Education Business Magazine issue 16.3

FIRE SAFETY – Beat the arsonists PLUS Introducing new fire safety signs

ENERGYThought-provoking ideas to tackle climate change

VOLUME 16.3

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www.educationbusinessuk.net

DESIGN & BUILD

Creating vocational learning spaces

that inspire pupils

FINANCEAccurate costing –a key managementtool for educationalinstitutions

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Volume 16.3 | EDUCATION BUSINESS MAGAZINE

EDUCATION BUSINESS MAGAZINE

WELCOMEParents, teachers, pupils and other interested members of the public have submitted more than 4,000 responses to the government’s review of the National Curriculum – indicating a high level of interest in this area. As England has sunk in international league tables, the review will examine the best school systems in the world and aim to give us a world-class curriculum that will help teachers, parents and children know what children should learn at what age.

In this issue of EB we learn more about the implications of the new SEN Green Paper (p. 27), what advantages heat pumps can offer educational premises (p. 65), and what biometrics is and how the technology is used in schools (p. 75).

We also review BSEC, the UK’s dedicated event for the provision and procurement of educational spaces, on page 41, as well as the Education Show, which hosted over 400 suppliers of educational resources (p. 85).

Enjoy the issue.

FIRE SAFETY – Beat the arsonists PLUS Introducing new fire safety signs

ENERGYThought-provoking ideas to tackle climate change

VoLUmE 16.3

A member of

A key media partner


DESIGN & BUILD

Creating vocational learning spaces

that inspire pupils

FINANCEAccurate costing –a key managementtool for educationalinstitutions

Sofie Lidefjard, [email protected]

PUBLISHED BY PUBLIC SECTOR INFORMATION LIMITED226 High Rd, Loughton, Essex IG10 1ET. Tel: 020 8532 0055 Fax: 020 8532 0066 Web: www.psi-media.co.ukEDITOR Sofie Lidefjard ASSISTANT EDITOR Angela Pisanu PRODUCTION EDITOR Karl O’Sullivan PRODUCTION DESIGN Jacqueline Grist PRODUCTION CONTROL Julie White ADVERTISEMENT SALES Emma Lines, Lycy Sitton, Jake Deadman, Charles Montgomery, Jasmina ZaveriSALES ADMINISTRATION Jackie Carnochan, Martine Carnochan ADMINISTRATION Victoria Leftwich, Joanne MackernessSALES SUPERVISOR Marina Grant BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT MANAGER Carol Symons PUBLISHER Karen HoppsGROUP PUBLISHER Barry Doyle REPRODUCTION & PRINT Argent Media

If you would like to receive 6 issues of Education Business magazine for £45 a year, please contact Public Sector Information Limited, 226 High Road, Loughton, Essex IG10 1ET. Tel: 020 8532 0055, Fax: 020 8532 0066, or visit the Education Business website at:

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© 2011 Public Sector Information Limited. No part of this publication can be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any other means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise) without the prior written permission of the publisher. Whilst every care has been taken to ensure the accuracy of the editorial content the publisher cannot be held responsible for errors or omissions. The views expressed are not necessarily those of the publisher. ISSN 1362 - 2541

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Contents

05

07 NEWS

11 SCHOOL BUSINESS MANAGEMENTThe National Association of School Business Management looks at the benefits and potential hurdles to becoming an academy

19 FINANCEThe Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy examines effective costing and pricing approaches

25 PROCUREMENTThe Chartered Institute of Purchasing & Supply explains how collaborative ways of working can offer reduced costs

27 SPECIAL EDUCATIONAL NEEDSLorraine Petersen, CEO of nasen examines the recent SEN Green Paper and its implications

35 ASBESTOS MANAGEMENTA ground breaking Supreme Court ruling could see costs for the education sector run into billions of pounds

37 DESIGN & BUILDNew buildings are rarely without their problems; they need bedding-in, fine-tuning, and professional aftercare, which can be addressed by the soft landings approach, writes Roderic Bunn from BSRIA

BSEC 2011 proved successful and a major destination for education and industry leaders

University Technical Colleges require different approaches to classrooms and learning spaces to offer a more practical style of learning, writes Dr Kate Reynolds from Learning Plus UK

47 CLEANINGHealth, safety and hygiene can be improved by introducing better standards of cleanliness and air quality in your building

52 FACILITIES MANAGEMENTKaren Waterlow from Asset Skills explains the training and qualifications available for the facilities management profession

55 ACOUSTICSThe Institute of Acoustics discusses the need for better statutory control over classroom acoustics

57 FURNITUREPhil Reynolds from the Furniture Industry Research Association highlights what to consider when purchasing new furniture

59 ENERGYSchools from around the country came up with unique and inspiring ideas to tackle climate change as part of the Climate Week Challenge

The curriculum should address climate issues in a holistic way, says Climate Change Solutions

Heat pumps offer a robust solution for heating in schools, argues the Heat Pump Association

67 FIRE SAFETYThe Fire Industry Association explains how having extra fire protection can help schools prevent arson

Understanding of the meaning of fire safety signs is a fundamental requirement of the Health and Safety Regulations

73 SECURITYInvesting time and money in assessing security and developing an effective security strategy can save you money in the longer term

75 BIOMETRICSIntellect’s Carla Baker explains the benefits of using biometric technology in schools

79 ICTThe e-Learning Foundation investigates how schools can fund and manage investment in technology based resources

83 PRINTINGHow are printing companies evolving to meet the challenges presented by the digital age, asks the British Printing Industries Federation

85 EDUCATION SHOW 2011Ray Barker of the British Educational Suppliers Association looks back at the highlights of the UK’s largest education resources exhibition

91 CATERINGThe School Food Trust explains the benefits of being able to demonstrate that your school menus meet the national standards

99 CONFERENCES & EVENTSWe look at the benefits of using an academic venue for your next event

103 EDUCATIONAL TRIPSThe School Travel Group offers suggestions on how you can use the Olympics to inspire school trips

Risk assessments play a key role in preparations for educational visits, says the Association of Teachers and Lecturers

There are several accreditations providers can apply for in order to reassure clients that they are running safe business

111 OUTDOOR LEARNINGWhat makes residential outdoor learning such a powerful and life-affirming experience, asks Dave Spence from Scottish Outdoor Education Centres

Aside from academic benefits, outdoor learning can help restore connections with self, others, the earth and the spiritual

Snow sports offer major benefits for pupils that are not associated with a more traditional PE curriculum

119 SPORTS & LEISUREThe Sports and Play Construction Association advises on how to choose the right surface for your multi-use games areas

The Football Foundation’s Paul Thorogood discusses the benefits that a new football pitch can offer schools



CONTENTS

THE BUSINESS MAGAZINE FOR EDUCATION

Education Business www.educationbusinessuk.net

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Volume 16.3 | EDUCATION BUSINESS MAGAZINE 07

FUNDINGGovernment launches consultation on how school funding can be made both fairer and simpler for all

A government consultation is seeking the views of parents, teachers, schools, unions and local authorities about the current funding

system, and asks whether a new system would result in a fairer outcome for schools. The recently launched consultation is the first part of a two-stage process. Taking into account these views, further proposals will be published for consultation later this year. Schools Minister Lord Hill said: “Head teachers tell us that the current funding system is unfair and illogical. In some cases it means a child living in one part of the country can be funded up to £1,800 more than a child with similar needs living elsewhere. “For standards to improve, all pupils must get the support they are entitled to. This consultation is the first step to ensuring fairer funding for all.”

NEWS IN BRIEFMore Hampshire pupils say yes to healthy school meals School meals in Hampshire are at their highest level for over a decade, with primary school pupils having enjoyed over six million tasty, healthy lunches served up by Hampshire County Council caterers (HC3S) in the last year. The price of a school meal for 2011/12 has been frozen and will be £2.00 for a third consecutive year.

Majority of teachers work with children living in poverty, survey suggestsAlmost 80 per cent of education staff have children in their schools or colleges who are living in poverty, it has been revealed. Research carried out by the Association of Teachers and Lecturers reports that 40 per cent of teachers believe poverty levels among pupils have increased since the start of the economic downturn.

629 academies now help raise education standards throughout the countryThe Department for Education has confirmed that more than 600 academies are now open. Furthermore, responding to increasing demand from head teachers the government has opened the programme up to even more schools. In six local authorities the majority of their secondary schools are now academies.

Sinfin school clean up with new environmental projectPupils from Sinfin Community School are working with Streetpride and Derby Homes to clean up the environment around their school. Year eight pupils visited an area of Sinfin and planned what work they could do to improve it, and identified what equipment they would need to carry out the task.

TO READ MORE PLEASE VISIT... www.educationbusinessuk.net/n/002

Education Committee calls for fundamental reform of OfstedThe House of Commons Education Committee has concluded that splitting Ofsted into two new organisations – the Inspectorate for Education and the Inspectorate for Children’s Care – will help to focus and improve inspection. In its report on the role and performance of Ofsted, the committee says a single children’s inspectorate is too big to function effectively, and needs greater elements of specialism to give people increased confidence in inspections. Graham Stuart MP, chair of the Committee, said: “Ofsted’s reach is vast and its remit has grown substantially since its inception, but this has come at the expense of providing a more specialised service. We need a radical shift in how inspection operates in this country, with a more proportionate, specialist and focused approach. Ofsted has, of course, made a great impact on the quality of

provision across the country, but the evidence clearly shows that smaller, more focused organisations could do even more so.” Splitting Ofsted would raise confidence that the inspection of all settings is being carried out by inspectors with relevant training and experience. Different approaches to inspection would flourish, and the profile of Ofsted’s non-education remit, which the committee says Ofsted has not adequately communicated and of which many people are unaware, would be given a welcome boost. The committee says it is essential that the new Education Inspectorate prioritises reporting on progress made per pupil across the full range of ability groups and the Department for Education should seek to give these progress measures prominence comparable to other key measures, such as ‘five good GCSEs’ and the new English Baccalaureate.

Survey highlights asbestos failure in schools A nationwide survey of more than 600 school safety representatives, conducted by the NUT and eight other unions with members in schools, has uncovered worrying shortcomings in asbestos management. The Joint Union Asbestos Campaign (JUAC) survey revealed that almost 70 per cent of safety representatives were not consulted about asbestos management in their school. Only 28 per cent of respondents stated that asbestos in their school was clearly marked, with nearly 40 per cent saying it definitely wasn’t, and the remainder not knowing. Only 20 per cent of respondents said that school staff had had any asbestos awareness training. Christine Blower, general secretary of the National Union of Teachers, said:“Lack of consultation with safety reps and lack of training for staff are two major areas of concern. There is no room for complacency. We are ready to work with schools and local authorities in any way we can to improve standards of asbestos management in schools.”

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NEWS IN BRIEF

Residents asked about Acton school plansResidents are being asked to give their views on proposals to increase the number of primary school places in Acton. Possible options include permanently expanding some existing schools, turning the Priory Community Centre in Acton Lane and the West Acton Community Centre in Churchill Gardens into new primary schools, and a consultation on the establishment of a Catholic primary school in west Acton has recently concluded. There are shortages of primary school places across the whole of Acton with some schools already taking in additional pupils.

Doncaster Council committed to value for money school mealsSchools across Doncaster Council are cooking up healthy and affordable meals following the launch of a brand new sizzling summer menu from the

council’s Schools Catering Service, which will include salmon fishcakes with new potatoes and Yorkshire beef casserole. The price of a primary school meal will increase from £1.70 to £2.00 and a secondary school meal will cost £2.10, up from £1.80. Doncaster has the highest number of primary and secondary pupils taking up school meals in the region.

Camden Council introduces a new Education CommissionA joint initiative between Camden schools and council to create the borough’s first independent education commission, chaired by Sir Mike Tomlinson, has been announced.

The new Education Commission will take a longer term view of education in Camden over the next five to ten years, seeing whether the greater flexibilities that will be available could enable Camden Council to develop its own approach.

Review of cultural education beginsCulture Minister Ed Vaizey has launched an independent review of cultural education, which will be led by Classic FM managing director Darren Henley. The review will look at how children can experience a wide variety of high quality cultural experiences. Mr Vaizey said that all children should have a solid cultural education: “Our culture brings audiences from across the world and we are particularly adept at producing world-leading performers and artists. To remain in such a strong position we need to be sure that we are giving children the best start in their cultural education. This should not just be an optional extra, but an essential part of every child’s school life.”

Brent Council is to spend £1.5m creating high quality ‘bulge’ classrooms at six primary schools to open in September 2011 and February 2012. Despite new, permanent provision opening at Preston Manor High School and Newfield and Brentfield primaries in September 2011, it is planning ahead for an expected demand for even more places. The council’s assistant director for achievement and inclusion Rik Boxer said: “Brent is facing

a very difficult situation because of increasing demand for primary school places but the council and schools take the issue very seriously and we are committed to working together to create more places for young pupils. “These temporary classrooms will all be built to a very high standard and should provide enough extra space to cope with the expected increase in demand for reception provision for the next academic year.”

Brent to spend £1.5m on temporary classrooms

DESIGN & BUILD

Nearly three out of four head teachers and senior teachers believe there is not enough freedom for schools to sack poorly performing teachers, according to a new poll by the Sutton Trust. This is also the view of more than half the teachers in the country according to the Teacher Voice Omnibus Survey carried out by the National Foundation for Educational Research (NFER) for the trust, which campaigns for greater social mobility. Only 21 per cent of teachers thought

schools had enough powers. The survey covered more than 2,170 teachers in England last November. They were also asked to state their top spending priority for the new pupil premium. Given 15 alternatives, 44 per cent opted for smaller classes, followed by additional teachers (16 per cent) and more support staff (14 per cent).

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APPRENTICESEssex County Council beats pledge to create 1,250 apprenticeships for young people1,369 apprenticeships have been created by the pioneering Essex Apprenticeship scheme, which has been working with industry by providing wage subsidies to companies who take on an apprentice. Councillor Peter Martin, leader of Essex County Council, said: “Essex County Council has made a commitment to continue to support apprenticeships despite the pressure of spending cuts.”

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The recent draft Education Bill has implied that the conversion to an academy is the preferred route by the coalition government for schools and will be the chosen route for new schools launched during their term in office. However, the decision to convert into an academy is not one to be taken lightly, and schools should ensure they perform a proper assessment and seek out the external advice available to make a fully informed decision. One of the very first actions a school should take when thinking about converting is to weigh up the potential benefits and hurdles. Becoming an academy may be an attractive prospect due to the increased freedom to decide how teaching is delivered, and greater control over admissions and student numbers.

WHAT IS AN ACADEMY?An academy trust is a charitable company responsible for the running of the academy, which has control over the land and other assets. Academies have freedom from local authority control, which means they have autonomy over the decisions made and the education they deliver. In order to convert to an academy the school has to qualify. Schools currently able to apply are primary and secondary schools that have been rated outstanding or good with outstanding features by Ofsted. Any school, primary or secondary, which form part of a formal partnership is able to apply, providing at least one of the schools is rated outstanding or good with outstanding features. What’s more, any school that joins an existing academy with a proven track record of school improvement qualifies.Therefore, a school does not have to be rated outstanding by Ofsted to apply for academy status as long as they follow the route of a formal partnership. Schools rated as outstanding or good with outstanding features that are applying for academy status have to support other schools; an essential part of converting to academy status is agreeing to support another school to raise standards. Conversion to academy status will not appeal to every school, many of which will be happy to remain within local authority

control. Such schools may wish to consider becoming foundation or trust schools, which allows a certain degree of independence but with on-going input from the local authority. These schools have the option of converting to academies at a later stage. Schools may also wish to consider joining an existing federation of academies, which would provide similar support to that provided by a local authority. Alternatively, a group of schools wishing to convert could set up their own federation which could facilitate joint procurement of services and mutual support.

SHOULD YOU BE CONSIDERING THE CONVERSION TO AN ACADEMY?An academy has the flexibility to structure its curriculum in the way that the leadership team think will best suit the needs of the pupils. However, the subjects covered still need to remain broad and balanced, and include maths, English, science and ICT. Academies have the option of specialising in one or two subjects like languages, sport and music. They are also not limited to one type of qualification and can offer a range of qualifications, above and beyond those offered by the local authority schools, including BTECs and diplomas. There are further benefits to becoming an academy, such as greater control over admissions and student numbers; freedom to purchase support services from providers offering the best value and service; and applying for capital grants from central government. Not all elements of the conversion process may be beneficial and schools must consider that there are a number of potential hurdles that must be undertaken during this process. These are varying and may involve external advice, including:• Terms and conditions of existing staff which are protected by the Transfer of Undertakings (Protection of Employment) Regulations 2006• The Local Government Pension Scheme may be in deficit and a school’s share of this deficit is passed over and will be required to be repaid• Owning the buildings and lands – bringing

both freedoms and legal liabilities• The governing body will need to be reviewed and new additions potentially appointed with one third being members of staff including the head teacher.It should also be noted that governors are not personally liable if an academy fails, if they act in good faith while carrying out their duty, but an academy is required to take out liability insurance, with a minimum cover of £10 million, to cover the governing body.

SCHOOL BUSINESS MANAGERSThe role of the school business manager (SBM) in the conversion to an academy is an instrumental one, as the school will become financially independent from the local authority when it converts. An academy receives its funding directly from the government via the YPLA. This means that services, including insurance, payroll, building maintenance, legal and governor services, which were previously provided by the local authority, will need to be procured separately by the academy. Additionally, and in order for the whole process to run smoothly and ensure that all steps are correctly undertaken, an action plan needs to be prepared. It is important to establish a list of the critical dates which work back from the proposed date of conversion in order to keep the conversion process on track. In most cases this timetable will be dictated by the Department for Education (DfE) who will provide schools with a list of deadlines for the submission of various documents. The timetable will also need to take into account the necessity to get the relevant approvals required by the governors.

WHAT IS THE PROCESS FOR CONVERTING?Before taking the decision to convert a consultation must be undertaken. You should consider consulting with staff, pupils and parents, and this could be completed using an online system. It is important to think about the effects that converting may have on all affected parties. The dynamics and culture of the school, as well as the curriculum and teaching hours, may change, and it is good practice to seek feedback on reactions to this before making a decision. Legal frameworks will also need to be put in place, from forming an academy trust to finalising a funding agreement. See the box out for our step-by-step guide to becoming an academy. The DfE state that this process can be completed in three months, however, this process may be delayed over contracts, debts or land issues.

WHAT ARE THE NEXT STEPS?At first glance, the process for academy conversion can appear daunting. It is necessary for schools to have a guiding hand through the process. To gain further advice on how to convert to an academy you can visit the Department for Education website, E

CONVERTING TO AN ACADEMY

WHAT IS INVOLVED IN BECOMING AN ACADEMY?The National Association of School Business Management explains the process of converting to academy status, including any potential hurdles to overcome along the way

EDUCATION BUSINESS MAGAZINE Volume | 16.3


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E www.education.gov.uk, which has a wide range of resources from frequently asked questions to guides on how to apply for academy status. You can also gain practical advice and assistance as a member of the National Association of School Business Management (NASBM), including the member discussion forums, where you can network with other school business managers undertaking the process.

NETWORKING WITH PEERSIn response to tremendous interest and requests from school business managers on the how, why and when to convert to an academy, NASBM has developed a half day event which will run from 9am-2pm. The events take place at Twickenham on 19 May and Greater Manchester on 16 June 2011 and will cost £105 for members and £135 for non-members. The event aims to answer the questions that arise when considering converting to an academy, plus highlight the pitfalls that many school business managers have encountered on the way. The topics covered on the day will include an overview on ‘why’ and ‘how’ to convert; the legal requirements; practical considerations and avoiding pitfalls; and advice from SBMs who have recently undertaken the process. The event is open to members and non-members and is suitable for school business managers, head teachers, deputy heads and any key members of the school leadership team that are considering converting. Additionally, all delegates attending the event will be provided with a copy of an academy guide. The guide provides details on the conversion process, plus information on organisations that can assist. The guide has been sponsored by Lloyds TSB Commercial, an Approved Partner of NASBM. NASBM also has affiliated local groups across the country where you can meet other school business managers and gain insights and advice on the process first hand. L

FOR MORE [email protected]

Steps to becoming an academy

STEP 1 – Registration• All schools, including special schools from 2011, are able to apply• Schools rated by Ofsted as Inadequate are required to be mentored by a school rated as Outstanding by Ofsted. Schools can also form a federation with other local schools and offer support to those who are required to be mentored• All schools have to register at www.education.gov.uk• After registering you will be contacted by your named representative at the DfE STEP 2 – Application and pre-approval checks• Your school’s governing body needs to pass a resolution in favour of converting to an academy. The minutes confirming this decision will be required by the DfE• Outline plans to the DfE for supporting or partnering with another school, if applicable• Appoint a specialist law firm to advise on the legal aspects of your conversion• The Secretary of State will need to approve your proposal• The process of transferring staff (the Transfer of Undertakings- TUPE) will be commenced by the local authority and the governing body that currently employs school staff• Activate the consultation process with interested parties• Consult with your local authority regarding a possible share of the LGPS deficit. This will need to be agreed and will have to be repaid to the authority. Seek an early actuarial valuation and agree a repayment term

STEP 3 – Setting up an Academy Trust and Funding Agreement• This is the stage at which all legal documents need to be agreed with the DfE• The Academy Trust has to be registered with Companies House• Transfer or leasing arrangements for school land need to be finalised• Completion of TUPE process• Governors complete and close consultation process• Funding Agreement signed by Academy Trust and Secretary of State• Academy opening date set STEP 4 – Pre-opening• All CRB checks completed prior to transfer to academy status• Financial systems and contracts with staff and suppliers confirmed• Academy registrations with exam bodies confirmed• Insurances put in place

CONVERTING TO AN ACADEMY

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At the top of every school’s agenda is finding new ways to engage and motivate their students. Reward systems have long formed an integral part of school agendas, from giving out stickers and certificates to awarding house points, but many administrators have found that these have become outdated and are no longer engaging with students to motivate and encourage positive behaviour. Many schools and academies have found that with the introduction of online rewards systems these issues are being addressed while also directly engaging with students through the technology that they use in their daily lives. The Vivo Rewards online rewards system – Vivo – is designed to integrate seamlessly with all school Management Information Systems (MIS) giving school administrators an instant overview of every single reward granted. This transparency gives students, parents and teachers confidence knowing that student achievements are being recognised fairly in classes at every level. Furthermore, the flexibility of the system and the ability to easily monitor each student’s progress has driven dramatic improvements in failing schools while also enabling the expansion of their curriculum. ACHIEVING EXCELLENCEA number of the institutions we work with first turned to Vivo as a solution for addressing a number of issues including low academic performance, poor student attendance, high rates of exclusion and significant annual staff turnover. An excellent example of how a school addressing these issues can be seen at the Pimlico Academy in central London, which moved from special measures to being rated Outstanding by Ofsted in only two years. In 2008, the newly appointed assistant principal recognised that the entire pastoral care system needed to be overhauled. The academy was failing to deliver an acceptable level of education for its students and poor student behaviour inside and outside school was prevalent. This had a significant impact on both academic results and relations with the local community. To address these issues, the academy established a value hierarchy programme which addressed the “whole student” in addition to academic success. Having the Vivo Rewards online system proved vital to the successful administration

of the programme as it enabled easy and continuous monitoring of students’ progress. Assistant principal Ivan Baird explained: “Gluing our new strategies together is our Vivo Rewards online reward system – which we use to recognise those houses that act collectively as ambassadors for the school’s key values. Students visiting the Abbey Centre to teach old people how to use the internet might be awarded two Vivos, for example. Such activity is seen as an active demonstration of our key values, in particular, respect for everyone and commitment to our community.

Working for a common cause, students build up their points to qualify for a house prize such as a group trip to the cinema.” TEACHING FINANCIAL EDUCATIONAs we are beginning to see the end of the global recession, better financial education has been highlighted as a subject that is vital for students and one which has been neglected far too often. The importance of this issue has been reinforced by the establishment of an All Party Parliamentary Group on Financial Education for Young People (APPG). The chair of the APPG, MP Justin Tomlinson, recently noted: “A recent survey said 91 per cent of people who’ve had money troubles believed that better financial education could have helped them avoid their mistakes.” Vivo is designed with the same functionality and interface as an online bank account and there are a number of schools that have embraced the system’s interface to teach their students the fundamentals of financial planning and economic wellbeing. At the Magna Carta School in Staines they

have made financial education and Vivo an important element of the students’ day. Ian Pedler, assistant head at Magna Carta School, commented: “We teach the basics of budgeting, planning and saving using Vivo Rewards’ online account. They are taught that if they take a wiser track and ‘save’ over the five years they attend the school they can purchase something of far greater personal worth. It’s a good ethic to instil in young people. What’s more, students who achieve a certain amount of Vivos receive a Gold Club Membership Card which, like a

bank card, gives them special advantages such as jumping to the front of the dinner queue, gaining access to the Apple Mac suite at lunchtime or watching films at lunchtime.” It is through inspirational turnaround stories like Pimlico Academy and finding innovative ways to improve the curriculum, as seen at Magna Carta Schools, which has led to Vivo Rewards establishing itself as the rewards solution of choice by the nation’s schools as well as the leading MIS and virtual learning environment providers. Launched less than three years ago, there are already more than 250,000 secondary school students across 72 local authorities using Vivo Rewards as a motivational tool for improving academic performance, encouraging better citizenship, recognising extracurricular achievements and promoting positive behaviour. L FOR MORE INFORMATIONTel: 0800 [email protected]

Launched less than three years ago, there are already more than 250,000 secondary school students across 72 local authorities using Vivo Rewards as a motivational tool for improving academic performance, encouraging better citizenship, recognising extracurricular achievements and promoting positive behaviour

REWARDS

UTILISING ONLINE REWARDS TO ACHIEVE ACADEMIC EXCELLENCEAdrian Burt, managing director of Vivo Rewards, talks about the benefits of using an online rewards system and looks at the different ways in which schools are using rewards to engage and motivate students


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RECRUITMENT

Quality teachers placed in the right school raise standards. However, the current deficit in core subject teachers, particularly maths, physics and chemistry, has created a candidate-driven market so quality teachers now have a multitude of institutions from which to choose. Engage Education is drawing on top talent from across the commonwealth to fill the void and bring British school children up to speed with their European counterparts. Qualified teachers from as far afield as Canada, Australia and New Zealand, pre-matched to each school, are paired with their respective head teachers at Engage Education’s novel iday events taking place across the South East this May, June and July. COST EFFECTIVE RECRUITMENTCompletely free to attend, iday provides head teachers with the opportunity to meet up to 11 pre-selected candidates in just one day, enabling them to fill multiple vacancies in a timely and cost effective way. As the removal of local authority support puts head teachers under increased pressure to make maximum use of their budgets, iday represents significant efficiency savings to schools and academies. The Chalfonts Community College in Gerrards Cross, Buckinghamshire, received the ultimate accolade this year – its first outstanding Ofsted rating. Boasting comments such as “rarely do we find a school where morale is so high”, the school is led by inspirational principal Sue Tanner, who attributes the school’s success to the quality and dedication of her staff. Commenting on iday, she says: “Candidates were flown in from Ireland, Canada, Australia and New Zealand to meet us and had been pre-matched to our specification so we knew every interviewee could be a potential new Chalfonts teacher. Meeting candidates face-to-face enabled me and our senior leadership team to present an overview of our school’s culture, aims and student population, as well as the personality and skill sets we were looking for from each teacher. This proved to be a highly time and cost-efficient method of recruiting quality teachers, as we ended up filling all three NQT posts for maths, English and history in a day, all of which are staying on permanently with us.”

Already working with over 350 schools in London and the Home Counties, Engage Education casts its net wider to meet schools’ needs, sourcing the highest calibre of candidates from top universities in the UK, Ireland, Canada, Australia and New Zealand. Candidates are then meticulously matched by skill set, teaching style and personality to each school, dramatically shortcutting the lengthy selection process. Traditional recruitment processes can be costly and inefficient, taking over six weeks, on average, for a school to fill just one teaching post. This drawn out method often involves interviewing many unsuitable candidates, or losing the right ones to a competing school further along in the process. Engage Education works in close partnership with both schools and candidates ahead of every iday to help ensure a successful match on the day. This not only helps schools find the right candidates, but ensures that new teachers will settle in and stay with the school long-term. SUPPORT NETWORKTo help retain and motivate teachers, Engage Education provides a social support network. This includes a relocation package covering their flights/travel, meet and greet at the airport, help setting up a bank and mobile phone account and guidance on accommodation. This is followed by an induction programme to help teachers understand what to expect in the classroom at their particular school. Chris Thompson, iday manager, comments: “iday takes the hassle out of the recruitment process, freeing head teachers to focus on teaching and learning. We do all the legwork to bring heads face-to-face with top teachers, handpicked to meet their school’s needs. By dedicating just one day of their time, heads can fill multiple vacancies in a highly efficient and cost-effective way. Response from the teaching profession to date has been incredibly positive and we look forward to many schools fulfilling their September recruitment needs this May and June.” L

FOR MORE INFORMATIONTel: 0844 3380400 [email protected]

FINDING TEACHING TALENTFill multiple vacancies with quality teachers all in one day – iday draws quality teaching talent from across the commonwealth

idays near you16 May 2011 Centre for Engineering & Manufacturing Excellence (CEME), Rainham, Essex (sold out) 17 May 2011 British Airways Club, Heathrow (limited places) 19 May 2011 Hilton Croydon (limited places) 20 May 2011 Village Hotels, Watford (limited places) 9 June 2011 Park Inn, Bedford 10 June 2011 Village Hotels, Watford 13 June 2011 Village Hotels, Maidstone 14 June 2011 Colchester FC 27 June 2011 Hilton Croydon 28 June 2011 British Airways Club, Heathrow 30 June 2011 Centre for Engineering & Manufacturing Excellence (CEME), Rainham, Essex 1 July 2011 Village Hotels, Watford

Completely free to attend, iday provides the opportunity to meet up to 11 pre-selected candidates in just one day, enabling head teachers to fill multiple vacancies in a timely and cost effective way.

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Since 2005, The National Association of School Business Management has awarded over 50 support staff the recognition they have earned from their school colleagues. These nationally acclaimed awards are raising the profile of support staff within schools and now encompass all support staff roles. The awards aim to celebrate and acknowledge the difference that positive, proactive support staff can make to the learning, teaching, development and growth of schools. There is no better time to nominate a member of your team and highlight their commitment to the teaching and learning in the school during these difficult and changing times. These awards are fully funded by the support of our sponsors and would not happen without their commitment. Thus, there is no cost to the school in entering nominees but the motivational factor to staff is priceless and also recognises the success of the school. The awards can be nominated by school business managers/bursars, head teachers and governors and look to recognise those members of the school support staff that go the extra mile to provide excellence for their school, teaching staff and pupils. The awards are not solely for individuals and

aim to recognise teams within schools, as well as individual members of staff. The closing date for nominations will be 17 June 2011 and the finalists will be announced in July 2011. All nominations will be vetted and assessed by a national panel. The finalists in all ten categories will be invited to the Awards Ceremony on Saturday 8 October in London at the Thistle Marble Arch. Each winner and category distinction will receive an engraved award. The awards are sponsored individually, and it is thanks

to our sponsors that the association is able to present these awards. The winners of 2010 have been invited to 10 Downing Street on the 22 June 2011 in recognition of their achievement and it is expected that the 2011 award winners will also receive this invitation. Please visit the NASBM website to find out more and download the nomination pack.

FOR MORE INFORMATIONwww.nasbm.co.uk

Nominate a member of your team for the NASBM National Support Staff Awards 2011

The education sector is currently experiencing the greatest number of changes, meaning that the role of the school business manager is more critical than ever in ensuring that schools are meeting new obligations and targets. This year’s NASBM conference will provide the opportunity to get advice on what has changed, what it means and where you can go to for advice. There will be a number of keynote speakers providing advice and guidance on the current key topics, including an address from the National Audit Office. Delegates will also have the fantastic experience of hearing from Simon Weston, who will address the conference as the motivational speaker this year. Simon was very badly injured and disfigured during fighting in the Falklands war. Delegates can also select from a number of practical workshops which will aim to provide delegates with a tool kit to go back to school and action the information gained. These will include:• Meeting EU legislation whilst delivering cost effective catering services• Collaboration and federation – when and how?• Procurement and signing the right contract• Leasing – a practical guide and avoiding the pitfalls (These subjects are still subject to change,

as it is the intention that workshops relate to issues relevant at the time.) There will be an exhibition where delegates will have access to around 70 relevant exhibitors. The exhibition aims to give school business managers access to suppliers that have a good understanding of servicing the needs of schools.The event will also provide the opportunity to meet with colleagues and learn from their recent experiences. Plus, there will be a gala dinner taking place on the night of Wednesday 23 November. NASBM’s 2011 National Conference will

take place 23-24 November at the Barceló Hinckley Island Hotel. Fees are £355 for a NASBM member and £410 for a non-member. The price includes a two day full conference package including a day delegate package both days; access to 70 relevant exhibitors; a gala dinner on Wednesday evening and overnight accommodation on Wednesday including breakfast.

FOR MORE INFORMATIONBook online at www.nasbm.co.uk, phone 01788 573300 or e-mail [email protected]

NASBM National Conference, 23-24 November 2011, Hinckley Island Hotel, Leicestershire


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Finance

The pressures for universities and colleges to change the way they work have continued under the coalition government. Higher education institutions are preparing for a new fees regime against a backdrop of severe cuts and must get used to receiving less government money. Accurate costing is a key management tool. Institutions must know and understand the costs of their activities in order to make informed decisions about how they price their learning and teaching programmes – of crucial importance with the advent of the new fees structure from September 2012. Institutions are also keen to explore opportunities for new sources of funding and it is essential that cost models are consistent and robust. Institutions need to know and understand the full costs of work – such as consultancy – that is intended to be charged at a surplus.

A TRANSPARENT APPROACHIn higher education, costing and pricing methods for research and subsequently teaching, have developed around a process called ‘transparent approach to costing’ (TRAC). Supported by the UK funding bodies and the British Universities Finance Directors’ Group Costing and Pricing Group, this initiative has aimed to develop and embed consistent costing and pricing methods that will ultimately integrate with decision-making on financial and academic issues at institutions. Research carried out by higher education institutions is funded on the basis of the ‘dual support’ system. There are two elements to this. Firstly, there is the block grant provided by the funding councils, which pays for core staff and physical infrastructure such as buildings and facilities. Then there is funding for research projects provided by sponsors such as research councils and charities. Prior to, and the catalyst for, the development of TRAC, the dual support system became significantly imbalanced to the point that the infrastructure was at risk of not being able to support the growth in commissioned research. The faster growth in project-related funding relative to growth in the block grant of core research funds put considerable strain on the sustainability of institutions’ research activity and infrastructure. Contributing to this situation was the absence of robust cost data on which informed business decisions could be made about research strategy and individual projects. This in turn led many institutions E

COSTING

Accurate costing is a key management tool for making informed decisions, says Kerry Ace, finance and policy manager at the Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy

EFFECTIVE COSTING AND PRICING APPROACHES

Figure 1

Figure 2



Accounting in the cloudFeedback shows positive attitude from FE sector

The aim of the event was to introduce the company’s new FinancialsC product and to gauge existing opinion within the sector towards adopting cloud-based technology.

Symmetry’s marketing manager, Matthew Kirby commented, “We were more than pleased with the level of interest from our existing customers. This was hardly surprising when you take into account the buzz around this technology at the moment and how it can potentially help colleges to reduce costs and play a pivotal role within collaboration and shared services.”

“On the whole the reception was very positive by all that attended. The event also gave our existing customers the opportunity to put us on the spot and pose important questions about how cloud-based accounting might work for them and to voice any concerns they had about how it might be delivered.”

Lessons learntWith its well-established Financials on-premise accounting platform, Symmetry has attracted 15,000 education users in the UK and hopes that its new cloud-based platform, FinancialsC will also be continually developed and shaped by regular input from across the sector.

Symmetry’s Matthew Kirby said, “The webinar was the fi rst of many exercises to engage with FE professionals and canvas opinion, so that any future development is focused in the right

areas. Our own technological pedigree is based on an ‘open’, yet robust technology platform, which puts us ahead of rivals, particularly when itcomes to integration and interoperability issues.”

“It was also interesting” says Kirby “how IT and fi nance perspectives differed. The technical audience was

particularly keen to understand more about performance and security, whilst Finance Directors were more focused on the pricing model, integration with other systems and the capabilities of FinancialsC to manage day to day fi nancial processes. There was common ground however and this tended to be around the area of availability, a key factor for us when it came to specifying how FinancialsC would be delivered via the hosting partner.”

Why Symmetry & the cloudThe new FinancialsC solution is delivered via a hosting environment that has been specifi ed by independent consultants in order to ensure it delivers on the key factors of availability, security and performance. Symmetry has gone beyond the standard boundaries, to match the stringent demands of the education sector regarding the robustness of the IT environment.

The pricing model, being volume transaction based is fair and transparent with multiple options for organisations to transform their fi nance operations, from using the system to outsource

low-value tasks such as data entry, through to using Symmetry’s Partners to help deliver processes such as audit assistance and year end.

With fi nancial pressures squeezing education to get more for less, cloud computing gives FE the perfect opportunity to embrace lower costs as well as take part in collaboration.

Over 50 colleges attended the latest webinar on cloud-based accounting held by Symmetry, the largest supplier of accounting software to the FE sector.

Key benefi ts of cloud-based accounting No need to be tied to a single supplier for multiple applications - solutions offering high levels of interoperability enable you to choose the best systems for your organisation.

Reduced hardware, software & licensing costs

Location independent and ideal for shared services between a group of colleges

Pay for what you use monthly

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Allows you to focus on core fi nance issues without the distraction of technical issues

Always on the latest software with minimal downtime for upgrades

Short implementation time

Our own technological pedigree is based on an ‘open’, yet robust technology platform, which puts us ahead of rivals, particularly when it comes to integration and interoperability issues.

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To fi nd out more contact Symmetry

T: 0117 900 6262

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Finance

and management2. to provide a basis for the pricing of activities3. to meet the requirement for accountability, particularly for the use of public funds, when the institutional portfolio includes a complex mix of activities4. to provide at both institutional and national level an appropriate and comprehensive cost model to guide investment for the future.TRAC meets these disparate requirements through a common costing and data platform and common processes and systems as far as this is possible. The main TRAC processes and outputs used by higher education institutions are summarised in Figure 1. An overview of the cost attribution process is shown in Figure 2.

REQUIREMENTSWhile there is no standard TRAC method (or software), there is a set of mandatory standards to be achieved by institutions, and these are expressed as the TRAC Statement of Requirements. Institutions assess their compliance with TRAC guidance against these minimum requirements.

The costs covered by the annual TRAC process are taken from the institution’s annual accounts, plus two cost adjustments. Firstly, an infrastructure adjustment for buildings to reflect the full long term costs of maintaining the institution’s infrastructure in a safe and productive state. Secondly, there is an adjustment for the return for financing and investment (RFI). This covers the surpluses required for rationalisation, redevelopment and investment and also the costs of raising and servicing capital including short-term borrowing. Staff time needs to be attributed to activities, using a robust method, which then allows other costs to be attributed. For some staff this is relatively easy (for example, staff who work in a research office or teaching-only academics). There has been much debate about the appropriateness and practicality of attributing academic staff time to activities. TRAC allows a range of methods to be used in academic staff time allocation as long as they meet the requirements for robustness – all academics must provide information covering all periods of a year within a three year cycle. Information must be recorded by activity, including by the main research sponsor groups.

A NATIONAL FRAMEWORKHaving implemented the TRAC methodology, institutions have established the full costs of their research at project level and are using this information to inform cost recovery and pricing strategies for all sponsors of research. The government has accepted that TRAC is a robust costing method and TRAC is used to inform national funding policy. A National Framework for costing teaching in English higher education institutions based on the TRAC principles has also been developed. TRAC for teaching or TRAC(T) is being used to cost the main funding council funded teaching at subject level with the aim of informing the public funding of teaching. TRAC specifies standards, principles and conventions that must be used by higher education institutions when costing. The base figures are the audited accounts of institutions; and there are defined sets of minimum mandatory requirements to ensure that costs are fair and reasonable, and are calculated in a consistent manner across the sector. The use of TRAC costing information within the higher education institution is expanding and has other applications. For example, TRAC EC-FP 7 is an optional costing application which can be used by institutions with European contracts. Over the next few years it will be a key management enabling tool to support institutions make important decisions regarding their teaching and research activities in the changing financial climate. L

FOR MORE INFORMATIONwww.jcpsg.ac.uk

COSTING

E to underestimate the costs of research and other projects. In practice, much research had been charged for at a level well below its full cost. This situation was unsustainable.

TRAC OBJECTIVESIn response to these concerns, the ‘Transparency Review’ was established by the government following the 1998 comprehensive spending review in order to develop a better understanding of the shortfall in funding across all university activities, and to ensure a greater level of accountability for public funds. As part of this, the first TRAC process was introduced and taken forward by the sector-wide Joint Costing and Pricing Steering Group (JCPSG). Over a decade TRAC has become the standard method now used for costing in higher education in the UK. TRAC allows all of the costs of the institution to be analysed and attached to activities. It has four principal objectives:1. to provide consistent and robust information about the cost of activities to assist institutional planning

Accurate costing is a key management tool. Institutions must know and understand the costs of their activities in order to make informed decisions about how they price their learning and teaching programmes.



For more information on how Dains LLP can guide you through the conversion process and beyond contact: [email protected] or callAndy Morris on 0845 555 8844.

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Registered to carry on audit work and regulated for a range of investment business activities by the institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales

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0845 555 8844 www.dains.com

23



“Every school is different because the experience of people working within each school varies dramatically. Some schools require support in establishing a financial function and the staff working within it, others are past this point but require assistance in choosing the right software options and considering payroll solutions,” says Andy. “Choosing advisers to work alongside is not a straightforward decision – it’s very easy to fall into the trap of picking a firm that can deal with the audit requirements of the academy but very little else. We believe that by being involved on a more frequent basis, we can help academies to make high quality business decisions in the same way that our corporate clients do. “Many of our clients seek guidance before making investment decisions so that they can ensure they have considered all options. It’s as important to consider long term cashflow as it is to consider the background behind a major purchase. “With some careful planning, we can help our clients build a sensible financial plan that works in the long term and protects the interests of all stakeholders.

This is a particularly useful exercise to consider upon conversion – especially if the academy needs to access surplus funds.” Having worked with the charity sector for almost 20 years, Andy recognises that there are cultural differences between academies and businesses. “It’s vital that advisers recognise and adapt to the culture of the client. We work hard to support our clients so that they understand the roles and responsibilities for trustees and also to establish good governance. Decisions need to be made every day and it is core to the success of the academy that heads, teachers, bursars and business managers understand what they can and can’t do without reference to the trustees. “Unfortunately, not all advisers are proactive in this area – this can lead to poor

governance, which very often results in inefficiency and delays in making decisions. At Dains we believe that helping clients is at the heart of what we do as opposed to being a remote adviser who completes an independent audit once a year.” Fellow partner at Dains LLP, Lisa Richards, chair of Derbyshire ProHelp, a network of professional firms providing advice and support to charities and not for profit entities, believes that academies require more support: “There is a lack of real help available when it comes to financial advice and support. The academies handbook and the DfE website will only get you so far – sometimes there is just no substitute to picking up the phone or having a meeting with your trusted adviser. “We are enjoying the challenge of supporting academies – the learning curve can be steep but with the right level of interest and help, it’s surprising how quickly things come together. Once the accounting function is established we can really start to get stuck into day to day commercial issues and ensure the smooth running of the academy. “There’s no substitute for hard work

and rigour at the outset and we like to be alongside clients throughout this process. This is in keeping with our cultural values of being empathetic to our clients and working together to achieve our clients’ objectives. Last week our team spent an afternoon on site at a school converting to academy status to decide on the most appropriate accounting software package to adopt, later on in the week our team was advising another school on payroll and HR support. It’s great to be involved and really see the benefit of spending time with our client – long before we start the audit work.” Lisa believes that choosing the right adviser is something to consider early on in the conversion process: “By being involved early on in the process we can deliver our support when it is most needed. Although

auditors will not be required on site for some time – it is worth thinking about the support your financial function will need as a whole. Time spent now can help academies avoid some of the problems that others have had in managing cashflow, producing budgets, running payroll etc. Our advice is to seek advice from a team that understands academies and has the technical competence to deal with charity audit work but more than anything else, recognises the need to work closely with the academy and trustees.” L

FOR MORE INFORMATIONFor more information please contact Andy Morris or Lisa Richards on 0845 5558844 or e-mail: [email protected]

With some careful planning, we can help our clients build a sensible financial plan that works in the long term and protects the interests of all stakeholders.

FINANCIAL PLANNING

HELP IS AT HAND FOR ACADEMY SCHOOLSAndy Morris, head of the Charity and Education team at accountants & business advisers Dains LLP, looks at the challenge that converting schools now face and the support available

Andy Morris

Lisa Richards

Finance



24

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The Open University offers a wide range of learning and development solutions that can help your staff face the varied challenges of the modern and dynamic education sector. We offer fl exible learning for all levels of support, teaching and management staff – meaning less staff downtime, less disruption and no need for expensive cover staff.

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from people such as The Apprentice stars Claire Young and Jamie Lester or Dragons Den’s Kirsty Henshaw. Commenting on the new enterprise days Director Ben Dyer says: “ We are delighted to be launching these two new enterprise days to enhance our offer. The visit from the celebrity really engages the students.”

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Procurement

25



Written by David N

oble, Chartered Institute of Purchasing & Supply

Procurement behaviour in the education sector is changing. After high-profile procurement fraud stories, such as those investigated by Northern Ireland’s Department of Education in 2010, the education sector has had to become smarter. Whether it’s the risk of dodgy contractors placing second-hand burners into schools or sloppy procurement and supply management as in the Northern Ireland cases, public money is now more precious than ever and there is a greater need to use valuable resources more wisely. With education having a total spend of about £46.5 billion according to recent government figures, the savings from the public purse could be huge. Of course it’s not just wisdom that’s needed. Creativity, innovation, tenacity, steely nerves and a move towards a strategic approach to procurement, not merely tactical, will bring the rewards and value much-needed.

COLLABORATIONCollaborative procurement has worked for many. Figures quoted from a recent Times report state huge savings: from £70 million saving in a consortia with a combined spending power of £500 million, to savings of 16 per cent of travel costs by purchasing air fares weeks, rather than days in advance. Mike Brooks, general secretary of the National Association of Head Teachers was quoted in 2010 as saying that schools needed to learn to share resources and collaborate more widely than has previously been the case. But how can it be done, when there are different needs, different cultures and different ideas to contend with?

UNDERSTANDING THE PROCESSWhat do you want? The first step is to understand what your needs are. Is it immediate savings, or better quality goods or services? Be clear from the outset, and you’re less likely to encounter difficulties later on. Do you have the skills you need? If you have started a consortium of other like-minded departments and education establishments, do you have the necessary collective skills to make the arrangement work? This is where looking at additional professional procurement help would be beneficial.

Understanding individual drivers: what are the driving forces of each of the partners in your collaborative venture? Are the goals the same or widely different? The drivers could be risk reduction, enhancing technology or improving quality of current services. Making it clear from the beginning what knowledge can be shared and passed on is vital. There will be fewer misunderstandings later when the stakes are higher. Know your suppliers: are your usual suppliers on board with the new arrangements? Can they provide additional creative ideas and innovative approaches to help make it work?

RISKING ITDeveloping a risk strategy will prevent headaches further on, and will help you be prepared for the (almost) unexpected. Are there some issues you would need to handle with other partners, or would you need to go it alone? Sometimes relationships sour, even with the best will in the world, circumstances change. Understanding the implications of leaving the arrangement, will result in clarity for everyone at the beginning of the whole process. If true collaboration is to work, then getting commitment from all sides and all areas is a must. Are collaborative approaches embedded in policies, procedures and processes elsewhere in your organisation? This will keep behaviours aligned to agreed objectives.

BARRIERS TO SUCCESSIf they’re internal, a review of which obstacles can be removed will give you confidence. They could be technical systems that can’t be changed and need to be by-passed, or policies that just need re-writing. A leader has made roles. Sometimes it’s making a decision when the group is going round in circles, at other times is cajoling and persuading when partners are misaligned. The right mix of hard and soft skills in the right individual is essential. A good mix of private and public sector partners can be a powerful force in meeting your objectives and achieving your goals.

Be transparent in your dealings though. Develop supplier selection processes: if one of your partners has an established system that works, then check it out first. You can always tweak if necessary.

SUPPORT AND ADVICEThe education sector should be aware of its combined purchasing power and how to achieve better quality products and services through a collaborative approach. A bit of support and advice is also useful, so if collaboration is a possibility, sharing the value one procurement and supply professional can offer, and take advantage of economies of scale means everyone wins. Collaboration is nothing without negotiation and influencing skills. Those traditionally soft skills will need to come out to play and bring transparency and openness to the table, whether negotiating a cost reduction, or finding suppliers with a good record in sustainable sourcing. A professional can also increase quality levels in goods and services – they know what to look for. Share an expert, it will bring dividends. L

COLLABORATIVE WORKING

CHANGING BEHAVIOURS – HOW EDUCATION CAN BENEFIT IN THE LONG RUNThe education sector is feeling the squeeze along with everyone else worried about the public deficit. New collaborative ways of working could be the key to success when trying to reduce costs, offer true value and find creative and innovative ways to procure goods and services needed

Successful procurement

Collaboration is key and will bring benefits in cost reduction and value creation

Understand what you need as a group, and set out objectives and goals accordingly

Understand the motivations in all your partners.

Share knowledge, be open and transparent, but be mindful of the limitations to that sharing

Know your risks and the barriers to success

Choose your leaders and your suppliers carefully

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Although the SEN and Disability Green Paper has been much delayed, it was finally released on 9 March and we are now into the consultation phase. For those who have yet to read the green paper, it covers five strands: early identification and support; giving parents control; learning and achieving; preparing for adulthood; and services working together for families. The key points from each strand are highlighted as follows:

EARLY IDENTIFICATION AND SUPPORT• Early identification of need: health and development review at 2/2.5 years• Support in early years from health

professionals: greater capacity from health visiting services• Accessible and high quality early years provision: DfE and DoH joint policy statement on the early years; Tickell review of EYFS; free entitlement of 15 hours for disadvantaged two year olds• A new approach to statutory assessment: education, health and care plan to replace statement• A more efficient statutory assessment process: DoH to improve the provision and timeliness of health advice; to reduce time limit for current statutory assessment process to 20 weeks

GIVING PARENT S CONTROL• Supporting families through the system: a continuation of early support resources• Clearer information for parents: local authorities to set out a local offer of support; slim down requirements on schools to publish SEN information• Giving parents more control over support and funding for their child: individual budget by 2014 for all those with EHC plan• A clear choice of school: parents will have rights to express a preference for a state-funded school• Short breaks for carers and children: a continuation in investment in short breaks• Mediation to resolve disagreements: use of mediation before a parent can register an appeal with the Tribunal

LEARNING AND ACHIEVING• Developing excellent teaching practice for SEN in schools and colleges• Effective leadership is critical to changing ethos and approach in schools and colleges• Getting the best from all school and college staff• The Achievement for All approach• Challenging low expectations of, and targeting support for, children with SEN• Identifying and tackling the causes of difficult behaviour• Improving access to wider behaviour support E

SEN PROVISION

THE CHANGING NEEDS OF 21ST CENTURY PUPILSLorraine Petersen, CEO of nasen, the UK’s professional association embracing all special educational needs and disabilities, examines the recent SEN Green Paper and its implications

Special Educational Needs

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SEN PROVISION

E • Special schools • Special free schools• Stronger school accountability• Planning for young people’s futures• A broad range of education and learning opportunities: Wolf Review• Employment opportunities and support: the role of disability employment advisers• A coordinated transition to adult health services: joint working across all services • Support for independent living

SERVICES WORKING TOGETHER FOR FAMILIES• Local authorities and local health services will play a pivotal role in delivering change for children, young people and families• Reducing bureaucratic burdens on professionals• Empowering local professionals to develop collaborative, innovative and high quality services• Supporting the development of high quality speech and language therapy workforce and educational psychology profession• Encouraging greater collaboration between local areas• Extending local freedom and flexibility over the use of funding• Enabling the voluntary and community sector to take on a E

It isn’t envisaged at the moment that Ofsted will monitor the role of health providers. Education, health and care will be required to work together to meet the needs of children and young adults.


Elklan was established in 1999 by experienced speech and language therapists Liz Elks and Henrietta McLachlan. We are one of the largest providers of externally accredited specialist speech, language and communication training in the UK. Through local delivery and inclusion in national government initiatives we have demonstrated the effectiveness of our courses. Elklan training provides programmes for staff and carers supporting children in Early Years settings, throughout mainstream schools and for those working with vulnerable young adults. With trained staff schools can become centres of communication excellence helping children develop the underlying skills required to access the curriculum and equipping staff to adapt it, helping to narrow the gap. We have over 800 trained

speech and language therapists, and specialist advisory teachers able to deliver courses across the UK which can be directly sourced from Elklan. Over 14,000 practitioners have achieved Open College Network accreditation and benefitted significantly from the training. FOR MORE INFORMATIONEvaluation reports, comments and information about our training and resources can be found at www.elklan.co.uk or call 01208 841450.

Elklan – helping children and young people to communicate We know that children

and young people these days are exposed to many pressures. They live in a fast and competitive world. They are often unable to tell us what the problem is and why they behave the way they do. Working with the child’s inner world needs to be carried out safely and non-intrusively, with respect for the child’s own pace and state of being. Drawing and Talking Therapy has been designed as a safe, short term intervention for these children. The foundation course consists of a full day’s training. It is suitable for anyone who is working with primary or secondary school pupils. Participants will learn how to put this simple technique into practice. They will learn how to get started, how to run sessions and how to deal with common problems that can arise.

Drawing and Talking is a serial drawing technique that takes place over one term. During the training there will be an opportunity to see how drawings change over time as this powerful, yet safe, healing method takes effect. Over 3,000 adults in the UK have been trained to use Drawing and Talking; if each of them only work with one child, that is 3,000 children who have already been heard.

FOR MORE INFORMATIONFor more information on training dates and venues please visit: www.drawingandtalking.com or telephone 020 87150745.

Drawing and Talking Therapy technique

• Needs Assessments

• Individual Dyslexic

Support

• Disability Awareness

• Training Workplace

Mentors

• Study Skills Tutors

• Assistive Technology

Contact Associates Ltd offers Needs Assessments, Individual Dyslexic Support and Disability Awareness Training to both the educational and employment sectors.

We match highly-trained Workplace Mentors and Study Skills Tutors with each individual referral.

Using tried and tested techniques as well as the latest assistive technology, we work with each individual to design strategies which overcome barriers they experience in the workplace or educational institution. Our Tutors and Mentors work with an individual’s strengths to incorporate these effective strategies into their normal work processes.

Improved time management and organisation ensures that work deadlines are met and individuals operate as effectively as possible. This reduces the stress levels and costs caused by wasted time.

Contact Associates Ltd are a young, ambitious company with an excellent operational record and an enviable database of skilled professional staff across England. The company is co-owned by Emma Shelton, MA (Educational Psychology) and Una Lynch RSA Dip SpLD.

Our targeted support helps individuals to stay focussed, plan their time effectively and reduce anxiety. Individualised strategies and tips will enable employees and students to achieve their potential.

We are the market leaders in our current fi eld and outperform our competitors on all KPIs. We are annually audited by DSA QAG which is appointed by the Department of Business to provide a framework within which we are measured in order to deliver excellent service to our disabled customers.

Contact Associates Ltd have invested in 8 fully equipped and accredited Assistive Technology Centres across England and NI, they are ideally located for disabled customers to be trained, assessed or individually supported as needed.

Call us on:

01823 352749Contact AssociatesViney Court, Viney Street, Taunton TA1 [email protected]

full_page_rh-contact associates.indd 1 18/02/2011 12:15


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Egreater role in delivering services• Exploring a national banded funding framework• Bringing about greater alignment of pre 16 and post 16 funding arrangements

QUESTIONS ANSWEREDA number of points have been raised since the green paper was released and are answered below. Q. Why does the government and Ofsted expect SEN pupils to make 2 full levels of progress across the Key Stage?A: It is a misunderstanding that Ofsted expects pupils with special needs to make 2 full levels

progress. If you look at the guidance on our site to inspectors it doesn’t specify this figure.

Q: Who will monitor provision and outcomes for SEN children with the diminished role of the local authority?A: We still see a role for local authorities (LAs) in monitoring provision but the pathfinder projects will be looking at other bodies such as the third sector.

Q: It is clear that there is a growing demand for therapy support especially speech and language therapy. It is often unclear to schools as to who has the

responsibility to fund this. Is it the LA, health or a combination of these?A: Pathfinder projects will flesh out who takes responsibility for the elements that makes up provision. On the day of the green paper’s release nasen, along with the SSAT, FLSE and NAHT, held a SEN summit where representatives from the DfE and OFSTED E



Nasen feels that it is really important that parents and families are at the heart of their child’s development both pre, during and post education. We are pleased that there is an additional year’s funding for the Award for SEN Co-ordination and we will work with the department and the providers to ensure that the standard of this training is maintained.

SEN PROVISION

LORRAINE PETERSEN

Lorraine Petersen is the CEO of nasen. Prior to her appointment in September 2004, Lorraine held a number of teaching posts within mainstream schools in Sandwell, West Midlands. She completed her 25 year teaching career as head teacher of two very diverse primary schools. Lorraine has many years’ experience of working with pupils with an array of special and additional needs within mainstream settings.

On average, 20 per cent of children struggle with literacy and maths. So why are so many schools using Five Minute Boxes? Because they work! The Five Minute Box for literacy, which employs phonics teaching methods, and the Number Box for numeracy are easily managed, multi-sensory systems that can be put in place rapidly and effectively to teach and support literacy and numeracy in the classroom. The Boxes are run by TAs, making them far more effective, and follow a progression of skills. Progress is easily assessed and monitored by the SENCO. The systems are recommended by most education authorities with several introducing them across all of their schools. The Boxes are ideally suited for EAL and second language children as well as any child that does not cope with the pace of class teaching. Research proves that children maintain good progress, and enjoy much higher self-esteem, after using the programmes, which is

essential for being a good learner. Both children and TAs love working with the Boxes, which work alongside any existing systems and are ideally suited to comply with the government’s recent Green Paper on Special Needs teaching. Thousands of children in thousands of schools are currently benefiting from using Five Minute Boxes so there really is no reason why we cannot help our nation’s “failing” children to succeed. FOR MORE INFORMATIONTel: 01442 878629Fax: 01442 [email protected]

Five Minute Box – can 4,000 schools be wrong?

Real Group welcomes the publication of ‘Support and aspiration: A new approach to special educational needs and disability’ with its plan to develop new ways of working. Real Group will innovate with partners to:• deliver additional training for teachers• build expertise and capacity within schools• disseminate good practice• support teaching schools • provide assessments of children’s needs• develop flexible educational psychology servicesReal Group (UK) Ltd is a network of talented experts developing new services that promote learning and development for all regardless of geographic boundaries using strengths in creativity, application of psychology and business skills. The group delivers services, training and software solutions for the private, public and charitable sectors.

Partners include Pearson Assessment, Middlesex University, Specialist Schools and Academies Trust,

Dyslexia Action, Camden Local Authority and Communicate-Ed. Real Group is led by Alan Macgregor, managing director (Projects); Dr Mark Turner, managing director (Business Development) and Siobhan Mellor, director of TDA approved National Award for SEN Co-ordination and Real Psychology. Alan, Mark and Siobhan share a vision to innovate, develop and deliver high quality services using applied psychology and new technological solutions when they provide added value. They nurture talent, support, promote and value networking and team work.

FOR MORE INFORMATIONTo talk to Real Group about the opportunities provided by fresh thinking in education call 01273 358080.

Real Group – promoting learning & development



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E were able to clarify general points arising from the proposals: Firstly school action and school action plus will be replaced by a single school based SEN category. Secondly it is proposed that there will be a performance indicator for SEN on performance tables. The circumstances that lead to a statement being initiated will be carried forward for the new system. It isn’t envisaged at the moment that Ofsted will monitor the role of health providers. Education, health and care will be required to work together to meet the needs of children and young adults. Personal budgets won’t always be a cash allocation and outstanding special schools can become teaching schools.

NASEN’S RESPONSENasen feels that it is really important that parents and families are at the heart of their child’s development both pre, during and post education. We are pleased that there is an additional year’s funding for the Award for SEN Co-ordination and we will work with the department and the providers to ensure that the standard of this training is maintained and that the course content is reviewed in light of the changes outlined in the green paper. The SENCO will need to be at the forefront of the implementation of all of the guidance issued within the green paper and nasen will support them in this. Nasen has expressed its concern on a number of occasions in regard to SEN professional development for all teachers. Nasen is delighted that they have been given the opportunity through DfE funding to provide whole-school raising awareness training on SEND. This will ensure that every teacher has some basic knowledge about SEND and the changing needs of 21st century children. The recommendations also need to be seen alongside the Education Bill, Health White Paper and the future development s of academies and free schools. We urgently need more clarification on funding, how we facilitate professionals from health and education working together and how this will all be paid for, including where does Pupil Premium fit in? Finally, this consultation period is an opportunity to influence future policy and practice. Such opportunities are few and far between and we would urge all professionals to help shape the framework for future education provision to ensure that the next system is fair and equitable for all children and young adults, regardless of need, setting or local authority.

NASEN AWARDSRe-launched at nasen Live, the nasen Awards represent excellence and best practice in books and resources for special educational needs. With 2011 being the National Year of Communication we have added the Special Award 2011: Resource to Support Speech, Language and Communication Needs. Winners will be presented at nasen Live 2011, Reebok Stadium, Bolton 24 May. Let’s take a look at the different categories. The Inclusive Children’s Book will be written with all children and young people in mind for them to share and enjoy; will provide positive images of people with special educational needs and disability (this does not need to be the prime focus of the story); and will support young people in adopting positive attitudes towards disability. It should enhance and increase a child’s knowledge and understanding of disability and special educational needs; be accessible to its target audience in terms of readability and presentation; well written and appropriately illustrated; and may be available in alternative formats. The Special Educational Needs Academic Book will address an area of special educational needs and report or comment on recent research. It will draw on sound evidence, should present a carefully considered argument or approach in an academic style. Further, it should be of interest to all professionals with a particular interest in special and additional needs, possibly prior to, during or following a course of study. The winner of the Book to promote Professional Development will make a valuable contribution to continuing professional development. It will develop the knowledge, skills and understanding of those working within the field of special and additional educational needs, and it will be written in an accessible style, for educational practitioners in settings for learners 0-19. Moreover, it will address an area or areas of special educational needs or disability; should

SEN PROVISION

provide up to date, accurate information; should suggest practical strategies for meeting individual needs; should be of interest to all professionals with a particular interest in special and additional needs, possibly prior to, during or following a course of study. The Inclusive Resource to Support Early Development will be innovative and motivating, and aimed at early development (0-5) with a clear focus on children’s learning, development and enjoyment. Both individuals and groups should be able to use it, it should be designed to be inclusive and accessible, attractive, durable and good value for money. The Primary Resource/Book to support Teaching and Learning (Non ICT) will enable practitioners to improve the provision for learners with special educational needs and disability. It will enable learners to access a specific area of the primary curriculum; should have a clear focus on learning; and be of use to both individuals or as a group resource. Furthermore, it should be designed to be inclusive and accessible, attractive, durable and good value for money. The Secondary Resource/Book to support Teaching and Learning (Non ICT) will have the same abilities as the Primary Resource/Book, however, it will be aimed at children aged 12-19. The ICT Resource to support Teaching and Learning will be for learners aged 5 to 19, effective in enabling access to the curriculum. It should improve the quality of the individual’s learning experience, and should be innovative, motivating and age appropriate. Moreover, it should be designed to be inclusive and accessible, durable and good value for money. For 2011 there’s a Special Award – Resource to support Speech, Language and Communication Needs. The winning resource should be supportive of speech, language and communication development, and should improve the quality of the individual’s learning experience. Further, it should be innovative, motivating and age appropriate, and for both individuals or as a group resource. It should be designed to be inclusive and accessible, attractive, durable and good value for money. L

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Full ergonomic assesment service available helping the workplace become more accessible todisabled workers.

UK wide trainers to deliver software and hardware training on products to assist with hearing impairment, visual impairment and learningdifficulties.

Commited to providing assistivetechnology solutions for DSAstudents & workers withdisabilities via Access to Work.Also special needs in Education

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Sight and Sound Technology has been delivering technology, training, and support for Assistive Technology for over 30 years. We have provided literacy support solutions to more than 10,000 students during that time. Every so often a product appears on the market that delivers what you want, when you want it – just what the assessor ordered! Kurzweil 3000 is such a product – a descendent of the marvel that was the Kurzweil Reading Machine 400 (KRM) back in the mid 1980s. Of course the world has moved on since then. Educational strategies have changed, becoming more inclusive in the process. Students have changed too – demanding high performance, high functionality, highly available, stable solutions that handle the latest Internet technologies and hard copy textbooks. Remember those? It must all be delivered in a package that is engaging and motivating to use, while at the same time be easy to operate. Thankfully, development of Kurzweil 3000 (K3000 to its friends) has kept pace with these changes, and it leads the way for anyone who struggles to read or write independently. Everything you need at an outstanding price point. Kurzweil 3000 is the first and last reading technology solution you’ll ever need. It contains all the functionality necessary to make life at university more manageable, whether that is reading through vast amounts of study material, revising for a test, or creating MP3 audio versions of books for later listening on an iPod or other device.

STABLE, ROBUST, FAST With a heritage dating back to 1976, Kurzweil is synonymous with excellence when it comes to providing access to text. Compatible with all the latest operating systems, Kurzweil 3000 makes fast work of even the most complex tasks. With a wide choice of “reading personalities”, broad support for electronic document formats, the ability to read web pages or text from virtually any application, and the ability to scan and convert print documents into your computer, Kurzweil 3000 is the logical choice for anyone who wants to read virtually anything. Anytime, anywhere accessibility – with Kurzweil 3000 Web Licensing. In this internet-based world we live in, having access to materials and information anytime, anywhere, is something we take for granted. Unlike other more traditional standalone software,

when you turn off the computer at school to head home, you immediately lose access to the literacy support you need to get things done more easily. Kurzweil 3000 with Web Licensing means that as long as your computer is connected to the internet you will be able to access Kurzweil 3000 at any time – in the classroom, at home, in the library, on the move. It also means that your own personal dictionaries and customised support tools follow you around. Best of all, Kurzweil 3000 also provides you with access to online storage for documents. Of course this also means you’ll need a new excuse about what happened to your missing homework since online storage means you’re only a mouse click away from your scanned books and other electronic materials. Shifting your toolbars around is not new, but having all of the icons you need one click away however you customise your screen is. Kurzweil 3000 offers best in class access to often used features such as changing reading voice, speed, mode, text size and, importantly, one click start and stop reading and restart from where you want – all with just one click. Turn you key toolbars on and off, park them where you want and have them back with a mouse click. All these features allow for concentration on the document content instead of the computer programme. It was the best in the industry when it all began back in 1976 and that’s still the case today. Gaining access to hard copy text is generally challenging. Some documents, especially those with complex page layouts that mix text and graphics together, can cause real headaches with other literacy support tools. Have you ever scanned something only to find the document is reading in the wrong order, or perhaps a graphic has shifted text from one page to another? If so, you will love Kurzweil 3000 for its superior ability to accurately scan and convert printed text into an electronic format that you can listen to over and over again. Best of all, Kurzweil 3000 creates an exact replica of each scanned page so that text and graphics are displayed exactly as they appear in print. And if there is an error, all it takes is the Kurzweil 3000 Zone Editor to help get you on your way to independent reading, saving you significant time and saving you from frustration in the process.

WRITING SKILLS TOOLBARStudents often need to work and re-work ideas in their minds and see them presented

in different formats on the page. Fast access to changing font styles, attributes, justification, views, notes (have you checked out the Bubble notes?) are all tasks performed on a regular basis. Kurzweil 3000 makes for efficient and effective transfer from the page or the mind onto the screen. And with standard talking spell-check, word prediction, homophone and confusable word support, and the ability to split between linear view (outline) or graphical view (brain storm), writing ceases to become such a struggle.

STUDY SKILLS TOOLBAR Here’s where the rubber really hits the road. If you have a lot of studying to do, Kurzweil 3000 Study Skills – superior to all other solutions – means you can revise for a test, create a writing assignment, or just take notes in class with ease. Virtual highlight pens allow you to mark up main idea, supporting details, vocabulary words, elaborations, and much more. And once you’re done highlighting, click a button to extract everything into an outline or into multiple column notes. Speaking of notes, with Kurzweil 3000 you can choose the note taking approach you prefer or find most efficient. Choose from footnotes, sticky notes, voice notes (record a note), bubble notes, bookmark notes, and text notes. And only Kurzweil 3000 allows you to “fill in the blanks” on a test or worksheet. When this option is selected, Kurzweil 3000 searches for underline fields in your document and inserts a text note in place. Add your answers or responses in each box and when you’re done, have the document read back to you with your answers spoken in place.

TEACHER AIDSIt is often hard to collate and track the output from students who are using computer based tools to assist reading and writing skill development. Kurzweil 3000 has a bank of teacher support aids, including online collation and management of student output. So the world that just got better for the students and for teachers, too! All in all, this is a powerful approach to accessing printed matter and Grade A* in providing support for all areas of reading, writing, and study. L FOR MORE INFORMATIONNow the best is in reach, try Kurzweil 3000 out today by downloading a 30-day trial version or contact Sight and Sound Technology at www.sightandsound.co.uk to request a free trial DVD, or for further support.

SOFTWARE

LITERACY SUPPORT COMPUTER SOFTWAREKurzweil 3000, probably the world’s best literacy support computer software, also provides best value for money


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The Supreme Court ruled that the family of Diane Willmore, mother of two, were entitled to £240,000 compensation, due to negligent exposure to asbestos whilst attending school in the Knowsley Metropolitan Borough in the 1970s. Diane Willmore sadly died of mesothelioma, an asbestos related disease, in October 2010, believed to have been caused from damage and disturbance to Asbestos Containing Materials (ACMs), during routine maintenance works as well as school pranks and accidents. Damaging ACMs can release billions of microscopic airborne asbestos fibres into the air, once air borne these indestructible yet invisible asbestos fibres can be inhaled, which can cause a significant problem with the bodies vital organs. Mesothelioma can be caused by the inhalation of air borne microscopic asbestos fibres into the lungs, which leads to Mesothelioma cancerous tumours forming in the lungs. There are currently no medical cures to reverse the effects of asbestos exposure and over 4,500 people each year in the UK die from asbestos related diseases. SIGNIFICANT CASEThe case of Diane Willmore is of extreme significance as this is the first time a pupil has been awarded compensation for asbestos exposure, simply for going to school. As future compensation claims could very easily run into billions of pounds, the potential costs for insurance providers to the education sector could be significant. Therefore, increases are liable to be seen in insurance premiums, as well as more stringent controls to be in place to ensure effective asbestos management within the education sector. Christine Blower, general secretary of the National Union of Teachers said: “This case is of great significance since it is the first time that a former pupil has been awarded compensation for asbestos exposure which took place whilst at school. We hope it will act as a wakeup call for local authorities and other employers to improve asbestos management in schools. “It has been known for many years that children are more vulnerable than adults to the effects of asbestos exposure, even at low levels. In the last 10 years 140 teachers have died of mesothelioma. If teachers are dying from their exposure,

inevitably pupils will die too in later life. Because of the long latency period, however, there are no records of adults who have died because of childhood exposure.” There are currently strict legal requirements to manage asbestos in all non-domestic premises, so that disturbing ACMs can be avoided and their condition monitored regularly. LEGAL REQUIREMENTSThe basic legal requirements for compliant asbestos management in premises built before 1999 are:• To ensure that no one can come to any harm from asbestos on the premises• To conduct a suitable and sufficient assessment to determine if ACMs are likely to be present in the premises.• If ACMs are likely to be present, arrange for an asbestos management (Type 2) inspection to be carried out on all relevant areas.• To produce a survey report to record the assessment details of all accessible ACMs• To produce an asbestos register to record the presence of all known ACMs• To produce marked up floor plans recording accurate locations of all known ACMs• Label all known asbestos to identify the

hazard to others and prevent disturbance.• To produce a communications policy to communicate all known ACM information, with everyone liable to disturb the ACMs• To ensure all known ACMs are re- inspected every 6-12 months, even if they are in good condition.• To ensure refurbishment and demolition (Type 3) asbestos inspections are conducted before carrying any works which could disturb the building fabric; plant; equipment or old objects.• To ensure that all contractors and maintenance staff receive asbestos awareness training at regular intervals.It is known that at present over 75 per cent of schools in the UK still contain asbestos, the highest risks schools are those built in the 1960s and 1970s, currently estimated at around 13,000 schools. Since 1980, approximately 368 teachers have died from the effects of mesothelioma, and since 1980 the death rate in teachers has increase five-fold. L

FOR MORE INFORMATIONFurther information can be found on the Health and Executive’s website www.hse.gov.uk/asbestos

COMPENSATION CLAIMS

ASBESTOS MANAGEMENT IN THE EDUCATION SECTORThe tsunami affect from a ground breaking Supreme Court ruling in March 2011 could cost the education sector deeply over the next few decades, as compensation claims could be made by tens of thousands of people who are un-necessarily exposed to asbestos whilst attending school as a pupil

Asbestos Managem

ent

Design & Build

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Written by Roderic Bunn, principal consultant in building perform

ance analysis, BSRIA

Since the launch of the free-to-use Soft Landings Framework in 2009, clients and project teams behind new schools have been keen to adopt the soft landings process of graduated handover. Many are learning the hard way that schools are not operationally ready. They need bedding-in, fine-tuning, and professional aftercare before they work properly – the basis of the soft landings approach.

COMPLICATIONSHead teachers, unfamiliar with procuring their shiny new schools, have been shocked at the higher energy costs and management effort that result from taking charge of something that might have cost upwards of £30 million. Local authorities, also expecting their massive investment to work ‘out of the

box’, are surprised to find that school and academy buildings are unfinished at occupation and full of technologies and controls that don’t work very well and that no-one understands. Throw renewable energy systems into the mix (and many do appear to be afterthoughts), and the problems often multiply. Teachers are finding that even simple technologies, such as motorised windows and automatic lighting either don’t do what they are supposed to do, or do it too often, too noisily, or just randomly. Occupants feel alienated and out of control by the very systems installed to make their teaching lives easier. While they may not hanker after their old crumbling school, with its draughts, dark corners and wayward heating, teaching staff have rightly expected far

more of their new buildings. They feel short changed. Irritated. Let down. This is not a good advert for the building industry. More often than not, the technical shortcomings of new schools lie not with the technology, but far more with the way we procure and deliver schools and academies to an unsuspecting educational community. In other words, it’s not what we do, it’s the way that we do it. And the way we do it is by fixating on time and cost, rushing to get on site, rushing the commissioning, and rushing to get paid and get off site as fast as possible. This leads to all sorts of operational shortcomings. Eliminating those problems is what soft landings seeks to address.

SMOOTHING THE TRANSITIONSoft landings is a step-by-step process designed to smooth the transition of a new school from the construction phase into use. With soft landings, the handover of a school or academy is treated as a gradual process, rather than the standard way of doing things where the tape is cut, the head teacher given the keys, and the builder allowed to leg it into the night with a cheque in the back pocket. You might laugh at this image, but even today building contracts are written that encourage that approach. A project that is built around the soft landings process forces everyone on a school project to think differently from the outset. Blind faith in technology and the infallibility of architects and builders is replaced by a better and more direct understanding of E

SOFT LANDINGS FRAMEWORK

SPARE A THOUGHT FOR BUILDING AFTERCAREWhat do you do when you’re handed the key to your shiny, new building but then realise it suffers from all sorts of operational shortcomings? Cue the Soft Landings approach



38

Desig

n &

Build

E how the school is to be used and managed. A culture of post-completion follow-through is written into client requirements, professional appointments, and the procurement of builders and contractors. Design reviews, reality-checking, and building fine-tuning are key parts of the process. Project teams are engaged to support the school up to three years post completion to make sure everything works as it should, and that the energy and environmental performance targets, promised at the outset, are actually met. That, in a nutshell, is soft landings. The construction industry is well aware of its existence, and arguably all that local authorities, schools partnerships and free schools management teams need to do is make it a requirement for their new build or refurbishment projects.

EVIDENCESoft landings is a free-to-use protocol. It is not part of a licenced system, nor is it controlled by any one organisation. Official records of its take-up therefore don’t exist. However, the publisher of the Soft Landings Framework, research consultancy BSRIA, is detecting seismic movements, and there is growing evidence of its adoption in many sectors, particularly schools. Take Estover Secondary Community College in Plymouth. The comprehensive school and visual arts college is part of a £39 million project funded by Plymouth City Council under the One School Pathfinder Initiative. The design, by architect Feilden Clegg Bradley Studios (FCBS) and AECOM uses various passive techniques such as high thermal mass and summertime night ventilation. The college is being constructed in seven phases. When the project started, the architect worked with the main contractor Keir Western to establish a better approach to phasing, handover and aftercare. Special effort was placed on the pre-handover stage and post-occupancy aftercare. Summary soft landings checklists were developed and the Kier Western site team used these alongside their standard handover processes. The handover review found that the soft landings processes were good. Although soft landings activities were introduced late into the project, Kier Western found that benefits would accrue from the school’s facilities staff committing to monitoring the building actively, with the environmental data also feeding into the school curriculum. Although there was no contractual requirement to carry out post-completion fine-tuning, the project team stayed on site to offer support. This was aided by the fact that the project team are being retained to deliver future phases of the school. Kier Western has shown its commitment to soft landings by incorporating it within the Kier Care Commitment – a tailored version of soft landings aftercare that

the builder will offer to its clients. Clients are also waking up to the potential of soft landings. Birmingham City University (BCU) has revised its entire procurement process for a new 21,000 m2 campus building on soft landings. Prospective main contractors have been required to bid in partnership with a mechanical and electrical contractor to ensure that the soft landings activities involved shared roles, responsibilities and risk. The main contractor will also be retained for three years post completion, with full maintenance responsibility included. An interesting and very insightful modification to the usual appointment is that the successful contractor will be extended to include user familiarisation with controls systems – something so often lost in the rush to complete a project and get off site. BCU has included soft landings requirements throughout the entire project, including three years post-completion. Of course there is a cost to this – the design consultants charged an additional one per cent fee for their post-occupancy involvement. While this was a large uplift, BCU recognised it as a value-added investment. As an expert client, BCU realised that even if they didn’t budget for it, they could well lose high sums later through underperforming systems that would otherwise not be finished off properly, nor fine-tuned in operation. Soft landings should ensure that problems are identified and resolved, leading to energy savings that will offset the initial investment.

ENVIRONMENTAL DESIGNGovernment and local authorities have long been using environmental assessment methods, like the BREEAM environmental assessment and certification scheme for new non-domestic buildings, to try and ensure new schools are sustainable. All public sector projects are required to achieve BREEAM ratings of Excellent or Very Good. While BREEAM and similar methods are valuable for concentrating the minds of design teams on sustainable features, whether it be solar power, wood chip boilers or rainwater recovery, having a high BREEAM rating offers no guarantee of sustainable performance in operation. The process of issuing Energy Performance Certificates (EPC) has also mislead local authorities and head teachers to believe that their new school’s impressive design rating of ‘A’ will be achieved in reality. Many have been shocked to receive a Display Energy Certificate rating of ‘D’ 12 months after opening, with electricity consumption three to five times what they were led to expect. So there is much-needed convergence between environmental design assessments and the soft landings way of thinking. And with perfect timing, the latest edition of the BREEAM scheme now allowing credits for undertaking soft landings activities, and for following-through after handover.

SOFT LANDINGS CHAMPIONS Launched in March this year, BREEAM New Construction, includes credits for the client, the building occupier, and the design team and contractors to be involved in contributing to the project’s decision-making process. This includes identifying and defining roles, responsibilities and contributions. Soft landings calls for the creation of soft landings champions – one on the client side and a matching person on the supply side. Both champions should be people involved for the full duration of the project. Under BREEAM, three new credits are available for the appointment of a BRREAM accredited professional. Quite apart from specific BREEAM responsibilities, there is no reason why this individual could not also become one of the soft landings champions. BREEAM 2011 requires a schedule of training identified for relevant building occupiers and the premises manager. Again, the soft landings work steps provide the means by which operation and maintenance staff can get training and familiarisation with the building and its systems. Training should include demonstration of the building management system and its interfaces. Occupiers need to be made familiar with all allied controls systems, know that they are operating correctly, and understand how to use and fine-tune them. The convergence between BREEAM and soft landings will make this more likely to happen. MOVING TO THE MAINSTREAMAs soft landings moves into the mainstream, and the results from better handover, fine-tuning and aftercare support begin to show dividends in lower energy consumption and better performing building systems, soft landings should become routine. And the feedback from successful school projects, where the energy savings predicated at the start are actually achieved in reality, should then inform the next generation of school buildings. For without a soft landings approach, we cannot deliver low carbon schools. Low carbon designs, yes, but not low carbon buildings. For further information, Soft Landings for Schools – Case Studies, detailing feedback from the early use of the Soft Landings Framework in schools, is available as a free PDF from www.bsria.co.uk/bookshop or www.usablebuildings.co.uk L

Roderic BunnRoderic Bunn is a principal consultant in building performance analysis at BSRIA, working for the Carbon Trust on its Low Carbon Buildings Performance programme. He manages the soft landings initiative at BSRIA and is a Building Performance Evaluator for the Technology Strategy Board.

SOFT LANDINGS FRAMEWORK

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Design & Build

In a challenging period for the education built environment industry, the sixth Building Schools Exhibition and Conference (BSEC) at London’s ExCeL proved successful and a major destination for education and industry leaders, attracting delegations and decision makers from across the globe, with 49 per cent at director level and above. NEW OPPORTUNITIESMarked as the annual event to openly discuss issues facing the sector, it also unveiled emerging new opportunities in education, with a particular demand for new and refurbished buildings, including new free schools. Free schools, new academies and the James Review were all popular topics

of conversation and the subject of much debate throughout BSEC 2011, whilst the industry still awaits Michael Gove’s capital spending plans now expected in June. This year’s event also attracted education ministers, directors and managers from overseas, sharing their experiences from working in the education sector in the USA, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Germany, Belgium, Denmark and Sweden.

UNIQUE EVENTWith many new and expanded features this year, including the Green Learning Theatre and School Interior Innovations, BSEC remains the only UK event catering for everyone involved in the education built

environment. It’s aimed at everyone from architects and contractors, communities establishing new schools and cross-sector teachers to government policy advisors. Commenting on this year’s event, Samuel Jennings, BSEC’s event director, said: “Despite it being such a difficult time for those involved in the industry as we await the government’s James Review, BSEC 2011 proved a huge success for those seeking the latest government news, to speak with peers and procure the best products and services available. “We’ve had great feedback from those attending who felt that despite the tough economic environment, there are still significant new opportunities emerging in the education sector, particularly for new free schools and refurbishment projects. Visitors also E

BSEC 2011

NEW THINKING, NEW ADVICE AND NEW BUILDSAfter interesting discussions and heated debates surrounding hot topics, and an exhibition jam-packed full of free seminars attracting key decision makers, BSEC 2011 closed a success

ABOUT BSECBSEC is the UK’s only annual event that caters for everyone at the forefront of educational building and refurbishment projects. The exhibition is free to attend with free exhibition seminar content, plus a paid conference. BSEC is aimed at everyone in the sector and attracts visitors from backgrounds in local authority, teaching, architecture, engineering and contracting.



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BSEC 2011

FREE SCHOOLS BSEC visitors were able to attend a packed plenary stage on the opening day for a talk by journalist and free school founder Toby Young on his experience and challenges in establishing a new free school. This was valuable to those visitors who are also developing free schools in their communities. A debate on free schools proved lively in the conference on 24 February, with Mark Lehain, campaign director for the Bedford and Kempston free school sharing his experiences and vision with those working in the sector, alongside the Partnerships for Schools director of education and planning, Russell Andrews. Terry Mitchell, project director at Skanska, said: “We’ve had some good conversations at BSEC with many visitors interested in free schools, green retrofit and modern methods of construction, who are all eager to see the resurgence of schools development.”

DESIGN MY LEARNING SPACE LIVE! The increasingly popular ‘Design My Learning Space LIVE!’ competition was successful, having been extended to include all primary and secondary schools in the UK. Winners were Lauriston Primary School in Hackney and Hagley Catholic High School in Worcester. Paired with architects and designers, the competition is aimed at encouraging essential dialogue between architects and schools to promote the importance of a well-designed school environment. Sponsors of the event included Stejies, RIBA, Surface to Air and EC Harris. EC Harris’ head of education and children services, Simon Lucas, also delivered a key speech on day one on whether standardisation in schools is the answer to living with more for less. Mathew Pearson, education consultant at Steljes, commented: “As sponsors of the competition, schools being directly involved with the show has been a real highlight. BSEC has also been a great opportunity to engage and network with other contractors and suppliers about new ways of delivering value for schools.” With BSEC becoming more directly involved with schools and educational workshops, there was also a special performance by the Shakespeare Schools Festival – the largest drama festival in the UK. This festival works with both children and teachers to tackle the preconceptions of Shakespeare being a challenging subject. L

FOR MORE INFORMATIONTo find out more about exhibiting or getting involved in 2012, please call 020 75604040 or e-mail [email protected]

To find out more about HSK, BSEC’s official charity, or to donate, please visit www.hsk.org.uk

was the practical workshop, bringing designers and consultants to help teachers discuss and develop a classroom design that connects the Curriculum with an educational environment under limited budgets and resources. Richard Woods from Capita Symonds also presented his thoughts and advice on making the most of outside spaces in light of decreasing funding for sports. The newly launched Project Leaders VIP Lounge also recruited over 150 budget holders (first time visitors) who scheduled one-to-one meetings with exhibitors. These visitors were involved in a range of education building projects, including academies, local authorities, private providers, international schools, FE, HE and free schools. Other features included Local Authorities Connect, which focused on the continuing important role by local authorities in the procurement and management of education spaces, following the government’s proposed White Paper in October last year. BSEC also showcased the Take 5 Hub this year, where visitors could find out more about building free schools, academies and higher education spaces through best practice case studies. Past projects showcased challenges including spatial and financial, overcome through strategic design and refurbishments and delivered to PassivHaus standard.

NETWORKING DINNERThe sell-out networking dinner on the first evening (23 February) was a substantial success, providing an opportunity to informally network with other exhibitors from the show. The after-dinner speech also made reference to the growth of BSEC’s sister event, Building Future Education in the Middle East and its expansion into China later this year. Those attending the dinner also raised £3,600 towards the £60,000 target for BSEC’s official charity HSK (Harambee Schools Kenya), a volunteer-run education charity based in the UK. Exhibitors included platinum sponsors Skanska and Bam and gold sponsors Capita Symonds, Carillion and Graham Construction, who all noted the quality of this year’s visitors. Ian Wright, commercial manager at Zaun Limited, commented: “With a third of our trade being focused in the education sector, BSEC has been a great place for us again this year, our second year exhibiting. We’ve met an excellent quality of visitors, including architects and construction companies, both of which are core for our role in the procurement process. BSEC has also been excellent again this year to help us raise our profile in this sector.” James Barber, specification consultant from Altro, added: “We’ve been coming to BSEC for several years now and it always provides quality leads. It’s also a great opportunity to network with other main contractors and architects, and to find out more about what’s happening across the industry.”

E commented on the strong conference programme and some very well attended presentations on the plenary stage.”

CONFERENCE HIGHLIGHTS The conference programme was opened by education expert Professor Stephen Heppell, a leading voice throughout the two-day event, having introduced many key speakers from across the industry and giving his personal views about the future of education. Conference discussions explored new procurement and funding models for all types of education establishments, how to improve existing stock and adapt existing buildings to create quality education spaces. Other key speakers included Rachel Wolf, director at the New Schools Network, Tim Byles, chief executive at Partnerships for Schools, and Sir Bruce Liddington, director at Edu-Trust Academies Charitable Trust (E-ACT), who featured in numerous panel discussions. Heated debate ran throughout the two days surrounding key topics, including new procurement routes, the role of local authorities, SEN schools and the use of digital media in education. Focusing on educational construction and design, talks about the cost of educational spaces were weighed up by Robert Holt, director of education at Carillion. Analysis concentrated on how much a school really costs long term, taking into account new builds, maintenance and refurbishments. Architects were also involved in a talk on the plenary stage about how to move on without the support of organisations such as BECTA and CABE. Practical tips on continuing high standards with lower costs were suggested by a variety of speakers from HOK, Steljes, John Lyall Architects and Greenhill Jenner Architects.

EXHIBITION FEATURESThe Green Learning Theatre, in partnership with the Carbon Trust and the UK Green Building Council, hosted best practice case studies and talks on how to create sustainable and affordable education environments. Sarah McCarrick, BREEAM education sector manager at BRE presented her thoughts on how to build affordable and green buildings in conjunction with the Big Society, and George Martin, head of sustainability at Wilmott Dixon offered lessons from the Zero Carbon Schools Initiative. Energy consciousness for both new and existing buildings was also covered in some detail, including how facilities such as lighting, through energy efficient products, can improve learning environments. School Interior Innovations also hosted free seminar programmes. As well as showcasing a fully equipped classroom, washroom, laboratory and an innovative adaptive learning space, presentations explored the changing role of design within a modern learning environment. A particular highlight



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Tudor Grange in Solihull is a mixed, 11-16 age academy, formed in 1974 from the combination of well established boys’ and girls’ grammar schools on the same site.

The academy has a reputation for excellence and academic achievement and is popular with parents and students alike. In fact, it’s always over subscribed. When it came to refurbishment, Facilities Manager, Graham Turner, was looking for a highly robust, high specification cubicle that would be able to withstand the many rigors of this large and busy academy.

Solihull Council, having specified Venesta in the past, chose our Centurion range for the six male and female toilet facilities situated throughout the campus. Centurion combines strength and rigidity with wall channels and pilasters that extend to the floor, obviating the need for pedestals. This gave the academy the long-lasting quality that they were looking for.

‘‘To meet the rigorous demands of this type of environment, all facilities in our academy have to be robust, efficient and fit for purpose. Centurion has fulfilled these requirements, and has given an excellent finished appearance in all washroom areas.’’Graham Turner, Facilities Manager, Tudor Grange

Case Study Tudor Grange Academy

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UTILITY MANAGEMENT



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In infancy our senses stimulate an inquisitiveness that may sometimes lead us into dangers we are unaware of. Only after some years of study in the University of Life is there a chance that we may become more critically aware of these dangers. Although there is now a focus on awareness within educational establishments there will still be many who may not benefit from this. The Life Beyond Labels Mind Management system suggests incorporating the exercise below in your daily routine. The December editorial of Education Business (www.educationbusinessuk.net/content/view/2258/12/) contains some of the helpful things you can get from the Life Beyond Labels Mind Manager that utilises website technology to help you achieve your best in everything you undertake. THE AWARENESS EXERCISEHow do you avoid making the same old mistakes over and over again? By first becoming aware of the pitfalls and then choosing to avoid them. You can do this by simply becoming more generally aware – aware of yourself and everything that’s going on around you. Here’s an extremely simple exercise to help develop awareness. It’s an ancient technique, which has been used for thousands of years. By spending a couple of minutes twice a day (that’s all it takes), it’s possible to grow and

develop a new, inner aliveness, a relaxed, yet intense awareness of what is actually going on. This different awareness, in the physical, mental, emotional and spiritual realms, raises your consciousness and increases your sense of wellbeing. A new and exciting passion is brought into your daily routine. Through this exercise alone it’s possible for you to grow and change from inside of yourself and become more aware of your feelings. Feelings that so many of us have been brought up to ignore and yet which greatly influence our behaviour towards others. Why not practice this simple two-minute exercise? It can help bring clarity and peacefulness to your everyday life.You may find you need to read the following passage several times before you’re really sure what’s required. EXERCISESit up straight in a comfortable chair with your feet firmly on the floor, your hands resting lightly on your lap and close your eyes. Be aware of your body being supported by the chair and notice your feet on the floor. Notice your hands resting lightly on your lap and the clothes on your skin. Become aware of any tensions in your body – where they are and, without trying to change them, just observe them. Notice what emotional state you’re in. How you feel. Are you feeling happy, sad or angry and frustrated? Just

notice, without trying to work it out, without analysing or judging. Notice your thoughts but avoid judging or analysing them. It’s all right to have thoughts – just notice them. Be aware of the air on your face and hands. Become aware of your breathing. Really notice your breath. Is it shallow or deep? Is it quiet? Don’t try to change it. Just observe. And keep breathing in and out and, as you do so, become aware of your heartbeat and the sounds in the room. Really listen intently to all the sounds around you. Can you hear a clock ticking? Are you aware of other noises in the room and in the house or apartment where you live? Now, extend your listening to include the sounds in the street outside…the noise of cars and other traffic, or maybe birds singing. Perhaps there are children playing in the street and you can hear the sound of people walking. Let your attention run right out to include the farthest away sounds. Be aware of the stillness behind all of these sounds. Be aware of the peacefulness that exists behind these sounds. Be aware of your body. Notice how you’re physically supported on the chair. Feel the space that you’re taking up. Now, become aware of the room around you. Then slowly and gently, open your eyes and look around you. What do you see?How does the room look to you now? What are you now aware of? Spend a couple of minutes writing down your observations of what you saw immediately after you opened your eyes. When you write down your replies, keep to objective observation – leaving out judgment and analysis. Next, write down what you observed while your eyes were closed. Again, leave out analysis and judgment. This simple observational exercise of writing down your experiences will help you develop an objective view. L

FOR MORE INFORAMATIONwww.lifebeyondlabels.com

THE IMPORTANCE OF AWARENESS Awareness is the key to all understanding. Counselor and author Catherine C Palmer looks at how it’s one of the most important qualities necessary for health and happiness

Catherine C Palmer

Catherine C Palmer began her career with one of the UK’s leading recruitment services; later became a tutor in Practical Philosophy at the School of Economic Science, where she was taught this useful technique, known as The Exercise, which Catherine now calls The Awareness Exercise. Later, she trained in Switzerland and Florida in Stress Management. Catherine has been a successful stress and relationship counsellor for a number of years, providing these services for both individuals and groups. www.ideal-relationship.com/live/

Design & Build

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Written by Dr Kate Reynolds, chief executive, Learning Plus UK

Education debate in England has continued to be characterised by the differences between those who focus on learning as a good in itself and those who see schooling as a means to employment. The so called ‘vocational/academic’ divide presupposes that education can’t be both a route to gain skills, knowledge and learning and offer to support the development of aptitudes, talents and understand that is directly relevant to the world of work. Yet some of our oldest vocations – doctors, lawyers, teachers – have always had a foothold in academic rigour and in some of the oldest universities in the country. Behind this debate is an increasing concern about the rise in 16-24 year olds not in education, training or employment. This group of young people is on the increase and represent a pool of lost talent and skills. As at the last quarter of 2010 the number of young people in this category measured just under 1 million with a worrying increase particularly in the 18-24 age group. Moreover, our own research has shown the impact that not continuing in education has on this group’s longer term life chances and their capacity to earn higher wages.

A TARGETED APPROACHThe new government has entered into this debate with enthusiasm proposing a series of structural and curricular initiatives designed to tackle the underlying causes of this group of young people. They have continued the previous government’s commitment to raise the participation age to 18 by 2015 and expanded the opportunities offered to young people through the apprenticeship programme. Central to the new approach is the notion that this group of young people are turned off by traditional academic education with a focus on pathways into higher education and that these young people need to be energised by a different approach to education which sees the world of work at its core. Indeed the Prime Minister David Cameron and Michael Gove, Secretary of State for Education both see this new approach as a key means of narrowing the achievement gap and giving young people access to a curriculum that leads directly to employment opportunities. In this context, the government is proposing

a range of solutions which emphasise employability, skills, technical knowledge and aptitudes. Sitting alongside studio schools and suggestions given by the review into vocational education led by Professor Wolf, a new type of school is being mooted, the University Technical Colleges. University Technical Colleges are the brainchild of the Baker/Dearing Trust and they have at their core a commitment to linking the world of work with the world of schools and colleges. UTCs would offer a curriculum based in the ‘real world’ and focusing on technical and manual skills suitable for the local and national employment market. Businesses are central in this approach, combining with education to bring sharpness that values vocations and trades rather than academic study per se. This will be achieved through increasing integration of further education into the 14-19 sector with some UTCs perhaps serving the 11-19 age group. Already there are discussions about how staff from further education colleges could be more actively involved in schools and an ongoing debate about how performance at post-16 could be measured using some of the criteria and success methods currently used by FE. Alongside FE, universities will have role partly to give parity with more academic routes and partly to give a route to higher education for vocational courses that had not previously had access to HE. Students will have access to further learning either in the workplace or at university at 19.

CHANGING THE DESIGN APPROACHThe emphasis on vocational learning will require different approaches to classrooms and learning spaces. Practical lessons require practical experience, so the ability to create beauty saloons, carpentry studios and engineering labs will be critical in giving young people access to the type of workplaces that may need their skills. The Futures Community College in Southend on Sea represents the kind of design and build that embodies this particular meshing of vocational approach. Designed by architects FraserBrownMcKenna, the building has both vocational and academic spaces reflecting the needs of the local young people. Purpose

built, the college has state of the art beauty therapy, construction and engineering facilities mirroring the world of work. Built under the previous government, Futures Community College has been commended as an exemplar of the type of approach that UTCs could bring – joining together curricular approaches with bespoke design and construction, to create vocational learning spaces that support entry into the world of work or onto further and higher education.

A GROWING TRENDSo given this backdrop, the recent budget announcement to increase the number of potential University Technical Colleges from 12 to 24 did not come as a surprise. In September 2011, the first JCB UTC will open in Staffordshire. The JCB Academy will be a 14-18 provision with purpose built facilities and supported by industry heavyweights such as Rolls Royce, JCB, Toyota and Bombardier. The remaining UTCs are likely to grow up over the next couple of years, with a number in London and the south and perhaps some further north. What is not yet known is the level of capital investment that such UTCs would attract. As a trailblazer, the JCB Academy will no doubt have significantly higher levels of capital investment than those further down the pipeline. It may be that rather than significant new build, we will see more refurbishment and refreshment – perhaps as part of the estate of a university or a further education college. BETTER OUTCOMESMoreover, a key aspect will be how we ensure that these new forms of structural solution have an impact and do lead to better outcomes for the young people they are set up to serve. Central to this will be the need to understand what works and why and to share excellent practice from schools, colleges, further and higher education. 24 UTCs out of a school sector of over 25,000 schools will only make a difference if we know what quality looks like and can share it – both amongst UTCs and with other schools and colleges. Building on the best that already exists in the education sector will be crucial if UTCs and other initiatives to tackle the disengagement of young people at 16 and beyond, is to work. L

UNIVERSITY TECHNICAL COLLEGES

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CleaningW

ritten by Rowena Sait of Ceris Burns International

It is important to maintain a high level of cleanliness throughout your building in order to reduce the spread of infection in schools and colleges, which can result in both student and staff absences. Germs spread at a worrying pace and with the threat of harmful bacteria such as MRSA, E. coli and H1N1, regular and effective cleaning is needed to ensure these risks are reduced. BACTERIA HOT SPOTSThere are many bacteria hot spots in schools including desks, door handles and computer keyboards. These hot spots need to be regularly cleaned, as do all surfaces and floors in the building. Cleaning operatives need to be fully trained and qualified in order to understand how to most effectively and safely clean all areas. It is vital to make sure washrooms are

regularly cleaned and fully equipped. A clean washroom that has plenty of hand wash, and an effective hand drying system, will encourage students to use good hand hygiene practices. Whilst it is easy to see dirt and

contamination in buildings, air cleanliness is much more difficult to identify and therefore it is often ignored as a potential health hazard. However, improving the air quality will be beneficial to the health of the users in the building. Pollution in the air, E

There are many bacteria hot spots in schools including desks, door handles and computer keyboards. These hot spots need to be regularly cleaned, as do all surfaces and floors in the building. Cleaning operatives need to be fully trained and qualified in order to understand how to most effectively and safely clean all areas.

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KEEP CLEAN AND IMPROVE CHILDREN’S LEARNING ENVIRONMENTWe find out how health, safety and hygiene can be enhanced by introducing better standards of cleanliness and air quality, and how a cleaning services provider can help achieve this

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have in a building, the more dust mites you will have. As dust mites are often the main culprits of allergies, it is vital to reduce dust in buildings to control and minimise mites. Ventilation is the key to improving air quality as dust mites thrive in warm and damp environments. Regular ventilation of rooms, as well as the implementation of dehumidifiers and extractors, can help improve the air quality. It is also important to make sure you are regularly and effectively cleaning the building.

Vacuuming will dramatically reduce the number of dust and dust mites. There are special systems in place which have been specifically designed to improve air quality. Using a professional cleaning company can vastly improve the standards of your facility and as such will protect the students and employees from potential outbreaks of infection.

CASE STUDYThe Royal Northern College of Music or RNCM is a conservatoire in Manchester. In addition to being a centre of education, the RNCM also functions as an arts centre holding concerts of all kinds, opera and other musical events. When trying to contract out cleaning services, Dean Griffiths, RNCM estate service manager, stipulated that they were looking for a company that went “that little bit further in value added terms as well as forward thinking, with a finger on the pulse of all the latest market developments.” The winning company offers a bespoke capture and removal system, which is not only a more efficient and effective way of cleaning, it has cost saving implications for the client. The system uses a combination of hip type vacuums, which increase productivity and are more user-friendly. The company’s manager commented: “What you find usually is that the bigger the building, the more time you can save cleaning it. Traditionally, a cleaner does around 2,500 square foot per hour doing all types of cleaning. With this system, production levels are in excess of 4,000 square foot per hour. “We use microfibre cloth technology for dusting – this means that static electricity is created in the cloth so it will pick up a greater amount of airborne bacteria which is retained by the cloth. Traditional dusting moves contaminated dust back into the air. “We also use a large, wheeled brute bin around the office area in which waste is emptied into. Normally a cleaner would empty all waste into a black bin bag and need to shift a heavy weight at the end, which is prone to coffee spills on the carpet etcetera.” The company provides RNCM with daily cleaning services, seven days a week, from 5am until 9.30pm. When the college shuts down at end of term time they concentrate on jobs such as periodic deep cleaning of carpets and upholstery. They employ a dedicated on-site manager who is on hand to deal with any problems that may arise, such as urgent response, spillages or providing labour for events. Another successful initiative has been the implementation of a new recycling scheme. The cleaning company’s staff helped to oversee the project and helped to raise awareness on campus of the new systems by wearing T-shirts with promotional messaging. The manager added: “When we tendered for the college we looked at areas E

CLEANING SERVICES

E such as dust, can cause issues with people’s health including respiratory problems, and skin, eye, nose, throat and ear irritations. Dust is made up of many sources, one of the main components being dead skin cells. A building that is used as a school or college is likely to have a large number of people who use the premises every day, and as a result of this there will be an increase of dust floating in the air. Dust mites primarily feed on dead skin cells, so the greater amount of dust you

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Ventilation is the key to improving air quality as dust mites thrive in warm and damp environments. Regular ventilation of rooms, as well as the implementation of dehumidifiers and extractors, can help improve the air quality.

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eart of Europe

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e production of medical gloves

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resource is a company that delivers and advises on key outsourced services such as cleaning, security services, front of house staff, car park management and window cleaning in specialist areas across the private and public sectors. The company has a unique footprint across the UK and Ireland, with offices in London, Birmingham, Leeds, Edinburgh, Cardiff, the Isle of Man, Belfast, Dublin and Limerick. Every day our people help our clients to deliver better customer services and release value to their businesses. We work in partnership with educational

establishments to create bespoke, managed solutions that give greater efficiency, improved productivity, reduced administrative burden and most importantly, financial transparency and cost-savings. This total, integrated approach allows our clients to focus on providing state-of-the-art academic services and maximising income while we deliver vital support services ranging from cleaning of educational, research and residency facilities, to portering, guarding, control room and CCTV services, waste recycling, H&S management and car park controls.

0113 260 [email protected]

resource is an innovative supplier of essential support and business-critical services for the private and public sectors.

Cleaning

E including footfall, building profile and staffing levels. With our plan we reduced the number of staff needed to clean and maintain the building by two per day. “We have had the contract since August 2009, which was originally a 12 month contract with an option to extend. This has now been extended to three years.” Dean commented: “We carried out a

stringent set of requirements from the beginning and they stood out at presentation stage with what they said they would do. They have fulfilled that promise to date and have exceeded our expectations. We now have a better service than previously, a reduced workload and less staffing concerns, and are happy with the experienced team we have onboard.” L

CLEANING SERVICES

Dust mites

Dust mites feed on dead skin cells that are shed from humans, and they are a common cause of asthma and allergic reactions such as wheezing. They thrive by embedding themselves into carpet, clothing, and other fabric fibres.

Allergens produced by house dust mites are among the most common triggers of asthma. Typical symptoms of house dust mite allergies are itchiness, sneezing, inflamed or infected eczema, watering/reddening eyes, sneezing repeatedly and frequently, runny nose and clogging in the lungs.

Using specially designed filtration systems on furnaces and air conditioning units helps to pull allergenic particles from the air. These filters are effective in reducing the availability of these harmful particles to humans, and when changed regularly, can help keep the breathable air in your premises free of dust mite waste.

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Ednam Property ServicesExclusive Corporate Cleaning Solutions

EDNAM contract services’ sole Aim is to provide an excellent and professional service to our customers. We are experts in professional cleaning and maintenance services.

GENERAL CLEANING - WINDOW CLEANINGCARPET CLEANING - COMPUTER CLEANINGPLUS A WIDE RANGE OF ADDITIONAL SERVICES Our dedicated and experienced staff are key to the successful delivery of the highest level of the services we provide. As a consequence, we have earned a high reputation in innovation, efficient and cost effective cleaning solutions. By using our services you not only get a cleaner, but we will proactively manage your property providing weekly reports to notify you of any defects in the property – such as faulty locks or leaking pipes – even if they are not part of our remit.

We believe the safety of our operatives and our customers is paramount, so all our staff are trained with an approved health & safety, Risk assessment, COSHH, Infection control, Fire prevention & safety.

All our cleaners are trained and we are a member of the British Institute of Cleaning Science.

FOR MORE INFORMATION PLEASE CONTACTPhone: 020 8242 4993 Mobile: 0787 567 9133

Email: [email protected]



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Facil

ities

Man

agem

ent

As a profession, facilities management (FM) is relatively new and in recent years the role played by the facilities manager – or ‘estates bursar’ as they are often called in schools – has grown in significance. With the current economic challenges, particularly in the public sector, the drive for efficiency is all-important and the performance of the FM/estates bursar function has and will continue to make a major contribution. In many cases the FM is involved in helping develop the overall strategy to ensure the effective operation of schools and education institutions. “This role has become a key function in most educational establishments, providing the communications link between the academic provision and the underpinning services,” says Simon Lymn, facilities manager for the Royal Grammar School Newcastle and chair of the Asset Skills Technical Advisory Group.

“Leadership and management skills are now as key to the role as the technical knowledge required to maintain the fabric of the building.” The growing need for services in education can be seen by the amount of outsourcing now taking place. Many business services companies provide an increasing range of support services to education. These companies form a key part of the UK economy themselves, and provide a wide range of functions in schools including catering, cleaning, waste management and building maintenance. Within each area there is a need for investment in skills specific to the education world. Many outsourcing businesses are looking at the technical and management/soft skills required to deliver an effective and efficient service to their education clients.

SKILLS CHALLENGESAs the importance of FM in education has grown, so has the need for the skills to meet the new challenges. The regulatory

and technical knowledge required to deliver FM in schools has been increasing. For example, the Building Schools for the Future programme resulted in many school caretakers and site managers needing to learn new technical knowledge on building controls. Senior facilities managers in education have had to develop their leadership and management skills – particularly project management, staff management, contracts management, procurement, financial and services management – alongside their technical skills. It was only recently that the range of FM-specific technical qualifications caught up with the needs of the sector. This has been particularly true of entry-level qualifications. Asset Skills has been working with employers and professional bodies, in particular the British Institute of Facilities Management (BIFM), to

address this gap. Last year was a landmark year for FM in terms of the development of a full structure of new qualifications that will support career development. In 2010, an Apprenticeship in Facilities Management became available to support new entrants. The content of the apprenticeship can be set successfully into an education context. It is one of a new range of management apprenticeships, and has a number of options leading into it which would be relevant to the education sector (see box). Working with employers in local authorities and the outsourcing industry, Asset Skills has recently updated the entry-level qualification option for caretakers and support service technicians. For many years, it had been assumed that caretakers could undertake the maintenance orientated units within the Cleaning and Support Services qualifications. Now a caretaking and property management (also dual titled Facilities Services) qualification at Level 2 is available.

These new qualifications are all part of a career pathway which links to higher-level programmes such as FM foundation degrees, the recently updated BIFM qualifications and postgraduate qualifications. Candidates completing the entry-level programmes will have options open to them and can see their career pathway in FM supported by further qualifications. A full career pathway will help more entrants to choose FM as a career rather then enter into the sector “accidentally” as has historically been the case (the full pathway can now be seen on the careers section of the Asset Skills website). TIME TO GROW YOUR OWNThere has been a growing argument that facilities management could do more to be recognised as a profession. One key part of this is being seen as a career of choice to new entrants. Asset Skills believes the low numbers of people in FM without a specific qualification in facilities management is one of the barriers to raising the profile of the industry and gaining professional recognition. Industry relevant vocational qualifications, particularly at lower levels, and clear career pathways for those entering and working in FM, are key elements of professional recognition. This would also enable the sector to ensure succession planning and grow managers for the future with appropriate technical skills. As the range of qualifications relating to the sector has grown, so has the interest in gaining a qualification and developing specific skills in FM. To support this growing demand for skills from all areas, not just education, Asset Skills has formed the UK Academy for Business Services to help the FM sector access qualifications, specialist training providers and tap into funding when this is available. Many employers are also recognising the need to develop skills specifically related to the provision of FM in the education world, as well as the need to develop careers awareness to attract younger people. An example of this is an initiative to develop FM skills centres by outsourcing company MITIE. This is directly linked to their education contracts (see case study). Investing in training and development to support skills improvement should be an essential part of the response to the current funding cuts and financial challenges for all parts of the education sector. This should be true for FMs on an individual basis and for their teams at any time to ensure succession planning and professional development. In the current climate, many facilities managers in education are looking to develop their skills. Investing in industry specific qualifications should be part of the plan to meet the continuing challenges of the current time. L

FOR MORE INFORMATIONThe Employers Guide to the FM Apprenticeship and FM Career Pathways are available at www.assetskills.org

SKILLS AND TRAINING

A VITAL FUNCTIONAs the importance of facilities management in education has grown, so has the need for the skills to meet the new challenges, writes Karen Waterlow, FM specialist adviser at Asset Skills, the Sector Skills Council for Facilities Management

Investing in training and development to support skills improvement should be an essential part of the response to the current financial challenges for all parts of the education sector. This should be true for FMs on an individual basis and for their teams at any time to ensure succession planning and professional development.

Facilities Managem

ent

53



The FM Advanced Apprenticeship Framework (Level 3)

There are three parts to the FM Apprenticeship:

Theory – a knowledge-based element or taught programme – in the case of FM this is currently the ILM (Institute of Leadership and Management) Level 3 certificate in FM. This qualification can also be taken on its own and at three levels (award, certificate and diploma). Standalone, this is also suitable for a less experienced candidate (under two years).

Practice – a competence-based element – Certificate in FM (previously NVQ) at Level 3. Offered by awarding bodies such as City & Guilds, FDQ, WAMITAB and Edexcel, this enables the candidate to demonstrate how they are applying knowledge in the context of their job. Standalone this is suitable for a more experienced FM candidate.

Functional or Key Skills – Employment Rights & Responsibilities. Common to all apprenticeship programmes, including the application of numbers/maths and communications/English. Information technology is not mandatory but candidates are encouraged to take this as a key skill. Candidates with existing qualifications may be exempt from functional skills elements.

CASE STUDY: MITIE

MITIE has a significant amount of facilities management related contracts, especially long-term contracts at PFI schools around the UK. The FM sector is expected to continue to grow and therefore it is important that MITIE is looking to ‘home grow’ their future workforce and invest in the education and training of students at some of the schools where they operate.

MITIE intends to establish FM Skills Centres at three secondary schools in the UK along similar lines to the seven MITIE Construction Skills Centres already set up. In consultation with clients they have already selected the first FM Skills Centre to be hosted at Tynecastle High School in Edinburgh. The second one will be at Primrose High School in Leeds and the third will be in Luton. The students will typically be between 16 and 18-years-old and be seriously considering their future career options.

A new vocational NVQ level 2 Facilities Services qualification has been developed by the FM Sector Skills Council, Asset Skills, in consultation with MITIE and other employers and has been accredited as a national qualification. MITIE will provide mentoring and invaluable work experience for the students to complement their theoretical learning as an integral part of this vocational course.

In preparation for the NVQ level 2 Facilities Services qualification starting at Tynecastle High School in the new academic year (August 2011), MITIE people are providing an ‘Introduction to Facilities Management’ module for the students, covering important generic communication and employability skills.

Lab Systems Furniture Limited of Kingston upon Hull is a company with deep roots in the industrial and educational scene with long traditional values married to new technological ideas. In this technological era in which the word ‘Quality’ dominates the vocabulary of Scientists and Industrialists and ‘Value for money’ dominates in Construction circles Lab Systems Furniture Limited has created furniture designs and achieved highly efficient working systems to compliment any industrial or educational organisations needs in their new Laboratory. We find that visitors to our company are very often surprised at the amount of effort committed by Lab Systems Furniture and their design team in creating individual touches of flair to create properly fitted furniture systems to a high technical and visual standard and giving the client an individual Laboratory design of high capability and quality build.

Lab Systems Furniture is one of the fastest growing companies in it’s sector with numerous Laboratory projects completed and many highly satisfied clients.The company’s success is in large due to quality personnel, single point responsibility on projects and adaptation to varying types of client requirements from refurbishments to new build.

FOR MORE INFORMATIONLab Systems Furniture LtdRotary House, Bontoft AvenueKingston upon Hull HU5 4HFTel: 01482 444650Fax: 01482 444730www.labsystemsfurniture.co.uk

High quality, cost effective furniture

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n All our matwell entrance door matting systems are fully compliant to BS8300 DDA and satra tested to TM144 for slip resistance and safetyn Printed school logo mats are practical and visually attractive.n Loose lay door mats for those bad weather days. Rubber backed for Durability, non slip and non trip safety standards approved.n Sports mats for gym work and exercises. Safety flooring products for use around pools, shower and changing room floor areas.

MatsDirect U.K. LimitedCall 0161 7976785 Fax 0161 7976349E:mail [email protected] Web www.matsdirect.co.uk



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These acoustic panels are visually attractive due to the beauty of wood veneers as well as being easy to install. The panels decorate as well as provide a solution to reverberant noise levels inside buildings.

Used to reduce reverberant noise in schools, universities, sports halls, receptions, offices, meeting rooms, interview rooms, law courts, etc.

The poor acoustic conditions in these environments make it difficult to communicate and can lead to voice problems due to prolonged use of the voice and the need to shout. It is important to have good acoustics in these areas not only for clear communication but also to create a relaxed and enjoyable working

atmosphere for everyone.

• WoodsorbaPro is one of the most advanced and efficient absorbing products available today for reducing reverberant noise levels in many environments

• Panels are only 18mm thick• Installation friendly • Easy to maintain • Decorative noise reduction

SOUNDSORBA LIMITED, DESBOROUGH STREET, HIGH WYCOMBE, BUCKS, HP11 2LZ TEL: 01494 536888 Email: [email protected]

We offer acoustics design and consultancy for music and drama facilities and general classrooms, new buildings and renovations. There is now substantial research documenting the reduced quality of learning due to poor acoustics. Through creative design and practical recommendations we can improve the speech intelligibility in classrooms, i.e. the connection between student and teacher. We work collaboratively to find novel design solutions to meet the requirements of BB93 acoustics guidelines for schools and BREEAM Education, delivering results more valuable than these minimum standards. Our tools are sound reflection and absorption, sound insulation between rooms and control of mechanical and electrical systems noise. We put our clients’ money where it matters most, working closely with each school to achieve their functional goals for performance facility or classroom.

Our leadership on concert hall and theatre projects sets each project apart. Recent successes include music and drama facilities for the Yehudi Menuhin School, Royal Conservatory of Music, Toronto, Uppingham School, St Mary’s Ascot, Sherborne School, St Catherine’s School Bramley and a new wing at Lowther Primary School, Barnes.

FOR MORE INFORMATIONAddress: 2 St. George’s Ct131 Putney Bridge Rd London SW15 2PATel: 020 88775868Fax: 020 88759385acoustics@sound spacedesign.co.ukwww.soundspacedesign.co.uk

Setting the tone for acoustics in education

School property specialist Axis, provides refurbishment, decorating and renewing services to enhance the built environment and a repair and maintenance fabric service to ensure the safe and effective running of schools. Axis Education is part of the £60m turnover Axis Group, who provide the above services to over 100,000 local authority properties including; social housing stock, education sector properties and public sector offices. Understanding the challenges of working in and around educational buildings, Axis dedicated education services team has a proven track record of completing projects within tight timescales, working within school holiday times to minimise disruption during term time and ensuring high standards of safety and service.

To protect the security of those Axis serve and work in a safe manner, all staff working in educational environments are Criminal Records Bureau checked and the company holds all relevant insurances, accreditations and H&S assessments. Use the contact details below to enquire about a free site survey, consultation about your school property requirements or to ask any questions about Axis.

FOR MORE INFORMATIONTel: 020 75642095Fax: 020 [email protected]/education

Axis – improving learning environments

Acoustics

55



Written by Em

ma G

reenland and Andrew Parkin, the Institute of Acoustics

Since the election of the coalition government in 2010, the school construction programme has experienced a major change of direction, resulting in general uncertainty regarding the future of acoustic design and legislation for schools, and there is a risk of the importance of acoustic design in schools being undermined.

STATUTORY REQUIREMENTSIn 2008, Partnership for Schools (PfS) and the Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG) set in motion a process to update Building Bulletin 93, the 2003 guidance document produced by the Department for Children Schools and Families (DCSF) to provide the acoustic performance standards for normal compliance with Requirement E4 of the Building Regulations, enforced by Building Control. The bulletin needed updating after eight years to take account of new trends in learning styles and inclusion of vulnerable listeners, who are particularly adversely affected by poor acoustics (high noise levels and long reverberation times) in mainstream schools. A draft revision of the BB93 update was presented to DCLG and PfS in March 2009, however, the document was never published. Later on in 2009 the then-minister for schools & learners, Vernon Coaker, published a ministerial statement confirming the government’s commitment to acoustics in schools. However, the status of this statement under the new government is unclear. In addition, Section 1.2.1 of BB93 allows alternative acoustic standards to be proposed by the acoustics consultant in specific cases. As the progression of school design gets further and further away from the scope of BB93, more alternative performance standards are applied to school buildings. In some cases this clause is being misused to allow acoustic specifications which are significantly below those in BB93 for commercial reasons, without adequate technical justification. The wording on this section is generally clear but it should be emphasised that this is not a licence for derogation, which risks schools being approved by building control bodies while being acoustically inadequate. Well-publicised examples, such as the infamous ‘open plan’ schools in the first wave of academies, have shown how easily the best of intentions can result in something which is, acoustically, not fit for purpose. At the end of 2010, DCLG released a document called Future changes to the Building Regulations – next steps, which

indicates that DCLG is looking to explore the scope for streamlining and deregulation of this requirement by working with the Department for Education. The Institute of Acoustics (IoA) and Association of Noise Consultants (ANC) have expressed serious concerns that section E4 might be withdrawn or watered down without an alternative statutory mechanism for maintaining acoustics standards that carry at least as much weight.

THE IMPACT OF POOR ACOUSTICSThere is a substantial body of scientific evidence that poor acoustics are linked with impairment of cognitive performance amongst children. Good acoustic design is essential for good pupil/teacher communication. Research in many countries over the past 40 years has shown that high noise levels and poor acoustics (i.e. long reverberation times) cause health problems for teachers and reduce pupils’ academic performance. Children with special needs and those whose first language is not English are particularly vulnerable to the effects of noise and poor acoustics. Put simply, if pupils are unable to hear what they are being taught they are less likely to be able to learn. Likewise if teachers have to regularly raise their voices to be heard, then they risk vocal damage and/or increased stress. For instance, last November a teacher who damaged her voice due to having to teach in poor acoustic conditions was awarded £150,000 compensation. As a result of a study commissioned by PfS, there is also evidence that many new school buildings (including high profile BSF and academy designs) are still failing to achieve suitable acoustic performance standards (particularly when commissioning testing has not been requested by the client), with teachers and students struggling to cope in the new spaces. Acoustic pre-completion testing to verify that the proposed acoustic design standards are achieved is rarely undertaken except as a contractual requirement or to achieve BREEAM credits. As a result, poor sitework can risk negating good acoustic design and performance. A further problem is that the major drive towards refurbishment and re-use of old buildings is not adequately covered in BB93 so there is an unfortunate risk of suitable acoustic performance standards not being applied to refurbished buildings.

LEARN FROM PAST MISTAKESThe new Academies Bill and the proposal for free schools open the door for a repeat of the mistakes made by previous governments.

The fundamental principles of building physics and psychology do not change however: if teachers have to strain their voices and children cannot understand what is being said, then these buildings are not fit for purpose as teaching environments. Suitable acoustic conditions are essential for teaching and learning, not a luxury. In response to this situation, the Institute of Acoustics (IoA) has written a letter to Andrew Stunell, the minister responsible for the building regulations, expressing the concern held by our profession on the effects of the proposed changes, together with the implications for future generations of school children and students, and teachers health. A similar letter has also been sent to the Department of Education. The IoA’s line is that there is a need for statutory control but we remain open about what form that might take. The IoA’s campaign is supported by the Association of Noise Consultants, the Noise Abatement Society and the National Deaf Children’s Society. In its reply, DCLG has advised that a public consultation would take place if any changes to the regulations were proposed. Representatives of the Institute have also had discussions with Partnerships for Schools, the Department for Education and MPs to emphasise the necessity of good acoustic design for all schools, and attempt to get the matter discussed in Parliament.

FUTURE GUIDANCEThe ANC and IoA are also currently working to formulate suitable acoustic guidance to be issued if the revised Building Bulletin covering school acoustics is not published by government. The School Premises Regulations 1999 contains a similar requirement to Regulation E4, although this is not currently enforced in practice by any particular control body. There are several possibilities and options for using BB93 (or a suitable replacement document) to strengthen the School Premises Regulations, although it is generally accepted that mandatory controls are required to maintain minimum acoustic design standards (the industry having witnessed an improvement in standards as a result of mandatory controls, including pre-completion acoustic testing, in recent years). It is crucial that a carefully thought-out alternative to Requirement E4 is necessary to maintain a statutory control on acoustic design standards in schools, to avoid school buildings being built that are unsuitable for speaking, listening and learning. L

DESIGN & BUILD

CAN YOU HEAR ME?Statutory control on acoustic design standards in schools must be maintained to avoid school buildings being built that are unsuitable for speaking, listening and learning



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Coomber designs and manufactures specialist audio equipment in the UK for the teaching professional. As the market leader of educational audio our ethos is to incorporate all the features you would expect but make it as simple as it could be; our products will not get in your way or distract you from the importance of teaching. Our range includes Classroom CD Players and Listening Centres, CD/USB/Cassette Recorders, Portable PA Amplifiers and Hall Audio Systems. Our current range can amplify an iPod or computer and even turn it into a listening centre. Cue and Review lets you scroll back and forward and repeat sections of audio easily. Variable Speed can slow down or speed up CDs; great for languages or dance. Group Listening includes multiple headphone outputs. Recorders have one touch recording and instant playback.

Our PA range includes options for wireless microphones without the fuss usually involved. We are constantly updating our range, please visit our website regularly, and if you don’t see what you are looking for please contact us. Our commitment to develop new products requires your input.

FOR MORE INFORMATIONCoomber Electronic Equipment LtdBrindley Road, WarndonWorcester WR4 9FBTel: 01905 [email protected]

Coomber – the market leader in educational audio equipment

Chelsom Limited specialises in fine quality lighting for schools and public buildings, and has produced cost effective, energy efficient lighting schemes for numerous schools and colleges throughout the UK and overseas. Set against a backdrop of rich stained glass and oak panelling, these bespoke architectural pendants in the main hall at Cheltenham College feature heavy embellished metalwork finished in copper bronze, encasing opaque opal diffusing bowls. Based on an original period pendant design, this version incorporates a mini version of the pendant part way up the suspension rod. This fills the vast void and also offers additional illumination for this multi-functional college hall. Eight 26W G24q-3 compact fluorescent lamps plus 1x 150W

CDM lamp compact fluorescent lamp were used in each of the larger pendants and one 150W metal halide lamp in the smaller ones. The result was greatly enhanced light levels and substantially reduced energy usage.

FOR MORE INFORMATIONChelsom LimitedHeritage House, Clifton Road, Blackpool, Lancashire FY4 4QATel: 01253 831406 Fax: 01253 [email protected] www.chelsom.co.uk

Chelsom Limited – energy efficient lighting for education

There is a revolution gathering pace. Teaching methods are evolving, and teachers and students are interacting like never before. Steelcase, the global leader in office furniture, has launched the new Node chair in the UK, specifically designed to encourage learning and help students engage in this changing environment. Steelcase carried out extensive research into the methods of teaching in today’s classrooms to best understand the new challenges facing students. Their resulting Node chair is like nothing seen in classrooms before. Where traditional classroom furniture creates a barrier between teacher and student which inhibits modern teaching methods, Node’s innovative design overcomes this hurdle,

freeing the teacher to employ many new and different techniques. Node provides key features like its swivel seat to maintain open sightlines, castors for mobility and quick mode change, backpack storage and a large

adjustable work surface that supports laptops, textbooks and notebooks. Also, as no two students are alike, Node has been designed with an adjustable worksurface, providing a perfect fit for students of all shapes and sizes. The Node classroom chair received much praise at last year’s NeoCon, recognised with the Innovation Award in the Education Solutions category.

FOR MORE INFORMATIONTel: 020 [email protected] www.steelcase.co.uk

Steelcase launches the new Node chair

The practice has over 13 years experience working in-house for large public and private sector institutions across London and the South East. We are equally at home preparing briefs, feasibilities and detailed proposals for any size of project, however large or small, and have the capability to manage copmlex multi-sited property portfolio’s between 500 and 500,000 sq. ft. We pride ourselves on professional and timely delivery of high quality information in a variety of formats to suit individual organisational technology platforms and communication methods. Benefits to an organisation of this working model can be summarised across rapid response and refinement of proposals, on-call service delivery and economic, high quality delivery. Professional and trade body

affilliations include RIBA Chartered Practice Federation of Small Businesses Approved Contractor - Chelmer Housing Partnership, Chelmsford Approved Contractor - St Georges Community Housing, Basildon.

FOR MORE INFORMATIONGlynn WilliamsTel: 01245 222692Fax: 01245 222692Mobile: 07973 [email protected]

Architecture, space planning and strategic space management

Furniture

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As we try to negotiate our way through the current difficult financial situation we are faced with the basic facts that there is less money available to spend on all goods, whether it be furniture or other consumables. This means that whatever our good intentions are, value has to be the prime motivation, and this often means that ethical concerns are placed on the back burner as some environmentally friendly products carry a price premium. However being green can still be possible, and still save money. It may seem obvious, but the first step should be to consider whether you need new furniture, and what to do with any old furniture you may have. Selecting the right options can have considerable environmental and cost savings.

DO YOU REALLY NEED IT?In environmental terms there is a triangle of diminishing returns: dispose, recycle, remanufacture, and reuse. Simply putting furniture in a skip has the least benefit to the environment as most will go to landfill. Whilst recycling is good, considerable energy is often needed to convert a final product back into a raw material. Therefore the best option is to reuse, that is if the furniture is still serviceable. Can it be used elsewhere in your building, or maybe passed to another business or charity? This reduces the need for new products and therefore reduces both the environmental impact and cost. The other route to consider is remanufacture. What this means is taking the furniture, looking at it and then considering ways to rework the product to extend its lifetime. Typically this can mean re-upholstering seating, or more pertinently looking at desk systems. Where the basic structure is sound there may be an option to replace the desk tops, giving the appearance of new furniture, but at a lower cost to you and the environment.

HELP IS AT HANDFinding the right partners for this can be more time consuming than simply purchasing new furniture. But there are a number of specialist organisations who may be able to help, such as the following. Green-Works (www.green-works.co.uk)is a registered charity and social enterprise dedicated to radically changing the way

society thinks about waste. Its aim is to turn redundant furniture into an asset and a resource. Using the 4 Rs, it tries to reduce, reuse, remanufacture or recycle all unwanted furniture, diverting it from landfill. Green-Works will not only remove your unwanted furniture, but will then find the best use for it, offering the best quality items to other organisations, with other items being reworked into new furniture wherever possible. Amaryllis Environmental Services (www.amaryllisenvironmental.com) typically offers services to businesses and government departments to maintain their furniture. They specialise in re-manufacturing, however

when furniture comes to the end of its life they will ensure that less than four per cent of the product will end up in landfill. Senator Office Furniture (www.senator.co.uk), whilst primarily an office furniture manufacturer, operates a sophisticated recycling programme whereby they take all types of unwanted furniture and ensure that the maximum possible amount of materials are recycled instead of going to landfill. More information on reuse and remanufacturing can be found on the Centre for Remanufacturing & Reuse website, www.remanufacturing.org.uk

WHAT IF YOU NEED NEW FURNITURE?At the end of the day though, furniture has a finite life and you will at some point need to buy new furniture. There are many organisations that can assist you in finding products which are good value both financially and environmentally. There are schemes that look at the environmental impact of products in terms of materials, or the performance of the manufacturer/supplier. The UK’s Government Buying Standards

(www.bellshared.co.uk/DEFRA-GBS/) are a set of procurement guidelines that are designed to allow government departments, and other bodies buy in a sustainable manner. There are requirements for furniture and these concentrate heavily on the materials used – ensuring that they are environmentally sustainable. They do however ignore the environmental performance of the manufacturer or supplier. THE FURNITURE INDUSTRY SUSTAINABILITY PROGRAMMEThe Furniture Industry Sustainability Programme (FISP – www.fira.co.uk/consultancy/environment) is an initiative by the UK furniture industry designed to highlight those companies (rather than products and materials) that are behaving in an environmentally sustainable way. Both the schemes are laudable but only place a limited value on product quality. From an environmental procurement point of view, one of the key factors should be product life. If you buy a product that will last for ten years rather than five years for example, you have halved your need for new furniture. Whilst there may be a

small premium for a product that is robust and built to meet the most demanding standards, in the long run there will be both cost and environmental savings as the demand for new products is reduced. When looking for an extended product life you need to consider products that have been independently assessed to meet current British and European standards: tables and chairs should meet EN 1729: 2006 Parts 1 & 2 at the appropriate level; and storage should meet BS 5873: 1991 Part 4 to the appropriate level. WARRANTYIn addition it is always key to look at what warranties the supplier is offering, some suppliers will offer extended warranties for five or ten years, and in some cases even higher. To summarise, by carefully examining whether you really need new furniture, whether it can be reused or reworked can offer you as a specifier considerable cost savings, whilst also benefiting the environment. In addition when purchasing a product, significant benefits can be achieved by procuring smart and procuring products that will last. L

PROCUREMENT

GREEN FURNITURE PURCHASING Do you need new furniture? Phil Reynolds, technical manager at FIRA internatonal, explains how considering the planet during this process can lead to environmental and cost savings

Simply putting furniture in a skip has the least benefit to the environment as most will go to landfill. Whilst recycling is good, considerable energy is often needed to convert a final product back into a raw material. Therefore the best option is to reuse, that is if the furniture is still serviceable.

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Energy

59



Written by Ligia Baracat, Lucy Tow

nsend and Will Daunt from

the Climate W

eek team

The inaugural Climate Week saw the UK’s best efforts to combat climate change showcased on a previously unseen scale. Running from 21-27 March, the week shone a spotlight on the thousands of positive steps already being taken in workplaces and communities across Britain, hoping to inspire millions more people to start taking action to cut their emissions. It was supported by the Prime Minister and leading figures such as Al Gore and Kofi Annan, as well as celebrities like Paul McCartney, Lily Cole and Michael Palin. Over 3,000 events showcased the big and small ideas across the country: Manchester United held a staff bike ride, the Arcola Theatre in Hackney taught children how to make hydrogen powered cars, and stars such as Lily Cole and Gemma Arterton showed how fashion can be part of the solution to climate change by modelling a low carbon designer Climate Week T-shirt.

THE CHALLENGEOne of the flagship events was the Climate Week Challenge, a national environmental competition that kick-started the week. Over 130,000 school children and office workers signed up to take part, forming teams of four or six coming up with environmental ideas that would both save the planet and save money. At 2pm pens were put down, and winning ideas from each organisation were submitted to Climate Week. The host of innovative ideas and interpretations which came in were then judged by a panel of celebrities: adventurer Ben Fogle, singer Eliza Doolittle, footballer Gary Neville, singer KT Tunstall, TV presenter Liz Bonnin, singer Kate Nash, Karen Lawrence from The Energy Saving Trust and Cath Senior from The Met Office. The winners of each of the six school categories, ranging from nursery through to sixth form were announced on Monday 4 April. The level of entry which came in was

staggering. Maryburgh Primary School in Rossshire, Scotland, who won the Keystage 1 category, looked at climate change and how it currently affects those around the world. Recently awarded their second Green Flag award, the pupils decided to look at the imbalance created by climate change which results in some regions being devastated by violent floods whilst others are plagued with ongoing drought. From this they came up with the idea of a ‘flood prevention pipe’, whereby a pipe would circle the world, gathering water from flood prone areas, filtering and distributing water to those countries most in need. Teacher Murial Thomson is very proud of them and has announced that they are over the moon to have won.

GREEN GAMESOther pupils looked at how climate change can be taught in a fun and engaging way. The winners of Keystage 2 from All Hallows School in Shepton Mallet, Somerset wanted to teach the whole family how to be greener and how to save money by greening up a well loved boardgame: Greenopoly. The pupils stated that it would be made entirely with recycled materials and one of the group members, Olly Eaton said: “It would be great to really make the game as I think it would be fun as well as full of facts and tips.” The children – Lucy Pughe-Morgan, Amber Rees-Jones, Olly Eaton, Louis Greensmith and Max Dunford – are now eagerly looking for an investor so that they can produce the game and take it to market. Pupils at Pool Business and Enterprise E

CLIMATE CHANGE

FUN AND PLANET FRIENDLY IDEASFrom gadgets that convert fidgeting energy into electricity to kites attached to generators, the Climate Week Challenge saw many unique and though-provoking ideas to tackle climate change from pupils around the country

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Energy

61

E College in Redruth, Cornwall also came up with a creative and innovative idea: The Fidgit. The gadget would convert the energy created by kids’ fidgeting into electricity, which could then recharge devices via a built-in USB port. The Fidget would come in different shapes for boys and girls, and would spin and bounce to encourage even more electricity generation. What’s more, by being made entirely from recycled materials, the device would be as green as the energy it creates. Rebekah Reeve spoke for her group saying: ”We didn’t want to create something that was ordinary

or boring, we wanted something that was interesting, fun, something to play with that was entertaining and would help save the planet at the same time. To think that our idea has been chosen makes us feel very proud of the work that we did, it’s amazing!” Teacher, Chris Challis, commented that the Climate Week Challenge is “a fantastic event. It is so important to get young people involved as it

is them that can make a difference. We need young people to take an interest and find new ways of doing things that are less harmful.”

ALTERNATIVE FUELSScience teacher, Ian Smallwood, at Fulbrook School in New Hall, Surrey concurs: “It is essential that the next generation looks at ways of producing energy as the methods we use at present are limited and obviously have long-term negative side effects. It is young people like this fantastic team that can and will provide solutions for the coming

generations.” His sixth formers came up with the wacky, yet profit making idea to convert human faeces into fuel. They stated that they were interested in the science behind this project and the untapped potential of sewage. The group even have a strap line ready for when their idea becomes reality: Future fuel from faeces: the untapped potential of sewage. The Keystage 4 winners from Alsager School,

in Stoke-on-Trent also looked at an alternative method of creating energy, this time by harnessing the power of the wind. Ellie, Abie, Georgia and Ben wanted specialised kites attached to generators to be sent into the jet stream, capturing energy created by the high speed winds that occur at high altitudes. Ellie, from the winning team said: “The climate week challenge was a completely different and new experience for us and we are really excited having got through to the national competition. We decided to utilise the power of the jet stream as it is abundant and can be benefit all people and the environment.” Their teacher Andy McFadden described the Climate Week Challenge as “an engaging and useful way for our pupils to continue learning about the damaging effects climate change is having on our planet and also an excellent opportunity to think creatively about potential solutions to the our own and future generations problems.” If you are interested in getting involved, whether this be putting on an event, or participating in the 2012 Climate Week Challenge, you can contact us now to ensure that 2012 Climate Week is bigger and better than ever. L




The Fidgit would convert the energy created by kids’ fidgeting into electricity, which could then recharge devices via a built-in USB port.

CLIMATE CHANGE

Thompson Primary School in Norfolk has taken positive steps to save money and improve safety for both staff and pupils by fitting GlassGuard BlackBand® coated fluorescent lamps and new IP65 fixtures. GlassGuard®’s IP65 T5 fixtures have been installed in the main hall, staff room and foundation classroom, delivering a vital energy saving of 37 per cent in these areas. From this installation of just 22 GlassGuard® IP65 T5 fixtures the school will save one kilowatt of energy per hour, which equates to a cash saving £182 per year. This is a significant sum for a small school and paves the way for major energy saving opportunities for larger installations. For example, a typical high school with 500 T8 fluorescent fixtures could save up to £4,000 per year by switching to GlassGuard® IP65 T5 fixtures. Energy efficiency is one concern easily addressed by GlassGuard®,

but safety for pupils and staff is also vitally important, particularly in high risk areas such as the main hall, where the children play sports. GlassGuard BlackBand® coated lamps provide full glass retention when impacted or if accidentally dropped during maintenance and comply to the latest standard BS EN61549.

FOR MORE INFORMATIONwww.glassguard.co.uk Tel: 01842 763752.

GlassGuard shatterproof lamps save money and improve safety We are a specialist

provider of energy efficiency equipment and consultancy services, in addition to our expertise in providing solutions for data centre environmental monitoring, alerts and reporting. We offer full consultancy site services to enable the public sector to reduce its energy costs and comply with current and future carbon commitment requirements, including:• Voltage optimisation – optimising and regulating the incoming voltage supply can significantly reduce power consumption and CO2 emissions, potentially by up to 20 per cent, resulting in lower energy costs.• CRC compliance and consultancy to guide you through the legislation, deliver a best practice energy management strategy, evidence packs, systems and principles.• IP-based Metering and Control Software – achieving rapid ROI through policy

driven power off/restore. • Staff behavioural change management,

training and consultancy, specialising in energy efficiency.As a Jacarta Platinum Partner, we can guide you through your data centre environmental issues offering advice on power and environmental monitoring and alert systems for data centres, IT rooms and racks:• Remotely monitor temperature, humidity, voltage disruption and other status conditions, such as flooding and security alerts at cabinet level.• Early warning alerts directly to key IT personnel by e-mail, SMS and voicemail.• Control IT power costs, assess future power requirements.• Can be used in office and retail environments.

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Energy

“A thing understood is a qualitatively different thing from the same thing not understood – therefore the logic of understanding can create new things.” Hegel (1770-1831) A generation going through school today can anticipate an average life expectancy of around 100 years, double that of their great grandparents. But there are mixed prospects to look forward to. They have just witnessed on their TV, or mobile phone, the unfolding catastrophe of Japan’s major earthquake triggering a tsunami that has caused consequential destruction greater than the combined atomic and nuclear bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, though much less loss of life (estimated 25,000). It has severely damaged the nuclear power plant, causing widespread power failure and radioactive pollution of people, land, sea and the wider ecosystems. Japan, with the most advanced educated and technologically equipped society in the world, proved unable to withstand the force of nature but also has exposed its vulnerable dependence on generating its energy to power the society from nuclear sources. This generation of youngsters are also witnessing unprecedented scenes of forest

fires from Russia to Australia, extreme floods in Pakistan, the accelerating melting of the Arctic and Antarctic Poles and with it rising sea levels. The United Nations scientific community is pointing to the overwhelming evidence that global warming, from increased greenhouse gas emissions, is propelling us towards an irreversible runaway melting of the ice caps and northern permafrost while rising temperatures cause massive forest fires. This will produce devastation for much of life as we know it, within half the lifetime of this school generation. Coincidentally, this same generation are witness to global financial crisis, threatening the prospects of their post school education, careers and future quality of life.

SHAPING THE FUTURECan this mutually threatening scenario change the content of school curriculums to equip those who do not bear responsibility, but who will suffer the consequences, with the knowledge and commitment to help to shape a low carbon clean energy and technology future? Empowering current school students with

the knowledge, skills and motivation to meet the greatest challenge of their lives is not a luxury but a necessity, for them and the rest of us as well. Yes, it is imperative that the curriculum content addresses these issues in a holistic way, as integrated social, economical and environmental sustainability is central to the low carbon future. But it can also offer practical applications, from redesigning to retrofitting schools, homes and eventually the wider community to this end.

MEASURING YOUR FOOTPRINT Measuring the carbon footprint of the school is the beginning of a journey towards its carbon neutrality. This journey involves• leadership with knowledge and commitment • behavioural change• resource efficiency (energy, water, waste and transport)• smart integrated technologies (meters, computers and lighting)• renewable technologies.It’s a great tragedy that one of the first measures following the last election was the cancelling of the Building Schools for the Future Programme, after David Cameron, Prime Minister, declaring it was going to be “the greenest government ever”. Fortunately, there is still a great deal that can be achieved with the collective commitment of heads, governors, teachers, students and other staff if they adopt this common vision. Engaging with local authorities, parents, businesses and academic communities (colleges and universities) is an imperative for strengthening this objective.

A GROWING SECTORIt’s critical for the prospect of further education and training for employment in what will be a growing low carbon clean energy and technology sector. We have the means to capture all the energy we need from under our feet (geothermal), from the air (wind), sun (solar), sea (tidal), rivers (hydropower), biomass, or sewage and other “waste” etc. We have the ability to design, develop, produce, install and market these clean technologies, affecting buildings and transport modes of the 21st century. For this to happen it is necessary for our financial institutions to invest in the sustainable low carbon economy of the future, rather than repeated casino capitalism leaving the poor in the community to bear a disproportionate burden of the banks bailout, including high youth unemployment and extortionate university fees for many post school students. There’s no future in seeking to return to business as usual; rather it is important that we learn to work together to make the transition to the low carbon future or suffer the unsustainable consequences – as clearly highlighted in the Stern Review. L

FOR MORE INFORMATIONwww.climate-change-solutions.co.uk

SUSTAINABILITY

GENERATING A SUSTAINABLE FUTURE NOWEmpowering students with the knowledge, skills and motivation to meet the greatest challenge of their lives is a necessity, says Tony McNally, managing director, Climate Change Solutions

63



ESTA ENERGY SUMMIT

www.esta.org.uk/summit

Thursday 19 May 2011Institute of Directors, London

Demand side energy useBusiness and energy strategyCarbon reduction vs.Energy effi ciency

Developing your strategy fora secure, low carbon,competitive energy future

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Energy

Heat pumps supply more energy than they consume by extracting heat from their surroundings. Consequently, they now form an essential part of the solution for reducing both energy consumption and carbon emissions, and can also provide their heat from renewable sources such as the ground and solar heated ambient air. A heat pump is an efficient and space saving means of heating a wide range of premises. It can also provide cooling to these premises should there be the requirement. Where heat pumps are used for heating, they are capable of highly cost-efficient energy applications because they tap into a limitless supply of ‘free’ heat – either the surrounding air or heat captured in the ground or water, such as a lake.

HOW THEY WORKThe vast majority of heat pumps work on the same principle as the domestic refrigerator utilising a vapour compression cycle, but for heating the heat hump utilises the hot end of the process. The vapour compression process utilises low grade heat that is normally too cool for human or process requirements and lifts the same quantity of energy to a higher temperature that is then suitable for human comfort.Depending on the application and type of heat pump, gains of 300-500 per cent are normal. When dealing with heat pumps, and because efficiency cannot be defined as above 100 per cent, the term used is actually Coefficient of Performance (COP), so the COPs for the above example would be 3 to 1 and 5 to 1. In its simplest form a COP is calculated by taking the HEATING OUTPUT divided by the POWER INPUT. Heat pumps are normally classified by their heat source and means of delivery, for example• air to air• air to water• water to air• water to water• ground to air• ground to water.

USE IN SCHOOLSHeat pumps offer a robust solution for heating in schools. Despite the demise of the Building Schools for the Future programme, the use of heat pumps in schools offer a number of advantages:

• a simple and cost effective installation compared to some alternative technologies• ongoing school building programmes can benefit from heat pump systems that improve the environmental footprint and reduce running and operational costs • a low carbon technology that helps to reduce CO2 emissions• a renewable heat technology to satisfy the UK’s renewable obligation.Also, installed in places of education, heat pumps will provide a valuable learning tool for students who will gain awareness of the use of low carbon and renewable heating systems and see this as the norm in their future careers. As an example of the worth of heat

pumps, according to the U.S. Department of Energy, ground source heat pump systems in schools in the USA reduce energy use by 25 per cent to 50 per cent compared to traditional systems and although no such similar study is available for the UK, the expectation is the same.

POSITIVE OUTCOMESThe education authorities that have invested in this area have been very positive as to the outcomes. We shouldn’t forget the financial considerations either as the lower energy costs, while an ongoing advantage, also result in good payback periods due to the fuel savings. All types of heat pump, as listed above, can offer a solution for schools and the choice may well depend on factors such as cost, available space, hours of operation, availability of heat source, and layout of the building. If the schools of the future invest in heat pump systems they should consequently provide more energy efficient operation, generate less CO2 and utilise heat from renewable sources thus addressing most

of the green agenda. Importantly they will also have lower operating costs.

CASE STUDYA school has just been completed in North Wales to accommodate 220 children from nursery age groups through to Year Six. The exterior of the single storey building, although extremely pleasant, is conventional in style. But the method of heating both the building and the water for pupils, staff and kitchens is anything but. With an eye to the future – in terms of both energy costs and environmental considerations – the education authority opted for a system utilising the heat always present at a more or less constant temperature in the

‘near-surface geothermal layer’ underground. In a system designed by NIBE Energy Systems Ltd of Chesterfield, 11 boreholes 100 metres deep were drilled into the school grounds before landscaping. Each borehole contains a plastic tube in an elongated u-shape, within which circulates a glycol/water mixture in a closed circuit, working in rather the same manner as a car’s cooling system. Energy from the warm ground is absorbed in the mixture and translated to two inter-connected NIBE Fighter 1330 heat pumps situated in the school’s boiler/utilities room. These, with a capacity of 30 kW, convert the latent energy into heat for the water in a fully insulated tank situated near the Fighter units. This in turn feeds the entire under-floor central heating system and the hot water supply for all the school buildings. Back-up heating, if required to act as a boost in times of maximum peak usage, is supplied by a gas boiler. L

FOR MORE INFORMATIONwww.heatpumps.org.ukwww.feta.co.uk

ALTERNATIVE SOURCES

THE HEAT IS ON – WITH A LOW CARBON SOLUTIONHeat pumps can contribute to a sustainable future in the education sector, according to Tony Bowen, president of the Heat Pump Association, and Terry Seward, HPA secretary

65



Where heat pumps are used for heating, they are capable of highly cost-efficient energy applications because they tap into a limitless supply of ‘free’ heat – either the surrounding air or heat captured in the ground or water, such as a lake.

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Fire Safety

67 Volume 16.3 | EDUCATION BUSINESS MAGAZINE

Some 40-50 of fires in schools are termed serious fires, involving insured building losses in excess of £50,000, with some 20 of these involving losses of more than £250,000

Living in northeast Hampshire, a recent item caught my attention on the local BBC News, namely that three schools in Farnborough had had arson attacks in less than a fortnight. The schools involved were Robert Tinsdale School, Belle View Primary and North Farnborough Infant School. The latter’s buildings suffered £30,000 of damage following the arson attack on one of its outhouses which was situated just metres from a gas tank. Local Rushmoor Fire Station manager Ben Smith said: “These deliberate fires cause considerable disruption, cost huge amounts of money and put lives at risks.”

MUCH TO LOSE Not only are there the financial considerations from arson attacks on schools due to building loss, there is the possible loss of course work, teachers aids and records, as well as the psychological impact on pupils, particularly young children, and staff. In addition, schools are often the focal point of the community as they host the meetings of the local senior citizens and provide a home for the mums and toddlers group. Indeed after a serious fire some schools may not be rebuilt and this was nearly the case after a previous arson attack in Farnborough at Pinewood Infant School. Hampshire County

Council decided not to rebuild and only a determined fight by the local community which went all the way to the Office of the Schools Adjudicator overturned the decision. The Farnborough arson attacks on schools are in no way isolated cases. Over 60 per cent of school fires are started deliberately and each year in England and Wales more

than 1,300 schools suffer fires large enough to be attended by the fire and rescue service with costs estimated at over £60million. The odds of a school experiencing a fire also make uncomfortable reading – an estimated one in 20 – but that is certainly not the whole picture. Disruption and consequential loss becomes significant when a fire spreads beyond the room of origin. Returning to statistics, some 40-50 of fires in schools are

termed serious fires, involving insured building losses in excess of £50,000, with some 20 of these involving losses of more than £250,000. The rationale of the Building Regulations in the UK is that: “in an emergency the occupants of any part of a building should be able to escape safely without any external assistance.” (Approved Document B to the

Building Regulations). However, in many cases the designer of buildings/structures or the owner of an existing building may want to go further and increase the level of fire protection installed in the building so as to give the fire services more time to extinguish any fire that might occur. This could lead to a reduction in the amount of damage caused and thus, in the consequent insurance claim. This addition will provide E

Over 60 per cent of school fires are started deliberately and each year in England and Wales more than 1,300 schools suffer fires large enough to be attended by the fire and rescue service, writes Graham Ellicott, CEO, the Fire Industry Association

BEAT THE FIRE STARTER

Over 60 per cent of school fires are started deliberately and each year in England and Wales more than 1,300 schools suffer fires large enough to be attended by the fire and rescue service with costs estimated at over £60 million.


ARSON



68

Fire

Saf

ety

Fire Safety Assessments LTD offers the full range of fire safety services to take the stress and responsibility away from you. Fire Risk Assessments are our speciality and will be carried out by one of our experienced and qualified Assessors and documented in a comprehensive written report with recommendations in the form of “Significant findings” and an “Action plan”. We are experts in the field of Fire Risk Assessments. We specialise in Educational Establishments.Our Fire Risk Assessors are Members of the Institute of Fire Safety Managers (IFSM) and Members of the Institute of Fire Prevention Officers (IFPO). Our Fire Risk Assessment service is available throughout the UK. We are a full member of the Fire Industry Association for Fire Risk Assessors. Our Fire Risk Assessors are all highly qualified and are either ex Fire and Rescue Service Officers or are still serving current Fire Officers. They have all attended and passed specialist fire safety courses at the Fire Service College. We are experts in the field of Fire Risk Assessments.

We offer the following services;• Fire Risk Assessments• Health & Safety Assessments• Asbestos SurveysAnyone who has any degree of control over the premises or a part of the premises can be designated a ‘responsible person’. If this person is you, then you need to consider what you can do to protect yourself, and the others using the premises, from the risk of fire, and to become compliant with the recent changes in Fire Safety law.What does a fire risk assessment involve?

There are five key steps in a fire safety risk assessment:1. Identify fire hazards - eg, how could a fire start? what could burn?2. Consider the people who may be a risk - eg, employees, visitors to the premises, and anyone who may be particularly vulnerable such as children, the elderly and disabled people.3. Evaluate and act - think about what you have found in steps 1 and 2 and remove and reduce any risks to protect people and premises.4. Record, plan and train - keep a record of what risks you identified and what actions you have taken to reduce or remove them. Make a clear plan of how to prevent fires and, should a fire start, you will keep people safe. Make sure your staff know what to do in the event of a fire and if necessary that they are trained for their roles.5. Review - regularly review your risk assessment to ensure it remains up to date and reflects and changes that may have occurred.

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On 1 October 2006 the government introduced The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 (RRFSO). This has simplified and consolidated the existing fire safety legislation. Fire certificates have now been replaced by fire risk assessments, which are the responsibility of individual companies and not the fire authority. The new legislation is being policed and enforced by the local fire authorities, who carry out planned prioritised routine inspections. CP Fire Consultants Ltd are independent fire safety specialists, with approved consultants on The IFSM (Institute of Fire Safety Managers) ‘Fire Risk Assessors Register’ Our consultants are all CRB checked and have at least 30 years’ experience within the fire safety industry.

CP Fire Consultants Ltd are based in the South of England, and have a vast experience of assessing all types of schools and colleges. CP Fire Consultants Ltd can help with all your fire safety requirements, including fire risk assessments and audits, staff fire and evacuation training, monitored evacuation drills, fire emergency plans/procedures, fire consultancy and advice, and fire safety management. CP Fire Consultants Ltd pride themselves on offering a professional and cost effective service for all your fire safety requirements, with prices starting from £180 plus VAT.

FOR MORE INFORMATIONTel: 01249 [email protected]

Is your fire risk assessment up to date?

The fist step to safety is a thorough Risk Assessment and the creation of procedures and policies. Our team of very experienced assessors will not only carry out your risk assessment, write procedures and policies but also work with you to ensure that the systems put in place, will go on year after year protecting the occupants of your workplace. We also train Fire Safety Managers to do this.

Services we provide: 3 Fire Risk Assessments3 Fire Training Courses on Site or at 50 locations around the UK3 Fire Alarm Maintenance3 Fire Extinguisher Sales and Service3 Sales of all Fire Protection Equipment

For more information contact: Email: [email protected] Fire Training DivisionEmail: [email protected] Fire Servicing DivisionTel: 0800 158 4428Web: www.fire-training-int.com

IF IT IS REQUIRED UNDER FIRE LEGISLATION WE PROVIDE ITFire Training International Ltd is a UK wide provider of high quality Fire Risk Assessments, Fire Training and Fire Protection Packages designed specifically to move any organisation to full compliance and safety.

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E extra comfort to insurers and also the fire-fighters, who may have to enter a fire-ravaged building after the occupants have escaped.

THIRD PARTY CERTIFICATION SCHEMESWhilst it’s all very well specifying an increased level of fire protection for a building, it is equally necessary to ensure that the systems are properly installed and maintained. At the end of the relevant phase of construction, the fire protection installer will issue a Certificate of Conformity, which will claim that the product has been installed in accordance with the terms of the contract. But what does the Certificate of Conformity mean? Is it worth the paper it’s written upon? The Fire Industry Association (FIA) believes that its worth is greatly enhanced if it is issued under the auspices of a third party certification scheme. Such schemes mean that competent operatives have correctly installed the specified products and that independent inspectors have randomly inspected the work. Third party certification schemes were implemented to improve the quality of the UK’s fire protection. Approved Document B of the Building Regulations states that: “Since the fire performance of a product, component or structure is dependent upon satisfactory site installation and maintenance, independent schemes of

certification and registration of installers will provide confidence in the appropriate standard of workmanship being provided.” The Document goes on to say: “Building Control Bodies may accept the certification of products, components, materials or structures under such schemes as evidence of compliance. Nonetheless a Building Control Body will wish to establish, in advance of the work that any such scheme is adequate for the purposes of the Building Regulations.” It is the FIA’s opinion that designers and building owners should consider the use of more fire protection in buildings that are critical to the community, such as public buildings including schools, hospitals and community centres. The value to the country of keeping these buildings operational far outweighs the small additional cost of an extra level of fire protection.

INSURANCEIt could also be argued that businesses and organisations should carry fire insurance on their buildings. Even very small companies are required to have Employers Liability Insurance, so why no requirement for even a basic level of fire insurance, especially when many businesses and organisations that experience a major fire cease to trade within a year of its occurrence? Indeed, many buildings that are critical to the community, for example

schools, carry no fire insurance at all. Extra fire protection is not just a nice-to-have exercise; it could mean the difference between a school building surviving or not in the event of a fire. In most cases, the knock on effects for the community should a school not survive will be many fold the cost of replacing the building itself and the only people that might imaginably benefit from this are the serial truants, and I suspect that even they would get bored with no school eventually. L

About the authorGraham was appointed as the first CEO of the Fire Industry Association in April 2007 when the BFPSA and FETA joined forces to form the new Association. Prior to this Graham was CEO of the Association for Specialist Fire Protection (ASFP) and managing director of the Mandoval Group. Graham was educated at Bristol University where he attained a BSc (Hons) and latterly at Heriot-Watt University gaining an MSc. He is a Chartered Chemist, a Chartered Scientist and a Member of the Royal Society of Chemists.

ARSON

Your business is responsible for accidents at work. Individuals can be personally liable for fines of £20,000 per offence – or even face jail. Blackcraig is committed to protecting your business dealing with today’s complex regulatory challenges. Our expertise covers health and safety, food safety and fire safety. We are passionate about what we do and committed to help protect your business against an ever-increasing range of threats:• high insurance premiums• civil claims• bad publicity• enforcement action• lost workdays due to accident of illnessOur clients understand what is required of them and we supply all the support needed to achieve compliance. Poor standards and allegations can be devastating to your business and reputation.

At Blackcraig, we believe poor standards can be a thing of the past. We work closely with our clients to produce a strategic overview of business needs and develop successful policies and procedures with a view to development of a quality system. And, if it all goes horribly wrong we will not try and manage a crisis from a call centre, we will be there in person to walk you through the difficult times.


Committed to protecting your organisation

Sea Fire 2000 is a “Buy With Confidence” Company, approved by East Sussex Trading Standards Department. Sea Fire 2000 is a professional organisation supplying local authorities, businesses and domestic customers with fire protection needs. All our customers have one thing in common – they all receive our personal attention. Sea Fire 2000 cares what our customers think and we are very proud to say that we have a very high referral rate. We try to maintain close links with our customers because we care and take a pride in our work. Sea Fire 2000 is based in Eastbourne and supports local trade and industry. We are members of the Eastbourne and District Chamber of Commerce and the Eastbourne Hospitality Association. Using fully qualified staff, we are able to offer a professional, yet cost effective service. All our staff

have clean CRB Certificates. The professional reputation of Sea Fire 2000 is well known. We are often asked to make statements to the press and our chief officer has been interviewed on Sky TV News, ITN and radio following the Windsor Castle fire and more recently the tragic Penhallow Hotel fire. We supply and install EMS Wireless Fire Alarms as well as conventional ones. We also supply and maintain fire extinguishers and do Fire Risk Assessments.


The professional name in fire protection



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Fire

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DETECTION

Schools and colleges come in many shapes and sizes. For example, a small village primary school can have a very simple layout and a relatively small number of pupils, so its fire detection requirements will be correspondingly straightforward. A larger comprehensive school or a university campus, which can incorporate halls of residence, is far more complex and may include multiple buildings of several storeys in height with numerous exits. Occupancy numbers can reach into thousands and activities presenting fire detection challenges can include Bunsen burners in the chemistry lab, smoke machines in the drama theatre and steam from kettles and showers. It is therefore clear that a one size fits all approach to fire detection is not appropriate for the education sector – so what technology is available to meet its diverse requirements?

TECHNOLOGY CHOICESThere is a wide selection of fire detection technology available to the education sector. For example, Apollo’s Series 65 range of conventional fire detection is ideal for smaller premises where a simple ‘one out, all out’ response to a fire alert is sufficient to ensure occupants’ safety. These devices generally work to a pre-set threshold for smoke particles or heat; if that threshold is exceeded, audible and visual alarms

are triggered throughout the premises. At the other end of the fire detection spectrum are analogue addressable devices – sometimes referred to as ‘intelligent’ fire detectors. These include Apollo’s XP95 and Discovery ranges and offer a high degree of programmability when it comes to sequencing what should happen as the result of a fire alert. Particularly suited to larger educational premises, analogue addressable fire systems can be programmed to give security staff a preset amount of time to investigate the source of an alarm. This means that malicious use of a manual call point or smoking in the toilets won’t cause the entire school to be evacuated unnecessarily. They can also be used to facilitate phased evacuation in the event of a genuine alert. This means that the rooms nearest the source of the alarm can be evacuated first, with people gradually directed away from the source of the problem. For buildings like temporary classrooms and sports changing rooms, which can be sited some distance from the main school – and therefore the main fire system – wireless fire detection can be the solution. Apollo’s XPander range uses radio signals to communicate with the main fire detection system and so removes the need to lay extensive amounts of cabling to link remote

buildings in to the main fire system. Of course, many schools are medium sized – too complex for simple conventional technology but not large enough to use many of the features that come with full analogue addressable technology. Again, Apollo offers a solution with its AlarmSense range. Using purpose-designed control and indicating equipment, AlarmSense combines no-nonsense fire detection with some really useful advanced features. For example, AlarmSense warning devices are equipped with priority/non-priority signalling. This means that in the event of a potential fire incident being detected within a classroom, only the occupants will be warned initially. If it is a false alarm, the system allows a two-minute window in which to deal with the source and thus silence the alarm. If the detector is cleared in this time, the system will reset automatically. If it remains in alarm after two minutes, a full evacuation is raised throughout the premises.

TOP OF THE CLASS PERFORMANCEHighbury College Portsmouth is one of the most dynamic educational establishments in the South East of England and has undergone extensive redevelopment across its main sites to provide some of the most modern learning facilities in Europe. The college offers collegiate, corporate and community courses for 14-19 year olds and adults, and attracts some 12,000 students locally, nationally and internationally. The fire system needed to meet a number of cause and effect scenarios, and had to interface with numerous building management system functions, including activating air dampers and returning lifts safely to the ground floor in the event of an emergency. More than 1,350 Apollo XP95 and Discovery analogue addressable devices have been installed at Highbury College, including around 600 bases, base sounders and sounder beacon bases. Intrinsically safe (IS) Apollo fire detectors, which have been designed to protect hazardous areas where electrical equipment could ignite an explosive area, have been fitted to protect the building’s oil delivery area and paint stores. L

FOR MORE INFORMATIONTel: 023 92492412Fax: 023 92492754www.apollo-fire.co.uk

FIRE DETECTION: WHAT IS BEST FOR YOU?Richard Bramham, marketing director at Apollo Fire Detectors Ltd, examines the technology available to meet the fire detection requirements of the education sector

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The adoption of ISO7010 as a European norm has finally drawn the end game for fire safety signs that were introduced as a consequence of an EC Directive published in 1977. Research carried out 20 years ago by NHS Estates gave clear indication that there were risks involved with the introduction of abstract symbols to indicate escape routes. It is satisfying to know that NHS Estates realised the most important thing about the introduction of graphical symbols to convey safety messages, is that the staff intuitively understand them.

NEW STANDARDSResearch and the development of the Health Technical Memorandum 65 Part 2 – Fire Safety Signs, which has been superseded by NHS Wayfinding Document, has stood as a bed rock for the subsequent development by both British Standards and International Standards of comprehension testing and inclusion of all graphical symbols for safety application. The development of ISO 9816-1: 2007 Graphical Symbols – Test Methods – Part 1: Methods for Testing Comprehensibility, is a testimony to the need to ensure not only the extent of comprehension but also indicates of the need for supplementary text, training and instruction. The graphical symbol chosen enhances the British and International Standard symbol with the use of flames as a determinant, presenting a clear and unequivocal message. Research and tests proved that the symbol increased comprehension and understanding of signs by an amazing 300 per cent. The legislative framework derived from EC Directive 92/58 requires that responsible persons ensure that all building occupants, not only comprehend the meaning of safety signs, but also understand the action to be taken in conjunction with the signs.

CLEARING THE CONFUSIONThe changes in fire safety legislation, moving from a very prescriptive regime to a risk based engineered solution, has highlighted the dangers when using escape route signs that may cause confusion. It has taken 20 years for the rest of the industry to question the validity of using a graphical symbol that is not clearly understood. Using signage that is not clear may have an impact on egress speed and efficient evacuation, which could be fatal. The use of HTM 65 (NHS Wayfinding Document) for escape route signs ensured that a known convention was implemented for safety way guidance. This simple convention was a foundation to

BS5499 Part 4 2000 and carried its provenance through to the development internationally of ISO I6069: 2004 – Graphical Symbols – Safety Signs – Safety Way Guidance Systems (SWGS). The understanding of the meaning and actions to be taken in conjunction with safety signs is a fundamental requirement of the Health and Safety (Safety Signs and Signals) Regulations. NHS Estates have to be congratulated for their insight 20 years ago.

Now, we just have to wait for the rest of the world to catch up and stop playing ‘Pictionary’ with people’s lives. L

A Means of Escape Publication, on behalf of the Health and Safety Sign Association (HSSA).Jim Creak is chairman of the HSSA.

FOR MORE INFORMATIONwww.hssa.co.uk

It has taken 20 years for the rest of the industry to question the validity of using a graphical symbol that is not clearly understood. Using signage that is not clear may have an impact on egress speed and efficient evacuation, which could be fatal.

SIGNS

FIRE SAFETY SIGN DESIGNThe most important thing about the introduction of graphical symbols to convey safety messages, is that staff intuitively understand them

Image courtesy of the Fire Industry Association



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Vaults Fire and Security Ltd is an established provider of leading security solutions. Based in the Midlands, our family run company specialises in protecting businesses nationwide by providing peace of mind to our customers. We provide a one stop shop for all your security system needs, designing, installing and servicing:• closed circuit television (CCTV)• access control to provide secure entry systems to and within buildings• intruder alarm systems• remote monitoring systems• protection of IT suites and server rooms with security smoke installationsTrading for over ten years, we are an NSI NACOSS Gold Approved company working with both public and private sector companies including local authorities, police and insurance companies. We employ a team of well trained and highly motivated security professionals dedicated to building close

partnerships with our clients. The safety of staff, children and students is vital. We are always happy to arrange a site visit to one of our recent customer installations or provide a no obligation security survey. “We have found Vaults Security to be reliable, punctual, trustworthy and self-motivated. Their engineers are all innovative, friendly and helpful in meeting all deadlines,” says Brian Fox from Fairfax School.


Vaults – protecting business nationwide

Security has never been more important for schools and colleges, and that is causing a headache for head teachers, who are now responsible for ensuring regular security surveys and risk assessments take place. Experts advise calling on professional knowledge to avoid serious mistakes and GB Security Group, specialists in the education sector, are now offering a security audit and risk assessment from their experienced surveyors, without charge. The audit is designed to see where leading edge developments can help reduce demands on hard pressed resources and streamline school or college site management to give peace of mind. Customers of GB Security Group range from major sites like Lincoln College through to smaller rural schools as well as specialist providers like Mouchel. They are all benefiting from solutions which give the highest security, but sit comfortably in

a learning environment where young people need to thrive. GB Security Group has a 30 year track record in security and fire protection with a complete range of security products and services, such as CCTV Fire Alarms Guarding Services Intruder Alarms Access Control Gates & Barriers CCTV Monitoring Integrated Systems.

FOR MORE INFORMATIONSecurity House, High Street, Donington, Spalding, Lincolnshire PE11 4TATel: 01775 821100Fax: 01775 [email protected]

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SecurityRISK ASSESSMENT

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The current economic climate should prompt all sectors to focus on identifying existing and emerging security threats and re-evaluate their strategies to respond to these risks. Schools are no exception. In a time of budget cuts, it can be difficult to justify spend on seemingly non-essential work; however, as this article argues, investing time and money in assessing security and developing an effective security strategy is not only imperative but can also save money in the longer term.

WHAT RISKS DO SCHOOLS FACE?Readers will be well aware of the array of risks schools face. Suffice to say that traditional security threats to schools typically encompass a range of crime types; for example, burglary, theft, robbery, assaults, and vandalism, and that schools need to build in counter measures for these offences alongside strategies to handle health and safety (e.g. fire procedures, criminal records checking), and tackle ongoing issues such as bullying. Accurate recording of information on incidents is key to understanding the scale and nature of existing security problems, providing the first step in the problem solving process. This information can be used to inform risk assessments, and then to help form ideas about how to counter future security risks. ASSESSING RISKRisk assessment is central to the development of an effective security strategy. Schools face a range of threats and it is imperative that institutions consider how budget cuts could

impact on the risk of crime occurring, as well as their ability to effectively deal with the problem. Once threats have been identified, the likelihood of each threat occurring has to be weighed against the scale of the impact. Our role as security professionals, or

stakeholders in the school, is to (a) reduce the likelihood of the risk occurring, and/or (b) reduce the impact if the risk does occur. For example, if the likelihood of a burglary occurring is ‘likely’ and the impact is ‘moderate’, the risk of the incident is scored as 12. If the school buildings are secured with new locks and reinforced doors then burglary may become ‘unlikely.’ Although in this case the impact does not change, the likelihood has fallen – halving the risk score to 6. The security strategy is a key step in the process by which management’s expectations for security are translated into specific, measurable, and verifiable goals. In the absence of a security strategy specifying and communicating these expectations, staff will implement their own methods.

MANAGING RISKThe risk management process is cyclical, as illustrated in the figure above. The risk assessment feeds in at the evaluate risk stage, with the development

and implementation of a security strategy feeding into the subsequent two steps. As with all strategies, these need to be reviewed to monitor whether the assets (i.e. what you want to protect) have changed, and whether there are any emerging threats or

vulnerabilities. Risk can then be re-evaluated and the security strategy amended accordingly. Changing times signal an appropriate time to review the risks schools face, to ensure that emerging risks are identified and suitable counter measures put in place. For example, the risk of property crime increases during a recession, and if budget cuts means that this is combined with reduced spending on physical security measures, it is easy to see how schools could face increasing burglary problems. It would therefore be important to consider setting money aside to improve the physical security of vulnerable buildings. A topical issue related to this is the scrapping of the Building Schools for the Future (BSF) scheme by the current Secretary of State, Michael Gove. In some cases, money to re-build schools would not only have reduced the cost of ongoing maintenance and repairs, but also

provided an opportunity to build in security measures such as double

glazing and access control systems. Thus, for those

schools whose funding has been removed, the opportunities to implement security measures have reduced, perhaps prompting a need to secure funding from elsewhere

to ensure the work can still take place.

INVESTING IN TRAININGSecurity risk assessment can

be a complex process, and there is a wide range of support and training on

offer which can help schools to implement risk assessments and develop security strategies. Key topics that can be useful include:• Identification of existing and emerging threats• How to measure and record incidents• How to weigh up likelihood and risk• What security measures are available and how and when to use them• Developing innovative methods to improve security• How to plan and implement a security strategy• Targeting spend on security in the most effective way • Communicating the strategy to staff and students. Investing in good quality security and risk training provides staff with the key skills needed to identify and respond to risks. This will ensure risks to the school is minimised reducing the likelihood, and potentially the impact, of crime. L

FOR MORE INFORMATIONTel: 0116 [email protected] www.perpetuitytraining.com

Investing time and money in assessing security and developing an effective security strategy is not only imperative but can also save money in the longer term, argues Perpetuity Training

ADDRESSING RISKS IN SCHOOLS

In a time of budget cuts, it can be difficult to justify spend on seemingly non-essential work; however, as this article argues, investing time and money in assessing security and developing an effective security strategy is not only imperative but can also save money in the longer term



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sQuid’s cashless payment solution for schools is the new convenient way to pay for school meals and school trips. Children no longer need to bring cash or cheques in to school as parents are able to pay for school dinners and school trips online, from the comfort of their own homes. sQuid payments are made using contactless smart card or biometric identification. sQuid is flexible, affordable and easy to use. Money is held securely and parents can protect the account balance if a card is lost or stolen. Simply register your child’s details online and top up their account with money, check their balance and view their transactions. sQuid is a pre-pay payments network, users can’t get into debt, and can be set up either stand alone with terminals and readers provided, or linked to your existing till and EPOS system. sQuid is easy for children to use

and for parents to manage, while saving school administrators time, also providing them with reports and visibility of all transactions on campus. Free school meal beneficiaries are catered for as are duty staff and visitors. As parents can top up online, there is no need for cash on campus, which removes the need for cash handling with all of its associated costs.

FOR MORE INFORMATIONBede Feltham, marketing director, sQuidcardTel: 020 83392111squidcard.com/[email protected]

The new and convenient way to pay for school meals and school trips Handsam, now incorporating

Quick Guides to Practice (QGP), is a leading provider of consultancy services and management systems for the UK education sector. Our team of skilled and experienced experts in education law, health and safety advice, admissions, exclusions, governance, HR and employment issues are here to guide you through the minefield of pitfalls. Based in the Midlands, we currently help more than 800 schools and academies throughout the UK by providing:• Online health and safety management system• Full and interim health and safety audits and consultancy• QGP management information system• Learning Outside the Classroom organisation and management tool

• Policy writing, reviewing and monitoring• Advice in preparing for academy status• Ofsted inspection preparationWe also supply payroll and HR support, bespoke IT systems at discounted prices, safeguarding advice and governor, first aid and fire marshal training. Simon Lowe, director of Handsam, said: “We are delighted to have been able to help schools save between £5,000 and £25,000 on non-staff costs, as well as assisting in saving senior teachers’ time by providing quick guidance and expertise.”

FOR MORE INFORMATIONTo find out more or request a demonstrationTel: 0330 [email protected]/education

10 years of leading education consultancy

Biometrics

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The coalition government has undoubtedly brought about fundamental changes to the education landscape. The expansion of the academies programme and free schools, the end of the £55bn Building Schools for the Future (BSF) programme, and a reduction in government funding for higher education are all having a significant impact on the sector. With the demise of Becta, the government agency set up in 1997 to lead the national drive to ensure the effective and innovative use of technology throughout learning, it is unclear what role the current administration views ICT playing in 21st century schooling. Technology has transformed the way in which children learn at school and is being used more widely across

the educational spectrum. Learners are now able to use communication tools such as e-mail, virtual chat rooms and collaborative online forums to aid their educational experience. They are increasingly using social networking and recreational technology skills that they have learnt in their social setting in an educational environment, and more importantly they are at the forefront when it comes to adapting to new technology and finding clever ways to use it in innovative and unusual ways. In addition to these more familiar collaborative tools, schools are increasingly using an array of technologies aimed at improving performance and speeding up processes, and biometric technology is a good example of this.

WHAT IS BIOMETRICS?For a number of years schools have been using biometric technology for a range of activities such as registering pupils’ attendance, managing library

book loans and cashless catering. In essence biometrics is a method for uniquely recognising humans based upon one or more intrinsic physical or behavioural traits. In terms of technology, biometric is about the range of technologies used to measure, analyse and record one or more unique characteristics – fingerprints, retina and iris patterns, voice, facial shape and behavioural characteristics such as handwriting and typing patterns. There are a number of schools that have implemented biometric systems as a means of identifying staff and pupils. For example, schools are increasingly using fingerprint recognition technology as a cashless catering system for school meals;

parents pay in advance for children’s lunches effectively creating a school lunch account. Pupils are identified at the till by fingerprint or palm recognition technology and the cost of their meal is deducted from their own lunch account. Pupils at Churchfields School in Swindon pay for their meals using a biometrics fingerprint system. Not only does this mean that catering staff do not have to handle money, which consequently makes the process faster and more efficient, but children that are on free schools meals can’t be identified by their peers and so are free from stigma. Purbrook Park School in Hampshire uses fingerprint technology to enable pupils to access their school meals account, as does Hove Park School in Brighton. The use of the technology means that children do not have to bring cash to school to buy lunch. There is the added benefit that parents are reassured that their children are not spending money on junk food on the way to and from home.

And unlike swipe cards there is no physical product to be lost, stolen or damaged. Barnwell School in Stevenage use facial recognition technology for student registration. The benefits are that portions of class time are no longer spent taking the register so teachers can spend more time on what really matters, teaching their pupils. Administration time is also saved as staff no longer duplicate work by consolidating attendance records as it is now done automatically via the system. The same technology is being rolled out in ten schools in Northamptonshire, Hertfordshire and Cambridgeshire.

DATA SECURITY CONCERNSHowever, there have also been a number of concerns raised about the use of biometric technology, specifically around data security. Take fingerprinting as an example; it’s a common data protection misconception that the automated fingerprint recognition systems store images and other biometric information. The systems use complicated encryption algorithm (or unique data sequences), which means that information cannot be accessed or ‘reverse engineered’ – data kept on file can only be used to verify an identity against another scan through the same system. Biometric systems should be self contained and the information contained within them cannot be accessed by other applications, thereby limiting potential security concerns. It is also important that the biometric information collected by the school is only used for the purpose specified when it was collected, and schools must have a process in place to ensure that all those involved – children, parents, teachers – are fully consulted and consent had been given.

CONCLUSION Technology has transformed the way children learn, access information and collaborate with their peers and teachers. It’s clear that using biometrics helps speed up internal processes by replacing archaic paper based systems. More importantly, these systems are being implemented in a secure way, and as long as schools implement the correct processes and governance arrangements the use of biometric technology should not pose a security concern to parents or staff. L

There are a number of schools that have implemented biometric systems as a means of identifying staff and pupils. Schools are increasingly using fingerprint recognition technology as a cashless catering system for school meals; parents pay in advance for children’s lunches effectively creating a school lunch account.

IDENTIFICATION TECHNOLOGY

PROVING WHO YOU SAY YOU ARE Increasingly schools are using biometric technology for a range of activities such as registering pupil attendance, managing library book loans and cashless catering, explains Carla Baker, head of information management at Intellect

GLOSSARYBiometrics is a method for uniquely recognising humans based upon one or more intrinsic physical or behavioural traits. In terms of technology, biometric is about the range of technologies used to measure, analyse and record one or more unique characteristics – fingerprints, retina and iris patterns, voice, facial shape and behavioural characteristics such as handwriting and typing patterns.

Biometrics

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AMI’s EasyTrace software is integrated through a single back end solution and is provisioned by a link to the establishment’s MIS solution. The database then links to all other aspects of the EasyTrace solution, maximising ease of use, flexibility and future proofing, whilst reducing management time. The system will support a number of input technologies including card based systems such as MiFare, biometric systems or key fobs, either individually or simultaneously. The solution allows the user to control and interface with many systems including access control, cashless catering, e-registration, library system, print management, and electronic lockers. The EasyTrace solution uses a unique identifier to link an individual to their account. However, all data is stored in a central, secure database and not with the unique identifier (i.e. the card) thereby reducing the risk to security of lost cards. Should a card be lost or stolen, it can be immediately disabled and a new card with a new identifier can be associated with the account. As cash is not stored on the card, any monies held on the lost or stolen card can be transferred to the replacement card quickly and easily, which reduces fraudulent card use. Lost/stolen cards can be cancelled from single/multiple locations. Temporary cards can be issued from the EasyTrace system and these can be made invalid at the end of the day. In terms of bio, it’s rare to lose a finger…

SYSTEM ADMINISTRATION The administration of the system is typically installed on a nominated workstation (a fully functional PC), with connection to the school network and MIS, and can be located anywhere (e.g. the receptionist’s PC, or in the canteen office). A card or bio interaction is used to identify the user and an image of the individual is displayed on the electronic point of sale (EPOS) unit, to prevent fraudulent use. The transaction debits the centrally and securely held financial database. Information about the transaction and any financial details are stored on the EasyTrace database. The EasyTrace software will give students total anonymity if receiving free school meals, removing any associated stigma. The system will automatically apply supplements at a pre-determined time, reducing administration. The student is able to top up this amount with their own money. When a valid sale is made, the amount

is automatically deducted from the free school meal account first and should a purchase of more than the allowance be made it will deduct it from the student’s own funds. If the student does not spend his/her full allocation, the remaining funds are automatically transferred to the free school meals suspense account, so that the funds are not rolled over. This allows effective management of the free school meal budget. All transactions are recorded in an audit trail giving you complete transparency and visibility of your funds. The entitlement for free school meals is provisioned and maintained automatically from the MIS (SIMS). The EasyTrace Cashless system will also allow users to make payments in three ways.

PARENTS MAKING AN E-PAYMENTParents can credit an account via the Internet using a secure payment site. This provides a single place on the Internet where parents can make payments securely, reliably and quickly by credit or debit card. These systems are available 24 hours a day, seven days a week to process card transactions in just a few seconds. Parents can view the account balance via the website, which minimises the admin time spent by the school looking after cash and minimises banking costs.

ACCOUNT LOADERS/CASH LOADERSEasyTrace account loaders are made of sheet steel with secure locking mechanisms to ensure security. Each machine has a card/biometric reader and will load any

denomination from 5p to £20 instantly to that account. The LCD display can be used to check the user’s balance. When the account loader is emptied, the money can be reconciled with the balance report.

STUDENT ADMINISTRATION OFFICECash or cheques can still be sent/given to the office for credit directly onto the pupil’s account by the administration team. The system can also be used for the collection of cash for other activities such as school uniform, trips, collections and library fines. This can be accounted for totally separately and separate reports gained at any time. This is just an overview of the cashless catering element of the solution – other areas such as printing, e-registration, access control, library integration, praise points, locker control and nutritional analysis can all be built in, as modules, as and when needed – providing a comprehensive admin and management tool for all educational establishments. L

FOR MORE INFORMATIONTel: 08456 717101Fax: 08456 [email protected]

IDENTITY MANAGEMENT SOLUTIONS

IDENTITY MANAGEMENTAMI Education is a market leader in developing and delivering fully-integrated smart-card and biometric identity-management solutions to education establishments across the UK. Here is a broad overview of their system and the many benefits it brings to a school, college or academy

Are you looking for

To find out more, visit our website at www.designservicesforschools.co.ukOr call us today for a free consultation 020 8771 3400

Design Services for Schools is a subsidiary of Pylon Design Consultants Limited in association with Bright Green IT.

Success and achievement are realised through effective teamwork. Our work ethic is to build a strong bond between customer and client to bring about the most creative, yet appropriate solutions. To fulfil your requirements, our unique services offer you a complete brand and ICT solution from one source.

Our services include:• Award winning ICT services• Stunning school/academy websites which you can update yourself• Website management training• Full school/academy branding/rebranding packages• Prospectus design, professional copy writing and print management• Internal & external signage• Fully accessible websites and documents inline with government standards• Recruitment and Open Day advertising production• Learning Platform/VLE customisation

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ICT

Since May 2010 the role of ICT in education has come under scrutiny, some might go so far as to say attack, like never before. It started with news that Becta was to lose its funding and hence would close in the spring of 2011. And from then the changes came thick and fast. The Home Access programme was concluded and not extended; the BSF programme, which contained extensive ICT investment, was cancelled; Harnessing Technology funds disappeared; ICT advisers in local authorities started their redundancy “consultation” and schools no longer had to operate a Virtual Learning Environment (VLE) or offer online home-school links.

And just to make life interesting for schools, overall capital spending looks about to take a major hit, making it hard for schools to both maintain their existing infra-structure and acquire new technology based resources. So where do schools stand with the use of ICT in education? And if they wish to maintain and grow their investment in technology based resources, how will they finance and manage them? GROWTH IN ADOPTIONOver the last 20 years schools have progressively adopted technology not just for back office functions and basic communications but increasingly for

curriculum delivery. Sceptics claim the case has not been made for the role of ICT for learners, but the benefits have become much clearer over the past five years and increasingly hard to deny. Pupils are more motivated, attention spans increase (especially amongst boys), teachers can tailor a pupil’s programme to their specific abilities and needs, learners can be supported outside the classroom as well as during lessons, and pupils are leaving schools with a set of ICT skills that are absolutely vital to the world of work in the 21st century. And yes, these are skills more important than tidy handwriting and knowing a bit of Latin! The adoption continues; most schools now offer a wireless environment across the school allowing portable devices to be used as and when they are required rather than having to troop 30 pupils into the ICT Suite. More and more school learning resources are accessed through the VLE with pupils drawing on resources out of school hours and posting their completed assignments online. And children who have difficulties E

Sceptics claim the case has not been made for the role of ICT for learners, but the benefits have become much clearer over the past five years and increasingly hard to deny.

FINANCE

In these financially tough times, Valerie Thompson, chief executive of the e-Learning Foundation, investigates how schools can fund and manage investment in technology based resources

FINDING THE FUNDS FOR ICT

79



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ICT

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seriously disadvantaged, and 42 per cent “agreed”. The government has expressed concerns about the attainment gap, yet it is being left to schools to address this particular area of educational disadvantage. The new generation of low cost portable devices can be purchased by schools, part funded by parents and used by all children for when and where they want to learn i.e. at home, in the classroom, in the after school club and at the child-minders’. The huge total cost of providing and maintaining ICT suites (i.e. the total cost of ownership) becomes more and more difficult to financially justify when compared to 1:1 provision of a device that can be utilised 24/7.

PUPIL PREMIUMAs well as the increased delegation of decision-making and budgets to the school level there is the matter of the Pupil Premium. Intended to help schools address the attainment gap amongst children from low income families, some of this funding could be used to address the digital divide and ensure pupils who have poor home access are equipped with the resources they need. In the survey carried out by the e-Learning Foundation, 29 per cent of the 500 respondents who do not run any form of home access programme said they planned to use some of their Pupil Premium funds to address 1:1 access, while that number increased to 51 per cent amongst schools already running a programme. So is ICT history? The answer has got to be absolutely not, but in the absence of any enthusiasm from the Department for Education, the loss of Becta and a major reduction in local authority advisory services, schools will need to develop their own strategies, learn from the best schools, re-visit policies on leasing and parental contributions and find new sources of expertise, inspiration and support. L

FOR MORE INFORMATIONwww.e-learningfoundation.com

Donations from parents vary from £7 to £20 a month depending on the device in use and the period of time the programme runs. Schools are providing laptops, netbooks, handheld devices like the iPod touch, smartphones and increasingly the new generation of tablet devices. Pupils respond positively to them and teachers are finding better and better ways of deploying the technology to support learners. PRESSURE ON HEADCOUNTWith the new budgets comes pressure to keep headcount numbers down. So any new programme that involves large amounts of administration is inevitably going to raise concerns over who will do the work. The Foundation is able to provide a service called the Donation Management Service that handles all the donation collection work, responds to queries from parents, provides the reports on donations that schools needs via a web portal and liaises with the Inland Revenue over the Gift Aid. Nearly 200 schools now use this service and in a recent survey carried out by the Foundation, nearly half said it had made a “significant difference” to the workload involved in collecting regular donations from parents. NEW OPPORTUNITIESMost children now have good access to a computer and broadband at home. So the concerns that used to be voiced by teachers about deploying technology to complete homework and independent learning are abating. However, the problem has not entirely gone away. About one million school-age children still cannot go online at home and while that number is steadily reducing it remains an area of concern due to the growing assumptions that all children are now connected to the Internet. In our survey we asked teachers how they felt pupils were affected by having no access to a computer and the Internet at home. From 486 responses, 43 per cent “agreed strongly” that children were

E attending school (traveller children, excluded pupils, children with caring responsibilities, sick children, etc) can now participate in their education and school life in a way that would have been thought impossible in the past. WHERE WILL WE FIND THE FUNDS?The government has been very clear that its policy is one of delegation of responsibility to schools. Whether all the funds will also be delegated remains unclear until all the budgets have been announced. In principle though, it will be down to schools to decide whether ICT remains a major area for investment in the curriculum, and at the heart of the school improvement plan. Our contact with schools suggests that many have already decided that they will remain on the path they embarked on some time ago and are already planning new programmes for September, involving exciting new technologies and 1:1 provision for pupils. Inconsistent local authority policies on leasing finance have been a barrier to some schools in the past, but with growing independence comes a new generation of savvy business managers who are more comfortable negotiating the lease finance they need to cover assets that will depreciate over the next three years. In the past, asking parents to help schools provide the pupils with more resources has been an uncomfortable area for many teachers and governors. Yet when those resources are allocated to an individual child, and allowed home, then the case for parental financial involvement becomes stronger. The e-Learning Foundation helps schools engage with parents in this way, but on a voluntary basis so that no child is excluded because of their family circumstances. The approach also has the advantages of attracting Gift Aid and grants from the Foundation. This “equity model” is in use with over 500 schools and has allowed schools to stretch limited IT budgets up to 6-fold and move from the ICT suite approach to every child having their own device.

The e-Learning Foundation

The e-Learning Foundation is a national education charity dedicated to overcoming the digital divide and ensuring that every child in the UK has the access they need to a computer and Internet, at home as well as at school. By following the Foundation’s advice, schools can significantly enhance their own funds with parental donations, charitable grants and Gift Aid, in order to fund 1:1 provision even in areas of disadvantage.

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Able-Direct Centre Ltd is proud to present its new dedicated range of school motivational merchandise and personalised products. Able-Direct was established in 1954, although many of you may know them better by their trading name ‘Able Labels’. A family run business with a reputation for high quality goods at affordable prices with excellent customer services. Based in Northamptonshire, Able-Direct Centre Ltd is owned by husband and wife team Jason and Maggie Stather-Lodge. The business has been supplying schools with products for nearly 40 years, producing bespoke labels, stickers, stationery as well as printed and embroidered garments. This service was historically only used by those in the know, but has now become available to all through the new catalogue and website. The Able for Schools project was overseen by Maggie who, as an ex teacher and mother of two school-aged children, has very close ties to the school environment. Using their experience and working closely with a number of local schools they have produced a range of fun motivational rewards, which include stickers, certificates, reward charts and yearbooks. So what makes Able for Schools different to other businesses offering similar products? For a start, they manufacture all of their

goods, allowing them to ensure the highest quality, fast delivery and given their customers total flexibility of design if desired. Secondly, as one of the UK’s leading supplier of labels and personalised stationery, they are in the unique position where they not only print their own labels and stickers but also convert the material in house. This means they are able to greatly reduce the production cost of goods, a saving that is passed directly to the customer, making them one of the cheapest suppliers of stickers in the market. The new website also offers the facility to set up school accounts. This allows individual teachers to place their orders online, but

the order will not be processed until verified by the school’s chosen account holder. This gives the school a central order process, simplifying accounts and saving valuable time. With their team of designers and state of the art printing and embroidery equipment, they are dedicated to continue to work directly with schools and teachers and always welcome new suggestions or commissioned work.


School motivational merchandise and personalised products offered by Able-Direct Centre Ltd

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Printing

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Four different client-service models can best define today’s printing industry. These are: price factor; product focused; customer driven; and customer-centric. At the bottom end of the value chain are the price factor companies, who compete solely on price – commodity printers who might be termed the ‘quote and hope’ companies. Their relationships are low-level and cost is usually the deciding factor in their winning jobs. Then come the product focused companies that have well defined manufacturing strategies, but who remain relentlessly price-driven and who must constantly drive efficiencies and reinvest to cut costs. Moving up the chain we come to the customer-driven businesses, those who are strong on service and work closely with marketers and design teams. At the top end, however, are the customer-centric print businesses. These are highly proactive, they are ahead of the customer, they are dealing with CEOs and MDs, and they

have the highest margins in the industry. The old traditional price-driven, product-focused business model is no longer fit for purpose, and the printing industry must therefore adapt if it is to survive. It is now business-critical that printers move from a client model that is mainly price-factor driven and product focused to one that is essentially customer-centric. For this reason the BPIF – the UK’s printing trade association and business support organisation – has developed new services to help printers move up the print value chain. The challenge is to equip them to seek new business by developing new services that add real value to their clients’ businesses. COMMUNICATIONS LANDSCAPEPrint is a major part of the modern, digitally-based communications landscape but is just one of a number of channels that clients are seeking to use to engage with their markets in multi-media world. Its clients are seeking to do business with suppliers who can

deliver integrated communications solutions that add value and solve their problems. Increasingly both public and private sector clients are looking for cost-effective campaigns rather than commodity print, and printers can no longer rely solely on their products and low prices to differentiate themselves. The whole world of publishing, marketing, advertising and broadcasting is being turned upside down and inside out by the digital revolution. And print is no exception. In a recent survey of senior marketing professionals from agencies and corporates, nearly 90 per cent of respondents agreed that print still has a major role to play in communications, while 97 per cent believed that to ensure a profitable future print must adapt by integrating with e-media. The challenge for printing companies then is to meet the changing expectations of today’s media and communications buyer – someone who is seeking added value rather than additional cost. So it’s no surprise therefore that more and more printing companies are transforming themselves into cross-media suppliers, providing integrated marketing solutions as wide-ranging as web design, database management, personalised print, social media, and fulfilment solutions, to name but a few examples.

SINK OR SWIMPrinters have for decades been in the business of transmitting data, text and images by electronic means. Printing is an industry that began life at the dawn of the age of mass communication, and which has adapted expertly to the age of personalised communication. Many printing companies have already made the transition from a product-led approach to a more client-focused business model, rather than face a slow and not-that-lingering death in the cut throat world of commodity printing. The BPIF is helping many more to join them, by supporting them in moving up the value chain to offer new profitable services and solutions based on a thorough understanding of client needs.

THE INDUSTRY UK Print today is a creative, dynamic £14.5bn industry – the world’s fifth largest – producing quality products using highly sustainable production methods. It utilises state-of-the-art IT, and as it continues to widen its cross-media service offering. The range of jobs it offers is mind-blowing: from the graphic designer working in a digital studio, to the machine manager at the controls of a £10m colour press, to the estimator pricing a major client order. Anyone looking for an exciting career can chose the printing industry safe in the knowledge that its focus on bespoke products and services will mean that, quite literally, no two days will ever be the same. L


Print is a major part of the modern, digitally-based communications landscape but is just one of a number of channels that clients are seeking to use to engage with their markets in multi-media world.

COMMUNICATION

PRINTING IN THE NEW WORLDAndrew Brown, public affairs adviser at the British Printing Industries Federation, describes how printing companies are evolving to meet the challenges presented by the digital age

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Education Show 2011

EVENT REVIEW

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E

Ray Barker, director of the British Educational Suppliers Association, looks back at the highlights of the UK’s largest education resources exhibition, which took place in March

AN UPLIFTING EDUCATION SHOW

Education Show 2011

EVENT REVIEW

Needs pupils and Inclusion. The nasen SEN Information Point once again was an invaluable point of call for all professionals seeking details on SEN resources, looking for practical advice and wanting to meet with experts to discuss the latest inclusive practice and specialist SEN teaching techniques. The specialist team from nasen were on hand to advise education professionals on how the recent SEN Green Paper will affect educational policy and practice. 2011 also saw the return of two popular zones that offered teachers a taste of the innovation that we are so pleased to see throughout the sector on a daily basis. In its second year, the BETT Zone was dedicated

to showcasing the best of technology in education. Here were showcased a selection of exhibitors at the forefront of their field, who had only six weeks previously attended the world renowned BETT. January 2011 had marked the 27th successful year of BETT, where once again the significant role that technology plays in the classroom and in the school as a whole was clear to see, even in a time of ongoing E

on hand to ease the financial burden with exclusive offers and discounts that educators were eager to take up.

SHOW FEATURESThe Education Show 2011 also hosted a variety of exciting and well-received feature areas. Practical teaching ideas were at the heart of the new Resources Live Zone at the show, which offered demonstrations of resources in action, enabling teachers to take back inspirational ideas to use in the classroom. The focus for the area was on the highly topical areas of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) and offered practitioners exciting new ideas to

help bring these subjects to life. Following the announcements of the Special Educational Needs (SEN) Green Paper just prior to the show, and the subsequent changes set for SEN provision, school leaders should not have missed the opportunity to visit the SEN Zone at the Education Show. Hosting a range of exhibitors, practitioners could compare and test resources and services to improve outcomes for Special Educational

E With the world of education experiencing a major shift, this year’s Education Show proved to be a focal point for school leaders and classroom practitioners from across the country. Once again the British Educational Suppliers Association (BESA) hosted the show’s information point, offering advice and guidance to all visitors. This year, people came to the Education Show with a very different perspective on the education sector than they did the previous year. With the extent of changes taking place throughout all areas of the sector, a review of the national curriculum and a significant tightening of the purse strings, schools are under pressure from all angles to continue to provide the exemplary education that has come to be expected. Historically, the event has always taken pride in its position and ability to reflect developments in educational policy and the resource needs and requirements of schools. The 21st Education Show proved no different attracting over 12,000 educators to the floor over three days. It has become increasingly apparent that schools will now have to consider what resources they need to achieve their development plan on a limited budget. Exhibitors at the show listened to this need, and provided unique opportunities to spend the money that schools had left in their budgets before the end of the financial year with cost-effective procurement taking centre stage. Many of the over 400 exhibitors were

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About BESA

BESA, the British Educational Suppliers Association, is the trade association representing over 300 educational suppliers in the UK, including manufacturers and distributors of equipment, materials, books, consumables, furniture, technology, ICT hardware and digital-content related services to the education market. With 75 years of experience, BESA offers unparalleled support, research, events and advice on both UK and International markets, and the future of the education supplies industry. BESA is focused on promoting and providing support and advice to their members, the industry and to schools. BESA has a Code of Practice to which all members must adhere, along with a stringent membership process, both of which assure buyers of a high standard of quality in both product and customer service.

FOR MORE INFORMATION VISIT... www.besa.org.uk

Many of the over 400 exhibitors were on hand to ease the financial burden with exclusive offers and discounts that educators were eager to take up.

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Education Show 2011

E change and austerity in the sector. With technology moving at an ever expanding rate, the BETT Zone exhibitors were ideally situated to offer insight into the way in which technology is changing the direction of teaching, learning and the management of schools. Visitors had the opportunity to not only get hands-on experience of the latest products and solutions, but gain expert advice on procurement and the practical implementation of technology throughout their schools. The Innovation Zone, meanwhile, was testimony to our strong belief that innovation drives industry and education forward. Education is and always should be a sector in which innovation is nurtured, but it can be difficult for the smaller business to thrive, especially at a time when schools are recognising the need for smarter spending. The Zone uncovered a host of never before seen ideas, resources and suppliers from some of the smaller start-ups to engage teachers and students alike, celebrating the diversity of the sector and the range of exciting, imaginative and inventive ideas we are so pleased to support.

EDUCATIONAL CONTENTFor the first time in the history of the Education Show, all those involved were proud to offer fully accredited continuing professional development (CPD) opportunities for free, reflecting the need to overcome budgetary constraints and maintain best practice. Each seminar in the extensive programme of over 80 sessions was designed to empower and inspire educators, providing best practice examples, advice on how to implement new strategies, the latest pedagogy and practical ideas for attendees to take back to their own classroom. Entitled ‘Learn Live’, the sessions were delivered by leading practitioners and addressed all areas of education in a series of targeted sessions to help teachers navigate the sea of change that is education. Policy associations and agencies were present at the show to answer practitioners’ questions on current education initiatives and the implications for specific subject areas. Also new to the show this year was a series of well-received and highly attended workshop sessions. The ‘Achievement for All’ workshops that ran the course of the show are an ideal

way to offer SEN pupils the best start in life. A national project developed by the Department for Education (DfE) and in partnership with the National College and National Strategies, the workshops offered advice, guidance and inspiration for educators to improve the access, aspiration and achievement of children with SEN, The Assessment and Learning, Pedagogy and Parental Engagement – significant following the promises of the SEN Green Paper to raise the profile of parents in education.

LITERARY RESOURCESOne of the most exiting launches this year came from the National Literacy Association (NLA) that we on the BESA stand were proud to host. ‘The Guide to Literacy Resources 2011 – Online’, is a free, time-saving aid for teachers looking for high quality, appropriate teaching material. The guide, which has been created by the NLA and supported by National Union of Teachers (NUT), National Association of Schoolmasters/Union of Women Teachers (NASUWT), and ourselves, aims to help teachers and other professionals looking for a central and objective source of information about materials (books, software, new technologies and multi-sensory resources) for supporting and encouraging children’s literacy. Products listed in the guide have been selected by the NLA’s Quality Control panel from materials submitted for review by participating companies and assessed against a number of criteria based on quality and their suitability to the stated learning objectives. Teachers can access the guide to free resources at www.nlaguide.co.uk

WINNING PROJECTSAt lunch time on the first day we had the pleasure of inviting two school winners to our stand to present them with a range of resources. The schools were both selected at random from the list of visitors who had pre registered for the show’s transport scheme run by BESA. The first winner, Kevin Eveleigh, of Barnby Road Academy Primary and Nursery school is head teacher of the first primary academy under the government’s new academy scheme. He commented: “We closed the school for an INSET day and bought all 32 teachers to this brilliant show. It is a fantastic opportunity to see state

of the art resources giving us time to make the right choices. If it’s out there and it’s good, then it will be here at the Education Show.” Kevin had been to visit TTS Group’s design and technology equipment, First News’ new interactive newspaper for children and furniture from Community Playthings. “We all spend time looking at what is available around the show, then meet up together to discuss what we want to invest in,” explains Kevin. The second winner, Gillian Powe from Bishop Road primary school, Bristol had also registered for all 30 staff to attend the show. “We attend the free CPD seminars and pick up new ideas throughout the day,” explains Gillian. “Now we have the freedom to make independent decisions, we have a distinct philosophy and only invest in resources that support our contextualised curriculum. The Education Show is the place to come to ensure you are seeing everything that is available and therefore are making the right decisions for your school.”

SPECIAL EVENTSExhibitors included BESA members like Galt, TTS, NES, Scholastic and LDA who kindly donated resources as prizes to the Red Nose day fund raising raffle, which raised nearly £800 for this great cause. The Education Show 2011 definitely had a strong positive atmosphere throughout the three days, especially when fashion stylist Gok Wan made a visit. Filming for a new documentary on children’s body confidence, he showed the crowd of teachers a video on children’s body confidence which highlighted the tragic statistic that 75 per cent of school girls would have plastic surgery if they were able. Gok went on to gather teachers’ feedback on his plan to lobby the government into approving an hour’s teaching a term on the issues surrounding body confidence. Despite the spending cuts and challenges faced by all schools, the Education Show 2011 was one of the most positive and uplifting in many years. L


EVENT REVIEW

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Catering

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When embarking on any job, having the right tools makes all the difference. That’s why, as part of our support to schools on meeting the national school food standards, the School Food Trust has developed a comprehensive Audit and Inspections toolkit. The toolkit guides you through the task of gathering the correct evidence to demonstrate that your school menus meet the national standards, and includes a checklist so you can make sure you have all of the recommended information and evidence available. SETTING THE TABLEThe evidence is much more than a legal requirement; it’s also a great way to promote your school meals to parents, with the reassurance that your pupils are being offered a well-balanced menu that will set them up to learn. All maintained schools must be able to demonstrate that they meet the food-based

standards, that is the requirements outlining which foods and drinks can be provided both at lunchtime and right across the school day. What’s more, they need to ensure that an average school lunch meets the nutrient-based standards. These standards relate to the amount of energy and 13 nutrients such as iron and zinc which should be in an average school lunch. Understanding if these standards have been met involves menu planning and nutrient analysis. The impact of the standards is already being seen. Research in primary schools in 2009 showed that 74 per cent of pupils eating school meals are now taking servings of vegetables and salad with their lunch, compared with 59 per cent in 2005. On average, children in 2009 took more than two of their ‘five-a-day’ as part of their school lunch, eating an average of 1.6 portions of fruit and vegetables. More children were drinking water with their meal, and the average lunch was lower in fat, sugar and salt.

There are numerous long-term benefits too. We know that overweight children are more likely to become overweight adults and school food can help shape the eating habits that lead to a healthy weight. In the long term, a school that takes an active interest in healthy eating can play a part in educating children to make good food choices and grow up to be healthier adults who don’t need to rely on health services.

USING THE EVIDENCEEvidence on how you comply with the standards for school food is information that lots of people in the school community may want to see. When catering budgets have been delegated (as is the case for most schools in England), school governors are responsible for ensuring the standards are met, even when the school receives catering services from a local authority provider or private caterer. Being able to provide your governors with evidence that your food meets the national standards means they can fulfil their legal responsibility and are fully informed. The toolkit can also be used to evaluate the food provided right across the day, showing how food served in breakfast clubs and tuck shops – which governors must also oversee - is also in line with the national requirements. A nutritious lunch in a decent dining room environment means better behaviour in the classroom in the afternoon, which is of great benefit to teachers. Our research shows that where improvements were made to both the menu and the dining room, primary school pupils were three times more E

SCHOOL FOOD STANDARDS

The School Food Trust’s Audits and Inspections toolkit helps schools to demonstrate compliance with school food standards, and there are multiple benefits to having the evidence at hand, says Claire Wall, senior nutritionist at the School Food Trust

THE PROOF IS IN THE PUDDING

Pupils at Carr Junior School,York, enjoying a tasty nutritious meal

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During autumn term 2010, a further set of pilots was carried out in ten secondary schools and four special schools in the West Midlands region in partnership with CEnTSA. The evidence that schools and their caterers need to produce to show they have met the standards is the same in all types of schools. The toolkit contains some example menus so there are now two versions available: a toolkit for primary and special schools and their caterers; and a toolkit for secondary schools and their caterers. Schools who took part in the autumn term 2010 pilot told us that they would find the completed toolkit useful for updating school governors about the food provided, marketing with parents, and also to use during general discussions between the school and kitchen. If you’re interested in reading about the pilots in more depth, there are two reports available on the School Food Trust website, detailing the development and piloting of the Audits and Inspections toolkit.

WHAT IS INCLUDED IN THE TOOLKIT?The toolkit has three parts. Part one of the toolkit is a one page checklist. You can complete this in partnership with your caterers, to indicate the evidence available to demonstrate compliance with the standards that apply to school lunches, and to food other than lunches. This will indicate if recommended minimum evidence is currently available. In parts two and three of the toolkit, you will find further information, including details of recommended minimum evidence of compliance and paper checklists which can be used to check food provision against the food-based standards for lunches and other food provided. It also gives the next steps to take if recommended minimum evidence is not yet available. We recommend that all schools work alongside their caterers to make sure they have the recommended minimum evidence

available. The toolkit provides an easy way to gather, understand and share the information with the wider school communityTo download the toolkit visit the School Food Trust website: www.schoolfoodtrust.org.uk/measuringcompliance/auditsandinspections L




E likely to be ‘on-task’ with their teachers in the lessons after lunch. In secondary schools, the increase in ‘on-task’ behaviour after a healthy lunch was 18 per cent. Being able to show that your school is compliant with the national standards is a useful marketing tool when you’re communicating with parents of both present and future pupils, who may be undecided about whether to opt for school meals for their children. Thanks to the national standards, research proves that school meals are typically the healthier option. Our studies in a nationally representative sample of primary schools in England found that food chosen and eaten by children taking school lunches was healthier than that eaten by children with packed lunches – containing less sugar, fat and salt. We’ve also looked into the time and effort it takes to make a packed lunch which meets the same tough nutritional standards as a school lunch – and found that parents could need to spend up to eight whole days in the kitchen every year to do the job.

HOW WAS THE TOOLKIT DEVELOPED?Helping schools and their caterers to check that they are meeting the national school food standards is a crucial part of our work. We developed the audits and inspections toolkit to help you collect the required information and make the process as quick and as easy as possible. In order to ensure that the kit really worked for those who need to use it, we tested it in primary, secondary and special schools. Firstly, following preliminary research into the evidence produced by primary schools and their catering providers, a draft toolkit was developed. Then in 2009 the toolkit was piloted in 28 primary schools in the West Midlands region, in partnership with the Department of Health and Central England Trading Standards Authorities (CEnTSA).

Check List Example

The toolkit includes checklists that can be used by schools and catering providers to check that the food provided at lunchtime and in other outlets operating across the school day is compliant with the food-based standards.

Are there at least two portions of fruit and vegetables/salad being provided per day per pupil? At one least one should be vegetables/salad and at least one should be fruit Is any confectionary being provided? This should not be provided at any time of the school day. Confectionery includes chocolate, chocolate biscuits and sweets. Is oily fish being provided at least once every three weeks? Oily fish includes fresh, canned or frozen salmon, sardines, pilchards, mackerel, herring and fresh or frozen tuna. Tinned tuna, white fish or white fish fortified with omega-3 fatty acids don’t meet the requirement.

SCHOOL FOOD STANDARDS

Lloyds Foodservice has been trading since 1970 and we have a wealth of experience within the foodservice industry. Still a small family owned business, but part of two national buying groups, which gives us the buying power to be competative within the market place. We have full ISO accreditation which gives the customer quality and satisfaction to their product requirements. As an independant wholesaler we have the flexibility to source and cater to our customers needs. Our fleet of vehicles are temperature controlled and enviromentally friendly as all our goods that are frozen, chilled and ambient can be delivered in one vehicle giving customer confidence that products arrive in good condition.

We distribute in the North West, and our customer base is extensive: hospitals, schools, colleges, restaurants, pubs, coffee shops, childrens playcentres and construction. Should you wish to see our range of products, please log onto our website.

FOR MORE INFORMATIONContact: Sue OxleyTel: 01244 398899Fax: 01244 398898sue.oxley@lloydsfoodservice.co.ukwww.lloydsfoodservice.co.uk

Lloyds Foodservice – together we can help grow your business



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The Holmes Group is a leading design, manufacture and fit out specialist for foodservice and food retail areas. Holmes Group utilises in house design skills to convert initial conceptual ideas through to a completed project. Throughout the process, highly skilled and knowledgeable designers provide advice and recommendations to the client team, working up the initial design ideas to a fully functional, practical and high quality facility. As a leading UK based manufacturer, with a highly skilled R&D team, Holmes Group has a number of products that are unique to the industry, including the patented Aplate™ energy saving foodservice display hotplates, independently tested by a leading UK retailer and proven to save 75 per cent of the electrical running cost compared to standard products. Alongside the Aplate™, Holmes Group has developed a number of other products, such as heated cupboards and

chilled displays to reaffirm our commitment to developing energy saving products. In addition, Holmes Group offers a full design and build construction service and also supplies, installs and maintains equipment from all leading foodservice equipment manufacturers. Holmes Group works with clients ranging from leading retailers, blue chip companies, hospital groups, universities and schools through to local independent foodservice operators and retailers.


Foodservice equipment specialists for education

When we entered the school catering sector in 2006, we began by going back to basics: we asked who our customers were and what they wanted from a school caterer. We asked ourselves how best to serve 1,000 students in a 20-minute period. So began a journey that has rewritten the rules of school catering. At Innovate Services, we believe there has to be greater choice, better quality and improved availability – and involvement of students in the entire process. We have therefore re-engineered every single step in the operation to ensure students can quickly access the wide range of food choices, housed in a modern and engaging environment that they

will enjoy using every day. If you are planning to review your food offering and catering facilities, it is critical to consider all aspects: creating a welcoming environment that students will frequent, reconfigure kitchen equipment to ensure seamless food preparation, create multiple food stations and self-service points, introduce creative and healthy food options, plus efficient till and cashless systems to effect high throughput. By implementing these changes, we can dramatically increase uptake, leading to students eating healthier meals more often, which is ultimately our main objective.

FOR MORE INFORMATIONwww.innovate-services.com

Innovate Services – transforming catering

Catering consultants that save and develop your food serviceAre you looking to;• Reduce your subsidy• Improve your food service• Maximise customer uptake• Increase fresh, seasonal, locally sourced and ethically purchased foods• Meet all legal requirements• Increase your confidence in your service and caterer

Through;• Service Quality and Financial Audits / on-going Monitoring• Options Appraisals• Tendering• Catering Facility Design• Service Marketing and Staff Training• In-house Support and Development

www.reviewconsultancy.co.uk [email protected]

Interested? Call us today on 023 9223 2647 for a FREE initial meeting

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Through my involvement with catering in the education sector over the last 20 years or so, I have seen many business cycles. In state schools we have gone from the service of a very limited, home cooked but highly subsidised offer, to very commercial burger, chips and fizzy drinks with little staff input and profit returns. Then there was Jamie Oliver’s intervention causing mass panic. Today we welcome the emergence of a more common sense approach. Today’s pupils are very high street orientated and value wise, but after the last five or so years of health messages they are also

looking for good food. Whilst most caterers and school business managers have great common sense, trying to comply with the School Food Standards can be difficult and with the resulting stagnation in sales and free meal uptake, not entirely the right strategy either. Certainly, caterers needed to improve things; as a father of four I would not be happy with my children being offered burger and chips every day but to dramatically move to the full implementation of the standards was, in my opinion, too far. However, through our recent tendering work with many secondary schools we

are seeing the ongoing development of excellent and exciting food offers to pupils. At last the range of dishes offered each day is reducing so that real chefs and customer focused service assistants have time to improve the freshness, quality, presentation and service of meals. Improvements have included an offer of real stone baked pizzas, hand carved roasts with all the trimmings and fresh vegetables, made to order hot salads, freshly battered fish and chips, whole roasted chickens, a deli offering a range of breads and fillings, the aroma of a real Italian cappuccino, and fresh fruit and smoothy bars.

A CATALYST FOR CHANGEWhilst some in the industry (including me) were very critical of the School Food Standards, it has been the catalyst for much needed and a fantastic change. It will always be a challenge to serve 1,000 pupils in a morning break and lunch in just over an hour, but good caterers are still finding innovative ways to achieve real theatre and quality in services to pupils and in return their increased sales are meteoric. The best caterers however, will be sharing this success through a mutual partnership with their clients which is something Review Consultancy works hard to develop and encourage.

INDEPENDENT SCHOOLSIn independent schools, there has always been a higher available budget and a higher E

SCHOOL FOOD AND FACILITIES

CATERING FOR THE DISCERNING PUPILWhat makes a successful school catering strategy? Steven Watts from Review Consultancy looks at some of the new ways schools are making the dining experience more tasty and exciting

Today’s pupils are very ‘high street’ orientated and value wise, but after the last five or so years of health messages are also looking for good food



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E expectation, but the budget was not always used wisely and often expectations were missed. Today, through our work with bursars and caterers, quality and value is shining through. Product provenance and exceptional culinary skills are combining to provide independent school pupils with the best food offerings. In addition, service costs are more transparent and better managed providing bursars with real value for money. Generally, there is more time for pupils to enjoy their eating experience and therefore more time for the caterer to impress. Good caterers are exploiting this to the full by taking the best and freshest of food service innovations; wok cooking, omelette bars, carveries, freshly made pasta, tapas and fruit bars. In colleges and universities, with a total lack of restriction, the high street has truly arrived but at better value to students. Caterers are emulating the high street offers but, by providing an in-house and equal quality version without the high franchise and branding costs, can serve students what they want without the high tariff. Clearly, the marketing and branding must be professionally developed and on-trend and the facilities up to the standards seen on the high street. However most colleges and universities have excellent marketing departments and students to engage in the branding project; providing both quality and value.

ENCOURAGING OTHERSWhilst being very cheerful about the positive signs in all education sectors, a cautionary note; we need to encourage all caterers to be brave enough to trial all their food service ideas however radical it may seem.

In every sector we are expecting the pupils and students to eat in the same restaurant day after day at the same service times. We cannot change the restaurant every day but we can change the offer from time to time. It is essential that we continually prove to our education customers that they can trust our quality and value and that they should keep coming back to our services to check out our different offers today.

COMMUNICATING THE GOOD NEWSIf a caterer has gone to the bother of developing a new service offer or product, then they should definitely bother telling their potential customers about it. How else do they expect customers to find out about it and buy it? Caterers are really tuning in to how pupils and students communicate and using these methods to put their marketing messages across. Use of printed materials are fine but promoting your latest offer via mobile text messaging, using the school, college, or university website and intranet, downloadable internet offers and using the latest cashless technologies are all affordable and successful methods today. In my experience, well researched marketing linked to a good product and service always creates an excellent return on investment. The key is to be innovative and communicate with your customer in mind.

TALKING OF CASHLESSThe demand and growth of cashless systems appears to be increasing. These systems are great in the right environment and can add significant sales and therefore client benefits to the subsidy as long as they are installed professionally with

the right customer communication. The latest biometric systems remove the cost and administration of printing cards and their lost replacements and seem to be technically robust. Some systems link with Epos tilling and bar code systems which not only speed up transaction times but also provide the caterer with good sales management information to ensure they are never selling a dead product. The systems are not cheap; anything up to £30k depending on the number of tills and outlets. Therefore in our experience of working with many schools and colleges with or considering buying a system, it is essential that the system is not compromised by taking cash at the point of sale, otherwise it will slow tilling, create queues and undermine the whole investment. Many clients are looking at a completely cash free site but this is totally dependent on whether the pupils’ and students’ families have easy access to the internet in order to remotely load their credits. There are alternatives but invariably these require cash or cheques to be brought onto the site. The benefits of a good system to the caterer are obvious: reduced queuing times, reduced opportunity for the customer to spend to and from the site, increased marketing opportunities and simply the lack of physical cash will significantly help grow sales. The key to a successful system is creating tangible customer benefits, otherwise all the system will achieve is a reduction of their current cash flexibility.

CHEERFUL FACILITIESAnother important area schools should consider is improving dining and service facilities. Pupils and students expect modern, vibrant, easy to use facilities that provide flexible seating to suit different meal/social occasions and needs. Good servery design and equipment can reduce staff input (and cost), speed queuing, add theatre and ultimately increase sales. Dining rooms are becoming a social hub for the school or college with soft seating for all day coffee occasions, large formal tables for groups, high tables/benches and stools for maximising seating capacity and all in different vibrant colours. Whilst there is an initial cost, it does not have to be prohibitive; painting the dining room is very cost effective and so is re-laminating the counter fronts, purchasing servery top service units and induction hobs. Even dining furniture is more cost effective today if you know where to look. I started by talking about great food and service, so would like to end on the same note by praising some caterers we work with for their predominate use of fresh, seasonal foods and the creation of innovative dishes. The pupils and students we speak to in the course of our projects all ask for readily available, good, fresh food, attractively presented that tastes good; sounds easy doesn’t it? L

SCHOOL FOOD AND FACILITIES

Good servery design and equipment can reduce staff input (and cost), speed queuing, add theatre and ultimately increase sales.

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At Grosvenor Continental we are more than just a provider of high quality restaurant and coffee bar installations. Our objective is to become a valued business partner to our clients. With a focus very much on long term relationships we seek to work with you at all stages of your project to achieve high quality, practical outlets that enable you to capitalise on income and margin opportunities. Our team includes experienced tradesmen with expertise in all the key disciplines you would expect and some that perhaps you wouldn’t. We, of course, work closely with you throughout the design, plan and installation process to ensure a successful conclusion to the project.

DESIGNYou can rest assured the end result will be one that demonstrates the best in current interior design in tandem with facilities that remain operationally durable and practical. All this and we will ensure that the project is delivered within agreed budgets and on time. Whether that project is for a sleek, modern destination or a flexible mobile system, the approach and our commitments remain the same. Alongside our core design and plan capabilities we are able to provide further specific functional support, be it advice on operational matters and help with the financial business models, or statistical analysis to identify new

revenue stream opportunities. We really do stay with you every step of the way. GREEN BELIEFSWhat’s more, through the course of our work we will help you demonstrate your green credentials; the heart of every Grosvenor Continental project is a pledge to deliver sustainability. We consistently adhere to the responsible sourcing of our raw materials; we use FSC wood certificated partners and products that do not require harsh chemicals in their daily care. We even offer to recycle your old catering equipment as well as utilising hybrid cars in our car fleet. Our willingness to stand by our green beliefs is also evident in our partnership with COOL EARTH®, which has already resulted in the preservation of nearly 100 acres of previously endangered rain forest from our efforts and those of our customers. COMMITMENTIn working with Grosvenor Continental you can be assured of our commitment to reducing our carbon impact on the environment. Today more than ever there is a real need to maximise the use of your expensive property portfolio. With this in mind, now is the perfect time to capitalise on potential opportunities to breathe new life into catering and public areas whilst creating valuable revenue streams. Grosvenor Continental really can help. To demonstrate our desire to help you make the right decisions for your business and maximise the performance of you facilities we offer a free trial of one of our Evolution Modular Systems. This allows you to take a low risk approach in moulding the future of your catering service. TAILORED SOLUTIONSIf the trial proves successful we will work with you to develop the correct solution for your business including a range of finance packages including attractive leasing arrangements, an affordable alternative to seeking full capital funding from your business at the outset. In short, we will help develop the business plan, deliver and install the system free of charge. You then trial the service for an agreed period before you buy, lease or return it. We can’t say fairer than that can we? L

FOR MORE INFORMATIONCall today on 01953 601640 or visit grosvenorcontinental.com

RETAIL CATERING SOLUTIONS

INSPIRED RETAIL CATERING SOLUTIONSGrosvenor Continental is more than just a provider of high quality restaurant and coffee bar installations. Grosvenor takes a refreshing approach to working closely with you, from our initial briefing right through to project completion and evolution


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Conferences & Events

The quality and professionalism of academic venues is a far cry from perceptions of them being ‘fit-for-purpose’ or ‘adequate’ – and conference and event organisers are waking up to that. PROFESSIONALISMIn the past some have overlooked academic venues, but clients are increasingly recognising the elevated service, technology and flexibility provided. This can be seen in all aspects of the offering, including accommodation, dining and meeting facilities and, most importantly, experienced and passionate people. An event is rarely a success simply because of space, facilities or even because a rock-bottom deal has been negotiated. All are influencing factors, but success is more often a direct result of the skill and passion held by the people that make it happen. Empathy with the event organiser

and delegates, attention to detail, focus and experience are the key ingredients academic venues excel at delivering. UNIVERSITIESUniversities are historically attractive employers and retain staff for a number of years, so a problem or request that staff have not handled or catered for is a rarity. Indeed, Warwick Conferences has more than a dozen employees who have been working at one of its venues – Scarman – since it opened in 1991 and many others with similar service records can be found throughout our business. A key offering provided by many academic venues that especially resonates with customers is the appointment of a dedicated event manager to each conference. Giving organisers a convenient single contact for all queries and requests allows trust and mutual knowledge to build up, so academic venues can tailor the client’s time to perfection.

ACADEMIC DISTINCTIONClose ties with learning excellence and the ability to link with academic colleagues to enhance events adds further value. For example, a medical conference can enjoy a keynote speech from an esteemed lecturer in the field. Another advantage of academic venues is that they are specifically geared towards earnest conferencing and can provide bespoke packages, from luxurious to fundamental. It is the case that many academic venues have built dedicated venues to offer all year round residential facilities. The ethos and dedication this provides is useful for organisations that are required to use their money cost-effectively and transparently. But competitive rates do not mean compromise on standards in facilities, service, accommodation and catering – for example, many venues now boast chefs that have won prestigious culinary E

ACADEMIC VENUES

LEARN THE VALUE OF ACADEMIC VENUESThe combination of expert staff, the advantages of a university setting, and a core focus on quality content have shown event organisers that academic venues are the ideal solution for their delegates, writes Rachael Bartlett, head of sales and marketing at Warwick Conferences

Warwick Conferences

The University of Warwick is one of Britain’s leading Universities. It offers arguably the best University conference facilities in the UK. Branded as Warwick Conferences, it is highly successful with an annual turnover in excess of £20 million. Warwick Conferences consists of three purpose built training and conference centres: Scarman, Radcliffe and Arden, offering dedicated conference facilities all year round and the Conference Park, which utilises the main campus facilities. Over 300 meeting rooms, from boardrooms to tiered auditoria are fully equipped with the latest technology, 600 sq. metres of exhibition space, a 1,200 capacity hall and the largest Arts Centre outside of London. It is considered to house the widest choice of meeting space in the UK – all located on a 700-acre rural setting on the outskirts of Coventry within a few minutes of the motorway network, high speed rail links and Birmingham International Airport.

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St Leonard’s Hall, Pollock Halls

© St John Ambulance 2011 | Registered charity no. 1077265/1

St John Ambulance works closely witheducational establishments offering key accountmanaged services and exclusive discountedpricing structures.

All our services comply with the ISO 9001:2000quality standard and are SAFEContractorapproved too, satisfying some of the toughestassessors in the business.

With more courses and more training venuesthan any other health and safety and first aidtraining provider in the UK, it’s easy to find theright course in the right place at the right time.To find out more, visit us at the NEC FacilitiesShow on 17-19 May 2011or call us on 0844 770 4800.

Conferences & Events

ACADEMIC VENUES

The academic sector now rightfully accounts for a significant percentage of the multi-billion pound events, conferences and meetings sector. The combination of expert staff, the advantages of a university setting, a core focus on quality content and attractive rates have shown organisers that academic venues are the ideal solution for their delegates – whatever the question. CASE STUDYWarwick Conferences was graded highly by the teachers of tomorrow after a major education training event was held there. The Coventry-based collection of training, conference and events venues welcomed more than 1,000 educators for the Teach First National Institute. Over 550 of the participants attended for the full three weeks with more than 400 additional participants arriving for the second week. Teach First is an independent charity with a mission to address educational disadvantage by transforming exceptional graduates into effective, inspirational teachers and leaders in all fields. Feedback from Teach First revealed that more than 95 per cent were very satisfied or satisfied with their experience at Warwick including the check-in, technology, catering and accommodation. Comments included: “Excellent organisation and communication throughout.” “The facilities at Warwick Conferences are wonderful.” and “The catering has been absolutely amazing.” Teach First director of leadership development Amanda Timberg said: “Warwick Conferences took on the organisational and logistical challenge of Teach First’s biggest ever Summer Institute and delivered beyond our expectations. We are looking forward to returning to the first rate service we received last year.” L

FOR MORE INFORMATIONwww.warwick.ac.uk/conferences

E awards once seldom found outside the kitchens of 5-star hotels. People shouldn’t assume all academic venues are just student rooms, many now have at least one bespoke high quality conference centre with everything up to bespoke 4-star equivalent as part of their package. Warwick Conferences currently has three – Scarman, Radcliffe and Arden. This flexibility, seldom found elsewhere, means academic venues can handle small events to conferences with 1,500 or more delegates. It is for this reason that conference centres are used by significant organisations, such as blue chip companies, senior policy makers and politicians. FOCUSAs university enterprises, academic venues are able to take a long-term view of business because they do not have to respond to the short-term demands of shareholders. This permits an ongoing commitment to quality and service as they have been able to resist any excessive cost-cutting programmes. Renewals and improvement programmes in particular have continued at a high level because there is a belief that delivering high quality, in both service and facilities will mean a stronger business in the long term. Similarly, many academic venues have continued to invest in training people across the board. While venues have considered other potential revenue streams, from Christmas parties to weddings, many academic venues have rejected them due to consideration of appropriate business mix. As soon as you mix a social event with a business meeting the likelihood is that at least one party will end up dissatisfied. The question is when does a conference or meeting venue become a hotel or multi-purpose facility? The answer is when the customer thinks so. Additionally, many academic venues are based within a university campus. As a result they can offer a convenient single location to eliminate the headache of travel between venues, accommodation and social activities. They may also be able to offer a high level of confidentiality, security and privacy and may explain why so many high profile and respected organisations, especially government bodies, select them for their conferencing needs.

COST-EFFECTIVEWhile many venues have clearly had to adjust their pricing strategies as a consequence of the recession, academic venues have largely avoided entering a rate slashing competition. Excessively reducing rates invariably leads to a compromise on standards and investment in areas of the business such as staff, improvements and maintenance. This is a concession it is unwilling to embark upon as they know customers have come to rely upon and expect high levels of service. That said some clients have been lured away by the prospect of lower rates. However, the majority of these customers have since returned as they recognise that despite a slight differential in a 24-hour rate, the inevitable compromise on aspects like service standards, cleanliness or quality of food, plus the creep of additional costs for extras, has had a detrimental effect on their event’s objectives.

In the past some have overlooked academic venues, but clients are increasingly recognising the elevated service, technology and flexibility provided. This can be seen in all aspects of the offering, including accommodation, dining and meeting facilities and, most importantly, experienced and passionate people.

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Flexible Event SpacesKUCEL offers flexible, functional, contemporary event spaces in and around Kingston. Our affordable hire rates include room, external space and day delegate rates. Regular clients includefilm companies, exhibitions, health classes, church groups and adult education.

Quite simply whatever your event KUCEL has the space for you!

Visit www.KUCEL.co.ukor call 020 8417 5519

KUCEL 86x125mm Advert_Layout 1 28/03/2011 14:53 Page 1

Educational Trips

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Written by Carol Bolger, School Travel G

roup

As we gear up for 2012 there is no better time to use Britain’s big moment to inspire and motivate students, with the sheer excitement of the Olympics. The Olympic values focus on developing social qualities and encouraging pride in what we do and how we do it, all of which are paramount in children’s development.

COVERING THE CURRICULUMThe build up to the Olympic Games offers teachers the opportunity to enthuse students in a number of different topics including sustainability, urban design, healthy eating, environmental regeneration, business development and of course sports studies. Teachers across the country understand the potential the Games have for learning and are rapidly signing up to ‘Get Set’ – the official London 2012 education programme. School trips have the power to complement

the excellent work being done in schools, put the Games into context and make learning about the Olympics fun, highly educational and memorable experiences. Specialist school trip operator Pavilion Tours (paviliontours.co.uk) is running a series of Sporting Legends conventions, the next one from 6-8 June, offering school children and college students the exciting opportunity to meet top British athletes including Iwan Thomas and Danny Crates. There will also be the chance to tour the 2012 Olympic sites and hear about the preparation and planning for the games. The conventions are held at Grosvenor Hall Education and Activity Centre in Ashford, Kent, which boasts state of the art sporting and education facilities where pupils can partake in a mini Olympics, team sports and energetic activities on-site throughout the day. The construction of the Olympic Park is

completely regenerating deprived areas of East London. This massive undertaking will create over 60,000 new jobs. A fascinating tour of the site organised by UK Connection can be led by qualified architects. Students can appreciate the sheer scale of this flagship development and investigate the design and construction of the main buildings and tracks from the site’s ‘View Tube’ (www.ukconnection.co.uk). London 2012 is planned to be significantly more sustainable than its predecessors so is an invaluable case study to contrast with previous sites. Geography, business and environmental studies students can visit Barcelona, Munich or Beijing with the School Travel Service (STS) to assess the challenges and successes of Olympic developments and the positive and negative legacies they have left on their host cities. A trip to Athens and the ancient sites of Greece can compare the current Games with those of over 2,000 years ago. (www.ststravel.co.uk) So however teachers decide to use the Olympics, whether teaching sport studies, promoting health and fitness, or investigating urban regeneration, it is undeniable that the games will be the talking point of 2012. Children will be inspired by the athletes’ skills and determination, as well as the good feeling that the whole event creates. The Games offer superb educational possibilities, giving teachers the opportunity to enhance lifelong memories of a fantastic 2010 London Olympics. L

LEARNING OUTSIDE THE CLASSROOM

A MOTIVATING EVENT FOR ALLThe 2012 Olympics offers teachers the opportunity to enthuse students in a number of different subjects, including sustainability, urban design, healthy eating, regeneration and sports studies

• NGB Qualified Staff• Fully Insured & Risk Assessed• Multi-activity Provision Tailored To Your Needs• Personal Development/Team Work• Indoor & Outdoor Activities• Large or Small Schools - All Ages Catered For

For an event tailored to fit your needs, please feel free to contact a member of our team or visit our website for further

information or to request a brochure.

0845 409 [email protected] www.highlineadventure.co.uk

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Recent years have seen considerable growth in outdoor recreation and the adventurous activities that take place outdoors, be they in traditional pursuits such as hill walking, canoeing, sailing, or more modern trends like mountain biking, canyoning or coasteering. Many people start their interests during their

school years, often attending local authority centres, commercial providers, the YHA or Outward Bound. Other entry points include Scouting, Guiding or participation in the Duke of Edinburgh Award Scheme where each level has an Expedition section to complete. Some youngsters get hooked straight

away and go on to pursue their hobbies and activities to high degrees of competency and qualification through training courses at recognised centres of the National Governing Bodies for sports and activities. However, it is probable that the majority do not follow up their initial introduction immediately. More and more, though, are returning to the outdoors a little later in life as people head for upland or coastal areas to refresh and practice what becomes a hobby or perhaps take part in a new adventure activity whilst on holiday. Adventurous activities by their very nature have an element of risk. The thrill and excitement of the unknown or unpredictable is part of the attraction, the sense of enjoyment, independence and fulfilment that comes for new achievement. These days we are frequently reminded of the need for healthy life styles, greater exercise and agility in both mind and body. In all but a handful of cases participants return unscathed, unharmed and safely, having had an enjoyable and rewarding experience. Look in any outdoors magazine, tourist information centre or National Park visitor centre to see the literature and advertisements that are testimony to the growth in provision of adventure or activity holidays in our tourist destinations. Countless companies, organisations and sole traders have set up in business to provide activities, plan journeys, specialist sessions sometimes linked to accommodation and other day ventures. There is everything from mountain biking to horse riding, white water rafting and guided walks to the highest peaks, if you want them. How safe then are the practices and procedures of the providers or the participants who “go off on their own in increasing numbers”? Those of greater years remember the Cairngorm Tragedy of 1972, and more recently the Lyme Bay disaster of 1993, each leading to the sad loss of young lives in one event. As has been said, adventurous activities do carry an element of risk and accidents happen. The adventure activities industry is seeking to manage that risk through a continuum of accreditation of providers and encouraging any participants to ask whether the outdoor centre or provider has an AALA licence, Adventuremark, LOtC badge or the AHOEC Gold standard. These terms need some explanation to describe how they make a continuum and what they cover.

AALAThe Adventure Activities Licensing Authority (AALA) was set up in 1994 by the government in direct response to the Lyme Bay tragedy in which four young canoeists drowned whilst on a course from a centre in Dorset. Any provider supplying defined adventurous activities in the UK for young people under 19 years of age must now have an AALA licence to do so. Adventure Activities Licensing ensures that activity providers follow good safety management practices for activities in scope. E

Adventurous activities by their very nature have an element of risk. The thrill and excitement of the unknown or unpredictable is part of the attraction, the sense of enjoyment, independence and fulfilment that comes for new achievement.

HEALTH & SAFETY

SAFETY FIRSTBrian Ogden, AAIAC, and Trevor Clarke, AHOEC, look at the different accreditations providers can apply for in order to reassure clients that they are running safe business



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The Agricultural Museum, Brook (The Street, Brook, Ashford, Kent TN25 5PF) is a specialist museum devoted to the agricultural history of Kent, mainly in the period when horses and oxen provided the power on a farm. It has a broad collection of exhibits from large wagons to small hand tools, illustrating the range of farm activities together with associated crafts. Photographs of some of these can be seen on the website. The museum is housed on a very secure site, in buildings including a magnificent 14th century barn, an early 19th century oast house and a Victorian stable block providing a teaching/dining space, toilets and a small shop. We welcome visits from school groups from Key Stage 2 upwards and can provide an experience that will contribute in several areas of the curriculum

including agricultural/social history, science, literacy and art. We are particularly keen to discuss potential visits with the relevant school staff so as to tailor the experience to the curriculum needs of the group.

FOR MORE INFORMATIONCurator: Brian Wimsett Tel: 01304 824969 [email protected]: Dr. Tom Hill Tel: 01227 730477 [email protected]

How can a rural museum help you?

Ocean Adventures for SaleTenacity of Bolton, a 60ft yacht, can be hired out by individuals orgroups this season – for weekends or week-long trips.In July and August Tenacity of Bolton is setting off on her boldest adventure todate, to circumnavigate the UK. Voyages are available to individuals and groupsalike. Please check our website for destinations and dates.There is no doubt that a sea voyage for young people is the ultimate adventure.It takes the young out of their comfort zone but in an environment where safetyis always first priority. In our experience it is the best bonding experience thatwe can offer. On a student CV such an ocean venture stands out as a significantpersonal challenge and achievement.The boat comes with an experienced skipper and crew and can be hired forleisure or for learning to sail. Typical destinations for our trips include theIsle of Man, Anglesey or Scotland.Let your students know about the opportunities on board sothey can experience the magic of coastal sailing, living andsocialising in this unique environment.It is cheaper than you think – contact us formore details.

t: 01768 482233 e: [email protected]

British Educational Leadership, Management and Administration Society Annual Conference 2011

The Robinson's Executive Centre, Wyboston Lakes near Cambridge

Friday 8th to Sunday 10th July 2011

‘Educational Leadership in an Age of Globalisation’ Are you concerned about the effects that privatisation, markets and competition can have on schools ? BELMAS Conference provides a forum for informed discussion on these issues which have implications for many aspects of education and particular resonance for leaders and managers. This event has become a fixture in the calendar for those interested in ‘Leadership in Education’ and it attracts professionals from a broad spectrum of educational interests along with delegates from around the world. With a full and varied

programme of Seminars, Workshops and Presentations, the Conference also features contributions from the following outstanding guest speakers:

Professor Michael Apple, who is the John Bascom Professor of Curriculum and Instruction and Educational Policy Studies at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, will present a paper on “The Politics and Possibilities of Educational Reform in a Time of Globalisation”. He is highly regarded as an important voice in "contemporary progressive education" and has written extensively, deconstructing and analyzing the educational system in the United States. He has made central contributions to critical scholarship in curriculum studies and teaching as well as in educational theory and policy.

Maggie Farrar is Strategic Director for Policy Research and Development at the National College. Having taught in Northern Ghana and London before moving to Birmingham, she is co-founder of the University of the First Age, a national charity which develops extended learning experiences for young people in school. Since May 2003, Maggie has been working at the National College for Leadership of Schools and Children’s Services where she was initially the Operational Director responsible for ‘Every Child Matters’ and Standards before taking up her current post on 2008. Maggie will address issues of succession challenge, school

improvement, leadership development and developing a self improving school system.

Professor Tony Bush, Professor of Educational Leadership at the University of Warwick and Vice President of BELMAS, has wide international experience, having been a visiting professor, external examiner, consultant or invited keynote speaker around the world. He has published extensively, including his best-selling trilogy of books on Theories of Educational Leadership and Management and has directed many research and evaluation projects on aspects of leadership and leadership development. He is also the editor of the leading international journal, Educational Management, Administration and Leadership. Tony's keynote

presentation is entitled: “Globalisation and Leadership Development”.

Embedded in these sessions is our wish to involve a broad range of professionals, especially those in nursery, primary, secondary and college settings.

For booking information, programme and location details, please go to the ‘Conference and Conversations’ area of www.belmas.org.uk

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HEALTH & SAFETY

adventurous activities. The Quality Badge is open to all organisations providing learning outside the classroom experiences. The route any organisation takes to achieve the Quality Badge will be determined by the degree of risk management required to manage the activities offered. Learning experiences in museums, theatres, places of worship constitute Route 1 for the activities with least risk, whilst field studies, expeditions, study tours, farm visits and adventurous activities constitute Route 2 where the regime is more rigorous. In 2009 the Association of Heads of Outdoor Centres (AHOEC) launched its own quality assurance badge called the AHOEC GOLD Standard. It is a scheme that builds on the Learning Outside the Classroom Quality (LOtC) Badge. The GOLD standard exceeds the benchmark set by the LOtC Badging scheme and provides clients and centres with a scheme that not only addresses the issue of safety but the delivery of a client focused quality experience.

WHERE TO FROM HERE?AAIAC invites anybody wishing to use an adventurous activity provider to simply ask the provider – does where we are going have any of the badges AALA, Adventuremark, LOtC or AHOEC GOLD standard? If they do it assures greater protection and the security of knowing that accreditation has been awarded on the basis of industry wide standards of good practice, if not the licensing regime. If they have not, ask whether they are in the process of seeking one of the badges and, if the answer is no to either question, then it is suggested you look elsewhere for somebody/a provider who has. If customers and users start asking now, a momentum will be built up that allows the accreditation system to become more or less universal because providers will soon learn that it becomes at least desirable if not a necessity. In that way we have a better, safer industry and experience for customers/users who can be surer that things will be done correctly in activities which do have an inherently greater risk – ones that can and should be properly managed. After all, outdoor centres are in the business of preventing accidents and doing their best to provide fun, enjoyment, exhilaration and achievement, and return home safely every time. Those who venture out on their own, and it is a huge number of people these days especially in our tourist hotspots, can have the benefit of the previous experience from school days, activity holidays, from organisations such as scouting, guiding and the DofE. etc. Such experiences are “provided” from a rich variety of sources and “train” people in the craft of their sport or activity so they become proficient themselves. Accredited providers give a better standard of training for those who later go on to “do it themselves”. That’s also why asking whether providers are “badged” makes greater sense now. L

has developed that parallel system, using expert consultants and taking much of its methodology from the licensing system. It launched it as Adventuremark in 2009. Adventuremark is a system accrediting the safety aspects of adventure provision. It looks at the way practices and procedures are carried out and uses a similar inspection regime to AALA. Staff qualifications, emergency procedures, briefings and developments, standard locations used as well as the quality of equipment etc., are all part of the inspection accreditation regime. Adventuremark can be gained by a provider making application to cover any adventurous activity, provided for any age group and anywhere in the U.K. It is not restricted to under 19s, unlike licensing, and covers England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, and centres abroad if the badge holder operates from the UK.

LEARNING OUTSIDE THE CLASSROOMDuring the research and development phase of Adventuremark, the government in England had been pursuing a curriculum initiative called Learning Outside the Classroom (LOtC). This is designed to stimulate and extend learning and teaching methods, using anything

from the school grounds, local area and wider educational visits as we know them. It can apply across any subject area and has been seen to pay handsome dividends in terms of pupil progress. After all, history or geography do not take place in classrooms, literature is normally about happenings outside them, mathematical understanding develops much more extensively if it is applied to the real world and science and technology are applied at home, at work and in the adventure activities sphere – so let’s study things where they originate as well as within the confines of school buildings. In seeking to extend learning beyond the classroom it became the case that a system of badging, for providers who service the educational demand elsewhere, ought to have some form of accreditation to safeguard schools, their students and teachers and confirm that acceptable standards of good practice are being applied at those learning venues. Accordingly, there has been in operation for just over two years now an LOtC Quality Badge system for providers to apply for in ten learning strands, including

E It should allow young people to experience exciting and stimulating activities outdoors without being exposed to avoidable risks. Activities in scope of Licensing are: climbing, abseiling or scrambling over natural terrain and cliffs; trekking on foot, horse or cycle over remote hills or mountains; watersports on the sea, tidal waters, large lakes or white water; exploring natural caves underground. There are approximately 1,170 licenced providers throughout Great Britain (licensing does not apply in Northern Ireland). If your child goes on a school outdoor activities course or holiday offering in scope activities then the venue centre provider must hold an AALA Licence. A licence is granted after inspection for between one and three years, before reapplication and re-inspection. AALA was formerly administered by the DCSF but is now under the Health and Safety Executive. The licence may not cover all the activities taking place because some, including newer ones, are not included within the scope of licensing. Accordingly, if a provider does not cater for young people under the age of 19 or undertakes activities that lie outside the scope of licensing there need be no accreditation to assure users and customers that practices have

been inspected and/or conform to standards of safety recognised as acceptable good practice by the industry. It is estimated that about 75 per cent of all adventurous activity provision lies beyond the remit and scope of licensing. In reality therefore, there is little that stops you or I setting up an adventure activity business with no check on safety credentials, experience, qualifications, expertise or equipment. Let it be said immediately that there is no evidence of hoards of unscrupulous operators entering the industry but not all operators are necessarily aware or sure of all that can be done to ensure their own commercial success or the safety and well-being aspects of their customers and users.

ADVENTUREMARKIn 2005 the then DfES (Department for Education) commissioned the Adventure Activities Industry Advisory Committee (AAIAC) to research and develop a parallel system of accreditation which could sit alongside licensing to cover activities that lay outside its scope and also providers of activities for people over 19. AAIAC

Adventure Activities Licensing ensures that activity providers follow good safety management practices for activities in scope. It should allow young people to experience exciting and stimulating activities outdoors without being exposed to avoidable risks.



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A school trip to Alton Towers Resort will challenge your pupils, fill them with enthusiasm and let them experience the thrill of practical learning, first hand. Choose from a selection of activities, providing pupils with the opportunity to enjoy a number of engaging educational activities including talks, workshops, demonstrations and bespoke educational events. Primary school trips to the Alton Towers Resort offer a range of fun-filled activities and workshops that pupils will find fascinating. Our primary educational talks cover topics including Science and Citizenship and Road Safety. For secondary schools we offer a range of engrossing talks, discussions, workshops and presentations that will bring out a keenness and interest in the subjects covered. Topics available for secondary schools include Physics, Business Studies, Marketing and Design & Technology. Our educational talks all last for approximately 40 minutes and are mapped to the National Curriculum for KS 1-5. Alton Towers Resort also produces two bespoke educational events during the season:The Business of Leisure Event – Monday 26 to Friday 30 September for KS 3&4. Based in the heart of the Alton Towers Resort, we will be holding four talks per date covering

topics such as Planning an Event, Alton Towers Resort as a Business, Marketing & Promotions, and Customer Service. TH13TEEN Workshop Event – Monday 31 October to Thursday 3 November for KS 4&5. This extremely popular and interactive workshop is inspired by Alton Towers Resort’s newest rollercoaster, TH13TEEN, focusing on a whole host of activity involved with marketing and promoting a new theme park ride from the concept and design, to planning, promoting and marketing a new ride. Our school ticket prices all include entry to our fantastical theme park too, a perfect opportunity to engage in some practical, fun-filled learning! Enjoy a mind-blowing mix of fantastic rides and attractions offering unlimited fun for kids of all ages.

Explore Sharkbait Reef by SEA LIFE, join Charlie on his amazing journey through Willy Wonka’s Chocolate Factory and venture into the fantabulous fun area Cloud Cuckoo Land, especially for our younger guests. For those seeking adrenalin pumping experiences, scream your way into Oblivion, feel the speed of Rita, experience the windswept exhilaration of Air, enjoy Nemesis’ famous turbulent, twisting frenzy or ride into the Dark Forest and experience TH13TEEN if you dare.

FOR MORE INFORMATIONYour chance to win a free school group visit to Alton Towers Resort!* To be in with a chance of winning just answer the following question: What is the name of Alton Towers Resort’s newest rollercoaster? Please e-mail your answer with SCHOOL COMPETITION in the subject box to [email protected] with your full contact details before 3 May 2011. The winning group will be notified by e-mail. *free school group visit (max of 35 people) valid for 1 day entry from Monday 16 May-14 Oct 2011, theme park entrance only, not including travel or educational talks. Visit EXCLUDES 19 June & 4-8, 11-15 & 18-21 July and 25 July - 2 Sept.

Challenge your students with an engaging and educational trip to Alton Towers Resort

Business of Leisure Event 26th – 30th September 2011

Book now on 0871 282 5194*. For further information visit www.altontowers.com/school-visits or www.merlingroups.co.uk

Choose from four business based, interactive presentations, held daily in the heart of Alton Towers Resort!

Curriculum linked to KS3, 4 & BTEC• 11am - Planning an Event• 12 noon - Alton Towers Resort as

a Business• 1.30pm - Marketing & Promotions

at Alton Towers Resort• 2.30pm - Customer Service at

Alton Towers Resort

From only £10.41 Plus £2.09 VAT - You Pay £12.50

per pupil, including one talk.Additional talks can be added for an

extra £1.00 per pupil

*Calls to 0871 numbers are charged at 10p per minute at all times from a BT landline, calls from mobile operators and other networks may vary.

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ATL believes that experiences gained outside the classroom are a valuable part of any young person’s learning. They can, for example, help develop personal and vocal skills. Educational visits enjoy a long tradition, be they a visit to the local museum or to far off lands. However, following a number of high profile accidents involving school staff that participated in educational visits, some may feel vulnerable that they will end up in court. Indeed, those who share the public perception of the UK becoming a ’compensation culture‘ may not wish to participate in educational visits at all. ATL believes that this would be an over-reaction, as more than a million educational visits take place each year, the vast majority of which are without incident or injury to pupils.

AVOIDING RISKWhile educational visits are not risk free, schools and colleges should avoid being alarmist. Risk assessments are vital in the planning of any educational visit to contain risks within acceptable levels. The importance of risk assessments was reinforced by the Glenridding Beck case in which 10 year-old Max Palmer died while ’plunge pooling’ during an educational visit in Cumbria in May 2002. Plunge pooling involved jumping four meters into a rock pool in a mountain stream and swimming to an exit point. The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) subsequently conducted a thorough investigation and produced a report of their findings, which concluded: “The weather was poor. The stream was in spate. The water was very cold. And, most of all, there were serious deficiencies by the party leader in planning and leading the activity.” The group leader was convicted of manslaughter for deciding to continue with the activity, despite very bad weather. While such action is rare, the Glenridding Beck case illustrates the need for group leaders to consider the safety of students at all times, even if this means abandoning a planned event.

IDENTIFYING RISKSo, why are risks assessments so important? The Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999 oblige employers to assess the risk of activities, introduce measures to control those risks and inform staff about them. The HSE’s leaflet 5 Steps to Risk Assessment (www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/indg163.pdf) confirms that this involves:

• identifying the hazards• deciding who might be harmed and why• considering what safety measures need to be implemented to reduce the risks to an acceptable level• recording the findings• reviewing the assessment at intervalsA trip to a local museum may only require a single risk assessment. However, more complex activities will generally require more detailed assessment. The following ought to be included in the risk assessment: It should be ensured that the group leader is competent to have overall responsibility for the group at all times as s/he has a key role to play in the successful completion of the visit. While there are no legal requirements as to how many adults should accompany a group of students, decisions on ratios will need to take account of:• nature, duration and hazards of the visit• number/age/gender/aptitude/normal standard of behaviour of the students• special educational/medical needs and disabilities• requirements of the venue• accommodation.For trips to local venues, government guidelines offer advice of one adult per every six pupils in years 1-3; one adult for every 10-15 pupils in years 4-6; and one adult for every 15-20 pupils in years 7 onwards. Many educational establishments use parents and adults who are not members of staff to help out on visits. These volunteers must be vetted under the appropriate child protection procedures. They should be clear about their roles and responsibilities – a parent may feel the need to safeguard their own child ahead of others in an emergency. The risk assessment should cover the main activities as well as a ’Plan B‘ for contingencies. For example, a sudden change in the weather may render it unsafe to carry on with the activity that was originally planned. Ongoing risk assessments involve a re-assessment of the risks while the visit is taking place and as the need arises. Changing weather conditions, new safety warnings, illness or behavioural problems may necessitate a re-assessment of the risks. It is the responsibility of the group leader to ensure that ongoing risk assessments are undertaken. Fatalities in educational visits have occurred when students were involved in activities

in or near water, as in the Glenridding Beck case. Risk assessments for these activities should take account of underwater hazards (e.g. rocks or strong currents), tidal conditions, getting the group in and out of water easily, unexpected panicking, as well as the likelihood of someone falling into the water. The activities must be formal and closely supervised. Impromptu activity should not be permitted, even if students earnestly plead to swim because of the hot weather, for example. Recently, risks associated with E. coli 0157 and other infections that could result from farm visits have received publicity. Precautionary measures should include washing hands thoroughly before and after eating, after any contact with animals and again before leaving the farm, never allowing the pupils to kiss animals, making sure that the pupils wear appropriate shoes and clothing, and that all cuts and grazes on hands are covered with a waterproof dressing. Further information is available on the HSE information sheet “Avoiding Ill Health at Open Farms: Advice to Teachers” which can be downloaded from www.hsebooks.co.uk andwww.teachernet.gov.uk

FURTHER ADVICEEquipment: Equipment and clothing should be appropriate for the type(s) of activities being undertaken and for the environmental conditions. Transport: Risk assessments should take account of traffic routes/conditions and arrangements to deal with breakdowns or other emergencies. In ensuring the safety of all passengers, drivers must have the correct licence and be able to maintain concentration. Members of staff who drive minibuses should not be expected to also maintain discipline whilst driving, unless the journey is very short. Accidents and emergency procedures: These form an essential part of planning a visit. Every adult should have a checklist for immediate action in an emergency, covering issues such as dealing with casualties and the emergency services, and contacting the school or college and parents. There should also be a ’lost procedure‘ confirming what adults or students should do if they became separated from the group or lost. All schools should have written procedures when it comes to safeguarding the health and safety of pupils on educational visits. The Education (Independent School Standards) (England) Regulations 2003 require independent schools to draw up, effectively implement and promote these procedures. Staff who follow the information and training they have received are unlikely to be sued personally if a pupil is injured, or worse. In any event, legal proceedings are usually brought against the employer who is vicariously liable for the actions or omissions of their staff, which arise in the course of employment. Being well prepared should give staff the confidence to participate in educational visits. While no one should be complacent, it is clear that the benefits gained on education visits far outweigh the risks involved. L

RISK MANAGEMENT

The Association of Teachers and Lecturers discusses the key role risk assessments play in preparation designed to safeguard the health and safety of pupils on educational visits

DON’T LEAVE IT TO CHANCE

WORKSHOPSAND SEMINARSPackage includes:• World Rugby Museum• Twickenham Stadium Tour• Workshop or Seminar

EMAIL [email protected] OR CALL 020 8892 8877 OR VISIT RFU.COM/MUSEUM

GET BEHINDTHE SCENES AT THE HOME OF ENGLAND RUGBY

BOOKING PROCEDURE Please enquire as far in advance of a booking as possible to confirm availability. Our fun learning programme of Workshop or Seminar, Twickenham Stadium Tour and World Rugby Museum costs £8 per student. 1 accompanying teacher enters for free for every 8 students. Free orientation visit available for teachers.

Twickenham’s inspirational setting gives students the chance to engage in fun learning towards real curriculum objectives.Offered in conjunction with an exciting Stadium Tour and informative journey through the World Rugby Museum, our education package promises a fun-filled day out for students and teachers alike.

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Outdoor Learning

Written by Dave Spence, chief executive, Scottish O

utdoor Education Centres

It’s not easy being a young person in Britain in the 21st century. On a range of indicators, young people are starting from a poor position. In health, many must contend with a range of tenacious issues. We have concerns about sedentary lifestyles and children wrapped in cotton-wool. Obesity is increasing. Some young people for the first time in generations are more likely to die earlier than their parents. Confidence is a major concern and research shows many young people have a pessimistic view of their future. How might we build confidence when austerity is likely to undermine it?

DISCONNECTED WITH THE PLANETIn environmental terms, many young people remain disconnected from the wider environment. Research shows some young people believe that eggs come from cattle and milk from cartons. When one Youth Parliament narrowed down their priorities of concern, they marginalised issues relating to sustainable development. Clearly, sustainable development is an international approach that will be of great importance to them. But possibly, like most young people being brought up in cities and towns, they currently do not see the environment as relevant to them. How will they save the planet if they consider it an irrelevance? Globalisation will demand new skills and abilities. Historically, we have contributed in business and politics throughout the world. But in the future, teams in the workplace will

be more multinational. It has been suggested that 40 per cent of jobs today did not exist 20 years ago therefore it is unclear what the jobs will be that our children will do. How do we prepare them for jobs which do not yet exist?Young people should not model themselves on the current generation. Today’s decision-makers tend to reflect the population at large in their dislike of change. We are reluctant to adapt to changes in our lifestyles and resistant to changes in working practices. Yet young people need to see the world differently from us. They must see the opportunities in change and not just the threats. Herein lies a great challenge. We must enable young people to develop differently from us, and be more skilled than us. We must help young people to develop the qualities, skills, knowledge and experiences to enable them to survive and thrive in the world of rapid change. And this must happen despite of a pervasive narrative of austerity.

RESIDENTIAL OUTDOOR LEARNING Residential outdoor learning can be life affirming, even life changing but primarily it is a powerful approach to the development of the qualities, skills, knowledge and competencies that young people need. High quality residential programmes develop:• confidence, optimism and a ‘can do’ spirit • the ability to make decisions in the face of complex and daunting challenges • motivation and hence be more successful learners

• positive attitude toward problem solving • resilience, tenacity and determination• adaptability • understanding of risk, risk assessment and risk management • creativity, both initiating and being receptive to innovation• knowledge and appreciation of healthier and more active lifestyles • ability to reflect on their own potential and contribution to society • appreciation of others, their place contribution and potential in the world • team work and strong communication skills • leadership qualitiesSuch programmes are motivating, challenging; even fun. They must be if young people are to be receptive to learning. But we should not underestimate the potential of the residential experience for learning and personal and social development. During a five-day residential, young people develop at a step change from where they were before. Developing in young people these qualities, skills and competencies will ensure they are prepared for whatever the future will throw at them. The remarkable contribution of the residential experience is that it can deliver so many outcomes simultaneously. How does it do this?

THE NEW APPROACH First, it is important to distinguish the new approach from that of the past. The new approach redefines outdoor learning. More than just helmets, harnesses and muddy boots, and more than just distraction, fun and sport, intelligent outdoor learning integrates motivating and challenging activities with clear learning and PSD outcomes, and the immersion of a young person in a friendly and safe, away-from-home environment. While the constituent parts have been around some time, teachers and other education professionals need to be aware of the powerful efficacy of these factors working in combination. Their integration creates the added value of innovation necessary to meet the very specific needs of schools and pupils. There are many specific outcomes but residential outdoor learning is particularly effective in developing confidence in young people. Through a programme of carefully managed challenges and achievements, young people emerge with an enhanced understanding of their E

RESIDENTIAL STAYS

Residential outdoor learning can be a powerful experience that brings out the qualities, skills, knowledge and competencies that young people need to address the challenges of the future

A NEW APPROACH TO OUTDOOR LEARNING

Win £500 worth of book vouchers for your school

4 prizes to be won

RESEARCH DOCUMENT 2011Shelters / Outdoor Classrooms / Play

Look out for the Research Document 2011 included with this issue for a chance to win £500 worth of book vouchers for your school. The survey should only take 10 minutes to complete and in doing so will

help shape outdoor learning facilities requirements for the future.

30682 Advert.indd 1 07/04/2011 14:44

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tucking in to a wide range of healthy food types and the other was talking to teachers and outdoor tutors and singing in the shower. People working at residential centres know that such examples are regular occurrences. However, the notable points are that one pupil had been attending meetings with a dietician for six years with no noticeable improvement. The other pupil had been attending meetings with child psychologists also for six years, also with no noticeable improvement. Yet being in the outdoors, doing motivating activities, in a friendly, safe environment, enabled these young people to trigger their own fresh starts. It is important to anticipate that the residential experience delivers not just one or two, but many benefits and outcomes. While the pupils above were making important changes to the benefit of their personal and social development, they and their class mates were also learning about rivers and the hydrological cycle, co-operative working, and many other things that supported the work of the class teacher. It is the ability to produce specific, tangible and multiple outcomes, that makes the residential experience so highly cost effective.

CONCLUSION Intelligent outdoor learning is a new approach to residential experiences and teachers will wish to be aware of this powerful pedagogical approach. It addresses many long standing and contemporary challenges and enables young people to develop the qualities, skills, knowledge and experiences they will need to live and work in the world they will inherit. This may seem a daunting task but anyone who sees young people regularly at residential centres knows that they will rise to the challenge. It is our responsibility as adults, educators and decision makers, to see they get the chance. L

Residential centres are one of the few organisations to work with all young people and organisations from independent, special need and local authority sectors. The combination of resources, innovative needs-based programmes and specialist staff teams provide the essential pre-requisites for partnership working. The residential is an important element in the progression of outdoor learning experiences. It also contributes to continuity. Some 14 and 15 year old pupils may be offered one of several award schemes at which point many say no. But had they been involved in a residential experience a year or two preceding, there is an increased likelihood that they will recall having enjoyed the experience and know that there are things they can do and value doing in the outdoors.

CREATING RELATIONSHIPSA five-day residential experience equates to around two full weeks in school. It creates a time when teachers and pupils can spend time together and see each other in a different light. With a specialist outdoor educator and a teacher working together, the ratio may be nearer 6:1 (young people to adults). Opportunities for in-depth conversations, shared understanding and meaningful relationships are greatly enhanced. One secondary teacher with responsibility for transition captured this, saying of a residential: “It has been great. In five days I have developed a rapport with these children that would have taken three months in school.” There is also evidence that residential experiences trigger behaviour changes away from those which impede learning and personal development. For example, one primary class included a pupil who had restricted his diet while another pupil had determined to be mute in school. Within a few hours of a residential stay, one was

E potential. They should all leave, clear in the knowledge that their potential is far greater than they previously thought. It is important to keep in mind the wider picture. The goal should be for all young people to benefit from regular and frequent outdoor learning experiences throughout their school life in: schools grounds, in local green spaces, within their local community at scouts and guides, and in expeditions in Britain and overseas. All can be powerful experiences in their own right. But a young person on a trajectory of multiple experiences will perform better in school and be better prepared for their future.

AN EXPERIENCENotwithstanding this range of possibilities, the residential experience is a vital component. Usually occurring between upper primary and secondary, it is the strengthening interconnector between the good work done in primaries, in school grounds and local communities, and the specialisation and award opportunities in secondary schools. The immersive quality is almost a rite of passage. For success in terms of multiple benefits, it is essential to recognise continuity and progression in different experiences. This highlights the importance of collaborative working between school and centre educators both before and after the residential experience. Progression is made possible through genuine partnership working between professional educators. The ability of specialist centre educators to use a range of motivating activities while emphasising multiple outcomes, for the full range of ages and abilities, is made possible through familiarity of use with activities at the centre. Skills are used that require constant practice for confident delivery and are not easily picked up for just a few hours during the year.

RESIDENTIAL STAYS

Explore our woods, discover our wildlife and uncover our history through inspirational experiences and personalised activity packages. Gibside Stables Learning and Discovery Centre is a residential centre with a difference. Its unique location, lying in the heart of Gibside, a 600-acre historic landscape forest garden, provides an idyllic setting to join in our wide range of activities – including orienteering, low ropes course, forest school and a selection of field studies. Our activities support delivery of the National Curriculum and can be adapted for various Key Stages. Your group’s every need can be met as we tailor activity packages to your requirements giving you the personal service that you deserve.

Based in our comfortable and exclusive residential facilities, you can bring up to 33 children in two dormitory style rooms with adjoining rooms for an additional four adults or leaders. You will find ample space for activities,

recreation and dining, for which we offer a full catering service using high quality, locally sourced and organic food wherever possible, providing home cooked, healthy meals. Located on the outskirts of Tyneside, you can easily find us near the A1 and close to local tourist attractions. With affordable prices and unique opportunities, don’t miss out – Experience Gibside for yourself! FOR MORE INFORMATIONGibside Stables Learning & Discovery Centre, National Trust, Gibside, Burnopfield, Newcastle Upon Tyne NE16 6BGTel: 01207 541200gibsidestablesLDC@nationaltrust.org.ukwww.nationaltrust.org.uk/gibside

Connect with nature and history at inspirational Gibside

Environmental Education Centre

www.rippledown.com 01304 364854

[email protected]

South Foreland Lighthouse

Dover Habour Dover Castle

Wartime Tunnels

The Pines Garden

Rippledown

St. Margaret’s Bay

London 70 Miles

White Cliffs of Dover

Three star newly refurbished hostel style group accommodation with full board options.

Open throughout the year.

Leading independent outdoor education centre.

Three acres of safe secure grounds in rural setting, close to stunning coastline.

Fieldwork options & grounds for study.

Individually tailored activity programmes, directly linked to all elements of curriculum.

Outdoor learning at Ringsfield Eco Centre aims to connect children to the natural world and to stimulate imagination, creativity and good relationship. We offer Residential and Day visits which can be tailor-made: Environment,team building, wood craft, primary science, art, history and story.

Ringsfield is a beautiful fourteen acre site with a lovely Victorian house and excellent home cooking. (Self catering facilities available) The site encourages free-range play yet is secure, with garden, woodland, wildlife, meadows, secret places, playing field, art barn, animals. Groups are also free to follow their own programme, and the site which is close to Norwich, coast and heath, fens and the Broads, can be used as a base for cultural visits and outdoor activities relating to those areas.

The Ringsfield Hall TrustTel: 01502 713020 Email:[email protected]: www.ringsfield-hall.co.uk

Ringsfield Eco CentreOutdoor and Enquiry-based Learning

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Programmes can be booked as multi-activity days or as residentials.

Tailor-made to your needs we can focus on cohesion, confidence building or the development of leadership skills to achieve measurable outcomes.

Forest schoolBush and wood craftZip wireArcheryRock climbingAbseilingCCanoeingCoasteeringRaft buildingand much more...

www.bfadventure.org

For more information phone us on 01326 340 912or visit our website on www.bfadventure.org

BF Adventure, Goodygrane Activity Centre, Halvasso, Penryn, Cornwall, TR10 9BX

Budget restraints?Explore England’s heritage for FREE

Free school entry to 400+ historic sites www.english-heritage.org.uk/education

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CREATIVE PLAY

AN OUTDOOR EDUCATIONOutdoor education can provide opportunities for creative play and learning, and is a chance for children of all ages to socialise in a safe haven, developing creativity and imagination

“If a child is to keep alive her/his inborn sense of wonder, s/he needs the companionship of at least one adult who can share it, rediscovering with her/him the joy and excitement and mystery of the world we live in.” (Rachel Carson). Outdoor education, in the form of outward bound or adventurous activity, was originally designed in the mid 20th century to help young people develop moral values such as character, service, endeavour. Research suggests that such activities do benefit physical and cognitive self concept. However, there are other benefits from time spent outdoors with children and young people now being recognised. As well as mental and physical wellbeing these are centred around emotional and spiritual wellbeing. ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATIONEnvironmental education should be about how we live on the planet in all respects, and with all other living things: ecological literacy. As well as care for the planet it should include the ability to know and believe in oneself, emotional literacy, and to relate well to, and care for, other people, social competence, along with justice and peace. It also needs to include an element of seeing beyond those to develop a sense of wonder, develop creativity, imagination, relationship and reflection; spirituality. Developing the spiritual does not mean religion, but Carson’s sense of wonder, as well as transcendence, wider meaning making, and development of identity at a deep inner level. Erricker (1999) equates this important function with the development of a child’s emotional and aesthetic potential, with relationship and with emotional intelligence: “Children need the opportunity to be allowed to carry out this process of identity construction… and nurtured in the skills to do so. If identity is constructed in relationship, then the skills of relationship are what is needed.” (1999, p. 386) The dimensions of good relationship are empathy, unconditional positive regard, genuineness and immediacy says Erricker (2000, p.159). At Ringsfield Ecocentre our aim is to contribute to a transformative education that helps to restore connections with self, others, the earth and the spiritual, and these dimensions of relationship are the benchmarks for our work with children and young people outdoors. We lead and teach as empathic adults who are vulnerable and available as we work with children and young people as their peers, believing that childhood is the time for developing empathy for all living things. Together we make friends with nature. Our name for the outdoors is the natural world. RE-AWAKENING THE WESTERN WORLDRichard Louv, in ‘Last Child in the Woods’, is one of many who is re-awakening the western world to the recognition of how great is the loss to the human spirit through estrangement from the natural world. Developmental psychology that has evolved in urban situations within nuclear families needs, according to Barrows (1995), to take on board the infant’s natural affinity with the natural world. The disconnection with the natural world experienced by so many children and young people sets up barriers and restraints that prevent them from experiencing the sounds, smells, textures; from seeing the wonder and life reverberating in the natural world. This split between the individual and the earth has been linked to addictive personalities,

to a truncation of societal maturation and fixation in an immature adolescent phase, to a society heedlessly and selfishly consuming and exploiting, stuck in separateness, otherness and limitation (Shepard, 1995). Our intention is to enable children to experience being inside the outdoors rather than remaining outside looking in. Outdoor education, particularly residential experiences, can provide opportunities for creative play and learning; the chance for children to socialise in a safe haven. We believe that it is the ethos, atmosphere and safety of the entire experience of a residential or a day in the outdoors which contributes to the wakening of feelings and understandings of self, others and the earth. There are many sorts of outdoor education. At Ringsfield the concern is for the future of the planet and its children. All our many sessions are entirely lead outdoors. There are short sessions, days and residential programmes from Bear’s Picnic at foundation level through shelter building, campfires and cooking, storytelling, art, on to ecological programmes understanding how the earth works and therefore the way to live on it. The chance to roam freely within a secure site, to jump in mud, to shout without disapprobation and glowering glances, to run through meadows and explore trees, sit with the animals, find a quiet corner and explore solitude, provides the opportunity to experience outdoor education as transformative. We call this freerange childhood. We recognise that ‘battery-reared children, driven from schools hermetically sealed from the outdoors, escorted from home computer to information technology and back, taken on tarmac holidays, will not experience spring catkins, sticky buds and other small delights and great wonders. “There ain’t no stars in Kilburn,” remarked one child after overcoming his fear of the immensity of the night sky. Those of us who work in outdoor education can be seeking to experience and model a way of being which above all fosters the spirit of the child. L

THREE MAIN ASPECTS TO THE PROVISION OF A SAFE HAVEN

Significant threshold aspects• Profound experience of welcome and inclusion• Sustained experience of acceptance• No judgements

Significant opportunities for feeling free and safe• Opportunities for sharing in small groups• Fun and magical experiences• Spiritual space for reflection, integration, depth of being, connection• Sense of freedom and spontaneous expression encouraged

Significant community structures• Firm ground rules• Shared values• Consistency of structure • Sense of belonging in a group/community

An active and motivating day out!

Our school packages offer a truly unique and refreshing alternative

to traditional school trips. Visit our Snowsports Centre of Excellence

to find out for yourself.

We offer the following options below:

• Discounted rates for schools/youth groups - Save up to 50% off our standard prices

• Learn to ski or snowboard or enjoy our snow activities

• Highly qualified and friendly instructors

• Supports Educational Programmes (Primary, Post 14, GCSE & A Level)

• Venue tours and specialist talks* In conjunction with activities (*costs apply)

• FREE familiarisation trips – call for details

It’s a day out with a difference

www.chillfactore.com

Contact: 0161 749 2218 or email: [email protected]

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Involving children in outdoor education provides a wide range of benefits, allowing children and young adults to develop their own self awareness and social skills. Snowsports are an ideal activity for any school group. Skiing and snowboarding are not difficult sports to learn and rely on technique rather than strength or fitness. The activities are enhanced by pleasant surroundings which can be enjoyed by those who perhaps do not take to more traditional sporting activities offered through the day-to-day PE curriculum. What’s more, snowsport is an individual rather than team sport and has no intrinsic element of competition. This again may be preferred by those who are anxious about the competitive element of some sports. In fact, many pupils who have previously shown little or no enthusiasm in

sports often discover unexpected aptitude and skill for snowsport. Even those with disabilities can find snowsports accessible. The physical, sporting, mental and social experiences gained through snowsport are immense and to exclude these opportunities from school and college life may be misguided. Snowsport fits well within the curriculum and can link to just about any subject through considered and informed planning. Companies can offer practical assessment as part of a student’s GCSE’s, A-Levels or further education qualification. Skiing and snowboarding can offer many distinct benefits to those taking part. Pupils can gain physical skills and knowledge, environmental awareness and it can add to their personal and social development. What’s more, snowsports can play a key role

in meeting the government agenda to combat inactivity and obesity by promoting the uptake of a healthy lifestyle. Because skiing and snowboarding are individual sports, everyone progresses at their own pace – but with the support and fun of having friends around.

SPORT FOR ALLChildren of all abilities can enjoy skiing and snowboarding. Snowsports provide disabled people with a method to conquer the barriers that confront them in daily life. Adaptive skiing is a caring, therapeutic experience between individuals who enjoy adventure. It can help physical and cognitive development, as well as improving social and emotional skills.

SAFETY FIRSTWhen researching your next adventure beyond the classroom, make sure your destination offers safe and certified activities, such as Adventuremark or has a Learning Outside the Classroom (LOtC) Quality Badge. Adventuremark centres providing residential accommodation and/or a programme of adventurous activities (outside the scope of Adventure Activities Licensing Regulations) will be inspected every other year, with a paper self-assessment checked by inspectors in the interim. The British Activity Holiday Association (BAHA) has approval to recommend members for the industry Adventuremark award on successful completion of this BAHA health and safety inspection. Providers whose activities fall within the scope of the Adventure Activities Licensing Regulations must of course apply for licences as required by legislation. No separate BAHA inspection will be required as long as the AALA Licence remains in force, but a paper self-assessment must be checked by BAHA inspectors in the interim year of a 2-year licence. The Learning Outside the Classroom Quality Badge is a nationally recognised benchmark that brings together all existing safety and quality badges into one easily identifiable mark of quality. The Quality Badge makes it easier for teaching professionals to organise LOtC activities by helping them to identify organisations providing good quality LOtC activities, reducing paperwork and red tape. The Quality Badge is awarded to organisations, which have pledged to engage in an ongoing process to sustain good-quality learning outside the classroom and have demonstrated that they meet six quality indicators. These indicators show the provider:• has a process in place to assist users to plan the learning experience effectively• provides accurate information about its offer• provides activities, experience or resources which meet learner needs• reviews the experience and acts on feedback• meets the needs of the users• has safety management processes in place to manage risk effectively. L

SNOWSPORTS

A SCHOOL TRIP TO REMEMBERSnowsports such as skiing and snowboarding offer major benefits for pupils that are not associated with a more traditional PE curriculum

Snowsport fits well within the curriculum and can link to just about any subject through considered and informed planning.

Tel: 01494 866776email: [email protected]

www.agripower.co.uk

New Look Website Brings Play Up to DateExperts in manufacturing artificial turf for both sport and leisure industries, Playrite is proud to present their updated Play website www.playsafeareas.co.uk.

When it comes to playground safety there can be no compromise, which is why Playrite decided to refresh their site to ensure it contains all the relevant information a visitor would require. With Playsafe the designs are limitless due to laser cutting technology and the updated site now allows users to view favourite projects and get a few ideas of the patterns that can be created by Playrite. The site has a fresh look and includes new images, more case studies and testimonials alongside updated maintenance and installation guides and details of recommended installers across the UK.

The website was originally launched two years ago, providing information on the systems that offer a critical fall height from 80cm to 320cm. The range has since expanded and the updated website reflects this, giving more product information and showing the different choices available.Playrite Marketing Manager Lorna Duncanson comments:

“We really believe in the importance of play for children, and we wanted to reflect this in our site, which I believe we have done.”

Transform an ordinary space into an extraordinary space.

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Choosing the right sports surface can be a challenging task as there are so many factors to consider. There are lots of different surfaces and products to choose from, many of which will provide a suitable, long-lasting facility. However, due to the variety of sports played in the UK it is impossible to select a surface that will meet the preferred requirements for each and every sport, and when choosing a surface for multi-sports use it is inevitable that a compromise will be needed. MUGA or multi-use games area is the generic term to define a playing area that is used for a number of different sports. Due to land availability and financial considerations, in most instances it’s not viable to build a bespoke surface for each sport and choosing the right surface is therefore essential.

TYPES OF SURFACEThere are literally hundreds of different surfaces in the marketplace and choosing the best one for any particular circumstances can be difficult. The interactions between the player and surface, and between the ball and surface need to be considered. One of the important issues relating to the choice of surface is the need for some form of shock absorbency (or cushioning), for which there can be conflicting requirements between the sports. On the one hand there are clear benefits for participants in protection from injury, but too much cushioning of the surface may be detrimental to the performance of certain sports, such as tennis, cricket, basketball and netball. A number of sports governing bodies provide guidance on the specific recommendations for their own sports. Generally outdoor surfaces can be categorised into four main types, as follows.

OPEN-TEXTURED POROUS MACADAMPorous macadam comes in many different specifications and is often colour-coated to improve aesthetics and the playing environment. Being porous the surface allows water (rain) to drain through it and it can be used in adverse weather conditions. The exact specification of the macadam will be dictated by the sport for which it is designed. Sports that commonly use porous macadam include tennis, netball and basketball.

POLYMERICPolymeric (or “rubberised”) surfaces have a degree of inherent shock absorption and they are normally laid above a porous macadam base. Polymeric surfaces are available in a variety of colours and specifications to suit the users’ requirements. They are commonly used for netball, tennis, basketball and athletics training but can also be used for other sports.

SYNTHETIC TURFThere are many different types of synthetic turf with a wide range of properties. Variables include the polymer used; the cross-sectional area of the fibre; the method of turf construction; the turf length; the turf density; and the infill materials (such as sand and/or rubber). Due to the range of options many different sports can be played on synthetic turf however certain types of surface are more suited to specific sports. For example, football and rugby are suited to synthetic turf with a long fibre length, commonly called “third generation” (or 3G), and hockey is more suited to synthetic turf with a shorter fibre length.

NATURAL TURFSome people believe that natural sports turf is the same as domestic grass but this is not true. Natural sports turf is a complex blend of speciality grass species designed to provide optimal playing characteristics with sophisticated drainage systems. Natural turf is commonly used for football, rugby and cricket but can of course be used for other activities.

HOW MUCH WILL IT COST?It is almost impossible to give an accurate guide price as there are so many site specifics to consider when building a new sports surface. The best advice is to get prices and specifications from several contractors to compare. While the lowest quote may be the most appealing at first sight, it is essential to consider if it offers the best value, when judged on a “like with like” basis. If most prices are similar and one is significantly lower, then be sure to ask the question why, and check if the tenders are similar, and if the construction specifications are the same. In addition to the surface it is also important to consider other factors such as floodlighting, fencing and equipment. L

FOR MORE INFORMATIONTel: 024 7646316www.sapca.org.uk

SURFACES

SELECTING THE RIGHT SURFACE FOR YOUR MULTI-USE GAMES AREAThere are hundreds of different surfaces available and there are many factors to consider, so how do you know which one to choose? The Sports and Play Construction Association advises


How to choose the right surface

The first and most important factor to consider is the sport or sports that will be played on the surface. Certain sports lend themselves to particular surface types whilst others do not. It is important to prioritise the sports that will be played and choose the most appropriate type of surface accordingly. The frequency of use needs to be considered. For example, a natural turf surface will not be capable of supporting the same intensity of use as a synthetic surface. The life expectancy of the surface is an important feature. The longevity of the surface is related to the intensity of use and therefore this needs to be factored into the estimated life expectancy. This should also be considered in relation to the capital cost and sinking fund provision (life-cycle cost) and hence the replacement costs. The sports performance requirements need to be considered. Sports governing bodies often stipulate specific playing characteristics for their sports. These standards are often related to certain standards of play (e.g. county, national or international) and can be more stringent for higher skill levels. If the surface is for more than one sport the priority sport should take precedent but it is often possible to meet the requirements for more than one sport (e.g. football and rugby). It is also important to consider the ongoing maintenance requirements of the surface. Some surfaces need more maintenance than others, in particular natural turf, but the importance of maintaining synthetic surfaces should not be overlooked.



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FOOTBALL FACILITIES

Launched in 2000 the Football Foundation has grown into the nation’s largest sports charity. Money provided by the Premier League, the FA and government (via Sport England) has allowed the Foundation to fund 8,000 community sports projects up and down the country with grants worth £426m.

FROM OLD TO NEWOur commitment to rebuilding this country’s dilapidated sports facilities lends significant support to the government’s aim of delivering a mass participation community sports legacy from the 2012 Olympic Games. With increased participation a key 2012 objective, our evidence proves that participation increases on the sites that we fund by an average of 50 per cent as soon as they open, and then a further 25 per cent over the following four years. Furthermore, in the last year alone multi-sport participation on Foundation funded facilities increased, on average across all sites, by 10.4 per cent. It is essential that any project will increase the number of people who can play sports, as opening up access through better community facilities is a key Football Foundation objective. We also know that it is important that our investment is going to the areas with the greatest need, which is why last year 61 per cent of our investment was directed into the 20 per cent most deprived wards across the country.

BETTER FACILITIESOur Grass Roots Facilities Fund provides money to develop new or improve facilities for community benefit. These include changing rooms or clubhouses, grass or artificial pitches and multi-use games areas. The maximum grant available from the Foundation for each facilities project is £500,000. However, applicants must show they have tried hard to get other funding for the project and that there is no further money available. Recently, The FA’s new chairman, David Bernstein officially opened a new third generation (3G) artificial grass pitch at the ARK Academy, Wembley. ARK opened in September 2010 admitting 180 year 7 pupils with half of the places given to children from

the Stonebridge and Harlesden areas and half from Wembley. These are categorised as some of the most deprived parts of the country. The academy, which has specialist status in mathematics and citizenship, is mixed, non-denominational and when fully open will take pupils from age three to 18. The 3G pitch, which was made possible thanks to a Football Foundation grant of £229,136, sits less than a mile from Wembley Stadium and will assist with the delivery of ARK Academy’s commitment to provide an extensive range of curriculum sports, help cater for after school programmes and facilitate a comprehensive community use timetable.

COMMUNITY PARTICIPATIONMatthew Gajdus, the Football Foundation facilities programme manager who oversaw the ARK Academy project, highlighted how ARK’s commitment to raising community participation helped them win Foundation support: “From an early stage of their application ARK Academy made it clear that the proposed new facilities would be available to all members of the community; they were keen to engage with clubs and teams and offer their students opportunities to develop their football experience.” The facility will eventually be used by 1,600 school users within curriculum time, principally for football but also other PE activities. Eventually it will host inter and intra school tournaments and become a host venue for feeder primary schools to deliver small sided football training and matches. The new pitch means that the school will be able to introduce eight new school teams by 2012 and deliver a number of school coaching courses. In addition, the new pitch will provide AFC Wembley with a suitable training facility outside school hours and will help the club increase the number of teams it currently provides for. Moreover, the site will become home to a number of other local football teams with the majority having been consulted throughout the application process and already factored into the programme of use. Furthermore the new facilities will support a number of local community groups;

including VH Whizz kids and REAP (Refugees in Effective and Active Partnership), who will use football activity on site to engage with local groups and deliver educational support. Stuart Allen, county development manger at the Middlesex County FA, explains that planning for the new facilities goes far beyond obtaining a grant and building the facility: “The grant process involved developing a five-year Football Development Plan (FDP) which identified how ARK Academy would support growth and retention, raise standards, produce better players and develop the workforce. The FDP also details which groups in the community are going to benefit from the facility and why there is a strategic need.” POTENTIALThe Foundation is not satisfied with simply building a facility and then walking away. It works extremely hard to ensure that each facility is located in areas with the greatest potential for community use. It checks every completed facility, every year, to ensure it is delivering the planned outcomes – and ideally exceeding them. Look out for the June issue of Education Business where we will be giving more tips on how to apply for Football Foundation grants. L

FOR MORE INFORMATIONTel: 0845 3454555www.footballfoundation.org.uk

FUNDING THE FOUNDATIONS OF SCHOOL SPORTPaul Thorogood, CEO of the Football Foundation discusses the community and curriculum benefits that a new football pitch and facilities can offer schools up and down the country

The Football Foundation’s achievements

The scale of just some of the Football Foundation’s achievements are best captured as follows:

58 Canary Wharfsthe equivalent height if all Football Foundation funded goal posts were stacked on top of each other.

9 Hyde Parksthe area equivalent to all Football Foundation funded pitches.

3 Millennium Domesthe area equivalent to all Football Foundation funded pavilions.

3 Wembley Stadium sell-outsthe equivalent number of recipients of Football Foundation free kits.

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ADVERTISERS INDEXThe publishers accept no responsibility for errors or omissions in this free service

3M 46Able for Schools 2Agricultural Museum – Brook 106Agripower Sportsturf 118Altogether Company 24Alton Towers 108Ami Education Solutions 76Apollo Fire Detectors 70Armitage Venesta 16, 43ASCL 88Belmas 106BF Adventure 114BKSB 86Blackcraig 67Brightside Print & Design 82Carbon Legacy 64Casio 10Charity Gift Vouchers 88Chelsom Lighting & Furniture 56Chemex International 4Chill Factore 117Collinson 39Contact Associates 30Coomber Electronic Equipment 56Cordtape Environmental Services 36CP Fire Consultants 68Cyclone Industries 74Dains 22Dell 80Demco Europe 84Design Services for Schools 78Drawing and Talking 29Ednam Property Services 51Elklan 29

Elliott Group 40Energy Services and Technology Association 64Engage Education 14English Heritage 114Phones for Schools 60Fire Safety Assessments 68Fire Training UK 68Five Minute Box 31GBSG 72Gibside Stables 113Glassguard 61Glyn Williams Architects 56Grosvenor Continental Beverages 97Handsam 74Highline Adventure 104Holmes Group 94HSM UK 72Innovate 94Ixian Solutions 61Jacob UK 24JJ Food Service 92KAD Environmental Consultancy 34Kingston University 101Lab Systems Furniture 53Life Beyond Labels 44Lloyds Food Service 93Lombard 18London Duck Tours 102Marshalls 112Matsdirect UK 53McAra Office Supplies 82Mike Ayres Design 26Mondokiddo 12Müller Dairy 90

OKI Printing Solutions IBCOpen University 24Panasonic OBCPatterdale Hall 106Play to Z 88Playrite 118R&M Clarkson 66Real Group UK 31Rentokil Specialist Hygiene 8Resource (UK) 50Review Consultancy 94RFU – World Rugby Museum 110Ringsfield Hall Trust 114SDH Airconditioning Services 60Sea Fire 2000 67Sempermed 48Serna Services 51Sight and Sound Technology 6Sound Space Design 54Soundsorba 54SpaceKraft 28sQuid Card 74St John Ambulance 100Steelcase 56Symmetry 20Systematic Energy 58The Bays Trust 114Thornton Sports 118Trend 62Vaults Fire & Security 72Village Hotels 98Vivo Rewards 13Wyvern Business Systems 32

Gift Vouchers and cards make ideal staff and customer rewards, offering flexibility, a vast range of stores and ease of use for customers. As technology has advanced solutions are now available that make operating a reward programme both easier and quicker, with in many cases dramatic cost savings. The two major constraints of operating a voucher or gift card programme are firstly that you are not always sure as to which voucher would appeal more to staff or customers, and secondly that there is often a time delay between achieving the reward and actually receiving it, which creates disinterest and prevents full adoption of the scheme. Many organisations outsource the fulfilment of their reward programme which adds, in these times of economic restraint, further costs. Even operating the service in-house has added costs in purchasing, securing and distributing the gift cards and vouchers, and often involves posting to customers and or staff home addresses. Rewards and promotions are an even more important aspect in times of shrinking markets and participants need to feel the excitement of achieving their reward. By offering the participant the choice of which retail gift voucher or card and being able to

deliver the reward within 24 hours of the achievement can only encourage participation. A solution to meet the current constraints is now available using secure codes, or redemption codes. Instead of purchasing

gift vouchers or cards, a purchase is made of secure codes with a defined value and method of delivery. These codes are issued to the participants who are requested to visit a secure website and select the gift vouchers for the retailer or activity they require, to the value of the secure code that has been issued to them. The secure code can be for a mix of different retailers’ gift vouchers and cards, and is shipped direct to the participant by the delivery method selected by the programme operator. This scheme offers ease of use, reduced costs, delivers the reward of the participant’s choice and can be delivered next day, only 24 hours after achieving the award, thereby encouraging further participation or purchase by the customer.

FOR MORE INFORMATIONAddress: Charity Gift Vouchers Marketing Ltd Chicheley, Hempstead Lane Hailsham, East Sussex BN27 3PRContact: Terry Harvey, Select Rewards Tel: 01323 841253 Fax: 01323 [email protected]

The ideal staff and customer rewards – vouchers and gift cards versus secure codes

New UB-T880 touch-sensitive Interactive Whiteboard

• Multi-touch operation: 3 pupils can work together and multiple points can be used to manipulate objects.• Both finger-touch and electronic pen operation or simultaneous usage of both. • Highly durable surface to resist everyday use.• Large screens for high-impact lessons 86-inch (UB-T880W) and 78-inch (UB-T880).• Built-in stereo speakers and 2 USB ports.• Easiteach software included for creating engaging lessons.• Height adjustable stand as an option.

E V E RY T H I N G M AT T E R S

SOLUTIONS for EDUCATION

For more information on Panasonic Productssee www.panasonic.co.uk/education

You can also visit the Easiteach website:www.easiteach.com

UB-T800

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Documents

Education Business Magazine issue 16.3