Education Magazine Issue 3 2014

Edition 3, 2014

w w w . e d u c a t i o n - m a g a z i n e . c o . u k - f o r a r t i c l e s n e w s a n d p r o d u c t s

Energy efficiency built in from the start at St Thomas A Becket School See p12

Teachers asked to warn children of the link between smoking and blindness See p10Space, it’s the final frontier See p24

The Civil Service Motoring Association Club opens its door to teachers See p26Severance pay and academies See p33

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Contents

2 News

10 Teachers asked to warn children of the link between smoking and blindness

The blind chief executive of a national charity Tony Rucinski’s appeal to teachers.

12 Energy efficiency built in from the startTalking to Monica Manley, Headteacher at St Thomas A Becket School

18 Punctuality means more learning time

for students Richard Manby

20 Almost a decade after avoiding closure, New College has come back fighting, thanks to an impressive academic

and structural turnaround…Jane Brown

22 Serving up practical advice in preparation for free school meals for all under 8sBy Karen Grewcock, Karen is the head of category food and catering at ESPO

24 Space, it’s the final frontierTalking to Tony Halsall the Director of Business Services at Holmes Chapel School in Cheshire.

26 The Civil Service Motoring Association Club opens its door to teachers

32 The impact of debt on current and prospective higher education students

34 Getting to grips with terminology of year-end accounting- Scratching the surface

By Lisa White, partner at UHY Hacker

The Magazine for Heads and Financial Directors of Academies,

Independent and Free Schools

The Publisher holds all copyright and any items within may not be reproduced in any way, for any purpose, without the written permission of the Publisher. While every care has been

taken to ensure accuracy, the information contained within this publication is based on submissions to the Publishers who cannot be held responsible for errors and omissions. The publisher does not necessarily agree with the views expressed by contributors and cannot

except responsibility for claims made by manufacturers and authors, nor do they accept any responsibility for any errors in the subject matter of this publication.

Education Magazine

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4 Education Magazine

NEWSNEWS NewsNews

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Top academy heads elected to help schools flourishThe Department for Education has announced the names of the 32 headteachers who have been voted by their peers to sit on the boards of the 8 new regional schools commissioners (RSCs).

More than 1,600 headteachers took part in the vote to elect their peers to the headteacher boards (HTBs), which start in September. These new bodies, of 6 to 8 members, will help the 8 newly appointed RSCs be champions for academy freedoms, identify where new academies can be created, and provide a failure regime for the small number of academies which are struggling.

The 32 elected are education experts with the experience and local knowledge needed to help academies in their areas flourish. They are all headteachers, or recent headteachers, from schools judged by Ofsted to have ‘outstanding’ leadership and management.

RSCs will take on responsibilities previously held by the Secretary of State, such as agreeing or rejecting academy applications, and their combined local insight will mean they can make informed decisions on when and how to intervene.

£20 million funding to help children adopted from careAll schoolchildren adopted from care are to benefit from £20 million of additional pupil premium money to get the support they need to thrive at school - helping around an extra 10,000 pupils.

The extension of the funding, worth £1,900 per pupil, will help to close the attainment gap and transform pupil’s future life chances across England. Previously, only children adopted from care since 30 December 2005 were eligible.

Children adopted from care do not perform as well as their classmates at school. In 2013, less than half of adopted children reached the expected levels of reading, writing and maths at key stage 2, compared with 75% of non-adopted children.

The government is also announced that 29 councils and voluntary adoption agencies are being given the green light to allow people approved to adopt to search the national Adoption Register from this September. The pilot will allow

approved adopters to learn more about the children who are waiting for a loving, stable home. They will be able to find out about their hobbies, likes and dislikes, and hear them speak and laugh in videos and pictures.

Opening up the register is designed to ensure that children are placed more quickly with families who can give them the stability and security they deserve. Strict safeguards will be put in place to ensure the safety and privacy of children and approved adopters.

Minister for Children and Families, Edward Timpson, who has 2 adopted brothers, said:

‘A child’s needs don’t change overnight just because they are adopted. It is vital that these vulnerable children are given the right support they need and the education they deserve to help them get on in life. Extending the pupil premium to all children adopted will mean they get support they need from day one at school, no matter what their starting point in life’.

‘Opening up the Adoption Register, allowing parents approved to adopt to see videos and pictures, to hear the children speak and laugh - while keeping in place the strictest safeguards - will give them a greater role in the process and ensure more children are placed with their new family much more quickly’.

Pupil premium reform is benefiting children from all backgroundsSchools are rapidly becoming experts at helping their disadvantaged pupils, according to a new report highlighting how schools use the pupil premium - extra funding for such pupils.

The Ofsted report - the third in a series highlighting the progress schools are making with the funding - shows that for the schools sampled:

• the achievement gap between disadvantaged pupils and their peers is closing, often quickly, in all schools judged ‘good’ or ‘outstanding’ by Ofsted

• the gap was closing, albeit more slowly, in around two thirds of schools in the sample which were judged to require improvement

• school leaders are spending pupil premium funding and tracking their pupils’ progress more effectively than before

And performance data supports these findings. Since the introduction of the pupil premium in 2011, attainment at the expected level of 11-year-olds eligible for free school meals has risen by almost 7 percentage points, and the gap in attainment between these pupils and their peers has narrowed by more than 3 percentage points.

Attainment is also rising for 16-year-olds eligible for free school meals - the proportion achieving at least 5 A* to C grade GCSEs, including English and maths, is up by more than 3 percentage points since 2011, while the attainment gap between these pupils and their peers has narrowed by almost 1 percentage point.

The report studied the progress schools have made in using their pupil premium funding to help disadvantaged pupils. This year the pupil premium budget is £2.5 billion, increased from £1.875 billion in 2013 to 2014. This now equates to £1,300 per primary-aged pupil, £935 per secondary-aged pupil and £1,900 for looked-after children or children who left care through adoption or by other means.

160,000 children set to benefit from talented primary school leadersDavid Laws announces £7.4 million

to help develop primary school leaders of the future.

More than a hundred thousand children in challenging primary

schools will receive extra help from specially trained teachers after Schools Minister David Laws announced £7.4 million to help develop primary school leaders of the future.

The scheme – called Teaching Leaders Primary – sees primary teachers, or so called ‘middle leaders’, already working in challenging schools and with the potential to become outstanding leaders, put through a rigorous 2-year training programme which develops their skills and helps them get the most from pupils.

A total of 160,000 children aged from 5 to 11 from disadvantaged backgrounds will benefit over the next 4 years. In its first year, the programme will be open to 1,200 primary teachers in London, Manchester and Birmingham, and also in specific areas of need – like Hull, Norfolk and Blackpool.

http://www.ofsted.gov.uk/resources/pupil-premium-update

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Leading international supplier of name badges, Badgemaster, is citing technological advances as the reason behind its new, lower prices.

For over 22 years the company has placed keen emphasis on investing in the most up to date manufacturing and order processing systems which coupled with consistent volume growth, has always enabled economies to be passed on to customers.

“We’re now in a position to complete even the shortest runs extremely cost-effectively”, says Managing Director John Bancroft MBE, “so we’re overhauled our price list to make lower quantities of badges accessible at the same discounted rate previously reserved for higher volumes and are able to offer further significant savings for larger users-and the product quality is better than ever!”

John believes competitors will be hard pushed to match Badgemaster’s combination of product quality and pricing and invites buyers to check out their current deal against his company’s offer. “Every order is backed by our best price guarantee, and we never compromise on quality. We are confident of providing the best value and the best service in the marketplace, because we’ve invested in the resources which support competitive pricing long term.”

As an example John points to Badgemaster’s most recent innovation designed to improve efficiency for the benefit of customers, a unique online reordering facility either custom made via the Badgemaster website. “We’ve saved both time and cost by removing the need for operator input as well as the possibility of supplier generated spelling errors, as all text is entered by the customer and downloaded directly to our computerized systems, “ he explains. “It all contributes to low operating costs, low prices and faster service even for customers wanting just one badge !”

For more information or to put Badgemaster to the challenge, contact the sales office on 01623 723112 or at the website www.badgemaster.co.uk

Badgemaster Throws Down Lower Price Challenge

More funding to help thousands of extra children enjoy musicMusic education for children will receive an £18 million funding boost Education Minister Nick Gibb announced on 22 July.

The extra £18 million will be allocated to music education, including to the national network of 123 music education hubs established in 2012. This brings the total amount of funding available to music hubs in the next financial year to over £75 million.

The additional money will bring this government’s investment in music education to around £390 million since 2012.

Music hubs were set up in 2012 as part of the National Plan for Music Education. In their first year the hubs gave nearly half a million children the opportunity to learn an instrument for the first time as well as working with almost 15,000 school choirs, orchestras and bands.

Data published by Arts Council England shows that in the 2012 to 2013 academic year, the first year of music hubs, nearly 80,000 disadvantaged pupils and more than 30,000 pupils with special educational needs took part in instrumental ensembles and choirs, demonstrating the impact of the hubs.

This extra funding will mean thousands more disadvantaged pupils will have access to music lessons and enable hubs to purchase tens of thousands more instruments.

Music hubs were established to make sure all children receive a high quality music education. Offering whole class free instrumental tuition and the opportunity to perform in orchestras and ensembles will help pupils develop a lifelong participation in and enjoyment of music.

A key objective of music hubs is to give every 5- to 18-year-old the chance to learn to play an instrument as part of whole class tuition for at least a term.

Many hubs are also subsidising instrument hire to those on low incomes so nobody’s background is a barrier to music. For example, in Hull instrument hire is for all who are having music lessons at their Music Hub. In Brighton instruments can be hired for £37 a term but families on low incomes can hire an instrument for free.

The government has also introduced a new fairer funding formula for hubs replacing the previous outdated model which was not based on the number of pupils in the area. Now funding is allocated through a per pupil process that allocates extra money for the most deprived areas - this means funding for music education can be targeted where it is needed most.


NEWSNEWS NewsNews

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Qualifications counting in future performance tablesAn update to the types of qualifications to be counted in 2017 school performance tables.

The only English and maths qualifications that will count in the 2017 secondary school performance tables will be reformed GCSEs in those subjects or qualifications reformed to meet the same standards and expectations, the Department for Education said on 24 July.

This will ensure that there is consistency in terms of exams in these subjects, including linearity (exams at the end of the 2-year course) and limited non-exam assessment.

English language, English literature and maths are the first GCSEs to be reformed. They will be taught for the first time from September 2015, with pupils sitting exams in summer 2017.

The current arrangements for recognising other academic qualifications, such as level 1/level 2 certificates (sometimes known as IGCSEs) will end with the introduction of reformed GCSEs. Level 1/level 2 certificates in English and maths will not be included in the 2017 performance tables (due to be published in January 2018).

Similarly, level 1/level 2 certificates in subjects being reformed for first teaching from September 2016 (including history, geography, languages and the sciences) will not be included in the 2018 performance tables. This follows advice from the regulator about the challenges of including academic qualifications that could potentially be quite different from GCSEs in performance tables for 2017.

These are transitional arrangements to make sure all academic qualifications recognised in performance tables are of a comparable standard. Following the first exams in the new GCSEs, exam boards will be able to propose alternative academic qualifications for inclusion in performance tables. They will need to demonstrate that their qualifications are at least as demanding as the new GCSEs and share key characteristics.

Schools Minister David Laws’ written ministerial statement on school fundingThe chancellor announced in June 2013 that the government would reduce the ESG by around £200 million in 2015-16. These savings help the government to protect front-line budgets including the dedicated schools grant and the pupil premium.

We recognised in June 2013 that this reduction to ESG might require some local

authorities and academies to deliver their services differently, and committed to consult on the detail of how the reduction could be implemented through realising efficiencies and enabling local authorities to focus on their core role on schools. This consultation has now been completed, and we have carefully considered the responses we received.

The ESG general funding rate will now be £87 per pupil. Local authorities also receive an additional £15 per pupil for the duties they retain for all pupils, including those in academies. The consultation evidence strongly suggested that we should not reduce this retained duty rate, and I am today announcing that the retained duty rate will remain at £15 in 2015-16. We know that these rates are sufficient to deliver the services covered by ESG, because in 2013-14 52 local authorities were planning to spend below this level to deliver those services. We have also today set out the clarification of duties that local authorities asked for to help them manage this reduction in spend.

In order to provide stability, academies receive transitional protection, and in the past they have also received a top-up on the ESG rate. We have said that over time the rates paid to academies and to local authorities should converge. I am therefore announcing today that in the academic year 2015-16 there will be no ESG top-up for academies, but that they will be protected from sharp falls in their budgets. The vast majority of academies will not lose more than 1.5% of their budget through this change, while higher funded ones will approach the new rate a little more quickly, with the very highest funded academies protected at just under 3% of their total budget. This strikes the right balance between making necessary savings to back-office services that will also make our funding system fairer, and ensuring that individual schools do not see unmanageable year-on-year changes in their budgets.

Thousands fewer pupils excluded from school since 2010New figures published in July reveal that thousands fewer pupils have been excluded from school since 2010, after the government strengthened heads’ powers to enforce discipline.

The latest data, which is for the 2012 to 2013 academic year, shows that compared to the 2009 to 2010 academic year:

• more than 1,000 fewer pupils were permanently excluded - there were 4,630 in the 2012 to 2013 year, down from 5,740 in the 2009 to 2010 year

• there were more than 60,000 fewer

fixed-term exclusions - there were 267,520 in the 2012 to 2013 year, down from 331,380 in the 2009 to 2010 year

• there were more than 11,000 fewer fixed-term exclusions for physical assault - there were 69,060 in the 2012 to 2013 year, down from more than 80,400 in the 2009 to 2010 year

The statistics highlight how the government’s reforms to give heads and teachers the powers and confidence to stamp out poor behaviour at an early stage are working.

School Reform Minister Nick Gibb said:

‘We have given heads and teachers more power than

ever before to ensure strong discipline in school, so they can take action before exclusion becomes necessary. We have introduced new search powers, no-notice detentions and have put schools back in charge of exclusion appeals’.

New chair of the School Teachers’ Review Body.Dr Patricia Rice has been appointed as the Chair of the School Teachers’ Review Body (STRB). The STRB provides independent advice to the government on pay and conditions for teachers and school leaders in England and Wales.

Dr Rice has been appointed as chair for 3 years. She previously served as the STRB’s economist member. Dr Rice is a senior research fellow and the Associate Head for Research in the Department of Economics at the University of Oxford, where she specialises in labour economics.

Dr Patricia Rice said:

I am very pleased to have this opportunity to lead the work of the review body. I look forward to working with teachers and school leaders in further strengthening the teaching profession in England and Wales for the benefit of all children.

Are you getting your copy?If you work within the education sector and would like to subscribe to this magazine. Just contact us on

01234 348878or visit the websitewww.education-magazine.co.uk

http://ofqual.gov.uk/news/advice-ministers-performance-tables-2017/

https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/savings-to-the-education-services-grant-for-2015-to-2016


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Parents feel more supported ahead of radical SEND reformsNew findings published show families test-driving the government’s new special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) system feel more supported than ever.

An independent report into the new support, available from this September, shows that the measures are already making a real difference to the lives of children, young people and families. The biggest transformation to SEND support for 30 years will give children and parents greater say over their personalised care and assistance, and put in place a new, continual birth-to-25 system for children and young people with SEND.

The news comes as SEND support enters the digital age with the launch of a brand new app that will give children and young people a voice in sharing important information about their needs in a simple, single place.

The Council for Disabled Children’s Early Support app will enable children and young people with special educational needs to upload details about their condition and the support they are receiving to share with people closely involved in their life, such as teachers and doctors. In turn, it will make it easier for those working with children and young people with SEND to understand their needs in an easy and straightforward way.

In using the app - and sharing their likes and dislikes and hopes for the future - young people can make sure the help they get is tailored to their needs and their voice heard in important decisions made about their lives. Strict safeguards will also be put in place to ensure their safety and privacy.

Findings from the pilots of the measures - being test-driven by families across 31 councils - also show that professionals are more supportive of the system, saying it helps them to work more effectively together and places families at the centre of the system. Professionals are also able to provide more tailored support to families, giving them the help and assistance they need.

A special online guide for parents has also been published today on www.gov.uk which clearly explains what the new changes will mean for their child, how the new system will work, and what help they should expect from their local education, health and social services.

From this September, a new package of ambitious changes transforming the support on offer will come into force. The new system will:

• replace SEND statements and learning disability assessments with a new birth-

to-25 education, health and care plan - setting out in one place all the support families will receive

• require better co-operation between councils and health services to make sure services for children and young people with SEND and disabilities are jointly planned and commissioned

• give parents and young people with education, health and care plans the offer of a personal budget - putting families firmly in charge

• require councils to publish a ‘local offer’ showing the support available to all disabled children and young people and their families in the area - not just those with educational needs

• introduce mediation for disputes and trial giving children and young people the right to appeal if they are unhappy with their support

• introduce a new legal right for children and young people with an education, health and care plan to express a preference for state academies, free schools and further education (FE) colleges - currently limited to maintained mainstream and special schools

These new changes will be phased in from September 2014 - ensuring all children and young people with SEND and their families can benefit from the improved arrangements as soon as possible, while at the same time ensuring that the best possible service is maintained during the transition.

New Ofsted chair announcedSecretary of State for Education Nicky Morgan has announced the appointment of David Hoare as the next chair of Ofsted.

Mr Hoare, currently chairman of the Teenage Cancer Trust, will take up his post in September.

His background in leading successful organisations and his experience in driving change made him the outstanding candidate.

He will replace Baroness Sally Morgan, who has been chair since 2011.

Education Secretary Nicky Morgan said:

I am delighted to appoint David to this important role.

He is a proven business leader who has the expertise in leadership and governance crucial to helping Ofsted through a significant period of change and reform.

He is also passionate about education and his work with academies across the

country shows he shares my commitment to ever higher standards in our schools, for all children but particularly the most disadvantaged.

I am confident that his strong track record in business and the passion he demonstrated throughout the interview process will be of huge benefit to Ofsted. He and Sir Michael Wilshaw will make a superb team.

Rising numbers of students turning to maths and scienceMore students are taking A levels in the subjects that help secure the jobs with the highest wages and lowest chances of unemployment, according to results published by the Joint Council for Qualifications (JCQ).

Since June 2010 entries in subjects like maths and the sciences have risen across the board:

• biology is up 10.7%• chemistry up 21.5%• physics up 18.5%• maths up 15.3% • further maths up 20.1%

The results show that since 2010 more women are taking exams in science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM) subjects with A level entries rising in:

• maths: up by 10%• physics: up by 16%• chemistry: up by 23%• biology: up by 16%

Encouraging more students to take maths and sciences post-16 is part of the government’s long-term economic plan. There is a strong demand across the economy for these skills, demonstrated by the fact that workers with maths A level earn on average 10% more than those that do not. In addition science or technological careers are paid on average 19% more than other professions.

The results also show a long-term rise in the number of entries to ‘facilitating subjects’ such as maths, sciences, English, geography, history and foreign languages. These subjects are required more often than others by universities and help to give young people a greater choice of degree level courses

Since 2010 and the creation of the English Baccalaureate (EBacc) which encourages study of these subjects at GCSE, the number of students continuing to study facilitating subjects has risen by 5.1%. In the same period there has been an overall fall of 2.4% in ‘non-facilitating subjects’ such as media studies and general studies.


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The blind chief executive of a national charity is appealing to teachers to help get the message across to children that smoking causes sight loss. Tony Rucinski’s views underpin a new resource pack being launched by the Macular Society, to help teachers explain the link between smoking and blindness.

According to the Macular Society, most of the 600 UK youngsters who start smoking every day don’t know that tobacco could eventually cost them their sight. A survey of 10 year olds found that 98% did not know that smoking causes blindness, but feared sight loss more than any other major consequence of smoking.

Research suggests smokers are up to four times more likely to get macular degeneration compared with non-smokers. Smokers with certain genes may be 20 times more likely to get it. The combination of smoking and genetics may account for as much as a third of all macular degeneration.

The resource packs for educators are part of Is it Real?, a viral video campaign to raise awareness of this issue. Liaising with teachers to effectively deliver the message of smoking causing blindness is key to the campaign. Resources could be used in subjects including art, science and PSHE. They are available to download on the campaign website www.is-it-real.org.

The campaign uses a series of three intriguing and unsettling videos designed to be shared on social network sites. For the launch the Macular Society has partnered with VivoMiles.com, a schools’ reward platform with 1.4 million users and a proven track record in bringing campaigns like this to millions of students. A questionnaire on attitudes to smoking will be included in the campaign which at least 20,000 children are expected to complete.

Consultant ophthalmologist, Phillip Moradi, from Moorfields Eye Hospital in London conducted the survey and will analyse the new data.

He said: “We need to have better information on which health messages will work with children. At the moment 600 children in the UK start smoking every day. That represents a devastating effect on the health of these young people later in their lives. It may seem logical to concentrate health messages on the life-threatening consequences of smoking but it may be that raising awareness of the risk of blindness would be more effective.”

The Society is criticising the slow progress in implementing an EU directive to put sight loss warnings on cigarette packets which was first agreed in 2012 and says current smoking advice often ignores the link with blindness.

Tony Rucinski , Chief Executive of the Macular Society, said: “We are failing children if we don’t tell them about the full dangers of smoking. Smokers are up to four times more likely to develop macular degeneration than people who have never smoked. Smokers with certain genetic characteristics are 20 times more likely to get it. The fact is that macular degeneration is the biggest cause of sight loss in the UK. 200 people a day start to lose their sight because of it. Children are, rightly, concerned about the prospect of living with sight loss but adults seem to overlook this when planning anti-smoking campaigns. Anti-smoking messages must highlight the risk to sight.

“We recognise that teachers play a vital role in presenting effective health messages to children. I hope the exciting teaching resources combined with the videos we have created will help to inspire people within the education sector to get involved with the campaign.”The resource packs offer activities, tools and inspiration for educators to teach young children about the dangers of smoking and the increased risk of blindness in later life including:

• A Fact-Sheet about macular degeneration, its symptoms, causes and a series of interesting facts and figures to start conversations about what causes blindness.

• KS3 suggested lesson ideas in the areas of Art and Design, Science and Personal Social and Health Education (PSHE) as follows:

o Art: exercises to help children understand and empathise with

people affected by the condition by visualising the impact central sight loss would have in the way they interact with their everyday environment

o Science: Ideas and information on how to incorporate macular degeneration into science lessons and the study of the eye.

o PSHE: A lesson plan to explore the link between smoking and blindness and the emotional and social implications sight loss can have for people

• Film making competition tools – a guide on how the Is it real? film competition can be incorporated into lessons. In this competition children are encouraged to develop a 16 second film inspired by a series of quotes about how people with the condition see the world.

• Make your own simulation specs – a maker’s pack for children to create their own simulation specs and truly understand how it feels to have macular degeneration.

• Stop smoking hints and tips – information and facts to help children, friends or a family member to stop smoking.

• The campaign was devised in collaboration with Commonland, the design research specialist and was the result of workshops to explore children’s understanding of macular degeneration.

Teachers asked to warn children of the link between smoking and blindness

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Energy efficiency built in from the start Last year, the London Borough of Greenwich embarked on an energy-efficient programme to extend St Thomas A Beckett Primary School in order to help reduce a 2.7% shortfall of school places in the Greenwich area.

St Thomas A Becket Primary School is now based on two sites that are a 5 minute walk apart. The latest part is a recently completed state of the art building where they teach the 3 to 7 year olds and the oldest part is a conventional structure that was built in 1962 where the 7 to 11 year olds attend. The school is a voluntary aided one that is run on an RC ethos and the admissions criteria give priority to Catholic children.

Monica Manley is the Head; she started her teaching career in Greenwich and has taught or been the Head at three schools in the Borough. She is the sort of Head who is utterly committed to her charges, a consummate educator that retains a steely professionalism behind a generous compassion.

The new classroom building has been designed to be environmentally friendly, I wanted to know what this involved and meant both in construction and education terms as it usually conjures up concepts such as insulation, solar panels and sustainable construction. I wanted to know what benefits flowed to the school from this ethos and what effect it had on the children, staff and parents.

Education Magazine Why was this school chosen to be expanded and when was it?

Monica Manley All the local schools have been increased in size to accommodate the increase number of children in the

borough who are eligible to attend school

EM Who paid for the building, what is its capacity and was there any flexibility on the budget?

MM The Local Authority funded the expansion and it’s designed to take 210 children in 7 classes of 30. We have 7 class teachers plus additional PPA and Teaching Assistants. There was a fixed budget from the LA. However we were able to adapt the plans and improve the outcome by introducing additional money from the school budget and funds. We had known for several years that we were likely to get the additional places so we had retained some of the annual spending in order to provide additional facilities. We wanted this building to be fantastic and to get the best possible environment we could for the children. We wanted the children to have an open, colourful, exciting, enjoyable place where they would experience much of what was not available to them locally.

EM How much input did you have into what the new building would look like?

MM A lot, the architects came and spoke to us and showed us their ideas and asked

us what we thought. They then took away our comments and incorporated them into the plans. Originally they planned that the classrooms would be smaller and have several side rooms where small groups could be taught. We asked for the biggest

classrooms we could possibly have and fewer side rooms and the architects came back with exactly that. We also didn’t just want white walls; we wanted the rooms painted different colours and coordinated with the furniture. We also wanted the rooms to be exciting and fun. And that’s what we now have.

EM What about equipment and facilities, were you able to have the same flexibility of choice on those?

MM There were many items specified that we had to have, such as a lift and water fountains. However we wanted a sink in each of the classrooms plus a well-equipped outside area where the children could play in safety surrounded by equipment that stimulated their imagination. We also wanted the building to be clad in bright colours. It wasn’t possible to do everything we asked for however they were able to give us what we wanted in some form or another.

EM The sustainability of the building has been held up as an example, it has a BEEAM rating of ‘Excellent’, solar panels on the roof and a system of ventilation that is specified as being ‘Natural’ what effect does this have

and what does all this mean to your school?

MM To me it means that it will always look and perform as a great place to educate children. We haven’t been in the building long enough to know what effect the

A classroom in Block B

The Reception and Admin.- (Block A)

Block C, where the youngest are taught.


construction will have on the costs of running the school, the solar panels on the roof will bring down the power bill however it will be a while before the true figures are known. The ventilation is excellent, it has been a warm few days yet the working atmosphere in the building is exactly right, not too hot or cold - many people mention that the temperature is a good one to work in.

EM Sports and play facilities for the kids, what do you have at the older building and how much better equipped is this one?

MM Here at the new building we have an amazing amount of space for the children to do sport and play in there is about 3 acres of

open area in all. It has areas for games and a play area that will stimulate the children’s minds.

EM Building land isn’t plentiful in this part of the country, there are many high rise blocks and housing density is high, how did you find the land to provide the school with the space this one has?

MM The site previously had two buildings

–the current main school block (Block A) use to be the City Learning Centre - providing facilities for ICT teaching and learning for schools in the area. Once schools developed their own facilities, the building became vacant and has now been remodelled

to form part of the new school building providing the entrance and admin area with offices, a couple of classrooms, Library and the assembly hall, kitchen and dining room. The main classroom block, known as Block B was added onto it, this was the part built by Roan and was the part that was constructed and installed in twelve weeks.

The area of the site currently occupied by

the Nursery was for many years a swimming pool . The pool had lay derelict for quite a while before being knocked down.

EM When I was first told about this project it was under the headline that it was built in

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A classroom in Block B Assembly and sports hall, its in the Administration block.

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Energy efficiency built in from the start continued

twelve weeks. What was the imperative that demanded such a tight schedule?

MM We had 60 children arriving in September and we needed to have the classrooms ready for them. The urgency was caused by a delay during the construction phase that was caused by the foundations of the previous building having to be altered so significantly. The first time the expansion was mentioned was about 3 years ago. The building work started about 18 months ago and was completed just in time by the four classrooms being delivered and installed.

EM Has the expansion enabled you to offer a broader curriculum or enabled the children to experience more?

MM We are not teaching any new subjects however we are teaching twice as many children. We are also able to teach them more effectively. For instance we have a PE coach who takes the children for PE every Wednesday. The space we have here has also had remarkable effect on the safety of the children. In the new building and its playgrounds there is a lot more room for circulation and recreation. A lot of this is due to the play area being designed to be safe and there being a soft floored area where it’s safer to take a tumble.

EM What about the effect being in the new school area has on the children, you have seen a fair few years of new pupils coming through do the children coming into the new building react differently to those that started school in the old one?

HM Yes they do, and it’s most noticeable amongst those children whose behaviour is more challenging. These seem calmer and better able to learn in the new surroundings. This is due in no small part to them having more room to play in and larger classroom to learn in. The design is also important as it’s a lovely environment for them. They are happy here and that has a big effect.

EM What about the staff, what was their reaction to a two site school and the new building?

MM They didn’t want the change, they were quite happy to stay in the existing building and for the school to carry on much as it had been. I involved all the staff in the plans for

the new building, and every time something new was introduced I made sure that all the staff were involved in the discussions about it. They were always interested in what was happening and supportive of my plans and proposals. Over time they became used to the idea however it wasn’t until they started working here that they fully bought into the project. However now they now really like the new building and enjoy working here. All of them have remarked on how good it is to teach in this environment.

EM The job of a school is to educate, in business parlance that’s your ‘product’ does this new £700,000 plus facility enable you to turn out a better quality of ‘product’?

MM Yes, We have the ability to deliver the curriculum to its fullest extent, for example there are certain lessons for which we have to take the children outside. Here we can do that in the best way possible. The classrooms are big and airy enough to enable a class full of children to be taught in one group or in several groups depending on what works best.

EM What feedback have you had about the new buildings from the community you serve?

MM Our community is the parents who send their children here for us to educate. They have been fully supportive and have expressed happiness about the new facility. There has not been any dissent at all. I’m in the playground most mornings as the children arrive and I notice that the parents and children are happy as they arrive at the gate. One day recently a member of staff from the other, older building was covering this role and they later remarked to me that one of the differences she most noticed was that here the parents smile as they drop off their children they see where their children

are going to spend the day and that makes them happy.

Thank you for talking to me.

St Thomas A Beckett Primary School: The construction phase of the classroom block.We also spoke to Roan, who were the company responsible for the modular building. There are three distinct buildings on the new school plot, Block A is the reception and Administration which in a previous incarnation was an office block used for computer training. Block B is all new and contains the school rooms and Block C is a new timber building where the youngest are taught is situated on the far side of the playground.

The ‘Teaching Block’ (Block B) contains 4 classrooms on two floors plus toilet facilities. Its costs were in the region of £700,000 and it was designed, built and installed in only 12 weeks. It’s a striking building and one that the staff and children enjoy working

and being taught in. It’s joined to the main administration block by a covered walkway.

Greenwich Council appointeda local firm of architects to design and manage the whole site. Roan Building solutions were appointed to build the classroom block due to their expertise as a company who specialise in off-site construction. It was specified and built from a stage D drawing that was then discussed between all the stakeholders and amended until the ideal layout and look had been achieved. This involved a

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The solar panels were fitted on the roof during construction.

The Classroom block (Block B)


Badgemaster announces takeoverName badge manufacturer Badgemaster, has announced the acquisition of principal competitor, Akorn Badge Company Ltd. Badgemaster is already the UK’s largest name badge manufacturer, and adds this as the most significant event yet to its ever growing list of achievements.

Key milestones in the company’s history since its humble beginnings in the back of a porta-cabin in Hucknall, Nottinghamshire in 1992 include in 2006 being granted the Royal Warrant by Her Majesty the Queen for supply of name badges to the staff of the royal households; gaining the British Standards Institute ISO 9001 accreditation for quality management in 2010; the ISO 14001, the highest level of environmental accreditation possible in 2013; and most recently, Badgemaster’s Founder and Managing Director, John Bancroft, being granted an MBE for services to business in Nottinghamshire.

The ever growing success of Badgemaster has been achieved through continual growth and reinvestment of profits into cutting edge technologies, staff training, best practice processes and environmental sustainability. John Bancroft MBE explains “it has always been our vision to be not just a name badge company, but the name badge company and I am proud that we have achieved that. We have many millions of people now going to work every day wearing their Badgemaster custom made name badges and we are now processing over 1,000 orders every day.”

Through Badgemaster’s acquisition of Akorn Badge Company Ltd, which in itself has achieved great success during its 30 years, being one of the most established name badge manufacturers in the world, customers will benefit from even more competitive prices achieved through our greatly increased buying power, wider choices and the combined technologies and expertise of two specialist name badge companies who share the ambition to deliver unbeatable customer service. Badgemaster will now have over 27,000 accounts from organisations with just one employee, to those with hundreds of thousands of wearers.

John outlines the reasons behind this major acquisition by explaining that most leading companies with customer facing staff do already recognise the value of staff name badges. Badgemaster’s recent growth has been largely achieved

by taking market share from our competitors . We have been able to do this by providing better quality, faster efficient service levels and more competitive prices. In combining Akorn with Badgemaster we have a marriage made in heaven that will bring significant and long term benefits to both Akorn and Badgemaster’s extensive combined customer base.

Jim Kent, Akorn Badge Company Ltd’s well known, highly respected former Managing Director, has joined John and Vicky Bancroft on the board of directors. Jim McNiven, the former General Manager of Akorn Badge Company Ltd will also be joining Badgemaster’s senior management team. Jim is “delighted to be part of this exciting new organisation and is looking forward to bringing unparalleled levels of service and quality to all of the organisation’ customers”.

For more information contact the Badgemaster Customer Services Team on 01623 723 112 or email [email protected].

Book ReviewThe Jepeca Way

New author Julianne Hadden has developed a simple intervention she that’s having a dramatic effect on young people on the brink of becoming unreachable. She shares her surprisingly simple strategies and results in her new book The Jepeca Way.

Last year, Dr Mary Bousted, general secretary of ATL, was quoted as saying that: “Regrettably, teachers and support staff are suffering the backlash from deteriorating standards of behaviour. They are frequently on the receiving end of children’s frustration and unhappiness, and have to deal with the fall-out from parents failing to set boundaries and family breakdowns. And the huge funding cuts to local services mean that schools often have to deal with children’s problems without any help.”

So how is it that Julianne›s Jepeca programme is succeeding when so many other education and health professionals are struggling?

“The problem being a system that allows young people to remain in situations, environments and circumstances with no emotional skills to deal with them. The repercussions are evident throughout the country in each county, community and school today. When a young person feels powerless to influence and change their environment, that’s when they start to look for attention and their behaviour changes. It is their way of asking for help.”

Julianne Hadden founded Jepeca in 2009. Her background is

in the National Health Service, where she was a qualified nurse and midwife, and in Education, where she practiced as a school nurse, giving her first-hand experience in dealing with many professions including CAMHS, the police, schools, social services and child protection.

Having visibility of the processes supporting child protection was a turning point for Julianne. This experience allowed her to see how very little emotional support was given to vulnerable young people when faced with challenging situations, environments or difficult circumstances. She decided then that she wanted to be part of the solution, and so Jepeca was born!

Julianne says, “The Jepeca programme empowers people by enhancing their essential life skills and natural abilities so they can confidently deal with life›s challenges and changes, resulting in happy, in control and productive individuals and members of society.»

‘The Jepeca Way’ by Julianne Hadden is published by Filament Publishing Ltd on 8th May 2014 at £12 ISBN - 978-1-910125-02-1 Available in paperback from bookshops, Amazon and direct from the author on ‘The Jepeca Way’ by Julianne Hadden is published by Filament Publishing Ltd on 8th May 2014 at £12 ISBN - 978-1-910125-02-1 Available in paperback from bookshops, Amazon and direct from the author on www.jepeca.com

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considerable number of changes that had been requested by the schools that included larger classrooms, brighter exterior panels and sinks in each teaching room.

The block had to be constructed so that it achieved the highest and therefore most the challenging requirements of BREEAM, one of the world’s most comprehensive and widely recognised measures of a building’s environmental performance. In order for this to be achieved the strictest building techniques were employed and 12 banks of solar PV panels were installed on the building’s roof. The classroom block also utilises natural ventilation through roof mounted wind catchers and has an excellent acoustic and thermal performance.. The whole project was then able to achieve BREEAM ‘Excellent’ rating due to its low carbon and low environmental impact which minimised both the energy demands created during the buildings construction and its every day running costs.

Modular construction was chosen to reduce the on-site building time and the amount of traffic that such a large project inevitably brings. The two-storey building consisted of a steel frame with 22 modules which produced four large classrooms, a central lobby, platform lift, plus children’s and accessible WC’s.

The units were delivered with all the plasterboard and first fit services, such as the ME, and cabling, windows and doors, in place, it was then assembled before the interior was plastered and decorated. Then a breathable membrane was fitted before

the exterior was clad in three colours of a material called Trespa. This product was one that the school staff really liked as it gave the building a colourful and exciting look whilst delivering the high performance cladding that is required to meet the environmental demands required. The suspended ceilings, the cladding and interior décor was fitted on site, this is to prevent any damage in transit and to ensure that corners line up and panels were properly fitted. The finished building then looks a great deal better as there are no out of place edges or cracks. The large equipment, such as the Passivent ventilation and the roof mounted solar panels were all fitted on site as these would be impractical to fit at the factory.

The major savings in construction costs come from reducing the onsite time it takes to complete the building. This result in lower preliminary costs such as site welfare, labour hours and plant hire such as cranes. One complexity at this contract was caused by the amount of contractors that were working on the site at any one time as it created some complex delivery and safety requirements.

Solar panels have been fitted to the roof of the teaching block; this is part of the sustainability drive by Greenwich council that required their new buildings to have an Excellent BREEAM rating. The drive of all this being that the building operates as efficiently and at a low cost for its whole lifetime.

The building has been given the thumbs up by the staff, pupils and management at the school. Monica Manley, the Head said of the company and the building “Roan was able to provide a permanent solution in a short time frame. Even though they were still onsite during the beginning of the school term, they delivered on quality and personal care with minimum disruption to the school. Our ultimate aim was to have a building that could be completed quickly and efficiently. In 12 weeks, we have a facility that is not only energy efficient and sustainable but also looks wonderful.”

Trespa Meteon Panels For The St. Thomas A Becket Primary SchoolAbout Trespa Meteon

Trespa Meteon is a decorative high-pressure compact laminate (HPL) with an integral surface manufactured using Trespa’s unique in-house technology, Electron Beam Curing (EBC). The blend of up to 70% wood-based fibres and thermosetting resins, manufactured under high pressures and temperatures yields a highly stable, dense panel with good strength-to-weight ratios.

Trespa Meteon stands out in vertical exterior wall coverings such as façade cladding, balcony panelling, sunblinds as well as horizontal exterior ceiling applications.

About St Thomas A Becket school project

The 2013 school project features Trespa Meteon panels in plain colours from the Uni Colour range in Satin finish. The decors selected are Turf Green, Dark Brown, Carmine Red, Anthracite Grey and Pure White. Metallics Azurite Blue, in Rock finish, was also used.

For a school building, choosing Trespa panels brings many advantages, including:

- design freedom which results in a multicoloured building;

- product quality guaranteed for 10 years;

- solidity: the panels have a coating protection against bumps, scratches and other possible damages related to daily use;

- low maintenance and ease of cleaning: dirt such as grease pencils, graffiti and even permanent markers, can be readily eliminated when treated according to Trespa’s maintenance guidelines.

Energy efficiency built in from the start continued

SCHOOLS OF TOMORROW EVERY SCHOOL BUILDING IS UNIQUE. LIKE ITS OWN IMAGE. ENDURANCE AND EASE OF MAINTENANCE ARE KEY FACTORS ESPECIALLY WHEN BUDGETS ARE LIMITED. THIS IS WHY NUMEROUS SCHOOLS AROUND THE WORLD HAVE CHOSEN TRESPA® METEON® PANELS FOR MULTIPLE APPLICATIONS SUCH AS CLADDING AND FAÇADE ELEMENTS, BUT ALSO PLAY AREAS AND BICYCLE SHEDS. EITHER FOR A NEW BUILDING OR A RENOVATION, TRESPA IS THE IDEAL SOLUTION FOR THE SCHOOL OF TOMORROW.

FOR MORE INFORMATION PLEASE VISIT TRESPA.COM

THE ENTIRE TRESPA® METEON® PRODUCT RANGE IS AVAILABLE WITH FSC™ OF PEFC™ CERTIFICATION** UPON REQUEST, IN RESTRICTED QUANTITIES AND JURISDICTIONS.

TRESPA UK LTD.35 Calthorpe RoadEdgbastonBirmingham, B15 1TSUnited KingdomTel: [email protected]

TRESPA_adv_Education magazine_210x297.indd 1 09-07-14 10:22

Passivent vents and the solar panels

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SCHOOLS OF TOMORROW EVERY SCHOOL BUILDING IS UNIQUE. LIKE ITS OWN IMAGE. ENDURANCE AND EASE OF MAINTENANCE ARE KEY FACTORS ESPECIALLY WHEN BUDGETS ARE LIMITED. THIS IS WHY NUMEROUS SCHOOLS AROUND THE WORLD HAVE CHOSEN TRESPA® METEON® PANELS FOR MULTIPLE APPLICATIONS SUCH AS CLADDING AND FAÇADE ELEMENTS, BUT ALSO PLAY AREAS AND BICYCLE SHEDS. EITHER FOR A NEW BUILDING OR A RENOVATION, TRESPA IS THE IDEAL SOLUTION FOR THE SCHOOL OF TOMORROW.

FOR MORE INFORMATION PLEASE VISIT TRESPA.COM

THE ENTIRE TRESPA® METEON® PRODUCT RANGE IS AVAILABLE WITH FSC™ OF PEFC™ CERTIFICATION** UPON REQUEST, IN RESTRICTED QUANTITIES AND JURISDICTIONS.

TRESPA UK LTD.35 Calthorpe RoadEdgbastonBirmingham, B15 1TSUnited KingdomTel: [email protected]

TRESPA_adv_Education magazine_210x297.indd 1 09-07-14 10:22


Punctuality means more learning time for students Core resources such as excellent teaching and support staff are critical to ensure high standards, but schools are finding other creative ways to improve efficiency.Schools are constantly under pressure from both Ofsted and LEAs to improve standards and efficiency. With some schools having in excess of 1000 students and more than 100 teachers on site, just getting staff and students to the right place at the right time can be a major logistical problem.

Neil Whitton, facilities manager at St George’s Academy explained, “Ours is a large site with 16 blocks spread over 35 acres, and ensuring that every clock shows the same time was almost impossible. However much we checked and adjusted them there was inevitably a variation between clocks around the site.”

Learning timeMost classrooms have clocks, but these can be several minutes out, and even a couple of minutes can make a big difference to the time available for learning. A two minute delay in starting a class can result in a loss of 1 hour teaching time every week for each pupil, based on 6 classes per day. Over a 40 week year, this amounts to more than a full week of potential learning time that can be gained, simply by having clocks that are accurate and synchronous.

Whitton commented, “Since we installed an automated wireless clock system, we can guarantee that every clock on site shows exactly the same time and class changes occur synchronously throughout the whole site. We don’t even have to make any changes in Spring and Autumn. The master clock is controlled by the IT system so it automatically changes to Summer or Winter time and this is then immediately replicated by every other clock on site”

The latest generation of class change systems are run from a central PC and different tones, melodies or even voice announcements are stored as MP3 files. Different alerts can be programmed for class changes, wet breaks, lunches, evacuation or lockdown.

Student safetyMany schools use bell systems to announce class changes which is often the same bell used for fire alarms. Using the same alerts for a routine class change or an emergency situation can compromise the safety of staff and students.

Lycee Francais Charles de Gaulle installed a

voice-based class change system which linked directly to their synchronous clock system. Lavocat commented “Our new system stores a range of pre-recorded voice commands so whatever emergency situation arises, it triggers specific announcements so everybody on site knows exactly what’s happening and what actions that they need to take.”

Tailored alertsFire bells are loud, and can cause alarm (no pun intended!) in some children, especially those with special needs. In such situations customised alerts can be beneficial.

Linda Carter is facilities manager at The Chiltern School, a school for children with special needs. She commented, “Harsh sounds like bells can be very disturbing for children with special needs and they find it very confusing if the same sound is used for different events. They respond much better to musical tones than voice instructions and they learn quite quickly to associate specific tones with particular events. With the new system we are able to tailor different sounds for breaks, end of playtime and the end of the day and it works extremely well. It’s been a great help to us in communicating to the children what they need to do and we wouldn’t be without it.”

Zones can also be set up so to isolate specific areas of the school during exams. An emergency alert can be automatically triggered by fire detectors and instructions broadcast throughout the whole site.

Mrs Irons added “The new system we installed uses pre-recorded voice announcements so everybody knows exactly what they need to do and when. Some of our teachers stay on site after school hours planning, marking and preparing for the next day. They often get so involved that they simply lose track of time, but now it’s easy to alert everybody on site that it’s 5.30 and the caretaker is about to secure the site”.

Cost savingModern automated systems can also incorporate relays to operate other systems such as lighting, heating and security. The system can then be programmed to activate and deactivate utility services so they run more efficiently and the savings in energy costs can then be utilised to fund additional education resources.

We spend much of our time teaching young people that IT and digital technology can bring real improvements to everyday life. Should we not practice what we preach and apply these technologies to our school environment? Well proven systems such as Bodet’s Class Change not only provide better communications and improve efficiency in our schools but the savings in administration and management time, gains in learning time and potential reductions in energy costs means it can pay for itself many times over.

Richard Manby Managing Director, Bodet UK [email protected] www.bodet.co.uk

Schoolwear Association campaign to make quality uniforms affordableParente urged to sign petition for national school uniform voucher scheme

The Schoolwear Association has launched a national campaign to make school uniform more affordable for hardworking families.

The Association, whose members clothe three-quarters of Britain’s schoolchildren, wants the Government to introduce a scheme similar to childcare vouchers to make school uniform tax deductible.

It is urging parents to sign an e-petition to bring the idea to the attention of the Prime Minister at http://epetitions.direct.gov.uk/petitions/65790 its open until 2015

Matthew Easter, Chair of the Schoolwear Association, said: “Studies show that children do better at school and are happier when they have good quality school uniform. We know for many families, purchasing school uniform can sometimes be a worry, and think the Government should help by providing for a tax-exempt voucher scheme along the lines of childcare vouchers. It’s good for education, good for children and good for hardworking families.”

New advisory group to support initial teacher training reviewIn May the former Secretary of State for Education, Michael Gove, appointed Sir Andrew Carter OBE, Headteacher of South Farnham School, leader of a school-centred initial teacher training (ITT) provider and ITT lead on the Teaching Schools Council, to chair an independent review of the quality and effectiveness of ITT courses.

The review will look across the full range of ITT courses and will seek views from those involved across the sector to:

• define effective ITT practice• assess the extent to which the current

system delivers effective ITT

• recommend where and how improvements could be made

• recommend ways to improve choice in the system by improving the transparency of course content and methods

To support him in his work Sir Andrew Carter has appointed a review panel comprising a diverse range of expertise in June. The group will provide expertise and support in developing the review’s conclusions and recommendations.

The review is expected to report to the Secretary of State for Education by the end of the year.

mailto:[email protected]

http://www.bodet.co.uk/

http://epetitions.direct.gov.uk/petitions/65790

http://epetitions.direct.gov.uk/petitions/65790


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Nora systems provide safe flooring for Hammersmith Academy

A popular choice for educational buildings worldwide, floor coverings from nora systems have been installed within the IT hubs at Hammersmith Academy - a secondary school for 11-18 year olds, with specialisms in Creative & Digital Media and IT.

When the Academy looked to develop standards for academic excellence in a brand new building with state-of-the-art facilities, rubber flooring from nora systems, including norament 926 and noraplan stone, was selected for its outstanding properties. The IT hubs required a safe floor which would not be affected by static, with good slip resistance and cushioning underfoot, along with durability so as to be ideal for circulation areas. nora floor coverings also offer excellent acoustic performance which is important to the learning environment, as the noticeable sound reduction assists with the children’s development in a calmer surrounding.

BHM Architects designed a building which aims to develop the talents of all the students to the full and to raise educational standards, through excellent teaching and the innovative use of IT in this new build facility, allowing the students to make exceptional progress compared to national averages.

For more information contact nora flooring systems. Tel. 01788 513 160 email. [email protected] www.nora.com/uk

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Almost a decade after avoiding closure, New College has come back fighting, thanks to an impressive academic and structural turnaround…

It was the worst of schools…it was the best of schools

New College is a school transformed. Gone is the negative image of poor results, poor behaviour, disgruntled and dysfunctional staff.

This was – without doubt – a struggling school and, at one point, one of the worst to be found in England.

The lack of ambition that was so much a part of the recent past has been replaced with commendable reports from OFSTED and a worthy place in the top 10% of schools for continuous improvement nationwide.

New College was opened in September 1999 under the Fresh Start initiative, formed through the closure of three comprehensive schools - Wycliffe, New Parks and Alderman Newton.

By August 2002 the school achieved the worst GCSE results in Leicester, with a mere 14% of students achieving 5A*-C grades. It went on to be placed in Special Measures in 2003 and, in 2005, gained its worst ever examination results: 10% 5 A*-C.

This was the trigger for OFSTED to report that no progress had been made in the two years since being placed in special measures. The school narrowly avoided closure.

The school wasn’t without its disciplinary problems either. In September 2002 the Head sent 100 students home for not wearing school uniform. Then, in 2003, it was ‘named and shamed’ for having the worst truancy numbers of any school in the UK.

And by February 2005 things had become so bad that 40 members of staff threatened to strike following 12 assaults by pupils in the autumn term.

It was the same year that the turnaround began, with the introduction of an interim executive board selected by Leicester City Council. In January 2006, David Kershaw became the new Executive Principal of New College, having previously been at a school in Bradford which had suffered from difficulties. He brought with him 43 years of inner city school experience.

“I sense the beginnings of some optimism” - David Kershaw (2006)

As well as unlimited optimism, David’s turn-around team included Jane Brown, now New College’s Principal. She was plucked from her role as a deputy head at another challenging school in the West Midlands to come to a school described as one in need of ‘love and attention’.

And while Jane relished the challenge; the reality was far from creating a little loving feeling.

“At the time, working in the West Midlands, I didn’t know anything about New College and its reputation,” she recalls, “and the first day at New College was one of shock. The school didn’t have a good feel to it and there was a siege mentality among staff.

“Good staff were struggling as the leadership had not established basic expectations. In fact, I think I spent the first year here with my mouth open in disbelief. When I thought it couldn’t get any worse – it usually did!”

Jane admits the challenges were not just numerous – they were hugely daunting. The reputation of the school and its detachment from the community created a stigma that not only enveloped the school, it travelled widely.

Over the years it’s had an adverse effect, spreading amongst prospective parents and the staff as local Primary Schools in the catchment area; that’s had an adverse effect on pupil intake.

The staff at New College was another issue that needed to be addressed. When Jane arrived she had staff who were there for the wrong reasons; there were also 22 teachers who were either unqualified or supply staff.

Over time she brought in her own staff, building stronger foundations for better teaching, but also kept one eye on keeping the best at each stage of the recovery and replacing those who might have reached the limit of their abilities. It was necessary to ensure the school continuously improved, as opposed slipping back or settling for second best.

Students were the final challenge. Elements of the negative behaviour which had previously become endemic and contributed to the school’s poor reputation still existed. Another challenge was that post-16 students lacked the right qualifications for further education courses.

Jane gives numerous examples of great achievements during her time at New College; they vary from small but significant day-to-day achievements, such as a child who gains confidence at school and blossoms. She cites the continual improvement in OFSTED reports, an achievement that reassures Jane and her staff that New College has been and remains on track.

And there are the unique moments, such as the day that a New College student was accepted into the University of Cambridge.

Jane heaps praise on her team for stabilising and improving New College, citing their

professionalism and willingness to make a difference to lives of young people as one of the school’s greatest achievements. She makes special mention of Rose Angus, her Associate Principal, who she describes as her rock over a number of years. To the outsider there’s a suspicion the pair make a formidable team that’s not to be messed with, not just at New College but in any school environment.

The result of all this hard work is that the future looks bright for New College.

The opening of a new building this autumn all but completes the school’s transition into a new era. It brings improved facilities that will allow students to continue the progress that’s resulted in the school making it into the top 10% nationally for outstanding continuous improvement.

An ever-growing partnership with De Montfort University through mentoring and teaching placements for undergraduate students has already yielded benefits for New College students. For example, the pupils who took part in the paired reading scheme saw, on average, a two to three increase in their reading age, with the most significant increase being a seven year increase in reading age after just eight months of the scheme.

Jane pulls no punches when outlining her intentions for the future. “I want New College Leicester to be the best school in the country, one that provides Outstanding Progress for All – that’s our strapline and we mean it.

Winners announced in the Apps for Good Awards 2014Student app teams from across the country celebrated

The winners of the national Apps for Good Awards 2014 were announced on 24th June, celebrating the achievements of the country’s leading young digital entrepreneurs.

The national Apps for Good Awards celebrated the next generation of problem solvers and digital creators: students who have created an app that tackles an everyday problem or issue they are passionate about.

The teams of students aged 10 to 18 pitched in front of a panel of judges comprised of industry leaders to be crowned the winner. This year, six winners for six theme-based categories have been chosen from 18 finalist teams.

This year’s awards also recognises the coding whizzes on the Apps for Good course, with Coding Ninja prizes for the students who have created the best working prototypes. The winners were:

• Social Ninja, sponsored by Facebook –

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Dr Challoner’s Grammar School: ‘Battle Tables’.

• Tech Ninja, sponsored by the Nominet Trust - Altrincham Grammar School for Boys: ‘School Advisor’.

So what is an app and what did the contestants do to take part? We spoke to Stuart Keen, a teacher at Dr Challoner’s Grammar school in Amersham. The schools entry in the competition was recognised for its coding. These are the nuts and bolts of the app that make it work efficiently and effectively. Stuart told me what was

involved for the school, starting with what the competition wanted.

“The brief was to produce an App, short for application, which is a

piece of software designed to do a specific job. The term is particularly used to identify smaller applications used on mobile devices such as smartphones and tablets. The students at Dr Challoner’s created and entered ‘Social apps’ into the national competition.

The principle Apps for Good course has an entrepreneurial focus. The boys here had to go through the process of ideation themselves. This involved them coming up with their own idea and seeing it resolved by use of the app. They had to program using a combination of HTML5, CSS and Javascript

to create it. They then have to create the wireframe designs for the app, prototypes and business case to justify its validity. With the focus on computing, this process allowed for those who wished to practice the skills that adult programmers use.

For more information visit http://www.appsforgood.org/

Innovating primary schools prepare pupils for pubertyA new project by the Sex Education Forum, with support from the Wellcome Trust, seeks to establish innovative approaches to teaching children about puberty in primary school, to prepare pupils for the changes they will experience before they happen.

Prepared for Puberty has started working with six primary schools across England to pilot new and creative approaches to puberty education. Crucially, all the schools will involve parents in the project, and will ensure that the children are consulted about what they need to learn. The teachers leading the projects will seek inspiration from the arts and science to design creative and engaging lessons.

While government guidance on sex and relationships education clearly states that all children should be taught about puberty

before they experience it, in practice Ofsted reports that many schools fail to do so adequately.

Furthermore, a Sex Education Forum survey of over 200 teachers found that 17% either do not always or don’t ever use correct names for sexual parts of the body.

Lucy Emmerson, Coordinator of the Sex Education Forum, said:

“Failure to provide early teaching on sex and relationships education leaves children needlessly afraid about physical and emotional changes and searching for answers from unreliable sources. Parents also tell us that they expect schools to be teaching about puberty and are sometimes surprised by how late the topic is introduced.

Through the Prepared for Puberty project, we want to nurture ingenious and inventive teaching practice and then to share the results nationally so that all primary schools can benefit from fresh approaches to this vital topic and thus better support children’s health and well-being. With children now expected to learn in Year 5 about the changes experienced at puberty in National Curriculum science there is a vital opportunity for every school to get to grips with this topic.”

To find out more, sign up for updates on the project at www.sexeducationforum.org.uk

http://www.appsforgood.org/

http://www.appsforgood.org/

http://www.sexeducationforum.org.uk


Child poverty and childhood obesity are two key social issues that have the potential to blight the future of some of our youngest people. Last year, the Government took steps towards addressing both of these issues when it announced plans to provide universal free school meal for the under 8s from September 2014.

The initiative will see the Government provide over £1 billion in funding to ensure all children in reception and years 1 and 2 in state funded primary schools in England and Wales receive a free school meal each day.

Prior to the announcement a number of similar pilot schemes have been running in various parts of the country and have proved to be hugely successful. The pilot showed that by ensuring that all children received a hot and nutritious meal each day, behaviour improved and concentration and attainment levels soared.

Children involved in the pilot scheme proved to be far more attentive and less lethargic in the afternoon and standards improved as the children weren’t hungry and therefore able to concentrate better. Other benefits of the scheme which ran for over four years were an increase in attendance, less absenteeism due to illness and less overweight children.

Offering children a free school meal each day will also help ensure that children from the poorest families receive at least one hot meal per day. With some children often coming to school with little of nutritional value in their lunch box, the initiative will help ensure these children are fed a nutritious, well balanced meal and are able to learn effectively. It is also hoped that the initiative will help remove the stigma often attached to free school meals and offer financial savings for families.

Another rather surprising benefit of the pilot was a cultural change as the atmosphere improved at lunchtimes as the children all ate together rather than the usual division of a dining session for packed lunches and a separate sitting for school dinners.

However, although this move is widely

acknowledged as an important policy supporting the needs of young children, concerns have been raised by MPs, headteachers and school governors about the practicalities of providing these extra meals on a daily basis.

And it’s fair to say that the plans are proving to be a logistical headache for many primary schools. ESPO is a not-for-profit public-sector professional buying organisation experienced in helping schools make cost-effective buying decisions for their catering requirements and we’ve received an increased volume of calls from schools concerned about the practicalities of delivering a significant increase in school meals.

With an estimated 1.55 million additional infants eligible for a free lunch, some schools will see a significant rise in the number of hot meals it needs to provide on a daily basis. The Government has pledged considerable capital funding to help schools expand their catering and dining facilities, yet although this money is available, some are still unsure about where to turn to for new equipment, extra staff and whether their current catering suppliers will cope with this increase in demand.

All primary schools make provision for school lunches in different ways; some have a fully staffed operational kitchen, while others may not have a kitchen at all and need to outsource their catering requirements to an independent provider. Whatever the schools current catering set up they are likely to need practical advice on catering for an increase in numbers from the start of the new school year.

The types of logistical queries we’ve received from schools include those looking to refurbish their kitchens to cater for extra numbers, those that need extra dining room furniture to accommodate an increase in young diners and those who don’t feel their current staff or kitchen is equipped to cope with the demand for extra meals. We’re even working with some schools that don’t have a kitchen who need advice on sourcing and using the services of an outsourced catering provider.

Some schools are also considering the impact of making changes to their timetables to give kitchen staff more time to prepare extra meals and their young pupils’ time to collect and eat their food. The timescale for implementation of this new initiative has also been widely criticised with many schools worried about being able to implement the necessary changes in time to meet the deadlines.

At ESPO we are currently working with many schools to help them find a solution to their needs which is both practical and cost effective, whether that’s sourcing a quality ingredients supplier or an organisation that specialises in fold away dining room tables. And for those schools without a kitchen, we can offer advice on sourcing and working with catering service providers and with the supply of food, such as fruit and veg, meat and groceries.

We’ve also been working with schools to offer practical, logistical advice too. For example, some schools might be able to resolve their issues by extending their lunch hour, or others may need to change the way they serve food, perhaps by opening up more serving points to better manage the lunchtime queues.

Most of the funding being provided by the Government is for the long term provision of the meals themselves and to help embed a culture of healthy eating among our young people. The service we offer enables schools to deliver nutritious meals within the £2.30 per child budget with a supply of food such as fruit, vegetables, meat and groceries.

In our experience, there is always a practical solution to any school catering issue regardless of the size or location of a school or whether or not it is big enough to have a dedicated dining facility or fully equipped kitchen. Preparation is obviously the key to this and getting the right advice is crucial to ensure the successful provision of extra meals from September.

By Karen Grewcock, Karen is the head of category food and catering at ESPO

Serving up practical advice in preparation for free school meals

for all under 8s


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Not Just A Nanny offers a luxury service introducing educationally experienced individuals to families for the school holidays and weekends. As our tutor-nannies currently work within education their understanding of schools’ curricula and expectations is first hand. They are highly knowledgeable when it comes to both children’s academics and welfare. Our tutor-nannies are available for tutoring, nannying or a combination of both, either in the UK or abroad.

Are there children at your school that would benefit from a tutor-nanny over the school holidays? The advantages are obvious; continue to keep knowledge fresh throughout the school break and to improve and maintain attainment with one-to-one tutoring sessions with an educationally experienced individual who will build on what has already been learnt at school. Our tutor-nannies can work with the schools the children attend, so that concepts are presented in a way which mirrors how they are currently taught.

Are you a teacher who would like to join us as a tutor-nanny? You can expect to receive competitive wages, just as you deserve. Would you like to travel the globe whilst doing what you do best? Our tutor-nannies travel all over the world with families; sailing holidays, skiing holidays, trips to America are but a few of the experiences you could be offered when you join us at Not Just A Nanny.

For more information please visit www.notjustananny.com or email [email protected]. You can also find us on Twitter and Facebook.

Mobile phone tracking designed for school trips “Around the world and around own”

Developed with schools for schools, Locuro provides cutting edge parental

peace of mind and parental interaction by providing permissions based access to their

children’s school trips.

Details available at www.locuro.com

With preparations for the new school term well underway it is important that all new pupils are taught about good hand hygiene in order to minimise the spread of common contagious infections such as colds and norovirus. Every year in the UK, over 11.4 million school days are lost with children being absent due to illness. Portable hand wash units are essential in educating new school pupils about the perils of poor hand hygiene and the dangers that dirty hands can bring. TEAL manufacture the Kiddiwash range, a selection of portable warm water hand wash units, specifically aimed at children, which require no access to mains water or drainage.The range includes two portable warm water units; the Kiddiwash and the KiddiSynk. Both are fully mobile and work independently of mains water or drainage enabling children to wash their hands anytime and anywhere.TEAL’s KiddiSynk is the answer when it comes to teaching children about good hand hygiene. Educational and fun, it is simple-to-use unique ‘Flippi-tap’ can be applied with one finger so there is no re-contaminations from dirty taps. The KiddiSynk can hold up to eight litres of warm water – enough for 40-ten second hand washes. Prices start from £158.40 (including VAT and UK mainland delivery).

For more information visit: W: www.kiddiwash.com T: 0121 770 0593 E: [email protected]

Make hand hygiene a priority this new school year

Delta improves security at Berger Primary SchoolBerger Primary School has chosen Delta Security to supply and install an EntrySign visitor and employee management system to increase the security and safety of pupils, staff and visitors at the Hackney-based primary school and nursery.

The EntrySign system uses an intuitive, touch-screen interface that significantly enhances visibility as to who is on site at any one time and because it can integrate with all access control systems, it also reduces the investment required at installation.

Steve Gleason, Head Teacher at Berger Primary School, says that security and safe-guarding the children is the school’s utmost priority:

“The new EntrySign installation provides us with reassurance that those in the school are meant to be there and are logged into the system. The system automatically prints out identification stickers, which in addition to enhancing security, also help us to comply with our Offsted requirements.

“The system has also improved employee access, as we now have visibility as to which key fob belongs to who, making replacement straightforward and secure.”

In addition to the EntrySign system, Delta installed a new pedestrian entrance, which gives parents walking to pick up their children a separate access point away from the carpark. This decreased the traffic through reception, improving security and the school’s ability to manage visitor access.

For more information email [email protected] www.deltasecurity.co.uk or Tel 020 8985 1855.


Schools are expanding their capacity all over the country as the increase in school population is being taken up. The increase at primary level is going to have to be accommodated in due course at the secondary level thus taking up any slack in capacity that exists there. This will require extra classrooms, in the past ‘Instant buildings’ have been used as an answer, however the modular buildings that usually come to mind do not fit well into the high tech world that today’s education inhabits. They don’t look when good spread around the sports field or along the school drive and now that most schools have to attract their pupils the schools look and having good facilities on show really matters. Much of the increase in demand for places can be planned well in advance however sometimes fate decides that the time to build a new classroom block, let alone a state of the art, award winning facility, will just not be available. Something goes wrong and classroom space is needed in a hurry. One school that squared the circle of needing good looking teaching space at very short notice is Holmes Chapel School in Cheshire.

Two years ago, the 6th form facility was found to have a major structural defect that made it necessary to shut at very short notice. The roof had developed a major leak and that the steel roof supports needed replacing. The upshot of this was that a replacement 6th form facility was needed in a matter of weeks. It subsequently became more complex when the opportunity was taken to expand the 6th form. However it was the ‘Temporary facility’, its installation, use and future that I wanted to discuss with Tony Halsall.

Education Magazine What were the processes that lead from the sudden need for an ‘instant 6th form facility’ to actually having one up and running?

Tony Halsall I wasn’t here at the time so I cannot tell you from first-hand knowledge, however when I look at what was needed and then consider what had to be done I’m amazed at what was achieved. When the old 6th form building was declared unusable the management team had to put a bid together to the local authority for the funding to deliver an extremely good facility at very short notice. The result was not a few temporary classrooms plonked on the sports field. It’s a well-designed and thought through facility that looks and feels really fit for purpose. The school went the extra step by using a landscape designer to create a really impressive learning space outside. It was well worth the extra investment. Looking at this years A level results I would say that’s a ringing endorsement of the teaching and learning environment that was created. Its hard to beat 100%!

This was achieved with a call to the nearest Portakabin hire centre which went along the lines of: ‘we need a 6th form centre in a hurry, this is what we need can you supply it in 8 weeks?

They also had to ensure that the new facility was fully wheelchair accessible, this is part of the legal requirements and the school has several pupils who need this.

EM What is the combination of buildings and the layout that they decided upon and how did they achieve it?

TH There are four buildings in all. Two are identical in that they have two large classrooms and self- contained toilets. We used these to create two general class

rooms, an art studio and a cyber café for students. One building is a very large open space with windows looking out across the sports fields. Here we created a Sixth Form study area complete with a large number of computers and a wireless network hub. The final building was one that we used as an administrative base for networking hubs for example; we are the centre of a specialist Science Partnership Network.

Of course with a facility this size you needed planning permission and so a three year temporary permit for the additional structures was obtained. The school then entered into a 2 year contract with Portakabin with an option on a further year. This was considered to be sensible as the work involved in the repair and potential additional building work was going to be complex and may have required more time.

The team did a great job of thinking on their feet and applied for a major capital investment not just to carry out the major structural repairs but also to design and build a new Sixth Form facility. This turned out to be a £3M investment programme that opens its doors to students in September 2014.

EM These buildings have been in use for 2 years, which was the original plan that would give enough time for the repair of the old 6th form and the new block to be built. I believe you now intend to keep them and convert them to another use?

TH One casualty of the building process was the facilities we used to carry out teacher training, these have been lost in the reorganisation of the 6th form buildings and it’s become a real issue. The modular buildings that are being vacated will make a fabulous teacher training and conference facility we can also hire out. There is a

The moduar 6th form buildings.

Tony Halsall is the Director of Business Services at Holmes Chapel School in Cheshire. He is part of the core leadership team at the school that

consists of the Executive Head, Head of School and the Deputy Head. He is responsible for managing all school support functions. This includes all aspects of financial and estates management. Holmes Chapel School and Sixth Form College is located in Cheshire has been an Academy for 2 years. With a student head count of circa 1200 of which around 230 are Sixth Formers, there are 150 staff. They have just celebrated their best ever success rate at A level with 100% pass rate.

Space, it’s the final frontier


demand for this from local groups and from further afield too: for instance we are a National Teaching School and part of organisation called ‘The Chimney House Alliance’ which is a group of 13 schools across the north west who have come together to provide teacher training. We are also a hub for the Science Learning Partnership. So we

intend to turn two of the buildings into a teacher training facility.

At the school we are very proud of the title ‘comprehensive’, and have a reputation for providing the best possible support for all of our students. We have a number of children who require additional physical, behavioural or learning support. We were delighted at how easy it has been to modify two of these buildings to provide new teaching and learning spaces.

EM Won’t this create a problem as the area will be seen as one for ‘Special pupils’?

TH We are being very careful to make sure that the facility isn’t seen or used as an area just for children with special needs. We believe that all children should receive their education in the mainstream of the school. There are however times when students may need one to one support or teaching in smaller groups. The new learning areas give us much better flexibility in good quality accommodation. To this end we have made sure that its part of the school, the paths link to it and its right next to the new sixth form block.

EM How will you convert the buildings? Do you have an internal workforce or will it be contracted out?

TH The way the buildings are constructed means they are not difficult to modify, quite the opposite. The contract states we must hand the buildings back in the same condition in which we received them. This means we would have to remove any partition walls we put in at the point of handing back. We used local companies to make the alterations to the interior walls and electrical infrastructure which took only a couple of weeks from start to finish. We very much hope to get good value out of the investment over the next few years.

EM The modular buildings are now two years old and with that amount of wear

and tear on them would it not have been more cost effective and longer lasting to have built this extra facility onto the side of the new sixth form block? It would be more permanent and there would also be no opportunity for it to be seen as a separate facility for children with particular needs?

TH Getting a £3 million bid through for the larger 6th form block was quite an achievement. A larger bid would have been less likely to succeed in my opinion. What is more the cost of adding such a large internal area onto the sixth form building would have been prohibitive. Another factor to consider is that these buildings are not poorly built or made of low grade materials or even temporary for that matter, they are permanent buildings and constructed as such. They are also equipped to the same standard as the other classrooms, they are bright, sound proofed rooms with climate control and they have a life expectancy the same length as any of the other buildings on this site. I’m told they have a life expectancy of up to 60 years which is the same as any ‘permanent’ building. We have now applied for full planning permission for the modular buildings and are waiting to hear if we have been successful.

EM The future: you have 1200 pupils at present are there plans for this to increase? And how will you house the increased numbers, would you use a similar method as the modular buildings that made up the emergency 6th form?

TH This depends upon demand; our new larger 6th form block is coming on line now, so we have room for an increase in pupils there. Pupil numbers have been fluctuating for the last few years, we have an increased pupil headcount of in the intake year than we had last year, so that expansion will need to be accommodated in future years. This will not result in a ring of portable buildings around the sports field as we have a master plan for the school where classrooms are located off a central spine or corridor. The space freed up by the new 6th form accommodation gives us the perfect additional space we need to accommodate the higher numbers. In deed during this summer break we have a further two

additional classrooms coming on line. We wish to maintain the modular buildings we have as they are such good quality and give us the ability to quickly change them to suit a new purpose. They offer a flexibility that is quite unique in construction.

EM Thank you for talking to Education Magazine.

Philip Martin is the Business Development Manager for Portakabin and he to explain how the project was managed from the contractor’s point of view.

EM Phillip, how did you sort the Chapel schools requirement?

PM It was a collaborative effort; we looked to see what facilities were available in the rest of the school and replicated or bettered them in the buildings we supplied. The new buildings had to be of the same building standard as the schools permanent structures. This is because the pupils will spend a significant part of their educational life in the buildings, so a ‘make do’ provision just will not be good enough. We keep a stock of what we call ‘plug and play’ classroom buildings that we can have on site in a hurry. However no two requirements are the same so we maintain the ability to be very flexible. We don’t just keep a certain set of buildings and supply them on a take it or leave it basis. There are four different types of modular building in the 6th form and we can further alter the buildings we supply to fit in with the clients requirements. This is a policy we have found works we always listen to the feedback from the customer and improve upon it wherever possible. For us it all starts with a detailed discussion about what is needed then a site survey followed before a proposal and costings were submitted. ‘Once the design, internal layouts and costings are agreed, then it’s a case of laying in the services such as water, power and communications, installation of the buildings, final fitting out, followed by testing and commissioning to ensure the scheme is ready for occupation by all members of the 6th form. The landscaping was then carried out.

Extensive landscaping was used. This huge classroom is made from 5 individual units. 6th Form cyber cafe.


The Civil Service Motoring Association Club opens its door to teachers

The CSMA started it life as a motoring association and has branched out; it launched its drive into education at the HQ of the latest world Land speed record attempt, of which it is a sponsor.Bloodhound SSC is the latest British land speed record project led by Richard Noble who has already run two very high profile and successful attempts in the past. The target this time is to build and run a car through the measured mile at 1000mph, or 3.6 miles a second.

In the time of austerity and concerns over pollution such a project might seem to some be indulgent and irrelevant. Cars and excessive speed don’t mix in the court of public opinion, the carbon footprint of such a project would seem to be out of proportion with the gain and land speed records are nothing new in this country, after all Nobles team still hold the existing record and has done so for many years. It would seem up to several teams in the USA and Australia, who have the only other ongoing projects, to take up the baton. Like all things there is more to it and its more than national prestige that’s involved. I visited the project at the invitation

of one of its sponsors, the CSMA, with a few questions. These included several ‘why’s’ for the Project staff and a ‘what’s the relevance’ to the sponsor.

The project is run from a large industrial unit near Bristol docks. Inside half the space is taken up with building the vehicle, the rest seems taken up with explaining why they are doing it. In a classroom environment we were given a few hands on samples of the educational lessons and modules that have already been created to enable the inspiration the project generates to be utilised in schools. These were fun and highly informative.

The main Educational benefit that will flow from the project is the interest it will generate for engineering within the minds of pupils. The Bloodhound team demonstrated that during the lifespan of major high

technology, high visibility projects that the interest in all types of related engineering increases dramatically. The Apollo programme, Concorde, and the last land speed attempt all coincided with increases in pupils taking up engineering courses and professions. This is thought to be due to the inspiration the projects generate because children see something and want to do it. So they do! This is the educational benefit the project sees as its lasting legacy.

I spoke to Rob Bennett, he is part of the specialist Bloodhound Education team that has the remit to spread the educational benefits that will flow from the high speed project.

Education magazine: How are you going to spread the enthusiasm and the lessons that can be learned throughout the twenty five thousand plus schools that there are in this country?

Rob Bennett: Over 4,600 primary and secondary schools from across the UK have already signed up to use BLOODHOUND’s free classroom resources. The team are going to be instigating education hubs, these will be based at universities, further education and technical colleges so they can deliver the courses and follow up the inspiration that’s been generated by the Project. It is intended there will be 50 of these hubs and all will be equipped with models of the cars and the educational material and resources that we developed. We will also be helping them with the development of sponsorship to help pay for these.

EM What will be the function of the hubs and how will they be financed?

RB Our team of 20 education people now reach 35,000 children a year from this base. The role of the hubs will be to replicate the work we do here so that they will be reaching 2 million young people when they are up and running in about two years’ time. The costs will be shared, we are engaging with the Dept. of Education and local government and MP’s. We are already working with the MP’s to encourage local business to sponsor the hubs. At a cost of £50,000 each the envisaged split will be a fifth paid by the establishment and the balance from sponsors.

EM This highly ambitious educational project will rely on plenty of ongoing publicity to fuel the interest. Major inspiring projects, like Apollo and Concorde, rapidly lost public interest once the targets had

p Rolls-Royce backs BLOODHOUND t (far left) HRshowcar pictures supplied by Stefan Marjoram


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been reached. Once the 1000mph has been reached then the same will happen. What are you going to do to generate enough interest over a long enough period of time to enable that amount of money to be generated?

RB We are already working on integrating this into the National Curriculum. So we have educational specialists within our team who are working on the educational relevance of what we are doing. This is to enable teachers to use the resources, the case histories and the engineering science the project generates to help them do their jobs.

EM How will schools be able to access this information, will you let them download it for integration into lessons?

RB Yes we will, and that is one of the most exciting prospects there is. With the

new technology that’s out there we will be developing a programme called ‘Bloodhound Blast’ an on line resource that is being developed to enable teachers to access the material in a language and format that is relevant to their country. For example in England the links will be relevant to the National Curriculum, in South Africa they will be relevant to their curriculum. All the ones in the UK will be tied into the Hubs so that the resources they create and develop will be available on line too.

EM Thank you for taking to me.

The Civil Service Motoring Association is a sponsor of the Bloodhound Project. The project has a real interest in the education and inspiration of children and the CSMA are now opening their membership to the

teaching profession. The association has been in existence for 90 years, has 280,000 members and now for only £19 a year teachers can also enjoy the benefits of a service that include discounts on everyday essentials like shopping, the cinema and car insurance, as well as preferential deals on fun stuff like theatre tickets, holidays and hotels. In addition a magazine is published 10 times a year, full of exclusive articles, features, competitions and ideas on how to get the most out of your membership.

More information on the CSMA can be found at www.csmaclub.co.uk/

Info on the Bloodhound project and information on its educational resources is available at http://www.bloodhoundssc.com/education

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Results from a social impact report show teachers see huge benefits to students from outdoor adventure learning

The Outward Bound Trust, the experiential outdoor learning charity which exists to unlock the potential in young people through discovery and adventure in wilderness environments, has just published its third Social Impact Report. The Trust, which has a 70 year heritage, is leading the way in impact evaluation and is currently the only outdoor learning and development organisation in the UK which reports on teachers’ feedback as well as that of students.

In 2012-13, almost 25,000 young people took part in Outward Bound Trust courses, 88% of whom were in education. Over 2,000 teachers from 386 schools participated alongside their students and the results of the Report demonstrate the huge impact participation had on students’ confidence, effort and perseverance. An unexpected bonus of the courses is that teachers’ relationships with students and their own teaching skills also improved. 80% of teachers said they gained in some way themselves from the course.

“It has helped staff to see students learn in a different environment, assess their learning styles and to develop better relationships with students. We can also say ‘remember when you did that at Ullswater’, a powerful tool to help students employ past learning.” Class Teacher, Secondary School, 2013

Studies increasingly emphasise the crucial nature of non-cognitive skills in young people. Persistence and effort are as much

predictors of success as ability and gaining such skills can help young people to avoid risky behaviours and increase earnings in the long-term. Educationalists and employers are calling for greater emphasis on a skills-based curriculum, while the Confederation of British Industry highlights determination, optimism and emotional intelligence as the top three skills.

Teaching staff who were surveyed reported high levels of student improvement after taking an Outward Bound® course. 97% of teachers reported improvements to pupils’ relationships with others, 85% reported improved attitude towards learning and 68% reported improved performance in the classroom.

Teachers also reported that through observing their students’ progress and achievements during the course, they gained a better understanding of students’ abilities. By standing back and allowing students to learn from experience, teachers saw that being over-directive can hinder learning and that targeted support includes knowing when not to direct or help.

A distinguishing hallmark of all Outward Bound courses is that, in addition to undertaking exciting and challenging activities, participants are carefully guided to reflect on these experiences, contextualising their own personal development back into their everyday existence. In this way, the full value and impact of each individual’s ‘distance travelled’ can be consolidated and

transferred into other aspects of their lives, including school and college. The Report found that this reflection is as significant for teachers as for students, revealing unexpected benefits.

Both short-term and longer-term benefits are measured by the Social Impact Report.

95% of teaching staff who participated, agreed that students were more likely to persevere when facing difficulties in the future, 92% said that students had improved their skills in setting personal goals and 85% said students were likely to set themselves higher goals in future.

Longer-term benefits were reported by teachers with 85% observing improvements in students’ attitudes and behaviour in class and 80% reporting improvements in attitudes towards learning and in personal and thinking skills. The most consistent improvements reported by teachers were those of confidence, motivation and enthusiasm for learning.

Classroom relationships showed considerable improvement with 95%of teachers observing improved teacher/students relationships and 97% observing continuing improvements in relationships between students after the course.

The Report looks at examples of schools where a relationship with The Trust has been ongoing for 5 years. In these cases, permanent improvements are observable.

Coach training helping to engage students in PEFairytales and children’s stories are now being used to engage students at a North East primary school in physical education (PE), thanks to the success of an innovative teacher training scheme.

Jayne Rowell, Reception class teacher at Eppleton Academy Primary, Sunderland, is one of the most recent graduates of the Principles of Coaching Sport programme run by SAFC’s official charity, the Foundation of Light.

The scheme, which is available to sports teachers and coaches across the North East, is designed to help integrate PE seamlessly into education and to make it more enjoyable and engaging for students of all ages.

Each course is delivered on a one-to-one basis, with Foundation coaches working in partnership with participants to develop their knowledge and confidence in delivering structured PE lessons, while also helping them to achieve a nationally recognised qualification for Continuous Personal Development (CPD).

As part of her six week course, Jayne was given the opportunity to learn how more creative teaching methods could benefit her young students and help them to

become more active participants in their weekly, two-hour, PE lessons.

She initially observed two sessions run at the school by coaches from the Foundation of Light, who used references to characters such as Spiderman and Minions (Despicable Me) to help the four and five year old pupils to understand and develop basic physical movements

After that, Jayne was encouraged to develop her own practice and lead her own basic skills sessions based on this technique. This proved so successful that the school now utilises this teaching style on a regular basis and is enjoying a marked increase in pupil participation as a result.

Jayne said: “I’ve been teaching for more than 10 years and have never seen the students as engaged or happy in their PE lessons as they are since I completed the Foundation of Light’s Principles of Coaching Sport programme.”

“The six-week scheme really encouraged me to be more creative in the way that I teach basic skills and, by incorporating popular stories such as Jack and the Beanstalk and The Emperor’s New Clothes, I’ve now expanded that to include the use of high-level apparatus, as well as floor work, while also incorporating the use of ICT in lessons”

“The best part is that this can be adapted to suit changing tastes and each child’s personal interests, which probably explains why even the quietest of students are now keen

to volunteer to demonstrate their ideas to peers.”

The Principles of Coaching Sport programme, which is available across six or eight weeks depending on the participant’s individual needs, can be delivered in school or outside of regular teaching hours.

Each course is tailor-made using a combination of workshop and practical sessions, with all participants graduating with a BTEC qualification and a bank of 20 lesson plans to be used in school.

Ian Dipper, Family Learning Co-ordinator for the Foundation of Light, said; “The Principles of Coaching Sport programme is one of the most popular courses offered by the Foundation of Light and really has wide reaching benefits.

“Not only do the coaches achieve practical guidance and a qualification that counts towards their CPD requirements, but their immediate and future students also enjoy fun and more productive PE session as a result.”

For more information, or to sign up for Principles of Coaching Sport programme call Ian Dipper on 0191 551 5313 or email [email protected].

More details about the full range of sport and education-based courses on offer from the Foundation of Light can also be found at www.foundationoflight.co.uk or by following @SAFCFol on Twitter.

mailto:[email protected]

http://www.foundationoflight.co.uk


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School library gets a makeover with a-ray of colour

Hard wearing carpet has been chosen by Newbridge High School Academy Trust in Coalville, Leicestershire for its newly refurbished library.The Library Administrator Ms Surenne Zake was tasked with designing and furnishing the new library. To do this, she carried out a great deal of research into different flooring styles, decoration and furnishings. She also met with Area Sales Representative Mel Parker and was shown a sample card for Array when it was used in conjunction with Broadrib from Heckmondwike’s Creative Flooring range. She loved the design and instantly decided this was the range and style she wanted.

As the library has both a book and IT area, she wanted to bring the two together, so replicated the square border design she had seen on the sample card around the perimeter of the library. She also used a similar square border design around the soft seating area to create an attractive, eye-catching look. Ms Zake carefully selected purple sofas and chairs in two shades to complement the purple flooring.

Ms Zake said: “I like to use my creative flair and really enjoyed the challenge of designing our new library. Colour was very important and there’s more scope with a library than other areas of the school, where the design can be a little bit more flamboyant. We have had some great feedback from pupils and staff – our library is an even better place to work now!”

She adds: “We are very pleased with the library refurbishment.

NHS asks Monkey to educate the next generation in health & wellbeingAccording to a new NHS report1, engaging and educating children on their health via characterised stories and education resources significantly reduces the burden on over-stretched NHS services and improve children’s knowledge and experiences within healthcare settings.

Commissioned by the NHS and distributed to over 19,000 primary and special schools throughout the UK, ‘Monkeys Guide to Healthy Living and NHS Services’is the result of a national collaboration between the NHS and Primary School and special schools to increase awareness of acute health services and general health and wellbeing amongst young children.

An evaluation study of the Monkey Wellbeing project, carried out by Liverpool John Moores University on behalf of NHS England, concluded that pupils were more informed about the appropriate health services to use, enabling informed choices and helping to avoid misuse of services and associated cost implications. Monkey Wellbeing resources were also hailed as an engaging teaching tool, with almost two-thirds of primary schools reporting that the resources were successful in teaching primary aged children about NHS Services.

Kath Evans, Head of Patient Experience for NHS England comments “It is crucial that children are given the opportunity to learn about the appropriate use of NHS services, in order to reduce fear and empower them to make informed decisions about their health. This new report highlights the importance of child-specific resources and demonstrates the success of the Monkey Wellbeing resource pack in terms of educating children in a way that they find motivating and engaging. Monkey Wellbeing resources put the wheels in motion for future generations to use to take control of their health from an early age and where required to use NHS services appropriately.”

Gianni Bianchi, former headteacher at Firle Primary school in East Sussex, says “As the headteacher I decided to use the Monkey resources because I realised the importance of this aspect of a child’s education. They need to be taught how to keep safe and stay healthy. We used the Monkey resources in all year groups as primary education should not be all about the core subjects”.

“The monkey resources are colourful and inviting to use for both teachers and pupils and they cater for pupils in schools with special educational needs. The benefits of the resources are that pupils become more aware of health education and keeping themselves safe and healthy. Staff remain positive about the resources, the children love them and we will continue to use them in the future” adds Bianchi.

Monkey Wellbeing resources continue to be used as an educational tool in primary schools and the NHS is looking at further opportunities for Monkey to assist in improving the knowledge and use of health services amongst the next generation.

A series of Monkey Wellbeing educational and information resources are available for download at monkeywellbeing.com.

Teen dream is to succeed - and fame followsTeenagers are more likely to try and emulate celebrities whose fame they see as a by-product of a successful career - such as Tom Daley and Beyoncé - than reality TV stars.

Despite the commonly-held view that young people crave fame above everything else, a new study suggests that the vast majority of today’s youth aspire to work in a variety of professions, from medicine to law and business to teaching - as well as jobs in the creative industries and manual trades.

Where fame was considered desirable, it was as the reward of a successful career. This kind of fame is one based on professional achievement, being a good role model and providing for one’s family.

It is just one of eight myths about celebrity and youth being busted by the groundbreaking study ‘The role of celebrity in young people’s classed and gendered aspirations’, led by Brunel University’s Heather Mendick and Manchester Metropolitan University’s Kim Allen, and funded by the Economic and Social Research Council.

Dr Mendick said: “Our study shows that very few teenagers aspire to become celebrities, looking instead at a variety of more traditional jobs. Many also recognise the pitfalls of a celebrity lifestyle such as lack of privacy or pressure to look a certain way.”

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Dr Allen added: “Those who view fame more positively don’t see it as a reward in and of itself. Famous faces who they believed become household names on the back of hard work and career success were considered the most inspirational figures.”

The two-year study is the first of its kind, taking into account the views of around 150 14 to 17-year-olds from a range of ethnic and class backgrounds.

The findings and implications of the research will be discussed before a panel of experts at Brunel University on Friday July 11th. Visit https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/celebrity-and-youth-aspirations-end-of-award-event-tickets-8872595171 for details.

For further information and for case studies of some of the teenagers who were interviewed, visit http://celebyouth.org/mythbusting.

Employers want education system to better prepare young people for life outside school gates – cbi/Pearson surveyHelp schools develop the key skills needed for working life

Businesses want the education system to better prepare young people with the attitudes and attributes they need to succeed in the world of work. That’s according to this year’s CBI/Pearson Education and Skills survey.

In the survey of 291 companies employing nearly 1.5 million people, over half (61%) are concerned about the resilience and self-management of school leavers and a third (33%) with their attitude to work. By contrast, nearly all firms (96%) are satisfied with young peoples’ IT abilities when they enter the workplace.

Firms want primary schools to focus on developing literacy and numeracy (85%) with around one-third not satisfied with these skills among school leavers. Half (52%) are urging schools to develop a greater awareness of working life among 14-19 year olds with support from businesses. Companies are prepared to play their part with two-thirds (66%) willing to take on a larger role in the school careers system.

Key findings include:• Too many young people leave education not equipped with

enough knowledge of their chosen job/career (school leavers 56%, graduates 30%) or relevant work experience (school leavers 55%, graduates 37%). This reflects concerns that careers advice is simply not good enough to help young people make informed choices (80%)

• Businesses recognise the need to support schools with 80% forging links of some type with at least one school or college

• The skills gap is getting worse - 58% of firms are not confident they will have sufficient highly skilled staff available for their needs in the future. A quarter (28%) of firms who need technicians qualified in science, technology, engineering or maths already report difficulty recruiting and a third (35%) anticipate problems in the next three years

• Nearly half of employers (44%) have organised training to tackle weaknesses in basic numeracy, literacy and IT for adult employees and more than a quarter (28%) for those who have joined directly from school or college.

The CBI is urging reform of Ofsted so that academic progress and the development of character are both prioritised in schools. It argues of the need to clearly set out what we want our schools to deliver and effectively hold them to account against this.


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The impact of debt on current and prospective higher education studentsThis article is the product of a two year study on the impact of tuition fees on current and prospective higher education students in Blackburn in the North West of England. The findings are based on a questionnaire survey of 477 participants and 8 focus group interviews. The study was carried out between 2012 and 2014.

Higher education in the UK has undergone considerable transformation in recent years. In 2010, the coalition government introduced a new funding regime that would bring unprecedented changes to university education. The aim of the policy was to offer a responsive, needs-based environment for students and to allow higher education institutions to set their own fees. The policy emphasised widening participation and the extension of educational provision to previously excluded groups.

At present, there are four sources of higher education funding in England: tuition fee loans, maintenance loans for living costs, maintenance grants for living costs and special support grants. Of these four, tuition fee loans and maintenance loans are repayable. Maintenance grants for living costs, on the other hand, are means tested, and while successful applicants are not expected to repay these grants, they may be limited to the amount of money that they can borrow from a maintenance loan. Special support grants are awarded in specific circumstances (most notably, to

students in receipt of state benefits) and are an alternative source of funding to maintenance grants for living costs. Whatever the source of the funding, the increase in tuition fees to between £6000 and £9000 in 2012-13 means that graduates can expect to incur substantial debts at the end of their period of study. Under current regulations, repayments only come into effect when a graduate is earning £21,000, with the entire debt written off at pensionable age.

The impact of debt on students The initial aim of the questionnaire survey was to examine whether the new fees policy might be causing students to choose a different university course than they had originally intended. For the overwhelming majority of the students (94 per cent of the 477 respondents), this was not the case. However, almost 29 per cent stated that the new policy had made them to think twice about applying for university, while 43 per cent were mildly cautious and 28 per cent were unaffected. These findings raise important questions about whether debt is causing the kind of anxiety that one might expect. When asked how worried they were about getting into debt, 24 per cent of the students stated that they were very worried, 45 per cent were a little worried and 30 per cent were not very worried at all.

Despite these varying degrees of debt anxiety, the fact that some of these students had already borrowed substantial amounts of money to pay for their education suggests that they were inclined to regard their debt as an investment (based on the fact that any outstanding debts would eventually be written off) rather than the financial millstone attributed to conventional loans such as mortgages and higher purchase agreements.

Other students found practical solutions that helped to assuage the fear of debt as it was growing. The most common of these were: (i) saving and investing prior to university enrolment, (ii) borrowing money from loved ones, (iii)

pursuing part-time employment, (iv) living with friends or relatives while studying. These contingencies suggest that while most students continue to recognize the value of higher education, they are becoming increasingly aware of the costs involved. This marks a significant change from the former situation in which a student’s ability to save money or to generate additional income was a means of avoiding rather than managing debt.

Student anxiety about debt management is, ipso facto, anxiety about repayment. The survey revealed that just over one quarter of the students allowed this issue to occupy their thoughts on a regular basis, while the remainder thought about it in varying degrees. The most common responses among the less anxious students were: (i) that repayments would not, under current regulations, commence until they were earning a minimum of £21,000, (ii) that debt was a necessary evil for all higher education students; hence it was a shared problem, (iii) that the loans would be repaid over a long period of time, (iv) that the repayments would be calculated only on the individual’s ability to pay the money back and (iv) that the interest rates on student loans were low.

These findings reveal that debt is producing mixed reactions among students and that responses vary within and between student groups.

Conclusions Our study unearthed two broad strategies that students adopt for managing debt anxiety. These are: (i) psychological/emotional and (ii) practical/pragmatic. The psychological/emotional strategies include: (i) the refusal to allow debt to occupy one’s thoughts during the study period, (ii) the ability to

approach debt as an investment rather than a financial burden, (iii) the adoption of the belief that loan repayments will take care of themselves in the future and (iv) the ability to remind oneself that, if all else fails, the debt will be written off at pensionable age. These strategies suggest that students are acutely aware that the benefits once associated with university education - free tuition, the opportunity to move away from home, improved employment prospects and the ability to obtain a mortgage – are no longer guaranteed, and the increasing costs of higher education are likely to exacerbate these uncertainties in the future.

The practical/pragmatic strategies manifested themselves in a range of contingencies. These included saving and investing money prior to enrolment, remaining in the family home while studying, borrowing loans from friends and relatives, applying for part time work and seeking free accommodation – all of which convey an anticipation of growing debt, and an awareness that educational debt on this scale is unprecedented.

It is clear that for some students, the new funding policy is a major source of anxiety; while for others, it is of relatively little concern. Time will tell whether tuition fees and loans are detrimental to university progression or if student aspirations will outweigh perceived risks. The extent to which students are able to avert debt anxiety will be key to their higher education experience as they embark on their journey towards graduation.

Full article at http://www.education-magazine.co.uk/Debt_Management_Among_Higher_Education_Students_Strategies_For_Averting_-a-3083.html

Andrew Holden and Cheryl McElroy University Centre at Blackburn College

Ensure safe play for children and the environment100% recycled playground surfacing could help schools to improve ‘decline in recycling’.

Abacus Playgrounds is launching a new blend of 100% recycled playground surfacing, which can actively help schools to hit new sustainability targets.The range is introduced following the news that the UK is failing to meet long-term sustainability goals due to ill-defined targets. The range, which is natural looking, non-toxic and completely inert, is an ideal investment which can benefit children and the environment.While the government looks to revise figures showing a “decline in recycling in the UK” to ensure resource efficiency rises, schools and play facility owners are encouraged to invest in environmentally-friendly, 100% recycled playground surfacing to promote safe, creative play while also protecting the environment.


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Severance pay and academies One of the great selling points of becoming an Academy is the greater freedom a school will have compared to that enjoyed by one maintained by the local council. There is though at least one area where an Academy has less freedom than a maintained school - severance pay.

There are many occasions when a school will want to give a member of staff a severance package secured under a Settlement Agreement to prevent employment tribunal claims. For example:• A poor performer who will take

too long to fairly dismiss• A person accused of misconduct

who wants to resign to avoid a formal dismissal

• A person off sick for a substantial length of time.

In a council-maintained school there are no national rules on an acceptable level of a severance package - each council can impose its own rules under its financial framework. In reality, councils have not imposed strict rules.

This has caused problems when council HR teams are advising Academies as in my experience they tend to pitch settlement offers too

high because they are not familiar with the rules covering Academies.

An Academy enters into a Funding Agreement with the Secretary of State for Education. As part of that Agreement each Academy has to comply with the terms of the Financial Handbook for Academies, which is issued by the Education Funding Agency. This contains strict rules.

At first sight it appears that an Academy is allowed to offer a severance package of no more than £50,000 without any further approval.

This is misleading on two counts. Firstly, in fact it is only the non-contractual parts of a severance package that are capped at £49,999. Payments for notice periods and statutory and contractual redundancy pay do not count toward the £49,999 maximum.

Secondly, there is a rule that no non-contractual severance payment can be made if it were seen to reward failure, with two exceptions.

The first exception is that if an employee is a poor performer a non-contractual severance payment can be made for the value of the time it would take to fairly dismiss using capability procedures. This is often needed where schools have failed to take early action against a

poor performer and then become frustrated beyond endurance with the employee. It is also used to pay off Headteachers where a bad Ofsted report has led to the school going into Special Measures.

The second exception is for misconduct dismissals where the Academy has legal advice that it would not win a Tribunal claim. In such a case a non-contractual severance payment can be paid as long as it is less than what could be awarded at Tribunal and under £50,000.

The EFA does have power to allow non-contractual payments of £50,000 or more or where they would otherwise be banned. I made the first application for such approval where the legal costs of defending the claim would be excessive. The EFA declined to give approval as it did not want to encourage a culture of settlement.

The EFA handbook also contains a ban on any Academy making a novel or contentious payment without approval of the EFA and it is possible that a severance payment under £50,000 and apparently within the other EFA rules could still fall foul of this ban. The situation is not helped by the very woolly definition of a contentious payment - one that

could lead to public criticism. In effect it’s the Daily Mail test - how would the school defend itself if the payment were splashed on the front page? Legal advice should be taken if there is any doubt.

While these rules may seem restrictive, they are good news in at least one regard - it strengthens the Academy’s negotiating position with the unions to have a public line in the sand beyond which it cannot go.

Academies are also required to publish in their accounts the combined figures for severance payments made each year. Individual figures do not have to be published but the EFA can audit individual settlement agreements to check compliance, and from experience, they will look for evidence of legal advice and of negotiations on the settlement sum.

Knowing and abiding by these restrictions and rules, Academies will ensure they don’t suddenly face having the Secretary of State appoint new directors to run them.

James Lynas is a partner at Winckworth Sherwood where he specializes in employment law in the education sector


Getting to grips with terminology of year-end accounting- Scratching the surface of itAccountancy for academy schools is universally accepted as a specialist area requiring specific expertise and a detailed knowledge of the sector. The reality is that independence from Local Authority governance is a double edged sword as the freedoms provided by academy status are coupled with the responsibility of understanding and adapting to regular changes of financial procedures.

OverviewFor Academy Schools, accountability and reporting requirements are set out in the Academies’ Financial Handbook. Within this framework, academies are responsible for their own financial management and are expected to operate a balanced budget. The Education Funding Agency (EFA) retains overall responsibility for obtaining assurance on academies’ financial health. They therefore require academies to submit a copy of their budget each academic year. Should an academy show a budget deficit they are required to produce a recovery plan and have this agreed by the EFA.

It is important for all schools to have the accounting systems and internal controls in place which allow them to properly record and monitor expenditure. Academies are required to prepare annual accounts for each academic year ending 31 August and to have these independently audited. Audited accounts need to be submitted to the EFA by the 31st December and published on the school’s website within a month of submission. This is in addition to the Abbreviated Accounts Return and the Financial Management and Governance Self-assessment return. Academy bursars should also note that accounts should be prepared on an accruals basis to allow income and expenditure to be recognised in the period to which it relates.

Understanding the terminology Clearly the pressure on school bursars is high and it is in no way aided by complicated terminology and increased scrutiny. However, these challenges are by no means impossible to overcome and can be significantly eased with the support of a professional external accountant. This article’s purpose is to provide a breakdown of some of the key audit elements and terminology an academy school bursar will need to cover when working with external auditors on year end reports.

Accrual accountingAccrual accounting represents one of the toughest accounting procedures a school will often face once they have made the transition to academy status. The accruals

procedure itself permits current cash inflows and outflows to be combined with future expected cash inflows and outflows to give a more accurate picture of the academy’s current financial position.

AssetsAn asset is something owned by the academy which can be converted into cash and has an exchangeable value. Assets must be reported in the balance sheet in order to provide a facility of identifying an academy’s net worth at a single point.

The balance sheet is one of the most important statements of an academy’s accounts. An example balance sheet can be found in the Department for Education’s Academies Accounts Direction. Balance sheet values will continually change and will be carried forward from year to year. As a result, it is essential to divide listed assets into separate categories: fixed assets and current assets.

Fixed assetsFixed assets are defined by the Companies Act 2006 as an item of value which will have an expected life to the academy of more than one year. Fixed assets can also be considered as tangible or intangible. It is important to recognize the difference between these two definitions to enable bursars to keep an accurate track of the academy’s property. An external accountant will always require you to inform them of the type of assets your academy holds. Tangible assets are simply any assets which have a physical existence, such as land and buildings, equipment, a trading subsidiary, furniture, equipment, IT hardware and software.

Current assetsCurrent assets are classed as any asset that does not meet the standard definition of a fixed asset. This list would include trade debtors, cash or funds held in an academy’s bank accounts, cash in hand, short-term investments, accrued income and other debtors. Essentially, these assets are those which could potentially be converted into cash and utilised as a means for paying an academy’s current liabilities within the 12 month period.

Accrued income relates to income that is due in the current year which has not yet been received. It is important that funding received by academies is recognised in the period to which it relates. For example, in the 2013 accounts direction the EFA emphasised that grants received for capital purposes should be recognised when they are ‘receivable’ i.e. when there is entitlement, certainty and measurement.

Essentially, current assets act as a source of funds for academies’ day-to-day operational expenses and accurate records are therefore essential for monitoring cash flow and the creation of accurate future forecasts.

LiabilitiesAccountants define liabilities as obligations which will arise from an academy’s past

transactions. Essentially, these are amounts an academy will owe at any given time. As such, liabilities will need to be listed on an academy’s balance sheet. Academies can class liabilities as either current or long-term liabilities. Current liabilities can include trade creditors, accruals, deferred income and other creditors which are due within one year.

An accrual is an expense that has been incurred during a specific period but has not been invoiced in that period. Examples include electricity, gas, telephone and similar utility bills.

Deferred income relates to income received which relates to a future period. It is important that funding received by academies is recognised in the period to which it relates.

Long-term liabilities cover those which are due more than one year into the future. Given that academies are not permitted to borrow without EFA approval, examples of long-term liabilities would typically be limited to include teacher/ staff pensions.

Funding Funding is yet another area which can be subject to change from one year to the next. There are three different classifications: unrestricted funds, restricted funds and fixed asset funds. Unrestricted funds are those which an academy can utilise for any school purpose agreed by school governors. These funds may originate from several areas such as unrestricted donations, or the income an academy generates from the letting of school facilities and services. Restricted funds are funds which are tied to a specific purpose. This would include an academy’s General Annual Grant, or any other government grant funds which are exclusively marked to fund a particular purpose. Fixed asset funds operate in a similar manner as they are funds locked to a specific capital purpose.

Scratching the surfaceThere is no avoiding the fact that the very terminology used in end of year reporting makes the process of compiling reports and auditing a daunting prospect, we have only scratched the surface here. Yet, the fact that every academy is required to engage the services of an external accountant for external audits means that support is available. Choosing an accountant with specialist knowledge of the academy sector is crucial. In the interim the combined provisions of the Academies Financial Handbook, the above introduction should provide the necessary grounding to aid external audits and annual reporting.

Written by Lisa White, partner at UHY Hacker Young Bristol chartered accountants




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Education Magazine Issue 3 2014