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How can the tech industry help schools teach coding confidently?

DATA PROTECTION

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Advice for schools on preparing for the General Data Protection Regulation

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Comment

THE BUSINESS MAGAZINE FOR EDUCATION – www.educationbusinessuk.net

Is flexible working key to the staffing crisis?

The government is looking at how flexible working could play its part in easing the teacher recruitment and retention crisis.

Education secretary Justine Greening has said that flexible working is great for schools as they can keep their valued teachers, and also great for teachers who can stay in the profession. This might be parents who want more options on returning to work, or for staff later in their careers who want to combine their teaching profession with other interests.

This has led the government to start a pilot programme to look at schools that are already successfully using part-time teachers, so that best practice can be shared. There will also be a pilot to support women to get the professional development support they need and an update on existing guidance on flexible working, to help make it easier for schools to know what works.

Greening has also announced £30 million funding to support schools that struggle with recruitment and retention, including investment in professional development training.

Follow and interact with us on Twitter: @EducationBizz

This issue of Education Business examines these new measures to tackle the recruitment crisis on page 19, as well as how teacher-led training can help achieve a sustained and quality teacher workforce, on page 13.

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:

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Contents

THE BUSINESS MAGAZINE FOR EDUCATION – www.educationbusinessuk.net

CONTENTS EDUCATION BUSINESS 22.9 29

07 EDUCATION BRIEFER

41 HEALTH & SAFETY

PE and sports premium doubles to £320 million; pilot programmes to support flexible working in schools pledged by DfE

Fiona Riley, chair of the Education Group of the Institution of Occupational Safety and Health (IOSH), examines school winter health and safety issues

13 TRAINING

43 SECURITY

Emma Hollis from the National Association of School‑Based Teacher Trainers (NASBTT) writes about school-led training routes into the teaching profession

With today’s constantly evolving technological landscape, it can be difficult to know whether or not the chosen security solution will meet the requirements of the school, writes the BSIA’s James Kelly

19 RECRUITMENT

A series of measures have been announced by the education secretary, Justine Greening, which aims to get great teachers into schools. Education Business explores

35

47 BETT 2018

Bett 2018 will take place from 24 to 28 January and will once again gather the global education community discuss the future of education

22 HUMAN RESOURCES

How General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) will affect those working in the HR and payroll function in schools

53 IT & COMPUTING

Education Business looks at what help and support is out there from the technology industry to support the teaching of coding

25 DATA PROTECTION 41

Schools will need to prepare for some changes once the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) comes into force

58 CASHLESS SCHOOLS

Removing cash collection from school proves to be an effective way for schools to save money and gain efficiencies. BESA’s Cleo Fatoorehchi examines the trend

29 DESIGN & BUILD

Lara Newman, chief executive of government-owned property firm, LocatED, discusses its current and future work in sourcing sites for new free schools

60 SCHOOL RESOURCES

32 EDUCATION BUILDINGS SCOTLAND 53

The Education Buildings Scotland Exhibition & Conference will bring built environment and policy professionals together

The British Educational Suppliers Association (BESA) has recently updated its Code of Practice after finding out what assurances schools want when buying products and services

62 SPORT

35 FURNITURE

Funding for PE and sports provision has doubled to £320 million. Education Business looks at the criteria and how it can be spent

38 ASBESTOS

66 ACADEMIES SHOWS 2018

BESA’s Cleo Fatoorehchi discusses how classroom furniture can impact on learning There is a legal requirement to manage asbestos to ensure people are safe from it. So in 2017, is this regulation being observed? www.educationbusinessuk.net

A preview of the Northern Education & Academies Show and The Eastern Education & Academies Show

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Volume 22.9 | EDUCATION BUSINESS MAGAZINE

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ING

S RESOCHOOL URC E

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RECRUITMENT

PE and sports premium doubles to £320 million The Department for Education (DfE) is doubling the funding that primary schools receive for PE and sport provision, from £160 million to £320 million a year.

The DfE has published details of the individual allocations at school level as well as scheme funding guidance and case studies showing how some schools have delivered a real impact for pupils through sports and physical activity.

The PE and Sport Premium is part of a series of programmes led by the department to improve healthy lifestyles among pupils and tackle childhood obesity. As part of the Childhood Obesity Plan, it is working with other departments and agencies – including the Department of Health and the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport – to make sure children are healthy and active.

Minister for Children and Families Robert Goodwill said: “We want to make sure all children have a healthy and active lifestyle and it’s vital that we encourage this in our

classrooms. That’s why we have doubled the Primary PE and Sport Premium to £320 million per year to improve the quality of PE and sport in our schools. I’m also pleased that more pupils will benefit from our new £100 million Healthy Pupil Capital Fund, which will help improve facilities, such as sports halls and playgrounds.”

Public Health Minister Steve Brine said: “Investing in school facilities such as sports halls, playgrounds, kitchens and dining facilities will undoubtedly make a significant difference to children’s health across the country. The school environment is critical in shaping a healthy lifestyle, which is why we are using the money from the soft drinks industry levy to double the PE and sport premium. This is another positive outcome from our world leading Childhood Obesity Plan.”

READ MORE: tinyurl.com/ydccewz2

New incentives to teach announced in Wales Improved incentives to teach physics, chemistry, maths, Welsh and modern foreign languages in Wales, have been announced by the Welsh education secretary Kirsty Williams.

For the first time Computer Science has also been added as a priority subject eligible for the highest level of incentive. The incentives will see graduates with a First of a PhD or Masters undertaking secondary postgraduate Initial Teacher Education (ITE) programmes in Mathematics, Welsh, Computer Science, physics and chemistry receive £20,000.

Modern language students with a First, a PhD or Masters would receive a £15,000 incentive. To support students undertaking primary PGCE studies whose subject specialism is in English, Welsh, mathematics, computer science, physics or chemistry with a First degree classification, a PhD or a Masters, a £3,000 supplement in addition to the £3,000 incentive will be available.

A new Welsh medium incentive of £5,000 will compliment arrangements for existing support under the Welsh Medium Improvement Scheme with up to £2,500 payable on successful completion of QTS and a further £2,500 payable on successful completion of induction in a Welsh‑medium or bilingual secondary school, or on successful completion of induction teaching Welsh in any secondary setting.

READ MORE: tinyurl.com/y7unhomc

FIRE SAFETY

Sprinklers should be fitted in new build schools, NFCC says

The National Fire Chiefs Council (NFCC) is calling for all new school builds or refurbishments to have sprinklers fitted.

The policy is currently mandatory in Scotland and Wales.

Figures show that the number of new schools built with sprinklers had dropped from about 70 per cent a decade ago to a third last year in England in Wales Just five per cent of schools have sprinklers.

The NFCC part commissioned an independent analysis in 2017 which looked at more than 2,000 incidents attended by UK fire services in sprinkler-protected buildings, which found that sprinkler systems correctly operated on at least 94 per cent of the fires and controlled or extinguished 99 per cent of those fires.

Education Briefer

SPORT

MENTAL HEALTH School leaders lack time to ensure counselling is of high quality

According to NFCC, the impact of school fires is significant; while they have an impact in financial terms they also have a devastating impact on the communities schools serve, along with the environment and the disruption to students, teachers, and families.

The impact on children’s education is not confined to lost course work but often includes longer travelling times, disrupted social groups and poorer facilities.

NFCC believes if sprinklers were considered at the design stage of new build or refurbishment of existing buildings, costs could be kept to a minimum.

According to a review of children and young people’s mental health services by the Care Quality Commission (CQC), school leaders feel they lack the time to ensure that school counselling services are of high quality.

The report found that 70 per cent of secondary schools and 52 per cent of primary schools in England currently offer counselling services. However, the review noted that while in-school counselling can be effective, pupils and parents stated that some staff in schools were not adequately trained in order to help with mental health needs.

The CQC have said that many teachers stated they did not feel prepared to manage mental health problems and heavy workloads were cited as being in the way of providing proper support for pupils. Pupils that took part in the research said they wanted their school to offer more information about mental health earlier in their education and has called for schools to help change the stigma associated with mental health problems by improving the understanding of teachers and other pupils.

READ MORE: tinyurl.com/yadstk9q

READ MORE: tinyurl.com/y9pees8d

Volume 22.9 | EDUCATION BUSINESS MAGAZINE

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RECRUITMENT

COMPUTING

Pilot programmes to support flexible working in schools pledged by DfE

The Department for Education (DfE) has announced new pilot programmes which aims to boost support for flexible working in the teaching profession.

At the first Flexible Working in Schools Summit, education secretary Justine Greening announced new pilot programmes to look at ways of supporting and employing teachers flexibly, and enhancing coaching schemes for women working in education.

Co-chaired by Geoff Barton, general secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders, the summit is part of the government’s commitment to recruiting and retaining great teachers and tackling the gender pay gap by encouraging employers to support alternative ways

of working. The plans include: a pilot programme to look at how schools are already bolstering the careers of part‑time teachers, so recruiting best practice can be shared; a pilot to strengthen the Women Leading in Education coaching offer, so women can continue to get the professional development support they need; and updating existing guidance on flexible working, to help make it easier for schools to know what works.

Alongside these announcements, the government will publish a new myth buster to help answer any questions school leaders may have around recruiting for roles with flexible hours.

The need to include more part-time or flexible vacancies

will also be considered as part of the proposals for the Teacher Vacancy Service.

Greening said: “The pledges we have made today show that we are determined to leave no stone unturned to make the best of all of the talent and dedication in the teaching profession.”

READ MORE: tinyurl.com/y7uymggb

STEM

Scotland outlines its new STEM strategy A plan for Scotland to “forge a future of excellence and equity” in science, technology, engineering, and maths has been unveiled.

The strategy is set to take place between 2017 to 2022, and outlines actions designed to inspire enthusiasm for STEM “among all sectors of society”.

Key measures include strengthening the delivery of STEM education, addressing unconscious bias and gender stereotyping, and ensuring the development of skills that meet employers’ needs.

The strategy includes: improving the supply of STEM talent to the teaching profession;

Two-thirds of teachers feel they cannot effectively teach coding

Education Briefer

THE BUSINESS MAGAZINE FOR EDUCATION – www.educationbusinessuk.net

Research carried out for IT consultancy BJSS shows that two-thirds of teachers feel they cannot effectively teach coding to those aged eight to 15, and 83 per cent of teachers thought it was important for the Department for Education (DfE) to provide better training.

It was also found that 39 per cent of teachers said they did not have access to adequate IT and software to teach coding.

Glynn Robinson, managing director of BJSS, said: “To safeguard the UK’s digital competitiveness, it is crucial that primary and secondary school teachers are properly equipped and resourced to teach the digital and coding skills that will be required by the time today’s schoolchildren enter the workforce.”

The survey was conducted with 500 primary and secondary school teachers from schools across Britain.

READ MORE: tinyurl.com/ya5d2kvm

establishing a new network of specialist STEM advisors for schools; prioritising STEM in the expansion of apprenticeships; and creating positive STEM role models, among others.

Minister for further education, higher education, and science, Shirley-Anne Somerville, said: “It is our ambition to build a modern and dynamic economy, so it is critical that Scotland recognises the value of, and achieves its full potential in STEM. “The sectors which feature in our vision for a high-tech, low-carbon economy have a golden thread – they all require a highly educated and skilled workforce with STEM capabilities in order to develop and grow.

“The future is truly one of opportunity and we must ensure everyone is equipped and supported to make the most of fast-paced technological change around us and the job opportunities this generates, enabling Scotland to become a STEM nation.”

Ofsted chief inspector Amanda Spielman has told parliament that issues with Ofsted’s grading system may not be addressed for two years.

According to Spielman, Ofsted is potentially not reviewing its grading system until the inspectorate’s new framework is implemented. According to Schools Week, Spielman said last year that she wanted to have talks in regards to abolishing the top ‘outstanding’ grade. She also stated earlier this year that she was “quite uncomfortable” with “some of the effects” she saw the outstanding grade having on the school system. Despite this, she has told the same committee that she did not have an “easy answer” on this matter because of a conflict between views of schools and parents.

READ MORE: tinyurl.com/ycg22atx

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SCHOOL STANDARDS Ofsted remains indecisive on scrapping “outstanding” grade

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SAFETY

All schools should have a plan to prevent knife crime

Every school should have a mandatory plan in place to stop knife crime, the mayor of London, Sadiq Khan has said.

At the moment, Khan is working closely with Ofsted and headteachers to make it mandatory for schools to develop effective measures to help prevent knife crime and support students and parents in the event of an incident.

In light of this, the mayor brought education leaders together with Ofsted, the Met police, Transport for London as well as parents and young people who have been affected by knife crime, at a special summit in Euston, to help increase efforts, and collaborate on how to best tackle the problem in schools.

It aimed to help forge and strengthen partnerships between the Met police, Transport for London and education leaders, enabling them to develop new ways to tackle these issues and share best practice.

It was also an opportunity to feed into the development of a new downloadable

toolkit that will support schools to participate in local anti-knife crime activity, offer guidance on how to identify those at risk and respond to incidents.

The toolkit will support the mayor’s new targeted media campaign, one of his Knife Crime strategy commitments, due to launch in the coming weeks.

Since launching his tough and comprehensive Knife Crime Strategy in June, Khan has been taking steps to help ensure schools are a safe place for students.

All schools across the capital have been informed of how they can receive a knife screening wand. This is coupled with a firm policing response to take weapons off London’s streets through targeted, intelligence-led stop and search, as well as knife sweeps and test purchasing operations as part of the Met’s ‘Operation Sceptre’.

READ MORE: tinyurl.com/y7lqzu8p

WELLBEING

Primary school children almost as stressed over exams as GCSE pupils

Education Briefer

THE BUSINESS MAGAZINE FOR EDUCATION – www.educationbusinessuk.net

A third of primary school parents say exams are making their children stressed, according to a new study looking into the pressure pupils are put under during their school years.

New research by home education provider Oxford Home Schooling reveals that even primary school children are being strained by the prospect of their academic performance.

The study reveals that, alongside a third (33 per cent) of parents saying their child feels stressed by exams, two in five parents (40 per cent) of pupils aged between five and 11 feel there is too much pressure on their children to perform well in them.

The figure is particularly concerning when compared to secondary school pupils, whose exam stress levels have been widely reported on recently, with the revised GCSE system.

The research showed that 37 per cent feel stressed about exams, while 46 per cent of their parents feel they are too pressured – only slightly higher than much younger children.

Homework is also a cause for concern, with a quarter (25 per cent) of parents of all ages of school children believing that too much homework is set for them.

In fact, 13 per cent of primary school pupils spend five hours or more on homework a week, compared to 39 per cent of those at secondary school and more than half (55 per cent) of sixth form or college students.

Between the ages of five and 16, children will sit four rounds of compulsory exams, not including the 11+ and Common Entrance exams that those applying for grammar or private schools will take. Primary school pupils take Key Stage 1 and 2 exams for English, maths and science, while some GCSE pupils can sit down to as many as 25 individual tests.

READ MORE: tinyurl.com/ya9hl9od

CATERING

Jamie Oliver: schools must become “healthy zones” The Jamie Oliver Food Foundation and the AKO Foundation have undertaken their first comprehensive review of food education in English schools.

The AKO Foundation commissioned the Jamie Oliver Food Foundation and expert partners (including the British Nutrition Foundation, Food Teachers Centre and the University of Sheffield) to undertake a comprehensive review of the state of food education and food culture in primary and secondary schools in England.

School leaders, parents, pupils, catering organisations, NGOs, governors and more took part in surveys and focus groups, reviewing three key areas: the curriculum, the whole school approach and behaviour change.

The findings showed that there is a stark difference between schools doing a great job at delivering strong food education and others struggling with a lack of time, resource and support.

There are alarming concerns about the unhealthy food environment at secondary schools, compromising pupils’ ability to make good food choices.

To address the findings, the report makes recommendations to ensure young people are receiving the education and start in life that they deserve.

This includes schools becoming “healthy zones” where pupils’ health and wellbeing are promoted throughout all parts of school life. This includes fundraising efforts like

cake sales, which give out mixed signals.

The report calls for more support to be given to the school workforce, as well as improvements in food education qualifications and resources.

The report also calls for stronger reporting and evaluation to be put in place.

READ MORE: tinyurl.com/yag6jv6n

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TRAINING OPPORTUNITIES

What might the future hold for the development of teacher trainees, as well as the educators that ‘train the trainees’?

Emma Hollis, executive director of the National Association of School-Based Teacher Trainers (NASBTT), investigates Those of us who undertake school-led teacher training, or represent providers which do, are being increasingly consulted by politicians, policy-makers and civil servants on solutions to issues around teacher recruitment and retention.

MEETING SCHOOL NEEDS The nub of the challenge is how can we ensure that we have a sustained, and quality, teacher workforce that meet the needs of schools and our children? Our members, primarily School Centred Initial Teacher Training (SCITT) providers, School Direct Lead Schools and Teaching Schools, are critical to making sure we have those teachers available and in turn supporting excellent

provision. In the 2017 Good Teacher Training Guide, eight of the top ten providers of Initial Teacher Training (ITT) in the country are SCITTs, and we must build on that success.

There is, of course, a bigger picture and ITT providers alone cannot completely solve the teacher recruitment and retention crisis – yes, it remains a “crisis” – stemming from plummeting morale, pay and budgetary restraints, stress and challenging working conditions.

RISING TEACHER VACANCIES Figures published by the Department for Education

THE GOOD TEACHER TRAINING GUIDE Recent nt e Going back to the Good m t r a Dep ation Teacher Training Guide, what came through of Educ ow that strongly is that E h s figures vacancies teacher n sharply by e have risr cent in the 26 pe t year pas

Written by Emma Hollis, executive director of the National Asociation of School-Based Teacher Trainers (NASBTT)

The future for school-led teacher training

(DfE) over the summer showed that teacher vacancies have risen sharply by 26 per cent in the past year, with 920 vacancies for full‑time permanent teachers in state‑funded schools, up from 730 the year before. The fact that Justine Greening has recently committed £30 million to getting teachers into schools that “struggle the most” with recruitment and retention is another indication of action being taken, but much more needs to be done to reduce the downward trend.

What we, as school-led teacher training providers can be encouraged by, is that ITT allocations for the 2018-19 academic year will allow accredited providers the freedom to recruit according to local need and not place caps on recruitment which do not take account of regional variation. Latest figures also show more than half of postgraduate trainees take school-led routes into the profession. A higher proportion of final‑year trainees on school-led routes achieved Qualified Teacher Status (QTS), 93 per cent, compared with 90 per cent on higher education-led routes. They were also more likely to get a job than their university‑trained peers, with 96 per cent of those awarded QTS in a teaching post within six months.

For trainees who had gained QTS from an HEI-led route, it was 93 per cent.

Training

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Training

TEACHER TRAINING

 school-based training attracts a wider cross‑section of society, with more from ethnic minorities, more aged 25 and over and more men to primary teaching. It documents the fact that trainees undertaking a school‑based programme of ITT are more likely to take up a teaching post at the end of their training year.

We believe this results from the close relationships which SCITT providers have with their partner schools and the consequent involvement of front-line staff in the selection of trainees and the design and delivery of training. In almost all school-led provision, the recruitment of trainees is supported by practising headteachers and senior leaders who are excellently placed to identify the knowledge, skills and personal characteristics which make really good teachers. It is, therefore, unsurprising that a greater proportion of these trainees are likely to go on to take up posts within those schools.

UNIVERSITY-LED PROVISION However, whilst we are keen to present the success of school-led teacher training provision, we do not wish to downplay the importance of universities in ITT. A brief skim through the history books of teacher training shows that the preference for university‑led versus school-led provision has swung back and forth like a pendulum, but artificial and unhelpful distinctions between different kinds of training provision should be forgotten – the reality is that SCITTs, HEIs, Teach First and School Direct providers have long worked together. They are not as distinct as some have them appear. NASBTT is supportive of a simplification of the system and continues to encourage greater partnership working.

Any plans for strengthened QTS, for example, should include scope for close collaboration between schools, SCITTs and universities in planning and delivering the early career professional development to build on the excellent foundations being achieved.

So what might the future hold for

the development of teacher trainees, and also those educators who ‘train the trainees’, look like?

REVISED THREE-YEAR TRAINING We have set out our ideal for a revised three‑year postgraduate teacher training route, fostering partnerships between schools, SCITTs and HEIs. In year one, we would have school-based practice focussing on pedagogy and relationship building to help teacher trainees become ready to ‘hit the ground running’ in their NQT year, which is what heads need from their staff. We would look at the realities of the classroom, practical advice on class management, curriculum planning, time management, marking and feedback and subject knowledge for teaching. As is already the case, QTS would be awarded at the end of this year.

In year two, during the NQT year, time would be set aside for academic study with a focus on reflection. At this point, they have some ‘practice’ to reflect on and can assimilate the theory behind many of the practical techniques they will already be aware of. NQTs will be exposed to ways of thinking that might differ from those they have been exposed to in school and will widen perspectives from a place of practical knowledge.

In year three, teachers will have a sense of what interests them, what type of teacher they are or would like to become. They would use this year to focus on a research area which either meets their personal interests or a need within their school. Funded time would be given to write a dissertation exploring this area of interest, finalise their journey to master’s qualification and thus feed back into the system research carried out by a practising teacher based on real-life examples which support their hypotheses.

This would mean that NQTs are ultimately better prepared to face the realities of life as a teacher and give schools what they need from their staff, improving retention

with this clearly mapped out early-career development, and opening up pathways for career development which are not purely focused on senior leadership.

Enhanced professional development for teacher educators is also a necessary direction of travel. The qualifications we are developing are targeted at front-line school-based staff involved in the day‑to‑day training and mentoring of trainee and early-career teachers, those responsible for the design and implementation of ITT programmes, and at a higher level those responsible for the management and accountability of programmes.

The courses respond to the gaps that we are hearing exist on the ground. The Level 1 “effective coaching and mentoring”, Level 2 “advanced coaching and mentoring”, Level 3 “delivering inspiring CPD” and “training excellent mentors, coaches and facilitators”, and Level 4 “effective SCITT/School Direct management” and “finance for SCITT/School Direct managers” modules will all be rolled out over the next 12 months. Training will be delivered by us, or licensed providers trained by NASBTT and who are entitled to offer this programme. Delegates who successfully complete the Level 3 and both Level 4 modules will be given the NASBTT Award in Leading School-Based ITT Provision.

ACHIEVING STABILITY AND CLARITY This is a really difficult time for schools, but to make life easier what we need to do is help the government achieve stability and clarity in the ITT system.

We could, and should, be instrumental in ensuring that current ITT routes remain rigorous and train excellent practitioners for the future. We will play an important role in guiding schools along the most effective route to doing so in line with our vision. L FURTHER INFORMATION www.nasbtt.org.uk

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We’re moved by the next

GENERATION Increased competition and student expectations means your institution has to offer the best all-round experience to attract candidates.

We can help by providing a fitness centre designed with your students in mind.

“The facilities provided by the Charterhouse Club play a significant role in creating a lifelong passion for sport, activity and wellbeing for its pupils. The club is also at the heart of sport and leisure provision in the local community and we wanted to build a long-term relationship with a partner that would help us develop the offering and not just supply us with great equipment. We felt that Precor were best placed to do that.”

Tim Ostle Commercial Director at Charterhouse

Find out more at precor.com Contact us on 03334 149774 or email: info@precor.com ©2017 Precor Incorporated

SPORTS

BEING ACTIVE AND PLAYING SPORT CAN HELP LAND YOUR DREAM JOB

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Being physically active and playing sport while in college and university could help students land that first dream job, according to findings from a survey of over 5,000 students The research, conducted by UKactive Research Institute in partnership with Scottish Student Sport and sponsored by leading fitness equipment manufacturer and supplier Precor, sheds interesting light on how broad-reaching the positive impact physical activity and sport can be during our formative years.

Students were asked if they took part in any type of activity, either being a member of a sports club, using the gym, both or neither. Almost half of respondents (46 per cent) met the chief medical officer’s (CMO) guidelines of 150 minutes of moderate intensity physical activity a week classing themselves as active, with only 19 per cent replying they were completely inactive. In total, 49 per cent of those surveyed were members of both a sports club and a gym.

The overall results were astounding with 93 per cent of active university participants believing they would secure a First or 2.1 compared with only 81 per cent of the inactive respondents.

EMPLOYABILITY When considering employability and looking at skills such as teamwork, verbal and written communication, planning and organisation, the active student group scored higher across all attributes, providing insight into the high level of confidence and positive self-esteem taking part in sport and physical activity can give.

Leadership showed the biggest differential with 88 per cent of active students giving positive ratings against 73 per cent of inactive students. When applying for jobs, overall 54 per cent of students would mention their involvement in physical activity and this increased to 66 per cent for active students while overall 47 per cent of students believed participating in physical activity would increase their employability ‘quite a lot’.

Almost three quarters (73 per cent) of active students indicated that thoughts for their future had changed positively since taking part in sport and physical activity and those students that were involved in a sports club and a gym had the highest, most positive mental wellbeing scores compared to participants that did neither.

PASSION FOR SPORTS The report also shows that socially active students have a higher sense of belonging than those that are inactive.

Tim Ostle, commercial director at Charterhouse, an independent boarding school near Godalming, Surrey comments: “Our gym features state-of-the-art Precor equipment fitted with Preva networked fitness, that provides a personalised fitness experience enabling students to set goals and track their fitness activities. We believe the facilities we offer play a significant role in creating a lifelong passion for sport, activity and wellbeing and instilling in our pupils the benefits of exercise and healthy living.”

With over 6000 sq m of activity space and providing facilities for over 15,400 gym members, the three-storey Pleasance Sports Complex at the University of Edinburgh takes claim to be the largest independent gym complex in Scotland.

Jim Aitken MBE, director of sport and E exercise at the university, believes that providing students, staff and members of the community with equipment that fits with their lifestyle will encourage participation.

He comments: “As a world-leading university we didn’t hesitate to equip the gyms with Precor equipment. We can provide gym members with the opportunity to use the very best fitness equipment around and, with the potential of Precor’s unique technology and Preva we can take our member engagement to new levels.”

Two years ago students at Latymer Upper School benefitted from a new £14 million sports centre including a fitness suite that showcases Precor equipment, enabling its pupils to thrive in a sporting environment.

Tallan Gill, director of sport at Latymer Upper School comments: “Latymerians take their sport and exercise very seriously and it was important for us to

have equipment that matches our high quality training and expectations. Precor has a reputation for quality and after sales service and the equipment suited our sporting and IT requirements.”

ENCOURAGING STUDENTS In order to encourage participation, Newcastle University tapped in to the technological aspect of their student’s lifestyles when the gym was refitted.

Nick Beall, facilities service manager at Newcastle University comments: “The results of the Scottish Student Sport Research Report into the positive benefits of physical activity came as no surprise to those of us who are at the forefront of this type of service delivery in higher education. At Newcastle University we take physical activity very seriously and offer a varied and in depth student sport and physical activity programme offering something for all of our 25,000 students.

“Going to the gym is the single most popular physical activity that our students at Newcastle University undertake so it is vital that we get this aspect of our service delivery right and our long standing partnership with Precor is key to achieving this.

“Not only do they provide high quality equipment, but also a high quality support package. Students live at the forefront of the digital world and the Precor’s P80 consoles and Preva software enable Newcastle University students to exercise in the technological world in which they thrive and are comfortable.

“If we don’t offer our students an exercise experience that is digital and enjoyable, then we are not doing our job properly!”

To read the full report, see below. L FURTHER INFORMATION http://bit.ly/StudentSport

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Exceptionally high standards Extremely tight deadlines That all-important personal touch For some this may sound like an unachievable wish list.

To us it is just business as usual.

To find out more about how Crystal can help you prepare and maintain your school facilities for the new educational year, call us on 0845 459 3157 or email us at info@crystal services.uk.com

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Facilities Management Services

TEACHER RECRUITMENT

A series of measures have been announced by the education secretary, Justine Greening, which aims to get great teachers into schools. Education Business reports A range of measures outlined by education secretary Justine Greening are set to improve education and opportunities for all children and young people, as well as encourage more teachers into schools.

As part of the education and skills measures announcement, a total of £30 million will be invested in support for schools that struggle with recruitment and retention, including investment in professional development training, so these schools can benefit from great teaching.

This follows continuous concerns that the number of teachers in classrooms is falling, resulting in a widespread recruitment and retention crisis.

In a bid to get teachers into the classroom, a new pilot student loan reimbursement programme for science and Modern Foreign Languages (MFL) teachers in the early years of their career has been noted in the measures. It will benefit around 800 MFL teachers and 1,700 science teachers each year.

It will see a typical teacher in their fifth year of work benefit by around £540 through reimbursement.

New-style bursaries in maths are also to be trialled, with upfront payments of £20,000 and early retention payments of £5,000 in the third and fifth year of a teacher’s career.

Increased amounts of £7,500 will also be available to encourage the best maths teachers to teach in more challenging schools.

them recruit and retain good teachers”.

However, he also stated that unless there is “concerted effort to improve underlying pay levels, working conditions and status within the profession, these steps are unlikely to have much impact”.

He said: “Should these new pilots show early promise, we would urge the government to roll them out to all parts of the country without delay, so that all schools facing staffing challenges might benefit. Meaningful change will not be achieved without real investment. You cannot do better than

T govern he now plement has introdu dged to programce new pilot m flexible es to boost in the teworking a profess ching ion

funding education fully and fairly and treating teachers well and paying them properly.”

RISING PUPIL NUMBERS Following the government’s £30 million announcement, new research has been conducted by the National Foundation for Educational Research (NFER). It found that London has considerably more teachers leaving the profession compared to other areas.

According to the NFER, this comes at a time when pupil numbers are rising faster in the capital than in any other areas.

The Teacher Retention and Turnover Research: Interim Report, used data from the School Workforce Census to look at the factors associated with teacher retention and turnover. Its findings highlight a need for there to be further research to explore how the geographical flows of trainees into the teacher workforce and during their careers “could increase understanding of the dynamic picture within and across different areas and help to develop policy solutions”.

The report is the latest paper in a programme of major research funded by the Nuffield Foundation to gain a deeper understanding of the dynamics within the teaching workforce in England.

A key recommendation of the report is that the government and stakeholders in the secondary sector look urgently at identifying ways to accommodate more and better part-time working in secondary schools to help ease teacher supply challenges.

Following this report, the government E

Written by Andrea Pluck

Tackling school recruitment struggles

Recruitment

THE BUSINESS MAGAZINE FOR EDUCATION – www.educationbusinessuk.net

A “STEP IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION” Paul Whiteman, general secretary of NAHT, which represents leaders in the majority of schools, labelled the announcement as a “welcome step in the right direction”.

Whiteman went on to say that these measures are “welcome recognition” that the current recruitment situation is unsustainable and that leaders in eligible schools will welcome any support that “might help

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Recruitment  has now pledged to introduce new pilot programmes which aim to boost support for flexible working in the teaching profession.

The plans include: a pilot programme to look at how schools are already bolstering the careers of part-time teachers, so recruiting best practice can be shared; a pilot to strengthen the Women Leading in Education coaching offer, so women can continue to get the professional development support they need; and updating existing guidance on flexible working, to help make it easier for schools to know what works.

Commenting on the announcement, Greening said: “The pledges we have made show that we are determined to leave no stone unturned to make the best of all the talent and dedication in the teaching profession.”

Alongside this, the DfE is expected to publish a new myth buster to help answer any questions school leaders may have around recruiting roles with flexible hours. The need to include more part-time or flexible vacancies will also be considered as part of the proposals.

The recommendations also state that the government should look at, as the report found, why the rate of older teachers leaving the profession increased between 2010 and 2015. It should also be explored whether they could be incentivised to stay in the profession a lot longer, “particularly in subjects with specialist teacher shortages”.

NFER’s first working paper of this series reported that some subjects are more affected than others by teachers leaving the profession, with science and modern foreign language (MFL) teachers most likely to leave.

However, the government’s introduction of student loan reimbursement programme for science and Modern Foreign Languages (MFL) teachers may help to reduce the number of teachers leaving in the future.

WORKLOAD THE BIGGEST FACTOR Commenting on the teacher retention report, Dr Mary Bousted, joint secretary of the National Education Union noted that workload is the “biggest single factor in teachers leaving the profession”. She went on to say that the report “reminds

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EDUCATION BUSINESS MAGAZINE | Volume 22.9

us of the rates of wastage have increased among younger teachers and older teachers alike in the last five years” and that “the government must work with the profession to find solutions to the teacher supply crisis”.

Dr Bousted added: “Fundamentally the government must fund schools properly.

Then schools will be able to employ sufficient teachers, pay them a decent wage and invest in CPD and career development to make the profession more attractive. They

will not have to deliver teaching on the cheap or be tempted to remove competent older teachers with newly qualified staff.

It is damaging to children’s learning that less than half of teachers in England have ten years of more experience.” L FURTHER INFORMATION www.gov.uk/government/news /new-education-and-skills -measures-announced

New incentives to teach announced in Wales In a bid to overcome the challenges in recruiting teachers in certain subjects in Wales, new incentives have been announced by education secretary Kirsty Williams.

The new incentives aim to boost the number teachers in physics, chemistry, maths, and Welsh and modern foreign languages. For the first time, computer science has also been added as a priority subject eligible for the highest level of incentive.

The incentives will see graduates with a First or a PhD or Masters undertaking secondary postgraduate Initial Teacher Education (ITE) programmes in Mathematics, Welsh, computer science, physics and chemistry receive £20,000.

Modern language students with a First, a PhD or Masters would receive a £15,000 incentive.

To support students undertaking primary PGCE studies whose subject specialism is in English, Welsh, mathematics, computer science, physics or chemistry with a First degree classification, a PhD or a Masters a £3,000 supplement in addition to the £3,000 incentive will be available.

A new Welsh medium incentive of £5,000 will compliment arrangements for existing support under the Welsh Medium Improvement Scheme with up to £2,500 payable on successful completion of QTS and a further £2,500 payable on

successful completion of induction in a Welsh-medium or bilingual secondary school, or on successful completion of induction teaching Welsh in any secondary setting.

Kirsty Williams commented: “Our ambitious reforms need well-supported, high quality, aspirational teachers. We must therefore attract and support the best graduates. In Wales we experience challenges in recruiting to certain subjects and in certain geographical locations. This is the challenge we must, and will, rise to.

The education secretary has also revealed new incentives for Welsh-medium secondary school teachers, she said:“Our recruitment for primary Welsh-medium teachers is broadly on track. However, to achieve our targets for secondary we need to increase recruitment to Welsh-medium ITE places each year to meet the target for increasing the number of secondary Welsh‑medium teachers by 2021.

“I am announcing a new Welsh‑medium incentive which will target secondary PGCE student teachers who are training to teach all subject specialisms through the medium of Welsh or bilingually.”

RECRUITMENT

TAKE CONTROL OF YOUR SCHOOL’S RECRUITMENT

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Cut your school’s spend for good with a proactive approach to recruitment.Taking control of a school’s recruitment process may seem an unsurmountable task, but a new approach to the challenge is yielding significant results for some schools There are 457,300 teachers working in the state-funded sector currently, teaching 8.1 million students and the headcount is rising: secondary schools alone will need to grow by nearly 20 per cent (540,000) between 2017 and 2025, yet the education budget can be stretched no farther. Schools have no choice but to streamline their processes and invest time into creating a robust and modern recruitment strategy now that will futureproof their offering as the educator, and indeed employer, of choice.

As the education recruitment specialists for over 7,500 schools and colleges and 1.7 million registered candidates, Eteach is in the unique position of seeing how the current landscape directly affects schools, MATs and teachers on the ground, paying specific interest to how changes to recruitment practices can improve teaching and learning in real terms. Its teacher and school survey results reveal insights that inform how Eteach, and all involved in education, can innovate.

HOW TO CHANGE YOUR APPROACH Formal workforce planning is woefully underutilised in the education sector and schools pay the price as cash flows away to unscheduled agency spend. But the cost runs deeper yet: by reacting only to urgent

demand, you gamble the quality of teachers with only the pool available at the time.

By actively marketing your school and vacancies year-round, you are the driving force behind your recruitment.

Before sculpting your proactive strategy, you need to understand the peak and trends in your recruitment year. Look at your previous two years to see which months actually bring rushes in recruitment spending. Schools with Applicant Tracking Systems such as the Eteach School Recruiter ATS are able to run deep analysis of the previous years’ recruitment advertising to see accurately where they are getting a good return on their investment.

The first principle in proactive recruiting is to drive a constant stream of candidates to your school by advertising year-round.

Drive candidates to your career site then capture their details in a talent pool. Even if they aren’t right for you today, they could be in a few years.

To facilitate your year‑round presence, the Eteach annual licence gives you unlimited advertising (including for leadership roles) on Eteach.com, the leading education-only online job board.

“Eteach is a one-stop shop and a relatively, quick, easy, prompt and efficient method of advertising staff vacancies,

Instead of waiting to recruit on a ‘firefighting’ basis with limited time, you can proactively cultivate a hub of talent to call upon at your discretion whilst dramatically cutting your need to fall back on head hunter fees

but most importantly is also very cost effective. We have saved ourselves many thousands of pounds in the cost of staff advertising over the past two years,” says Brian Merritt, Bursar, Winchcombe Academy, Gloucestershire.

RECRUITMENT TOOLS FIT FOR PURPOSE Once you have caught the attention of a relevant and interested teacher, you need to call them to action – in this case: sending you their application form.

Eteach’s research showed overwhelmingly that job hunting teachers are tired of lengthy application forms, and now cherry‑pick which adverts to apply for, based on which schools they can find favourable information for online. Recruitment is now an online market and schools need to compete by having their own credible digital presence: a dedicated career site and social media presence as a minimum. The form you offer them must be brief and electronic.

EXPERT SERVICES Finally, look at areas where you could realistically save money whilst simultaneously improving performance by outsourcing to experts. HR in any school or college can be complex and costly so Eteach’s high-quality HR advice and guidance on employee relations casework, safeguarding and teacher pay & conditions allow you to concentrate time and funds on your core focus – teaching and learning. Eteach’s leadership recruitment service combines your internal and governor capability with the firm’s expertise to secure the right head or MAT leader.

Or for a fully outsourced recruitment solution, Eteach’s Managed Recruitment Service is a collaborative approach to shaping and implementing a uniquely efficient and cost‑effective staff sourcing strategy tailored to your MAT, college group or school. For both planned and unexpected recruitment projects, cut your annual costs and relieve the pressure on your own resources by outsourcing all or part of your recruitment function to Eteach. L FURTHER INFORMATION www.eteachgroup.com 0845 226 1906

Volume 22.9 | EDUCATION BUSINESS MAGAZINE

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Human Resources Written by Julie Hodgskin, technical material author, CIPP

www.educationbusinessuk.net – THE BUSINESS MAGAZINE FOR EDUCATION

DATA PROTECTION

GDPR and the HR function

Julie Hodgskin from the Chartered Institute of Payroll Professionals (CIPP) discusses how the new General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), which comes into force next May, will affect those working in the HR and payroll function in schools A new Data Protection Bill was published September 2017 and is currently progressing through Parliament. It builds on the EU’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and the current Data Protection Act (DPA) 1998 by making mandatory the ‘best practise’ processes and procedures in use, while at the same time expanding the areas of compliance. The scope of the Bill is unaffected by the UK exiting the EU and will affect both EU organisations operating outside the EU as well as organisations outside the EU operating within it.

The amount of penalties imposed for data breaches (the loss, destruction, alteration, unauthorised disclosure of, or access to, personal data) is more stringent under the GDPR, and can be as high as £17m, or four per cent of global turnover. The implementation date is 25 May 2018 and every organisation must be compliant by then.

THE CHANGES Below are some of the GDPR enhancements most likely to affect an educational establishment.

Under the current DPA the Data Controller determines the purpose and manner in which data is processed. With the implementation of the GDPR there is now a further requirement that the Data Controller liaises with any third party organisations, ensuring the integrity of their data security and that the contracts with the processors comply with the GDPR. There could be financial penalties if this is not done.

Under the current DPA the Data Processor is the member of staff, or the employee of a payroll bureau, who is involved in the processing of personal data. With the implementation of the GDPR there is also the requirement that the Data Processor maintain the accuracy of personal data and of the processing activities. Again, there could be financial penalties if this is not done.

The s penaltier data d fo impose s are more breache t under the stringennd can be as GDPR, aas £17m, or f high r cent o e p r u o f r turnove

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SPECIAL CATEGORY INFORMATION There will be greater protection of an individual’s information.

This not only covers the personal information held under the current DPA, but will include other data as identified under the GDPR ‘special category’ definition.

The special categories data covers racial or ethnic origin; political opinions; religious or philosophical beliefs; trade union membership; genetic data; biometric data; data concerning health or sex life; sexual orientation.

To ensure the security of the data it must first be located, then identified, categorised and finally protected. The most effective way of doing this is to perform an information audit.

THIRD PARTY COMPLIANCE Another area of change is that there is now a responsibility for third party compliance.

Many educational establishments outsource the processing of staff pay, and it is the responsibility of the Data Controller to ensure that third party compliance is in place and maintained. To start the process it may be useful to ask the following questions: What security procedures are in place?

Are they secure enough to meet the new requirements? Are the current privacy policies and practices adequate? Do they need to be strengthened? What technological safeguards are in place? Is software regularly updated?

What evidence can be offered to show compliance, or evidence of actions towards compliance to the new DPA by 25 May 2018?

Does their insurance cover include customer liability?

Human Resources

RIGHTS OF AN INDIVIDUAL Some of the rights under the GDPR are the same as the current DPA, some are enhanced and some are new.

The individual has right of access to their personal data. At present an organisation is allowed to take up to forty days to process a request and charge a levy of £10. Under the new regime any requests must be dealt with within one month of receipt and be free of charge.

The individual has the right to rectification.

Any information proven to be inaccurate or incomplete by the individual must be corrected within one month. If it is decided that no action is needed then this must be explained to the individual and information on their right to complain, and to who, should be included.

The individual has the right to erasure. This is also known as the right to be forgotten, and this right has been enhanced to include the request to delete or remove all personal data where there is no reason to hold it.

The individual also has the right to restrict processing. An individual can request the restriction of data and this must be complied with if the data is in dispute; processing it would be unlawful; or the personal data is needed by the individual to establish, exercise or defend a legal claim.

Where information has been disclosed to third parties then the third party must be informed of the restriction and reasonable steps must be taken to ensure that they comply. If the data restriction is lifted then the individual must be informed.

The individual also has the right to data portability where they can move and transfer their personal data in a way that is easy and safe.

Many educational establishments outsource the processing of staff pay, and it is the responsibility of the Data Controller to ensure that third party compliance is in place and maintained The individual also has the right to object to the processing of their personal data, as well as rights in relation to automated decision making. The individual has the right to object to an automated decision where that decision has a legal or significant effect on the individual (an example would be where educational qualifications are required for a teaching position).

AREAS OF CONCERN HR/Payroll is legally obliged to hold data for a minimum of three years after the end of the tax year. For many educational establishments that is a lot of data and storage can be a problem, whether stored manually or electronically.

One solution often used is that of a third party data storage supplier.

If this is used, then a check of their compliance will need to be made.

The most publicised data breaches are by hackers who break into an organisation’s electronic systems. However, data breach also covers unauthorised disclosure and unauthorised access to personal data. This means for example, that any emails sent containing personal data may, if sent without the individual’s consent, be a data breach. And any emails sent in error would definitely be a data breach.

Organisations should therefore look to alternative ways of transferring personal data.

Staff are only human and mistakes will happen, so to keep personal data secure one

solution is to use ‘pseudonymisation’, that is the de-identifying or anonymising of data by removing the link between the data and the individual concerned.

This will eliminate the risk of discovery of the individual by a hacker or an accidental disclosure.

However, it will only work if the code to the pseudonymisation is kept on a separate system to that of the data.

FINALLY There is a lot to do between now and 25 May 2018 and a lot of processes to go through before achieving compliance. The following is a suggestion of where to start.

Appoint a Steering committee to oversee the whole process and allocate significant jobs and tasks.

Perform an audit, documenting current procedures and enhancing them to meet the new regulation Train staff in the new procedures and effect a cultural change that will confirm the protection of an individual’s personal data.

If action is taken now, it will still be possible to meet the deadline, but time is tight. Compliance is not optional, and neither are the penalties, so act now. L FURTHER INFORMATION For guidance go to ico.gov.uk or book onto a CIPP training course at www.cipp.org.uk

Volume 22.9 | EDUCATION BUSINESS MAGAZINE

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GDPR

PREVENTING CYBER‑ATTACKS BEFORE THEY STRIKE LMG Networks is revolutionising how IT departments protect schools and businesses – by preventing cyber-attacks before they strike The IT specialists are skilled in the very latest practices to thwart viruses infiltrating a network and causing serious disruption.

And as hackers continue to develop more sophisticated malware intent on causing maximum devastation to operating systems, LMG is continually updating its own skill set to combat the threat.

Its fresh and modern but, most importantly, effective approach is light years away from the stereotype image that IT professionals are insular, unapproachable and lacking in social skills.

LMG Networks is not your typical IT department and is by no means dull.

The talented team has ability in abundance, and the resources to counteract and defeat any cyber-attack – usually without the client being aware of any potential threat.

BEING PRO-ACTIVE By installing remote monitoring software on to each machine, any unwanted malware can be detected and remotely reported back to LMG’s headquarters so action can be taken.

Director Leigh McGarvie explains: “We focus on being proactive rather than reactive and provide a fault diagnostic without the customer knowing there ever been a problem.

“If we can fix it without them knowing they have a problem, then that is the best way to work.”

“The antivirus software we use allows us to detect and be alert to possible attacks before any real damage has been done.”

Leigh added: “Sometimes customers contact us following an attack and we are always happy to help them retrieve lost files and data, but we want to stop attacks before they start.”

OFFICIALLY CERTIFIED LMG is one of only a handful of officially certified Apple consultants in the North West. Customers who visit one of the Apple stores will often be directed to LMG for technical support.

“It is something we are extremely proud of and have worked hard to achieve,” said Leigh.

And this much sought-after status gives schools and businesses immense confidence when opting for bespoke iPad or Mac management solutions that are centred

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EDUCATION BUSINESS MAGAZINE | Volume 22.9

around their requirements, goals and budgets.

This can be from setting up just one iPad, Mac or PC to equipping an entire classroom or office. The team of certified engineers and developers will install and integrate the new equipment with minimal disruption to the running of a school or business. And with a background in education, Leigh and LMG Networks realise the importance of virus-free iPads, Macs, PCs for modern‑day learning. It also ensures pupils learn in a safe environment, putting in place procedures to prevent access to unsuitable material while using the network.

LMG also offers a help desk for any unsuspecting problems that might arise and a back-up service to ensure all important data is safely stored.

A STRONG CUSTOMER FOCUS A strong customer focus is at the core of LMG’s ethos, and clients receive the same exceptional service irrespective of size or usage. LMG recognises the impact IT issues can have on the productivity of an organisation.

Leigh said: “All walks of life now rely so heavily on computers. We try to keep the amount of downtime to an absolute minimum.

If you have a network of 40 machines and a

network failure results in a quarter of them not working, that’s potentially 10 people who are not working and doing their jobs.

“It is now an absolute necessity for schools and businesses to have an IT department. If the computers are not working, you could be in big trouble!”

EXPANSION Since its launch in 2013, the company has expanded each year. It has built a reputation – that it is rightly proud of – and growth has been organic, through word of mouth and referrals.

LMG wants IT to be a helpful tool and not a hindrance.

Leigh said: “Technology should be a facilitator and not something that holds you back. And if it is holding you back, it is not working correctly.”

“Technology should improve your work and home life, not inhibit it. We believe that technology should not be a barrier but a bridge to a better way of working.”

To put it simply, LMG is your IT department. L FURTHER INFORMATION Tel: 01257 786200 www.lmgnetworks.co.uk info@lmgnetworks.co.uk

passive ‘pre-ticked’ boxes and inaction.

The new rules place emphasis on shared responsibility, making everybody who handles and processes data liable, not just data controllers. Everybody will need to understand their obligations.

Schools should also be mindful of getting rid of old computer equipment. Under the GDPR, it will be illegal to not have a formal contract or Service Level Agreement (SLA) in place with your IT recycler and the company must also hold the minimum competencies and accreditations for IT asset disposal.

Tightening up data processes While schools are accustomed to complying with the Data Protection Act, they will need to prepare for some changes in the way they obtain, process and manage information once the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) comes into force The General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) is the biggest change to data privacy legislation in over two decades.

It aims to protect citizen’s personal data across Europe, so that all countries operate to the same standards. It also takes into account technological changes in the past twenty years, such as the dominant use of computers, tablets, cloud computing, smart phones and social media.

The regulation comes into force on 25 May 2018 and will replace the current Data Protection Act (DPA). It introduces a number of changes that will impact schools, as well as higher penalties for non-compliance.

DATA IN SCHOOLS Schools hold vast amounts of personal data, not just on pupils (current and former) but teaching staff, assistants, governors, parents, catering staff, cleaners and so on.

Personal data is any information from which individuals can be identified.

This therefore covers paper documents, digital records, photos and videos.

The GDPR also extends to third-party suppliers that store or process a school’s information.

INDIVIDUALS Under the GDPR, there will be more emphasis on the rights of individuals, both in terms of consent and access to their own data.

For a long time under the DPA, ‘consent’ was open for interpretation. The new law makes it a lot clearer.

There must be unambiguous indication of the subject’s consent which leaves no room for doubt.

Should an individual ever have reason to make a claim against a school, the burden of proof will fall on the school, so it will be essential that they keep audit trails to evidence that specific and unambiguous consent was freely given. This should be in the form of a statement or an affirmative action. It will no longer be acceptable to gain consent via

Data Protection

GDPR

FINES AND COMPLIANCE Under the GPDR, the amount the ICO can fine has increased from £500,000, which is the current maximum, to £17 million, or four per cent of global turnover (whichever is greater).

Whilst this is great cause for concerns for schools, where budgets are already stretched, the Information Commissioner Elizabeth Denham wrote in a recent blog that headlines on big fines “miss the point”. She wrote: “It’s true we’ll have the power to impose fines much bigger than the £500,000 limit the DPA allows us. It’s also true that companies are fearful of the maximum £17 million or four per cent of turnover allowed under the new law.

“But it’s scaremongering to suggest that we’ll be making early examples of organisations for minor infringements or that maximum fines will become the norm.”

Tom Healy, director of risk and compliance software firm CalQRisk adds: “The ICO has said that this new regulation is not about fines. It’s about putting the consumer and citizen first and issuing fines has always been and will continue to be, a last resort.

That said, Schools generate and retain a huge amount of sensitive personal data and even if monetary losses are not sustained as a result of personal data being mishandled, the reputational damage to a school allowing a breach could be significant.”

l Personany a data is n from tio informandividuals TAKING ACTION which i identified, The Information e can b as paper Commissioner’s such s, digital Office (ICO) has put nt together a guide on docume s, photos preparing for the GDPR. record ideos The first step is to make sure that all and v

decision‑makers and key people in the school are aware that the DPA is changing to the GDPR and that they understand the impact it will have.

The second step is to get a picture of the information the school holds. This could involve an information audit to help understand what data is held, where it came from and who it’s shared with.

The school should review its current privacy guidance. When you collect personal data E

Volume 22.9 | EDUCATION BUSINESS MAGAZINE

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GDPR

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Protecting and safeguarding pupils, teachers, support staff and visiors in schools Every chool has a responsibility for the safety of children and staff whilst on their premises, and measures should be in place to protect them at all times.

Whether day schools or boarding schools, at all age levels, there is a multitude of significant risks to safety as they go about their normal school activities and trips, both in the UK and abroad. Weaknesses in a school’s ability and understanding to mitigate risk, can compromise child safety and be potentially detrimental to reputation.

SMS has developed strong relations with its broad client base (both commercial and educational) for over 25 years. This understanding of the issues faced, has built SMS an enviable reputation for being problem solvers when it comes to protecting and safeguarding pupils, teachers, support staff and visitors.

Based in Gloucestershire, SMS are well placed to serve independent schools and academies in the Midland and Southern regions of the UK. From long-standing commercial roots, over the past 15 years SMS has built an educational client base working with schools, colleges, universities and related businesses, continuing to

provide professional advice, guidance, expertise and training services. The range of integrated risk management services offered, go well beyond merely legislative health and safety, and include risk management advice/documentation for staff training and communication; fire risk assessments; natural hazards; construction on site, security and terror threat, environmental appraisal, traffic surveys and control.

SMS also supports disaster and recovery management, business continuity planning, reputational risk and legislative compliance and challenging behaviour surveys.

Its services also extend to IT security, cyber

attack, protection of pupils online and GDPR. Some SMS clients are working towards OHSAS 18001 Standards in Occupational Health & Safety. The company supports this compliance with audits and bespoke implementation plans.

In many schools, SMS has addressed specific concerns, and put in place measures to deal with them; in others the firm has become a regular presence on-site, bringing expertise to the full range of risk management areas, and provided interactive training for staff.

SMS offers a professional, independent opinion on how risk is dealt with at your school. The firm can visit you on-site and look at any specific concerns, then if an approach is agreed, conduct a thorough risk management survey covering all management and admin disciplines, drilling down into department controls, activity risk and documentation.

SMS checks cover ISI inspection requirements.

FURTHER INFORMATION Tel: 01285 770086 Tel: 07785 280564 www.sms-bsl.co.uk

Are you ready to implement the General Data Protection Regulation?

One of the biggest changes in our data protection laws in over 25 years, kicks into play on 25 May 2018 with the introduction of the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).

Already, soundings from the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) indicate that this is likely to be more rigorously enforced and consequences include fines reaching 20 million euros or four per cent of annual worldwide revenue.

Schools, academies and other educational institutions will need to understand and demonstrate compliance to the changes required by the new legislation.

Ofsted will undoubtedly have an ongoing focus on any data protection breaches, which will now have to be reported within 72 hours.

Inevitably, parents and supervisory authorities will be keen to ensure educational institutions are compliant with the new legislation and that mandated privacy rights are properly respected and enforced.

Templar Executives is an award winning cyber security company with a unique pedigree of working with organisations across government and the private sector

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EDUCATION BUSINESS MAGAZINE | Volume 22.9

and providing a pragmatic approach on how to address this new landscape.

Educational institutions that already have a robust data protection regime in place will be well placed for implementing GDPR, but the starting point for everyone is to achieve a good understanding of what the new legislation entails and the obligations that have to be met.

This will require proper GDPR training not just for individuals responsible for implementing GDPR within their organisations, but for a wider audience as the impacts are pertinent to governors, teachers, school carers, and third party suppliers.

This can start with the simple steps of building awareness and training to prepare and understand what is expected.

As well as undertaking training on what is required, schools, academies and other educational institutions will have to review how they collect and use personal data, and what is required in terms of a Data Protection Officer (DPO), their risk management processes and policies (including Privacy Impact Assessments and Subject Access Requests), and third party providers.

The bottom line is that organisations must be able to demonstrate compliance and a ‘defensible position’ with regards to implementing GDPR, with staff appropriately trained to make informed decisions based on the risk management processes in place.

FOR MORE INFORMATION Tel: 0203 542 9075 www.templarexecs.com academy@templarexecs.com

GDPR  you currently have to give people certain information, such as your identity and how you intend to use their information. This is usually done through a privacy notice.

Under the GDPR there are some additional things you will have to tell people. For example, you will need to explain your legal basis for processing the data, your data retention periods and that individuals have a right to complain if they think there is a problem with the way their data is handled.

Schools should check their current procedures to ensure they cover all the rights individuals have, including how you would delete personal data on request.

The rights of individuals have been enhanced under the GDPR. Pupils and students have the right to see their personal information and they can make a subject access request to see it. They – and their parents – also have the right to see their educational records.

This is a good time to check your procedures and to work out how you would react if someone asks to have their personal data deleted, for example.

Would your systems help you to locate and delete the data? Who will make the decisions about deletion?

The right to data portability is new under the GDPR. This means you have to provide the data electronically and in a commonly used format. If you use paper print-outs

Schools should do an information audit to help understand what data is held, where it came from and who it’s shared with or an unusual electronic format, now is a good time to revise your procedures.

Schools should update their procedures and plan how they’ll handle requests within the new time scales of one month, rather than the current 40 days. Schools should also question their legal basis for holding data in case this information is requested.

When it comes to consent, schools should review how they are seeking, obtaining and recording permission and whether they need to make any changes. The GDPR is clear that controllers must be able to demonstrate that consent was given freely and unambiguously. You should therefore review the systems you have for recording consent to ensure you have an effective audit trail.

For children, schools must have systems in place to verify individuals’ ages and to gather parental or guardian consent for the data processing activity.

DATA BREACHES When it comes to data breaches, schools should make sure they’ve got the right

Data Protection

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procedures in place to detect, report and investigate a personal data breach.

The GDPR will bring in a breach notification duty across the board. Not all breaches will have to be notified to the ICO however – only ones where the individual is likely to suffer some form of damage.

Note that a failure to report a breach when required to do so could result in a fine, as well as a fine for the breach itself.

There may be some instances where a school is required to do a Privacy Impact Assessments (PIA), for example where a new technology is being deployed which is likely to significantly affect individuals. Schools should therefore familiarise themselves with the ICO’s code of practice on Privacy Impact Assessments and work out how and when they would need to implement them.

Finally, schools should designate a Data Protection Officer or someone to take responsibility for data protection compliance. L FURTHER INFORMATION www.ico.org.uk

CalQRisk – managing the risk in GDPR compliance CalQRisk understands that data protection is risky business, so that’s why the company has designed an application specifically for managing the risks associated with GDPR Compliance. Data protection is not only about knowing what, where and why data is processed – by or on behalf of your organisation – but also about understanding, evaluating and managing the risks inherent in your data protection arrangements.

GDPR promotes a risk-based approach to compliance. It describes the risk as a combination of the likelihood of occurrence and the severity of the impact on the rights and freedoms of an individual arising from a breach associated with a data processing activity. GDPR also elevates the requirements around accountability and governance, requiring organisations to be able to demonstrate

that they comply with the data protection principles embodied in the regulation.

That’s what makes CalQRisk the ideal tool for data protection officers and for anyone responsible for data protection.

Using the software, you can conduct your data protection risk assessments in a structured and systematic way, identifying gaps in your processes and managing the enhancement of your control environment.

With CalQRisk you can assess each of the data sets your organisation processes and manage the risk and compliance around your data processing activities and third‑party contracts – all in one central repository, underpinned by the data protection principles, with powerful reporting capability and traceable task management functionality.

In a nutshell, CalQRisk embodies the A to Z of data protection and closes the

loop between GDPR requirements and your control environment. Use CalQRisk to conduct your GDPR Gap Analysis and to identify the controls that need to be addressed; and use its built-in Action Manager to effectively manage the tasks required for achieving GDPR compliance.

CalQRisk will also provide you with the demonstrable evidence of your compliance activities required under the accountability principle.

Now that you’re aware of the significance of the data protection reforms that GDPR will bring, it’s time to gather the information about the personal data that your organisation collects, uses, holds, and shares, and to plan and prioritise your GDPR compliance activities based on risk assessment.

No matter your organisation, when it comes to integrating risk management and operationalising a risk-based approach to compliance, CalQRisk is the solution for you.

If you would like to see how CalQRisk can help your organisation on its journey to GDPR Compliance, see the contact details below.

FURTHER INFORMATION Tel: 0208 944 9990 enquiries@calqriskedu.co.uk

Volume 22.9 | EDUCATION BUSINESS MAGAZINE

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UNITY CREATING UNITY BETWEEN LIGHTING AND DESIGN Unity, Concord’s new modular LED linear system takes suspended lighting in a whole new direction.

Clever connectors make it surprisingly easy to configure for even the toughest spaces such as corners and stairways. Clean-lined and more compact than T5 fluorescent, it’s also ultra efficient (delivering 3,400lm at 95lm/w for 1.2m version). Energy saving options include standard PIR sensors or the revolutionary award winning Organic Response lighting control solution.

For complete peace of mind EMPRO and three-hour emergency versions are also available. Furthermore, it delivers a 70:30 mix of direct and indirect lighting for perfectly balanced illumination.

www.concord-lighting.com

Tel: 0800 440 2478

NEW FREE SCHOOLS

The right land for a learning environment

Design & Build

THE BUSINESS MAGAZINE FOR EDUCATION – www.educationbusinessuk.net

LocatED is a government-owned property company, responsible for buying and developing sites for new free schools in England. Its chief executive Lara Newman talks to Education Business about its ethos and current and future work WHY WAS LOCATED CREATED? LocatED was launched to save taxpayers’ money by providing the commercial and property market expertise to secure sites for free schools more quickly and at better value.

We are supporting the government’s free schools programme – which delivers choice, innovation and higher standard for parents.

My team is well quipped to negotiate at pace with multiple partners across the private and public sector – landowners, agents, developers – to secure sites for new

free schools at the best possible value.

We also proactively manage sites and school buildings that are not currently in use and we also dispose of any surplus sites no longer needed.

WHAT SORT OF LAND IS LOCATED LOOKING AT? Since the start of the free schools programme, the government has acquired a

huge number of land and buildings – both permanent and temporary – across a wide variety of types, from local authority and central government buildings, to office blocks, health buildings, churches and retail units.

Our expertise is helping to broaden the types of buildings and sites that could be used for free schools. We are thinking about it in a way that is perhaps more innovative than before – considering creative land and development E

Sinc the stare the free t of program schools m govern e, the men has acq uired a t huge number o f l a nd and bui ldings

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CONTACT US NOW: Tel: 01491 824449 Web: www.delabie.co.uk

Sporting 2 – simple, efficient, versatile DELABIE’s flagship Sporting 2 shower panel is ideal for schools and leisure centres.

Designed for convenience and comfort, the anodised aluminium panel can be top or back fed, depending on the installation, with no need for additional connectors.

The panel also features an integrated stopcock and filter to simplify maintenance.

Sporting 2 panel’s streamlined design with reinforced fixings discourages vandalism and renders the mechanism inaccessible to users. This shock‑resistant mechanism is self‑cleaning and hard‑wearing, with a lifespan of over 500,000 operations. The nozzle is also completely flush with the shower head, reducing the risk of self‑harm. Although adjustable, it can be locked in place if necessary.

Sporting 2 is ideal for schools and leisure centres

A 6 litres/minute flow rate regulator integrated into the shower head delivers significant water savings compared to conventional showers. The hydraulic mechanism shuts‑off automatically after 30 seconds, preventing waste through neglect. The shower head delivers a uniform, conical spray which covers the user’s whole body. Hence the water savings generated by regulating the flow rate have no detrimental effect on comfort.

Sporting 2 is ideal for public facilities. Its soft‑touch mechanism can be used by children, the elderly or people with reduced mobility. For user safety and comfort the panel is supplied with mixed water which can be pre‑blended to a safe temperature.

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EDUCATION BUSINESS MAGAZINE | Volume 22.9

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Design & Build

LocatED was launched to save taxpayers’ money by providing the commercial and property market expertise to secure sites for free schools more quickly and at better value  sites and with greater access, because of the teams’ contacts to off market sites.

We buy land and buildings, with scope to develop further or extend. We also have a dedicated team that leads on mixed use projects – projects that include other facilities, such as residential development or commercial space as part of the overall school development. We need sites in all shapes and sizes, which is fairly unique and consider sites that can deliver between 10,000 to 175,000 sq. ft. gross internal floor area.

It really is a mixed bag – and that makes it both challenging and exciting for our acquisitions team.

HOW WILL LOCATED OFFER VALUE OF MONEY? Our mission is to deliver free school sites quickly and at the best possible value for the taxpayer. It is what we were set up to do and we work with the Education and Skills Funding Agency (ESFA) to ensure this happens.

In an ideal world, the government would secure sites for free schools by agreeing the use of existing school or education sites or land from local authorities.

But that does not always happen.

At that point, our 40-strong team of experts – which has skills across acquisition, asset

management, technical and planning – get to work identifying the widest range of potential sites for each approved school.

We have a formal Investment Committee, a sub-committee to our main Board, with three members – two of LocatED’s non-executive directors and myself as chief executive plus experts that attend to advise on technical, legal and financial matters. The committee meticulously scrutinises each and every deal before we exchange or complete on any sites and has played a significant role in leveraging better deals for the taxpayer.

I suppose the easiest way to summarise is to say that we do not pay in excess of what a site is worth, or purchase expensive sites, if there are better value for money alternatives in the area. Like all government procurement, the transaction must demonstrate value for taxpayers’ money before our Investment Committee will give approval.

WHAT MAKES A SUCCESSFUL SCHOOL BUILDING? We’re given a specific brief to find a site, usually in a certain geographical area, that meets the needs of the school. To do so, we take into account the school’s pupil numbers, if it has a specialism, and any other context.

Construction itself is usually led by the ESFA,

First new free school announced

by LocatED LocatED has announced its first project.

GEMS Kingston primary academy in south London is to be designed by Architecture Initiative and will be run by the GEMS Learning Trust.

The project will be a two-form entry primary which will have 420 pupil places and 11 residential units.

The school will deliver much-needed primary school places in the area. so the successful school building – from LocateED’s point of view – should meet all of the technical, size and location criteria and meet the needs of the free school trust.

HOW BIG A PART WILL ENERGY EFFICIENCY BE IN THE NEW BUILDINGS? As I said, construction and design is the responsibility of the ESFA. However, we do have a responsibility to find sites that meet the specific needs of schools and all technical matters, including key areas such as how the buildings will be able to work properly on the site, transport and highways issues, flood matters, other elements of planning policy form part of the criteria when deciding if a site is suitable or not. L FURTHER INFORMATION www.located.co.uk

Volume 22.9 | EDUCATION BUSINESS MAGAZINE

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Education Buildings Scotland

EVENT PREVIEW

Education Buildings Scotland The inaugural Education Buildings Scotland Exhibition & Conference takes place on 21-22 November at the EICC and will bring built environment and policy professionals together from early years, schools, colleges and universities Whether attendees are looking at adding new buildings, considering refurbishing existing buildings or ongoing maintenance, Education Buildings Scotland will help. The two-day conference programme will provide attendees with advice, inspiration and guidance, while the exhibition will help them to source the organisations, products, and services that can help them achieve their objectives.

John Swinney, deputy first minister and cabinet secretary for education and skills, said: “The Scottish Government is delighted to be the event partner for the inaugural Education Buildings Scotland Exhibition and Conference. Ensuring that all of Scotland’s learning environments are sustainable, inclusive and welcoming places that meet the needs of all who use them will be at the heart of this new event.”

The Exhibition is free to attend and the conference is complimentary for those directly employed in early years, schools, colleges, universities, national and local government and other public services in Scotland.

THE VALUE OF GOOD DESIGN There will be a conference session on the value of good design, chaired by Andy Dailly, head of school buildings at the Scottish Government.

Over the past 10 years or so the Scottish

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Government and the Scottish Futures Trust have spearheaded the transformation of learning environments across the nation, and have invested millions of pounds in new school buildings.

Ian Alexander and Henry McKeown from jmarchitects will talk through their projects, which reflect on the mantra adopted by North Ayrshire Council, “Seeing Learning Happening”. The council had a vision not just for a school but a community hub, with a school inside it. They demanded a holistic spacial experience for every child, with spaces arranged in such a way as to literally see learning going on, in new formats and in a unique way.

Ian and Henry will talk through projects that respond to their context in a very individual way.

This session will also have a talk

by Steven Quinn, assistant director at Renfrewshire Council.

THE PUPIL EXPERIENCE There will also be a conference session on the pupil experience within universities.

BuroHappold Engineering has undertaken a research project which identifies how students and senior university managers view their physical environment and

crucially what they would look to improve.

With survey information from UK and international universities, this study has gained a unique insight into the views of these critical stakeholders who are becoming ever more important in this increasingly market-led sector. Mike Entwisle from the firm will set out the process and conclusions which can be drawn from this unique study, which include more than a few surprises.

Meanwhile Lucy Plumridge and Patrick Clark from HLM Architects will discuss universities of the future.

With the expectation to provide a world‑class facility ever more important in a competitive global marketplace, universities are commissioning a new wave of innovative, landmark education buildings.

These buildings are designed to attract the highest calibre of staff and students to continually strive to achieve higher rankings and drive opportunities to increase revenue.

Global competition is now manifested in the global ranking of universities with many institutions strategic visions setting world ranking targets as a measurement of prestige.

Enrolment strategies, recruitment and the development of world class research and learning facilities and initiatives are key to achieving these strategic visions. To

Education Buildings Scotland

The confere program nce provide me will with adattendees v inspirat ice and i educati on on o buildingnal s

maximise these opportunities, universities are turning to active learning styles, interdisciplinary research and departmental collaboration to enhance their status.

The presentation will explore how new approaches to primary education including forest schools and peer group learning are influencing higher education buildings, as well as what a campus of 2030 might look like.

The afternoon conference session will look at the University of Glasgow’s £1bn investment in their Gilmorehill campus. The presentation will focus on shaping the masterplan to support the University’s Strategy and how community engagement helped shape the University’s thinking.

The conference will be chaired by Colin McNally from the Scottish Association for University Directors of Estates.

What’s more, Grant Robertson from the Scottish Futures Trust and Andy Dailly from the Scottish Government will discuss the learning environments for the future.

WORKSHOP A key element of strategies emerging to address the 1140 hours early years provision is more creative and meaningful use of outdoor spaces. These spaces offer a variety of opportunities to support young people, parents and communities. The focus of the ‘Opportunities Outside’ workshop is on the role of design in realising these ambitions, translating possibilities into effective places to support early years.

Drawing on the Fife Council early years strategy, and a series of different types of outdoor space in urban and rural settings, the workshop will provide ideas, tools and case studies to help in the process of transforming outdoor places. The workshop will be interactive, and invite participation from delegates to focus discussion on imaginative and practical ‘take away’ learning points. L FURTHER INFORMATION www.educationbuildings.scot

Providing hygienic and sustainable solutions DELABIE is Europe’s leading manufacturer of water controls and sanitary fittings for commercial environments. A family-owned enterprise with over 30 years’ experience, the company provides innovative, hygienic and sustainable solutions for the non-domestic sector, including education, leisure and highly frequented environments.

Its product offering comprises five core ranges – commercial water controls, water controls for healthcare, accessibility and hygienic accessories, stainless steel sanitary equipment and specialist controls for professional catering.

The company invests heavily in research, developing products that offer water savings, hygiene, accessibility, safety, durability and reliability. Especially designed for intensive use and manufactured from strictly controlled raw materials, DELABIE’s water controls are continually tested in its laboratories in order to

improve performance. Every product is controlled at each manufacturing stage and is individually tested before delivery to ensure that it meets the demands of public places such as hospitals, nursing and care homes, schools, hotels and leisure centres.

Exporting to more than 70 countries from its French production facility, the company operates through its subsidiaries in the United Kingdom, Benelux, Germany, Poland, Portugal, United Arab Emirates and China.

FURTHER INFORMATION www.delabie.co.uk

Volume 22.9 | EDUCATION BUSINESS MAGAZINE

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INTERIORS

The right space to learn in

How can having the right classroom furniture impact on education and learning?

BESA’s Cleo Fatoorehchi investigates At the University of Warwick, there was a room called the Reinvention Centre which welcomes students into an open, creative space. It is a large, empty room, only populated with a few bean bags, colourful cubes, a couple of benches and other reclining seats spread around the place.

Since its launch in 2006, many universities have followed this up with their own creative spaces. Among them, the University of Sussex and the University of Brighton created “Creativity Zones”. If research has proved the correlation between the environment and creativity, new research is being conducted every day to explore a potential link between the environment and learning.

THE LEARNING SPACE AND PROGRESS One of the leading experts in this field is Peter Barrett, Emeritus professor at the University of Oxford and professor of management in property and construction at Salford University.

His interest in the impact of the value of the built environment within society led him to study the connection between the physical design of schools and academic progress.

In his most recent work, entitled Holistic Evidence and Design (HEAD): sensory impacts, practical outcomes, he found strong evidence of the impact of school design on learning in primary schools. Indeed, the report claims

Furniture

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they would be good for children’s learning.”

And indeed, they found these principles to be particularly influential in a child’s experience in the classroom, accounting for up to half the learning impact.

FLEXIBILITY Flexibility is very much picked up on by universities, schools and companies, to try to give a more conducive environment to learning to children and students. KI Europe, for example, is an education company that has always been mindful of including an element of flexibility in its products to schools via the “maker-centred learning environment”, which its education sales director Kevin Geeves describes as “founded on interdisciplinary sharing and learning in an active form, allowing participants to express their curiosity and share their learnings across disciplines.”

Geeves told BESA: “Engendering an entrepreneurial spirit, this new style of learning is especially suited to design‑centred curricula. In place of the traditional lecture theatre is a flexible space that can accommodate materials and shared workspaces adept at prototyping, testing and sharing perspectives.”

He added: “Often accessible 24/7, these spaces encourage learning that feels more like play than work, but with a purpose – maximising creativity, problem solving and interaction.”

that differences in the physical characteristics of classrooms explain 16 per cent of the variation in learning progress over a year for the 3,766 pupils included in the study.

Another of his studies revealed that school design had a 25 per cent impact on 751 pupils’ learning rates.

As Professor Barrett explained: “In comparison, variations in teacher quality is estimated (by others) to account for 12-20 per cent,” while “70 per cent of the variation is explained by the individual characteristics of the pupils themselves.”

In the HEAD study, Professor Barrett and his team developed the “SIN design principles”, a set of three physical characteristics of the classrooms: Stimulation, Individualisation and Naturalness. Naturalness is associated to light, temperature and air quality; individualisation to ownership and flexibility; and stimulation refers to the complexity and colour.

PROBLEM SOLVING “We worked with sense specialist and Problem-solving skills are in high demand neuroscientists and this led us to consider by employers, who increasingly the way the brain processes multiple value such “soft skills”. inputs of sense data,” Professor Indeed, employers Flexibil Barrett told BESA. “By standing now look for what i t y is very back from this, we proposed the some call the “21st picked much three SIN categories as things century skills”, that humans seek for their with an influential univers up on by ities, sc well-being. This translates to school of thought hools and com a proposition that if optimal, believing E

to try to panies, more co give a environ nducive me learningnt to

Credit: Ruckus chair by KI Europe

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EDUCATION BUSINESS MAGAZINE | Volume 22.9

Special Offer on A2/ A3 Folder Racks

INTERIORS  that knowledge acquisition and retention will not be as relevant as before in an era where the possibility of a Google search is now always at our fingertips.

In their new book, ‘Great Minds and How to Grow Them’, Wendy Berliner and Deborah Eyre suggest that education is in the process of acquiring a new meaning and purpose.

Berliner told BESA: “First calculators did away with the need for basic computation, now Google has done away with the need to store vast numbers of facts in your brain. Instead you need the flexibility and adaptability to make new connections with information rather than a storage facility.”

Experts, including Mark Cahill from Manpower, estimate that 65 per cent of jobs that the next generation will have don’t yet exist, and the education system needs to reflect this new employment landscape. Among other changes, it needs to strengthen children’s skills to adapt, to change, and to think critically, rather than focusing on process-driven tasks.

Berliner added that the environment in which children learn is just as important as what they learn. “Just as the ability to pass exams and tests is less important in the long run than the soft skills that allow you to collaborate, be empathetic and open minded and resilient to setbacks, we need to ensure that the surroundings

we learn in are adaptable to change,” she said. “Sometimes we need to learn alone, sometimes in groups, sometimes in large teams. Fixed surroundings are as bad as fixed ideas in an age of such great change.”

This was corroborated by research that KI Europe conducted, where they found that children are more responsive and active in their learning if they have furniture that adapts to them, compared to the rigid and inflexible furniture that was widespread until quite recently. Geeves explained that, since comfort and good ergonomics lead to better attention and concentration, furniture has become an essential component in defining the performance of a learning space.

“Encouraging positive fidgeting is shown to enhance retention and learning outcomes, so furniture could either facilitate or hinder this,” he told BESA. “If furniture is uncomfortable, difficult to reconfigure and rearrange, it limits the potential of the space, and subsequently the learning styles that it can support.”

If giving more environmental freedom to children enables them to be actors of their learning, it is driven by the potential of furniture to improve children’s academic progress and enhance their outcomes.

BUDGETS But schools have been going through some financial hardship over the past few

If giving more environmental freedom to children enables them to be actors of their learning, it is driven by the potential of furniture to improve children’s academic progress and enhance their outcomes

Furniture

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years, and this has impacted upon their furniture spending. BESA’s latest research on Resources in Schools found an eight per cent decline in furniture budgets in primary schools in 2016/17, and a seven per cent drop in secondary schools. This represents a £10.9m market reduction over two years across maintained schools in England.

This worrying trend can negatively impact the children’s learning spaces.

As Geeves said: “The durability of furnishings is sometimes overlooked but can also have longer term outcomes – budgetary constraints could mean broken or damaged furniture is not repaired or replaced, compromising the performance of an institution’s facilities.”

To fight against the funding cuts and enhance children’s active learning, BESA launched the Resource Our Schools campaign in early summer.

It is crucial that the impact of furniture and the environment on children’s learning process and academic progress is acknowledged and taken seriously, and to respond to this, schools must have access to the resources they need to deliver the education that our children deserve. L FURTHER INFORMATION www.besa.org.uk

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Volume 22.9 | EDUCATION BUSINESS MAGAZINE

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Asbestos

www.educationbusinessuk.net – THE BUSINESS MAGAZINE FOR EDUCATION

HEALTH & SAFETY

Written by Paul Beaumont, CEO of the IATP

The unseen hazard There is a legal requirement to manage asbestos to ensure people are safe from it. So in 2017, is this regulation being observed? Paul Beaumont, CEO of the Independent Asbestos Training Providers (IATP) examines the current situation that there are schools who are doing this, but there are also many who aren’t. This may be down to budgets, priorities, or in some cases, they just don’t know they need to.

As schools r, e get old orate. i ter they des, asbestos i With th rials get mate and need d damage repaired to be oved or rem

In 2016, the IATP wrote a feature for Education Business magazine, highlighting the dangers of asbestos in schools. Today, one year on, where are we? Asbestos is still there, it hasn’t all gone away, after all, it has only been 12 months since our last write up. Some may have been removed, some may have been identified and hopefully, a lot more is now being managed, but on the grand scheme of things, are we really that much further on today?

I am sure that we would all agree that our schools are places where our children go to learn, to experience life, to grow in to healthy, educated adults. It would surely be difficult to understand therefore that in 2017, that our children’s health could be being put at risk at school. Especially given that we know what we know and know what’s required. Well the truth is, many still are at risk, some at great risk.

A SIGNIFICANT PROBLEM Sources from the Joint Union Asbestos Committee (JUAC) identify that around

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WHY THE CONCERN? The most recent figures have identified that since 1980, 319 teachers, 205 of them since 2001, have died from Mesothelioma, a disease attributed to, and only known to be caused by exposure to asbestos. We don’t know about our children, there are no clear records of their exposure or those who develop health issues in later life. As we know, asbestos exposure takes time to manifest into a disease, decades go by following exposure before any type of disease relating to asbestos exposure is identified, we need to protect them now.

The question that must be asked remains, what are we doing about asbestos in schools? The answer is lengthy and unclear. In 2016, the national media was awash with stories of asbestos in the Houses of Parliament, there was talk of relocating MPs due to the hazardous environment that they were required to work in. Asbestos remedial costs coming in at potentially millions of pounds, indeed there was an immediate call to action to protect those who work and attend the Palace of Westminster.

Now far be it from us to say that MPs shouldn’t be safe, they do after all run the country, but are they any more important than our children? Surely our children, their teachers and those who work in the school environment should be given the same respect and care, they too have the same requirement, as safe place to attend.

Our children are after all our future.

EDUCATION BUSINESS MAGAZINE | Volume 22.9

85 per cent of the schools in the UK still contain asbestos. Materials such as, walls panelling, doors, ceilings, roofs, can and often do contain one of the most potentially hazardous building materials used in modern times. Admittedly, some asbestos is hidden away in parts of buildings never really frequented by children or staff, some materials are genuinely of low risk, however there is a lot that isn’t, and its these materials we need to be dealing with as a matter of urgency. Doors lined with asbestos, ceiling made with asbestos panels, walls constructed of Asbestos Insulating Board (AIB). As schools get older, they deteriorate.

With this, these asbestos materials also get damaged through interaction, age, and water ingress. They need care and repair and in many cases, it needs removing.

As detailed in our last feature, there is a legal requirement to manage asbestos (Regulation 4 of CAR 2012) to ensure people are safe from it. So in 2017, is this legal requirement being observed? It would only be fair to say

TIME TO DEAL WITH THE PROBLEM A report released by JUAC, entitled ‘Why unsafe asbestos may still be in our schools in 2050’ (October 2017), stated that at the current rate of funding for asbestos remediation/removal, CLASP school buildings could still be in use by 2050 and that is just the CLASP buildings.

So what of the other school building that contain asbestos, how long before these are correctly and finally dealt with?

In March 2017, the Sunderland Echo reported an incident at a local school that

resulted in pupils having to be ‘hosed down’, they were put through a decontamination wagon, this due to a potential release of asbestos caused by high winds affecting the structure of the school. I’m sure that some of the children found the experience exciting, or at least viewed it as something different, but the incident highlights the risks that are still present in our schools in 2017. Is this how children should be experiencing school?

Again, we expect our children to be safe, our teachers and staff should be in a working environment that is fit for purpose.

In 2012, the All Party Parliamentary Group on Occupational Health and Safety called for the phased removal of all dangerous forms of asbestos from public buildings, including schools, this to be completed by 2028. Is this a reasonable request, more to the point, is it a realist goal? When we consider that asbestos is often integrated into the fabric of a school building, it is probably easier to demolish a school than it is to remove the asbestos from the buildings.

This requires massive funding, new schools, temporary teaching accommodation while the works are carried out and it need commitment.

If we cannot fund the management of asbestos in schools, where will the money come from to accomplish this eradication?

There are options, the main one being to seek

Asbestos

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Admittedly, some asbestos is hidden away in parts of buildings never really frequented by children or staff, some materials are genuinely of low risk, however there is a lot that isn’t, and its these materials we need to be dealing with funding through Private Finance Initiatives (PFIs), however recently these have been under scrutiny. The National Audit Office believe that PFIs do not give taxpayers value for money and that stricter criteria needs to be followed in commissioning and proceeding with them. How else then is money to be raised to remove, or at least reduce the amount of asbestos in our schools.

SUPPORT AND INFORMATION As a step forward, the IATP working with JUAC and the Modern Governor have created a free to access online information course, www.moderngovernor.com/asbestos. The aim of the presentation was to provide ‘free to access’ information to school staff regarding what is required to correctly identify and manage asbestos in the school environment.

This presentation has been widely accepted and accessed, this shows that there is a need for information and an understanding. Other

organisations are also providing information through social media, blogs, and so on.

Teaching Trade Union are offering information through articles and publications.

Events are being hosted nationally by these Trade Unions, along with publications such as the Hazards Magazine regularly presenting editorial on asbestos as well as hosting events to advise their readers and members of the requirements and of the risk from asbestos.

The more we publicise the risk and dangers associated with asbestos, the more we become aware, the quicker things will be done. As stated in previous IATP editorials, the risk from asbestos can be managed. With some effort and funding, the risk from asbestos exposure need not continue into the far future. We can deal with it and it can be managed. L FURTHER INFORMATION www.iatp.org.uk

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Volume 22.9 | EDUCATION BUSINESS MAGAZINE

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Advertisement Feature

www.educationbusinessuk.net – THE BUSINESS MAGAZINE FOR EDUCATION

FACILITIES MANAGEMENT

A NEW SCHOOL OF THOUGHT FOR FM SERVICES

At a time of increased expectations and demands on education sector budgets, schools and academies need an efficient and trustworthy partner when it comes to managing their facilities Norse, one of the UK’s most dynamic and fast-growing facilities management providers, is dedicated to partnership working with the education sector, offering the experience and stability so vital in times of economic pressure.

Established in 1988, Norse helps to ease the financial strain in over a thousand education establishments through efficiency savings, saving their clients money year after year.

And it’s now a fast-growing market for the £200 million turnover company.

In the first six months of the current financial year, Norse and its local authority partnership companies have won over 100 new education sector contracts, worth almost £5 million a year. The sector now accounts for almost £40 million, or 20 per cent, of Norse’s annual turnover.

SAFE PAIR OF HANDS Operating from a network of local offices and depots across the UK, Norse is today recognised by the education sector as a safe pair of hands; a reputation clearly justified and evidenced by the group’s 96 per cent client satisfaction and high business and staff retention, all well above the national averages for the industry.

The group is unique in the wide range of services it provides to the educational sector: cleaning; catering; building and grounds maintenance; property services such as feasibility studies; design; planning and building control applications; project management and compliance, environmental services; recycling and waste management; security and school transport and vehicle maintenance.

Sales director Geoff Tucker says that this comprehensive range of services, combined with its public-sector ethos and record of high quality service delivery, make it very attractive as a facilities management partner to the education sector.

“We pride ourselves on developing long-term relationships with schools and academies,” he says.

“Our average association with clients is over nine years, a clear indicator of the trust and satisfaction that they have

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EDUCATION BUSINESS MAGAZINE | Volume 22.9

with us. By working with Norse, schools and academies have access to the pooled experience of specialists in all aspects of managing educational facilities.”

Schools and academies benefit from the added value of a trusted, financially secure and sustainable partner committed to delivering a first class service.

Through careful financial management, and a selective, organic approach to business development and growth, Norse ensures long‑term stability for its 9,500 directly‑employed staff and its UK-wide client portfolio.

The group is also a strong believer in the importance of adding corporate social value to its commercial propositions.

INVESTING IN EDUCATION SECTOR CLIENTS Norse regularly reinvests in its education sector clients through everything from sponsoring sports teams’ kits to providing new dining furniture, as well as a long-established policy of providing locally-based employment and using local suppliers wherever possible.

In an industry that is not widely renowned for innovation, Norse offers a refreshing

alternative. Investment in technology such as web-based maintenance scheduling, operations management software and hand‑held personal digital devices for job recording, the use of biodegradable cleaning chemicals and environmentally efficient equipment are just some examples of the group’s commitment to efficient, client-focused service.

By taking on responsibility for managing a comprehensive package of facility operations, or just a single service, Norse allows a school or academy to concentrate on delivering education to the young people they both serve.

For those wanting to know more about the Norse approach to partnership‑based, cost effective services provision, the company will be on Stand 28 at the NASBM show in November. L FURTHER INFORMATION ncsgrp.co.uk

WINTER SAFETY

Winter and its risks

For many schools, the onset of winter throws up a host of health and safety risks which schools have to manage to ensure that children and staff can go home fit and well at the end of each day.

Chief among these risks is that posed by bad weather. This, of course, comes in many forms, whether it be snow, ice, heavy rain or fog. All of them can provide risks.

While most schools do everything they can to remain open, there are occasions when the weather proves to be too problematic and the level of a risk is too great to remain open.

At some schools, including mine, there are grounds teams which can be on site very early to grit and clear the grounds, especially in the case of snow.

However, for most local authority schools and academies, this is a resource they do not have. If the risk is too great, they sometimes have to take the decision to close for the day, which can bring with it other issues, especially for parents and carers.

Bad weather brings with it many issues when getting to school. If there are areas that are not accessible for school buses, for example, students – and their parents or carers – are faced with having to find alternative means of transport.

INSIDE SCHOOLS One of the main risks that snow, ice and wet weather brings is from slips, trips and falls. This risk is not just restricted to outside either as wet feet lead to slippery floors inside schools. It is important, therefore, that good housekeeping is in place and signage is displayed to warn people of the risk.

If the weather is bad it is often not possible for children to go outside during break times and lunchtime.

This loss of outdoor space provides added challenges as you have a large number of pupils confined within buildings, often with a lot of energy to burn off.

It is important to carefully manage situations such as this. Having students contained inside often small areas, unable to let off steam as they might outside,

can lead to a host or problems.

One of those problems can be the spread of bugs. School pupils and staff alike are susceptible to illnesses like bouts of flu and colds at this time of year, and full corridors and classrooms often helps such things to spread.

Clearly no school wants children to be off sick given the important work they can miss.

But when the spread of bugs leads to staff absences this can be particularly critical.

This is especially the case with smaller schools, church primary schools in little villages for example, where it is common they have to combined age classes.

There are some ways that schools can look to combat these problems. One example is offering flu jabs for staff.

BUILDING PROBLEMS While a huge number of schools in recent years have expanded into new buildings, there are still many which operate in old buildings and porta-cabins. With these types of accommodation comes the potential for all kinds of costly problems.

Chief among these at this time of year, is boiler breakdowns. When this happens, schools often have to close as you can’t have children – or staff – working in a freezing cold environment and the Education (School Premises) Regulations require a classroom to be at a minimum of 18°C. Burst pipes can be an equal problem, particularly during cold snaps. I have had experience before of a school being flooded by a burst pipe during

Strong e av winds h tial to en the potamage to cause d of schools, fs the roo ing a health provid afety risk and s anyone should tside be ou

TRAVELLING TO AND FROM SCHOOL In December, it is dark as children make their way to school in the morning and dark again when they leave.

There are stark health and safety risks presented by streams of children making their way to school alongside busy roads.

Many local authorities, faced with having to make cutbacks to services, have withdrawn the provision lollipop men and women. With this in mind, it is as important as ever that children are well educated on road safety.

Many children remain in school much later in the day as they attend after‑school clubs, which provides another challenge for schools.

These are but a few of the array of health and safety issues which schools must contend with during the winter. There are different ways of controlling the risks. But it is an important starting point to have strong, robust management systems in place.

Key to these systems being successful is having strong leadership, which particularly means that senior staff in schools should lead from the front.

From them, safe ways of working can be cascaded down throughout the staff and the students. L

Written by Fiona Riley, chair of IOSH’s Education Group and health and safety manager at an independent day school

The winter season is a major challenge for schools when it comes to health and safety. Fiona Riley, chair of the Education Group of the Institution of Occupational Safety and Health (IOSH), examines the issues and how they can be overcome

a winter shutdown. Staving off these potential problems in old buildings isn’t easy. Having regular maintenance schedules is one way to mitigate the risk, but this does not provide a guarantee that problems will not arise.

It isn’t just cold conditions which can bring about building problems for schools. The potential for storm damage is heightened at this time of year. This can cause significant disruption. Strong winds, for example, have the potential to cause damage to the roofs of schools, providing a health and safety risk should anyone be outside at the time.

Another risk is that of trees being uprooted.

Early years settings in particular can experience problems with storms and strong winds. They have a lot of outdoor play equipment, which can be damaged.

Schools obviously cannot control the weather. It is important, therefore, that they have a bad weather plan and are prepared.

Health & Safety

THE BUSINESS MAGAZINE FOR EDUCATION – www.educationbusinessuk.net

FURTHER INFORMATION www.iosh.co.uk

Volume 22.9 | EDUCATION BUSINESS MAGAZINE

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ALARMS

With today’s constantly evolving technological landscape, not to mention the sheer amount of products available on the market, it can be difficult to know whether or not the chosen security solution is truly fit for purpose and will meet the requirements of the school, writes the BSIA’s James Kelly The BSIA’s Security Systems Section has compiled a free guide to help key decision makers within schools understand the real, tangible benefits of installing intruder alarms – and other systems – as well as providing clear advice as to what standards such systems should meet, and how decision makers should go about procuring such a solution.

Discussing the need for the guide, Martin Harvey, chairman of the BSIA’s Security Systems Section explained: “It is

essential that key decision makers are taking security seriously and making the necessary arrangements to protect their premises from both internal and external threats. The installation of high quality intruder alarms and their integration with other security systems, such as access control and CCTV, can provide vital peace of mind that the site is being protected both in and out of school hours.

With such a wide variety of products on the market, as a section we felt it was necessary to create a helpful, concise guide to inform decision makers of the benefits of different security systems.”

The keyf an eo purpos der intru m is yste alarm s itor and to mon tect de orised unauth ry ent

MONITOR AND DETECT The key purpose of an intruder alarm system is to monitor and detect unauthorised entry to a premises, consequently alerting the police or other response services and / or authorised people – such as a caretaker, headmaster or key holding service – to attend the property as part of a response plan.

An intruder alarm can also incorporate a panic alarm (PA) facility; a panic alarm, which is sometimes referred to as a hold up alarm (HA/HUA), is an electronic E

Written by James Kelly, chief executive of the British Security Industry Association (BSIA)

Securing the education sector

SECURING EDUCATION Members of the BSIA’s Security Systems Section already have a wealth of experience within the education sector.

To demonstrate this, the BSIA conducted a survey of the section members and their involvement in securing the education sector.

Fifty per cent of respondents felt that the use of private security measures in the education sector had increased over the previous 12 months, while 67 per cent anticipated them increasing over the next 12 months.

In terms of the biggest threat facing the education sector, survey respondents felt that student and staff welfare was the most important factor to protect, emphasising the importance of investing in high quality security solutions.

Security

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 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.

Often, intruder alarms are remotely monitored and linked to an Alarm Receiving Centre (ARC), where trained operators can assess the situation and respond accordingly.

Remote monitoring can be beneficial in that it gives vital peace of mind that the premises is being closely monitored outside of hours and that if an incident does occur, it will be dealt with promptly.

First and foremost, before choosing a security system, it is very important for key decision makers to undertake a comprehensive risk assessment of the property. The risk assessment must address the specific security risks that are both present and foreseen, as this will have a direct impact on the ability of the installed security system to function effectively. Once the requirements have been laid out, it is also important that the decision maker has a clear understanding of the standards a system must comply with in order to be fit for purpose. In the case of monitored intruder alarms, it is very important to be aware of the fact that in order for a police response to be issued once an alarm is raised, the monitored intruder alarm must meet with the specific requirements set out by the National Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC). It is also important to note that in Scotland, requirements are set out by the Association of Chief Police Officers in Scotland (ACPOS). For one, the installation of the alarm and the services provided by the installing company must be certified by a United Kingdom Accreditation Service (UKAS)‑accredited certification body. For monitored systems that send signals to an ARC, the ARC must also comply with either British Standard BS

A compliant, high quality intruder alarm can result in lower insurance premiums, helping to reduce costs whilst providing around the clock protection 5979 (cat II) or BS EN 50518. Compliant systems will be issued a Unique Reference Number (URN), meaning they will then receive a level 1 priority police response.

These systems will receive this priority response until three false calls – or four in the case of Scotland – within a rolling 12‑month period. According to the NPCC, a false alarm would be one that has not resulted from: a criminal attack, or attempts at such, on the protected premises; actions by the emergency services in the execution of their duty; or a call emanating from a hold up alarm with good intent. The activation of detectors without apparent damage or entry to the premises and line faults are considered as a false alarm unless proved otherwise.

SECURITY PERSONNEL As well as adhering to these essential police guidelines, there are many other crucial standards that intruder alarms and their installers must meet with in order to ensure you are choosing a reliable product and service. This includes the fact that any security personnel should be vetted to BS 7858, which is the Code of Practice for Security Screening of Individuals Employed in a Security Environment. This code sets the standard for the security screening of staff in an environment where the safety of people, goods or property is essential. As such, when choosing someone to install an intruder alarm system – or any other type of security system – it is essential that they meet with BS 7858. In addition, compliance

with the PD 6662 scheme enables intruder and hold‑up alarm systems to be installed and maintained in accordance with published British and European standards. Full details can be found in the BSIA’s new guide. In general, a compliant, high quality intruder alarm can carry many added value benefits, for one, a high quality system can result in lower insurance premiums, helping to reduce costs whilst providing around the clock protection.

They can also be valuably integrated with other security measures, such as CCTV systems and access control measures, in order to form a more comprehensive layer of security.

Overall, when choosing a security company to install an intruder alarm, there are many requirements that the company should meet.

The BSIA’s new guide provides a useful checklist of such requirements in order to aid decision makers in the procurement process. Perhaps one of the most important ones is that the installer must be a member of a trusted trade association like the BSIA. Membership of the BSIA would mean the installer meets with `the essential British and European standards and would be able to supply an intruder alarm that would gain the necessary police response and ensure the safety of the school, staff and pupils. The guide also provides some best practice examples of BSIA members who have supplied their services in the education sector, demonstrating the benefits of working with a trusted, reputable supplier. L FURTHER INFORMATION www.bsia.co.uk

Volume 22.9 | EDUCATION BUSINESS MAGAZINE

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Advertisement Feature Written by Ian Scott-Smith, head of economics, The College of Richard Collyer

www.educationbusinessuk.net – THE BUSINESS MAGAZINE FOR EDUCATION

BETT PREVIEW

SUPPORT FOR TEACHERS AND PUPILS IN THE UK EzyEconomics is great for both students and teachers. It is a resourceful programme which supports teachers in teaching and enables structured learning for students The service accounts for 18 per cent of my budget. Even though this is excellent value for money, the service has had several positive impacts on the economics of the department. The service has supported significant reductions in reprographic and textbook costs. These savings almost cover the cost of the subscription each year. It has also provided invaluable support to the economics department as it responds to the challenge of larger teaching groups.

What I think professionally: EzyEconomics provides a full support programme for teachers and students for their A Level studies.For me, it is by far the most successful tool yet to help students transition into becoming more independent learners. It is also the most labour‑saving that I have come across to date. We have fully embedded EzyEconomics into our Schemes of Work for this year for flipped learning, ongoing assessment/tracking of progress, revision of Year 1 materials and encouraging independent study. Students have preparatory tasks set which have to be completed before their first class of the week. This generally consists of taking notes from one or two EzyEconomics lecture videos and frequently a related assessment task to check their understanding. These notes are consolidated with tasks and discussion during class to fill gaps, extend and apply their knowledge.

The flipped learning element also means that we can extend their analytical and

evaluative skills more rapidly and effectively in class. For Year 2 students, the end of module assessments are set periodically to aid their understanding and recall of Year 1 material. In all cases, it is the immediate explanatory feedback and ability to retest themselves (and generally see rapid success) that I believe has and will continue to make the biggest difference to their knowledge base for the subject.

After discussion with students, I have found that the site quickly becomes familiar and trusted – a vital element in them becoming more independent in their use of the site.

It is also easy to navigate and well laid out; students can use the module titles to find areas of the syllabus that they want to review/preview as they closely follow the specification titles. Trust and familiarity get them onto the site but it is their own recognition of their progress that gives them confidence and makes them return.

PERSONAL REFLECTIONS The changing nature of the environment meant that I had to find new ways to work.

Rising class sizes and a growing department mean that I can no longer be students’ focus for information/help/learning/feedback.

The last few years prior to using EzyEconomics found me exhausted and very much on the verge of stress related illness; by the time exam season rolled around, I was running on adrenaline to get the kids through.

I was beginning to think that I had to find a way out of education – a job that I love, but one which was becoming unmanageable.

This is a platform that I can put at the centre of my practice. It means that class time can be used for extension activities, applications of theory, things to really inspire learners. I spend more time planning effective lessons because routine assessment and tracking is taken care of and so easily monitored. It gives me evidence of success and also lack of engagement which then brings in the pastoral system and parental support in a more focussed way (it’s very useful to show at parents’ evenings).

Having embedded it fully, I’ve found that there is more time for meaningful discussion during class time and more students are engaged as they have a foundation of knowledge and some confidence as a consequence.

SPECIFIC STUDENT EXPERIENCES Student O openly stated that, particularly in the more technical areas of the course, he needed more time to process the information to “get it into [his] head”. Having the ability to update and amend class notes by reviewing lecture videos (sometimes two or three times) meant that he had the ability to “keep up with the rest of the class”. He improved his AS exam by three grades, exceeding his aspirational target grade by one in his full A Level exam.

Student C had a voracious appetite for learning and was willing from the start of the course to spend long hours in the Library to improve on his aspirational target grade. In Year 1, much of his work lacked focus, however. In Year 2, and with the help of EzyEconomics, he was able to work in a much more focussed way, leading him to again exceed his ATG by one grade.

Student D had largely given up on economics after Year 1 as it was “too difficult”.

She would often say that she’d be happy if she got a C grade by the end of Year 2. I gave her structured work on EzyEconomics and challenged her to keep working on assessments until she had at least 70 per cent in them. She saw the rapid progress, loved the immediate feedback providing her with a clear learning point and worked beyond my schedule, buoyed by her successes. She achieved an A grade in A Level economics. L FURTHER INFORMATION ezyeducation.co.uk

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EDUCATION BUSINESS MAGAZINE | Volume 22.9

EVENT PREVIEW

Bett 2018

THE BUSINESS MAGAZINE FOR EDUCATION – www.educationbusinessuk.net

Bett: shaping the future of education Bett 2018 will take place from 24 to 28 January and will once again gather the global education community to celebrate, find inspiration and discuss the future of education Over the past 35 years, Bett has evolved into the world’s meeting place for those passionate about education, bringing 850 leading companies, the best edtech start‑ups and over 34,700 attendees from the global education community together in 2017 to find inspiration and discuss the future of education. The event is underpinned by the belief that everyone has a role to play in transforming education.

INSPIRATION FOR EVERYONE The Bett Arena is home to some of the inspirational talks, big stories and developments in technology in education.

The event aims to help address the perennial issue of demand versus supply and popular Arena sessions will be screened in areas around the show.

SERVING THE NEEDS OF SCHOOLS The Bett schedule includes a wealth of talks, keynotes and interactive sessions specifically for primary and secondary educators at

every level. They each will give insights into education through a programme of world class speakers sharing amazing stories about new approaches to pedagogy and the application of cutting edge technology in a school setting.

Topics range from being effective with budgets, managing teacher workload and dealing with teacher recruitment and retention issues to solutions to manage pupil progress and attainment and methods of creative teaching.

Some of the key tech themes being explored at the show this year will include the effective assessment of computing learning, demonstrating the value of tech to senior leadership teams, infrastructure and having the bandwidth and systems in place to

support good tech in the classroom.

Practical experience is the key theme for the Workshop, new to Bett and designed to allow primary and secondary education to get more hands-on with the latest developments in pedagogical and infrastructure technology. The opportunity to touch, test and evaluate resources is perhaps one of the most valuable features of Bett, particularly when purchases need to demonstrate clear value to schools for whom budgets are under pressure.

The Arena i Bett sh to someome of the i n talks, b spirational and de ig stories vel in technopments o educati logy on

FURTHER AND HIGHER EDUCATION This specially designed agenda, growing on last year’s successes, will appeal to influential practitioners and leaders in technology as well as E

Volume 22.9 | EDUCATION BUSINESS MAGAZINE

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A library for the price of a single textbook - why pay more?

A Star Education has been working to help all schools wanting exciting material to use in class, and provide anytime, anywhere learning for all pupils.

Starting with History (and progressing through Maths and Science), we are releasing libraries of online textbooks, supported by a range of electronic resources – presentations, timelines, flashcards – suitable for primary and secondary schools, for a fixed price. And it’s a tiny price; just £80 per year – for the whole school.

All A Star Education products are designed specifically for digital delivery. All of our content is written in our MasterClass platform, which means it is accessible on any device (Android, iOS, PC, Chromebook, Windows 10 app, Apple Mac), without the need for a continuous connection to the internet.

And the content adjusts automatically to fit any screen size.

Our History Matters product currently contains over 50 books, on The Romans; Saxon and Norman England; The Tudors; and the First World War, with new content being added all the time. The software offers the highest levels of interactivity and an exceptional reading experience on every device.

All books and presentations can be shown at the front of the class, without any restriction, and interactive timelines allow students to visualise the order in which historical events happened.

from A*Star Education Ltd

Essentially, the products act as a mini library that is available on demand, to anyone - a “curriculum in your pocket”.

History Matters is produced by

www.astar-education.co.uk

EVENT PREVIEW  institution leadership. The 2018 programme will deliver sessions targeted to the key objectives of its audiences including: Building 21st Century skills, adaptive learning, the use and potential of artificial intelligence and analytics and the latest in flipped and blended learning.

For further education, additional topics will include e-Portfolios, tracking attendance and engagement and the use of remote learning to meet the needs of all pupils.

WORLDWIDE PARTNER Bett 2018’s worldwide parter is Microsoft.

The firm’s mission in the education sector is to empower every student to achieve more.

It has been a major player in this market for many years and its focus is on helping students and teachers to gain the most from the technology they often already have in schools, thereby improving student outcomes.

Microsoft has very high awareness generally, but it regularly launches new products and initiatives to support teachers and students.

Its challenge is to continually demonstrate how its products make a difference in UK classrooms and compete with many new players in this fast-moving market.

“What makes Bett unique is the community. Over 45,000 people come to the show every year and they are all eager to learn how technology can help

Bett 2018

THE BUSINESS MAGAZINE FOR EDUCATION – www.educationbusinessuk.net

One of the most anticipated features is Bett Futures, displaying brave thinking, new products and “education game changers”. It is designed to showcase the best in class edtech start‑ups from around the world them in their schools, and no other show offers that,” said Tim Bush, education marketing manager at Microsoft.

BETT FUTURES One of the most anticipated features is Bett Futures, displaying brave thinking, new products and “education game changers”.

It is designed to showcase the best in class edtech start‑ups from around the world and provide a platform to explore emerging learning technologies and methodologies.

This year at Bett 2018, this feature is expected to be more impressive than previous years. It will include an interactive led workshop area and a tougher application process.

STEAM VILLAGE The STEAM Village zone gives science, technology, engineering, arts and maths a platform at Bett 2018. It is considered an

area of inspiration for educators, techies and students to develop skills that can be taken back to the classroom. This part of the show is about ‘learning through play’ in a friendly and relaxed, non-sales environment.

It includes interactive pods and areas where educators can see product demos up close.

SHOW SECTORS Bett’s Learn Live Series is split into key education sectors.

The SEN section of the show will showcase some of the latest research and cutting edge techniques to improve student experience and learning outcomes.

It aims to provide an understanding of how to achieve learning excellence for all students, and gain take away tips that can be implemented across different learning environments. More than 200 SEN suppliers will be showcasing their latest products across the four-day show. E

Changing the face of digital support in schools EzyEducation has pioneered a new breed of progressive digital solution. It aims to help schools deliver better lessons, help teachers support students with better interventions and to do this at the same time as taking the strain off teachers.

The key to achieving this is to take on the enormous challenge of providing unique explanation feedback following questions.

By achieving this, there is a real chance that students develop learning from work set before class. It means learning transfers from digital activities into classes so that a more progressive start point is achieved. This will achieve more regardless of whether you prefer to “flip” or “chalk and talk”.

If managed correctly, this will generate substantive increases in independent learning and, as the activity is captured and analysed automatically, this provides game-changing learning records for students without

teachers keying a single piece of information. EzyEducation provides higher quality resources with multi-layered and multimedia questions, which surprise and engage students used to second best via the many outdated digital support services still relied on by schools.

EzyEducation has initially focussed on economics, business, maths and science subjects at GCSE and A Level. Have a look at how EzyEducation is changing the face of digital support at stand SV19.

FURTHER INFORMATION www.ezyeducation.co.uk

Volume 22.9 | EDUCATION BUSINESS MAGAZINE

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Bett 2018

50

www.educationbusinessuk.net – THE BUSINESS MAGAZINE FOR EDUCATION

Providing schools with reliable connectivity

Next-generation resources for schools

Exa Education was founded in 2003 as a dedicated internet service provider to schools.

The firm now provides its award-winning services to thousands of educational establishments nationwide.

With a network designed to offer schools the fast, reliable and secure internet connections they require, Exa Education is able to ensure that every connection supplied is uncongested, and therefore constantly delivers the speed promised – rather than being a variable ‘up to’ service. Alongside fast, reliable connectivity, Exa Education provides SurfProtect Quantum – its flexible web filtering service. Offering complete HTTPS filtering, AD integration, analytics and individual user profiles, it enables you to implement the perfect level of filtering for your school.

As part of the company’s commitment to ensuring schools are able to make the most of everything technology has to

A*Star Education publishes interactive software and ebooks for education at primary and secondary level in several subject areas which include history, mathematics, science and computer coding.

The company also supplies advanced content creation tools for publishing interactive content to any platform (iOS, Android, Apple Mac, Windows 10 app).

At BETT, A*Star Education will be featuring its History Matters product, which is a large set of collections of beautifully illustrated ebooks (including GCSE textbooks for the new curriculum), presentations, interactive timelines and flash cards, covering various aspects of history from ancient Rome to the aftermath of the First World War. Intended for whole-school use by teachers and students, all material can be displayed at the front of class without restriction and is specially designed for an excellent reading experience on

offer, in 2015 exa.foundation was created - an organisation that exists to inspire and engage the digital makers of tomorrow, support outstanding computing in schools and promote the safe, secure and appropriate use of technology.

With over 218 events, 2,009 tickets sold, two national #exabytes conferences, and one MOOC developed with over 10,000 users in just 24 months, it’s now an invaluable resource for hundreds of schools across the UK. And, if you’re an Exa Education customer, you receive complimentary access to everything exa. foundation has to offer.

FURTHER INFORMATION Tel: 0345 145 1234

tablets and mobile phones.

Whole school access costs just £80 (plus VAT) per annum.

A*Star Education will also show new resources for mathematics which are being built as a multi‑generational leap beyond existing products.

As well as being fully interactive throughout, including innovative digital “robots” for each teaching concept, its curriculum even allows students to code their own solutions with these tools for individual learning objectives, across all topics.

FURTHER INFORMATION BETT Stand G91 www.astar-education.co.uk

A trusted online payment solution for schools

Increasing classroom engagement in maths

Used in 7,000 schools across the UK, ParentPay is the market leading online payment solution, trusted by schools as the proven solution. Eight out of 10 schools choose ParentPay because other schools recommend it.

ParentPay offers low cost of ownership as its package includes a support contract and all new features, enhancements and upgrades at no extra cost.

Schools can become 100 per cent cashless by offering online card payments.

The system is security certified PCI Level 1 compliant, and takes data protection legislation seriously, giving schools complete peace of mind.

ParentPay can notify parents of new items, send payment reminders or create detailed trip letters direct from the payment system. School managers can also send personalised letters, emails and text messages in just a few simple clicks.

With over 15 years’ experience in school online payments, the

Numberella™ is a card and dice maths game which makes learning and teaching maths more enjoyable – and as a result, changes the classroom culture around the subject, increasing engagement and enthusiasm.

Introduced at BETT 2017 as a prototype, it was enthusiastically received and has now been trialled at 20 schools across the UK, receiving rave reviews from teachers and pupils alike.

Andrew G, of Misterton Primary School said that Numberella is ‘making children think outside the box’ and ‘do maths for a reason and with purpose.’ Beverly L of Leopold Brent said that Numberella ‘has a positive impact on the children’ and is giving them ‘more confidence in maths.’ Callum I, a student at the EGS SEN school near Coventry said “thankyou so much for sending this game to us. It was

system is designed by schools, to work the way schools want to.

Its customer support team understands the challenges faced by schools and can help them get the best from its software.

ParentPay’s solution helps schools save time and money, by re‑directing valuable staff resource away from handling/ banking cash and cheques, improving efficiency and saving schools money on secure cash collection.

FURTHER INFORMATION www.parentpay.com

EDUCATION BUSINESS MAGAZINE | Volume 22.9

amazing,’ whilst Jennifer, from Year 5 at Bowes Primary said “I loved Numberella… it lets you challenge yourself and test your maths skills.” Launching in January 2018 with accompanying software that allows league creation, house formation, and online interaction which deepens the penetration of the Numberella effect – Numberella will transform the way your students relate to maths, sharpen their skill sets, and help you put the fun back into maths.

FURTHER INFORMATION www.numberella.club

EVENT REVIEW

Bett 2018

THE BUSINESS MAGAZINE FOR EDUCATION – www.educationbusinessuk.net

 The primary show sector, organised in association with Naace, explores the latest technologies, equipment and research in improving pedagogy in primary education.

It aims to address some of the most important challenges facing the sector, and also offers tips that can be used to improve classrooms and learning outcomes for students. More than 400 suppliers will be showcasing their latest products.

The secondary sector is relatively similar and aims to allow visitors to understand how to achieve the best results for pupils and create an understanding of the latest methods in modern pedagogy.

Over 450 secondary suppliers will be showcasing their latest products across the four days.

HIGHLIGHTS FROM 2016 Last year, Bett hosted some inspirational 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

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not be an obvious speaker at Bett, but his session 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. L FURTHER INFORMATION www.bettshow.com

MATHS +

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changing the way students are taught STEM in schools. “Seebox has the potential to change the way electronics, engineering and science are taught in school�

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Contact us to find out more about our tailor made, affordable rental options and/or request a no obligation workshop/demo at your school, UTC or college.

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CODING

Where’s the confidence in coding?

With research revealing that sixty-seven per cent of teachers feel that they can’t effectively teach coding to children aged between eight and fifteen, Education Business looks at what help and support is out there from the technology industry According to a survey from IT consultancy BJSS and YouGov, which saw 500 primary and secondary school teachers take part, 67 per cent of teachers throughout Britain feel that they can’t effectively teach coding to children aged between eight and 15 as they don’t have the right skills or tools.

The research also revealed that 83 per cent of teachers believe it’s important for the Department for Education (DfE) to provide better training with (39 per cent) stating that they do not have access to adequate IT and software to teach coding.

76 per cent also felt that it was important for technology companies to engage more with local schools to help address the issue.

Teachers surveyed also felt that it was important to provide coding lessons for children from economically disadvantaged backgrounds (71 per cent) and to provide extra teaching support for underachieving

children in this subject (65 per cent). The research also revealed a belief that personal computing equipment for children aged eight to 15 should be subsidised (60 per cent).

Glynn Robinson, managing director at BJSS, said: “To safeguard the UK’s digital competitiveness, it is crucial that primary and secondary school teachers are properly equipped and resourced to teach the digital and coding skills that will be required by the time today’s schoolchildren enter the workforce.”

SCHOOL LEAVERS This research is backed up by a study from edtech company SAM Labs and YouGov,

IT & Computing

THE BUSINESS MAGAZINE FOR EDUCATION – www.educationbusinessuk.net

which reveals that 70 per cent of recent school leavers wish they had learnt coding.

What’s more, fifty-three per cent of Brits now believe that learning coding in school is just as important as learning a foreign language, such as French or Spanish.

The study also found that 60 per cent wish that they had been taught basic coding whilst at school (only 12 per cent say that they had been offered coding lessons), and half (49 per cent) said that they thought all kids in school today should have mandatory coding lessons before they leave secondary school. Amongst recent school leavers (aged 18 to 24), 70 per cent say that they wish they had received coding lessons while at school.

The study also looked into how they compared coding lessons to other school subjects, in light of how useful they would be to future career prospects. The results showed that one in three believe that E

ree Fifty-th t of per cenbelieve w Brits noning coding r that leahool is just in sc rtant as as impo a foreign learningguage lan

Volume 22.9 | EDUCATION BUSINESS MAGAZINE

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IT & Computing

www.educationbusinessuk.net – THE BUSINESS MAGAZINE FOR EDUCATION

RM Education – What should schools expect from their broadband provider?

Cloud technologies bring a wealth of benefits to schools, but they rely on a solid infrastructure along with the right broadband solution and right safeguarding and security systems in place.

RM Education has seen many of its schools investing in faster broadband connections to allow the use of new and innovative technologies in the classroom.

However, with reduced budgets and tighter restrictions on spend, investment in infrastructure that could potentially be out of date within three years, might be a difficult pill to swallow, but the evolving use and application of the internet isn’t going away.

RM Education has therefore identified five considerations to help you when thinking about your broadband choices. For example: what are the immediate needs for your establishment?; does your school have a connection with enough capacity for all your users to log-on at the same time?; does your school have a back-up line if the first line goes down?; does your

current contract tie you into using one particular provider or service for more than three years?; and does your broadband service have built in safeguarding and security solutions that tie in with your policies and protocols?

RM is a long established and deeply experienced education specialist, dedicated to creating and maintaining an extensive range of innovative ICT solutions and services. RM works exclusively in education allowing the company to be 100 per cent focussed on delivering excellent educational experiences

for the thousands of schools that choose RM as their ICT partner.

RM currently works with over 3,500 existing broadband customers and has a further 5,000 schools receiving a variety of other online digital services. It’s time to join the RM community.

“We were working our way through a big BYOD project and there was no point investing so much time and money in the network infrastructure if our internet connection wasn’t resilient enough, it defeats the purpose,“ says Stuart Jarvis, network manager, Hedingham Secondary School “ We had to change our broadband provider as it was the weak link in everything, it just kept going down. The reliability is so much better now that we’re with RM, I no longer have to worry or even think about the internet working anymore...it’s just one less thing to worry about, no need for a plan B.” FURTHER INFORMATION Tel: 0800 046 9802 www.rm.com/broadband

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EDUCATION BUSINESS MAGAZINE | Volume 22.9

Simply plug in phones and you are connected.

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54

Uses your existing internet connection eliminating line rental charges.

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CODING

Tech giant Cisco has recently partnered with The Open University to launch a ‘Computing for Schools’ programme. This will provide teachers from across the UK with training and resources to help them deliver the computing curriculum  coding is just as important, or more important, than learning maths or English.

56 per cent believe that coding is more important than ancient languages such as Latin, and most UK adults (53 per cent) now agree that learning coding is just as important for future career prospects as learning a modern language.

CODING AND CAREERS Having coding sit as a core part of the school curriculum is particularly important as one in three Brits now believe that most jobs in the future will require all applicants to have a basic understanding of coding, according to the SAM Labs survey.

It also revealed that 49 per cent of UK adults believe that all kids should be taught at least some mandatory basic coding before they leave school.

Kids should also be taught basic coding, and the logic behind it, from a young age.

However the research found that just three per cent have received lessons in coding before leaving primary school.

As well as one in three believing that most jobs of the future will depend on coding, 54 per cent of Brits said that they believed that mandatory coding lessons in school would be good for the future of the UK economy.

Worryingly though, only a third of parents said that their children were currently getting lessons in coding. Six per cent of parents also say that they don’t believe that they would adequately support their children with their coding homework.

Meanwhile, 29 per cent worry that schools currently do not have the resources that they might need to teach coding lessons properly.

Joachim Horn, CEO of SAM Labs,

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THE BUSINESS MAGAZINE FOR EDUCATION – www.educationbusinessuk.net

commented: “Whilst there are many brilliant teachers already engaging their students in coding lessons, we are still a long way off ensuring that all kids have access to the basic coding skills they need. By teaching coding in interesting and accessible ways, we can ensure that all pupils have the coding know‑how that their parents now wish they had.”

“Not only are basic coding skills good for preparing kids for the workplace of tomorrow, they can also help to engage students in lessons across the curriculum, including everything from science to art.”

HELP AND SUPPORT There is various support from the technology industry to help schools with the new computing curriculum and coding.

The Barefoot project, for example, was established in 2014 with the original aim to help primary school teachers in England get ready for the computer science element of a new computing curriculum. It was originally funded by the DfE and run by BCS in partnership with BT and CAS. BT took over the lead and funding for the project in 2015, with the continued support of BCS and CAS, they now have the aspiration to enable the resources and workshops to be available to all primary E

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IT & Computing

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CODING  school teachers throughout the UK. The project offers exemplar teaching activities, created by a team of practising computing teachers. These are high quality, cross-curricular activities that help primary teachers to deliver the computing curriculum in engaging and practical ways.

The project also offers ‘teach yourself’ resources to help primary teachers on their journey towards becoming excellent computing teachers by improving their subject knowledge and understanding. Giving clear definitions, examples and progression across all primary school age and ability ranges, these resources help teachers deepen their own understanding of computational thinking and computer science topics.

There are also Barefoot Workshops, which are free CPD sessions run by volunteer experts and introduce teachers to the Barefoot computing resources. Teachers can arrange for a Barefoot Workshop to be held at their school and benefit from great resources and support.

RESOURCES TO DELIVER Tech giant Cisco has recently partnered with The Open University to launch a ‘Computing for Schools’ programme. This will provide teachers from across the UK with training and resources to help them deliver the computing curriculum. This is for teachers who in many cases have only basic computer literacy training. The programme is accessible to anyone in the UK, including for the seven million school age children.

What’s more, Cisco is delivering digital skills training for all in UK libraries, which will first be available in all 22 libraries in Manchester.

Residents will have free access to courses that range from the basics of getting online, to providing an introduction to the Internet

of Things and cybersecurity. Following the launch in Manchester, other cities are set to introduce the programme in early 2018.

The programmes are underpinned by the Cisco Networking Academy, which celebrates its 20th year and has trained over 240,000 students in the UK. These programmes are part of Cisco’s ongoing collaboration with the UK government and the Digital Skills Partnership.

SAM Labs also offers a solution for teachers who are teaching computer science by providing in-classroom support around the STEAM Kit for both the early adopter and the tech-hesitant teacher by offering fully integrated and curriculum‑based lesson plans and hands-on teacher support.

With partners like Intel Education and Microsoft Education, SAM Labs aims to bring coding to all homes and classrooms.

For school children, IT consultancy BJSS, has partnered with Turinglab, an organisation dedicated to teaching coding skills to British school children, and Ada, the National College for Digital Skills, to deliver a creative coding platform aligned with the national computing curriculum. Over 1,000 pupils have already benefited from free Turinglab learning, 100 of which have received a scholarship from BJSS. A national rollout has been committed to for 2018 and BJSS is looking not only to double its scholarship fund but also to extend the training to teachers.

SUPPORT FOR PARENTS Ebuyer.com has directed its attention to helping parents support their children with computing. The firm has compiled some advice on how parents can support their child to learn computer programming.

Ebuyer.com explains that coding is ultimately

writing instructions for a computer to follow, and urges parents to try to think about real life examples, such as following a recipe, that you can use to teach them the basic process.

‘Scratch’ is a resource that teaches the basic training on HTML, CSS, Javascript and many more, with useful step-by-step tutorials. If the child has an aptitude for coding, Ebuyer.com urges parents to invest some time to teach themselves the basics, or work through the tasks along with their child so they can both learn together.

Ebuyer.com highlights that there are hundreds of free games available that will teach children the basic skills of coding, without feeling like they are still in school.

CodeCombat is just one of the many games available, which sees users take their ‘hero’ through the different levels using basic commands. For children with a more advanced knowledge of coding, Code Wars helps improve your skills by challenging other users.

Ebuyer.com also explains how coding kits can help novices. The Arduino Coding Kit, for example, teaches the basics of electronics and programming to build an Etch-a-Sketch. If the child particularly excels and shows an interest in learning more complicated applications, as they get older a desktop computer would be a good investment. The Acer Aspirecomputer has all the functionality of a desktop, with a sleek and lightweight design.

If a parent is worried about the amount of time their child is spending in front of a screen at home, the Code Club might be a good solution. With over 5,969 clubs across the UK, they are a great opportunity for 9-13 year olds to socialise with like-minded children and learn valuable skills that will benefit their education. These free clubs help young people learn Scratch, HTML and CSS by making games, animations and websites.

Paul Lyons, IT director at Ebuyer.com, said: “It’s really encouraging to see that schools are embracing technology to aid education, but as coding becomes more prevalent, parents need to be prepared to support this and develop skills from all ages. As coding will be part of your child’s ICT lessons, introducing it into their after school activities is a good idea.

“Even if they have no interest in becoming a software developer, they will benefit from skills such as problem solving and following instructions – which can be applied to benefit learning in other areas.

Many parents may not know where to begin but introducing educational aspects into children’s technology use at home can have a real impact on a child’s ability.” L FURTHER INFORMATION www.barefootcas.org.uk www.samlabs.com www.netacad.com www.bjss.com www.ebuyer.com

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EDUCATION BUSINESS MAGAZINE | Volume 22.9

IT & COMPUTING

Thomas Mangin, technical director and co-founder of Exa Education – the UK’s leading independent ISP to schools – takes a look at how the role of internet connectivity in education has transformed in recent years When we founded Exa Education in 2003, the average school had a handful of computers, used few online resources, and would require no more than 2Mbps to sustain the usage of every pupil and teacher. It was very much seen as a functional utility, and something that elicited little excitement.

Fourteen years later and the picture could not be more different. Education technology is now one of the fastest‑growing sectors in the UK, anticipated to reach an incredible £3.4 billion by 2021, and the demands placed upon a school’s internet connection have never been more pronounced. Indeed, as an ISP, we have seen the average school’s traffic across our network grow exponentially over the years.

As a result, the need for faster speeds and high capacity connections to the education sector is not one that can go ignored.

BESA REPORT A report by BESA this year revealed that just 52 per cent of primary schools felt they had good internet access, a number that has actually decreased by 10 per cent in comparison to the same survey in 2016. This suggests that schools’ annual increase in internet usage is growing to such an extent that their connections are no longer capable of meeting the demand, resulting in a dissatisfaction with a service that was effective just 12 months before.

This may not even be caused by the school’s own investments in internet-dependent resources, with more and more students bringing their personal mobile devices into school and connecting to the Wi-Fi network, there is little that can be done to prevent a bandwidth drain occurring.

In response to this ever-increasing demand, and with the presence of tablets in schools expected to grow by 17 per cent over the next year, it is imperative that schools regularly reassess their connectivity’s capabilities, and ensure that it is capable of meeting not only their current requirements – but also those of the near future.

This emphasis on future-proofing is not just something we advise to our schools; it is

also an ethos we operate by – continuously increasing our network capacity to ensure that we always have more than enough bandwidth available for our customers.

As part of this investment in the future, this summer we introduced 100Gbps links throughout our core network, where before 10Gbps links were more than sufficient.

TIME TO INVEST Of course, it can be difficult to predict what may occur, but – as a general rule – we advise that schools invest in the most advanced technology suitable for their needs; a service that is able to provide an increase in capability when required.

Essentially, don’t just think about today, think about where your school will be in three years’ time – will you have more students?

More devices? Will you implement a BYOD scheme? Introduce VR as a learning tool?

There are many possibilities, and your internet connection should help you to realise your school’s potential – not hold it back.

It is for this reason that many primary schools are now opting for leased lines – traditionally the preserve of large secondary schools – as this dedicated connection will accommodate a bandwidth increase in a way that standard broadband will not.

Although Fibre to the Cabinet may provide the download speeds appropriate for today, its limited upload capabilities can cause significant issues in an environment that is ever-more dependent on cloud storage.

Choosing a leased line not only secures higher speeds, it also means that they will be symmetrical; making upload limitations a thing of the past.

Similarly, many secondary schools are

now requesting 1Gbps bearers for their connections, where before 100Mbps was the typical requirement. This demonstrates a forward-thinking attitude which reflects the need to prepare for everything the future may hold, and guaranteeing that the school will be equipped to do so. Indeed, it is not only online educational resources which are transforming the purpose of a school’s internet connection.

The way in which schools communicate is also undergoing a radical change – with Skype video conferencing, unified communications (UC), and parent engagement software all becoming popular forms of staying in touch.

In particular, the adoption of VoIP (Voice over IP) shows no signs of slowing down.

Set to become the telephony standard when ISDN lines are switched off in 2025, more and more schools are beginning to implement the system – with over one billion users predicted to be using the technology by the end of this year.

In fact, it is such a key growth area that this year we launched our own VoIP service – ExaVoice – which runs across our network, allowing us to guarantee the reliability that is so critical for a school’s telephony service.

It’s certainly an exciting time for the role of internet connectivity in education, and we’re looking forward to seeing how it continues to enable increasingly powerful teaching, learning, and communication technologies in the future.

Written by Thomas Mangin, Technical Director and Co-Founder of Exa Education

INTERNET CONNECTIVITY – TRANSFORMING EDUCATION IN SCHOOLS

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Exa Education provides award‑winning internet services to thousands of schools across the UK. L FURTHER INFORMATION www.exa.education

Volume 22.9 | EDUCATION BUSINESS MAGAZINE

57

Cashless Schools Written by Cleo Fatoorehchi, BESA

www.educationbusinessuk.net – THE BUSINESS MAGAZINE FOR EDUCATION

ONLINE PAYMENTS

Facing shrinking budgets, schools go cashless Removing cash collection from school proves to be an effective way for schools to save money and gain efficiencies. BESA’s Cleo Fatoorehchi examines the trend of schools going cashless As schools in the UK are in the middle of a funding crisis, they have cut subjects, extra‑curricular activities, staff, and resources.

They have tried to raise funds in new ways, such as letting the school premises during the summer holidays and evenings, and have converted to new ways of working, in an effort to save as much as possible without affecting children’s education.

The British Educational Suppliers Association (BESA)’s 2017 report on resources in schools found that despite the attention given to school funding cuts, the average school budget has changed little over the past few years. In 2016/17, primary schools had over £1m budget and secondary schools had £4.6m, which is a budget increase of about one per cent from the year before.

While the education secretary, Justine Greening, promised an extra £1.3bn for state schools over two years, headteachers across England calculated that this amount would translate to a real‑terms cut of 4.6 per cent from 2015.

RESOURCE BUDGETS TAKE A HIT Among school budgets, resources expenditure has been hit the hardest. BESA found IMPROVING EFFICIENCY that school leaders expected Removing cash collection from a 5.5 per cent decrease in school proves to be an resource spending across effective way for schools Fifty-four primary and secondary to save money. Helen schools in 2017 – a Tyrrell, senior finance per cent of schools further decline on 2016, officer at Kings’ School receive school where expenditure was in Hampshire, told down 4.7 per cent. meal payments online ParentPay she quickly In response, BESA saw the benefits of or from PayPoint, launched the Resource going cashless: “Less Our Schools campaign cash is handled in school, with no cash to raise awareness of and more time is saved accepted the impact of excellent from no longer having educational resources on to process and reconcile the education children receive. thousands of payments.”

Adam Stanton, marketing Jenny Farrell, school business manager at ParentPay, is among the manager at Hugh Sexey Church of England 500 supporters to the campaign.

Middle School MAT in Somerset, agrees with He told BESA about a recent survey that Helen: “The main benefit the school has ParentPay conducted in schools, which shows gained from introducing online payments the extent of the school funding crisis. is the amount of time saved, that would

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EDUCATION BUSINESS MAGAZINE | Volume 22.9

He said: “65 per cent of respondents are convinced they will be facing real cuts in budgets next year, so many schools are trying to avoid reducing services and resources by making better use of technology and generating additional revenue streams.”

One technology that schools are overwhelmingly turning to gain efficiencies is cashless payment for school meals, school trips and, eventually, all transactions between the school and parents.

The latest ParentPay survey, to which 899 schools responded, found that a quarter of them intended to go fully cashless to be more efficient. Behind them, 17 per cent of participants were planning to reduce staffing and extra-curricular costs, 14 per cent to rent the school or generate new revenues, and 13 per cent to improve their use of IT.

prefer to pay schools online

have otherwise been spent on issuing receipts, and processing small payments.”

Jenny adds: “Not only have we saved on these tasks, but we have also found less time is spent banking, and because of the online audit trail, we have a more comprehensive record of payments received.”

Schools noticed that being cashless was also a reassurance to parents, for two reasons. For Anne Bull, former LACA national chair and head of school facilities at Rhondda Cynon Taf Council, “it reduces the chances of sweets and junk food being purchased on the way to and from school – something which parents flagged as a concern.”

Lucian Boyd Harte, director of finance and operations at Chelsea Academy in London, noted that parents were supporters of the change because it reduces risks: “This removes the students’ need to carry cash into school on public transport, and makes paying for school items more secure and safer for our students.”

SUPPORT FROM PARENTS This explains ParentPay’s findings, that 92 per cent of parents prefer to pay schools online. This support for paying online encourages schools, around the country, to become cashless. However, schools need to work with parents to ensure the transition goes smoothly for all involved.

ParentPay’s survey found that cash‑based families are the main reason some schools decide not to go fully cashless, so the company supports schools to be inclusive and transparent with parents.

The latest ParentPay survey found that a quarter of schools intended to go fully cashless to be more efficient. Behind them, 17 per cent of participants were planning to reduce staffing and extra-curricular costs As Farrell explained: “We took a supportive approach with parents, and have always offered to talk them through the sign-up process, or invited them into school to do so.” Parents also have the possibility to make cash-based payments at one of the 33,000 PayPoint stores, as it is integrated in the ParentPay solution.

Tyrrell said: “The support we receive from ParentPay has been very good, and I have always found them to be really helpful whenever I have needed to contact them.”

Indeed, ParentPay has made the process of becoming a cashless school easy and painless with a clear checklist. For Stanton, from ParentPay, it’s about supporting schools through the tough funding crisis: “In such a challenging situation, realistically schools are going to need all our support to continue to provide

Cashless Schools

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world-class education for our children in rapidly changing, uncertain times.” L FURTHER INFORMATION www.besa.org.uk

1/4 intended to go fully cashless to be more efficient

Going cashless: A checklist from ParentPay Have a clear strategy and sell the benefits to staff and parents Announce, for example, that in September, all new parents will be required to pay for all school items online. For those that do not have online payment facilities, cash payments will be accepted through PayPoint.

Alternatively, from September, all parents will be required to pay online or through PayPoint.

Raise awareness and interest Consult with pupils and parents so they know the procedure, use parent evenings, emails and newsletters to let everyone know when and how they can make cashless payments.

Remind parents of their log-in details to boost uptake

Parents may have forgotten their username/password or misplaced their activation letter.

Spark action Whatever the reason may Consider regular promotions to be, give them a nudge in the encourage parents to pay online cashless direction: narrow down or through PayPoint. For example, the non-active users by using Christmas meal needs to be the ParentPay Communication ordered and paid for online.

Centre, and send them a polite reminder of their log in details.

Have a plan that can deliver your strategy

Make it attractive and easy

Central to your plan should be communication with parents and with staff. Where required, ensure that school staff managing ParentPay are confident in using the system.

Be inclusive and provide for cash‑based payers Not everyone has a bank card/ account or ability to pay online, so ensure the school offers a socially inclusive payment option such as PayPoint.

Maximise opportunities to make paying online attractive to parents e.g. trips/clubs are available to pay for online.

Remember to alert parents when items are due for payment Providing balance or new payment item updates via SMS and email alerts to parents will help increase uptake and reduce parental debt.

Volume 22.9 | EDUCATION BUSINESS MAGAZINE

59

School Resources Written by Cleo Fatoorehchi, BESA

PROCUREMENT

The best resources to support teaching The British Educational Suppliers Association (BESA) has recently updated its Code of Practice after finding out what assurances schools want when buying products and services.

Cleo Fatoorehchi shares what standards BESA’s members must meet As a school leader, the beginning of the school year is always slightly hectic. New and old teachers to work in harmony, new positions to fill, new children to welcome, new parents to reassure, and so on. On top of that, budgets are tight, after years of economic downturn and the uncertainty of Brexit.

So how to ensure teachers have access to the best resources to support them?

As a trade association covering the entirety of the UK educational suppliers sector, the British Educational Suppliers Association (BESA) has been working with world-leading education companies for over 80 years.

This experience has given BESA a concrete understanding of how much school resources play a crucial role in helping pupils learn and teachers teach.

promise schools that its members will be able to supply what they are looking for.

Whether schools are after general equipment, science materials, books, consumables, furniture, technology, ICT hardware or EdTech, BESA members have the answer.

Moreover, BESA members uphold high standards. When becoming BESA members, they commit to offering the best value for money to schools to help them deliver a world-leading education to children, with the best of British educational resources.

A NEW CODE OF CONDUCT Indeed, BESA members agree to BESA’s Code of Practice, which now includes issues such as safeguarding and data security.

With it, BESA can assure schools of the high-quality products and services that its members provide schools with and of the high standards of education that its members want to help schools deliver.

As such, schools can trust BESA members because they provide high-quality products and services. They are dedicated to offering the best quality of educational products and services to schools and other

BESA te ncre has a coanding understuch school m of how rces play a resou l role in crucia pupils helping rn lea

BRINGING LEARNING TO LIFE To bring learning to life, teachers need the right pedagogical equipment at their disposal: literature, textbooks and teaching aids.

Importantly for the 21st century classroom, pupils must have access to the unprecedented learning opportunities that the digital world provides. And teachers and schools should have access to the rich data that is consequently generated to shine a light on a student’s performance in innovative new ways.

With around 400 UK suppliers, BESA can

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EDUCATION BUSINESS MAGAZINE | Volume 22.9

educational institutions. They work with teachers and educational experts to ensure their goods support children’s development and best respond to their educational needs.

BESA members value their integrity. They work to guarantee that their products and services are in the best interests of children, teachers and other stakeholders.

BESA members are open and transparent.

They believe that being open with schools helps develop stronger relationships.

They do not disguise the truth and are clear about their costs and charges.

BESA members guarantee data security. They are aware of and trained in safeguarding issues, which is paramount when working with children – especially in the digital age. They are therefore very careful when it comes to data security and are getting ready for the new GDPR regulations, which will enter into force in May 2018.

HELPING PURCHASING DECISIONS Thanks to BESA’s Code of Practice, making procurement decisions does not need to be a stressful time. Recognising the BESA logo as a mark of high level of quality and service, teachers and school leaders can be sure that they are working with education companies who are as dedicated to providing high-quality education to children as they are. And they can be confident they are spending wisely, while working with world-leading education companies.

Caroline Wright, Director General of BESA,

BESA’s resource our schools campaign BESA’s ‘Resource Our Schools’ campaign aims to highlight the impact of the sharp drop in resources expenditure in UK schools over the past two years.

The initiative comes following procurement research published

by BESA that shows that primary schools are spending 3.7 per cent less on resources than last year, and secondary schools are spending 5.7 per cent less. ICT in secondary schools is being hit the hardest, with a year-on-year decline in expenditure of 7.5 per cent.

The research, undertaken with a representative sample of 906 school leaders by the National Education Research Panel (NERP), reveals that 53 per cent of primary schools and 52 per cent of secondary schools say their school isn’t adequately funded

School Resources

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to provide a suitable teaching and learning environment. Looking ahead to the next year, 79 per cent of primary leaders and 92 per cent of secondary leaders say they are not optimistic about funding for their schools.

The campaign is intended to highlight the importance of ensuring that every school has access to the resources they need to deliver the education that our children deserve. Schools, parents, suppliers and general election candidates alike are encouraged to sign up to the Resource Our Schools statement here: www.resourceourschools.com

To bring learning to life, teachers need the right pedagogical equipment at their disposal: literature, textbooks and teaching aids said: “Schools have long looked for the BESA logo when deciding which companies to procure from, as it is a clear indication that they are providing quality products and services that they can trust.”

“The updated Code of Practice reflects BESA members’ desire to ensure they are always at the forefront of offering the highest quality of products and services to schools around the

world, and providing a world‑class customer experience.” L FURTHER INFORMATION www.besa.org.uk

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Sports Written by Andrea Pluck

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PE AND SPORT PREMIUM

Funding for primary PE and sport provision The funding that primary schools receive for PE and sports provision from the Department for Education has doubled.

Education Business looks at the criteria and how it can be spent The Department for Education (DfE) has doubled the amount of money that primary schools get for PE and sport provision to £320 million as part of a series of programmes aimed at improving healthy lifestyles and tackling obesity among pupils.

Details of the individual allocations at school level have now been published along with funding guidance for this scheme and case studies showing how some schools have delivered a real impact for pupils through sports and physical activity.

Commenting on the funding, minister for children and families, Robert

Goodwill, said: “We want to make sure all children have a healthy and active lifestyle and it’s vital that we encourage this in our classrooms. That’s why we have doubled the Primary PE and Sport Premium to £20 million per year to improve the quality of PE and sport in our schools.”

Public health minister, Steve Brine, also commented: “Investing in school facilities such as sports halls, playgrounds, kitchens and dining facilities will undoubtedly make a significant difference to children’s health across the country.

“The school environment is critical in shaping a healthy lifestyle, which is why we are using the

e How th ort sp PE and is used m premiu assessed will be ed which

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money from the soft drinks industry levy to double the PE and sport premium.”

WHO RECEIVES THE FUNDING? For the academic year 2017 to 2018, most schools with primary-age pupils receive the premium. These include: schools maintained by the local authority; academies and free schools; special schools; non‑maintained special schools; city technical colleges; and pupil referral units.

However, nursery schools, studio schools, universal technical colleges, and independent schools, except for non-maintained special schools, do not receive the cash.

The amount of money issued to schools is dependant on how many pupils there are in years one to six. For schools that do not follow year groups, such as a number of special schools, it will be based on pupils aged between five and 10.

The DfE determines how many pupils in a school attract the funding by using data from the January 2017 school census.

In regards to a new school, or a school teaching eligible pupils for the first time in the 2017 to 2018 academic year, funding will be based on data from the autumn 2017 school census.

HOW MUCH IS AVAILABLE? For schools that have 16 or less eligible pupils, they will receive £1,000 per pupils. Schools with 17 or more pupils will see £16,000, plus an additional payment of £10 per pupil.

The payment schedule has also been

released, however, for maintained schools, including pupil referral units, the funding will not be issued directly from the DfE. It will be passed on to the local authority to be issued to the school.

Local authorities receive the PE and sports premium funding for maintained schools in two separate payments. One on 31 October 2017, which has already passed, and on 30 April 2018.

A new maintained school or for those teaching eligible pupils for the first time, funding will be given on 31 January 2018 and 30 April 2018.

For academies, free schools and CTCs, the Education Skills and Funding Agency (ESFA) will send the funding in two separate payments on 1 November, which has already passed, and 1 May 2018. However, new academies, free schools and CTCs will receive funds on 1 February 2018 and 1 May 2018.

The ESFA sends non-maintained special schools their PE and sport premium funding in two separate payments. The first payment will be scheduled for after 1 November 2017 and the second for after 1 May 2018.

USING THE FUNDING The aim of the money is to make additional and sustainable improvements to the quality of PE and sport offered by schools.

According to the DfE, it should be used to develop or add to the PE and sport activities that a school already provide and to build capacity and capability within the school to ensure that improvements will benefit pupils joining the school in the future.

Schools are expected to see improvements across five areas.

For example, the chief medical officer guidelines recommend that all children and young people aged five to 18 engage in at least an hour of physical activity a day, half of that should be in school. The funding is expected to boost regular physical activity.

In addition, schools should see the profile of PE and sport raised across the school “as a tool for whole-school improvement”.

The funding should increase confidence, knowledge and skills of all staff in teaching PE and sport, and provide a broader experience of a range of sports activities offered to all pupils, as well as increase participation in competitive sport.

Examples of putting the funds to good use include providing staff with professional development, mentoring, training and resources to help teach the subject more effectively, and hiring qualified sports coaches to work with teachers to enhance or extend opportunities.

Other suggestions include introducing new sports, dance or other activities to encourage more pupils to take up a physical activity and to support and involve the least active children by providing targeted activities, and running or extending school sports and holiday clubs.

The money will also allow schools to run

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Examples of putting the funds to good use include providing staff with professional development, mentoring, training and resources to help teach the subject more effectively, and hiring qualified sports coaches to work with teachers to enhance or extend opportunities more sports competitions, partner with other schools to run sports activities and clubs and encourage pupils to take on leadership or volunteer roles that support sport and physical activity within a school.

Additional swimming provision could also be provided, targeted at pupils not able to meet the swimming requirements of the national curriculum.

The DfE has also advised that funding should not be used to employ coaches or specialist teachers to cover planning preparation and assessment (PPA) arrangements as it should come out of core staffing budgets.

The money should also not be used to teach the minimum requirements of the national curriculum, including those specified for swimming. In the case of academies and free schools, it should not be used to teach existing PE curriculum.

ASSESSMENT OF FUNDS How the PE and sport premium is used will be assessed by Ofsted, which will measure its impact on pupil outcomes, and how effectively governors hold school leaders to account for this.

Schools must publish details on how the money is spent online, including the amount received; a full breakdown of how it has been, or will be spent; the impact

the school has seen on its pupils’ PE and sport participation and attainment; and how the improvements will be sustainable in the future.

Recently introduced for the 2017 to 2018 academic year, schools must publish online how many pupils within their six year cohort are meeting the national curriculum requirement to swim competently, confidently and proficiently over a distance of at least 25 metres, using a range of strokes effectively and performing safe self-rescue in different water-based situations.

This condition has been added in response to recommendations from the Swim Group, who reviewed curriculum swimming and water safety in primary schools.

Accountability reviews will be carried out after the April deadline, so schools have published details on their websites of how they have spent their premium funding.

The DfE will sample a number of schools in each local authority, with the schools chosen based on a mix of random selection and prior non-compliance with the online reporting requirements. L FURTHER INFORMATION www.gov.uk/guidance/ pe-and-sport-premium-for-primary -schools#accountability

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SPORTS EQUIPMENT

IMPROVING THE QUALITY OF PE AND SPORT OPPORTUNITIES

Advertisement Feature

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Creating the right environment to encourage children of all abilities to participate in sports within school settings, both as part of the curriculum and as part of after-school sports clubs, can appear daunting Creating the right environment to encourage children of all abilities to participate in sports within school settings, both as part of the curriculum and as part of after-school sports clubs, can appear daunting. With a myriad of choices ranging from the best surface to use to maximise all-year round usage, to considerations to be given to the choice of sports to incorporate and the most appropriate fencing systems to blend in with the specific setting, it’s important to get a knowledgeable partner involved who can work with the school in a consultative manner.

FAWNS Playtime by Fawns have been involved in the design, manufacture and installation of such multi-use-games-areas, play equipment and outdoor gyms for almost 30 years, and from experience, know that only by understanding the specific requirements of the school will ensure the creation of a sustainable low-maintenance solution which significantly enhances pupil participation in sports, games and exercise.

BUDGET CONSTRAINTS Working within differing budget constraints and often with free space at a premium, Fawns can offer advice on the most appropriate surfacing options specific to the priorities of the setting: often one of the most important decisions to ensure the success of any sports space. From artificial grass, porous tarmac to the latest polymeric rubber based surfacing designed to meet Sport England specification, a continuous, resilient multi-use sports surface designed for use in all weathers.

The porous polymeric surface is suitable for a wide variety of activities and provides high quality play combined with comfort, good grip, minimum risk of injuries and fast draining after rain fall. It is suitable for a whole range of sports, with long‑lasting integral lines which can be painted in distinctive colours to help easily differentiate the pitches for different sports.

PLAYING SAFE Fawns’ range of sports fencing is available in four different fencing and goal specifications,

again designed to meet the specific requirements of the setting. Offering noise reduction by virtue of their rubber inserts, the fencing panels can even be cranked inwards to increase ball retention, with clamp bars covering panel ends to ensure a safe playing area with no sharp edges.

The system offers flexibility in terms of panel heights, and a range of options in terms of access points. Goals can be enclosed or open, and basketball hoops set at reduced height for primary aged children.

Available in seven different colours, the courts can be as eye catching or as subtle as required. The steel is galvanised and powder coating with its premium systems offering a 25-year structural guarantee and seven-year paintwork guarantee.

SPACE If space really is at a premium, Fawns can offer innovative freestanding goals, basketball hoops, ball catchers and ball walls – these can be incorporated within the playground while ensuring the space is kept as flexible and open-ended as possible. Extremely cost effective while durable and low-maintenance, they offer the chance to significantly enhance PE and Sport opportunities as well as offering additional activities for break and lunchtimes.

To make full use of the school estate, Fawns manufactures and installs a range of timber health-trek equipment, designed to create an outdoor circuit training trail around the perimeter of the school field. Used as part of curriculum lessons, the sustainable low-maintenance equipment is free from moving parts and is manufactured from

machine rounded timber with a 15‑year guarantee – it’s available in a number of different sizes depending on the age group, and blends seamlessly into the typical tree lined school field perimeter.

SOPHISTICATED SOLUTIONS More sophisticated solutions are available in the form of Fawns’ range of outdoor fitness equipment, manufactured by its parent company Wicksteed Playgrounds. Increasingly familiar in public parks around the country, this equipment has been specially designed to cater for a wide range of abilities, from the complete novice right through to the experienced athlete, from balance beams and dip bars to double leg press, hamstring stretch and full-on calisthenics static fitness zone.

Using the very latest smartphone technology, QR codes on each of the individual units can be scanned by the users’ mobile devices.

Video footage demonstrates the multiple exercises that can be performed on each piece of equipment. Written instruction signs on each item also provide clear and concise guidance, ensuring each item of equipment is used properly, efficiently and therefore effectively.

All of its products and ball courts are fully compliant with the latest British safety standards, and Playtime by Fawns are members of the Association of Play Industries.

For a free consultation, including no obligation designs and advice, see below for more information. L FURTHER INFORMATION Tel: 01252 515199 www.fawns.co.uk

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Academy Shows 2018

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EVENT PREVIEW

Inspirational ideas for school leadership teams The Northern Education & Academies Show and The Eastern Education & Academies Show are set to offer a host of new ideas for creating a vibrant and motivated education environment Hot on the heels of the new Southern Education Show and this month’s EduKent Conference & Expo come two more regional events from Revolution Events, this time for school leadership teams in the North and East of England.

Both events offer a host of new ideas for creating a vibrant and motivated education environment, whilst improving the dissemination of best practice, encouraging schools to share experiences and helping them to save time and money by essential products & services.

The Northern Education & Academies Show will take place Wednesday, 7 February 2018 at EventCity, Urmston, Stretford, in Manchester.

The Eastern Education & Academies Show will also take place on Thursday, 22 February 2018 at the Newmarket Racecourse, Westfield House, The Links, in Newmarket.

Via a unique combination of inspirational speakers, practical workshops and an extensive showcase of specialist suppliers, the events aim to provide a platform for the promotion and development of effective school management, learning and teaching – all in a single day.

The events are completely free to attend for all members of the school leadership team, including head teachers, deputy heads, bursars and finance directors, business managers, facilities managers, department heads, governors and PTA representatives from the state, academy and private sectors. Plus there’s a complimentary lunch, free refreshments throughout the day and the organisers will even make a £20 contribution towards your travel costs.

Schools can send as many delegates as they like – for the whole day or just the morning or afternoon – to benefit from a

wide range of engaging content and to catch up on all the latest developments and new resources for the learning environment.

AN EVIDENCE-BASED APPROACH TO WORLD-CLASS EDUCATION Kicking off both events is David Laws, executive chairman of the Education Policy Institute since 2015 and an outspoken politician during the Conservative / Liberal Democrat Coalition.

In a fascinating opening keynote, David will present a compelling case for why government needs to apply more hard evidence (and less ideology) when making key decisions

nt The eveovide pr aims to orm for a platf tion and mo the pro opment of devel e school effectivment and manage rning lea

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about the future of education in the UK. Using rigorous research and a huge repository of data, David and the Education Policy Institute are developing a clear and detailed vision of how a world-class educational environment should function if the UK really wants to deliver the best possible outcomes for young people of all backgrounds.

David is well-placed to campaign for innovation and change in the education system, having acted as economic adviser and director of policy and research for the Liberal Democrats and served in the Coalition Government from 2010 to 2015 as chief secretary to the treasury, schools minister and cabinet office minister. Whilst schools minister, he was responsible for policy areas that included all capital & revenue funding, the pupil premium, accountability and policy on teachers and leadership.

NORTHERN EDUCATION & ACADEMIES SHOW Additional keynote speakers for the Northern event include education visionary Sir John Jones, Strictly Come Dancing judge Darcey Bussell, soft skills specialist Christopher Barrat and regional Oftsed director Andrew Cook.

Straight after David Laws’ opening keynote, guest speaker Christopher Barrat will be exploring the real world of leadership and communication, to explain why the age of digital interaction has made so little difference to the essential skills needed in business or institutions or academia.

Whatever organisational structure you have, Christopher will show how effective communication relies far less on directing

people than on non-hierarchical influence and the skill to engage people into action.

Later in the afternoon, Strictly Come Dancing judge Darcey Bussell CBE, takes to the stage to discuss the hot topic of physical wellbeing and its close connection to educational performance. As one of the most famous British dancers of all time, Darcey now uses her unique expertise to advocate for dance fitness in the PE curriculum, tackling fitness issues in young people to benefit not only individual children but the whole education system and the future health of our society.

In another afternoon session, Ofsted’s regional director for the North West, Andrew Cook will provide key insights into the current priorities for schools in the North of England and what Ofsted is doing, through inspection, to support improvement. He will also explain recent developments in the inspectorate and the impact they have had on Ofsted’s work.

Finally, leading educational pioneer Sir John Jones will round off the day with a fascinating keynote on creating emotionally intelligent schools. Having spent most of his professional life leading challenging schools across the North West of England, Sir John will discuss how strong leadership, widespread collaboration, creativity, imagination and a clear sense of purpose are all essential factors for building ‘happy’ organisations that can shape young lives in a positive and effective way.

INTERACTIVE WORKSHOPS Alongside the larger keynote sessions, attendees can choose from a range of interactive workshops focused on common

issues for schools of all shapes and sizes.

Social media trainer Zoe Cairns and primary school teacher Ria Cairns will present a topical workshop about internet safeguarding and schools’ important role in protecting pupils against the various dangers of the online world. Using recent case studies, Zoe and Ria will show how e-safety can be integrated into school lesson plans and the overall curriculum, highlighting emerging threats for young people in the rapidly evolving websphere.

In another session, the inspirational Stuart Myers will offer some fantastic ideas around encouraging ambition and raising aspirations. Stuart was born with no arms and his story of overcoming adversity began the moment he arrived in the hospital delivery room in Middlesbrough.

Over thirty years later, he has a fascinating perspective on what can be achieved against the odds, delivered in a uniquely humorous and thought-provoking style.

Or if you’re interested in narrowing the ‘attainment gap’ in your school, you can spend time with Daniel Sobel, CEO and founder of Inclusion Expert, who will share tried-and-tested techniques based on over 1,000 Pupil Premium Reviews, the common challenges schools face and some of the innovative ways they have overcome these.

You can find details of the full line-up plus timings on the event website, including additional speakers such as Anne Lyons, president of The National Association of Headteachers (NAHT) and an exclusive workshop on how to transform your learning spaces with colour and design.

For more information, free registration and details of how to claim your £20 travel allowance, visit: www.northerneducationshow.uk EASTERN EDUCATION & ACADEMIES SHOW Additional keynotes for the Eastern Education Show include speakers from the regional schools commissioner, Ofsted, one England’s largest primary academy trusts and a leading soft skills specialist.

In a special update straight after David Laws’ opening keynote, Ofsted HMI Paul Brooker will update delegates on the current priorities for schools in the East of England and explain what Ofsted is doing to support improvement through its inspections. Paul will discuss the ongoing evolution of the inspection framework, together with recent changes and new developments in the inspectorate.

Next up will be soft skills specialist Christopher Barrat, exploring the real world of leadership to explain why the digital age has made so little difference to the type of non-hierachical communication needed to be an effective leader.

After lunch, you can hear from Sir Steve Lancashire, founder and chief executive of REAch2, one of the most successful primary academy trusts in the country.

His session will tell the story of Reach2’s journey to bring together the schools in the academy and Sir Steve’s thoughts on how Multi-Academy Trusts can improve educational performance in the years ahead.

Closing the day, you can hear how the regional schools commissioner sees academies and free schools improving educational performance in the years ahead – when deputy director for the East, Jonathan Lewis explains how the RSC is driving priorities such as challenging underperformance and raising standards.

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INTERACTIVE WORKSHOPS In addition to the keynote sessions, attendees can also attend a range of interactive workshops focused on common issues for schools of all shapes and sizes.

As a specialist education adviser, writer and speaker, Mary Myatt works in schools talking to pupils, teachers and leaders about learning, leadership and the curriculum. In a fascinating workshop about rising to new challenges, Mary will discuss why educators relish doing things that are difficult, so long as there is no risk of feeling like a muppet – exploring how to get the conditions right so that teachers are able to do their best work, inside and outside the classroom.

Social media trainer Zoe Cairns and primary school teacher Ria Cairns will again present a topical workshop about Internet safeguarding and schools’ important role in protecting pupils against the various dangers of the online world, using recent case studies to show how e-safety can be integrated into school lesson plans and the overall curriculum.

Complementing the Ofsted keynote earlier in the day, Nicola Marriott from Cornerstones Education will be running a separate workshop on how to evidence Ofsted’s New Curriculum Requirements, in line with proposed changes to the new Inspection Framework.

Nicola’s workshop will demonstrate how to stay one step ahead of the predicted requirements by building a secure curriculum structure and understanding what children should be learning at each stage.

To access full details of the keynote and workshop programme, register for your free place and find out how to claim your £20 travel allowance, visit: www.easterneducationshow.uk.

DON’T MISS OUT At both the Northern and Eastern events, you will also get chance to meet and chat to dozens of specialist suppliers to the education sector, in a major exhibition of innovative products and services designed to make your school even more efficient in the future.

To register your free please, see below for more information. L FURTHER INFORMATION www.northerneducationshow.uk www.easterneducationshow.uk

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ASBESTOS

Asbestos – we all have a duty of care

Any school, college or university buildings constructed prior to the year 2000 may contain asbestos. As part of your duty of care it is vital that you understand if asbestos is present in your buildings as well as assessing the extent and condition. Staff, pupils and students can be exposed to the dangerous fibres that are released when asbestos is disturbed – this becomes a real danger when you are carrying out any repairs, maintenance or construction projects.

BAAC has over 44 years experience in the building industry and are specialists in the management of asbestos.

An initial survey will identify the presence of asbestos, assess the state and provide a plan for short and longer term management.

In addition, BAAC is a truly independent company and will guarantee that the advice given is impartial and pragmatic. Its focus is on providing you with the most appropriate solution for your site. Removal of asbestos is very often the last resort.

To arrange a survey, see below for more details.

FURTHER INFORMATION Tel: 01733 843353 admin@baac.uk.com Quote reference BME17

Saving space and time with storage solutions If you require a storage solution, whether that be shelving, racking, storage components or packing products, you will be sure to find what you are looking for with BIGDUG. Established in 2004, BIGDUG has been servicing the needs of a variety of customers for more than a decade.

“Our vision is to help all of our customers get organised, saving them space and time,” commented managing director Emma Bateman.

“We offer great products, great prices and a great service, meaning clients get excellent value for money.

The extensive array of products includes storage

PRODUCTS & SERVICES

CATERING

Mr. Fire Safety employs some of most qualified and experienced fire safety officers currently operating in the UK – each with over 30 years’ experience in the fire safety sector, and active members of the Institute of Fire Safety Managers. Specialising in reasonable cost, high quality fire risk assessment and bespoke training packages, the team covers the whole of the UK from its base in the heart of the Midlands.

The company comes from an enforcement background so are fully conversant with the most recent fire regulations to ensure your business meets its regulatory obligations.

Working directly with you, Mr. Fire Safety helps your business to stay safe from fire, putting in place strategies and processes to reduce risk.

There may be many ways to meet the requirements of regulation; the company will discuss a variety of

Did you know there’s cash in your warehouse, kitchen and back yard. Well maybe not yet, but if you choose Caterquip’s catering equipment disposal service, you can turn all those surplus or redundant appliances and kitchens into cold, hard cash effortlessly.

The United Kingsom catering equipment disposal specialits handle every single detail and helps you save space by removing your surplus or redundant equipment, you can take advantage of extra free space for products you actually need.

Caterquip can also help you save money as you do not need to pay for costly professionals to help you dispose of your redundant catering equipment, In addition, you can earn cash by

Helping your business to stay safe from fire

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Health & Safety

options, allowing you to make informed decisions.

Having worked with local authority fire and rescue services and other fire safety consultancies, Mr. Fire Safety understands fire and why many people need help with fire safety. That’s why it has created a fire safety ‘one stop shop’, providing support services including fire door repairs, sign surveys, supply and fitting, fire extinguisher supply and maintenance. The company’s engineers also install emergency lighting and fire alarm systems.

FURTHER INFORMATION Tel: 07951 098 662 info@mrfiresafety.co.uk

EDUCATION BUSINESS MAGAZINE | Volume 22.9

boxes and containers, lockers, cabinets, cupboards and office furniture to shelving and racking, workshop benches and lastly mats and flooring.

Every item is manufactured with precision and attention to detail to ensure the highest quality finish.

This has led to BIGDUG earning ‘excellent’ or ‘great’ ratings from 88 per cent of reviewers on TrustPilot.

So, when you’re looking to get your business’s storage solutions sorted, you should turn to BIGDUG. FURTHER INFORMATION Tel: 0800 088 6300 www.bigdug.co.uk

Benefitting from catering equipment disposal turning surplus and redundant hospitality equipment, from small appliances to full kitchens and earn capital for your new projects.

The best part is that Caterquip provides is planned and project-managed efficiently to suit your schedules.

Caterquip is fully risk assessed with method statements, provides no obligation quotes and public liability insurance up to £5 million.

Its team of clearance experts are also fully trained. What are you waiting for? Turn that redundant catering equipment in to working capital now.

FURTHER INFORMATION Tel: 0207 8872221 www.cateringequipment disposal.com

DRAMA

SPORTS

Providing royalty-free plays to schools world-wide, Playstage has been selling downloadable and royalty-free plays to English speaking schools around the world for 15 years.

Since Playstage Junior started in 2002, its plays have been performed in 43 countries.

The company is always reaching new markets.

In 2016, Playstage YA (Young Adult) was formed, which is aimed at secondary schools.

Playstage felt there was a real need for comedy plays for teenagers.

Plays that made the audiences laugh, were a maximum of one hour long and appealed to audiences of any age.

Many of its customers come back time and time again because they know that its plays are fun, they are so easy to purchase and download, and provide full production notes that offer invaluable help with props, sound effects, scenery

The PE Suite is a fresh and innovative teaching resource that challenges children to a greater depth of learning and a higher quality of physical literacy than typically achieved in schools.

It aims to empower all teachers; regardless of age, experience or physical dexterity to lead and facilitate outstanding PE. By increasing teacher’s confidence, The PE Suite is providing a sustainable and economic solution to teaching physical literacy.

Its library of over 500 high quality video demonstrations cover key physical skills and activities across the primary PE curriculum. The colourful imagery and videography can be accessed anywhere, from any digital platform to provide a highly engaging and completely interactive learning experience.

The online tutorial video library is supported by high quality CPD training and planning, assessment and evidence

Royalty-free plays for schools world-wide

and costumes.Customers use Playstage plays for a variety of reasons: to raise funds for their school; to entertain parents; to let older pupils entertain younger pupils; to let teachers entertain pupils; to take entertainment to a hospital/rest home/other care facility; to take part in a community festival; to enhance the curriculum; and as an exercise in team work.

With the right play – the possibilities are endless.

FURTHER INFORMATION www.playstageya.com www.schoolplays andpantos.com

Empowering teachers and boosting confidence

IT & COMPUTING

E-LEARNING

KANDA.CARE is a cost saving, high impact, behaviour and learning management system for your school, easily customised to your unique identity and values.

Consistent, accurate, expansive and ongoing data capture is the cornerstone of this system, due to a tablet based intuitive tool that is quick to learn and easy to use, and keep using. The immediate effect is to release teacher time and saves administration costs.

The next benefit comes from the total consistency in the cycle of collecting data, analysis and intervention leading to transformational behaviour and learning improvement. KANDA. CARE makes the data work for you, giving instant live analysis on any student, class or teacher.

The system will identify gaps and trends leading to purposeful intervention. With easy access to great quality data, you have indisputable evidence to hand to support key decisions and reviews, and this cumulates

The UK has been battling a maths teacher shortage for five years. eMathsMaster is a complete online learning management system which quickly and effectively trains non-maths teachers, following the Shanghai Mastery model.

This ensures that teachers deliver high‑quality maths lessons from Key Stage 2, all the way to the higher tier of GCSE. Also available by eMathsMaster are pupil and school editions for a complete maths education software solution, accredited

by The Dean Trust.

Results have shown that eMathsMaster will create teaching capacity in schools, reduce teacher pressure,

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resources to create a teaching solution that is taking primary PE to a whole new level.

The principle of The PE Suite is supported by the notion that there is an anatomical and biomechanical advantage to children watching children demonstrate physical skills as opposed to emulating the movements of adults.

The PE Suite enhances the quality of PE teaching and the physical abilities of children.

FURTHER INFORMATION Tel: 023 9298 9285 www.thepesuite.com info@thepesuite.com

Rapid data capture to Delivering high-quality drive school improvement teaching in maths

in delivering evidence-based school improvement.

KANDA.CARE is a collection of modules designed to complement and provide a tool for front line teaching staff to deliver outstanding student outcomes.

Designed with maximum engagement for students and staff at its centre, KANDA. CARE motivates and transforms progress for all with ease.

Come and see KANDA. CARE at Bett Futures 2018

stress and burn out, better teacher retention, boost learning outcomes, increase pupil engagement, increase ROI for schools and make maths fun and engaging for the entire classroom and more. eMathsMaster keeps teachers teaching with an easy-to-use, accessible and convenient learning process, delivering the best outcomes for the school, teachers, pupils and parents. eMathsMaster is available on all devices and provides everything, for everyone, at every level.

FURTHER INFORMATION Tel: 020 3245 2558 www.emathsmaster.co.uk

FURTHER INFORMATION www.kanda.care info@kanda.care

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Inside Front Cover Leverstock 54 LMG Networks 24 Logics Technologies 42 Morleys 51 Mr Fire Safety 68 Nationwide Enviromental 39 Norse Commercial Services 40 Nortek Group 36 Paper Plus 34 ParentPay 50 Playstage 69 RM Education 6, 54 Safety Technology 44 Seebox UK 52 Siemens Back Cover SMS Business Systems 26 SQuidcard 8 Stabilo International 61 Templar 26 The PE Suite 69 The Rain Forest Cafe 10

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Siemens Automation Cooperates with Education (SCE) offer pricereduced packages exclusively to educational institutions with innovative hardware and software products included.

SCE Trainer Packages Our SCE Trainer Packages offer a specific combination of original industrial components which are perfectly matched to your requirements and can be conveniently used in your classes or training laboratory.

SCE Training Curriculums We offer more than 100 didactically prepared training curriculums designed for use with our SCE Trainer Packages on the topics of automation and drives technology. The training curriculums can be used for the individual design of your course free of charge.

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