Edition 1, 2013
What is the most valued resource in Education? see p14 Food for Life campaign see p16
The English Baccalaureate see p22 New industry-backed plans to boost computer science see p12
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Contents 2 News 12
New industrybacked plans to boost computer science teaching and help Britain compete in the world
16 FOOD for LIFE!
24 Need to tackle
20
26 PRINT IT!
14 What is the most
valued resource in Education? by Kathryn Lovewell
22 The
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Does it have to be recycled versus design? by Sarah Mitchell, Director of Goplastic Ltd
stereotypes to inspire girls into science Helen Heggie, winner of the WISE Advisor award
by the National Skills Academy
27 More news 28 Product showcase
English Baccalaureate
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More than 2,600 schools now open as Academies – with a further 500 set to join them soon DfE announce more than 2,000 heads have opted for converter Academy status so they can be free to raise standards for all pupils . Almost 600 schools are now sponsored Academies and getting the support they need to improve. Figures published on Friday 11 January 2013 reveal that there are now 3,167 schools in England either open as Academies or in the pipeline to become Academies. This includes more than 2,000 converter Academies – schools which have decided to take advantage of the benefits and freedoms that come with Academy status. Today’s total also includes 200 of the weakest primary schools which are now sponsored Academies and getting the great leadership, support and external challenge they need to improve. The Government said last year that it would find outstanding sponsors, with a track record of tackling under-performance, for these schools – and today can announce that it has achieved that aim. This year the Department for Education says it will go further and faster – and find sponsors for 400 more of the weakest primary schools so that they too can start providing a firstclass education for their pupils. Failing schools have been specifically targeted by the Government for radical improvement. The total number of
sponsored Academies is now 599 compared to just 203 in May 2010. In 2011, the GCSE results of sponsored Academies open for at least two years improved almost twice as fast as those for all state-funded schools. Academies put power back into the hands of head teachers. Free from local authority control, they can make the changes to their school they know they need to make. That can mean lengthening the school day, benefiting parents and pupils, recruiting new teachers in subjects in which pupils struggle, or introducing new contracts to reward highachieving staff. There are:
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2,619 open Academies – 12 per cent of all schools. More than 2,000 of these are schools which have chosen to convert to take advantage of the freedoms that come with Academy status. There are 974 open primary Academies – six per cent of all primaries. There are 1,584 open secondary Academies – 48 per cent of all secondaries. 78 schools (42 primary schools and 36 secondary schools) opened as new Academies at the start of this term. 3,167 open or pipeline Academies – 15 per cent of all schools.
Education Secretary Michael Gove said: We believe in trusting the professionals. That’s why we gave teachers the opportunity to take on more freedom and responsibility and they have grabbed it with both hands. Many are now going even further and taking on responsibility for turning around less
successful schools. These outstanding converters are becoming the new Academy sponsors of the future raising standards across the state sector. Regional and local authority breakdowns show the areas which have the highest and lowest proportions of Academies. There are 28 local authorities where at least one in five schools is now an open Academy. In almost all local authorities, 129, at least one in five secondary schools is an open Academy. And there are 10 local authorities where at least one in five primary schools is now an open primary Academy. The local authorities with the highest proportion of open Academies are Darlington (66 per cent), North East Lincolnshire (50 per cent), (Swindon 37 per cent), and Thurrock and Torbay (both 36 per cent). In Darlington, Rutland and Bexley, every secondary school is an Academy. Further information on Academies can be found on the Academies section of the Department for Education website. Open Academies at 11 January 2013: • 2,619 open Academies in England, of which: • 2,015 are converters • 599 primaries and secondaries are sponsored • 974 are primary Academies • 1,584 are secondary Academies • 59 are special Academies • One is a pupil referral unit • One is a 16 plus • 78 Academies opened this month: • 48 converters • 30 sponsored • 42 are primary schools • 36 are secondary schools
‘First Aid Training in schools should be made compulsory’ say leading Health and Safety training company, Aid Training.
“There aren’t enough first aiders in the UK, only 7% of the UK population can recall first aid advice. If children are taught first aid from an early age and throughout education they could one day be able to save a life.”
According to St. John’s Ambulance, 140,000 people in the UK die each year in situations where first aid could have saved them. Aid Training is calling for first aid education in schools to be made compulsory which could significantly reduce this number.
Around 2,500 people die each year from a blocked airway, but if someone had known the recovery position, lives could be saved. The British Red Cross estimates that of the 5.5 million people who visit A&E each year due to an accident, about 3 million have injuries that would have benefitted from some form of first aid treatment. This shows the extent to which injuries from accidents can often be prevented by sufficient first aid.
In a survey where more than 1,500 school children took part, 7/10 said they would not know how to help in an emergency and 8/10 said that they would feel safer if they had some first aid knowledge. Where 400,000 young people are injured each year at school, compulsory first aid training can save lives and ensure minor injuries don’t become major ones.
Paul Hosking continued:
First aid is a mandatory subject for Welsh and Northern Ireland pupils, but in England and Scotland it is only an option within the curriculum. 83% of primary school teachers would like first aid lessons, but less than one in five schools currently provide them. The government stated that they aimed to bring first aid education into England by 2011; however this has yet to be completed
“97% of young people said they believed first aid education would improve their skills to act in a crisis. Training in schools would give people the confidence to respond to emergency situations; it is a fundamental life skill…..literally!!” For more information on training courses available or to book a course please visit http://www.aid-training.co.uk
Paul Hosking, Managing Director at Aid Training commented:
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Badgemaster throws down lower price challenge Leading international supplier of name badges, Badgemaster, is citing technological advances as the reason behind its new, lower prices. For over 20 years the company has placed keen emphasis on investing in the most up to date manufacturing and order processing systems which coupled with consistent volume growth, has always enabled economies to be passed on to customers. “We’re now in a position to complete even the shortest runs extremely cost-effectively”, says John Bancroft, MD, “so we’re overhauled our price list to make lower quantities of badges accessible at the same discounted rate previously reserved for higher volumes and are able to offer further significant savings for larger users-and the product quality is better than ever !” John believes competitors will be hard pushed to match Badgemaster’s combination of product quality and pricing and invites buyers to check out their current deal against his company’s offer. “Every order is backed by our best price guarantee, and we never compromise on quality. We are confident of providing the best value and the best service in the marketplace, because we’ve invested in the resources which support competitive pricing long term.” As an example John points to Badgemaster’s most recent innovation designed to improve efficiency for the benefit of
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customers, a unique online reordering facility either custom made via the Badgemaster website. “We’ve saved both time and cost by removing the need for operator input as well as the possibility of supplier generated spelling errors, as all text is entered by the customer and downloaded directly to our computerized systems, “ he explains. “It all contributes to low operating costs, low prices and faster service even for customers wanting just one badge !” For more information or to put Badgemaster to the challenge, call Badgemaster’s Customer Services Team on 01623 723112 or visit the website at www.badgemaster.co.uk.
John Nash appointed as new Education Minister The Department for Education has announced that John Nash will join as the new minister in the Lords following the departure of Lord Hill. John will be Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Schools. John is the lead non-executive director at the Department for Education and has been a non-executive director for more than two years. He has worked increasingly closely with ministers and officials on all aspects of the department’s work, particularly the recently announced department restructuring. After 30 years in venture capital, John has focused his activities in recent years on education. In 2006 he set up a charity, Future to support young people through supporting a number of other small charities and through the sponsorship of academies. Pimlico Academy has been sponsored by Future since September 2008, the school having previously been in special measures. In 2010 Pimlico Academy was awarded an outstanding Ofsted rating (in a record time). Future also sponsors Millbank Primary Academy (rated outstanding by Ofsted) and has recently announced the opening of Pimlico Primary in September 2013.
Jonathan Hill has been a fantastic minister whose energy and passion has ensured that the academies and Free Schools policy has been a great success. I am hugely in his debt for the work he has done since the Coalition was formed. John Nash said: I have greatly enjoyed working in my capacity as a non-executive director with ministers and officials in the Department over the past two years.The Department is full of highly talented people and I greatly look forward to working even more closely with them. I believe that every child and young person should have the right to a really good education and that education is the key to the future success of our country. John is a former chairman of the British Venture Capital Association. He is a foundation fellow of Corpus Christi College, Oxford and a member of its Investment and Development Committees. John will not be taking a ministerial salary.
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John will be stepping away from all relevant business interests while he is serving as a minister, and he and the Permanent Secretary of the department are putting in place arrangements to ensure that no conflict arises between his ministerial duties and his charitable interests.
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Commenting on the announcement, Michael Gove, Secretary of State for Education, said:
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I’m delighted that John has joined the education team. He has vast knowledge of the education sector and is the best person to drive through reform started by Lord Hill and continue to raise standards.
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Primary school students take up knitting Students from a South Tyneside primary school are taking up a traditional hobby with help from a special website developed in the region. Year six pupils at Jarrow Cross Primary School, Jarrow will soon be participating in weekly knitting workshops, after learning the basics from Charted.co.uk The site, created by the Customs House arts centre, South Shields, offers a variety of interactive tools designed to develop key skills among children aged six and above and increase their interest in art and design. A group of students, teachers and parents from Jarrow Cross Primary were recently given the opportunity to road test the site’s Once Upon A Time resource, which teaches children about story telling through textiles.
(front, left to right) students Natalia Huggins, Megan Ormson, Paul Gagliardi, Sophie Scott and Lillian Hurd take part in the workshop overseen by Susan McBeth (left) and members of the Friends of Jarrow Cross parents’ group.
The site is now regularly updated with a new range of interactive educational tools, lesson plans and ideas for classroom-based activities, all designed to engage young people in subjects and social issues applicable across key stages one to four.
Using the resources’ easy to follow patterns and instructions the group were able to knit a variety of characters and puppets, which they could use to tell stories of their own. The session proved so popular that the school’s newly appointed head teacher, Susan McBeth, has decided to make it a regular occurrence, with weekly workshops starting this month (January).
Many of the resources on the site are free for teachers and education professionals to download and use, with others like Once Upon A Time, being made available for a small, one-off fee or yearly subscription charge, which is used to fund the site and other similar activities run by The Customs House Cultural Development Team in schools and the wider community.
She said: “The taster session we held in partnership with Ch-arted. co.uk was extremely successful and we already have a group of children, parents and grandparents who are keen to carry on knitting.
The Custom House’s Esen Kaya, who helped lead the taster workshop at Jarrow Cross Primary, said: “The resources on Ch-arted are all targeted very specifically at making education enjoyable for young people, with some like Once Upon A Time, also serving to introduce them to traditional skills which they may not otherwise try.”
“This was the first time we have taken such a creative approach to engaging our students and thanks to the step-by-step instructions from Ch-arted it couldn’t have been easier.” Ch-arted was launched by The Customs House in in autumn 2011 in partnership with educational resource specialist ShooFly Publishing and with backing from Arts Council England, CCE, Creative Partnerships and North and South Tyneside Councils.
For more information visit www.ch-arted.co.uk or contact The Customs House Cultural Development Team on 0191 427 8197/88.
Free curriculum pack for schools and parents A free curriculum pack has been created by a children’s charity to be used by schools throughout the country. The pack, which has been created by The Children’s Trust and a former head-teacher, is grouped into curriculum areas and contains lesson ideas for Key Stage 1 and 2. It is intended that the information about The Children’s Trust- which provides care and therapy for children with complex health needs as well as a rehabilitation service for children with an acquired brain injury- will encourage teachers and classroom assistants to use the ideas in their teaching and lesson activities.
The range of subjects includes numeracy, literacy and spelling and science as well as design technology, drama, the creative arts and physical education. Case studies and pictures of the children who have been at the Trust can be accessed, and the pack sets out lesson ideas in the form of tasks and exercises for the children to enjoy. As well as being an education resource, the pack enables pupils to also empathise with children their own age who have received care at the Trust and the difficulties they have overcome. Marjorie Harris, former head-teacher and 6
now volunteer at the Trust was instrumental in helping put the pack together, said: “As a primary practitioner for many years and finally headship I am aware how an interesting and stimulating curriculum enhances children's learning. These resources should help staff in their planning, and support any work the school is doing for The Children's Trust. “I hope you and your class enjoy using the curriculum pack.” The Curriculum can be downloaded for free by visiting www.thechildrenstrust.org. uk/shop and clicking on the Fundraising Materials tab. Education Magazine
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Tottenham Hotspur and SOS Children use groundbreaking educational resource help UK school children discover Africa Tottenham Hotspur Foundation joined forces with the Club’s international charity partner, SOS Children, to educate local school children on life in Africa – with a little help from Emmanuel Adebayor. The Togo international striker attended a lesson at White Hart Lane stadium’s Learning Zone, where Year 6 pupils from St Paul’s and All Hallows school were using the award-winning Our Africa learning resource. Developed by SOS Children, the world’s largest orphan charity
Dame Kelly inspires girls at Queen Anne’s School It was a day of celebration at Queen Anne’s School, Caversham in Berkshire on Thursday 11 October, as Dame Kelly, visited the school to open a new state-of-the-art boarding house. The opening coincided with the UN observed ‘International Day of the Girl Child’, a day which aims to raise public awareness of the importance of girls’ rights to equal education and their fundamental freedoms. Dame Kelly spoke to the Queen Anne’s girls about the importance of making a difference, striving for the very best and not giving up. This fit perfectly with the Queen Anne’s philosophy of ‘no limits’ learning and empowering young
and partner of Tottenham Hotspur since 2006, Our Africa gives children in the UK a chance to learn about the life of, and interact with, children their own age in Africa.
to see these children learning about Africa. “For me, education is basis of life, but when I was growing up in Africa, we didn’t have this magnificent environment in which to study.
To further the learning experience, Adebayor took part in a Q&A session to give students a first-hand insight into his own upbringing in Togo.
“It was important for me to explain to these children how lucky they are and how much better their life will be if they keep working hard. Giving these kids the opportunity to learn at the stadium is one of the best things we do at this Club, it’s amazing.”
Adebayor said: “It’s important for us to spread the knowledge of our continent to children in the UK. It was great for me
Andrew Cates, Chief Executive of SOS Children UK, said: “We are delighted that Tottenham Hotspur and Emmanuel Adebayor are helping to bring Africa to life for local school children. All too often, global perceptions about Africa are shaped by emotive TV coverage of suffering and strife. ‘Our Africa’ is intended to present a more authentic picture of Africa, as seen through the eyes of its children. Through this workshop, the Tottenham Hotspur Foundation are
women to achieve excellent academic results and developing a life-long passion for learning in all spheres and the skills, knowledge and confidence to reach their goals. Headmistress, Mrs Julia Harrington said: “It has been a wonderful day. The girls have been so excited - it’s been like Christmas Eve with the girls making cards and preparing for our very special visitor. Dame Kelly spoke to the girls about her life and has inspired them to go out into the world to be the best they can be and make a difference in everything they do.”
Olympics, and after twenty years of dreaming, I achieved my goal. “Never think ‘if only’. That’s a regret. Give it a go and you can say you tried. Always give it your best shot and never be afraid of failure. Remember the Japanese proverb ‘fall down seven times and stand up eight’ “
Dame Kelly’s talk truly motivated our girls to be the best they can be. She said: “Have a goal and don’t give up. Achieving your goal takes hard work, dedication and a belief that you can do it. I was lucky enough to have a great support network of people who believed that I could achieve gold at the
Following a motivational speech to the 420 students aged 11-18, Dame Kelly officially opened Maddock House. Due to
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demand for places from London and surrounding areas, the school needed to increase its boarding provision. The house is home to over 70 girls and is the second phase in an overall £5.5million building project. Speaking about the special visit to Queen Anne’s, Julia said: “In the year of the home Olympic and Paralympic Games, Dame Kelly was the perfect choice to open our new boarding house.
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enabling children in the UK to broaden their understanding of Africa ” Our Africa is an ambitious project which sets out to let children across Africa film their lives and countries the way they see them. Their thoughts, opinions and ideas are captured in films available
on a free-to-use website (www.our-africa.org), giving children around the world a new perspective on Africa. Children featured are from SOS Children’s Villages and their local communities, where the charity run programmes to help vulnerable families to stay together.
SOS Children provide a new family and home for more than 78,000 orphaned and abandoned children in 518 unique SOS Children’s Villages across 125 countries. Tottenham Hotspur’s partnership with the charity has seen the Club fund the construction of a House at the
Village in Rustenburg, South Africa, with first team players sponsoring SOS children from around the world on an annual basis. Our Africa, which recently won the highly acclaimed New Media category at the One World Media Awards, was created by SOS Children to celebrate the charity’s 40th year of working in Africa. The evolving educational resource features compelling and highly personal short films devised and filmed by children across Africa, presenting their own issues in their own ways. This session contributed to the Tottenham Hotspur Foundation’s efforts to use the unique appeal of the football club to inspire educational achievement amongst young people in its local community. For further infortmation, please contact: Tony Stevens PR Executive, telephone 020 3544 8543 or email tony.stevens@ tottenhamhotspur.com
St Albans School Year 11 Student becomes World Champion Year 11 St Albans School student Robbie Lightowler, one of the School’s cross-country stars, has become a World Champion after winning a major pentathlon event. Robbie was selected in July to compete for the GB Pentathlon team at the 14th World Biathle 2012 Championships, which were held in the intense heat of Dubai earlier this month. Twenty six nations were involved, and for Robbie, competing in the 15/16 age group, the competition included a 1000m run followed by a 200m open water swim followed by another1000m run. The top four from the heats qualified for the final together with the fastest losers and Robbie qualified easily, finishing third. In the final, he took the lead at the close of the first 1000m run and then pressed home his leadwith an impressive swim, giving himself a 30m advantage as the athletes returned to the running course. From this point the final result was never challenged, with Robbie taking first place and the GB team, which placed 1, 4 and 5, wining the team event. The event was televised live by Dubai TV and the stream, with commentary, can be found on the front page of the competition’s web site (http://www.pentathlon.org/media-centre/latest-news/ itemlist/category/82-2012-biathle-world-championships). Although the stream is over nine hours long, you can view Robbie’s moment by dragging the video link to 8hs 07 mins.
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More than 3 million students now attend “British Style” international schools worldwide with numbers expected to double over next ten years Figures recently released show the phenomenal growth of the international schools market, with more than 3 million students now attending British education based schools worldwide. Furthermore, it is expected that numbers of these schools, where most lessons are taught in English, are set to double over the next 10 years. Thirty years ago, the international schools market was dominated by expatriate children who filled 80% of all places. Since then, there has
educated in 6,327 schools - up from just 2,584 in 2000. School and student numbers are expected to reach over 11,000 and 6 million respectively over the next decade.
been a complete reversal in the market, even though the number of expatriate children continues to rise, with the number of local children attending these schools now accounting for 80% of the total. Today’s figures, released by the International Private Schools Education Forum, show that over the past 12 years, pupil numbers have risen from under one million to 3.14 million, being
International schools operator World Class Learning Group (WCL) is well placed to act as a commentator on this sector, and industry professionals say
that WCL is one group that is genuinely driving the sector’s internationalisation. WCL is headquartered in Britain, employing highly qualified and predominantly British teachers, and operating schools across the globe, including in the US (British Schools of America), Middle East (Compass International Schools - Qatar) and Spain (International College, Madrid).
‘Parent Champions’ prove their value Daycare Trust, the national childcare charity, revealed new research which shows the value of investing in a ‘Parent Champions’ scheme. An evaluation of a project in Liverpool which uses parent volunteers to encourage their peers to take advantage of childcare and early learning has shown that every pound invested brings in a return worth nearly £13. At every stage of their children’s lives, there is one source of information that parents rely on most – other parents. And when it comes to deciding whether or not to send your child to nursery, or choosing a childcare place, the direct experience of other parents is a powerful source. This is the thinking behind Parent Champions, a Daycare Trust initiative started in 2007 to encourage more parents to use formal childcare and give their children and themselves the benefits of free early education places and early learning activities. Parent Champions usually work closely with the local Family Information Service or children’s centres, to encourage parents to seek more formal information about what services or providers best meet their needs.
But in addition to the learning and social benefits, a detailed analysis of the Social Return on Investment (SROI) shows that investment in Parent Champions pays for itself many times over. An evaluation of how Parent Champions worked in one area of Liverpool has shown that they benefit not only parents and children, but the taxpayer as well. The evaluation used the SROI process to capture how much the Parent Champions model could be worth to society. The final calculation from the project showed that the total benefit to society in money terms was £1,075,567 – a more than 12-fold return on the total original investment of £84,092. Becoming a Parent Champion has changed the lives of many of the parents, as shown in a Daycare Trust film about the project, available at: www.daycaretrust.org.uk/ parentchampions. What do Parent Champions say about their experience? ‘I’m a parent who’s been on benefits, and I’ve done that journey from being on benefits to
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going to work, so I can share my experience with other parents…’ Cheryl Mundle ‘It’s opened up a big window of opportunity for us…’ Beverley Williams Daycare Trust is hoping that the project will encourage other local authorities to get on board with the Parent Champions approach. Anand Shukla, Chief Executive of Daycare Trust, said: “These encouraging figures speak for themselves and show that using Parent Champions is a really effective way to encourage families to take up their full entitlement to early education and childcare. Parent Champions give their time for free, but in the process gain valuable workplace skills and confidence, as well as passing on their experience. We invite local authorities to look at our findings and consider making the small investment in Parent Champions that can pay considerable dividends for children, families and society.” For more information visit www.daycaretrust.org.uk
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New industry-backed plans to boost computer science teaching and help Britain compete in the world Prestigious £20,000 scholarship for top graduates to train as Computer Science teachers. New Computer Science teacher training course to replace ICT. Up skilling current teachers as experts in Computer Science. As part of the Government’s mission to ensure Britain competes and thrives in the global race, Education Secretary Michael Gove set out plans to boost the teaching of Computer Science by training up the first generation of outstanding new teachers in this vital subject. This comes as the Government announces the end of funding for the current outdated Information and Communications Technology (ICT) teacher training courses, to make way for new Computer Science courses from September 2013. Top graduates will be enticed into a career in teaching with a new prestigious £20,000 scholarship programme set up with BCS, The Chartered Institute for IT and supported by industry experts such as The scheme is backed by major employers including Microsoft, IBM, BT, Facebook, Meta Switch Networks and Ocado Industry experts, working with education professionals, have also for the first time ever set out the requirements for the subject knowledge and attributes all new Computer Science teachers should have before they start their training. This includes being able to demonstrate an understanding of key Computer Science concepts and approaches such as algorithms, data representation and logic. This is all part of the Government’s drive to recruit and train a new cadre of teachers with the expertise and enthusiasm to drive improvement in the quality of Computer Science teaching in schools. A recent Royal Society report looking at computing education in UK schools found teaching was ‘highly unsatisfactory’. It said that many pupils were not inspired by what they were being taught and gained nothing beyond basic digital literacy skills such as how to use a word-processor or a database. The Royal Society report published in In January 2012 looked at computing education in UK schools and found teaching was highly
unsatisfactory. It said that many pupils are not inspired by what they are taught and gain nothing beyond basic digital literacy skills such as how to use a word-processor or a database. The full report can be found on the http://royalsociety.org/education/policy/ computing-in-schools/report/ Education Secretary Michael Gove said: ‘Computer Science is not just a rigorous, fascinating and intellectually challenging subject. It is also vital to our success in the global race. If we want our country to produce the next Sir Tim Berners-Lee, creator of the Web, we need the very best Computer Science teachers in our classrooms. They need to have the right skills and deep subject knowledge to help their pupils.’ Around 50 scholarships worth £20,000 each will be available in the first year. Any graduate with a 2.1 or first class degree will be eligible to apply for the scholarship to do a Computer Science Initial Teacher Training (ITT) course. Working with experts in the industry and in teaching practice, BCS will award scholarships to candidates with exceptional subject knowledge, enthusiasm for the study of Computer Science as well as an outstanding potential to teach. BCS’s relationship with the scholars will continue into their teaching careers to develop a cadre of outstanding Computer Science teachers who are part of a community across schools, universities and industry.
The BCS said, ‘Our vision is for every secondary school to have outstanding Computer Science teachers. We want to ensure students have an intellectually rigorous, inspiring and excellent Computer Science education that equips them for progression into further education and a professional career.’ Support for existing teachers The scholarship scheme is one of our activities designed to support capacity building in schools. In addition to 12
encouraging new Computer Science teachers to the profession we also recognise the need to provide support to existing teachers and to help them with the transition from ICT to Computer Science. With our partners at www.computingatschool.org.uk we have created a Network of Teaching Excellence in Computer Science. The Network will provide this support by brokering CPD activities between teachers and university computing departments. The Network is supported by a range of partners such as the Department for Education (DfE), Microsoft, Google, the Council for Professors and Heads of Computing (CPHC), OCR and AQA Our mission as BCS, the Chartered Institute for IT, is to enable the information society. We promote wider social and economic progress through the advancement of information technology science and practice. We bring together industry, academics, practitioners and government to share knowledge, promote new thinking, inform the design of new curricula, shape public policy and inform the public. Our vision is to be a world-class organisation for IT. Our 70,000 strong membership includes practitioners, businesses, academics and students in the UK and internationally. We deliver a range of professional development tools for practitioners and employees. A leading IT qualification body, we offer a range of widely recognised qualifications. Bill Mitchell, Director of BCS Academy of Computing, said: ‘The UK needs far more technology creators and entrepreneurs if we are to stay competitive in the global economy. That means students need to be taught not just how software and hardware works, but also how to create new digital technology for themselves. The best way to do that is to have outstanding computer science teachers in as many schools as possible, which is why these new initiatives are so important.’ Ian Livingstone, Life President of Eidos and Chair of Next Gen Skills, said: ‘Having dedicated, high-calibre computer science teachers in schools will have a powerful effect. They will inspire and enable children to be creators of technology rather than being simply passive users of it. Whether it’s making games, fighting cyber-crime or designing the next jet propulsion engine, computer science is at the heart of everything in the digital world in which Education Magazine
we live. It is essential knowledge for the 21st century. The BCS scholarship comes as part of the Government’s teacher training strategy, Training our next generation of outstanding teachers. It follows on from the success of the physics scholarship with the Institute of Physics, a recent announcement of a new scholarship with the Royal Society of Chemistry.’ The plans announced include:
• Allowing top universities and schools
to provide new Computer Science teacher training courses from September 2013, whilst ending Government funding for the current Information and Communications Technology (ICT) courses. This follow on from the Government’s announcement earlier this year freeing up the ICT curriculum to allow schools to focus more strongly on Computer Science.
• New, tough requirements for the subject
knowledge and attributes all new Computer Science teachers should have. This includes being able to demonstrate an understanding of key Computer Science concepts and approaches such as algorithms, data representation and logic. This has been designed by a panel of experts including representatives from the grassroots Computing at School Working Group along with professional associations such as the British Computer Society (BCS), Naace and the Association for Information Technology in Teacher Education (ITTE).
Professor Chris Bishop, Distinguished Scientist at Microsoft Research, said: ‘Microsoft is passionate about improving the way that we teach technology in schools, but also how we use technology to teach. As founding members of the Computing at School working group, we’ve been working to inspire both teachers and young people about the importance of computer science for a number of years. Scholarships such as those announced today will be vital in ensuring that the UK maintains a healthy pipeline of computer science talent, which can only be a positive thing for this country’s future prosperity.’ Simon Milner, Facebook’s Director of Public Policy for UK & Ireland, said: ‘Facebook welcomes the scholarship programme for teachers announced by the Government today. It is a positive step to help get high quality computer science teachers in schools, and therefore ensure more young people gain the right skills to join and lead our digital industries. We get excited by how the work of Facebook engineers and outside developers is transforming the way millions of people communicate, so we can’t wait to share our passion and expertise in this area to inspire the next generation.’ Simon Peyton-Jones, Chair of the Computing at School Working Group (CAS) and Principal Researcher at Microsoft Research, said: ‘We need to attract outstanding new computer science teachers, and we must support our existing ICT teachers as they start to teach the subject. CAS fully supports today’s announcements, which give unmistakeable Government support to both these challenges. We look forward to playing our part, and working with Government to make a substantial and lasting improvement to our children’s education in the vital subject.’ computer science ideas at school level
6. Are interested in and committed to education / teaching
7. Have the personal attributes that will
make them a good classroom teacher and manager
• Training up around 500 teachers in
Computer Science through a new ‘Network of Computer Science Teaching Excellence’. Part funded through a £150,000 Government grant, over the next year existing teachers with an ICT background will be trained to better teach Computer Science. Around half of these will be expert teachers who will share their skills and knowledge with other teachers across the country and help support professional development for their colleagues. The network will help forge long-term links between schools, top universities involved in Computer Science and employers. Around 540 schools have already registered interest in the network and top university Computer Science departments including those at Cambridge, Imperial and Manchester and employers such as Microsoft, BT and IBM have also signed up.
Scholarship Criteria. This relates to England only
8. Have the potential to take a leadership role in developing the professional competencies of other schoolteachers once qualified.
9. Have not previously applied for a
scholarship in the same academic year
knowledge to qualify as a specialist computer science teacher. This will be either: a. b.
c.
d.
3. Have a good academic record at university; one of:
The scholarships will be open to those who:
a.
1. Have obtained, or go on to obtain a place
b.
on an ITT course leading to computer science initial QTS in England
2. Fulfil the BCS criteria for subject Education Magazine
A computer science (UCAS code G400) or maths degree Another degree and are engaged upon a Computer Science Subject Knowledge Enhancement (SKE) course A STEM degree with significant computing content such as Electronic Engineering, for example A non-STEM degree but with extensive professional experience in a computing industry
Likely to achieve a 1st or a 2(i) (requiring a conditional award), Already possess a 1st or a 2(i),
4. Have excellent understanding of the subject at school level
5. Have excellent ability to explain 13
Further details of the BCS scholarship in Computer Science, including details of how to apply, can be found on the http:// academy.bcs.org/scholarships The Government’s announcement on changes to the ICT curriculum can be found on the www.education.gov.uk/inthenews A new revised, less prescriptive, programme of study for the subject will be announced in due course. It will come into effect from September 2014. Further details on the ‘Network of Computer Science Teaching Excellence’ can be found on the http://academy.bcs.org/content/ strategic-information-schools In January 2012, Education Secretary Michael Gove spoke about ICT teaching in schools. Full speech can be found on the www. education.gov.uk/inthenews/speeches/ a00201868/michael-gove-speech-at-the-bettshow-2012 Credits: This article contains information from the DfE and the BCS. Image courtesy of nokhoog_buchachon / FreeDigitalPhotos.net. Image courtesy of rajcreationzs / FreeDigitalPhotos.net
What is the most valued resource in Education? Let’s examine what we need for a good teaching environment. It’s vital to have a space to teach in, preferably a quiet room that is spacious and has plenty of natural light. It’s helpful to have sturdy desks and supportive chairs. It’s useful to have an excellent selection of research materials and or technical apparatus depending on the subject being taught in this classroom – paints, paper and paintbrushes for creative subjects; apparatus, appliances and utensils for practical subjects. The obvious exercise books, texts books, pens, pencils, erasers and sharpeners all have to be available too for the smooth running of the lesson. And not forgetting that in the twenty-first century, no classroom is complete without a white board, a SMART board, at least one computer for the teacher and preferably access to ICT equipment for all students. So all these boxes have been ticked – clearly this classroom is tickety-boo and ready to go. When a school is refurbished, rebuilt or even purpose built, a vast amount of money is spent ensuring the learning environment is the best it can be for our learners. This is as it should be. After years of teaching experience I can categorically say that the environment undoubtedly affects learning. A cramped classroom with wobbly desks and half broken chairs really doesn’t say “you the learner are valued and so is the subject
or the classroom, but rather the state of the teacher. Teachers are undoubtedly the most important and valuable resource in education and yet why is it so little attention is paid to providing regular support and training for teachers? I’m not talking about CPD to ensure you are up to date with the latest changes in examination requirements or the most recent tweaking in learning outcomes for levels. These are important and I do believe teachers should be given a great deal more opportunity to develop their expertise and subject knowledge. However, there is simply no point being the most knowledgeable teacher in school if you are exhausted, stressed, feel undervalued and overworked. If you are in this state your classroom management will be poor, your productivity will be low, your communication will be ineffective and your students will not respect you and worse still will usually behave disrespectfully. Kathryn Lovewell
taught in this room”. It says the opposite. It may also imply or certainly be perceived that the student and subject is not worth investing in. There is one key element that is clearly missing in this equation. The building is ready, the students are available, but where is the teacher? How much time and money is invested in the well-being of the teacher? How much energy is spent ensuring this teacher is fit for purpose? Fit for purpose meaning being in the right state to teach; feeling emotionally resilient to cope with the potential barrage of choice, change and challenge in the system. Mentally strong enough to manage the back-chat, dirty looks, stare offs and sometimes verbal abuse on their decisions in the classroom. Being fit for purpose means the teacher is socially and emotionally competent to support the distressed student whose father has committed suicide or whose parents have just split up. Being an emotionally resilient teacher means you can handle acute stress in the classroom and manage unruly behaviour that may well stem from chaotic family life, but you receive the brunt of it and yet can still keep teaching. Having the mental fitness to see the bigger picture, to not take the snipes and gripes personally and still provide an exceptional and inspirational lesson even when you are faced with a sea of disaffected young people who openly loathe your subject – this is a teacher who is fit for purpose! I would argue that the best resource for education is not the state of the buildings 14
And so begins the vicious cycle of poor behaviour management, poor classroom management and poor results. Too much of this and teachers will manifest sickness as their immune system will inevitably be low and will be unable to fight off the plethora of germs in the school. This physical weakness will feed the already frail emotional state and the mental capacity to cope will eventually break. Isn’t it interesting that nearly 40% of NQT’s quit after three years. Is anyone wondering why? Where is the emotional resilience training during the PGCE year? According to the teacher trainers I have talked with, there simply isn’t enough time available in the training schedule to cover these issues. Isn’t it curious that to solve this problem and to address challenging student behaviour, powers that be are calling upon ex-army to “fix” the crisis? Is it because it is perceived that ex-army will be tough enough to cope with the emotional, physical and mental strain that can potentially occur in the classroom, especially long term? Chronic stress is on the increase in schools. The pressures come from all sides. Inside the classroom, senior leadership teams, Ofsted, the media and the government. One could easily mistake all these incentives for change and “improvements” as criticism. According to the Health and Safety executive, teaching is the most stressful profession in the UK, with 41.5% of teachers reporting themselves as highly stressed – double the number across the working population. Teacher suicide rates have increased by 80% between 2008 and 2009. And yet well-being in education is almost without exception Education Magazine
very low on the priority list. This is not because Head teachers don’t care about their staff, quite the contrary. Most senior leaders are pushing themselves to the limit
to do their best for their staff and to support them in meeting the Ofsted and examination requirements to ensure their staff and their students “succeed”.
One has to beg the question what exactly are we measuring? What is more important than health, well-being, fulfilment and happiness? What message are we sending our children if we do not put the well-being of our most valuable resource in school first? Is the self sacrifice tradition of many teachers (averaging a 50-60 hour week) a healthy message to promulgate to our future leaders? Surely we want our young people to be flourishing. The only way we can ensure our thought leaders of tomorrow bring balance to our world, is by demonstrating personal and work-life balance in the world of their mentors. Teachers are valuable in our society. Let’s start valuing them for the rich and abundant source of intelligence and inspiration that they are.
Bespoke tutoring helps trainee teachers achieve top marks… A bespoke tutoring organisation has introduced a specialist service to help trainee teachers meet new Government standards in numeracy and literacy. East Midlands-based Classical Foundations offers one to one tuition for pupils of all ages, from primary school to university. Now, following the Government’s announcement of plans to raise teaching standards, it has extended its service to students hoping to become teachers. Under new Department of Education proposals, trainee teachers must sit stringent tests covering core literacy and numeracy skills, which must be passed before they can be awarded Qualified Teacher Status – and anyone who fails the tests three times will be unable to re-sit them for two years. Classical Foundations’ team of tutors, headed by Dr Moseley, an educational expert and author, holds one to one sessions from its studios in Long Bennington, Bingham, Stathern, Southwell and at West Bridgford in Nottingham, and also offers educational support to students across the UK via Skype.
refresher tuition in literacy and numeracy with Classical Foundations. “I used to be good at English and Maths,” said Andy, “but I hadn’t used my numeracy skills, in particular, for some time and I was pretty rusty.”
Along with helping people reach their academic goals in curriculumbased subjects Classical Foundations prides itself on developing additional skills including problem solving and confidence building.
Now, after just a month of tuition, he said: “It’s all coming back to me. Not only that but my confidence in my skills has rocketed and the tuition has made a big difference to the way in which I approach mathematical problems.”
“Although, trainee teachers may have spent many years studying their specialist subject, many have not studied literacy and numeracy since their schooldays,” said Dr Moseley.
“Learning doesn’t begin and end in the school room,” said Dr Moseley who has taught at universities in the UK and in Canada and has also published a range of books on philosophy.
“So we have introduced tuition programmes designed to act as refresher courses and bring them thoroughly up to scratch, no matter how little time they have before their tests.”
“All sorts of people, for all sorts of reasons, look to improve their educational abilities and at Classical Foundations we focus not just on learning but on giving students confidence in their abilities.”
Student teacher Andy Smith, 35, from Nottinghamshire, who is studying for a Masters in Applied Child Psychology at Nottingham Trent University, has already signed up for weekly, hour-long Education Magazine
For more information visit www.classicalfoundations.co.uk 15
FOOD for LIFE!
In July 2012 the Department for Education announced an independent review into School Food led by Henry Dimbleby and John Vincent, co-founders of the LEON chain of restaurants. The review aims to ‘significantly increase the number of children eating good food in schools, and to determine the role of cooking and growing fruit and vegetables in schools’. The plan, understood to be reporting in spring 2013, will show what good food in schools looks like, practical examples of what works well and how it is achieved and ‘a detailed action plan to get all school children eating – and appreciating – good food’. The review is the latest reason for school food to make the headline news, somewhere it has rarely been far from since a report by the Soil Association labelled school dinners as no better than as “muck off a truck” in 2003, followed by Jamie Oliver’s School Dinners programme two years later. Many improvements have subsequently been made, but it is a subject that continues to attract controversy.
Most recently, this has been caused the Department of Education’s announcement that academies are exempt from complying with the national school food and nutrition standards which are mandatory in statefunded schools. Concerns have been raised by the media and parents with many believing there is a real danger of poor quality food creeping back on the and junk-food vending machines edging their way back onto school grounds. Oliver, continuing his role as a major voice in lobby for improving school food, is at the forefront of a high-profile campaign to reinstate the standards. However, there is also evidence demonstrating that some academies are doing the opposite, putting the provision of fresh nutritious food and food education at the heart of their schools. Its impact on improving pupils learning opportunities and chances to excel is being recognised. One of the ways that they are doing this is through engaging with the Food for Life Partnership, a programme which aims to transform food culture in schools throughout England. The Food for Life Partnership The Food for Life Partnership (FFLP) formula is a simple one – to take a ‘whole school’ approach to food, engaging pupils, parents, teachers, school leaders, caterers and the local community in delivering positive changes to food culture. The programme was initially developed with five years of funding by the BIG Lottery and brings together four charities with expertise 16
in food, growing and education. The partnership is led by the Soil Association with support from Garden Organic, the Health Education Trust and Focus on Food. The programme uses food as a way to improve experience of school by making lunchtimes a positive feature of the day and enriching classroom learning with farm visits and practical cooking and growing. Over 4,400 schools are now enrolled in the programme, which is now part-grant funded and part commissioned by Local Authorities and regional public health teams to address key child health and wellbeing priorities in their areas. Schools use the programme as a vehicle to boost attainment and tackle inequalities. They value the impact it has on encouraging positive health and wellbeing. Others have used the programme to build links with their community. In all schools, the focus on ‘pupil voice’ means that pupils are fully involved and agree their own priorities. Facilitating a conversation between school leaders, school cooks and caterers has been critical to its success. The Food for Life Partnership awards achievement at three levels: Bronze, Silver and Gold. For each award, there is a set of criteria – which help form an action framework for each school. The criteria are centred on four areas of development:
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Food leadership – for example; engaging school leaders in improving food culture and setting a ‘whole school framework’, monitoring school meal Education Magazine
take up and actions taken to maximise the take up of free school meals
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Food quality and provenance – for example; increasing the percentage of meals that are freshly prepared measured by take up of the Food for Life Catering Mark or equivalent criteria.
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Food education – for example; pupils learn to cook and grow some food - activities which are linked to wider learning and development of curriculum resources to support food education
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Food culture and community involvement – for example; involving parents and/or the wider community in food events, school markets and growing and cooking activities
Awards Schools are able to progress through the award scheme as they continually evolve and change their school food culture.
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Bronze schools serve seasonal school meals that are at least 75% freshly prepared by a well-trained school cook. Pupils and parents are involved
in planning improvements to school menus and the dining experience through a school nutrition action group, boosting school meal take-up. Every pupil has the opportunity to visit a farm during his or her time at school, and opportunities are given for cooking and food growing activity.
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Silver schools serve school meals on plates, not flight trays, and a range of locally sourced and / or organic items are served. All chicken, bacon and sausages served are Freedom Food certified or free range and no fish from unsustainable sources is served. The school has a cooking club, and pupils get to cook with and eat the produce grown in the school growing area. Parents and the wider community get
Education Magazine
outstanding following their participation (37.2% compared to 17.3% outstanding pre-enrolment). Headteachers reported a positive impact on pupil behaviour, attention and attainment.
involved in food education via foodthemed events.
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Gold schools are hubs of good food culture in their community, actively involving parents and community groups in cooking and growing activity. School meals are at least 75% freshly prepared, 50% local and 30% organic, and more than 70% of pupils are choosing to eat school meals. Every pupil learns to cook and has the opportunity to grow food, and groups of pupils are actively involved in the life of a local farm.
Food for Lif atering Mark
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Inspectors have recognised the positive role of FFLP in supporting personal development and wellbeing: 67.1% of schools felt the programme had a clear impact on their Ofsted report in terms of pupils’ personal development and well-being.
Good for children’s health
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During the early years of the partnership, the particular challenge of working with caterers to improve the procurement of health and sustainable food was recognised. As a result the Food for Life Catering Mark was introduced, an accreditation scheme for food providers which incentivises school, local authority and commercial caterers to achieve best practice health and sustainability standards. It guarantees that menus and ingredients meet standards for healthier eating and environmental sustainability,
The programme is associated with changes in eating habits, with an increase in the proportion of primary school-age children reporting eating five portions of fruit or vegetables a day by 5 percentage points to 21% (those reporting eating four or more portions rose by 12 percentage points to 49%). And 45% of parents said the family is eating more vegetables, with 43% switching to healthier and more sustainable choices in the shopping basket.
including the school nutritional standards.
Good for tackling inequalities
Over 530,000 Food for Life Catering Mark accredited meals are served in schools throughout the UK every day.
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Evidence-led approach The positive results of the programme are supported by an independent evaluation by the University of the West of England and Cardiff University in 2011. Its findings were impressive, demonstrating FFLP has a positive impact on the health and wellbeing of both participating children and their families. It demonstrated that the programme was: Good for improving education
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More than twice as many FFLP primary schools received an Ofsted rating of 17
Disadvantaged pupils are benefiting: over a two-year period, free school meal take-up went up 13 percentage points in FFLP schools, 20.9% in secondary schools, and by 21% across the board in schools achieving our Silver or Gold award. Nationally, over 20% of primary school pupils and 30% of secondary school pupils eligible for healthy free school meals choose not to eat them for reasons including fear of stigma and the lure of fast food outlets.
Good for local enterprise and sustainability
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School meal take-up rose by 5 percentage points over two years, making them more cost effective continues overleaf u
FOOD for LIFE! continued •
Over £3 in social, economic and environmental value was created for every £1 spent on Food for Life menus, mostly in the form of new jobs in the local economy.
Enrolment and resources It is free for schools to enrol in the Food for Life Partnership programme. Schools are then given access to a wealth of online resources including practical guidance to support the award criteria, teaching resources and case studies. The programme also has a dedicated award coordinator who
is able to provide advice to individual schools over the telephone. If a school is in one of the areas where FFLP has been commissioned to work and meets specified criteria, there may be further support available in the form of teacher training and input from a local programme manager. Schools are strongly encouraged to embed their FFLP activity into the curriculum and many of the resources support this by linking food, cooking and growing into key subjects including English, maths, geography, science and PHSE. Case Study – Carshalton Boys Sports College Situated in the London Borough of Sutton, Carshalton Boys Sports College serves a diverse population with a high percentage of students eligible for free school meals. The school enrolled in the Food for Life Partnership programme in 2009. They have made the FFLP model central to their drive to transform food culture and promote healthy lifestyles in the school and wider community. They have successfully integrated the programme across the curriculum to ensure its sustainability, achieving their bronze award in September 2010 and Silver in June 2011.
School meal take up doubled in the first two years of FFLP programme engagement and at least 90% of the pupils use the café once during the day. The school has a breakfast club, two break time areas and two lunchtime areas where healthy food is available to pupils. The menus regularly feature delicious, freshly prepared meals like salmon with coriander and beef bourguignon. Pupil voice is a key part of the FFLP programme, at Carshalton the school food policy was written by the School Nutrition
Action Group – a group comprising pupils, the school cook, teaching staff, governors and parents. It was circulated to all parents prior to being ratified by the governors. The school cite Food for Life Partnership as being a catalyst in taking their work forward and ensuring pupils understand the connection between food and feeling good / being healthy. They strongly believe that the provision of the development of healthy life choices and good nutrition has played a key part in their much improved academic achievement. This is supported by an improvement in exam results from 32% five GCSE A*-C in 2002 to over 90% in 2010. Key Food for Life Partnership activities include:
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houses 10 chickens and a rooster! Food and growing are used in practical demonstrations to show the importance of the environment and ethical issues surrounding food choices. For examples, pupil’s projects have looked at the consequences of purchasing food out of season in terms of cost, freshness, food miles and Co2 emissions. There is at least one visit per year to or from a small local food business. Pupils are also able to visit farms during their time at the school. Visits cover
composting, recycling, milking cows and the links between farm practice and what we eat. Actively involving parents and the surrounding community, for example, using a car boot sale to give out salad and herb window boxes to encourage them to try growing at home. Parents are regularly invited to eat at the school and recipes are sent home in the school’s weekly newsletter.
Headteacher, Simon Barber said “working on healthy food and life choices helps all pupils to increase their awareness of the importance of fresh, sustainable food sources and thus empower them to make informed decisions about what they eat and to make better healthy life choices”.
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Weekly cooking club with that uses seasonal, local and organic ingredients wherever possible.
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The schools achievements were acknowledged by HRH The Prince of Wales and Jamie Oliver on a joint visit to the school at the end of November 2012.
Pupils take part in practical growing activities in the school garden and produce grown is used by the school kitchen or in cooking lessons at least once a term. There is a ‘Mud Club’ where grandparents share their gardening expertise with pupils and a ‘Chicken Run Club which
During his speech, The Prince of Wales said: “The Food for Life Partnership has made a fantastic difference in drawing people’s attention to the importance of reconnecting children to where their food comes from, how it grows and then how we eat it. That connection is absolutely crucial.
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Education Magazine
ISS Facility Services Education achieves Food for Life Catering Marks for over 220 school menus ISS Facility Services Education has been awarded Food For Life Catering Marks by The Soil Association for over 220 school menus.
The Soil Association’s Catering Mark is a unique scheme recognising caterers who serve fresh food that is free from undesirable additives and protects animal welfare. Marks are awarded based on the caterer’s dedication to serving fresh, healthy and sustainably sourced lunches. During June and July this year, members of the Food for Life team visited a selection of ISS FS Education kitchens to audit the ingredients used in lunchtime meal services. Based on these visits, ISS FS Education achieved both Bronze and Silver accreditations for schools throughout the country, including Bracknell, York and Devon. The accolade incorporates a stringent test of the school meal menus, examining the ingredients used against strict criteria on topics such as animal welfare, local sourcing and health promotion. Bronze certification requirements include 75% of meals being freshly prepared, food to contain no undesirable food additives or hydrogenated fats, meat to meet UK welfare standards and eggs to be from cage free hens, as well as food being seasonal. To be awarded the Silver accreditation, menus must meet the requirements of the Bronze certification in addition to serving a range of local, organic and fair trade food, whilst displaying information on where the food has come from. Education Magazine
Jim Twine, Soil Association Business Development Director said: “It’s fantastic to see ISS so wholeheartedly adopting the Catering Mark. By putting the scheme’s core principles into practice - of fresh prepared, seasonal, local and organic food - this will lead to really important changes, not only to the meals served to thousands of children but to the local economies, the wider environment and animal welfare.” Commenting on the achievement, Mark Davies, Divisional Director at ISS FS Education said:
“We’re thrilled that our commitment to serving fresh and delicious food to schools has been recognised by the Food for Life Catering Mark. The team at ISS Education are very excited to be part of the scheme and we really hope that the children are enjoying their new menus. Hopefully the introduction of the Catering Mark will encourage them to question where their food comes from.” Increasingly, parents want more information about school meals. Questions raised include, where the food comes from and how it was produced. The Food for Life Catering Mark offers them a guarantee that fresh food they can trust is always on the menu. With the new school year underway, ISS FS Education will be taking further actions to continue moving their meal service in this
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positive direction. As well as continually improving the standard of its menus, the company is keen to promote food education. An array of theme days will be available to the schools, many of which are focused around teaching children about the origins and benefits of different foods. As part of this initiative, in October, several schools took part in the ISS ‘Eat a Rainbow’ day, designed to challenge children to try different coloured fruits and vegetables. The national campaign was a hit with the pupils who were encouraged to taste fruits and vegetables they might not have had before. With a view to getting children excited and interested in the different variety of food available to them, the scheme aims to ensure that children are getting their five-a-day by teaching them about the benefits of eating brightly coloured food. The children are taught that the natural goodness that give fruit and vegetables their colours can also help keep them healthy. Brightly coloured fruit and vegetables contain the most antioxidants and although it’s important to ‘eat your greens’, the children are taught that it’s just as important to eat other rainbow colours including reds, oranges, yellows, blues and purples, too. ‘Eat a Rainbow’ day is just one of several educational schemes that ISS Facilities Services Education offer to the schools they serve. Richard Sykes, CEO of ISS FS UK commented: “We are extremely proud to have received these Food for Life Catering Marks and be part of such a great scheme. At ISS, ensuring that our meals are good quality and from sustainable sources is of great importance to us. We feel that we have a responsibility to educate children of all ages, the importance of healthy eating and we believe that through serving our healthy, balanced meals on a daily basis reinforces this message.” For more information about The Soil Association’s Food for Life Catering Marks, visit: http://www.foodforlife.org.uk/
Does it have to be recycled versus design? The subject of recycling was officially introduced into the school curriculum for 11 – 16 year olds in 2002 as part of Citizenship education, although most schools have introduced the concept of recycling from primary age onwards.
In a bid to pass on good environmental behaviours to children, recycling can be seen as one way of raising awareness of the impact our lives can have on others, both locally and globally. The UK uses approximately 5 million tonnes of plastic each year, which equates to 15 million plastic bottles per day – many of which will find their way into our childrens lunchboxes! The use of plastic in Western Europe is growing by approximately 4% each year and currently13% of all household waste in the UK is plastic. Recycling will reduce consumption of fresh raw materials, reduce energy used
in the production of new product, lower greenhouse gases and reduce landfill waste. Sending plastic waste to landfill sites is costly - approximately £63 per tonne, so the option to sort, clean, shred and make into recycled plastic profiles is a smart choice – reducing use of landfill space, generating income, and saving 12.7 tonnes of CO2 per tonne of plastic waste diverted from landfill sites. (Source:DEFRA Study)
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Last year, Leeds collected 332,924 tonnes of waste and recycled 35.1% Newcastle collected 114,220 tonnes and recycled 41% Bristol collected 162,000 tonnes and recycled 45%,
Some local councils have education teams that visit schools to promote waste minimisation, reuse and recycling. They may also run workshops on composting, designing waste containers and recycling. With greater recycling facilities and schools playing their part in educating, we are seeing an increase in the willingness to recycle and greater innovation in designs for products made from recycled materials. So what can be produced from recycled plastic and what are the advantages? A mixture of high density plastics (bottles, plastic tubs, buckets) and low density plastics (packaging film, plastic bags, ) are cleaned, shredded and granulated. The resultant granules are then heated and compressed into a mould to produce solid profiles. 20
Education Magazine
These solid profiles are ideal for decking boards, bollards and profiles to make fencing, benches and seating, walkways, planters & litter bins. This is where the innovative designers have played a part – winning design awards in the prestigious EVAM European design awards with designs made from recycled plastic . The advantages of using recycled plastic within schools are many:
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Maintenance, or lack of, is probably one of the greatest benefits. Recycled plastic needs a wipe over at best. No more treating, sanding, or having to store inside during the winter. Splinter free – particularly useful in primary schools. Rot proof and durable – lifespan of approximately 40 years.
Regrettably, schools often have to contend with vandalism and grafitti. Recycled plastic profiles are resistant to grafitti and it’s fairly easily removed. Because the profiles are coloured all the way through in the manufacturing process, any attempt at carving into it produces only a very dull result, which is a deterrent in itself! Landscaping of school grounds is now playing a greater part in our school build plans as the importance of a pleasant visual surround becomes an accepted priority. Many new school builds are also
incorporating outdoor learning areas as well as facilities to exercise or just relax outside in a social setting. The thinking behind the outdoor learning classrooms is that outdoor education can stimulate and challenge students to respond imaginatively and to offer different learning experiences to offer an extenson of what is learnt inside. Benches, seating and fencing from Goplastic, with their modern designs, fuflfil the criteria for outdoor school furniture, whether it’s a single bench in a vegetable garden, curved
benches to form an outdoor classroom, contemporary designs in a modern setting or raised deck areas. By purchasing recycled contect materials a school is demonstrating it’s commitment to closing the recycling loop – making sense of the recyclng ethos taught in the classroom. Sarah Mitchell, Director of Goplastic Ltd For more information contact Sarah on 01992 504 095 or email: info@goplastic.co.u
Reply No.
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The English Baccalaureate Figures out last year reveal how the introduction of the English Baccalaureate has led to a huge increase in the proportion of young people studying the core academic subjects so highly valued by universities and employers. The EBacc was introduced by the Department for Education in the performance tables in January 2011. Pupils who achieve a GCSE grade C or better in English, maths, a language, history or geography, and two sciences achieve the EBacc. In 2010 under a quarter (22 per cent) of GCSE pupils were entered for the EBacc.
The survey indicates that individual subjects are returning to levels of popularity not seen for years: History – highest for at least 20 years
But a survey of more than 600 teachers in state-maintained mainstream secondary schools by Ipsos Mori for the Department for Education reveals that almost half (49 per cent) of Year 9 pupils have chosen to study the set of key subjects from this September. The take-up indicates that the EBacc is reversing the long-term and damaging drift away from the subjects most likely to lead to higher education and good jobs, and that they are bouncing back to the levels of a decade ago.
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41 per cent of GCSE pupils are set to take the subject in summer 2014.
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That is the highest proportion since at least summer 1994 when 39 per cent of pupils took history GCSE
Science – highest for at least 20 years
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93 per cent of GCSE pupils are set to take double or triple science GCSE in summer 2014.
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That is the highest proportion since at least summer 1994 when 79 per cent of pupils took it.
Why was the English Baccalaureate introduced?
Geography – highest for 13 years
The number of non-academic qualifications taken up to age 16 had risen from about 15,000 in 2004 to about 575,000 in 2010, with a higher take-up of vocational qualifications by young people from deprived backgrounds. Many of these qualifications do not carry real weight for entry to higher education or for getting a job. There had also been a decline in the opportunity to take some core subjects, such as modern foreign languages, history and geography at Key Stage 4. This decline disproportionately affected pupils from the poorest backgrounds or attending schools in disadvantaged areas. For example, in 2009 just four per cent of pupils qualifying for free school meals took chemistry or physics, fewer than one in five did history and fewer than 15 per cent took geography or French. Achievement in the English Baccalaureate is a similar picture of inequality – in 2010, only eight per cent of pupils qualifying for free school meals (FSM) took the English Baccalaureate, with four per cent achieving it, whilst 24 per cent of non-FSM pupils took the English Baccalaureate and 17 per cent achieved it.
Proportion of pupils taking GCSEs in summer 2014 (subject choices) (%)
2010-14 change (% pts)
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That is the highest proportion since summer 2001 when 37 per cent of pupils took geography GCSE
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54 per cent of GCSE pupils are set to take a language GCSE in summer 2014.
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That is the highest proportion since summer 2005 when 60 per cent of pupils took a language GCSE
And the figures show that the EBacc has had an especially positive impact on poorer pupils.
Proportion of pupils taking EBacc subjects Proportion of pupils who took GCSEs in summer 2010 (subject entries) (%)
36 per cent of GCSE pupils are set to take the subject in summer 2014.
Languages – highest for nine years
This measure enables parents and pupils to see how their school is performing in these key academic subjects. The DoE want to encourage more students to take these core subjects and to bring about greater fairness of opportunity so that all students have the chance to study for the English Baccalaureate.
Subject
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In 2010, just 10 per cent of pupils in schools with a high proportion of children on Free School Meals were taking a combination of subjects that could have led to the EBacc.
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But 41 per cent of pupils in these schools started studying the set of key subjects from this September – a 310 per cent increase.
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The rise over the same period in schools with a low proportion of students on Free School Meals is 54 per cent.
Education Minister Elizabeth Truss said: ‘The EBacc has not just arrested the decline in students studying academic subjects - it has spectacularly reversed it. It is great news that more students are studying important subjects that will open more doors to them for their future. The EBacc is the platform for young people to go on to A levels and high-quality vocational study, and is helping us compete with leading nations like Canada and Germany who expect all students to study a rigorous academic core.’
Percentage increase in proportion of pupils studying the subject 2010-2014 (%)
EBacc combination 22 49 +27 123 History 31 41 +10 32 Geography 26 36 +10 38 Any language 43 54 +11 26 Double science 46 59 +13 28 Triple science* 16 34 +18 113 * Not required for the EBacc. Students can take double science or triple science to achieve the EBacc.
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The English Baccalaureate continued Ipsos Mori undertook the survey to assess the effects of the EBacc on secondary schools in England. It was carried out in June and July 2012. The survey was administered to a representative sample of 1,620 state-maintained mainstream secondary schools (by region, establishment type and the proportion of pupils eligible for free school meals). There was a response rate of 38 per cent, with 618 schools taking part (which maintained a representative sample). The survey is available at www.education.gov.uk/ researchandstatistics/research
i) Data is available from 1994 for history, geography and science; and from 1997 for languages.
The figures compare GCSE entry data (historically) with survey estimates of GCSE subject choice. Pupils who choose particular subjects are not always entered for them. Free School Meal bandings were devised by ranking schools by the proportion of their pupils who were FSM-eligible, and dividing them into thirds (bottom third = low FSM band, middle third = medium, upper third = high).
ii) Data for science entries for 1994 to 2007 includes pupils who entered either double science or all three separate sciences, and for 2008 onwards includes pupils who entered either core and additional science or all three separate sciences.
For data comparing historic take-up of individual subjects:
Image courtesy of Keerati” / FreeDigitalPhotos.net
iii) Data is sourced from school achievement and attainment tables.
Need to tackle stereotypes to inspire girls into science A woman who set up her own company to promote science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) to students has won the WISE Advisor award. It was presented by Her Royal Highness, The Princess Royal at a prestigious awards ceremony [on 29 November] at The Institution of Technology and Engineering. Helen Heggie set up her own company, STEMFirst Ltd, after finding it difficult to re-enter the STEM workforce after having a family and finding a shortage of part-time senior roles to fit around working mothers. The WISE Advisor award celebrates those in education who inspire girls, as well as boys, to take up science and technical subjects. Helen, who studied engineering at Cambridge University and started her career with Ford Motor Company, said: “Traditional stereotypes and misconceptions still exist. My proudest moments are when young people express how their awareness has changed – at one recent event a young girl proclaimed ‘engineering is pretty cool isn’t
Mel Ewell, CEO for Amey said: “At Amey we believe it is vital to nurture and develop the workforce of tomorrow. Our commitment to this is not only evident through our apprentice and graduate programmes but also through our STEM engagement programme. Amey is extremely proud to be the headline sponsor of the 2012 WISE Awards.”
Helen Heggie, winner of the WISE Advisor award
it?’ – that sums up what we are about and why I love my job.” STEMFirst Ltd, which is based in Blackburn, provides inspirational opportunities and forges a link between schools and employers in order to inspire, excite, and grow the STEM knowledge and understanding of young people. The WISE Awards, in association with Amey, celebrate the achievements by women throughout their careers as well as leadership from companies who have taken steps to attract and develop females in STEM subjects. Fewer than one in five people who work in science, technology, engineering and mathematics jobs (STEM) are female, despite being very good at it - a higher percentage of girls than boys achieved the top A* - C grades in all STEM subjects at ‘A’ level in 2012.[1] 24
Congratulating the winners, Trudy NorrisGrey Chair of WISE, said: “Our eight winners all made a significant difference to the success and contribution of technology, science, engineering and the built environment - sectors that are critical to UK’s economic growth potential. We applaud their achievements. If we harness the energy and passion of everyone involved in the WISE awards as nominees, nominators, sponsors, champions and role models, we can and will make significant progress towards a vision that will benefit all stakeholders in the UK – a tipping point of 30% of the UK STEM workforce being female.” At A Level, a higher percentage of girls than boys achieved A*-C grades in all STEM subjects – ranging from 69% - 59% in ICT to 91% - 89% in Further Mathematics. Source: Joint Council for Qualifications 2012 provisional results. About WISE WISE provides training and consultancy to schools, colleges, business and industry to help them attract, retain and develop female talent in science, engineering, technology and the built environment. Find out more at www.wisecampaign.org.uk or ring 01274 724 009. WISE is an independent Community Interest Company which reinvests any surplus funds back into the campaign.
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PRINT IT! The National Skills Academy for Materials, Production and Supply (NSAMPS) is part of Proskills UK Group which, together with its employers, sets the standard for industryrelevant and quality-assured training and qualifications. NSAMPS also offers careers information through the Schools into Industry programmes, the largest of which is PrintIT!
PrintIT! Offers school students a chance to win fantastic prizes for themselves and their school whilst learning about the exciting world of paper and print. PrintIT! is a project created for students of GCSE and A level Graphic Products and Product Design and is also relevant for students studying Media Studies and the Diplomas in Creative & Media and Manufacturing & Product Design. The course is designed to be interesting and rewarding. The aim of PrintIT! is to give students the opportunity to learn more about the UK’s vibrant, high tech print related industries, and to give them an insight into the career opportunities it offers. Students are asked to create a print ready promotional item for Fairtrade merchandise in a supermarket. These are then sent in for judging by senior members of the print and paper industries and an Oscar style awards ceremony takes place at a prestigious venue during the summer term. Through a twinning scheme the students also have the opportunity to learn first-hand from a local printer or paper manufacturer what a great place the print and paper industries are to build a fabulous career. This is the part of the programme that really brings it alive in the eyes of many students. PrintIT! is the UK’s most successful schools into industry programme and each year thousands of students register to compete. PrintIT! is supported by many big names in the industry including; Duplo, Fujifilm, Pantone, Quark, HP, Friedheim Packaging, DS Smith, Antalis McNaughton, Renz,
Xaar, Canon, Xerox, Ricoh, Heidelberg and Kall Kwick plus many other partners. The programme has to be self funding so PrintIT! is always on the lookout for new sponsors!
and Schools into Industry Programmes (SIIP) have been designed to show students that manufacturing is an exciting and dynamic industry that provides a good career choice.
The National Skills Academy for Materials Production and Supply also offers two other schools programmes which are run along similar lines to PrintIT!
The schools programmes aim to excite, enthuse and educate young people about the opportunities that are available to them.
Just like PrintIT!, MakeIT! Wood is a projectbased competition aiming to familiarise students with the Wood Industry. MakeIT! Wood is a curriculum mapped programme for GCSE and A Level Resistant Materials and Product Design students. It introduces students to the Wood Industry by exploring modern methods of manufacturing with timber products and investigating laminated wood. The third programme is MakeIT! Furniture. Again this is an industry-based project and competition for schools, mapped to the national curriculum and Diplomas. It teaches students how furniture is designed and made in the Furniture, Furnishings and Interiors Industry through researching and designing products, and investigating the various different aspects of the industry – from sourcing raw materials to producing finished products. Each of the schools programmes ask the competing students to research and design an environmentally friendly product, identifying the type of raw materials used, considering sustainable design and investigating production processes, as well as showing their understanding of environmental issues and recycling. Statement by Richard Moore, Operational Skills Manager for Print and Paper and Schools into Industry Programmes Manager. About the SIIP’s Proskills Students 26
Each programme entails students researching and designing eco-friendly products for these industries using manufacturing techniques & materials which are sustainable and programmes are mapped to relevant parts of the 14-19 curriculum, they are limited to a few weeks duration and are free to use. The Programmes
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MakeIT! Furniture is for students studying GCSE & A Level Design Technology & Product Design and the Diplomas in Creative & Media and Manufacturing & Product Design.
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MakeIT! Wood is for students studying GCSE and A Level Design Technology and Product Design. It is also relevant to the Diplomas in Creative and Media Manufacturing and Product Design.
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PrintIT! is for students of GCSE Graphic Products or GCSE Product Design and the Diplomas in Creative & Media and Manufacturing & Product Design.
About Twinning Participating schools will have access to a twinning scheme that aims to link schools with local employers. Twinning aims to link schools with local employers to offer their support for the project through mentoring and advice, and helps to bring learning to life through site visits. For further details on any of the school programmes or to learn more about the National Skills Academy for Materials, Production and Supply please contact Ami Lewis on 01235 432018 or ami.lewis@mpsacademy.co.uk. Education Magazine
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Supply2Schools.co.uk School Decision Makers need to make choices with cost, safety and practicality in mind.
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We at supply2schools send exclusive emails on behalf of our clients who wish to contact and supply schools with a variety of products and services at the best price, with quality and reliability at their heart.
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Our clients send their emails to both supply and inform schools of their latest products. When you open an email from supply2schools you will be receiving up to date information from reliable companies who have experience in dealing with the education sector. For more information about supply2schools please visit
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NEWS News News News NEWS News NEWS News that it’s traditionally regarded as a “man’s job” makes her want to pursue a career in it even more. “I’ve always been technically minded and am forever pulling things apart, only to put them back together again,” she explains. “As BTech Construction students, we were able to pick our work placements from the list of possibilities first, and I decided the Balfour Beatty offering would be perfect for me because of the range of skills I would be exposed to. The fact that I am able to go into the heart of the site and experience everything first-hand is amazing – and our new school building will be that much more special to me as I would have been there at the beginning.”
Students get hands on experience in the construction of the new £16m Ipswich Academy It’s early afternoon on a normal school day and most students have already left for home, but for Year 11 Ipswich Academy students, Olivia Halsey and Bradley Maddison, the day is far from over – and they are thrilled about it. The two are completing a week of work placement on the site of the new £16 million Academy, which is due to open on Brazier’s Wood Road in October 2013.
Reporting to Balfour Beatty project manager John Laycock, Olivia and Bradley have had the opportunity to shadow engineers, quantity surveyors and other professionals involved on the construction site. Both are doing a BTech Construction at Ipswich Academy and hope to go into the industry, either after Sixth Form or as apprentices.
Olivia spent her first day shadowing senior engineer John McGovern, helping him to test the drainage system to ensure there are no leakages, and assisting with some surveying of the ground floor slab and finding out what his role on the site is. She has also been able to pick out carpet and colour samples which will help the team with final design schemes. “It is so
Olivia has a particular interest in engineering and says the fact
exciting and I don’t want the week to end,” she says. Bradley is more interested in the construction side of things and would like to follow his father into a trade such as plumbing. Last week, another Ipswich Academy student, Stuart Graham, was on work placement at the Balfour Beatty site. All three have found the experience to be invaluable in helping them choose their future careers. “The Balfour Beatty site team working on the new Ipswich Academy are delighted to have had the opportunity to enable these students to experience what life on site is like. The students have shown great enthusiasm and asked lots of questions whilst they’ve been here. We wish them well for their futures,” says John Laycock. The work on the new Academy is on schedule. The next ceremony to mark the progress will be a beam signing at the end of October, before which a number of students will have the opportunity to visit the steel manufacturer in Dereham, Norfolk, to learn about the manufacturing process.
New Russell Street student scheme is a class act A 210-bed space student scheme designed by the Nottingham office of Lewis and Hickey Architects (L&H) has been completed and handed over ready for the new academic year. The 210 units provide a mix of studio apartments and en-suite study bedrooms arranged in four, five and six room clusters. Constructed in two five-storey blocks, the scheme has been built on brownfield land close to both universities. Theo Pywowarczuk, MD of L&H in Nottingham said: “This is another successful project in which we partnered Ocon – and follows on from another larger scheme in Nottingham at Chettles Yard. Having seen a number of our other student living projects complete this month, we have delivered over 11,000 student bedrooms now. This gives us a leading position as architects in the sector, which enables us demonstrate to clients that our diverse experience adds tangible value to projects. The sector remains strong, with over £800 million of capital put into student accommodation in 2011. L&H continue to work with many universities, private developers and construction companies across the UK.
other delivery partners to enable a scheme to progress from site acquisition to completed building. We used the same team as we recently used on our successful Chettles Yard project.”
Jonathan Coleflax, associate at Lewis and Hickey, said: “We’ve combined our extensive sector design and technical knowledge with some new interior design ideas, creating a building which provides a different offering to students in this part of the city”.
Constructed on a brownfield, former light industrial site the scheme has a reception area, common room and laundry with limited car parking and ample external secure bicycle storage. Ocon will also be responsible for a new access road onto the scheme and provision of services to the development.
Ocon’s Nick Williamson-Corbett adds: “This scheme is indicative of the solutions-driven approach we take to working with the 28
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Stolen laptops worth thousands returned to school Millfields School sees snatched laptops returned in time for the new term Absolute Software Corporation announced the successful recovery of five laptops stolen during a third break-in to Millfields school. Essex Police have recovered the laptops with help from Absolute Computrace® software embedded in the laptops, and the Absolute Investigations and Recovery Services Team. The school suffered from a spate of burglaries and each time had taken further measures to secure the equipment. After two previous unsolved break-ins, Absolute Software offered to install its tracking and recovery software, Absolute Computrace on all the school’s laptops. Within nine months there was a third break-in, with thieves making off with five laptops. Fortunately, due to the new security measures taken by the school, the thieves were unable to steal any further equipment. Once the school reported the laptops as stolen, the Absolute Investigations and Recovery Services Team was able to quickly determine their location using investigative technology techniques and subsequently prepareevidence packs that were passed to officers at Ipswich Road police station,Colchester. This allowed them to recover the computers and make arrests, all in a matter of days. “After Millfields school experienced two break-ins and unsolved thefts, it’s
Product Showcase Gopak still top of the class In educational facilities, comfortable chairs play a crucial role in helping students to sit and concentrate for extended periods of time. Leading furniture producer, Gopak, offers a wide range of ergonomically designed chairs which provide improved comfort and protection from back pain and poor posture – to help schools get the best out of their students. With a typical child sitting down for up to five hours a day, safety and comfort are prerequisites which Gopak deliver every time. Both colourful and economical, most of Gopak’s polypropylene chairs conform to the British Standard EN 1729 Parts 1 & 2 for chairs supplied to educational establishments. Offering distinctive good looks as well as versatility – the complete Gopak range also delivers proven performance in a wide range of classroom applications.
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Established in 1954, Gopak has over 50 years experience in the design, manufacture and supply of high quality educational furniture. To find out more about Gopak’s range, go online at www.gopak.co.uk or call on 0845 519 2850.
Rugby School lights up its chapel A stunning lighting scheme has been completed by dpa lighting consultants for Rugby School Chapel. The lighting scheme followed on a £500,000 project to repair the ornate ceiling of this Grade 1 listed Victorian Gothic building. A range of lighting fittings from Light Projects have been used throughout the interior. These include powerful but small and discreet Window Reveals on the inside edges of the windows and well as Mini Minor fittings with integral cowls to light up the arches and stonework. In addition, larger Toucan fittings on vertical tracks have been installed to highlight the altar. Light Projects has a long history of supplying different types of lighting for places of worship. These have been uniquely designed to provide powerful
and effective illumination based on small and subtle fittings so as to not to detract from the aesthetic beauty of their location. The Mini Minor and Window Reveals in particular are commonly used for uplighting and for picking out interesting architectural details. The range of lamps used in Rugby School include MR16-CMH 35 watt 25° flood, MR16 35W 12 10° narrow spot and 35w BriteSpot lamps. Each fitting is available with its own specialist range of accessories to complement different lighting tasks. These can include coloured and frosted lenses, dichroic filters, eggcrate louvres, scrims and cowls. Light Projects specialises in the design, manufacture and supply of lighting fittings and accessories for an extensive variety of interior and exterior lighting applications, as well as bespoke lighting solutions. More information is available from Light Projects on 020 7231 8282 or visit www.lightprojects.co.uk
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