend the time looking for the imbalance as a pupil may have gone without lunch or a school trip, but the man-hours used to find it cost many, many times more than the amount looked for.

REDUCE BULLYING Another school recently told me that it had worked out they were net £15,000 a year better off making the move once they had taken into account all the associated costs of cash, including staff time managing it.

The ‘social’ benefits of removing cash totally from the playground can also be high, therefore less or no cash in the playground

For many schools, it can be difficult removing the comfort blanket of a tried-and-tested system of taking payments from parents and pupils in the form of cash and cheques and to pay invoices through physical cheques is the fact that not every parent is happy, or able to, use the internet to make payments.

With the proliferation of PayPoint sites, going cashless without the internet is easily achievable. And the schools that have converted fully have tended to insist on the change with parents, refusing to take cash and cheques after a short notice period.

SAVE TIME Whilst moving to a system that allows

can help reduce bullying. A study by online school payment system ParentPay showed that in secondary schools up to 50 per cent of the dinner money handed over the breakfast table never actually makes it to the schools’ bank account…

SWITCHING TO CASHLESS If you think switching to a cashless system for your school is a good idea, the place to start is by talking to your bank relationship manager about the process and then preparing to consult with pupils and parents over a period of the required transition so that it doesn’t come as too much of a shock.

Be prepared to insist on the change to parents if you want to make the move completely. Any initial doubters are almost always complete converts in the long run. L FURTHER INFORMATION Ian.buss@lloydsbanking.com

10

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RELIGION

Not enough children ‘connected to nature’ Nature conservation charity RSPB have released a study suggesting that only 21 per cent of children aged 8-12 were “connected to nature”. Research has suggested that lack of exposure to the outdoor world is having a negative impact on their health, education and behaviour.

The RSPB came up with a definition of what “connected to nature” actually means and then developed a questionnaire with 16 statements designed to assess the level of connection among children in the UK. Some 1,200 children were asked to agree or disagree with these statements. Only 21 per cent had a level of connection with wildlife and the natural world that the RSPB believes should be realistic and achievable for all youngsters. Interestingly, while 27 per cent of girls were at or above the “realistic and achievable” target, only 16 per cent of boys were at the same level.

The report also highlighted significant regional differences. Only 13 per cent of children in Wales achieved the basic level of exposure, compared with almost twice this number in Northern Ireland and Scotland.

The average score for London was higher than the rest of England. Overall urban children had a slightly higher connection than those living in rural areas. The RSPB hopes that its study will be taken up by government as one of the indicators on the state of children’s wellbeing.

Call to stop religious groups ‘preaching’ in schools A report by the National Secular Society (NSS) has claimed that Evangelical Christian groups intent on converting pupils are being allowed into state schools in England by holding assemblies and bible clubs.

The NSS has written to the Education Secretary Michael Gove calling for national guidance on external visitors, particularly from religious groups. The government said it had not seen any evidence to support the claims and had not received any complaints.

The report says there has been “a marked increase in the number of parents contacting the National Secular Society with concerns about external visitors to schools exposing their children to unwelcome and wholly inappropriate religious evangelism and proselytisation”.

The report says that in many cases, evangelical

Christian organisations offer to provide religious education and school worship. It claims that the legal obligation on schools to provide religious education and a daily act of worship has provided “a foot in the door” to some organisations with evangelistic intentions.

The report suggests that shortfalls in religious education provision, recently highlighted in a report from Ofsted, are leading head teachers to accept help from external religious groups and adds that some heads are “insufficiently discerning about the external groups they are allowing into their schools”.

The letter also asks the Department for Education to ensure that guidance to schools on visits from religious groups “makes clear that schools must not offer opportunities to groups seeking to evangelise”.

READ MORE:

tinyurl.com/ljj2zpg

CAREERS

Project to get girls into engineering starts A government-funded two‑year educational project called ‘Girls Engineering the Future’ commences this October and uses cross-curricular teaching and learning to engage Year 10 female students into Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths (STEM) subjects with the aim of encouraging them into engineering apprenticeships.

The first year of the project will involve the intake of 800 girls from 16 schools across the country taking part in an introductory STEM Day within their schools.

The programme is set to grow in year 2, with a further 1,600 Year 10 girls from 32 schools being recruited on to the programme.

Girls Engineering the Future is being delivered by The Smallpeice Trust and The Outward Bound Trust with the full support of leading engineering business partners: BAE Systems, Bentley Motors, Network Rail and Rolls-Royce.

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Bentley Motors an engineering business partner of ‘Girls Engineering Their Future’

The project runs over two academic years and is made up of four elements: an in‑school introduction STEM Day in October; participation in a 10-hour STEM Club during the autumn school term; a 5-day residential Outward Bound® course in January 2014; followed by a STEM Careers Club during Year 11. Throughout the entire project students will be mentored by female engineers currently in employment with one of the participating four engineering business partners.

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LANGUAGE

Croydon academy bans slang words to improve student speech Slang words such as “ain’t”, “innit” and “coz” has been banned from Harris Academy Upper Norwood school in south London to help students improve their spoken English.

Pupils heard using “informal language” will be asked to “reflect” on it.

Other banned words include “like”, “bare” and “extra” and the phrases “you woz” and “we woz”.

Starting sentences with “basically” and ending them with “yeah” is also considered to be too informal at the Croydon school.

In a statement, the school said: “In addition to giving students the teaching they need to thrive academically, we want them to develop the soft skills they will need to compete for jobs and university places.

“This particular initiative is just one of the many ways in which we are building the vocabulary of our students and giving them the skills they need to express themselves confidently and appropriately for a variety of audiences.”

But Terry Victor, editor of the New Partridge Dictionary of Slang and Unconventional English said: “It’s wrong. You cannot censor a young person’s language, they’re not talking about words that are offensive, they’re talking about some of the words that politicians use. “[The word] ‘ain’t’ was around in the 19th Century, people like Dickens used it... and how many politicians have you heard say ‘basically’ to begin a sentence?”

READ MORE:

tinyurl.com/qa8fem5

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WHY GOVERNMENT LEASING GUIDANCE SHOULD CHANGE Over the past year several stories have been publicised in the national press highlighting the dangers of leasing in schools.

Last year the BBC’s Panorama programme reported that more than 169 schools had fallen victim to the widely publicised large‑scale equipment leasing scandal, with some schools signing deals that left them paying as much as 10 times the value of the leased computers and photocopiers.

However, Government guidance to schools on leasing has not changed and regulations continue to cost schools unnecessarily.

Caroline Wright, director at the British Educational Suppliers Association (BESA), looks at the current guidance to schools and explains why BESA is calling on the Government to revise its leasing guidance.

WHAT’S THE PROBLEM? At the time of Panorama’s report, Stephen Sklaroff, of the Finance and Leasing Association, speaking on behalf of the industry, stressed that it was up to the schools - not the financing companies such as banks, to make sure they were not signing bad deals.

However when the Department for Education (DfE) sets its own regulations on leasing, limiting schools to expensive operating leases rather than finance leases, school’s hands are tied. So rather than waste millions on these expensive leasing contracts should schools just walk away from using leasing?

The answer is ‘no’. When the correct type of lease is used, many benefits can be realised.

Since schools have been given the freedom to manage their own budgets, many have welcomed the opportunity to use leasing to manage their procurement and cash flow and spread the cost of resources over a number of years. A lease gives schools the ability to acquire the technology they need now, rather than waiting until funding arrives. In terms of an expectation of having the latest technologies in each classroom, the majority of available leases for school equipment allow for technology upgrades, enabling schools to manage E

Written by Caroline Wright, director, the British Educational Suppliers Association (BESA)

Despite many schools fallen victim to leasing scams in recent years, government guidance to schools on leasing has not changed. BESA’s director Caroline Wright looks at the current guidance to schools and explains why BESA is calling on the government to revise it

A ives lease g the schools cquire oa ability t ology they n the technow, rather need waiting than nding until fu es arriv

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LEASING

About the author

 the life of their products. Depending on the term of the lease, as new equipment becomes available schools can upgrade to the latest models, often at the same monthly fee. Of course, the upgrade usually comes with a new fixed term contract, but with many ICT equipment leasing programmes schools have the flexibility to add-on extra computer equipment, or upgrade current equipment.

Another popular advantage of leasing in schools is the ability to forecast expenditure.

In the event that an item needs replacing quickly, such as a server, schools can do so with a relatively minor monthly adjustment to the budget, instead of a lump sum that could seriously affect cash flow.

While not a major issue at the current time, leasing is also inflation friendly. Although inflation will be built into the lease, it is based on the current cost of the products rather than how much they will cost at the end of the contract. Of course, with the price of many ICT products falling, this could equally be a disadvantage.

multi‑million pounds savings across the sector, supporting the government in the delivering of its publicised efficiency targets.

CALL FOR NEW GUIDANCE For these reasons BESA has responded to the DfE’s consultation ‘Review of Efficiency in the Schools System’, by calling for Government to introduce new leasing guidance in time for the introduction of the new National Curriculum in September 2014.

This is not just about saving money it is about giving schools the chance to make the right educational choices and helping them ensure that they are getting the maximum life from the equipment and resources that they buy. New guidance supported and promoted by this industry, would also ensure that schools benefit from clearer, simpler guidance and cut down on the mismanagement of leasing arrangements by schools that have recently been publicly highlighted.

Philip White, chief executive of Syscap, a BESA member, comments: “The education sector is undergoing significant change and the landscape schools operate in is shifting dramatically. Leasing is becoming an important tool within schools to help secure and grow their IT infrastructure.

We have been working with BESA to develop a cost effective approach to finance that gives schools the flexibility to maintain steady investment in their IT assets in order to bring improvements in teaching and student support.”

BESA is keen to work with the Government to ensure that leasing contracts are straight forward, transparent, and cannot be altered by a finance company at any time during the term of the lease.

In the meantime, if in doubt, always ensure the product supplier and leasing company are BESA members. This will mean they are signed up to a code of best practice business operation, fully understand the sector’s needs and will offer added value support. L

BESA to is keen the ith work wment to Govern at leasing th ensure racts are cont orward f straight also and ent r transpa

OPERATING LEASE VS. FINANCE LEASE The justification for leasing in schools appears to be irrefutable, if government guidance is clear and only reputable financial service providers are used.

However, schools are currently only able to use operating leases.

An operating lease involves the school paying a rental fee for the hire of an asset for a period of time, similar to a rental agreement.

Schools are therefore not allowed to take out a finance lease which can be likened to a loan. The products are owned by the school and should be reflected as such in its accounts.

We believe that the government can achieve substantial savings can be made by making a small change to the current leasing and finance guidance it provides to schools.

By amending current leasing guidance to reflect industry best practice, schools will be able to secure better value leasing contracts that are more relevant to their educational needs and will be able to achieve

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Caroline Wright took up her position on the 14 May 2012, replacing Ray Barker who retired from BESA after twelve years.

Wright brings her own wealth of sector experience to BESA having spent much of the last 15 years working in senior positions within Government and the public sector.

From an early career in journalism Wright moved on to public sector PR and communications roles at The Post Office, The Department of Trade and Industry and the Cabinet Office.

An interest in education resulted in her spending more than 10 years leading education communications at Ofsted, Partnerships for Schools and, as Director of Communications and executive board member at the Department for Education.

In March 2011 Wright left the Civil Service to run her own communications consultancy specialising in the youth and social care sectors. She is also an NHS Non‑Executive Director at the country’s largest acute NHS hospital trust, Barking, Havering and Redbridge NHS University Trust.

FURTHER INFORMATION www.besa.org.uk

The DfE sets its own regulations on leasing, limiting schools to expensive operating leases rather than finance leases, school’s hands are tied. So rather than waste millions on these expensive leasing contracts should schools just walk away from using leasing?

Volume 18.6 | EDUCATION BUSINESS MAGAZINE

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Good HR practice is not just about looking after the processes, it is also about looking after the people

If you are looking for an effective and quality HR service that supports you, including legal assistance in transforming to an Academy, we can help.

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ACCOUNTING

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TAKING ON THE ACADEMY FINANCIAL CHALLENGE

2012 saw theion ct December to meet the introdugularity e regulatory deadlines.

R e h . e m of t i g 2012 saw the e r ng Reporti ies also had introduction of the Regularity reporting Academpare for the regime. Academies also to pre y Annual had to prepare for the Academy Annual Return, Academturn due for filing by 31 January. e R Despite these additional

The government’s academies programme has expanded at pace, establishing an exciting new sector within the not for profit market. As charities and companies, academies face the challenges of the interaction of company and charity legislation and the Charities SORP together with fulfilling the requirements of the Department for Education Funding Agreement.

The run up to Christmas can be a very stressful time for academy business managers.

The 31 December deadline for filing accounts with the EFA effectively means, taking Christmas into account, financial statements need to be finalised by early

burdens, over 87 per cent of academies managed to file their accounts on time, an improvement on previous years.

While there is still time to deal with them, it’s a good time to look at some of the common pitfalls in academy audits, and how they can be avoided.

In my experience of working with academy audit clients, these tend to fall into four key areas: common accounting issues;

Written by Tina Allison, head of Academies, Crowe Clark Whitehill

The run up to Christmas can be a very stressful time for academy business managers, with accounts needing to be filed and financial statements finalised. Now is a good time to look at some of the common pitfalls in academy audits, and how they can be avoided, writes Tina Allison

delivering wider activities; controls for cash handling; and fund accounting.

COMMON ACCOUNTING ISSUES Recognising income and expenditure in the correct accounting period has proved challenging for a number of academies.

Many academies I work with don’t really grasp this requirement and consequently only recognise amounts in the balance sheet once an invoice has arrived.

If a service is incurred or an order placed for supplies these liabilities must be recognised on the balance sheet, regardless of whether an invoice for the amount has been received.

In accounting terms if you agree to a purchase today, it’s logged against today, even if it’s paid for next week/month/year.

Academy finance teams need a notification process for goods ordered or services E

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ACCOUNTING  delivered before the year end which have not been invoiced, so that these can be accrued in the accounts. A related issue is that some finance teams date transactions on their posting date rather than using the invoice date. This can result in some entries being wrongly recognised in the following year’s accounts.

PROPERTY AND LA LEASES Accounting for property can be problematic.

Some academies are on short term leases, others on 125- year leases and some are subject to PFI contracts. Understanding the structure of the property transaction is crucial to accounting for it correctly.

It is common for academies to lease their property from the Local Authority on a short term lease at a peppercorn rent, particularly when they are waiting for a new building to be completed. For accounting purposes, these transactions are regarded as operating leases and the peppercorn rent charged to the Statement of Financial Activities as it is incurred with future commitments disclosed in the notes to the financial statements. As all the risks and rewards of ownership still

be depreciated over its useful economic life (normally 50 years) and the amount charged to the Restricted Fixed Asset fund.

DELIVERING WIDER ACTIVITIES Academies work hard to maximise the use of their facilities but in the most recent audit filing season I saw numerous examples of poorly-considered VAT and corporation tax issues.

There has been a significant increase in the secondment or loan of staff to trading companies, with recharges between intergroup companies and non-primary purposes trading occurring through the academy.

In many cases these activities are undertaken to either maximise income generation or to be prudent and efficient with staff costs. With careful planning, potential tax issues can be mitigated.

If staff are seconded or loaned to another entity a charge to VAT may arise. This can be mitigated if both entities form part of the same VAT group or if joint contracts of employment are in place. This is particularly important for academies that are not currently VAT registered.

Accounting for property can be problematic.

Some academies are on short-term leases, others on 125-year leases and some subject to PFI contracts. Understanding the structure of property transaction is crucial for accounting for it correctly rest with the Local Authority they are not recognised on the academy’s balance sheet.

Academies may be granted a long lease from the Local Authority for the academy buildings. This is normally for 125 years. In most cases, the risks and rewards of ownership are passed to the academy and it should be recognised as one of the academy’s assets on its balance sheet. The difficulty is calculating how these assets should be valued.

When the asset is a new building and has been ‘gifted’ by the Local Authority to the academy, the cost incurred by the Local Authority may be an appropriate basis for valuing the asset. However, it’s important that the academy understands what is included in the cost to ensure it includes items that it would have capitalised had it been built by the academy itself. Alternatively a value for the building can be obtained by an independent valuer and included as the cost in the financial statements.

Academies can adopt a policy to carry their assets at valuation. This will mean they need to revalue the properties regularly , incurring additional costs. I recommend once a property has been capitalised it should

An academy can undertake non‑primary purpose trading through the charity up to a turnover limit of £50,000.

Beyond this level activities should be placed in a separate trading company. If non-primary purpose trading activities are passing through the charity it is important that the trustees do not place the charity’s assets at any undue risk.

For further guidance on maximising funds for academies and how these activities should be structured please refer to my article ‘Maximising your Academy’s funds’ at www.crowehorwath.net/UK/industries/ Not_for_Profits/Academies/Academies.aspx.

CONTROLS FOR CASH HANDLING It is essential that there are strong controls for cash handling in operation, regardless of the amounts involved.

With the increasing occurrence of fraud in the market, systems can be at risk of manipulation. It is often incorrectly thought that it is the role of the auditor to detect fraud. In fact it is the governors’ responsibility to ensure that there are robust systems in place to reduce the possibility of fraud occurring.

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Whenever cash is handled it is important to have more than one person involved to ensure there is a degree of segregation of duty. For example, if a vending machine is being emptied two members of staff should be present to count and record the cash. Quite often this is the case but then one person is left in custody of the cash and records, opening up the system to possible manipulation.

It is particularly important that when cash is being handled outside of the control of the finance department that independent records are kept of any amounts due to be received. This enables the finance department to reasonably predict the amount of cash it anticipates receiving. As an example, if cash is collected for a school trip by a teacher or another administrative department the finance department needs to know how many students are booked on the trip and they sight of any costs associated with the trip so they can calculate the cash due, and quickly identify any anomalies.

Wherever possible, keep cash handling and cash balances to a minimum reducing the academy’s risk of cash frauds.

FUND ACCOUNTING Fund accounting has proved problematic for some academies, particularly those who have recently converted. Fund accounting is governed by trust law. The main funds for academies include restricted income funds – the most common income stream this relates to is the General Annual Grant (GAG). There’s also restricted fixed asset funds, including capital grants, and unrestricted funds, which include all monies received which are not subject to any restriction, for example letting income.

The status of unusual income streams needs to be identified when received to ensure that the funds are spent correctly. If a restricted fund is not spent for the purposes it was given, the trustees would be in breach of trust law. On a practical level it is very important to carefully identify any unrestricted funds as these can be spent at the discretion of the trustees. As budgets for GAG funding become more challenging having unrestricted funds to pay for other activities is crucial.

There is a great deal of information to absorb when converting to an academy.

Academy heads and governors need the right expertise on board, either advising or as a member of the leadership team, to help them comply with these regulations and add value to their business. L

Tina Allison is ICAEW Charity and Voluntary Sector Group member and Head of Academies at Crowe Clark Whitehill FURTHER INFORMATION www.icaew.com www.crowehorwath.net

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THEATRICS

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THE PLOT The key to the plot is to create a versatile space. The hall can then be used as it always has been: for school meals, assemblies, exams, sports and teaching, but then transformed completely into an exciting performance space.

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Stage Systems can provide it all (maybe not the actual audience, but audience seating…)

Every product has an individual quality, and together they support the cast perfectly. The staging is portable, lightweight and simple to create a variety of layouts, including catwalks, single or multi-level heights or a tiered format.

With staging accessories that include carpet, steps, ramps and safety rails, the stage can be tailored to each performance’s requirements.

Audience seating can be created at the touch of a button with retractable seating.

With a complete range of products that can simply add to or transform a school space, hall or studio, Stage Systems’ products will ensure that any performance proves amazing companies to achieve in order to help efficiency, practise and procedure.

From initial concept to installation and reality, the Stage Systems crew prides itself on giving the best service and quality, utilising in-depth product and industry knowledge to offer the best advice, assistance and after-sales support, to ultimately provide schools with an ideal individual solution – and value for money.

THE EXTRAS The show wouldn’t be complete without a stage, lights, sound and an audience, and

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EDUCATION BUSINESS MAGAZINE | Volume 18.6

The retractable concept allows for an entire seating unit, complete with individual chairs or benches, steps and handrails to automatically create a tiered seating unit. The retractable design offers an effective and efficient means to accommodate audiences, but it can then retract and be stored away.

Professional-quality sound and light can be provided in a variety of formats and installed in different spaces, to enhance drama capabilities with full-lighting rigs and sound effects through to portable, flexible systems.

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points increasing volume and illumination, whilst also creating atmosphere and tone.

Visual effects can also be enhanced with AV and projection screens for amazing backdrops and displays or, at the touch of a button, provide a cinema experience.

Theatrical drapes can simply and effectively add drama to any production. From back drapes, blackout drapes and stage wings to full front of house curtains, this simple solution can really make a statement and it can also improve the acoustics of any area.

THE SHOW MUST GO ON… To make sure the show does go on, Stage Systems will be there. The company offers support to the grand opening of the facilities, add further lighting where needed, provide additional staging or make slight adjustments to the equipment together with full support, training and on-going maintenance to ensure every production is exciting and memorable. L

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OUTSOURCING

OUTSOURCING: THE HUMAN CHOICE

People are the greatest asset any business has. With autonomy comes responsibility, and when converting to an academy, the decision to outsource the Human Resource function needs careful consideration.

The past decade has seen a considerable growth in organisational restructuring in both the public and private sectors.

Outsourcing involves shifting business activity to an external company, traditionally focusing on back office functions such as IT, HR, finance and estates. In the private sector, outsourcing is used to increase commercial profit; it enables non-core activities to be delivered externally at scale. The potential to save money is complemented by its potential to enhance user experience, since outsourced providers tend to be specialists in what they do.

The new OFSTED framework places an increasing focus on the effective management of HR matters in schools and academies, with particular emphasis on performance management and safeguarding and the deployment of resources. When a school converts from a local authority (LA) maintained school to a new academy, staff are entitled to transfer under the same employment terms and conditions. Once open, the academy may consult with staff and their union representatives on changes to these terms and conditions, for example to enable the academy to operate over different term times or change the length of the school day.

This provides an opportunity for bespoke policies to be drafted which suit both the school and the staff.

Through the academy conversion process, your organisation will need to decide whether it wishes to continue using the service provided by the Local Authority, or consider other providers through a competitive procurement process.

The autonomous nature of Academies means they can buy their HR from whoever they please. They could choose to keep it with the Local Authority (which may also outsource the function), appoint an in-house HR team or buy the services they require, such as payroll, recruitment etc, from a third party. An illustrative list of

Written by Maureen Flowers

Converting to an academy will require important decisions about how the schools operates to be made. Maureen Flowers looks at the human resource function in academies and whether to outsource it, which is becoming an increasingly attractive proposition

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EDUCATION BUSINESS MAGAZINE | Volume 18.6

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OUTSOURCING  Following best practice in HR can increase staff happiness and motivation. It is also vital to stay on the right side of complex and changing legislation with specialist advice.

SOUND ADVICE FROM THE CIPD ON OUTSOURCING HR The process of identifying scope, providing a request for proposal and evaluating tenders is similar to that of other large-scale procurements. Some specific activities which could increase the likelihood of finding a good HR outsourcing partner follow.

Include, as part of the selection process, activities for evaluating other options (eg shared services, investment in existing HR capability) to ensure that outsourcing is indeed the best option.

Identify a shortlist of potential suppliers – by networking with colleagues, desk research, attending exhibitions and asking specialists – before inviting a small number to produce proposals, to avoid being overwhelmed by inappropriate responses.

Before selecting a supplier, visit other organisations that have already outsourced, in order to understand more about how the supplier works. Gather information from decision-makers and end-users about how the relationship is working, and what the benefits and challenges have been.

Gather data about your existing HR provision, which you can use as a baseline against which to evaluate other providers. This may also highlight any existing under-utilised HR capabilities.

Include ‘cultural fit’ as part of your decision-making criteria. The HR outsource provider will need to understand, and be sensitive towards, your organisation’s culture and situation.

Consider desired length of contract.

Because outsourcing relationships (particularly in larger deals) are often long term eg 5–10 years, it is crucial to be sure that the provider will remain in business for the proposed period.

INDIVIDUAL SPECIALIST, OR ‘ONE-STOP SHOP’?

For larger outsourcing projects, the organisation will need to make a choice between selecting a full-service provider for all aspects of the outsourced HR delivery, or choosing a range of specialist providers and managing each one in partnership.

This decision will always depend on a range of organisational factors including the level of service required and the resources and expertise in-house to manage relationships.

One further option is to consider a master vendor arrangement. This allows for a single organisation to manage a range of outsourced suppliers on behalf of its client, providing a single point of contact and taking advantage of the expertise of each ‘best-of-breed’ provider.

Organisations who have agreed successful arrangements with outsourcer suppliers tell us that time spent discussing and agreeing the scope and finances of the deal saves significant effort and complexities later in the outsourcing relationship In practice, many of the ‘full-service’ providers will now also take on components of HR processing, and can be compared with the more specialist component providers, which blurs the distinction of the separate approaches somewhat.

NEGOTIATING THE DEAL Organisations who have agreed successful arrangements with outsourcer providers tell us that time spent discussing and agreeing the scope and finances of the deal saves significant effort and complexities later in the outsourcing relationship.

In particular, they recommend: Do involve procurement experts in your discussions. Outsourcing contracts are often complex business arrangements which will need expert legal and financial input.

Be clear about the assumptions that you make about your own organisation when deciding what services to purchase. The outsource provider will often develop a quotation, and build an infrastructure, based on your assumptions about volume of HR delivery (size of headcount, rate of turnover etc). If these assumptions are unclear or inaccurate, both parties may lose out. The contract should specify what happens if Headcount or other assumptions prove to be lower or higher in reality.

Be clear about the level of service you need, and what you are actually buying. Do you need a basic HR administration function, or do you expect provision of expertise, consultancy and knowledge-transfer as well? Be careful about expecting one and paying for the other.

Do agree the metrics that would be used to evaluate successful performance and how the provider will be rewarded or penalised for exceptional or poor performance.

What remedies can be imposed, including contract termination? In large organisations, procurement or legal departments can help with contract definition and the potential provider may well have standard contracts to form a basis for discussion.

Build flexibility into the contract wherever possible. It is very difficult to predict what services you will need over the lifetime of the arrangement, so a contract which allows an organisation to scale up or down in terms of volume or service level is useful. Do be prepared to re-negotiate a deal if experience shows that the relationship is not working as expected.

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The relationship needs to be based on a win–win scenario for both parties. If this does not happen, it is possible that outsourcing will not be so successful.

The long-term nature of outsourcing relationships is better served by being clear about how the provider will be profitable, survive and grow during the life of the relationship, and how cost savings will be re-invested in service improvements.

SSAT SEMINAR SSAT (The Schools Network) is organising a one-day seminar for staff in sponsored academies with responsibility for, and interest in, human resources.

The day will include practical examples, reference to current and past cases in academies which help to put the HR function into context in an academy setting, and opportunities to share strategies and solutions in your academies.

The seminar will be presented by Helen Cooper, who originally qualified and worked as a teacher before becoming the HR director of a Local Authority Children’s Services department. Since setting up her own successful HR consultancy business, Helen has worked extensively with schools, academies and local authorities across the UK. The session will cover performance management for teachers and support staff, dealing with disciplinary and capability issues, staff restructuring and managing ill health and takes place at the Manchester Enterprise Academy on November 14.

For further information visit tinyurl.com/o8t95g9 L FURTHER INFORMATION CIPD The Chartered Institute of Personnel and development produces many resources on HR issues, including guides, books, practical tools, surveys and research reports. For further information visit www.cipd.co.uk BESA – The British Educational Suppliers Association BESA is a trade association which works on behalf of its members to support UK-based companies that supply goods and services to the education sector. Visit www.besa.org.uk

Volume 18.6 | EDUCATION BUSINESS MAGAZINE

25

If you don’t want predictable applicants, don’t look in predictable places Talented teachers read the Guardian every day. So why not reach the best candidate for your teaching post through Guardian Jobs? theguardian.com/recruiters/schoolsjobs

Smarter people. Smarter searches

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TEACHING CAREERS

With leadership being more critical than ever to the success of our schools, Charlie Taylor explains how the National College for Teaching and Leadership is supporting leadership development

Providing great leadership development has always been the National College’s priority and we’re very proud of the opportunities we’ve been able to offer school leaders over the last few years.

Much has changed in recent times and the role and influence of school leadership has increased as our schools and school leaders have started to take up the responsibility for school improvement not just in their own schools, but right across the system.

To reflect these changes, NCTL leadership programmes have undergone an exciting transformation, not only in the way they are designed, but also how they are delivered.

THE LEADERSHIP CURRICULUM Our leadership curriculum was launched at the beginning of this year and is designed to be a flexible and coherent approach to leadership development, supporting school and academy leaders at every stage of their leadership career. Based on five levels from

leading a team (level one) through to leading beyond an organisation (level five), it offers a suite of leadership and management topics that can either be studied on their own or combined to achieve a national qualification.

National College qualifications can also be linked to CATS points so that you can use them to contribute towards a Master’s degree.

These national qualifications include the redesigned National Professional Qualification for Headship (NPQH), alongside two new qualifications – the National Professional Qualification for Middle Leadership (NPQML) and the National Professional Qualification for Senior Leadership (NPQSL). They replace our existing programmes such as Leadership Pathways, Middle Leadership Development Programme and Tomorrow’s Heads.

MODULAR APPROACH Our aim in creating the leadership curriculum has been to provide leaders with a clear and comprehensive structure for career

LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT DELIVERED

BY SCHOOLS As well as transforming what our leadership development offer looks like, we have made big changes to the way it is delivered, moving away from a centralised approach towards one where schools take the lead.

This new approach acknowledges the move towards a school-led system and also recognises that some of the most effective leadership development takes place in a school-based learning environment.

And we are delighted that schools and academies have welcomed this approach and have applied and been awarded licences to deliver the College’s leadership development offer to individuals and schools right across the country.

These licensees are some of our very best schools and academies, together with universities and other training providers, who have proven track records in developing and supporting both current and future leaders. These include national teaching school alliances, federations of schools and chains of academies.

Cabot Learning Federation is one of our licensees. Executive Principal Sir David Carter describes getting involved as “an opportunity to build succession for the region so that we generate a talent pool of our best leaders who are energised and ready to take on a range of school leadership roles that ultimately provide students with a quality educational experience.”

Licensees deliver the essential and elective modules that make up the leadership curriculum and our qualifications. They also have the flexibility to deliver the E

Written by Charlie Taylor, National College for Teaching and Leadership

A NEW APPROACH TO LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT

progression, but with the freedom to choose professional development most relevant to them, at a time when they need it.

To gain a qualification, you study a number of essential modules on subjects such as leading teaching (at level one); closing the gap (at level two); and leading an effective school (at level three).

You can also get to choose from a number of additional elective modules to enable you to tailor your development to your own interests, expertise and context. Examples of these modules include change for improvement, leading staff and teams, school self-evaluation, effective partnership working and leading professional development.

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About the author Charlie Taylor is Chief Executive of the National College for Teaching and Leadership. Previously he was a headteacher, Expert Adviser on Behaviour for the Department for Education and Chief Executive of the Teaching Agency.

Volume 18.6 | EDUCATION BUSINESS MAGAZINE

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TEACHING CAREERS  elective modules as standalone courses, which can be banked and used towards a qualification at that level for up to three years.

Licensees can also create and design their own, supplementary learning materials, enabling them to draw on specialisms, and local priorities and needs, ensuring that the offer is personalised, innovative and responsive.

Despite the change in delivery model, the signature characteristics such as the emphasis on learning on the job and learning from and with peers, are still very much in place.

QUALITY ASSURANCE Although we are moving away from delivering leadership development centrally, our goal is for these qualifications to be

Key features of the qualifications A flexible, modular structure that combines essential modules with the freedom to specialise or develop your own professional areas of interest through the choice of elective modules.

Opportunities to think about and reflect on your own leadership style through discussion and debate with peers and your line manager; some of our qualifications also include support from a coach.

Content that reflects the recent and significant changes in schools and in national policy.

Assessment focusing on tasks linked to school improvement activities undertaken in the workplace – delivering real benefits for you and your school or organisation.

recognised as the first choice for professional development – professional development that really makes a difference, meeting the demands of school leadership both now and in the future.

We are confident that our licensees have the commitment and experience to deliver these qualifications and we are working closely with them to ensure what they offer meets the high standards we expect.

All our qualifications and modules are based on a set of key principles which take account of the needs of leaders and the education system; draw on the very best international research and evaluation evidence; ensure both academic rigour and leadership practice; involve leaders in the creation of materials; and provide opportunities for modules to be adapted to reflect different contexts.

Completing a qualification also involves a final assessment process where participants are required to complete tasks such as school improvement projects, and demonstrate the impact of these tasks in school, along with how their learning from completing the modules has been applied in their working practice. These final assessments are led and managed separately by a national provider, ensuring national standards and leadership competencies are met.

It is still early days but so far licensees have recruited over 8,000 participants to undertake qualifications and a further 200 for standalone modules. And of the feedback ratings received, 96 per cent of participants on NPQSL, 95 per cent on NPQH and 94 per cent on NPQML said they would recommend the modules to colleagues, with one participant describing the offer as “excellent quality and provision… that definitely improves your understanding of leadership.”

This is really encouraging and we look forward to receiving more feedback as our new approach takes shape. L

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FURTHER INFORMATION www.education.gov.uk/nationalcollege/leadershipcurriculum

Options to complete the qualification over 6 to 18 months, enabling you to choose the pace that’s right for you.

However, the normal duration is 12 months.

How modules work Our modules require up to 50 hours of blended learning.

This typically consists of workplace learning (about 20 hours), face-to-face activity including peer and facilitated learning, reading, reflection and online learning.

Your prior learning If you’ve studied with us before or hold a postgraduate certificate, diploma or a Master’s degree in educational leadership, you may be exempt from part of our qualifications.

Master’s accreditation You may be able to use your National College qualifications to contribute towards a Master’s degree. A number of our licensed providers have arrangements with universities and other higher education institutions to offer this opportunity. You should discuss this with them when choosing where to study.

National College scholarships If you’re a school leader from the English state-maintained sector you may be eligible for a National College scholarship towards the cost of undertaking one of our qualifications. Our licensed providers can tell you more about the scholarships available and confirm the full cost of your chosen qualification.

FURTHER INFORMATION Further information about the qualifications, including scholarships and exemptions for prior learning please see our website: www.education.gov.uk/nationalcollege/ leadershipcurriculum

Download School Improvement and Leadership Resources * School Leadership * School Improvement * Teaching and Learning * School Self-evaluation * Leading the EYFS * English Curriculum * Maths Curriculum * Science Curriculum Assessment &Target Setting *

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The FUZE powered by Raspberry Pi and FUZE BASIC is an ideal platform to teach and learn computer programming and electronics at all levels. The included Project Cards are applicable to all areas of the ICT curriculum but are also ideal for home learning and even teachers! The cards promote child initiated learning and contain easily measurable success criteria making them totally compatible with the classroom.

• Free downloadable Project Cards • Promotes Child Initiated Learning • No teacher knowledge of programming required • Suitable for all Key Stages • Satisfies many curriculum requirements • Very low cost and maintenance • Accessible, challenging and engaging “… the most coherent introduction we’ve seen to computing and electronics, realising the full educational potential of the Raspberry Pi in one neat package.” PC Pro - April 2013 “Programming filled our Primary school staff with dread; the FUZE changed that to excitement.”

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FUNDING

BESA’S director Caroline Wright examines what areas of technology schools are putting money into, and dishes out advice on what to consider before making an investment For primary schools, the removal of assessment levels and a ‘freedom’ to assess and track their students’ progress using whatever method they wish, combined with the arrival of the new curriculum, adds to the demand on teachers’ time. Equally secondary schools are being met with reformed GCSE’s in English, maths, science, history, and geography, which will be ready for first teaching in September 2015.

The challenges faced by all teachers at the current time are multiplied. The need to adequately support the new knowledge and skills dictated by the changes is resulting in an urgent investment in published schemes of work, text books and learning support material; not forgetting the resources needed to raise the skill level of teachers who, for example, in primary schools are now required to teach coding and modern foreign languages.

However, our recent market research shows

that at least the funding is in place to support these modifications.

Written by Caroline Wright, director, BESA

THE MONEY TO GET TECHNICAL

UK schools have led the world in embedding technology into the learning environment and our schools now have the experience to invest wisely to optimise the value of this technology.

So how are schools investing to support their current needs? In broad terms, the answer appears to be technology. Turning to our 16th annual ‘ICT in UK State Schools’ research, it appears that funding and investment in technology will reach an all-time high.

Investment in hardware replacement, peripherals, software and technical support will reach £14,220 per primary school and £65,570 in each secondary school an increase from £12,720 in primaries and £57,580 in secondary schools in 2012.

The previous highest estimate of technology expenditure was in 2008/9 when allocations averaged around £14,000 in primary schools and £65,400 in secondary schools. This totalled an expenditure on ICT across all UK maintained schools of approximately £320 million. From 2009/10, average ICT budgets across all schools fell year on year until 2012/13, when secondary maintained schools indicated a 1.8 per cent rise in technology expenditure.

One of the most marked changes in technology investment is the unsurprising move from desktop computers to more mobile devices. While only 14 per cent of schools now have an extensive requirement for desktop computers in the current year, the requirement for laptop computers more than doubles to 32 per cent.

TABLETS AND APPS Our ‘Future of tablets and apps in schools’ research carried out in May revealed that schools now believe that by the end of 2013, more than 10 per cent of teaching computers (PC/Mac/tablet) in schools will be tablets.

This is a significant increase from the six per cent forecast in 2012. If these figures are measured against data collated from schools’ IT managers, it can be estimated that by the end of 2013, 258,000 tablets will be used in schools. This increase is also set to continue, with schools predicting that the percentage of tablets will increase to 24 per cent by the end of 2015. 77 per cent of schools claimed to be under-resourced with tablet computers.

It is fair to assume that the mobility of tablets and their price point make them more desirable options for classroom hardware.

As more learning content goes online, internet bandwidth requirements are generally increasing, with 34 per cent of secondary schools indicating an extensive requirement, E

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BESA’s h researc hat GOOD NEWS FOR t TECHNOLOGY reveals lieve by To keep up with the funding be available to schools, we carry schools f 2013, more o out a quarterly ‘Education the end 10 per cent Market Performance Outlook’ than aching survey. In August it revealed a general rise in expenditure of te rs will e in schools. Spending in 2013/14 comput blets was projected by schools to be ta increase by 2.7 per cent, after reported growth of 2.3 per cent in 2012/13.

This is good news for schools and technology suppliers. When we take into account the reduction in the cost of technology, this significant increase in expenditure will result in a higher increase in investment in real terms.

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FUNDING  compared to fewer than 10 per cent in 2005. It is probably fair to say that the majority of digital content in 2005 was on CD. Demand for Internet bandwidth in primary schools is less significant, but it remains the case that more than a quarter of primary schools have an extensive requirement.

WHAT TO CONSIDER BEFORE YOU BUY The increase in secondary school ICT budgets in particular, is expected to continue into 2014 by a significant 11 per cent. Budgets may increase in secondary schools alone to more than £280m.

It is heartening to see the increase in budgets is resulting in a rise in technology investment to support the new changes.

However, as the sector’s trade association we must remind schools to invest this money wisely. The following ten points are always worth consideration before investment.

Asset management: By carrying out regular reviews of the resources in each classroom, duplicating licences and other investments can be avoided.

Reputable suppliers: Do you know the company you are buying from? Have other schools in your area used them? Are they a BESA member? If they are then you can be assured of the quality of the products and services they deliver. Visit www.besa.org.uk/ suppliers to find a list of approved suppliers.

Fit for purpose. Is the product exactly aligned to your needs? Visit shows like Bett and the Education Show where you can evaluate and interrogate the suppliers of a number of options before making your decision. This is a much more effective way of selecting resources.

Curriculum alignment: If the product is digital content or other learning content, is it aligned to the new curriculum?

Compatibility: When investing in mobile hardware schools must consider compatibility.

If you have historically purchased resources for the MS Windows platform you will need to check that this content is available for the new mobile platforms centered around iOS and Android, as these are the predominant operating systems used for tablets and smart phones.

Future proofed: With the rapid pace of change in education always look for products that are going to last and be appropriate in the future.

Set up: If the investment is an ICT desking system, will the supplier deliver and set up the furniture free of charge?

If it’s an interactive whiteboard, will the supplier carry out full installation?

Service and support: Is service and support included in the purchase? If the product stops working after three months will

Systech IT Solutions: supporting education SysTech IT Solutions is an educational specialist that offers IT infrastructure solutions to customers at competitive prices.

SysTech fully understands educational IT needs and requirements and works with clients to reduce costs, enhance reliability and deliver solutions that are fit for purpose.

The company understands budgetary constraints and crucially works alongside customers to provide business and educational solutions.

Systech has Microsoft AER (authorised educational reseller) status, an accreditation that provides guaranteed access to specific educational pricing schemes and licencing expertise.

Systech ensures that customers get the best advice and educational offers at all times.

The company’s professionals are highly trained with an in-depth knowledge on the latest technologies and Systech is a partner to some of the IT industry’s leading vendors, such as Microsoft, VMware, Veeam, Sophos and KEMP Technologies.

Whatever your requirements, Systech IT Solutions is here to help. Contact the company today to take full advantage of what it has to offer.

FURTHER INFORMATION Tel: 01904 406449 enquiries@systechitsolutions.co.uk www.systechitsolutions.co.uk

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the supplier be there to help, or supply you with a replacement. Before purchase try ringing the company’s support line to see how efficient the service is.

TRAINING AND COST Before you buy, ask, is training provided free of charge with the product? The interactive whiteboard framework agreement is a perfect example of the importance of training with some products. At the time of the Government’s interactive whiteboard framework agreement, many schools looked for the cheapest price and ended up receiving interactive whiteboards from suppliers who considered, ‘plugging in the projector and showing the teachers how to switch it on’, as training. The huge breadth of learning potential that the technology could deliver was never realised, and sadly many were simply used as projector screens. Always ensure full training is built into the price of any appropriate product.

Regarding cost, always remember, the cost of a product is never just the initial price tag.

Always consider the ‘total cost of ownership.’

Is a warranty included? What are the terms of the warranty? If it is a software resource, do you receive regular upgrades free of charge? L FURTHER INFORMATION www.besa.org.uk

Tackle plagiarism with the global leader in originality checking In today’s digital learning environment, academic integrity is increasingly under threat. The availability of online resources is contributing to a growing global problem of plagiarism across all educational sectors.

Turnitin is a plagiarism prevention and originality software tool trusted by 11,000 institutions in 126 countries. It compares submitted work to a database of more than 38 billion content items, including web pages and 280 million student papers from around the world.

In a recent survey, nearly one in four FE students admitted to plagiarising by copying and pasting from the internet.

Turnitin is currently used by 44 per cent of JISC colleges and 98 per cent of UK universities to promote originality and improve academic writing skills. It is a complete e-assessment tool that allows teachers to mark work and provide both written

and verbal feedback online.

Will Murray, senior vice president of product and international, said: “A JISC-funded national rollout of Turnitin in UK higher education institutions

a decade ago has resulted in a 59 per cent reduction in unoriginal essay content. Using Turnitin will not only help develop writing and citation skills but will prepare students for their future academic careers by embedding good practice.”

Contact Turnitin today to claim your free trial.

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MOBILE LEARNING

THERE’S AN APP FOR THAT

The Educational App Store explores the potential that smartphones, tablets and apps have on improving education Over 25 million people in the UK now own a smartphone or tablet. As the usage of smartphones and apps increases dramatically, the prospect of the changes that the technology can make in a variety of industries is immense. Moreover, two out of three families with children own a tablet, and mobile devices are increasingly used to consume media. One in seven children aged 5-15 owned a Tablet in 2012, which is a threefold increase from 2011, and requests for children’s programming digital channels has increased by 65 per cent over the same period. Children are so comfortable with technology that they prefer reading on screens rather than on paper. What adult do you know with that preference?

IMMENSE OPPORTUNITIES We have seen how the internet has revolutionised commerce and banking and now, the internet is making its way

technology that “gives students the freedom to discover solutions to problems both independently and collaboratively is a force for good.”

Chief Executive of the Independent Association of Prep Schools, David Hansen, told his members last week that he believes that within ten years all exams will be taken online.

Hansen stated that “[in 10 years’ time] maths, English and science will still be core subjects but technology will have been completely embraced and will be used extensively by a generation of teachers who grew up with it.”

EFFECTS ON PEDAGOGY AND LEARNING Technology in the classroom can help students to actively learn and gives them a thirst for knowledge, helping them to engage with a subject on a deeper level. Recent studies have also shown that digital devices in the classroom help students save time and are making them more likely to do their homework.

As the content in the educational apps or general digital educational content improves, the emphasis will be on improving pedagogy. It will mean that we shall begin to look at ways to improve how pupils take in information to revolutionising education. With personal mobile devices students are potentially able to access and read whatever material they wish. The opportunity for content that is educational is immense.

In a recent Guardian article, Mike Britland, head of ICT at a comprehensive school in Bournemouth, said technology was allowing students to be more independent in the classroom, and considered that making use of

However, technology is also transforming teaching. As the content in the educational apps or general digital educational content improves, the emphasis will be on improving pedagogy. It will mean that we shall begin to look at ways to improve how pupils take in information. Digital content help with committing information to memory as well as in creating opportunities for learning that ‘connects the dots’. By introducing educational apps into lessons, teachers are moving from ‘teaching’ to ‘facilitating learning’ – helping students find ways to learn by focusing on enhancing the process of critical thinking rather than solely looking at whether an answer is right or wrong.

Justin Smith, founder and CEO of EducationalAppStore. com believes teachers should embrace technology in the classroom: “It’s super important that teachers

research the educational apps they’re going to use before bringing them into the classroom.

At the moment, it’s very difficult. It’s all about quantity. There are a lot of apps out there in the marketplace but the quality of apps is beginning to suffer. When the Gutenberg printing press was introduced at first, it was deemed a great success, giving the masses access to cheap books but when people started to look closer they soon realised corners were being cut. The same thing is now happening with apps.”

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FINDING THE RIGHT APP So, how can teachers find the apps that will be best suited to their lessons?

At present, the main stores such as Google and Apple have their apps in a separate ‘Education’ topic. The way to find apps is by popularity. Therefore, the discovery of educational content depends on the marketing budget of the educational app developer. There are a number of specialist stores working as review sites in order to showcase educational apps. The Educational App Store, has created the EAS Certification in order measure the apps against curriculum, pedagogical criteria and learning outcomes. The aim is for teachers to quickly find the apps that they need in order to continue to do what they do best, to teach and inspire. The apps provide the challenging questions and learning experience and the teacher acts as the guide so that pupils reflect and critically assess their learning.

Thankfully, there is an increasing amount of research that is finding the empirical evidence required to support the claims the benefits of mobile learning to the educational community. Moreover, the more schools that communicate their experiences in the uptake of tablets and apps, the best practices there are to disseminate and learn from.

The prospect of change to find the best content so that pupils and teachers can improve their learning and teaching experiences is very exciting. It is an opportunity that has never happened before since the formalisation of education.

Due to the technological savviness of children, it is an amazing opportunity to hear their opinion on the way that they learn. Teachers can also critically assess the quality of educational digital content. Teachers who use educational apps know exactly what they’re looking for in terms of how apps link into the curriculum and into lessons and are now beginning to provide feedback to educational app developers. Teachers are looking at apps much more critically and are providing suggestions for even better content. The ideal collaboration would be between developer and teachers. Let’s hope that happens soon! L FURTHER INFORMATION If you are a teacher and would like to contribute your feedback on educational apps, please email hello@ educationalappstore.com or visit www.educationalappstore.co.uk

Volume 18.6 | EDUCATION BUSINESS MAGAZINE

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RA N T Y

ICT

MOBILE PHONES RING OUT SUCCESS AT BARNHILL COMMUNITY HIGH SCHOOL

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The notable success Barnhill Community High School in Hayes, Middlesex, achieved in its recent GCSE exam results has, in part, been attributed to students’ use of GCSEPod on their mobile phones 2013) will contain far more visual content to support the audio material which will enhance its appeal to more visually led learners.

Despite a small drop in the national pass rates, this summer Barnhill achieved its best results to date with the number of Year 11 students achieving 5 or more A*-C grades, jumping to 61 per cent. This was a significant rise for the school which, for the past three years, had remained at the same level of 53 per cent. The school’s teachers believe that its recent investment in mobile learning platforms contributed to this success.

At Easter, all Year 9, 10 and 11 students were issued their own log-in to GCSEPod – the award-winning learning and revision resource for mobile devices – to help turn their mobile device into a key revision resource.

Students were given access to a comprehensive range of audio-visual podcasts which could be downloaded on to their phones, iPods and tablets to extend their learning way beyond the classroom. The students, who are all so familiar with this technology, enthusiastically embraced the new approach, downloading thousands of hours of the award-winning podcasts as their final exams approached.

NEW TECHNOLOGY Andrew Fenlon, assistant head teacher at Barnhill Community High School in Middlesex, said: “Students today consume information in a very different way to previous generations, which is why we were keen to develop our use of new technology within education to enhance the students’ learning experience both inside and outside of the classroom.

We recognise that this technology is at the heart of our students’ culture so we need to look at ways of using it to their benefit.

“Students are extremely technologically savvy with smartphones, iPods and other handheld devices all forming part of their day-to-day lives. Being able to access learning through these types of technology is an attractive option to the students so we were not surprised to see such high usage stats.”

MEETS STUDENTS’ NEEDS Andrew Fenlon continued: “The fact that we achieved our best exam results to date indicates that this way of learning really meets the needs of many of our students.”

He added: “GCSEPod also helped us to promote individual learning which will serve our students very well as they continue with their studies and enter their adult lives. In addition, it’s helping students to recognise that the technology they use day-to-day in a social context is a powerful learning resource for a technologically savvy generation.”

Of course, GCSEPod is not the only resource available at the school, which has recently introduced other technology solutions to enhance students’ learning experiences and support all of its pupils to enable them to perform to the best of their ability.

Nor is it necessarily appropriate for all learning styles, but Andrew Fenlon believes that GCSEPod 2.0 (the latest version being rolled out to subscribers throughout autumn

ADAPT YOUR MOBILE POLICY But the success of the introduction of GCSEPod and the acceptance of the role that mobile learning plays in the education of today’s students has raised some issues for Barnhill – issues that are shared with schools the length and breadth of the UK. How do you adapt your mobile policy in order to maximise the benefits of mobile learning whilst continuing to safeguard students and the school’s infrastructure?

Despite having its own Wi-Fi network across the school, Barnhill – like many other schools – currently operates a “no mobile device policy” within the school buildings.

Whilst its students have nonetheless been able to benefit from its investment in GCSEPod, members of the senior team recognise that the policy may be reviewed, moving forward.

Yet, changes to its policy throw open a whole host of unanswered questions.

DEVELOP ROADMAPS GCSEPod is working with schools around the country to help develop individual roadmaps to embrace mobile technology. Whilst some schools are already across the metaphoric finish line, using school and personal mobile devices as a teaching resource both at school and at home, others are yet to begin their journey.

However, if success such as that reached at Barnhill Community High School this summer can be achieved with current mobile policies in place, there is most certainly a place for mobile learning wherever a school is on its own individual journey.

GCSEPOD 2.0 GCSEPod 2.0 is now available: offering 3,000 podcasts with enhanced visual content, covering 15 subjects. Students can download podcasts via the school’s VLE to their own device or the GCSEPod app (from Apple’s App Store), allowing students to access curriculum and exam relevant podcasts wherever they are. L FURTHER INFORMATION www. gcsepod.co.uk/teachers

Volume 18.6 | EDUCATION BUSINESS MAGAZINE

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VIDEO CONFERENCING

Ed McEvoy, CEO at County Offaly Vocational Educational Committee, explains how the local authority in the Irish Midlands is responsible for five rural secondary schools but overcomes the challenges of delivering education to each site using the very latest in communication tools

Education has become a massive and competitive industry. It’s led to any number of horrific clichés and barely a month passes when I don’t see a new technology touted as the ‘game changer’. You can’t blame the companies for trying, and many of the advancements do have impressive classroom applications – see iPads, laptops, online games, interactive maths games even Encarta, if you remember that.

Like most big shifts in any industry, a number of different factors need to align before the technology becomes truly influential. There was no point in having an iPad, for example, if there weren’t decent applications installed or if cost was prohibitively high and would result in schools cutting back elsewhere.

Video conferencing is one technology that was seemingly on the horizon, about to radically change the way we educate students. If things went to plan, you wouldn’t be reading this, I’d be appearing as a 3D hologram delivering a presentation. Alas, that’s not the case.

However, the communication tools we do have are pretty incredible and interactive technologies are having a huge impact on the way we deliver education in our rural schools.

RURAL CHALLENGES County Offaly VEC (Vocational Education Committee) is the local education authority

for Offaly County in Ireland. Located in the Irish Midlands, an hour from Dublin, we’re the largest provider of adult education in the county and responsible for five secondary schools.

Our schools are spread across a large geographical area. With the distance between schools and small classroom size, we face many of the same challenges that affect rural schools all over the world when it comes to the provision and breadth of curricular choices.

only interests a small number of students so many schools cannot afford to provide such classes. This is just one example of how school leaders are forced into tough decisions every year about how, and what, subjects will be made available in each school. These decisions obviously have a significant impact on all of our students as they move on to further education.

I saw this challenge as a great opportunity.

There was an excellent case for certain subjects, like applied maths, but we obviously didn’t have the resources to provide them at every school to a small number of students.

Along with the STEM (science, technology, engineering and maths) subjects, another area we were passionate about improving was how languages were taught and the various ways we could increase the exposure our students have to other cultures.

DUCKS IN A ROW We knew if we could address these specific subjects it could be beneficial to students in their last crucial year before university. So there was a compelling education case for an interactive technology that could help spread a lesson over more than one classroom and connect Offaly students with schools, globally.

Ideas around video conferencing had been simmering away in the back of my mind as a way we might be able to address these

Written by Ed McEvoy, ceo, Offaly County Vocational Education Committee

HOW RURAL SCHOOLS USE INTERACTIVE TECHNOLOGIES TO EXPAND CURRICULUM

Interactive Learning

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There was a case for an interactive technology that could help spread a lesson over more than one classroom and connect Offaly students with other schools, globally. Ideas around video conferencing was a way to address these points For example, in Ireland it is a recognised advantage if secondary school students who are seeking physics and computing degrees at university take applied mathematics in their senior year. Though the subject, a mix of physics and advanced mathematics, is not part of the core curriculum, it does put students at a distinct advantage if it is their chosen academic path in college. Unfortunately, the subject

points. Though there were a number of other barriers that had to be crossed before we could implement the technology I had in mind. Some of these challenges were in our control, such as convincing parents, the school board and other stakeholders that the project was worthwhile.

But other hurdles were out of our control, such as the well-publicised difficulties rural areas have with connectivity. Obviously, the type of E

Volume 18.6 | EDUCATION BUSINESS MAGAZINE

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VIDEO CONFERENCING  meaningful online interaction we were aiming for relies heavily on high-speed internet.

Fortunately, County Offaly was one of the earliest recipients of the Irish government’s National Broadband scheme, aiming to deliver 100MB broadband to all secondary schools.

BEYOND THE WALLS AND BEYOND THE SEAS Now that we had high-speed internet connections, all we needed was a technology solution to bring specialised teachers into the classroom. Almost exactly a year ago, Offaly VEC introduced LifeSize Team 220 HD video conferencing units with twin cameras into every school in the county. The project, which we called ConnectEd, incorporates two initiatives.

The first strand, Beyond the Walls, takes advantage of the fact that specialised subjects became economically viable when taught via video. A specialist teacher in one school can broadcast a lesson, such as applied mathematics, to five other schools in real-time.

This means students can still ask questions and interact like they would in a normal classroom.

So, we could offer our students a much wider variety of subjects, which gives them a vital advantage before they head off to university.

EXPANDING OPTIONS Science and technology subjects are important for our future, not only economically but also societally. Which is why County Offaly VEC is so passionate about expanding the options.

Previously, students would only have the choice of doing one science option at senior level.

The second initiative, Across the Globe, links our LifeSize HD video conferencing systems in local schools with partner locations across the world. For example, Árd Scoil Chiaráin Naofa in Clara, County Offaly, linked up with Ware County High School in Georgia, US, through the VEC’s relationship with Georgia Tech University.

One of the first joint science projects between the schools was based on local geography.

Offaly is in a bog area while its partner in Georgia, more than 6,000 kilometres away, was based in a swamp area. The students presented their research on the ecologies of their local areas over LifeSize collaboration technology.

The aim was to compare and contrast the differences between the two areas but, interestingly, they found that the ecologies of the bog and the swamp were very similar. The one major difference was that there were no predators living in the Offaly bog, whereas alligators lurked in the Georgia swamp.

The science education part of the initiative has been fantastic and interestingly both schools were on a similar academic level.

Though, perhaps, the area that most interested the teenage students was getting to interact with children in another country and find out what their experiences of growing up was like.

PARTNERING Obviously, we’re teachers not engineers, nor are we big enough to have a vast IT

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Tullamore College, Offaly, Ireland

An Offaly school, Tullamore College, has teamed up with a partner school in Germany, Georgius-Agricola-Gymnasium Chemnitz. Students have regular face-to-face contact, enabling of learners to practise their foreign language skills team. To make a project like this example work, a school needs to not only have all of the factors mentioned above, but also it’s crucial to find a partner that will supply the very best technology and deliver it on time – within budget and to a high standard.

The video conferencing solutions were initially set up with the help of significant sponsorship from benefactors such as the Network & Infrastructure Support (NIS). NIS, in particular, worked with County Offaly VEC, helping support its IT implementation.

Gerry Buckley, CEO of NIS explained: “We had done trials with a number of different video conferencing options, comparing factors such as image and sound quality, ease of use and price. LifeSize was the clear favourite.”

WHERE ARE WE NOW? Even though the scheme is in its infancy, we’re already seeing the great results.

Previously, our students did not have any access to applied mathematics, now we have those that are interested studying it twice a week. Access to university in Ireland is done through a points system. For students with a talent for science and math, this will enable them to gain more points.

This is crucial in helping students to get into their course of choice at university.

Additionally, classes in rural Ireland are having regular face-to-face interaction with a school in the United States.

One Offaly school, Tullamore College, has teamed up with a partner school, GeorgiusAgricola-Gymnasium Chemnitz, in Germany.

Students have regular face-to-face contact with

their German counterparts, enabling both sets of learners to practise their foreign language skills.

While the steps we have already taken are significant, Offaly is only at the beginning of its video journey. There are big plans for the future. The next science project between Georgia and Offaly will see the children design telepresence robots, which the other class will be able to operate remotely.

PLANNED EXPANSION There is also a much larger expansion of the network planned, with more partnership schools in Germany and France. The hope is that the video conferencing systems will get used even more often. For instance, adult students will be able to take third-level courses on an outreach basis. There is also the ability to record classes, which means that even if students miss a class they can catch up.

Additionally, there is a plan to increase the number of specialised subjects that are available in rural areas and the schools will be holding extra tutoring classes before exams, through the video conferencing solution.

We have deep commitment to the promotion of science and languages. While many advantages come with a rural area, there are also many challenges when it comes to the provision of this commitment. Video conferencing has given us a great tool to stimulate an interest in these subjects and give students a fuller, more rounded education. L FURTHER INFORMATION www.offalyvec.com

Volume 18.6 | EDUCATION BUSINESS MAGAZINE

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Tucano’s range of cases, bags and sleeves combine effective protection and smart features with classic Italian design flair.

Its new Second Skin Charge-Up sleeves are available in designs to perfectly fit 11-, 13- and 15in Apple MacBook Pro and Air laptops.

The neoprene design is both protective and practical, with a non-slip finish. Further peace of mind is provided by the robust, flatlock stitching used. As the Charge-Up name suggests, this Tucano Second Skin case can be kept on while the MacBook is charging, so you don’t leave your laptop vulnerable when it’s plugged in.

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BETT 2014

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EVENT EVENT PREVIEW PREVIEW

WHAT WILL YOU GAIN AT BETT?

With recent BESA research predicting that school spending is on the rise, a visit to BETT next January, with its 700-plus exhibitors, will help school buyers make wise and measured investments Recent research carried out by the education sector’s trade association, BESA revealed good news: a general rise in expenditure.

Spending in 2013/14 was projected by schools to increase by 2.7 per cent, after a reported growth of 2.3 per cent in 2012/13.

These findings from its quarterly ‘Education Market Performance Outlook’ survey will be music to many schools’ ears. It is also heartening to see these increases in budgets are starting to result in a rise in technology investment to support the array of changes in schools.

However, wise and measured investment is vital. Ensuring you are investing in the right product for your specific needs and buying a quality product from the most reputable supplier, are two of the most important decisions a school can make.

Visiting a show such as Bett, ExCeL London, 22 to 25 January 2014, gives you the opportunity to evaluate and speak with the suppliers of a number of product options before making your decision, all under one

roof. This is a much more cost effective way of selecting resources than trying to compare products online. Taking the time to visit suppliers’ stands allows you to decide which is the most appropriate for your school or college’s specific needs.

Let’s take a look at some exhibitors with products to fit a selection of areas of interest for senior leadership teams, business managers and today’s educators.

children learn to touch type and develop perfect computer mouse skills before moving onto the new more challenging computer science curriculum skills.

‘Switched On ICT’ is a creative curriculum designed to help schools develop their ICT provision and get started with computing at Key Stages 1-3. Through a partnership between Switched On ICT developer and award winning publisher Rising Stars and Microsoft, all primary schools across England will receive a free pack of Switched On ICT resources in January. Switched On ICT is designed to give teachers the inspiration, confidence and advice they need to get started with computing throughout the school. Rising Stars invites people to its stand D118 to chat about best practice use of the resource and to find out about new Switched on Computing units.

Aligned to the new computer science curriculum, Kudlian Software on stand E118 is E

Visiting ow sh a trade s Bett such a cation du gives e sionals profes tunity to or the oppuate and eval ith speak wers suppli

COMPUTING From September 2014, primary schools will be required to deliver the new curriculum for computing, presenting a new challenge for many primary teachers.

To introduce primary children to ICT, ‘Ict time’ from Yellow Dot is on stand G130.

With more than 100 interactive ICT exercises,

Volume 18.6 | EDUCATION BUSINESS MAGAZINE

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EVENT PREVIEW  showcasing a suite of new resources designed to develop pupils’ ICT abilities accessible online and on mobile apps.

Kudlian has teamed up with Appfurnace, market leaders in mobile app design, to launch the Appfurnace Player software into education. Kudlian will be running on stand demonstrations, giving teachers the opportunity to create educational apps using the online tool and learn how creating apps in the classroom can support the Computing curriculum.

Those involved with the teaching of computer science in secondary schools may also want to visit to CBiS-Education on stand D360. Its computer science education kits have been developed to support the shift from ICT to computer science and include programming and robotics with real world interaction using the Raspberry Pi. BRING YOUR OWN DEVICE The rise in popularity of mobile devices and Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) throughout the education means that many schools will be looking for ways in which to implement these successfully into learning.

On stand B86, Avantis Systems Ltd is showing visitors the latest LearnPad tablets with their inbuilt content management system. The Avantis team states that the LearnPad is the only tablet PC designed

exclusively for use by education leaders and managers, as well classroom teachers and teaching assistants. ClassView™ will be showcased, designed so teachers can see, engage with and manage the activity on each LearnPad tablet and LearnPad InClass™ which provides a simplified way to manage the day to day process of assigning and retrieving classwork.

Recognised historically for its visualisers, Aver Information Europe is on stand E230 demonstrating the new TabCam product, which allows users to connect a tablet device to share content, wirelessly.

In addition, it will also be showing TabSync, the new charging and syncing trolley which can support up to 32 tablets.

Meanwhile, Lenovo will have a range of hardware devices on stand C260 including the ThinkPad notebook range and Think Classic Desktops. All Lenovo ‘Think’ devices have been tested to Military Specifications and are used for their reliability in some of the most mission critical and challenging environments; even a classroom.

Casio, exhibiting on stand D70, also offers schools mobile hardware with its rugged Android Tablets. The team at Casio invites visitors to their stand to understand how the tablets can help to create a dynamic, interactive learning environment that stands up to the rigour of the classroom. E

BETT 2014

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Bett facts & figures The first-ever Bett show was held in 1985 as the “Hi Technology and Computers in Education Exhibition” at London’s Barbican Centre.

As the use of technology in education increased so did the show, and in 1993 it moved to Olympia London.

Annually, Bett attracts around 35,000 visitors from more than 100 different countries.

Around 700 companies who market to schools, colleges and education establishments exhibit at the show.

A large number of seminars from well-known providers are held at Bett, providing visitors with continuing professional development (CPD) opportunities for education professionals.

2014 marks the show’s 30th year.

The show’s floor space at ExCeL London equals that of 13 Olympic-size swimming pools!

Volume 18.6 | EDUCATION BUSINESS MAGAZINE

47

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EVENT PREVIEW

With nearly 700 exhibitors at Bett 2014, it is strongly recommended that you use the in‑built product search engine with the website to schedule your route around the show

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 Schools should also consider the IT infrastructure needed to enable this implementation of 1:1 learning. European Electronique is showcasing Freedom, its cloud service for education, on stand F284. Freedom addresses the complex IT infrastructure needs of schools storing all operating systems and information in the cloud. This means a single application can be used by hundreds of students and teachers across a range of personal mobile devices, laptops or desktops.

LEADERSHIP SOLUTIONS Staying on top of the planning, management and communication required within schools can prove a challenge.

Holistic learning platform Firefly is launching its new Teaching Planner app on stand C221.

The app will enhance teachers’ access to their school VLE on an IOS or Android device.

Using the app, teachers will be able to set homework, update students on assignments and tests and provide revision material. Rather than just being a web tool repackaged, the mobile app is designed to fully support offline use and push notifications to keep students and parents updated while on the move.

Recognising there is never a ‘one size-fits‑all’ solution, school-to-home communications and payments system provider, ParentMail, is launching a new modular approach to its service on stand F312. The new operating system, ParentMail X, allows schools to ‘pick and choose’ from a series of apps to make ParentMail completely configurable to individual needs. These include the familiar email, text and payment systems, with new permission, facilities and parent evening manager within one recognisable system.

These apps can be added when desired to evolve with school needs, streamlining the supply chain, reducing administration and providing cost-effectiveness.

Capita SIMS will be on stand B260 to unveil its new SIMS School Improvement Programme.

The new consultancy service provides personalised support for school leaders and classroom teachers, enabling them to make the most of their Management Information System (MIS) to drive improvements in teaching and learning. Both leadership teams and teachers will be able to make informed, evidence-based decisions using up-to-date information about individuals or groups of students, staff and their whole school.

With nearly 700 exhibitors at Bett 2014, it is strongly recommended that you use the in‑built product search engine with the website to schedule your route around the show; enter the criteria of the products or services you are looking for, to access a list of all exhibitors matching your needs. You then have a ready-made list of those that may be relevant. Ensuring your day is pre planned so that get to see as many products and suppliers as possible will ensure you come away from the event with a heightened insight into how to best invest your ICT budget. E

Volume 18.6 | EDUCATION BUSINESS MAGAZINE

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BETT 2014

www.educationbusinessuk.net – THE BUSINESS MAGAZINE FOR EDUCATION

Specialist promotional services for your school Promote Your School designs and builds websites that appeal to prospective parents, engages pupils and encourages your parents to be constantly involved in school life. And all websites adapt to work on mobiles.

The websites created come with an easy-to-use Content Management System; an events calendar that pupils, parents and staff can subscribe to; homepage noticeboard; enhanced video and photo galleries; and password-protected areas for additional peace of mind.

Schools are also provided with an app-like button for quick and easy access to the site from mobiles. Promote Your School’s websites enable you to fulfil the latest

50

School Information (England) Regulations (Sept 2012).

Educational consultants are on-hand to advise and guide you in creating a current, dynamic site that will impress Ofsted and gain the attention of your school community.

However, Promote Your School is not just about websites.

It has years of experience of working with schools across a variety of marketing tools: from prospectuses, leaflets, stationery and letterheads, signage and banners to branding, virtual tours, promotional videos and bespoke wall graphics.

FURTHER INFORMATION Tel: 020 7404 3400 www.promoteyourschool.co.uk

EDUCATION BUSINESS MAGAZINE | Volume 18.6

Well Educated Banking www.lloydstsb.com/ schoolbanking

THE BUSINESS MAGAZINE FOR EDUCATION – www.educationbusinessuk.net

EVENT PREVIEW  CPD AT BETT 2014 As it enters its third decade, Bett continues to bring together an unparalleled programme of speakers, seminars and discussion sessions to support and elevate the education sector.

Its reputation as a hub of innovation, inspiration and debate sees visitors flock to each of the four days, with large theatre talks through to smaller, more personal workshop sessions that all offer valuable, free, continuing professional development (CPD) opportunities.

After a successful inaugural year at Bett 2013, the Bett Arena is to return with a schedule of inspirational sector leaders, internationally renowned education experts and household names, all helping to discover new approaches to learning.

Within the amphitheatre, the inclusive space will allow them to present insights and share thoughts into the latest trends and research in technology and learning.

Having hosted last year, Dr Sugatra Mitra, Prof Brian Cox and Baroness Susan Greenfield amongst other key figures gave inspirational talks in the education sector, the anticipated line-up for the Bett Arena in 2014 will be announced from September 2013. Details of the featured speakers will be available at www.Bettshow.com.

PUPIL PREMIUM The pupil premium is the topic on everyone’s lips at the moment and Peter Lauener, chief executive of the Education Funding Agency, is on hand to advise with the session “Pupil Premium Toolkit: top 10 ways to spend the funding and make the most impact.”

Attendees on Wednesday 22 January will be presented with the ultimate guide on how to spend the pupil premium, providing an overview of various ways to spend the money.

The findings of the OECD’s (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development) PISA (Programme for International Study Assessment) report make the headlines every time, but what can we take from the findings?

Michael Davidson, head of early childhood education and schools division at the OECD will examine the key outcomes from the PISA report, exploring who topped which subject and why in his session.

Entitled “An In-depth Analysis of the Key Findings of the PISA Report”, this discussion will run on Thursday 23 January.

There will also be a roundtable discussion, where school leaders can debate how to manage the introduction of performance related pay, and ask, what will this mean for you and your staff?

It will be an opportunity to share, discuss and debate with your peers about the governments change to the teacher pay scales.

It will help answer such questions as will this create healthy competition or will the richer schools prosper?

What constitutes ‘good performance’?

Will it have a significant impact on recruitment and retention of staff?

A full programme for the School Leaders Summit can be found at www.Bettshow.com.

Learn Live at a s Bett ha tation u rep strong orting and p for sup brating cele s ive ideat t a v o n n i as bes as well tice prac

SCHOOL LEADERS SUMMIT The constant evolution of the education sector means that now, more than ever, school leaders and management teams are finding themselves working in a fluctuating environment while, for example, implementing a new National Curriculum, addressing changes in assessment or when involved in converting to academy status.

The School Leaders Summit at Bett 2014 will provide guidance and insight to support these issues through a range of impactful presentations, robust discussions and practical case studies from leading figures and peers throughout education.

Specific opportunities for informal networking also enable school leaders from throughout the UK and further afield to share their experiences and learn together.

For example, recognising the increasing importance of effective budget management for schools as purse strings tighten.

On the morning of Wednesday 22 January, a panel of experts will gather to debate effective allocation of budgets in the session “Driving Value for Money: efficient initiatives to make your budget go further without increasing class sizes.”

Speakers will include Tracy Jackson, assistant principal, core services at the Ossett Academy & Sixth Form College, and Peter Lauener, chief executive of the Education Funding Agency.

LEARN LIVE Learn Live at Bett has a strong reputation for supporting and celebrating the innovative ideas and leading best practice of educators and practitioners from schools across the UK and further afield.

A four-day programme of free workshops, seminars, training and discussion events offers educators rich opportunities to explore new technologies and their use in the classroom.

Running in purpose-built theatres at the heart of the show floor, the sessions are grouped into five key themes: learning and teaching, buying and integrating, special educational needs (SEN), higher education and workplace learning.

The call for papers for Learn Live at Bett 2014 is open now. Submit a session idea now at www.Bettshow.com.

BETT 2014

Sponsored by

TECHNOLOGY IN HIGHER EDUCATION The school sector is not alone in experiencing a period of flux; higher education throughout the UK and globally is realising that student expectation is more influential than ever before, and the pressure is on to provide a business-like service that meets their needs.

This is particularly true when it comes to IT provision, be it a smooth and reliable network or the ability to bring their own devices to campus. The award-winning Technology in Higher Education (HE) Summit returns to provide a space for HE professionals involved in IT provision to share ideas and receive insight into technology delivery on a budget and future-gazing.

The full line up of speakers will be available on the Bett website (www.Bettshow.com).

INFORMATION POINT The show’s main Information Point is run by the education sector’s trade association and the co-founders of Bett, the British Educational Suppliers’ Association (BESA).

Situated on Stand C380 at the heart of the show floor, BESA can help visitors plan their visit to get the most from the day. Educators can also pick up a copy of the BESA book, listing all 300+ BESA members; educational suppliers of every kind who adhere to a stringent Code of Practice, offering schools peace of mind when looking for new products and services for their establishment.

SEN ZONE In addition to the main show’s Information Point, the Special Educational Needs (SEN) Zone Information Point is available to help schools fulfil the needs of pupils with a special educational need or disability.

Nasen (formerly the National Association for Special Educational Needs) once again hosts this Information Point at the heart of the show’s SEN Zone. Here, visitors can find details on all SEN resources, gain practical advice and meet with experts to discuss the latest inclusive practice and specialist EN teaching techniques.

BETT AWARDS The Bett Awards are a celebration of the inspiring creativity and innovation that can be found throughout technology for education.

The awards form an integral part of Bett each year, the world’s leading showcase of education technology solutions. The winners are seen to have excelled in ICT provision and support for nurseries, schools, colleges and special schools alike with a clear focus on what works in the classroom. Each year, the awards endeavour to recognise, reward and promote this excellence.

The finalists will be decided in November and the winners of the 16th annual Bett Awards will be announced at a prestigious ceremony at the Brewery in London on 22nd January 2014. L FURTHER INFORMATION www.Bettshow.com

Volume 18.6 | EDUCATION BUSINESS MAGAZINE

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BETT 2014

www.educationbusinessuk.net – THE BUSINESS MAGAZINE FOR EDUCATION

How important is the internet to your school?

As a result of the unprecedented expansion of the internet that has taken place over the last 10 years, it now plays a part in every aspect of our lives. From being the reserve of the few most dedicated computer users, to being accessible to the vast majority of the population on an array of devices (laptops, phones, tablets) the internet is everywhere.

Indeed, the use of the internet in schools is a perfect demonstration of the extent to which its employment has grown. Now used as a teaching aid in classrooms, a means of communication with parents at home, a homework enabler for pupils and a provider of assistance for teachers preparing lesson plans, the internet has made our schools an effective and easier place to work and learn.

However, alongside these benefits, come concerns which were not present before.

There is a great deal of information on the internet which is not appropriate for children and, as a result, there are parental and legislative responsibilities in place to protect pupils from this often inappropriate – occasionally traumatising – material.

There are therefore new requirements for schools to meet, from both an OFSTED and legal perspective, to ensure that e-safety and web/content filtering is in place to protect students.

As schools’ use of the internet increases, the responsibilities and liability given to them from both central and local government will increase.

Therefore, when making a choice for the internet service provision of a school, it has become increasingly important to ensure that a connection and filtering system is in place that meets the growing requirements of today.

As a result, it can be incredibly beneficial for schools to partner up with experienced internet service providers, such as Exa Education.

Exa Education has over a decade of experience in providing connectivity and content filtering to schools, alongside advising and assisting those who are making the policies throughout the UK. The company understands the importance that a fast, reliable and, most importantly,

safe connection holds for a school – whilst also guaranteeing value for money in a period of ever-decreasing budgets.

Exa Education’s experience allows schools to optimise the benefits that the internet has brought, whilst safeguarding against the negative.

FURTHER INFORMATION Tel: 07917 181 690 education@exa-networks.co.uk www.exa-networks.co.uk/education

education

Would you like to save thousands of pounds each year and receive a faster, more reliable, internet connection with inclusive flexible content filtering?

Exa Education, one of the UK’s leading education Internet Service Providers, currently supply services to around 10% of schools in the UK. In 2012 alone, we helped a further nine hundred schools save over £8 million.

Exa Education’s multi-award winning connectivity, and in-house developed SurfProtect content filtering, e nables schools to save money on internet service provision without ever compromising on quality. In comparison with most Grid’s for Learning and local authority alternatives, the average primary school will save over £6,000 per year whilst secondary schools annually save over £12,000.

This year, Exa Education celebrates a decade of providing services to schools. With over 99.9% customer retention, our flexibility, reliability, customer service and value for money ensure that those who transition to Exa Education will be customers for years to come.

See us at the BETT Show at Stand B60, visit www.exa-networks.co.uk, or call 0845 1451234 to find out how we can help your school today.

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EDUCATION BUSINESS MAGAZINE | Volume 18.6

A teaching aid to explore, investigate and progress

Providing for special and additional needs

With programming now a core component of the curriculum, many schools are under-resourced in areas such as programming and IT. BinaryDistribution’s FUZE is a low-cost, accessible programmable computer and electronic workstation, specifically designed for the classroom.

Supplied and preconfigured with a tailored version of the BASIC programming language, FUZE BASIC, it is easy to setup and get started.

The FUZE is an all-in-one unit in a robust, durable and safe metal case. Powered by a Raspberry Pi, it comes equipped with a built-in keyboard, mouse and mat, 4GB SD card – preconfigured with a customised OS and FUZE BASIC

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: design – this can be for existing spaces, new buildings, complete environments, areas within rooms or individual pieces of equipment; manufacture – a substantial proportion of the equipment is designed and manufacture in the company’s own workshops. This gives Mike Ayres Design complete control of the production quality of our equipment; installations – carried out by its own experienced teams. Installation is to the highest standards and will accommodate your timetable and working practices; maintenance – Mike Ayres Design has its own dedicated maintenance personnel

– an electronics component kit, guide and free-to-download FUZE BASIC project cards.

The cards are child initiated, so require minimal programming knowledge and make measuring attainment straightforward and quick.

PC Pro magazine said: “The most coherent introduction we’ve seen to computing and electronics, realising the full educational potential of the Raspberry Pi in one neat package.”

The FUZE is being demonstrated at BETT (22-25 January 2014, ExCeL London), visit if you’d like to see how it can make your IT class buzz with enthusiasm.

FURTHER INFORMATION www.fuze.co.uk

providing 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 Switch 2 and Switch 4 control systems, switches, tactile murals and panels, bubble tubes and bubble walls and LED colour-change lights.

These products and more are available in Mike Ayres Design’s Sensory Resource catalogue five.

FURTHER INFORMATION Tel: 01359 251551 enquires@mikeayresdesign.co.uk www.mikeayresdesign.co.uk

Faster, flexible internet connection for schools

Proven technology powered by solar energy

Internet service provider Exa Education is a multi-award winning education-focused ISP. Unlike the majority of service providers in the UK that cater to the home-user market, Exa’s entire services, network, products and support were designed from the ground up for the education sector.

With over a decade of experience in providing schools with broadband and connectivity services, leased lines, email, web and content filtering, mobile broadband and the company’s award-winning customer support.

In 2012 alone, over 900 schools made the move to Exa and now benefit from faster, more flexible internet connection

Solar Ready’s award-winning ICT solutions use unique and innovative technology that can operate on- or off-grid, so are ideal for organisations that want to reduce or eliminate their electricity bills – as well as those who have unreliable or no access to mains electricity.

Solar Ready is a British manufacturer at the forefront of developing technologies that utilise direct and stored power from renewable energy sources and it has integrated them into its own range of IT hardware.

Solar Ready’s proven technology is being used by schools in the UK, providing cost-effective classroom systems powered by solar energy.

The company’s range is expanding to include intelligent power systems for LED lighting, solar-powered ambient temperature management systems, and other energy efficient products and services.

Solar Ready’s goal is to create

with real-time content filtering that allows them a level of control that they have simply not been used to on more restrictive networks.

There are so many reasons why Exa has won multiple ISPA awards and looks after around 10 per cent of UK schools.

Visit the company on Stand B60 at the BETT Show and find out for yourself just why so many schools choose Exa for their internet connectivity.

Exa Education: delivering on its promises without compromise.

FURTHER INFORMATION Tel: 0845 1451234 education@exa-education.co.uk www.exa-education.co.uk

BETT 2014

THE BUSINESS MAGAZINE FOR EDUCATION – www.educationbusinessuk.net

an off-grid solar-powered classroom with no utility bills.

The company believes in working with and for the environment, so it’s important that the earth’s resources are used wisely. Its technology harnesses the potential of solar, wind and water and pushes the boundaries of efficiency in the process of capturing, storing, distributing, using and reclaiming energy.

The Solar Ready solutions are cost-effective and its products are sold and maintained by qualified dealers through partner programmes.

FURTHER INFORMATION Tel: +44 (0) 118 973 9706 www.solar-ready.co.uk

Volume 18.6 | EDUCATION BUSINESS MAGAZINE

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RM Seminars

Fre Pla e ces C

Join us Autumn 2013

Acc PD red ited

Join us and explore the latest ICT innovations you could bring to your school We’re busy preparing to deliver a brand new round of RM Seminars this autumn and once again, we’ll be visiting key regional venues across the UK in November, so there’s sure to be an event near you. There are plenty of new ideas, opportunities and developments to share with you...

Everything you’ll see and hear is CPD-certified, lunch is on us - and it’s completely free of charge. Plus, it’s the perfect networking opportunity. So come and join us for a day of exploration and inspiration.

Whether you’re driven by the technical details or your responsibilities lie in school leadership, we’ve got some exciting sessions lined up for you. Alongside our RM Technical Seminars for network managers and technicians, we’ll be running our RM Educational Seminars stream for senior leaders at six of the nine venues - just choose to attend the sessions that best suit your professional interests.

We are always pleased to hear that people have benefited from the RM Seminars and we’re looking forward to seeing familiar faces as well as those who are attending for the first time. Why not invite a colleague to come along with you, share the experience and help spread the word? It’s a fantastic opportunity to learn about and engage with new and existing ICT technologies, and to discuss the benefits for your school with experts and your peers.

We look forward to welcoming you - book early to avoid disappointment!

Call us now on 0800 046 9798 or visit www.rm.com/seminars

ICT SERVICES

GOING IT ALONE: COPING WITHOUT LA SERVICES

Advertisement Feature

THE BUSINESS MAGAZINE FOR EDUCATION – www.educationbusinessuk.net

The role of local authorities has changed significantly over the last few years. There has been an increased transition of funding to schools, especially with the development of academies and free schools

Many local authorities no longer have curriculum advisory teams or provide the same range of IT services. Schools now have to support themselves or search for new suppliers to provide them with the range of services that could previously be obtained through the local authority.

RM Education’s highly-trained helpdesk provides award-winning support services to more than 4,000 schools throughout the UK, covering a wide range of products and technologies, offering support for all ICT needs.

Telephone, email and online support allows self-help services to be available when you need them most. RM Education is here to help you deliver a reliable, cost-effective ICT service that underpins teaching and learning.

ON-SITE SUPPORT SERVICE The company’s On-Site and On-Site Premium support services enable you to get the right level of support to suit your school’s needs and budget. These are both delivered through a combination of remote and on-site services.

A dedicated, experienced RM Education engineer, who knows your school, will provide support for a wide range of technologies.

You can also benefit from 24/7 remote network monitoring with access to an award-winning helpdesk. This is all designed to give you peace of mind, knowing your ICT is in safe hands.

RM Education offers a range of flexible Managed Services to match a variety of budgets. Let RM’s experts take away the cost, hassle, uncertainty and risk of managing your own ICT – so you can focus on what you do best in your school MANAGED SERVICES RM Education offers a range of Managed Services to match a variety of budgets. Whatever your needs, let the company’s experts take away the cost, hassle, uncertainty and risk of managing your own ICT – so you are left to focus on what you do best in your school.

It only offers services for education, so you can be sure that RM Education will deliver a service fit for your needs. The company has designed its services based on 15 years’ experience delivering ICT Managed Services to 100s of educational establishments, including authority-wide and BSF authorities.

The depth and breadth of RM Education’s knowledge and experience, and its passion for education makes it a better choice of partner.

A Managed Service from RM Education doesn’t mean you have to use the company’s equipment and software. You still retain the flexibility to choose whatever suits your needs.

CLIENT COMMENTS “At all times, one felt secure in the knowledge that everything was ‘customer first’. A credit to RM in every way“ Peter Buckley-Saxon, ICT manager, Stour Valley Community School.

“Many, many years of excellent support. A real understanding of the issues facing school networks” M Gingell, ICT communications, Chesham Park Community College.

Further information Get three months’ FREE RM On-site Premium support.* Call 0800 046 9793 before 31 October 2013.

FURTHER INFORMATION www.rm.com/supportservices *Terms and conditions apply

Volume 18.6 | EDUCATION BUSINESS MAGAZINE

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Outdoor Classrooms Tailored to your needs

Timber buildings for life

———— Project managed from idea to installation ———— Meets all education building standards ———— Fast and efficient installation ———— 10 year insurance backed warranty ———— Finance available up to 5 years ———— FREE no obligation quote ———— FREE planning application service ————

For more information www.thestablecompany.com e: enquire@thestablecompany.com t: 01904 430 630

Well Educated Banking www.lloydstsb.com/ schoolbanking

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MODULAR CONSTRUCTION

High-quality modular accommodation is flexible enough to meet all applications

Design & Build

Sponsored by

Written by Jackie Maginnis, MPBA

THE MERITS OF MODULAR BUILDING METHODS

With schools up and down the country under pressure to provide extra pupil places, Jackie Maginnis from the MPBA explores how modular buildings can be the solution that the sector is searching for

The education sector faces continued pressure to provide high quality learning environments to the growing population. It has been estimated that more than 250,000 new school places will have to be created nationally by 2014/15 which will have a huge impact on education facilities across the country. With this urgent requirement for additional school places, and the continued change in standards and regulation, the modular building industry has risen to the challenge. This coupled with the expectations of suitable school facilities, the modular building industry is there to help.

With the experience and knowledge that companies have, they are able to provide modern comfortable and functional facilities that comply with current building

regulations, and crucially, take into account carbon reduction alongside ‘green’ issues.

With the ever increasing demands for energy efficiency, the industry can supply buildings that are available for both purchase or hire from many of the MPBA’s member companies.

r Modula no s buildingok like lo longer site huts r boxes ondustry has as the i ed changes embrac eet new to m ions re g u l a t MOVING AWAY FROM

THE STALE IMAGE The modular industry has embraced changes to meet the requirements of new regulations, and buildings that are supplied today need not look like boxes or the old image of site huts without any character.

Today we have reached a point where it is difficult to tell them apart from traditional developments. These buildings can be designed to meet both needs and budgets

restraints that are all too important today.

When looking at either replacing, extending, or adding to existing structures, modular buildings can meet any criteria set by the client, high quality modular accommodation is flexible enough to meet all applications.

Layout and design services are available from suppliers including expert advice on planning issues, building regulations and safety requirements.

Site preparation and fast installation with minimum disruption can be achieved using modular systems. All transport, site work, and commissioning can be part of a turnkey package by using just one company and one contact.

And crucially, the industry offers guaranteed delivery dates with buildings that are quality controlled in a factory.

MANUFACTURING OFF-SITE Off-site construction has become a buzz word in the building industry, but it is not new to modular building sector. The industry E

Volume 18.6 | EDUCATION BUSINESS MAGAZINE

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Shortfall in school places?

A report by the National Audit Office warns that an extra 256,000 school places will be required in England and Wales by 2014.

Elliott has developed a new standard rental fleet designed to meet the needs of the shortfall in school places.

BENEFITS Low cost rental rates

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Ventilation

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Typical rental rate from as little as £156 per week*

Up to 50 year design life Robust fixtures & fittings

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portable accommodation and secure storage solutions.

Other layouts, sizes, and toilet options are available to rent or buy.

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Typical rental rate from as little as £265 per week* *Rates are based on a 2 year rental period. Prices exclude delivery and installation.

Well Educated Banking www.lloydstsb.com/ schoolbanking

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MODULAR CONSTRUCTION  has been manufacturing for in excess of 75 years in an off-site capacity. Modern factories now produce hi-tech buildings with quality control in place. Delivery dates are met with no delays due to weather conditions.

When planning a building, talk to the industry direct, all too often companies are approached after a design has been agreed.

It is much easier for all parties to involve the sector at the beginning, you will be amazed at what expert advice can save you time and more importantly money.

have to be created nationally by 2014/15 which will have a huge impact on education facilities across the country.

Classroom buildings using the modular building method can be fitted out to suit the requirements of the school in question. Buildings can be designed to accommodate a wide range of applications, such as laboratories, art rooms, dance studios, technology rooms, IT suites, general classrooms, receptions, kitchen and dining facilities, and offices.

MEETING THE NEEDS OF THE SECTOR The education sector, when looking for new buildings or adding to existing buildings, need suppliers that will complete each project precisely on programme and meet the deadline for completion on time. A vast majority of work undertaken in many cases is undergoing during school closure. It is therefore critical that buildings have to be completed for the start of the new terms. Buildings can be designed and constructed to permanent building standards and comply with the latest Department for Education guidelines for teaching and learning.

The use of modular construction radically reduces both disruption to teaching and time on-site, both which are essential factors when schools have an urgent requirement for additional school places.

It has been estimated that more than 250,000 new school places will

MODULAR IN THE REAL WORLD With pressure on schools to house a growing number of new pupils, Darlinghurst Primary School in Leigh on Sea is typical of many schools that were looking to provide new accommodation quickly and cost-effectively for the influx of children. Their solution was a single‑storey, low‑maintenance modular building established to provide two classrooms, a foyer and toilets for their year three pupils.

Both the teachers and the eight year‑olds were all delighted with their new accommodation which is warm, bright and contemporary combining functionality with sublimely clean detailing.

With the UK experiencing the largest increase in demand for primary school places since the 1950s, it is estimated that in the next two years, 250,000 E

Design & Build

Sponsored by

About the MPBA The Modular & Portable Building Association (MPBA) has worked closely with dedicated business professionals since 1938. MPBA is highly recognised in the UK as the main voice representing and promoting the use of temporary or permanent modular buildings.

The unique aspect of MPBA is its extensive knowledge about the modular and portable building industry.

MPBA is the single recognised voice for promoting and marketing all members and associate members high-quality products and services.

Through the associations excellent reputation we have acquired members who specialise in all types of modular building applications. The modular and portable industry as a whole is worth billions of pounds, so in order for your company to be at the top level of the industry it is essential to stay competitive.

Modular construction radically reduces disruption to teaching and time on-site

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MODULAR CONSTRUCTION  new places will be needed in primary schools – 37 per cent in London alone.

Darlinghurst is a typical example of a school that needed urgent additional classroom accommodation. Portable accommodation or modular buildings offer an ideal turn‑key solution to new build needs with fast turnarounds of just six to eight weeks.

Another example of a school that has taken the modular approach is Selworthy, a co-educational special school for children and young people with learning disabilities aged 4-19. Special features in this building included a ceiling track for hoists for the physically disabled. The exterior cladding will be fire protected Siberian larch in a tongue and groove finish.

THE CAPITAL’S MODULAR APPROACH Albion Primary School in Southwark was completed in August and has welcomed its first pupils at the beginning of this term.

The classroom sits directly above a London Underground tunnel, which presented some challenges for the team. It had to submit foundation plans to Transport for London to ensure the loadings didn’t compromise their underground structure and that any vibrations emanating from the tunnel wouldn’t affect the classroom. The design was eventually approved, and even though the delay affected the programme initially, this

was overcome and the building is now in use and looks great.

The second project is a new building for Dog Kennel Primary School in East Dulwich and it is just a month away from completion.

The old building was demolished and removed, and extensive ground works have been undertaken, including ground reduction, building an 80 metre retaining wall, putting in new drainage, and duct work.

Large amphitheatre steps are currently in production, linking the existing nursery playground to the new facility. When this has been completed a large multi-coloured canopy will be erected spanning the front elevation of the new building and the adjacent building. It has been designed to highlight the aesthetic qualities of the finished classroom building which, when complete, will have a black render combined with thermowood cladding external finish.

Throughout the project, the design team has been in constant dialogue with the client and the school governors, who have been very involved in developing the design and making regular changes to the external package.

Design & Build

Sponsored by

A third school within the London Borough of Southwark that is adding a modular construction is the Charles Dickens Primary School.

The project is awaiting secondary planning approval which is due shortly.

The modular building that will be added to the school is a double modular classroom which will be clad with horizontal site-fixed cedar cladding, featuring a large decking area and a canopy clad with a green ‘sedum’ roof.

Interestingly, during excavations the archaeology team found the remains of medieval chalk footings. Southwark Planners required an archaeologist to be appointed to keep a watching brief on the excavations and report on any archaeological findings as the site is in an archaeological ‘hot spot’, going back to Neolithic times. L

r Modula s buildingdeal i offer anolution to s turn-keyd needs with il new bu urnarounds fast t st six to of ju eeks eight w

Details provided by Portable Offices and Danzer Limited FURTHER INFORMATION www.mpba.biz

Design and construction consultancy – creative minds: practical people The rpa:group is a leading design and construction consultancy, with a skill set spanning architecture, interior design, graphic design and project management.

The company knows education is not just about the physical design and facilities a new structure provides, but that it should create a focal point around which everybody can coalesce and get the best out of each other. The design philosophy of its chartered CIAT architecture practice ensures that the company delivers the best possible spaces for an inspiring teaching experience, backed up by its in depth knowledge of the legislation and design criteria that enables the creation of both new build and renovation projects.

Projects are substantiated by an ISO 9001, ensuring that quality management systems are adhered to. The rpa:group’s knowledge of legislation and

industry practices is universally trusted and it has the most current understanding of legislative change, through its partnerships with leading approved inspectors.

The rpa:group endorses the need for environmental change, energy efficiency and waste management and is passionate about the discovery of new technology and methodologies.

Its experienced team of construction specialists ensure that projects are carried out on time and within budget.

To view examples of rpa:group’s work and for further information, visit the website.

FURTHER INFORMATION Tel: 01784 256 579 www.therpagroup.com

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www.educationbusinessuk.net – THE BUSINESS MAGAZINE FOR EDUCATION

THE EDUCATION ARCHITECT

RIBA AWARD-WINNING JESMOND GARDENS PRIMARY SCHOOL

With extensive experience of designing excellent teaching and learning facilities for primary, secondary and tertiary education, ADP is the education architect.

WIN AN iPAD MINI! Come and hear Charles Greenall, our School Sector Leader, speak at Education Estates on the best classroom design. Visit our stand, A30, to talk to us about your estate (and you can enter our competition to win an iPad Mini!).

Putting our client’s needs at the centre of every project makes us stand out. If you need to do more with less, we can help you with funding bids and are experts in our ‘refresh, remodel, reuse’ approach. Similarly, we can design learning environments in line with the latest educational pedagogies, such as transformational learning and collaborative interdisciplinary working.

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EDUCATION BUSINESS MAGAZINE | Volume 18.6

FACILITIES MANAGEMENT

A BRAND NEW OUTLOOK FOR EDUCATION: DESIGN, MAINTENANCE AND BUILDING

Education Estates 2013

THE BUSINESS MAGAZINE FOR EDUCATION – www.educationbusinessuk.net

Improving the UK’s education facilities is the focus of Education Estates, on 26-27 November, Manchester Central, with speakers and an exhibition from over 100 manufacturers and suppliers Education Estates is a new event that focuses on the complex and challenging issues facing those designing, building, maintaining and managing Britain’s schools, colleges and universities. With a two-day conference and exhibition, the event will bring together architects, contractors, consultants, LEAs and estates and facilities managers, as well as governors and practitioners from the primary, secondary and tertiary sectors. The best part?

It’s completely free of charge to attend.

Education Estates (26-27 November, Manchester Central) is two full days of complimentary conference content from 40+ speakers and an exhibition featuring products and services from around 100 manufacturers and suppliers. Conference content will be delivered on the exhibition floor to encourage exhibitors and delegates to focus their discussions on the key issues in the sector.

The strapline for Education Estates is ‘Improving the UK’s education facilities’, a focus that event organiser Step Exhibitions hopes will be adopted by visitors and exhibitors alike during the event.

Education Estates event director James Lee said: “For the last 11 years, Step has organised Healthcare Estates, widely considered ‘the’ event for the built environment in the healthcare sector and annually sees over 2,500 key personnel attend. A number of our healthcare clients operate within the education sector and have said that there was a big gap in the UK events’ calendar for an estates and facilities-based event in education.

“Straight away we identified that we needed key aspects of Education Estates to set it aside from these ‘samey’ one-day conferences that exist in this market. That’s why the conference is free to attend for all attendees, with over 40 leading experts sharing their views and expertise,” continued James Lee. “The whole education sector is covered at the event from primary schools through to universities, and both the conference and exhibition will take place in one hall. We encourage the education sector to support the inaugural event and help make it a success with us.”

This year’s event benefits from the support of key organisations such as National Governors’ Association, Secured by Design, BRE, Carbon and Energy Fund, Construction Industry Council,

Education Construction Network, FASNA (Freedom and Autonomy for Schools – National Association) and The Energy Consortium.

These key supporters are contributing to the conference programme and taking part in the exhibition while, most importantly, bringing their members to the event delivering a broad range of expertise in the process.

CONFERENCE The Education Estates Conference is a unique forum for professionals from across the education spectrum. The content is arranged in primary, secondary and tertiary streams, providing complete coverage of education facilities issues and practice. Guests can choose sessions from any stream over the two days.

John Nangle, crown commercial lead for energy, Cabinet Office and Clive Nattrass, CEO, Carbon and Energy Fund – ‘Vision for Energy Improvement Across the Public Sector.’

Rachel Stephenson, deputy director, PSBP, Education Funding Agency and Mairi Johnson, head of design, Education Funding Agency – ‘Delivery of the Priority School Building Programme.’

David Yearly, head of Play Safety, The Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents – ‘Security and Safety.’

Alan McInnes, general manager, ACPO Secured by Design – ‘Security and Safety.’

Mike Green, director of Capital, Education Funding Agency – ‘Education Funding Agency update.’

Featuring case studies, exemplar projects and lectures, with speakers from all parts of the education sector, including estates and facilities directors, governors and practitioners – and colleagues from the NHS and local government The programme features case studies, exemplar projects and lectures, with speakers drawn from all parts of the education sector, including estates and facilities directors, governors and practitioners. Education Estates is delighted to welcome colleagues from the NHS and local government, with invaluable experiences and insights that all involved in education facilities can learn from. Some of the key topics being discussed and debated in the conference include: funding, Building Information Modelling (BIM), safeguarding, sustainability, energy, design & build, PSBP, classroom design, pupil safety, maintenance and more.

Keynote speakers and sessions at the event include: Tom Clark CBE, chairman, FASNA and Joan Binder, vice chair, FASNA – ‘The future is Not What it Used to be – a Paradigm Shift?’

David Philp, head of BIM, UK BIM Task Group, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills – ‘Implementation of BIM in the Education Sector.’

Andrew Link, commercial manager, Construction Industry Council – ‘Why Having a “Quality” Aspiration Matters.’

William Simmonds, chief executive, The National Association of School Business Management – ‘The Changing Role of the School Business Manager.’

TACKLING KEY ISSUES IN CONFERENCE The government has currently pledged around £4 billion to create new school places and renovate and repair existing school buildings but, in times of austerity, delivering value for money is critical. What’s more, as well as fulfilling current needs, facilities must be able to adapt over the next few years as teaching and learning methods evolve and the demand for primary school places increases.

Britain’s educational facilities are under pressure as never before. Figures suggest that half of England’s school areas will have more primary pupils than places within the next two years, according to the Local Government Association. Some local areas will face a 20 per cent shortfall in places by 2015, according to analysis of official data from 2012 (source: www.bbc.co.uk). E

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FACILITIES MANAGEMENT  Speaking on this issue at Education Estates is Professor John Howson from the Department for Education at University of Oxford who will speak about ‘The School Population: the Challenges of Change’.

Professor Howson has spent a lifetime in education as a teacher, lecturer, government adviser, businessman, commentator, and, since May, a Lib Dem County Councillor in Oxfordshire. He holds a visiting professorship at Oxford Brookes University and a visiting Senior Research Fellowship at the University of Oxford’s Department of Education.

Professor Howson runs dataforeducation.info and he has monitored trends in education for the past 20 years, including both teacher supply and pupil numbers. He has given evidence to a number of Select Committee inquiries and, in addition to his work in education, he is also a vice president of the Magistrates’ Association.

Also speaking at Education Estates is Rachel Stephenson, the programme director for the government’s £2.4 billion Priority School Building Programme (PSBP). The PSBP is a centrally managed programme set up to address the condition needs of the schools most in need of urgent repair. Through the programme, 261 schools will be rebuilt or have their condition needs met. Rachel has worked in the education sector for 13 years. She is an experienced multi-disciplinary programme and project manager who has managed teams of professionals delivering the Free Schools, Building Schools for the Future, academies programmes and group school Private Finance Initiative projects.

Delegates will also hear from Mike Green, director of capital for the Education Funding Agency. Mike will be delivering a keynote address on day two: ‘Education Funding Agency Update’. Mike joined the Education Funding Agency (EFA), an executive agency of the Department for Education, in April 2012. The Capital Directorate, one of four directorates within the EFA, is responsible for managing the delivery of capital programmes, including the Priority School Building Programme and the Property Data Survey Programme.

IMPLEMENTATION OF BIM IN THE EDUCATION SECTOR One of the keynote speakers at the conference is David Philp, head of BIM for the UK BIM Task Group. David is delivering a keynote address at the conference on the subject of the ‘Implementation of BIM in the Education Sector’. The Building Information Modelling (BIM) Task Group are supporting and helping deliver the objectives of the Government Construction Strategy and the requirement to strengthen the public sector’s capability in BIM implementation with the aim that all central government departments will be adopting, as a minimum, collaborative Level 2 BIM by 2016.

Essentially, the UK government has embarked on a four-year programme for sector modernisation with the key objective of reducing capital cost and the carbon burden from the construction and operation of the built environment by 20 per cent.

Central to these ambitions is the adoption of information rich Building Information Modelling technologies, process and collaborative behaviours that will unlock new more efficient ways of working at all stages of the project life cycle.

In addition to David’s keynote address, there is a session titled: ‘Delivering Value Through BIM’ on the 27 November, which will be delivered by Dale Sinclair (RIBA and director of Dyer Associates), Rob Charlton (chief executive of Space Group) and Alison Watson (founding director of Class of Your Own). Dale Sinclair is also the editor of the new RIBA Plan of Work, published this year, and he will be incorporating this into his presentation.

SHOWCASING RECENT PROJECTS One of the key features on the exhibition floor is the ‘Project Gallery’, which features a select group of architects, consultants and contractors who will showcase recent education projects to attendees and demonstrate their expertise.

This area is open to all to view and the organisations that are currently confirmed include: ADP, Construction Industry Council, Education Construction Network, Morgan Sindall, Stantec and others.

Here is just some of what exhibitors have to say about the event: “The GI Energy team will be showcasing our diverse offering of sustainability solutions, building on our proven track record in the ground source heat pump and energy service company space. Our track record in delivering solutions to the education sector is second to none.

We find that the clear focus of Education Estates gives us far better value for money and fits our strategic aims more closely than the usual generic and expensive shows.” Chris Davidson, development director, GI Energy “We’re delighted to support the Education Estates exhibition as a founder exhibitor. Having assisted clients in the education sector with their car parking needs for nearly two decades, finding suitable events that consistently bring together all facets of estates and facilities management has not been possible – until now. Balancing the parking needs of all stakeholders with the demands for campus development and site safety is a challenge common to all estates professionals within the education sector. We’re very much looking forward to working closely with the organisers to help deliver an event with real value to both visitors and exhibitors.” David Peach, managing director, Workflow Dynamics/The Parking Shop L

Education Estates 2013

THE BUSINESS MAGAZINE FOR EDUCATION – www.educationbusinessuk.net

FURTHER INFORMATION Places are limited. To register for your complimentary conference and exhibition pass, visit www.educationestates.com.

EXHIBITION The exhibition at Education Estates will provide a unique opportunity for visitors to meet suppliers, view products, make contacts and find solutions for current and future challenges. The conference will be delivered from theatres across the exhibition floor, so there are plenty of opportunities to meet exhibitors and view products between sessions.

Current exhibitors include: British Gypsum, Kemper, Trend Control Systems, Total Hygiene, Vital Energi, Stantec, WestCountry Interiors, GI Energy, Sebo, Workflow Dynamics/The Parking Shop, P4, Buchan Concrete, NGS, ADP, ENER-G, Britplas, Direct Access, Gratnells and more.

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HEALTH & SAFETY

Since being raised in two reports in 2010, both showing a massive gap in the compliance of asbestos management in schools, there is a need for a national audit into the extent, type and condition of the massive health implications for children, teachers and support staff A report published by the Health & Safety Executive (HSE) in 2010 on system-built schools highlighted that significant numbers of schools are not managing their asbestos effectively.

Several of the schools required further clarification following the issuing of the questionnaire: 10 failed to respond, 13 provided partial or incomplete responses and 19 were contacted for verification inspections to determine levels of compliance with the law.

Only a handful of responses were received from the 95 expected from the dioceses.

Meanwhile, no attempt was made to assess compliance in Scotland, Ireland or Wales or within independent schools.

ACTION NEEDED The responses from 42 local authorities were such that they required an inspection by HSE inspectors. Action was needed to improve arrangements for managing asbestos in 10 authorities. Enforcement notices were issued requiring improvements to asbestos management arrangements and further advice was given to the other 32 authorities on actions to enhance their systems for managing asbestos, or to ensure these systems remained effective in future.

There were 110 local authorities that were not visited as their questionnaire responses were accepted by the HSE and The Department for Education (DfE) as sufficient proof that they were achieving the required standards.

Of those authorities that were visited, failures were identified in asbestos awareness and training, a lack of knowledge of their school stock and what types of school buildings were

at risk, flaws in asbestos surveys and a failure to implement the recommended measures.

In a number of authorities, poor standards of asbestos management plans were identified. Two local authorities had failed to identify those schools at risk and had failed to seal any cracks to prevent the release of asbestos fibres – some four years after guidance was first issued.

SIMILAR FLAWS The findings are no surprise to the Asbestos Testing and Consultancy (ATaC), which published a report in February 2010 highlighting very similar flaws of asbestos management in a sample of schools.

The ATaC members have confirmed they find similar cases everyday in schools across the country. This has now been highlighted in both reports that there is a problem.

The chairman of ATaC previously stated: “These are not minor problems that have crept in over recent years; rather they are fundamental problems that are endemic in schools in the UK.” The worrying thing about the HSE report is that it has asked local authorities to complete questionnaires exclusively regarding system-built schools with asbestos cladding on steel girders of a similar design to CLASP, whereas the ATaC report was not exclusive to building type and highlighted problems within various school building types.

LOCAL AUTHORITIES’ CONCERNS It is also apparent that some of the local authorities who completed the questionnaire

also have concerns over the HSE questionnaire as one commented in their response: “As per my previous email, I’m concerned about the quality of this questionnaire and the potential for misinterpretation when the contents are analysed. It does not show the full picture of asbestos management and only concentrates on a very small area. The questions are confusing and potentially misleading (far too open to interpretation).” E

Written by Steve Sadley, chief executive, Asbestos Removal Contractors Association (ARCA)

IS YOUR SCHOOL MANAGING ASBESTOS EFFECTIVELY?

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Asbestos Management

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King Edward’s School’s dulcet tones on song with a new performing arts centre after demolition of its sports hall When it comes to attracting the private education pound, any board of governors that discounts the influencing factor of a high-quality performing arts centre may lose a potential parent to King Edward’s School in Birmingham.

King Edward’s School opened its new £6m facility in 2011 providing a state of the art platform for the performing arts curriculum.

Before site work started, the main contractor Shaylor Group appointed Compliance Surveys to produce the essential asbestos demolition survey report.

Compliance Surveys’ managing director Adam Grundy had this to say about the project: “The majority of this educational establishment was built in the early 1900s when the use of asbestos in construction materials was common place.

“New HSE guidelines were introduced in 2010 to ensure that the first stage of any demolition or refurbishment project must include a fully intrusive asbestos survey. This is only common sense, as the construction team must be fully aware of what they will encounter during the course of the work.

All asbestos-containing material must be identified for type and quantity.”

Adam Grundy continued: “As specialist building surveyors, regulated by the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors, we started producing asbestos survey reports in 2003 when the original asbestos regulations were introduced. Our surveys are undertaken and our reports are written with two definite aims, not only to identify the asbestoscontaining material, but also to describe the other materials used in the construction; this gives the contractors confidence about the safety of their working environment.

“Compliance Surveys was originally appointed by King Edward’s School in 2009 to ensure the whole site was compliant with the Control of Asbestos at Work Regulations. At that time, we had no idea what a phenomenal investment was about to be made in the future education of the 1,200 pupils.

“Shaylor Group then appointed us to survey and advise on the demolition of the old sports hall to make way for the new performing arts centre. This was the start of an integrated working relationship that continues with the upgrading of the science block.”

Adam Grundy commented: “Compliance Surveys is proud to have built a team, that operates nationally, to a level of excellence that allows us to work on prestigious projects, with solid professional construction plc’s, like Shaylor Group.

“It’s also good to think we had a small hand in providing a facility that may inspire a future musician or thespian to greatness.”

FURTHER INFORMATION Tel: 01159 414959 www.compliancesurveys.co.uk

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HEALTH & SAFETY What is asbestos and mesothelioma?

Asbestos is an insulating material that is heat and fire resistant. In the past, asbestos was used widely in the building industry, ship-building industry, manufacture of household appliances, motor industry, power stations and telephone exchanges. Asbestos was widely used in the years after the war (1945 onwards).

There are three main types of asbestos: blue, brown and white. Blue and brown are strongly linked with mesothelioma. The use of all asbestos in the UK was banned in 1999.

Mesothelioma is an incurable asbestos cancer, which may not develop until 15-60 years after being exposed to asbestos, which is why there has been an increase in cases in recent years. The number of people dying from mesothelioma each year is expected to peak around 2016 and then start to go down.

Asbestos remains Britain’s biggest workplace killer. More people die from asbestos-related disease each year than on Britain’s road.

The outlook for mesothelioma is poor due to it usually being diagnosed when it is at an advanced stage. Most people with mesothelioma will die within three years of being diagnosed.  Another of the local authorities expressed its concern that the problems identified in the guidance had greatly increased the burden of asbestos management in these schools, and it raised the important issue of communicating the scale of the problem to staff.

“There is an emerging picture about the possible additional risks that may be associated with asbestos incorporated into system-built schools. Managing the risk of disturbing asbestos concealed behind column casings or asbestos fibres lying on top of ceiling tiles presents both practical issues (you cannot practically seal a lay in grid ceiling) and communication issues, where staff perception of high-risk buildings may lead to anxiety or even industrial action,” said a spokesman.

“Any work at all in ceiling voids in these buildings may be rendered impossible unless spaces below are sealed off and work required is treated as if a full asbestos strip is in progress. The measures implied in this return propose a much more intense regime of management and inspection than would have been deemed compliant and proportionate only a few months ago. Communicating this two-tier regime to schools will have to be handled with great sensitivity.

Implications also emerge for a wholesale asbestos strip in all of these buildings, with the attendant impact on funding.”

NEED FOR A NATIONAL AUDIT Both reports have highlighted the need for a national audit of the extent, type and condition of asbestos and also the need for an audit of the standards of asbestos management in all schools at ground level as this is where the problems have been highlighted.

Asbestos management is a major issue with, potentially, massive health implications for children, teachers and support staff.

Both of the reports show there is a massive gap with the compliance for asbestos management in schools. There is further pressure on the government to assess the risk of asbestos in schools following the decision of the Supreme Court in the combined appeals of Sienkiewicz v Greif (UK) Ltd and Willmore v Knowsley MBC on 9 March 2011.

The appeals concerned claims for damages for mesothelioma where the claimants had some occupational exposure to asbestos (Mrs Sienkiewicz) or exposure when a pupil at Bowring Comprehensive School (Mrs Willmore). In both cases, the defendants argued that this

exposure was slight compared to the exposure to asbestos in the general atmosphere where the two women lived. They argued that the probable cause (of their mesothelioma) was the environmental exposure.

Mrs Willmore died of mesothelioma in 2009, aged 49 years. She had earlier been awarded £240,000 by the High Court as compensation for her illness from the council. The Court heard evidence that Mrs Willmore was exposed to amosite asbestos as a result of removal work in a corridor she used, also as a result of broken asbestos ceiling tiles present in the school. Mrs Willmore had originally alleged she was occupationally exposed to asbestos when employed at the Army and Navy Stores in Liverpool. She later amended her case to allege that the relevant exposure occurred when she was a pupil at school.

The High Court found that Mrs Willmore had “significant” exposure to asbestos while at school and the council appealed this finding.

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SPECIAL RULES The Supreme Court dismissed both appeals, holding that the exposure in both cases was material and not insignificant.

It was acknowledged that the courts have developed special rules for dealing with mesothelioma claims in view of the difficulties that a claimant will face, in a claim involving multiple employers, in identifying which employer is responsible for his injury.

As well as highlighting the issue of asbestos in schools, the decision of the Supreme Court confirms that employers and others who have wrongfully exposed mesothelioma claimants to asbestos fibres, other than at a minimal level, will be wholly liable for the damage even if there was another source of exposure. L FURTHER INFORMATION www.arca.org.uk

AAR has been involved in asbestos operations from the outset of the removal industry. Trading since 1982, we are a licensed asbestos removal company. We operate a quality management system and are accredited to ISO 9001. We are full members of the asbestos contractors associations ARCA and ACAD. We are registered with Constructionline and have achieved CHAS accreditation.

AAR has an active safety culture. We have in place a Safety Management System which is kept up to date in house with assistance from our Technical & Safety Advisors holding the NEBOSH General Certificate.

As well as carrying out asbestos removal, we also undertake surveys of buildings to determine the locations and quantities of suspect material. This will include the taking of bulk samples for laboratory analysis and a full report giving recommendations for removal and/or encapsulation.

Telephone: 01923 260043 email: nicky@aar.co.uk www.aar.co.uk

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SUSTAINABILITY

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AN EDUCATION IN ENERGY By cutting out waste and promoting energy efficiency, schools are able to make financial savings that can be better invested elsewhere. And while pupils and teachers’ attention is turned towards environmental sustainability, the next generation of energy professionals could well be born are collectively capable of saving £76 million a year and cutting their carbon emissions by 675,000 tonnes per year. That is enough money to employ around 2,000 extra teachers and the equivalent carbon saved to heat and power 111,000 homes.

GUARANTEED COST SAVINGS One way that the sector can cut energy use and safeguard itself from future price rises is by using an Energy Performance Contract (EPC). This overcomes the need for upfront capital investment and is an innovative way of bringing about change and reducing risk. An Energy Performance Contract works by finding an Energy Services Company that believes it can cover the costs of energy efficiency measures through the savings on bills that they can deliver.

Energy Performance Contracts provides guaranteed cost savings. If these cost

savings are not delivered then the Energy Services Company makes up the difference.

Effective EPCs are a great way to reduce risk and deliver long-term savings.

It is not just changing the infrastructure of buildings that can deliver significant energy savings. Changing the behaviour and routines of students is also important.

For example Mayfield School in Greenwich cut their energy use by 12 per cent saving over £3,500 per year. These savings came from a student Action Team with no investment needed by the school. The team took responsibility for turning switches off, creating communications for the rest of the school and setting up screen savers on computer monitors to remind people to switch off.

The g changin UK of nature ot just a is n energy f rising prices threat o provides an it also nity for the opportution sector educa xplore to e

Written by Trewin Restorick, founder and senior partner, Global Action Plan

Energy has soared to the top of the political agenda. Ed Miliband’s conference speech announcing his intention to freeze energy bills has highlighted the impact of ever rising fuel prices and created a political football of the UK’s energy policy.

Why is this important to the education sector? At the most basic level the sector should plan for rising energy costs in the future whatever political party is in power. The stark reality is that our energy infrastructure is old, creaky and needs replacing. Around 30 per cent of our generating power will be closed over the next 10-15 years. Ageing nuclear power stations and coal power plants need to be replaced by lower carbon forms of power. These new sources of power plus the infrastructure to support them will cost money that will inevitably end up on our bills.

The government is hoping that shale gas will be the cavalry coming over the hill to fend off these rising prices much as it has in the US. But for a whole host of reasons this is unlikely to be the scenario in the UK and we will be forced to rely on imported gas whose price trajectory is upwards.

By cutting out waste and promoting efficiency schools across England

ENHANCING THE CURRICULUM In addition to the financial savings, teachers have told us that environmental sustainability E

Students learn about energy on Global Action Plan’s Energy Bike at an event celebrating a corporate volunteering partnership with Aviva

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SUSTAINABILITY

Mayfield School in Greenwich cut their energy use by 12 per cent saving over £3,500 per year.

These savings came from a student Action Team with actions such as turning switches off, creating communications for the rest of the school and setting up screen savers on computer monitors to remind people to switch off  has helped to enrich the curriculum by providing different learning opportunities for students struggling with conventional classroom activities. The Work Related Learning Manager at Cardinal Wiseman School in the London Borough of Ealing said that looking at environmental issues had enable students to “understand the wider world and what’s happening. They want to do something. Looking at energy in the school means they are not shackled by academia and it gives them a voice.”

This wider connectivity and understanding will be particularly important in the future. The changing nature of energy in the UK is not just about a threat of rising prices it also provides an opportunity for the education sector to explore.

Changing our energy infrastructure will create

a demand for new skills and provide new job opportunities. Even during the recent recession, the ‘green’ economy has grown in real terms and is expected to employ close to a million people in the next few years. Many of these jobs will be in the energy sector and will provide employment opportunities for young people.

FUTURE ENERGY PROFESSIONALS The energy companies that Global Action Plan talks to on a regular basis are already highly concerned about the forthcoming skills gap and question whether our education system is alert to the need to provide young people with the skills that will be required in a de-carbonised economy.

These concerns are already coming to fruition.

Energy companies are reporting a shortage

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of people with the skills needed to insulate our homes, install the smart meters that are planned to be in every UK home and build a new generation of nuclear power stations.

Education programmes in schools can help make students aware of these opportunities and get them excited about a career in the new low carbon economy. For example, we have seen a massively positive reaction from students when a school has incorporated smart energy meters into their curriculum activities. Students have used the smart meters to see how much renewable energy the school is generating, to gain an understanding about the surges in energy demand during peak periods and to measure the amount of energy being used when the school is closed for business.

Based on this evidence one school decided to re-arrange its’ out of school activities so that it only had to heat and light one part of the school buildings rather than the whole site saving a considerable amount of money and carbon. This highly practical example shows that by taking a keener interest in energy use schools can save money, reduce carbon and create a group of more engaged and motivated students who will have the skill sets required in a new economy. L FURTHER INFORMATION www.globalactionplan.org.uk

Do you have the energy to lower your costs?

Multi-disciplinary Walker Morris could help Energy bills can form a substantial part of an education institution’s cost base and, with these costs only set to rise in the future, it is ever more important to reduce those bills wherever possible.

Reduction can be achieved in a number of ways, whether using on-site generation (such as solar or wind) or implementing energy efficiency measures. However, one additional way to reduce cost, which is often overlooked by those in the sector, is intelligent purchasing of gas and electricity.

Intelligent purchasing need not be anything sophisticated. At its simplest, it means knowing what you currently pay for your energy on a unit-by-unit basis, what your current total annual spend is and negotiating the best deal available deal.

Alternatively, institutions could come together and form a loose-buying collective, with the combined energy consumption being purchased from one supplier giving better pricing options through economies of scale and larger buying power. The contract with the supplier could be entered into by all parties jointly, one party on behalf of the others, or each party separately. The parties should plan how to share the cost and risk between them, for example, if one buyer did

not take as much energy as it had promised to do, does it bear any additional costs that arise or are they shared amongst all of the buyers?

Thirdly, a more formal energy services company (ESCo) may be an option. This would be an incorporated company, partnership or trust, owned by a number of stakeholders (being the institutions that would be using the ESCo to buy energy on their behalf). The ESCo would then enter into the contract with the energy supplier, procuring energy in bulk on behalf of all its stakeholders.

This approach will allow stakeholders to take advantage of the strengths of the group while being flexible and being able to smooth out any under- or overconsumption on the part of individual

stakeholders. This third approach will require the obligations of the stakeholders and the ESCo to be thought through and well documented, with risks and liabilities appropriately allocated.

In any of the scenarios, the contract with the energy supplier needs to be reviewed in detail so that all risks are understood.

For further advice on energy efficient solutions, risk and contract negotiation, contact Adam Davidson, director at national law firm Walker Morris LLP. FURTHER INFORMATION Tel: 0113 283 4477 adam.davidson@walkermorris.co.uk www.walkermorris.co.uk

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RENEWABLE ENERGY

ICT EQUIPMENT, LIGHTING & AIR-CONDITIONING POWERED

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British manufacturer Solar Ready Ltd has invented an energy management system that utilises renewable energy to directly power ICT in the classroom and therefore eliminate electricity bills

Solar Ready Ltd is an award-winning business at the forefront of developing technologies that can successfully store and distribute energy to a wide range of applications, including ICT, lighting and air-conditioning.

MISSION Solar Ready believes in working with and for the environment so it’s important that the earth’s resources are used wisely. Its technology harnesses the potential of solar, wind and water and pushes the boundaries of efficiency in the process of capturing, storing, distributing, using and reclaiming energy. The company focuses on reducing the energy consumption of power-hungry equipment, such as computers, lighting, heating and copier-printers.

CAPTURING AND STORING Modern technology used to capture renewable energy has become efficient and cost-effective, especially for solar energy. Solar cells no longer have to be deployed in bright sunlight in order to capture sufficient energy to be practically useful. With Solar Ready’s solutions, as few as six solar panels deployed for one classroom can capture sufficient energy to provide power for IT equipment and LED lighting.

Once captured, the energy is stored in ‘power banks’ prior to distribution. This is typical of any solution capturing solar energy for day and night use; the benefit of Solar Ready’s system is that it manufactures the controllers that capture the energy and optimises them for its way of delivering power. The company also makes power storage modules that store energy locally, creating higher efficiencies.

DISTRIBUTING AND UTILISING The challenge has always been how to distribute the stored DC electrical energy efficiently. Traditionally, this has been done by converting the DC electrical energy into AC as this can be distributed over longer

distances, and then converting it back to DC to be used by your laptop. However, this process is inefficient and a lot of energy is wasted, so the energy you have captured and stored won’t last long.

Solar Ready has developed technology to distribute DC electrical energy over distance so all the servers and desktop devices in its solutions are powered by DC power. Not only does this do away with the need for any conversion into AC power, but more of the energy you have captured and stored can be used to provide power during dark hours. The DC power is distributed safely and efficiently through the company’s purpose built data power switch, using standard Cat 5 cables.

Solar Ready’s Intel Xeon servers and Intel fat client desktop devices differ to those that you may have used before: they are powered by DC electrical power rather than mains electricity using a unique intelligent DC power supply.

In addition, its servers and client devices have been designed to use less power and to use what little power they need more efficiently.

FLEXIBLE SOLUTIONS The company’s award-winning solutions challenge conventional thinking and use unique and innovative technology to operate completely ‘off-grid’ but, for additional peace

sources, they’re also ideal for organisations that have unreliable or no access to mains electricity, as well as those who want to reduce or eliminate their electricity bills.

Solar Ready’s Intel-based computer solutions are modular, scalable and flexible, running the latest operating systems and applications and can be tailored to any workspace or ICT suite. All the company’s servers are powered directly by DC electrical power and because its purpose-built data power switch delivers DC power in the range 12V-24V, you can also power laptops, notebooks and tablets from a universal DC plug or USB-charging PoE cable.

STRONG PARTNERSHIPS Solar Ready’s solutions are built upon the collaborative relationships it has nurtured with key partners such as Intel, LG Electronics, i-desk Solutions, Eurosimm and Ambit Technology. It has created DC PoE-powered monitors and digital signage systems in partnership with LG Electronics and is working with Intel, LG and i-desk to create an off-grid solar-powered educational hub containing Intel Xeon servers, Intel i3 computers, full LG air-conditioning and integrated desks with solar-powered charging options, that will also provide mobile communications connectivity.

Because all the company’s solutions are designed to use renewable energy sources, they are also ideal for organisations that have unreliable or no access to mains electricity, as well as those who want to reduce or eliminate their electricity bills of mind, it offers AC mains back-up that can kick-in after midnight to recharge the battery from cheaper mains power. Solar Ready has developed each of the system components to maximise power efficiency and then distribute DC power directly to each of them, doing away with the need for wasteful power inverters and enabling its solar-powered solutions to operate both in daylight and dark hours. Because all of the company’s solutions are designed to use renewable energy

Eurosimm and Ambit are key partners for its solar-powered classroom and IT distribution in Africa and Solar Ready is working with Eurosimm to provide self-contained, mobile, secure ICT suites for deployment in disaster areas and harsh or remote environments with poor or no power infrastructure. L FURTHER INFORMATION Tel: +44 (0) 118 973 9706 www.solar-ready.co.uk

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SAFETY MEASURES

James Kelly, chief executive of the British Security Industry Association (BSIA), discusses the benefits of employing security officers, and other private security measures, within schools DAY-TO-DAY ACTIVITIES Uniformed officers are also a natural focal point for visitors with enquiries. A security team can be useful in this respect, helping to redirect enquiries away from the busy school reception area. Allowing staff to focus on their responsibilities towards pupils’ learning and safety, while officers take care of supplementary but essential activities associated with the smooth-running of the school.

In fact, security officers often build up positive rapports with staff and pupils; rather than being an unapproachable presence, they can interact positively with students, addressing any concerns sensitively and efficiently and helping to reinforce the essential values that a school or college is a safe and secure environment in which to learn.

Securityeal d officers nge of a with a r at school h issues tight not be staff m o handle: able t visitors, d uninvitence abuse substa arking and p When it comes to school security, having security guards on site are often seen as invaluable assets. For one thing, simply having a physical security presence in place at a school or college can prove useful in providing staff and pupils with a reliable first point of contact in case of an emergency.

In addition, security officers can also offer staff, pupils and their parents with the essential peace of mind that they are safe and protected from outside vulnerabilities within their educational establishment.

When deployed in schools, security officers are available to deal with a wide range of issues that schools’ staff may not be able to handle as effectively alone: from escorting uninvited visitors off the premises and helping to deter substance abuse among pupils to traffic and parking management for functions.

Schools and colleges can also be an attractive target for petty thieves looking for unattended equipment held on-site, therefore the impact of having a uniformed security officer as a deterrent against such offenses really cannot be ignored.

Written by James Kelly, chief executive, British Security Industry Association

A LESSON IN SECURITY: THE BENEFITS OF SECURITY GUARDING

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SECURITY GUARDING IN SCHOOLS Security guards have found their place in a wide range of educational establishments for a number of years, now. In fact, many prestige schools and colleges across York have been opting for manned security solutions to help deal with issues, such as petty theft or challenging behaviour, for as long as 16 years. During this time, the role of a security officer has evolved significantly: from standard security assurance to a more holistic support presence. But it has always been regarded as an essential aspect of site protection.

Developments within the provision of security-guarding solutions in schools include traditional porter duties, now increasingly being taken on by security teams, or the increase of security guarding provisions at particularly demanding times of the year.

ENFORCING A DRUG-FREE ENVIRONMENT A key function of security officers is to help deter substance abuse among pupils, helping to inspire a safe environment for students to learn within. As such, another interesting aspect of security that has seen a rise in recent years is the use of sniffer dogs within schools and colleges. Many educational establishments recognise the need to take a proactive stance in order to encourage a healthy, drug-free learning environment and sniffer dogs are seen as a beneficial way to help deter pupils from using drugs, E

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Belle and Milo with their handler, Barry Woodburn, Wj Iekj^ IjWĹźehZi^_h[ 9ebb[][

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SAFETY MEASURES  as well as raising awareness of the dangers and enforcing zero-tolerance policies.

South Staffordshire College recently made the decision to safeguard its learners and take action to enforce a zero-tolerance drug policy. The college’s learner journey manager, Ali Hanson, recognised the need for the wellbeing of learners by increasing awareness and understanding of substance misuse in the form of a bespoke multi-layered awareness programme, with the welfare of the learners as its focal point. To assist in this methodology, South Staffordshire College enlisted the help of BSIA-member Securitas.

The college has four main campuses in Tamworth, Lichfield, Cannock and Rodbaston.

Each month, Ali Hanson and specialist solutions manager Mark Lloyd, work in partnership with the local police force to undertake a number of controlled searches over the various college sites.

The searches take place in the learner classrooms by Securitas’ trained dog handler Barrie Woodburn and his trusted companion Milo. Prior to the searches, Ali talks through the process with the staff and learners, providing them with the opportunity to engage in conversation and, if necessary, discuss any concerns they may have.

IMPRESSIVE SUPPORT PROCESS If a learner is highlighted by the dog, they are asked to leave the room and are initially spoken to by the police in private. However, this does not signal an end to the learner’s time at college, but instead means the start of an impressive support process. This approach has meant that not one learner who has accessed the drug-related support has had to leave the college. Each learner is assigned a college mentor to talk to and, if necessary, can signpost them to external agencies, such as counselling or drug support agencies.

Over the academic year, the searches have provided a platform for the college to build a strong partnership with the police. The local neighbourhood policing units support the drug programme by incorporating many different methods, such as officers including the campus sites on their beat routes and the delivery

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Licensed security professionals guarantee a high level of service and quality, which is important considering the public-facing role of front line personnel, and the sensitivity required when dealing with students, pupils and parents of bespoke drug misuse education talks.

Discussing the programme, Ali commented: “We have a duty of care to safeguard our learners and provide a secure environment where they are able to learn. The service provides a support network that we hope will encourage healthy living and promote a drug‑free culture. It’s about working together to help address the needs of the young people.

It has been a huge success: one which we hope will continue to develop through 2013/14.”

Since the introduction of the searches, the college has seen a large number of success stories emerge from learners who have been highlighted by the Securitas drug detection team. Ali explains: “The service works, we have had 32 learners highlighted by the drugs dogs, and all 32 have been retained in college. Some have gone on to engage in drug intervention programmes, some have been part of the college mentoring programme and some have accessed counselling.”

Discussing the benefits of the drug detection team, Mark Lloyd said: “A well-trained team can search quickly and effectively with minimal disruption to the customer. This ‘stand-off’ method of screening is the least intrusive and can be tailored to the environment as per the customer’s needs. Securitas train our dogs to search for all major drug substances, working in partnership with our customers to provide a formidable crime deterrent.”

THE IMPORTANCE OF QUALITY The role of the private security industry has become increasingly more important over recent years, and the BSIA works hard to raise awareness around the importance of standards of quality and professionalism.

In 2001, the Private Security Industry Act was introduced, facilitating the creation of the Security Industry Authority (SIA), the government body responsible for managing the licensing process across the sector.

Ever since, the legal requirement for security officers to be licensed has had a significantly positive impact upon public perceptions of the UK’s private security industry, by reducing the freedom of criminal elements to operate in the sector, while providing tangible evidence of an individuals’ eligibility and suitability to provide a professional service.

Often, in-house security staff – those employed directly by schools rather than through a security provider – do not need to have a licence in order to operate, and may not offer a reputable service.

For schools and colleges, licensed security professionals guarantee a high level of service and quality, which is very important considering the public-facing role of front-line security personnel, and the sensitivity required when dealing with students, pupils and parents. For this reason, many people are often shocked to discover that the same licensing law that applies to contracted-out security guards does not apply to in-house security.

Therefore, not choosing a private security company could result in leaving staff, students and visitors more vulnerable and exposed to risk. In addition, contracted security also means that you are guaranteed cover, even if an officer is absent or sick, as the school can call upon the private security firm to provide replacements and sort out any staffing issues.

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www.educationbusinessuk.net – THE BUSINESS MAGAZINE FOR EDUCATION

You help others prepare for their future Let us help you prepare for yours Wesleyan for Teachers are specialists in financial planning for teachers.

Our Financial Consultants are experts in the Teachers’ Pension Scheme and are dedicated to working with their local schools to deliver important information about financial matters affecting teachers.

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You will also have the opportunity to ask questions or request a personal no-obligation meeting with your local Financial Consultant.

Whatever your future goals, a no-obligation, face to face meeting with your local Financial Consultant can help you make informed decisions.

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HEALTH & WELLBEING

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GETTING FIT AND HEALTHY FROM SCHOOL AGE

You’ve had the best part of a term to read up the excellent and long-promised Henry Dimbleby/John Vincent School Food Plan and welcome the political deal that will bring free school meals [FSM] highlighted in the plan to your schools next September. Simultaneously, you’ll also have had plenty of time to rue the day in 2003 when another political deal promised an Olympic sporting legacy for our schoolchildren on the back of London 2012.

In July, the House of Commons’ Education Committee could rue Tony Blair’s pledge no longer and showed his and successive governments a red card for kicking school sport around as a political football and ditching the opportunities thay would ensure that the pledge could be fulfilled. For as much that Westminster

giveth, Westminster also taketh away.

Regarding FSM, It is frankly amazing that so much negativity surrounded Nick Clegg’s “coalition“ announcement this September.

For the people who really know about the issue – and can prove the value of providing all schoolchildren with good food – the proposal to make it free for them is a no-brainer.

SUCCESS IN SOUTH LONDON Take, for instance, the case of Southwark, a London Borough which stretches from the trendy Thames Southbank, traverses some pretty impoverished South London communities and finishes up in the more leafy, well-heeled

environment of Dulwich. Southwark began its free meals service in 2010 and are already certain of the rewards from its business plan. Council Leader, Peter John, agreed in a letter to The Times that initially the proposal was not without controversy but, three years on, is now a policy widely supported by the parents and community. As elsewhere in the country, this means that rich kids’ meals are being subsidised by the E

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What is the government doing to tackle childhood obesity and improve the health of our youth, and is it enough, asks Tam Fry, honorary Chairman of the Child Growth Foundation and Spokesman for the National Obesity Forum

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HEALTH & WELLBEING

 ratepayer. But so what? Rich kids get their NHS services free at the point of delivery and no-one fusses about that.

Southwark’s policy removes a disincentive to work and puts money back into the pockets of families according to John.

“Parents have reported that their children now come home asking for healthy food and, simultaneously, parents are able to afford books, dance and other extracurricular activities for their children for the first time.

The money spend directly supports the local economy. This is a policy which helps all children but helps those children who are most disadvantaged most.” In the long run, the cost should be weighed against the benefits to children, their families and society.

EXTENDING THE PROVISION The School Food Plan, interestingly, appears not to reference Southwark in its pages but reflects similar positive FSM experiences in both London and English local authorities.

Though the government’s deal guarantees FSM only for the first three primary years, September’s Labour Party Conference in Manchester saw the launch of a Manifesto campaign to extend the provision to all six years in the event that Labour regains power in 2015. Could it just be that Michael Gove, finally persuaded that FSM for everyone is worth it, may also write that written into a Conservative Manifesto, too?

When it comes to Manifesto writing he would be well advised to listen to his Department’s Education watchdog and write provision for sustainable sports funding and daily school PE. His £300m short-term funding for primary schools to improve PE and sport, albeit ring-fenced, wasn’t nearly enough to impress the Education Committee which declared that “occasional pump‑priming “ is not enough. It added for good measure than the primary sport premium is inadequate. Gove might also take a look at the recommendation to the Welsh Assembly by the inspirational Olympian, Baroness Tanni

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Though the government’s deal guarantees free school meals for the first three primary years only, September’s Labour Party Conference in Manchester saw the launch of a Manifesto campaign to extend the provision to all six years in the event that Labour regains power in 2015 Grey-Thompson. She is convinced that PE should be given the same status as maths or English to tackle obesity and that all teachers should be required to demonstrate proficiency as part of their training. This would be partial compensation for the country’s dearth of qualified PE instructors and resonate with the Association of Independent Primary Schools.

This body has offered to train the state sector’s would-be PE staff and, coincidentally, welcome primary schools sharing nearby prep school facilities. Such munificence might stick in some headteachers’ craw but is made with genuine goodwill: the offer should be accepted.

If any further prompt to act were required, the December edition of the Journal of Sports Sciences should sort Gove out. A study in the journal it will confirm that society’s obsession with childhood obesity may be masking a “time bomb“ of sloth. Though it found that schools in Essex could show obesity levels falling from 13 per cent of 10 year-olds to eight per cent of 15 year-olds, it also found that the proportion of unfit children rocketed 15 per cent to 40 per cent respectively. The realisation that nearly half of our 15 years are unfit “frightened“ the researchers who feared worse to come when the children, having left school, will let exercise fall off their radar.

TESTING FITNESS LEVELS Fitness tests, more commonly known as “bleep tests“ because of the electronic bleeps that call time on participants racing between two fixed points, are audit measures that the

researchers recommend should be taken up in every school. The tests are a cheap and effective way of determining how healthy participants may be for their gender and size.

In brief, Gove should consider using them and amend the curriculum to ensure that a substantial element of the daily one hour of moderate to vigorous intensity activity that a child needs is achieved at school.

On current showing, an intolerable number of children haven’t a chance of achieving these exercise guidelines unless PE is timetabled within an extended school day.

Sir Liam Donaldson, a former Chief Medical Officer [CMOs] for England and the man who wrote the guidelines as long ago as 2005, is a fan of fitness tests and thinks that they should be comprehensive trialled.

Unbelievably, he first called for this in 2009 when the anticipated Olympic legacy was still a goer – but was roundly ignored in Whitehall.

From his new position as chair of health policy at London’s Imperial College he is repeating his recommendation and it would be nice if someone in the Department for Education listened to him four years later. Without the broad base of all children experiencing the joy and value of exercise from the earliest opportunity, Team GB may well be pushed to return from Rio with more than a couple of week’s memories of an Argentinian Summer. L FURTHER INFORMATION www.nationalobesityforum.org.uk www.childgrowthfoundation.org

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HEALTHY FOOD

Anne Bull, national chair of LACA, believes schools face a serious health crisis caused by bad diet with almost 20 per cent of children classed as obese by the time they leave primary school viable, the service needs to be at least 50-55 per cent otherwise it will need to be subsidised by either school budgets or local council funding.

Increasing take up requires a cultural change in school that has the support and commitment from the headteacher, the governing body and the leadership team in school. Food needs to be cooked that is nutritious, appetising and attractive to the pupils. It needs to be served and eaten in dining halls that have a calm and welcoming ambience.

Like any of us, young people also detest queuing and therefore there are ways to reduce the queuing times such as vending machines that have healthy options that are strategically positioned in the school.

There are ients legislation that applied 14 nutr d has to to school food. o o f l o o w h a l sc FOOD STANDARDS rate by incorpoweekly menu Food-based standards defines the types of into thed to children food which are no longer e r offe g n u allowed or are restricted, o y d an in order to replace food people high in fat, sugar and salt with

Diet-related illnesses are putting a huge strain on the nations NHS budget: up to £10 billion every year. LACA believes that every child across the UK should have the same opportunity to access a nutritious meal, irrespective of the type of school in which they are educated.

LACA wants equality and accessibility for pupils that will help them make the right food choices and understand the importance of food and the need for a varied diet.

BREAKFAST CLUBS IN SCHOOLS With reports suggesting that a growing number of children are arriving at school hungry, the role of school food, including breakfast clubs in schools is more vital than ever before.

Ensuring that the most nutritionally vulnerable children in our society have the opportunity to have a daily breakfast and a hot nutritious school lunch is absolutely essential.

The quality of food in schools has significantly improved and is attributed to the two sets of standards that were introduced and became legislation six/seven years ago. These superseded all previous

more nutritious food and drinks.

Nutrient-based standards aim to make the food offered healthier by increasing the vitamin and mineral content and decreasing fat, saturated fat, non-milk extrinsic sugars and sodium content.

There are 14 nutrients that school food has to by law incorporate into the weekly menu offered to the children and young people.

Many parents think that a packed lunch is the healthiest option. It’s quite the reverse as it’s easier to get the necessary nutrients into a cooked meal. Only one per cent of packed lunches meet the nutritional standards that currently apply to school food.

SUBSIDISED SERVICE The take up of school food currently averages at about 48 per cent across the UK and is continuing to grow. However, to be financially

Written by Anne Bull, national chair, LACA

THE BENEFITS OF GOOD HEALTHY FOOD IN SCHOOLS

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CASHLESS SYSTEMS Many schools and organisations that are school food providers use cashless systems.

These systems speed up service times as no cash is needed at the point of service.

Incentives can be used for pupils who build up ‘healthy eating’ points and prizes can be given for those with the most points in a particular determined period.

The system can keep special dietary, medical or ethnic needs and requirements for the pupil and can provide alerts if a pupil has inadvertently selected an item that they are unable to have.

Another advantage to this system is that parents can request a ‘print out’ of their child’s choices on a daily/weekly basis if required.

There has been a welcome announcement from government that cooking will be featured on the curriculum. This will help our young people understand where food comes from and be able to grow and cook healthy food.

In July 2012, the education secretary Michael Gove, commissioned John Vincent and Henry Dimbleby to review school food.

The aim was for them to produce an action plan that addressed how to get children eating well in school and what role cooking and food should play more broadly in school life.

OBJECTIVES OF THE SCHOOL FOOD PLAN The School Food Plan was launched in July 2013 and contains a series of actions, each of which is the responsibility of a named person or organisation. The clear objective of the Plan is to increase the uptake of school meals. E

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Catering

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HEALTHY FOOD  The 17 actions provide details of what needs to happen to transform how children can eat well at school and how they learn about food.

It includes the pleasures of growing, cooking and eating good food. It is also about improving the academic performance of our children and young people and the health of the nation.

It is clear from the School Food Plan that headteachers are the only people who can truly lead the revolution in school food.

There is a checklist provided to help them start to turn round their food service.

I personally think that this is the biggest announcement that will have such a positive effect in our sector of the catering industry that I can ever remember.

THE BENEFITS OF GOOD FOOD I truly believe that this will be the start of a social change in this country in that children and young people will understand from an early age where food comes from and by giving them a nutritious meal in school, they will understand and appreciate the benefits of good food.

LACA is absolutely delighted by the announcement two weeks ago that all infant schoolchildren (aged five to seven) will receive free school meals from September 2014 in England. Monies will also be available for the devolved governments. However, it is up to the

governments in Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland as to whether they follow suit.

The English announcement provides a huge boost for the education catering industry and will be very welcome for school food providers.

We hope that funds will be made available to ensure that all schools have the necessary facilities to provide hot nutritious food in England. Of course, there will be challenges in some schools in terms of eating space availability, sufficient cooking equipment, the necessity to introduce additional lunch sittings to cope with the additional meal numbers, etc. However, in the true spirit of a whole school approach, by working together solutions will be found to resolve these.

This is a huge step forward and a significant opportunity that will make a massive difference to children in terms of health, attainment and social mobility.

FINANCIAL DIFFICULTIES There have been many reports in recent weeks on the financial difficulties faced by families and the impact this has had on children’s diets. This announcement will be a great relief to those who are struggling to make ends meet, with initial estimates suggesting that families will save on average £400 per child.

AS LACA members provide in the region of three million lunches in schools across the UK every day, this announcement will provide

About Local Authority Caterers Association (LACA) LACA is the leading professional body representing 750 catering managers in local authorities, private contractors, academies and individual schools who are providers of education catering services within primary and secondary schools in England, Scotland and Wales.

The membership also includes 350 associate members who are leading suppliers and manufacturers of food, drink, equipment and services to the education catering sector. With 135 local authorities represented in the membership, 80 per cent of the catering service is provided

by LACA members, with around 3 million lunches served every day in 22,000 schools, the LACA network is the largest provider of education catering in the country. opportunities and will enable them to increase the uptake of school meals, which is a business goal for all involved in school meals. L FURTHER INFORMATION www.laca.co.uk www.schoolfoodplan.com

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CATERING

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School caterers Innovate Services believes the true way to revitilise the school meal experience is to modernise the environment, use a splash of rebranding and combine with special offers Figures recently released indicate that over 8,000 schools across the UK could be at risk of closing their school canteens due to lack of funds. Headteachers have found that running the kitchens themselves is a huge drain on finances and can reap very little reward.

Anyone who has ever run a catering facility knows that it requires a lot of investment in time, manpower and money. Sometimes, this falls to people who do not have expertise in catering and whose job involves the management of lots of other parts of the school’s daily running. This can mean that some elements can be forgotten or not realised as important, making it difficult to optimise the output of the kitchen. It can also lead to the offering becoming stale and unimaginative leading to drop-off of school meal uptake.

ONE SIZE DOES NOT FIT ALL Appointing an outside caterer seems the obvious solution to many schools’ catering woes. This doesn’t guarantee increased uptake, comes with its own costs and can seem a laborious and time-consuming process. The latter doesn’t have to be the case as with many catering contracts there is no legal obligation to run a tender process but it is a good way to know you are getting the best deal out there.

Innovate Services, the innovative school caterer, takes a different approach to providing catering facilities for independent and maintained schools and academies. When the company enters a new school, it takes over all aspects of the service, relieving the pressure entirely off the school and leaving just the task of what is required. Having worked extensively in both high-street chains and schools, the team knows that ‘one size does not fit all’.

Every aspect – from the space available and the number/ages of students to the regional and cultural tastes – can differ between each site. Innovate Services is really keen on staff and student involvement during the initial set-up period and throughout the contract, resulting in a tailored and dynamic service that keeps up with the ever-changing tastes of the

student body. Continual product development and a diverse range of options keep students interested and returning to the canteen, day after day. Combine this with great value through meal deals, special offers and a system to aid anonymity for those claiming free school meals and you could see an increase of up to 300 per cent in school meal uptake.

Recently, Innovate took over the catering for George Abbot School in Surrey, this time from another external company but the principal was the same. The existing catering service at the school was split into three areas: one that served hot main meals, one with a more limited grab-and-go offer and the sixth form café.

The goal was to modernise and revitalise the catering, introducing wider ranges of quality food, making changes to speed-up service and creating a more exciting dining experience for the staff and students. The school was keen to offer something more suitable for sixth formers and remove the need to transport food into their block from the other kitchens.

For the main dining area, an open-service area and revised till layout helps to ease congestion and streamline service. Other equipment, such as the hot chute, can store and present popular hot grab-and-go style items in high volumes. Vibrant graphics and

Innovate Services is keen on staff and student involvement during initial set-up and throughout the contract, resulting in a service that keeps up with the ever-changing tastes of the student body

new signage added the finishing touches and helped to highlight the clean break between the old and new catering areas.

The second dining area was rebranded with a ‘world food’ offer, serving exotic cuisines inspired by different regions of the globe for the more adventurous staff and students. The sixth formers were treated to a brand new coffee bar serving freshly made sandwiches and wraps, homemade cakes and cookies and real coffee.

GREAT SUCCESS From being awarded the contract to actually opening, the entire transformation of the three areas took just five weeks, with the physical transformation taking just two. So far, the service has been a great success but that doesn’t mean Innovate Services just sits back and relaxes, it is working constantly with the school to come up with ways to make the dining experience even better.

Innovate takes the government’s nutritional regulations for schools as a way of life. It sees healthy eating as crucial to students’ development and success at school and beyond, so all of its clients can be assured they are getting good-quality, balanced meals that are low in sugar and salt. This is usually done on a nil-cost basis, so no risk for the school.

Contact Innovate to find out how it could transform your catering service, improve uptake and relieve the pressure on your resources. L FURTHER INFORMATION Tel: 0845 494 0005 Richard.smith@innovate-ltd.co.uk www.innovate-services.com

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Jersey Accomodation & Activity Centre is situated in Gorey and is a mere 5 minutes from the beach and Gorey Village. We boast an impressive 23 rooms ranging from 8 bed dorms to single en-suite rooms.

Breakfast is included and prices commence from as little as ÂŁ25pp pn. Full packages of accomodation, activities and transport can be organised on application.

As well as offering a great location and value for money, JAAC offers an incredible range of facilities inculding TV room, games room/ classroom lounge and restaurant.

Guests also receive a special discount with our sister company... Jersey Adventures. Team building, educational or just for fun activities, Jersey Adventures can cater for all ages and groups.

JAAC Jersey Accomodation & Activity Centre La Rue de La Pouclee et des Quatre Chemins Faldouet St Martin Tel: 0044 1534 498636 Jersey Email: tula@jerseyhostel.co.uk JE3 6DU www.jerseyhostel.co.uk

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EDUCATIONAL PLAY

Play is such an important part of childhood and growth, but outdoor space is increasingly at a premium, particularly for schools that need to accommodate more classroom space.

Carolyn Place, an expert in play area design, looks at recent developments, and highlights the importance of ‘risk’ in play The past five years has seen significant investment in public parks and play areas and a substantial amount of this impetus was generated by the national play strategy launched by the government in 2008.

The ‘Playbuilder’ scheme injected over £235m into building, refurbishing and improving playgrounds around the country. The programme was supported by Play England and two inspirational documents were promoted.

The first was ‘Managing Risk in Play Provision’ and the second, ‘Design for Play – a guide to creating successful play spaces’.

Both documents, particularly the first, promoted a revolution in attitude to children’s outdoor play and banished myths that play equipment should be so safe and prescriptive that children do not get an opportunity to learn about themselves. The second promotes natural play, it introduces managed risk and how to apply it to the design of play areas. It also describes how well designed play areas allow children to play creatively, while still experiencing an element of risk, in a challenging and exciting environment.

Written by Carolyn Place, Director, Smooga

A SAFE PLACE TO PLAY – WITH AN ELEMENT OF RISK

RISK ASSESSMENT ‘Managing Risk in Play Provision’ is an implementation guide demonstrating how to carry out risk assessment to take into account the benefits of these challenging and exciting experiences. This gives confidence to those managing play areas, encouraging them to include apparently risky structures and stimulating equipment. This approach to risk can also be applied through other aspects of play, leisure and education.

Originally launched as a three year programme, a large proportion of the money allocated in the Playbuilder scheme was invested in playgrounds. This had a massive physical impact on both the number and type of play areas across the country. It also played a big part in influencing the attitude and thinking process with outdoor design. A significant part of the Playbuilder ethos was natural play. Natural play can mean being within a natural environment and playing with natural materials. It can also mean having an opportunity to use a piece of conventional play equipment within an artificial environment but in a more creative and unconventional way.

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THE ARCHITECTS A landscape architect designing a play environment within a public open space today should meet two main criteria: to create something that is visually pleasing that makes the best use of the environment and landscape features that are available; to incorporate features and well-chosen equipment that offers best play value and will make that space inspiring to children and adults alike. This approach promotes outdoor play as it encourages adults to take younger children to outdoor community spaces and creates spaces that are ‘cool enough’ to be used by older children and young people. E

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EDUCATIONAL PLAY

 The space itself should be flexible to allow play to develop and to constantly stretch children. Risk and excitement are important elements to include as they encourage children to push themselves and gives them opportunities to work together and to improve their skills in overcoming challenges.

DESIGN IMPROVEMENTS There have also been many welcome improvements in the design of play equipment over recent years. Increased fall heights of up to 3m offer great excitement and are now acceptable as long as the appropriate impact surfaces are used. This may frighten parents and carers but it allows children to push their boundaries and experience risk that is unlikely to be on offer elsewhere. It is now widely acknowledged that allowing children to push themselves in a play in a carefully designed environment can prevent them from doing so in more dangerous, or even life threatening situations. Similarly,

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A good design will facilitate natural play.

One way of doing this can be to provide natural materials. More conventionally, this can mean sand, but could also mean building materials such as wood introducing high speed, dynamic, overhead swings encourage teenagers to play and enjoy themselves where previously playgrounds were deemed boring and uninteresting.

A good design will facilitate natural play.

One way of doing this can be to provide natural materials and allowing children to ‘make their own’ fun. More conventionally, this can mean sand, often used as a play surface, but could also mean building materials such as wood. These both offer opportunities for children to make up their own rules, be creative and develop ideas.

Creating the environment for natural play within a school can be easier, particularly with the supply of props and loose materials.

This can be extended to include a variety of items that inspire children into the world of make believe. This is less appropriate for older children but they too still need opportunities to play, which can be particularly difficult in restricted areas.

PHYSICAL ACTIVITY In working with many schools, one issue that is highlighted repeatedly is the lack of E

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 Safe, high quality learning experiences for all  Tailored activity programmes designed to suit your needs  Wide range of accommodation options available

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EDUCATIONAL PLAY

It is not new to realise that schools have a role in teaching children to play and develop their confidence through outside play. However, the way spaces are designed and the use of innovative products and ideas can help facilitate the safe inclusion of children in all kinds of activities  space, particularly within primary schools.

This is made worse by the large differences in the ages of the children, which is reflected in their physical size, coordination skills and overall abilities. To continue to develop the culture of play and activity outside the school building, young people need to be provided with the opportunities for ‘free play’ alongside the important sports and games which offer more structure. They can learn to trust themselves and their environment in an already secure and managed environment.

Sports activities are part of the broader picture and must be encouraged as part of ‘free play’ for those who want to participate outside of the usual curricular activity.

A recently published piece of research by University College London reported that just 51 per cent of the 6,500 children they monitored achieved the recommended hour of physical activity each day. For girls, the

figure was just 38 per cent, compared with 63 per cent for boys. In 2007, Liverpool John Moores University also published its research into the behaviour of 10 and 11-yearolds in school playgrounds and identified that girls and boys play differently. Girls tend to spend their time talking in small groups and socialising. In contrast, boys were more likely to play in larger groups and to take part in games like football, which typically dominate a playground.

SPACE RESTRICTIONS It is important that schools encourage wider opportunities for more varied and inclusive sports as well as creating space for non-sports activities. Rather than stopping children playing sport it is better to avoid spatial conflict. There are many recent examples where schools have been able to contain or segregate certain sports

High ropes and activities in the heart of Essex

Rope Runners is the awardwinning high-ropes adventure park in Brentwood, Essex. It has six courses on three different levels, a climbing wall, a big zip wire and a 13m free fall jump.

Other activities are also on offer, including archery, water zorbing, tunnelling, conventional teambuilding and/or personal development activities.

The adventure park is able to offer orienteering and various activities to support parts of the national curriculum, including geography, history and travel and tourism.

It is an approved adventurous activities provider and deals

regularly with schools from most neighbouring counties and London boroughs: simplifying your paperwork. The dedicated, highly trained staff will make sure your group gets the maximum benefit from their visit.

Rope Runners’ base at the Secret Nuclear Bunker means you can make it a complete day out, looking at the history of the bunker and its three lives leading up to being the home of the government in the event of a nuclear war with Russia.

FURTHER INFORMATION Tel: 01277 364470 www.roperunners.co.uk

from the rest of the playground, which then allows the remainder of the children to play safely and without conflict.

The introduction of MUGAS and more recently Smooga’s, smart moveable multi‑use games areas, has helped schools provide discrete areas for sports of all kinds and are proving to be a huge asset where space is restricted.

The feeling of more space can be created by clever compartmentalisation of activities, effectively getting more from less. Schools with too much space can also use these arenas for zoning, allowing smaller areas for football, hockey, handball or non-sports related activities, while other children can roam and play more freely in the other spaces.

It is not new to realise that schools have a role in teaching children to play and develop their confidence through this play.

However, the way spaces are designed and the use of innovative products and ideas can all help facilitate the safe inclusion of children in all kinds of activities. Then when children experience the world outside school, they will be more aware of managing their own risk and more inclined towards a variety of play and activities. L

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FURTHER INFORMATION carolyn@smooga.co.uk www.smooga.co.uk

Kick off their learning with a session at the National Football Museum The National Football Museum in Manchester has launched a new education programme.

The city centre museum offers cross-curricular sessions for groups from early years, key stages 1-4, and further and higher education. Sessions cover subjects from poetry and numeracy to social history and citizenship – all with the core hook of football.

Interactive storytime sessions for early years groups (with exploration of the galleries), have captivated visitors and proved hugely popular with teachers too.

Featuring Football Poetry Day sessions with poet-in-residence Paul Cookson, pupils are inspired to vocalise their experiences of sport in new and exciting ways.

These have received a fantastic reaction from classes of all ages.

Groups also have the option to take on the museum’s Football Plus+ experiences at a special rate. These seven challenges

range from Penalty Shoot-out to a Match of the Day Commentary Challenge, and come with a range of pre- and post-visit activities to maximise learning outcomes.

Pupils can download their own videos and scores at www.nationalfootballmuseum. com/learning or call Jeannie (0161 871 8145), quoting Education Business.

FURTHER INFORMATION Tel: 0161 605 8200

www.nationalfootballmuseum.com

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See Tickets offers PTAs a unique fundraising opportunity.

Working in partnership with a number of West End shows, we offer your school’s parents and students the chance to purchase theatre tickets at education rates with a mandatory donation of £5 per ticket, which we hand over in full to your PTA on maturity.

Participating shows have included Billy Elliot the Musical, War Horse, Matilda The Musical and Stomp.

For further details, please contact katy.shafron@seetickets.com or phone 020 7087 7700.

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HEALTH & SAFETY

COMMUNICATION WITH PARENTS One of the first considerations should be communication with parents. This starts at the planning stage, from gaining their approval of the trip concept to informing them of a potential delay in the arrival time back at school. Increasingly schools are finding that traditional methods of contacting parents or guardians to alert them to their child’s achievements, progress or behavioural concerns are futile. Mobile calls and text messages are far more commonplace as a means of communication – they are indicative of the technology driven world we live in – therefore schools need to be able to provide these services. On a school trip it is even more crucial that communication happens in ‘real time’ as each stage unfolds.

Lawrence Royston, managing director, Groupcall, explains why communicating all the necessary information to parents is a key part of preparing for schools trips: “Investing in a parental communication system which takes advantage of technology to provide information is a must for any school. Today, there are a number of systems that allow schools to send a text, voice or email message in any language to a parent or guardian’s mobile phone or landline. Providers that integrate these systems with intuitive apps allow communication to be taken a step further by providing teachers with the capabilities of communicating with parents directly from the palm of their hand.

These rich interfaces allow messages to be sent to any group or individuals at the touch of a button, at anytime, from anywhere.”

This means that parents can be informed of any important information, for example, from required lunch box content, to any experienced delays when returning home from a school trip, or any alternative arrangements that have been made. They also receive the most up to the minute, accurate information on any emergency situation that may have arisen.

Lawrence added: “It is likely that as the news of the accident in France broke, scores of worried parents and guardians frantically tried to get as much information as possible. Effective parental communication systems can, at the very least, be used to help put their minds at rest at an otherwise extremely stressful time.”

LEARNING OBJECTIVES AND BEHAVIOUR MANAGEMENT Before any decisions are made, it is important to consider the learning objectives of the

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Written by Lawrence Royston, Groupcall

Earlier this year, a school teacher tragically died when a bus carrying a party of British children crashed in France on their way home from a skiing trip. While the tragedy has once again put school trip safety under the microscope, it is important to acknowledge that these trips have been the highlight of many children’s education for years. The question we need to ask is how can school leaders ensure that trips are managed and delivered in the best and safest way possible?

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PROPERLY PREPPED FOR SCHOOL TRIPS

The tragic coach crash in France earlier this year has once again put school trip safety under the microscope. So how can school leaders ensure that trips are managed and delivered safely? trip; what the organisers hope it will achieve, what the benefits are for students, and how it can be incorporated into lesson plans.

Teachers can begin preparing for the trip in advance by assigning learning activities and research to be completed by each student.

If the trip consists of travel abroad, students could be asked to research the destination, the customs and traditions of the local people, the language, historical attractions and their perceptions of the country before the trip.

They could present this report after the trip, comparing it to their actual experiences and referencing any new information, quirky traditions or fun facts they learned along the way. Depending on the age of the students, this exercise could be tailored to become more or less detailed and extensive.

Ensuring that the students are fully aware of all boundaries before the trip is also important. They should be carefully briefed on all safety measures, understand exactly what is expected of them on the trip and realise that they will be representing the school at all times and so will need to behave accordingly.

While schools will undoubtedly want students to enjoy their school trip to the fullest, not being in a routine and formal setting may cause some to act more boisterously than they normally would or misbehave; consequences for such behaviour should be outlined from the off to act as a firm deterrent.

CHOOSING PROVIDERS Once all parental communication systems are in place, schools should begin researching E

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Everyone Active, leading leisure management company, manage over 90 leisure centres nationwide. We’ve recently pledged to get 500,000 children active by hosting free sports days for schools in partnership with activity provider Fit For Sport and delivering exercise sessions in schools with our initiative, Sporting FUNdamentals. We also hire space to thousands of schools for sports sessions, events or swimming lessons.

To find out more about how we can help your school to get more pupils active, call: 01455 890 508 or email: businessdevelopment@everyoneactive.com

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Feel better for it

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HEALTH & SAFETY  service providers. There are many impressive provider websites out there that promise the lowest rates, however, doing your research before you book is paramount. Be confident in asking for references, perhaps from other schools they have worked with; any reputable provider will be happy to provide this reassurance.

Schools are also encouraged to ask around about a particular provider; word of mouth will often give you much more valuable information than a website ever would.

There are companies that act as a middle man and plan the entire tour for schools, organising transport, accommodation and activities. These will invariably be more expensive; however, schools can take comfort in knowing that they are very experienced and will adhere to strict safety standards.

Schools opting to travel with one of these companies should ensure that they have been awarded the new Learning Outside the Classroom Council’s (LOtC) Quality Badge.

This national award combines learning and safety in one easily recognisable and trusted accreditation scheme for all types of learning outside the classroom. The benefits of the LOtC Quality Badge for schools is that it reduces the red tape associated with learning outside the classroom, making it

safer and easier for teachers to incorporate this kind of learning into the curriculum.

Most coaches will comply with all current safety legislation; however, this may not be the case with older coaches. It is important to ask when the coach was manufactured, and request one that is fully compliant if it is an older model.

What’s more, schools should ensure that the selected coach has been recently serviced and has passed all relevant maintenance tests.

COVER COACH SAFETY Schools should also ensure that these companies are fully compliant with the Department for Education’s advice on the selection of a school travel operator.

For schools opting to cut out the middle man and source individual providers, such as coach hire companies, independently, there is a very quick checklist they can refer to, to ensure that all safety bases are covered.

Firstly plan ahead: Journeys should be planned to ensure that drivers can stay safely within the speed limits.

Journey times should be estimated to allow for driver’s hours regulations, and any potential delays that may occur.

All coaches should be equipped with satellite navigation to ensure that the driver can function efficiently in unfamiliar territory.

Having a satellite navigation system also usually means that coaches can be tracked; should a driver get lost, the coordinates of the system can be accessed remotely and the exact whereabouts of the coach identified.

What’s more, coaches should be fitted with a driver’s hands-free mobile phone device, and Schools should insist that coaches are fitted with lap strap safety belts on all seats.

Educational Trips

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VIRTUAL TRIPS For those schools who cannot afford to invest in such activities, Espresso Primary features resources that can provide virtual school trips. Its virtual ‘trip to the beach’ resource provides children with images, videos and activities to enable them to feel like they’re really there, despite not leaving the classroom. For example, students can look at photographs to see what Blackpool looked like in the past, then can explore the rock pools and compare videos of how the scene has changed over time.

Some schools in inner city areas might be able to go on school trips, but perhaps not to the beach as it may be too far to travel or outside the school’s budget.

These resources can really benefit schools at a fraction of the cost of a real school trip and without the worry and numerous safety requirements. L

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Mike Stirling, Editor-in-Chief of The Beano, explains why comics are the missing link in developing confident readers…

The Beano has successfully introduced children to reading for over 75 years. Endorsed by parents, guardians and grandparents, it’s the nation’s favourite comic. In 2013, snapping up The Beano remains a great way to establish a weekly reading habit in children.

Reading’s a core life skill, but it can be difficult to convince children; especially when they’re absorbed in television, videogames or online. Primary school kids are the same age as Dennis and, like him, have loads to cram into their busy schedules.

The Beano believes persuading children to read is best achieved by proving it can be fun, something we’re experts in!

generation of children who are disengaged from the pleasure of reading – diminishing their opportunities for success in adulthood. Comics can combat this effectively.

Comics can subtly overcome negative perceptions of reading.

The pure entertainment they engender can encourage children to overlook the effort involved because they’re actually enjoying the process.

A further advantage is that children are happy to undertake reading comics on their own.

Instead of substituting formal children’s literature, comics serve as a gateway to reading – creating interest and enthusiasm where so many other leisure Every issue of The Beano delivers options could otherwise divert attention elsewhere. Whatever fresh vocabulary, perfectly way children get into reading, the pitched humour and entertaining storylines. The Beano is engaging most important thing has to be that it becomes a positive life for reluctant readers because experience and comics serve as it uses fewer words than a typical story book and scaffolds a brilliant starting point. the experience with descriptive pictures. The Beano uses correct The Beano enjoys 75 years of heritage, which has helped English to deliver the stories, a policy parents and teachers have build parental trust spanning generations. Trust The Beano congratulated us upon. to make reading fun!

Concern is growing over a

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SEN PROVISION

SEN CODE OF PRACTICE

Lorraine Petersen, CEO of nasen, summarises the SEN draft Code of Practice ahead of a series of consultations with the sector Special educational needs (SEN) provision faces the biggest reform in over 30 years. With the publication of the Special Educational Needs (SEN) draft Code of Practice and the SEN regulations that sit alongside it set out the statutory guidance for all those working with and caring for children and young people with SEN. Lorraine Petersen (OBE), CEO of Nasen, the leading professional association embracing all special and additional educational needs and abilities, summarises the code ahead of a series of consultations with the sector.

CHANGES IN THE CODE The new code now covers the 0-25 age range and there is clearer focus on views of children and young people. It contains guidance on joint planning and commissioning of services to ensure close cooperation between education, health services and social care.

For those with more complex needs a coordinated assessment process and the new 0-25 Education Health and Care Plan (EHC) will replace statements and Learning Difficulty Assessments (LDAs).

The Code contains new guidance of the support that children and young people should receive in education and training settings, and there is greater focus on support that enables pupils with SEN to succeed in education and make a successful transition to adulthood.

Embedded within this code is the key message for schools that every teacher is a teacher of every pupil, thus reinforcing Nasen’s Every Teacher campaign. This has wide implications for schools as they will need to offer high quality professional development and training to ensure that their workforce has the knowledge, skills and expertise to deliver personalised teaching for all pupils.

ISSUES TO CONSIDER DURING THE CONSULTATION The code states: “Special educational provision is educational or training provision that is additional to or different from that made generally for others of the same age.

This means provision that goes beyond the differentiated approaches and learning arrangements normally provided as part of high quality, personalised teacher.” During the consultation we need to consider what this will look like, alongside whole school issue around quality first teaching. The need to embed this across a school is central to quality provision and the Code must make this clear.

Nasen particularly welcomes the changes to the broad areas of SEN, with the removal of behaviour, social and emotional category and replacing it with social, mental and emotional health. This puts much greater emphasis on the underlying needs of young people and removes the emphasis on behaviour. Teachers and a school’s wider workforce will need support in understanding this new category and, as with many areas, training on how to identify and support young people identified within this category of need is crucial in order to offer effective interventions. In addition, we have concerns that disabled children who do not have SEN are not covered by the Bill or this code of practice.

TRAINING AND THE ROLE OF THE SENCO An overarching need for any reform is training and the sector needs to know where this is coming from to ensure that every teacher has the knowledge, skills and understanding to meet the needs of all pupils. The inclusion of the requirements for Early Years providers to have a member of staff acting as SENCO E

Special Educational Needs

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About Nasen Nasen is the leading organisation in the UK which aims to promote the education, training, advancement and development of all those with special and additional support needs.

Nasen reaches a huge readership through its journals: British Journal of Special Education, Support for Learning, Journal of Research in Special Educational Needs and the magazine Special.

Nasen, formerly the National Association for Special Educational Needs, was formed in 1992 when the National Association for Remedial Education (NARE) amalgamated with the National Council for Special Education (NCSE).

This followed a decision by the two organisations to create a single, powerful voice to promote equal opportunities for all learners.

NCSE had its roots in special schools and was created in 1973 when the Association for Special Education merged with the Guild of Teachers of Backward Children and the College of Special Education.

NARE began in 1963 and was largely inspired by those working in the remedial services developed in the 1950s. Nasen now operates at many levels and is open to all those who wish to advance the education of those with special needs.

99

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THE BUSINESS MAGAZINE FOR EDUCATION – www.educationbusinessuk.net

SEN PROVISION  again have huge

implications for The training. The N new SE ctice Code mentions a r P Local f o Code the 0-25 Authority Area covers and there e SENCOs g n a r n o s age u c but many o f r of these is cleare f children posts have views o young been lost d an through cuts people so there will

DfE and Nasen learning events Education and SEND professionals are invited to have their voices heard at a national level in a series of Department for Education (DfE) funded national learning events, hosted by Nasen, the leading UK professional association embracing all special and additional educational needs and disabilities.

Following the release of the Draft SEN Code of Practice, Nasen will be holding the events to gather feedback from the education sector on the Draft, and to help the education community to gain a clearer understanding of the need to be more practical implications of the single information on the funding category and Additional SEN to support these roles. The code also talks Support. The events will also provide about implementing appropriate evidenced a valuable update on the work of based interventions but this raises questions Pathfinders and will enable education about where schools and practitioners will professionals and institutions to form find this information and how outstanding vital collaborative links in order to practices can be shared across schools. share experiences, insight Nasen welcomes clarification on the role andand advice.

"The world is a book those and responsibility of SENCOs, which are seen Lorraine Petersen (OBE), CEO as far more strategic, withwho the Code stating do not travel read only a of Nasen, commented on the that all SENCOs must have Qualified Teacher page." importance of the events and Status (QTS) and must undertake the National of wider participation from the - St. Award. Our concern is that from Augustine 2014 funding education community: “The work we for the award will cease which once again do with teachers, SENCOs and other places the financial burden on schools. school leaders has made it clear to In addition, this is outlined as a mandatory us time and time again that the UK requirement but no mention is made of who has some of the most passionate and will provide quality assurance for this.

"Travel teaches toleration." committed education professionals in Over recent months a great deal of discussion the world.

Benjamin Disraeli has taken place about what this Code of “Their individual feedback during Practice would contain and we are delighted consultations is valuable, but it that the document is now out for consultation, is rare to have an opportunity giving every education professional the to gather together and have our opportunity to feedback and influence the final collective views heard at such a document. We urge all colleagues working level. With the education of some of with or caring for children and young people the most vulnerable young people with SEN to respond to the consultation in at stake, collaborating to share order to help drive SEN provision forward. experiences, expertise and best Visit Nasen.org.uk for more information practice to help inform and direct on the consultation and how to policy is vitally important, and it make your views heard. L is incredibly rewarding to see the sector’s response to these events.”

FURTHER INFORMATION www.nasen.org.uk

Special Educational Needs

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Free to attend, places at the events will be allocated on a first come, first served basis. The events will take place at the following locations: North West 5 November, Village Hotel Heron’s Reach, Blackpool South East 7 November, Mercure Maidstone Great Danes Hotel Midlands 13 November, Macdonald Burlington Hotel, Birmingham Yorkshire & Humberside 15 November, The Met Hotel, Leeds North East 20 November, 3 St James’ Park, Newcastle East Anglia 22 November, Menzies Hotel, Cambridge South West 26 November, Mercure Bristol Holland House Hotel London 28 November, Dexter House, Tower Hill, London FURTHER INFORMATION For more information on how to attend, please visit www.nasen.org.uk/ learningevents/ or call 01827 311 500.

Virtual learning should be a part of schools’ toolkit Nisai Learning’s international awardwinning online platform and pedagogy is helping provide more choices to schools to meet the personalised learning needs of students.

Nisai’s specially trained teachers provide real-time, virtual learning via its custom platform, designed around safeguarding students, providing real-time attendance, behaviour and contribution information to the school.

Teachers work together, support each other and share insights on students. Nisai’s teachers become an extension of your school, helping deliver the best in education to those who

might otherwise miss out. Nisai provides KS3 core curriculum to A-levels, and a host of personal development and working skills courses to supplement academic learning.

Besides students in remote locations and those who are medically ill, some learn with Nisai because their school has found that

learning online is a lifeline to improving performance. Some students can’t learn in a large classroom but will thrive in Nisai’s virtual environment. Wearing a headset creates focus. Having a private chat area with the teacher provides instant help and clarification without other students knowing.

Virtual learning should be a part of every school’s toolkit.

FURTHER INFORMATION Tel: 020 8424 8475 info@nisai.com www.nisai.com

Volume 18.6 | EDUCATION BUSINESS MAGAZINE

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The iLite and iGoal can be used in any location

t

he ilite’s light head is a high-quality, extremely durable OSrAM 12-volt HPMl AD module that is iP66-rated for dust and moisture protection.

The iLite is a mobile, portable, inflatable LED floodlight. It is freestanding, battery operated and cordless and is ideal for temporary use in a variety of situations such as outdoor sporting events. Weighing less than 10kg, the iLite takes only three minutes to set up using patented “rigid air” technology and provides light brighter than a 300W halogen floodlight for up to three hours. The flexibility and ease-of-use of the iLite is a result of the seamless combination

OSRAM HPML AD module

of its portability with the reliability and durability of the OSRAM HPML AD module that is the light source of the iLite system.

The iLite is produced by Air Structures International.

Additional benefits of the iLite: • Truly flexible lighting, can be easily used in areas without an electrical supply.

• Reliable, unbreakable OSRAM HPML AD creates a robust lighting solution.

• Provides low energy consumption and high level of brightness.

• Cordless, battery operated and easily transportable.

Customers across the globe are impressed with the iLite. Lawrence James, senior partner of the Detroit-based company, The Frameworks, said, “The iLite unit is a quality kit, it is sturdy and well-made.”

“We’ve needed a good night illumination system for our winter training

sessions in Cornwall for a long time,” said Gary Thompson, chairman of St. Newlyn East FC Club in Cornwall, U.K. “The iLite has opened up a new range of possibilities for us and is even better than we had hoped!”

“We are extremely pleased Air Structures International chose the OSRAM HPML AD as the light source for its iLite System,” said OSRAM Global SSL Outdoor Product Line Director Steven Kwek. “This highlights the remarkable flexibility of our light engine families.”

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We anticipate covering the cost of the lights in a very short time as we pay the equivalent of 1 light per week for indoor training.

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Gary Williams – Alcester Town FC

The HPML AD is part of OSRAM’s extensive range of HPML products, which offers LED products around the world – from LED modules for OEMs to complete LED luminaires.

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THE BUSINESS MAGAZINE FOR EDUCATION – www.educationbusinessuk.net

PHYSICAL ACTIVITY

WHY PHYSICAL ACTIVITY IS EVERY SCHOOL’S BUSINESS but what should we be doing and why and where is it being done well already?

In a recent Smith Institute publication Baroness Sue Campbell, Chairman of UK Sport spoke frankly about sports provision in schools and questioned whether we attach the status to PE that it should have. She makes the case for sport, stating: “From the first years of a child’s life to a young adult’s first venture into the world of employment, sport has an unparalleled ability to aid development, boost learning and bring out the best in everyone. ” Although the nature of core subjects means that naturally there can only be a select few, with physical activity having such an impact on health and wellbeing, it seems that there is a strong argument for it to be elevated to sit alongside other core subjects such as maths, English and science.

The Chief Medical Officer for England and Wales recommends that all children and young people should engage in moderate to vigorous intensity physical activity for at least 60 minutes and up to several hours every day. This isn’t to say that this should all take place in schools, but the wider benefits to schools of having physically active pupils should be a tempting reason for schools to make it a key focus.

g Creatin of a habit ctivity la physica in school for life s essential if i eguard children f a s o t we are health of the ure fut ions generat Creating a habit of physical activity for life in school children is essential if we are to safeguard the health of future generations. ‘The inactivity time bomb,’ ‘The obesity epidemic,’ these phrases have been used to describe in a nutshell the health problems that the children of today will face in the future. They are catchy phrases, for sure, but I also think that they lack depth and may even distract from the real benefits that come from physical activity.

When we hear that the cost to the UK economy of physical inactivity is set to hit £50 billion by 2050 it is very easy to not pay attention because the figure is so vast, and involves so many people and organisations that it escapes reality. But this is a grave error to make and in fact for schools, the physical activity levels of their pupils may be far more important than would appear at first glance.

THE CURRENT PICTURE Nearly ten per cent of children now enter primary school overweight and over double that number leave primary school either overweight

or obese. We also know that positive behaviour established in early years will much more likely be continued into adolescence and adulthood.

Despite this, two studies published in August of this year disappointingly show that levels of physical activity among young people are plummeting. The first study, The Department of Culture Media and Sport’s ‘taking part survey’ showed a decline in the number of children involved in sport across all age groups over the past year. This was a huge a blow to the government’s pledge to “inspire a generation” after the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games.

The second study, BMJ Open’s ‘How active are our children?’ showed half of seven-year-olds are doing nowhere near enough exercise with only 51 per cent of children in the study meeting CMO guidelines. It is also clear that girls are far less active than boys (38 per cent and 63 per cent meeting the guidelines respectively).

PHYSICAL ACTIVITY IN SCHOOLS The UK currently sits in 3rd place in the table of the least active nations in Europe,

Written by David Stalker, chief executive officer, Ukactive

Ukactive’s chief executive officer, David Stalker, looks behind two studies which show that levels of physical activity among young people are plummeting, and discusses the wider benefits of physical activity in schools

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ADDRESSING OBESITY AND INCREASING WELLBEING First and foremost is obesity. There are proven links between children being sedentary and being overweight or obese bringing with it all of the associated health problems in later life including chronic diseases such as type II diabetes and heart disease.

Despite this, around three in ten boys and girls (aged 2 to 15) are classed as either overweight or obese (31 per cent and 28 per cent respectively). To turn a blind eye to children’s long term health is dangerous. The damage this is doing to children’s health is clearly apparent as there has been a fourfold increase in the number of hospital admissions of children and teenagers for obesity related illnesses over the last decade. Although it is impossible to put a cost of sedentary lives and obesity on children’s wellbeing, self-esteem and confidence a figure that is worth bearing in mind is that the direct costs to the NHS of obesity related illnesses in children is now more than £4 billion per year.

The nutritional side of being healthy is becoming better understood and is an area in which we have seen encouraging progress. E

Volume 18.6 | EDUCATION BUSINESS MAGAZINE

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Cybex and nuffield HealtH eduCation ProjeCt Delivering state-of-the-art fitness facilities for your students, staff and the wider community Benefits

Cybex International, a leading provider of premium fitness equipment and Nuffield Health, the UK’s leading provider of corporate and wellbeing services have partnered to deliver the Education Project.

» Complete facility design, installation and management

If your school has a sports hall, floodlit artificial turf pitch and/or swimming pool, you could qualify for a brand new fitness suite installed onsite – and it doesn’t have to cost you a penny.

» Regular guaranteed income generated for the school

find out more

For more information and to find out if your facility qualifies for the scheme, contact Luke Berry at lberry@cybexintl.com or +44 (0) 844 351 0077. www.cybexintl.com www.nuffieldhealth.com

Case study tHe Piggott sCHool Installed summer 2013 equipment

625T treadmills 625AT total body Arc Trainers with E3 View entertainment 625C upright bikes 625R recumbent bikes Bravo functional trainer VR1 selectorised strength equipment

» Dual use facility for students during the day and public during evenings & weekends » Student workshops and nutritional advice provided by Nuffield Health » REPs level 4 workshops offered to school staff » Proven to reduce student absenteeism during PE lessons » Nuffield HealthScore™ - Real-time indicator of health and wellbeing provided free of charge to all students » Engagement with local community during school holidays

Well Educated Banking www.lloydstsb.com/ schoolbanking

THE BUSINESS MAGAZINE FOR EDUCATION – www.educationbusinessuk.net

PHYSICAL ACTIVITY  Schools are increasingly improving the food that they provide to their pupils and actively encourage them to have ‘five fruit and veg a day’. The Government has also announced plans to give every infant pupil a hot meal.

In fact, the nutrition side of obesity is so vigorously addressed that it could actually risk neglecting the fitness side; this could lead to thousands of children who are within a healthy weight-range but who are unhealthily unfit.

As such, there is a need for a commitment to get children physically active, not just in timetabled lessons, but also at breaks and after schools with local sports clubs and facilities.

How many schools encourage their pupils to get off the bus one stop early to get them to walk more, for instance? Simple actions such as this can have tremendous benefits.

IMPROVING ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT Schools undoubtedly put great value on the health and wellbeing of their children, but they are primarily judged on their academic performance. This can put sport and physical activity down the pecking order when it comes to staff resources and time. But being active actually has a positive influence on children’s academic performance.

Although physical activity cannot be branded as a silver bullet to increase academic performance among every pupil, evidence shows that its numerous benefits

on metabolism help children and teenagers to enhance their scholastic abilities.

Studies have shown that physical activity greatly increases cell growth within the brain, as well as elevating the levels of important hormones and chemicals that allows the brain to transmit messages with greater speed and efficacy. Furthermore, movement, in particular cardiovascular exercises are an essential factor in human development and health. For young people especially, regular exercise allows their brains and bodies to grow, heal, and become stronger.

This has been looked at in-depth in America and it has been shown that pupils who performed vigorous physical activity at a level that met or exceeded the US Healthy People 2010 guidelines achieved higher academic scores compared with the other pupils.

In short, physical activity helps children’s brains to develop, improves their general circulation and increases blood flow to the brain, all leading to greater attention spans, focus, and as a result, improved academic achievement.

WHERE IS IT BEING DONE WELL? There are a number of examples of effective practice in schools but I want to highlight one in particular as it is such a simple, yet measureable initiative. Premier Sport’s ‘Golden Mile’ initiative encourages children to run, walk or jog 50 miles within school grounds. 700

schools took part in the last academic year with the top achieving school, Ardleigh Green Junior School, Hornchurch, completing 6,430 miles.

In terms of measureables, evaluation showed that there were improvements in attainment, behaviour at lunchtimes and health benefits.

Furthermore, as many of the clubs are pre-school, children arrive early, which not only ensures they are at school on time, but also that they are wide awake and alert to learn in the classroom.

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WHAT NEXT? Of course, there are the constraints of staff resources, time and expertise but there are options available to schools, such as pooling resources with other schools in their area, to make this a reality.

As there are clear benefits to be gained to children’s health, wellbeing and academic achievement from being physically active it is essential for schools to encourage their pupils to be more active and reach the minimum levels set out by the Chief Medical Officer. It may not be a core curriculum subject, but it should be a core focus nevertheless. Hopefully, I have given enough context now to be able to say that if we don’t encourage children and young people to be more active then we really are sitting on an inactivity time bomb. L FURTHER INFORMATION www.ukactive.com

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17/09/2013 09:41 Volume 18.6 | EDUCATION BUSINESS MAGAZINE

105

“An investment in knowledge pays the best interest” Benjamin Franklin

The Rathbones financial awareness programme for schools – investing in the future of young people.

For more details please contact Samantha Wood

020 7399 0467 samantha.wood@rathbones.com

www.rathbones.com/financialawareness

The value of investments and income arising from them may fall as well as rise and you might get back less than you originally invested.

Rathbone Investment Management Limited is authorised by the Prudential Regulation Authority and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority and the Prudential Regulation Authority.

Well Educated Banking www.lloydstsb.com/ schoolbanking

THE BUSINESS MAGAZINE FOR EDUCATION – www.educationbusinessuk.net

EVENT PREVIEW

EB Awards

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APPLAUDING SUCCESS IN EDUCATION

The eighth annual Education Business Awards at Emirates Stadium on 5 December will recognise schools from all sectors that have demonstrated a commitment to quality education

Schools, academies and colleges across the country will be awarded for their hard work, dedication and achievements at the eighth annual Education Business Awards on 5 December 2013 at Emirates Stadium, London. The Awards, sponsored

by Rathbones, will be presented by former Olympic silver medalist Roger Black MBE. Last year, over 60 schools from across the country were in attendance to hear Newsnight’s Gavin Esler reveal the winners in 19 categories. Amongst the winners was Baxter College in Worcestershire, who took home the Outstanding Progress Award in the Secondary school category.

Baxter College, an 11-19 Academy in Kidderminster, Worcestershire, serves the seventh most socially deprived ward in England. 50 per cent of pupils are on the SEN Register. For years the school had been described as “the crisis school.” The Governors appointed a new leadership team, which has been relentless in improving every aspect of the organisation from recruiting outstanding staff, to a curriculum that mattered. 14 national teaching awards have followed plus a place in the top 100 schools list for sustained improvement from 2008 to 2012. Conversion to an Academy has been followed by a successful submission to make its Pupil Referral Unit a Free School from January 2013.

OUTSTANDING PROGRESS In the Primary category, the award for Outstanding Progress went to Iqra Primary School, which gained top marks in The Times Education Supplement’s 2012 School Awards, coming first in the ‘most outstanding’

primary category and runner-up for the overall best UK school. A clear indication, in Iqra’s thriving and productive environment, that staff and pupils – together with parents’ and community members’ support – are dedicated to creating premier standards.

Samuel Ward Academy in Suffolk scooped the Outstanding Academy Award. The school has maintained its impressive progress and improvement during a major re-organisation in September 2011, when it changed from an Upper School for pupils aged 13-18, to a 11-18 Academy. This was a challenging period, as the effect of school closures and mergers was traumatic for many staff. Pupil numbers rose from 865 pupils to 1230, placing a huge strain on the over-crowded buildings. The school bid for and gained building projects for a dining hall and state of the art sports centre, changes have been highly successful.

Whilst in the midst of all this change the school also submitted a successful bid to open a Special Free school. Frustrated by the lack of provision in the area for pupils with special needs, especially those on the autistic spectrum, the school decided that the Free School agenda offered a source of hope to local families whose needs not being met. The special school will cater for 70 students. The hard work of the school was recognised by Ofsted which awarded the school Outstanding in every category in October this year.

Meanwhile, in the Independent School category, the Outstanding Progress Award went to Sevenoaks School in Kent. The school has an enviable record as a coeducational day and boarding school, providing academic excellence with a strong pastoral and co-curricular emphasis, as well as a global perspective inspired by the International Baccalaureate.

The Sunday Times named Sevenoaks as the top performing co-educational independent school in 2012; A testimony to the school’s growing sophistication can be seen in the recently inaugurated Baccalaureate-linked Centre for Innovation lectures announcing top flight academic and professional speakers and inviting local schools and the wider Sevenoaks community to participate. L FURTHER INFORMATION To enter the Education Business Awards, visit www.ebawards.co.uk

Education Business Awards categories Outstanding Progress – Independent School Sponsored by Rathbones Outstanding Progress Award – Secondary Sponsored by NEC Display Solutions Outstanding Progress Award – Primary Sponsored by DOHR Academy Finance Award Sponsored by Rathbones SEN Inclusion Award Sponsored by Mike Ayres Design SEN Provision Award Sponsored by Mike Ayres Design Outstanding Academy Award Academy Partnership Award Sponsored by ESPO Academy Development Award ICT Innovation Award ICT Facility Award Sports Award School Recruitment Award Sponsored by Eteach Educational Visits Award Sponsored by WST Travel School Catering Award Science Award Sponsored by Lab Systems Furniture Environmental Building Award School Building Award Music Award School Security Award

Volume 18.6 | EDUCATION BUSINESS MAGAZINE

107

Your staging is one of the best purchases I’ve ever made - it’s brilliant and regularly used.

Fantastic, so quick and easy to assemble, took half as long as the old system, looks great and will mean we can have more performances over the school year rather than just at Christmas.

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Case Study A distinguished Language College in Dorset needed a new performance stage with a curtain system.

CPS used their Alu Compact system which consists of multi-chamber profiled aluminium columns and beams which provide an easy-running curtain drawing system. Designed to be totally self-supporting, only bolted to the stage edge, the Alu Compact provides a complete system for the support of all the main and side curtains together with light hangers and provision for the incorporation of sets, decorations, studding partitions, etc. The College decided on a more prestigious finish of veneered fascia’s and timber steps and striking red curtains.

The stage which totalled 20 Alu Rapid platforms was designed, manufactured, delivered and installed by the CPS team to the full satisfaction of the college.

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HEALTH & SAFETY

HEALTHY BODIES, HEALTHY MINDS

Ergonomics is the study of the interaction between people and their environment.

Good ergonomic design seeks to modify the environment and activities to enable people to carry out their tasks more effectively, healthily and comfortably. The lack of application of ergonomics in analysing the activities in schools and using this to inform the design of the buildings and the choice and use of furniture has detrimental effects on children’s wellbeing and learning.

For too long, we have failed to recognise schools as children’s workplaces. We have not appreciated the importance of the application of ergonomics to this workplace in order to improve children’s wellbeing and productivity which in educational terms is better learning and greater achievements.

Application of ergonomics to schools could improve schools’ standing in the league tables.

TREATING SCHOOL AS A WORKPLACE We know the impact of un-ergonomic workplaces and furniture for adults in terms of productivity and wellbeing, including development of musculoskeletal disorders and increased absence from work. If we continue to provide un-ergonomic workplaces and furniture for children, as they spend more time being sedentary than did previous generations. They will be less fit and have less productivity when adults.

The high proportion of children with back problems already will increase the future

proportion of adults taking time off work, increasing the cost to the economy.

Studies in several countries have shown that similar increases in back pain from around 13 per cent in children aged 12-16 to adult levels of around 30 per cent aged 15-19.

(Burton et al 1996, Jones et al 2001, Le Resche et al 2005). Eight per cent of all 15-18 year olds had recurrent or chronic lower back pain (Jones et al 2004). People who experience back pain as teenagers are much more likely to have back pain as adults.

(Croft et al 2001, Harreby et al 1999).

A BREACH OF HEALTH & SAFETY Children often spend over 10,000 hours in the school (their workplace) sitting on un‑ergonomic furniture, working in un-ergonomic environments with stale air and spending much too much time in static postures.

If these conditions existed in office environments they would violate the Health and Safety (H&S) regulations. But as these H&S regulations do not apply to children; these unsatisfactory conditions are allowed to continue. For example, children are often sitting on ill-fitting chairs which impede their circulation

WHAT IS THE CURRENT STATE OF SCHOOLS? Many school buildings are relatively old and ergonomics played no part in their design. Only a very small fraction of furniture used in schools has been designed or selected based on ergonomic principles.

There is little ergonomic design of layouts of learning spaces and furniture.

Teaching methods generally force children to work in static unhealthy postures and teachers often associate movement with misbehaviour and ask children to sit still and not move.

Static cramped postures decrease circulation and oxygen intake and flow to brain which inevitably lowers alertness. Children spend far too long adopting such postures, so become tired, bored and fidgety. To increase alertness and productivity, children need to be able to adopt healthy dynamic postures.

In order to promote healthy movement, schools need to take broader account of the link between healthy bodies and minds. They need to go beyond increasing healthy eating and promoting bouts of exercise, such as brain gym. The environment, furniture and teaching activities need to allow natural movement and healthy postures throughout the day. If we were to give posture E

Written by Levent Çaglar, senior consultant ergonomist, FIRA

A school is essentially a child’s ‘workplace’, and as such, the application of ergonomics should be applied to fulfil health and safety obligations. But this is often not the case, finds Levent Çaglar, senior consultant ergonomist at FIRA

and require them to twist their backs to see the teacher. Also, the lack of storage space may result in children carrying heavy back packs full of books and equipment which can initiate injury to their back, giving them back pain from an early age.

Numerous studies show that the application of ergonomics in the adult workplace in the last 20 years has improved productivity, efficiency and wellbeing. This has been achieved mainly through ergonomic furniture, equipment, environments and task design

Ergonomics

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HEALTH & SAFETY  training to children at a young age, maybe they would not develop bad sitting habits.

To get children to adopt dynamic postures, children need chairs that allow them to rock or recline a little, or turn round to talk to others or watch as the teacher moves. However they need to be able to do this safely. At present, many children lean back dangerously on their static chair four legged chairs, often being reprimanded by their teacher.

PROGRESS IN SCHOOLS In the last decade there have been some improvements in the application of ergonomic principles in schools, mainly to the buildings themselves, such as increasing circulation space, or improving ventilation and natural lighting. Building Schools for the Future (BSF), was one step towards designing better working environments. As BSF scheme no longer exists, the application of ergonomics to school environment could decrease.

A number of studies mainly from Germany, show that ergonomic intervention in schools improves children’s ‘productivity’ through improving: their behaviour concentration and attentiveness. For example, a test group which had movement built into their daily activities in the school and used ergonomic furniture promoting movement, reduced static sitting to three per cent from 61 per cent

(source: Breithecker 2005). The same study also found that giving children increased opportunities to move through seating which promotes rocking, swivelling or rolling and through planning teaching that builds in movement between workstations, some of which require standing, resulted in higher levels of attention and concentration in comparative tests.

THE MATHS Currently in the UK, the most commonly purchased combinations of table and chair cost about £30, less than the price of a pair of trainers that we only expect a growing child to use for one year. We expect to use the furniture for about 10 years, which is almost as long as a child spends at school.

In other words, we are prepared to spend £3 per year per child on furniture, Often such combinations of table and chair are uninspiring, uncomfortable and unhealthy furniture. They can limit children’s learning capabilities by forcing them to adopt postures where their abdomens and chests are compressed, reducing their oxygen intake and consequently restricting the supply of oxygen to their muscles and brain.

This makes their limbs feel tired and their brain less alert. It inhibits their learning and may affect their healthy growth.

Our Northern European cousins spend 3-4 times as much on school furniture as we pay in the UK. Not surprisingly, European children have much better furniture which is exciting, durable, safe, ergonomic and back-friendly. This is a key factor in better academic achievement. We are prepared to provide fantastic new school buildings and facilities, but we carry on furnishing them with inappropriate under funded furniture.

Levent Çaglar, FIRA’s chief ergonomist has been working with the Department of Education and its forerunners since the late 80s. In numerous studies he has undertaken for the department during this

Ergonomics

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Choosing the right furniture FIRA, CFG (Counties Furniture Group), Department of Education and BESA have developed a website, www.schoolfurniture. uk.com, to help you choose the correct size of school furniture and fittings for children of different ages.

It also provides a wide range of useful information such as height of shelves, computer screens, basins and worksurfaces, depth of dining tables. The data used at this website was derived from the “Anthropometric survey of school children in England” which was carried out by Levent Çaglar (FIRA) in 2001.

FURTHER INFORMATION www.schoolfurniture.uk.com time he has shown that the furniture being used in schools did not match the sizes of the children and forced them to adopt un-ergonomic and unhealthy postures. The introduction of computers in schools has been rapid but insufficient consideration has been given to the furniture on which these were placed and the seats children were sitting on.

Mismatched furniture in terms of size can cause excessive slouching or prevent the child’s feet from touching the floor, thereby restricting the blood supply to their lower legs and feet. This combination leads to the child becoming restless and fidgety in class, resulting in a decrease in concentration as the lesson progresses and an increase in disruptive behaviour. Bad furniture can lead to bad posture, which if sustained over long periods can lead to musculoskeletal disorders such as back ache, neck and shoulder ache or pain. Any damage to a child’s back that occurs in their youth is very likely to cause them to suffer from back pain later in life.

In conclusion, we should apply ergonomics principles in schools in the same way we do in offices. Ergonomists should work with educators and children in the design of buildings, and the selection and layout of furniture and equipment, always considering the needs and aims of the schools, children and teachers. This will increase children’s achievements, improve their behaviour and wellbeing.

Children with healthy backs will reduce the likelihood and severity of back pain they might suffer in their adult lives. L

mic Ergono will n selectiohildren’s ec increas ements, as achiev improve well as aviour and h their be llbeing we

FURTHER INFORMATION www.fira.co.uk

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ICT

LEADERSHIP

Turn your used and surplus computers into much-needed funds

Making Apple products work better for your teaching environment

60IT buys used and surplus computers: PCs, laptops, printers, monitors, networking, switches, hubs, servers, storage, comms room, AV equipment, UPS – in fact, everything IT-related.

So what kind of asset recovery services does 60IT offer for computer disposal?

60IT’s purchasing services are comprehensive and completely tailored to meet all your needs, fast removal, data erasure with certificate and asset tag removal.

The company will purchase all of your surplus equipment.

All services offered are with

Amsys understands that for all the excitement surrounding Apple products in education environments, no one factor is more critical than their correct and seamless integration into multiplatform networks, allowing teachers and pupils to use them to their full potential.

Amsys specialises in integrating Apple products into educational establishments.

Recent projects have included: iPad classroom and BYOD set-ups; single and multiple Mac classroom set-ups (including integration into both AD and Apple backends); Xserve replacements; and OS X & iOS training.

If you are considering deploying iPads, Macs or need help integrating Apple devices into your current backend, please contact Amsys today

FURTHER INFORMATION Tel: 0845 680 4312 sales@60it.com www.60it.com

and the company will talk to you about the unique and class-leading integration solution, that other service providers wish they had.

As the leading Apple Authorised Service Provider, its clients can take advantage of a range of Apple services, including support, repair, training and recruitment.

For more information about how Amsys can help your school’s Apple technical requirements, please get in touch with today.

Amsys makes Apple products work better for schools.

FURTHER INFORMATION Tel: 0208 660 9999 support@amsys.co.uk www.amsys.co.uk

ICT

LEADERSHIP

Ensure your IT infrastructure is running like clockwork

SpamTitan: provider of unbeatable spam protection to the education sector

SoftwareX4 specialises in providing network tools for schools and businesses both in the UK and overseas.

Established in 2011, SoftwareX4 supplies tools for PC asset management, policy control, internet filtering and software patching.

Visual Audit X4 inventories your software and hardware ensuring your licensing information is kept current and legal and PC assets are documented correctly.

Winlock 8 puts the control back into the hands of your IT department who can define the software allowed to run and configure template changes to PCs in the classrooms for teachers and students. Especially useful in small workgroups of PCs that may not be part of a windows domain.

Chronos can be used to allow safe browsing for lessons defining templates and time restrictions, with exceptions as needed.

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116

up-to-date pricing and quick removal for your surplus assets and computer disposal needs.

60IT offers its clients a buy price on all equipment so that they know – even before a collection – just what return they will get.

This way clients receive current market prices paid in full upon collection. This is how it ensures the very highest returns on your kit, with no waiting for payment.

management is a critical requirement for all system administrators and IT managers and is an essential part of network maintenance. Your network could be violated and exposed to security threats as more loopholes are found in Windows’ operating systems and applications.

FURTHER INFORMATION Tel: 01493 660330 Sales@SoftwareX4.com www.SoftwareX4.com

EDUCATION BUSINESS MAGAZINE | Volume 18.6

Launched last month, the new SpamTitan Cloud service gives schools and colleges all the benefits of the multi-awardwinning SpamTitan anti-spam solution without the high costs associated with deploying and managing local resources.

With SpamTitan Cloud, organisations receive unbeatable spam protection, improved network performance and fail-safe reliability in an affordable package.

A fully featured free 14-day trial of SpamTitan Cloud can be accessed from the SpamTitan website and used immediately to block spam, viruses and other email threats. Prices start at £305 for 50 users for one year. Details are available at www.spamtitan. com/solutions/spamtitan-cloud.

SpamTitan Technologies is a leading supplier of email and web security solutions to the education, government and

business sectors around the world.

Established in 1999, SpamTitan Technology has continually innovated with the customer in mind. With customers in over 100 countries worldwide, SpamTitan continues to offer new and

innovative security solutions that allow IT managers to get more from their security budget.

With demand for security hardware appliances declining, SpamTitan is an innovator in offering software-only virtual and cloud-based anti-spam and content-filtering solutions.

FURTHER INFORMATION Tel: +353 91 545500 Ext 505 mludden@spamtitan.com

ICT

LEADERSHIP

Risk-free premium eco printer cartridges

Promoting the highest standards in management and leadership excellence

National education distributor Supplies for Schools has expanded its premium range of own-brand printer cartridges following successful trials in schools throughout the UK. The cartridges offer education establishments an audited, environmentally friendly alternative to original toners and inks, plus cost savings of up to 40 per cent.

Offered under the slogan “Go Green”, the cartridges have achieved internationally recognised certificates for both manufacturing quality and environmental standards, including the prestigious Swan

Mark – the official Ecolabel of the Nordic countries.

“Quality is everything,” as managing director Alan Bowes explained. “The key to getting a green cartridge adopted by schools and colleges is to take away the risks of moving away from originals, because there are still lots of very poor quality compatibles out there.

“Our cartridges are right at the top of the quality ladder and that quality is built into every part of the manufacturing process. We’re very happy to put our name on them.”

Supplies for Schools cartridges are available for hundreds of popular printer models and all the major brands. There is also a free collection service for recycling empty cartridges.

FURTHER INFORMATION Tel: 0871 200 0697 Fax: 0871 200 0698 info@suppliesforschools.co.uk www.suppliesforschools.co.uk

ICT

The Chartered Management Institute (CMI) is the only Chartered professional body in the UK dedicated to promoting the highest standards of management and leadership excellence.

The organisation has over 60 years’ experience championing good management and helping businesses transform their workforces and organisational performance through management and leadership development.

As a membership organisation, CMI has been providing practical support and advice to individuals and businesses for decades. It continues to give managers and leaders the tools they need to improve their performance and make an impact. As the only organisation to offer qualifications from Level 2 (GCSE) to Level 8 (PhD), CMI is committed to

Producs & Services

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equipping individuals with the skills they need to be exceptional managers and leaders.

Qualifications and accreditations such as Chartered Manager, combined with products like CMI’s Continuous Professional Development scheme and the online support resource ManagementDirect, support the development of management and leadership excellence across the UK. Through research and policy surveys of its 90,000 individual and 450 corporate members, CMI maintains its position as the premier authority on key management and leadership issues.

FURTHER INFORMATION Tel: 01536 207404 employer.engagement@ managers.org.uk

LEADERSHIP

Remember that war started Essenwood: developing by a child? Neither do we… leaders and their teams War Child UK is an award-winning international charity that works to protect children in some of the worst conflict-affected countries in the world.

It provides life-changing support to the most vulnerable children whose families, communities and schools have been torn apart by wars they did not start.

War Child is transforming the lives of tens of thousands of children – and campaigning to improve the lives of millions more.

That’s where schools come in.

With seven years of experience running its acclaimed schools programme, War Child knows that young people are the best advocates for their international peers. Workshops and specialised citizen resources are run to tackle the topic of children affected by conflict with activities to engage your students. It works for everyone: children and youth in the UK develop the skills and empathy required to participate as global citizens – and children living with (and

dying from) the brutal effects of war, have their voices heard.

Another great way for schools to get involved is through fundraising. From music gigs to cake sales, the charity can help to find the right activities for you.

This vital support allows War Child to transform the lives of

children, protecting them from the devastating effects of war.

Visit www.warchild.org.uk/getinvolved/ schools/schools-resources for free curriculum resources. For school visits (in London) or to request a fundraising pack, please contact the schools programme officer: schools@warchild.org.uk.

The best school and college leaders combine business savvy with their person-centred values.

They are self-aware and lead from their strengths, inspiring others to use their talents.

But to be a great leader, you need to know yourself and understand other people.

Personality type is a highly versatile model to help you do this, and the MBTI® tool – with its positive psychology ethic – is uniquely suited to the world of education.

With a track record of using personality type in business for over 20 years, and more recently in education, Essenwood offers team workshops and one-to-one coaching to help you: recognise

your unique leadership style and behaviours; build rapport and communicate more effectively; appreciate the qualities and motivations of others; reduce conflict and stress; manage the impact of change on yourself and others; and develop teaching and learning strategies to engage all types of student.

The best leaders in education do as Disraeli said: “The greatest good you can do for someone, is not to share your riches, but to reveal theirs.” Learn how personality type can help you do this.

FURTHER INFORMATION Tel: 01244 332686 www.essenwood.co.uk

FURTHER INFORMATION Tel: 0207 916 9276 www.warchild.org.uk

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SERVICES

ERGONOMICS

Meeting the access needs of everyone in London

Develop their writing skills with STABILO

The City of London Corporation provides local government services for the financial and commercial heart of Britain, the ‘Square Mile’. The dynamic nature of the Square Mile inevitably brings regular replacement or refurbishment of buildings.

This presents opportunities to consider and improve access to buildings and spaces so that they are accessible to everyone, regardless of any physical, sensory or cognitive disability.

The City’s Access Team promotes inclusive design principles to ensure that buildings and external environments meet the access needs of everyone, including disabled people. The team consists of Rob Oakley (head of access) and two access advisors. Together

STABILO has embarked upon a national project aimed at improving children’s handwriting.

Scientific research has shown that, simply put: a good start = faster, more fluent handwriting = better learning = better results. Using the right products at the outset, avoids bad habits and creates an ‘unconscious competence’.

When learning becomes more intense, children spend less time thinking about writing, allowing them to focus on the content, which produces better results.

To aid this, STABILO has a range of ergonomic handwriting products with versions for left and right-handers. From

starter pencils and chunky, triangular colouring products to a ballpoint pen with integrated touchscreen stylus, the range focuses on comfort and efficiency to help children improve their handwriting. The EASYgraph pencil and EASYoriginal pen have integrated grip zones that promote children to hold it in the correct tripod grip, as recommended by the National Handwriting Association.

Visit the website for information and free downloadable teaching packs and parents’ help sheets.

FURTHER INFORMATION www.stabilo.co.uk/teach

FURTHER INFORMATION Tel: 020 7332 1995 access@cityoflondon.gov.uk www.cityoflondon.gov.uk

FINANCE

OUTDOOR PLAY

Support services for schools and academies

Little Chunky play equipment: learning is fun

As one of the largest independent firms of chartered accountants and business advisers in Yorkshire, Dutton Moore offers a complete range of accountancy and business support services to a wide spectrum of businesses, organisations and individuals.

With more and more schools deciding to convert to academy status, getting accountancy and business advice from experts who have been working on conversions with schools is key.

Dutton Moore represents the first primary school in East Riding of Yorkshire to convert to a single academy trust in 2010 and then to convert again to a multi-academy trust this summer.

It has been heavily involved with the process of the school becoming an academy from the early days of their introduction by the coalition government.

Conversion takes head teachers, governors and school business managers into new territory and a great deal of guidance is needed. Academy status provides

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they provide professional advice on access adjustments and improvements to the City of London’s public buildings as well as the city’s streets and open spaces, some of which fall outside of the business district. A summary of relevant access legislation and technical design standards is available in “Designing an Accessible City” and on a series of factsheets which are produced and published by the team; these are readily available from the access team or on the City’s website: www. cityoflondon.gov.uk/about-thecity/how-we-work/access

financial freedom but also brings accountability, corporate governance and responsibility for public funds. Academies have legal status as companies: they are charities and SMEs whose business is education.

Dutton Moore assists schools with payroll, tax, VAT, PAYE and bookkeeping. School leaders or governing bodies can contact to arrange an initial consultation.

FURTHER INFORMATION Tel: 01482 326617 www.duttonmoore.co.uk

EDUCATION BUSINESS MAGAZINE | Volume 18.6

Little Chunky is a brand specialising in play equipment for children up to the age of five years.

Children learn and develop physical, social, emotional, intellectual and communication skills through doing, talking and exchanging ideas. As they become more creative, and imaginations run wild, they will explore, investigate and increasingly understand themselves and the world around them.

The first five years of a child’s life are vital in this learning and development, setting foundations for later life. Play allows knowledge about the world and environment to be absorbed. The importance of encouraging play is therefore of paramount importance to the development of children.

Little Chunky has carefully designed and manufactured a range of play equipment specifically for “early years” to reflect several areas of

learning. The range encourages a development of numeracy skills with the use of shapes and the development of gross motor skills such as balance, co-ordination and walking in a straight line.

All of the products encourage creativity, role play and provide an excellent aid to encourage children to develop socially and emotionally. Focusing specifically on early years, all of these products are in bright, attractive colours as well as being of smaller proportions for smaller people.

FURTHER INFORMATION Tel: 01544 387103 www.educationalplay.co.uk

INFECTION CONTROL

FACILITIES MANAGEMENT

Alcohol-free sanitiser from Euro Green for total the one-stop shop for support and facilities halal-approved products management services SteriZar is an alcohol‑free halal antibacterial sanitising product, that has been tested and proven to be effective against a wide range of bacteria and viruses: containing no irritants, tested to be skin and food safe, and is perfectly safe for all ages to use.

One property of SteriZar that makes it so different is it has active barrier technology which allows the bacterial agent to continue to be effective on the skin for up to six hours and hard surfaces for up to 30 days.

All claims made regarding effectiveness of SteriZar have been substantiated by independently recognised testing laboratories in the UK and meet the criteria laid out for the appropriate British Standard, all of which are

readily available.

Tests using the product have been successful against norovirus and the recently highlighted bacteria NDM-1, to add to the already achieved excellent test results showing the effectiveness of the product against many harmful and potentially life-threatening micro-organisms that exist in today’s working environment.

SteriZar products have been certified as fully Halal compliant by the International Halal Federation (IHF). The full range of Halal-compliant SteriZar products are available through its distributor All Things Halal.

FURTHER INFORMATION Tel: 0330 660 0098 info@athalal.com www.athalal.com

PROCUREMENT

EGF Management Services is an independent facilities management company that provides a comprehensive range of Integrated FM service within all sectors.

EGF has a qualified taskforce able to undertake all aspects of works including 24-hour emergency, planned and reactive maintenance.

With a one-team philosophy, it adapts the way it works, to match your culture. This approach ensures efficiency, total ownership and accountability for all elements of service. EGF’s solutions recognise where resources and infrastructure can be integrated with each other to optimise delivery performance and reduce cost, whilst supporting your objectives and legal obligations.

EGF provides a comprehensive package, aimed at meeting all your needs and budget in the most cost-

effective manner and with a view to improving the life expectancy of your equipment and systems.

EGF is not one-dimensional in its approach nor is it in the business of simply ticking boxes. It is happy to respond to any on-site issues its clients point out to the company.

By combining an emergency

call-out package with a planned maintenance schedule, you can ensure total property care and peace of mind.

FURTHER INFORMATION Tel: 0808 1987 200 enquiries@egfmanagement services.com www.egfmanagement services.com

LEARNING AIDS

How green is your school’s procurement?

How can a story teach more than just literacy?

Most UK schools and nurseries are keen to educate their children about the virtues of going green.

Whether it’s recycling or reusing old materials, there are thousands of eco projects going on every term. Indeed many schools are now on the road to obtaining Green Flag status: one primary school close to GreenBuying.co.uk now proudly flies its Green Flag at the front of the school grounds.

However, GreenBuying.co.uk believes that schools and nurseries can do even more to demonstrate their environmental credentials to their pupils, staff, parents and governors.

One key area where many have yet to go green is procurement.

Most schools have yet to procure eco-friendly supplies and this is where GreenBuying.co.uk can help.

Stories together with craft activities can be used to teach a variety of subjects, such as geography, history and PSHE. Little Creative Days’ new literacy resource kits contain an original story, play and all the materials needed to make puppets to act out the story.

The stories cover key themes and are cross-curricular.

Teachers’ notes are packed with additional follow-on activities to reinforce the learning and for each story there are two kits: one for EYFS/KS1 and one for KS2.

The kits have a number of benefits and Little Creative Days’ testing has demonstrated children’s knowledge retention increased through their involvement in the stories. The kits can also be used to teach those with SEN in a whole class environment due to the multisensory nature of the products.

The children benefited from a boost in confidence in their oral and presentation skills.

The company’s secure website has been developed with schools and nurseries in mind. It sells eco stationery, novelty recycling bins, children’s playground equipment and benches made using recycled plastics, non-toxic cleaning supplies and even green computers.

All products are UK-sourced and, unlike other companies that sell green products as an add-on, green products is all GreenBuying. co.uk does. Schools and nurseries can benefit from a special offer of a five per cent discount across every product on the website.

Visit today and stand out from the crowd as being truly green.

FURTHER INFORMATION Tel: 0845 217 8995 info@greenbuying.co.uk www.GreenBuying.co.uk

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The products have all been tested with children and teachers and have proven to be a big hit.

One of the young testers for Little Creative Days said: “That was the most fantastic lesson I have ever had.”

FURTHER INFORMATION Tel: 01488 468901 email@littlecreativedays.co.uk www.littlecreativedays.co.uk

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ASBESTOS MANAGEMENT

Award-winning ‘asbestos Oval: high-performance awareness’ online training insurance that hits the mark As schools take on greater 360º Certified learning independence and autonomy, the risks they face also increase.

NATAS are proud to launch a new generation of training – a first for the asbestos training industry.

Innovative solution 360º Certified allows the student to immerse themselves into a variety of environments, similar to those that the students come into contact with in their day-to-day work activities.

Bridging the gap between classroom-based training and e-learning, 360º Certified takes the learner into a virtual environment where practical steps are taken to achieve compliance.

Both theory and practical information are delivered via visual and audio tools within the training environment where identification is the main premise of the solution, with the goal

to increase overall asbestos awareness.

The learner’s ability to visually identify asbestos containing materials (ACMs) has improved almost three-fold for the average user as 360º Certified successfully caters for multiple-learning styles.

This new generation of asbestos awareness training will defy expectations as an incomparable training route for compliance and raised awareness, achieving new safety levels for all learners.

Join the 360º revolution today, and learn from every angle.

FURTHER INFORMATION Tel: 0870 751 1880 info@natas.co.uk www.natas.co.uk www.360certified.com

An area of concern for many schools, and the governors responsible for administering them, is the adequacy of their health and safety systems.

Schools have very particular issues with management of children and young people, who can be notoriously difficult to control. There are also regular visits from members of the public. Throw into this mix management of sometimes older buildings with historic and troublesome materials and combine it with securing the latest IT equipment and devices and you have a myriad of decidedly complex issues.

This shouldn’t prevent schools from making a mature and practical response. Legislation does not expect individuals to become health and safety experts but it does place an onus upon those responsible to demonstrate

that in their everyday activities they have anticipated the likely risks and the potential for these being realised.

There should be frameworks in place which employees understand that can be easily implemented. Regular training and good communication is at the heart of ensuring that a school is a safe environment for all those enter and use it.

To see how Oval can help you protect your school, contact Regional Education Director Philip Webster.

FURTHER INFORMATION Tel: 01924 234028 philip.webster@theovalgroup.com

ICT

SUPPORT SERVICES

Software to help schools streamline their ICT programmes

Place2Be: making a lifetime of difference to children in schools

SAM UK (Software Asset Management UK) believes everybody in education should have access to the best tools available. Software can help bring education to a wider audience whilst also transforming the learning experience. SAM UK believes software can deliver the ability to personalise learning, to learn at various speeds and to enhance collaborative learning.

Founded in 2003, SAM UK is an award-winning company that has grown from delivering value licencing options for schools in Ireland to becoming a leader in the development and supply of education solutions worldwide.

SAM UK has helped over 3,000 institutions get the software that suits their particular needs for the best price.

Licencing programs are designed to introduce options for schools and charities.

However, the reality is that the options become so varied and

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INSURANCE

complicated that customers don’t understand what’s best for them.

This is where SAM UK can help as it is an expert in licencing programs and will guide you through the licencing minefield to make sure you get the solution that suits your needs.

The team at SAM UK is always on hand to take your queries and prides itself on providing the right solution, whether it’s saving you money or increasing your digital capability.

SAM UK also provides a number of other solutions to the education and charity sectors.

FURTHER INFORMATION Tel: 02895 810 850 www.samware.co.uk

EDUCATION BUSINESS MAGAZINE | Volume 18.6

Place2Be is the leading UK provider of school-based emotional and mental health support services, supporting 75,000 children in 200 schools.

The charity supports children to cope with issues such as bullying, family breakdown, bereavement, neglect and trauma.

By intervening early, Place2Be effectively prevents the downward spiral that can lead to low aspirations, poor educational achievement, truancy and exclusion from school.

It helps improve attainment and academic progress and builds children’s resilience.

The service works with parents and carers to help them enhance their parenting skills and build better relationships with their children, whilst also supporting the whole school staff community.

As well as school-based services, Place2Be offers highly effective training for school staff, developed with the expertise gained from

19 years of working with schools.

The training provides practical approaches to support teaching, enhances staff’s ability to support the emotional wellbeing of the children and families they work with, and improves their ability to manage behaviour in and out of the classroom.

Place2Be also runs a full suite of qualifications in counselling skills for working with children, ranging from a Taster Day to a Postgraduate Diploma and Masters.

FURTHER INFORMATION Tel: 020 7923 5500 enquiries@place2be.org.uk www.place2be.org.uk

STORAGE SOLUTIONS

ICT

Perfect storage solutions whatever your educational requirements

TFC: computer equipment experts offering the best possible prices

Solent Plastics offers a bespoke range of plastic storage solutions, suitable for all educational requirements.

The company’s range is sourced from the best manufacturers worldwide in order to offer durable but affordable quality plastic storage products that can be relied on over the long-term.

The sales team has over 100 years of combined experience and will offer the best possible advice to help supply the product most suited to your storage requirements and learning environment.

Solent Plastics is a major stockist of clear Really Useful boxes, which offer an unmatched range of sizes and suitability for any storage application.

Its range of stacking clear Uniboxes is suitable for all lightweight school requirements, either free-standing or for shelving in storerooms.

Looking for tough large storage?

Solent’s range of big boxes and trunks is unrivalled and is suitable for PE/sports, playground or janitorial requirements.

Need fast delivery? Couriers enable the company to provide the most cost-effective and fast delivery for your orders.

There is no minimum order and purchase orders are accepted.

Visit the Education page on www. solentplastics.co.uk for further details of Solent’s massive range.

FURTHER INFORMATION Tel: 023 8057 2500 Fax: 023 8057 7775 sales@solentplastics.co.uk www.solentplastics.co.uk

ASBESTOS MANAGEMENT

TFC, based in Brentford, London, has been established for 10 years and is the brand name for bargain used and refurbished computers.

TFC is dedicated to supplying computer equipment to schools, colleges and universities at the cheapest prices possible.

With computer sets starting from £75 (which includes PC, LCD monitor, cables, keyboard and mouse) and laptops from £45.

Laptops: Toshiba U400 with webcam (Intel® Core™2 Duo 1.8-2GHz, 2GB ram, 160-250GB hard drive, DVD combo/RW with charger) £120 (ex VAT); HP 6730B (Intel® Core™2 Duo, 2.2GHz, 2GB ram, 160GB hard drive, DVD combo/RW with charger.

Screen: 15.4”) £125 (ex vat).

PCs: HP Elite 8000 (Intel® Core™2 Duo) £100 (ex vat); Dell Gx780 Quad Core £110 (ex vat).

Producs & Services

THE BUSINESS MAGAZINE FOR EDUCATION – www.educationbusinessuk.net

The company also sells Pentium 4, Pentium D, Intel DualCore, Intel® Core™2 Duo, i3, i5 and i7.

All used or refurbished PCs supplied include return-to-base warranty that can be upgraded to 12 months’ cover for a modest fee.

TFC is a member of the Microsoft-Registered Refurbisher programme, so you will receive genuine Windows software.

The company receives thousands of pieces of computer equipment into its warehouse, which includes PCs, laptops, accessories, servers and networking equipment.

TFC is offering 10 per cent off of all first orders. Contact TFC for details of further offers and for any further help.

FURTHER INFORMATION Tel: 0203 302 0613 admin@techfirstshop.co.uk www.techfirstshop.co.uk

CATERING

Managing the asbestos in School-compliant your learning environment nutritious packed lunches In a recent audit carried out by ATaC, major flaws were identified in the asbestos management of some schools. From this, it is apparent that asbestos-containing materials (ACM) were present in many of the participating schools.

The audit also highlighted that asbestos-awareness training for those expected to manage the asbestos in their school was poor or non-existent.

From the 1950s to mid-1980s, asbestos was being hailed as a wonder building material and was used extensively in school buildings. One of the most popular uses was as insulating board, mainly due to its resilience and fire-protection properties. Probably the most popular use was as ceiling tiles and partitions throughout.

All too often we hear of building contractors being prosecuted and schools closed because a worker has disturbed an ACM, spreading contamination over the school.

To comply with the Control of Asbestos Regulations 2012, you

need to know whether asbestos is present, in what type of product, the fibre type, its location and its condition. You need to carry out a risk-assessment, record these findings, inform anyone who may come into contact with it and know how to manage all asbestos contact on a daily basis.

The starting point is to look at the school’s existing records. If it was built before 1999, a survey will be needed in accordance with HSE guidance HSG 264,

Asbestos: The Survey Guide.

The report will contain a riskassessment and recommendations, which can be used as the basis of a management plan and provide the detail required to inform staff of the location of ACMs. FURTHER INFORMATION www.tersusgroup.co.uk

The Kidz Lunch Company was founded in 2009 and is based in Park Royal, London. Specialising in hot and cold packed lunches, the company understands the need for well-balanced nutritious foods and The Kidz Lunch Company complies 100 per cent with the school food standards.

Recent research shows that around four million school children in Britain have a packed lunch that consists of sweets, crisps and sugar-filled drinks.

By providing healthy lunches that are low in saturated fats, these meals not only help busy parents and schools but it also helps to install good eating habits in children from a young age.

Lunches are prepared with care from fresh, high-quality produce, under strict health and safety regulations using eco-packaging – then promptly delivered to

schools in temperature-controlled vans before 11.30am.

All lunches from The Kidz Lunch Company are nut-free and any allergies can be catered for.

Halal meats are also available.

FURTHER INFORMATION Tel: 0208 838 0106 Tel: 07539 232168 www.thekidzlunchco.co.uk

Volume 18.6 | EDUCATION BUSINESS MAGAZINE

121

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TRAINING

EDUCATION ESTATES 2013

Tiks Consult – effective health and safety training and consultancy

Versa Wall Pockets: the ideal answer for multi-use dining halls

Tiks Consult doesn’t just train people, it shares ideas, knowledge and experience to ensure its training sessions help improve your employees’ health and well-being, knowledge and skills – which positively impacts your organisation’s safety performance.

Courses can be bespokely designed to meet your needs and policies and are delivered in a way that makes them applicable to work and personal life.

Tiks Consult is competent in the following topics: health and safety, fire safety, COSHH, DSE, first aid, manual handling, infection control, food hygiene, stress management, employee

health and well-being, risk assessment, emergency planning, accident investigation and reporting. The company also has various interactive health and safety video e-learning packages at affordable rates.

The company also provides a competent person service to help the organisation meet its health and safety responsibilities.

Contact Tiks Consult and give your employees the opportunity to see their health, safety and well-being in a different light.

FURTHER INFORMATION Tel: 0203 086 7881 contact@tiksconsult.co.uk www.tiksconsult.co.uk

Space is a hugely valuable resource and yet school dining furniture has been stuck in a design rut for all too long.

Versa Design is pleased to introduce the Versa Wall Pocket that turns conventional dining furniture on its head.

The Wall Pocket stores both dining tables and benches in a fraction of the space taken by stool-based tables, easily and safely transforming your hall into a dining facility in seconds.

Taking up minimal space when stored, the Wall Pocket is quick and easy to use, enabling maximum capacity in the dining hall as well as providing seating for assemblies and lecture-style facilities, optimising your hall’s usefulness.

They require no valuable storage space, allowing you to keep your hall equipment out of sight in your store cupboards instead, leaving

the room beautifully clear for PE, assembly and other activities.

Durable and extremely robust, the Versa Wall Pocket is backed by a 15-year manufacturer’s warranty, for complete peace of mind.

Available in a range of sizes and colours, the Versa Wall Pocket can be specified into a new-build facility or retro-fitted to an existing hall in a single day.

FURTHER INFORMATION Tel: 01752 306200 ideas@versadesign.co.uk www.versadesign.co.uk

ADVERTISERS INDEX

The publishers accept no responsibility for errors or omissions in this free service 60 IT 116 AAR Environmental 69 Actaccom 61 Adp Architecture 62 Air Structures International 102 Amsys 116 Archon Solicitors 24 Asbestos Training 66 Aspull Catering Equipment & Services 86 ATH 119 Binary Distribution 30, 53 BPS Designs 79 Britplas 64 Brother 38 CB Info Systems 34 Chartered Management 117 City of London 118 Co Law 24 Comms Express 32 Compliance Surveys 68 Computers Unlimited 42, 43 Connective Business 16 CPS Manufacturing 109 Cybex International UK 104 DC Thomson & Co 98 Debit Finance Collections 105 DOHR 22 Dutton Moore 118

122

Eastern Shires 14 Eden HR Consulting 24 Educational Play 97 Education, Care and Health 14 Educational Play 118 Elliott UK 58 Essenwood Consulting 117 Euro Green Facilities 119 Everyone Active 96 Exa – Networks 52, 53 Exact Financial 14 Ferro Design 84 Findlay Irvine 65 Footprint PR 40 Formica 60 Frontier Software 28 GCSE Pod 37 Genee World 8 Grassform Group IBC GreenBuying.co.uk 119 Innova Design 70 Innovate Services 87 Jersey Adventures 88 Kyocera Document Solutions 4 Learndirect 44 Little Creative Days 119 Lloyds 10 Lucion Environmental 68 Marmot Resources 70

EDUCATION BUSINESS MAGAZINE | Volume 18.6

Miele Professional 112 Mike Ayres Design 46, 53 Morse Watchmans 76 Natas e-learning 120 National Football Museum 93 NEC OBC NISAI 80, 101 Nomadic Schools 100 Not As We Know It 29 OKI Systems UK 114, 115 Oval Insurance 120 Place2Be 120 Playforce 80 Powered by Solar 53, 74, 75 Premier Global 6 Promote your School 50 Randstad 12 Rathbone Brothers 106 Red Spot HR 18 RM Education 54, 55 Rock UK Adventure Centres 92 Rope Runners 93 RPA Group 61 Sail Shades Direct 92 Samware 120 Securitas 78 See Tickets 94 Simply Health 72 Smoothwall 48

Software X 4 116 Solent Plastics 121 Spamtitan T/A Copperfasten 116 Stabilo International GmbH 118 Stage Systems IFC, 20 Supplies for Schools 117 Systech IT Solutions 33 Targus Europe 36 Techfirst Shop 121 Telopea Managed Services 24 Tersus Consultancy 121 The Adventure Company 90 The Bushcraft Company 92 The Guardian 26 The Kidz Lunch Company 121 The Stable Company 56 Tiks Consult 122 TTS Group 34 Turn It In 33 Vizeum 21 Walker Morris 73 War Child 117 Wesleyan for Teachers 80 West Country Interiors 122 Whitco Catering Bakery 86 Whole School Software 50 Witley Jones 62 Youngs Seafood 82

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Copyright 2013 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.

Copyright 2013 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.