Education Magazine issue 64 Sept 2015

Edition 4, 2015

Creating a library for the 21st century see p32

Youth and the Internet see p10 Extremism and how to discharge your new legal duty see p14 How can Apps benefit your school? see p16 The pros and cons of academy collaboration see p18

Academies collaborating see p20 Tackling inactivity: the active school approach see p24 Food experts ready to help schools as Ofsted school food inspections come into force see p28

The evolution of technology platforms – what does this mean for schools? seep34 Keeping the drama out of energy costs see p40 Mind the gap see p42

www.education-magazine.co.uk - for ar ticles news and pr oducts

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Education Magazine Edition 64 Annual Subscription £10 Free to Heads and School Financial Directors

Publisher Steve Mitchell

Editorial Sales Team: Tracy Johnson and Martin Petty Circulation Research Mary Reale

Published by Review Magazines Ltd, 53 Asgard Drive,Bedford MK41 0UR

Design/Production Amanda Wesley

Tel: 01234 348878 Fax: 01223 790191 E-mail: info@education-magazine.co.uk Website: www.education-magazine.co.uk Copyright Education Magazine 2015

Contents 2 News 10 Youth and the Internet,

20 Academies collaborating

by Barnardo’s

Jonathan Rallings, the Assistant Director for policy at Barnardo’s

14 Extremism and how

to discharge your new legal duty

16 How can Apps benefit your school?

24 Tackling inactivity:

the active school approach

28 Food experts ready

to help schools as Ofsted school food inspections come into force

34 The evolution of technology platforms – what does this mean for schools?

36 Procurement for schools

38 The high tech drama facility

40 Keeping the drama out of energy costs

18 The pros and cons of 32 Creating a library for 42 Mind the gap academy collaboration Ciara Campfield of Stone King’s education team

If you are building, developing new ideas or have some excellent examples of ‘good practice’, spread the word about them and contact PIR Education Magazine on

01234 348878 or

the 21st century

The magazine for Heads and Financial Directors of Academies, Independent and Free Schools

email info@education-magazine.co.uk We are always looking for good news on Education issues.

We approve all articles prior to press.

Look forward to hearing from you!

The Publisher holds all copyright and any items within may not be reproduced in any way, for any purpose, without the written permission of the Publisher. While every care has been taken to ensure accuracy, the information contained within this publication is based on submissions to the Publishers who cannot be held responsible for errors and omissions. The publisher does not necessarily agree with the views expressed by contributors and cannot except responsibility for claims made by manufacturers and authors, nor do they accept any responsibility for any errors in the subject matter of this publication.

NEWS News News News NEWS News NEWS News

Thousands of schools set to join the world’s biggest coffee morning on Friday 25th September Schools from across the UK will be baking up a storm this September by helping Macmillan Cancer Support’s flagship fundraiser, the World’s Biggest Coffee Morning, celebrate its 25th anniversary by helping to raise over £25 million for people affected by cancer.

Last year over £2million was raised through schools alone, with the number of schools involved growing each year. Last year saw over 16,000 schools take part and Macmillan is hoping that this year will be bigger than ever with over 10,000 schools already registered to take part.

There are many skills to be gained for young people hosting a World’s Biggest Coffee Morning, from creating the promotional materials, such as posters

and invitations, to handling money, understanding health and safety and communicating with different people.

Whilst there’s plenty of time to sign up to this year’s event, it’s often the case that school events take place throughout Autumn to fit in with differing term times. Macmillan has also developed a range of resources and lesson plans to support primary and secondary schools to take part in Coffee Morning complementing their wider education resources including Macmillan’s Talking about Cancer toolkits.

Macmillan’s Coffee Morning started in 1990 when a local fundraising committee decided to hold a coffee morning and donated the cost of their coffee to Macmillan. They suggested rolling out the idea nationally the following year and the first official event saw

2,600 people across the UK host a coffee morning. Last year Macmillan estimates that over 5 million people were involved and a staggering total of £138million has been raised since 1991.

With 2.5 million people currently living with cancer, this year Macmillan needs more people than ever to get involved. Every cup of coffee bought, cake baked and laugh shared at a coffee morning helps Macmillan to continue to providing vital services and support to ensure no one faces cancer alone.

For further information about Macmillan’s Coffee Morning activities in schools, visit coffeemorning.macmillan.org.uk/tips-ideasand-recipes/at-school.aspx#.VYfZePlVhHx Download Macmillan’s educational strategies, guidance and toolkits from www.macmillan.org.uk/schools

Alton Towers Resort launches updated Education Centre to enhance learning outside the classroom programme On Saturday 5th September, the Alton Towers Resort launched its fully refurbished Education Centre in partnership with Staffordshire University.

The new Education Centre will showcase the already established education programme but with the new partnership with Staffordshire University, it has allowed the additional offering of an interactive workshop space featuring touchscreen televisions, digital displays and interactive applications, as well as a lecture room for theory-led educational talks with individual tables for students to have the option to take notes.

The Resort runs a variety of inspiring talks for pupils and teachers using classroom subjects like maths, hospitality and science to learn more about the Resort operating in the leisure industry. Alton Towers Resort also runs extremely popular educational events such as their business-orientated event ‘Business of Leisure’ where students can meet members of their business team, and National Science Week where they successfully broke the Guinness World Record for World’s Largest Science Lesson.

The education programme run by Alton Towers Resort is designed to match the National Curriculum whilst encouraging learning outside the classroom which is reinforced by their Quality Badge awarded by the Council for Learning Outside the Classroom.

Rachael Cotton, Head of Trade and Corporate Sales at Alton Towers Resort, says it’s important to tie education together with real life.

“Anything that encourages pupils to think about their future is fantastic, and we already actively support that idea, which is why working with Staffordshire University is the natural thing for us to do.”

Visit www.altontowers.com/schools for more information.

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NEWS News News News NEWS News NEWS News

New £10,000 grants to continue drive to eliminate illiteracy School Reform Minister Nick Gibb announces new grants to help primary schools spread their reading expertise to other schools.

Primary schools that excel at teaching pupils to read will receive £10,000 to help them spread their expertise to other schools, School Reform Minister Nick Gibb announced on 14 July 2015.

Since the introduction of the phonics screening check in 2012, 100,000 more 6-year-olds are on track to become proficient readers.

However, too many pupils across the country are still not confident in phonics at the end of year 1.

To ensure as many young people as possible develop a strong grasp of reading early on, the grants of £10,000 will be made available to 8 groups of schools, led by topperforming primaries.

Schools Minister Nick Gibb said: “For too long, thousands of young people have been allowed to fall behind in reading.

This government’s drive to eliminate illiteracy is putting a stop to that.

Three years on from the introduction of the phonics check, 100,000 more 6-year-olds each year are on track to become confident, proficient readers.

But I want to go further and ensure all children across the country are benefitting from the excellent phonics teaching I have seen first-hand in our best schools.

We are serious about eliminating illiteracy in this country which means we need to reach a position where every primary school is teaching reading using phonics as well as the best are.

This funding allows schools to share their expertise and I am confident it will lead to even more young people acquiring the foundation of effective reading at an early age - putting them on the path to a successful education.”

Achieving the expected standard in the phonics check is a strong indicator of a pupil’s performance in wider reading assessments.

Of those year 1 pupils that met the expected standard in the check in 2013, 99% went on to achieve the expected level in reading at the end of key stage 1 in 2014.

The money will be used by groups of schools to develop models to improve phonics teaching that have the potential to work for other schools.

Each group is led by a high-performing school with a track record of leading improvement activity and will also include schools seeking to make rapid improvements in their phonics teaching.

The schools leading the phonics partnerships are:

• • • • • • • •

Trenance Learning Academy, Newquay, Cornwall St Augustine’s Catholic Primary School, Solihull, West Midlands Bishopton Redmarshall Church of England Primary School, Stockton-onTees, County Durham Witham St Hughes Academy, Lincolnshire Golden Valley Primary School, Nailsea, North Somerset Mangotsfield Church of England, Bristol St George’s Church of England Primary, Wandsworth Hawksmoor Primary, Greenwich

GCSE results show surge in pupils taking valuable STEM subjects.

Thousands more 17-year-olds now leaving education with good GCSEs in English and maths following reforms.

Education Secretary Nicky Morgan congratulated young people receiving their GCSE results (20 August 2015) as new figures showed entries into valuable STEM subjects including maths, science and engineering have jumped by more than 78,000 in a year.

To help ensure all pupils, regardless of background, receive the best possible education, the government has championed the study of academic qualifications at GCSE through the introduction of the EBacc performance measure.

The figures, released by the Joint Council for Qualifications, come a week after the latest A level results showed how the number of students taking the facilitating subjects that are more often required by top universities than others has also risen - by more than 15,000 since 2014.

Compared to 2014, the figures showed GCSE entries rise in:

• • • •

maths - up 24,827 (3.4%) computer science - up 18,641 (111.1%) science - up 20,523 (5.5%) engineering - up 1,882 (37.4%)

Overall entries for girls in STEM subjects were also up by more than 30,000, including more than 14,000 in maths.

Education Secretary Nicky Morgan said: “This marks the culmination of years of

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hard work for pupils, teachers and parents and I want to congratulate them on their achievements.

Thanks to our reforms focused on extending opportunity, a generation of young people from all backgrounds are now securing the GCSEs that help give them the widest range of options later in life - whether looking for a rewarding job or a top apprenticeship.

This not only benefits the students involved, it means our workforce for the future is properly trained to compete in a global economy.”

Fundamental skills To ensure young people have the fundamental skills of literacy and numeracy that are vital to success in later life the government introduced changes that saw all young people who do not achieve at least a C at GCSE in English or maths at 16 continue studying until they reach that standard.

The figures show the impact of these reforms.

For 17-year-olds and over, entries in maths are up 30% while English entries have risen 23%.

As a result there are now over 4,000 more passes in English by students aged 17 and over, and over 7,500 more maths passes.

These figures are released on the same day as statistics which show the number of 16and 17-year-olds participating in education or training have reached their highest level since consistent records began in 2000.

EBacc The number of entries into EBacc subjects are up this year but the wider subjects with almost 300,000 entries into religious studies this year - the highest level since 2002, as well as increases in entries in the arts subjects.

Compared to last year the figures also showed:

• •

Entries in art and design subjects rose by 1.7% to almost 200,000 Entries in music rose by 2.2% to almost 50,000

Early entry To ensure pupils only take exams when they are ready the government ensured that only a young person’s first entry into an exam counts towards school performance tables.

Since it came into force in 2012 there have been significant drops in 15-year-olds taking exams before they have completed GCSE courses for the full 2 years.

The figures from the JCQ show that the number of entries by those aged 15 or under has fallen:

•

By 65,509 for all GCSES and from 39,292 to 33,484 for maths.

• From 58,607 to 49,986 for English and English literature There have also been falls in the number of early entries to other key subjects, including sciences, languages and humanities.

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NEWS News News News NEWS News NEWS News

Young people NEET hits record low New figures show the number of 16- to 18-yearolds not in education, employment or training is at its lowest recorded level.

The number of 16- to 18-year-olds not in education, employment or training (NEET) in England between April and June is at its lowest since records began in 2000, official figures reveal (20 August 2015).

The quarterly figures are the latest indication the government is succeeding in its drive to abolish youth unemployment and ensure all young people are either earning or learning.

The figures show falls across all age categories, with the overall proportion of young people NEET at its lowest for the period in over a decade.

Compared to 2010, there are 75,000 fewer 16- to 24-year-olds NEET for this period.

Since 2011, overall NEET rates have consistently fallen for the April to June period, with the government helping create 2.3 million apprenticeships in the last Parliament, and establishing a more respected professional and technical education system.

Skills Minister Nick Boles said: “ We have yet more evidence this government is delivering on its commitment to get all young people either learning or into work.

While the proportion of young people NEET is at its lowest for this time of the year since 2004, we will not stop there.

Our focus remains firmly on equipping all young people with the skills they need - not least through our pledge to deliver 3 million new apprenticeships in this Parliament.”

The figures show the proportion of 16- and 17-year-olds participating in education or training reached its highest level since consistent data began, having risen 10.9 percentage points since 2000.

The increase in participation comes as all young people in England are now required to continue in education or training until at least their 18th birthday, under the ‘raising the participation age’ (RPA) requirement.

The figures show that the proportion of:

• • •

16- to 18-year-olds who were NEET had fallen by 0.6 percentage points to 7.5%, a fall of 11,000 to the lowest level since 2000 when consistent data began 16- to 24-year-olds who were NEET had fallen by 0.4 percentage points to 13.1%, down 23,000 and at its lowest level since 2004 19- to 24-year-olds who were NEET had fallen by 0.3 percentage points to 15.7%, a reduction of 12,000 on last year

The government has undertaken a number of reforms since 2010 to engage young people over the age of 16, including:

• • • • •

Raising the age of participation in education or training to 18 Improving the quality of vocational education so that it is increasingly seen as a proper alternative route Ensuring minimum standards for apprenticeships, and announcing legal protection to put them on an equal footing with degrees Introducing degree-level apprenticeships to offer in-work training with university-class qualifications Introducing traineeships to help young people into apprenticeships and other routes

to set up book clubs where they can discover new stories and share their favourites with their friends.

The government is therefore funding The Reading Agency to extend their popular Chatterbooks scheme and set up new book clubs in 200 more primary schools all over the country.

Alongside this, the government will also support The Reading Agency to work with schools and get more year-3 pupils enrolled at their local library - helping more children get into the library habit early and address findings that show that 1 in 7 children aged 8 to 16 rarely or never read outside of school.

Nicky Morgan and Future of community David Walliams launch language qualifications child literacy campaign secured Nicky Morgan has teamed up with children’s author and comedian David Walliams to help make English students the most literate in Europe.

Launching a literacy campaign on 19 August 2015, the Education Secretary and David Walliams said that improving literacy should be a ‘national mission.’

Alongside existing reforms that have helped tens of thousands more pupils to read confidently, Nicky Morgan announced plans to create at least 200 new book clubs across the country and an ambition to see every 8-year-old enrolled at their local library.

The new campaign is part of the government’s ‘one nation’ approach to extend opportunities to every child, regardless of background.

Education Secretary Nicky Morgan said: “No matter where they live or what their background, every single child in this country deserves the opportunity to read, to read widely, and to read well - it’s a simple matter of social justice.

Our reforms have already helped tens of thousands more pupils to leave primary school as confident readers but we must go further.

That’s why I am pleased to team up with David on this national mission to make our young people the most literate in Europe.”

David Walliams said: “Books fire children’s imaginations like nothing else can. In a world of the constant distractions of television and computer games, it is more important than ever to encourage youngsters to read.”

People with strong reading skills are overwhelmingly more likely to succeed at school, achieve good qualifications, and find a rewarding and enjoyable career - even more likely to enjoy good health.

Compared to 5 years ago, almost 34,000 more young people are leaving primary school able to read properly; but 1 in 5 still leave unable to read well enough to do well at secondary school - a figure that rises to 1 in 3 among the most disadvantaged children.

One way of encouraging children to read is

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The government has stepped in to secure the future of GCSEs and A levels in community languages such as Panjabi and Turkish - Schools Minister Nick Gibb announced on 22 July 2015.

Exam boards have said that there are a number of community languages which may not be continued at GCSE or A level but the government is announcing that it is taking action to work with the boards and Ofqual to make sure as wide a range of language subjects as possible continue to be taught in the classroom.

School Reform Minister Nick Gibb said: “All pupils should have the opportunity to study foreign languages as part of a core academic curriculum that prepares them for life in modern Britain. This should extend to community languages.

There are some community languages which exam boards have said they need to discontinue at GCSE or A level, which is why we are now taking action and working with them and Ofqual to determine how these qualifications can continue.

In an outward-facing country such as Britain, it is important that we have high-quality qualifications not just in French, German and Spanish but also in languages such as Polish, Urdu, Arabic, Bengali, Gujarati and Turkish.

To avoid any gap in provision in certain languages we will, where necessary, extend the timetable for awarding organisations to continue with existing qualifications until September 2018.”

Further announcements about the proposed approach will be made later in the year.

There are considerable benefits to learning a second language and the government is keen to preserve a wide range of languages being taught at GCSE and A level including Polish, Gujarati, Panjabi, Bengali and Turkish.

Interest in studying languages remains high with the number of pupils entering for a modern language GCSE rising by 20% since 2010.

As well as speaking to exam boards, the government has been meeting representatives from embassies and communities, including supplementary schools, to hear their concerns and discuss ways to resolves the issue.

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Youth and the Internet, by Barnardo’s Youth and the Internet: a guide for policy makers is a report commissioned

by Barnardo’s that highlights concerns about the impact the internet is having on young people. It’s emerged from two central ideas that are beginning to gain traction in public debate: 1)That the effect of the internet age may, or may not, represent a more fundamental divide in the ‘generation gap’ than previous experience of technology impacting on young people.

2) That teenagers’ emotional needs do not seem to have significantly altered in a generation, but the consequences of teenage behaviour are now radically amplified - for good as well as bad - by the internet.

As a ‘think’ paper the report does not make specific recommendations as such, but suggests politicians, civil servants, and other public leaders may need to reconsider some outdated assumptions when making policy around youth and the internet.

Education Magazine spoke about it to Jonathan Rallings, the Assistant Director for policy at Barnardo’s.

Jonathan Rallings is the Assistant Director for policy at Barnardo’s, the largest charity in the UK with over 900 services across the country and work with the most vulnerable children in society. He has been in the children’s sector for about 15 years and worked with a number of organisations in the public and voluntary sector including the NSPCC and a number of London councils. He specialises in education, early years and youth policy.

what the internet can do for us as adults that we haven’t given enough thought to what the impact of the technology may be having on children.

It is beholden on the children’s sector to find out more about what is going on as there is a tendency, particularly among policymakers, to avoid thinking through the deeper implications of the changes happening in childhood except on headline issues such as sexting. The time is right for us now in policy to get to grips with this.

We are behind the curve, we are playing catch up - particularly on sex and relationships education where there’s currently a lot of debate going on in the public sphere about internet safety. If we had been having those conversations 20 years ago [nb- when net use was beginning to take off] we might have much better protection in place for young people. For instance far too many children are reporting they are experiencing very disturbing pornography, the effect of which might be mitigated if there were adults equipped to talk them through it.

EM The report tells that empathy and concentration levels are decreasing among young people and spelling accuracy has fallen due to text abbreviation. Is this something Heads should worry about?

JR They are definitely changes that are happening to young people and it is something that we must keep an eye on. It is not necessarily that the changes are negative or positive. In particular I think that children are under immense pressure to perform in a way that they might not have had to do before. I think that the internet is changing humans in general but the effects may be different for young people as there appears to be less division or distinction between their online and offline lives way people who grew up before the 90’s might identify.

Sherry Turkle’s book from 2011 Alone Together suggested that young people already have a nostalgia for writing letters, basically because that was one time when they could get something really personalised that was made for them. Many now have never had the experience of receiving a real letter or of actually writing one.

Education Magazine (EM) Why should Heads read this guide from Barnardo’s?

EM There seems to be a lack of boredom among young people. Because of this they don’t get a chance to reflect. Isn’t a lack of boredom a good thing among children?

Jonathan Rallings (JR) It brings together some of the important thinking that is going on and it has really opened my eyes as to what is happening. As a result I now think the children’s sectors are not as aware as they might be to what is actually going on. We’ve been so enchanted as to

JR It isn’t necessarily ‘boredom’ that’s the concern. A better word may be ‘solitude’.

That is a time when you get an experience of reflection, when you get the time to understand yourself and reflect on problems and this sets you on a more emotionally stable path to adulthood. What modern 10

communications may be doing is depriving young people from solitude and the ability to discover how to think in a different way.

EM What effects is the internet having on classroom work and the way teachers approach the lesson?

JR It is the little insidious things that a teacher should be addressing. For example: How do you construct an essay? In your days before the internet you would not have had a word processor and with no more than a pen and a bit of Tippex you would have been planning it and writing fastidiously. Not now as teenagers are multitasking all the time, they’re constantly thinking and doing other things, they’re messaging their friends and they may be watching a video whilst they’re writing the essay. That’s how I now write reports; it’s certainly not the way I would have written twenty years ago. It’s now possible to start by writing a conclusion and work backwards from that!

EM I would put forward that the way we do it now is a serious advantage over a pen and a piece of paper. The advent of word processors means we do a better job!

JR What this report is saying is that modern technology isn’t necessarily good or bad. It is saying is that there is not enough evidence to prove it either way but that things are changing. We need to accept that this is the way things have become and that we need to adapt our conversations with children to reflect this.

EM The report talks about ‘sexting’. I’m nearly 60, and if someone took picture of me nude and shared it amongst my friends I would be horrendously embarrassed.

However we’ve just seen an event in Malaysia where a group of young people stripped off at the top of a mountain to do selfies. So it’s no longer the embarrassing problem it used to be. In the debate about sexting are we talking about denial of social evolution? Are we really making a fuss about nothing?

JR This is a very interesting perspective.

What Barnardo’s is talking about is that people are not necessarily informed enough to make choices in their adolescence. People often make choices in that time that they may not be happy they did when they reach adulthood and look back!

The urge of young people to strip off or explore their sexuality is probably not too different for this generation. But crucially for most of us now in adulthood, those sort of teenage indiscretions have been long forgotten – this may not be the case for the next generation when news or photos posted to the internet are potentially accessible forever. The idea that in the continues overleaf u Education Magazine

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Youth and the Internet, by Barnardo’s continued future adolescent mistakes will potentially be more accepted and normalised, that’s perfectly possible because the propensity for people to have that experience remaining prominent will be greater. Maybe we will have to more readily accept ‘flawed’ politicians for example (even more than we do now anyyway…!). But I don’t think it will lessen the emotional damage, or lessen the feeling that it shouldn’t have happened, or the fear that you cannot move away from it. Whether it becomes more normal is what needs to be thought about, as well as its impact on your future life. The fact that you could always be harking back to things that you were slightly embarrassed about, whether naked photos or ridiculous comments, is now a possibility.

Futurologists suggest that in the future, everybody will have the right to change their identity and get rid of their previous identity.

This may become more necessary for this generation.

EM What is the Barnardo’s stance on ‘i Rights’?

iRights provides a framework of five simple rights by which everyone – parents, teachers, corporations, governments, technology companies and young people themselves – can interrogate how they interact with young people in the digital world. There a 5 basic ones they are: 1. Every child and young person under 18 should have the right to easily edit or delete any content they have created.

2. Children and young people have the right to know who is holding or profiting from their information, what their information is being used for and whether it is being copied, sold or traded.

3. Children and young people should be confident that they will be protected from illegal practices and supported if confronted by troubling or upsetting scenarios online.

4. Children and young people should be free to reach into creative and participatory places online, using digital technologies as tools, but at the same time have the capacity to disengage at will.

5. To access the knowledge that the internet can deliver, children and young people need to be taught the skills to use and critique digital technologies, and given the tools to negotiate emerging social norms.

More information in iRights is available at www.irights.uk

Jonathan Rallings

JR ‘iRights’ have been put forward by Baroness Kidron in the House of Lords, and is a campaign that Barnardo’s has lent its support to. The important thing about iRights is that a law is only as good as how it can be enforced. If companies or individuals don’t believe iRights are going to be enforced then people will break them with impunity. What the law does do is signal what we as a society view as right or wrong. iRights should represent an ideal of the control we as a society believe that young people should have regarding information about them, and the ability we feel young people should be granted to harness the positive power of the internet without the fear of the dangers they may encounter. I have worked closely with the children’s rights drive for England, and we are aware that children’s rights are being breached and infringed, not just in this country but all over the world. The principle of having a UN Convention on Rights for the Child is so we can hold governments to account is one we support. Maybe iRights will eventually take on a similar role?

EM What about the technology to protect young people? Most children and teenagers are very technologically literate.

Technology can’t stop the abuse of the digital highway for nefarious purposes altogether, but can it really do any good?

For instance there is a new Ofsted compliant e-Safety tool has been launched by Mouchel to help parents and teachers protect children online. The manufactures claim that their app, Point2Protect, is a product that allows children use the internet whilst having a safe, responsible online experience. Is there really a need for such products in a world where children can so easily bypass safeguards if they wish to?

JR You could make that argument about anything , on prohibiting drugs, for example, as we know that unfortunately 12

most people of any age could go out and find some if they desperately wanted to try them. iRights are about the symbolism that shows we are doing everything we can to protect young people. If we weren’t we wouldn’t really be upholding the iRights would we? As with offline life, young people need to make informed choices.

They need to be sheltered through a period of adolescence to grow into adulthood more responsible and to keep themselves safe. The more tools there are to protect young people online the better, and there should be something that is also able to restrict the flow of pornography and inappropriate content such as the Mouchel product. Incidentally they are supporters of Barnardo’s.

This is for the same reason as we have locks on doors. We well know that for some people, locks don’t matter but if you don’t lock the door the insurance company won’t pay up!

EM Thank you for talking to Education Magazine.

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If you work within the education sector and would like to subscribe to this magazine. Just contact us on

01234 348878 or visit the website www.education-magazine.co.uk Education Magazine

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Extremism and how to discharge your new legal duty

Dai Durbridge is a partner in the education team at Browne Jacobson and specialises in advising schools, academies and other education providers on all pastoral matters, including admissions, exclusions, managing allegations against staff and all safeguarding matters, with a specific interest in vetting and barring. He is a recognised expert and delivers a variety of training and workshops on all pastoral matters.

- by Dai Durbridge On 1 July 2015 the Counter Terrorism and Security Act 2015 introduced a new duty on schools to have due regard to the need to prevent pupils from being drawn into terrorism (commonly referred to as the Prevent Duty). The same duty is expected to be extended to sixth form colleges and FE colleges in the autumn. Dai Durbridge, partner and expert safeguarding lawyer in the education team at Browne Jacobson solicitors, explains the steps schools need to take to discharge this new duty and highlights some of the challenges that lie ahead.

Extremism is a word regularly mentioned in the news but it is now a term we will get used to hearing in education as a result of the duty placed on schools to have due regard to the need to prevent pupils from being drawn into terrorism. The wording of the duty does little to explain what is expected of schools and how it should look in practice. For that, there are three pieces of guidance to which schools need to refer:

• • •

safeguarding policies to set out your procedures for protecting children at risk of radicalisation will suffice.

Working in partnership With most aspects of safeguarding, schools need support from other agencies including the local authority and the police to adequately safeguard children and discharge their duties and effective multiagency working is perhaps even more important when dealing with extremism.

Prevent Duty Guidance for England and Wales, March 2015 (paragraphs 57-76 for schools and (77-101 for FE) The Prevent duty – Departmental advice for schools and childcare providers, June 2015 (DfE) Keeping Children Safe in Education, July 2015 (pages 15-17)

Local authorities are vital to all aspects of Prevent work and in some priority areas, dedicated Prevent co-ordinators have been introduced to work with community schools. For other areas, the extent and expertise of multiagency support is likely to vary considerably.

Regardless of this, schools still have to discharge their duty and if the multiagency support is not what it should be schools are encouraged to take proactive steps to work with those agencies to improve support. Local Heads groups could consider using their collective influence to get the agencies together to plan how the Prevent Duty will be discharged in their area. Whilst requirements will vary regionally, inaction is not an option.

Whilst it seems confusing to issue three pieces of guidance they are at least consistent in what they expect schools to do. The Prevent Duty guidance is not education specific, so the DfE Prevent duty guidance covers the same points with an education specific slant.

The inclusion of advice in the main safeguarding guidance, Keeping Children Safe in Education, makes an important point: the government sees this duty not as a burdensome new area that schools now need to contend with, but simply as an extension of their existing safeguarding responsibilities. This is echoed through inspection, with Ofsted’s revised common inspection framework, which comes into effect from 1 September 2015, making specific reference to the need for schools to have safeguarding arrangements to promote pupils’ welfare and prevent radicalisation and extremism.

As well as other agencies, effective engagement with parents and families is also important as they are in a good position to spot signs of radicalisation.

Referring concerns appropriately to the right agency is equally important when schools have concerns about extremism as it is for any other element of safeguarding. Understanding when to refer to Children’s Services via the school safeguarding lead and knowing when a referral to Channel is a better option can be a difficult decision. Channel is a programme which focuses on providing support at an early stage to people who are identified as being vulnerable to being drawn into terrorism. Local authorities have a duty to ensure Channel Panels are in place. Your best option in these circumstances is to follow the traditional safeguarding route – refer to your safeguarding lead who can then discuss with Children’s Services. Parts of those discussions are likely to include whether Channel is a more appropriate avenue to explore for that particular child.

In discharging the duty, the guidance sets out four areas upon which schools should focus - risk assessment, working in partnership, staff training and IT policies.

Risk assessments The guidance expects schools to assess the risk of children being drawn into terrorism, including support for extremist ideas that are part of terrorist ideology. It also expects schools to be aware of the increased risk of online radicalisation through the use of social media and the internet.

Risks will vary regionally and between schools and so to discharge their duty it is important for schools to have a general understanding of the risks in their area and a specific understanding of how to identify children at risk and what to do to support them. For many schools, this will mean an element of training for front line staff and additional training for the safeguarding lead. For most it will require effective multiagency working.

Staff training An online training module on Channel is available and is suitable for all school staff. It provides an introduction to the topic and advice on how to identify vulnerability factors and the types of intervention available. The government has also developed WRAP training (Workshop to Raise Awareness of Prevent) and your local authority or police force are likely to have accredited facilitators.

This duty also requires a policy update. A lengthy policy specific to the Prevent Duty is not required; a simple amendment to existing 14

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The guidance makes clear the importance of Prevent awareness training to ensure staff are able to identify children at risk. Current awareness varies considerably, so whilst terms like Prevent Duty, Channel, Prevent co-ordinators and WRAP will ring bells with some schools, for many this will be a steep learning curve.

Schools need to identify their training needs. As a minimum, schools are expected to ensure that their safeguarding lead undertakes Prevent awareness training so that they can advise and support other staff on protecting children from the risk of radicalisation. This should be the first step.

IT policies The internet and social media are recognised as particular risk areas for children and the guidance makes clear the need for schools to ensure that children are safe from terrorist and extremist material when accessing the internet in schools. Making sure appropriate filtering is in place is the first step.

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More broadly, schools already use the curriculum to educate children about online risks and building in the risks of radicalisation and extremism will be appropriate for some schools.

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The importance of this new duty cannot be overstated. Alongside child sexual exploitation it is expected to become a significant part of schools’ safeguarding responsibilities. The importance attached to it by the government is clear by their actions: a new law, three pieces of guidance, dedicated training resources, specialist prevent coordinators, an Ofsted focus and a dedicated DfE phone number and email address to raise extremism concerns.

This is a duty that schools need to discharge continually and evidencing what they have done – from staff training and policy amendments to curriculum changes and community engagement – will be just as important to withstand the spotlight that Ofsted are very likely to direct at schools on this issue.

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How can Apps benefit your school?

It’s difficult to think of technology in the modern era and not mention the term ‘apps’. They now play a fundamental role in our lives and now cater to pretty much every age group, every industry, and serve to coincide with every human purpose that we can possibly think of. They help us play, buy, create, manage and learn, we’ll be exploring the latter throughout this article. It’s clear that technology in schools is now steadily coinciding with the increase of smart devices, but the question is, could there be more to offer? We take a look at the impact that technology has had so far in the classroom and how it can be utilized further in order to both help improve grades and student/teacher relationships, with a particular focus on apps.

not all subjects are suitable for apps, for example English Language, in which key skills such as writing could be placed into jeopardy.

IPad apps are expanding the learning experience both inside and outside the classroom, making it more interactive, immersive, and engaging. Keeping these key factors in mind, one must assume that the additional platform is playing or soon will be playing an even more prominent role in improving students’ grades. This in turn would ideally trigger a chain of events which will benefit all involved at the school; the pupil is motivated, the teacher is happy, the head of department is ecstatic and the head teacher is thrilled with the progress in motion.

An additional benefit to using educational apps is that they’re a tool that can be accessed both on and off-site, which could prove as an effective way of saving money on resources such as textbooks (which can prove to be expensive to replace!). You’ll also be encouraging students to actively participate in subject-related material in their ‘spare’ time, which could either coincide with preplanned homework or as further reading.

It’s apparent to all that technology is here to stay. Coding being introduced into primary education is a clear indication of the government’s efforts to get pupils ‘technology-ready’ and build for the future. We teach I.T. to make schoolchildren technically savvy from a young age to run parallel with the expansion of the digital economy, which is now reportedly contributing around £100 billion to the UK. The introduction of iPads into both primary and secondary schools has also proved to be a valuable method in increasing pupil engagement via the use of technology, both in and outside of I.T. focused lessons. Going forward, it’s vital that educational institutions stay on trend with what is current in order to both make subject matters relevant (where applicable) and engage your students as much as possible as a result.

There are already thousands of educational apps out there available for download which cater to both students and teachers on a variety of topics. You have the history focused app ‘London – A City through Time’ which engages students via two thousand year old interactive maps, ‘Algebra Touch’ which diminishes the tedium of traditional methods of solving equations and ‘Chinagram’ which allows pupils to learn the meanings of the language’s most representative characters.

It is very important however that you carefully select the apps which

It is difficult to talk about the rise in smart technology without taking into

account the rise of the app. If you take a look at the current figures in app production and distribution it’s evident that the reach and popularity of them are increasing dramatically. By 2017 269 billion apps are projected to be downloaded across all platforms, making it an ideal time for schools to act on the benefits they bring and capitalise on the inevitable ‘app boom’ which is set to continue.

adhere to your schools teaching methods and objectives. You should have the following in the back of your mind when selecting which one to use:

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Like any other learning tool or exercise you have to ensure that the recipient is able to actively engage with it. A huge benefit to schools who decide to use apps is that you’ll be working with students that interact with them every day. According to findings from an Ofcom report in December 2014, around 70% of five-15 year olds now have access to a tablet at home. It does go without saying however that

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Engagement – Is the app inviting and intuitive?

Age & Intelligence Level – Does the content apply to the correct level of student?

Design – Does the design appropriately cover the subject matter?

Motivation – Does the app make the pupil want to learn more?

Does it praise them for their hard work?

Accessibility – Does the app cater to a range of ages and levels via its content?

Despite there being a range of useful subject-related apps available, schools have yet to acknowledge the benefit of internal apps 16

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(commonly referred to as enterprise apps in business organizations).

The fundamental aim of these are to maximise efficiency and communication between individuals, of which could be applied to the school environment.

Either as a brand new platform or as an extension to an established intranet school portal, an app could prove to be an effective way of enhancing relations between staff and pupils. Teachers would be able to give feedback on work, set additional reading via internet links and also be there for guidance even when the pupil isn’t in the same room. Pupils would also be able to complete teacher surveys online which could offer better classroom insights. This would then discard the paper surveys which are commonly known to lure the pupil’s attention away elsewhere. In addition to this, an internal app would allow heads of departments and other senior figures to monitor all staff and track progress via the above reports.

Apps have begun to revolutionise the way in which students are learning, which is running parallel with the rise of smart devices. With the population in the UK also expanding, education institutions must work with self-learning technical aids provided on offer in order to maximise student motivation whilst catering to a growing number of school-goers.

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Paul Jarrett is Managing Director at Big Orange Software, a digital agency who create bespoke apps and websites for all. His experience over the years has taken him through business continuity software for banks, all the way to mobile location dating apps.

Since establishing Big Orange Software in 2009, Paul has worked on a number of educational projects for an extensive list of clients. These range from developing websites for local and specialist colleges, all the way to developing iPad radio station apps for Primary School infants.

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The pros and cons of academy collaboration Things to think about before embarking on collaboration

Ciara Campfield of Stone King’s education team looks at the key issues that academy trusts should consider when deciding whether to collaborate.

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With growing demands placed on academy trusts to achieve value for money coupled with growing funding pressures, it is likely that we are going to see more trusts joining forces to procure services and resources, potentially going as far as setting up shared service vehicles and outsourcing back office support functions, such as ICT, ground maintenance, HR and accounts.

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Set a clear vision – clearly set out the role of the shared services operation, the role of existing functions remaining locally, and the balance between cost reduction and service improvements.

Business Case - identify the appropriate structure (contractual or legal venture), accounting for short-term increases in costs, likely efficiencies, setting a realistic timeframe, and agreeing how benefits will be allocated.

PR/ Communications - with staff and stakeholders, gaining support before proceeding. Staff may be concerned about job losses. Parents may have concerns about time/money being diverted away from the academy(s). PR and communication are vitally important.

Establish clear goals - in respect of time, cost, quality and reporting arrangements. Make sure all parties agree and are on board.

Governance – sound governance is the key to a successful venture.

Indeed, successful collaborative ventures can, and often do offer huge benefits to participants, including cost effectiveness and money saving, more effective use of an academy trust’s workforce, freeing up more time for teaching and learning, potential for improved service due to increased spending power, and the ability to attract better suppliers.

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This article considers the various collaborative options available to academy trusts, and the key considerations you should consider when deciding to collaborate. Naturally, different models will have different degrees of integration and formality.

The challenges

Structuring the collaboration

1. persuading academy trusts they can share support functions

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The most important challenges are: without threatening academic or operational independence;

The multi academy trust is the most well-known collaborative model in the academy sector but collaboration in the sector can take other forms with varying levels of formality, resource and system requirements. Some tried and tested methods, along with their pros and cons include:

2. working out the cost of collaborating – (time/ professional costs);

3. union/staff opposition; and 4. inexperience in procuring and managing commercial contracts.

Collaboration Model

Pros

Cons

Sharing information between academy trusts

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no formal relationship

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shared information could be incorrect

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no joint working arrangements or sharing of resources

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collaborators may feel that they are not benefiting equally

Lead academy trust takes responsibility for managing procurement on behalf of other academy trusts

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high return for potentially low investment

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increased workload for the lead

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less resources needed to run a procurement exercise

may result in devolving decision making to the lead

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improved pricing - leverage of academy trusts’ combined expenditure

could create a level of interdependency among academy trusts requiring synchronisation of activity

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opportunity to standardise specifications, share materials and maintenance costs among collaborators

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requires a degree of formal governance to work

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potential cost implications involved on entry and exit arrangements

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Academy trusts will have to relinquish some decision-making powers for the shared services to work effectively

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new company required which needs resources, management and time

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the method of procurement is largely down to the academy trusts, but is driven by what is being procured

Joint procurement

A new joint venture company (JVC) formed to carry out procurement on behalf of the member academy trusts.

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creates a body dedicated to procurement in each academy trust

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creates a professional procurement resource

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potential to expand the scope of the services delivered

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potential cost savings above and beyond what other forms of collaboration could achieve

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Ciara Campfield

Other significant challenges include:

o Affordability - redundancy

costs, capital investments (premises, new systems)— (savings/paybacks are rarely achieved in less than three years for a shared service initiative).

o Commitment to the shared service arrangement at the

outset – i.e., if a participant can leave the arrangement or reduce their contribution at short notice, this could adversely affect the other participants. As such, there is a need to ensure agreements cover the withdrawal of academy trusts.

o Impact on stakeholders – staff, pupils etc.

Managing Risk

o People – careful planning, good communication and

engagement of staff at an early stage is required.

Consideration should be given to TUPE. Pensions are also another topic which needs to be carefully considered.

We recommend academy trusts to seek professional advice if they are looking to collaborate. You may wish to set up a legal entity to ring-fence the risk in that entity, but such a decision would depend on the degree of risk the collaboration poses to the academy operations. One would need to look at the activities before forming a view on the structure of the collaboration.

Ultimately, risks can be reduced by careful planning, and sound governance arrangements.

o Technology – various systems with different operating

practices and skill sets - maintaining information integrity while integrating systems is important.

o Processes - how can commonality be provided for a group of potentially diverse organisations while providing the necessary flexibility for genuine differences?

Other things to think about

o Premises - could involve the physical co-location of

Academy trusts should be mindful of their company and charity status, the law relating to public procurement and should ensure that they comply with their funding agreement and the Academies Financial Handbook when collaborating.

resources into one facility to carry out common processes for participants, which could mean disruption and cost.

Alternatively, implementing a virtual shared services solution that uses ICT to pool resources in common systems and applications could provide considerable efficiency gains.

Confidentiality and Data Protection are important.

Ciara Campfield is a senior associate in Stone King’s education team who specialises in the establishment of academies, fee schools and multi-academy structures.

o Ensuring governance and accountability mechanisms are appropriate.

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Academies collaborating Paul Murphy has worked in education for 25 years, 20 of those on senior leadership teams. His first school was Haberdasher Askes Girls School in Lewisham, teaching Geography for two years before taking three years out to work in the City. He returned to education in Medway at a boys’ Secondary Modern, and from there went to Bradford to become a Deputy Head at an inner city boys’ school. He returned to London to be a Deputy Head in the East End, and 13 years ago was made Headteacher at The Ravensbourne School. Education for the 21st Century started when the Ravensbourne School became an academy in 2011, Paul Murphy is the Headteacher of The Ravensbourne School and CEO of E21C. Education Magazine (EM) Who is E21C? What was the recent rebranding for and why did it need it?

Paul Murphy (PM) E21C is an education Trust and has been in existence since 2011. For

corporate identity to begin with. We are the same people with the same values and same beliefs. There was no change in the way we provide education. As we’ve grown we’ve added more directors to the board. However the core of the board is the same as when it was started in 2011.

EM What is the trust and who actually owns and runs it?

PM The company is called Education for the 21st Century and is owned by Nick Vincent, Robyn Price, and Chris Darlington. Then we have our board of nine directors. Each school in the trust has its own local governing body to which responsibilities are delegated by the board of directors.

EM Much is made in your PR of your vision for the future of education. What is this vision?

PM We have six taglines that we pride ourselves on which are:

1) To have high expectations. The motto

of the trust is ‘To be the best you can be’. That’s something we ask of all the adults and children that are involved with us.

2) Right first time. Children have one

chance at education. The trust is focused on getting the expectations right for the children to meet their needs and to ensure all our schools are successful.

3) Passion. As a trust we believe that a

good education can change lives. We’re

unique identity that responds to their local needs. We have a series of accepted minimum standards, which each school is audited to each year. As long as each school meets the minimum standards they have the freedom to move on and become the local unique school meeting the needs of those children.

6) Collaboration. This is at the heart

of what we do. We want to have autonomous, self learning and self improving schools, and the only way we can do that is by having the educators getting together and focussing on providing an excellent education , and having the business side run by appropriate professionals.

EM What advantages do you see from a local group of Academies becoming a single Trust?

PM We felt with the ‘Academy agenda’ the partnership and collaboration between local schools broke down. In Bromley all bar one secondary school is now an academy.

Most are standalone and a lot of the collaborative work between us that used to happen has now stopped. We now have a sort of atomised structure where each school is very much on its own and stands or falls on its own actions. What we want to do in this area is bring together schools that share our values and beliefs, and start that collaborative model again. Then the academies can support, challenge and collaborate with each other and also share resources once again.

EM Are you only looking at economies of scale to be in forming and running the organisation side with every school being left to be its own unique self?

PM It would be unfair to say that within the trust each school can do whatever it wants. If we unpack the minimum standards, they are very detailed, there are clear philosophies expressed in the expected minimum standards. For example there are minimum standards for staff development; all the schools have to do everything on those. It isn’t a schism between letting the business people do the business and let the educators do their own thing. We have a definite corporate vision for the education side as well. Once you have met the expected minimum standards then each school has the opportunity to be the unique entity that serves its local area. If the school is not meeting any of the standards then the Trust will intervene to support and challenge the school to ensure they meet them.

the first three years we focused on getting The Ravensbourne School used to being an academy. In 2014, after developing TRS into the successful academy it is today, we made a decision to grow the Trust so bringing in more schools that believed the same things that we do. In order to achieve that we had to look at how we presented ourselves as a corporate entity. It wasn’t so much a re-brand, we just didn’t really have a

Ravesbourne school

EM How are you going to go about delivering the vision of a group working together?

very privileged to be involved in that and need to show it in everything we do.

4) Positivity. We have a no excuses culture and believe in dismantling barriers to education and going the extra mile for our students.

5) Responsiveness. We don’t want to have 10 schools that are exactly the same. We believe that each school should have a

PM So far, we have four schools in the Trust and one is a free school which opens next September, the other three have come in voluntarily. What we’re “selling” is, ‘Do you have the same core beliefs in education that we do?’ We also tell them that this is also about investing in education, giving every child the opportunity to succeed, as well as complying with the exam factory Ofsted model.

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I’ve interviewed teachers for many years and always ask them, “Why do you want to be a teacher?” Not one of them has ever said, “to get all my children an A star.”

We all know why we want to be teachers, and it is all about gaining that agenda back for schools by working collaboratively within the trust. We are being driven by external factors into a form of education that doesn’t fit every child. If you unpicked it, our agenda would reflect the ‘Every Child Matters’ agenda and how we develop that. When we talk about that to other schools, interestingly the doors haven’t been slammed in our faces!

EM When a school comes to you is it just the ethos you offer or are there additional facilities that you can bring to the table?

PM We’re already making use of the secondary staff in the primary sector, so the primary schools are getting specialists in PE, dance and drama from us. Equally, the secondaries are getting specialist numeracy and literacy from the primaries, as secondary school teachers don’t necessarily have the skills to teach people how to read for example. The whole Continuous Personal Development programme is really strong however it

only really works if you are relatively close geographically. At the moment all the schools in the trust are no more than a twenty minute drive apart, which builds that ethos of we are all working together.

We don’t want to be a trust with a school in Manchester, a school in Leeds and three in Bromley. This is a local trust educating local children and supporting the parents of those children. We are saying that if you are not careful with the academy agenda you will have an atomised school system, continues overleaf u

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Academies collaborating continued and that’s contrary to what we believe education should be.

EM How big can the trust become in terms of numbers of units before it becomes unwieldy?

PM We’d probably pull up the drawbridge if we reached 9 or 10. Personally I have no interest in not being the Headteacher of The Ravensbourne School. I don’t want to be the CEO without a school that I am directly responsible for, because that’s what I came in to education to do. We have no illusion or desire to take over the Education world.

EM Do you believe that this critical mass of 9-10 academies working locally is the way to deliver education in the brave new world of Academies and Free Schools?

PM Absolutely, we see that small clusters of schools working together in a clearly defined area is way to succeed and be sustainable.

We know what is going on in our local area and schools need to be close to work together as you can’t effectively collaborate if you’re driving for two hours and there is no in depth collaboration. We are beginning to have joint inset days and all the teachers from across the trust come together for those days. That’s easier for parents who may have children in different schools, but equally that’s great for staff because the primaries and secondaries all work together on those days.

EM How do you plan on developing the ‘Whole Child’ agenda when the pressure from ‘the powers that be’ to achieve academic results is so severe?

PM To some degree I blame the education sector for allowing this situation to happen.

We’ve blindly followed things as opposed to standing up and saying, “This is wrong!”

Although it meets the needs of some it doesn’t meet the needs of every child. There was a headline recently from the CBI that said something like; ‘schools are in danger of becoming exam factories’. We know that employers want something a bit different from schools. There is room for schools to say that we will not be run from a distance by Ofsted or by the DfE and accommodate the needs of the children within the structures that we have. We have a massive focus on student leadership skills, developing them right the way from Year 7 to Year 13.

Every child will be involved in some form of leadership activity, to develop that side of them. We have a huge extracurricular programme, and I don’t just mean clubs, with a range of awards that take those children places, we focus on developing

them into employable individuals. When they get interviewed by an employer they can say more than just, “I’ve got 8 A Stars -please give me a job!”

We had a lady in from a local apprenticeship scheme who told us recently, “We love taking your kids on because they are different from the rest!” That goes right back to the core of the Trust where we build really strong relationships with the kids, identify what the gifts and talents are of every child, and develop them. If that means we are slightly unpopular with Ofsted and league tables then so be it, our interest is in the children and giving them what they need to get the best out of life.

EM How are you going to avoid clashing with Ofsted over this?

PM Every school in the Trust that successfully operates our concept will be considered ‘Good’ by Ofsted. Within the current framework the only thing we would fall foul of gaining an ‘Outstanding’ rating from Ofsted is the insistence that every child does a foreign language, which we do not enforce because this is at the expense of the creative performing arts. Ultimately the Trust looked at that and said, “OK, we can’t be Outstanding but we are meeting the needs of our kids.”

EM Paul - Thank you for talking to Education Magazine.

Nick Vincent is the Chairman of E21C and comes from a commercial background. He is the owner and director of a local estate agency firm.

EM Why did you get involved in the school and the academy system?

NV I was Chair of Governors at The Ravensbourne School. We had to decide on

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the school’s future and decided to make it into a multi academy trust, because we had the foresight to see where things would go.

I am an estate agent by background, and I feel it is important that schools aren’t just run by educators but by other professionals as well.

With respect to educational professionals, schools are better run when people from other industries are involved. You need other facets and influences in a school to make it more than an education factory. The education professionals are needed to teach and to do the aspirational work that Paul has mentioned, but alongside that you must have other people with other skill sets conducting the business side of the work.

EM We could end up in a position in a few years time where most schools are either Free or Academies. Is the E21C model the best outcome for this where there are lots of 9 or 10 school sized Trusts?

NV Yes, I think that’s the case, but I believe all the schools must have their own identities. When a school joins our trust they keep their own identity. When we rebranded the Trust the schools didn’t lose their identities. I’m of the opinion that there is a critical mass of 9 to 10 schools. At this size the benefits of being together in a group are not overtaken by the downsides of it becoming a business. That’s something we wish to avoid becoming.

EM If a group of Trusts like E21C came together and formed an organisation, does this mean you could send a message back to government and say this is what children need? Could the dog wag the tail?

NV It is not inconceivable that smaller trusts could already be talking to each other even now about coming together as an association. If a group of trusts came together then we could indeed send a message back to government. That is however a bit of a long distance view.

EM Nick - Thank you for talking to Education Magazine.

Education Magazine

In 2015 ASCL officially opened its doors to senior leaders in primary schools.

If you are working across a multi-academy trust or other hard federation, and especially across phases, you will find that ASCL membership gives you the breadth of information, support and networking that you need to operate effectively as a system leader, beyond the leadership of an individual primary school.

Find out what ASCL stands for and more details on the latest membership offer at www.ascl.org.uk

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Tackling inactivity: the active school approach

A report released earlier this year focused on the growing epidemic of inactivity amongst young people and the role schools can play in tackling it. Dean Horridge, CEO and Founder of children’s activity experts Fit For Sport explains how creating an active school can reap rewards beyond the sports field.

“Active children do better in every possible way” – this was the conclusion of Nike’s ‘Design to Move’ report, a review of over 320 academic studies from 18 countries to examine the evidence base around physical activity and academic performance. The scientific evidence corroborated the fact that children achieve better academic achievements, are happier, forge stronger social connections and have better memory, brain functioning and attention.

Designed to Move also looked at the impact physical activity has on schools

and found similar success stories across the world: regular physical activity leads to better behaviour, improved attendance and academic performance. A succession of studies repeatedly demonstrated how it improves cognition, concentration, attention, memory, and a host of abilities that are fundamental to educational success.

Despite this evidence, children in the UK have never been less active. One in three children leave primary school classed as obese, and a study we undertook last year of 10,000 children found two thirds were below recommended fitness levels for their age group. Yet primary school the crucial time to form habits that last a lifetime: children who enjoy being active from a young age are more likely to go on to enjoy an active adulthood.

Medical guidelines recommend children get at least 60 minutes each day of moderate to vigorous intensity activity.

Finding time to allocate an hour a day for physical activity in an increasingly stretched curriculum sounds like squaring the circle, but breaking the 60 minutes into achievable periods and incorporating more activity into the school day can reap serious reward for student and school.

Beyond PE: creating an active school An Active School delivers high quality physical education, creates an inclusive culture through a broad range of activities, and inspires at least 60 minutes of daily physical activity into the school day.

The first step is being more creative in the way schools approach physical activity, by moving beyond the traditional PE lesson and scheduling short bursts of activity into the school day. 15, 20 and 30 minute intervals including breaks, lunchtimes and even in the classroom make the daily target more achievable but also have demonstrable impact on behaviour and concentration: Scientific studies found that children’s focus improves immediately after a half hour PE session, and a 20 minute burst of vigorous intensity activity increases brain processes and enhances cognitive control for up to one hour.

Physical activity within the classroom itself is becoming increasingly common for the same reasons: short bursts can provide an immediate boost to behaviour and performance, making them a useful tool to include in transitions from one subject to another such as maths or literacy. continues overleaf u

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Tackling inactivity continued

during lunch time during the academic year thanks to active playgrounds. Consistently more children were recorded choosing to participate in intra- and inter-school competitions and games.

Montpelier Primary School in London was used as a case study in the Designed to Move report as an example of an active school.

Since implementing active lunch breaks, as well as brain breaks during lesson times and before and after school clubs, Montpelier has reported improvements including: significant reductions in behavioural issues following break times, increases in overall physical activity and participation in sport clubs, and overall school attendance increasing from around 90% to 96-97%. Teachers also report students are better behaved and demonstrate better concentration following physical activity. Importantly, pupils say they enjoy learning more because the teachers make learning fun, and active learning plays

Introducing movement into a classroom might seem at odds with improved behaviour, but restlessness and poor concentration can be combatted through standing, moving and creating space to introduce activity into the lesson.

Creating an Active School:

For many primary schools, breaks and lunch times are under-utilised opportunities to get children active, often because of the barrier of limited resource. Spending schools sports premium on external specialists – or training support staff to deliver simple games and activities – can create structured periods that encourage pupils to move more. Offering choice and game with different levels of intensity to cater for different age groups and interest ensures inclusivity and frees up staff time too: this way schools recorded a 75% reduction in behavioural incidents

an important role in this assessment.

Am Rai, Montpelier’s head teacher, explains in the report that the school’s senior management team must be the driving force behind becoming an Active School “If the head teacher doesn’t see physical activity as part of children’s broader entitlement, then it will be nearly impossible to create an active school. It requires a genuine drive. The head teacher has to be very clear about ensuring an active and healthy approach.”

Creating an active school means implementing a whole school approach from a top-down commitment to improving activity levels. The evidence is overwhelming: introducing more physical activity creates a better learning environment, improved academic performance and happier, healthier pupils. With such a strong case for change, it’s hard to imagine head teachers won’t sit up, stand up, and get their school moving.

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Think beyond PE: introducing structured physical activity and games into breaks, lunch times and the classroom makes the 60 minute-a-day target achievable and boosts brain power.

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Maximise active time: Much of a child’s PE time is spent sitting or standing about listening to the teacher explain the rules - but at least 50% of the lesson should be spent getting children’s heart rate up and out of breath.

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Focus on skills, not sports: Physical literacy is more important for young people than learning the rules of the game. Throwing, catching, jumping and running skills improve physical and cognitive development.

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Take a whole school approach: offering a broad range of activities caters for different tastes and allows children to find a sport or activity they enjoy which is critical: if children enjoy being physically active, they’ll do it more often.

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Measure and monitor activity levels: academic performance is measured and tracked and physical activity should be treated in the same way by tracking time spent being active and documenting improvements.

Product showcase Hauraton drainage channels used at Penarth Learning Community School

Learn about hygiene…

Penarth Learning Community School, Cardiff, South Wales, comprises a mainstream comprehensive school with 1280 places, together with a Special Educational Needs (SEN) school, catering for 205 pupils with a wide spectrum of learning needs including those with learning and physical difficulties and those on the autism spectrum. Together with a learning facility, there is also a 1500 m² residential home, allowing 19 pupils to stay over at any one time to provide respite to their families.

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With the site being quite flat and the new buildings’ surrounded by block paved areas and asphalted surfaces, it was essential rainwater is drained effectively. Two Hauraton systems were chosen to drain surface water: RECYFIX® PRO fitted with FIBRETEC® C250, HEELSAFE 9mm slot gratings for the asphalted yards and car park and RECYFIX® STANDARD SLOTTED CHANNELS fitted with symmetrical galvanised steel covers. Once installed this system provides an unobtrusive, narrow line of slots in the paved surfaces.

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For full Case Study go to www.drainage-projects.co.uk or tel: 01582 501380.

New Government guidelines on provision of hygiene rooms in educational buildings have prompted development of tools to specifiers get it right….

Clos-o-Mat, Britain’s leading provider of disabled toilet solutions, has put together a CPD training course dedicated to hygiene rooms. The seminar covers the legal and recommended requirements, design, and equipment therein.Thus hygiene room projects can be completed to be fully compliant, deliver ‘best practice’, and meet users’ needs effectively.

“Government guidelines require provision of suitable toilet facilities for all pupils, and have recently changed to set minimum standards for hygiene rooms,” explains Kelvin Grimes, Clos-o-Mat hygiene rooms project manager. “On a daily basis, we deal with the design, specification, and installation of such facilities, and all the complex equipment therein, so know all the requirements, considerations and potential pitfalls. ” For more information telephone 0161 969 1199; www.clos-o-mat.com or email info@clos-o-mat.com

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164 local school children take part in new education initiative Thursday, 25th June saw 164 students and over 100 parents and teachers from six local primary schools attend the Adnams July Racecourse for the culmination of the Under Starters’ Orders Primary School Education Programme.

The Under Starters’ Orders programme was created, delivered and funded by Newmarket Racecourses as part of a variety of community and education projects the racecourses have committed to deliver to benefit local children.

Aimed at 9/10 year olds the three day programme sought to engage the pupils with the history and heritage of the town in which they live and to enable them to possess a greater understanding of the horseracing industry. Theoretical as well as practical skills have been gained during the three stages of the programme allowing the children’s academic potential to be explored and expanded in various environments.

Before attending the racecourse, the children had already completed tailormade educational days at Darley’s breeding headquarters, Dalham Hall, as well as enjoying time at the National Horseracing Museum. The raceday visit on Thursday concluded the programme by providing the school children the opportunity to witness first-hand the thrill and excitement of a day’s racing and enables them to see some of their previously acquired knowledge put into practice on the racecourse.

Activities on the day saw a two-part presentation by vets from the Newmarket Equine Hospital using a real life painted horse showing the anatomy of a racehorse, a parade of retired racehorses that have been retrained in a new equine discipline and talks from Newmarket based finalists from the Godolphin Stud and Stable Staff Awards.

An activity map was also specifically designed to provide information about the racecourse as well as detailing fun activities for the children to complete throughout the days racing.

Amy Starkey, Regional Director, Jockey Club Racecourses East, said;

“It was very rewarding seeing how engaged and enthusiastic the children were at the racecourse on Thursday and indeed throughout the three day programme.”

“The schools involved have been very supportive of the initiative and see the educational, social and cultural benefits Education Magazine

that we are aiming to achieve. This in turn helps build relationships between the racing industry and the local community and this can only be of benefit to us all.”

About Newmarket Racecourses Newmarket’s two magical racecourses, The Rowley Mile and The July Course, together form the greatest venue in the East of England. They offer the exhilarating excitement of world class Flat racing, pulsating music nights, great value family days, award-winning restaurants and exceptional conference & events facilities.

More information is available at www. newmarketracecourses.co.uk.

Newmarket Racecourses is part of The Jockey Club, which has been at the heart of British racing for more than 260 years. Today

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the largest commercial group in the sport, The Jockey Club runs the largest racecourse group in the UK by turnover (2014: £162.9m), courses (15) including those at Aintree, Cheltenham, Epsom Downs and Newmarket, attendances (2014: 1.8m), total prize money (2014: £43.7m), contribution to prize money (2014: £19.1m) and quality racing (Group and Graded races); more than 3,000 acres of world-class training grounds in Newmarket, Lambourn and Epsom Downs; The National Stud breeding enterprise and education provider; and the charity for racing’s people in need, Racing Welfare. Governed by Royal Charter, every penny The Jockey Club makes it puts back into British racing.

More information is available at www. thejockeyclub.co.uk.

Food experts ready to help schools as Ofsted school food inspections come into force ‘A good food culture is as important as physical activity’.

That’s the belief of the charity Soil Association Food for Life and their National Operations Manager, Liz Brunwin. She explains why - as schools prepare to return to school in September with a new Oftsed Common Inspection Framework coming into force.

‘Head teachers are so busy and their jobs so complex, from safeguarding children to balancing the books, all while developing children and teaching the curriculum. With Ofsted now formally including evidence of healthy eating and pupils’ knowledge of how to eat healthily in upcoming inspections this may feel like an added burden but it really doesn’t need to be. There is lots of readily available advice and support for schools to draw on.

To me, being able to grow herbs and know what they are by the smell and taste or be able to chop some vegetables and make dough for a pizza are vital life skills that support children in so many ways, beyond the practical process of growing and cooking – as fun and exciting as that may be. Making dough is also a great science lesson, growing herbs is a fantastic way to teach children about nurturing, nature and compassion for example. Set alongside a positive dining environment, where children can learn knife and fork skills in primary schools and conversation skills at all ages, if schools think of the broader potential of food it can support learning in so many creative ways.

Here at the Food for Life (FFL) we have a network of 5,000 schools. We are working

based on core principles of leadership, food education, policy and partnership. If a school is in a catering contract, be it local authority or private, we can support a school to offer food which is nutritious, locally sourced and meets the statutory School Food Standards.

It’s all very well to follow a framework but what does this look like in reality for pupils and staff? The emphasis of Food for Life School Awards is on fun and learning through experience - growing their own food and trips to farms; sourcing food from local producers and setting up a school farmers’ market; providing cooking and growing clubs for pupils and their families; serving freshly prepared meals in an attractive dining environment and even creating their own school meal brand so lunchtimes are a positive feature of the school day.

with them as they progress along their school food journey with an end goal of ensuring a whole school approach is embedded in their school, and, if done effectively a school will be able to share their work on Food for Life with Ofsted. We passionately believe in good food for all and that’s why we are taking our work in to new settings in early years, hospitals and care homes. Public health teams across England commission FFL targeting issues from child food poverty to health inequalities because the effects of poor school food do not stop at the school gates.

Our work is about more than just food on the plate; we support people and communities to understand the importance of good nutrition and where their food comes from through practical cooking, growing activities and farm visits. Food quality is verified through the nationally accredited Food for Life Catering Mark within a wider framework 28

But don’t just take my word for it. Clifton Green School in York took some time out over the school holidays to share the secret to their success, but they don’t think it is that much of a secret. When I spoke to Lisa Green, the Food Development Manager, she was in school with 12 pupils during the school holidays. They were in school to interview for a new school chef and an essential part of the interview was a 30 minute food session with the pupils.

Lisa is relaxed about the new Ofsted inspection framework and with good reason; you can tell that school food is embedded across the school and curriculum, from the displays in the corridors to the garden and the website. She tells me that they aren’t changing their approach to school food for Ofsted as they already have good systems in place: “We pride ourselves on using food as a vehicle for learning across growing, cooking and outdoor learning and beyond so our pupils are surrounded by food.”

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Food experts continued

asked Lisa what she would say to a schools looking at how they might meet Ofsted’s new CIF under the Personal Development, Behaviour and Welfare judgement.

“I think most schools are wondering what evidence they need to show and how to

record what they do. What they may be missing is a way of concisely documenting it and rather than start from scratch they should look at Food for Life’s School Awards – I think they will be pleasantly surprised with how much they already do.” She continued: “If you cook with your pupils, involve parents in school meals and have displays for inspectors to see about food education you are well on the way.”

Ofsted from September 2015 – what it means for school food

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The ability of pupils to ‘make informed choices about healthy eating’ will form part of a judgment under Personal Development, Behaviour and Welfare.

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Follows a letter sent to the All Party Parliamentary Group on School Food in February. Ofsted highlighted that ‘inspectors will look for evidence of a culture or ethos of exercise and healthy eating throughout the entire inspection visit, in classrooms as well as in the school canteen.’

But even a school like Clifton Green isn’t resting on its laurels. The new chef will have a panel of pupils to involve in menu creation as they believe the pupils are the customer, with the nutritional guidelines in one hand he or she will have plenty of ideas.

Clifton Green school is an inspiration but what they do is very achievable for any school as long as they are ready to involve pupils and even the wider community in food. We work with schools that have a variety of issues such as no space for a garden or no dining hall. There is always a way to find a creative solution if the whole school pulls together, which is why it is essential that the head teacher is an advocate.

Ofsted may be the driver for some school leaders to record their work around healthy eating should an inspection loom but schools tell us that a whole school approach to food has much wider benefits for learning, attainment and staff and pupil wellbeing.

Liz Brunwin is National Operations manager at Soil Association Food for Life To find out more visit www.foodforlife.org. uk/school-awards

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Guidance from the School Inspection Handbook, pages 48-51, states:

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‘Pupils can explain accurately and confidently how to keep themselves healthy and make informed choices about healthy eating’.

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‘Pupils conduct themselves well throughout the day including lunchtimes’

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Pupils ‘enjoy learning about how to stay healthy and about emotional and mental health...’

Useful links Link to Common Inspection Framework and handbooks on .gov Food for Life School AWARDS HTTP://FOODFORLIFE.ORG.UK/ SCHOOL-AWARDS

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Self-assessment the focus of quality provision in light of incoming Ofsted changes, says Mesma While education and skills providers will be looking at how they can meet the new Ofsted Common Inspection Framework that comes into force this September, one leading quality assurance software specialist believes it will make little difference if a robust approach to self-assessment is in place.

Louise Doyle, director of Mesma says ‘To highlight it’s importance a sample review of 30 Ofsted reports in 2015 shows the effectiveness or ineffectiveness of self-evaluation being undertaken was highlighted in 26 of the 30 summary sections in the report which states the case for why an establishment has been given the grade it has.

The focus on evidence-based self-assessment remains a priority in the new framework. Using the key aspects of the CIF provides a good structure to allow for this.’

Ofsted does not expect a particular format so there is freedom in this and it should always start with considering how an educator gets the most out of the process as opposed to trying to satisfy Ofsted. Writing too much results in waffle, a lack of easily identifiable evidence to support judgements and a document that is too long. It can result in people running out of steam when it gets to the improvement plan. This leads to poorly defined objectives and a Reply No. lack of clarity of the impact that you intend for the activity to have.

A good way to look at self-evaluation is it should be bottom up - involving others in the 31 process creates ownership for both performance and improvement activity - and the key headlines for improvement should be top down. This allows others in the organisation to build focussed plans relevant to their own area.

Louise Doyle says for niche specialists like Mesma this will open up further opportunities with existing and new clients.

“Easy-to-use and cost efficient self-assessment and improvement planning like ours can provide benefits to education and inspection authorities as they look to establish new institutional review methods to assess the quality of education and training.

Mesma has already changed it structure to be reflective of the new CIF. In September we’re looking forward to releasing a new observation of teaching and learning module to support our client base even further.

In addition, the Mesma platform is now being used by clients to its full capability by providing access to their site to other organisations for peer to peer review. The company is keen to explore how to utilise this collaborative capability in settings such as Academy Chains or between schools or FE providers adds a further dimension to the rigour of their approach.”

Using Mesma, relevant reports, policy documents, quality assurance processes and guidelines and other important documentation can all be stored on line in one place within the system for quick and convenient access and reference from any location.The system can also monitor activities allocated to other staff to track progress and completion.

More at www.mesma.co.uk

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Creating a library for the 21st century For those of us of a certain age, the words ‘school library’ conjure up images of rows and rows of dusty books and endless afternoons of having to sit in silence under the eagle-eyed gaze of a bespectacled librarian who’d “shush” you furiously if you so much as coughed.

But times have changed, and so has the way we study. Walk into a library in a school or college today and you might have to walk right out again to make sure you’re in the right building.

The role of the library has evolved dramatically. Technological developments mean laptops, tablets and mobile devices now play a huge part in shaping the way we seek and use information, whilst teaching methods have shifted from the teacher-led ‘talk and chalk’ format to a much more collaborative and independent learning model.

No longer a place just for reading and borrowing books, libraries have transformed into learning resource centres, often known as ‘learning commons’, where students and teachers can work together, hold meetings, use multimedia equipment and conduct research. Most importantly of all, they’re places designed to promote literature and learning and engage with all students, including reluctant library users and less skilled readers.

With so much to fit in, how do you go about transforming your school or college library into a learning space that meets these modern demands? Robert Stone, Sales Manager of education interiors specialists Innova Design Solutions offers his advice.

1. It’s good to talk Consulting with staff and students and getting their opinions on the kind of learning space that really works for them is important no matter what your project.

When it comes to a learning commons however, there are so many options it’s vital to establish what features will give students what they really need to improve their learning skills and knowledge.

A learning commons should be a place that recruits, retains and rewards students, so the environment you create must be attractive to them and somewhere they want to stay, so they can gain the reward of knowledge and improved life skills.

Whether it’s cafés and breakout zones with stylish chairs and relaxing soft seating areas, reconfigurable furniture for pair work and group activities or seminar rooms with interactive teacher walls, there’s no such thing as one size fits all when it comes to a learning commons.

Bear in mind the way it’s used will change over time, and make sure you build this in to the design of your space too.

2. Consider your space You know it’s important to use the space you have effectively. Whether your project

An Innova Library

is a new build or a refurbishment, it’s above all a chance to engage with students of all abilities and interests and provide them with choices that suit their preferred learning styles – whether that’s working independently or in groups.

The learning commons model moves beyond the confines of a traditional library, allowing you to open up space and integrate new technology to create a flexible learning hub. It’s the opportunity to develop a learning environment that not only supports student needs but is visually stimulating in its layout and design. Multi-media pods, poseur bars, meeting rooms and cafes all offer the opportunity to incorporate clever, thoughtful design and furniture whilst still providing the practical facilities you need at the heart of the your learning commons.

3. All change From a room where imposing wooden shelves and heavy desks seem to have stood since time immemorial, library interiors have become very much a moveable feast. We’re used to accessing our technology on the go, and to reflect this, a learning commons is a space that never stands still either. The aim is to create a space students can adapt and tailor to their needs as those needs change, and furniture and fittings you choose should reflect this.

Using loose chairs and tables, soft modular furniture and reconfigurable mobile shelving units as well as fixed shelving units and storage will allow you to create subtle yet distinct zones suitable for group and individual learning as and when you need them. In larger learning commons moveable walls and partitions can be incorporated to divide the space for private meetings and small classes or open it out for group activities.

4. Look into the crystal ball Technology has progressed at a dizzying pace in the last twenty years, with teaching and learning styles following close behind as the way we live and work changes. This constant evolution means the demands made on a library or learning commons today may be very different tomorrow.

Future proofing a learning environment does require some guesswork when it comes to technology, but by considering 32

likely curriculum changes and where possible incorporating their impact into your design, you can help to ensure your new learning commons remains central to student learning.

The way we access information via technology has changed radically in just a decade: the capability of phones and other mobile devices can make desktop computers seem like dinosaurs. Would the space you’d set aside for desking with banks of computers be better used as groups of poseur benches with stools and plasma screens where students can work together and use the screens to view the group projects they’ve stored on tablets and laptops?

Think carefully about where services will be positioned – and how many there are.

Staff and students rely on their devices for presentations, essays and emails – something as simple as not being able to charge them quickly and easily as they work could put them off using the space you’ve created.

Good lighting is also key. Remember the learning commons is a space that can be reconfigured to meet users’ needs, so it’s important to ensure it’s well lit no matter how they choose to use it.

Select furniture that’s durable as well as flexible. Desks, benching and storage made from easy to maintain materials will endure the demands (and constant reconfigurations) of generations of students to come.

5. Create a space that inspires The aim of the learning commons is to appeal to all. Many students feel alienated or excluded in the highly academic library atmosphere of silent study and research.

Creating a learning commons offers the opportunity to engage with them by offering a place that stimulates their interest and curiosity.

Using colour, light and space in creative ways can help you to generate an atmosphere that’s warm and welcoming to even the most reluctant student drawing them in to discover their own, individual approach to learning.

The author is Robert Stone, Sales Manager of Innova.

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The evolution of technology platforms – what does this mean for schools? and to a number of devices. The world of chalkboards, notepads and encyclopedias is now just a hazy memory for many of us!

Changing attitudes With the availability of knowledge at the click of a mouse or swipe of a screen, the way that schools are engaging with students has evolved dramatically. It is now not uncommon to see a classroom full of elevenyear-olds tapping away on laptops, taking notes while the teacher explains algebra with the help of an online podcast. As in any industry, schools are making technology work for them, and the question facing IT managers is no longer

‘what can we do with the technology we have?’ but rather: ‘what technology do we need to engage and educate our students?’.

By Wieland Alge,VP and general manager for EMEA, Barracuda Networks

The ‘3rd platform’ is the latest step in the evolution of technology, and has had a big impact on the way we think about technology and the way we work, teach and learn. As a result, IT managers need to change the way they address IT security in schools to ensure that the evolution of technology in the classroom does not introduce vulnerabilities to the school’s network or, most importantly, risk students’ online safety.

What is the 3rd platform?

Let’s take a moment to go back to basics.

Technology started with the ‘1st platform’ that consisted of mainframe and terminal technology, and computer hardware. This platform then began to support the Internet and operating systems that are referred to as the ‘2nd platform’. Now, on top of that, we have the ‘3rd platform’, which contains the latest concepts in technology such as cloud, mobile technologies, big data and social technology.

Today, these ‘3rd platform’ technologies feature heavily in the way schools operate, communicate and educate, with students and teachers accessing work from home, using smart phones to access school networks, and sending documents from

While this maturation in our approach to IT provides schools with new and exciting ways of working, it also requires a change in the way the security of schools’ data is protected. As we all know, a password is no longer enough to safeguard our private information from theft or misuse, especially when teachers and students are accessing this information not only on school computers but also remotely, from unsecured devices and in unsecured locations. Therefore, the way in which school IT networks are managed and secured needs to be changed in order to keep up with the developments of the ‘3rd platform’.

What are the risks?

Remote working is considered to be the largest security threat facing businesses today, with a survey by Freeform Dynamics (commissioned by Barracuda Networks) revealing that 43 percent of businesses think that employees connecting to their network remotely causes a very high or high security threat. While mobile working, such as the ability to access work emails on the train or mark a student’s homework online from home, does indeed pose a threat to the security of school data by creating a number of access points for malicious attacks, the internal security threats should not be underestimated. With students now familiar with an array of applications and websites that enable them to work, communicate and download files to the school’s network, the threat may just as easily come from inside the school walls.

Schools’ IT managers must therefore move away from the idea that the perimeter of the network is the area that needs protection, and start looking at the application perimeter as a whole instead, 34

in order to safeguard school networks from cyber attacks and security breaches.

IT departments need to think outside the school walls and move beyond the ‘network perimeter mind-set’ to embrace the ‘application perimeter’ approach to network security.

The security solution Whilst the ‘3rd platform’ plays host to many exciting developments in technology which are transforming the way schools operate, it is important not to neglect the security of the foundations – the 1st and 2nd ‘platforms’.

Devices such as firewalls, load balancers, and application delivery controllers can be deployed to protect both internal and external resources. This will ensure that staff and students working remotely through the network do not cause disruptive traffic or compromise the school’s IT security.

However, technology is only part of the solution. The rest is the responsibility of users. All educational staff and students should be trained and guided in their use of new ‘3rd platform’ technologies both in and out of school to ensure that their behaviour never puts school data – or students’ security – at risk. Simply educating students about the importance of password protection and not following suspicious links can go a long way in ensuring they get the most out of technology and are able to work and learn in a secure online environment.

Product showcase Three laundries at one of the country’s oldest schools rely on Armstrong The Elms School in Malvern is one of the country’s oldest schools – last year celebrating 400 years since it was founded in 1614. With some 120 of its 170 pupils boarding at least some of the time there is plenty of washing to be done!

The school has three laundries – one in each of the boys’ and girls’ changing rooms that handles all the games kit and swimming towels, and one upstairs which handles all the bedding including duvets, bath towels and the pupils’ and staff personal clothing. The three laundries have been equipped and supported

by Armstrong Commercial Laundry Systems for many years and recently purchased a new Huebsch 30lb capacity tumble dryer for the upstairs laundry – replacing one which had been in continuous use since 1999!

For further information on the extensive range of laundry equipment contact Armstrong Commercial Laundry Systems, Ampere Road, Newbury, Berkshire RG14 2AE Tel: 01635 263410 E: enquiries@armstrong-laundry.co.uk Website www.armstrong-laundry.co.uk

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Procurement for schools by Richard Wells In recent years schools have increasingly been challenged with new drivers for change. The spend balance is shifting, particularly with print, with less focus on printed materials and a much greater focus on connectivity and digitisation.

Print rooms are becoming commonplace, especially in secondary schools, supporting all manner of requirements from prospectuses and displays to copying CDs and DVDs. Schools are also managing a growing range of outbound communications including mail, e-mail and newsletters, as well as ensuring there is an effective process for the storage and retrieval of documents.

As the move towards the digital classroom of the future continues, it’s critical to consider how to reduce costs, increase efficiency and modernise processes against this backdrop.

Budgets are tight and all purchases need to be carefully considered to ensure they’ll meet your school’s needs - often for the long-term.

As part of this process, it’s essential that procurement rules, as defined by the local authority and the Department of Education, are not overlooked and compliance is adhered to. As a basic guide, the higher the

value of the purchase and the more public money you’re spending, the more carefully you should follow procurement rules, but the rules apply to most purchases. Failure to comply can, and does, result in legal action as well as financial penalties.

How can schools ensure they purchase compliantly?

Compliance can be difficult to navigate in the education environment, so it’s important to understand the governance surrounding this and work with suppliers who understand how to provide equipment and hardware in a way that adheres to the rules.

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The Department for Education states that schools are unable to take on debt, which means that financing leases are not an option, as this constitutes borrowing. An alternative is framework lease agreements, which offer compliance and value for money when selling to schools.

Terms have been developed to ensure lease agreements adhere to Department for Education rules, whilst supporting those schools that cannot accommodate an outright purchase. Examples include Crescent Purchasing Consortium, a purchasing consortium owned and run by the Further Education sector, which provides members with specialist advice on spending practices and how to obtain best value for money.

but also a guarantee of the level of support and expertise you need to optimise your school environment. This means looking for a supplier that can offer outsourced IT services such as bulk PC set up and configuration, asset tagging, software installation, hardware disposal and secure purchase of print-related consumables.

Suppliers should be prepared to work in partnership to understand your school environment, alongside the requirements that are driving your engagement in the sales process.

Perhaps the most straightforward approach for schools is an outright purchase, which negates the need to consider any kind of lease agreement. This is a great option for many schools that are in a position to make an up-front investment.

In the case of print and document management, for example, this means a solution that will integrate with existing software and systems, provide necessary security alongside the required feature-set, with the ongoing support that you need to make sure the solutions remains efficient and cost effective.

An outright purchase should also still come with a support and service package to ensure your equipment continues to run smoothly, so make sure that is the case with the supplier you choose.

A thorough evaluation of suppliers with the procurement rules in mind is essential to ensure not only compliance,

There’s no denying that the education environment is changing and there are several 36

emerging trends that need to be taken into account when purchasing IT systems and hardware.

There are clear trends emerging in schools, these include greater connectivity of software across school operations and learning, to increased use of 3D print in schools, to the emergence of more smart schools and classes.

The introduction of print rooms is on the rise – providing more sophisticated services to help schools bring printing in-house and reduce the use of distributed printers and print devices.

By working with the right supplier schools can maximise the value of their investments, while also offering their pupils and teachers the opportunity to benefit from an ever-increasing array of digital solutions for learning.

Richard Wells is the National Schools & LGEM+ Sales Manager at Danwood.

Education Magazine

Delta enhances security at Orchard Primary School Delta Security, the CCTV and access control specialist, has supplied and installed an EntrySign visitor and employee management system into Hackney-based Orchard Primary School, improving the security and safety of children, employees and property.

With 478 pupils, Orchard Primary School is a relatively large school and Shumon Miah, School Office Manager, says he was looking to improve the time-consuming manual entry system: “We wanted a modern system that would look professional in our foyer and provide easy, quick and secure access for visitors and employees.

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“We’ve received numerous positive comments from visitors on the new 37 EntrySign system, which has been branded to match the school’s identity,” continues Shumon. “Particularly useful is its ability to pre-register guests, providing faster access and significantly enhanced security. For example, with supply agency teachers, the agency gives us a photograph and a unique code that we can upload to the system and use to grant access.”

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Other benefits of the EntrySign system include its low running costs as it does not use printer ink, its ability to monitor staff attendance and time-keeping, the one-click fire evacuation report and its full compliance with HSE legislation.

Shumon adds that the touch screen worked far better than other systems he tested and that the back-office ease-of-use was his primary reason for choosing: “The numerous reporting and data storage functions are intuitive and accessible at the touch of a button. With anything not immediately obvious, the Delta engineers have been very helpful!”

For more information visit www.deltasecurity.co.uk

Inspection of Doncaster local authority school improvement support Ofsted published the outcome letter of its inspection of Doncaster Council’s arrangements for supporting school improvement.

This inspection is part of a programme by which Ofsted inspects the ways in which local authorities support and challenge all schools in their areas to get better.

This inspection took place between 23 and 27 March 2015, when discussions were held with local authority officials, councillors, school leaders and others with an interest in education in the borough.

Moreover, inspectors also scrutinised documents about the local authority’s arrangements for school improvement and some Ofsted inspection reports for schools in Doncaster.

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Inspectors also took account of the feedback of 8 inspections and from 12 school and academy leaders who were contacted in the week before the inspection.

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The letter to Doncaster Council is online at the Ofsted website

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The high tech drama facility Desbrough College has recently acquired a new state of the art drama facility. It’s been built to strict environmental standards and is equipped to a high level to enable drama student to get the very best from their lessons.

James Ayres-Turner has been the site manager at Desborough College for the last three years. He has GNVQs in construction and site management. Prior to Desborough he worked in the construction industry. His previous role had been working as a site manager at a primary school.

EM What sort of school is Desborough College and how large is it?

JAT It is a sponsored academy. The sponsors are The Education Fellowship and they took over in 2012. Prior to that we were a state school, known as Desborough School. This is an all-boys school and we have around 700 pupils from the age of 11-18.

We’ve a maximum capacity of 1200 and this will be filled during the next five years as we have recently doubled the intake numbers coming into Year 7.

EM The new drama school building is called the Jacoby Studios. Why that name and what drama facilities did the school have before?

The building is clad in wood

arrived three years ago it was a major source of work as it had leaking ceilings, holes in the floors and constantly blocking toilets. The internal concertina doors were constantly falling apart and there was a general state of poor repair. The heating was poor; it had its own electric boiler which was inefficient and expensive to run.

EM How did the Academy acquire the funding for the new building?

JAT The academy put in a bid through what was then known as the ACMF fund, a fund established to help academies with major maintenance problems that are more usually

The main drama hall

JAT It is the surname of one of our governors, Dan Jacoby, he has a keen interest in drama and was a driver behind this project. Previously there was a prefabricated building that occupied the same footprint as the new building. It had one large studio plus a classroom, offices and toilets. All had horrendous soundproofing and had been slowly deteriorating since 1999 when it was installed. It had been refurbished after a previous life and when I

JAT They sought an energy efficient, modular building made of wood. Cost was a major factor but we also wanted to dramatically improve in terms of facilities on what was there already. The last building had low ceilings which are not ideal for drama.

We specified higher ceilings and the ability to be more flexible with space. One proposal was nearly identical to what we wished to replace, it was brand new and just had better insulation. The other significant quote was nearly £1 million and would have provided a facility way beyond what we could want or afford. In the end we went a design which ticked all the boxes in terms of cost, energy efficiency, space and speed of delivery.

The decision to include raked seating was made after the building had commenced

Health and Safety issues. We successfully demonstrated that the old drama pre-fabs were such an issue. As we are a sponsored academy the process was streamlined and very quickly the group were allocated a total of £1,000,000, of which we received about half of that to fund the new drama building.

EM What made the academy choose the type of building that they eventually did?

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EM How good is the energy efficiency of the Jacoby building? How does it compare with the old modular building? And what was the thinking behind the solar panels on the roof?

JAT The building’s insulation was an important part of the decision making process, however there is also a heat recovery system that improves the energy efficiency even more. It takes air in from outside and circulates it through the

Education Magazine

building, and in doing so reduces the need for the building’s boiler to warm the building up. This system also circulates the air between the rooms so the whole building has an even temperature throughout. If one room is warmer than another, it will circulate the air from the warmer room into the cooler room. The governor, Dan Jacoby organised the contract for the photovoltaics so that we own them outright, this means we immediately make energy savings via the system. It’s been calculated that we will save £16,000 a year in energy. The building also has LED lighting throughout that is activated by sensors in each room.

EM When did the building work start and how long did it take to complete?

JAT They started the first day of the summer holidays and it was an 11 week project.

They ripped out the old building, laid pillar foundations, and drains and services. They brought the sections of the new building on trucks then craned it into place. The main part of the construction of the building was completed within the six weeks of the summer holidays. When the students returned to school we had the area fenced off for Health and Safety while the builders worked on landscaping and the final fixtures and fittings. This took a further five weeks and included some extras that the governors chose to put in late in the project such as the retractable seating.

EM What effect has the building had on drama education at the college?

JAT It’s been a dramatic improvement.

We’ve held drama exams and performances in the building over the last eight months and those using it tell us that it has exactly the same good facilities and atmosphere that you would find anywhere in the performing arts educational world.

EM Do other departments at the school use the building for exams for example, and do you raise funds for the school from its use by outside organisations?

JAT It’s only used for lessons by the drama dept. at present; however we let the building out to a Pilate’s class once a week. We also let out the facilities to other colleges in the evenings such as East Berkshire College. Other groups using it include kettle bell trainers and we’ve had enquiries about setting up after school drama clubs as well. We are going to use it for lectures, Charlie Mayfield of the John Lewis Partnership, will be coming to give the 6th Form a lecture. It has become the building on the campus that we most like to show off to the public as we’re so very proud of it! It has been good for the public relations of the school too, with Theresa May, our local MP, coming to open the building and in helping the reputation of the school to improve in the community.

EM What have you done to improve energy efficiency in the whole school?

JAT Two years ago we put double glazing in on three blocks, and that has saved a considerable sum in energy bills. We’ve moved from oil to gas boilers, which have saved over £8,000 annually in energy bills alone. We’re now looking at moving over to LED lighting across the schools to reduce the electricity bill even more. This will cost £69,000 but should pay for itself within four years.

EM Thank you for talking to Education Magazine.

Before and after.

A insight by Tricia Jones, Education Business Manager, Desbrough School.

Damp, dark, holes in the floor, damaged ceiling tiles, cold, broken doors, cramped, impossible to heat, not fit for purpose, depressing – that is the description of the building that housed our Drama department.

We were lucky enough to receive funds via the ACMF to replace the temporary modular

building where drama had been taught for over ten years.

The resulting building, our current Jacoby Studios, is a cedar clad, energy efficient attractive structure that is now an asset to the school.

The building comprises a large performing area with retractable seating, a smaller practice classroom, toilet and cloakroom facilities, access for the disabled, a prop storage, an office and services.

Not only are we able to provide our students with an enviable learning space, but we are also able to invite parents and other visitors to a modern and welcoming performance centre for plays, concerts and other entertainment.

The large studio with retractable seating offers our students the opportunity to experience theatre style lectures, in preparation for life in further education, and we have been able to attract some notable speakers in the short time we have had the new facility, eg Sir Charlie Mayfield, Dr Paul Hawkin.

We have been able to utilise the studio for parent evenings, which enables us to showcase the building and demonstrate the facility we are offering their children.

The department offers a USP to potential students, particular those who aim to study drama.

In addition to the school use of the new facility, the building has increased our letting opportunities, it is already used regularly for various exercise classes, and due to our proximity to Maidenhead town centre and the railway station we hope to expand the use for lectures, meetings and training.

The studios have improved the appearance of the heart of the school, our students and staff are proud of the facility and the drama dept. go from strength to strength.

Tricia Jones, Business Manager, Desbrough School.

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Education Magazine

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Keeping the drama out of energy costs In the face of efficiency drives from central government, one good way to reduce costs is in saving energy. In terms of running costs of a school, energy is one of the biggest expenditures after staffing. 2011 (1) figures suggested that energy can cost as much as 8% of annual school expenditure.

According to the Department for Energy and Climate Change (2), electricity prices will rise by over 60% over and above inflation by 2030, while gas prices will increase by 31% in the next 15 years. As such there is a good business case in making energy savings, and having more money in the budget to invest in teaching. The Carbon Trust (3) estimates that £44 million a year could be saved by schools across the UK by reducing energy use, saving 625,000 tonnes of CO2 emissions.

The drama hall is a striking wood clad building

estimated that this system will provide £3500 of ‘free energy’ and generate £4000 of Feed In Tariff annually on an added investment of £26,400, this will pay for itself in 3.5 years. Neil Gethling pointed out that you won’t get a similar price for retrofitting, “This is made as part of the building so can’t be compared to retrofitting panels on an existing roof.”

Desborough College in Maidenhead had to replace its old drama block, which was falling apart and costing thousands of pounds a year to maintain. Site Manager James Turner said of the old building, “When it was installed in 1999, it had already been refurbished after a previous use, it was extremely expensive to run and the heating was poor.” Rather than throw good money after bad, the academy management sought to replace it.

Where one usually expects to pay more for an energy efficient building (with zero carbon homes estimated to cost 20% more to build than their less efficient equivalents for example) the Jacoby Studios cost less than a less energy efficient equivalent. Neil Gething, MD of the company that built it, said, “The headline cost was £450,000 including foundations, or under £1350 per square metre. A conventional building will cost £1500 per square metre if you’re talking about a Portakabin, up to £3000 if you’re

building a School for the Future.”

He explained how it was possible to build the energy efficiency into the block for less money than something of an equivalent size of bricks and mortar,

“The first is efficient use of materials.

We build in structural insulated panels; we use efficient mechanical heat and ventilation, so the material costs in themselves are lower than a traditional brick build. The key to the cost is efficiency in design and build.”

The new drama block will pay the school around £7,500 annually too, with a 30 kilowatt solar panel system on the building’s roof. The school chose to buy the solar panels outright so the money made from excess power would go straight to them through the Feed In Tariff. It is 40

It isn’t just solar panels and insulation that drive the running costs of the studios down.

James Turner mentioned the air circulation system that is designed to minimise heating and cooling bills, “Insulation is an important part, but you then have a heat recovery system that improves the energy efficiency even more. This system circulates the air between the rooms so the whole building has an even temperature throughout. It takes air in from outside and circulates it through the building, and in doing so reduces the need for the building’s boiler to warm the building up. If one room is warmer than another, it will circulate the air from the warmer room into the cooler room too.”

Another element is designed to reduce running costs. Neil Gethling explained, “We also automate as much as we can in terms of utilities. Sensors turn the lights on and off, the lighting is LED, and in all our school buildings utilities cost around £30 per annum per square metre.”

Applying for planning permission for a radical new approach to construction may unnerve the applicant, with expectations of refusal because the building isn’t in keeping with the rest of the site. It may be a surprise but energy efficiency and sustainability are core to planners’ considerations when something is put before them. An aesthetically pleasing building will also help them in their considerations. Neil Gethling said of the plans, “One of the key things in Education Magazine

the minds of planners today is sustainability and efficiency. The building at Desbrough is super sustainable. There is an issue over the difference of aesthetics but it is good to look at. The planners would have concerns if you were proposing a building that was outside their policy for a given area, but more particularly over sustainability.”

left for 25 years untouched. After that you will just need a coat of paint.

School buildings tend to have longer life expectancies than other public buildings

Running costs of a campus isn’t just about energy, robustness and reliability over the years will reduce maintenance costs.

Traditional school buildings can cost up to £300 per annum per square metre, but again the designers of the Jacoby Studios have aimed at reducing this significantly, to around £30 per square metre.

currently built, where a supermarket may be expected to be demolished after 25 years, a school building may well be refurbished at that age. If something can be broken, pupils will find a way to do it too, adding to the need for sturdiness and reliability in the construction. Neil Gethling said of these requirements, “The cedar cladding can be

Good design isn’t just about how pleasing a building is to the eye or how effectively it is used. Modern technology and thinking can drive long term costs down significantly, and with good energy savings driven into the final design, a building can significantly reduce the school campus costs down and enable less money to be spent on upkeep

- and thereby more on getting each pupil to realise their potential through schooling. The Jacoby Studios at Desborough College may well be an example of how this can be done.

The Publisher gratefully acknowledges the help of UK Energy Partners for their assistance with this article.

NOTES (1) BBC article http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-12175480

(2) A Guide to financing energy efficiency in the Public Sector (2015)

DECC. Download at https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/ system/uploads/attachment_data/file/394893/update_to_financing_public_sector_energy_efficiency1.pdf

(3) Schools - Learning to improve energy efficiency (2012) The

Carbon Trust. Download at http://www.carbontrust.com/media/39232/ctv019_schools.pdf

(4) Costs of building to the Code for Sustainable Homes https://

www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_ data/file/6378/1972728.pdf

What is the future for renewable heat?

Despite growing evidence of climate change and other nations announcing measures to reduce greenhouse gas emissions ahead of the major global climate conference in Paris; our government seems intent on dismantling the UK’s solar and onshore wind sectors.

The UK’s stated efforts to reduce CO2 emissions rely on replacing coal (and later, gas) with nuclear, wind, solar and tidal sources to provide low carbon power to heat pumps. Do these efforts now lie in tatters?

John Findlay, Managing Director of Carbon Zero Consulting, believes that under this government the future for UK renewable power looks poor, but there remains optimism for the future of renewable heat and especially heat from heat pumps.

Ground source heat pumps (GSHP) are particularly well-suited to many schools and colleges as they generally have the grounds to accommodate the boreholes necessary to capture the renewable heat. Reply No. Findlay says that Carbon Zero Consulting has designed and installed 40 GSHP systems for schools, colleges and public buildings throughout the UK. Examples include; • The GSHP heating system at Perivale School (Ealing) was installed in 2008 and has been operating quietly and efficiently for over 7 years.

• Two ‘open loop borehole’ GSHP systems have been providing heating and cooling to Luton 6th Form College and Easton College for a similar time.

All three of these take water from boreholes within the underlying chalk aquifer to provide heating and cooling. The water is returned to the aquifer and as such is non-consumptive, highly efficient and provides significant cost and CO2 reductions.

Findlay concludes that, ‘’For many reasons, the government must continue to support the renewable heat incentive (RHI) to support the growing need for low carbon heating systems to replace aging oil and gas installations ’’.

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Mind the gap

and information at their fingertips, will help parents to feel at ease knowing they are being kept up to date with both the school and their child’s progress.

by Geoff Jones.

September is a month mixed full of excitement and nerves for the many students who had once ‘ruled the school’ in their final year at primary school. Making the transition to secondary education is a challenge for both student and school, with teachers having to deal with the anxieties of children starting a new school, as they become the little fish in a big pond.

However, it isn’t just the children’s expectations that the school has to manage.

For the parents, this period of time can be just as daunting, so it is important for teachers to help bridge the gap between primary and secondary school, making the transition as smooth as possible.

Consistent communication Parents of students at primary school often develop a strong relationship with their child’s class teacher, being able to pop in after school to ask questions or voice any concerns. So it can be a shock for them adjusting to secondary school life, with a different teacher for each subject and without a main contact for them to get in touch with.

Make sure that you ease parents in at the earliest stage possible, to give them time to adapt and become comfortable with new ways of engagement. Communicating directly with parents is vital. After all, it’s no good relying on students to deliver messages which get crumpled at the bottom of their school bag, only to emerge months later, no longer relevant.

Mary Ford, Year 7 coordinator at Bourne Grammar School in Lincolnshire says, “Schools need to keep parents as involved as possible and abreast of everything that happens within a school that will impact on their child - whether that’s changes to the curriculum, pastoral care, after school activities, an upcoming school trip, and so on”.

The more involved parents are in their child’s education, the better the student’s academic performance, so regular engagement between schools and parents is essential.

The issue parents face though, is a lack of engagement or communication during the transition period. Many of their concerns come from miscommunication or ambiguity about what is coming as their child moves to secondary school. This is where technology can play a vital part in stopping parents from feeling so isolated.

If schools are able to offer regular and consistent communication both before and after children move schools, then

this will reduce the amount of confusion or uncertainty. This can be achieved by providing a technological system which develops inter-school relationships. Using a facility which allows secondary schools to contact parents through the child’s primary school, means that parents are already able to adjust to the upcoming change and new information will be coming from a school they are already familiar with. The primary school is also able to filter any information issued from the secondary school to the parents, giving them complete control.

Make it two-way Communication from schools has traditionally been one way, with parents relying on their children to deliver messages from their class teacher. Information regarding trips and school updates are shared in the form of newsletters and slips, which can often be misplaced or forgotten about. Equally, face-to-face meetings can be difficult to arrange, meaning most parents only get the opportunity to talk to teachers a few times a year at parents’ evening.

To stop parents panicking about how their child is getting on in a new school environment, it’s useful to set up a schoolhome communications system, allowing teachers to send parents updates, reports and reminders, keeping them informed of their child’s progress or any areas for improvement.

Mary Ford says,

“We have six terms a year and we provide termly student assessment TSMs (Target Setting and Monitoring reports) to parents to ensure that they are always kept up-to-date with their child’s progress. Every term they get a report detailing their engagement, with comments from the teacher. Parents are therefore able to identify whether their child’s progress is moving up or down. If it is sloping downwards, then parents can send a query to the TSM email address, which will then be dealt with by the appropriate staff member and subject head”.

Using mobile apps provides a two-way stream of conversation between school and parents. Parents are able to book meetings and appointments, check for upcoming events and streamline the coordination between home and school diaries. Having a simple and easy way of accessing data 42

Opting for digital processes also saves on overall printing costs and has a more positive impact on the environment.

Schools are able to fire out announcements quickly and efficiently using text, email or push notifications, reaching a large audience in real-time, which is especially beneficial for urgent messages or incidents.

Jackie Lumley-Kelly, whose two teenage daughters attend Rydens Enterprise School comments, “The digital communication you get at secondary level makes you feel more informed as a parent than you do at primary level. At primary you get lots of letters home, but having things sent to your phone or email does make you feel like you’re kept constantly in the loop. Having to rely on your children to pass on messages isn’t always ideal!”

Sharing a child’s academic and personal progress is just one benefit of using schoolhome communications. Some systems can also inform parents about trips and concerts, and therefore monitor parental consent as well as collect and manage payments in a secure way. Some systems can even send parents friendly reminders when a payment is overdue.

Give parents a warm welcome In addition to the benefits that digital communications provide, it is equally as important to meet parents early on to minimise worries. Holding a welcome evening for new parents is a good way of building a positive relationship, allowing them to meet teachers and others in the same position.

Some secondary schools also get in touch with their local primary schools to arrange a time for teaching staff to meet the pupils moving on. That way, when pupils begin secondary school, they already have a familiar face as a contact, helping parents feel more at ease about letting their children move on, knowing that there is support already in place.

Providing a welcoming environment for both students and parents as they make the step up to secondary school is key to a successful transition. School-home communication strategies enable schools to reach parents instantaneously, which particularly benefits parents new to the school or those that are hard to reach. In a world that is increasingly mobile, having a system that contacts parents at the touch of a button will help them feel part of the school community, before, during and after their child makes the transition from primary to secondary school.

Geoff Jones is the Marketing Director of ParentMail

Education Magazine

Badgemaster steps production up a gear for fastest ever service From August 2015 name badge manufacturer Badgemaster will debut a brand new two-shift production system, giving them the capabilities to almost double capacity and deliver some of the fastest turnaround times in the industry, not only in the UK but across Europe.

Badgemaster’s Founder and Managing Director, John Bancroft MBE is thrilled with the company’s achievements not only in terms of the business and it’s customers but also for the wider industry. He said: “ The badge making business is driven by three things: quality, price and turnaround times and in order to succeed, you need to be delivering on all three in equal measure. These most recent developments allow Badgemaster to step it up a notch, allowing us to raise our game to previously impossible standards. Our customers of course benefit greatly from our investment. So does too the wider community via employment, investment in local economy, and advances in our technological capabilities.

“A two shift production is just one of many ways our business has become stronger, and I am thrilled the business can grow organically through customer demand.

We are now the largest name badge making company in the UK, almost certainly in Europe and making our mark on the global landscape. That’s an amazing achievement and I thank our loyal and skilled staff and of course, our ever increasing customer base for allow that to happen.”

Badgemaster has taken on a dozen new members of staff, with more to come in the forseeable future. These latest additions take the company’s roll call up to over one hundred, boosting the local landscape in what has been known in north Nottinghamshire and surrounding area as an ‘employment blackspot.’

As of Monday 3rd August production at the company’s site in Newstead, Nottingham will operate a two shift productive operation, running from 6am – 2pm and 2– 10pm five days a week. The changes will make a significant reduction in turnaround times, meaning customers can now benefit from the speediest ever service. It is now possible for urgent orders being placed as late as 4pm being able to be processed and go into production the same day.

The ramp up in production is a result of a significant period of growth for the company with orders at all time high, securing on average 200 new accounts per month since the beginning of 2015. Major new rollouts taking place in recent months include high street names such as Argos, Avis, Coral, Carphone Warehouse , Next, Disney and WH Smith. The Hospitality sector including Premier Inn and Best Western and transport and travel companies including ScotRail, Virgin/East Coast Trains, Virgin Atlantic and TUI which in new business alone spans an estimated additional quarter of a million wearers. Under the new regime, the UK based manufacturing site will be capable of processing on average 2000 individual orders per day.

Significant investments in additional state of the art technology has not only boosted the factory’s technical capabilities in production but also aided the skillset of the company’s ever growing workforce.

“We are a British based manufacturer, whose business is currently booming and that is something I am incredibly proud of” adds John. “At a time when the wider industry is awakening to the social and ethical issues, risks and wider issues of manufacturing overseas at Badgemaster we are very proud of our Made in the UK status. Keeping business, jobs and skilled workers within the UK and within our industry will only do good things for our wider economical future.”

Overall, the business has been boosted by cash investments of more than a million pound in terms of staff costs and investment in the latest technology.

For more information contact the Badgemaster Customer Services Team on 01623 723 112, email customerservices@badgemaster.co.uk or visit our website at www.badgemaster.co.uk

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