Education Magazine issue 48 by Steven Mitchell

Look out for the FREE pens, flash drives, print designs and on-line subscriptions to Spellzone, Stories from the Web and GrowStoryGrow on offer inside!

Schools find innovative ways to encourage healthy eating among children and parents FREE INSIDE THIS ISSUE Engage, Motivate and Reward your Pupils! The fun way to learn multiplication tables. See Page 5 for Details.

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Digital Ink Drop works with scores of children’s authors, illustrators, poets and publishers to harness technology and utilize online resources as a tool to get children reading. Research has shown that children who read for pleasure are more likely to achieve academically; and for reluctant readers, engaging with words through digital technology can be inspirational. Teachers are able to view an explanatory video which takes them through the activities available on the site and can have a go on the demo version. T: 0121 464 2894 F: 0121 303 2981 E: info@storiesfromthewebschools.org W: www.storiesfromthewebschools.org A: Floor 3, Birmingham Central Library, Chamberlain Square, Birmingham B3 3HQ

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A new company Digital Ink Drop, is providing a lifeline designed to generate fervour for reading and writing amongst children and young people. For over ten years, Stories from the Web, part of the digital offer for UK libraries has, through its award winning website, inspired thousands of children to be passionate readers and creative writers. For the first time children in schools around the UK are able to log into the site to view digital book extracts, play interactive games and take part in creative writing activities.

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Contents

September Edition Annual Subscription £10 Where sold cover price of £1 Editorial Team Tracy Johnson, Derek Cooper Michelle Watson, Emir Valentino Administration Paul Wing, Enza Baio Design/Production Amanda Wesley Published by Education Magazine, Clifton House Media Ltd, Clifton House, 4a Goldington Road, Bedford MK40 3NF. Tel: 01234 348878 Fax: 01234 352737 E-mail: production@pirnet.co.uk Website: www.pirnet.co.uk Copyright Education Magazine 2011

PIR Education 47 Average Net Circulation: 13,528 for period 01/07/09 - 30/06/10 The Publisher holds all copyright and any items within may not be reproduced in any way, for any purpose, without the written permission of the Publisher. While every care has been taken to ensure accuracy, the information contained within this publication is based on submissions to the Publishers who cannot be held responsible for errors and omissions. The publisher does not necessarily agree with the views expressed by contributors and cannot except responsibility for claims made by manufacturers and authors, nor do they accept any responsibility for any errors in the subject matter of this publication.

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01234 348878 or email production@pirnet.co.uk We are always looking for good news on Education issues. We approve all articles prior to press.

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News

Cooking up increased performance

Schools find innovative ways to encourage healthy eating among children and parents

A new dress up day for a marvellous children’s charity

Learning through play

NLA’s new on-line literacy Guide offers freedom of choice and ease of use

Academies - avoiding the pitfalls

Get your house in order - the implications of AWR

The Independent Schools Inspectorate’s plans to overhaul its inspection regime

The Home Office asks for help with anti-terrorist propaganda

BETT 2012 - exploring new worlds of learning

Shared Services

Sanitaryware for Schools

More news

Product showcase

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Education cuts hit guitar tuition in all schools, Rex Pearson heads new campaign “free music lessons for everyone” Professional guitarist and music teacher Rex Pearson has seen the cuts first hand and the effect this is having on people taking up guitar, with tens of thousands of students missing out on the opportunity to learn how to learn the instrument, many of whom are unable to pay for private tuition and missing out. Rex has created a new website with some of the best guitar lessons in the world, and made it completely free for anyone to use so that those who cannot afford private tuition are never disadvantaged.

New school meal findings are early warning sign, warns Which? New research from Which?* finds that the price of school meals is rising in two thirds of schools across the country this coming term. Along with low rates of take-up, Which? is concerned that this could start to undo the progress made in recent years towards improving children’s access to healthier meals that help them do better at school. While a majority of parents will see the cost of school meals rise below the rate of inflation this September, others will have to pay up to 17 per cent more than this time last year. School meal prices have risen on average by around 2.5 per cent on last year, but some local authorities have increased prices by far more. For primary school meals, Doncaster Metropolitan Borough Council has increased prices by 17 per cent (£1.70 - £2) and Lewisham Borough Council by 14 per cent (£1.40-£1.60). The local authority with the biggest increase was Bolton Metropolitan Borough Council - 25 per cent - although its prices still remain the lowest in the country at £1.25. School meals managed by Poole Borough Council are the most expensive in the country - £2.50 on average in September 2011. It’s estimated that 55 per cent of students need to take school meals to keep costs down**. However, the Which? research reveals that just 45 *** per cent

“I wanted to not only make the website Free for everyone but to make lessons that were better than anything anyone had ever seen before, following my teaching method and giving everyone a community to be a part of. It’s time to make a difference in people’s lives and give everyone the chance to play one of the most beautiful instruments in the world. This is just the start” The site has only launched 3 weeks ago and is receiving fantastic reviews from all its members. and with plans to move from the fantastic beginner guitar courses to advanced technique lessons, full guitar songs and intermediate/advanced guitar courses this will be THE place for people to go to learn the guitar. It could make a huge difference for you to do a story on this, write a review or help raise awareness about this fantastic website email: rexpearson@rexpearson.com Website: www.rexpearson.com

of students in England currently take school meals. In some areas, including Wokingham District Council and West Sussex County Council***, it is as low as 25 per cent. The Which? research found that parents would rather give their children packed lunches as they believe them to be cheaper, and their children do not like the food on offer at schools. This is compounded by the fact that the School Dinner Grant, which was set up to subsidise school meals, is no longer ring-fenced, meaning that since April 2011 local authorities can use the fund to top up other areas of need. Which? believes these findings are an early warning sign that schools and local authorities need to do more to increase take-up to avoid bigger price hikes for families in the future, or potentially a loss of the current high quality meals. Richard Lloyd, Executive Director of Which?, says: “At a time when many people tell Which? their number one concern is rising food prices, it will come as an unwelcome surprise to hard-pressed families to see that some local authorities are increasing their prices by as much as 17 per cent well above inflation. “School meals in most areas are still a relatively low cost and low hassle way to provide a decent lunch for your children. But if schools cannot find ways to protect the extra funding that has gone to school meals and increase the number of children taking them up, there’s a real risk of even more price hikes or a drop in standards, undoing the progress that has been made over the past five years.”

Schools starpack packaging design awards 2012 – open for entry The Schools Starpack Packaging Design Awards seek to increase understanding of the uses of packaging and to inspire young people to consider a career in consumer packaging design. The deadline for entries into these awards, now in their 13th year, is 2 March 2012. Schools are invited to send in entries for three briefs – Design a re-usable container for taking home fruit and vegetables from a shop or farmers market – Sponsored by the British Polythene Industries plc Open to Key Stage 3, 4 and AS Level. Cravendale/purfiltre single serve bottle – Sponsored by Logoplaste UK Ltd Open to Key Stages 3 and 4. Fun Cake Baking Kit – Sponsored by the Benson Group Open to Key Stage 4 and AS Level. The complete briefs can be viewed at www.starpack.uk.com/students. Winning entries under each brief will receive up to £500 for the winning school and up to £50 for the student. Gold, Silver, Bronze and Highly Commended certificates are awarded by a panel of judges.

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Government focus on phonics is flawed The All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) for Education has raised concerns that the coalition Government’s focus on phonics will contribute to a decline in literacy standards. Supported and managed by the British Educational Suppliers Association (BESA), the APPG’s report, ‘Overcoming the Barriers to Literacy’, drew many conclusions including the recommendation that a single focus on systematic synthetic phonics is flawed. The report referred to problems with the government’s recent initiative to matchfund school’s investment to a specific and limited number of governmentselected phonics learning resources, only available through one supplier. It stated that ‘Teachers must be able to choose their own resources for literacy

Back in July, the European Parliament approved new regulations on labelling to improve information on food packaging for customers. The development of the regulations began way back in 2008 when the EU Commission published a proposal for a regulation to update two areas of labelling legislation: general food labelling and nutrition labelling. These labelling rules have been combined into one single text to ensure consistency across the European Union. Progression through the whole legislative process has taken four years. So what will be the main differences that caterers will notice on the packs of the products they buy and sell? Nutrition labelling has been one of the most difficult and controversial areas. The mandatory nutrition declarations on pack (i.e. the amounts of fat, saturates, carbohydrates, sugars, energy value, protein and salt) will have to be indicated in the same field of vision per 100g/ ml. Additionally, these values may be expressed per portion. It will also be possible, voluntarily, to show other nutrients such as starch, fibre, vitamins and minerals. PIR Education

to suit individual literacy needs.’ It went on to stress that; ‘there should be no government prescription of resources, and funding should be given directly to professionals to deal with their school’s literacy issues.’ Ray Barker, director, BESA comments; ‘For cash-strapped schools the incentive to take advantage of the matched funding offered for phonics products and training will push them in the direction of synthetic phonics. This is at odds with many teachers’ experience that a broadranging approach to literacy, alongside one-to-one tuition, is most effective. It also goes against the move towards school autonomy in other areas.’ As the sector’s trade association, working between the government, schools and suppliers BESA applauds the APPG’s

On trans fatty acids, the Commission will have to produce a report within the next three years to assess whether trans fatty acids should be labelled and whether there should be mandatory restrictions on their use, in addition to the industry’s voluntary changes. It will also be possible to show on the front of pack the energy value on its own (per 100g/ml) and additionally per portion) or together with the amount of fat, saturates, sugars and salt. This means that food manufacturers can continue to display front of pack information as they are currently doing through the GDA labelling but they will need to add energy per 100g/m. Extensive talks also took place over a minimum font size for pack labelling. There will now be a minimum of 1.2mm for all mandatory information that is displayed on the pack. The UK food and drink industry has been opposed to having a minimum font size as there is more to legibility than font size – contrast, colour, spacing etc – but important concessions have been made for small pack sizes. Country of origin (COOL) labelling has been another controversial area. Prior to the regulation, country of origin labelling was compulsory only for beef. The UK introduced a voluntary country of origin scheme back in November 2010 that comprised best practice COOL for unprocessed meat, lightly processed meat such as sausages and burgers, liquid milk and fresh cream and cheese and butter (either origin of liquid milk or place of manufacture). The new piece of legislation extends compulsory labelling to fresh 3

findings which emphasised the importance of the resources industry in the creation of materials that help schools and teachers to meet their goals. Barker continues; ‘Our members and the sector in which we operate are firmly focused on education outcomes and it is essential that the industry is a part of policy change from early stages. This will ensure that appropriate, high quality resources and approaches can be developed in a cost-effective and timely way for the benefit of all.’ For further information on the APPG’s report and its recommendations to the government please visit www.besa.org.uk

meat of swine, sheep, goats and poultry, subject to implementing rules to be adopted by the Commission within two years after the new regulations come into force. In addition, two and three years respectively after the regulations come into force, the European Commission will have to present a report looking at the possibility of extending compulsory labelling to meat used as an ingredient and to other types of meat, as well as milk and milk used as an ingredient, unprocessed foods, single-ingredient products and ingredients that represent more than 50% of a food. The outcome of the report is likely to be critical for the food industry as mandatory origin labelling for ingredients would mean considerable extra cost for the industry. The UK food industry supports the retention of existing rules to ensure that consumers are not mis-led but has also asked for any changes to be informed by a thorough impact assessment. Allergens labelling remains largely unchanged as these will still have to be indicated through a typeset that clearly distinguishes them from the other ingredients Generally the Food and Drink Federation considers the compromise agreement to be a positive outcome and manufacturers can now proceed with the redesign of their labels to ensure that their packaging is compliant. It is inevitable that all these changes, some of which will be more meaningful to our customers than others, are likely to come at a cost.

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Five East Anglia schools form tutoring partnerships with TLC Education Group

22 July 2011, Bishop’s Stortford – TLC Education Group, the specialist maths and English tutoring provider, today announces five partnerships with schools across East Anglia. The Samuel Ward Academy and Wymondham High School in Suffolk, Coleridge Community College and Parkside Community College in Cambridge, and the Open Academy in Norwich, have invited TLC to set up Learning Centres onsite and offer individual maths and English tuition alongside GCSE preparation, to pupils aged 6-16 from the respective schools, and children in this age range from the surrounding areas. Qualified CRB-checked teachers provide bespoke tuition based on needs and skills gaps identified in a comprehensive initial assessment. Learning Centres are located onsite at each school, with tutoring sessions taking place in study periods or after school. Pupils work independently on TLC Education’s unique learning software, which provides modules based on the national curriculum. A qualified teacher monitors progress, answers questions and

helps them get through difficult material. Each teacher works with an average of four pupils at any given time (with no more than five in a lesson), enabling oneto-one tuition at affordable rates. Simon Barnes, Director of TLC Education Group, explains: “We are operating in some of the finest and fastest improving schools in East Anglia. Our partnerships mean that we can help improve examination grades and build confidence in students of all ages and abilities. Within these partnerships, we also welcome students from the wider community, from schools other than those in which we are located.” Howard Lay, Headmaster at Samuel Ward Academy comments: “I can highly recommend TLC Education’s Learning Centres. They have been assisting us with our GCSE students and have had a significant impact on raising our students’ achievements. We are also working with them on other year groups with equal success. I look forward to our continued partnership.” Barnes concludes: “We are planning to open Learning Centres throughout the UK and we are in discussions with many schools about starting partnerships.” TLC Education Group also has an independent Learning Centre based in Bishop’s Stortford offering maths and English tuition, GCSE and common entrance exam preparation. The tuition specialists assess children for free in order to identify the academic challenges they are facing.

New Academic Year: Students protect valuables with DNA MORE than 2,500 students arriving at the University of Bath later this month will be encouraged to ensure their possessions are well-protected by marking their valuable equipment with SelectaDNA. Many of the students will be leaving home for the first time and turning up with an array of gadgets including a laptop, digital camera, smart phone, games console and either an iPod or MP3 player. According to research by the National Union of Students (NUS) and insurance provider Endsleigh, students are taking possessions worth an average of £2,652 to university. More than four out of five students will be taking a laptop, 14% will take a desktop computer, and 4% a tablet PC in the new academic year. The survey also found that every student had a mobile phone, with 59% taking a smart phone.

Brian Schofield, Head of Security Services at the University of Bath said: “We are asking students to take ownership and responsibility of their property by marking it with SelectaDNA, ideally before they leave home. However, we will also be encouraging anyone that hasn’t marked new electronic equipment to do so when they arrive on campus.” If a marked item is stolen and later recovered by police, it can be scanned and traced back to the rightful owner via the DNA marking. Mr Schofield added: “We will be holding a series of induction sessions for new students on how to keep themselves and their property safe and we will be promoting SelectaDNA at the Freshers Fair.” NUS president Liam Burns said: “Moving away from home for the first time can mean taking a lot of valuable items with

you, and the nature of higher education means students need regular access to expensive equipment such as laptops and cameras. “Taking precautions against theft and damage can provide you with valuable peace of mind and ensure you are not left out of pocket at a time when money can be particularly tight.” Mr Schofield concluded: “Local thieves know that when students arrive they usually bring new equipment, so by encouraging the use of SelectaDNA we want to eliminate the risk of theft for our students and deter criminals at the same time. “SelectaDNA is the latest in forensic marking products and as far as we are concerned it is another ‘tool in the toolbox’ that we can use to protect our students.”

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NAS and Axcis team up to develop Autism Education Roadshow Education is a fundamental part of every child’s life, but far too many children with autism are not getting the education they need and deserve. A recent survey from the National Autistic Society (NAS) which launched the charity’s Great Expectations campaign on Special Education Needs, found that just half of parents (52%) who have a child with autism feel they are making good educational progress. The research also revealed that 7 out of 10 parents found it difficult to get the educational support their child needs, and while they waited and fought for the right support, their child’s educational progress (70%), mental health (60%), behaviour (68%) and self esteem all suffered enormously. But with the right support, every child has the opportunity to succeed. Parents and young people both agree that a good knowledge of autism helps meet children’s needs. However, 43% of young people with autism felt their teachers don’t know enough about the condition.

Boosting social mobility through careers learning in primary schools As a senior politician urges the government to help children to prepare for their future earlier, schools around the country are giving their pupils a head-start thanks to a new computer program. In his report to the Prime Minister, Simon Hughes MP, deputy-leader of the Liberal Democrats and Advocate for Access to Education highlights the impact that career-related learning in primary schools can have on educational achievement and social mobility. In his report, Simon Hughes said, “It is never too early for people to start thinking about future careers and educational opportunities. Children in their last year of primary school can be inspired, and can form their first clear impressions of the world of work and further study.” Loughborough University company and leading provider of careers guidance resources, CASCAiD Ltd has already started working with primary schools to introduce careers to pupils in Key Stage 2.

In response, The National Autistic Society, the UK’s leading charity for people affected by autism, has joined together with SEN teaching and support recruitment specialist, Axcis Education Recruitment, to develop a series of roadshows designed to help teachers and other professionals learn the tools and strategies they need to support children with autism effectively. Throughout 2011 and 2012, the roadshow programme will see a series of five conferences taking place across the UK providing education, health and social care professionals, as well as parents of pupils with autism, with an opportunity to learn new strategies, share good practice and network. Featuring a range of expert speakers, workshops, a panel debate and plenty of networking opportunities, the events will provide a unique opportunity for professionals to gain crucial knowledge about how to best support children with autism. Mark Lever, Chief Executive of the National Autistic Society said: “Autism is a serious, lifelong and disabling condition and is a lot more common that most people think. Parents and young people agree that knowledge of autism, more

Lynda Lacey, Chief Executive of CASCAiD Ltd said, “We visited primary schools recently to look at the impact of career-related learning, using our new program, Paws in Jobland.” “Introducing pupils to people who do jobs that they hadn’t heard of had a hugely positive effect on them. We found that children were intrigued by careers such as agricultural engineer, jewellery designer, air traffic controller and theatre technician.” “After finding out about jobs like lab technician and scientist, we saw pupils who previously weren’t very motivated decide that they wanted to sign up for the after school science club.” “Although those children may not go into those professions, they are now really engaged with learning which is vital for them as they make the transition to secondary school.” “The teaching staff that we have worked with have seen particular benefit to children from disadvantaged backgrounds where there is little exposure to adults with a broad range of careers.” “This demonstrates that introducing careers in primary schools has great benefits for improving social mobility.” Schools that have introduced pupils to Paws in Jobland have seen great benefits.

than anything, helps children’s needs to be met in school and many teachers also tell us that they would like more training in autism. We hope that this series of conferences developed in association with Axcis will empower teachers and professionals to ensure that children with autism in the education system are supported in the best way possible, to help them to go on to lead fulfilling and rewarding lives.” Jean Wilson, Managing Director of Axcis Education Recruitment said: “We are delighted to support the National Autistic Society in delivering training which is set to benefit teachers, support staff and, most importantly, individuals with autism. This partnership is indicative of our ongoing commitment to putting something back into education. I am looking forward to co-chairing these events.” The series of conferences will begin on 11th October, with the first event taking place in Liverpool. The roadshow will then continue to Newcastle, Birmingham, Exeter and will end with the final conference in London in March 2012. For a full list of events, details and key topics please visit: www.autism. org.uk/conferences/roadshow2011

Head teacher Linda Jeffcut said, “We feel that Paws in Jobland really does encourage the children to think of themselves in the real world of work, yet in a fun and child-friendly format.” Assistant head teacher Mr Wakeland said, “Because of the limitations of what the children know about, it has been good for them to broaden their knowledge of the community and what people do.” Pupils who have used Paws in Jobland have already started to understand the link between education and their life as an adult. Beth aged 9 said, “Paws made it easy to find out about what I could do when I leave school. It’s important to think about the things you could do when you leave college.” Heather aged 10 said, “Paws in Jobland helps you because it shows you what you need to do to reach your dream.” More information on Paws in Jobland, including examples of the program in use in the classroom, is available from www. cascaid.co.uk/paws. The ‘Hughes Report’ is available to download from www.cabinetoffice. gov.uk.

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London’s school food on path to a healthy and sustainable future Good news for the capital’s schools, as term comes to an end, with new figures showing that half of all London boroughs are now serving healthy, ethical and environmentally sustainable meals.

food culture and connect children with the environment and source of their food. Schools are encouraged to grow their own food, teach pupils and parents to cook for themselves and visit a farm.

Meal providers in these boroughs have proved that they meet the Food for Life Catering Mark’s Bronze or Silver award, an accreditation scheme which is a recognised benchmark for quality catering. Caterers are expected to source ethical and environmentally sustainable food, champion local food producers and make it easier for people to eat healthily.

In Richmond, a local campaigning group, School Food Matters, worked to get schools signed up to the FFLP scheme and helped the council re-tender school meals to secure a Silver standard award, at the same time as making savings of up to 40p per meal.

Schools enrolled with the Food for Life Partnership (FFLP) promote a wholeschool approach, which aims to transform

The news follows a report, Tipping the Scale, by the London Assembly which found that child obesity costs the capital £7.1 million a year to treat and that rates of childhood obesity are higher in London than any other English region. The FFLP,

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supported by celebrity chef and food campaigner Jamie Oliver, has published independent evidence which showed that by ditching Turkey Twizzlers and taking part in the scheme, schools can have improved results and behaviour and reduced obesity.

Libby Grundy, director of the FFLP, said: “The UK has the highest rate of childhood obesity in Europe, with almost a quarter of adults and about one in ten children classed as obese and a further 20-25 per cent of children overweight. Evidence from the University of West England shows that the Food for Life Partnership has made a positive difference to improving diet and this in turn is having a knock-on effect on behaviour and attainment. These latest figures are great news showing that London schools are now getting the healthy eating habit.”

Calling All UK Primary Teachers & Education Managers Looking for a ‘Break Time’ Abroad! Primary school teachers and education managers across the UK are being challenged to take up their most demanding but rewarding career move yet as international development charity VSO (Voluntary Service Overseas) launches its recruitment campaign for skilled educational professionals to volunteer in some of the world’s poorest countries in 2012. Interested educationalists are being invited to VSO’s event in London on Tuesday 9th August, where they can learn more about the exciting, life-changing and career enhancing volunteering opportunities currently available. VSO is the world’s leading independent international development charity that works through volunteers helping to tackle global poverty by sharing their professional skills. Educationalists who take up the VSO challenge will find themselves working with schools, colleges or ministries of education helping tens of thousands of children to get a better start in life by improving the quality of education and teaching practice in countries from Cameroon to Nepal, Ethiopia to Uganda. The charity urgently needs to recruit 50 primary school teachers and education managers who can start vital volunteering posts in January 2012 (which requires educationalists to resign by 31st October ‘11). VSO also needs to enlist a further 100 primary teachers and education managers for challenging and rewarding positions throughout 2012 which will help make a difference to children’s lives and help fight poverty and disadvantage. Previously most volunteers needed to

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commit between 18-months to two years in their post. However now, VSO can offer 12-month positions, which the charity hopes will make volunteering more accessible to interested educationalists. Brian Rockliffe (OBE), director of VSO UK, a former teacher and education volunteer said: “Summer holidays provide time out from your daily work commitments to reassess and plan new life ventures. We’re urging any primary school teachers and education managers who are looking for an exciting, rewarding and life-changing experience in 2012 to get in touch. If you apply now, you could be heading off for your biggest career and personal challenge yet, to the likes of Ghana, Rwanda or Nepal as soon as January. “We urgently need your valuable education skills which will be shared with your overseas colleagues. Knowledge sharing is a vital way to improve the lives of children and teachers in some of the poorest places in the world and an excellent opportunity to develop your own career and personal experiences. Take the first step and visit www.vso.org. uk/volunteer/.” Those applying for volunteering posts will be assessed and matched to the best placement for their skills and experience. Primary teachers need to have at least two years of post-qualifying experience and education managers require a minimum of three years management experience. Dhamayanthi Sangarabalan a primary teacher from Edinburgh took a career break from her school in Scotland’s capital to volunteer with VSO in Ethiopia. She

said: “It was a really great experience. I was working in a College of Teacher Education where students are trained to become primary school teachers. The experience was much more challenging than I thought it would be, but in a good way as I definitely needed a new career challenge! It’s so satisfying to be able to share my own professional skills and know that it’s helping to make a difference. “And it works both ways. I also learnt a great deal of management and leadership skills. Volunteering with VSO has definitely enhanced my career. I’ve returned to Edinburgh and will be starting a more senior position this month and the valuable skills I learnt in Ethiopia will see me better equipped to handle my new role. For anyone thinking about volunteering with VSO, you should definitely apply, take the opportunity and do it!” VSO volunteers are provided with full training, flights, accommodation and an allowance to cover basic costs. Unlike many UK-based volunteering organisations, VSO does not charge individuals to volunteer and its recruitment policy is based on matching the right professionals with the correct skills and qualities rather than on the ability to pay. To book a free place or to find out about future events for volunteers from a variety of professional backgrounds go to http:// www.vso.org.uk/event/30070/informationday-for-education-professionals-london-. For further information about educational volunteering placements, please visit www.vso.org.uk/volunteer/.

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EIA Report highlights the problem of the illegal trade in e-waste and cites Computer Aid as an example of “the right way to do business” Anja ffrench, director of marketing and communications at Computer Aid International comments: “Both the EIA’s report and Panorama programme released yesterday evidenced the devastating impact of UK generated e-waste on communities in developing countries. This is an issue which Computer Aid has campaigned about for many years and we are pleased that further awareness of the issue has been raised. We hope that companies will be reassessing the

way in which they dispose of their IT equipment as a result of the report and TV programme.” Computer Aid recommends that any organisation wishing to dispose of their unwanted IT equipment ensures that they ask seven key questions before selecting a waste disposal or recycling partner, see link for more information: http://www. computeraid.org/donate.asp?section=6 “Computer Aid is cited in the EIA report as an example of “the right way to do business.” The report describes us as a “wholly legitimate” organisation which ensures the “compliant exports of secondhand electronics”. Donating PCs to Computer Aid helps reduce the problem of e-waste as well as tackle the causes of poverty in developing countries through the provision of practical ICT solutions. “Unwanted computers are an integral part of the UKs e-waste problem however the majority of PCs sent for recycling have at least three to four years’ further life in them. Many thousands of computers are scrapped and sent to developing countries as e-waste causing significant health and environmental problems for local

populations. At the same time there is an urgent need for working computers and laptops in hospitals, charities and schools in developing countries and sending tested and refurbished computers to countries such as Ethiopia or Zambia can significantly reduce poverty. “Computer Aid can collect, data wipe and refurbish unwanted IT equipment before sending it to not- for-profit organisations in developing countries. In this way, unwanted IT is diverted from landfill and its life extended by at least a further 3-4 years to be used by schools, hospitals and charities to improve the health, education and quality of life of rural and poor communities across Africa and Latin America. “Computer Aid uses SWEEEP, the recycling company highlighted by Panaroma as an example of good practice, to recycle any equipment donated to us that doesn’t meet our minimum specifications or is faulty. SWEEEP guarantee that 0% of the equipment ends up in landfill. Follow on Twitter: www.twitter.com/ computer_aid

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“When the opportunity to apply for Salix funding arose, it was a natural step for us to retrofit the BMS at the Soundwell and Orpen Park Centres with a new Priva system,” commented Steve Ramsden, Building Services Engineer at City of Bristol College. “We have been actively looking for ways to reduce energy use on site, particularly in light of the recent legislation that compels us to make public the building’s energy use through a Display Energy Certificate. Our previous BMS was an unreliable, 1970s set-up that had become obsolete and definitely didn’t fit with our current energy-conscious ethos.”

Government funding allows City of Bristol College to cut its energy use via BMS retrofit City of Bristol College’s Soundwell and Orpen Park Centres have improved their energy efficiency and boosted their Display Energy Certificate (DEC) ratings, as a result of the retrofit installation of a state-of-the-art building management system (BMS) from Priva Building Intelligence Ltd. Replacing the aging BMS at the College’s Soundwell and Orpen Park centres with a high-functioning, remote-access alternative was made possible via a loan from the government-funded Salix scheme. Salix, which recently opened up a new £1million pot for projects that can be completed in the next four months, is open to publicsector organisations, enabling them to install equipment to cut their carbon dioxide emissions. Similar interest-free loans of up to £100,000 are available via The Carbon Trust to private- and thirdsector organisations looking to improve their on-site energy efficiency.

Students learn about life on a budget

City of Bristol College appointed Salisbury-based building control specialist, Novac Control Systems, to undertake installation of a new BMS. As a Priva partner, Novac was able to knowledgably recommend the use of Priva technology. The college put together a bid and carried out survey works to ensure that the Priva installation met the criteria to secure Salix funding. It was established that the new system would save carbon at a cost-effective rate and achieve payback within five years, allowing the college to proceed with its funding application. It was a relatively speedy process; the bid was submitted in April and approved just over a month later. “It was part of the Salix funding criteria that the work had to be carried out during the summer break, when the college buildings were relatively empty,” commented Novac’s Neil Clarke. “We were able to work within this timescale, allowing the centres to be up and running with improved BMS by September when the new term began, minimising disruption to the staff and students.” According to Geoff Beaven from local building services consulting engineers, The Brodie Partnership who were also involved in the project, “The installation of new technology on site has had a marked impact at both centres”. As modern

-Thames Christian College wins Good Schools Guide Award for Personal Finance

culture can be passed on to our children. A recent report commissioned by Barclays suggests that a third of British teenagers don’t consider money spent on credit cards as ‘real’. This is a worrying statistic for a country trying to cut back on personal debt.

We are delighted to announce that Thames Christian College has won the 2011 Good Schools Guide Award for Personal Finance. This is a result of Thames achieving the best results over 3 years in the Level 2 Certificate for Personal Finance at an English Independent School. As the UK struggles to move under thousands of pounds of personal debt for each household, it is easy to see how this

Stephen Holsgrove, Executive Head of Thames Christian College comments: “To counter this, the very nature of Thames is entrepreneurial and this is reflected in our teaching of business and finance. We consider financial literacy to be a crucial life skill and teach personal finance as a core GCSE subject making us one of the first schools in the country to do so. This course prepares students for adulthood

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learning and training spaces, the large centres have a number of different uses. As well as teaching spaces and a Learning Resource Centre, the Soundwell centre also houses IT facilities and a hairdressing salon. A nursery also operates from the site. “Whereas the old BMS was crude and timer-controlled, the new Priva system allows for flexible control of the heating and lighting systems, leading to much-improved energy management”, says Beaven. One of the key features that drew Mr Ramsden to the Priva technology was the ability to remotely monitor and control energy use at both centres. Since City of Bristol College is spread across a number of locations, it is impossible for Mr Ramsden to be permanently on a single site. However, the new system allows him to remotely access real-time data about energy use at the Soundwell and Orpen Park centres, via the computer in his office. The Priva system has also opened the door for the college to provide even better facilities to its students. A sports hall within the Soundwell Centre was recently transformed into a high-spec training kitchen, with operational gas consumption. The state-of-the-art Priva controls were crucial for making this change of use possible, since the old BMS was too crude to manage this type of energy use. In the year following the installation of the Priva BMS, there has been a significant reduction in energy consumption at both the Soundwell Centre and Orpen Park. Crucially, the buildings were able to achieve a better DEC rating, clearly communicating the college’s ongoing commitment to sustainability. For more information, visit: www.brodiepartnership.co.uk or The Carbon Trust: www.carbontrust. co.uk

when they need to be able to manage their own finances effectively.” Joe, who left Thames Christian College in 2009 aged 16, adds: “After I gained an A in Personal Finance, my mother put me in charge of the household finances and budgeting!” The majority of Thames Christian College pupils take Personal Finance early, freeing them up to study other GCSE subjects a year later. This is the second time that Thames has won an award like this, the previous award being for Art in both the girls’ and boys’ categories in 2009.

Cooking up increased performance Paul Neville, sales director at award-winning CHR Equipment, looks at considerations in design of school kitchens, new build or refurbished The commercial catering industry, including the education sector, is challenged with reducing its carbon consumption by over 25% by 2020, yet uses currently in excess of 21,600 million kWh a year. That is a huge amount of energy, and cost. LEA budgets are under more pressure than ever, making it even harder- in theory- for schools and colleges to invest in strategies to help achieve targets. Yet thinking ‘outside the box’ could deliver a better kitchen, improve student take-up and thus enhance turnover and cash generation-, and cut catering energy bills and carbon consumption by up to half! This is not just talk….Having refurbished and upgraded its student café area, The Engine Room, Birmingham Metropolitan College’s James Watt Campus has seen turnover increase by over 45%, a reduction in energy usage, enhanced efficiency in the kitchen, and a growth in

the number of students staying on campus. Re-using £1/4m of existing equipment in a major new catering facility saved St Helens College enough money to secure funding for phase II of the development. And although not an educational environment, Cadbury World is saving some 30% on its fuel bills by using more efficient equipment in its visitor attraction restaurant serving 900 cooked meals/week, plus cold dishes and platters. Creating a kitchen that fulfills all the objectives can be quite simple, if a different attitude is adopted- that of lifetime costs, whereby instead of looking at expenditure for one, isolated year, one takes into account the cost over the lifetime of the facility. In our experience, too often we are asked for specific equipment because “that’s what we’ve always had…”. Kitchen equipment, like any technology, evolves. Inevitably, like anything new, it can be more expensive, but the ‘outside the box’ approach could enable students and catering staff- and the establishment’s budgets- to benefit, for years to come. Specialist contractors in any sector are employed because they know best the issues and solutions: that applies to school

kitchens as anywhere else, so benefit from their advice. The average, gas-fuelled school kitchen can as a rule be up to 50% cheaper to purchase on your capital budget. Purchasing eco cooking technology such as induction will require a bigger capital cost, but the payback can be achieved a very short period of time- and deliver ongoing savings of £000’s p.a. on fuel bills, for up to 15 years. Thus it literally stops you burning money, and potentially releases funds for other projects. You turn energy wastage into capital investment. There are further issues of budget allocation: capital cost versus running costs. A fryer, for example, may be cheaper, but how much oil does it use? That cost alone could justify opting for a more efficient unit. A gas hob wastes about 50% of the energy you burn ,induction uses 90% of the energy in the pan . In Austrialia there is now a tax levy of £15/tun of carbon £ 15.00 a year. You can see why it’s important to think about long term solutions. An average walkin freezer produces around15 tons of carbon a year, whereas draw refrigeration units can reduce energy by 30%. Think

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about CO2 refrigeration on large scale catering establishments- a feasibility study for a five-star hotel showed switching to this type of system would save over 600 tonnes of carbon emissions year on year. Invest literally a few £s on a water softener-1mm of limescale buildup on equipment (which can occur in less than a year!) increases energy costs by 7.5%. Application of good planning has similar considerations. Creating a kitchen that delivers the quality of training for students, and/or the quantity and quality of meals for pupils, requires practical thought. If a refurbishment, what equipment is still ‘fit for purpose’? What range and number of meals are

another, increasing efficiency and helping reduce risk of accidents! Strategies such as cooking all in one focused section has added benefits in reducing ventilation/ extraction considerations- and associated services and build costs. The old adage ‘you have to spend money to make money’ still rings true today, but careful planning and execution of a kitchen refurbishment can make the money spent have a real, tangible and positive impact on your bottom line, creating a revenue stream for other tools wanted or needed…..

to be provided? What type of equipment will students be using in a commercial environment that could be practically included in their learning environment?

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How are meals going to be deliveredfrom receipt of ingredients through to service…Effort at this stage creates a seamless flow from one section to

For more information contact CHR Equipment: tel 01772499774; e:paul@chrequipment.co.uk www.chrequipment.co.uk

Schools find innovative ways to encourage healthy eating among children and parents As education providers are under increasing pressure to take responsibility for encouraging healthy eating, Food for Life Partnership schools across the country are finding innovative ways of nudging children, parents and their local communities into adopting healthy eating habits in the long term. Located in an area of high social deprivation, Coleridge Primary School and Children Centre in Rotherham found engaging parents in school activities to be particularly challenging. A flagship school, Coleridge Primary decided to take full advantage of the Cooking Bus, a massive articulated lorry equipped with cooking facilities that visits Food for Life Partnership flagships throughout England to teach cooking skills to pupils, staff, the local community and neighbouring schools. The Cooking Bus, run by the Focus on Food Campaign – one of the four charities involved in the Food for Life Partnership – was a huge success.

Modelling activities and demonstrations used on the Cooking Bus, the school started organising one-off cooking and healthy eating clubs for parents, carers and their children. There might be a session on the importance of using seasonal produce

or a session on how to adapt recipes according to taste; all of the cooking sessions are having a positive impact on pupils’ school and home lives. Headteacher Jane White said she was delighted when “a pupil said they had shared a cooking experience they’d had in school with dad at home. They were encouraging each other to try healthy pizza toppings, such as sweetcorn and peppers - vegetables that they had never cooked before.” According to Coleridge Primary, these after-school clubs have not only raised awareness of the importance of healthy eating, they have shown parents that seasonal, freshly-prepared food can often be more affordable than readyprepared meals. Parents are learning how to effectively communicate with their children through food-centred activities and the school is developing stronger relationships with parents and carers. Coleridge has been awarded the Food for Life Partnership Silver award for its commitment to transforming food culture. More fruit, more vegetables, more confidence Launched in 2007 and funded by the Big Lottery fund until December 2011, the Food for Life Partnership brings together the practical expertise of four charities: the Soil Association, Focus on the Food Campaign, Garden Organic and the Health

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as much as they can, whether that be through buying food from local suppliers, organising food-themed events or inviting parents in to cook with their children. The Partnership offers a Bronze, Silver and Gold award scheme, which gives schools a framework for continuous improvement, while leaving scope for pupils to decide their own priorities and lead the change. Research by the University of the West of England (UWE), Cardiff University and the National Foundation for Educational Research (NFER) released earlier this year found that over a three-year period schools involved with the Food for Life Partnership experienced significant benefits, including those associated with healthy eating. In Food for Life Partnership schools the proportion of primary-school age children reporting eating five portions of fruit or vegetables a day increased by 5 percentage points to 21%, while those reporting eating four or more portions rose by 12 percentage points to 49%. Education Trust. Over 3,700 schools in England are working with the Food for Life Partnership to transform their food culture, and that number is steadily increasing. To be a part of the Food for Life Partnership programme, schools give children the opportunity to eat healthy school meals, visit farms, and cook and grow their own food. Schools also involve parents and the local community PIR Education

As shown by Coleridge Primary, children and parents are finding confidence and enjoyment from cooking and growing, and are partaking in cooking activities at home. The changes in children’s eating habits are also travelling home: 45% of parents claim to be eating more vegetables are a result of their school’s involvement with the Food for Life Partnership, and 43% are changing their food buying habits.

Innovation in schools The Food for Life Partnership is all about bringing communities together, engaging children and their families in school life. Holton-Le-Clay Junior School in Grimsby invites parents in to lunch, which has been so successful some of the parents have indicated that they would come in everyday if they could, and the children beam with pride as they lead their family member to the dining room. Kirk Hallam Community and Sports College in Derbyshire sends cooking kits to feeder primaries and offers Cooking on a Budget classes for senior citizens. The children in Food for Life Partnership schools not only eat good food; they also learn where it comes from, how it is produced, and how to grow and cook it themselves. Talking about the benefits of this whole school approach, Chris Price, Science teacher at Archbishop Ilsley Catholic College in Birmingham, said, “Students have lost weight; they are now eating fresh fruit and vegetables and cooking with the produce they are growing, which they would never have done in the past. Concentration and behaviour have improved, and one student has even decided to take a horticultural qualification with a view to pursuing a career in landscape gardening.” For more information on the Food for Life Partnership visit: www.foodforlife.org.uk

A new dress up day for a marvellous children’s charity – it’s going to be dahlicious September 13th 2011 marks the sixth annual Roald Dahl Day – on what would have been the great man’s birthday. Celebrations are happening throughout September all over the UK & Ireland, and indeed around the globe. To round off the month of celebrations, which include marking a phenomenal 50 years since James and the Giant Peach was first published, Roald Dahl’s Marvellous Children’s Charity is launching a brand new event for schools – The Dahlicious Dress Up Day. Roald Dahl is famous for his stories and rhymes that spark children’s imaginations and, even today, the author is still as popular as ever. Much less well known, however, is how Roald Dahl went out of his way to help seriously ill children. He thought nothing of making an individual recording of one of his stories to help with a child’s recovery or dropping into hospitals to read to sick children. He even helped buy special wheelchairs that struggling parents could not afford themselves. It was Roald Dahl’s experiences of illness – both his own and those of his close family – that spurred him to such incredible acts of kindness. Today, Roald Dahl’s Marvellous Children’s

Charity continues that fantastic work by helping seriously ill and disabled children living with neurological and blood disorders – causes very near to the author’s heart. The charity was established in 1991 (as the Roald Dahl Foundation) by Roald Dahl’s widow Felicity, shortly after his death. Since then it has raised more than £5.5 million to help children and young people with debilitating conditions of the blood or the brain. These conditions are often lifelong and need constant support and although they have a huge impact on both the child and their family, these illnesses receive relatively little funding. That’s why, on Friday 30th September, Roald Dahl’s Marvellous Children’s Charity will launch the first ever Dahlicious Dress Up Day, a mischievous and creative fundraising event for schools across the country. This is one Friday that’s going

to be anything but rubbsquash! The Dahlicious Dress Up Day is a great way to celebrate the characters from Roald Dahl’s stories and rhymes while raising money to fund specialist nurses, care and equipment for children with serious illnesses. Getting involved couldn’t be simpler. Children pay £1 to dress up as their most-loved Roald Dahl character – they might look a bit of a twit, but after a giant peach of a day, they will be champion of the world! And even those who don’t want to dress up can still take part by wearing Roald Dahl’s favourite colour, yummy yellow. As well as sending out colourful fundraising packs to thousands of schools, Roald Dahl’s Marvellous Children’s Charity are also providing lots of other fun suggestions for the day which are all available to download. Ideas such as writing redunculous recipes, making a snappy Crocodile or a pair of Big Friendly Giant ears, or even inventing your own character inspired by Roald Dahl, are sure to get children’s imaginations flowing. Roald Dahl’s widow Felicity is a huge supporter of this new event which both encourages children’s creativity and supports important causes. “Roald loved to make children happy, and often went out of his way to help those in need. I’m delighted to be supporting The Dahlicious Dress Up Day – a fun and creative day which gives children a fantastic opportunity to follow in his footsteps and make life a little better for seriously ill and disabled children.” Roald Dahl’s principle illustrator Quentin Blake is also looking forward to the day on 30th September. “As President of Roald Dahl’s Marvellous Children’s Charity it is

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with great joy that I give my support to The Dahlicious Dress Up Day. It’s a wonderful way for children to celebrate all those much loved characters created by Roald Dahl and at the same time raise money to help other children. I am very excited that children will be creating their own interpretation of their favourite character, and I can’t wait to see what brilliant ideas they come up with.” Teachers and pupils, librarians and parents up and down the country are already getting excited about the day and have been telling us their reasons for signing up: “My class have been studying James and the Giant Peach this term and this would be a fabulous whole-school activity!” Key Stage 2 Teacher, West Yorkshire Primary School “Event promotes caring and learning. Ideal way to capture children’s attention.” Headmistress, Welsh Primary School “My 7 year old loves these stories and the school encourages the children to help others.” Parent, Dorset “It would really be good fun and I would like to help the sick children”. Pupil, Norfolk

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To find out more or to sign up for your fundraising pack visit www.roalddahlcharity.org/schools or call the Roald Dahl’s Marvellous Children’s Charity office on 01494 890 465 to speak to a friendly human bean. For information about other ways to celebrate Roald Dahl Day visit www.roalddahl.com You can also follow the charity on Twitter @RoaldDahlCharity or on Facebook www.facebook.com/roalddahlcharity

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Learning through play “Birds fly, fish swim and children play.” Garry Landreth Play is vital to the healthy development of children, it is how children communicate. Adults communicate through talking, for children their means of communication is play. Children feel comfortable with play and can express themselves through play, particularly when they cannot express themselves with words. Play allows children to explore the world that they live in a safe way and allows them to develop their social skills, mental ability and physical abilities. Children need to be allowed to develop their imagination which can be done through free play. They can be given art materials to carry out craft activities to develop their imaginations, ideas and their worlds. They can also develop their own imaginary worlds through fantasy play. Children can spend hours playing and exploring their worlds, whilst doing this they are learning about the world around them and developing their skills in how they fit into that world. It allows them the opportunity to work through anxieties, fears and worries that they have in a safe place. Play is the language of children, when they are playing they are in control of their environment and of what is happening around them. It stimulates the brain and lowers the stress chemicals in the brain. There are many ways in which children play and ways for parents/ carers to help, encourage and stimulate play. Children love messy play, the experiences and sensations of sand, clay, water, play dough. They enjoy the different

stimulations to their senses. Shaving foam, play dough, corn-flour, sand and water are all great for children. They love the tactile experiences and can learn so through experimenting with the different materials. Symbolic play using miniatures, for example vehicles, dolls, buildings, animals is how children can explore their world and make sense of what happens. Symbolic play allows children the opportunity to explore their imagination and create new worlds in their own fantasy. Children also enjoy building and creating new things using construction toys such as Lego, Mobilo and bricks. Again they can create their own lands, vehicles and worlds. Physical play is also really important for children, it is really important for their long term emotional health and helps to develop their gross motor skills. Physical play also enhances higher brain development helping children to better manage their emotions and ability to cope with stress. Creative play is really good for children too, using junk modelling, paints, pastels, pens, paper. It doesn’t matter whether their creation looks like what it is supposed to be, it is about them creating things using their imaginations. Parents and carers need to able to see things through the eyes of their child. There should be no rights and wrongs when the child is creating using their imagination. It is about their world not the world of the parent. When playing the parent should be led by the child allowing the child to be in control, allowing the child to tell them what to play with and how to do it. This gives the child the control that they need. If a parent allows the child to have control and lets them figure it out for themselves this builds their self esteem. When playing with children

allow the play to be child led, this can be done by describing what the child is doing, asking how you can be involved in the play and praise the child whilst playing. When playing the parent should try not to give lessons or criticism or worry about the mess that may be being made. Just enjoy playing. Dramatic play and role play can again help children to explore their fantasy worlds and imaginations. It is natural for children to mimic the lives of adults in their play. Parents should let their child take the lead and control the way that the story develops. Games are also played by children, they help children develop cognitively, emotionally and physically. Games require certain skills and have rules. The more complicated the rules the older the child needs to be to be able to understand and stick to the rules. Playing games with children can challenge and develop their ego strength. The child has to learn about taking turns, losing, playing by the rules and fairness. Games involve people interacting and so develop social skills, how to solve problems, children compare their performance against the others in the game so helps them to assess their own abilities. All these different ways of playing help children to develop in almost every way. There are so many benefits to play. Play is vital to the healthy development of children. Children communicate through play, they learn about the world around them through play. Play develops their fine and gross motor skills, their mathematical and literacy abilities, it allows them to explore different aspects of their lives, it develops social skills and understanding of the world around them. There are many times in a child’s life when they have little or no control in what goes on around them yet when they play in their worlds they have that control. Having that feeling of control is essential to how a child develops emotionally and to them having positive mental health. Susannah Bradley Certified Play Therapist www.playtherapybedford.co.uk

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NLA’s new online Literacy Guide offers freedom of choice and ease of use! It’s September. Back to school time! And you may well be looking at updating and adding to your literacy resources. Well, if you don’t want to be tied in to restrictive government buying policies and a syntheticphonics-heavy library, if you want freedom of choice on how to spend your school’s budget, you could log on to the National Literacy Association’s Guide to Literacy Resources to view and read descriptions of a wealth of wonderful products. The Guide, which has been created by the NLA and supported by National Union of Teachers (NUT), British Educational Suppliers Association (BESA) and National Association of Schoolmasters/Union of Women Teachers (NASUWT), aims to be a time-saving aid for teachers and other professionals looking for a central and objective source of information about materials (books, software, new technologies and multi-sensory resources) for supporting children’s literacy and encouraging a love of reading. Products listed in The Guide have been selected by the NLA’s Quality Control panel from materials submitted for review by some 40 participating companies (and more being added all the time) and assessed against

From left to right : Dr Rona Tutt - Chair of NLA, represents NAHT on NLA’s Board of Trustees and Quality Control Panel; Ray Barker - Director, BESA; Charlie Griffiths- Editor of the NLA Guide to Literacy Resources.

a number of criteria based on quality and their suitability to the stated learning objectives. The Guide does not pretend to be comprehensive but it does offer an overview of and an introduction to some great companies and a taster of the literacy materials they offer. The Guide’s website (www.nlaguide. co.uk) has been designed by Windrush with an emphasis on ease of use. Its bright, colourful, joyous appearance and practical, straightforward approach is a major part of The Guide’s appeal. Those using The Guide can search for resources by key stage, format, subject matter and other criteria. Each product listed - whether it’s a picture book, a reading scheme, a set of wooden story characters or a sophisticated piece of software carries a review written by members of NLA’s Quality Control Panel and a link direct to the company’s website and a purchase option if wanted. No having to log off, then search for the company or product on another site, it’s all there with a click at your finger tips! Another strength of The Guide is that the products of smaller or more specialist companies sit happily next to those of bigger, more well-known companies. So, The Guide includes some stunning products by companies such as Scholastic,

Oxford University Press, Orchard Books, Espresso Education and Pearson but also some real gems from smaller companies like Day One Productions, Yellow Door and Rising Stars. The range of materials included encompasses many different approaches to encouraging and developing literacy skills and a love of reading including phonics. This is a reflection of NLA’s belief and ethos that children need a variety of approaches to learning. Phonics certainly has its place but it’s not the answer for every child as anyone called Phoebe or Sean could testify! Charlie Griffiths of the NLA and Editor of The Guide explains further: ‘Putting The Guide together and maintaining the website is a real labour of love. The NLA’s Quality Control Panel is made up from members of NLA’s Board of Trustees. This includes representatives of the National Association of Head Teachers (NAHT); National Association for the Teaching of English (NATE); National Association of Primary Education (NAPE); the Schools Library Association (SLA) as well as NUT, NASUWT and BESA. Everyone gives their time voluntarily to look at and evaluate the materials that the companies send in. All of us involved with The Guide have a real passion for children’s literacy and I think that shines through the whole feel and approach of The Guide.’

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Although the majority of the companies and their products were loaded on to the Guide in March /April of this year in time to be launched at the Education Show, the site is constantly updated with new products being added as companies send them in for review by the NLA’s panel. New companies can join at any time and existing companies can submit extra products as they produce them. There is also a discussion board where teachers and others using The Guide can leave their comments. Charlie continues: ‘ NLA produced The Guide to Literacy Resources in a hard copy book format for 6 or 7 years but this eventually proved too unwieldy and costly an exercise. However, after 5 years without the publication, we were still getting requests for it! An online version seemed the obvious answer and much more appropriate for meeting the current needs of teachers. The Guide to Literacy Resources in its online version is still in its infancy but we are getting a great response to it. We hope it will grow and develop over the months and years ahead and to that end, we welcome suggestions from teachers and others on how we can make it even more useful.

In the meantime, we hope you will enjoy browsing its pages and that it will help lead you to some beautiful, inspiring, and practical materials for enhancing your lessons.’

For more information, log onto: www.nlaguide.co.uk or contact Charlie Griffiths, National Literacy Association on 07971 472768

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Academies – avoiding the pitfalls By Ian Waine, Corporate and Commercial Expert at Law Firm Prettys More than 700 schools have already cut themselves loose from local authority and national government control by converting to academies. With more influence over resources and the curriculum, many Heads welcome the change and see it as a way of raising standards and delivering an education that best fits the needs of their pupils. However, this greater freedom brings greater responsibility and robust governance is vital to avoid the many pitfalls which a new academy will encounter in meeting its financial and legal criteria as well as its academic and performance objectives. Academies will bear responsibility in a number of areas which were previously within the remit of the local authority. These responsibilities bring with them an additional administrative and governance burden which, as the operation of schools as academies is a relatively new art, will increase the risk of mistakes being made.

transferred there is an opportunity for terms to be changed by mutual consent. Being free to set pay and conditions gives academies the opportunity to attract the best staff, especially as salaries can be topped-up with bonuses. However, without a tight grip on the financial rein it can be easy to get carried-away, trying to entice the best staff in all areas – but salaries and bonus schemes must be affordable within the overall budget and must be properly documented to avoid any redress.

may not have extensive experience of negotiating contracts and should be aware that suppliers’ standard terms of business are usually drafted strongly in favour of the supplier with the academy being left high and dry when something goes wrong.

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Is the contract for a fixed or minimum period or can it be terminated at any time?

Staff that transfer are likely to be members of the Teachers’ Pensions Scheme (TPS) or the Local Government Pensions Schemes (LGPS). This membership will continue when they transfer, at which time the academy becomes responsible for remitting contributions to the schemes and for all the associated administrative responsibilities. It is vital that salaries and pensions are administered correctly, both from a legal view point and to maintain good staff relations.

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Are the prices fixed for the duration of the contract or can the supplier change them?

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Does the contract impose minimum purchase levels or exclusive dealing obligations?

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What recourse does the academy have if the supplier fails to deliver or if he delivers defective goods or services?

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Does the contract seek to limit or exclude the supplier’s liability to an unacceptable extent?

Administering salaries and pensions is a whole new area for academies. Staff will normally transfer on their existing terms of employment but once they have

Academies will also procure their own goods and services, including those which were previously supplied by the local authority. Although there could be advantages continuing with this arrangement, academies are free to source elsewhere. However, school managers

Key Stage 2 test results - a third of 11-year-olds still struggling in the three Rs

The tests were taken by 554,000 11-yearolds this summer. Today’s figures break down the results to national, regional and local authority level. Children at 750 schools were tested in the science sample test. National data only is available for this test. Teacher assessment judgements were also published at Key Stage 2 and at Key Stage 3 (for 14-year-olds).

National, regional and local authority figures for the Key Stage 2 tests taken by thousands of pupils at the end of primary school, in all subjects – English, reading, writing and maths – the percentage of 11-year-olds reaching the expected level (Level 4) or above is up.

The results are available on the Department’s research and statistics website: http://www.education.gov.uk/ rsgateway/DB/SFR/s001018/index.shtml

But statistics show that: • one in three pupils fail to achieve the expected level in the three Rs combined (reading, writing and mathematics); • there is still a worrying number of children performing at a very low level. One in 10 boys leave primary school with the reading age of a seven-year-old and one in 14 boys leave with the writing age of a sevenyear-old; and • the proportion of children achieving above the expected level has fallen in both reading and writing.

Schools Minister Nick Gibb said: “Thousands of children are doing very well, testament to their hard work and the professional skill of their teachers. The fact that more children are reaching the expected level in every subject is very welcome as is the significant increase in the proportion of children achieving well in writing. “But a third of children are still struggling in the three Rs. There has been a decline in the proportion of children – both boys and girls – who can read and write beyond the expected level. And the results of our weakest readers and writers also remain a real concern.” He added:

Effective negotiation of contracts can save time and money in the long run. Some of the pitfalls which should be noted are:

A simple way of putting the Academy in control of the process as well as saving time and expense reviewing multiple supplier contracts, is for the academy to “We are determined to raise standards of reading. There will always be some children for whom reading is a struggle. However, we can and must do much better for the one in 10 boys who at the age of eleven can read no better than a seven-year-old. “We are ensuring more schools use the tried and tested reading mechanism of phonics. We’re introducing a reading check for all children at the age of six to identify those that are struggling and ensuring they can be targeted. “It is also critical that children read for pleasure. All primary school children should have a reading book on the go at home. Evidence from around the world indicates that the more a child reads, the better their attainment in all subjects – not just reading – will be. “We are also introducing academies into the primary sector for the first time. The 200 worst performing primary schools will be taken over, by September next year, by those with a track record of success.” Follow us online: www.education. gov.uk/inthenews www.twitter.com/ educationgovuk www.youtube.com/ educationgovuk www.flickr.com/ educationgovuk

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provide its own standard contract and use it as the basis for dealing with suppliers. The academy’s funding agreement with the local authority will identify certain criteria which it must meet and will restrict its operational freedom, especially in areas such as admissions and exclusions, school specialisms and facilities for pupils with special educational needs. Nevertheless, academies will still have much greater freedom over the curriculum than their state maintained counterparts. No longer restrained by the national curriculum, academies can determine what their pupils will be taught and can also set the length of the school day and timing of school holidays – but this comes at a price of greater responsibility for the governors who must ensure that the curriculum is properly budgeted and practical as well as being sufficiently broad and balanced to satisfy the statutory requirements. Decision making needs to be clear, fair, inclusive and well-documented. There may be practical issues in changing the curriculum such as lack of support from the local community or even some of the governors. These issues can lead to adverse publicity so need to be closely considered and resolved. The legal form of academies is different from local authority maintained schools.

Academies are, in effect, companies, with governors essentially directors. As an independent commercial entity it is possible for an academy to get into financial difficulty and even become insolvent. The governors will have legal responsibility to manage the affairs of the academy effectively and adhere to legal requirements, with failure exposing them to penal liability and fines. To ensure that the governors are able to fulfil their duties and ensure the financial success of the academy, it is crucial that they fully understand their roles and the nature of their legal obligations. Governance structures must therefore include:

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regular meetings which are fully minuted;

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preparation and consideration of all relevant information (including financial information);

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appropriate training; allocation of functions (such as remuneration) to specific governors or sub-committees.

Robust governance will enable the academy to demonstrate that it is a well-run organisation with appropriate controls and procedures in place and as such will

Ian Waine

limit the liability of the governors, allowing them to concentrate on their role rather than spending their time looking over their shoulder. It will also make the academy attractive to new staff and governors as well as investors should external investment be required in the future. Academies present a great opportunity for innovation. Having more control means they can deliver education that is both responsive and appropriate and can target resources to where they are most suited. Whilst there are pitfalls to be aware of, the right legal advice and guidance will enable the conversion to be as smooth and straightforward as possible. To receive a free copy of Prettys’ “Academy Schools Status – 2011 Guide for Schools Considering Conversion” please email: academy@prettys.co.uk Ian Waine can be contacted on 01473 232121 E-Mail: iwaine@prettys.co.uk www.prettys.co.uk

A robust school canopy that increases the space at your disposal Provide an area where parents can wait for their children at the end of school, or shelter when they drop children off in the morning – sending the message that your school is committed to health and wellbeing.

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Outdoor space needs to be robust, flexible and safe. After all, with the weather we experience in Britain, you never know whether you’re going to need protection from the sun or the rain. Reply No.

Our school canopy structures offer a permanent solution and are ideal for covering school play areas, walkways, entrances and catering areas. As curriculum demands change, space in schools is at a premium.

Either way, we put the needs of your school and children first, whilst at the same time improving the environment for children and staff alike, ensuring a happier place to work and play. Then we can help for more details contact us on:

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Making the most of the outdoors in London, the Home Counties and East Anglia

info@hbcdesigns.co.uk or 0845 0520964

Get your house in order – the implications of AWR With only a few weeks to go until the implementation of the Agency Workers Regulations (AWR), new research shows that more than 80% of schools aren’t prepared. In a recent survey of schools by Reed Education, serious concerns were raised about the potential implications of AWR, including increased costs during times of budgetary pressure, the capacity of recruitment agencies to track the complicated nature of assignments within the sector and most importantly, the danger that the regulations may impact upon the quality of teaching in schools.

At a series of sector specific seminars run by Reed Education, it became clear these regulations are presenting particular challenges that are unique to the education sector, namely the issue of supply teachers – who frequently work for short periods of time at many different schools.

Richard Taylor, divisional director of specialist recruitment agency Reed Education, discusses these findings and explains what the regulations will mean for schools and supply teachers.

After 12 weeks’ continuous employment by the same hirer, supply teachers will be entitled to be paid the equivalent of a comparable worker; which means that more experienced supply teachers will become more expensive, as they will need to be paid in line with nationally agreed pay scales. As a result, there are concerns that cost may become more of a deciding factor in choosing the type of cover used in schools. With increasingly tight budgets, the cheaper option may win out and this could ultimately be damaging to the overall educational experience, as the best teachers for the role may not be considered because they would be too expensive.

The new regulations – what do they involve? The new Agency Workers Regulations (AWR), which come into force on 1 October this year, seek to ensure that agency workers are treated equally with direct employees once they have completed 12 weeks’ for the same employer or hirer. This means that agency workers should receive basic terms that are equivalent to a person directly employed in the same job.

Supply teachers – a unique dilemma for state schools Supply teachers regularly undertake shortterm assignments within multiple schools within a Local Authority (LA), with 75% of those schools surveyed requiring cover from agencies on this basis. Teachers may also be working via multiple agencies which will increase the number of ‘clocks ticking’ towards the 12 week qualification period. For example, in some London boroughs, one individual may have 30 clocks ticking at once. Agencies will require sophisticated systems that can track the complexity of these types of arrangements, and offer security to the schools that they supply will be essential for schools post-October.

Further guidance has been specifically released for the Education sector to clarify certain areas regarding holiday pay, the definition of ‘hirer’, the impact of school closures upon qualification and the use of cover supervisor. This additional guidance has been developed in recognition of the specific challenges that the regulations present to the sector, although may not have provided all of the desired clarity to allow schools to be confident in the approach to October.

What does your school need to do? The first step to complying with the new regulations is ascertaining how many agency workers or supply teachers are used, and this is where the potential issues for compliance start to appear. Most of the schools Reed surveyed had little or no way of tracking the number of agency workers they would use within a year, the average length of tenure or current pay arrangements – all of which are key to verifying when agency staff will be eligible for the same terms as direct staff. With the average time required for compliance coming in around 1.5 hours per agency worker, schools could be taking on significant levels of additional administration to minimise the risk of legal challenges from agency workers. To help relieve the burden, Reed has launched a diagnostic tool that helps determine the impact of AWR on a school based on their usage of agency workers, current pay and conditions, resourcing models and their relationships with recruitment agencies. To receive a free diagnostic report that includes Reed’s recommendations on what your school should do to prepare visit www.reedglobal.com/awr.

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T: 0845 505 0103 F: 0845 505 0104 www.geodenetworks.com

Geode Networks is an independent and innovative technology services company providing solutions and services for the networked IT environment. Our expertise lies in ensuring the delivery of critical educational applications and services over both wired and wireless infrastructures. Reply No.

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Our unique understanding of the technologies used and challenges faced by learning establishments has driven our success in this market Find out why we are the right choice for you, and let us help you unlock the true potential of your networked world.

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The Independent Schools Inspectorate’s plans to overhaul its inspection regime The Independent Schools Inspectorate (‘ISI’) has proposed changes to its inspection regime amid concerns that assessments focus on bureaucratic health and safety guidelines instead of the real issues of quality of teaching, educational performance and classroom success. It is envisaged that the final arrangements, which are not yet announced, will be piloted from September 2011 and fully implemented in January 2012. The proposals follow the recent changes to the Department of Education’s (‘DfE’) health and safety guidance on the legal duties of schools, which have been reduced from 150 pages to just 8 pages, meaning that the ISI must now change its inspection process to meet the new national standards. These measures, which apply to activities that take place on and off the school premises, have been introduced to encourage teachers to adopt a ‘common sense’ approach to health and safety, and reassure them that not every school requires hundreds of pages of risk assessment and consent forms for routine, local visits. This change is in line with the coalition government’s remodelling of the vetting and barring

scheme introduced by the Labour government back to ‘proportionate common sense levels.’ The changes will undoubtedly be welcomed by those independent schools which despite providing high standards of education were criticised by inspectors under the current regime. This was because they breached minimum standards covering safety and welfare required by the ‘tick box’ inspections, such as by not storing CRB checks in a single central record, failing to tell parents that they had the right to see the school’s plans to meet the requirements of the Disability Discrimination Act 2002 or even having a shower with low water pressure in a boarding house. Fundamental to the ISI’s approach is its aim to streamline its inspections so that they are more proportionate to the educational and welfare needs of pupils. In general, the intention is that schools which care for boarders or pupils in the Early Years Foundation Stage will continue to be inspected once every three years, whilst other schools will be checked once every six years. Inspection intervals will however additionally be determined by a number of other factors, such as the outcome of the school’s previous inspection, with those found to be under performing being inspected more frequently. The ISI also proposes a single inspection visit of four days with only the first day dedicated, as far as possible, to regulatory issues, leaving the remaining three days to be spent on classroom observation and other activities. This will allow the ISI to increase the amount of time available to inspectors to focus more on what really matters for pupils and understand what it is like to be a pupil at a given school. In support of this aim, the ISI also plans to change the size of its inspection teams to ensure that more reliable sample lessons can be examined during a single visit. Team sizes would be calculated in proportion to the number of full-time staff working at a school rather

the pupil size, which previously left smaller schools feeling overburdened and larger schools feeling that insufficient evidence was gathered. In response to feedback from schools, the ISI intends to move towards clearer, more accessible inspection reports in order to engage with parents more effectively. It plans to make it easier for parents to compare the ISI reports with Ofsted reports for state schools whilst retaining the benefits of less formulaic writing and clear distinctions in the range of quality assessments. Key changes could include the use of fixed grade descriptors, an overarching grade for the school, grade tables, questionnaires response tables and more benchmarking data. One aspect which appears to remain unchanged is the retention of the short period of notice of 5 days in advance of an inspection visit. Whilst it has been suggested that the recent health and safety reforms are not sufficiently detailed enough to minimise the risk of litigation against schools, it is worth noting that in the past 5 years, only 2 cases have been brought by the Health and Safety Executive in relation to schools and that these were in situations where there was a clear failure to follow sensible precautions. It is therefore difficult to see how the ISI’s proposals to reduce bureaucracy and judge schools against their quality of teaching, instead of arduous compliance with pages of health and safety regulations, will not be met with widespread support from independent schools and parents. The consultation period on the ISI’s proposals ran from 3 May 2011 until 10 June 2011 and the ISI is due to publish a summary of its findings this month. The final regime will be subject to the results of the consultation and the approval of the DfE.

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The Home Office asks for help with anti-terrorist propaganda The internet can be used to promote terrorism and violent extremism and corrupt those individuals who are vulnerable to radicalisation. Recent cases such of that of Isa Ibrahim and Nicky Reilly who were convicted of terrorist offences after being radicalised on the internet shows the influence it can have on people. The Counter Terrorism Internet Referral Unit (CTIRU) was set up a year ago to make the internet a more hostile place for terrorists. The CTIRU aims to remove unlawful terrorist material content from the internet with a focus on UK based material. It also works with international partners to remove material hosted abroad. The unit provides the police service with a pool of experts who carry out initial assessments of terrorist and violent extremist material on the internet. It is also responsible for alerting forces, Counter Terrorism Units/Counter Terrorism Intelligence Units and the Metropolitan Police Service Counter Terrorism Command to online terrorist offences that may fall within their jurisdiction. The CTIRU also has a national responsibility for serving any Section 3 Terrorism Act notices within the UK and focuses on developing and maintaining relationships with the internet industry and also forging links with key international partners. So why do you need to know about it? There are certain people within communities that are ideally placed to help the police. You are one of those. We ask that if you or your students come across material that you think could be breaking the law, whilst carrying out your daily work or internet based research, you let us know. The internet is extensive. The CTIRU cannot do this alone and needs the help

of you and your colleagues to help protect those who could be vulnerable to all types of extremism.

assessment and its important that we know the scale and range of material available to the public.”

Detective Chief Inspector, Jayne Snelgrove said: “Whilst the internet makes a positive contribution to most people’s lives on a daily basis it can and is used by criminals and terrorists. “Policing within the environment of the internet is a relatively new area but we are aiming to make it a more hostile for people who use it for criminal purposes. The CTIRU is focused on material which is used for terrorist purposes or promote extremist messages that radicalise vulnerable people.” “A lot of what is referred to us by the public may not breach the law however we are best placed to conduct that

“It may not always be possible to remove referred content due to the global nature of the internet, it is therefore important that the international policing community works together on these issues.”

Referrals can be made via the www.direct. govuk/reportingonlineterrorism website. DCI Snelgrove added: “We would urge officers to refer sites through their special branches who will link into the CTIRU. “In addition you can contact the CTIRU directly for advice and information regarding terrorism content on the internet.”

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BETT 2012 – exploring new worlds of learning As local authorities lose control over education budgets, schools that would have traditionally had little choice in their ICT products are now having to research and negotiate their own purchasing. Keeping up with the latest ICT products and services can be an arduous task in itself, let alone deciding which suppliers will offer the greatest value for money and ensuring that you’re able to make the most of already stretched budgets. For these reasons and many more, the annual BETT exhibition is a must-attend event for all education professionals. Taking place from 11-14 January 2012 at London’s Olympia, BETT 2012 features more than 600 exhibiting companies including global brands such as Microsoft, Dell, Adobe, ACER, Panasonic and Samsung. With a comprehensive line-up of seminars, workshops and conference programmes, BETT 2012 provides you with a 360 degree view of the latest innovations, products, services and best practice examples of how to enhance learning with technology. To whet your appetite, here’s a taster of what you can expect to learn about during BETT 2012.

Education Leaders @ BETT Following its successful launch at BETT 2011, the Education Leaders @ BETT Conference will again provide two days of thought-provoking discussion around the key strategic issues facing school leaders such as: curriculum and assessment change; maximising the benefits of greater autonomy; and teacher recruitment and retention.

Learn Live The BETT seminar programme has been evolved for 2012 to become ‘Learn Live’; an exciting programme of more than 100 interactive, informative and enjoyable workshops, seminars, and

informative discussion sessions. Offering an accessible, hands-on approach, the ‘Learn Live’ programme provides something for everyone with a number of streams including ICT in the Classroom, SEN and Leaders.

interactive system which is currently in more than 250 educational establishments. This unique way of viewing interactive educational content gives the illusion of objects flying out of the screen and “hovering” above your head.

In the UK there is now a wide diversity of school organisations and governance. Each day, representatives from these different learning institutions within the UK will talk within Learn Live Teach Live about their recipes for learning and the role of ICT in their particular institutions. These guests, the school children and the video-linked schools will also be focus of a continuous broadcast stream from BETT Radio, running live on the stand.

The system comes with fully developed Core Curriculum based content, Diplomas, Functional/Life Skills, & SEN sensory packages, from Key Stages 1 to 4. The 3D explorer range provides an extensive library of 3D education content.

New Worlds of Learning Teachers, students and schools throughout the world are learning from each other and exchanging best practices with new technology at the heart of this communication. The central feature at BETT 2012, Learn Live Teach Live, with the theme New Worlds of Learning, will illustrate this global conversation. Led by Prof. Stephen Heppell, a group of school children will be talking to, working with and sharing best practice examples between students and teachers in other countries.

Mobile e-learning Visit Ergo Computing on stand H29 to learn how it worked with the Claremont Fan Court School in Surrey, to offer a pioneering pupil laptop scheme that is changing the shape of e-learning. “Straight academic learning isn’t enough for the 21st century,” says Peter Watters, Director of ICT, echoing the ethos of Claremont Fan Court School that has led to the school being a pioneer of new approaches to ICT. “The commercial world was pushing for skill-sets that weren’t being provided by traditional schooling. We needed to enable our students to develop skills that were applicable globally, skills we call ‘21st century competencies’. Students can develop almost all of them using pen and paper, but the process is accelerated if they use computers.”

Interactive learning On Amazing Interactive’s stand (K50) you’ll discover the Reach Out 3D

Multimedia content Visit Panopto on stand R30 to explore its next generation of products – Panopto Focus 4.0 and Panopto Unison – which provide simple yet sophisticated tools for searching, editing and viewing lecture recordings on any desktop or mobile device. According to Panopto, the technology enables academic staff to capture, edit, stream, archive and share lecture and lesson content quickly and easily.

Literacy On stand P27, leading maths and literacy resource developer, 3P Learning, will be launching Reading Eggs, the highly motivational reading program for Key Stage 1 and 2 students. Developed to tackle a reading challenge facing primary heads and primary teachers today, namely literacy standards, Reading Eggs makes learning essential reading skills a fun and exciting experience.

Classroom amplification Visit Phonak on stand D119 to discover its Dynamic SoundField, a classroom amplification system that dramatically improves how well every student can hear and understand their teacher in class. Phonak’s Dynamic SoundField is the world’s first soundfield system to offer industry-leading sound quality, intelligent automated settings and a transmission mode to suit every student listener.

STEM To be launched at BETT 2012 is K’NEX Computer Control from Data Harvest. Ideal for years 5 to 8, children build a model that includes motors and

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switches, describe how it should be controlled, then create a computer control program with Go Control software and test it with the Kâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;NEX model connected to the FlowGo Control interface. Children take the role of design engineers when using these materials, which cover science, technology, engineering and maths concepts. Visit stand Q40 for more information. BETT 2012 is free to attend. For further information on BETT 2012, its exhibitors and the comprehensive educational programme visit www.bettshow.com.

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Survey reveals widespread reduction in services following spending cuts A new survey out just before the summer holidays from childcare charity Daycare Trust, has shown that local authorities across the country have made cuts to their play services and holiday playschemes, despite rising numbers of parents reporting shortages. Daycare Trust’s tenth annual Holiday Childcare Costs Survey, sponsored by Computershare Voucher Services (CVS), is compiled from figures submitted by local authorities in England, Scotland and Wales. It compares by region the cost and availability of childcare provision during the school holidays, and was released as part of National Childcare Week (11-18 July 2011). This year’s survey found that:

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62% of local authorities in England have cut their budgets for childcare and play services since last year; and almost 50% are offering a decreased level of holiday childcare provision. 52% of local authorities in England said that parents had reported a shortage of holiday childcare in the last 12 months; and 89% did not have enough childcare across the local authority for either disabled children or those aged 12 and over. In the last year costs have increased by 3% in England but there is huge variation across the regions. In North East England costs have increased by around 20% in the last year. The average weekly cost for holiday childcare is £96.85 in England, £89.79 in Scotland and £81.98 in Wales- compared to a weekly average in England of £58.45 ten years ago.

Recommendations in the report include:

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Local authorities should protect holiday playschemes and subsidies for lower income families; they must not implement cuts that will lead to increased levels of child poverty and put parents’ jobs at risk.

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Central government should ensure that local authorities meet their obligations under the Childcare Act 2006 and ensure that there is sufficient childcare for all working parents.

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There should be better government support for, and promotion of, flexible working - including term-time only contracts, with new employees given the right to request flexible work at the start of their employment and not just after 26 weeks in the job.

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Regulations should be amended to allow self-employed parents to claim childcare vouchers.

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Families Information Services and Children’s information Service helplines should be supported by local authorities, so that they are able to provide a full service to parents.

Anand Shukla, acting Chief Executive of Daycare Trust said: “We are extremely concerned that play services and holiday playschemes are

falling victim to local government spending cuts. These are essential services that families across the country rely upon and we know that without these services many parents will have no option but to give up their job or take a period of unpaid leave that they can ill afford, in order to look after their children. If families are able to access childcare, then they can expect a hefty bill. Once again, we have seen an increase in the cost of holiday childcare this year. In some regions, costs have risen dramatically since last year, putting a huge strain on families’ summer finances. For those with two or more children, the cost of holiday childcare can run to thousands of pounds – the equivalent cost of a family holiday abroad.” Julian Foster, Managing Director of Computershare Voucher Services commented: “It’s worrying to see such a widespread drop in local authority funding for holiday childcare and what this research highlights is that it’s now more important than ever for those clubs, organisations and schemes that have retained funding or are privately run to make childcare as accessible and affordable as possible, “By registering with the relevant regulator – like Ofsted in England – and a childcare voucher scheme, holiday childcare organisations can enable parents to make pre-tax salary savings on their childcare – reducing the pinch felt by rising costs and the likelihood that they have to take leave from work in order to make sure their children are cared for during the holidays.”

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A Special Reader Offer on all 3 Eggbert’s Adventures Children’s Books Suitable for Children from 2 to 7 years Buy all 3 Books for £10 incl. p+p and save £7 Also visit Eggbert’s fun and educational website at

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“Really splendid and very entertaining.”

Colin Dexter (Creator of Inspector Morse) “The episodes are written with a delightful simplicity. I particularly like the charming illustrations.”

www.eggbertsadventures.com and download and print off the free activities

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“Endearing Characters and eternal values. Children will love and learn from these wonderful little books.”

BSF is making Hull the city of opportunity Hull’s £400m Building Schools for the Future (BSF) Programme is transforming the face of education across the city and providing a wealth of opportunity for businesses in the area. Educational furniture specialist Claughtons is certainly feeling the benefits of Hull’s BSF programme being unaffected by government changes. The company, based in the East Riding or Yorkshire, looks set to more than double its workforce, with trading figures also increasing dramatically. Hull’s BSF programme – one of the largest in the country - is seeing the construction of new secondary and primary schools as well as a number of school modernisation projects. The programme, which will be complete in 2014, will see the construction of three brand new academies, a new trust school, a Roman Catholic school, six learning centres with specialists areas such as languages, sport, and technology across the city and the complete overhaul of information and communications technology (ICT) facilities. With a track record of project managing school refurbishments in addition to its furniture specialism, Claughtons was perfectly poised to partner the programme’s major contractors. However, the company still had to beat off stiff competition from across the country to be appointed by Morgan Sindall Construction, one of the lead contractors for the Hull Esteem Consortium, the tripartite partnership of Hull-based Sewell Group, Morgan Sindall Investments and Robertsons Capital Projects delivering the programme. The Hull Esteem Consortium have shown a commitment to fully utilising the local supply chain and Claughtons’ contract win is a classic example of that intention. Sam Whitaker, general manager at Hull Esteem Consortium, said: “The professionalism and dedication Claughtons bring to the project really stood out from the day we met them. This is a once in a lifetime opportunity to provide some really outstanding, cutting-edge facilities for children and teachers in Hull – as such, we are committed to using only the best people

From left to right: Sam Whitaker (Hull Esteem Consortium), Steffan Speer (Morgan Sindall Construction), David Claughton and Mike Elton. (Claughtons).

in their respective fields and Claughtons certainly fall into that category.” Claughtons has been involved in the programme’s pilot project at Archbishop Sentamu Academy, due to open in September 2011 along with Winifred Holtby School Technology College. Claughtons is also responsible for managing the logistical arrangements enabling pupils to remain on site at the Andrew Marvell Business and Enterprise College during demolition and rebuild phases. This will ensure educational continuity throughout the construction phase of this major project that is due to be completed in September 2012. Gerard Toplass, managing director Claughtons, said: “We are delighted to have been appointed to work on these two significant projects. As a local company, we are passionate about seeing Hull being a thriving and successful city and, as someone who grew up in the area, I am very proud to be involved in delivering outstanding learning facilities that will benefit the area for generations to come.” Hull City Council approved planning for six more schools in the scheme in January, and work is about to get under way on those for completion in September 2012. The result of the significant contract win is that Claughtons is now planning to expand its workforce to cope with the self-evident demand of full order books and the potential for more work related to BSF. The wide-ranging programme will also allow Claughtons to broaden its furniture portfolio and diversify into new methods of furniture manufacture and construction. Until recently Hull had a hugely successful caravan manufacturing 32

industry and Claughtons is optimistic that it can employ former furniture makers from that industry, as well as supplying the region’s skilled tradespeople with employment opportunities. Gerard Toplass added: “The opportunities are there and it is up to businesses across the local area to proactively grasp them. Our involvement in the BSF programme has allowed us to diversify into new areas and that is a very positive move for us as a company. Given the current financial climate we are in a very good position and delighted that we will be able to increase our workforce. ”Being based locally not only gives us inspiration and a clear and understandable passion, but it also allows us to offer competitive and quality services – a powerful combination that has positioned us to win work ahead of a number of well-known national competitors.” Director David Claughton said: “Best value is at the heart of all that we do and I believe that a great many aspects of what will be delivered on these major projects can be carried out by Hull-based organisations, which are committed to providing distinctive and value for money services.” This is all great news for a company that has enjoyed a strong period of strategic growth since 2009, with trading figures almost trebled by 2011 (from £1.2m to £3m). That figure is predicted to rise to circa £5m this coming year. For further information contact Dave Windass on 07963 117783 or via email dave.windass2@mercurymarketing.co.uk

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Derby building firm celebrates opening of unique green family attraction

The National Forest Adventure Farm, a £1.2m environmentally friendly development that it has been working on in conjunction with backing from Advantage West Midlands and the National Forest. Formerly a steel framed agricultural building located at the National Forest Maize Maze, a popular family attraction close to Burton upon Trent, Elmtree Homes has transformed this agricultural building into an impressive modern, energy efficient public building. The National Forest Adventure Farm opened to the public as a family attraction and an education centre, housing both an outdoor school and a farm school. The National Forest Adventure Farm building boasts extensive insulation, natural under floor heating and will generate its own energy from an efficient straw burner. Following the success of the Maize Maze, established in 2004, owners Tom and Ivor Robinson secured extensive backing from Advantage West Midlands, being the regional development agency for the West Midlands along with assistance from the National Forest. They enlisted the services of Elmtree Homes, haven proven there competence and ability, to project 34

manage and undertake the main build elements of the development. . Miles Thornton, Co-Director of Elmtree Homes described the project: “We have developed an extensive understanding of working on low carbon builds and project management is our speciality” he stated. “Although we were hindered by the very harsh weather around the Christmas period, we managed to keep the project on target and have produced a building that we are very proud to see open” he added. The National Forest Adventure Farm opened to the public on 28th May 2011 and will provide families and school groups with a unique, educational and fun filled day out. It also provides a superb opportunity for those wishing to see a working example of a large scale energy efficient public building first hand. The outside facilities feature extensive animal pens, a pond with outdoor seating and refreshments, a fun field packed with ‘have-a-go’ activities including pedal gokarts, jumping pillow, sand pit, mini assault course and more. National Forest Adventure Farm Tatenhill, Burton Upon Trent Staffordshire DE13 9SJ Web: www.adventurefarm.co.uk Tel: 01283 533933 Email: info@adventurefarm.co.uk PIR Education

of the clan, progressing from Farmer to Hunter to Craftsperson and then on to become a Warrior by the end of the day. Challenges included Woodland Quests, Crafting Celtic Head Bands, Grinding Grain on Quern Stones, and Trading. The day ended with an Award Ceremony in the Chieftain Roundhouse.

Young carers become Iron Age warriors! It’s easy to forget how amazing young carers are, combining school with domestic and caring duties for parents or siblings. And also how important it is for these young people to step away from these duties, relax and have fun. That’s exactly what a group of young carers have achieved recently, transforming themselves into Iron Age warriors at Celtic Harmony. The group from Marriotts School in Stevenage took part in a Warrior Day at the Iron Age settlement, in Brickendon, near Hertford. Celtic Harmony is a non-for-profit organisation that aims to promote a better understanding and appreciation of the natural world through the ancient Celtic culture. The dynamic style of this fantastic day out encouraged pupils to work in teams and complete challenges, earning Celtic coins to progress to the next level of society. They arrived at the Camp as members

The Marriotts Young Carers Link Advisor, Kathy Herbert commented: “Marriotts Young Carers enjoyed a wonderful day out at Celtic Harmony. There were varied activities ranging from Archery to wheat grinding. The element of tribal competition added a bit of spice to the day. All in all a thoroughly enjoyable day out.” Clare Holt Education Manager at Celtic Harmony said, “We were delighted the Marriotts’ Young Carers had such a fantastic day with us. At least for a day these young people were able to put their responsibilities to one side, get out in the open and have fun!” She added, “Celtic Harmony runs a schools programme, which aims for children and young people of all abilities to experience learning hands-on. We link activities closely to the school curriculum in terms of topics, such as Invaders & Settlers, and also learningoutcome objectives such as learning to work together. We also run a number of family events throughout the year. For more information visit www.celticharmony.org.

School Food Trust responds to obesity research: Start early, keep up the good work on healthy school meals and boost cooking skills The School Food Trust has responded to new research, published in The Lancet, predicting that 26 million people in the UK could be clinically obese by 2030. The charity’s Chairman, Rob Rees, said: “There are simple things which can make a huge difference here. We have to start early - support nurseries, children’s centres and other providers of childcare to offer balanced menus, encouraging children to try lots of different foods and to eat together. We have to help families with young children to develop the skills they need to cook healthy meals, from scratch, at home. “We also need to encourage more children to choose healthy school meals which on average are much healthier than a typical packed lunch - and keep up the great work in schools to make nutritious menus tasty, varied and fun. “Finally, we have to make sure that all children have the chance to learn to cook. We know from our work in thousands of schools all over the country that cooking skills improve diets. It’s a life skill which will help children to grow into healthier adults.”

PIR Education provides essential information to help Schools do their job to their best. Published per term it contains news, articles and information. Subscription is free to qualifying teachers and Heads in all Schools. To subscribe visit: www.chml.co.uk/e and fill in your details. The first fifty applicants get a 6 month subscription to GrowStoryGrow!

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GrowStoryGrow is a story-telling website for learning languages. Stories provide wonderful educational platforms that make children laugh, cry, squeal, question and think. They also provide a stimulating context for language-learning. GrowStoryGrow is unique in many ways: • You can choose one or a combination of languages • The stories are uniquely written in the way that they ‘grow’ using high frequency words • A whole teaching and learning package includes interactive games, lesson plans, downloadable books to take home and more... PIR Education

Shared Services With the new government now settled into Holyrood and continuing economic uncertainty, it is predicted that we will soon see further changes to many public sector organisations. Increased outsourcing, collaboration and partnering will be on the horizon, particularly in the Further Education sector. In these stringent economic times, there are many different, competing and sensitive issues to be considered by Board members and Executive officers of Higher Education Colleges when planning the best solutions to educate their students, motivate their staff and engage with their stakeholders whilst driving out cost savings and efficiencies. Employers looking to encourage staff to change roles or indeed to transfer their employment contracts to another organisation will be mindful of the employment law considerations of doing so. Public sector workers are protected by the Cabinet Office Statement of Practice; in particular the Statement on Staff Transfers in the Public Sector published in 2000 and revised in 2007. Statutory Guidance has also been issued by Scottish Ministers under section 52 of the Local Government in Scotland Act 2003 on contracting by Scottish local authorities. In short, this Statement and Guidance provides that public bodies should conduct transfers or contracting-out exercises on the basis that staff will transfer and The Transfer of Undertakings (Protection of Employment) Regulations 2006 (“TUPE”) will apply unless there are genuinely exceptional reasons not to do so. Even if TUPE does not apply in strict legal terms, the guidance for public departments is that the staff involved should be treated no less favourably than had TUPE applied. In addition, it is worth noting that consultation by HM Treasury has recently closed on proposed amendments to the Fair Deal Policy which deals with treatment of pension provisions on public sector staff transfers. This policy currently offers “broadly comparable” pensions to staff who are compulsorily transferred from the public sector. As the Scottish Government have direct responsibility for public service pension schemes, it will need to decide what approach it will

take once this consultation is completed. While the legal status of the Policy or Guidance may be debatable, public sector organisations clearly expect employers to pay heed to them within contractual terms and their implications are far reaching. The TUPE regulations afford employees rights on “business” transfers to the same continuity and terms and conditions of employment with the transferee as they had previously. They specifically apply to “public and private undertakings engaged in economic activities whether or not they are operating for gain”. This can include outsourcing by public sector and other Government agencies of ancillary services. However, “an administrative reorganisation of public administrative authorities or the transfer of administrative functions between public administrative authorities” is not a relevant transfer for the purposes of TUPE. The scope of TUPE is vast and many employers will not be aware of the potentially far-reaching consequences of the application of the Regulations. Briefly, TUPE will apply when there has been a “service provision change” including contracting-out, re-tendering and insourcing of services and when certain conditions have been met namely: (i) there is an organised grouping of individuals which has as its principal purpose the carrying out of the activities on behalf of the client; (ii) the client intends that the activities will, following the service provision change, be carried out by the transferee other than in connection with a single specific event or task of short-term duration; and (iii) the activities concerned do not wholly or mainly consist of the supply of goods for the client’s use. Of course, even if one of these conditions fails then a TUPE transfer may still exist if the “business transfer” test is satisfied i.e. there has been “a transfer of an undertaking, business or part of an undertaking or business…where there is a transfer of an economic entity which retains its identity”. On close consideration of these provisions, it is clear that mergers, collaboration and partnering have the potential to fall under the auspices of TUPE. If TUPE does apply, employees will be transferred over to the transferee who, being the new employer, will be legally bound to provide the staff who 36

transferred with the same terms and conditions of employment as before the transfer; except in relation to their occupational pensions. There are also obligations which the parties must meet before the transfer. Failure to do so can be an expensive omission, with protective awards for failure to inform and consult being up to 13 weeks’ pay per affected employee; and penalties starting at £500 per employee on the transferor for failing to provide statutory information on employees. Turning now to cost sharing, HM Revenue and Customs has just released its consultation document on the long awaited formal consultation of the UK’s implementation of the VAT Cost Sharing Exemption, as provided for in the EU Principle VAT Directive. Article 132(1) (f) of Directive 2006/112/EC states that Member States shall exempt [from VAT] the following transactions: The supply of services by independent groups of persons, who are carrying on an activity which is exempt from VAT or in relation to which they are not taxable persons, for the purpose of rendering their members the services directly necessary for the exercise of that activity, where those groups merely claim from their members exact reimbursement of their share of joint expenses, provided that such exemption is not likely to cause distortion of competition.” The enactment of this exemption into UK VAT law, likely some time in 2012, will be good news for Further Education Colleges, who want to share services with each other, and indeed like minded third parties. To date, the VAT cost implications associated of doing so, and with a VAT rate of 20%, are prohibitive. This legislation opens up business models underpinned by suitable legal structures for cost sharing opportunities such as back office outsourcing for accounting and finance and/or says shared service centres for HR and procurement. Public sector organisations considering collaborative, partnering or merger arrangements should bear TUPE and impending changes in VAT legislation firmly in mind when at the planning and implementation stages of their strategy; and make sure they are aware of the possible pitfalls.

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Cutting the Carbon Footprint on new Building Extensions Wethertex and Goldseal Conservatories Ltd have just completed a prestigious dining room extension to Bushey Mead School. The extension was built using EcoSeal. This is the next generation of building using structurally insulated panels (SIPs) to construct an ecologically friendly structure. Dramatically reduced heating bills, reduced carbon dioxide emissions and increased available living or office space is created using SIPs. The project took just 6 weeks during the school holiday period so that no disruption to the students occurred. This new build system and Wethertex’s unique Weatherproof renders mean that this extension is as eco-friendly as it gets. Wethertex’s Darren Platts commented, “We have experienced significant

growth in recent years due to increased awareness of the benefits render has to offer – both in the environment and reducing construction timescales. “As developers strive to lower their carbon footprint and consumers look for more eco-friendly homes, render is one of numerous measures that can be implemented to achieve these goals, and

we envisage further high levels of growth as other developers and homeowners catch on.” For more information on Wethertex renders systems visit www.wethertex.co.uk or call 0500 300 407.

Sign up for a free subscription to this magazine and the first 200 get a free Wethertex 1GB USB Flash Pen Drive PIR Education provides essential information to help Schools do their job to their best. Published per term it contains news, articles and information.

Subscription is free to qualifying teachers and Heads in all Schools. To subscribe visit: www.chml. co.uk/e and fill in your details. The first 200 applicants get a Flash Pen Drive from Wethertex!

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External Render,Wall Coatings & Penetrating Damp Experts WHY PAY MORE FOR LESS ? Our award winning external render and wall coatings are acknowledged by industry professionals and homeowners alike as being the leading house wall rendering and decoration service in the UK in terms of quality, lifespan and value for money. CALL NOW ON 0500 300407 QUOTES & ADVICE

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Sanitaryware for schools So what is so special about the sanitaryware specified for use in schools? “Interestingly, sanitaryware installed in schools, colleges and universities is not that different from any other,” explains Yvonne Orgill chief executive of the Bathroom Manufacturers Association - BMA. “Just like the washroom products for any public establishment they have to conform with the appropriate regulations, they should be fit for purpose and look good, and most importantly they should be water efficient. There must also be products for people with special needs. For schools though, the WCs are a little more special since they have to cater for both toddlers and grown-ups, washbasins and urinals sometimes need to installed at a lower height and thermostatic mixing valves, which prevent scalding, are an absolute must.”

WCs for all ages Major bathroom manufacturers supply three heights of WC. The lowest at just 300mm high is designed specifically for use by infants, 3 to 6 years, in nursery and pre-school. When installed in a colourful low height cubicle with half doors these provide a safe and comfortable environment which can be easily supervised. For juniors between 7 and 11 years, WCs at 350mm are ideal. Some specifiers use these in combination with WCs at 400mm high which are the standard ‘adult’ product and which are used in secondary schools, colleges and universities and staff accommodation. Good, branded and reliable sanitaryware suppliers will offer a choice of either freestanding close-coupled WCs, back to wall WCs with hidden flushing cistern (which are more vandal resistant) or wall hung WCs which have the added advantage of excellent hygiene since the washroom floor can be easily cleaned or even hosed. Hygiene may be further improved with the installation of ‘rimless’ WCs. For the lower age groups attractive and brightly coloured seats make toileting more fun but in all cases they should have robust brass (or other metal) hinges to

reduce the incidence of vandalism. All WCs must, above all, be water efficient. Any school will benefit from low volume flushing and four litre single flush products are now common. Schools will benefit greatly from the resultant lower utility bills. The Water Efficient Product Labelling Scheme (WEPLS), which is entirely webbased, provides details of over 1500 of the most water efficient bathroom products currently available in the UK. www.waterefficiencylabel.org.uk/

Washbasins All sanitaryware suppliers provide a range of washbasin sizes and styles and most are suitable for use in education. The choice is essentially down to the preference of the architect or specifier. However, the positioning of washbasins is important and should not be forgotten. Installation height, from the floor to the front of the lip of each basin, depends on the type of establishment and the age of the user. There are no set rules, but as a guide, infants would have washbasins set at 560 mm, juniors at 785 mm and for secondary and adult around 800mm. Washbasins may be installed singularly, in rows in vanity tops, or as specialist stainless steel troughs.

The use of a ceramic pedestal to support a single washbasin is generally not now used except, perhaps, in staff accommodation or for visitor areas. Wall hung basins supported in a wall frame are therefore the current practice and in exceptional circumstances a robust steel centre leg can be added for additional anti vandal support. The provision of robust pipework for waste water should always be born in mind.

Urinals As with washbasins, bowl urinals should be installed at a height to suit the age of the user. As a general rule the heights to the front rim are 410mm for infants, 510mm for juniors and 610mm for adults. Waterless or water-free urinals in either ceramic, plastic or stainless steel are increasingly common. These have a massive advantage in that they are excellent water savers – they don’t use any! But specifiers should be aware that there are on-going maintenance costs to bear in mind.

Taps and showers These are the most technical of bathroom products and the choice available to

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rightly so) and the key details are given in Building Regulations Approved Document M, the Disability Discrimination Act 2005, and British Standard BS8300:2009.

Layout and design the regs

architects and specifiers is enormous. Key to all products is the need for them to be safe to use. Scalding accidents from uncontrolled hot water are rare in schools and this has been achieved by the requirement to install thermostatic mixing valves (TMVs) which prevent the supply of hot water above a set maximum (usually 43°C). TMVs may be built in to the tap or shower body or

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may be a separate valve installed in the supply pipework.

DocM The law requires that any building used by the public must have toilet facilities specially provided for use by people with special needs. The rules are strict (and

Regulations and standards relating to the layout and design of toilets in schools can be difficult to understand and absorb but the main documents are probably ‘Standard specifications, layouts and dimensions. Toilets in Schools’ and ‘The Education (School Premises) Regulations 1999’. They can be viewed and downloaded here: www.education.gov.uk/publications/ standard/publicationDetail/Page1/DFES00365-2007 www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/1999/2/ contents/made The requirements of the Local Authority must also be considered at the design stage. Further help on the understanding of industry terminology can be found at the BMA website at www.bathroomassociation.org/

News

Free books for children

Merseyside PreSchool children first in UK to receive Electronic Learning Folders

Education Secretary Michael Gove confirmed that children in England will continue to receive free books at key stages of their childhood to instill a love of stories and reading. The free bookgifting scheme will be delivered by the successful Booktrust charity with Government investment valuing £13.5m over two years – half the cost of the previous scheme.

Young children attending a leading Merseyside pre-school and day nursery group have become the first in the UK to receive timeless electronic records of their work. Gingerbread Pre-Schools has started to issue its children with e-folders containing scanned versions of every piece of work they do while at the nursery. And each week, one item of work – perhaps a painting, drawing or letter formation – is scanned and emailed to every child’s parents for them to share with other members of the family. The e-folders are the latest innovation by Gingerbread, which has pre-schools in Crosby and Fazakerley with a third one opening in Mossley Hill in the autumn. The group, which aims to become the North West’s leading early years childcare provider, already allows parents to view video images of their children securely at any time on its NurseryCam Internet Viewing System. The innovative service can also be accessed from parents’ Smartphones. In addition, Gingerbread House in Crosby, Gingerbread Cottage in Fazakerley and the new Greenbank Park Day Nursery in Mossley Hill all have biometric fingerprint door entry systems for its front doors, as well as boasting

The new bookgifting programme will remain a universal offer, but will be enhanced by new elements offering targeted support for disadvantaged children and families. The programme will give all children up to the age of 11 access to books from an early age and will help contribute towards their literacy and learning skills. Education Secretary Michael Gove said: “A lifetime love of books, stories and rhymes starts in the earliest days of a child’s life, and intensifies throughout their childhood and beyond. This scheme will help all children to develop a love for books and will crucially provide extra support to address the needs of children who live with disadvantage. I am extremely confident that Booktrust, with whom we’ve worked closely to secure an excellent funding package over the next two years, will use their wealth of experience and expertise to deliver a bookgifting scheme that makes a real difference to children and families, and is sustainable in the longer term.” Chief Executive of Booktrust Viv Bird said: “We are pleased that the Department for Education is to continue its strong partnership with Booktrust and publishers in funding the bookgifting programme. This announcement reflects our shared aspiration to inspire a love of reading, and to offer more choice and support to the most disadvantaged children and families. Working closely with our partners Booktrust will ensure the continued delivery of a universal offer in a cost effective way and also create new offers targeted to those most in need. This will mean that as well as receiving free books for children to read for pleasure, schools with a high proportion of pupils from disadvantaged backgrounds will be invited to join the programme. We are tremendously grateful for the support we have received from publishers, authors, local authorities, libraries, health officials, schools and children’s centres and look forward to consulting closely with all of our partners about the shape and details of the programme.” The schemes are:

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Bookstart Baby - 0-12 months - universal offer

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Bookstart Corner - 12 -30 months targeted through Children’s Centres

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Bookstart Treasure Bag - 3-4 years universal offer

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Booktime - 4-5 years (Reception year) - universal and enhanced by a targeted Primary Programme for Reception age and Year 1 children

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Booked Up – 11-12 years (Year 7) universal and enhanced by a targeted Secondary Programme for children in years 7 and 8

There are also titles for children with additional special needs, as part of the Bookstart, Booktime and Booked Up arrangements. Working closely with Booktrust, the new offer builds on the previous scheme with additional targeted provision for the most disadvantaged children and families. This will include working with a number of schools serving the most disadvantaged children to provide additional support from Booktrust which will focus on three main areas:

the latest IT, white boards and interactive smart tables. Stephen Collins, Gingerbread Pre-Schools Group chief executive, said: “During the past five years we have invested in the region of £250,000 on ensuring that each of our nurseries and our head office are able to take advantage of the very latest in technology. “The technology has been harnessed to ensure that our children can receive the best possible early years and preschool education in a safe and secure environment. “We believe our electronic work folders are a first in the UK. Rather than just keeping children’s work in a hard copy development folder, we are now able to scan in every single piece of work done by a child during their time with us and provide this to their parents when they leave as a timeless electronic folder to be enjoyed for years to come.” Stephen has drawn up plans to build the Gingerbread chain to as many as 10 over the next five years involving the creation of around 200 jobs. Gingerbread is backed by national investment company Downing LLP which has made a substantial investment to assist with the roll-out. The company, which currently employs 60 staff, has begun a recruitment drive for the Mossley Hill pre-school and day nursery. It is looking for a manager and deputy manager as well as a number of other early years support staff. Gingerbread is currently renovating the former Lourdes convent on Greenbank Road, Mossley Hill. When it is opened, it will be called Greenbank Park Day Nursery.

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Maintaining the universal offer for all families with babies 0-12 months and at 3 years encouraging all families to nurture their child’s love of books and reading – we know a good home-learning environment is shown to be important for children’s development and linked to unlocking social mobility.

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A strong new offer for families with toddlers aged 12-30 months (Bookstart Corner) accessed only through Sure Start Children’s Centres to help us do more to ensure that the families in greatest need benefit.

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Building on universal bookgifts for children in reception and year 7, a new targeted offer will provide extra resources for particularly disadvantaged schools, to help raise standards of literacy among those pupils who are often at risk of underattaining, supporting those who may be growing up without access to books to achieve their potential.

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Sarnafil roofing system’s longevity and 20-year guarantee protects priceless Bodleian books A 10,000sq m Sarnafil roofing system is protecting one of the country’s most precious collections of books and manuscripts stored at the University of Oxford’s newly built Bodleian Libraries Book Storage Facility. The £26 million book warehouse, based in South Marston near Swindon, is capable of holding 8.4 million volumes on 153 miles of shelving. Providing a new home for nearly six million books, maps, manuscripts, microfilms and periodicals, it was imperative that the building – particularly its roof – met National Archive Standard BS 5454. This standard includes strict criteria for design life, temperature, air-tightness, humidity and fire regulations in order to protect such priceless documents. Prater installed the 10,000sq m of single ply over insulation and vapour control layers fixed to a metal deck, thus preventing water ingress while reducing condensation and energy loss. As a result of the Sarnafil system’s specification, the roof played its part in helping the building achieve an excellent air-

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tightness rating of 1.6m3/h/m2.What’s more, with the building required to have a total design life of 100 years, Sarnafil’s 20-year extended products guarantee – together with its BBA-certified life expectancy ‘in excess of 40 years’ – provided just the reassurance the architect needed. Commenting on the use of Sarnafil, a spokesperson for Scott Brownrigg concludes: “The collection at the Bodleian facility is of historical significance and highly valuable. The building is designed to meet the National Archive Standard and have a design life of 100 years. A watertight, airtight and long-lasting roof was therefore essential in meeting the brief and achieving these standards.

Eco-friendly printer in tree initiative

Matthew Mason of John Mason Printers in Skipton has expanded his tree planting initiative with 450 new trees, enlisting the help of Craven College students to plant them. Inspired by his love of wildlife and the Yorkshire Dales, and to balance the ecological equilibrium of the family printing business, Matthew first started his project to plant a tree for every customer three years ago. Simon Midgley, Manager of the Centre for Rural & Equine Studies at Craven College helps to co-ordinate the ongoing project which he believes gives the students a range of experience in the real world and helps to build links between the college and the community. The first batch of trees, planted on land at Embsay belonging to Matthew’s neighbour, John Edwards, have now reached 12 foot high. In total the plot is now home to 2350 trees planted for the scheme which aims to restore some of our native deciduous woodland.

News

Founded in 2003 they are non-profit company and registered charity based in Oxford, UK. Since 2005 they have been developing ideas with over 40,000 children and young people, as well as parents, artists, educational and arts professionals and policy-makers. They run outreach programmes in schools and communities, often the most disadvantaged.

from theatres, museums and libraries to family centres, parks and shopping malls. The annual highlight is Alice’s Day, a free family trail around 15 Oxfordshire venues celebrating Lewis Carroll’s famous stories. The team work to share good practice through our website, publications and events for parents, educational and arts

Schools programme The schools programme includes touring performances and exhibitions, teacher training and learning resources, and long-term partnerships with schools and local authorities. The current focus is on developing children’s language skills through oral storytelling. These programmes are systematically piloted and evaluated. Family programme The family programme includes performances and creative activities with authors, storytellers, actors, illustrators and other artists in a range of venues,

This will combine innovative exhibitions, performances and a wide range of creative activities. Oxford bids for UNESCO World Book Capital Since 2001, UNESCO has nominated a World Book Capital City to acknowledge the best year-long programme proposed by a city to promote books and foster reading. Oxford has formally launched a bid to become the Capital in 2014 and the Story Museum is a key player. Oxfordshire Book Awards - the winners

professionals and are developing a digital treasureBoy and football illustration by Jennifer Farnhamhouse of 1001 stories and story activities: ranging from audio and video recordings of traditional world tales to reading recommendations and story games. In 2014 we plan to open a permanent centre where children and their adults can explore stories from many times and places and learn about their creators.

Congratulations to Michael Morpurgo (one of the patrons) whose book Shadow is winner of the primary book category in the 2011 Oxfordshire Book Awards, announced in April. The winning books were chosen by Oxfordshire children as the best in 2010. The first of 1001 stories Visit the newly-launched 1001 stories section and fly your imagination around the world with inspirational stories to watch, hear, read and tell.

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PIR Education provides essential information to help Schools do their job to their best.

To subscribe to the magazine visit: www. chml.co.uk/e and fill in your details. The first fifty applicants will get free letterhead design and everyone will receive 10% discount on printed letterheads from The School Print Company!

Published per term it contains news, articles and information. Magazine Subscription is free to qualifying teachers and Heads in all Schools.

The School Print Company specialises in photography, design and print for schools, they offer over 20 years experience and work closely with schools to deliver a top quality print solution to budget and on time. l school prospectuses l school folders l school logo design l school websites sales@theschoolprintcompany.co.uk Tel: 01702 464150 www.theschoolprintcompany.co.uk

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Press Releases Doves Farm Foods are specialist millers, bakers and suppliers of high-quality vegan and gluten free foods perfect for special diet and food allergy catering.

• Gluten free flours and bulk baking requisites

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• Gluten free mixes

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Girbau Launches Complete Laundry Care Girbau’s comprehensive range of commercial laundry equipment for schools, colleges and universities is now available as part of a unique new Complete Laundry Care service (www. completelaundr ycare.co.uk) designed to make running an onpremise laundry simple, hasslefree and affordable . Complete Laundry Care offers the latest Girbau energy efficient washers, dryers and ironers with a fixed monthly rental that includes all service and maintenance. No upfront capital payment is required and you keep the capital cost of new equipment off your balance sheet. There are no call out charges or repair bills to pay, so you keep budgets tightly under control. The new Complete Laundry Care package is backed by Girbau UK’s in-house, nationwide same day/next day service and maintenance operation. Under the terms of a unique Pay No Rental service guarantee, the Reply No. company will pay a whole month’s rental if it is ever 26 unable to attend a service call in the promised time. For full details of the Complete Laundry Care package visit www.completelaundrycare.co.uk

Prep School Pupils im-press with interview of Children’s Author Two pupils from Sutton Valence Prep School had the rare opportunity to interview prolific children’s author Michael Morpurgo, author of War Horse and Children’s Laureate from 2003-2005. Year 6 pupil Silke Heyse and Amelia Rawstorne from Y4 – members of the school’s newspaper club – met Morpurgo at the National Army Museum in Chelsea, along with Daily Mail journalist Charlotte Kemp, where they learned about his career as an author and his latest book ‘Little Manfred.’ The newspaper club, which meets every Monday, has been uncovering the true story of a wooden Dachshund, donated to the Imperial War Museum, which forms the basis of the book. (The wooden toy was carved by a German Prisoner of War and given to the three children of a British family who befriended him on a Kent farm at the end of the Second World War and Little Manfred is the story of its journey from the family to the museum.) The book is the latest in a long line of tales from the children’s author, who has written more than 100 children’s books. He has enjoyed huge notoriety in recent months, since the opening on the West End stage of his earlier novel War Horse and an exhibition inspired by War Horse

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is due to open at the National Army Museum in October. Silke and Amelia were invited to sit in on the interview and learn about the author and also the work of a journalist. They then had the opportunity to ask a few questions of their own. When asked by Amelia about his inspiration for War Horse, the author revealed: ‘I would not have written War Horse if my wife and daughter hadn’t begged me to write about horses. They are horse crazy! Horses are very beautiful but whenever I ride them I fall off!’ Morpurgo revealed he began story-writing when he discovered pupils at his school were more fascinated by the tales he made up than the stories he was reading to them. Silke said: “I could have sat and listened to him for hours - which explains why he is such a good storyteller.” Sutton Valence Preparatory School is enthusiastic about developing and promoting literacy skills, broadening reading horizons and introducing children to the delights of language. The English teachers use the library as a classroom; there are book readings at lunch time, reading clubs and visits from local and well-known authors. Sutton Valence Prep School Deputy Head Claire Corkran said: “We were offered this very special opportunity by a parent, for which we are most grateful. It is a day the children will remember for the rest of their lives.”

Celebrate better salt spreading with Magnum With winter approaching and a hard season forecast, successful importer of essential equipment DMMP Limited is delighted to announce that it has become the exclusive importer and dealer for the Magnum salt-spreaders. This hardy, no-nonsense range can be fitted to vehicles, Reply No. trailers, forklift or even quad bikes; with prices from just £799 for the spreaders and £150 for accessories no 27 contractor need be left in the cold this winter. Designed and manufactured in the US in Ohio where the lowest recorded temperature was minus 29 degrees (1994) and third of the year is below freezing, the Magnum range has been honed to cope with tough winters but it was trialled in England last winter when we experienced our coldest winter for 31 years. Well known in the US as a high quality spreader designed for professionals, the brand was taken over by the Louis Berkman Work product Company in 2007. For more information about the range, please contact Colin Hood at DMMP Limited on 0845 643 9776 or visit www.dmmp.co.uk

Randstad’s workpocket 2011/12 proves to be essential guide for education sector Randstad’s 9th annual workpocket has already established itself as a valuable resource for HR departments and in conjunction with the start of the new academic year, it is being launched to the education sector. Reply

Written by leading employment professionals, No. workpocket gives practical advice and actionable answers 28 to give schools guidance and support regarding key issues. Crucial topics addressed include understanding and managing the impact of the forthcoming Agency Workers Regulations (AWR), which come into force on 1st October this year. Copies of the 2011/12 workpocket are available at www.randstad.co.uk

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

01234 348878 or email production@pirnet.co.uk We are always looking for good news on Education issues. We approve all articles prior to press.

Look forward to hearing from you!

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Change brewing in Dudley….

New Play Unit Ties In With EYFS Review

Up to 10,000 students who attend Dudley College will have a surprise when they return in Septembera completely new sustainable café area.

Tel 01772499774; e:paul@chrequipment.co.uk; www.chrequipment.co.uk

A new play unit for children aged 1-4 could help achieve many of the benchmarks set out in the recently reviewed Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) framework, according to UK play equipment specialists Sutcliffe Play. Minizone, a new modular play structure developed by Reply Sutcliffe Play and Dutch play firm Nijha, is designed No. to encourage physical and creative play. Its launch 30 coincides with the recommendation from Dame Clare Tickell, Chief Executive of Action for Children, which states that the EYFS should be made simpler and more focused on key areas such as physical development and communication and language. “Dame Clare has recommended that the EYFS focuses on children’s ability to develop and learn healthily, ensuring they have the basic communication skills they need to thrive when they start school,” explains Dave Brady, Design Director at Sutcliffe Play. Minizone can also be made available for indoor environments and with no need for safety surfacing, it is perfect for smaller spaces or adding to an existing outside play area. Anyone wishing to see firsthand the consistency of the deck material is welcome to contact Sutcliffe Play for a sample on 01977 653200. For more information visit www.sutcliffeplay.co.uk

College to redevelop Website

CHR drives improved performance….

Leading commercial kitchen company CHR Equipment, based in Bamber Bridge, Preston, has won the £1/4m contract to revamp the central atrium at the College’s 75 years-old Broadway Campus into a fully integrated refreshment zone. As lead contractor, CHR will manage the whole project, including removal of the existing refectory, kiosk, shop and coffee bar, and installation of a new café, lounge and retail areas, toilets, décor and signage- all within the two months of summer recess, and to high standards of sustainability. Founded 20 years ago, CHR Equipment (www.chrequipment.co.uk) has built a reputation for consistently delivering practical solutions, applying innovative thinking and utilizing developments in technology to create commercial catering solutions on time and to budget whether new build or refurbishment of a hotel or college through to the upper echelons of Michelin-starred establishments and stadia

Investment in student facilities is not only helping Birmingham Metropolitan College provide a hub for industry resource, but is resulting in a 50% improvement in cash generation in one area alone- with help from CHR Equipment. The College, which operates across three sites, is in the process of executing a strategic plan to refurbish its James Reply Watt campus to provide students and the local community No. with industry standard resources to help them achieve their goals; its latest OFSTED report rated it ‘outstanding’ in its provision of training in integrated manufacturing 32 technology, high technology engineering and enviro-technologies. Founded 20 years ago, CHR Equipment (www.chrequipment.co.uk) has built a reputation for consistently delivering practical solutions, applying innovative thinking and utilizing developments in technology to create commercial catering solutions on time and to budget. Its clients include Lancashire County Cricket Club, Holiday Inn, BMW, and Premier League headquarters. Further, it has for the third year in succession won a CEDA (Catering Equipment Distributors Association) Award, each win being in a different category, demonstrating the company’s versatility and expertise. For more information contact CHR Equipment: tel 01772499774; e:paul@chrequipment.co.uk; www.chrequipment.co.uk

GATESHEAD College is to redevelop its corporate website and integrate the new site into its internal network after handing a web contract to digital specialist AYO Media. The college’s marketing team selected the Tynesidebased web development firm following a pitch against 31 several other agencies to meet the brief of creating an outstanding customer experience for its website visitors.

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Gateshead College’s primary project goal is to communicate course information accurately and effectively and follows extensive research that indicated the need for a high quality performing website. Along with being able to demonstrate the ability to meet this objective, digital expert AYO Media was also able to accommodate the other key element of the brief, which was to incorporate the new look website with the college’s internal databases to ensure it works seamlessly with in-house systems.

Enabling all children to achieve Carol Frankl

Founder and Managing Director, The Southover Partnership

Recognised as being at the cutting edge of her field, Carol Frankl is a leading personality of the Special Educational Needs (SEN) industry. Founder of The Southover Partnership, a regular SEN speaker, an Ofsted Inspector and a provider of SEN training and consultancy, Carol is first and foremost a passionate educator. With over 30 years experience in special education, Carol strongly adheres to a constructive and encouraging educational environment. She maintains that every act matters as one doesn’t know which act is going to impact on a child at any time. Every minute of every day should be a positive experience for the child. Her passion stems from her own childhood where a sole act by one teacher taught her to believe in herself.

Inspired by this teacher, Carol stepped into the field of education and hasn’t looked back. After obtaining her Certificates of Education, Carol taught PE and “remedial education”, as it was then called, at Walthamstow School for Girls. She soon after progressed to Head of Special Tuition in the London Borough of Enfield. Motivated by the Warnock Report, released in 1978, Carol established the in-school support service in Enfield. She claimed that one should follow Baroness Warnock’s recommendations and attempt to meet pupils’ needs in mainstream schools. Enfield was arguably one of the first boroughs in the country to begin this trend. It is now acknowledged nationwide. It was not long before Carol recognised the necessity of targeted funding for special needs, a measure which was not yet offered. Carol swung into action and The Southover Partnership was swiftly established in 1994. The service began by offering a select group of students support in school and some at-home tuition. It soon extended to providing full time education to these students. The Southover Partnership, or Southover as it’s been nicknamed, has since developed into one of the UK’s 44

leading and independent special needs organisations. Carol’s goal for The Southover Partnership is to enable all children to achieve. In order to do this the organisation champions not only its young people but also its staff. Southover promotes a warm and nurturing environment with the aim of enriching all those who are a part of the team, whether an educator or a learner. In addition to her devotion to The Southover Partnership, Carol is an Ofsted inspector in Primary and special schools in the independent sector and is engaged in speaking at conferences on the subject of SEN. In addition Carol delivers SENCO accredited training for the Institute of Education, London. She also delivers SEN related work in local authorities and provides training and consultancy to special schools on all aspects of school improvement and is a School Improvement Partner to 4 special schools and pupil referral units. A UK national, Carol Frankl was born in London in 1952 and holds an MA in Education from the University of London. She enjoys sailing, the gym, swimming and Pilates. Carol is married to Maurice, and has two children, Julia and Paul.

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