QA Education - Online Guide

ONLINE GUIDE

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WELCOME TO THE QA EDUCATION ONLINE GUIDE

FEATURES 8.

AWARD-WINNING CLASSROOM AIR 18.

PURIFIER WITH TECHNOLOGY BACKED BY SAGE

TEMPORARY CATERING FACILITIES AND FOODSERVICE EQUIPMENT FOR EDUCATION

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SEX EDUCATION STALLING IN 19.

SCHOOLS

NEW CAREERS WEBSITE TACKLES OUTDATED STEREOTYPES ABOUT CAREERS IN GEOGRAPHY

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INDUSTRY CAREERS ADVICE FOR 20.

PUPILS

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THE IMPORTANCE OF SCHOOL PLAYGROUND SAFETY

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3 MONEY-SAVING TIPS TO PASS ON TO YOUR STUDENTS

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SEARCHING FOR IMAGINATIVE ACTIVITIES FOR THE GOLD DOFE AWARD?

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SERVING UP SCHOOL FOOD BUYING EFFICIENCIES

5 TOP DESIGN TIPS FOR INCREASING PRODUCTIVITY IN YOUR LEARNING SPACE

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Keeping you on top of new developments in the education sector

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Visit www.qaeducation.co.uk Or contact us 01257 267677 qaeducation@hotmail.co.uk 4

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Keeping you on top of new developments in the education sector

Visit www.qaeducation.co.uk

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QA

THE ESSENTIAL GUIDE TO PURCHASING SERVICES AND PRODUCTS

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Versatile VELCRO® Brand products We’re a team of experts ready to help give advice on the types of VELCRO® Brand adhesives and VELCRO® Brand tapes, we can cut bespoke size and length pieces for your projects and offer bulk discounts.

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Faith in Phonics NEW DECODABLE BIBLE STORIES

The purpose of the Faith in Phonics series is twofold.

Firstly, the books will enable young children to read Bible stories for themselves – perhaps for the first time. With adult support, the reflections and questions provided at the end of each story will help children to apply the stories to their lives.

The second purpose of the series is to support the development of children’s reading when taught using systematic synthetic phonics (SSP).

The phonics used and developed through the Faith in Phonics books meets the expectations for England of the government policy paper, The reading framework (2021), the Ofsted Inspection Framework (2021), the National Curriculum (2014) and the Phonics Screening Check.

Research shows systematic synthetic phonics to be the most effective way of teaching reading. Children are taught the 42+ sounds (phonemes) of the English language and the letters (graphemes) that represent them (letter-sounds or grapheme-phoneme correspondences). To decode words, children are taught to blend (synthesise) the sounds together to read the words. Some common words (such as the, you, come) are not easily sounded out. They are called ‘tricky words’.

Tricky words are best taught by identifying the ‘tricky’ part, learning it, sounding out and blending as usual. A book that includes only words containing the letter-sounds a child has learnt so far, plus a few tricky words, is called a decodable text.

Faith in Phonics aims to enhance primary reading resources and complement existing reading schemes with phonics books that nurture the Christian faith.

Key features ♦ Introduces early readers to Bible stories ♦ Reinforces Christian values of faith schools ♦ Phonics instruction teaches children how to decode letters into their respective sounds and blend these sounds together, skills that are essential for them to read by themselves

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®

redemp orist

p u b l i c a t i o n s

DECODABLE BIBLE STORIES

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Faith in Phonics

OUT! NOW

Box Set 1

“I am excited by the decision of Redemptorist Publications to produce the Faith in Phonics series of books. I say that as a practising Christian who taught Sunday School for over 35 years and who has also been involved for many years in initiatives to improve the way children are taught to read and write. The Faith in Phonics teaching approach takes account of good research on effective ways of teaching children to read in the first two years of school. The books cover a wonderful selection of Bible stories from the Old and New Testaments, with suitably simple suggestions for drawing out their significance. The Faith in Phonics books will be a valuable resource in church schools, allowing them to combine the teaching of reading with the teaching of Judaeo-Christian history and precepts. The Bible is also part of our cultural heritage, however, underpinning much of our great literature, art, music and liberal democracy,

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and even making its way into everyday expressions such as ‘the blind leading

the blind’, ‘a fly in the ointment’ and ‘a leopard can’t change its spots’! I would hope, therefore, that the value of the Faith in Phonics books would also be

precognised u morebwidely thanl just iin churchcschools.” a t i o n Box s Jennifer Chew OBE PHONICS EXPERT AND CONTRIBUTOR TO THE GOVERNMENT PROGRAMME ‘LETTERS AND SOUNDS’ AND CONSULTANT FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF DFE PHONICS SCREENING CHECK

Set 2

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Award-winning classroom air purifier with technology backed by SAGE Rensair is a specialist in portable, hospital-grade air purifiers and an established supplier to schools, as well as the NHS. Through clean air, our role is to combat disease, reduce illness and absenteeism, and enhance learning.

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ur patented technology, which combines H13 HEPA filtration with germicidal UVC light, destroys 99.9% of airborne viruses, including COVID-19. It is independently validated by scientific research laboratories and meets all the standards recommended by the UK Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (SAGE) committee.

Rensair has been included in Newsweek’s list of Best Infection Prevention Products 2021.

Indoor air quality is critical for education environments Covid-19 presents a significant problem for the education sector. The WHO asserts that the chief threat of transmission is airborne. In crowded indoor spaces, like in schools, that threat is amplified, particularly when students are in the same room together for an extended period of time or when enhanced aerosol generation is likely, for example through singing, projected speech and aerobic activity.

However, the scale of the problem is not matched by unlimited budgets. Many school and university buildings are magnificent in terms of architecture, yet chronically under-ventilated. Others are listed, demanding bespoke and costly retrofits. Competing priorities, such as structural repairs, may make a complete overhaul of ventilation systems an impossibility.

Portable air purifier for classroom applications Many schools are structurally under-ventilated and highly unlikely to achieve the World Health Organization’s recommended clean air delivery rate of 10 litres per

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second per person.

Fortunately, HVAC systems are not the only solution. Portable air purifiers can do an effective job, either enhancing existing ventilation systems or working in isolation to bridge the gap..

They must be high performing, hospital-grade air purifiers with a powerful fan to ensure adequate air circulation, HEPA air filtration to trap particles and UVC light to destroy the harmful ones. Residential air purifiers will not deliver the same results, despite overinflated marketing claims.

The investment is just a fraction of what it would cost for an

in-built ventilation system, with no disruption for installation.

Through air purification, further savings can be made by reducing energy consumption for heating or cooling fresh air intake.

Ensuring safety in addition to health Unlike other technologies, there are no harmful byproducts. Rensair is perfectly safe.

Rensair’s UVC lamp is 254nm +/- 1nm, the optimal wavelength for destroying viruses without creating any ozone. The lamp is also totally

enclosed and therefore 100% safe. and can be used in occupied rooms. It destroys all virus particles on the HEPA filter, rendering it safe for maintenance.

The unit is robust, with a metal casing that prevents children from tampering with it or knocking it over. It is CE, ROHS and ETL certified.

Contact Rensair Web: https://rensair.com/ industries/education/ Email: contact@rensair.com Tel: : +44 (0)20 3973 8927

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ex and relationships education will soon become a legal requirement in every child’s education. With only nine months to go before this process starts*, a survey of young people suggests that teaching of the subject in schools is flat-lining, and for many the ‘talk’ with parents is not filling in the gaps.

In a poll commissioned by the Sex Education Forum, 16 and 17-year-olds were asked to rate aspects of their RSE at school and home. Only 41% per cent rated their school-based RSE as good or very good, slightly lower than a similar poll (45%) conducted in 2018.

At home, young people rated the RSE they received from their parents or carers as only slightly better, with 48% saying it was good or very good.

The findings, being presented at the national conference ‘Final Countdown to Statutory RSE’ on 29th November, found that at the other end of the scale, one in six (17%) young people rated their school RSE as bad or very bad, and 19% said the same of their parents, raising concerns that a lack of consistency and fear of addressing more sensitive topics is depriving some young people of learning that would support their safety and well-being.

In schools, the topics that had been covered most adequately were how babies are conceived and born, bullying, puberty, condoms and

contraception, the medically correct terms for genitalia and STIs. The topics where young people were least likely to say they had learnt all they needed to at school were sexual pleasure, pornography and FGM.Sex and relationships education in schools LGBT+ teaching was another area of concern, with 18% of young people saying they learnt nothing about LGBT+ issues at school, and a further 28% said they had not learnt all that they needed to about LGBT+ issues.

Young people said parents were more likely than schools to fully discuss marriage and other committed relationships with them, with nearly threequarters of 16-17 year olds saying they had learnt everything they needed to about this from discussions with their parents. Young people were also more likely to say they’d had adequate learning about healthy and abusive relationships from their parents compared with schools.

Young people are more likely to have learnt about ‘how babies are conceived and born’ from school than home, with 14% of young people not having learnt about this from parents/carers at all compared with only 3% who didn’t learn this at school.

Other findings include: Nearly 1 in 5 (19%) young people had not learnt the medically correct names for

genitalia from parents and carers, compared to just 1 in 20 (5%) who had not learnt this at school.Condoms, contraception and STIs are topics missed out by around a fifth of parents/carers compared with 1 in 20 respondents not learning about these topics at school.

Near 1 in 10 (9%) of young people had not learnt anything about puberty from their parents/carers

Lucy Emmerson, Director of the Sex Education Forum, said: “As we rapidly approach a new era in relationships and sex education, young people are making it loud and clear that school and parents both fall short in discussing issues that are pressing and relevant for them. We call on the future Government to confidently lead the way, to make a proper investment in teacher training in this specialist subject, and to give clarity that all schools are expected to provide LGBT+ inclusive education.

Ultimately young people want to learn from home and school, and research shows that RSE is more effective when both are involved. We’d like to see future Ministers being ambitious and setting out a strategy to support parents in their role as educators and commitment to see through the changes in schools”.

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You may need guidance in strategic planning, or you require hands on support to develop a department that faces a number of difficulties. As experienced educators and consultants, our work has spanned all breadths of the education sector from primary to higher education, from a subject focus to leadership development. We can draw upon this experience and collaborate with you to uncover problems and generate practical, applicable solutions that will result in real and sustained change.

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Sex education stalling in schools

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Industry careers advice for pupils

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upils are being offered the chance to take part in a nationwide programme to demonstrate the breadth of jobs available in the energy industry.

National education charity Future First – which works to break down barriers caused by social mobility issues – has partnered with Greenergy, the UK’s leading road fuel supplier and Europe’s largest manufacturer of biofuel from waste, to inform state school students about the skills necessary to succeed in the energy and fuel industry. Under the scheme, Greenergy will welcome students from Years 10, 11 and 12 with an interest in maths, technology and sciences to its fuel terminals and biofuel manufacturing plants.

Greenergy will coordinate site tours, offer talks with apprentices and site management about their own

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career pathways and provide insight into the study routes they chose to pursue specific roles in the energy industry.

Greenergy energy industry workersAndrew Owens, Greenergy Chief Executive, said, “At Greenergy we employ over 800 people in a range of roles; from IT professionals, engineers, graphic designers to logistics personnel and truck drivers.

By giving students an insight into how our business works, we hope to demonstrate the range of opportunities available in the industry.”

The project forms part of Greenergy’s commitment to promote STEM subjects in higher education and to support young people in local communities. Future First research shows almost half of young people receiving Free School Meals don’t know anyone in a job they would like to do and that three quarters of

them don’t believe that they can be successful.

Greenergy is one of several leading employers working with Future First to connect their employees with young people in schools and colleges.

The link between schools and employers enables students to broaden their horizons and boost their confidence, motivation and knowledge about career pathways.

This opportunity will help pupils understand the type of jobs available in the energy industry Future First’s partnership with Greenergy will allow more students to see what careers are available on their doorsteps and to access the experience and advice from people who work there.

This opportunity will help the students understand the breadth of opportunities in the sector and the skills needed for

this range of jobs. Future First believes everyone should be able to succeed in a career of their choice, regardless of their background, and the opportunities and insights gained through this partnership will help many young people make more informed choices.

They will be able to connect personally with people whose stories and experiences bring the industry alive. Hearing from employees in interesting jobs helps students make better informed decisions about what they need for their working life as well as develop the skills employers are looking for today.”

Schools interested in taking part in the scheme should contact Emma Fay, head of innovation and development at Future First, on 0207 239 8933, emma.fay@futurefirst.org.uk.

Further information about Future First can be found on futurefirst.org.uk.

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The importance of school playground safety

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laygrounds play a great part in the development of a child, the memories in a play park are often ones that are remembered. They’re the place where we play and explore risk, socialise with others and create memories that we will treasure long into adult life — but what happens when the risk becomes all too much? Retailers of lawn top dressing and play bark, Compost Direct have provided us with some research on playground safety and some suggestions on how to improve the levels of safety in a play area. We look specifically at the accident rates before offering tips to prevent injury and safeguard children without limiting their play potential.

The current accident rate in British playgrounds It is hard to judge the overall playground safety levels in Britain as there is little research surrounding this. However, some studies have taken place that do shine some light on the safety of our playgrounds.

Playground safety – a swing and play area One notable study is that done

by Play England. They suggest that when you compare the risks involved of playing in a playground to partaking in a sport, the sport poses more harm to a child. For example, rugby has the highest non-fatal accident rate per 100,000 hours of exposure, with roughly 280 incidents. Football and hockey are the next most dangerous, with approximately 130 and 90 incidents respectively. In comparison, public playgrounds have one of the lowest non-fatal accident rates at around 5 incidents per 100,000 hours of exposure.

The Hampshire and Isle of Wight Health and Safety Advisory Group suggest that many playground accidents are due to incorrect design and layout, poor inspection and maintenance, unsuitable clothing and lack of adult supervision – amongst other reasons.

Playground safety hazards There are some actions that can be taken by schools to reduce harmful incidents. Of course, children love exploring and being mischievous and often accidents are inevitable.

Playground designers cannot be overly safety conscious when deciding how a playground should look or else the adventures and challenges that children enjoy in a play area will be eliminated.

However, a well-designed playground will not raise any additional hazards for children and will encourage safe play.

When considering the layout of a park, a key thing should be that it is easily accessible by those who need it. Large groups must be able to navigate around the park, disabled children need access and emergency services must be able to reach the play zone in the case of an accident.

The materials that are used to create surfaces in the park should have been carefully evaluated and tested for safety hazards. Hard surfaces should be non-slip, especially in rain and adverse weather conditions as this is a common cause of accidents. Impact absorbing surfacing should be fitted around all apparatus to reduce injury level in the case of a fall. This could be in the form of play bark (bark chippings) or sand. Surfaces

should be level too, with adequate opportunity for drainage to reduce risk of corrosion on any of the equipment. In a park, there should be plenty of seats around the play areas so that children can socialise.

What can teachers do?

The key thing that staff can do is keep a watchful eye over what is happening in the playground to ensure effective safeguarding.

Keep an eye out for older and younger children playing together. Although we don’t like to think so, this can lead to bullying or your child feeling uncomfortable when they are playing. In this situation, encourage children to play on another piece of equipment.

Age-segregated areas can be beneficial for this reason – as well as accessibility reasons.

Keep an eye out for any litter too which may be harmful.

Take on board suggestions for improvement around playground safety too – ask your pupils about their experiences; they might have come across something that you did not notice.

www.qaeducation.co.uk | 11

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3 Money-Saving tips to pass on to your students Y

ou’ve mentored your pupils through their A Levels and they’ve secured a place at their chosen University.

While it may feel like the important work is done, there are many more lessons to share (beyond the syllabus), that will prove valuable as they embark on university life.

Of course, factors such as making new friends and keeping track of deadlines will be high up on their list of challenges, but the biggest challenge of all for new students is learning how to

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budget and manage money.

Having conducted research on the spending habits of freshers, Currys PC World has put together an action-packed student guide to help look after the pennies, covering everything from how to be fit and healthy on a budget to dream holiday destinations that won’t break the bank.

Here are a few of their top tips for making money last: • Keep your food bill down As one of life’s essentials,

it’s simply not possible to avoid spending money on food, but there are ways to reduce the cost of your weekly food bill. For starters, students should skip branded products in place of supermarket own-brand items and buy in bulk, as this is often much cheaper.

The discount aisle of the supermarket is also great for snapping up bargains on food that is about to go out of date but can then be frozen that day for later use.

•

Takeaways may feel like a staple part of university life, but they can really set students back a chunk of their weekly budget.

Cooking tasty homemade versions of favourite takeaway dishes or for minimal effort, snapping up a takeaway-style ready meal from the supermarket, are much more economic options.

Buy second hand - From course-books to clothes - choosing second-hand

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•

over brand new can save a huge amount of money over time. Charity shops and vintage stores are absolute treasure troves for clothes, accessories and homeware, while peer-to-peer marketplaces such as eBay and DEPOP are full of bargains on top brands at a fraction of the price.3 Money-Saving University Tips to Pass on to Your Students When it comes to course materials, it’s common for second-year students to sell on their first-year books for cheap. The university library may also stock the necessary books – though demand could be high if lots of students are after a particular title at the same time.

Don’t blow your budget too early - With furniture to buy

and social events happening left, right and centre, there’s a huge temptation to go overboard on Freshers Week.

In fact, according to Currys PC World’s research, Freshers Week sees students spending double what they would in a normal week. This will only come back to bite them later, however, so it’s sensible for students to put a budget in place, to save themselves from running short of cash later in the term. There are plenty of apps available to help with budgeting, or even a simple Excel sheet will do.

For plenty more nuggets of money-saving wisdom, be sure to check out the full Savvy Student Guide.

ew research commissioned by Leeds Building Society has revealed that nearly a third (30%) of the UK describe themselves as spenders and not savers, with almost three quarters (73%) of UK adults saying they have an overdraft.

Women are also most likely to go on a shopping spree when feeling down beat with a third (33%) saying they shop to make themselves feel happier compared to just 14% of men. Following these findings, Leeds Building Society enlisted the help of Consultant Psychologist, and author of Willpower For Dummies, Dr Frank Ryan, to provide advice and guidance to those who are wanting to save money and to help people train themselves to become savers rather than spenders. Dr Ryan’s top five tips to help you save money this summer are: “Think about all those times you’ve bought yourself something non-essential and ask yourself how long does that good feeling last? It will make you feel good now, but later, you are just paying an extra monthly bill or larger credit card payment.”

Dr Frank Ryan's top tip: If you come across a spending opportunity whether online or while out shopping, aim to distract yourself. The impulse to buy something is usually short lived, and can dissipate after 5 or 10 minutes. Credit to Leeds Building Society.Image removed.

“Make decisions in advance by making a list of what you need. Do this for clothes shopping as well as food. This way

you’ll remember the items you actually need and will be less likely to make the wrong decisions, preserving your willpower.”

Dr Frank Ryan's top tip: Think about the last time you bought something you didn't really need or spent more than you could afford. Note the time, place and how you were feeling. Were you tired and stressed, or happy and excited? These are your 'high risk' situations. Think ahead and anticipate when you might be in a 'high risk' situation, and make a plan for it. “Differentiate between spending and borrowing – if what you’re buying is adding to your credit card bill, that’s borrowing, not spending!”

Commenting on the study, Dr Ryan said: “Before we spend or save, a decision is always necessary - even if it is an impulsive one the brain does not sit on the fence!

Spending decisions are usually driven by short term rewards whereas saving is about focusing on the long term benefits.

If you’re interested in taking on the Savers vs Spenders challenge and would like further advice from Dr Frank Ryan, visit: http://www. leedsbuildingsociety.co.uk/ knowledge-base/savers/ how-to-train-yourself-tobecome-a-better-saver/

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Savers or spenders?

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Are your students working towards their Gold DofE awards?

As an Approved Activity Provider (AAP) for the DofE scheme, our five-day residential cooking course meets all the requirements for the Gold level of the programme.

Participants will learn how to: • Perfect their basic knife skills.

• Prepare challenging seafood dishes and desserts.

• Source fresh, local products.

• Make the most of every dish and avoid foodwaste.

This exciting course aims to equip students with the confidence and ability to cater for themselves when leaving school and develop an enthusiasm for cooking.

Hungry for more informations?

Get in touch today to enquire about availability!

01306 730470 hello@abingercookeryschool.com @AbingerCookery @abingercookeryschool

Searching for imaginative activities for the Gold DofE award?

Look no further than The Abinger Cookery School…

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s an Approved Activity Provider (AAP) for the DofE scheme, our five-day residential cooking course meets all the requirements for the Gold level of the programme. Students will learn everything from perfecting basic knife skills to preparing challenging seafood dishes and desserts, with trips to a local trout farm and farm shop included in the itinerary.

These courses offer a unique personal development opportunity for young people

to learn skills for life, gain confidence and hone an enthusiasm for delicious, nutritious food — all under the guidance of our friendly and knowledgeable team.

Our 2023 course dates will be running until October.

Would your students be interested? Visit our website, give us a call at 01306 730470 or email hello@ abingercookeryschool.com today to enquire about availability!

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16 |www.qaeducation.co.uk

Daniel Ball, director of Wax Digital spending management solutions, discusses efficient and cost-saving approaches to school food buying…

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urchasing for school catering is never an easy task. Under pressure to feed hungry mouths a range of nutritionally-balanced meals on a daily basis, while at the same time accommodating government standards and compliance with food safety guidelines, there’s a lot to consider when planning menus for a new term and placing orders with the supply chain.

And then of course, there’s the small matter of trying to meet all the above criteria on tighter than ever budgets. Many schools benefit already from the bulk buying efficiencies of collaborative procurement.

This approach sees many academy trust procurement teams looking after the catering needs of a number of schools and tasked with menu planning and ordering for two or more thousands of children per day. Sustainability is also becoming increasingly important to schools, and catering teams are being asked for locally sourced produce from suppliers who use minimal packaging to deliver their produce.

Working within strict budgetary guidelines and under pressure to meet nutrition, sustainability and other government standards, it’s essential that school food buyers have the right ingredients in place for quick, cost effective procurement.

Here are my top three suggestions for easing school food buying challenges: 1. Simplifying ordering processes Schools need quick and efficient ordering processes.

However, having to place

orders with a variety of suppliers who meet cost, sustainability, dietary and government standard criteria can be a tricky process to manage. To do this, schools need fast access to this supplier information and certifications to prove that they are compliant. The quickest and most effective way to place orders with suppliers that meet your criteria is via an electronic purchasing system that is integrated with the food supply chain’s ordering channels. Schools can choose to place orders with specific suppliers that meet their criteria; orders are quick and immediate; and a clear and detailed record of what’s ordered can be maintained.

2. Make budgeting and menu planning easy Menu planning and ingredient costing software tools can help caterers to

budget more effectively by giving them immediate access to an up-to-date view of all food purchasing activity and allowing them to cost and plan menus in advance of placing an order. And as these tools can be integrated into an electronic procurement system it enables food buyers to effectively manage all purchases and payments for the new menus aswell as plan for budgets in advance.+ 3. Pre-agree school food pricing with suppliers Lots of different factors can have an impact on the cost of food including bad weather, exchange rate volatility, inflation or a poor harvest forcing suppliers to increase their costs.

However, it is possible for school food buyers to pre-agree prices for key ingredients and produce in advance with key suppliers.

Pre-agreed pricing

structures, together with any current supplier discounts and promotions, can be automatically applied within today’s food and drink purchasing systems, as well as terms and processes for emergency last minute ordering.

To make procurement efficiencies and ensure catering needs are effectively met, it could be time to review all your school food buying processes and systems in order to secure better buying outcomes. After all, school catering teams are busy enough, so alleviating ordering and stock control pressures leaves them free to do what they do best – serving up healthy, nutritious meals that meet cost, nutritional and sustainable agendas.

For more information on school food buying and other budgeting advice, see Wax Digital

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Serving up school food buying efficiencies

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Temporary catering facilities and foodservice equipment for Education We regularly provide our services to clients in the education sector when, for example, they are undergoing a kitchen refurbishment or carrying out other building works that necessitate the closure of existing facilities.

W

e have many tried and tested design layouts applicable to the education sector. These include, for example, Training Kitchens, specifically designed for colleges that offer this type of course to their students. The attached photos show one such facility (Training Kitchen and Student-run Restaurant) that was recently provided for the College of Northwest London.

Other past clients in the education

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sector include Godolphin & Latimer School, Radley College, Sevenoaks School, Harrow School, Merton College, Bath College, West Kent College, Leicester College and many more...

For further information or to arrange a site survey, email: sales@mk-hire.co.uk call us on: 0345 812 0800, or visit our website: www.mk-hire. co.uk

Esri UK launches careers resources to inspire more students to study geography and GIS

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sri UK today announced a new Careers with GIS website, designed to inspire more students to study geography and GIS at GCSE, A-level and degree level, by highlighting the rewarding and exciting careers that these subjects lead to.

Containing stories from real professionals working with GIS (Geographical Information Systems), from drone pilots and engineers to those tackling climate change or conserving wildlife, the website dispels the outdated stereotypes about which careers are open to those with geography qualifications. The rich variety of jobs included demonstrates how geospatial technology skills are currently in growing demand across many different sectors, particularly within the sustainability and environmental industries.

Content on the site includes videos and interactive story maps to be used by teachers, parents/carers, careers advisors and students, to give inspiration when choosing subjects, helping people realise

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New careers website tackles outdated stereotypes about careers in geography

that studying geography and GIS is the first about future careers, the site gives advice step towards a fulfilling career. Using filters, on what skills they’ll need to gain during their degree to apply for a growing range the site allows students to narrow down of jobs. Other useful resources include different job profiles which they are most links to job vacancies, the GeoMentor interested in. Profiles include GIS experts scheme, plus industry sites including the working at Costain, Sustrans, The Rivers Royal Geographical Society, Black Trust, Plantlife International and the Geographers and Women in Geospatial.

Scottish Wildlife Trust.

Steve Brace, Head of Education and “Teachers tell us that students face Outdoor Learning, Royal Geographical pressure to drop Geography because the Society, said: “From flying drones to huge range of well-paid and fulfilling jobs working across Government, analysing connected to the subject are invisible from Britain’s rivers or creating a new map of the classroom. Careers with GIS has been Mobile Kitchens Ltd Qatar’s roads – Esri UK’s career materials created to reveal what’s out there, break specialises in the hire of illustrate the wide range of roles open to down outdated stereotypes of what temporary catering facilities foodservice equipment. those who can applyand their geographical geographers do and who can be a The standard range of container expertise and GIS skills in the workplace. geographer,” said Katie Hall, Education units includes; Production Kitchens, These jobs are helping businesses Manager, Esri UK. “The geospatial sector is Preparation Kitchens,and Dishwasher Units, Cold and Rooms, Freezer Rooms, Dry governments achieve more currently crying out for new people – Stores, Restaurant and Servery Units etc. addressing the key challenges facing our particularly with the growth of The services the company offers include; Site societies and environment.

So, ifManagement, Design, Preparation environmental and climate change related Surveys, Project On-site Maintenance and S geography studentsDelivery want &toInstallation, see where industries. Learning geography and GIS Contingency Planning and Export.

GIS might take them,From theitsRoyal skills can help students find fulfilling base in the UK, the company supplies its encourages products all over the world.

Geographical Society them to careers, empowering them to make the findKitchens extra inspiration in Esri UK’s career world a better place.”

Mobile Ltd specialises in the hire of profiles.”

For geography undergraduates thinking temporary catering facilities

TEMPORARY CATERING FACILITIES & KITCHEN EQUIPMENT HIRE Mobile Kitchens Ltd specialises in the hire of temporary catering facilities and foodservice equipment.

TEMPORARY CA FACILITIES & KIT EQUIPMENT HIR

TEMPORARY CATERING FACILITIES & KITCHEN EQUIPMENT HIRE

and foodservice equipment. Get an online budget hire quote via our website.

The standard range of containerwww.mk-hire.co.uk 0345-812-0800 sales@mk-h units includes; Production Kitchens, Preparation Kitchens, Dishwasher Units, Cold Rooms, Freezer Rooms, Dry Stores, Restaurant and Servery Units etc.

The services the company offers include; Site Surveys, Project Management, Design, Preparation, Delivery & Installation, On-site Maintenance and Support, Contingency Planning and Export.

From its base in the UK, the company supplies its products all over the world.

Get an online budget hire quote via our website. www.mk-hire.co.uk

0345-812-0800

sales@mk-hire.co.uk

The standard range of container units includes; Production Kitchens, Preparation Kitchens, Dishwasher Units, Cold Rooms, Freezer Rooms, Dry Stores, Restaurant and Servery Units etc.

The services the company offers include; Site Surveys, Project Management, Design, Preparation, Delivery & Installation, On-site Maintenance and Support, Contingency Planning and Export.

From its base in the UK, the company supplies its products all over the world.

Get an online budget hire quote via our website. www.mk-hire.co.uk 0345-812-0800 sales@mk-hire.co.uk www.qaeducation.co.uk | 19

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5 Top Design Tips for Increasing Productivity in Your Learning Space

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evision and coursework are regular occurrences for students across the country, and it’s important when they’re working through either of these, they’re motivated and productive.

The learning environment students are in can drastically affect productivity, and that’s where schools, colleges and universities can help. Here, Demco Interiors discusses five ways you can amend your learning space to help students’ concentration levels and productivity.

Learning Space Layout The layout of your learning space is crucial when it comes to productivity. For some students who are studying or working, they’ll need a quiet space they can sit in to focus; whereas for group projects, a collaborative area is needed so they can bounce ideas off each other.

Ideally, your learning space will accommodate both of these. Having little cubicles is great for students who focus best in quiet environments, where they can shut the door and escape the noise.

However, having open areas with sofas and tables can really encourage groups to get together and discuss ideas, but these need to be kept separate from each other.

When it comes to managing noise levels, another aspect to consider is the flooring.

Carpeted floors can help to reduce noise travelling, as can installing freestanding screens at the end of each desk. For students trying to concentrate on their work, this can go a great way towards helping increase their productivity.

Use of Colours

You may think that minimalistic creams, greys and beiges are the way forward when create a tranquil environment to 5 Top Design Tips for Increasing Productivity in Your Learning Spacestudy and come up with creative ideas, but you’d be wrong. In fact, workspaces that have those particular colour palettes reportedly leave people using them sad and depressed.

The top three colours to help increase productivity are green, blue and yellow.

Why? Well, because green and blue are associated with nature, they promote wellbeing, and improve focus and efficiency. Yellow on the other hand, can

20 |www.qaeducation.co.uk

inspire innovation and creativity, with the connotations of this colour being energy, optimism, and freshness.

If you want to use red in your learning space, then you should consider this carefully. Whilst some students can find it inspiring, for others it can cause an increase in heartrate and feelings of panic.

So, if you do decide to use red, then you should use it sparingly to draw attention to details in your workspace that are particularly important (e.g. signs).

Plants

Psychologists state that a learning space with no pictures or other distractions is “the most toxic space” that a human can be in.

Exeter University recently conducted some research, which noted that people were 15% more productive on average when plants were introduced into a work or learning space. In fact, it was found that just one plant per square meter substantially increased productivity.

There’s been countless amounts of research done on the benefits of plants in the workplace, which can easily be applied to learning spaces too. In fact, the University of Technologyin Sydney found that the introduction of plants into a room could result in a 58% drop of anger, 44% drop in hostility, 38% drop in fatigue, and a 37% drop in tension.

So, if you’re looking to improve productivity in your educational workspace, then decorating it with plants is a good place to start.

Daylight and Fresh Air

Poor quality air can lower performance by 10%, a 2006 analysis found. Not only can airless rooms make people who sit in it sick; it drastically reduces productivity too… which isn’t great if students are spending time revising for their exams in there.

If your learning space is in the centre of a large city like London, then unfortunately, simply opening a window isn’t the answer – the air pollution and traffic noise won’t help with productivity at all!

However, there’s a way to achieve fresh air without opening a window… plants.

Photosynthesis purifies air in learning spaces, as carbon dioxide is transformed into oxygen.

The other important thing needed to increase productivity is daylight. Many offices don’t have windows, and it’s a similar situation for learning spaces too.

People who work in a space with windows are exposed to 173% more daylight than those who don’t.

That results in an extra 46 minutes of sleep on average every single night – helping with concentration, motivation and productivity.

Students who enter your workspace at 9am, leave at 9pm, and sit at their desk the whole time aren’t going to be studying or working productively.

Putting up signs about the benefits of breaks, to help encourage them to leave their desks every once in a while. Research has found that “spacing” can really help

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with productivity levels: for example, revising for an hour over the space of a week is much more productive than studying for 7 hours straight.

Signs that suggest students take a 15 minute break after every hour of revision can help them to go outside, have a stretch and look at a different view.

Then, when they’re back, their brain will be ready for more revision. After all, studying is tiring, and it can be very easy to lose concentration.

To conclude, there are many ways you can help your learning space to improve student productivity.

These five tips don’t require much effort, but can help your students to enjoy higher levels of concentration, motivation, and of course… productivity.

www.qaeducation.co.uk | 21

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