Education Business 25.4

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ISSUE 25.4

Business Information for Education Decision Makers HEALTH & SAFETY

DESIGN & BUILD

RECRUITMENT

EXPERT PANEL: REMOTE LEARNING

LEARNING FROM LOCKDOWN

What has the pandemic taught us about remote teaching and the digital divide?

PLUS: PROCUREMENT | ONLINE SAFETY | SPORT | OUTDOOR LEARNING

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www.educationbusinessuk.net

A member of

ISSUE 25.4

Business Information for Education Decision Makers HEALTH & SAFETY

DESIGN & BUILD

RECRUITMENT

A full-time return to education

EXPERT PANEL: REMOTE LEARNING

LEARNING FROM LOCKDOWN

What has the pandemic taught us about remote teaching and the digital divide?

PLUS: PROCUREMENT | ONLINE SAFETY | SPORT | OUTDOOR LEARNING

The government has released its plan for the full-time reopening of schools in September.

The current class-size restrictions will be lifted to allow schools to fully reopen to all children and young people. To reduce the risk of Covid-19 transmission, schools are required to keep children in class or year group-sized ‘bubbles’. This is alongside protective measures such as regular cleaning and handwashing.

So does this mark an end to home-schooling? Not necessarily.

With local lockdowns a real possibility, as we have seen in Leicester, plus the possibility of pupils self isolating if there is a school outbreak, the DfE has said that schools will be expected to have plans in place to offer remote education.

Follow and interact with us on Twitter: @EducationBizz

I’m delighted to have a new expert panel in this issue discussing remote learning, made up of the DfE’s Rachel Hope, Julia Adamson from BCS – the Chartered Institute of IT, Edd Grinham from Exa Networks, and Richard Slade from Plumcroft Primary School.

They discuss how we can learn from the school closures to ensure that remote learning is fit-for-purpose in the future. This includes looking at how to tackle the lack of access to digital technology in some households, and how to keep pupils engaged and motivated from a distance. Read the feature on page 30.

Angela Pisanu, editor

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Issue 25.4 | EDUCATION BUSINESS MAGAZINE

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Contents

Contents Education Business 25.4 22 Recruitment What has been the impact of Covid-19 on the next generation of teachers? Emma Hollis, executive director of the National Association of School-Based Teacher Trainers (NASBTT), finds out

25 Academies Central services are the backbone of any successful MAT, yet creating cohesion between two or more teams doesn’t happen overnight. You have to listen to staff, develop their skills and empower them to make decisions, says Jo Wright, CFO at 5 Dimensions Trust in Milton Keynes

27 Procurement

30 13

07 News £1 billion school rebuilding programme announced by Boris Johnson; Taskforce created to advise on government’s National Tutoring Programme; Apprenticeship system failing people from disadvantaged backgrounds

13 Health & Safety Children have been returning to school following the easing of lockdown restrictions.

Fiona Riley, chair of the Institution of Occupational Safety and Health’s Education Group, looks at how schools can manage the Covid-19-related risks they face

17 Design & Build 34 38

After the procurement process is complete, suppliers are settled in and service delivery is ticking along nicely, it can be easy to take your mind off it. Existing contracts can often be overlooked but this is a place where you can add real procurement value and drive future savings. CPL Group explains how

30 Expert Panel:

Remote Learning Our expert panelists discuss what the Covid-19 school closures have taught us about remote teaching, including addressing the digital-access gap in some households and how to keep pupils engaged from a distance

34 Online Safety Increased time online while learning from home is leading to a greater online safety threat for children. So what can be done about it? Ian Stevenson, chair of OSTIA, shares some thoughts

Children need to be in the best possible learning environments as they make up for lost learning caused by school closures. MPBA chief executive Jackie Maginnis considers how modern methods of construction can assist in helping school building projects get back on track

37 Sport

19 Design & Build

38 Outdoor Learning

Adrian Hill, director of operations at Scape Group, explores how education authorities can address building and refurbishment delays during the ongoing pandemic as the construction industry looks to embrace new methods of project delivery

Education Business magazine

The pandemic has helped the school sport sector move online, which could have unexpected benefits for the future, writes Ali Oliver, chief executive of the Youth Sport Trust

Responding to the impact of Covid-19 on learning and meeting guidelines around physical distancing is requiring schools to be innovative in how they deliver the curriculum and support pupil health and wellbeing, writes Justine Lee from the Council for Learning Outside the Classroom

www.educationbusinessuk.net Issue 25.4 | EDUCATION BUSINESS MAGAZINE

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News

DESIGN & BUILD

£1 billion school rebuilding programme announced by Boris Johnson The Prime Minister has announced a ten-year rebuilding programme for schools, the first major rebuilding programme to be launched since 2014.

Schools in England in the worst condition will benefit from additional investment, and schools and colleges will also receive funding this year to refurbish buildings.

The rebuilding programme will start in 2020-21 with the first 50 projects, supported by over £1 billion in funding. Further details of the new ten-year construction programme will be set out at the next Spending Review.

Investment will be targeted at school buildings in the worst condition across England – including substantial investment in the North and the Midlands.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson said: “As we bounce back from the pandemic, it’s

important we lay the foundations for a country where everyone has the opportunity to succeed, with our younger generations front and centre of this mission.

“This major new investment will make sure our schools and colleges are fit for the future, with better facilities and brand new buildings so that every child gets a world-class education.”

The government is committing over £1bn to fund the first 50 projects of a new, ten-year school rebuilding programme, starting from 2020-21. These projects will be confirmed in the autumn, and construction on the first sites will begin from September 2021.

There will also be £560m and £200m for repairs and upgrades to schools and FE colleges respectively this year.

Rebuilding projects will be greener, helping meet the government’s net zero target, and will focus on modern construction methods to create highly skilled jobs and boost the construction sector.

The £560m for school repairs and upgrades comes on top of over £1.4bn in school condition funding already committed in 2020-21.

The £200m for FE colleges this year brings forward plans announced by the Chancellor at Spring Budget this year for £1.5bn of investment over five years to transform the FE college estate.

READ MORE tinyurl.com/yc63wpd5

EXAMS

Ofqual publishes details on appeals for calculated grades Ofqual has said that students will be able to appeal their exam results if they believe the process of calculated grades this summer was not followed correctly.

Centres themselves can also appeal if they believe something systemic has gone wrong in relation to their results.

Any student unable to receive a calculated result, and others who would like to improve their grades, will have an opportunity to take the full suite of GCSE, AS and A level exams in the autumn, Ofqual has confirmed.

Sally Collier, Chief Regulator, Ofqual, said: “We, and exam boards, are committed to

helping students and their families understand how to access an appeal or make a complaint about bias, discrimination, or another concern.

We will provide accessible information and have a helpline available to students and their parents or carers to talk about the appeals process and any other questions they may have about their results this summer.”

Ofqual has said that individual pupils should complain to the school if they have concerns about bias, discrimination or any other factor that suggests that a centre did not behave with care or integrity.

Where there is “evidence of serious

malpractice”, Ofqual says it “may be appropriate to bring those concerns directly to the exam board in the first instance”.

“Where there is evidence, we require exam boards to investigate allegations as potential malpractice or maladministration.

We expect such allegations to be rare, but this is an important safeguard for students and their overall confidence in this year’s grading arrangements.”

READ MORE tinyurl.com/yaxvlz6a

SPORT

Home sports day reached two million children and families A charity campaign to unite people through sport and help young people missing out on school sport days reached more than two million people.

The week-long UK campaign, which took place between 20 and 26 June, helped to bring people together through sport at a challenging time for young people’s wellbeing.

The Youth Sport Trust launched the idea to bring sports days home amid school closures and social distancing, teaming up with Sky Sports who supercharged the campaign.

Ali Oliver, chief executive of the Youth Sport Trust, said: “This was the first ever National School Sport Week at Home and we are in awe of how many people the week has helped to connect and make amazing memories through sport. I am absolutely indebted to all the partners and organisations who got behind the campaign, not least Sky

Sports for supercharging the whole week.

“Young people across the UK should have been having their school sports days this summer so we thought why not bring sports day home and help bring some fun and play into people’s lives during such a difficult time.

“Thank you to everyone who has made it so special and such a success. We’ve had everyone from the Lionesses and sporting stars, to Westminster MPs and fire brigades, but most importantly schools and families joining in, playing together and investing in their wellbeing through physical activity.

“As young people start returning to school, physical education and school sport will play an essential role in helping them to recover from the toll that months of lockdown and school closures have taken on their wellbeing.”

The week was supported by some of the country’s leading sport stars and organisations.

British boxer Anthony Joshua said: “I want to say a huge thank you to everyone who has taken part in the Youth Sport Trust’s National School Sport Week at Home which this year has been supercharged by Sky Sports.

It has been amazing to see the creativity and enthusiasm on show, with sporting activities bringing together families, schools and communities all across the country.”

READ MORE tinyurl.com/yc8umku6

Issue 25.4 | EDUCATION BUSINESS MAGAZINE

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News

TUTORING

Taskforce created to advise on government’s National Tutoring Programme The Tutors’ Association (TTA) has announced the appointment of its new President, John Nichols, who will be establishing a taskforce to advise the government in the planning and delivery of its National Tutoring Programme (NTP).

A former teacher, long-term professional tutor and successful entrepreneur, John said: “The NTP taskforce is made up of

some of the most experienced education professionals the tuition sector has to offer.

TTA is keen to support the government and other agencies, including the Sutton Trust and the Education Endowment Foundation, to successfully roll‑out the NTP and to ensure its effectiveness through the deployment of high-quality tutors and professional providers across the country.

It is only by working together that the programme can be truly successful.”

John takes over the Presidency from Tim Morris, who continues to support John and the association as a dedicated member.

READ MORE tinyurl.com/ya6tz53p

SCHOOL ADMISSIONS

SALARIES

School Admissions Code reviewed to support vulnerable pupils

Average teacher pay increases, DfE data shows The average full-time equivalent salary for teachers in statefunded schools was £40,537 in 2019 – up from £39,500 the previous year, according to DfE workforce data.

However the average salaries are higher for male teachers; male classroom teachers earn on average £37,885, compared with £36,985 for their female peers.

The gap widens at headteacher level: female headteachers earn an average of £68,870, while their male equivalents earn 12 per cent more at £77,362.

Average salaries vary by type of school: The average

salary of a nursery and primary classroom teacher was £35,673; while the average salary of a secondary classroom teacher was £38,674. The average salary of a special school classroom teacher was £37,638.

Average salaries for classroom and other leadership teachers are higher on average in LA maintained schools than academies. The average salary for headteachers is however, higher in academies than in LA maintained schools.

READ MORE tinyurl.com/ybocp7e3

EQUALITY

The DfE is proposing to change the School Admissions Code to include a new turnaround of 10 school days for a decision on an in-year application and clearly defined timescales for each stage of the process.

This will help vulnerable children when moving school during term time so they do not spend too much time out of the classroom.

While these measures will apply to all children moving school during the academic year, including those of Armed Forces Personnel, vulnerable children and those in care are much more likely to move school outside of the usual timeframes.

There will also be greater clarity for parents or carers on how applications can be made during term time, how

the council or admissions authority will handle requests and how decisions can be appealed.

The code is also being amended to prioritise children adopted from state care outside of England and make sure they benefit from the same experience and opportunity in accessing a school place as those adopted domestically.

The proposals are now open for an extended consultation period of sixteen weeks to ensure schools, local authorities, parents, social workers and charitable organisations have sufficient opportunity to submit their responses.

READ MORE tinyurl.com/y7xuyj7x

Black Lives Matter student resource launched The Stephen Lawrence Charitable Trust has launched a new resource to help students learn and make sense of recent protests as part of the Black Lives Matter movement.

Recent tragic events in America and the response in the UK has demonstrated the strength of feeling across the UK about the Black Lives Matter movement.

Many students are currently isolated from their usual school environment where they would have the opportunity to talk about and explore the issues raised.

The resource, ‘We all have the power to make a difference’, is designed to cover in brief some of the key issues in the news recently with links to

further resources to support conversations and learning.

It can be used by students on their own or guided by a teacher, parent or carer.

The resources are not set out by age, so teachers, parents and carers should review them first to ensure that the language and content are appropriate to the age of the person they are supporting.

READ MORE tinyurl.com/ycps8v5j

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News

SCHOOL CAPACITY

Pupil numbers in secondary schools continue to rise The number of pupils in state-funded secondary schools has risen by 81,300 to 3.41 million, continuing a trend of year on year increases since 2016.

The average class size in all secondary schools has increased from 21.7 in 2019 to 22 in 2020.

According to DfE data, there was a small decrease in the number of pupils in state-funded primary schools for the first time since 2010.

There were 12,300 (0.3 per cent) fewer pupils

in primaries, taking the total to 4.71 million.

The number of pupils in state-funded special schools has increased by 6,400 (5.3 per cent) to 128,100, continuing a trend seen since 2006. The number of pupils in nonmaintained special schools has also increased, by 100 (3.2 per cent) to just under 3,800.

The number of pupils attending independent schools has decreased by 3,600 (0.6 per cent) to 576,900. This figure includes independent special

schools and continues a trend seen since 2017.

As in previous years, there are more boys in school than girls, and the numbers of both boys and girls have increased since 2019. The ratio in 2020 is approximately 51:49 and shows no noticeable change over the past five years.

READ MORE https://tinyurl.com/y8opgvm2

APPRENTICESHIPS

Apprenticeship system failing people from disadvantaged backgrounds A report by the Social Mobility Commission has shown that workers from disadvantaged backgrounds are being left behind by the apprenticeship system, with numbers falling by more than a third since the introduction of the apprenticeship levy.

The report ‘Apprenticeships and social mobility: Fulfilling potential’ also reveals that most of the benefits of apprenticeships are going to more privileged learners. It finds that apprenticeships are one of the most effective means of boosting social mobility for workers from poorer backgrounds – if they can get into and through the system.

The report finds that there has been a 36

per cent decline in apprenticeship starts by people from disadvantaged backgrounds, compared with 23 per cent for others.

Just 13 per cent of degree-level apprenticeships, the most expensive apprenticeship option, go to apprentices from disadvantaged backgrounds The most disadvantaged apprenticeship starters came from three regions: north-west England (25 per cent); the west midlands (15 per cent); and London (15 per cent).

More than 80 per cent of apprenticeships undertaken by learners from disadvantaged backgrounds are in enterprises in the services, health, education or public administration sectors.

Only 63 per cent of apprenticeships are successfully completed by men from disadvantaged background, compared with 67 per cent of men from more privileged backgrounds.

On average, apprentices from disadvantaged backgrounds earn less than apprentices from more privileged backgrounds. There is a 16 per cent boost to wages for learners from disadvantaged backgrounds who complete their training, compared with 10 per cent for others.

READ MORE tinyurl.com/y8cjhrfu

STEM

TRAINING

Calls for new minister to address inequity in STEM education

3,000 more teachers to get early career support

A new Ministerial post responsible for addressing the entrenched inequity in the education system should be created, a crossparty group of parliamentarians has found.

A new report from the All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on Diversity and Inclusion in Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths (STEM), titled “Equity in STEM Education”, highlights the need for a more joined-up approach by government to tackle the causes of inequity in the education system.

The APPG found the current education system fails to provide needs-based learning opportunities in STEM education to all students (3-19) in England. The lack of a joined-up Government approach, schools’ role in GCSE option selection and a lack of access to good careers education were part of several factors contributing to the inequity in the system.

Based on these findings the APPG has made six recommendations, with parliamentarians calling on the government to introduce a Minister responsible for addressing inequity within the education system. They also call for STEM education that is more relevant to the lives of all young people.

The report also calls for greater action to address teacher shortages in STEM subjects; and to fully implement changes to careers

support and guidance suggested by the Careers Strategy for England. It also calls for steps to address the existing inequalities in provision of Double Award and Triple Science at GCSE, and a review of fundamental changes to STEM GCSEs which considers equity issues.

The APPG on Diversity and Inclusion in STEM, chaired by Chi Onwurah MP, was formed in 2018 and is a cross-party group dedicated to promoting the inclusion and progression of people from underrepresented backgrounds in STEM. Equity in STEM education is important for Chi, as she herself graduated from Imperial College London with an Electrical Engineering degree in 1987; and she had a career in engineering and technology before entering parliament.

Chi Onwurah said: “The report contains new ideas and solutions that can help more young people build their skills and raise their aspirations. It is my hope that the government looks closely at the recommendations in the report. Addressing the current inequity in STEM education now will pay dividends, as the next generation go on to plug the current STEM skills gap.”

READ MORE tinyurl.com/y7zdysvu

The new teacher induction programme, based on the Early Career Framework, will be launched as planned from autumn 2020 in the North East, Bradford, Doncaster and Greater Manchester, ahead of a national rollout the following year.

Up to 2,000 new teachers in these areas will benefit from additional training and one-to-one mentor sessions in the first two years after qualifying.

Participating schools will receive £2,200 for every teacher on the second year of the induction, helping to support time out of the classroom with extra development opportunities.

In response to the disruption to teacher training courses this academic year, a oneyear funded offer of support will also be available to up to 3,000 early career teachers working in schools outside of the early rollout areas from this autumn, with a focus on those serving disadvantaged communities.

Training materials will be made freely available to all early career teachers and their mentors from this September.

READ MORE tinyurl.com/y7h3so2f

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Health & Safety Written by Fiona Riley, chair of IOSH’s Education Group

Managing the transmission risk Children have been returning to school following the easing of lockdown restrictions. Fiona Riley, chair of the Institution of Occupational Safety and Health’s Education Group, looks at how schools can manage the Covid-19-related risks they face These are unprecedented times for us all. As lockdowns are eased in many parts of the world, people are returning to work and children are returning to school. However, Covid-19 has not gone away, so we must seek to ensure the risk of transmission is managed well.

In schools and other education settings, this is easier said than done. Different schools will have different numbers of children in attendance depending on a number of factors like how many parents are key workers, the levels of confidence in parents to send their children back into schools and what resources are available to minimise risk.

Some schools will have remained fairly busy throughout the pandemic. In my own school and in many others, there are a large number of children whose parents work in healthcare who have continued to go to school.

With this in mind, these schools had to act very quickly as the pandemic began to spread across the country and, as the lockdown began, had to put measures in place to manage the transmission risk.

As all schools begin to take in higher numbers of children, a great deal of planning is required. And all of this is based around strong risk assessments.

There has been a lot of focus and talk around the introduction of ‘bubbles’ and small classes within schools, and lessons to be learned from other countries’ management of the situation, so I don’t intend to address that any further here. What I do wish to do is look at other measures that can be put in place.

Starting point essential items, it’s very regulated outside So, where do you start? It is crucial that but less so inside. In some cases, it’s a bit of a schools get a clear idea of how many free-for-all despite the best efforts of the staff. children they are going to have in. I Clearly if children are excited or distracted, mentioned a lot of planning is required, there would be a strong likelihood of them but you can’t begin to do this – and risk ignoring the system. Many of these children assessments – if you don’t know how have been isolated with little contact for many children you have to cater for. a long time now and understandably the Parents need to be approached to find out opportunity to be able to interact with whether they intend to send their children other children will be of great excitement. in. Once you have details about how many However, there is not much point in having children will be in school each day, your this system in place if it isn’t going to be planning can progress from there. Many adhered to, so schools need to consider how parents will require considerable reassurance they will implement the changes and ensure that it is safe to send their children to school. the children understand the ‘new normal’.

Part of this planning needs to focus on how Another way of limiting the transmission to ensure you and everyone in school adheres risk is by having children remain at their desks to the social distancing requirements. A lot of during lessons as much as possible, with the businesses have installed a one-way system odd exception such as if they require the toilet. around their buildings to restrict the amount Teachers will be able to move around of people coming into contact with the classroom, but not children. each other. Many of you reading To this will be familiar with such Cleaning ensure systems in supermarkets, but This brings me onto it is a system which can cleaning. At our way sys one also be used in schools. school, we have been are effe tems c To ensure this is able to do a deep t i v e , i mporta it is effective, it is important clean every night. n clear sig t to have to have clear signage of I accept this won’t which way people should be possible for all which w nage of ay be going and showing schools, but they should people safe social distancing. should seek to have be Further to that, you really a deep clean as often g o i n g need to marshal the system. as they can. It is equally We have seen that when visiting important to ensure that supermarkets and other shops stocking cleaners are aware of the E Issue 25.4 | EDUCATION BUSINESS MAGAZINE

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How to create safe and flexible education spaces in a post-coronavirus world Given the current social restrictions imposed by the UK government in order to manage the spread of the coronavirus, education estate managers need to urgently implement plans that will allow pupils and students to return to learning as quickly as possible, whilst being able to maintain safe social distancing guidelines.

Part of the solution is to replace the dividing wall between classrooms with a moveable wall, allowing sufficient space for a class of 30 students to spread out and be safely taught by a single teacher.

These past few months have shown just how quickly and dramatically our world can change. Improving space flexibility today, through the intelligent application of moveable walls, will help future-proof schools, colleges and universities, ensuring they can adapt facilities to meet the shifting needs of a post-pandemic world.

Partitioning expert Style, has a wide range of cost-effective solutions, ranging

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from manually operated systems to market leading fully automatic systems, with some packages available on short lead times for rapid installation.

“We have been installing high quality moveable wall systems in education establishments nationwide for over 20 years,” said Julian Sargent, group managing director for Style. “As the UK’s sole distributor for Dorma Hüppe, Skyfold and SWG, we are able to offer a truly comprehensive range to meet all budgets and location requirements.”

There is no doubt that the closure of education facilities has helped reduce the spread of the virus within the community, but it is also clear that without a vaccine in place there can be no completely safe reopening.

Using moveable wall systems to modify existing spaces to ensure social distancing is maintained whilst education continues, is going to be crucial in minimising the impact of Covid-19 on the development of young people today.

A market leader in operable wall solutions, Style operates nationally through four regional offices, and a London showroom. Winner of multiple awards over two decades in the UK moveable wall sector, Style offers market leading products, and prides itself on its people, systems and processes as well as its high attention to detail, sustainability and health and safety.

FURTHER INFORMATION www.style-partitions.co.uk/socialdistancing-solutions-from-style/

BUSINESS INFORMATION FOR DECISION MAKERS IN PRIMARY AND SECONDARY EDUCATION | www.educationbusinessuk.net

Health & Safety

Where possible, consider teaching classes outside. It is naturally a good thing to get children outside in the open air under any circumstances. But, as we have progressed through the pandemic, there has been a lot of science which suggests that the risk of transmission is greatly reduced outdoors  risks of cross-contamination on surfaces and that they use appropriate personal protective equipment and remove this safely.

Cross-contamination is also a risk faced by children and staff, and there are many other considerations around preventing the need to come into contact with regularly-touched surfaces, for example by having foot-operated lidded bins which are emptied frequently.

Schools will also need to look at how objects like remote controls for whiteboards and marker pens don’t present transmission risks.

Door handles – and any other parts of doors – are another cause for concern as they are among the most frequently-touched surfaces.

Our school has had a system of keeping doors open to prevent the need for having to touch them. However, before any decision like this is made, it is crucial to ensure that you are complying with fire regulations.

Other measures relating to cleanliness and hygiene include ensuring an adequate

supply of hand sanitiser, gloves and disposable tissues around the school.

And toilets present another risk, particularly around the social distancing restrictions. It is important to manage access to toilets.

Many schools may have limited numbers of toilets on site, so this is particularly important.

Implementing a system of only having every other cubicle in use is one option, so consideration must be given to how you manage this – and again how toilets are kept clean throughout the school day.

It is advisable to prohibit children from bringing things into school from home as well. Having items being brought in from lots of different homes could hugely increase the risk of the transmission of the virus. With early years in particular, you should also discourage children from placing things, such as pencils and pens, inside their mouths. This is something they often do without realising so this is a message to regularly reinforce.

Teaching outdoors Where possible, consider teaching classes outside. It is naturally a good thing to get children outside in the open air under any circumstances. But, as we have progressed through the pandemic, there has been a lot of science which suggests that the risk of transmission is greatly reduced outdoors. So, weather and space permitting, teaching outside is potentially a good way of reducing the transmission risk.

As I said at the start of the article, managing this risk in schools and other educational settings is no easy task – it isn’t in any workplace. Good planning is very important, starting with thorough risk assessments and moving onto robust control measures.

Further information and guidance has been provided by the Institution of Occupational Safety and Health (IOSH), my professional body, which has supported its members throughout the pandemic with up-to-date information and continues to do so.

The schools-related information, produced in collaboration with the World Health Organization, can be accessed at www.iosh.com/returningsafely/schools L

Fiona Riley is chair of the Institution of Occupational Safety and Health’s Education Group, and health, safety and facilities manager at a large independent day school.

FURTHER INFORMATION www.iosh.com

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construction enables site work and building processes to be completed simultaneously, reducing labour costs and build times.

Back in January 2020, the Department for Education (DfE) revealed the offsite schools framework ‘to cultivate innovation and modernise the industry by increasing the adoption of modern methods of construction.’

The DfE programme will deliver some 30 offsite schools a year with a projected pipeline of up to £3bn over the next four years. I am gratified that some of our members have been appointed to bring their expertise in volumetric modular technology to the fore, to help deliver these schools as swiftly as possible.

An established practice Although many think volumetric modular construction is a new thing – many companies have remarkable histories, in some case between 55 to 80 plus years, in providing the highest-quality modular buildings – from temporary classrooms to multi-storey teaching blocks complete with offices, catering facilities and welfare accommodation.

The modular industry has had a remarkable impact on reducing costs while increasing quality and safety. Having gained considerable momentum over the past few years, advanced modular techniques reduce build times by an impressive 50-60 per cent.

The demand for customisation has led the industry to develop methods for adaptation during the mass production process to meet individual school’s requirements.

Innovations in volumetric modular technology augment the construction industry with a multitude of benefits that span from greener, healthier environments to maximised sustainability, heavily reduced costs in many cases and faster build times.

Doors, windows, heating, plumbing and even washrooms can be factory fitted together with internal and external finishes.

Reduced disruption Construction on a working school site is disruptive and presents many health and safety concerns. The noise and dust associated with traditional construction methods can hinder effective teaching and learning together with reducing outdoor space.

Modular approaches are revolutionising the construction industry. While traditional build processes are laced with pitfalls, hidden costs and are highly disruptive – volumetric modular buildings offer predictability of costs and building programmes. They are easy to plan, budget, and are quick to erect. Modular technology brings a host of benefits to the education sector, for example, extensions to schools can be manufactured in well-managed factories and craned into position during holiday periods, so there is no disruption.

Offsite technology offers benefits that have had a huge positive impact on the construction industry, bringing longstanding traditional practices up to date. The first key shift away from traditional methods is that build processes take place in controlled factory conditions which requires a change of mind-set and approach.

Historically, manufacturing operations have been considered extensions to construction processes, instead of an integral and important part. This perception is changing. As offsite has become an increasingly dominant force that utilises high levels of technology, the lines between manufacturing, engineering and construction have become blurred, creating a need for new skills and redefining existing ones.

As units are factory manufactured, stringent quality control processes can be undertaken within these well-managed environments.

These in-house conditions also prevent weather from inhibiting the construction process, guaranteeing efficiency. In addition, modular

Architectural creativity Modular builds used to mean pre-fab cabins but today contemporary modular designs are very different. They are fully compliant with building regulations and conceived especially for use as an education space based on current research on how children can learn effectively. They are light and airy and add to the aesthetic of the school.

Modular build classrooms can last for decades and many are designed in such a way that they can be moved. Space can be deconstructed and then reconstructed in a new place.

Many contemporary architects are embracing volumetric modular to achieve striking facades with bespoke designs. Public sector clients appreciate cutting-edge building techniques, particularly with the short lead times of modular construction. Modular buildings are energy efficient – reducing ongoing costs for schools, freeing up much needed funds.

Written by Jackie Maginnis, chief executive, MPBA

Children need to be in the best possible learning environment as they make up for lost learning caused by school closures. MPBA chief executive Jackie Maginnis considers how modern methods of construction can assist in helping school building projects get back on track

Design & Build

Getting school building projects back on track

Environmental impact With students becoming more conscious of climate change, it is no small thing for a head teacher to introduce the concept of sustainable construction approaches and how their new building will mitigate environmental impact.

The modular way limits the amount of concrete, which is a significant issue for traditional builders. There is also minimal waste, as the classrooms are built to exacting designed specifications and any cut-offs can be reused or recycled – reducing waste to landfill.

Transportation rarely poses issues, as preconstructed, self-contained units can be shipped to virtually any location. As modules are designed to withstand long-distance transportation and craning onto foundations, they are structurally stronger than most traditionally constructed building materials.

This approach reduces traffic to site also decreasing carbon emissions and disruption.

Each individual material can be selected specifically for its performance characteristics, tailoring every inch of a modular build. Ecofriendly materials are often specified, and waste is recycled for future projects wherever possible. Not only this, but components are also available in a range of sizes for expansions whenever necessary. L FURTHER INFORMATION www.mpba.biz

Issue 25.4 | EDUCATION BUSINESS MAGAZINE

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As lockdown restrictions continue to ease across England and Wales, more than 95 per cent of construction sites have now restarted their operations. However, the pause in activity during lockdown, combined with the added restrictions of new social distancing measures, will undoubtedly cause many projects to overrun both this year and next.

Clearly, any prolonged shut down will have financial repercussions for the construction industry and those employing it. The current predicament is that project costs and delivery times will be further exacerbated by the implementation of social distancing on sites. In the education sector, delays to school building or renovation projects are all the more impactful as they can cause further disruption to the school day – a significant issue for those already tasked with bringing children back to school safely.

However, as schools await further government guidance on how best to reopen their doors, education authorities should have the confidence and reassurance that the challenges facing their project plans can be overcome – whether that is through novel delivery methods or greater investment in ensuring watertight project management.

What’s clear is that collaboration between schools and their contractors will be essential to ensure a positive and mutually beneficial solution is found in every case.

Project delays – who pays?

For construction projects that have overrun or been suspended due to the outbreak,

education bodies and contractors are rightly questioning where the liability lies.

Broadly speaking, New Engineering Contracts (NEC) already have the answers to these questions, or rather, the mechanisms that allow clients and contractors to resolve issues created by unforeseen events.

Unlike more traditional agreements, NEC contracts don’t attempt to lay down respective liabilities for each party in every circumstance. Instead, both parties are given a framework under which they can work together to overcome unforeseeable events including compensation events, bonuses or penalties without ending up in court.

Regardless of whether the contractor closed the site gates, or the school has decided to hit pause on any further work, the NEC contract provides a safety net for both the client and contractor to come together to negotiate a way through.

Understandably, regular communication between the education authority and lead contractor will be paramount in the coming months, as both parties look to return to the negotiating table to forge a way through to deliver on what was originally planned.

Modular builds – the key to a quick recovery?

While the short-term impact of coronavirus on live projects is clear to see, questions are also now being asked about the longterm recovery and what this means for the demand for infrastructure across the

Written by Adrian Hill, director of operations, Scape Group

Adrian Hill, director of operations at Scape Group explores how education authorities can address building and refurbishment delays during the ongoing pandemic as the construction industry looks to embrace new methods of project delivery

Design & Build

Project restart: Building schools for the future

education sector – with many turning to alternative design methods for the answer.

Modular build designs used to translate into prefab huts situated at the back of the school grounds that were ill-suited to a teaching environment. Yet, in recent times, the design process has been actively promoted by the government and heralded as the safer and quicker way to deliver new developments.

One of the major attractions of the modular build process is its timesaving capacity and guaranteed scales of delivery, which, when contending with the complications of constructing on an operational school site, which is already disruptive in nature, can be worth its weight in gold.

Reducing the amount of labour-intensive time spent on site by constructing the project under controlled plant conditions can significantly lessen the overall build time, making the project more time and cost-effective.

The ease and speed of off-site construction methods can also allow a business manager in a school to have full sight of the various project phases and have a clear picture of the progress from the factory floor to when the lorries arrive on site. Every modular build project will have a guaranteed period of time from concept to delivery that all parties can work towards.

The impact of coronavirus has also strengthened the global commitment towards reducing carbon emissions, following several months of lockdown.

Alternative construction methods can be a vital component in this new future, as the public sector looks to a play a lead role in the UK’s commitment to reaching net-zero carbon by 2050. Fewer deliveries are required with modular construction which will not only reduce a project’s carbon footprint but will also contribute towards lowering noise pollution as well.

The road ahead Like the UK’s commitment to achieving its carbon objectives, the road to recovery will be a lengthy process, as projects continue to respond to the government’s scientific advice during these challenging times.

Contract reassurances and advances in modular builds can only go so far.

Ultimately, communication will be at the heart of the recovery as we look to restart many existing and future infrastructure projects across the education sector.

In many respects, the lockdown has improved the lines of communication among businesses, both internally and with supporting organisations. Therefore, it’s vital that education authorities and project partners engage in genuine and collaborative conversations to address any delays and establish what good and effective project delivery looks like on the road ahead. L FURTHER INFORMATION www.scapegroup.co.uk

Issue 25.4 | EDUCATION BUSINESS MAGAZINE

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Advertisement Feature

Is your performing arts space ready to re-open?

Many universities, schools and theatres are using lockdown as an opportunity to refurbish, repair or even repurpose their dance and performing arts facilities.

Harlequin is the world leader in advanced technology floors and stages for the performing arts. Established in the UK over 40 years ago, Harlequin is the performance floor choice for the world’s most prestigious dance and performing arts companies, theatres, venues, universities and schools, production companies and global events.

Harlequin’s experience and reputation are founded on the design, manufacture, supply and installation of a range of high quality portable and permanent sprung and vinyl floors and studio equipment chosen by the world’s leading venues – from the Royal Opera House to the Bolshoi Theatre, the Paris Opera Ballet to the Sydney Dance Company.

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Harlequin also has a range of tapes that are specifically designed for dance vinyl and can be used as distance markers without the risk of damaging the floor.

Social distancing will not be the only challenge facing performing arts facilities as they re-open, cleanliness and hygiene will also be of paramount importance.

Harlequin provide a range of cleaning products designed specifically for use with Harlequin vinyl performance floors.

Harlequin Vinyl Daily Cleaner contains the biocide Benzalkonium Chloride which provides antibacterial properties and has been proven to be effective against most bacteria and viruses, including novel human coronavirus SARS-CoV-2.

A good cleaning regime is critical. Daily use of Harlequin Vinyl Daily Cleaner is a minimum good practice and will maintain the optimum performance of your Harlequin performance floor while keeping it hygienically clean, reducing the likelihood of any harmful germs, bacteria or virus accumulating on the surface of the floor. More frequent use is acceptable if required and is recommended if there are frequent changes of personnel using the floor – after lessons, for example.

In these difficult times it is worth noting that specifying the correct floor for dance and performing arts is critical to the safeguarding of dancers, helping to protect them against the risk of slips, falls and long-term stress injuries. A good dance floor instils confidence in dancers to give full expression to their creativity, safe in the knowledge the dance floor will offer a consistent response.

Although dancers may not be the commissioning clients, they are the end users.

When specifying a floor for dance, using general flooring or sports floor standards will not ensure the right floor is installed. Only a floor developed specifically for dance will do.

Harlequin continues to work with dance industry specialists around the world to research and develop floors that support the physical demands of dancers and give them a floor they want to dance on.

For more information about specifying the correct floor for dance and performing arts, visit our website. L FURTHER INFORMATION www.harlequinfloors.com enquiries@harlequinfloors.com +44 (0) 1892 514 888

Issue 25.4 | EDUCATION BUSINESS MAGAZINE

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

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Discussing teacher recruitment and retention What has been the impact of Covid-19 on the next generation of teachers? Emma Hollis, executive director of the National Association of School-Based Teacher Trainers (NASBTT), finds out It is now three months since the government first announced that schools would be closed to the majority of pupils for a prolonged period of time. Whilst media attention has inevitably, and rightly, focused on the implications for children and home-schooling, an untold story is the efforts of Initial Teacher Training (ITT) providers. They have responded to confirmation that they will be able to award Qualified Teacher Status (QTS) at the end of a programme in the normal way, based on the trainee’s trajectory at the point their programme was interrupted, ensuring a pathway for the next generation of teachers.

In only a matter of days, ITT providers had to completely change their delivery models for current trainees as well as overhauling all processes for recruitment and interviews – and they have pulled out all the stops to make things work. The crisis has meant that significant resources and energies have been diverted to support their current cohort of trainees through a very difficult time. Not only have they had to invent and deliver an entirely new, distance learning programme of ITT (quite literally overnight), but they are also managing the mental health and wellbeing of trainees, supporting schools within their partnerships, and managing their own staff and their reactions to the pandemic.

It has not been easy, and there is no doubt we have a huge amount of uncertainty in front of us. In my mind, it is like we have long path ahead which is completely in darkness – and a tiny flashlight on the back our phones meaning we can only see a couple of metres but no further. We can therefore only see, and plan for, the next few steps. There is going to have to be some acceptance, which is incredibly difficult for a sector that is known to be forward-thinking and planning all the

a number of years when the application rate was declining. However, we did not see anything like the same increase in applications for secondary, and I wonder if this may be down to some applicants thinking that primary school teachers only deal with one class most of the time, and therefore a smaller group of children; whereas secondary teachers deal with a much wider cohort and have been taking on board what the Office for National Statistics has been saying about risk profile of teaching.

We are certainly expecting to see more people looking at teaching as a potential career because if there is a spike in unemployment, graduates and others will see this as one area where there are secure jobs in the public sector. For this reason, it is important to overcome some of the hurdles that threaten the opportunity to address the much-publicised teacher shortages. To this end, we have routinely gathered intelligence from ITT providers to unpick the challenges they are facing and recommend solutions.

time, that there will be lots of unknowns.

However, what we do know is that trainees are putting so much trust in us by applying to us now, in such an uncertain world.

This is where there is good news. Latest figures show there has been unprecedented Guaranteed jobs increases in the number of applicants Nearly half of ITT providers we surveyed in accepted for places on postgraduate ITT May reported that fewer trainees courses in the month between mid-April have secured employment and mid-May: 30,600 compared compared to the same with nearly 29,400 in May 2019, time last year. Of 82 and also marking some 4,000 If there responses, 45 per new applicants since midis a spik cent of SchoolApril. As soon as lockdown unemp e in Centred Initial occurred applications l o gradua yment, Teacher Training for primary went up by (SCITT) providers 15,000 in a month, taking teachin tes may see g as an and School Direct us back to roughly where a where Lead Schools we were in 2016-17 after there a rea (SDLS) cited the r e secure drop – whilst 32 per jobs cent of ITT providers stated that the number of confirmed jobs for trainees remains approximately the same as in April-May 2019, and just five per cent said secured employment for September 2020 has proportionally increased.

Whilst the headline figures are not where we would like them to be, respondents have reported that fewer vacancies are being advertised; possibly due to less movement

BUSINESS INFORMATION FOR DECISION MAKERS IN PRIMARY AND SECONDARY EDUCATION | www.educationbusinessuk.net

Recruitment

(or ‘churn’) of existing staff, possibly due to concerns over recruiting remotely, and possibly due to schools focusing on issues around Covid-19 and delaying dealing with recruitment until a later date. ITT providers are calling for announcements to be made about the support that will be put in place for NQTs from September. They feel this will help to reassure schools and encourage them to employ NQTs, and help to reassure trainees who are feeling unprepared and are lacking in confidence about starting new posts.

Some respondents also reported that heads are unwilling to employ NQTs because they feel they have not had enough experience in schools. We appeal to school leaders to do everything they can to support recruitment at all levels.

Teacher training placements From 247 responses to a survey which closed on 1st June, 124 SCITTs, SDLSs and university ITT providers reported that school partners had informed them they are unable to participate in training programmes in 2020-21. Furthermore, 81 per cent of ITT providers are more concerned about securing sufficient school placements next year compared to previous years and 45 per cent of providers have closed, or are considering closing, programmes as a result of placements. ITT providers have told us that schools are not offering placements primarily due to concerns over the post Covid19 transition, including worries about having additional people in school, the reluctance to allow trainee teachers to teach given the amount of time children have been away from school, the need to focus on other priorities, and uncertainty resulting from the pandemic.

Additionally, capacity in schools, concerns over

Latest figures show there has been unprecedented increases in the number of applicants accepted for places on postgraduate ITT courses in the month between mid-April and mid-May: 30,600 compared with nearly 29,400 in May 2019, and also marking some 4,000 new applicants since mid-April the amount of support NQTs will need and therefore not being able to also support ITTs, and general anxiety over school finances have all been given as reasons for the decision.

The number of schools who appear to be withdrawing placements is worryingly high, especially at a time when we are seeing increasing applications to teaching. We would like to see supportive communications to schools, including clear guidance and encouragement to take ITTs and NQTs in the next academic year; but if needed, a requirement for schools to engage in ITT, as well as funding and incentivising.

Updated Covid-19 ITT guidance As I write this article, we are digesting new guidance to help ITT providers reduce the impact of coronavirus on their ITT provision, which includes confirmation that trainees who are not on track to achieve QTS by the end of this academic year can resume their training in Autumn 2020. Also that funding will be made available both to trainee teachers

who need additional time to achieve QTS, and for providers who will be supporting them to do so. This is something that we have been calling for since ITT programmes were disrupted at the beginning of the pandemic and it is testament to ongoing engagement between ITT providers and government that the needs of the sector have been heard.

Never have we needed teachers more than now and never has the hard work and dedication of ITT providers been more vital in protecting the flow of entrants to the profession. None of us can know what the world, and our schools, may look like over the coming weeks and months but what I can confidently say is the ITT sector will continue to rise to the challenge, surpassing all expectation and continuing to ensure our children have the very best teachers in front of them (or at the other end of a computer!). L FURTHER INFORMATION www.nasbtt.org.uk

Issue 25.4 | EDUCATION BUSINESS MAGAZINE

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Advertisement Feature

Increasing connectivity and professional development opportunities The COVID-19 pandemic took the whole world by surprise. But with all the negative effects of the lockdown, there have also been significant benefits The pandemic has shown us that no matter how much planning and consideration that we give to risk, there will always be something that we have not considered. This emphasises the point that no one can ever know everything, especially in a sector that is constantly developing and adapting.

Therefore continuing professional development (CPD) should always be part of our annual plan so that we as professionals stay front and centre of the change and lead our teams effectively to meet both our strategic aims and ensure the compliance of our organisations.

This therefore adds to the argument for both our personal commitment and the recognition from our organisations that as professionals we must be on a continual journey of professional development.

Despite the increased pressures that the pandemic has brought for school business professionals, the crisis has conversely opened a significant number of opportunities, with one such benefit surprisingly being more focused time with less daily distractions.

The reduced provision in schools over the last 12-weeks, although also filled with the constant review of guidance, implementation of infrastructure changes and planning for the recovery stage has seen some practitioners engage in activities that they previously did not haveenough time to explore.

These have included engaging with twitter and the #SBL colleagues that are on hand to offer advice 24/7, and joining local and regional group meetings that have been delivered online during the crisis. They have also been attending bite size training sessions, including expert talks via online platforms, and finding time to register and attend online accredited training programmes.

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Online learning and its benefits In the advent of the pandemic everyone has had to adapt their offer to ensure they meet government guidance.

All training providers have reviewed their provision and the feasibility for delivering training through online learning, so that learners are able to maintain their learning during the pandemic.

Interestingly there had always been a level of resistance from learners to use online learning as there was a feeling that they would miss out on the networking, cohort engagement and interactions that physical group learning offer. Perhaps these were views that we have all developed over the years and not reconsidered since the improvements in digital technology.

In 2020, even before the pandemic, the benefits of online learning far outweighed the concerns. With learners seeing the reduction in the disruption to their working week as learning is often delivered in a number of staggered sessions e.g. twohour webinars rather than full days of face-to-face learning that is sandwich between the travel to and from the venue.

The benefit of having no costs of travel and gaining back travel time are also seen as welcome benefits allowing the limited CPD budgets to go further.

Additionally, old barriers including the platforms used, the outdated hardware/ software that many schools were challenged with and broadband speed are becoming things of the past, as we see fibre broadband and 4G access increase and more schools benefit from Microsoft 365 licences.

Many training providers have also recognised the lost opportunity of networking and have created online learning environments, breakout sessions on zoom and Microsoft Teams and WhatsApp groups to ensure that this element is not lost.

If you have been thinking about undertaking professional development and the barriers have been time and money than many of these can be overcome with distance learning opportunities, whilst also achieving additional halo benefits. These include a broader, national perspective – as online training allows participants to be based anywhere, so delegates benefit from different perspectives and insights from other regions. Other benefits include gaining

new technical skills, as delegates build new skills and confidence in using learning platforms and various online meeting technologies. There is also wider choice, as delegates do not have to wait until there is a course nearby, as you can join any training, anywhere and complete courses remotely What online professional development is available?

Before commencing any training ISBL would encourage you to complete a self-assessment against the ISBL professional standards so that you identify your opportunities for development and ensure that your selected training programme meets them.

There is a wealth of training that can be accessed by school business professionals, from a range of providers offering both generalist and specialist programmes, which in itself can present further questions on which training programme is the best one for you.

ISBL would recommend that you narrow down your programme choices based on your requirements from your self-assessment, speak to the training providers and where possible gain testimonials from recent delegates.

To assist SBPs, ISBL will be issuing a qualifications guide on all the programmes that are available for school business leaders in the autumn term. In the meantime, you can find more information by visiting www.isbl.org.uk L FURTHER INFORMATION www.isbl.org.uk

BUSINESS INFORMATION FOR DECISION MAKERS IN PRIMARY AND SECONDARY EDUCATION | www.educationbusinessuk.net

Nobody likes to feel that change has been imposed upon them, and a central services team is no exception. Becoming a MAT is an exciting opportunity – but you cannot expect departments, with deeply-held values, processes and workplace cultures to simply meld together from day one. Like anything, it takes time to create the structure and develop processes, skills and best practice.

Ours is a relatively new MAT, formed when we brought The Hazeley Academy and Shenley Brook End School together as 5 Dimensions Trust. We’re still on the journey towards cementing our central team and are learning what works and what doesn’t all the time. What matters most is that you have a clear vision and base your decisions on achieving the best possible outcomes.

Covid-19 has, of course, stress tested many organisations and I was pleased to see the foundations we laid early on make a real difference, enabling us to continue working together effectively.

Remote working has actually helped us to improve communication and cohesion, we can now easily get everyone together for a virtual team meeting without having to travel or book a room. Of course, it’s easier to feel part of a single department when you see the same faces regularly and it’s something we’re planning to continue once we’re back in school.

A long-standing relationship We have been fortunate that our MAT was formed by choice following a long-standing informal partnership between the two schools.

While our situation is different to say, an academy experiencing financial difficulties and joining a large-scale existing trust, there are similar challenges to navigate. You need to form strong working relationships with colleagues, while recognising that staff usually have an allegiance to their school. Our job, as senior leaders, is to listen to everyone and look at what they do well. We should take the ‘best of the best’ and continually add value to the service we deliver.

As well as establishing where you want to be and then refining your own internal processes, it is important to benchmark performance. We commissioned an independent review to assess our work across several key areas and give us action points for improvement.

I also speak to colleagues in other trusts to see what they are doing but remember, there is no one-size-fits-all approach to strengthening your team. One thing we wanted was a central bank, so we didn’t have to reconcile as many accounts – however, this might not work for single academies joining an existing trust if they are concerned about relinquishing too much financial control.

Establishing an effective team structure is key and we’ve developed ours organically by appointing individuals and upskilling the existing workforce whenever someone leaves or retires.

As the trust grows, you need to make distinctions between strategic and operational roles. Many directors working in single academies know what it’s like to be pulled in different directions and constantly asked questions, leaving them with little time to focus on strategy.

An increase in staffing resources The advantage of becoming a MAT is that your staffing resources increase, so you can move away from day-to-day operations. It’s an opportunity for middle managers to take the lead on operational work and be empowered to make certain decisions, freeing up capacity at a higher level. By stepping away from day-to-day work myself, I have time to work closely with senior leaders – our meetings are more productive, and I feel that I can add more value by supporting headteachers achieve their organisational goals A strong central team is committed to delivering excellent service to its customers – the head and teachers who are, in turn, driven by improving pupil outcomes. Sometimes the smallest changes make a big difference to their working lives. We, for instance, introduced a new system for ordering classrooms supplies electronically, helping to reduce admin for both teachers and finance staff. Automation is helping us to streamline our service, although we’re careful not to lose the human element that people value too.

You will always get friction within teams and, as any manager knows, minor frustrations can soon escalate if they are not addressed quickly. There may be personality clashes or different attitudes to technology and change. As you integrate groups of people, you need to listen to their concerns, find common

Strong foundations As I mentioned earlier, the Covid19 crisis has certainly strengthened our working relationships, but the foundations were laid long before that.

The team is more agile and proactive – which enabled us to procure the necessary PPE and set up BACS payments for families eligible for free school meal vouchers during lockdown. We’ve also diverted resources, with site teams painting parts of the school as that is something they can do safely, following social distancing guidelines.

There have also been HR-led wellness initiatives to support staff, as well as virtual coffee mornings and communications, which help to build our community and allay their anxieties around returning.

Long-term, we want 5 Dimensions to grow and our success depends on how well we embed the right values and practices now.

We need to be clear about the service we provide and ensure stakeholders have confidence in our recommendations.

This could be particularly tricky for head teachers who have predominantly worked in maintained schools before because they have to trust their business team, not the local authority.

It’s our responsibility to employ the right people with the right attitude and invest in CPD – something we have committed to continuing online during lockdown. As a MAT grows, senior finance leaders become more like head teachers or CEOs operating at a strategic level. They might move away from day-to-day work but, supported by their team, they know their processes are robust, compliant and able to interrogate data where necessary.

Whether you’re a long-established MAT or just starting out like us, there are always lessons to learn. You need to understand your team, play to their strengths and see what other trusts in your area, and across the sector, are doing. Once you have everything in place, a finance department can be a leader in excellence, an authority on compliance and ultimately deliver the best value-for-money. L

Written by Jo Wright, CFO at 5 Dimensions Trust

Central services are the backbone of any successful Multi Academy Trust, yet creating cohesion between two or more teams doesn’t happen overnight. You have to listen to staff, develop their skills and empower them to make decisions, says Jo Wright, CFO at 5 Dimensions Trust in Milton Keynes

Academies

Building a strong central team

ground and be clear on your organisational goals because you can’t stop progress.

One of our ambitions is to improve efficiency – and this meant replacing two separate finance systems with a central platform that would allow everyone to work together. We made sure staff understood the rationale for choosing the software, Access Education Finance and Budgeting, so they feel part of the journey and buy into our decision, without feeling it was imposed upon them at the top.

I would say to any trust embarking on a similar journey not to try and do everything at once. When you have new people and systems, the first year is always a learning curve when you test and sharpen your processes. The second year is much easier and by the third, many tasks should run seamlessly.

FURTHER INFORMATION www.5dimensionstrust.com

Issue 25.4 | EDUCATION BUSINESS MAGAZINE

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Advertisement Feature

Back to school – teaching in the ‘new normal’ The last few months will have taught you much about yourself, your pupils and your school. This article looks at the key considerations for schools preparing to welcome back pupils and teachers, including how to adapt your learning environment and the practical steps you need to take to get back to what you do best.

Questions on moving forward Pupils across England are set to go back to school full-time in September, but schools will have to function differently to adapt to the ‘new normal’ and for some time afterwards.

Conrad Hughes1, Campus & Secondary School Principal at La Grande Boissière, International School of Geneva, reasons: “Remote learning has reminded us that powerful learning can only happen when we are engaged, energetic and focussed.

If it becomes a question of filling in hours then we are missing the point.”

Hughes suggests that despite the pandemic, now is the time for school leaders to consider new ideas and imperatives to shape the future of education post COVID19, by asking key questions such as: • • • • • • • • • • •

What lessons have been learnt from the lockdown and how will they influence the larger picture moving forward?

What’s changed about pupils’ needs?

How did your school and staff adapt during lockdown and what stands out?

How can the classroom environment be more engaging to minimise pupils becoming bored?

Did you successfully utilise an online learning model and how can that be continued?

Which blended learning approaches have you tried? Can they be used to create a better learning experience?

Did you encounter cybersecurity challenges during COVID-19?

How can you ensure your IT infrastructure is more robust?

Has your relationship with your pupils and their parents / guardians changed?

How can you interact more effectively?

Did you find certain skills were lacking within the team?

Is there a need for staff training?

Use these questions to revisit your school’s strategy. The answers will help to create the vision and ambition for positive change.

Considerations when opening As schools begin to reopen children returning will find things very different to when they left, with a host of new safety measures in place.

You may have had some staff in school during the lockdown to support a priority group of children who have a parent who is a critical worker or who have complex care or educational needs. The easing of restrictions means that you can now welcome more pupils and staff back with a safety-first approach. This should include carrying out risk assessments to assess the physical, mental and emotional well-being of employees and pupils alike.

While it’s up to individual schools to decide how to open safely, based on government issued guidelines the following measures are key to consider: • •

•

•

• •

Smaller classes – primary school children should be taught in groups no larger than 15 Children should wash their hands as soon as they arrive at school and be required to regularly wash them throughout the day Provide plenty of hand sanitiser for pupils, particularly in places where enough sinks are not readily available, such as in a classroom Ensure areas and objects that come into contact with several people during the day, such as desks, doors, toilets and light switches, are deep cleaned regularly Invest in classroom and school supplies equipment to prevent resources being shared Where possible, ensure that children can apply social distancing by

•

keeping desks two metres apart and placing stickers on the floor in corridors and other shared spaces Introduce staggered start times to ensure that only a quarter of pupils are physically in school at any time.

Planning for the new future As part of returning to school, it is important to communicate plans with staff and parents / guardians, as well as listening to their concerns.

Thereafter, continue thinking about the mental health and wellbeing of pupils and staff. Make it a priority to have at least one conversation a week to enquire about how they feel.

With the right preparations, you will be in the strongest position to navigate the ‘new normal’ to get your school up and running.

Wesleyan Bank is here to support you and realises that with the disruptions you have faced that you may need some help. L

Wesleyan Bank acts as a broker and a lender.

FURTHER INFORMATION bankcommercialsales@wesleyan.co.uk 0800 980 9348 (Mon to Fri 8:30am - 5:30pm) https://www.wesleyan.co.uk/ commercial/finance-and-funding/ asset-finance-for-education

Information Source: 1World Economic Forum – What lessons from the coronavirus pandemic will shape the future of education?

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Procurement Written by CPL Group

Maximising value in contract management After the procurement process is complete, suppliers are settled in and service delivery is ticking along nicely, it can be easy to take your mind off it. Existing contracts can often be overlooked but this is a place where you can add real procurement value and drive future savings. CPL Group explains how Effective contract management starts with a contract register. You can create a register by adding details of all of the contracts your institution has in place into a spreadsheet or if you have an e-tendering provider they may offer a contract register and management module. Having this register and appropriate policies can help ensure that only Executive or SMT can sign anything and ensures effective dates of contracts are logged, relevant contract values are logged and monitored, contract issues are recorded and KPIs are robust. Make sure that this and the original contracts are stored electronically and centrally so staff always know where documentation is kept in case of a query on a contract.

Having a contract register in place brings a number of benefits to your institution such as helping staff to plan resources for procurement, helping to ensure that contracts are in place for key spend areas,

that legislative obligations are met and that commercial opportunities are maximised.

Registers also keep track of contract end dates, therefore giving you sufficient time for the procurement process. They help increase competition to drive down costs and they also reduce the risk of being tied in to rolling contracts.

Benchmark, benchmark, benchmark Almost as critical as the location, location, location of a new home is the position of your contract within the wider marketplace.

Benchmarking is a critical exercise that should be done regularly for all high-to-

medium-value contacts. Understand what your contemporaries are paying, share best practice between organisations and be aware of changes within the industry.

Ensure you stay aware of how the market is performing and how this could affect you.

Are commodity costs going down? There could be price reductions to take advantage of.

Equally, is there a supply shortage somewhere along the supply chain or a pending change in law that may threaten to drive up prices?

Forewarned is, as the saying goes, forearmed.

Make use of specialist industry framework agreements (deals). Choose specifications designed especially for the education sector with market-leading rates. These contracts can provide an easy-access source of what best practice in your spend category looks like.

Tap the market. Most suppliers are happy to provide pricing data for benchmarking, so long as they feel there is real value in it for them.

An example would be to offer suppliers some brief feedback on their competitive proposal as part of the exercise as this can be as useful to them as their cost information is for you.

Use your suppliers You have contracted this supplier to deliver a specific service or range of goods because they offer the best commercial We oft proposition and are the e spend m n expert in that field.

You can leverage time de ore this expertise to key per signing your advantage f o indicato rmance through contract rs and S review meetings.

L As than w Ask suppliers how e d o checkin they think you can improve your service, are ach g they ieved could you be using different products to reduce expenditure or E Issue 25.4 | EDUCATION BUSINESS MAGAZINE

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Procurement

Ensure you’re aware of how the market is performing and how this could affect you.

Are commodity costs going down? There could be reductions to take advantage of  improve your environmental footprint? Could the service be delivered slightly differently to drive efficiency? Any supplier who is looking to build a solid partnership with your organisation should be more than happy to help you review how things are done. Also, demand continuous improvement. Put the onus on the suppliers to improve their service delivery and reduce cost as part of their contract performance.

Keep an eye on KPIs Are you confident that suppliers are delivering on their promises? We often spend more time designing the key performance indicators and service level agreements than we do checking that these levels are being achieved and this is essential for maximising contract value.

Ask suppliers for contract performance data and use it! You can request this even if you did not build the provision for management information into your original contract. Suppliers who are managing your contract effectively should keep data on usage levels, service visit times and resources used etc. Use this to assess performance against criteria and identify areas where internal efficiencies could be made.

Get suppliers to self-report on performance.

A good supplier will be willing and able to give a short report or presentation on performance

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levels as part of your regular contract review meetings. This can help reduce the resources you use internally to collate data whilst ensuring you are working collaboratively with your supplier to maximise good performance.

Plan ahead One of the cornerstones of good contract management is having regular meetings with suppliers. However, with so many contracts to manage (and so little time), it can be difficult to keep on top of when review meetings are due. Put a reminder system in place to book supplier meetings and with our newfound expertise in using Teams and Zoom, these should be easier to set up. Don’t forget to ask for management data or negotiate contract renewals. This will help ensure proactive and regular contract management, plus avoid key deadlines being missed.

Include key stakeholders Your internal service users are often the people who are closest to the contracts. Do you spend enough time getting their feedback on what is going well and where improvements could be made? Identify key internal contacts and ensure their views are incorporated into the contract management process as this is

critical for success. We recommend planning to engage regularly with key stakeholders and certainly in advance of your contract review meetings to gain feedback on supplier and service performance. Organise your contract data by keeping a log of the issues raised by end users and stakeholders.

Helping you to easily identify key recurring problems, tackle them more quickly and build mitigation into future procurements.

There are many other ways to embed best practice contract management, these are just a few ways to start.

Improving contract management can ensure optimum performance, from risk ownership to long-term goal setting and detailed value/benefits analyses.

CPL Group CPC and Tenet Education Services are notfor-profit organisations which are part of CPL Group, an education owned charity that gives back to the sector through funding and support. CPL Group’s latest opportunity is a CPD approved Introduction to Procurement e-learning course designed for school and academy business managers. CPC provides deals designed for education covering a variety of products and services, 12 deals are recommended by the DfE. CPC membership is free of charge to all institutions. Tenet provides procurement consultancy support. L FURTHER INFORMATION https://cpl.group www.thecpc.ac.uk www.tenetservices.com

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I’d be surprised to hear of any teacher who entered the profession to spend more time with invoices, purchase orders and spreadsheets. Any opportunity to help teachers focus on their pupils is one not to miss.

An Ofsted survey of more than 4,300 teachers last year revealed that they are, on average, spending just 43 per cent of their working week teaching in the classroom.

The survey also noted that teachers are, on average, working more than 50 hours a week.

In last October’s Teacher Workload Survey for the Department for Education (DfE), teachers were asked what non-teaching activities they spent time doing. General administration was the second most given answer, with 99 per cent of primary and secondary teachers listing paperwork as a major time-stealer.

In fact, primary school teachers spend just over four hours a week on admin, with secondary teachers spending just shy of five.

Transferring the administrative burden away from teachers is an institutional priority Planning, preparation and assessment (PPA) time should be used to help teachers improve what they do best – gaining subject knowledge, marking and monitoring students’ work, and preparing learning materials. An effective financial management system can streamline the purchase-topayment cycle, saving teachers time when ordering resources to support their lessons.

These systems, which use something called ‘punch out’ technology, mean teachers can select their supplies from different vendors’ websites and click ‘buy’ without ever having to worry about how to log and handle the purchase. After all, these people chose to become teachers – not accountants.

Saving money There’s often a more efficient way of doing many day-to-day finance activities.

From simply avoiding entering the same information multiple times to reducing the paper trail, time can be saved in the back office. For organisations like multi-academy trusts (MATs), there are huge cost and time savings to be made from automatically processing invoices. A typical school processes around 1,000 invoices a year, while a MAT could be producing more than four or five

times that figure. According to government statistics, a paper-based public sector invoice can cost an estimated £14 to process – rationalising this process with digital tools is common-sense in the 21st century.

Automated purchase invoice processing allows approved suppliers to use an invoicing format that inputs data directly into a school’s finance system, thus eliminating the need to manually input data, and reducing the cost of processing an invoice down to around £5. The resulting savings can then be diverted to supporting pupils.

Head in the clouds The benefits of cloud technology are far wider ranging than many teachers realise – although recent events have seen many schools quickly get to grips with remote learning. Financial processes can also be improved with cloud technology. Compiling mandatory Education and Skills Funding Agency (ESFA) reports can be a daunting task – it can take days to compile the accounts and budget forecasts, and legacy software may no longer support the latest format for these submissions. Cloud software enables changes and updates to be added remotely to these reports, simplifying the process and removing the risk of mistakes and errors. In a large MAT, combining reports from finance and business managers in individual schools

Written by Marc Nolan, managing director, Civica

Marc Nolan, managing director at Civica explains how new cloud-enabled finance systems can drive efficiencies, savings and success in schools

Advertisement Feature

How efficient financial management technology can make an impact in classrooms

can be a mammoth task – cloud technology makes this much easier, freeing up valuable time and resources at academy level, and reducing the workload at MAT level.

These are just some of the ways in which effective financial management can have an impact in the classroom. When you dig deeper into the advantages of a modern, cloud-based finance system, there are many areas where the savings (both financial and time) outweigh the initial cost of ownership.

I’ve talked about procurement and reporting, but technology can also support effective budget planning and help senior leaders make decisions based on solid data.

At the heart of each school is its pupils.

Having a positive, meaningful impact on their experience, safety, wellbeing, educational outcomes and readiness for society is one of the primary reasons for people to work in a school environment – at all levels, not just in the classroom. Efficient financial management can have a powerful impact on these outcomes. By allowing senior leadership teams to ensure that time, resources, budget and staff are all optimised in the finance office, the savings can be applied to achieving this common goal for everyone. L FURTHER INFORMATION bit.ly/CivicaFinance

Issue 25.4 | EDUCATION BUSINESS MAGAZINE

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Expert Panel: Remote Learning

EXPERT PANEL REMOTE LEARNING Our expert panelists discuss what the Covid-19 school closures have taught us about remote teaching, including addressing the digital-access gap in some households and how to keep pupils engaged and motivated from a distance

Rachel Hope, deputy director, Teaching Workforce Directorate, Department for Education Rachel is responsible for teacher services. She brings policy and delivery expertise into single multidisciplinary teams to tackle one of the department’s biggest challenges – ensuring there are excellent teachers for every child. This includes services to support those entering teaching profession as well as those already teaching in our schools. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Rachel has also been leading the Get Help with Technology programme which is supporting schools to set up digital education platforms and providing laptops, tablets and internet access to vulnerable and disadvantaged children.

Julia Adamson, director of education, BCS – The Chartered Institute for IT Julia Adamson is the director of education at BCS, The Chartered Institute for IT. Julia plays a lead role in managing the National Centre for Computing Education a £84 million government funded programme to upskill thousands of teachers to deliver a world class education in computing across primary and secondary schools. Julia started her career as a primary school teacher specialising in science and technology and progressed into school leadership support and teacher CPD for ICT before moving into the charity sector where she has been focussed on developing opportunities for young people to benefit from technology.

Edd Grinham, head of commercial, Exa Networks Edd comes from an education-based family with both parents and a sibling who teach. Despite this, he sought a career in marketing and has focussed upon technology. Originally in healthcare and now at Exa Networks, as part of Edd’s wider role, he continues to work with and oversee the delivery of a nationwide and online programme of events and training for teachers around the use of technology.

Exa Networks is one of the only ISPs delivering bespoke internet services, bringing incredible performance and complete customisability to thousands of schools and businesses across the UK.

Richard Slade, headteacher, Plumcroft Primary School Richard Slade is the headteacher of Plumcroft Primary School in the Royal Borough of Greenwich, London. It has over 850 pupils and is expanding onto a second site for a further 420 pupils.

Plumcroft Primary School provides a broad and balanced primary education which meets every child’s needs, interests and aspirations. Richard has a 16-year history of turning around failing/ underperforming schools. He has an expertise in using assessment data to transform outcomes for all pupils and accelerate the systemic improvement of schools.

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Expert Panel: Remote Learning

School closures due to the Covid-19 pandemic have resulted in most children being educated at home using technology to access learning activities.

But this period of remote learning has highlighted the issues of digital inequality in some households; it’s been estimated that 700,000 children are unable to complete any schoolwork because of a lack of internet at home.

“A lack of access to internet-enabled devices for some teachers and pupils means that homeschooling is more challenging for some, and in some cases simply inaccessible,” comments Julia Adamson, director of education at BCS, The Chartered Institute for IT. “We asked members of our Computing at School community to tell us about their experiences and they reported widespread issues, such as students sharing mobile phones or using games console or mobile data plans to access online learning.”

Julia delves further into the issues: “Without the level of interactivity that technology supports, teachers cannot manage the students’ learning, support those that are struggling with a task, or encourage those that are succeeding to stretch themselves. In addition, any learning tasks that are set cannot draw on information and resources that are outside the home, and there will be a significant time delay between a student submitting work and receiving feedback from the teacher.”

While there has always been a ‘digital divide’, the current situation has brought it acutely into focus, comments Edd Grinham, head of commercial at Exa Networks. He says: “Even if a household had a device suitable for home learning pre-lockdown, that device might now be needed by siblings or even parents who are home working.

“Without a suitable device, home schooling relies on learning packs (or similar) provided by schools which often requires intervention by a parent or carer who may be working themselves.

With only 22 per cent of state schools providing four or more pieces of offline work during lockdown, the lack of an internet-enabled device is surely contributing to the estimated two million children in the UK (one in five) that have done little or no work since lockdown began.”

Recognising the issue, the Department for Education (DfE) has put in place several measures to help disadvantaged children access the remote technology they need.

Rachel Hope from the Department for Education’s Teaching Workforce Directorate, explains: “At the Department for Education, we are working hard to support those who lack access to internet-enabled devices. We are providing over 200,000 laptops and tablets, as well as internet access via 4G wireless routers, for some disadvantaged children and young people who do not currently have access to them from other sources, such as their school.

“In addition to providing over 50,000 4G wireless routers, BT is partnering with DfE to provide in-need families with six months’ free access to the UK’s largest Wi-fi estate, which extends to 5.5 million Wi-fi hotspots around the country. BT will provide in-need families with six months’ free access to the UK’s largest Wi-fi estate, which extends to 5.5 million Wi-fi hotspots around the country.”

Speaking from the frontline, Richard Slade, headteacher of Plumcroft Primary School in London, shares his experience of dealing with the digital access gap: “For some children who attend Plumcroft, the only internet device in the home is a parent’s mobile phone with limited data. The school has worked hard to really support those children to find a way of getting access to enable continued learning and development.

“Plumcroft has 213 children who are entitled to free school meal vouchers, but the school was only entitled to three laptops from the DfE’s scheme, so there’s still a huge challenge to facilitate equity of access to online learning.”

“And even for the three children who qualified for a laptop, if they haven’t got access to the internet then they still won’t be able to engage with any form of distance learning. As a school, we simply don’t have the budget or capacity to start allocating resource for this need.”

Distance learning to this extent is a new challenge for most schools, so how can teachers use technology to keep children engaged and motivated when learning at home?

The Department for Education is offering funded support for digital education platforms, which help to maintain the contact and rapport between teachers and pupils.

Rachel Hope explains: “Digital education platforms enable teachers to design and deliver tasks for pupils to continue to learn remotely, ensuring an engaging and quality education experience for all young people.

“Using remote teaching technology, schools can engage in two-way conversations with pupils and deliver dynamic content like: broadcasting whole-school assemblies; providing real-time feedback on pupils’ work; enabling collaborative working for pupils on shared online documents and projects; and maximising readily available digital resources.

“Evidence shows digital education platforms can make a significant difference to schools, when their doors are open or closed, by improving learning outcomes, particularly for pupils who are struggling.

Adapting to remote education has benefits now and into the future whatever scenario may arise which could force schools to close their doors.” – Rachel Hope Engaging and motivating children A study from the National Foundation for Educational Research revealed that school leaders believe a third of all pupils are not engaging in school work at all. Teachers in the most deprived schools report 30 per cent of pupils returning their last piece of work, compared to 49 per cent of pupils in the least deprived schools.

Teachers also reported that, on average, just over half (55 per cent) of their pupils’ parents are engaged with their children’s home learning.

“These platforms help teachers to organise learning activities, and provide structure for students learning at home. To really engage pupils with new and different online activities, schools might want to consider how they can employ different media to deliver learning content. For example, audio and video recordings; links to existing online resources within task-based planning or digital worksheets; and powerpoints with attached audio providing teacher walkthrough.” E Issue 25.4 | EDUCATION BUSINESS MAGAZINE

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Expert Panel: Remote Learning

 Edd Grinham points out that it’s difficult for teachers to suddenly change their established working habits and expect that the changes they put in place will be successful for all learners - especially considering that many teachers are home-schooling themselves with their own children at home. “Some teachers will try doing exactly what they do in class, and in being busy will feel that they are making headway,” comments Edd Grinham.

“But children’s attention will start to wane, and teachers may start to see lower pupil engagement with sessions. Much like physical exercise, longer term repeated activities are far better than one big exertion at the beginning.”

Edd continues: “Having a regular routine along with a regular programme of content and learning activities facilitates a sense of normality. This normality helps pupils self-activate their attention and allows them to ‘switch on’ at the right time.

“Unlike being in a classroom where a teacher can speak to each pupil individually when needed, an online session almost dictates that a “one size fits all” approach is adopted – focus must be given to personalising sessions as much as possible and help nurture and develop a sense of community.”

Pointing out the wealth of online resources that are available, Edd Grinham says: “There is an abundance of learning resources already out there, online or even through television, such as BBC Bitesize Daily or Oak Academy Online Learning. An easy mistake teachers can make is to feel the need to produce their own material - but there is little to be gained by reinventing the wheel. By curating and signposting to relevant content, teachers can use saved time to focus upon questions about the content to determine comprehension of the subject matter.”

“It’s important to identify which students are struggling because of lack of sufficient connectivity. Or do they lack adequate access to a device or basic digital skills?

Schools should start to build plans to address those needs and inconsistencies – so that the provision that they offer is available to every learner.” – Julia Adamson “Asynchronous learning doesn’t provide the necessary face-to-face interaction of synchronous learning experiences. Thus, a solid support system needs to be in place where pupils can gain additional help. This may be through synchronous methods such as a telephone call or a one-to-one video chat or even a textbased messenger tool, for example, if they need support to engage or access the content.”

Feedback and reward is another important element of ensuring pupil engagement, believes Julia: “This could be as simple as awarding house points and keeping a tally of them, to sending out digital certificates or badges, and recognising achievements in newsletters, class updates and one-to-ones.”

The quality and speed of feedback is vitally important to keep pupils engaged, Richard Slade believes: “Primarily, it needs to be fast and accurate. If there’s a delay, pupils have moved on or potentially disengaged.

As a result, it makes it much more difficult to provide the right support at the right time.

“As our key distance learning delivery is through Renaissance and myON, we can see

“To keep children engaged with distance learning over time, the quality and speed of the feedback loop is vital. Primarily, it needs to be fast and accurate. If there’s a delay, pupils have moved on or potentially disengaged. As a result, it makes it much more difficult to provide the right support at the right time.” – Richard Slade Julia Adamson shares some ideas for keeping pupils engaged with learning from home: “Teachers could integrate a wide range of activities to avoid learner boredom and provide a multisensory approach. Offer a mixture of text and media-driven materials so that children who prefer to access media-rich content are not excluded.

“It’s important not to forget that pupils who are self-learning can easily disengage from an experience that fails to grab their interest or attention. A ripple effect of quiet reading, and written exercises should be broken up by impactful media resources.

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and analyse a range of engagement data.

For example, from the data we know that the 851 children at our school have collectively completed over 33,000 books since lockdown started on 23 March 2020. We can also assign projects and these help give children real structure and drive their reading engagement.

We can see children are reading as much at home as they have ever been – if not more!

“We’re keeping children motivated through our online Distance Learning Portal that links to myON and also offers a broad spectrum of activities like music and wellbeing support. The core focus of ensuring children are continuing

to read and do maths is tracked through myON, Accelerated Reader, Accelerated Maths and Maths in a Flash. This suite of online learning tools from Renaissance allows teachers to create projects that are age and ability specific. Our class teachers can see how many books have been read and completed and then focus a lot of energy on those who haven’t been getting involved.

“We do a weekly analysis and then teachers call pupils/parents to see why students might not be logging in and reading and see what they can do to help. Without the weekly data provided by myON and the other Renaissance systems, we’d be going in to this blind and hoping everyone was doing learning without really knowing.”

Learning from lockdown The government has confirmed that they want a full time return to school in September. However, with the threat of localised lockdowns, as we have seen in Leicester, and the possibility of children having to self isolate if their school has seen an outbreak, remote teaching will like be reality to some extent at the start of the new academic year. So how important is it to get distance teaching right to prepare for this scenario in the near future?

The DfE’s Rachel Hope says: “As part of schools’ planning preparations, I encourage schools to set up on digital education platforms, as this is the critical piece of infrastructure to support learning both in the classroom and at home, should there be localised lockdowns. In the long term, schools will also benefit from these platforms, through better knowledge sharing, reducing teacher workload, and streamlining processes to save time and money.”

Understanding the needs of learners at home is key for schools to get distance teaching right, believes Julia Adamson. She says: “It’s important to identify which students are struggling because of lack of sufficient connectivity. Or do they lack access to a device or basic digital skills? Schools should start to build plans to address those needs and inconsistencies – so that the provision that they offer is available to every learner.

“We also lack sufficient research-based evidence to say what a highly effective remote teaching environment looks like and what the underlying pedagogies should be. This makes it harder for schools to “get remote teaching right” because we simply don’t know enough about what ‘good’ looks like.”

Edd Grinham agrees that assessment of pupils’ home environment needs to happen so issues can be addressed for future

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Learning over summer Many kids have missed out on quality education whilst home working – is there an argument to use remote learning technology over the summer holidays to help children catch up?

Julia Adamson says: “For many, the summer holidays will be a very welcome break from the rather intensive few months of home learning and access to remote learning technologies, for others maybe less so. If there was an argument to use remote learning technology over the summer holidays to help children to catch up – the first question to answer would be which children need the most support – and have they got access to the tools and systems to enable them to access this additional support.”

Richard Slade points out that getting children to catch up on missed learning may be easier said than done. He explains: “One of the many things that’s fascinated us during lockdown is that during the two week Easter break and the May half-term, engagement dropped even though these two holidays were during the peak of lockdown when people couldn’t go out or do other things anyway. To expect masses of learning to take place during lockdown in the summer break feels like an unrealistic expectation.

“The concept of catch-up over the summer would seem to have logical merit but the practical implementation of it is very difficult.

If it is merely optional then from our holiday data during lockdown, it seems unlikely that there would be mass take-up by those that may really need it. If it were to be made compulsory then I think you would lose a lot of goodwill from parents. In addition, it’s highly unlikely that schools will have any staff coming in over the summer break. High expectations about levels of learning taking place at home during the summer is also a real challenge.

“The reality is there has always been a ‘digital divide’ but the current situation has brought it acutely into focus. Even if a household had a device suitable for home learning pre-lockdown, that device might now be needed by siblings or even parents who are home working.” – Edd Grinham “Instead, our plan is to keep the myON projects going each week over the summer – The core aim is to keep pupils reading throughout the summer break because the vast majority are now in the habit.”

Edd Grinham says that there is benefit to leaving the summer holidays to “relax, refresh and recharge batteries”. He says: “While we’ve been learning from home and working from home, one thing people have reported difficulty with is having clear boundaries between school, work and home - so encroaching on summer holidays poses another potential problem area.

“Schools are unlikely to be able to maintain the same levels of engagement throughout the extended period, but there are still opportunities for flexible projects to keep those young brains and bodies active. Here is where on-demand rather than synchronous activities are going to be more suitable. Maintaining some light, but regular communications between school and home will help serve those warm connections that were established before the country entered lockdown.

“As a parent myself to two Primary school children, I imagine I am in a similar boat to many who are facing the upcoming summer break and wondering how I can keep my kids entertained whilst continuing to work from my, now homeoffice when there is no school work to be done.”

Rachel Hope adds: “Over the summer, pupils can draw on support from the BBC, which has launched its own education package across TV and online, helping to keep children learning and supporting parents while at home.”

Remote learning in the future The lockdown has forced the education sector to embrace educational technology in ways like never before. New research from Renaissance has revealed that nearly two-thirds (65 per cent) of teachers and senior leaders say they are more confident using educational technology compared to pre-Coronavirus. This learning experience can be advantageous for the future, should schools have to close due to snow

Expert Panel: Remote Learning

home learning. He says: “It is important to consider ‘pupil voice’, how pupils are responding to these new experiences and not just rely on assessments and gradings to analyse the success of remote working.

“A good use of on-site school time would be to prepare for periods of remote schooling, do students have access to the learning materials they need? Are schools able to provide them with copies of printed texts and equipment they can use? Are the devices they use administratively locked down – do they require software installations or updates?

“Ultimately I don’t believe we’ll ever will get to a point where remote-schooling is perfect, nor should we strive to arrive at a point where it is not further developed. Continual improvement is vital for education, just as any other sector.”

days in the winter, or other reasons, not to mention if there were further lockdowns.

Julia Adamson says that to prepare for future distance learning, there needs to be a robust foundation established. This foundation should include a basic underlying infrastructure: “Quality broadband, should be ubiquitous, like water and electricity – it shouldn’t matter where you live or what you can afford – it needs to be there for everyone,” comments Julia.

Other layers of the foundation include device access, and for those families that do not have this, there needs to be a support mechanism in place to ensure that they can.

“Teachers too will need support and training to develop the skills and capabilities to be able to facilitate effective remote teaching and to support home learning,” says Julia. “And we’ll need to ensure that there is evidence-based research to inform remote teaching practices so that the remote teaching is as effective as possible for as many learners as possible.”

Using the snow day example, Edd Grinham says that schools who are able to quickly adopt remote learning for a day or two are more likely to do so for health & safety purposes.

“This would not only benefit those directly involved, but also reduce the added strain on our roads and travel infrastructure,” says Edd. Richard Slade says: “There is such a wide variety of ways distance learning has been used and developed due to necessity that if we go back to the ‘old normal’ then we’ve not learned from all the success that digital learning has brought with it in the last few weeks. The ‘new normal’ of schooling, especially when all children are back in school, must be a blended model that embeds the best of what we’ve all been driven to create during lockdown with the core benefits of being physically present in a classroom.

“My core message is to keep our distance learning systems working and embedded when schools open so that if they do have to close again, it’s a minor adjustment rather than a sudden restart.

As a profession, let’s grasp the opportunity to create a ‘new normal’ for learning.”

Rachel Hope urges schools to act now if they do not have a digital education platform in place so they don’t get left behind. She says: “Evidence shows digital education platforms can make a significant difference to schools, when their doors are open, by improving learning outcomes, particularly for pupils who are struggling. Adapting to remote education has benefits now and well into the future whatever scenario may arise which could force schools to close their doors.” L Issue 25.4 | EDUCATION BUSINESS MAGAZINE

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Online Safety Written by Ian Stevenson, chair of OSTIA

Being educated in the digital space Increased time online while learning from home is leading to a greater online safety threat for children. So what can be done about it? Ian Stevenson, chair of OSTIA shares some thoughts As the whole world grapples with the uncertainty and stress brought on by the coronavirus, there are glimmers of hope that communities are pulling together.

All over the country, individuals are uniting to show support for the NHS, make face masks and volunteer.

However, there are also areas that need to be handled with caution during this current climate – in particular, online safety.

With official government guidance being to work from home, and schools mostly closed and children learning remotely online, the population is spending a greater amount of time online than usual. This is leading to the potential for greater child safety issues.

Cybercriminals are among the most proficient at targeting vulnerable individuals – from phishing attacks purporting to be official government advice on the pandemic, to more aggressive predatory behaviour from those targeting children. Parents, carers, educators, governments, and technology companies all

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have a shared responsibility to educate and protect children from these online harms.

warrants against high risk CSA offenders, and made several arrests, including two suspected transnational child sex offenders. The NCA and UK policing relentlessly fight the online child sexual abuse threat, arresting more than 500 child sex offenders and safeguarding around 700 children each month.

The threats faced certainly include traditional grooming activity which we are seeing online, but also other, more delicate issues of online harm such as children ‘sexting’ each other and sharing imagery, which could well form the basis of future blackmail and make them more vulnerable. Risks to children from each other, such as bullying often within school class groups and potentially on education platforms, and threats to teachers where pupils are sending abuse to teachers via platforms, are exacerbated when children are consistently expected to spend more time online for their education – whether using educationspecific tools, or wider services that are being adopted for this use.

Heightened risks It is not an empty statement to say that increased time online for the UK is leading to a greater online safety threat for children. Recent data from the It National Crime Agency (NCA) How educators is not shows that new arrests are can help taking place as a result of Schools have a dual an emp these types of activity. responsibility when it stateme ty n The NCA has reported comes to e-safety: to t t o say that inc that child sex offenders ensure the school’s r e a sed tim online i are seeking to exploit online procedures e more young people and keep children and greater s leading to a online s children who are at home young people safe, and threat f using the internet. In the to teach them about or childafety last few weeks, the NCA has online safety, both in ren developed and disseminated and outside of school. Of upwards of a thousand online course, the current climate child sexual abuse (CSA) packages provides extra obstacles in to UK policing, executed multiple these areas, but by fostering an open

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environment in which children and young people are encouraged to ask any questions, there is an increased chance of engagement and participation in an ongoing conversation about the benefits and dangers of the online world. In terms of practical and easier to implement advice, the NCA and National Police Chiefs’ Council are urging children, parents, teachers and carers to ensure they know how to stay safe on the web. The NCA has recently launched a new #OnlineSafetyAtHome campaign through its education team, with series of 15 minute activities which adults, including teachers and parents, can do with children to help them understand safety.

Various organisations, such as the NSPCC, Internet Matters and thinkuknow are at the forefront of promoting e-safety for schools, offering guides online for teachers to learn how to best support children with limited face-to-face contact during this disaster.

Alongside the need for online safety education is the matter of how exactly remote teaching can be accomplished in a safe way, for instance to mitigate the risk that increased unsupervised time on devices causes, such as children using social media when their parents believe they’re on education tools.

In order to get this right, there needs to be best practice considered from the very platform used to communicate through to the type of work being set. Communication is important to consider, as it can be difficult to maintain the same safeguarding practices instilled in teachers for their normal faceto-face learning environment. So again, there should be support offered by schools centrally to aid teachers in how to provide and run a safe and secure online platform for students that minimises risk without impacting on the teaching being carried out.

How parents can help A key area of protecting children and vulnerable people online is educating parents and carers on the topic. Schools can do as much as they can but the foundations for keeping children safe online need to be promoted at home. However, it is an understandably difficult topic; people don’t like talking about the issues of sexual abuse, grooming, bullying and sextortion or nudity.

By communicating with your children and explaining to them that there are individuals online that have bad intentions is how you keep them safe, so the conversations need to be approached and delivered in much the same way you’d tell your child to not get into a stranger’s car if they offer you a lift. That is especially important regarding sharing any pictures or videos, as in many ways the dangers are just as real.

Looking at it even more broadly – especially for younger children – parents also need to assess what technologies they have access to. Games on a tablet may seem innocent enough, but does that game have a messaging function that enables them to speak to other players, or contain links to install other applications, or ways to input credit card information to buy add-ons?

To help with this, there are age-appropriate design guides for websites and applications which can help steer technology companies.

It is perfectly appropriate for children to be talking with other children, but if you are creating a game or a platform that is targeting young users, you should be creating safe spaces by design. That can be done through verifying the age of users and there is excellent technology available to detect instances of bullying, harassment and grooming conversations, as well as actual child

abuse material and nudity. Parents and carers need to encourage children towards platforms that have displayed these capabilities.

For the maximum benefit, there needs to be collaboration between parents, carers and educators, to make sure the same rules are being reinforced in both settings, work and play. Communication between both groups, whether existing or through newly established channels to help with the current lockdown situation, can go a long way in helping make this a reality. Why organisations are joining together Stepping away from directly involved carers and teachers, clear guidance from national organisations, supported by shocking statistics and data, is leading to more collaboration than ever before. Perhaps the coronavirus crisis could have the “unexpected consequence” of increased dialogue and cooperation between tech companies and EU politicians, as suggested by Thierry Breton, EU Internal Market Commissioner.

With education existing very much in the digital space, these dialogues should be followed by those involved to keep up to date with the latest in online safety. One such example of this heightened collaboration is the recently launched Online Safety Tech Industry Association (OSTIA). It is a growing association that began with 14 technology companies, with a mission to drive conversation and policy, bridging the gap between those who seek change and those who fear it will be costly and difficult to implement. OSTIA has support from the National Crime Agency, GCHQ, the Home Office and the NSPCC. The Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport is also advising OSTIA, and will hold regular meetings with the industry association.

It is currently working on best practice guides for platform builders to understand these online spaces and how best to design and navigate them to promote safety. These kinds of resources break down online safety into actionable steps; which is vital as often the overall issue can seem insurmountable.

The first focus for these guides will be to compile an Introductory Guide to Online Safety. This document will be drafted with specialist insight from government and civil society organisations to act as a guide for online platforms to proactively tackle online safety in the very design of their offerings.

Educators should see themselves as very much the target audience for this kind of material too, both current and upcoming, as there is a lot from the wider online space that can be distilled and applied to education platforms. By working with parents, teachers and carers to educate children on the risks of online harms, as well as ensuring proper safeguarding through collaboration across the sector and government, change will begin to happen and major leaps will be made to combat the increasing online harms landscape. L

Online Safety

Cybercriminals are among the most proficient at targeting vulnerable individuals. Parents, carers, educators, governments, and technology companies all have a responsibility to educate and protect children from online harms

Ian Stevenson is chair of OSTIA and CEO and co-founder at Cyan Forensics FURTHER INFORMATION www.ostia.org.uk

Issue 25.4 | EDUCATION BUSINESS MAGAZINE

35

Written by Ali Oliver, chief executive of the Youth Sport Trust

Issue 25.4 | EDUCATION BUSINESS MAGAZINE

Sport

How school sport moved online

of technology. All activities created include inclusive games and ensuring activities can be played with varying space and equipment.

In Ashfield, Nottinghamshire, SGOs have been setting weekly competitions virtually for schools and families. Lockdown medals have been awarded to those who participate and SGOs have kept the focus on encouraging young people to find their sport, reporting that the number of children normally The pandemic has helped the school sport sector move online, considered inactive or who wouldn’t take part which could have unexpected benefits for the future, writes in team activities have now participated.

In Wolverhampton, SGOs have been helping Ali Oliver, chief executive of the Youth Sport Trust young people with Profound and Multiple Learning Disabilities (PMLD) at a time when parents at home need more support than ever.

With disruption to school life in England “The virtual world is allowing us to engage They identified a gap in provision for inclusive set to continue for some time, the school people in physical activity like never before. activities for PMLD students and, through sport network is adapting and applying its The winter months are more challenging due working with an early years team, wrote a learnings from lockdown to ensure children’s to the changes in weather, but hopefully by programme for PMLD students to be used at love of school sport does not dwindle, and then most children will be back at school with home. The programme has now been picked the hardest to reach won’t miss out. more space available to them - if not then up and used by eight other counties and SEN A workforce of more than 450 School our work will continue delivering activities schools have sent it home to pupils.

Games Organisers (SGOs), who are trusted using minimal space and equipment,

The School Games, and experienced leaders of school sport and that are fun and engaging which is funded by Sport physical activity programmes, were redeployed regardless of the weather.

Virtual England National Lottery in March and have since helped parents, “The online delivery sports funding and delivered by schools and communities move school sport and the innovative challen the Youth Sport Trust, online. Taking to Twitter, TikTok, Instagram content of the work g and com es is a government led and Facebook, they have been setting being provided by the petition programme designed active daily challenges with a focus on fun, YST and SGOs will c s r eated in to deliver competitive enjoyment and sharing positive messages. help to keep students the pandem school sport to all Sport England and children’s charity the active, along with i continu c could young people.

Youth Sport Trust responded to a pressing need the encouragement ed The network of for action to help children stay active following from their PE teachers the win uring School Games Organisers the Government’s announcement of school in school. There is t and Local Organising closures, remote working and social distancing. something for everyone, monthser Committees (LOCs) have Many SGOs are now considering how virtual and we hope, with the worked alongside the Youth Sport sports challenges and competitions created feedback we are gathering, Trust in delivering three distinct levels in the pandemic can continue during the that we will continue to of competition since the Games’ inception in winter months, something which would not encourage the less active to join in.”

2010 - ranging from intra - inter school activity, have taken place had this crisis not occurred.

SGOs believe a move online could help in addition to the National Finals, which is SGO’s have also been working collaboratively to overcome some of the challenges that supported by National Governing Bodies. L across their county with active partnerships. they face to engage young people in sport at school during exam seasons, providing The new norm in PE more flexibility for young people who may FURTHER INFORMATION The Youth Sport Trust has also created a be less willing to join in large-scale outdoor www.yourschoolgames.com new curriculum mapping guide to help PE events because of time constraints. Already, www.youthsporttrust.org teachers and leads review their PE curriculum SGOs are reporting how many children and plan for the future beyond Covid-19. are engaged beyond the school gates.

They have created some PE top teaching Evie (8) is Holly’s daughter. She has been tips to support young people’s wellbeing helping her mum to set daily challenges and principles to follow as part of this. for her peers and parents who are turning The advice includes ensuring pupils remain to social media for help and days in and work in their own area. Cones or chalk can school remain staggered for most. be used to mark out areas where applicable.

Hopscotch Shuttle, Sit Down Stand Up Pupils should not share equipment and Tri Golf challenges are some of the in the lesson. Equipment should be activities she has been giving tutorials cleaned both before and after use. on for primary school children.

Games should also not involve physical She said: “It’s important for young people contact against an opponent or team. to stay active at this difficult time as we PE should include physical, cognitive social need to be healthy. The coronavirus has and emotional outcomes. Lessons should be stopped us doing our clubs, I am missing safe but put fun at the forefront of any learning six hours of gymnastics, one hour of delivered. What’s more, PE and PA should be netball and playing with my friends used to support the wellbeing of pupils’. each week, so we need to do other types of activity to keep fit and healthy.”

The virtual world SGOs have been redeployed by Sport Holly Shirley is an SGO in Hampshire.

England and the Youth Sport Trust to She said: “I am one of 15 School Games help care for pupils and families with an Organisers in Hampshire, and we have aim to reduce sedentary behaviour and been working closely together during boredom and foster lockdown creating the #HSGDailyChallenge daily exercise habits initiative for Hampshire’s young people. and a positive use

37

Outdoor Learning Written by Justine Lee from the Council for Learning Outside the Classroom

38

Giving pupils space to learn Responding to the impact Covid-19 has had on learning and meeting guidelines around physical distancing is requiring schools to be innovative in how they deliver the curriculum and support pupil health and wellbeing, writes Justine Lee from the Council for Learning Outside the Classroom In recognition of the consequence of a sustained period of absence from school on the mental health of pupils, both the Welsh and Scottish governments have put outdoor learning at the heart of their guidance to schools on reopening more widely. The Department for Education in England has also recommended that schools utilise outdoor spaces in their planning.

The Council for Learning Outside the Classroom is campaigning for more schools to re-evaluate how and where they teach.

Dr Anne Hunt, chief executive at the Council for Learning Outside the Classroom, said: “Teaching doesn’t have to take place in school buildings. Moving outside or utilising other spaces within the local community means teachers will be able to deliver the curriculum safely and effectively whilst ensuring they meet government guidelines on physical distancing.

“Children and young people are dealing with high levels of disruption, uncertainty and a lack of physical connection with their friends and with the natural world and the inequalities are widening. Learning

outside the classroom offers a wellevidenced intervention – with almost universal availability and at very low cost – that can make such a big difference to so many children and young people.”

“In the midst of such a traumatic event for many people, the children’s wellbeing has been at the forefront of lessons. Children have been encouraged to talk about their experiences of lockdown and express their hopes and fears for the future. Being in the outdoors is a great way to improve children’s mood and develop their positive mental wellbeing. Not only does it give the children space to run around and let off steam, the outdoors also provides the perfect soundtrack and atmosphere for relaxation and meditation. Sit Spots have been used with children across the school this week. In lessons, children are invited to find a quiet spot in the outdoors and sit. This gives them time for contemplation and a moment to reflect.”

Lack of outdoor space However, many schools don’t have ready access to outdoor space. In recognition of this, Edinburgh City Council has offered all schools in the city its green spaces for use as ‘outdoor classrooms’. Parks, woodlands and Space to learn natural heritage sites can all now be used to Thanks to a long tradition of using outdoor help schools increase pupil capacity when learning, Kendall Primary School in Essex they reopen in August. The Council hopes has been able to welcome over 100 children that this extra space will enable schools back to school since the beginning of June. to increase the amount of face-to-face Lewis Barrett-Rodger, deputy head teacher, learning time they can offer their pupils. said: “When planning to re-open, we knew In London, The Garden Classroom is that our well-established outdoor learning supporting a school in Hackney to overcome would be essential in maintaining social the challenges it faces as a result of distancing and keeping our staff and pupils restrictions due to Covid19. After discussions safe whilst at school. Being outside gives with a church adjacent to the school, our children more space to learn pupils now have access to a and helps them to keep apart The large secure garden area from each other where Counci in the church’s grounds necessary. We also Learnin l for where they can take part know from the science in curriculum-linked that being outside the Cla g Outside s games and naturereduces the risk of s r o o e m is ncoura connection activities. transmission. gin

to think g schools about hcreatively where ow and lea takes p rning lace

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Outdoor Learning

Support for learning outdoors The Council for Learning Outside the Classroom is encouraging schools to think creatively about how and where learning takes place and has brought together the leading bodies and associations involved in learning outside the classroom and who are ready and able to support schools to develop their curriculum by taking their lessons beyond the classroom.

Dr Hunt said: “Educational visit providers have been hit exceptionally hard by the Covid19 restrictions, and many are facing an uncertain future. These venues, providers, attractions and destinations provide an invaluable service to schools, helping teachers to extend classroom-based learning and giving pupils the opportunity to apply their learning in real world settings.

“We have an opportunity to think more creatively about other suitable learning spaces. Museums, galleries, sacred places and so on are all standing empty. As the Garden Classroom has shown, there are opportunities for teachers to talk to partners and providers about utilising these local spaces to accommodate their pupils in ways that respect government guidance on social distancing.”

The consortium, which represents over 500 organisations, believes that helping schools to deliver programmes of regular, progressive lessons outside the classroom will help schools deliver their curriculum safely and effectively, deliver benefits to pupil health and wellbeing – at home and at school – build better home/ school learning partnerships by enabling teachers to develop consistent learning experiences for all their pupils whether at home or school, and mitigate against widening inequalities resulting from school closures.

The Welsh and Scottish governments have put outdoor learning at the heart of their guidance to schools on reopening more widely. The Department for Education in England has also recommended that schools utilise outdoor spaces Playing with social distancing Heart of England Forest is working with its local schools in Warwickshire to help pupils re-establish relationships, learn to play together in new ways and reclaim a sense of freedom after the limitations of lockdown and ongoing limitations of social distancing.

To help schools and ensure the programme was successful, Heart of England Forest worked closely with its schools and deliver a whole day of activities on its site for each school. This meant that parents could drop and collect children directly at the forest reducing the need for alternative transport, maintaining pre-existing ‘bubbles’ for learning and play activities and mirroring each school’s risk assessment so staff enforce the school’s rules rather than introducing a different set of rules which might be confusing and unsettling for the children.

Elaine Skates from the Heart of England Forest’s learning team, said: “Schools have been able to use our site and programme to provide positive transition experiences, particularly for year 6 pupils who may have missed out on celebration school trips.

And our focused and hands-on curriculum

learning have also enabled pupils to ‘catch-up’ with lost curriculum time.”

The hiatus brought on by Covid-19 provides schools with the chance to use this period to build confidence and embed a culture of learning outside the classroom.

By doing this, schools will build a strong foundation to support a programme of progressive learning beyond the classroom going forward, which will help realise the immense benefits for pupils, schools and providers of services to schools too.

Dr Hunt continued: “Covid-19 has impacted on all our lives and will continue to do so for many months to come. It has however presented the opportunity for society to re-look at the way teaching is delivered and to be innovative in how it does this. We are hopeful that a better approach to learning will emerge, with greater recognition of the importance of learning in different places and spaces, and the value this brings for children, young people, teachers, schools and the wider community.” L FURTHER INFORMATION www.lotc.org.uk

Issue 25.4 | EDUCATION BUSINESS MAGAZINE

39

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