Education Magazine Jan 2016

Edition 1, 2016

Creating an all-through school see p18

MSC’s lessons on ocean sustainability, a great catch for schools, see p12 Food, contracts and getting added value from your caterer ,see p14 Alcohol is everywhere in my school, see p24

Workplace bullying: a cultural issue, see p26 Taking collaboration from virtual to reality, see p30 Grief awareness, see p32 Safeguarding the mental health of teenage pupils, see p36

A whole new world of technology that puts schools in control of their data, see p38 Why everyone needs a role model, see p18 BIM – the implications beyond April 2016, see p42

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

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Education Magazine Edition 66

Publisher Steve Mitchell

Annual Subscription £10 Free to Heads and School Financial Directors

Production Editor Richard Shrubb

Advertising Sales Team:

Circulation research Mary Reale

Tracy Johnson, Martin Petty, Richard Harper and Paul Barrett

Design/Production Amanda Wesley

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

28

12 MSC’s lessons on

ocean sustainability, a great catch for schools

14

Food, contracts and getting added value from your caterer

18 Creating an

all-through school

24

Alcohol is everywhere in my school

26 Workplace bullying:

Where are the apprenticeships to address shortfall in ‘multi-skilled’ staff?

30 Taking

collaboration from virtual to reality

32

Grief awareness

34 Term

time holidays, a contentious issue..

36

Safeguarding the mental health of teenage pupils

38

A whole new world of technology that puts schools in control of their data

39 Why everyone needs a role model

40 New school

model in South Delhi could transform education

42 BIM – the

implications beyond April 2016

a cultural issue

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 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.

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Schools in £30 million savings boost after deal with Microsoft Agreement means schools can spend less on backroom administration and more on directly helping students.

A major new agreement with Microsoft will save schools millions of pounds which can be used to continue raising standards for students.

The new memorandum of understanding (MoU) means all schools in the UK will be able to take advantage of discounts and better licensing terms across a wide range of Microsoft’s academic software.

The agreement, which runs until June 2018, means schools are in line to save an estimated £30 million, and gives them greater flexibility in their use of Microsoft software.

It also ensures that, while schools are offered excellent value for money, they are under no contractual commitment, and all schools remain free to find their own alternative software.

Education Secretary Nicky Morgan said: “Technology is an integral part of school life and this new agreement will help schools around the country save money and improve outcomes for all.

We want schools to be able to focus their resources on what matters most - teaching - and this agreement will help them do precisely that.”

Steve Beswick, Director of Education Sector at Microsoft UK, said: “Microsoft is committed to empowering every student to achieve more. This agreement will enable schools to put the latest cloud-enabled technology in classrooms and facilitate high-quality teaching, in order to give children every opportunity to flourish at school.

It also provides a dynamic way of enabling our UK education customers to transition to the cloud, and achieve significant savings over traditional technology infrastructure.”

Following negotiations with Microsoft, led by the Department for Education in conjunction with Crown Commercial Service, the new agreement builds on an existing arrangement that has operated with Microsoft since 2004.

It secures improved benefits based on the entire UK schools’ software spend with Microsoft, but involves no financial or contractual commitment for schools or the Department for Education. The latest agreement came into effect on 1 January

2016 and runs until June 2018.

As well as offering better value for money for both new and existing users, UK schools that choose to use Microsoft software will now have more flexibility in the way they license it.

All schools will continue to be free to use alternative solutions, including free-to-use software. This reflects the government’s policy to give schools greater autonomy and control over how they spend their money and use resources.

90,000 more pupils leaving primary school with the reading, writing and maths skills needed to succeed at secondary school 90,000 more pupils are leaving primary school with a good grounding in reading, writing and maths - the essential subjects which give children the best possible start in life - compared to 2010, results out on 10 December 2015 show.

Primary performance tables show schools across the country are rising to the challenge of raised standards and expectations for all pupils. The 2015 performance tables show the number of schools below the floor standard - the minimum standards for pupil achievement and progress the government expects schools to meet - has fallen by nearly 100 since last year - with 676 failing to meet the expected levels compared to 768 in 2014, when the floor standard was increased.

The government has raised the bar by introducing higher floor standards, banning calculators for maths tests and introducing a spelling, punctuation and grammar test.

Results published showed:

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80% of pupils achieved level 4 or above in all of reading, writing and maths - in 2010, 1 in 3 pupils did not achieve this level, compared to 1 in 5 today 94% of pupils made at least 2 levels of progress in writing - an increase of 4 percentage points since the earliest comparable figures in 2012 91% of pupils made at least 2 levels of progress in reading - an increase of 2 percentage points since the earliest comparable figures in 2012 90% of pupils made at least 2 levels of progress in maths - an increase of 8 percentage points since 2010 attainment in the grammar, punctuation and spelling test increased from 76% in 2014 to 80% in 2015

Despite having some of the most disadvantaged boroughs in the country, London continues to be a trailblazer for 4

excellence, with the lowest proportion of schools falling below the floor target.

However, this success is not isolated to the south. Rutland in the East Midlands and Devon in the South West are in the top 10 areas for the number of primaries where 100% of pupils achieve level 4 or above in the 3Rs and make at least expected progress in each subject, while the North West and North East were second only to London in terms of proportion of schools above the floor.

Figures also show that the difference in performance between disadvantaged pupils and their peers has continued to fall, with more pupils from all backgrounds now starting secondary school ready to succeed.

Schools Minister Nick Gibb said: “As part of this government’s commitment to extending opportunity for all, it is essential that every child leaves primary school having mastered the basics in reading, writing and maths - thanks to our education reforms thousands more pupils each year are reaching those standards.

The increased performance at primary level across the country demonstrates how this government is delivering on its commitment to provide educational excellence everywhere and ensure every child benefits from the best possible start in life, no matter where they come from.

Figures published by Ofsted as part of its annual report at the start of December 2015 further underline the impressive progress made by primary schools across the country over the past 5 years, with an increase of 18 percentage points in the proportion of good and outstanding primary schools compared to 2010.

A record 1.4 million more pupils are now getting the best possible start in ‘good’ and ‘outstanding’ schools compared to 2010 including 1 million more pupils in England’s primary schools.”

Faith groups back move to protect religious education freedom Religious groups back guidance protecting freedom of schools over religious education.

Religious groups have (28 December 2015) backed the government’s decision to issue robust guidance that protects the freedom of schools to set their religious studies curriculum in line with statutory guidance and in accordance with the wishes of parents.

The recent Judicial Review of the religious studies GCSE ruled on a narrow, technical point, the meaning of which the Department Education Magazine

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News for Education has now clarified, meaning there is therefore no need to seek permission to appeal from the Court of Appeal.

Instead, the government has issued guidance to schools that sets out clearly that schools will not have to change their religious education curriculum and that there is no need to give non-religious world views equal parity with religious world views in education.

Some campaign groups have subsequently tried to claim that this means that nonreligious beliefs such as humanism must be taught on a par with study of religion.

However the guidance issued by Education Secretary Nicky Morgan makes clear that schools can continue to prioritise the teaching of major faiths over non-religious world views such as humanism.

In addition, the guidance reiterates requirements that non-faith schools must reflect the fact that the religious traditions in Great Britain are, in the main, Christian while taking account of the teaching and practices of the other principal religions represented in Great Britain.

The government will also press ahead with the religious studies GCSE. The judge explicitly said that there was nothing unlawful in the content of the RS GCSE itself.

The judge made clear that there was “no challenge” to the content of the GCSE.

Education Secretary Nicky Morgan said: “This government is determined to protect schools’ freedom to set their own religious studies curriculum, in line with the wishes of parents and the local community.

The guidance I have issued today makes absolutely clear that the recent judicial review will have no impact on what is currently being taught in religious education.

I am clear that both faith and non-faith schools are completely entitled to prioritise the teaching of religion and faith over nonreligious world views if they wish.”

Reverend Nigel Genders, Chief Education Officer for the Church of England, said: “There has been confusion about the implications of the High Court judgment [with respect to the GCSE religious studies subject content] and we welcome the publication of this guidance note which clarifies the situation and provides assurance that the judgement does not impact on the content of the new RS GCSE.” Sheila Gewolb, Vice President of the Board of Deputies of British Jews, said: “The Board of Deputies of British Jews welcomes the Department for Education’s

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guidance, which supports the religious studies GCSE as it stands.

The Board believes that the RS GCSE must continue to support education about the traditional world religions. Other beliefs and world views can - and should - be taught through other subject areas.”

Paul Barber, Director of the Catholic Education Service, said: “The CES welcomes this additional guidance which clarifies the position of RE in light of the judicial review outcome.

We are pleased to read that the judgement will not impact upon the content of the new GCSE in religious studies, nor the autonomy of the Catholic Church in determining the content of the RE curriculum in Catholic schools.

The judgement related to the introduction to the RS GCSE subject content. It concluded that a particular paragraph suggested that a school could rely entirely on the content of an RS GCSE syllabus to discharge its obligations with respect to teaching the basic curriculum subject of religious education at key stage 4. The judge found that while that might be the case, it might not always be the case - and so it was wrong.

GCSE religious studies subject content and guidance note for schools and awarding organisations.”

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New measures to keep children safe online at school and at home All schools to filter inappropriate content and teach pupils about staying safe including online harm.

All schools will be required to put in place strengthened measures to protect children from harm online - including cyber bullying, pornography and the risk of radicalisation under plans unveiled by Education Secretary Nicky Morgan on 22 December 2015.

Recent events have shown that the risks to young people being targeted by radical groups have risen and should not be underestimated - some school children who travelled or attempted to travel to Syria were able to access material about Daesh and foreign fighters via school computers.

Under the proposals published for consultation, all schools will:

•

•

need to have appropriate filters and monitoring systems, so that no child can access harmful content via the school’s IT systems and concerns can be spotted quickly be required to ensure that they teach their pupils about safeguarding, including online Education Secretary Nicky Morgan said:

“As a parent I’ve seen just what an important role the internet can play in children’s education. But it can also bring risks, which is why we must do everything we can to help children stay safe online - at school and at home.

This includes ensuring young people know how to use the internet responsibly and that parents and teachers have the right measures in place to keep children safe from exploitation or radicalisation.

These measures are delivering on the government’s commitment to keep children safe from harm, as well as providing helpful support and information for professionals and parents so we are all equipped to help protect children in this digital age.”

Russell Hobby, General Secretary of the National Association of Head Teachers, said: “The internet is a powerful tool but also poses obvious risks for children and young people. We think schools would welcome greater clarity on how to deploy appropriate filters and monitoring systems and that they will readily fulfil their safeguarding duties in this domain.”

The government has also announced a further package of measures to help keep children safe online including two practical

guides on social media:

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A guide for social media companies on good practice

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A guide to help parents keep their children safe online produced by the UK’s Council for Child Internet Safety (UKCISS) - to help children understand the risks and benefits of social media, and prevent risks becoming problems

New online training will be launched for professionals, including nurses, doctors and teachers who work with children and young people, to equip them with the tools they need to handle online risks and support young people in today’s digital world.

The National Crime Agency’s CEOP Command has revised and updated the parents content on the Thinkuknow website - the new site offers a completely refreshed suite of articles and guidance on all aspects of child internet safety, as well as providing specific advice for parents and carers on preventing their children from becoming victims of sexual abuse and exploitation both online and in the ‘real world’.

New industry-led awareness raising initiatives including Google’s ‘Internet Legends’ tour which will travel around the country delivering assemblies to school children in 40 locations during this school year, to help kids be safe online, so they can get the most out of all that the internet can offer.

Minister for Internet Safety and Security Baroness Shields said: “Government and industry have made great progress in our quest to make the internet a safer place for young people, but we recognise that risks and dangers remain.

The two guides we’ve published, developed by the UK Council for Child Internet Safety’s panel of experts, are all part of our ongoing work to keep children safe online.

They will equip parents with the information they need for their children to explore the internet safely, and will be instrumental in helping new tech start-ups to routinely factor safety features into the design of their products and platforms.”

Reg Bailey, CBE, said: “This package of online safety announcements is really welcome, and I think it really demonstrates a continuing commitment of the government to address online risks and support young people in today’s digital world.

This was the key recommendation of my independent report on the commercialisation and sexualisation of children to government in 2011. In tandem with the work already underway to make it less easy to access inappropriate material 6

online, we have always known that we need to build a healthy resilience in our children and young people.”

This has to come from work in schools and also with parents taking their share of responsibility. The provision of new statutory guidance and support with various learning resources will help schools immensely, and the guidance for parents, supported by the main industry platforms, like Google and Facebook, will help give parents the confidence they need in this fast moving environment.

The government made internet safety a compulsory part of the new curriculum in 2014. Schools can also teach e-safety during PSHE lessons and they are all required by law to have measures in place to prevent bullying and cyber bullying.

Schools already play a vital role in keeping children safe from harm online, including from the risks of radicalisation and cyber bullying. The majority of schools already have measures in place to protect children from harm online and are also teaching their pupils about the safeguarding risks that exist.

Brook Green Centre for Learning, a special school in Plymouth, Devon, has implemented a range of e-safety measures to ensure their pupils are protected. This includes a robust IT filtering system and a whole school approach to online safety with dedicated curriculum time as well as parent and carer training.

Keeping children safe in education is statutory guidance that all schools and colleges must have regard to when carrying out their duties to safeguard and promote the welfare of children. We are consulting on strengthening the requirements on schools and colleges to keep children safe including online. The consultation runs until 16 February 2016.

Building young people’s resilience and the promotion of fundamental British values lies at the heart of the government’s approach to preventing radicalisation, and this includes ensuring they are protected from the threat of extremist and ideological views and materials online. In July the government issued new advice to all schools and childcare providers to coincide with the new prevent duty and social media guidance, introduced as part of the Counter-Terrorism and Security Act 2015, which legally requires a range of organisations including schools, local authorities, prisons, police and health bodies to take steps to prevent people from being drawn into terrorism.

The Department for Education set up a telephone helpline (020 7340 7264) and an email address: counter.extremism@education.gsi.gov.uk to enable people to raise concerns directly with the department. continues overleaf u Education Magazine

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NEWS News News News NEWS News NEWS News The new guide for parents on social media has been produced by the UK’s Council for Child Internet Safety (UKCISS), it includes practical tips about the use of safety and privacy features on apps and platforms, and some conversation prompts to help families start talking about online safety.

The practical guide on child safety online for social media companies, and interactive services such as apps, cloud services and games, encourages them to think about online safety issues from the outset. Both are available on GOV.UK. The Department of Health is providing funding for an e-learning course and other tools to help people spot when children are at risk from dangerous activity online. The resource will give nurses, doctors, teachers, and other professionals who work with children the understanding and guidance they need to support young people in today’s digital world. The materials will be hosted on an expanded version of the MindEd platform, an e-learning site run by a consortium of specialist children and mental health experts. It provides accessible online modules and information about children and young people’s mental health for professionals. The new resources will be launched on 9 February 2016, safer internet day, and the complete package will be available from March.

Thousands of pupils start 2016 in new buildings 13 new buildings set to open early this year through the government’s flagship £4.4 billion school rebuilding programme.

Pupils across the country are being given a fresh start for 2016 as they return to state-of-the-art new school buildings funded through the government’s flagship rebuilding programme.

Thirteen schools from the south west to the north east of England are set to start the new year in modern buildings thanks to the £4.4 billion priority school building programme (PSBP).

By transforming some of the most run-down schools in the country, the PSBP is helping young people unlock their potential and delivering on the government’s commitment to educational excellence everywhere.

The latest schools will open following over £100 million of construction, with features including bright new classrooms, inspiring libraries and specialist arts facilities.

Schools Minister Nick Gibb said: “The priority school building programme is allowing young people

across the country to be taught in facilities fit for the 21st century, giving them the best possible chance to fulfil their potential.

I am delighted to see this latest group of schools re-opening in outstanding new buildings - the staff, pupils and local community could not ask for a better start to the year.

As the programme continues, I look forward to seeing even more schools reopening in modern buildings as we continue to deliver educational excellence everywhere.

Camberwell Park School, a special school in Manchester, is one of those to reopen through the programme following £7 million of construction.

The school, which previously suffered regular leaks and was persistently in need of repair, now has bigger, brighter classrooms, a modern music and drama room and a library which looks onto the school’s rainforest garden.”

Camberwell Park School Headteacher Mary Isherwood said: “As headteacher of Camberwell Park School I am proud and delighted that we have been part of the priority school building programme. Since we heard news of our new building, we have been fully involved in the planning and preparation of the building to ensure that it meets the holistic needs of our pupils who all have special educational needs.

Throughout the process staff, pupils, parents and carers, governors and members of the multi-agency team have shared their hopes, wishes, dreams for the new building, helping us to shape the vision. The new building is fabulous.”

The Grove School, a primary in Devon, received its new building following £4 million of work, giving it not only outstanding new facilities but also increasing its capacity from 210 to 315 pupils.

Headteacher of The Grove School, Hilary Priest, said: “Everything is different about our new school building. Previously, we had a building which was falling apart, with leaking roofs and buckets everywhere to collect the water. Now we have a beautiful new facility designed for education today, with lovely large classrooms and state-of-the-art technology. Best of all, although the new building is completely different, it still feels like our old school.

The staff and pupils love the new building - we have had so many ‘wows’ and many amazingly positive comments from parents.

Thanks to the PSBP, school buildings are being rebuilt faster and cheaper than those built under the previous school building initiative - Building Schools for the Future (BSF). Under the BSF it took 3 years for construction work to begin. This was slashed 8

to 1 year for the PSBP, with projects costing around a third less.

A total of 537 schools will benefit from construction through the 2 phases of the PSBP. The priority school building programme was established in 2011. A total of 260 schools will have their condition needs addressed through the first phase of the programme .

Thanks to decisions which have been taken to improve efficiency and reduce waste, we are seeing school building is being delivered quicker and for up to 35% less than under the previous Building Schools for the Future programme.”

To date construction contracts for 196 schools we have been signed and the remaining projects are all in the design or planning stages.

In May 2014 the government announced a further £2 billion for the second phase of the programme. A list of the 277 schools to benefit from the second phase of the PSBP was published on 9 February 2015.

Sir David Carter appointed as new National Schools Commissioner.

Sir David Carter, currently the Regional Schools Commissioner (RSC) for the South West, will succeed Frank Green who completes his term as Schools Commissioner at the end of January 2016.

Sir David will play a key role in the government’s education reforms, leading the team of 8 RSCs to tackle underperformance and ensure all schools across the country are providing their pupils with an excellent education. This will include:

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• •

Supporting the creation of new academies and free schools Intervening in failing and coasting local authority schools, exercising the new powers to be introduced through the Education and Adoption Bill currently before Parliament Recruiting high-quality academy sponsors Improving the performance of underperforming academies and free schools

Sir David Carter has previously worked as the CEO of the highly successful Cabot Learning Federation, 1 of the first multiacademy trusts in the country. He received a knighthood in the Queen’s birthday honours in 2013 in recognition of his services to education over 30 years.

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News Schools Minister Lord Nash said:

Ofsted’s National Director for Social Care, Eleanor Schooling said:

“David Carter has already made an outstanding contribution to the government’s academy reforms in the South West as 1 of our first regional schools commissioners.

“The responsibility of safeguarding cannot rest with one agency alone. These new inspections will provide a comprehensive picture of how several agencies work together in an area to ensure children are safe. This is an important step forward for inspection.

His considerable expertise as an outstanding school leader makes him the ideal choice to build on the significant legacy of Frank Green as the National Schools Commissioner.”

The joint approach will allow us to act swiftly where we are concerned about specific issues in an area so we can ensure that every agency is doing its part. Equally, it will give us an important opportunity to look at good practice and really understand how local areas are tackling the challenges they face. We are confident these inspections will support improvement and have a positive impact on the experiences of children and young people.

Responding to his appointment Sir David said: “This job is a wonderful opportunity to make a difference to the learning of children across our schools led system.

My aim will be to work with the regional commissioners, academy leaders and trustees to challenge all schools to perform better than ever before and deliver educational excellence everywhere.”

Joint Ofsted - HMIP targeted area inspections to be launched this year New inspections to assess how agencies work together in an area to identify, support and protect vulnerable children and young people.

New Joint Targeted Area Inspections of services for vulnerable children and young people (JTAI) are to be launched this year, inspectorates Ofsted, Care Quality Commission (CQC), Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary (HMIC) and Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Probation (HMIP) have announced.

From February, all 4 inspectorates will jointly assess how local authorities, the police, health, probation and youth offending services are working together in an area to identify, support and protect vulnerable children and young people.

The new short inspections will allow inspectorates to be more responsive, targeting specific areas of interest and concern. They will also identify areas for improvement and highlight good practice from which others can learn.

Each inspection will include a ‘deep dive’ element, with the first set, to be completed by summer 2016, focusing on children at risk of sexual exploitation and those missing from home, school or care. Future areas of focus will be decided upon with input from key stakeholders.

The new approach was consulted on in July 2015 and over 200 responses were received from those working in the children’s social care, health, police, probation and youth offending services. The inspections were successfully piloted in December last year.

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I’d like to thank everyone who contributed their views and the positive feedback we have received in the development of this important work.”

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pilot endorses this innovation that combines cross sector assessment with more in depth thematic reporting. It also provides an approach to joint work that can be used flexibly in future to assess for other topics or priorities.”

Her Majesty’s Inspector of Constabulary Wendy Williams said: “We welcome working in partnership on these inspections which will ensure that collectively we can look at how all the various services work together to protect some of our most vulnerable children.

Additionally, these inspections will complement the work HMIC is already doing to examine how each police force protects children at risk of harm.”

Assistant Chief Inspector of Probation Alan MacDonald said:

The inspection report will include narrative findings that clearly set out what the local partnership and agencies are doing well, and what they need to do to improve.

“HMI Probation sees real benefits in jointly assessing how well local agencies work together to protect and care for vulnerable children. We think these inspections will shed light on both good and poor practice, identifying examples from which others can learn and helping areas to improve.”

When each set of inspections by theme are completed, a thematic overview report will be published to highlight the learning more widely. The inspections will replace Ofsted’s current thematic inspection programme.

Reforms to GCSE and A level qualifications

From February, Ofsted will also be able to carry out its own targeted inspections of local authorities and Local Safeguarding Children Boards (LSCBs) following positive responses to the consultation.

The government is reforming GCSEs and A levels to be rigorous and more knowledgebased and to match the qualifications used in the best education systems in the world.

Used alongside current inspections of local authorities, Ofsted Targeted Local Authority Inspections will allow the inspectorate, if necessary, to act proportionately and responsively in areas where risks are identified.

The consultation outcomes are available on the Ofsted website, alongside the:

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Joint targeted area inspection framework and guidance, together with inspection criteria for the first ‘deep dive’ in tackling child sexual exploitation

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Ofsted targeted local authority inspection framework and guidance and inspection criteria for the first ‘deep dive’ in tackling child sexual exploitation

CQC Chief Inspector of general practice, Steve Field said: “CQC welcomes the opportunity to work with partner inspectorates in this important area of activity. Assessing how organisations work together to support and protect children and young people goes to the heart of our shared priorities. It allows us to test interagency working and identify best practice, promoting improvement across all services. The positive feedback from the 9

Schools are now teaching some of the new reformed GCSEs and A levels, and have already published reformed subject content for those GCSEs and A levels to be taught from September 2016.

The new GCSEs will be more academically demanding and will be qualifications that command the confidence of students, employers, and further and higher education institutions. At A level, our reforms aim to ensure that they prepare students for undergraduate study and the world of work.

On 17 December 2015 the Government published revised subject content for some of the GCSEs and AS and A levels that will be taught in schools from September 2017: GCSEs in: astronomy, business, economics, engineering, geology and psychology; and AS and A levels in environmental science, design and technology, music technology and philosophy The astronomy GCSE requires greater depth of knowledge, for example by expanding topic areas such as the evolution of the stars.

The content has also been brought up to date to reflect the latest knowledge, and continues overleaf u

NEWS News News News NEWS News NEWS News the mathematical requirements are more demanding.

The business GCSE content has added breadth and depth with new requirements to understand business decision-making in more detail, including business growth and development.

The new economics GCSE content is more demanding and includes detailed requirements for specific mathematical knowledge. All students will now be required to understand more of the essential concepts of economics, and depth and breadth have been increased by adding a number of new topics.

The engineering GCSE has increased demand through a greater emphasis on systemsrelated content and requiring additional mathematical knowledge. A detailed section on testing and investigation has been introduced which includes content such as predicting performance through calculations, simulations and modelling.

Environmental science AS and A level requires students to know and understand the science behind environmental issues and, in line with other reformed science A levels, to use scientific theories, models and ideas.

The new geology GCSE content has increased demand by requiring increased mathematical knowledge, and the study of new content on planetary geology and a greater number of minerals, rock types and fossil groups.

Fieldwork remains a fundamental part of the subject, with students required to spend at least 2 days engaged in fieldwork.

In music technology AS and A level content, students are now required to develop an indepth knowledge of the principles of sound and audio technology and the development of recording and production technology.

Recording and production techniques for both corrective and creative purposes are also included.

Philosophy AS and A level content will enable students to gain a thorough grounding in

key philosophical questions and concepts.

Students are required to study the ideas of key philosophers.

Psychology GCSE content will require all students to study 5 compulsory topics (development; memory; psychological problems; social influence; and the brain and neuropsychology) and 2 optional topics. The study of these is underpinned by the study of key theories and all students will be required to develop a strong understanding of research methods, including quantitative analysis.

The new design and technology A level will require all students to study the iterative design processes and technical principles that are at the core of contemporary design practice. There will be options in design engineering, product design and fashion textiles to allow students to specialise. Students will also undertake a substantial design and make task at A level.inal subject content for further GCSE and AS and A level subjects.

Learn from industry leaders at the Education Show 2016 The Education Show 2016, the go-to event for CPD and learning resources, will be returning to NEC, Birmingham from 17 to 19 March.

A jam-packed programme of new content, inspiring training and development, and pioneering educational suppliers will be available throughout the show. The Education Show 2016 will provide all of the insight you need for a successful career in the world of education, from innovative teaching resources and practices, to educational charities and organisations. Each year, the show attracts over 10,000 visitors, from primary, secondary and higher education backgrounds, all offering a wealth of knowledge and experience in their field.

Whatever your areas of interest, there are plenty of invaluable opportunities to justify your visit to the show.

To help exhibitors plan their route around the show, the British Educational Supplier’s Association (BESA) will be on hand at the BESA Show Information Point. The association’s knowledge and experience will help visitors plan their time at the event and ensure they get as much out of it as possible.

For more information or to register, please visit: www.education-show.com.

You can follow @EducationShow on Twitter for further news and updates, or join #EdShowChat every last week of the month.

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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/offers

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MSC’s lessons on ocean sustainability, a great catch for schools The Marine Stewardship Council (MSC), have taken part in a successful tour of certified primary schools.

They’ve been using their Fish and Kids programme of educational resources for schools to deliver engaging assemblies, fun activities and lessons to pupils about sustainable seafood and protecting our oceans.

serving MSC certified sustainable fish in their school lunches) by conducting a lesson on sustainable fishing and marine conservation.

The resource packs are filled with engaging and informative posters, teachers’ notes for KS1 and KS2 classes and exciting activity sheets from the MSC Fish and Kids programme.

The lessons can be structured around food chains, fishing, the impacts of fishing and ecolabels.

Pupils are encouraged to commit to eating MSC certified seafood in school and at home and teach their families about sustainable fishing and the MSC by collecting pledges on MSC pledge cards. The school that returns the most pledges to the MSC will win a special assembly and lesson from the MSC’s Fish and Kids team.

The MSC is asking teachers to use these packs and get their pupils engaged by signing the pledge to help protect the oceans, and eating sustainably sourced fish.

By sending a pledge card back to the MSC the schools can win some great prizes.

Kevin Hobart – Operations Manager at Caterlink, said: “We believe that educating children about making the right food choices is incredibly important, particularly as eating the right meals can not only make a big difference to their performance in the classroom but also the sustainability of our food chain. Fish can be a great source of nutrition and we want to get children excited about the food they’re eating and where it comes from.

“Our MSC event has been a great opportunity to get the kids trying new things and learning about different ways of fishing.

They particularly enjoyed the chance to try all the different fish we had prepared.”

The Fish & Kids tour included Preston Primary School where they had a different approach to teaching seafood sustainability.

Twelve children (from years 2 to 5), were selected to be “The Guardians”, and learnt about ocean sustainability, being responsible citizens and understanding the wider impacts of our consumer choices.

Stefanie Siebels, Education Officer at the MSC explained, “The MSC’s mission is to make sure we have fish for future generations. As part of that work, we’re teaching the next generation to be good custodians of the planet they will inherit.

By teaching them about sustainable fishing and how to protect the oceans, even when they are eating their lunch or helping their parents to choose fish fingers, we can make sure that the oceans are in good hands for the future.”

Over 3,000 MSC certified primary schools across the UK will have received mail from the Marine Stewardship Council. The MSC has sent out engagement packs for teachers asking them to celebrate their school’s achievement (being certified for

Caterlink were very pleased with the joint Camden Council and MSC event that took place at Primrose Hill Primary School.

Primary schools in Devon have a very close link to the sea and the fishing industry so the MSC visits tied in well with the schools’ own projects and lessons on fishing and marine conservation.

It is celebrating and rewarding the MSC certified schools that are serving certified sustainable seafood by making the link between the dining hall and the classroom and educating the next generation about the importance of sustainable fishing and protecting the world’s oceans.

Following the assembly and classroom lessons the children’s knowledge was then put to the test with little quizzes on sustainable fishing and some colouring activities. The results of these engaging events will be featured on the Fish and Kids website soon.

Caterers such as Caterlink and ISS Education helped make the lunch special by giving out fishy tasters and encouraging children to try delicious new fish dishes.

MSC’s visit to Preston and Furzeham Primary Schools, Devon

The aim of the MSC’s Fish and Kids On Tour is to raise awareness about sustainable fishing and promoting the sustainable fish being served in the schools.

The MSC’s Fish & Kids programme has been visiting schools over the last two months to deliver assemblies, lessons and fun activities with Murdoch, the Fish and Kids mascot while a nationwide mail-out of the MSC teacher’s resource pack, certificates and pledge cards has engaged all schools in the programme.

special appearance of Murdoch during their sustainable fish lunch.

The visit from the MSC was the first of 5 designated afternoon sessions where the Fish and Kids team ran a workshop with “The Guardians”, teaching them about sustainable fishing practices and how everyone can play a part in protecting our oceans. The pupils then designed posters for the school, informing other children about how we can choose sustainable and responsibly-caught seafood.

The MSC, certified contract caterers and LEAs

Stefanie Siebels from the MSC commented; “It was such a pleasure to run the MSC workshop and assembly with the children at Preston Primary School as all the children were so well informed about why fishing sustainably is important. We were really impressed with how much the children already knew about the marine environment and fishing. All the pupils have proven to be responsible and caring citizens and are sure to be future guardians of our oceans! We are very excited to have been part of Preston Primary School’s innovative approach to teaching their pupils about ocean sustainability and how to be responsible citizens.”

The MSC’s planned school visits included special classes about sustainable fishing in the morning and they were followed by a

Scott Ord, head teacher Preston Primary, saw the MSC event as being an important part of their education. “At Preston Primary

The tour included a total of 13 primary schools covering London, the south, southeast, southwest of England and Wales.

The MSC have delivered 15 school assemblies and lessons for a range of years covering KS1 and KS2 requirements.

Approximately 2,500 primary school children have engaged in the educational tour, learning about sustainable fish, the work of the MSC and how they can help protect the ocean’s fish stock for future generations.

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School, our vision is to evolve into an outstanding coastal school, known for an innovative curriculum that delivers excellent outcomes for children. Children in Devon must learn about life in Devon.

Working with the Marine Stewardship Council is a key element in that local innovative curriculum. It also links with our school value of responsibility.”

Linking the dining room and classroom in Primary Schools

Paul Adams, Head Teacher at Furzeham Primary School was also very impressed with how engaged the pupils were by the Fish and Kids event: “The MSC assembly helped the children understand how we can preserve our ocean for future generations and why this is so important. They were all particularly interested in the dangers that ocean wildlife faces and what we can do to protect our oceans and support sustainable fishing.

“ISS was delighted to have the MSC join us in Torbay and Portsmouth during November, for the MSC Fish and Kids programme, where we teamed up to celebrate delicious, sustainably sourced fish in schools.”

“The special lesson run by the Fish and Kids team with our class was a huge hit. The children learnt about the impacts of fishing and sustainable fishing practices. The lesson was very engaging and the children learnt a lot about sustainability.

During the lunch time visits, the Fish and Kids’ mascot Murdoch the cat was a huge hit with staff and pupils and the children loved the stickers and activity sheets that he gave out!

“Overall the Fish and Kids team provided a great experience for the children, one which they have learnt so much from and can go on to use this information to become ocean heroes!”

Mark Davies, Managing Director at ISS Education, reflected on the successful partnership with the MSC on this tour of Primary Schools.

“The MSC hosted special assemblies and visited classrooms to talk to children about why choosing sustainable seafood is vital for the future of fish, fishing communities and the environment. Pupils at Furzeham Primary School in Brixham were particularly excited about the visit; their school is very close to fishing ports with many of their families involved in fishing and the local fish markets.

To complete the sea to plate story, ISS served MSC certified fishy bites at lunch time. The vast majority of the schools ISS serves hold the MSC Chain of Custody, meaning that the fish on the menus has been responsibly sourced. Activities like those in

the Fish and Kids programme allow us to support schools with food education and to show our young diners and their families that our school lunches are healthy, great quality and traceable to source.“ Primary Schools in Berkshire With schools in counties further from the coast the results of the MSC’s lessons in seafood sustainability have been a huge success.

Jill Nixon, Head of Infants at Robert Piggott Schools said: “It was great to see our children learning about the sea, especially since our school is so far inland.

The kids loved learning about the MSC fishermen closest to us on the South Coast and the lesson really made them aware of how they can all help protect our oceans.

The day with the MSC helped bring the dining room and learning closer together.

“It is so important to educate the next generation about how we can look after our oceans and ensure there is fish in the sea for future generations. And it wasn’t just the kids who learnt a lot! Every time I go to the shops now, I will be looking out for the MSC ecolabel as well.”

For further information about MSC certification or certified products please contact Stefanie Siebels, MSC Education Officer at stefanie.siebels@msc.org.com or 0207 246 8917 or visit www.msc.org

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Food, Contracts and getting added value from your caterer Linda Cregan is a time served caterer and has worked for the Children’s Food Trust for the last 8 years. Prior to that she was a school caterer, working for both private and in-house providers.

Her previous job was Head of Catering at the Enfield local authority, covering all the LEA schools and corporate hospitality. An in-house service that covered every school in the borough.

The Children’s Food Trust is on a mission to get every child eating well. One of its remits is to advise schools on best practice when it comes to school meals.

Contracts are at the heart of school meals and we spoke to Linda about the Trust, what the Senior management team should look for when considering contracts and how some technology can be a powerful tool in the drive to get children eating better.

Education Magazine (EM) What is the aim of the Children’s Food Trust and what was it set up to do?

Linda Cregan (LC) We were originally set up in 2005 shortly after the Jamie Oliver ‘Turkey Twizzler’ campaign as a non-departmental public body known as the School Food Trust. One of our biggest tasks was to work with schools to create and introduce the first ever school food legislative standards, work that took 5-6 years to complete.

already successfully bid for Big Lottery funding that enabled us to start up our ‘Let’s Get Cooking programme’ of after-school cookery clubs. This is the biggest initiative of its kind in the UK. We’ve created more than 5,000 school and community based cookery clubs; and have trained more than three million people, children and their families.

As a non-departmental public body, we had a very strict remit from the Department for Education and for example could only work in England. Now as an independent

charity, we can work with lots of different organisations. We now work to improve food wherever children are eating – including working with early years settings and writing the first national, voluntary guidelines on food for 1-5 year-olds in childcare.

EM What is ‘better food’ in the context you refer to?

LC There are two things we strive for. We want to improve the food that children have access to so we spend a lot of time trying to reduce the more harmful things that go into it such as salt, fat and sugar. All the work we have done with schools around the national school food standards has been around trying to protect children from having easy access to harmful foods. Let me give you an example of this. The School Food Standards now ban certain items from ever being sold in schools for lunch. Things like crisps, fizzy drinks, chocolate; you just can’t sell them now in the majority of schools, though some academies come under different rules. What we do then is promote more nutritious food in their place.

We work with schools to ensure that they are implementing the legislation; but we also work with manufacturers and other people to help them improve the food that they offer children. This isn’t just about making children eat more carrots. This is about making the food that is on offer healthier and encouraging them to eat more fruit

We turned into the Children’s Food Trust after the change in government in 2010. We agreed to continue our work as a charity because it enabled us to widen our remit.

We already had charitable status – we had 14

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and vegetables, and also to help them understand why it is better for them.

EM Many changes to menus and diets are brought about when a school looks into its catering arrangements. What guidance do you give on how often arrangements should be looked at and how often could a school look at renewing its contract?

on it; have conversations with parents, the teachers, everyone who has something to do with that service. Be very, very clear what your school food vision is, because that gives you a great starting point then to start having conversations about contracts.

EM What should a school food vision encompass?

LC I would suggest that schools are reviewing their contracts every three to five years. I wouldn’t ever recommend a contract goes longer than that without at least a review. You may stay with the same provider but you should be constantly asking yourself

LC The School Food Plan came up with a vision of how food should be served to our children. That was about making sure that food was healthy, that children were happy in the environment, and it was food that they wanted to eat. A school food vision is about

as a school, are you getting the best service for your school? Are you able to provide what you want to out of your contract? I think it is best practice to keep reviewing.

If you have a reasonable length on your contract then you are telling yourself you are reviewing your contract on that date.

Schools are very busy places and they have bundles of work to do. I think that things change so often in the school food world; products change, different service change, and it is important that you as a school maintain what you want out of your service.

To do this you need to regularly review arrangements, so building in a regular review into the contract is good practice.

how they would want to incorporate food across the entire day. The best head teachers we have spoken to, the ones that implement a great school food vision don’t just look at what they put on the plate at lunchtime.

They look at what food actually means for their children. They teach food. They teach cookery, they have a great service; that is actually embedded in everything they do.

It is often referred to as the ‘whole school approach’, so it isn’t just about when the kids go into the canteen at lunchtime. The vision is the idea of what you want your children to learn about when it comes to food, what you want them to eat, and what the ethos of your school is when it comes to food.

EM Is the opportunity to change supplier one facility that a review of the contract encourages or are their more important ones?

What are the things you recommend should be looked at when reviewing a contract?

EM You recommend starting with a blank sheet of paper, what should be on it?

LC One of the things I am very mindful of is that when a school is reviewing its service, it’s really about benchmarking themselves.

They may have a really good service so it’s not always about changing a contract or having someone else do it differently. It may be that they are just reviewing to make sure the current provision is right for what they want.

The first thing I would say is be clear about what your school vision for the school food options are. Be clear on that right from the outset. If you’re not, do a little bit of work Education Magazine

LC What you want on that blank sheet of paper is what you want from whoever is providing the catering service for you. The schools that really benefit have their catering provider or their cook (if they do it in house) or the local authority really involved in everything they do. The head teachers of those schools are very clear about what they want and what they expect from their provider.

We really encourage the head teachers to see and get to know the kitchen staff.

Quite often the catering staff is not directly continues overleaf u 15

Children’s Food Trust continued employed by the school. They are employed by the local authority or by another contractor. We encourage the school to see the catering team as part of the school team, not just the people who come in and serve lunch, and to keep them involved in everything the school does.

If for example you are having an Edwardian Week in History then go and talk to your caterers to see how they can get involved.

Can they change their menu to help with what you’re teaching in school for example?

EM You’ve mentioned the ‘Edwardian Week’, but what other things do you recall caterers been asked to do that’s out of the ordinary or unexpected?

LC It’s dependent on the activities of the school; so you are really looking for a broad agreement from your caterer that they will support what you’re doing in school. On a very practical level, you’re looking for top level grade lunch service to be served to your children at the best possible price at the times you want and the appropriately trained staff to do it. On top of that it’s the added value elements; what else can the caterer bring to the school? Can they help engage the parents around school food?

Can they help engage my pupils so that they are eating good food whilst communicating with them to find out what they do want to eat? How are they going to reflect the local community in the menus that you serve, and not just provide a generic menu that they serve right across the country?

It’s those sorts of things that I call added value. Can their cook attend assemblies when there is a healthy eating week? Can they do some special themed weeks to tie in with what’s going on in the curriculum? It’s this type of thing that are adding value to a school that really embed this whole school approach.

EM In your experience if caterers are coming to talk at school assemblies and getting involved in the wider discussion on food, does this enhance their job, and job satisfaction too?

LC In my experience school cooks are some of the most passionate people I have ever worked with. It’s a really, really hard job; you wouldn’t find many restaurants that are able to cook for 3-400 people and have it served at midday every day without fail. That just doesn’t happen in restaurants! They are some of the hardest working people in the catering industry. They do it for a reason; they do it because they want to do a good job. I haven’t spoken to one school cook that doesn’t want to do a really, really good job and make sure that the children that they serve have the best possible outcomes in life. People accept now that when children eat better they are going to do better in lots of things; in education, in health and much

else besides. Better food opens up more opportunities for children. School cooks are desperate to do that.

I have spoken to school cooks that run cookery sessions, that will stay on for parent evenings so they can talk about what they are doing. They provide samples to parents to show them what they are eating. I’ve seen school cooks going to assemblies and running healthy eating workshops. I’ve also seen school caterers joining in inset days at school to talk to teachers about what school standards are and how they’re implemented and how it all works.

EM Let’s move onto the subject of free school meals. I’ve seen technology such as fingerprint scanners that identify who is eligible for free school meals. Is this less divisive?

LC I personally think it is. When children feel more comfortable about claiming a free school meal they’re more likely to do it. In primary school, it’s not so much of a problem because generally in a primary school environment children don’t go to a till and pay so they’re not so easily identifiable.

In a secondary school environment, cashless systems have become ever more popular, and not just because it takes the stigma away from free school meals, but because they can help manage a school lunch service.

It gives parents more information about what their children are eating and what they’re spending their money on at school.

All of those things really help, but the more we can do to remove the stigma from the dining room the better. Schools are on board with that now; lots and lots of schools have cashless systems they work with.

EM Does this mean that a child can be automatically flagged up as not advised to eat nuts for instance?

LC If they’re on a special diet this can help.

If they get to the till the assistant can say, 16

“Look, you shouldn’t have that!” It isn’t such an issue at secondary schools because secondary aged pupils can manage things like allergies but at primary school these things can be loaded into a system which would take some of the human error out of the system.

The other thing the technology can do is enable students to pre-order meals so by the time they get to the dining room the cook already knows what they want to eat.

It speeds the system up. It just makes for a more enjoyable experience.

I’ve been into primary schools recently where particularly the younger pupils have a conversation with their teacher about what the different options are. I’ve seen great systems where you can touch a pupil’s picture and agree with them what they want and all of this is sent to the kitchen.

The kitchen is then able to produce the right amount of food, and all the pupils are able to get the options they want. It’s a really effective way of managing school lunchtimes and it also reduces waste. From a pupil’s point of view it can be ideal too. When I started in catering, schools used to rotate who came in first for food every day. One of the complaints we used to have is there were very few options available for who gets in last. This is because a caterer can’t cook three meals for every child just in case they might choose it. That takes the choice away for those last in. With a preselect system the children are getting the food they choose and therefore are more likely to eat a school lunch than a packed lunch. This means they are getting a properly balanced diet in the middle of the school day, which has been shown to aid the learning process. Its just not fuel caterers can provided, they can enhance the whole school experience.

EM Thank you for talking to Education Magazine

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Creating an all-through school Steve Hall has lead and taught in the state education sphere for nearly 37 years. During this time his responsibilities have ranged from assistant teacher of physical education to Head of Department. He began as a teacher at The City of Leeds Comprehensive School before moving to take up a position at The Meadway School in Reading. In 1983 he moved to Aylesbury where he became Head of Physical Education at The Sir Henry Floyd Grammar school and was subsequently appointed into the role of Head of Year. By 1989 he had reached the position of Director of PE, Sport and Recreation at the Bristnall Hall High School in the West Midlands. He stayed 12 years in this position, mainly because he enjoyed it so much before he began to look for senior leadership posts.

He was subsequently appointed Deputy Head at Perry Beeches School in Birmingham before his appointment as Head teacher at the Aylesford School and Sixth Form College in 2005.

Education Magazine (EM) How large a school is this, what’s the school’s background, staff head count and when did it becomes an academy?

Steve Hall (SH) The school was built in 1964 for 400 students, when I joined it we were at nearly 1000. We shrunk to 750 students for a while due to fewer children being in the area. The local area has been going through a steep demographic curve and so the number of local children is growing just as it is in the rest of the country.

By 2020 we anticipate head count will be up to 1200 pupils. We are a secondary school that converted to Academy status in 2012 and we have 61 full time members of staff.

required primary places for this area within their own facilities. We were approached by the council because we are geographically very close to the centre of south Warwick where the need for primary school places is being created.

The process was a very fast one, we were asked in early 2014 if we would consider taking on a primary school provision for this

area. We had to decide fairly quickly as the plan proposed that we needed to be ready to take pupils on in the autumn of 2015! We initially convened a governors’ meeting to discuss the councils proposal as taking this primary school on would eventually result in us becoming an ‘all through school’.

We also started talking about the ethos and culture of a Primary school within the existing school. How should we establish our ethos early and get that continuity of an education experience through the whole age range? This bought up issues like the ‘Rite of passage’ where pupils move from one significant part of their educational life to another. We fully understood that smooth continuity is not for everybody and that idea of a transition appeals to many. We decided that pupils would still be ‘transitioning’ from a primary to a secondary school however here it would be a more seamless transition. There’s still going to be a rite of passage but we thought we could improve so as to provide a smoother and better experience for pupils.

The argument against this mostly revolved around ‘we’ve always done it that way’ and in reality that is not a strong argument. This was one of the many discussions we had internally and, for many other reasons, we went back to the local authority and said, “We want to work with you on this.”

EM You had 12 to 18 months to create a brand new primary school within your existing grounds, what did you decide you wanted and how did you manage to achieve it? Many new build school designs are chosen centrally from a catalogue so were you just presented with a design and told that’s what you are getting, or did you have some input into the plans?

EM You’ve suddenly started to accept primary school pupils, what was the rationale behind this and what transpired to enable it to happen?

SH This process began as a result of a basic needs assessment where the EFA granted Warwickshire an amount of money to provide extra places for primary school children in this area. The local plan was proceeding but for various reasons the local authority were not able to provide the

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The main school, the new primary school is to the right.The new unit was designed to compliment the old.

The entrance hall, the Head’s office is to the left, the reception to the right.

SH We were very heavily involved in the design. If we were going to have an academy from 4-18 I wasn’t going to have an existing building that looked as if it had a new spaceship parked at the end of it. I stated from the outset that as we are a brick and cedar school and I wanted this new building to be built of brick and cedar so there was a physical continuity and seamless link to between the buildings. It was a bit of a challenge to realise this because the architects had some strong views of their own but through negotiation were able to achieve this.

Governor and staff representatives visited a school that was built in a similar style and design to the architects ideas and we decided that we didn’t like its style, or the position its shape demanded it would have to occupy on the present site. We had decided that it was not going to take any playing field by encroaching on pitch space and we had some very firm ideas of where we wanted it to go within the schools grounds. We realised that the primary school would need some playing field space and as it was grass at the time there would need to be some (Section 77) playing field space conversion completed in order to realise it. However the powers that be in the local authority seemed to resolve the issues fairly quickly on our behalf.

To cut a long story short in November 2014 we had a prospective primary school pupils parents’ evening without a school to show them! We were asking parents with four year old children to commit to us and all we had was a really good model to show them and some plans pinned to Education Magazine

The corridors are wide and there is plenty of open space.

the wall. Then we walked them out onto the grounds and said “This is where the primary school is going to be.” Not only were they buying into a school ‘off plan’, but they were buying into a thought process and ethos ‘off plan’ too. We knew we were asking for a large leap of faith!

EM How long did it take to build the Primary school building? I’ve seen how schools are built with very little input from the school bodies themselves so how did you manage to get such a bespoke building?

SH This was a challenging issue because there was a substantial cost element to it.

We had a pot of money from the EFA as part of the basic needs package. We knew that there was a sum coming from the local authority (it actually had to go to Cabinet to be approved) so we knew there was somewhere in the region of £3 million but we never were involved in the overall cost decisions of the building.

I was able to influence the building design at an early stage in meetings with the architects. There was one clash over the entrance to the building. The roofing structure on the new entrance was quite difficult to realise and I created that difficulty because I wanted people to want to be attracted to come inside. I also wanted the Head’s office on one side and the main reception the other side of the reception area. I also wanted the staff room to be nearby. I wanted big, wide corridors and light, large breakout rooms. I believe the concept we eventually agreed on will be used by the architects in the future. It is a ‘two classroom’ concept with a shared 19

entrance and facilities for each pair of classrooms. Off each of these entrances there are the cloakrooms and toilets, and then you have a classroom either side. Six of the classrooms are laid out like this. The seventh classroom is different because it is an ‘in and out’ flow arrangement where such young children can go outdoors into a secure play space as is part of the demands of Reception age children.

Designing was the hard part, building it was another issue as it is a very bespoke site. It was fenced off during the whole build and so there was no need, or chance for our secondary children to go through it. Running a school whilst building works are going on can be challenging but we were able to fence off the building area very neatly. I was able to visit the site regularly and track the foundations going in, the floors being laid, the steels going up and the interior walls being erected. There were practical issues such as how different walls were reinforced in different ways because they took different weights because we wanted interactive TV’s as opposed to screens and projectors.

We looked at the potential disadvantages in the design requirements, for instance there are a number of important safeguarding issues around a primary school being within a secondary school as effectively it has to be a site within a site. So here there’s only one door that accesses from the secondary into the primary area and you need a security card and code to get through it.

Building costs were not within our remit however we did get heavily involved in continues overleaf u

Creating an all-through school continued

The play area of the new unit, it took very little space away from the main school playing fields.

moved forward with the plan. I’m not sure what the alternative for parents would have been had we said no; the other primary schools would have been significantly oversubscribed. The local authority had said if provision wasn’t made there’d probably be half a class down on requirement in the local area. That’s proved to be the case because we had 16 pupils starting this year.

Though we are an academy it is very much a partnership with the local authority in terms of provision of spaces with the academy providing those spaces. how much it was going to cost to equip the facility. That responsibility was part of a contractual agreement between the SCAPE Group (a local authority owned built environment specialist), the designers and the local authority and it didn’t cost the academy a penny. However the academy owns the buildings and the equipment was all handed it over to us on completion.

EM How have you decorated the rooms and did you buy all the equipment for the classes or will you do that as the school grows?

SH We colour coded all the classes with a different coloured teaching wall for every class but neutral colours everywhere else. We did buy all the equipment for the Reception class and year 1 and put a long throw projector into the school hall; that’s the only IT we’ve put into for now. We held off purchasing IT for the other years as technology develops so quickly and we wanted to purchase the right equipment for the children at the time. The local authority was going to hold onto the funds but we asked them for it to be advance and in return we promised to ring fence it solely for the purpose of IT equipment purchase in the future. I was worried that the local authority

might not ring fence the funds going forward and it might not be available in future years if other funding issues arise.

EM You have a lot of houses being built nearby so there is an advantage to there being a primary school here. When you asked the prospective pupils parents for feedback how did they respond? What were the alternatives for these parents if they didn’t start their children here?

SH The feedback was very good. We weren’t committed to build at the stage when we went to local parent consultation.

We had said we liked the idea in principle but until we received the consultation feedback we didn’t really know what the issues could be for the community. Something that really mattered to us was that because a child was proposing to join the academy at age 4 they would not have to re-apply for a secondary school place as the child was already part of the academy.

We had very few responses that were negative and the concerns were mostly around the transitional period between schools. We had explained how we might avoid a conflict or problem with transition and in light of the positive responses we 20

EM You now have 16 Reception Year pupils in a primary school that’s been built for 210.

What’s it like for them and the staff to be ‘rattling around’ in all that space with no older kids about to relate to and interact with?

SH I was slightly concerned that they would always be the oldest children in their school, however we’ve formed a strong and important partnership with Ferncumbe Primary School. We have become involved in their Forest School initiative. Our 16 children are bussed out to them every Tuesday, as on the other school’s doorstep they have a little forest that it can be used as an outside area, our 16 pupils mix with their pupils in that environment. There is no feeling of isolation, they get the peer mixing experience but still have access to this secondary school’s facilities. The Primary teacher’s job is to be in the classroom most of the time, so for her it’s a case of overcoming the isolation that could be felt during a break or lunchtime within the small team that operate in the Primary buildings.

EM How many teachers have you that are designated as primary school teachers? continues overleaf u Education Magazine

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Creating an all-through school continued

EM Do demographic forecasts actually indicate that you are going to have a full complement of 210 pupils in the Primary school unit? Why you have only taken in a Reception class, is there not the demand for older primary children to be taught here right now?

SH At present we have one primary school teacher and two TAs that also cover breakfast club and after school club. They are also supported by work experience students from our Sixth Form. We are recruiting another teacher and another Teaching Assistant for next year and will continue to use our agreement with Ferncumbe School who are working with us to provide teachers. We are paying them to provide the teachers at the moment as a contractor. Next year we are looking to the academy to take on the Reception teachers’ contract directly so she will come under the direct employment of the academy. The new teacher will go into the Year One class and will remain with Ferncumbe for 12 months.

Another consideration we had to make was is training and development of the primary staff so we now work closely with the other primary schools in the area.

SH The demographic forecasts show the school will be full, that’s seven classes (Reception, 1-6) but this is the first year of intake. It is going to be 2021 before the final class has gone into Reception and everybody else has moved through the school and it will then be ‘full’. One of the reasons we went for the ‘slow burn and build’ approach to classes was the politics of the situation. We have two primary schools situated very close to us and we don’t want to be in competition with people and schools we work closely with. If we had a younger sibling joining us next year, and there was an older sibling somewhere else and the parents said that they wanted them both here that’s reasonable. What I didn’t want was people wanting to move children into Year 2 or beyond because this could be destabilising for other schools in the area.

here and have the spare capacity to cope with the increased in numbers and variety of diets. Our catering team do primary lunches for 12 o’clock and secondary meals straight at 1.20pm. We will have both operations under one roof and so obtain substantial economies of scale. We will have only one school business manager, one finance team; one Human Resources, one insurance policy.

We also run a school uniform shop here so as we will have the same uniform for age 4 to 18, there are no anticipated problems in any business area. We expect that as the volume of pupils increase the greater range of overall savings can be made. The economies of scale across all our business contracts, from cleaning to ground maintenance,

EM What were the issues and problems that you didn’t see coming, and how did you deal with them?

EM What advantages are there to the Secondary school in having a primary within its grounds?

SH We explored some of these when we were in the process of making the decision as there are real advantages of an allthrough school for the secondary sector. For instance, we can provide work experience for our 6th form students so pupils who may be interested in primary teaching as a career.

We have ‘year 7 buddies’ that have linked with the reception class. They get some real hands on experience. We’re going to be able to put teachers into Year 6 who know more about what the Secondary curriculum looks like. We will know each student who moves up to a greater degree. A significant advantage is that we can establish a single ethos and culture that permeates the school across the full age range 4-18 in the fullness of time.

EM What sort of real economies of scale will you realise when you cater for the primary school when it’s at full capacity and what other economies do you anticipate you will realise?

SH We have very good catering facilities

SH I haven’t seen many real insurmountable

makes an even more convincing argument for the all-through concept.

EM Do you have only one entrance to the school for all pupils?

SH We had two but have now made only one accessible to cars. A significant number of pupils come in from a pick up and drop off zone at the other side of the school. We have buses at the front, drop off / pick up and walkers. Access to the Primary School was a well-rehearsed question earlier on in the process but you could go around a lot of existing secondary schools and see far worse access than ours which appears generous in comparison! The car park at the front of the school houses about 130 places, there are set down bays for six double-decker buses, and then we have pedestrian access and additional parking for 50 cars round the back of the school as well. We were confident we could accommodate access for the additional numbers and by a variety of travel arrangements.

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problems but then, that’s probably my approach to life. The issues for me were about getting what we wanted on time, with the right appearance and being fit for purpose.

The build programme has occupied our minds since last December. Some of the ICT we would have done differently but things have moved so rapidly it’s been very hard work to stay abreast of all the strands and I am sure we will look back and do certain things differently as in any major project.

There were not many insurmountable problems that have risen yet because we’ve done all this in partnership with experienced professionals. One of the things that became apparent early on was that as I have been working with secondary schools my entire career I don’t know much about primary education. To resolve this we found an expert, the Head of a Primary School and she now have the title of ‘Director of Primary Education’ for our academy. She shares her time in the academy with her existing

Education Magazine

head role. We had to work closely with the governors of her primary school to come up with a contractual arrangement which works, and it is unique! We’re not federated to one another and we are not part of a multi academy trust; we’re just working in a partnership with another school in what you would call a ‘local agreement’.

EM You have gone back to the old days where you cooperate with the school next door. Under the academy system they thought that they would stop that as you are in almost autonomous siloes, that’s not the case then?

SH Schools cannot work in isolation. We are an academy and we can do things much more quickly because of it. That is one of the strengths of the academy system but it doesn’t stop you working with other people and schools to get a mutually beneficial result.

Indeed I think partnership working is essential in moving forward any organisation.

EM Do you think other secondary schools will follow your example? This model has been in the independent school sector already hasn’t it with Prep and Public schools?

SH I know at least two other schools in central Warwickshire who are looking at this model as an example that they would like

come closer there will be greater awareness of the possibilities.

students to join us in the reception classes.

The amount of interest for next year is huge.”

EM In five years’ time your secondary school is going to have to grow in numbers as a result of the intake from the new primary school pupils ‘coming up’ adding to the usual intake from the local Primary schools. What does that mean for the secondary school numbers and the ability to satisfy the local demand?

Warwickshire County Council’s design and major projects manager, Gordon O’Dell, said: “Aylesford School is the first all-through primary and secondary school in Warwickshire, which addresses the increasing numbers of pupils as part of the Government’s targeted basic need programme.

SH When I came to the school I was told that a building project called the Chase Meadow estate was going to be fully built by 2007. This school had received Section 106 money to build in advance and had built a 16 class extension block. Chase Meadow was not built out due to the building industry recession until 2015, so now technically we are operating below capacity. Projection forecasts indicate the Secondary School will be at capacity by 2020. With the Primary school full our capacity will be just over 1300 and I am not expecting to go above that in the foreseeable future.

“The design and construction works for the new primary building were delivered to tight time-scales, which was successfully done through partnership working between the Council, Scape and Ashe Construction.”

Ashe Construction’s site manager, Rob Slack, said: “It was a great project to be part of and the construction works went extremely well, finishing two weeks ahead of schedule.

EM Thank you for talking to Education Magazine.

“We ensured that we had a great working relationship with all parties involved throughout the process, which helped us work to budget and on time without impacting on the academy’s day to day operations.

AYLESFORD School in Warwick has become one of the first combined primary and secondary school in the county, thanks to a scheme delivered by Ashe Construction,

“It is very exciting for the school to be able to offer continuous education from the age of four to 18. We’re delighted with the finished project and were thrilled to see the

The gym.

to follow. We did look at a similar model in Northamptonshire and spoke to the teacher in charge to see how it works, however it was built from scratch as an all-through school. This hasn’t been; this is a secondary school with a primary school built on site and so becoming an all-through school.

Regarding the private sector it isn’t a new model. However in the state sector it is a relatively new. I think we’re the 70th or so state school in the UK to follow this path.

EM What’s the effect of the new school beginning having on your staff?

SH I think the staff body have been very interested in it as a concept, however most of them have not been directly affected yet. They were intrigued initially and they also see it as evidence of the school moving forward. Not everybody thought it was a great idea but the fact that we were doing something different was engaging to them.

As time moves on and the transitional years

Education Magazine

through the empa (East Midlands Property Alliance) framework and Scape Design following a £2.7 million investment from Warwickshire County Council.

smiles on the faces of the students and their teachers when they saw the new buildings for the first time at the start of the new term.”

The collaboration between Ashe, Scape Design and the empa framework ensured that the state-of-the-art facilities were completed ahead of schedule without any post-build concerns.

Head of empa, Alan Coole, added: “This is a significant project that will benefit hundreds of school children in Warwickshire. The expansion has not only created new facilities for learning, but has met the needs of the community by providing much-needed school places in line with the area’s needs.

Aylesford head teacher, Steve Hall said: “The partnership between the construction and design teams has been extremely successful. They have been very helpful and positive throughout all phases of the build helping to make everything run efficiently with no concerns.

“The teachers and school governors are extremely happy and we are all delighted with the quality of the work and the finished product. We have been able to accept the new primary school intake at the start of September with confidence, allowing 16 new

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“We are delighted with the work that Ashe Construction has achieved through the empa framework that was completed ahead of schedule and in budget, so the school children could start the new term in their state of the art new buildings.”

Ashe worked collaboratively with Scape Design from the outset on this Design and Build project at Aylesford School in order to achieve a quick design period.

Alcohol is everywhere in my school In recent years there has been an encouraging downward trend in underage drinking in the UK with the number of 11-15 year olds who have drunk a whole alcoholic drink at least once dropping to 38% in 2014 from 61% in 2003. Despite this, The Drinkaware Monitor, an Ipsos MORI survey of young people and their parents’ drinking attitudes and behaviours, highlights that one in nine (11%) of 10-17-year-olds missed a day of work, school or college in the last 12 months We gave Simon Gallacher, who is currently headteacher of a small primary school in Bradford, some editorial space to write on the influence that alcohol has in his school.

He has previously taught in and around West Yorkshire and has a particular interest in PE, PSHE and English.

At Christmas and at the end of the summer term, booze is around every corner you turn in our school and behind every cupboard door you open.

At the Christmas Fair we run a bottle tombola – in the preceding days, children are asked to come into school wearing nonuniform in return for bringing in a bottle.

90% of the bottles we receive are alcohol (ranging from cheap cider to single malt whisky) – the other 10% being orange squash or brown sauce. We repeat the trick at the summer fair too; after all it makes the most profit every time and the parents love it.

Every fair I have ever been to has had a bottle stall centre stage.

Teachers are bombarded with bottles of booze at the end of the year. Children stagger in under the weight of a box of 12 cans of lager, or a cardboard holder of 6 bottles of rosé for the teaching assistants.

It was only after a friend of mine lost their brother to alcoholism that I began to wonder about the level at which children are immersed into the normality of alcohol.

What other legal high would we allow to be used at a Summer fair? Have you ever seen a ‘Cigarette Tombola’? Would you accept 200 cigarettes from a child’s parents in return for caring for them over the year?

Why do we accept the normalisation of alcohol around children? Was it really a problem?

There is no doubt that there is a drink culture in the UK and I accept that I am part of that, after all, Friday night is usually met with a glass of beer in hand. However, I have no doubt that we need to make sure that the children have a different relationship with alcohol than my generation. Alcohol is part of the history and tradition of this country and it will no doubt be part of its future, but that future needs to be shaped and guided by parents and teachers if it is to be a culture shift. It should not be seen as the only release from stress, from work, from life.

We all know the dangers related to smoking – and this is taught well in school through Science, PSHE, PE and beyond. Allied to this approach is the general distaste that society places on smoking (no doubt helped by the smoking ban). The look of disgust on a child’s face when they see the discoloured cotton wool used in a typical Science smoking experiment usually does the job – together with the clear and unambiguous link between smoking, cancer and ill health.

Education about drug use and abuse is also long standing and prevalent in the primary school; from reception children taught about the dangers of medicines through to citizenship education run in conjunction with our local PCSOs – the message is both real and shocking at times. Children can clearly talk the talk about the dangers of drugs and we hope that as they move on into secondary school they not only talk the talk but walk the walk.

But alcohol education was virtually nonexistent. It was barely touched on in Science; virtually ignored in PSHE. Alcohol was just seen as a fact of life – a fact that must have been puzzling and confusing to members of our community from other faiths and cultures where alcohol is looked upon as damaging and dangerous. Following discussions at SLT and Governor level, it was decided to introduce alcohol education into mainstream PHSE and Science/Healthy Living education.

There was a clear commitment to put it on the same level as sex, smoking and drug education. All decision makers were clear that the way that alcohol education was taught was crucial in ensuring that the children are able to maker the same informed choices es we hope that they end up making in relation to sex, cigarettes and drugs.

The PHSE leader scoured the internet and other published resources and settled on one main approach that they felt gave teachers the appropriate knowledge and starting points to introduce it to our KS2 children. The Drinkaware for Education materials provided teachers with the appropriate resources to anticipate possible responses from the children when dealing with controversial, sensitive and personal issues by using a worry box, much like the approach used successfully in sex education and puberty lessons. By using a similar approach in the classroom to these other key areas, the children were much more able to participate and be engaged in the content and message. As a school, we use 24

drama and role play to good effect and we introduced them into these lessons; however the response in the classrooms often resulted in children pretending to be drunk, and staggering around. This reaction again reinforced the belief that alcohol and drunkenness was just a part of life.

It soon became clear that, unlike sex, smoking and drugs, parent education was key to the work that we were undertaking.

However, identifying the problem and solving the problem are two very different things. How exactly do you approach parents and invite them to an alcohol awareness session? We have run e-safety sessions, reading sessions, sex education sessions but for some reason running alcohol awareness sessions seemed to be a step too far and we have come to a dead end. We’re advertising the Drinkaware website to parents, alongside many others and on the website there is a handy unit measuring cup and unit calorie calculator – perhaps highlighting the link between drink and diet may make a small difference but in all honesty we’re not too confident.

It may well be that it needs a concerted and coordinated national approach from Government, Health and Education to bring about the culture shift that is needed. We’ve seen the approach with the Change 4 Life campaign which has made a difference to attitudes towards physical activity at school and at home. The current attack on sugar is another example of how joined dup thinking can begin to make a change in the food culture – the big question is can something similar be undertaken with alcohol?

Teaching children the dangers and effects of drinking alcohol at a young age is important.

Therefore Drinkaware has launched Drinkaware for Education - a set of free, curriculum-linked, education resources suitable for PSHE classes. Tailored for 9-11 and 11-14 year olds, the resources are flexible allowing teachers to mix and match activities to suit their needs and cover subjects such as an Introduction to Alcohol; Risks and Harms; Emotional Health and Peer Pressure, the resources consist of:

• • • •

Lesson plans Videos Presentations Homework activities

You can view the resources at: www.drinkaware.co.uk/education Education Magazine

Tis the season to sneeze – TEAL helps schools prepare As winter kicks in, it is more important than ever to educate young children with simple hand washing steps in order to prevent runny noses and stop the spread of germs and illnesses.

Whilst adults usually have two to four colds a year, children can catch as many as eight to 12 so pupils, at one pre-school in Burton-on-Trent, have taken measures to combat this by installing their very own Kiddisynk mobile hand washing unit.

Children at Glebe Pre-School have been learning about the importance of hand hygiene and how it is the most effective way to minimise the spread of infections throughout the winter season.

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14 Although most sneezes can result in children catching a common cold,

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younger children are at an increased risk of developing further problems from illnesses because their immune system is still developing.

Manty Stanley, managing director at TEAL, says:“Glebe Pre-School is leading the way in teaching children life-saving lessons whilst also having great fun.

“Hand hygiene needs to stay top of the agenda as it can safeguard both pupils and staff against winter bugs and the disruption they can cause. Hand washing should be an essential lesson for all children giving them a skill and habit for life.”

TEAL Patents – the world’s leading manufacturer of portable, hot water, hand wash units that require no access to mains water or drainage – designed the Kiddiwash range using feedback from nurseries and primary school users.

For more information visit: W: www.kiddiwash.com T: 0121 770 0593 E: enquiries@tealwash.com

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Workplace bullying: a cultural issue Disagreements are bound to feature, at one time or another, in almost every workplace. To an extent, this is only to be expected: we’re all human after all, people have different viewpoints and expectations and we won’t always agree with the words and actions of our colleagues or managers.

When actions and words turn into unwelcome or unwanted behaviours, however, the situation can quickly deteriorate and demand a response. But disentangling what is acceptable and unacceptable behaviour can feel difficult to gauge in practice. Where that line lies may change depending on the context and the people involved.

In Acas’ experience, this can make the task of managing unwanted behaviours at work difficult and can invite temptation to avoid dealing with behavioural issues unless absolutely necessary. What can’t be avoided, however, are the heavy costs to individuals and for organisations where unwanted behaviours become a commonplace feature of the workplace.

A recent Acas report, Seeking Better Solutions: tackling bullying and ill-treatment in Britain’s workplaces, highlights that as many as 40 per cent of us have experienced disrespectful or humiliating behaviour at work – from insults, rudeness and teasing, to shouting, intimidation and threats. So a huge number of us will have felt or seen first hand the ill-effects that such behaviours can have on individual wellbeing, as well as on team dynamics and performance.

Bullying is usually understood as an extreme form of such behaviour. But Acas’ definition of it – ‘offensive, intimidating, malicious or insulting behaviour, an abuse or misuse of power through means that undermine, humiliate, denigrate or injure the recipient’ – describes a very broad range of behaviours that will be familiar in many workplaces.

Certainly, the steady demand for advice on bullying from the Acas Helpline, around 20,000 calls a year, indicates that it’s a significant and persistent problem. And it’s startling to note that a study back in 2007 estimated the annual economy-wide costs of bullying-related absenteeism, turnover and lost productivity that year at around £17.65 billion.

Even more concerning is that the Acas report suggests that bullying may be on the increase in Britain’s workplaces. A range of surveys over recent years have all pointed to a steady rise in bullyingrelated grievances, and it is increasingly rated as a top five workplace hazard or safety concern. At the same time, many employers do recognise that bullying is a

serious problem and have taken action to address it. In fact, anti-bullying policies are widespread in Britain’s organisations. So what more needs to be done?

One of Acas’ key findings is that, while policies do offer a vital safety net and a framework for when things go wrong, they are not necessarily enough to tackle the problem on their own. One limitation is that policies will usually place the onus on bullied individuals to pursue their grievance and try to seek redress. But there are all sorts of reasons why individuals may decide against taking that step – from embarrassment, to not wanting to be seen as a troublemaker, to feeling intimidated, to a fear of reprisal for speaking up.

Just as vital, then, is the overall organisational climate in which a workplace policy operates. Research consistently shows that bullying most commonly occurs where there is a ‘poor workplace climate’: “traits associated with bullying may not be displayed unless brought to life in workplace environments in which the bullying behaviour is ignored, tacitly encouraged or seen as positive.” Where seemingly low-level negative behaviours – such as rudeness, disregard and disrespect for others – are left unchecked, a resigned acceptance to the fact of ill-treatment can come to pervade a workplace. This can undermine people’s confidence to challenge unacceptable behaviour, so that bullying becomes implicitly permitted as ‘the way things are done’ – even where an anti-bullying policy is formally in place.

A range of factors can contribute to this kind of climate. These can include poor job design, work intensification, job stress and job insecurity. Another finding, which may especially resonate in the education sector and elsewhere at a time of ongoing fiscal challenges, is the strong correlation between restructuring and organisational change and increased rates of bullying.

This would seem to be particularly the case where change is driven by cost and productivity considerations.

The flip side of these findings, however, is that in organisations with a clear commitment to employee wellbeing, where positive behaviours are proactively promoted and where change is managed sensitively, bullying is less likely to occur and more likely to be flagged when it does.

Building a positive workplace culture means creating a shared sense of responsibility that unacceptable behaviours can and should be reported, and dealt with appropriately, whenever they are experienced or witnessed. It also requires encouraging the right kinds of behaviours that make bullying less likely to occur in the first place. The goal should be an environment where there is an 26

By David Taylor A Acas Senior Policy Adviser

expectation of fair treatment and a shared determination to uphold positive values.

To achieve this effectively, a package of strategic approaches will usually be required. Appropriate interventions will differ from one organisation to another, but a good starting point is establishing clear standards for what constitutes acceptable and unacceptable behaviours.

These should be developed with the involvement of employees, role-modelled by senior leaders, and regularly refreshed and promoted to fully embed them within the organisation’s culture.

Managers at all levels need to have strong people management skills and emotional intelligence. This may require training to give managers the right skills as well as the confidence to use them. Right across an organisation, people should feel empowered to talk more openly with each other about the line between positive and negative behaviours, so that potential bullying can be nipped in the bud at its earliest stages. Support structures should be in place to provide informal and confidential assistance to those experiencing bullying and to managers who may find it difficult to respond where there are signs of it occurring.

These may sound like simple messages, but it remains that tackling and preventing bullying can be a complex challenge for an organisation to get right. The task of reducing the overall incidence of bullying in Britain’s workplaces should not be underestimated. It will require many if not most organisations to adapt, but changes to workplace cultures cannot be expected to happen overnight.

The Acas report calls for “an open and informed public debate” on solutions that work and how best to encourage and implement them. If more of us are to have the confidence to speak up for healthier, safer, bully-free working environments, this is a discussion we need to see happening in all our workplaces across the country.

We are always looking for good news on Education issues. Please call us if you have any ideas or articles you would like published.

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01234 348878 or email info@educationmagazine.co.uk We approve all articles prior to press.

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accredits products that have been tested and certificated to national industry standards. These products are all listed on the Secured by Design website.

Designing out risk Crime, and the perception of crime, has widereaching effects on a community. Secured by Design, a national Police initiative, has argued for many years that managing crime prevention measures in building projects, from the design stage, adds value for both communities and developers.

In addition to its Awards schemes and accreditation of products that have been tested and certificated to industry standards, the SBD initiative also provides interactive on-line tool-kits, design guides and reference documents for building professionals.

Simplifying the process

Secured by Design (SBD) is evolving to meet newly emerging requirements. A new scheme called SBD National Building Approval (SBD NBA) was recently launched. The scheme seeks to streamline the procurement process and entrench good practice by agreeing all aspects of physical security within all buildings of a given type before any development or refurbishment scheme is planned or built.

The NBA certificate issued under the agreement is accepted

by Local Authority Building Officers and Approved Inspectors, discharging regulatory requirements, as well as obligations placed upon developers by third parties, to gain required approvals. SBD does all the due diligence, significantly reducing the burden of compliance for developers.

For further information, guides and contact details, please visit: www.securedbydesign.com The extent to which design can impact upon crime is well evidenced.

Introducing best practice that will improve the security of the building itself, its boundary and the overall development layout can all assist in deterring offenders by reducing vulnerable points of entry.

Secured by Design (SBD) has been working in partnership with governments and assemblies throughout the United Kingdom to incorporate ‘designing out crime’ principles within strategic policy and planning guidance documents.

This Police initiative, now in its 26th year, has achieved significant reductions in crime by applying Police approved physical security and best practice design principles. SBD advisors work locally with the specification, design and build teams of new building projects or those undertaking refurbishment, to encourage them to adopt effective crime prevention measures. The SBD Membership scheme Education Magazine

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Where are the apprenticeships to address shortfall in ‘multi-skilled’ staff?

Alex Rabbetts, CEO MigSolv Alex has worked in the data centre industry for over 25 years.

During this time he has designed and built data centres ranging from very small to very large complex environments in locations across Europe and beyond.

Alex has operated data centres both commercially and as enterprise facilities and has a wealth of knowledge about these environments and the equipment that they are designed to support. For the last 12 years Alex has headed up MigSolv, (Migration Solutions), the only specialist data centre consultancy in the UK which he founded. In 2011 Migration Solutions also entered the world of colocation by acquiring its first data centre which has subsequently won a number of awards. Alex is a contributor to the EU Code of Conduct for data centres, Vice President of the European Data Centre Association and a regular contributor to both press and other media as a subject matter expert on data centre environments and operation.

More apprentices are needed to address the data centre skills shortage.

Data centres have become the engine rooms of today’s industries but four in five major businesses face a data centre skills shortage within the next two years, according to a recent analysis from Gartner [http://www.gartner.com/newsroom/ id/2853917]. The research group claims the capacity and performance management skills needed to maintain complex computer architectures will have dwindled by 2016, holding back the growth of 80 per cent of enterprises worldwide.

The recent launch of the computing curriculum, designed to bring back the fundamental computing skills in the classroom, will not address a looming data centre skills crisis, creating a shortfall in the pool of talent required to manage infrastructure crucial to the UK economy.

Since September 14, children in UK schools from the age of five have been being taught

programming and coding skills, as part of plans to replace the old ICT curriculum with computer science lessons. However, the educational reforms need to go further, with companies struggling to recruit talent for data centres underpinning critical national infrastructure with a “massive shortfall” in new recruits.

I was thrilled to host a visit from one of the area’s top-performing technology schools and hoped the experience proved invaluable to the students. As well as providing a fascinating tour of The Gatehouse students also got the opportunity to understand the relevance of the data centre, which plays a pivotal role in our digital lives.

There are very few individuals coming up through the ranks because there are even fewer schools teaching about data centre environments and the infrastructure, since it is not on the curriculum. The curriculum is helping develop coders which is to be commended, but not data centre specialists where one of the biggest skills shortages will be.

Jez Thompson, leader of learning at City Academy Norwich added: “We have always embraced innovation while being transformational with education at Norwich City Academy. The Gatehouse has a rich history in Norwich and the opportunity for our students to see its change into one of the country’s leading purpose-built facilities was one we couldn’t turn down. Our computing curriculum has always embraced the constant change in industry and strives to marry technology advancements with the underlying academic principles of Computing Science”.

There needs to be a programme that discusses infrastructure at an educational level and we need to be actually training people and running proper apprenticeship schemes where people can learn about the infrastructure and learn about what their ultimate role could be. When the current generation of data centre managers retire from businesses, there won’t be the right kind of people behind who are going to be able to take over straight away, and that is a real problem.

One of the main challenges for data centre operators is gaining access to staff skilled in multiple areas. This demand for multiskilled staff is being driven to some extent by technological advances in the data centre that is leading to convergence of roles.

A true data centre operations person understands the technology, the infrastructure and everything - that is where the shortage is. It’s relatively easy to go out and recruit a Unix engineer, Windows engineer, storage or network engineer, security consultant or even a mechanical or electrical engineer - if you employ them all individually, you can solve the problem but it is prohibitively expensive.

A data centre specialist is someone who has a general layer of knowledge across all the disciplines: that is what is difficult to find, and is what the industry needs.

Teaching these skills at a young age - such as at A-level - is crucial to supporting the data centres of the future, though finding ways to attract young people to infrastructure management roles may be a challenge.

In its own bid to bring on a fresh intake of data centre specialists, MigSolv invited a class of A-level computing students from City Academy Norwich, the specialist digital technology and English school to see its state-of-the-art data centre on Barnard Road, Norwich.

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Continued Thompson, “This proved a wonderful opportunity for our learners to experience real world applications of Computer Science. They were able to benefit from seeing firsthand the theory behind ‘digital infrastructure’ as well as consider the many opportunities a career in Computing could afford.”

By Alex Rabbetts, CEO MigSolv and STEM ambassador About the author: Alex Rabbetts is a Science Technology Engineering and Maths (STEM) Ambassador.

In his role Alex supports local schools that are part of the STEM programme for Norfolk and Suffolk (Connect Education & Business).

He provides hands-on, interactive workshops and careers advice to help young people make informed decisions about careers in the STEM subjects.

Alex Rabbetts added: “Inspiring young people to develop STEM skills broadens their opportunities, offers tangible skills for addressing global challenges and supporting the UK’s future competitiveness.”

The work of STEM organisations builds on government’s ongoing strategies for developing a strong supply of scientists, engineers, technologists and mathematicians. STEM ambassadors are an invaluable resource for teachers to deliver the STEM curriculum and raise awareness of STEM careers. Encouraged to go beyond the classroom to work with other teachers and lecturers, the ambassadors collaborate across subjects to enhance the school curriculum and exemplify to the young people real-life STEM career experiences.

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Taking collaboration from virtual to reality In recent times, collaboration has perhaps become one of the most over-used terms in education – but surprisingly it remains largely misunderstood. Gill Leahy, Head of Curriculum Development and Research, Promethean, examines what we really mean by collaboration and how we can ensure that we are teaching and learning in a truly collaborative way.

Collaboration is not a new learning technique and while its positive impact has always been acknowledged, the role of collaboration is being given an increased weighting, most recently driven by employer demand for different skills. Employers are placing a greater emphasis on the significance of students requiring collaborative skills in the workplace. This is evidenced by research by the Development Economics Group (DEG), which has shown that collaboration falls into one of the top three skills that employers look for. The DEG has also quantified that collaboration forms part of the ‘soft skills’ estimated to be worth £88bn to the UK economy. While championing collaboration is a positive step forward, it is schools that will have to help students develop the skills needed and ensure that teachers are confident enough to modify their teaching style to support collaborative learning beyond traditional group work.

What do we mean by collaboration?

For students to be working in a truly collaborative way they need to be learning in groups or teams towards a common goal, which can take numerous forms.

Collaboration is driven towards output, therefore individual roles within a group setting focus on the deliverables. Within this, cooperation explores the roles and responsibilities within the group, negotiating them until they are clearly defined to allow for accountability. Competition is the final part of collaboration. Often linked to rewards, competition is about teams achieving their target; and depending on the nature of rewards it can significantly impact the outcome and motivation of the students.

Collaboration best practice Since collaboration can take on many forms, when schools are considering how

to strategically implement collaborative learning, the initial process can sometimes feel overwhelming. However, there are proven approaches which can facilitate the adoption of a collaborative strategy. For example, putting collaborative learning into practice is best demonstrated by Elizabeth Murphy’s 2004 model for developing collaboration. If schools are serious about collaboration playing a fundamental role in their teaching, then implementing a model will help staff to adapt by providing them with a point of reference and clear direction.

In order for collaboration to be effective, the whole school environment needs to change; therefore having a defined model will form the foundations of support for everyone.

Elizabeth Murphy’s model takes into account the student, teacher and task, looking at how each one experiences, explores and takes ownership for collaboration in the classroom.

The first stage focuses on ‘experiencing’; for students this applies to learning concepts such as respect and trust. For teachers ‘experiencing’ refers to the act of initiating

group work, from creating teams through to deciding on discussion topics. Therefore the task must examine the ‘output focus’, meaning there must be both group and individual accountability for what has been set.

Secondly, ‘exploring’ is about students developing skills in negotiation and being able to summarise and clarify their ideas within a group setting. For teachers, it applies to reflecting on feedback with students. This is a crucial part to working more collaboratively as it is important that students learn to accept all forms of feedback. For the task the emphasis is on ‘process focus’, it should provide opportunities for students to develop key learning processes.

Finally, ‘owning’ means students are able to recognise their own strengths and weaknesses, they are then able to plan teamwork more effectively, maximising the resources and skills of a group. Teachers are then able to allow students to take more control over their own learning, which means students will decide on their own tasks to best achieve their aims.

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The role of technology Once there is a model or a framework in place that acts as a solid foundation for the school there are other options available that can help with integrating collaboration into teaching and learning. This is where classroom technology can come to the fore. Firstly, it’s important schools don’t feel pressured to immediately invest in new technology and then look at how this fits into the school retrospectively. Instead it’s advised to observe how teachers are using existing technology, this will help pinpoint any gaps there might be, and allow accurate assessment of what the school needs. It’s also important to remember that while technology can be a real enabler for optimising collaboration in the classroom, it’s actually the effectiveness of its use that will make the real impact.

In terms of what is available, front-of-class technology is a great starting point for encouraging collaborative learning; many devices actively facilitate individual, small team or whole class learning via their touch screen capabilities. There is also a wide-range of supporting mobile technologies that can benefit students when breaking away into small groups or even working from home. There are many options such as laptops, tablets and even smartphones can have their place in the classroom; it all depends on what technology will support the required usage.

Hardware is often the obvious starting point when thinking about technology but software has a role to play too. For example, migrating to cloudbased solutions seems to be how software technology is progressing in general. While it might feel overwhelming, schools can seek reassurance by speaking with peers in other schools regarding how they are using technology, or even speaking with suppliers to organise product demonstrations or attending trade shows to see first hand how the technology works in practice.

Collaboration in the modern classroom No longer bound by bricks and mortar of the four classroom walls, students can use technology to continue their learning outside of the traditional learning space.

Change cannot be made overnight and the development and implementation of a modern collaboration strategy will take time.

As education is responsible for delivering the workforce of the future, then today’s teaching and learning needs to pioneer the skills development and drive this change where it matters most – in the classroom.

Gill Leahy, Head of Curriculum Development and Research, Promethean Education Magazine

Education and the Great Technology Gap Independent survey shows the European education sector is not keeping up with new technology In today’s digital age, European education institutions have the responsibility to provide young people with the technology skills needed for tomorrow’s workplace.

However, a recent independent survey commissioned by Epson shows that IT teams in the European education sector are lagging behind.

According to the International Computer and Information Literacy Study, the majority of teachers believe that innovative technologies in the classroom are crucial tools to develop skills necessary for the 21st century workplace, notably independent learning; critical thinking; real world problem solving and reflection; communication and collaboration; creativity; and digital literacy . Yet almost half of the respondents across France, Germany, Italy, Spain, and the UK are aware of the technology needs in their organisation but are not actively addressing them. In Italy, over half (57%) of the questioned admitted to not addressing issues, while Spain is performing better with only 28% of respondents ignoring needs.

In addition, 38% of IT buyers in the education sector across the aforementioned countries are not pro-active in keeping up to date with new technology. The issue is particularly pertinent in France, were over

Education Magazine

half of all IT buyers admitted they aren’t up to speed compared to only 30% in Spain, 32% in the UK, 40% in Germany and 41% in Italy.

Furthermore, almost a quarter of education staff said restrictions on being able to upgrade equipment were hindering their use of technology ‘almost always’ or ‘frequently’. Education staff in France and Germany are least affected by this issue with 15% and 18% of respondents highlighting the issue. On the other side of the spectrum, a third of Italian employees said it was a problem in their industry.

When asked what kind of technology their organisation should focus on improving or providing, 43% of education staff said laptops, closely followed by printers (40%).

Commenting on the survey results, Hans Dummer, business unit owner EMEAR - Visual Instruments at Epson Europe, says: “The survey results show that IT teams need to respond better to needs, and keep pace with new technologies so that teachers are not left with outdated equipment. However, with budgets being tightened, the pressures are greater than ever. Switching to products that are costeffective to buy and maintain will be key to addressing these issues.”

But it’s not just a lack of up-to-date technology that’s preventing education

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institutions from realising the full potential of technology in the classroom. Teachers need to be well-trained in order to feel confident in introducing new technology and to teach appropriately using it.

However, poor training on how to use new technologies was identified by 31% of all respondents in education as the main barrier prohibiting technology from fully benefiting the industry. Significant improvements need to be made in the UK and Spain, where 34% and 33% of respondents identified the problem.

“More needs to be done to bridge the gap between the class room and the boardroom but the good news is that education institutes are increasingly open to incorporating technology in the class room. To give you an example, many schools across Europe have already adopted visual communication tools like interactive projectors to enhance collaborative learning; a critical skill in today’s collaboration-driven workplace,” Dummer concludes.

For more information visit www.epson.co.uk or telephone 0844 409 8010 The IEA International Computer and Information Literacy Study (ICILS) 1

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Grief awareness Elizabeth Lawman has worked on Child Bereavement UK’s Support & Information Line for the past two years.

The phone line offers confidential support, information and guidance to families and professionals dealing with bereavement.

Here Elizabeth talks about her day-today experiences of taking calls.

The complications that bereavement brings to people’s lives are huge and it is often quite moving to hear how someone has been struggling to manage alone or with little support from friends and family.

But when I am taking calls, I have to remember that it’s their sadness, not mine.

It’s important to keep that boundary so that I can concentrate on their story and offer the best possible support.

At Child Bereavement UK, we offer UK wide booked telephone support, and the demand for this is steadily growing. Some areas of the UK have very little face to face support, particularly in isolated areas of the country, this support is a really valuable alternative.

Hopefully they get a sense that they have come to the right place and that we can help them to deal with the struggles they are facing.

I am always aware of how hard it may have been for a caller to ring us. Through the call, they can change from being hardly able to speak, to relaxing and even bringing in some humour, indicating that they are feeling some relief.

They may begin by not knowing quite where to start, but quickly become more able to talk about their situation. Bereavement can be a great leveller, and it is important to know that you can reach out to another human being when you may have lost a child, or may be supporting children at a desperately unhappy time in their lives.

Frequently, I receive calls from people who aren’t sure how they are going to handle things when someone dies. They often want to feel they are doing their best for the children involved and they may be feeling overwhelmed.

It may be a call from a grandparent, calling from the hospital because they don’t know what they are going to say to their grandchildren whose parent is very sick.

organisations, websites and helplines that may be useful.

Sometimes it is a call from a grieving parent who has to break sad news to their children when they come home from school. They don’t know how they are going to manage something they never imagined they would have to face, and they feel very pressured and unprepared.

I can talk through a plan with them and offer some guidelines, so that they can feel reassured and more confident to face these difficult conversations.

Families can be under a great deal of strain managing a child’s grief when they themselves are feeling exhausted. Behaviour at home and in school can become challenging.

Bed times and sleep may be particularly difficult and I can talk through options and resources to help them feel more in control of things that seem unmanageable.

It is often a relief for callers to know that they are not alone in experiencing these issues and anxieties.

They may be dealing with quite normal reactions, but it is a source of tension and worry for them, and they often think they are failing in some way.

I can give people information based on what families have shared with us over many years, so that they can know they are not alone in their experience and they may then feel more positive about rebuilding their lives.

They are often very grateful and feel more empowered after calling the Support and Information Line. That’s very rewarding for me.

I do also get regular calls from schools. It could be a head teacher who has received news of a death over the weekend and has to communicate this to staff, who will themselves be emotionally affected by the information they are given.

They are about to lose their own adult child but also have to focus on caring for their grandchildren. Depending on where they live, we may be able to support the family directly as time goes on, or I can search for a service that is more local to them.

And then the children and parents will also have to be informed and this needs quite skilful management. Sometimes a death will affect the whole school community and this places a lot of responsibility on a head teacher, who may have no previous experience of how to handle such a situation.

I can also give them details of national

There are lots of calls from professionals, 32

such as social workers, counsellors, bereavement midwives, hospice workers and nurses in A&E or other departments. They are looking for that extra support they can give to a family they have cared for.

I am also contacted by ambulance crews and police officers who may have been particularly touched by the circumstances around a case they have been allocated.

They want to know if we can help and what we can do if they feel something more is needed. I get occasional calls from hospital consultants or GP’s, making a referral, or perhaps feeling unsure about how to communicate with a bereaved family.

They may feel quite inadequate and say ‘we are not trained to deal with bereavement’.

I can offer further signposting and I can also tell them about the range of training course we offer, so that they can gain more confidence in this aspect of their work.

Sometimes I have calls within an hour of a death and there are times when I speak to someone 20 years after bereavement. As time goes by, it is often hard for people to talk about their feelings with friends or family, but there is still a lot they need to process and they may find this difficult to admit to those around them.

Through each day at Child Bereavement UK, I can see that I’ve really helped people, at a moment in their lives when they may have been feeling quite isolated in their grief.

I enjoy the spontaneous connection with people and they may confide things that are sensitive and precious to them. It is quite a privilege to be trusted in that way.

Every call is another opportunity to make a difference.

Child Bereavement UK’s Support & Information Line is open from 9am to 5pm Monday to Friday on 0800 02 888 40. For more information about the charity visit www.childbereavementuk.org Child Bereavement UK supports families and educates professionals when a baby or child of any age dies or is dying, or when a child is facing bereavement. Every year we train over 6000 professionals, helping them to better understand and meet he needs of bereaved families.

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Term time holidays, a contentious issue..

Education Magazine gives some editorial space to John Kinnear of the Family Holiday Association to state their case. that could help improve attendance and attainment in the long run seems counterintuitive and is not likely to improve the relationship between family and school: something that is crucial in providing an environment where education is valued and children can thrive.

It will come as no surprise to most teachers that there are children in the UK living in families that cannot afford a week’s holiday.

A quick scan of the traditional ‘What I did over the summer’ essays shows that whilst some children are jetting off to ever more exotic locations, a significant number never leave the confines of their neighbourhood.

What is shocking is that the number of children living in families that cannot afford a week’s break has increased by almost 1 million since 2005.

According to the governments own figures, 5 million children are now unable to take a holiday each year (ONS, 2014). These children are missing out on one of the fundamental experiences of childhood, something that members of the public think people need to achieve a socially acceptable standard of living (Joseph Rowntree Foundation).

The Family Holiday Association is the only national charity dedicated to providing seaside breaks and day trips for families struggling with some of the toughest challenges life can bring. In 2015 we helped over 3,700 families across the UK access a short break or day out that they simply wouldn’t have had otherwise.

We believe that holidays are a lifeline, not a luxury. They improve the mental wellbeing of parents and children alike, help families communicate better, provide a break from everyday stresses and worries and broaden horizons.

Many of the breaks we provide are during term time. If we only offered breaks during school holidays, we would help a fraction of the families that currently benefit.

School attendance is obviously important, and where a family can have a break during school holidays then this should be encouraged. However where a school judges that a child will receive significant benefit from one of our breaks during term time

(and hundreds of schools the length and breadth of the country do), we work closely with schools to ensure that any break results in minimal disruption to the child’s learning.

The benefits to a child of having a break are manifold and can often actually improve their performance in the classroom. There have been numerous studies, including with families we support (Bos et al, 2013), showing the educational benefits of a break for children, and few would argue against the benefit gained from experiencing a new environment, particularly for a child who rarely, if ever, leaves the immediate area within which they live.

This year we asked families for some of the longer term benefits of our breaks. 43% had seen school attendance improve and almost 60% reported that children behaved better in the classroom. We are about to embark on a research study with Nottingham University to investigate this further.

Yet there has never been a time with so many barriers in place to deny families the chance of the break that they so desperately need. The removal of references to family holidays and extended leave, as well as the notional threshold of ten school days in the education regulation amendment of September 2013, has left some headteachers feeling unable to grant authorised absence even when they know it will be in the best interests of the child.

The recent spate of high profile court cases has highlighted the number of parents being fined for children missing school, many of these as a result of a family holiday. The main purpose of the change in legislation was to combat persistent absenteeism but I would argue that persistent absenteeism is rarely related to holidays but more often than not is due to complex situations that require intensive support for families to turn things around. Fining a family for something 34

The increasingly draconian approach to term time breaks is not only impacting families directly. The poor educational attainment in coastal communities must surely be related to the decline in seaside resorts across the UK. By making an already short summer season even shorter we are depriving these communities of jobs and economic opportunities that could bring these areas back to life.

Educational, economic and social arguments aside, memories of childhood holidays last a lifetime and it is simply not acceptable that so many children in the UK in 2015 are missing out.

The number of families we can help directly will only ever be the tip of the iceberg. We are committed to raising the profile and the importance of family breaks for everyone.

We do this through research and engaging with stakeholders at a national and local level. We hope this will not only benefit the families we support who are facing extreme circumstances but the many families with parents working in jobs where they are simply not able to choose when to have time off.

For the past 40 years the Family Holiday Association has been helping struggling families access a seaside break or day trip.

When it comes to a choice between a break during term time and no break at all we help schools take a common-sense approach to authorising a child’s absence. Allowing headteachers this flexibility is, surely, common sense. Because a little sunshine goes a long way.

If you have a family you would like to refer for a break or for more information please visit www.FamilyHolidayAssociation.org.uk The Family Holiday Association is a registered charity number 800262. They receive no government funding, so are wholly reliant on the goodwill and generosity of our donors, fundraisers and other supporters.

John Kinnear joined Family Holiday Association as Programme Manager in the summer of 2013 having previously held programme delivery roles at Volunteering Matters, Children in Need and the Big Lottery Fund. In his first full season, John has overseen a 30% increase in the number of families the charity has helped. John also runs the Holidays Matter network which brings together businesses, voluntary and statutory sector organisations, tourism bodies and researchers with the aim of helping as many people as possible in the UK get a break.

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Safeguarding the mental health of teenage pupils years to help children achieve their full potential. But I also know that healthy, happy children and young people are less likely to engage in ‘risky’ behaviours and more likely to achieve well in school and go on to reach their full potential.

Adopt a positive approach We have to start with emotional well-being.

As educators let’s do our bit – bring issues surrounding mental health to the fore and also provide parents with information so that they are better-equipped to speak to their children.

Fleur Sexton, former teacher believes that the current focus on exam success can be a huge pressure on young people and sometimes too much for some. Here she recommends successful strategies head teachers can use to safeguard the mental health of teenage pupils Most head teachers in the UK will have come up against the sad reality that mental health issues are prevalent among our young people. So it is great to start the new year with the news that the first survey of young people’s mental health since 2004 has been commissioned. Involving nearly 10,000 people aged from two to 19 to assess the prevalence of mental health issues, such research is well overdue. Current estimates are that at least 1 in 10 children aged 5-16 has a diagnosable mental health condition at any one time.

That’s about three in every classroom. Eating disorders and self-injurious behaviour is on the up, and tragically, suicide is now the biggest killer of young men in Britain.

Young people today are under incredible pressure. Their worries include work and school, friends, the opposite sex, their future – and all at a time of hormonal change and with their teenage brain at a critical stage of development. They are also famously prone to internalise their problems and less likely to reach out for help.

My work in education has focussed particularly on vulnerable students and those at risk of not fulfilling their potential.

I’ve seen at first hand that schools and teachers do a massive amount of amazing work to help their students. But there is no doubt that the current focus on exam success is a strain on everyone. Bright, fantastic young people at great schools can still fear failure.

Important as exams are, we have to get the message across that they are not the be all and end all. It’s better to produce happy, well-balanced individuals who are ‘lifeready’ before they are ‘exam-ready’. Don’t get me wrong – I understand the value of good qualifications and have worked for

School stress is definitely a trigger – huge numbers of young people present with problems during the GSCE and A level years.

50 per cent of all adults with mental health problems first experienced difficulties in this area at age 14 – so it’s vital to intervene as early as possible.

I believe that a sharp focus on confidence and building a positive mental attitude to tackling school work is the way to go. By changing a child’s attitude towards their studies you can improve the way that they learn. Essentially you build resilience – inspiring self belief and getting them to feel confident that they are capable of tackling even the most difficult-looking problems, provided they use the right mindset.

Certain tools can help. For example here at PET-Xi we have just launched a free homework club and a maths app, both designed to support teenagers and particularly useful during exam periods.

in teenagers are actually indications of depression and may be first noticed in school.

Similarly, because depression can cause low energy and concentration difficulties, a school will often be the first to raise the alarm, having noticed poor attendance, a drop in achievement, or that a usually ‘good’ student has suddenly become frustrated with their schoolwork. Incidences involving drugs or alcohol can also be an indication of deeper problems as some depressed teenagers may try to ‘self-medicate’.

What can be done to help?

Head teachers should brief their senior leadership teams and teachers to:

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Keep lines of communication open - the most important thing you can do is to let a stressed student know that you’re there to listen and offer support. It’s important to keep them talking – be gentle, but persistent.

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Be patient and understanding – a depressed or stressed pupil is not being difficult on purpose.

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Encourage physical activity – exercise can go a long way towards relieving the symptoms of depression.

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Encourage social activity – isolation only makes depression worse, so encourage friendships and praise efforts to get involved with school activities.

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Offer extra help with school work – usually help with exams will be a major factor in reducing stress by making the pupil feel more confident and in control.

This type of practical support is invaluable for disaffected young people and we’ve seen at firsthand how it makes a difference to their life chances.

When does stress become a problem?

The teenage years are famously a difficult time for lots of people – any pupil can sometimes experience problems as they grapple with the challenges of growing up.

Some erratic and unpredictable behaviour is entirely normal. There’s a big difference between stress and depression, although it’s sometimes difficult to distinguish between the two.

But there are some behaviours which signal deeper problems and depression, such as long-lasting changes in personality or mood.

However it’s important to remember that teenage depression can look different from depression in adults. Teenage symptoms may include irritable or angry mood, unexplained aches and pains, extreme sensitivity to criticism - which can be a particular problem for over-achievers - and withdrawing from some, but not all, people. Many rebellious and unhealthy behaviours or attitudes 36

By Fleur Sexton

While head teachers have usually trained their staff to handle students who lack discipline, those with special needs and those who are gifted and talented, there has generally been less emphasis on helping those students suffering from depression.

Thankfully it’s no longer ‘ok’ to discriminate on grounds of gender or race; it shouldn’t be ok to stigmatise mental health either. By ensuring teachers are able to help the young people they work with, it is possible to make a real impact on society as a whole.

For further information on PET-Xi please visit http://www.pet-xi.co.uk Education Magazine

Phil Earle: I want to help children find their life-changing book Award-winning novelist for children and young adults, Phil Earle, has been appointed the new online Writer in Residence for children’s reading charity, BookTrust.

Phil kicks off his six month residency with a vlog talking about his belief that everyone is a reader and that there is a story out there for everybody.

Phil said: ‘I’m chuffed to bits to be working with BookTrust as their Writer in Residence. Growing up as a non-reader, I had no idea about the power of stories: of the places they can take you or the people you can meet as a result. I really want to show children that the right book for them is out there.’

The BookTrust Writer in Residence project has been running since March 2009 and has featured a number of authors and illustrators including Sita Brahmachari, Patrick Ness, Nii Ayikwei Parkes, Evie Wyld, Polly Dunbar, Clare Wigfall, Bali Rai, Hannah Berry, Matt Haig, Laura Dockrill, Chris Riddell and Philip Ardagh. The residency encourages each writer to explore topics that they, and

BookTrust, are passionate about, with past residents exploring themes such as LGBT issues, diversity in children’s literature and the importance of libraries.

Listen to Phil’s first vlog here: http://www. booktrust.org.uk/books/writing/onlinewriter-in-residence/blog/936

Sign up for the biggest school reading competition in England A competition aimed at getting school children to read 1 million books over the spring term is now open for schools to sign up.

To make sure they don’t miss out, teachers should get their names down to receive an alert when registration begins on 11 January.

The Read for My School competition challenges children ages 7 – 13 to read as many books as they can during the spring term. Last year 227,000 children took part from more than 3,500 schools, reading almost 700,000 books between them.

But the stakes are raised for this year, with organisers, BookTrust and Pearson, challenging 4,000 schools to read 1 million books!

The competition is free to enter and is open to all schools in England.

Participating schools get free access on the competition website to an exclusive online library of more than 100 popular titles generously donated by Penguin Schools and Pearson Education.

Read for My School aims to get children reading more, exploring different types of books, formats and genres, and wants to keep them reading long after the competition ends.

School compete for four main prizes:

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1x £1,000 Pearson Education voucher 3x £500 Pearson Education vouchers

Twelve Individual readers who go above and beyond in their reading during the competition, become Reading Legends, and can win a tower of books. http://www.readformyschool.co.uk/ BookTrust is Britain’s largest reading charity. It reaches five million children and families each year through its book gifting programmes which deliver carefully chosen books to families through professional partners, including health visitors, children’s centres and libraries. BookTrust also delivers additional support and books to those who need it most including vulnerable mothers and children in care. www.booktrust.org.uk.

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A whole new world of technology that puts schools in control of their data

By Greg Ford According to influential education expert David Didau, the answer is not more data, but better data. He states that teachers are now drowning in a sea of data and the gap between what they know, compared to what they need to know, may be widening.

He suggests that by embracing new cloudbased technologies, schools can reduce unnecessary administration and be alerted to fresh insights and issues they might otherwise miss.

The belief that the more data schools collect, the better they will understand their pupils, is not necessarily true. Too many management information systems (MIS) attempt to wrestle data into meaning something it was never intended to mean. This premise is doomed to fail but worryingly many schools and teachers remain unaware.

Teachers have the flexibility to analyse statistics from multiple sources, such as MIS dashboards, the National Pupil Database and academic performance tables.

However, this potentially creates an illusion of knowledge which can lead to high-stakes decisions being made based on insufficient and inaccurate evidence.

Less can mean more The Department for Education’s Workload Challenge survey gained 43,000 responses.

With 56% of respondents citing the recording, inputting and analysis of data as the main area impacting their productivity, If we are to prevent disillusioned teachers leaving their profession and succeed in enhancing pupil progress, schools must move away from restrictive systems which merely add to already overstretched workloads.

However before information can be deemed useful, they must first consider alternative ways to validate the accuracy and precision of what is being measured to avoid rushing to poor judgements which subsequently effects the decisions and opinions of Ofsted, governors and parents alike.

test, it is likely that their forecasts will be wrong. Similarly making judgements based on the notion that because information is readily available, it is more likely to be accurate, also carries inherent risks.

This reaffirms the need for having intuitive systems that can take into consideration numerous influencing factors and be adapted to report on data clearly, appropriately and fairly. As a result, more realistic targets supported by an improved learner-centric approach can be taken.

What should schools be collecting and analysing?

Analysing spreadsheets can be like gazing vacantly into a crystal ball. Schools need to know how to interpret what their data can tell them but perhaps more importantly, what it can’t. If teachers are unsure what they are looking for, they should define what is ‘useful’ to them by asking four key questions:

1. How much of what they want to

measure is actually being measured?

2. How much time are they wasting

analysing what they did not intend to measure?

3. What are the potential

consequences of each of the above scenarios?

4. What evidence do they have to

support their answers to the first three questions?

Schools must be encouraged to take a holistic view of their data. If decisions are being based purely in relation to Government targets, or from the results of one individual

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Entering the brave new world with the right technology The Government’s decision to remove levels and leave individual schools to decide how they monitor progress is a welcome step into a brave new world. Rather than being viewed with trepidation, it means that schools can now resist the accountability club and concentrate on what they actually want to know about their pupils.

There is another way. A new breed of MIS technologies now work for teachers, as opposed to creating unnecessary work for them to do so that they no longer need to ‘fit’ around a system that isn’t fit for purpose.

Integrated cloud-based solutions put schools in control of their own data, not the other way round. In doing so they support teachers in making improved pedagogical choices to

Education Magazine

enable the best outcome to ultimately be achieved for the learner. Can you say the same about the current system you use?

Flexible MIS solutions provide readily available real time information to the right people, eliminating manual processes and duplication of effort. This assists teachers so that they can concentrate on having meaningful discussions with pupils about potential knowledge gaps and identify the skills they need to further their success.

trusted insights in order to make better informed decisions.

Despite the enormous potential of modern technologies, there are limits to their power in guaranteeing that data is both valid and reliable. Ultimately, schools need to ensure that internal classroom processes are more

A whole new world of technology is available to schools which many are unaware of. Leading MIS solutions can play an integral role in meeting them where they are today, whilst offering them the ability to guide pupils towards fulfilling their potential in the future.

Solutions with advanced reporting functionality also provide the ability to manipulate and interrogate school information to uncover unique insights to shape future interventions and planning.

This allows schools to monitor, track and evaluate individual pupils at any stage of the academic year, in addition to swiftly spotting issues and proactively working with learners to resolve them.

Helping learners progress The new breed of MIS solutions enable teachers to increase productivity and focus on what is most important – improving pupil progress. They also provide a bespoke reporting lens to allow teachers to gain

Teachers work tirelessly to make a difference.

This is despite facing an uphill struggle to comply with an ingrained culture of ‘just ticking the boxes’ to fulfil requirements, rather than for the purpose of bettering learners’ education. There is no quick fix.

However emerging technologies help reduce time-consuming administrative tasks and give teachers the information they need to effectively plan and assist learners to succeed.

streamlined so that teacher time is not wasted collecting statistics that are neither accurate nor useful. This then allows the MIS to turn assembled data into meaningful information that can positively shape future procedures and interventions.

Greg Ford is Managing Director of Advanced Learning, a provider of innovative technology solutions to more than 2,000 educational institutions throughout the UK and across the world. Greg has 30 years’ experience in UK software and services gained in dynamic and results oriented environments. For ten years, he worked at Sage, as Managing Director of the midmarket division and more recently as Managing Director at business automation solution company, V1.

Why everyone needs a role model My first head of department, who would certainly have not been described as a great teacher by today’s standards, instinctively worked on the strengths of his students so they thrived in his classes. He did the same with his young team of new history teachers so we grew in confidence to overcome the difficulties we had in learning to be good teachers. He took a keen personal interest in each of us and knew very quickly how to help us survive and develop. It was years before I understood what a good leader he was and the huge impact he had on everyone who worked with him. Peter would have found it hilarious to be described as a role model but he certainly was and proved a major influence on how I later did my job as head of department.

By Future First Executive Chair Christine Gilbert, the former Ofsted Chief Inspector.

There can’t be many people whose lives have not been touched by role models. Most of us could name several people who have had an influence on what we have done or the way we do things. These people have, by their example, inspired or motivated us to do things differently.

Education Magazine

Anyone involved in education knows the value of role models. The best schools use role models as an essential part of learning both inside and outside the classroom. In particular, they see the value of role models near to the students’ own age. They know that much learning can be done through observation and even imitation.

My experience as a teacher, a headteacher and Chief Inspector at Ofsted tells me that access to relevant and relatable role models is crucial for a young person’s development.

Nowhere is that more important than their learning about the world of work. Too many young people, particularly those from the poorest backgrounds, do not have access 39

to good role models. For example, nearly 40 per cent of 16 to 19-year-olds do not know anyone in a job they would like to do. Far too many teenagers don’t have access to networks that would help them learn more about life after school. Using relatable role models has huge potential for helping to unlock social mobility and opportunity in this country.

At Future First, we work with schools to help them harness the talent, expertise and experience of their alumni to inspire and motivate their students. They feel connected to former students and the alumni themselves feel a strong affinity with them. Teachers tell us that alumni can have a transformative effect on students not just in their expectations and aspirations but in their work rate too.

Polls suggest us that many adults would be willing to return to their former schools to tell their stories and offer realistic and very practical advice. They are also happy to support in a number of ways such as mock interviews or providing work shadowing opportunities.

During the 1st to 5th February, Future First will be running a Back to School Week. This will highlight the many benefits alumni offer schools and encourage former students to return to their old school. Please do join in yourself or support the campaign with friends and colleagues.

New school model in South Delhi could transform education The first ever school outside of the UK supported by an academy network held a special event to mark its operation today on 19 November.

The school, Lajpat-Nagar III Primary School, after the area it is located in, was established through a new partnership between Ark and the South Delhi Municipal Corporation (SDMC), the local government, and is free to attend.

The SDMC educates children from the most underprivileged backgrounds in South Delhi.

It runs 589 primary schools, many of which are struggling with declining student rolls due to parents opting for private schools. If successful, Ark hope to open a network of primary schools in South Delhi, which could in turn provide a model for education reform across India.

Children to Free and Compulsory Education Act in 2009, quality still lags behind: a 2013 study found that 47 per cent of children in Grade 5 could not read a Grade 2 text.

Ark is a founding partner of The Education Alliance, a group of NGOs and foundations, registered in India to facilitate similar partnerships in education with a view to improve education quality and widen the set of choices available to the economically weaker sections of society. The focus of education leaders in India is increasingly moving away from enrolment to quality.

Indian parents are choosing private schools over public schools, but these don’t always address issues of equity. New models of schooling are urgently needed to provide high quality education to the disadvantaged. While participation has increased remarkably since the Right of

Through an effective partnership with the South Delhi Municipal Corporation, the school has made remarkable progress in four months. Due to under-enrolment and a shift of children towards private schools, this school building was previously dilapidated and under utilised, with only nine pupils enrolled in Kindergarten and Grade 1. There are now 120 pupils enrolled, with an overall attendance rate of 83%.

The majority of families served by the school have low incomes and fall into the government designated ‘Economically Weaker Sections’ category. Many of the children attending will be the first of their families to go to school. Few have access to toys, learning materials or books at home. They have not had stories read to them by adults. As a result, there is much that the children have needed to develop cognitively. The pupils are making progress in mathematics and vocabulary skills, and now have exemplary behaviour.

There has been tremendous growth in their cognitive ability and attention span they are able to listen to a story or follow class room instructions with a sustained level of concentration.

Ark, a non-profit organisation, runs a group of 34 schools in England concentrated in areas of deprivation and a range of education programmes in African and India. Rated the top-performing academy group for pupil progress by the government Department for Education, Ark’s schools in the UK are twice as

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likely to be outstanding and it runs King Solomon Academy, the top performing comprehensive school in the country.

Ark has been providing support to educational programmes in India since 2000, but this marks a significant departure in being involved in running a school directly for the first time. 10 million pupils study at schools which have adopted an Ark school assessment framework, equivalent of the UK inspection system Ofsted, in the Indian state of Madhya Pradesh. This is now being rolled out other states. In addition, Ark has been providing support for a voucher system enabling disadvantaged children claim their right to free education as well as developing a phonics training programme to improve standards of English teaching.

Kruti Bharucha, Director of Ark India, said: “Our goal is not just to provide an outstanding primary school in South Delhi, but also to demonstrate the impact that innovative and successful educational approaches can have on the Indian education system as a whole.

Ark has received great support and built a strong partnership with the South Delhi government. The South Delhi Municipal Corporation has supported a move towards focusing on quality education and ensuring that all children receive access to an excellent education and equal opportunity to succeed in life.

Ark has appointed Urmila Chowdhury as the school’s founding principal. She has twenty five years of teaching experience in Kolkata and New Delhi including 15 years at the prestigious Shri Ram School in New Delhi.

Urmila Chowdhury, Ark’s founding principal said:

“We want our pupils to achieve a strong command of languages and mathematics, the core subjects on which all other competencies are based. We prioritise Hindi and English equally and will enable our pupils to develop fluency and confidence in both. Our longer school day ensures that all children master the core subjects and participate in co-curricular activities.”

Successes to Date Transformations in behaviour When they started school in July, the pupils did not have a clear understanding of the correct, expected school behaviour. Now, thanks to the behaviour management system that Ark has put in place, the children’s behaviour in school is exemplary.

They line up, wait for their turn, follow class rules and engage in collaborative study and play. There has also been a huge development in the hygiene levels of the children as they understand the need for cleanliness and hygiene.

Engagement levels in the classrooms Over the last few months we have seen a huge growth in the children’s attention span. They are now able to continue with an activity that they find interesting for as long as 30 minutes and they are able also to listen to a story or follow class room instructions with a more sustained level of concentration.

Initial learning level improvements The learning levels of the children were very low when they started school.

Research shows that playing with toys from early childhood improves cognitive development. Our children have not had access to toys, learning materials or books.

They have not had stories read to them by the adults in their lives. As a result, there was much that the children needed to develop cognitively, i.e. differentiating colours, shapes and sizes, constructing something meaningful and recognisable out of building blocks, understand patterns and develop a basic number sense.

Over the last 3-4 months the children have shown tremendous growth in their cognitive ability. They are now able to sort and name colours, identify and name shapes, create their own patterns out of abstract materials and identify relationships such as more and less, bigger and smaller.

They are developing number sense and a wider vocabulary.

“In a timeframe of around a year, we’ve gone from deciding to more directly be involved in school operations in India, to finding and renovating premises, developing a curriculum, hiring teachers, enrolling students, and opening our doors. None of this would have been possible without support from Ark’s central team, and an incredible amount of dedication from our team in India.

They have had to contend with a recordbreaking heat wave, a lack of water facilities, language barriers, and even struggling with wild dogs and unruly monkeys who are known for breaking into unsecured classrooms in Delhi!

But perhaps the biggest challenge was convincing local parents to trust an organisation they have never heard of with the education of their children.”

Education Magazine

The vision of Lajpat-Nagar is to provide a transformative education to all children.

The school’s motto, adapted from Gandhi’s famous quote, is ‘Be the Change’. The school is being supported by the Swarovski Foundation.

The school is adapting Ark’s approach to running schools in the UK to the Indian context. It provides a phonics programme to promote early reading skills. Ark has partnered with a Jaipur based NGO Bodh Shiksha Samiti to develop a Hindi curriculum, and will be using a combination of Delhi based NGO Jodo Gyan’s mathematics teaching approach and the ‘Maths Mastery’ programme based on best practice from Singapore to develop early numeracy skills.

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Parent expectations and engagement Being used to rote learning as the only method of teaching and notebooks being filled as a matter of course, parents were initially a little nervous about what, to their limited knowledge, seemed to be only ‘play’. However, after orientations and parent workshops, they now understand that the activities being done in school are leading to their children learning faster than they were able to by rote methods.

Parents have also started changing their perspective on punishment and are beginning to use more positive methods for discipline rather than physical punishments.

Parents continue to face and overcome challenges to send their children to school.

The biggest problem is transportation, which we are helping with by putting neighbours in touch with each other so that they can transport-pool.

BIM – the implications beyond April 2016 The compulsory introduction of Building Information Modelling (BIM) – the availability of digital representations of components to be used in buildings - is set to have farreaching effects on all stakeholders with responsibility for building design, construction and management.

Here, John Mercer of CP Electronics, examines some of the implications.

With less than six months to go till the introduction of compulsory BIM compliance for Government construction projects, the minds of non-compliant manufacturers are now increasingly focused on creating BIM objects to ensure their products are still able to be specified.

However, the longer-term implications of BIM are likely to be much further-reaching for suppliers of products such as lighting systems, particularly when it comes to ensuring the final building is constructed in line with original specification.

BIM is already proving its value in significantly reducing the costs and lead times of new build projects of all kinds. An architect working with CAD versions of all the desired components can know instantly whether or not they will fit where planned (and how many of each will be needed).

BIM is allowing a quicker way of completing different schedules by working digitally rather than manually, reducing design time and increasing productivity.

This is a far cry from previous ways of working where potential ‘collisions’ – products being found not to fit where they are meant to – do not come to light until the actual time of installation, leaving contractors with a desperate rush to find an alternative to meet the completion deadline. The knock-on effects of this can be numerous but in an era where minimising energy consumption is a watchword for so many, the use of less efficient products than was originally planned is not something that the customer and end users of the building will be prepared to countenance.

BIM requirements will place greater power in the hands of consultants and specifiers who will in effect supply project contractors with a list of products which they have to buy, many of which will have been selected on the basis of their energy efficiency level.

This will make for a more efficient transfer of the project from the consultant to contractors and installers and will effectively ‘tie in’ manufacturers of products, drastically reducing the opportunity for original specifications to be broken.

The breaking of specification has been a common theme on many build projects, particularly in the area of lighting. As lighting systems are among the final products to be installed, they have frequently been seen as an area where economies can be made if costs in other parts of the build have been higher than anticipated. Instances have occurred where the original lighting budget is required but the budget has been reduced by 50 per cent.

However, not only is this practice likely to result in the specification of an inferior product in terms of performance, functionality and reliability, but energy efficiency will almost inevitably be compromised too. However, in the era of BIM with its associated requirement for proven energy efficiency, the use of products and systems which do not come up to scratch in this key performance area will simply not be permitted by those with the responsibility for signing off the final build.

With BIM in place, contractors will have the opportunity to work with the chosen manufacturer who has the opportunity to examine the specification in detail and recommend the most appropriate and costeffective solution which will also satisfy energy efficient requirements. Not only does this process enable closer collaboration between contractor and manufacturer but best pricing is guaranteed, as is ontime delivery as the supplier knows when the products will be needed and can plan production accordingly. All this is a far cry from last-minute ‘shopping around’ to find a supplier who can deliver, for example, several hundred luminaires, within a few days after the products originally specified were found to be the wrong size or unavailable for any other reason.

The advent of BIM and likely future developments in and around it are set to drastically change the overall specification, purchasing and build process and therefore the relationships between those involved.

Future developments in BIM are likely to be driven more by Government targets in the area of speed of build rather than by the requirements of consultants for greater information – but even so BIM represents a great opportunity to ensure optimum environmental performance while reducing overall build times through a smooth, coherent design and build process with all parties from consultants, specifiers and contractors to installers and manufacturers working in true partnership.

For further information visit www.cpelectronics.uk.com.

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Product showcase Rewarding hygiene in schools

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Education providers are being rewarded for their commitment to improving hygiene in schools- especially in the toilet.

The 2015 Loo of the Year Awards have, for the first time, introduced a special award for school hygiene rooms, sponsored by the market leader in toilets and bathroom assistive technology, Clos-o-Mat, with the inaugural Trophy being won by Ceredigion County Council’s Aberporth Special School.

Now, schools, colleges and universities are being invited to begin submitting their entries for the 2016 Awards. There is a national award category for each country- England, Scotland, Ireland & Wales, plus the overall UK Trophy.

Says Mike Bone, Loo of the Year Awards managing director, “Poor toilets have a negative impact on pupils and students who may avoid using the toilets because they are dirty, smelly, lack basic provisions, are not private enough, or because they are not allowed to go to the toilet when they need to. There are medical conditions that can be caused or exacerbated by the avoidance of, or limited access to, school toilets.

Educational establishments wanting to submit their facilities for the 2016 Awards can do so online: http://www.loo.co.uk/190/Entry-Form. And to help them get the facility right, Clos-o-Mat has a raft of support information re specification, white papers etc available on its website www.clos-o-mat.com

2015 Sterling Prize-winning Burntwood School home to over 2,500 iconic KI Postura+ classroom chairs KI Europe’s iconic Postura+ chair’s popularity continues to grow from strength to strength, almost 20 years since its introduction to the UK market in 1996. The classroom chair of choice for the UK’s leading schools, Postura+ chairs are used by millions of students every day - including the girls at the RIBA Stirling Prize-winning Burntwood School in South London. Established in the 1950s, the school’s recent £40m transformation was designed by leading architects Allford Hall Monaghan Morris (AHMM). Working with Portsdown Office Furniture, KI Europe delivered over 2,500 locally manufactured Jet Black Postura+ chairs in two sizes.

Howard Jackson, Deputy Principal, Burntwood School comments:“We had already been using Postura+ chairs in our classrooms for a few years, so we were confident they would be ideal in our brand new buildings.”

Burntwood’s Site Manager, Kenneth Medlycott added : “When we needed new chairs for our school hall, we ordered more of the Postura+ chairs that we use in our classrooms. The students find them comfortable. They are durable, easy to set up and re-arrange; and stack neatly when not in use. We are really happy with them.”

For further information visit: www.kieurope.com or emails: education@kieurope.com

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