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Comment

THE BUSINESS MAGAZINE FOR EDUCATION – www.educationbusinessuk.net

New grammars by 2020?

The Grammar Schools Head’s Association has said in its newsletter that the first new grammar schools could be rolled out in England by 2020.

This information came out after the association met with the education secretary and schools minister, amongst others, to discuss the topic.

The newsletter revealed how the new selective schools would be likely to be opened as free schools and that they would have a smaller ability range of “more like the top 10 per cent”, rather than the 25 per cent intake of many grammars. What’s more, before the new grammars open, selective places could be created within multi-academy trusts or by expanding existing grammars.

The newsletter also added that education secretary Justine Greening believed the response to the consultation over grammar schools, which closed in December, was not “an overwhelming flood of negativity.”

Follow and interact with us on Twitter: @EducationBizz

MPs, however, have recently questioned how vague the current grammar plans are, and Neil Carmichael, chair of the Education Select Committee, has described them as an “unnecessary distraction” from improving the current system. The DfE will respond in the Spring to the consultation’s responses.

Angela Pisanu, editor

P ONLINE P IN PRINT P MOBILE P FACE TO FACE If you would like to receive 11 issues of Education Business magazine for £250 a year, please contact Public Sector Information Limited, 226 High Road, Loughton, Essex IG10 1ET. Tel: 020 8532 0055, Fax: 020 8532 0066, or visit the Education Business website at:

www.educationbusinessuk.net PUBLISHED BY PUBLIC SECTOR INFORMATION LIMITED

226 High Rd, Loughton, Essex IG10 1ET. Tel: 020 8532 0055 Fax: 020 8532 0066 Web: www.psi-media.co.uk EDITOR Angela Pisanu PRODUCTION EDITOR Richard Gooding EDITORIAL ASSISTANT Andrea Pluck PRODUCTION CONTROL Ella Sawtell PRODUCTION DESIGN Jo Golding WEBSITE PRODUCTION Victoria Leftwich ADVERTISEMENT SALES Raj Chohan, Guy Colborne, Richard Dawkins, Kathy Jordan PUBLISHER Karen Hopps ADMINISTRATION Vickie Hopkins REPRODUCTION & PRINT Argent Media

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Volume 22.2 | EDUCATION BUSINESS MAGAZINE

3

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Contents

THE BUSINESS MAGAZINE FOR EDUCATION – www.educationbusinessuk.net

CONTENTS EDUCATION BUSINESS 22.2 07 EDUCATION BRIEFER

41 RESOURCE SHARING

Petition against new GCSE exams; city councils warn funding cuts could harm the economy; citizen teachers in decline

With teachers spending on average seven to eight hours a week preparing their lessons, sharing resources is proving very effective at saving time and improving classes

13 FURNITURE

43 IT & COMPUTING

Dimensional misfit between pupils and classroom equipment can often cause poor posture and lead to an increase in loss of concentration and poor productivity, writes Jim Taylour of the Chartered Institute of Ergonomics and Human Factors

17

17 DESIGN & BUILD

51 STEM

In order to give young people a world‑leading STEM education, teachers should have access to high impact professional development and quality‑assured resources

25 SCHOOL GROUNDS

Well-designed school grounds can help to take learning outside the classroom, encourage more active lifestyles, help build soft skills in pupils, and give them a chance to apply skills they have learnt to a range of subjects across the curriculum

53 SECURITY

29 FINANCE

Many schools have introduced systems that allow parents to pay online for items such as school meals or trips, eliminating the need to send pupils in with cash and cheques.

Education Business reports on this trend

47

33 ASBESTOS 51

The Independent Asbestos Training Providers examines the scale of asbestos problems, what can be done about them, and how schools can comply with legal obligations

37 THE EDUCATION SHOW The Education Show, which takes place 16-18 March, is the event that gives more than 10,000 visitors the chance to see the products and resources that are transforming teaching and learning www.educationbusinessuk.net

47 BETT 2017

Bett is known for showcasing the very best the global education marketplace has to offer. Here are the event highlights from 2017

With pupil numbers rising again in 2016, and the trend likely to continue for the next few years, researcher Beth Walton looks at what schools can do to manage a rising demand for places

29

According to research from BESA, 57 per cent of primary and 61 per cent of secondary teachers have said training teachers in all areas of ICT is their key challenge over the next 12 months

Security measures in schools should not only protect staff, students and assets, but also integrate seamlessly with the design of the building. James Kelly, chief executive of the British Security Industry Association, explains how

57 CATERING

Since July 2015, new recommendations for sugar and fibre intake have been in place for adults and children. The Children’s Food Trust outlines these recommendations and suggests ways for schools to limit sugars and increase fibre in food and drinks

61 SCHOOL TRIPS

School trips allow pupils to improve relationships with their teachers and each other, as well as enhance their confidence.

However, the costs and time involved in organising such trips can be a challenge.

Alex Derbyshire, maths teacher and rugby tour manager at Pate’s Grammar school shares how he overcomes these challenges

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TECH-ENABLED CLASSROOMS

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5

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EXAMS

Thousands of signatures raised in petition against new GCSE exams

City councils warn funding cuts could harm city growth and the economy

Two petitions calling new GCSE exams unfair have raised more than 130,000 signatures.

Critics have argued that exams should not be a test of memory and as a result, one petition has asked that GCSE students be allowed a formula sheet in their maths exam. This has attracted more than 75,000 signatures.

The second petition, which has over 60,000 signatures has asked that the government allow open book examinations for the English Literature GCSE. This summer will be the first time that pupils will sit the new GCSEs, which will see students be graded from nine to one, opposed to A* to G. If the petitions receive 100,000 signatures then the matter will be considered for debate in Parliament.

In addition to this, the Department for Education should respond to the petitions as they have both gained more than 10,000 signatures.

Local authorities in cities have written a letter to Justine Greening urging for £335 million to prevent school funding cuts, which they say with harm city growth and the economy.

London Councils and Core Cities UK – which represent local authorities in London, Birmingham, Bristol, Cardiff, Glasgow, Leeds, Liverpool, Manchester, Newcastle, Nottingham and Sheffield – believe the investment will enable the new funding formula to be introduced without any funding cuts to any schools in the country.

They fear that squeezing local school budgets will affect the quality of education children receive, starve businesses of

skilled employees and ultimately damage the prospects of the UK economy.

Cllr Judith Blake, Leader of Core Cities UK said: “Together London Councils and the Core Cities represent areas that drive 50 per cent of the UK economy, which is why we are urging government to recognise that reducing funding for our schools will deal a huge blow to growth and productivity. If we do not act now, local labour markets in the UK’s most productive cities will not have access to the right mix of skills to attract and retain business.”

RESEARCH

TEACHER PAY

Only one per cent find education to be Britain’s most important issue, research shows

More teachers denied pay progression, survey shows

Education has been named as less important than unemployment and housing, according to a poll by Ipsos Mori.

It shows that only one per cent of the public find education as an important issue in Britain and nearly half of those (46 per cent) quizzed last month said NHS was one of the most important issues.

Only 15 per cent viewed education and schools as an important issue, which is a three per cent decrease since December.

The poll also concluded that the importance of education to the public has dropped since May 1997, which is when Labour party won the general election with the campaign for “education education education”.

As reported by Tes, Jonathon Simons, director of policy and advocacy at the Varkey Foundation, commented: “People can only worry about so many things at once. As certain things become more important, by default other things become less important.”

More teachers are being refused a pay rise because of the government’s performance related pay (PRP) system, according to a new survey The research carried out by the NUT and ATL teacher unions show that more teachers had been denied pay progression in 2016 than in 2015, with one in five (21 per cent) of teachers being refused in comparison to last year’s 19 per cent.

The survey of 13,000 teachers was carried out in December for the current school year starting in September 2016 and is the largest survey on pay progression.

It showed that by December 2016, about a quarter of teachers were still waiting to hear if they would be given a pay boost for the current school year and many of them said they did not know when they would find out.

Fifteen per cent said they had been told that they were not receiving the boost because of funding and budget constrains, opposed to performance.

Data also suggests that teachers in academies were more likely to be

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Education Briefer

FUNDING

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denied pay progression and rates of non-progression were higher for part‑time teachers (38 per cent) than for full-time (18 per cent).

In addition to this, more than half of women teachers absent on maternity leave during the year who were eligible for progression had been turned down and those from minority ethnic backgrounds were shown to have been more likely to be denied progression than others.

Nearly 90 per cent of respondents said they had no warning that they might not progress and almost 90 per cent thought that their pay progression decision was unfair.

More than a third of participants claimed that the school did not have a written policy setting out properly how pay progression works and the same number found that their school’s policy on this matter was unfair.

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Volume 22.2 | EDUCATION BUSINESS MAGAZINE

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ONLINE SECURITY

Teens to be taught cyber security to prepare for the future More than 5,000 teens will be taught online security by 2021 as part of the government’s plan to ensure there is no shortage of this skill in the future.

The Cyber Schools Programme, which is led by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS), has been designed following concerns over hackers and terrorists and is part of the governments commitment to help Britain prepare for future challenges.

About £20 million is available for the extracurricular school programme, which will see expert instructors train selected teens.

It will be aimed at people between the ages of 14 and 18, with the aptitude and enthusiasm for the subject.

Pupils will be expected to commit to four hours a week

which will include classroom and online-based teaching.

A ‘cyber curriculum’ is expected to mix classroom and online teaching with

real-world challenges and hands on experience.

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Sex education should be compulsory in secondary academies and free schools Sex and relationship education (SRE) should be an essential part of secondary school curriculum, with parents given the choice to opt their child out, the Local Government Association has announced.

Councils have stated that the compulsory curriculum should be rolled out in secondary academies and free schools to reduce the amount of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) diagnosed in younger people later in life.

This follows concerns that the number of STI diagnosis rise once people leave school, with 141,060 diagnoses for those aged between 20 and 24 in 2015, compared to the 78,066 for those aged between 15 and 19.

SRE is compulsory in council‑maintained secondary schools, but not in academies or free schools, which make up 65 per cent of all secondary schools.

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SOCIAL MOBILITY

Poor but bright pupils falling behind better-off classmates Disadvantaged clever pupils are lagging behind their classmates that are considered “better off” by about two and a half years in core subjects, data suggests.

According to research carried out by Sutton Trust, poorer students are falling behind in maths, science and reading, in comparison to pupils that are considered well-off.

The data shows that the attainment gaps within the most able 10 per cent of pupils is even bigger for girls than boys,

HEALTH & WELLBEING

Education Briefer

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which stands at about three years in science and reading.

The Global Gaps report analyses the 2015 test scores from the Organisation for Economic Co‑operation and development (OECD) PISA test to see how well UK school are doing for the top 10 per cent of pupils.

Findings show that socio‑economic gaps between high achieving pupils are significant through a lot of the developed world.

It shows that England’s highest

achievers score above the median score for OECD countries in maths, science and reading.

However, bright pupils in Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland perform worse on average.

In addition, maths skills in highly able Scottish Pupils has declined in the last eight years.

Research shows that the socio-economic gap in science for clever girls in England equates to three years of schooling – eight months greater than that for boys.

Whereas in terms of reading, the three-year gap is nine months bigger than that for boys. The ability for boys and girls in maths has no significant gender difference, with a gap of about two years and nine months for both.

Earlier research by the trust also found that 36 per cent of bright, yet disadvantaged boys seriously underachieve at the age of 16.

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GRAMMAR SCHOOLS Grammar school plans an “unnecessary distraction”, says MPs The debate over opening new grammar schools has seen MPs question how vague the current plans are.

The education select committee has doubts as to whether grammars would help social mobility and MPs have said that the government has failed to convince them that the ban should be removed. The committee’s chair, Neil Carmichael, described the focus on new grammar schools as an “unnecessary distraction” which prevents the current school system being improved.

MPs have stated that ministers still need to show how this could improve social mobility and raised concerns that expanding grammars could affect the amount of funding and supply teachers of non-selective schools.

MPs have also criticised that there is no clear outline of how many grammar schools are expected to be created.

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Volume 22.2 | EDUCATION BUSINESS MAGAZINE

9

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STEM

ARTS SUBJECTS

Thorpe Park Resort launches Science Week with new STEM workshops

No negative impact on GCSE arts since EBacc, report shows

Thorpe Park Resort has launched its first Science Week, in partnership with the British Science Association, which will take place from 28-30 March 2017.

During the week, students will have access to talks and live Q&As with guest speakers including TV scientist Jon Tickle, who will be carrying out exhilarating live stunts as seen on hit TV show Brainiac.

Other speakers include Merlin Group engineering director Dawn Elson, who is in the Telegraph’s top 50 women in science, as well as STEM ambassadors Rachel Melvin and Dr James Moss.

On Park Speed Session are also new for this year, where pupils can take part in a 10‑minute learning session next to their ride of choice, with the option to pick a key topic for discussion such as energy transfers, acceleration and lenzes law.

Science Week also includes new and improved interactive app The Thorpe Park Challenge. Students can learn whilst exploring the park with STEM challenges

and curriculum based activities around topics such as speed and energy transfers.

Dawn Elson, head of group engineering, commented on the upcoming Science Week: “Having developed my engineering career in several large organisations, it is clear that there is a growing skills gap in roles where education in STEM subjects is vital.

I am pleased to see Merlin attractions, spearheaded by Thorpe Park Resort, Chessington World of Adventures and Warwick Castle, hosting Science events from 24th March and all year round STEM learning opportunities to visiting schools and colleges.

“Science Week at Merlin attractions drives awareness of the depth and breadth of engineering career opportunities that are out there and an ongoing partnership with the British Science Association and Siemens offers a great opportunity to showcase how exciting and creative STEM careers can be.”

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HUMAN RESOURCES

Number of support staff teaching lessons is growing Research carried out by the Association of Teachers and Lecturers (ATL), shows that out of nearly 1,000 support staff quizzed, 78 per cent feel that the work they do is similar to the work done by supply staff.

This has increased by 14 per cent from last year, which was at 64 per cent.

Almost half of respondents (48 per cent)

also stated that the number of supply staff at their school had decreased as they are not being replaced when they leave.

In addition to this, 72 per cent said that they believe it is not possible to supervise a class without delivering a lesson despite their role being just to supervise.

Twenty-nine per cent said they are

Education Briefer

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Research by News School Network has shown that there has been no “discernible impact” on the arts at GCSE level since EBacc was announced.

EBacc is a school performance measure, which was introduced in order for pupils to take up five core GCSE subjects such as science and history or geography.

However, it has been argued that this measure pushes out the arts.

Despite this, The Two Cultures report which looks at the trends in GCSE entries in the last five years, shows that the number of arts GCSEs being taken in 2015-2016 was higher than in 2011-2012 – when EBacc had just been announced.

The amount of pupils taking a minimum of one arts GCSE in this period has increased by 7.4 per cent and the average number of pupils studying the arts has increased by 5.4 per cent.

In schools where the number of children obtaining the EBacc was above the national average in 2015-2016, 73.2 per cent of pupils taking up an arts subject achieved grades A*-C – compared to the national average of 71.7 per cent.

In addition to this, schools with more pupils taking an arts subject at GCSE got above average results in the EBacc, Progress 8 and Attainment 8.

This therefore can imply that schools which combine high expectations in core subjects, but also have a strong focus on the arts, are doing better.

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expected to carry out the full range of duties of a teacher, even though they are paid at a support staff rate, and 75 per cent said they must work extra hours because their workload demands it.

Dr Mary Bousted, general secretary of ATL, commented: “As these results show, teaching support staff are feeling the pressure to actually teach lessons and to plug the gap in staff shortages when teachers leave and do not get replaced.”

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Volume 22.2 | EDUCATION BUSINESS MAGAZINE

11

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ERGONOMICS

Dimensional misfit between pupils and classroom equipment can often cause poor posture and lead to an increase in loss of concentration and poor productivity, writes Jim Taylour of the Chartered Institute of Ergonomics and Human Factors As an adult have you ever been to a conference and felt restless because of the uncomfortable chairs? Have you ever dined out where there is minimal legroom and the acoustics prevent you from hearing your fellow diners properly? Or have you ever sat on a neighbours’ sofa and thought how deep, low and ill-fitting the experience was, and how it impeded your concentration?

Now consider revisiting these scenarios on a daily basis for a period of 14-plus years, and that’s just beginning to paint a picture of the unintentionally hostile environments we expect children to survive and thrive within our schools. Imagine your adult thought processes in a six-year-old’s body and what you would be saying to the authorities if you were expected to sit for much of the day without fidgeting when your feet are dangling off the front of the chair.

You can’t reach the back rest, your chin is on the table and your mentor is suggesting that your handwriting could improve, whilst your elbows are up in the air and you cannot quite see the page. Then also consider your reaction at starting senior school aged 11 and the suggestion that you will need to lift 25 per cent of your body weight in books around school every 40 minutes, as well as getting them safely home and back to school daily.

You get the picture; dimensional misfit between children and the equipment provided often causes poor posture, which in turn increases the risk of error, accidents, discomfort, loss of concentration, and poor productivity.

BETTER FLEXIBILITY Thankfully, since the 1960s we have got used to flexible reconfigurable furniture, which is colour coded to match the age and approximate size of the child, but how often does this get specified correctly?

In addition to this, some classes have become more adventurous in the way teachers get the children to move and collaborate, but with pressures on space, curriculum and budgetary targets, it’s not easy to

Dimen misfit b sional childre etween equipm n and the e often cant provided posture uses poor ,w increas hich in turn es th of errore risk

deliver creative solutions.

We are being told in the adult world that sitting is the new smoking and being tethered to allocated desks is reducing our life expectancy. The problem therefore gets worse at secondary school age where classroom physical activity drops year-by-year, concentration demands increase, and the reliance on technology locks students into motionless postures – all on furniture that is non-adjustable and considered ‘non‑compliant’ in the contemporary office.

RESPONSIBLE FURNITURE SELECTION Furniture procurers should be sensitive to the size matching of chairs to suit Primary, which is size mark 2, 3 and 4 according to BS EN 7179 and Secondary, which is size mark 5 and 6.

Think about investing in more sophisticated dynamic chairs for notoriously static lessons like maths so that the chairs reflect the variety and nature of tasks.

Look out for features such as a forward sloping element to the seat to encourage a more open natural posture and the option for a tilt inclined writing surface for the tables to reduce neck pain and increase hand coordination skills. Think about the degree of flexibility you need and the group options you can create according to the shapes of the tops and insist on user trials before you purchase.

There are furniture guidelines to reassure schools that the chairs have been designed for 90 per cent of the user population and won’t let you down structurally.

There are at least adaptations on the market for schools and the home if budgets are limited, so furniture can be adapted to encourage more productive happier studying, be it seat wedges for improved posture or sloping writing surfaces to support paper.

The Scandinavians have mastered the trick of fully functioning spaces that work well for both children and teachers. The students are

Written by Jim Taylour, Member of Chartered Institute of Ergonomics and Human Factors (CIEHF)

Furniture that improves child concentration

allocated perch height sitting workstations, which adjust and grow throughout their life at school, promoting excellent posture with provision for school bags. The added bonus is a more comfortable standing position for teachers too when interacting with children.

We know the application of ergonomics works in the office but it is sadly lacking in education establishments, where there is no health and safety legislation to protect growing limbs and ligaments – which incidentally are more at risk of injury during growth spurts.

HEALTH & SAFETY According to the charity Back Care, back pain affects 60 per cent of adults and is a major cause of absenteeism at work. The problem spiked with the advent of computers in the 1990s because in part we became very static.

There is now a second spike due to the impact of mobile technology, coupled with increasing weight-related ill health globally. Graduates and their dependence on technology are suffering from “laptop hunch”, “cyber sickness” and “dry eye syndrome”, to name a few.

Occupational health departments have seen their spend on ‘special equipment’ such as orthopaedic chairs and assistive technology rise across all the generational groups within corporate organisations.

It is no longer a midlife symptom but a very real issue for young recruits.

Therefore, the furniture in schools has to work even harder if we are preparing students for the outside world of work and in theory, if the classroom were to replicate the workplace, there would be provision for the following: appropriate rests and docking stations which elevate the screen to avoid flexed necks; a choice of input devices depending on the task, duration and preference of the user including ambidextrous mice, sensible positioning of keyboards to avoid flexed wrists and raised elbows; hands-free browsing slots in table tops for tablets; and speech recognition and other assistive technology tools for more inclusive and accessible learning.

We know in practise this is difficult and costly to apply, and some furniture manufacturers have been slow to step up to the challenge of improving the interface between young users and their technology, but there are a few exceptions.

For independent advice, the E

Furniture

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CRAFTING CAREERS HELPING SCHOOL LEAVERS FIND THE RIGHT CAREER PATH Apprenticeships. School leaver programmes. University.

So many opportunities, but which one to choose?

Milkround School Leavers can help your students figure out which path is right for them. Head to our website for apprenticeship opportunities, university advice, and access to our exclusive events.

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ERGONOMICS  Furniture Industrial Research Association has an ergonomics department that can help.

DIGITAL NATIVES NEED NURTURING Unlike the rest of us, Generation Zs – people who are born from the year 2000 – have been immersed in technology from birth, and the tablet revolution has certainly opened up lots of opportunities and learning experiences for the young.

Much of the research around children and mobile technology use in schools has concentrated on attainment, but very little has been published on the potential health consequences.

The teenage entertainment centre (we used to call them bedrooms) are places of increasing concern for the experts. We understand the consequences and dangers of cyber bullying and gaming addictions after ‘lights out’, but the Sleep Council and others are becoming increasingly concerned with the effects of disturbed sleep, which increases the risk of cardiovascular disease and cancer. The blue light from our devices affects levels of the sleep-inducing hormone melatonin more than any other wavelengths.

In addition, mobile phone alerts get answered at night and best friends are being forged online, and in different time zones.

Studies in the USA amongst teachers have recently reported high levels of perceived sleep deprivation amongst high school children and increasingly at elementary stage too.

Potential hearing and visual impairment from excessive headphone use and staring at screens are in question, and longitudinal studies are under way to help understand the potential risks in more detail.

Education leaders, health practitioners and parents have a responsibility to educate children in best practise technology use, from understanding the recovery times, being distracted during homework, the physical set up tips to avoid discomfort, sensible duration times in front of the screen, and spelling out the health consequences of nocturnal device use. Even outdoor use from a safety perspective needs highlighting as pedestrian fatalities have reportedly jumped due to walking whilst texting and browsing.

HEALTHY ENVIRONMENTS The increased popularity of ‘mindfulness’ is a great vehicle to combat the pace of technology over dependence. Schools could revisit underutilised spaces internally and externally to support meditation and contemplation.

This becomes increasingly important in large open ‘plaza’ style schools where acoustic challenges and visual distractions become stressful for children and teachers.

Personal booths, high back enclosed sofas and pop up meeting rooms are now available as shelters for people to go and concentrate or rejuvenate. These enclaves provide flexibility and are more cost‑effective than constructing rooms. The

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We are being told in the adult world that sitting is the new smoking and being tethered to allocated desks is reducing our life expectancy and the problem gets worse at secondary school more sophisticated ones can start to address lighting, thermal and acoustic comfort too.

The use of ‘sound masking’ is popular in the States for drowning out unwanted sounds in open plan offices. These systems are increasingly being used in schools as ‘sound showers’ to help dampen unwanted noise, but also to motivate children with positive soundscapes.

Other natural sounds, textures and materials, biometric forms, vistas, air quality, vegetation and even odours, are all being deployed under the relatively new science of ‘biophilia’ to help promote a better sense of wellness for the occupants of a building.

With a strong environmental emphasis the ‘Well Building Standard’, directed at architects and specifiers, wraps this up with other measures including fitness, comfort and nutrition.

INSTIGATING CHANGE The Jamie Oliver effect in the school kitchens did a lot to highlight our nutritional ignorance, but despite this, today nearly a third of children aged between two and 15 are overweight or obese, and this figure is set to rise.

The London 2012 Olympics helped to nudge the other side of the simple equation, “eat less and move more”, and it has taken initiatives like the Stirling Primary School Daily Mile to underline the mental, social and physical gain of getting children motivated to exercise more. Schools can turn stairs and corridors into walking gyms and incentivise children to get moving more outside through creative and interactive playgrounds.

A perfect storm of change is hanging over the corporate world in a similar way and the subject of wellness is moving centre stage as a means of attracting and retaining young talent and addressing the growing concerns of ill health and hampered performance.

Government initiatives are moving from rehabilitation to prevention with an emphasis on companies taking more responsibility for employee’s wellness. Relatively new terms like ‘presentism’ are being measured with a better understanding of the consequences of stress and disengagement, and reports suggest a three-to-10 fold return on investment for companies who invest in measures to improve wellness.

Psychological factors and neuroscience research applied to work, combined with the more established physical ergonomic principles, are unearthing a goldmine of ideas for designers, and these discoveries and initiatives are being reversed into schools.

Leading the charge in education with joined up wellness strategies, is the Mayor of London sponsored London Health Standard. Based on the workplace Well-being Charter, schools can benchmark themselves against a list of healthy objectives and have access to resources and expert advice. Awarded bronze, silver and gold for escalating wellness initiatives, schools focus on five key areas which include: personal social health & economic education, healthy eating, physical activity, emotional health & well-being, and the environment. To date, close to 2,000 schools have signed up with some very tangible improvements coming through.

THE FUTURE AND A CALL FOR ACTION There is scope to change perceptions at the Department for Education (DfE) if schools and teacher training colleges put forward good pedagogic arguments that can be linked to the need for flexible ‘wellness’ centred spaces and strategies in schools.

There is a danger that the DfE remains focused on replacing the old school building stock with environmentally efficient replacements but with little thought for the occupants, especially if there isn’t an appetite for exploring alternative ways to deliver the curriculum from the teaching profession.

The Chartered Institute of Ergonomics & Human Factors (CIEHF) has a special interest group of expert volunteers who are collating research and developing a ‘Well Learning Charter’ to help raise awareness of the role of ergonomics in protecting and enhancing children’s physical and mental development.

The group aims to increase the knowledge of good ergonomics among those working with and designing for children, and establish best ergonomics practice across a range of topic areas such as furniture and postural health education, technology, and environmental factors.

If you’re passionate about making a change and would like to take part in field studies in schools, or have access to education or academic establishments which would be willing to participate in further research, please contact the group to help collate existing research. L

Jim Taylour is a member of the Chartered Institute of Ergonomics and Human Factors (CIEHF) and co-chair of the organisation’s Children’s Ergonomics Interest Group, and head of design and well-being at Orangebox.

FURTHER INFORMATION www.ergonomics.org

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ADMISSIONS

With pupil numbers rising again in 2016, and the trend likely to continue for the next few years, researcher Beth Walton looks at what schools can do to manage a rising demand for places Pupil numbers have risen each year since 2009, data from the Department for Education shows. There were 8.56 million pupils in schools in England in 2016, an increase of 121,000 in just one year. While the pupil population has grown by per cent in the last nine years, the rate of growth is projected to double to 10 per cent in the next nine years.

Primary schools are currently under the most pressure and results from The Key’s 2016 State of Education survey reflect this

picture. Completed by over a thousand school leaders across England, the survey revealed that six in ten (60 per cent) primary schools received more applications for places than they could accommodate for the 2015/16 intake.

Eight in ten (82 per cent) leaders in these schools said that meeting the additional demand

Prima schools ry current are the mo ly under and res st pressure u Key’s 20 lts from The Educati 16 State of on reflect survey th picture is

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Written by Beth Walton, researcher, The Key

Overcoming a shortage in pupil places at schools

would be difficult, citing lack of space for additional buildings, insufficient school budgets and school buildings which are not fit for purpose as their main concerns.

While the issue is more evident at primary level, secondary schools are feeling the effects too. Over half (52 per cent) of secondary school leaders told us they received more applications than they could accommodate for last year’s admissions round, and the rate of growth is set to increase at secondary level as the current primary school population moves through the system.

With this increase in pupil numbers also coinciding with a decrease in the number of schools, many schools are now having to accept more pupils. The average state‑funded primary school, for example, had 275 pupils on its roll in 2016, up from 269 pupils in one year. At The Key, we see concerns over school places reflected in the questions school leaders ask us – such as if and when a school must accept certain pupils, and when a local authority’s direction to accept extra pupils can be challenged.

While the pressure on school places E

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ADMISSIONS  isn’t uniform throughout the country, where over-subscription is a challenge what can schools do? Here are some practical considerations and tips for dealing with increased demand and growing pupil numbers.

ADJUST THE SCHOOL DAY As pupil numbers grow and budgets become tighter, schools may find themselves dealing with a school site which simply does not seem like it can accommodate for any more pupils.

However, adjusting the use of the site could be just as effective as having a new building.

Some schools have staggered their timetable, so that breaks are at different times for different year groups. Alternatively, the school day itself could be staggered, with some pupils starting and finishing later than others.

Consulting with parents may be a good idea for schools considering implementing this.

Large increases in pupil numbers could create health and safety risks, particularly concerning the flow of pupils around the school. To address these, schools might allocate additional staff to supervise break and lunch times, and ask parents not to park directly outside the school gates to minimise traffic.

CAPITAL BUILDING PROJECTS SUPPORT If there’s simply not enough space for new buildings, or the school’s buildings are past their best, there are some grant funding schemes for capital building projects. The Condition Improvement Fund supports expansion projects in ‘good’ and ‘outstanding’ academies and sixth forms which need to increase the number of admissions to the main year of entry, or address overcrowding.

The Big Lottery Fund has a funding programme aimed at projects which help people and communities most in need, and The Wolfson Foundation awards approximately £1.75 million each year to high-achieving state-funded secondary schools and sixth-form colleges for building or equipment projects related to the teaching of science and technology.

Funding may not be the only off-putting aspect of capital building works – the prospect of educating pupils on a building site is not exactly appealing, and there are important factors to consider such as safeguarding, health and safety, and procurement practice.

The National College and Scottish government have published research and resources for staff managing school building projects, and maintained schools may be able to get practical guidance from their local authority (LA)on many of the factors listed above. The Education Funding Agency also has an essential guide to maintenance for schools.

CLEAR ADMISSIONS PROCEDURES If your school is an academy, voluntary aided or foundation school, your trust or governing body is your admission authority and oversees your admissions procedures.

Funding may not be the only off-putting aspect of capital building works – the prospects of educating pupils on a building site is not exactly appealing, and there are important factors to consider such as health and safety

Your school will also set its own published admission number (PAN) and cannot be directed by the (LA) to accept more pupils, although in certain circumstances you may be directed to by the secretary of state.

If your school was oversubscribed this year you may have found yourself dealing with appeals and creating waiting lists. Having in place clear admissions arrangements and well-defined over-subscription criteria is not only a statutory requirement but will be particularly useful to you now.

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Your arrangements should be fair, legal, transparent and available to parents. The Information and Records Management Society (IRMS) recommends that if parents appeal, you should keep all documentation regarding that child’s application until one year after the appeal is resolved.

If you’re in a community or voluntary controlled school, the LA processes applications and allocates places for you.

Your LA can direct you to accept more pupils, which you must except in very limited E

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ADMISSIONS

About the Key

The rising demand for school places means some pupils are attending a school far from home – sometimes with a lengthy morning commute, or with working parents who find it difficult to pick their child up at the end of the school day  circumstances. The LA may also direct your school to accept additional “bulge” classes to accommodate unplaced pupils.

RESPOND TO UPSET PARENTS The Key’s survey revealed that 45 per cent of primary leaders have had the difficult task of responding to upset parents whose children did not get their first choice placement at the school. In this situation, schools could consider sending these parents a letter and reassuring them that once the initial disappointment wears off, the new school may well prove to be a great fit for their child.

Such a letter should explain that parents do have the right to appeal, but could clarify that an appeal will only be upheld if the appeals panel identifies wrongdoing during the admissions process. This could save parents and schools a lot of time, effort and

frustration in situations where the admissions procedures were correctly followed.

A letter should have a positive tone and provide some practical next steps for parents. It could encourage parents to visit the school their child has been accepted to and speak to the headteacher, class teacher, and SENCO if their child has any additional needs. It also may suggest that parents familiarise themselves with the school’s website and read more about what the school can offer their child.

CONSIDER EXTENDED SERVICES The rising demand for school places means some pupils are attending a school far from home – sometimes with a lengthy morning commute, or working parents who find it difficult to pick the child up at the end of the school day.

The Key has grown from a pilot project, funded by central government, to become an independent company now serving more than 45 per cent of schools in England.

The Key provides high-quality, trusted information and online solutions to the education and wider public sector.

The team at the Key is driven by a public service ethos, from its history and roots in serving the education sector to its growth into supporting the wider public sector.

Every day the team answers new questions from school leaders and governors, and every week they engage with local authorities, multi-academy trusts and leading figures in the public sector. These deep connections give the Key unparalleled insights into concerns, trends and good practice.

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If you have pupils in this situation, offering extended services, such as subsidised transport for those who travel in from a similar area or breakfast and after-school clubs, can make this easier for everyone. If your club E

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EDUCATION BUSINESS MAGAZINE | Volume 22.2

ADMISSIONS

If your school is under-subscribed, there are usually a number of reasons for this and it can be tricky to know how best to respond. It is important to have a marketing strategy in place and open your school to the community  accommodates any children who do not attend the school, it may count as a community facility on which you can make a profit.

DEALING WITH UNDER-SUBCRIPTION It is clear that not every school in the UK is dealing with over-subscription, as our survey revealed some regional differences.

Perhaps unsurprisingly, London had the highest proportion of oversubscribed schools (69 per cent) and one of the lowest rates of under-subscription (12 per cent).

In contrast, the south west had one of the highest proportions of under-subscribed schools (19 per cent) and one of the lowest rates of over-subscription (52 per cent).

If your school is under-subscribed, there are usually a number of reasons for this and it can be tricky to know how best to respond. It’s important to have a marketing

strategy in place and open your school as much as possible to the community.

You may consider holding more open days and evenings, as well as developing links to primary schools and nursery schools in the area to encourage applications.

You could also create a parent advocacy group to champion the school, set up profiles on Facebook and Twitter, or try to attract some local press coverage. Sharing positive news, achievements and events can boost the school’s profile and doing this outside term time is an effective way of maintaining the school’s profile.

While there is no single quick and easy solution to this problem, these steps may help towards getting there. L FURTHER INFORMATION www.thekeysupport.com

Independent schools could offer 10,000 free places, says ISC

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The Independent Schools Council (ISC) has proposed that independent schools across England could offer 10,000 free places to poorer pupils every year.

The proposal comes as part of the ISC’s response to the ‘Schools that work for everyone’ green paper, which asked independent schools what they can do to ‘support more good school places and help children of all backgrounds to succeed’.

The ISC’s plan would involve joint funding from the government and the independent schools themselves, where the government contributes no more than the cost of a state school place to educate children in existing independent schools.

In addition to this, the ISC has also proposed that independent schools could help set up new state schools. This proposal would see independent schools use their expertise to work with ministers, regional schools commissioners and others in putting together consortia of suitable independent schools to help co-sponsor new state-funded schools. These would be in partnership with a state school or Multi-Academy Trust lead, and could focus on one or more of the six DfE-identified opportunity areas (‘cold spots’), and could provide thousands of new school places across areas of greatest need.

Independent schools could also help grow the existing relationships and collaborative work between independent and state schools.

This proposal would see a further expansion of the teaching, coaching, university and careers advice, educational events and facilities already provided to an estimated 160,000 state school pupils from a variety of backgrounds through Independent/State School Partnerships (ISSPs). Collaborative partnership work has been taking place between state and independent schools for decades and targets specific, local needs.

ISC Chairman Barnaby Lenon, said: “In its green paper the government recognised the great strength and success of independent schools and asked what more we could do on top of our existing contributions.

“By helping create more good school places, both in state and independent schools, we would be helping to expand real social mobility in this country.”

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OUTDOOR LEARNING

Well-designed school grounds can help to take learning outside the classroom, encourage more active lifestyles, help build soft skills in pupils, and give them a chance to apply skills they have learnt to a range of subjects across the curriculum Improving the grounds of your school can have a positive impact that goes beyond the aesthetic.

Last year, the government announced that every primary school child in England – around 80,000 children – will have the chance to visit a national park at each stage of their education. This was a response to the figure that at the time only 10 per cent of school children had access to outdoor learning.

For some children that one visit can be a lifeline and may be one of the very few times they can get access to nature. Government research published last year found that more than one in nine children in England had not set foot in a park, forest, beach or any other natural environment for at least 12 months.

You’re also less likely to have accessed nature if you’re from a black and minority ethnic (BAME) community as, according to Natural England, just 56 per cent of under 16s from BAME households visited the natural environment at least once a week, compared to 74 per cent from white households.

creativity, and innovation. It can also affect their capacity to be successful learners and active contributing members of a sustainable society.

One in nine ch Englandildren in foot in had not set beach oa park, forest, r environany natural at leastment for tw monthselve

NATURE-DEFICIT IN SCHOOLS There are lots of examples of forward‑thinking

Written by Stacey Aplin from envionmental charity Groundwork

Taking learning outside the classroom walls

schools taking steps to redress this “nature‑deficit” by developing their grounds in a way that supports their pupils educational, emotional and social development by creating forest schools, gardens and even spaces to create a simple mud pie.

Groundwork has recently been involved in a project in Manchester where they have helped children understand the importance of nature by painting and hanging bird boxes. The school grounds is fortunate enough to be located next to a wood, and the local fire brigade visited the pupils and helped them install the bird boxes in trees.

This helped to involve the local community, which is a concept that Groundwork champions.

Julie Hyslop, Groundwork senior project officer, said: “Working with schools allows Groundwork to educate the local community as well as the children.

“By talking to pupils, they will go home and tell their parents about what they have learnt about greenspace and the outdoors and help to spread the message further.“ She continued: “A lot of the children at the school often don’t have access to outdoor spaces at home so enabling them to join in at school means they can learn about how to look after E

School Grounds

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Paul Milgate-Scarrott, Brooke School

BACKED BY RESEARCH There’s also a wealth of academic research pointing to the benefits of outdoor learning.

Joint research published by the University of Plymouth and Western Sydney University revealed there had been five significant reviews conducted in the previous decade around the focus of children learning in natural environments in the UK and further abroad. There is evidence that childhoods are dramatically changing, and children are experiencing limited opportunities to be outdoors in formal or informal learning settings. This can have consequent negative effects on their physical health and well‑being and ‘character capabilities’, such as application, self-regulation, empathy,

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School Grounds

OUTDOOR LEARNING

 nature and teach them to respect the environment, which is something that they can take with them into the future.”

Julie also stated that by working directly with schools, Groundwork can talk to teachers about the current curriculum.

She added: “It means that we can take what the children are doing in the classroom and take it outdoors into the local environment so that pupils can have a first hand, practical experience.”

The school also has an RHS garden that the children can get involved with, this includes planting and growing flowers and vegetables and building wildlife and bug habitats, all of which help to contribute and promote pupils to live a healthier, more active lifestyle, all the time promoting and learning about the local environment.

There is evidence that childhoods are dramatically changing, and children are experiencing limited opportunities to be outdoors in formal or informal settings.

This can have consequent negative effects on their health

BAGS OF HELP Groundwork is currently administering Tesco’s Bags of Help scheme where community groups – including schools – can apply for funding of up to £5,000 to improve and promote their outdoor space.

Since December 2016, schools across the UK have benefited from the initiative to the tune of £7 million, with close to 1,000 schools benefitting from the scheme.

Funding has helped a range of projects such as creating community and sensory gardens, running health walks, building ponds for dipping and exploring wildlife and providing equipment for sports and outdoor recreational activities.

One of the schools that have benefitted is Astley Park School in Chorley, who have been awarded funding to create a dedicated play area for outdoor activities.

Gillian Broughton, Astley Park School said: “What a transformation this has made, not only to the school grounds, but to the everyday lives of the pupils and staff at the school.

“Pupils can not only ride safely, but are having lots of fun promoting independence, a sense of achievement and, of course, promoting physical activity.”

He added: “As educators, we get so tied up in focusing learning on sitting down at tables. Learning should be really exciting, dynamic and creative in order to inspire children.” L

TRANSFORM IT! The DHL UK Foundation – Transform It! programme have also worked with Groundwork to help transform the grounds of schools across the UK. A grant of £10,000 was secured to fund a project at Brooke School, in Rugby, to totally transform the once flooded site into an all-purpose multi sensory beach school – a place where the students will experience den building, cooking, sensory learning, pond dipping and rock scrambling.

The beach will be used for active, practical and flexible learning, and will help the students develop creativity, confidence and imagination, as well as promoting their exploration, investigative, physical and problem-solving skills.

Pupils will be involved in maintaining, developing and respecting their environments in this magical, newly transformed space.

Chris Pollitt, head teacher at Brooke School said: “I’m overwhelmed by the success of the project, especially today as we see for the first time the positive impact the beach will have on the children.

“What’s great about the new space is that it offers different beach environments to children with quite complex special needs in a safe environment.”

FURTHER INFORMATION www.groundwork.org.uk

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CASHLESS PAYMENTS

The trend for going cashless Many schools have introduced systems that allow parents to pay online for items such as school meals or trips, eliminating the need to send pupils in with cash and cheques. Education Business reports on this trend Practically everything is paid for electronically these days, whether it be via your debit card or smartphone. Many schools have also adapted their payment methods by introducing systems that allow parents to pay online for items such as school meals or trips without the need for sending pupils in with notes and coins.

Since the Bank of England introduced new polymer notes and high street banks began to close, additional costs and challenges to cash-based schools are being presented, along with security risks of keeping cash on-site.

The amount of schools ditching cash as a means of payment for school items has grown in a bid to cut down on administration time and costs. This option allows parents to top up an electronic account online or at a local pay point, instead of sending their

children to school with a cheque or a pocket full of change.

Since the first cashless system was introduced in 2003, there have been many changes to the way schools run in terms of money, which can benefit the school, the local authority, and the pupils.

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a couple of years, Croydon schools began to use the system for all parent payments, such as for school trips and uniform.

Croydon Council saw many benefits to using the system, and now more than 80 per cent of secondary schools in the area have become cashless, along with 75 per cent of primary schools in the same area.

Marrianne Lewis, who was responsible for commissioning the Croydon project, commented at the time: “It’s been a great success, schools were reporting that administration time associated with parent income had reduced by 80 per cent in some cases – enabling schools to redeploy financial and administrative resource to more important tasks in their schools.”

A recen t survey

by Pa reveale rentPay six per d that only ce still pay nt of parents for meals i school n cash THE CASHLESS

HISTORY In 2004, Croydon Council embarked on a project to use a cashless system from ParentPay to pay for school meals. In cases where parents had limited access to the internet, the system also allowed for top‑ups at local PayPoint shops, as well as still accepting cash payments. Within

TREND A recent survey by ParentPay revealed that only six per cent of parents still pay for school meals in cash, which highlights the significant impact that this new payment method has made.

The Income Collection Survey received responses from more E

29

ONLINE PAYMENTS

Removing cash has also been beneficial in terms of finance as schools and caterers are now noticing that this method has reduced administration and helped them save money  than 800 schools and showed that 48 per cent of parents now pay online or via an alternative method. It also revealed that 46 per cent of parents pay for meals solely online.

The findings also show that a small number of parents have limited access to the internet, which is why the system still offers an alternative cash method. However, cash payments can be made to a PayPoint store, to which 33,000 exist.

Anne Bull, former national chair for Lead Association for Catering and Education (LACA), commented on the survey: “One of the things that really stood out was the number of parents wanting to pay and see meal information online.”

USES AND BENEFITS Schools have decided to take on the cashless system because they offer a number of benefits to the education sector.

Children bringing cash into school can cause a number of issues; cheques can get lost and even become a trigger for bullying. The online payment system eliminates this problem as the money would be safe and secure in the individuals account, allowing them to purchase their food without any hiccups.

Parents can also have concerns that cash given to their children is not being spent where it is meant. For example, pupils can spend their change in the local corner shop on unhealthy snacks, instead of on a healthy meal at school. Cashless payment systems ensure that money is being spent where it is intended. Another benefit of such systems is that it can remove the stigma surrounding free school meals as it would be impossible to point out which children were entitled.

Removing cash has also been beneficial in terms of finance as schools and caterers are now noticing that this method has reduced administration and helped them save money.

Former academy vice principal, Chris Haggett, introduced a cashless payment system at George Spencer Academy when he saw how much money pupils were spending on their way to school on unhealthy food and drink. By allowing parents to pay for meals online through the sQuid system, pupils were coming to school with less money in their pockets, meaning it was spent more responsibly.

As a result, the school saw an increase in canteen takings and healthier choices for pupils. What’s more, the school cites substantial cost savings and reduced admin time as additional benefits.

George Spencer’s catering manager, Tanya Flinders, commented: “Online payments has really helped us reduce our costs and the amount of time we spend counting cash; we’ve seen our takings increase by over 20 per cent.”

Sam Tse, head of finance at the South Dartmoor Multi Academy Trust, adopted a ParentPay system in 2015 to redirect valuable staff resource away from cash management and income tracking, as well as reduce the risk of money being lost. The system achieved this, helping staff work more efficiently. “The main benefit is time saved in banking and receiving money at reception,” comments Sam Tse, who adds, “the reports within ParentPay have also reduced having to manually track payments. Cash collection services have also been reduced which has saved money across all schools.”

MOVING WITH THE TIMES Epsom Primary School is another example of a school that is seeing the benefits of going cashless. It is a multi-cultural primary school,

Finance

THE BUSINESS MAGAZINE FOR EDUCATION – www.educationbusinessuk.net

which also offers two year-old places and nursery provision.

As an expanding school with many activities that need to be paid for, the school installed a cashless payment system from Tucasi to ease the burden on the school office, as well as show parents it was moving with the times.

Despite reservations that an online system would not suit their catchment area, they have over 50 per cent of parents registered and making regular payments. The school has reduced the administrative burden of managing cash as they can take payments for virtually everything, including extended day provision for their two year‑olds.

What’s more, parents can check their child’s meal history, view attended club sessions or check trip dates, which reduces the amount of office queries. They also no longer have a problem with reaching their insurance limits for the amount of cash they are allowed to hold on-site.

A STRATEGY FOR GOING CASHLESS For those considering a cashless payment system, you should agree a strategy with the senior leadership team and communicate it to all stakeholders. You should also have a plan to deliver the strategy, such as communicating with parents and staff, and also system training.

You should also raise awareness and interest by consulting with parents and pupils through parent evenings, emails and newsletters.

Advising other schools on choosing a cashless system, Sam Tse from South Dartmoor Multi Academy Trust said: “Communicate with parents well in advance regarding reasons behind the change and the benefits to themselves and the school.

“Parents have the time to ask questions, and for those concerned with using an online payment system, time to understand the alternatives; for example PayPoint and debit card by telephone.” L FURTHER INFORMATION tinyurl.com/hnvbgvm

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online payments for parents: 1. Reduces workload Frees up time normally spent on banking procedures, helps gain better control over non-grant income and improves your school’s audit trail.

2. Makes it easier for parents to pay Gives parents the option to pay by debit or credit card, view their payment history and set up recurring payments, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week!

3. Less cash in school Reduces the amount of money held on school premises and improves security by ensuring children are safer by not having to carry cash.

Why go cashless with Tucasi?

Tucasi helps over 3,000 schools and academies manage income more effectively. Our online system can be used to pay for school meals, trips, photographs, uniforms, sports equipment, extracurricular activities, and much more!

To see how our Online Payments module could help your school, book your FREE demonstration today, call 0844 800 4016 or email sales@tucasi.com.

www.tucasi.com

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Asbestos could be in any part of a school building, from floor tiles to roof sheets, toilet seats to wall panels, and all things inbetween. The Independent Asbestos Training Providers examines the scale of the problem, what can be done about it, and how schools can comply with legal obligations Asbestos was a staple of the construction industry. It was spurred on in the mid-19th century by the industrial revolution and the need for low cost, readily available and efficient building, insulation and fire proof materials. Asbestos became the choice of many. With the development and growing demand for electricity and the need to make it and the buildings it was used in safe, asbestos was introduced not only in industrial and commercial buildings, but also in our homes and our educational establishments.

Throughout the early to mid 20th century, the use of asbestos in materials developed even further, more sources were identified and the mineral exploited. Bigger and more advanced production facilities were built making it more readily available and its use even more widespread. It was used, not only in construction materials but, due to its almost magical status, now into everyday products, such as irons, blankets, and even toys.

The outbreak of the second world war pushed asbestos development to new and higher levels. By the end of the war, asbestos was much in demand having proved itself on the battlefields of

Europe and the Far East. Again its low cost and availability made it the perfect material to re-build the country in the post-war years.

The country needed to create new housing, hospitals, infrastructure and, of course, schools.

The 1950s pushed construction even further, especially where schools were concerned. Due to the growing population, schools were needed, and fast.

In 1957, the Consortium of Local Authorities Special Programme (CLASP) was formed with the purpose of designing modular framed buildings to speed up school construction and replace older damaged buildings. The system

LURKING BEHIND THE SCENES Asbestos could be in any part of a school building, from floor tiles to roof sheets, toilet seats to wall panels and all things in-between.

One of the biggest issues seen with schools over the last 20 years in the UK is mainly down to poor maintenance of these old buildings. Given the choice, schools would opt to purchase new books, computers and pay staff wages; up keep of the building is often last on the list in budgetary terms.

One thing that is often misunderstood or even unknown and in some cases even ignored, is that since 2004, there has been a legal requirement in the UK to manage asbestos. Regulation 4, of the Control of Asbestos Regulations 2012 (CAR 12), referred to as ‘the Duty to Manage’ was introduced in the 2002 asbestos regulations, becoming enforceable by 2004, requires the identification and management of all asbestos materials in all non-domestic buildings in the UK. This includes E

s Asbestoe could b of a art in any plding, from bui school tiles to roof floor toilet seats sheets, all panels to w things and all ween in‑bet

Volume 22.2 | EDUCATION BUSINESS MAGAZINE

Written by the Independent Asbestos Training Providers

Could your school contain asbestos?

took off, having first being introduced in the East Midlands, the low cost and efficient build time meant that it was adopted nationally. The problem faced with CLASP building was down to the materials used in their construction. They basically required upgraded fire protection installing which unfortunately meant more use of asbestos.

It is understood that as of today, there are somewhere in the region between 17,000 and 25,000 schools in the United Kingdom that are believed to contain asbestos.

Asbestos

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HEALTH & SAFETY

 schools. A failure to comply with this requirement can result in severe consequences.

Most tend to believe that the worst thing about non-compliance with regulation 4 would be a fine and probably even a bit of a telling off from the HSE. However, this is not necessarily the worst case.

RELEASING THE FIBRES Asbestos Containing Materials (ACMs), if not managed will over time deteriorate, they get damaged and if not identified, they could be incorrectly or even accidentally worked on, all of which could release levels of asbestos fibres that could be harmful to anyone exposed to them. One problem from this is that the fibres are so small, they cannot be seen with the naked eye. They are odourless and have no taste, so exposure would go unnoticed. In addition to this, the consequence of exposure may not show itself for decades. Asbestos is a category 1 carcinogen, meaning that it is proven to cause cancer in humans. Again, the problem here is that cancer takes time to form and the victim is normally not aware that they have it until the symptoms show themselves.

THE HARM IT COULD CAUSE In the school environment, a release of asbestos that goes unnoticed could mean exposure to hundreds, potentially even thousands of children. The exposure encountered could occur every day while in the school, it may occur for many years resulting in a cumulative exposure, which could potentially result in a disease developing in years to come. There is also a risk to teaching and support staff, visitors and contractors.

A further consequence of not complying with regulation 4 is cost. A very common misunderstanding about asbestos is that it can be cleaned up with little effort. After all it’s only dust. Depending on the severity of the release, clean-up costs could cost millions, it may require the school to be vacated for lengthy periods, it could result in the disposal of equipment, computers, books, carpets, and so on. The biggest question here is, who is going to pay for it? Then there’s the issue of relocating pupils, parents having to get them to alternative schools or even bringing in temporary classrooms.

DEALING WITH THE PROBLEM This is the Legacy, we didn’t ask for it, we don’t want it, but we have to deal with it.

The question must be asked; is a teacher in a school where asbestos is located foreseeably going to be exposed to asbestos? Not ordinarily, but what if damage is caused to a wall by a chair or a desk, would they know what to do?

So how do we deal with it? As previously mentioned, regulation 4 requires the identification and management of asbestos, the key word here is identification. If you don’t know what asbestos materials are in the premises, how can they be managed? Therefore, a good quality asbestos survey is needed. From the survey an Asbestos Management Plan (AMP) can be created. Based on what materials are found, a schedule of re‑inspections can be implemented.

Information can be presented to contractors before they start work. Staff can be trained and made aware of what to do if they see damaged materials, and information can be provided to the emergency services if they are required to attend the premises out of hours.

Asbestos surveys, although not a legal requirement, are a useful tool if carried out correctly. HSE guidance document, HSG 264, the Survey Guide provides the duty holder with all the information required to ensure the survey is fit for purpose. This guide can be freely downloaded from the HSE website: www.hse.gove.uk/asbestos.

ASBESTOS TRAINING Asbestos training is another area where legal compliance is required. Regulation 10 of CAR 12 states: ‘Asbestos awareness training should be given to employees whose work could foreseeably disturb the fabric of a building and expose them to asbestos or who supervise or influence the work.’

The question must be asked; is a teacher in a school where asbestos is located foreseeably going to be exposed to asbestos? Not ordinarily, but what if damage is caused to a wall by a chair or a desk, would they know what to do, or just ignore it? What of the World War II gas mask that is being used in the history lesson, could that filter contain asbestos?

Are science lessons still using old

Bunsen burner mats or more worryingly, asbestos gloves? Would a school cleaner know what to do if they encountered debris from a ceiling tile, and are the school’s managers ensuring that contractors and maintenance staff are working safely where asbestos is present.

REGULATIONS The two final regulations taken from CAR 12 that are worthy of mention are regulations 11 and 16.

Regulation 11 ‘requires employers to prevent employees being exposed to asbestos or, if this is not possible, to put in place the measures and controls necessary to reduce exposure to as low as is reasonably practicable.’

Regulation 16 states: ‘Every employer must prevent or, where this is not reasonably practicable, reduce to the lowest level reasonably practicable the spread of asbestos from any place where work under the employer’s control is carried out.’

A breach of any of the above stated regulation is potentially devastating, either in the short or long term, yet they are so easy to follow and comply with.

I suppose the worst, or probably the best question that could be asked is: Is your child attending a school that contains asbestos, and if so, are they being exposed?

The UK has one of the highest numbers of asbestos‑related deaths in the world, over 5,500 deaths per year and this figure is rising. One must never lose sight of the fact that every one of the 5,500 are normal everyday people, these are not just trades people, this figure includes teachers, so I guess that the answer to the earlier question is yes, teachers can be exposed to asbestos.

So protect yourself, protect others, and be aware of asbestos. L FURTHER INFORMATION www.iatp.org.uk

Volume 22.2 | EDUCATION BUSINESS MAGAZINE

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The Jigsaw Story so far and beyond...

Born from the knowledge that many children are illequipped emotionally and socially to maximise the opportunities offered at school, and from the passionate belief that they all deserve the very best schools and life can offer, Jan Lever and her team of equally dedicated colleagues set about piecing together the jigsaw of PSHE curriculum requirements and ways to meet children’s emotional and psychological needs in a package that would be fun, enjoyable, and straightforward for busy teachers to use in their classrooms.

Lots of pieces, many of them complex and specialist.

Jigsaw, the mindful approach to PSHE, was launched in July 2013 and its first year saw 100 schools adopting Jigsaw, 55 schools across Dorset participating in a pilot study, teachers from each school meeting every halfterm to feedback on the materials, pupils’ progress being tracked and responses being carefully monitored.

The programme, now beginning its third academic year, is going from strength to strength as word spreads about how much children enjoy it, how it supports teachers and most importantly, the positive impact it is having.

The materials are now serving children across the UK and in a growing number of English-speaking schools internationally.

So what is it?

A comprehensive and completely child-centred scheme of work for children aged 4 to 11 covering all the requirements of a PSHE programme, from Health Education to anti-bullying, from relationships and personal development to drugs and alcohol work and Sex Education, but also adding much more than this.

Alongside this we have integrated progressive emotional literacy and social skills development and underpinned the whole programme with mindfulness philosophy and practice.

Puzzle 4: Hea lthy Piece 4 - Being

Puzzle 4 Outco me The Healthy, Happy Me Recipe Book

Resources Jigsaw Chime ‘Calm Me’ script Jaws theme music (from YouTube) Jigsaw Jino ‘We are keepin g safe from...’ sheet Keeping Safe template sheets x3

Please teach

Me - Year 3 -

Safe

What difference is it making?

By teaching children to become aware of their thoughts and feelings as they happen, we are empowering them to gain control of the responses they make in both learning and social situations. This is impacting positively on relationships between children and between them and the adults in their classrooms, enabling better collaborative learning and team-work. The effect on behaviour is also being reported as striking; children employing ‘Calm me’ techniques to regulate their own emotional states means fewer outbursts, more stability and more learning time.

More than this though, we believe becoming increasingly mindful, children will be gaining skills that will strengthen them individually to make the most of opportunities offered to them, and to build resilience to the difficult aspects of life that may come their way in family life, school life and the wider world. This, coupled with the PSHE-specific knowledge gained, must surely help equip children to cope with the difficult aspects of life and enjoy and maximise the beautiful ones.

More learning time, a lessening of the emotional and social skills deficits causing barriers to learning, increased co-operation and improved relationships, and very importantly increases in self-esteem and positive self-image, are all being reported to us from schools using Jigsaw. This should add up to enhanced learning and achievement.

Teachers and head teachers often email and phone us to let us know how delighted they are with what is happening to individual children and to the whole school ethos since implementing Jigsaw. “ I like holding Jigsaw Jo because he makes me feel safe and I can trust him.” (Child)

Spring 2

me to… identif y things, people and places to keep safe that I need from, and can tell strategies for keeping myself you some who to go to safe including for help express how being anxiou s or scared feels Vocabulary Safe Anxious Scared Strategy Advice

Jigsaw Journa ls Teaching and Learning The Jigsaw Ask me this…

Charter Share ‘The Jigsaw Charter’ with together (see The Jigsaw Appro the children to reinforce how we work ach for descri ption).

Connect us Play the Jaws theme music (or other the children and ask them to show similar, foreboding music) might make a to how they feel particular face What words can listening to it: body language. or express their they might feel listenindescribe how someone them that some Ask them to share how they thoughts through their g to the music? anxious/unco people find that sort of musicfelt during the music. Tell mforta a bit scary or anxious or scared ble listening to it. How can they expres they feel feels to them? s how being Calm me Everyone, includi ng adults, is sitting children that on chairs at the minds calm down beginning of every Jigsaw in a circle. Remind the Does your mind lesson we will ‘Calm Me’ Script. so that we are ready to help our feel calm and learn. Teacher learn? ready to to use the Open my mind In pairs, ask the childre n to think of things have to keep safe. from which they them? They could As a class discuss their feel they ideas.

When do you be under the feel really safe? headings, ‘Thing Can they categorise Write this list s,’ ‘People,’ ‘Place on the board/ Why do some flipchart. From of their ideas s’. things make you may be real or this list, discus feel unsafe?

What things/peopl s that some divided. Use preten the ‘We are keepin d. Their work could e are safe? then be subg safe from...

What things/peopl Discuss with ’ sheet to help. the e are unsafe? things might be children why they think these people, places they can disting unsafe and how that makes and them uish between feel. Explain (playing with that things that they hazards which they thems elves cause are caused by should not play other people who do things with) and hazards which to them (e.g. bullying).

Changing Me

Healthy Me - Year 3 www.jigsawpshe.com © Copyright of this document is the property of Jan Lever, jointly and severally. The purchase of this material confers the right on the purchasing institution to copy it for educational use within that, and no other, institution. No part of this document may be reprinted or reproduced in any form or by any electronic, mechanical, or other means, now known or hereafter invented, including photocopying and recording, or in any information storage or retrieval system, for use in any other institution or by any individual, without permission in writing from Jan Lever.

Jigsaw article.indd 3

© Jan Lever

Well done!

..............................................................................

Please feel proud that you have learnt to:

....................................................................................................................................

I am especially pleased that you:

....................................................................................................................................

I am proud that I can:

....................................................................................................................................

Signed: ........................................................................ Date: .....................................

49 © Jan Lever

Changing Me Well done!

04/01/2017

EVENT PREVIEW

The pick of education resources and expertise

The Education Show

THE BUSINESS MAGAZINE FOR EDUCATION – www.educationbusinessuk.net

The Education Show, which takes place 16-18 March, is the event that gives more than 10,000 visitors the chance to see the products and resources that are transforming teaching and learning, as well as hear from experts on current educational issues In an era where teaching specific skills doesn’t have the value it once did, giving students the freedom to be more creative and adaptable is arguably more important than ever before.

Schools are under increasing pressure to prepare students for life beyond the classroom and that means providing them with skills for 21st century jobs, many of which don’t even exist yet. The Education Show is here to help.

Each year, the event gives more than 10,000 visitors the chance to see the products and resources that are transforming teaching and learning from more than 300 different companies, and this year is no exception.

Here’s a sample of what’s on offer.

SAFEGUARDING AND E-LEARNING SSS Learning’s team of safeguarding and e-learning experts will be displaying a range of CPD-accredited courses on stand H81. These courses meet the updated Department for Education (DfE) ‘Keeping Children Safe in Education’ statutory guidance, which emphasises the importance of regular updates and annual safeguarding and child protection training.

Already used by over 100,000 frontline professionals to help protect children and young people from a broad spectrum of issues, such as child sexual exploitation (CSE), forced marriage and honour‑based violence, the courses have been developed as a much-needed catalyst for change in safeguarding training. The courses are fully CPD-accredited and certify staff and volunteers in pre-school, school and academy settings, replacing often insufficient or costly traditional group training methods.

EdComs Teachers is an online community that rewards teachers for their contributions, insight and experience, and its team will be on stand M70.

It was set up to enable EdComs – Europe’s leading provider of branded educational resources and associated research insight – to access a wider network of teachers and to allow more teachers to have their say. It’s free to join and provides teachers with an opportunity to take part in research and be involved in the development of resources and current policy within teaching. In addition to

all this, members are rewarded with points and also entered into regular prize draw.

PORTABLE STAGING AND LANGUAGES Head to stand E56 to see Beeline Promotional Products Ltd, one of the UK’s leading suppliers of rewards, consumables and clothing for schools. As the preferred supplier to Youth Sport Trust and to many schools, colleges, universities and training organisations, Beeline is extremely reputable in the sector – visit the team to find out why.

On stand F56-G65, Stage Systems will be showcasing its portable staging and performance platforms. As the first company to develop the portable staging market back in the 1960s, it sets the standard for quality, versatility and service. Schools will have the opportunity to see these simple and fun designs, which are available as standard kits or bespoke solutions with flat, multi‑height and tiering options – all producing excellent results. Head to the stand to find out why Stage Systems is dedicated to staging and how it delivers on bringing spaces to life with creative designs in primary and secondary schools, colleges and universities.

Stand N14 is all about Language Magnet, which provides

Each year, t event g he more th ives visitors an 10,000 to see t the chance and res he products o are tran urces that sfo teachinrming g

a unique foreign language service for primary schools with ongoing personalised language coaching for non-specialist teachers, and a high-quality scheme of work with exceptional resources.

Language Magnet empowers primary schools to independently teach French or Spanish to a very high standard whilst being delivered by non-specialists. The scheme of work is detailed with plenty of differentiation and effective progression, and provides full assessment criteria and unique self-assessment pupil trackers.

With an effective grammar colour-coding system, humorous artwork and a unique home learning series, Language Magnet engages and inspires pupils and teachers alike.

WEB SAFETY AND PPA COVER Junior Jam is an education supplier dedicated to providing high-quality PPA cover, after school clubs and holiday clubs for schools. The team will be on stand H99 to demonstrate the benefits.

Over the last 13 years, Junior Jam has worked in partnership with over 1,000 primary schools across the UK who have taken advantage of the expertise and reliability of a well-established, tried and tested provider.

Junior Jam is the leading provider of E

Volume 22.2 | EDUCATION BUSINESS MAGAZINE

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Education Case Study - The Arnewood School

The Arnewood School Chooses OKI for Reliability and Versatility The Arnewood School in Hampshire is an 11-19 mixed academy of about 1,200 students. Since being granted Technology College status some years ago, it has embarked on an ongoing programme of IT infrastructure investment.

The school’s OKI printers in both classrooms and offices remain reliable, mainly because “they have few fiddly bits to go wrong”, according to King.

Tracey King, financial co-ordinator, needed to upgrade the school’s entire printer stock, but devices had to be robust and reliable to withstand heavy use. Also, as students move around the building they needed to print from the closest printer. This made calculating the printing volumes of each different cost centre difficult.

“The printer that had never let us down was our old OKI model,” she says. OKI’s total cost of ownership compared favourably with other brands. “OKI printers came with a three-year warranty – competitive brands can’t match this.”

The school has been replacing old printers with new OKI models on an ongoing basis. There is now an OKI printer – mostly A4 Mono Desktop – in around 30 classrooms and offices. It also has OKI A4 Colour Printers and the C900 A3 Colour Printer in the technology suite.

Having addressed the basic needs, the school has now extended its OKI solution, integrating PaperCut software into the workflow.

"OKI's flexible media handling is key in the design and technology department where students print on all types of materials." Tracey King, Financial Co-ordinator, Because devices are networked, students send work to the nearest printer, regardless of location. “Using PaperCut means we can see which department has used each printer. Each department is responsible for paying for a certain number of cartridges.

“PaperCut keeps a record of who has printed what, so we are able to allocate these costs more accurately and fairly.”

OKI colour printers are also a good investment. “OKI’s flexible media handling is key in the design and technology department where students print on all types of materials,” says King.

But one of the main benefits is cost savings. “We have more printers than we did before,” says King. “But we are certainly saving overall.”

The Education Show

EVENT PREVIEW  diverse PPA cover in the UK; visit its stand to find out about a wide range of courses and discover new and innovative ways for pupils to explore the national curriculum. A specialist teacher will be on-hand to guide you through how the lessons are delivered using iPads.

In January 2017, web safety experts Smoothwall launched Visigo, a proactive keystroke monitoring solution that allows schools to smartly detect suspicious or inappropriate behaviour. Schools will have a chance to see it in action on stand G81. The software monitors all keystroke activity, both online and offline, allowing visibility of content being created in chatrooms, documents and messaging apps.

Its unique, intelligent profiling capability considers the age, gender and other characteristics of the user, along with their activity and behaviour on the device. This smart profiling function allows for the most accurate information to be relayed back automatically to a school’s safeguarding officer, allowing for appropriate action to be taken.

CHARITIES AND THE CENTRAL FEATURE Chatsworth will be on stand J91, providing visitors with information on the Devonshire Educational Trust, which provides a varied and unique education programme. The house, garden, farmyard and woods provide an inspiring resource for students of all ages and the sessions that are available to schools are bursting with history and art, illustrating life across the generations.

The farmyard offers a hands-on learning experience, whilst the outdoor education sessions explore the garden and parkland.

Chatsworth caters for all groups, large and small, and offers both staffed activities and self-guided options. Visit the stand to find out more and hear first-hand about the Gucci sponsored fashion exhibition.

On stand M24, teachers can visit Dogs Trust’s education team, which aims to educate young people – the dog owners of tomorrow – by delivering free fun, engaging and interactive classroom workshops. Themes include dog safety and responsible dog ownership, as well as many curriculum‑based subjects including maths, English, science and history.

The workshops are delivered throughout the UK in primary and secondary schools and within the community by a dedicated team of trained education officers. They can be tailored to meet each school’s individual needs.

Visitors to The Education Show will also have access to a range of free CPD (continuing professional development) and training, through a programme of seminars and workshops running in theatres alongside the exhibition.

The Central Feature is the theatre at the heart of the show, filled with practical and engaging sessions focused on teaching innovatively to improve literacy skills across all subjects, addressing the changes to assessment facing both primary and secondary institutions, and other inspirational stories.

KEY SLOTS On Thursday, 16 March at 11:50, national treasure, Darcey Bussell CBE, will take to the stage as one of the show’s headline speakers.

The retired ballerina is the former principal of The Royal Ballet and one of the most famous British dancers of her generation; more recently she is well-known for her role as a judge on BBC One’s hit TV show, Strictly Come Dancing.

On the same day, guest speaker Miles Berry, principal of Roehampton University, will be giving a talk on Assessing Computing.

He will be addressing the challenges teachers face with assessing skills, and knowledge and understanding in computing.

Miles will show some of the technologies that can support this, including automated analysis of pupils’ projects, tests for code correctness and diagnostic questions. This will start at 3.30pm.

The following day, the CEO of FindEd, Mark Robinson, will be giving a talk on how to recruit the right teachers for your school in three steps. This session covers the dos and dont’s of recruiting the right teachers for your school and provides a framework for assessing and improving your current processes. This will start at 11.50am.

Mastery or Mediocrity: How to overcome the challenges for the KS2

SATS will take place on 16, March between 2.50pm and 3.50pm.

Nazie Quershi, director, SATs companion, will address the key issues teachers are facing with the new Key Stage 2 SATs such as: curriculum coverage, saving time and money, differentiated resources, gap analysis, and the new question styles.

Another date for the diary is Saturday, 18 March. The managing director for Leadership Matters and The Duke of Edinburgh Awards, Andy Buck, will be speaking in the DofE: A Holistic Solution to Issues Facing Head Teachers Today talk. This will take place between 12pm and will last about half hour.

Many of the challenges faced by headteachers and senior staff today revolve around the need to satisfy a growing number of requirements that may not be met through the national curriculum.

In this session, teachers will find out why the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award (DofE) can provide a solution. Hear more about how it can be easily integrated within an education environment and hear about the benefits that extend beyond the school.

Whilst participants develop skills and attributes such as communication, confidence, leadership and resilience that will set them up for life, teachers and senior leaders can also develop skills by working with students outside of a conventional classroom setting.

The Education Show takes place at the NEC Birmingham on 16-18 March. L FURTHER INFORMATION www.education.show.com

Jigsaw – the mindful approach to PSHE Jigsaw is an original comprehensive scheme of learning for years F1/2 to year 6 which integrates PSHE, emotional literacy, social skills, spiritual development, British values and SMSC opportunities in a lesson-a-week programme.

It has all the teaching resources needed, such as original music, songs and assemblies for the whole year.

Full planning is included for EYFS, and SMSC opportunities are identified in each module.

Jigsaw is already being used in over 1,400 schools across the UK, and schools in China, Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Saudi Arabia, Sweden and the Netherlands are all enjoying Jigsaw.

Discovery RE is an enquiry based approach to religious education for F1/2 to Year 6. It is a set of detailed medium‑term

planning with a full ‘beyond levels’ assessment process. There are modules on Christianity, Buddhism, Hinduism, Islam, Judaism and Sikhism.

Over 1,300 schools are using Discovery RE and the third edition is being launched in March 2017.

If you would like further information on Jigsaw PSHE or Discovery RE, please visit the websites listed below or visit us at the Education Show in March.

FURTHER INFORMATION Tel: +44 (0)1202 377192 www.jigsawpshe.com www.discoveryschemeof work.com

Volume 22.2 | EDUCATION BUSINESS MAGAZINE

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LESSON PLANNING

With teachers spending on average seven to eight hours a week preparing their lessons, sharing resources is proving very effective at saving time and improving classes, writes Brigitte Ricou-Bellan, managing director of digital at TES Global Almost 10 years ago we noticed active discussions about teaching materials on an online TES forum and we were asked if we could help find a way of making such resources more easily shared. From this request our TES Resources platform was born as a means for teachers to quickly exchange materials, expertise and teaching practices. In February 2015, we launched the TES Marketplace, introducing paid-for content as a way of funding this ever-growing platform. There are now over 400,000 premium resources available on the platform, attracting buyers from over 180 countries.

Overall, the TES network now has over 8 million members worldwide and we’re expecting to see our billionth download in 2017. Teachers from across the globe share classroom resources, lesson plans, assessments, worksheets and student activities, covering 30 subjects across early years, primary, secondary, whole school and SEN. They are filtered by age range and curriculum subjects and teachers can choose to share for free or for a fee.

We currently host 1.6 million pieces of content and over 65,000 videos on the platform. It has grown to the point that more than one million resources are downloaded each day by teachers across more than 200 countries, with one in five UK teachers having purchased a resource. We estimate that the resources have reached over 80 million students since it was launched.

WHY HAS IT BECOME SO POPULAR? Teachers spend on average seven to eight hours a week preparing their lessons and the bulk of this happens after school and at weekends. It’s a factor in increasing workload, stress and a contributor to teachers’ poor work-life balance. It was this damaging combination of a lack of time and insufficient classroom materials that led Ray Rodgers, a specialist who has supported dyslexic

pupils, to shift to online platforms. He joined TES in 2009 and eventually set up his own TES Resources Shop, which to date has been viewed more than a million times.

Indeed, the resources platform has been shown to be very effective at saving teachers time and helping them improve their classes by benefiting from the collective knowledge of the global teaching community. We teamed up with Stanford University to survey teacher sentiment on the platform: 90 per cent of 10,000 teachers rated the resources they used as above-average in both quality and relevance, and more than 30 per cent gave the maximum score for both categories. Out of all the materials downloaded from the marketplace two in three are used in the classroom.

PROVING EFFICACY Measuring the effectiveness of a marketplace for teachers has been a challenge. Social proof is an effective gauge and indicator of the value placed on the resources.

Teachers can review the available materials so we can organically promote the best performing content and drive repeat use and greater adoption of the platform.

More than 200,000 resources have been reviewed by teachers 700,000 times to date.

Teachers also reported that online resources positively affect their day‑to‑day classroom experience. More than two‑thirds of participants in our Stanford study reported that using TES materials had a strong positive impact on the quality of their instruction, helping them develop

effective lessons, engage students, and introduce new pedagogical methods.

Teachers also felt very strongly that access to online resource marketplaces enabled them to be part of a community where teachers can learn from each other. Roy Huggins, an experienced history teacher who taught in a tough school in a deprived area of South Yorkshire until August 2016, was drawn to the platform because of the opportunity to share resources and experience with colleagues across the world. His resources have been downloaded 7,340 times over the last year.

The TES marketplace is not just allowing those new to the profession to learn from experienced educators, but it’s also providing teachers with a supplementary income. Paul Urry, headteacher of St William’s Catholic Primary School in Bradford, is one of the world’s most downloaded teacher authors, and has 30 years of teaching experience. His mix of free and paid-for English, science and maths resources have achieved 3.7 million downloads, assisting teachers and pupils in countries as diverse as the U.S., Kuwait, Iraq, the Falkland Islands and New Zealand. Out of the 713 resources he has posted online, he has sold 126 and has earned around £8,000.

We believe that this community is making a real difference to teachers’ lives, both in the classroom, and when they sit down to prepare their next lesson. And the exciting thing is that we are still only at the start of our journey to help teachers create, share and deliver the best lessons leveraging the potential of digital and multimedia content. L

Written by Brigitte Ricou-Bellan, managing director of digital, TES Global

Where teachers help teachers

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90 per cent of 10,00 rated th0 teachers er they us esources above-a ed as both qu verage in alit relevan y and ce

FURTHER INFORMATION www.tes.com/teaching-resources

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TRAINING

The top challenges for ICT leaders According to research from BESA, 57 per cent of primary and 61 per cent of secondary teachers have said training teachers in all areas of ICT is their key challenge over the next 12 months On average, primary school pupils spend “EdTech has tremendous transformative 53.7 per cent of their time engaging with potential to drive up standards of education ICT in the classroom, as do 55.5 per cent in classrooms globally. And with UK pupils of secondary school pupils, according now spending over 50 per cent of classroom to research from the British Educational time engaging with ICT, it is imperative Suppliers Association (BESA). As such, the that teachers are able to get the training influence that technology has on children that they need in order to best utilise and young people is significant, as is the digital resources. Not least at a time when, pressure on schools to teach it right. regrettably, budgets are tightening.”

However, the research also revealed that On the subject of e-safety, Caroline training teachers adequately in the use of added: “Nowhere is this more important ICT resources is the biggest challenge for ICT than in the area of e-safety, which now leaders, with fifty-seven per cent of primary permeates all aspects of the school. and 61 per cent secondary teachers citing it as It is vitally important that CPD in this their key challenge over the next 12 months. area – from data security to dealing with The survey also found that 51 per cent of cyber bullying – is readily available.” primary school teachers, and 49 per cent of secondary school teachers need training BUDGETS in e-safety issues, while 51 per cent of The average ICT budget for a primary school primary school teachers are seen to need is forecast to be £13,800 in 2017/18 and training in using assessment solutions. £58,230 for secondaries, the research found.

The report found that training requirements This is a year-on-year decline of -4 per in the use of digital content is expanding cent and -7 per cent respectively. in primary schools and has What’s more, there are The increased from 39 per cent in an estimated 906,596 average 2015 to 43 per cent in 2016. computers in UK schools Caroline Wright, Director that are deemed ICT bud g e General, BESA said: ineffective due to t f or a

prima is forec ry school £13,800 ast to be and £58in 2017/18 seconda ,230 for ry scho ols

Key findings on the report

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51 per cent of primary school teachers, and 49 per cent of secondary school teachers require training in e-safety issues.

51 per cent of primary school teachers need training in using assessment solutions.

Training requirements in the use of digital content in primary schools has increased from 39 per cent in 2015 to 43 per cent in 2016.

Primary school pupils spend on average 53.7 per cent of their time engaging with ICT, as do 55.5 per cent of secondary school pupils.

Concerns around the security of data is the main barrier preventing schools from moving to cloud-based solutions.

There are an estimated 906,596 computers in UK schools that are deemed ineffective due to condition, age or specification.

The average ICT budget for a primary school is forecast to be £13,800 in 2017/18 and £58,230 for secondaries.

The above budget predictions represent a year-on-year decline of -4 per cent and -7 per cent respectively. condition, age or specification. BESA’s research also finds that more than half of primaries do not have adequate broadband.

Only 44 per cent of primary ICT leaders said their schools were ‘currently well resourced’ with broadband, compared with 97 per cent of secondary schools.

“The majority of primary schools in the country evidently still have serious difficulty E

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TRAINING  accessing adequate levels of broadband, and this is a major issue that needs to be addressed if we are serious about pupils acquiring the skills they need to enter into the increasingly digital workplace,” comments Caroline. “However, we at BESA are greatly encouraged by the serious attention the DFE’s EdTech team are giving to this issue, and the fact that many schools say the situation will improve over the next year can be seen as significant progress,” she continued.

The report also found that concerns around the security of data is the main barrier preventing schools from moving to cloud-based solutions.

THE RIGHT TYPE OF SUPPORT David Weston, CEO of the Teacher Development Trust believes that while teachers do need more support on how to use technology in schools, it needs to be the right type of training. He said: “Teachers need

ongoing support in using the technology to genuinely support what they need to teach and what students need to learn. We need to help technology support and transform learning, not use gadgets for gadgets’ sake.”

Mark Chambers, CEO of Naace believes that the BESA report shows that there are two types of schools when it comes to the take-up of technology, “those helping young people capitalise on the educational opportunities of the internet and those resisting it tooth and nail.”

Mark continues: “Central leadership on the importance of ICT in schools is sorely lacking, leading to far too many considering ICT a dispensable spend, when it is in reality the key to much more effective teaching and learning.

“The analysis of Naace members of the responses contained within the BESA Report, suggest that it is regrettable that schools have still not learned that thoughtful investment in education technology can actually either save

The survey found that 51 per cent of primary school teachers, and 49 per cent of secondary school teachers need training in e-safety issues, while 51 per cent of primary school teachers need training in using assessment solutions

money, or give better outcomes for the same spend. In the experience of our members, this is now beyond debate and we have captured for schools how they might access these benefits in our School Leadership eGuide ‘8% Budget Cuts and More – how schools are being reshaped for a connected world’.”

IT & Computing

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ABOUT BESA AND THE REPORT BESA (British Educational Suppliers Association) is the trade association covering the entirety of the UK educational suppliers sector. It operates on a not-for-profit basis, and is accountable to an Executive Council that is elected by member companies.

It has an 80-year heritage serving the UK education sector, and represents over 400 educational suppliers in the UK, including manufacturers and distributors of equipment, materials, books, consumables, furniture, technology, ICT hardware and EdTech to the education market.

BESA has a Code of Practice to which all members must adhere, along with a stringent membership process, both of which assure schools of a high standard of quality.

Every year BESA releases its ‘state of the nation’ report which looks at ICT budgets and challenges. L FURTHER INFORMATION www.besa.org.uk

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INTERNET SAFETY

ONLINE SAFETY EXPERT LAUNCHES NEW SYSTEM TO HELP SCHOOLS Smoothwall is the leading online safety providers to the education market in the UK, protecting over one million students with its innovative web filtering and online safeguarding solutions Since 2000, Smoothwall has been pioneering technologies that focus on context to help give users the best online experience whilst protecting them from potential harm.

PROTECTING CHILDREN ONLINE As digital learning becomes more commonplace in the classroom, the need to protect children online has risen to the top of school’s agendas.

Legislation such as, Keeping Children Safe in Education and Prevent Duty, only help to solidify how seriously the government places expectations on schools to be taking appropriate actions to safeguard children online.

Not only must schools ensure they have appropriate filtering in place, they should also consider appropriate monitoring and putting more of an emphasis on human interaction to ensure that vulnerable young people are safeguarded.

QUALITY SECURITY SOLUTIONS Smoothwall’s Content Aware Web Filter is market leading due to the commitment to constantly and aggressively evolve to meet the needs of schools and colleges.

Not only does it meet the expectations of appropriate filtering for schools outlined by the UK Safer Internet Centre (UK SIC), its safeguarding reporting suite exceeds it and is the only web security solution designed specifically with the needs of education in mind.

With such a successful filtering solution, it was a natural fit for Smoothwall to use its expertise to create a monitoring solution that would also help to meet the appropriate monitoring criteria set out by the UK SIC. MODERATING CONTENT In January 2017, Smoothwall launched a brand new product called Visigo, which is a proactive monitoring solution for schools and colleges.

The product is installed on devices owned by schools or colleges and can monitor all keystroke activity, both online and offline, allowing the visibility of conversations or content being created in chatrooms, in documents and via messaging functionality.

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EDUCATION BUSINESS MAGAZINE | Volume 22.2

In addition, Smoothwall is partnering with a market leading moderation expert to provide 24/7 monitoring and moderation of content, alerting schools of an incident that requires intervention.

SAFEGUARDING YOUNG PEOPLE As safeguarding issues such as mental health, radicalisation and child sexual exploitation increase, it’s imperative schools are able to identify and respond to concerns regarding the safety of children.

More and more, this activity is happening digitally and schools have a requirement to be able to monitor and protect children from both online and offline threats.

Visigio will be able to provide monitoring against all of the risk areas identified by the UK SIC including, but not limited to: illegal activity; drugs; extremism; suicide; violence; bullying and child sexual abuse.

The product is unique because of its ability to build a profile of each individual user, allowing accurate moderation between a one off incident or a chain of events.

The intelligent profiling capability will take into consideration age, gender and other characteristics of the user, along with their activity and behaviour on the device. This allows for the most accurate information to be relayed to the designated safeguarding lead in the schools.

Now more than ever, schools are looking for

support as the demands to protect children increase. The Visigo solution from Smoothwall helps to support the effective management of safeguarding and gives you the peace of mind that you can support people in your care.

The monitoring solution is a complimentary addition to the safeguarding reporting suite Smoothwall released at a similar time in 2016.

The unique safeguarding reporting suite gives safeguarding officers access and insights into the activity of students and staff online.

Using reports to analyse any search terms entered and URLs accessed, system administrators are able to generate meaningful data showing any breaches against one of the 7 safeguarding rulesets: radicalisation, suicide, abuse, substance abuse, bullying, criminal activity and adult content.

Breaches are flagged against three warning levels; caution, warning and danger, and allow safeguarding officers to assess risk based on the context of the breach.

The safeguarding reporting suite is now being used by thousands of schools across the UK and continues to be developed by Smoothwall.

Smoothwall lead by a commitment to keep children safe online and to constantly develop solutions that help schools to deliver their promise. L FURTHER INFORMATION www.smoothwall.com

EVENT REVIEW

Improving the future through education Bett is known for bringing together everyone with a passion for improving the future through education, and showcasing the very best the global education marketplace has to offer. Here are the event highlights from 2017 With Bett 2017 scheduled after a year of significant change within the education sector, visitor numbers were expected to be high.

Issues such as academisation, governance, selective schooling, teacher retention and the outcome of the EU referendum were set to attract thousands of educators looking for solutions to support these changes.

PASSION FOR THE FUTURE With a history spanning over three decades, Bett is known for bringing together everyone with a passion for improving the future through education, and showcasing the very best the global education marketplace has to offer.

Bett once again offered invaluable insight to everyone in the education sector – from teachers and school leaders to policy makers, suppliers and industry experts.

Programmes on governance; continued professional development (CPD); educational technology; special educational needs (SEN); STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics) and creativity in education achieved this.

IMPROVING THE EDUCATION SECTOR More than ever teachers are looking for ways to efficiently and effectively improve what they do, so it was no surprise that the free CPD seminars were very well attended.

The Bett practitioner-led Learn Live CPD seminars and workshops addressed key issues in contemporary education and provided useful insight into the latest research, practices and policies affecting education worldwide.

Sessions ranged from the practical ‘hands on’ ideas to enhance your teaching sessions, to major electrifying speakers such as Sir Ken Robinson, Heston Blumenthal and Ed Stafford.

Unsurprisingly, Ed Stafford’s session saw people squeezing in around the edge of the arena to catch sight of the renowned

adventurer, explorer and broadcaster.

Ed shared his views on why the spirit of exploration is so important in today’s world, and underlined the importance of technology in encouraging children’s natural desire to learn. He also gave all attending visitors ideas on how to ignite this inquisitiveness in their students.

Along similar lines, Eric Sheninger, senior fellow at International Centre for Leadership in Education, revealed his innovative research‑based practices; giving teachers ideas of how to implement these to bring back a sense of awe to learning. Throughout the session he stressed the importance of instilling this wonderment in the classroom.

Celebrity chef Heston Blumenthal may not be an obvious speaker at Bett, but his session

Teach are loo ers for wayking s to efficien t l y i m prove what t was no hey do, so it s the sem urprise that in well‑att ars were ended

Bett 2017

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probably attracted three times more people than there were seats. He spoke passionately about creativity in education and the opportunity it brings to explore and discover.

He encouraged teachers to welcome questions and failure in the classroom, believing this is the basis for constructive learning.

Looking at the ‘teacher led’ sessions, Maarit Rossi and Kazaya Takahashi hosted a panel discussion made up of Global Teacher Prize winners and finalists, discussing what makes a world-class teacher. This was a lively event with the audience getting involved in a debate, offering suggestions, comments and ideas. I doubt anyone left this session with less than five ideas of how to enrich their teaching.

Whether they attended best practice teacher led sessions or those delivered by celebrity speakers, visitors were given practical advice, insight, inspiration and tools to help them become educational game-changers.

SCHOOL LEADERSHIP SOLUTIONS Ensuring there was something for everyone, Ascential, the organisers of Bett, once again excelled in the delivery of CPD sessions for school leaders. The School Leaders Summit, explored the most significant challenges facing senior leadership teams (SLTs) and addressed how these can be tackled. This summit provided an opportunity for school business managers and senior leaders to network and collaborate to come up with forward-thinking solutions to improve school leadership.

Turning to the exhibitors, despite budget cuts they appeared to be taking more orders than ever. Nik Tuscon, CEO of tablet and content supplier LearnPad said:“We’ve had people queueing up, it’s been insane and the interest level for Class VR has been astounding.” E

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SECURITY

Security systems that give schools peace of mind Cranberg specialises in the supply and installation of security systems and alarms, and has more than 35 years of experience.

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Cranberg provides bespoke security systems to schools and hospitals throughout the South East area. Maintaining a riskfree educational environment is important with control over admittance, access and monitoring public activity with CCTV systems. Combining these solutions with recording devices for playback evidence, unauthorised admittance

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EVENT REVIEW  STEAM VILLAGE In terms of what appeared to gain a lot of attention at Bett, the seminars and exhibitors addressing the STEM subjects appeared to be very popular.

One example of how Bett evolves each year to meet these needs, is the STEAM Village, which was busier than ever.

Teachers, students and parents were invited to learn through exploration and play; they trialled STEAM solutions and products while considering how they can be assimilated into the classroom to enhance education.

Experts were on hand to guide visitors through key STEAM topics, teaching methods, and new and emerging technologies.

Bett Futures once again proved to be an increasingly popular area of the show; growing in size year on year since its arrival at Bett in 2015. This year, the area of the show floor designed to nurture start-up companies, played host to more than 80 firms and their innovative new products. Ivor Novello award winner, George Hammond Hagan, was on his Studytracks stand demonstrating the revision to music app.

The idea came to George when his son was listening to music while studying for his GCSEs. George was initially sure it was a hindrance, but a simple experiment proved him completely wrong and Studytracks was born. Studytracks, is a free app that merges music with study materials, using lyrics relating to a specific exam theme or topic.

Other Bett Future’s exhibitors who attracted large numbers of visitors included MeeTwo. This is a digital solution that provides teenagers with a supportive, 100 per cent‑moderated, community where they can ask awkward questions anonymously, and safely share their concerns. Educational resources embedded within the platform allow young people to go deeper into specific topics. They are also invited to submit creative content for inclusion in the app. Curious Chip was showing Ada, a computer designed for kids to enable them to get started with programming, electronics and other forms of digital creation, such as art and music. Ada combines hardware, software and learning materials in a simple and easy to use package.

BETT FUTURES SUCCESS Bett Futures is always a hugely popular area of the show. One exhibitor from the first Bett Futures back in 2015, MintedBox, was on the main show floor this year and its success has grown and grown. This year they were running a ‘Dragon’s Den’ style offer where schools with an idea for some software or app put their idea to the team at MintedBox. The winning idea will be developed and sold to other schools. The upside is that the school who came up with the idea will receive a proportion of the profit for every sale made.

When speaking to a number of visitors to Bett, the headline impression was that the show’s success is very much down to the

Bett 2017

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Issues such as academisation, governance, selective schooling, teacher retention and the outcome of the EU referendum were set to attract thousands of educators looking for solutions to support these changes nature of its exhibitors. These companies’ passion for educational improvement once again shone through; they were listening to what the visitors wanted, offering advice, connecting them up with other teachers and offering them free trials. Unlike any other show, the exhibitors are not there just to sell; they see Bett as the opportunity to meet with their audience and work with them to support their every changing needs.

KUBO Robot for example, was on stand demonstrating Robot Coding. It teaches children coding from three years of age and can be implemented by a teacher, regardless of their level of prior experience with coding.

We’ve all been on training courses only to go back to work and forget what we’ve been taught within a couple of weeks. With this in mind, and recognising teachers’ limited time to go on training courses, 123GO! has been designed to help make stick. It uses the simple LOOK, LEARN, TRY, EARN workflow to take any content, add a checklist and a challenge, and reward mastery with badges. Something many teachers were interested in at this year’s Bett.

With the current focus on the core curriculum areas, BOFA also proved to be popular with visitors. This online formative learning platform has been designed for KS2 students and helps to develop their maths and English skills. It’s a new product, with a sister product for 11+ preparation, which has successfully been used for the past nine years

to prepare pupils for school entrance exams.

GlamSci aims to support the advancement of education in STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) subjects among young people, particularly disadvantaged young women and men from poorer backgrounds, who would not ordinarily engage in these subjects. GlamSci hosts STEMfocused events, workshops, lectures and CPD events. Something that was clearly recognised by visitors as a very appropriate offering.

When asked, one visitor gave unexpected feedback on the main benefit of Bett as she sees it. She said: “When I’m on the stands of suppliers with a resource that I need, I start chatting to other teachers on the stand.

“We obviously have the same need and similar challenges. The conversations I have are the most valuable source of ideas I could gather.

“For me, Bett is all about learning how to make my teaching, easier, better and more effective.”

Each year, Bett provides this arena for open and informed discussions about the future of education, as well as invaluable training for educators across the sector, and Bett 2017 was no exception.

We recommend you put the date of Bett 2018 in your diary today: 24-27 January 2018, ExCel London. L FURTHER INFORMATION www.bettshow.com

Volume 22.2 | EDUCATION BUSINESS MAGAZINE

49

S

E EE URC FRRESO

EM ST

Engage your students in the classroom Bring learning to life with our FREE curriculum-linked resources for science, mathematics, design & technology and computing.

Resources include: ■ handouts ■ presentations ■ posters ■ classroom activities to drop into lessons ■ annual engineering-based competition for schools.

Go online to find out more!

www.ietfaraday.org/resources

The Institution of Engineering and Technology is registered as a Charity in England and Wales (No. 211014) and Scotland (No. SC038698).

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STEM

TEACHER DEVELOPMENT

Obit, elit eum doloriatur sam reprae voluptatur? Qui officiis cum escipicipsam hit exerferi quibus, exceaqui omnis sinctatem. La In order giveute young people a world-leading STEM education, non non to nossi dis rest dolupta acescipsant everum que nis teachers should have access to high impact professional development and quality-assured resources, writes Becca Knowles from the National STEM Learning Network Continuing professional development (CPD) is something close to my heart.

After many years working as a senior leader in schools supporting staff development, I took a role with the National STEM Learning Network in York.

We believe all young people across the UK should receive a world‑leading STEM (science, technology, engineering and maths) education. We are working to achieve this by making it easy for teachers and others involved in STEM education to access subject-specific, high impact professional development and quality-assured resource.

We believe that high-quality, subject‑specific CPD is key to achieving this goal.

that a teacher filled with new ideas and renewed confidence can have a huge impact in the classroom, and on their colleagues. In a recent study on people who had been on our CPD, 94 per cent of teachers reported that the CPD had positive impacts on themselves, and 86 per cent of teachers confirm positive impacts on their students.

CPD allows educat networ ors to like-min k with d and sha ed people and goo re ideas beyond d practice the institut ir own ion

BENEFITS OF CPD FOR TEACHERS So, what does a teacher get out of CPD? All of our CPD aims to do three broad things: improve subject and pedagogical knowledge; improve the overall quality of teaching; and support leadership development. It also allows educators to network with like-minded people and share ideas and good practice beyond their own institution. Another benefit of CPD is the effect it has on a teacher’s confidence and enthusiasm for the subject they teach, in order to inspire young people.

The CPD we offer ranges from a twilight session in a neighbouring school, to sending teachers to Iceland to be able to have first‑hand understanding of geological processes and geothermal engineering. We may also demonstrate how to use the BBC mircro:bit or 3D printer in the classroom, or place a teacher in a placement at a world‑leading university. We firmly believe

BENEFITTING SCHOOLS The impact of CPD goes much wider than the one teacher that attends. Part of our action planning processes ensures that learning is shared with others. The enthusiasm and new knowledge that person brings back to their school or college is infectious – spreading to their colleagues and students.

Another incredibly important factor is the effect CPD has on improving teacher retention and career progression. We all know that recruitment and retention in teaching is an issue, but even we were surprised when we conducted a survey of over 1,000 UK teachers in June last year, which revealed that 61 per cent of teachers were thinking of leaving teaching. However, those teachers that regularly engaged with CPD were significantly more likely to stay in teaching.

This is compelling evidence that CPD is an investment, not just as a way to improve teaching, but also as a route to keeping teachers teaching.

THE BENEFIT ON THE STUDENTS Improving outcomes and aspirations of students is at the heart of what all teachers and support staff are working towards.

King’s College are currently researching the effects of what they call “science capital”.

Kings College explained this concept using the metaphor of a ‘holdall’ (or bag) filled

British Science Week (BSW) is a ten-day celebration of science, technology, engineering and maths – featuring fascinating, entertaining and engaging events and activities across the UK for people of all ages.

BSW provides a platform to stimulate and support teachers, STEM professionals, science communicators and the general public to produce and participate in STEM events and activities.

Anyone can organise an event or activity, and the British Science Association helps organisers plan by providing free activity and support resources. We welcome and support any type of organiser, from schools to community groups, from parents to large organisations. The resulting programme of events is a hugely varied and eclectic mix. Find out more at www.britishscienceweek.org with all the science-related knowledge, attitudes, experiences and resources that a person acquires through their life.

As well as including all the science they know and how they feel about science, the ‘holdall’ also includes the experiences and involvement that their family, friends and acquaintances have in science – and this definitely includes their teacher.

The more science capital a student has, the more likely they are to go on to study this subject and work in a related field.

While this concept focuses on science, the metaphor could just as easily apply to engineering, technology, mathematics or any other STEM subject. Therefore, if we increase the understanding of a teacher we can have a broader impact on a wider range of students directly. This along with increased awareness of opportunities and careers in STEM industries is a powerful combination.

A great example of a CPD programme that does this is our STEM Insight programme.

This allows teachers to experience a placement in a university or industry. Previous placements have involved teachers working with archaeologists working on the Crossrail project in London, standing in a wind tunnel at aerospace company QinetiQ and going behind the scenes at Cambridge University.

These unique experiences have been inspiring for the teachers involved – but imagine the possibilities they will open up for their students. The implementation of a teacher action plan after this type of activity allows the students to explore the links that have been built with local academic institutions or businesses and could provide a springboard into a new world for students. L

Written by Becca Knowles, head of network, National STEM Learning Network

Dummy headline Training teachers to fit this space to make STEM tight as possible inspirational

British Science Week, 10-19 March

FURTHER INFORMATION www.stem.org.uk

Volume 22.2 | EDUCATION BUSINESS MAGAZINE

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Your school could win up to £10,000* in security products and services STANLEY Security, one of the most trusted names in the world of security, has launched the 2017 TOGETHER FOR SAFER SCHOOLS PROGRAM. Like you, STANLEY Security is committed to providing safe learning environments so you can focus on what’s really important - education

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ACCESS

CONTROL

Security measures in schools should not only protect staff, students and assets, but also integrate seamlessly with the design of the building. James Kelly, chief executive of the British Security Industry Association, explains how When it comes to school safety, school officials have a duty of care to their staff and pupils to provide a safe environment in which people can learn.

Last year, following a series of hoax communications to schools across the UK, the National Counter Terrorism Security Office (NaCTSO) issued ‘Advice to leaders of schools and other Educational Establishments for Reviewing Protective Security’. The advice highlighted the importance of regularly reviewing existing security plans and strategies in order to ensure that the current arrangements will be as effective.

A crucial element of a successful security strategy is having high quality security products in place, especially electronic measures such as CCTV and access control systems, as well as physical security measures.

ACCESS CONTROL The average school has a transient population containing many high value goods such as computers and IT equipment, personal possessions of staff and students and personal and financial data – all of which can be extremely attractive to thieves. Access control systems – as well as physical measures such as escape doors and cylinder locks – can help manage known or anticipated threats by controlling, monitoring and restricting the movement of people, assets and even vehicles in, out and around a building or site.

Within a school environment, access control systems can be utilised in order to restrict access to certain areas of a school, such as an office containing confidential files or a storage room holding hazardous scientific equipment.

Outside of school hours, access can be restricted to the entire building to authorised personnel only. Some schools may also decide to have access control measures at the entrance in use throughout the whole day, incorporating a turnstile or speedgates to ensure that only those with the necessary permissions may enter the building. This way, staff on a reception desk will be able to monitor visitors to the school more closely and keep a record of everyone

who is within the building. Access control points can also be used at the perimeter of a site, at the gates or fences, being open during the day but restricted to authorised personnel when the school is closed.

Electronic access control systems are generally comprised of three main parts.

The first is the physical barrier such as a door, turnstile or speedgate. The second is the identification device such as a proximity card and reader, smart card and reader, PIN pad or biometric device. The third element is the door controller and software, which is at the centre of the system and is used to decide who is allowed access, through which access points and at which times of the day. By undertaking a comprehensive risk assessment of a school, perhaps with the help of a professional security consultant, officials are able to determine which type of measures are most appropriate for the school, and where they should be implemented.

ADDITIONAL BENEFITS As well as restricting specific areas of a school to specific people, access control systems carry a multitude of additional benefits. For one, they can be successfully integrated with other security systems within a school, including CCTV, intruder alarms and fire detection systems.

Through the use of Internet Protocol (IP) technology,

The average sch transienool has a contain t population i value g ng many high o comput ods such as ers equipm and IT ent

these systems are able to talk to each other in order to maximise their effectiveness.

For example, access control systems can be integrated with CCTV systems in order to provide pre and post event recordings should an incident occur. If someone tried to forcefully enter an access controlled area without the correct permissions, the system could interact with the CCTV in order to prompt it to start recording and provide operators with footage of who is trying to enter or exit through the access point. The same can be done to emergency exits that are fitted with crash bars or crash handles; the exits can be linked to an intruder alarm system, and if the door is opened – perhaps by a child trying to leave the school – an alarm will sound and the CCTV can be prompted to record, utilising all three systems in order to deliver a comprehensive timeline of events.

Written by James Kelly, the British Security Industry Association

The value of integrated security

Security

THE BUSINESS MAGAZINE FOR EDUCATION – www.educationbusinessuk.net

DYNAMIC LOCKDOWNS Another safety plan that is becoming increasingly used within schools is that of dynamic lockdown procedures. Dynamic lockdown is the ability to restrict access and egress to a site or building, or parts of it, through physical measures in response to a fast moving incident such as a firearms or weapons attack occurring either directly at the site or close by. Dynamic lockdowns can prevent dangerous people from entering the building and can also stop people from moving into dangerous areas. In the cases where this may be necessary, alarm systems can be E Biometrics systems can be used in schools to control access

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Should they care how he gets out in case of an emergency?

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SAFEGUARDING WHAT MATTERS TO YOU SURVEILLANCE • ACCESS CONTROL • INTRUDER DETECTION

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EDUCATION BUSINESS MAGAZINE | Volume 22.2

Security

ACCESS CONTROL  integrated with access control systems in order to achieve a full site lockdown. Through a fully integrated system, a panic alarm button or computer programme can be utilised to allow specific personnel to initiate a dynamic lockdown of a site. The trigger can signal to the access control system to lock all doors and windows linked to the system, and can even interact with the air conditioning systems in order to maintain a comfortable temperature.

A panic alarm, which is sometimes referred to as a hold up alarm (HA/HUA), is an electronic device designed to assist in alerting somebody in emergency situations where there is a real threat to a person or property.

This could mean alerting the police, local security guards or another response service.

A panic alarm is usually controlled by a PA button or a wireless radio PA. In order for a police response to be issued when an alarm is raised, the monitored intruder alarm must meet with the specific requirements set out by the National Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC).

In Scotland, requirements are specified by the Association of Chief Police Officers in Scotland (ACPOS). Such requirements include the fact that the installation of the alarm and the services provided by the installing company should be certified by a United Kingdom Accreditation Service (UKAS) accredited certification body. If the Education 1 alarm sends Business signals to ad_178x125_v3_Layout an Alarm Receiving

Centre (ARC) for monitoring, the ARC must comply with either British Standard BS 5979 (cat II) or BS EN 50518. Systems that comply with the standard will be issued a Unique Reference Number (URN); intruder alarm systems that are issued with a URN will therefore receive a level 1 priority police response, giving peace of mind that alarms raised will be responded to with haste.

In addition to their wide ranging security benefits, access control systems have many other uses. For one, smart cards or fobs that are used by students for access can also double as cashless vending devices. Within the realms of a cafeteria, the devices can be used to make purchases rather than people having to carry cash to school, this can also help reduce cases of bullying due to economic differences, as payments will be discrete.

The cards themselves can also flag up vital information relating to allergies or dietary requirements, giving parents extra peace of mind that their child will be safe at school.

The devices can also be utilised as a library card, meaning children only need to carry one multi-purpose device at school to suit all their needs. Access control systems can have environmental benefits too; if integrated with a school’s Building Management System (BMS) the access control system can automatically activate or deactivate lights and heating/air 18/01/2017 Pageon1 when the room conditioning13:22 depending

­www.comtecdirect.co.uk

is being utilised. This can be useful for less used areas of a school, meaning that energy is only being used when the room has actually been accessed by an authorised person.

When choosing an appropriate access control system for a school, there are some key considerations that those responsible for securing security measures should be aware of. Firstly, it is important to take into account the Equality Act of 2010, ensuring that employees, pupils and visitors all have adequate and user-friendly access to the building. The system itself should be provided by a reputable company who is a member of a trusted trade association, such as the BSIA, who has been inspected to the quality standard ISO 9001 with a UKAS accredited inspectorate. They should also be financially sound and professional and meet with the relevant British and European standards for their product or service. Members of the BSIA’s Access and Asset Protection Section have all been inspected to rigorous criteria and offer a quality service. L FURTHER INFORMATION www.bsia.co.uk

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Case Study

www.educationbusinessuk.net – THE BUSINESS MAGAZINE FOR EDUCATION

Technology that combines school dinners and classroom learning The Cypad Meal Selection & Register joins-up how children select their meals in line with what school kitchens prepare, and links this in an exciting way with teaching and learning for various subjects.

Children learn what a nutritious meal looks like and how to choose healthy food, while caterers benefit from increased take-up. Schools benefit from the additional learning points.

Using Meal Selection & Register, children pre-select meals on the classroom whiteboards. Choices are aggregated and fed immediately to the kitchen. Attendance is taken at the same time and fed into SIMS, and at lunchtime, children are marked off using Meal Register on a tablet.

Brightly coloured animations, themes and food pictures decorate the selection screens, and allergen information is included.

Parents can also use their devices to see historically and in advance what children eat. Message boards and scrolling bars carry food facts related to themes, lessons, special events or new menu items. Children click through different screens and colourful photographs of dishes which introduce variety.

Brightly coloured animations, themes and food pictures decorate the selection screens, and allergen information is included Schools already using the system say it supports transitions, increased vocabulary, more speaking in class, and confidence.

Caterers say it helps their cooks know what quantities and portion sizes to prepare, avoiding dead stock, waste and disappointed children who did not get their choice.

Queues are also more orderly as children do not rush to get meals.

Combined with Kitchen Manger, the efficiencies are significant they say.

The system brings together not just children, parents, teachers, caterers and cooks, in a seamless two-way information flow, but also headteachers and governors. It covers new Department for Education (DfE) guidelines on school food, calling for evidence of

teaching, catering teams and governors working together, whilst being well informed about compliance, health & safety, take-up of school dinners, and catering finances.

For Ofsted, it provides evidence of a consistent approach to healthy food learning across the school.

Meal Selection & Register also aggregates data for reports across contracts/ schools in MATs to support planning.

The system is fully secure and data protection compliant.

Ten years on, the Cypad web-based school catering software is used in over 4, 000 school kitchens and a complimentary web-based desktop is provided for managers and supervisors.

Comprehensive support is provided with a 24-hour tablet replacement.

The company has creditable supplier status under the OJEU standard YPO Electronic Kitchen Management procurement framework. Meal Selection & Register is easy to use and takes around two weeks to set up.

FURTHER INFORMATION Tel: 01179427882 www.cypad.com

Kitchen Manager & Meal Selection: all the Apps you need for school food service, at you fingertips • • • • • • • • • •

Whiteboard pre-selection of meals Supports learning about healthy food culture SIMS integration: attendance, meal rating, feedback Helps with new OFSTED inspections Reports & analyses for council, caterer & school Stocktake: integrated ordering HR information Instant information for cooks Health & Safety Audits Framework procurement saving time & money

NEW RULES for SCHOOL FOOD* Caterers & school leaders to give governors reports on: take-up; healthy food learning & teaching; standards & compliance.

KM Apps support this.

All on tablets making Cypad Kitchen Manager and Meal Selection, easy to use and implement without the need for extra space, or IT equipment.

Contact: info@cypad.com Telephone: 0117 942 7882 www.cypad.com

Cypad is an approved supplier on the YPO Electronic Kitchen Management 684 Framework link: https://www.ypo.co.uk/framework/detail/900196#framework_details

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EDUCATION BUSINESS MAGAZINE | Volume 22.2

NUTRITION

Since July 2015, new recommendations for sugar and fibre intake have been in place for adults and children. The Children’s Food Trust outlines these recommendations and suggests ways for schools to limit sugars and increase fibre in food and drinks Most children in the UK eat too much sugar.

Eating foods high in sugar too often can mean having too many calories, which can lead to weight gain and obesity, and increased risk of health conditions like type two diabetes. Eating sugary food and drinks too often can also cause tooth decay.

The new dietary recommendations for sugars include reducing the amount of ‘free sugars’ (added sugars) we eat, so they make up no more than five per cent of our daily energy (calorie) intake, and minimising consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages.

Free sugars include any sugars added to food and drinks, or found in sugar, honey, syrups and fruit juice, but not the sugars found in fresh fruit, vegetables or milk.

How these recommendations translate into maximum sugars intakes for children and adults is shown in the table. This equates to 6.5g free sugars (just over 1.5 cubes of sugar) for a primary school lunch and 9g free sugars (just over 2 cubes of sugar) for a secondary school lunch.

possible, and avoid using ready made sauces containing added sugars. Cooks should also limit the use of honey in recipes and marinades, as well as choose reduced sugar and salt baked beans and canned vegetables and pulses in water with no added sugar. Schools should also limit the use of condiments such as ketchup, salad cream and chutneys.

With regards to desserts, school caterers should choose fruit canned in juice rather than syrup and reduce the amount of sugar added to dessert recipes – instead use stewed, canned or dried fruit to flavour and sweeten cakes and puddings. They should provide a variety of desserts across the week, instead of providing cakes, biscuits and puddings each day. Schools should also try swapping ice cream for frozen yoghurt for a lowersugar alternative, as well as offering scones, malt loaf or fruit bread instead of cakes as a lower-sugar dessert. What’s more, school kitchens should always offer fresh fruit as an alternative to the main dessert option.

REDUCING THE FREE SUGAR CONTENT The standards for school food help to limit the amount of free sugars in school food, by prohibiting confectionery such as cereal bars, sugary drinks, and snacks with added sugar, limiting cakes and biscuits to lunchtime, limiting the portion size of fruit juice and combination drinks, and restricting the amount of sugar added to combination drinks.

In addition, school caterers can plan menus to include a wide variety of starchy foods, fruit and vegetables, dairy foods and non-dairy protein – the more varied your provision, the more likely it will be nutritionally balanced.

Follow the typical portion size information included in ‘School Food Standards: A practical guide for schools their cooks and caterers’.

When buying food, ask suppliers for nutrition information for their products, and compare products to choose those lower in sugars.

For main courses, cook from scratch where

FOOD OTHER THAN LUNCHES When offering breakfast, caterers should choose cereals that are ‘low’ or ’medium’ in sugar, or provide porridge with fresh or dried

Choo wholeg se starchy rain where p foods such as ossible, wholem brown rice, wholegeal pasta and r which aain breads, re h in fibre igher

‘Low sugars’ means no more than 5g total sugars per 100g.

‘High in sugars’ means more than 22.5g sugars per 100g.

‘Reduced sugars’ means 30 per cent less sugars than a similar product.

‘Sugars-free’ means no more than 0.5g sugars per 100g.

‘No added sugars’ means no sugars have been added, but naturally occurring sugars may still be present (e.g. in unsweetened fruit juice).

Written by the Children’s Food Trust

How to limit sugar and increase fibre

Understanding food labelling information about sugars

Catering

THE BUSINESS MAGAZINE FOR EDUCATION – www.educationbusinessuk.net

fruit. Don’t provide sugar for children to add to breakfast cereals. For toast, offer lower‑sugar toppings such as lower-fat cream cheese or banana instead of marmalade or jam.

For snacks, provide whole fruit or chopped fruit or vegetable sticks. School food buyers should check the sugar content of yoghurts, and choose those lower in sugars, or provide plain yoghurt flavoured with fruit. Remember that snacks with added sugar, cakes, biscuits and desserts shouldn’t be provided.

For drinks, check that they meet the healthier drinks standard. Stick to just water and lower-fat milk, or provide fruit juice only occasionally. Where fruit juice is provided, dilute it to reduce the sugars content.

Schools should also limit flavoured milk drinks, and stick to plain milk instead.

RECOMMENDATIONS FOR FIBRE Dietary fibre is found in the cell walls of vegetables, fruits, pulses and cereals. Eating enough fibre is important for a healthy digestive system. Some types of fibre can also help to reduce the amount of cholesterol in our blood. As fibre is quite bulky, higher-fibre foods are filling, so they can also help to maintain a healthy weight.

Children and adults in the UK typically don’t eat enough fibre. The new recommendations include increasing E

57

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NUTRITION

Catering

THE BUSINESS MAGAZINE FOR EDUCATION – www.educationbusinessuk.net

New free sugars recommendations for children and adults Age

Recommended maximum free sugars intake g/day

Equivalent number of sugar cubes (4g/cube)

4 - 6 years

No more than 19g/day

5 cubes

7 - 10 years

No more than 24g/day

6 cubes

Children over 11 years and adults

No more than 30g/day

7 cubes

 intakes of dietary fibre to approximately 20g/day for children aged 5-11 years, 25g/day for children aged 11- 16 years and 30g/day for adolescents aged 16-18 years and adults.The guidelines also suggest eating a variety of foods containing fibre. The standards for school food help to increase fibre intakes by requiring provision of fruit and vegetables and wholegrain starchy foods at lunchtime.

The tips below help further increase the amount of fibre in food and drink provided at lunchtime, and at other times of the school day.

Follow the typical portion size information included in ‘School Food Standards: A practical guide for schools their cooks and caterers’ to ensure that portion sizes of starchy foods and fruit and vegetables are sufficient.

MAIN MEALS WITH FIBRE When preparing main courses, bear in mind that wholemeal flour is higher in fibre than white flour, so use wholemeal flour (or a mixture of both) in pastry, pizza bases and bread.

Choose wholegrain starchy foods where possible, such as brown rice, wholemeal pasta and wholegrain breads, which are higher in fibre than the white equivalents. Leave the skins on potatoes where possible, such as for jacket potatoes or wedges.

Incorporate vegetables into main dishes, like curries, bolognese, and pasta sauces, and make sure that a portion of vegetables or salad is available for every child having a school lunch.

School chefs could also add lentils, or pulses such as chickpeas, and kidney beans to main dishes such as casseroles and curries, and add pulses and barley to soups and stews to increase the fibre content and add texture. Use a variety of breads to make sandwiches, such as granary or wholemeal breads, rolls and wraps), and as the ‘extra bread’ provided daily. If wholemeal and granary breads aren’t popular, try higher fibre white varieties instead. Offer a variety of different starchy foods across the menu, and provide a salad bar with a variety of different salads as an accompaniment to main meals. Include a portion of fruit and a portion of vegetables or salad in each meal deal.

For desserts, use wholemeal flour (or a mixture of white and wholemeal) in cakes, puddings and pastry. Include oats or crushed breakfast cereals in crumble toppings and traybakes for increased fibre.

For food other than lunches, choose breakfast cereals that are high in fibre (containing at least 6g fibre per 100g) and low or medium in sugars (containing less than 22.5g per 100g). Try making your own muesli with oats, seeds and dried fruit. Serve porridge and other breakfast cereals with fresh or dried fruit. Provide wholegrain toast or bagels as a mid-morning or after school snack.

Try soups containing lentils or beans as a warming winter snack, and offer vegetable sticks and houmous or other dips as a snack option.

THE CHILDREN’S FOOD TRUST The Children’s Food Trust aims to reduce childhood obesity and malnutrition and enhance educational performance through improving the food our children eat in early years settings, schools and beyond.

We work with health and education commissioners in local authorities, and directly with early years settings, schools, parents and children across the country. We run the UK’s biggest network of cooking clubs and, under our previous name of the School Food Trust, we were directly responsible for developing and introducing the national food and nutrition guidelines in both schools and early years settings. L FURTHER INFORMATION www.childrensfoodtrust.org.uk

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School Trips

TRIP PLANNING

School trips allow pupils to improve relationships with their teachers and each other, as well as enhance their confidence. However, the costs and time involved in organising such trips can be a challenge. Alex Derbyshire, maths teacher and rugby tour manager at Pate’s Grammar school shares how he overcomes these challenges I strongly believe school trips are essential for developing character and life skills in students. This belief is shared by the School Travel Forum, which reports that schools take an average of 2.7 residential trips a year, resulting in higher academic achievement.

It showed that 61 per cent of students achieved higher than their expected grade, 23 per cent of parents saw better school attendance, and 71 per cent of students felt teachers better understood their learning habits.

The School Travel Forum also went on to say that it has resulted in better relationships, with 71 per cent of students saying they felt they knew their teachers better, 70 per cent saying they got on better with their peers, and 84 per cent of teachers saying learning away improved relationships.

Improved personal development and well-being also featured highly with 87 per cent of students saying they felt more confident trying new things. Also, 74 per cent of parents said their children were more willing to try new things, and 60 per cent of teachers noticed improved confidence, resilience and well being.

cent of teachers wishing they could take more school trips, 67 per cent said that the cost and organisation time were the main barriers to making this happen.

However, using Travelopia’s planning Toolkit, I resolved these issues and reduced time spent coordinating schools trips by 75 per cent, ensuring that much‑loved events continue year after year.

OVERCOMING BARRIERS According to Ofsted, “when planned and implemented well, learning outside the classroom contributes significantly to raising standards and improving students’ personal social and emotional development.”

But here is the issue; despite 84 per

THE CHALLENGE I joined the school in 2008 as a maths teacher and was soon appointed tour manager. This means I am responsible for the coordination of the school’s international rugby tour for seniors and a trip to Ireland for juniors during October half term.

ABOUT THE SCHOOL Pate’s Grammar School is an outstanding grammar school with academy status, located in the Hesters Way area of Cheltenham, Gloucestershire. It caters for 1,100 pupils – 605 boys and 495 girls all aged between 11 and 18 – and is a Beacon school.

Students achieve the highest academic standards, whilst also benefitting from broad extra-curricular activities, exceptional pastoral care and first-class facilities.

Every other year, the school arranges a much loved international rugby tour to the southern hemisphere for seniors and one to Ireland for juniors – a job which takes approximately one full working month, spread over an 18 month period, to complete. A fellow teacher is responsible for organising a hockey trip with a similar itinerary for the girls and both are helped by the school administrator.

Schoo trips gi l our stu ve the opp dents broade ortunity to n and gai their minds nc traits suharacter persiste ch as nc resilien e and ce

As a lover of sport and a keen rugby fan, I seized the opportunity and organised the school’s first junior rugby tour to Ireland in 2010, as well as the first international rugby tour in 2014. In addition to matches with competitor schools, the itinerary for the international rugby tour included a number of cultural experiences designed to broaden students’ awareness of the history and culture of the countries they visited. Each trip takes me roughly one full month over an 18-month period to complete, and at times puts me under considerable pressure, increasing my workload significantly.

As far as I’m concerned though, all this hard work is priceless because it gives our students the opportunity to broaden their minds and gain character traits such as persistence, resilience, self discipline and the ability to work with and show consideration for others. This is absolutely crucial in preparing young people for success at school and in their adult life in the working world.

In fact, our last tour to South Africa – which incorporated a visit to The Goedgedacht Trust, a charity providing real solutions to tackle poverty amongst rural children and youth – had such an impact on three of our students that on their return to England they independently organised and completed a charity cycle ride. This raised £1,500 and is a stunning illustration of the social responsibility such trips engender in our students.

As much as I loved planning such events, balancing it with my demanding role as a maths teacher eventually took its toll. So when Travelopia approached me to trial its new personal online trip portal, I was keen to take part.

Written by Alex Derbyshire, maths teacher at Pate’s Grammar in Cheltenham

Overcoming trip planning stress

THE SOLUTION Designed to take the stress out of organising a school trip, Toolkit from Travelopia is a E

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LAYING FOUNDATIONS FOR POSITIVE FUTURES

“We had been looking for ways to provide students with additional experiences outside the classroom and the Stubbers outdoor activity programme was exactly the kind of experiences we wanted for our students” David J Rogers, Chair of Governors, Gaynes Secondary School

Special offer on our NEW Learning Outside the Classroom programmes With specialist activities such as woodland construction led by our friendly instructors, learning outside the classroom couldn’t be more fun. All you have to do is select one of our exciting programmes.

Prices start from £20 per student!

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TRIP PLANNING

USING THE TOOLKIT I’m currently organising the school’s South Africa Rugby Tour 2018 from Edwin Doran

The Toolkit allows me to dispense with the time‑consuming task of preparing and mailing out numerous letters home. It also allows me to personalise our trip, upload photos, videos, itineraries and contingencies for extras Sports Tours. This involves a 14-night stint for 40 boys in Gauteng and Western Cape with four rugby matches for each of our school’s A and B teams. In addition to this, there will be various sightseeing tours and four days charity work at The Goedgebacht Trust.

The itinerary includes flights to Johannesburg airport, coach travel to Konka Camp, information on the various matches, team‑building activities, a training session, an escorted game drive to Mabula Game Reserve, a flight from Johannesburg to Cape Town and a tour of Langa Township. At Cape Peninsula the boys will visit Boulders Beach, Hout Bay, Cape of Good Hope and Cape Point, and also visit Robben Island to learn about the struggles of Nelson Mandela. This will be followed by an ride to the top of Table Mountain, four nights charity work at The Goedgebacht Trust, a match at the Swartland Festival, interaction with the children from Goedgebacht, and then other matches.

SCOUT ADVENTURES IS OWNED AND MANAGED BY THE SCOUT ASSOCIATION REG. CHARITY NUMBERS 306101 (ENGLAND AND WALES) AND SC038437 (SCOTLAND)

 personal online trip portal that can be used to change a quote from participating operators and into a school’s very own interactive tour website, accessible by staff and parents at the click of the button and from any device.

This is the first digital school trip management system of its kind. The Toolkit allows me to dispense with the time‑consuming task of preparing and mailing out numerous letters home. It also allows me to personalise our trip, upload photos, videos, itineraries and contingencies for extras such as meals and activities. Parents can register their interest by using a simple online form and can upload their child’s dietary requirements and passport information, significantly reducing the time spent by our school administrator entering data.

It also allows me to determine access options for staff – including the head, the bursar, PE staff and our school administrator – spreading the workload and ensuring that at any one time the relevant parties can obtain a clear and accurate view of progress and payments. An email function contained within the site allows finance staff to send payment reminders to parents. And a two- stage verification process ensures that all data is safe.

Come and visit the

Thames Barrier Information Centre Group talks available at the Thames Barrier Information Centre daily for pre booked groups and monthly for general public.

A guide will explain how the Barrier was designed, built and how it works.

Please telephone or visit our website for opening times and prices. Tel: 020 8305 4188 www.gov.uk/the-thames-barrier We have parking on site for cars and coaches.

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School Trips

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It’s quite a feat as you can see – and our new Toolkit online digital tour management platform has simplified the process significantly and, based on the initial reduction in workload at the organisational stage, will save us an estimated 75 per cent of time formerly spent updating data, chasing students, tracking payments and updating parents.

When we first presented the new portal to parents they sighed with relief, pleased to learn that they would no longer have to rely on their children to be the rather unreliable vehicle of communication for letters home from the school.

They were also happy to learn that they could now directly input dietary and passport data, track their instalments, and in the future receive regular updates on their child whilst they are away. L FUTHER INFORMATION www.travelopia.com

IF IW A SN ’ THER E, I ’ DPR O BA BL YBE A TH O ME,O N T HE C O MPU T ER , A SL EEP O RBO R ED !

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Products & Services

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SECURITY

SCHOOL SAFETY

Absolute Security works with schools to achieve a viable security solution to ensure the safeguarding of children, staff and property.

Often school buildings were constructed before security became such a priority of school management teams.

Also, keeping intruders out has to be balanced with safety – especially in the event of a fire.

In no way should access gates and security doors hamper evacuation or ease of entry for the emergency services.

The company helps schools with a variety of security solutions which include high definition CCTV, access control (card, token or biometric), intercoms, intruder alarms, electronic visitor and pupil management systems, gates, barriers, fencing and fire detection systems.

Absolute Security has also helped schools integrate different systems to be more effective and provide senior management with

This country has a well-deserved cherished tradition of trust between staff and students.

So, providing a safe learning environment is of paramount importance to all education providers. Therefore, deploying adequate and proven solutions to ensure the safety of students and staff must be a key consideration for any member of staff involved in security planning.

For more than 20 years Guardian have been leading manufacturers of staff attack systems. The firm’s systems not only surpass all relevant standards, but are very user friendly, economic and discrete.

The company listens to its customers. Guardian’s development programme is driven by a combination of continuing advances in technology and its customer’s needs.

Many of the features a Guardian system provides is incorporated in response

Security solutions that Security systems that safeguard pupils and staff keep students safe

improved and simpler reporting.

For example, the firm recently helped a school integrate access control with its cashless vending and printing systems, using just a single card/token for pupils.

As every school is different, Absolute Security designs and implements fire and security systems that work for each school’s specific requirements and site layout.

The company is an NSI Gold member and is also accredited with BAFE, SafeContractor and Construction Line.

Contact Absolute Security for a free survey and more information.

FURTHER INFORMATION Tel: 01483 791500 www.absolutesecurity.co.uk

EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES

FINANCE

Thousands of schools worldwide are using the multi-sensory Five Minute Box and The Number Box interventions.

The early teaching and screening tools help the detection of dyslexia, dyscalculia and general learning difficulties in primary school aged children.

Research shows that children learn best when their self-esteem is preserved and they can master key skills at their own pace.

Used in short motivating sessions, the programmes cover the key skills of literacy and maths in simple steps. With no preparation required, these resources are ideal to maximise teaching assistant input with targeted students. The evidencebased approach means the resources are suitable for children with a range of needs from the age of school entry.

The one day seminar by the Teachers’ Retirement Agency is an ideal way to help teachers prepare for their retirement, both emotionally and financially. It contains the latest information on pension regulation changes and advice.

It is never too soon to make sure that the right steps are being taken, as the wrong ones can have serious financial consequences. This is particularly important for higher earning staff as they could be seriously affected by the Government’s “back door”raid on pension funds.

The course is not just for those who are about to retire soon.

Many of the steps that the company suggest could take five to ten years to ensure an individual’s pension fund will be sufficient to meet their retirement needs in the most tax efficient way.

Some of the issues addressed in the seminar include:

Mastery for all in English and maths subjects

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Motivation, organisation and self-help strategies are built into the programmes. Progress is divided into small steps targets, making it easy to track and share.

The head of learning support from Highfield Prep School commented: “We use them daily in KS1 as an early intervention tool and they’ve made a real impact on pupil progress.

“The children love the ‘special’ cases and the resources inside.”

Sign up for a free 28 day trial.

FURTHER INFORMATION Tel: 01442 878629 www.fiveminutebox.co.uk

EDUCATION BUSINESS MAGAZINE | Volume 22.2

to comments and requests from clients who are looking for solutions to combat particular issues.

All products are competitively priced and are very user friendly.

The products comply with relevant standards and are designed for easy installation and simple configuration.

Guardian’s products guaruntee low maintenance, high reliability and excellent testing facilities.

FURTHER INFORMATION Tel: 01386 443539 www.guardiansss.com

Helping teachers prepare for retirement financially

paid work after retirement; money management and budgeting; changing status and relationships; health; annual allowance and lifetime allowance; early retirement and maximising state pensions.

Carolyn Barker, headteacher at Barbara Priestman Academy, said: “The seminar was a really helpful day, I didn’t know how much I didn’t know.”

Visit the agency’s website for dates, venues and to download a free guide.

FURTHER INFORMATION Tel: 03456442585 www.teachersretirement agency.co.uk

PRINTING

CHARITY

Pongo has created a unique range of vibrant 3D printing filaments in colours and properties that are perfect for any project. It specialises in PLA filaments that are much better suited for use within the classroom.

The company sells both by the metre and by the reel, allowing you to buy what you need when you need it, and with Pongo’s standard delivery you can order as late as lunch time the day before and still be guaranteed next day delivery.

Pongo’s website has an inbuilt calculator that allows you to upload your 3D.STL file to pre calculate how much filament you need allowing you or your students to purchase just the right amount, this is perfect for when many colours are required or when specialist materials are being used.

Pongo has also just launched

Teachers, headteachers, PTAs and clubs. Delve into the Initiatives Fundraising Solutions, a company which does the hard work for you!

Time is precious, the Initiatives Fundraising’s method helps you create your own school aprons, tea towels or bags with children’s drawings on. Initiatives Fundraising will provide you with a quick and efficient way to create your fundraiser with a guaranteed quality product.

Raise funds for all events: be it school year, keepsakes, mother’s day, Christmas or summer fair!

The starter pack includes, free samples, picture frames, felt tip pens, an advice leaflet and parents order form which will help you raise awareness of your fundraiser and take pre-orders from parents. This allows you to order just the quantities ordered by parent. This way you will avoid being left with any unsold items.

This method is made to make your life easy so all

Unique vibrant 3D printing filaments

the industry’s first specially designed PLA adhesive kits, and they are made right here in the UK. With a bonding time as short as only 10 seconds, Pongo PLA adhesives are perfect for quick assembly of your printed parts.

Pongo offers very good discount rates for schools and can provide free samples of any of its filaments upon request.

FURTHER INFORMATION Tel: 01590 381 666 info@pongostore.com www.pongostore.com

Experience the headache free fundraisers!

SCHOOL BUSINESS SERVICES

DESIGN & BUILD

Campion Consultancy provides business management services for schools, academies and trusts across London and the Home Counties area. The company works hard to provide you with exceptional solutions to all your business needs.

Campion has worked in partnership supporting many schools since 2008 and understands the pressure you are under in relation to financial and business management, and the ever-increasing demands on budgets. The firm’s team of professional consultants and premises staff are able to provide high-quality services that offer you best value for money.

Campion offers a comprehensive array of financial services for schools and academies from financial consultancy visits through to budget preparation and year end requirements.

The company is proud to be on the DfE preferred supplier list for Internal Audit and can provide

Dancestudiomirrors. co.uk and gymmirror. co.uk are owned and operated by Aspect Safety Mirrors (ASM), a family run business based in Cambridge, undertaking contracts throughout the UK. ASM have been supplying and installing shatter-resistant and unbreakable mirror products for over 10 years.

ASM is the preferred mirror supplier and installer for many of the UK’s schools, colleges and universities. Last year ASM completed over 300 installations throughout the UK. Head of installations, Alex Day said: “We had our best ever year in 2016 with studio and gym installations, working for a wide range of customers within the education sector.

“Our ‘Pilkington Optimirror’ is a quality product that works

Business management services for schools

budget preparation and planning.

Campion is also able to help your school through academy conversion process and multi-academy trust set up and will offer ongoing support following conversion.

The company’s premises services include SLAs to effectively outsource your school premises management. The team of premises managers are professional and fully trained in health and safety. What’s more, Campion can offer long and short term solutions to all your premises needs and also TUPE transfer your existing staff.

FURTHER INFORMATION Tel: 020 8819 3231 www.campion consultancy.org.uk

Products & Services

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you need to concentrate on is to get the children to draw on a decent sized piece of paper which is provided.

You will not be asked to worry about creating a document, cut out drawings to size, calculate, glue or allow for margins or anything technical untoward like that!

To find out more about how Initiatives Fundraising could help your school achieve effective and headache free fundraising, please visit the company website.

FURTHER INFORMATION Tel: 0845 609 02 06 www.initiatives fundraising.co.uk

Dance studio and gym mirror specialists

brilliantly for functional dance studio and training purposes.

“We have also had great success with our ballet barres incorporated into mirrors and our portable mirrors, which are a fantastic alternative when mirrors cannot be wall mounted.”

Call for a free competitive quotation, advice and information on ASM’s products or visit the websites.

FURTHER INFORMATION Tel: 01223 263555 www.aspectsafetymirrors.co.uk

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Advertisers Index

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“One of the best things I’ve ever done as a Head Teacher” Jenny Rigby, Meadow High School, Uxbridge

Pupil wellbeing and attainment depends largely on your wellbeing and that of your staff. That’s why we created the Positive Workplace Survey.

Schools which consult their staff using the survey achieve: A clear shared vision A collective focus on development priorities Improved staff resilience and motivation Cost savings on recruitment A workforce committed to the goals of the school Find out how our survey can work for you. Contact us quoting PWS9 before 31st May to benefit from a 40% discount.

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ADVERTISERS INDEX

The publishers accept no responsibility for errors or omissions in this free service 7/7 Cleaning Services 34 Absolute Security 200 Active Facilities 16 Adviza 40 Arriva Passenger 60 Asbestosafe Ltd 34 Aspect Safety 65 Bidvest 10 Brother 8 Bushboard 16 Campion 65 Canopies UK 22 Comtec Cable 55 Cranberg Ltd 48 Cypad Ltd 56 Education Support 66 Elite Systems GB Ltd 20 Escape Mobility 54 ETeach 4 Exertis (Uk) Ltd 44 Five Minute Box UK 64

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EDUCATION BUSINESS MAGAZINE | Volume 22.2

Fresh Air Fitness 27 Glasdon UK Ltd 26 Grange Hotels 30 Guardian Staff 64 HUE 48 Initiatives 65 International Inn 60 IQ Glass 18 ISS Medicalean Ltd 6 Jan Lever Education 36 Leger Holidays 60 Langley Waterproofing Systems 40 Lapsafe Products 24 Leicestershire IFC Life Environmental 32 Microspot Ltd 45 OKI Systems Uk 38 Pongo Store 65 Quantum Levitation 48 Red Kite Vehicle 58 Safety Technology 34

Scotts of Thrampston 22 SmoothWall Ltd 46 Squidcard Ltd 28 Stanley Security 52 Star Computers 12 Stubbers Activity & Adventure 62 Sunstone Systems 54 Teachers Retirement Agency 64 Tetra Consulting 34 Thames Barrier 63 The Let 50 The Scout Association 63 The Snugg 42 Thorpe Park FC TotalJobs Group 14 Totnes Rare Breed 44 Traka 54 Trovex IBC WallGate OBC

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